Always and Forever Hill

Dear Future Child

2012-01-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

In one of my classes one of the assignments due today was a letter written to either a child we have now or will have in the future. This was actually really great "therapy" for me.

January 13, 2012

Dear Ayden or Addison,

This letter started out as a class assignment, but the more I started thinking about it and what I would write in this letter, it became a way for me to express my desire to have you in my arms today and let you know how much I love you even though we don’t have you yet. Your dad and I have always wanted children and we thought it would happen right off the bat. We were married December 2007 and we thought it would happen shortly after. Unfortunately things don’t always turn out as you plan and after several years of trying we became discouraged and sad because we wanted to start a family. If there is anything you should know it is that we want you so badly that sometimes it hurts to see others with children. We are willing to do anything to make having children a reality. When you do make it to our home you will be our miracle and our dream come true.

The one thing we are learning from having to wait so long is to never take anything for granted. We are getting a lot of practice with my cousin Juliet, who is one, along with Early Childhood Development being something I am going to school for. I feel confident that when you enter into our home there will only be minor adjustments and we won’t screw up too bad. Your dad knows CPR and I know how not to treat children so together we should do ok. I am sure we will make mistakes but I hope that the one thing we will always do is show you how much we love you.
We plan on being the kind of parents that have unconditional love, parents that are patient and apologize when we aren’t, parents that are there when you need to talk, parents that don’t expect you to act like an adult when you are clearly not but don’t treat you like you are less smart just because you are a child and parents that are available 24 hours a day, 7days a week. I hope that we raise you in a way that will be inspiring to you as you go out into the world and get married and start your own family. I pray that you do not have to go through the pain we have had to in order to start a family. Just remember that no matter what happens, or how bad things get your Heavenly Father is always there to talk to; even when you feel a lone, you’re not. Remember to stay true to who you are and what you were taught. We love you more than you could ever know. Even if you aren’t with us yet, I know you are waiting for the perfect moment, and when that perfect moment comes, your dad and I will be ready with outstretched arms ready for the wonderful, and amazing challenge of being a parent.

With all our love,

Your Mommy and Daddy

4 Years and counting...

2011-12-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today Shaun and I celebrate 4 amazing years of marriage and 9 awesome years of being together. He is my absolute best friend and the love of my life. Everyday he amazes me with how awesome and intelligent he is. He is a hard worker and a dedicated student and husband. He makes me laugh several times a day and for that I am so grateful. Being married to him has been so easy and fun, and I can not wait until with have children. He is going to be such an amazing, loving, attentive, and caring daddy. Happy Anniversary Baby!!!

Shaun and I in high school

Shaun and I on the Thanksgiving before we got married

Typical day

Right before we entered the temple to be married

Right before we left for our Honeymoon

FAILED.....but hoping to redeem myself

2011-12-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I failed at listing one thing I am grateful for on each day leading up to Thanksgiving, but that is certainly not for lack of being grateful, I had just gone out of town and it got nuts. So just to kind of redeem myself I thought I would share some things I a grateful for since these past two months have been very full of blessings.

#1 I am grateful my husband was able to find a job 3 days after I lost mine.
#2 I am grateful for brothers and sisters who make you laugh
#3 I am grateful for sweatshirts
#4 I am grateful for 2 working cars
#5 I am grateful for a roof over my head
#6 I am grateful for hot water
#7 I am grateful for our ward that we live in and all the amazing people who make us feel like we belong
#8 I am grateful for my Nursery calling
#9 I am grateful for my Aunt who shares her adorable baby girl, Juliet
#10 I am grateful the knowledge I have, to know that Shaun and I will be blessed with a baby soon

Day 10

2011-11-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for socks that keep your feet warm. I am not a huge fan of things on my feet, but when it is cold outside socks make my feet warm and they make it feel all cozy. Socks complete the sweatpants and sweatshirt outfit.

Day 9

2011-11-09T22:15:00.001-07:00

Today I am grateful for SLEEP! Sleep is essential in my life, as I am sure it is in everyone's life. In college I remember the all nighters I used to pull...those days are no more. I am lucky if I make it past 10 without falling asleep wherever I am. I am so happy that there are at least 8 hours devoted to sleeping so that I can become rejuvenated and ready to go the next morning.

Not Ready to Make Nice

2011-11-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough couple of days and it is during these times that it seems like everything comes to the surface. This song has always been one of my favorites, mainly because it describes exactly how I have felt my entire life. I have always felt a little different in my family because I have a different biological father then the rest of my siblings. I don't feel angry because I am not happy with my situation, I feel angry because of the fact that I can't even comprehend what happened 23 years ago when I came into this world. Having fertility struggles these past 3 1/2 years of our marriage has made these feelings worse because I want a baby and it has yet to happen for us, but somehow people can just up and leave their children. I am not talking about parents who know from the very beginning they can't raise a child so they put the baby up for adoption, that is admirable, I am talking about those who have a wonderful gift from God and later down the road they then decide it's not for them. Forgiving does sound good, but it is the forgetting that is hard, and here we are 23 years later and I'm not healed.
I have the MOST AMAZING father in the world who has raised me since I was very young, and I would NOT trade him for anything or anyone. Sometimes I just wish the past didn't exist. I have spent several years searching for something that isn't there and I can't get that time back.
I am just so grateful for a father who loves me and mother who was strong enough to take care of me alone for a little while. She is someone I will always look up to because I am sure it wasn't easy. I am grateful for a daddy who CHOSE ME. He didn't have to be my dad but he is and for that I will always, ALWAYS be so grateful.

Not Ready To Make Nice

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can't you just get over it??
It turned my whole world around
And I kinda like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don't mind sayin'
It's a sad, sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger

And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter sayin' that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

Day 5-8

2011-11-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive I have let 4 days get away from me. I will post 4 things I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful for my dog, Mari. She is quite a handful but it is fun to have a dog. A few months ago she got really sick and we thought we were going to lose her. I am so grateful she survived and I love that she is excited about everything. She loves to sit right outside the kitchen and watch me cook.

2. I am grateful for school. It is such a great opportunity that Shaun and I have to attend college and get an education that will lead to a better future for our family. We have sacrificed so much to move here to Cedar City and attend SUU and it is so wonderful to see the blessings coming from it.

3. I am grateful for Temples. I love what they mean, what they give to the saints, and I love their beauty. Going to the temple gives me such peace and comfort. When I go to the temple I feel at peace.

4. I am grateful the winter and snow! I love the cold! I always say you can fix cold, but you can't fix hot. Snow is beautiful and it is like a clean white blanket being laid across the city. There is something about going out at night when it is snowing that is so refreshing.

Day 4

2011-11-04T22:40:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for modern technology. I use a computer every single day along with my phone and iPad for both school and work. I am so grateful for how easy technology makes everything. Technology has given my the ability to stay at my wonderful job even though I moved to Cedar City.

Day 3

2011-11-03T22:30:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for my amazing husband who I adore! This December we will have been together 9 years and married 4 of those years. He is my rock, my Prince Charming, and everything I wished for. We have so much fun and he is constantly making me smile and laugh.

A Month Of Being Thankful

2011-11-03T22:21:00.000-06:00

I love the idea of blogging one things each day of November, that I am thankful for. I have seen this done on several blogs and I think it is a brilliant way to one, to share what I am thankful for, and two- a great way to stay up on blogging. I am a two days behind so I will share those here and then hopefully continue successfully on time all the other days.

Day 1

I am thankful for my parents. My parents are my heros and they have definitely taught me well and raised me to be the crazy ambitious person I am. My Dad is so amazing and anytime I start to talk about him I tear up. He is a wonderful example, a hard worker, a great daddy, and a very humble man. My mom is someone I have always butt heads with but I know she will always be my #1 fan. I admire her for he hard work, her drive to do things, her ability to speak her mind, and most of all, the fact that she gave birth to 7 of us, and is a great mom!

Day 2

I am thankful for my siblings. As we have all grown up and started leaving the home one by one I become even more grateful for such awesome siblings. Everyone of them are so smart, kind, and lovable. I am lucky to be able to call them my brothers and sisters. I hope as we continue getting older and more of them get married, and have kids that we will get closer and closer. It is so fun to be college at the same time as two of my other siblings. I wish I was done, but at the same time it is fun to talk about our experiences together as they happen.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T18:16:00.002-06:00

Halloween has sadly come and gone, but we enjoyed every minute of the holiday! Halloween is one our favorites and we did all of our usual traditions except having a party. Instead we attended a school event called The Howl. They decorated the Student Center in a creepy pirate theme and had a Spooky House, Daniel Martin the magician, and some other fun booths and even a dance. It was fun to get all dressed up and have fun with Shaun and my Aunt Brittany and her husband Joe.

Making Carmel Apples was the first fun thing we did. We had so much fun making these, and eating them.

Getting all ready for the Howl

Shaun and I before the Howl

My Aunt as the Queen of Hearts (hopefully I get a better picture of her in the costume because if was amazing-you really must see the entire thing) and her husband, Joe as the March Hare

My Aunt and I were the last to carve pumpkins and we ended up carving a few each since others did not want to carve.

All of our finished pumpkins. We had my grandma, and Joe's mom visiting as well as my cousin Hunter so we had tons of pumpkins

Shaun's pumpkin

One of my pumpkins

The other pumpkin

Disneyland Trip

2011-11-03T18:15:00.002-06:00

In October we had Fall break at school on the 17th and 18th and we decided to take this opportunity to really get away from school and work and have some fun! We spent the weekend visiting family and having a blast with them, and then Sunday we drove down to Anaheim where we stayed in a less than desirable hotel with Shaun's amazing dad and step mom. We went with them to Disneyland on Monday the 17th and had so much fun riding several rides, eating the Disney cuisine...like Mexican food that wasn't really Mexican food ;). Shaun had never been to California Adventure so that is where we spent most of the day Monday. By the end of the day Monday we were pooped! We all decided the hot tub is where our feet needed to be. One Tuesday Shaun and I spent another day at both Disneyland and California Adventure where we had a great time on our "date." We spent Tuesday going on rides we had missed the day before and going to the Aladdin show, which I think is a must see for anyone visiting California Adventure. We also went to a Drawing workshop near Off The Page in California Adventure where we learned how to draw Daisy duck, and I learned my new found talent for drawing! This truly was a divine get a away and we loved every minute of it.

Shaun and Sue buggin around at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney!

I loved all the Halloween Decorations that filled Disneyland!

My very adorable husband and I waiting to get on Storybook land (a ride Shaun had never been on...WHAT?!?!)

My gorgeous Mother-in law and I in line (same line as above)

Shaun and his dad, Jason

On Hollywood Tower of Terror. I tried to do a cool pose but I chickened out.

Shaun and I...and some creeper in the background. I am sure we are waiting in a line somewhere.

Shaun LOVES Clam Chowder, especially in a sour dough bowl!

Our sourdough Micky head. It was delicious!

My Art- Daisy Duck!

I hate roller-coasters, can you tell?

One the right-me now. On the left- me in 60 years. Guess I'll start applying the wrinkly cream now!

On our way home we stopped at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas and ate at a restaurant called Steak N' Shake, a place his mother told us about. It was so yummy! They had great service, great food, great shakes, and best of all GREAT PRICES! We even lucked out and went during happy hour so we got half off shakes!

Neeley Family Pictures 2011

2011-08-07T15:42:00.000-06:00

Neeley Family 2011

All because two people fell in love <3

Emilee Chantelle (19)

Joshua Don (18)

Jacob Samuel (16)

Saryn Elizabeth (15)

Dallin Scott (12)

Katelyn Mattea (5)

4th of July 2011

2011-08-07T14:33:00.000-06:00

This summer we have had Karissa and Brayden, Shaun's niece and nephew, living with us. The 4th of July was a lot of fun with them. On Sunday we went to church and I got to wear my 4th of July outfit. On Monday morning our ward had a pancake breakfast that we attended and then we went down to Main Street in Cedar City and watched the parade.

A festive dessert to top off our 4th of July BBQ

Karissa and Brayden with the scooter we decorated for the Primary Parade

Karissa and Brayden waiting for the Parade to start

Waiting for the parade to start in my favorite 4th of July shirt

Shaun and I

Our Family Adventures

2011-08-07T14:03:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it has been 2 1/2 months since I blogged last. So much has happened in the past few months, and I have so many fun things to share. Instead or boring everyone with a huge long explanation of everything that has happened in the past 2 1/2 months I will just share a lot of pictures!

-In April we enjoyed spending a lot of time with family. We celebrated Easter with my Aunt Brittany and her family. We all had matching Easter outfits, we decorated about 3 dozen eggs, and we had an awesome Easter egg hunt.

Juliet and I getting ready to go to church on Easter Sunday

My Aunt Brittany and Juliet (mother and daughter in cute matching outfits for Easter)

Shaun and I in our Easter outfits

My Aunt Brittany and her family came to stay with us for Easter weekend. We had fun decorating Easter Eggs and having an Easter egg hunt.

My cousins (from L to R) Taylor, Hunter, and TJ after they collected all the hidden eggs

My sister, Emilee having fun decorating eggs with us


Cute little Easter Bunny

- In April we made the decision to move to Cedar City where Shaun could finally start and finish his education. My Aunt Brittany and her husband, Joe were planning on moving to Cedar City so Joe could attend SUU for their Engineering Program. After touring the campus with them and after a lot of discussing and prayer, we made the leap and decided this was the best place for Shaun to pursue his Nursing degree. We have moved one too many times, but this move was necessary. So, May 12th we made the move to Cedar City with my Aunt and her family and we have settled down in a 6 bed, 3 bath home with two kitchens, three living areas, and plenty of space for two growing families. Shaun and I will both start August 22nd. I will finish my degree at SUU and Shaun will start his career as a student.

A view of our beautiful city


Our view from our house (you can see the SUU stadium straight ahead)

-Here are pictures of some fun things we have done so far in Cedar City

We built a fire pit in our back yard (yes it is legal)

Shaun, Brittany, Joe, and T.J. roasting and eating hot dogs

Juliet and I all cuddled up

T.J. and Juliet happy as can be playing outside with the family, roasting hot dogs and marshmellows

Shaun and Juliet having fun! Juliet is excited that she was finally able to get Shaun's hat off of his head


Shaun was the first person to celebrate his birthday in our new home! Happy 25th!

-The first of June we traveled out to California for my brother, Joshua's high school graduation. It is so amazing how fast time flies by. It really teaches you to take advantage of every second of every day.


My little, but much taller than me, brother Joshua. He will be attending BYU in Fall 2011

- The home we moved into here in Cedar City has a pretty good sized backyard so we decided we would add to our family, and get a second dog (my Aunt has a small dog named Bella). We figured it would be great for Bella, who was getting lonely, and Shaun loves dogs. We got a mixed Lab and some other breed, we named her Mari, short for Marisol, one of Shaun's favorite girl names from his mission in Guatemala (one I refuse to use for any of our daughters because very few people in America pronounce is correctly, and it is not nearly as pretty when people mispronounce it.

Mari on the way to her new home

I Would Die For That

2011-03-20T16:58:00.000-06:00

My aunt, who has gone through the same thing I am going through now showed me this music video. This song is beautiful and it is exactly how I feel. It definitely makes me feel like I am not alone, and success if possible.

A Diagnosis

2011-03-20T16:56:00.000-06:00

Most of you readers know that Shaun and I have been trying to get pregnant for a little over 3 years now, with two miscarriages, and a rough time getting pregnant. I've been on clomid for 5 months and it hasn't worked yet. Frustrated, I finally decided to go to the Utah fertility clinic where they specialize in infertility. This was a bitter sweet appointment but it gave us plenty of answers and we were able to form a better game plan. At this appointment I found out that I have PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) which causes hormone imbalance among other things. It has been the main cause for my miscarriages, but now that they know this they know what I need in order to have a successful pregnancy. I will be starting on clomid and shots in a few weeks and then once things look really promising the doctor will do an IUI (intrauterine insemination) which will increase our chances of getting pregnant to about a 40% which is a lot better than the 5% I am at now or the average 20%. We are hopeful that this will lead to a very happy ending.

St. Patricks Day Fun!

2011-03-20T16:13:00.000-06:00

I LOVE St. Patrick's Day!!! My mom has always been big on holidays and making sure we celebrated everyone, and I have taken that on. I do go all out, decorations, festive food, dressing up, you name it I do it.

All dressed up!

St. Patrick's Day dinner

Baby Juliet and I

Spent St. Patrick's day with my Aunt Brittany, Uncle Joe, and their two children TJ and Juliet

Brittany and Juliet in her cute outfit

A small getaway

2011-03-20T16:04:00.000-06:00

At the end of February Shaun and I went on a mini vacation to Las Vegas. It is a great halfway point where we meet up with his dad and step mom. We spent three days there visiting lots of fun places. Shaun and I have never been to the Hoover Dam so we took a quick trip there and it was so awesome. We also went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel and the view was amazing.

I got my Pina Colada (virgin of course) fix, we tried fried twinkies, and I had some yummy steak dinners for super cheap! It was really nice to take a break from life and spend some quality time together and with his parents.

One of many

Visiting the Hoover Dam

Beautiful view

If you rub their feet it brings good luck

Hoping it brings great things...and don't worry I used lots of hand sanitizer after!

Sue and I rubbing for some luck

In front of Mead Lake

Dad and Sue

Fried Twinkies

Diggin in!

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is how everyday is <3

I love Valentine's Day! I love the color scheme, I love what it means, and I love that it is one day set aside so loved ones everywhere can remind each other of their love. Sometimes life gets so busy and it seems Shaun and I are always passing each other as we go in and out, so today we took full advantage of the day and made sure we both knew how the other felt. Our day started with me getting up early in the morning to heart attack Shaun's car. It was so much fun because I am never able to surprise Shaun, but this year I pulled it off, TWICE! We both worked today but when I got home I quickly prepared Shaun's next surprise, where I cut out several hearts and wrote some of the reasons I love him, which went as follows:

I love you because......

You support me in everything I do

You work hard

We will make cute babies

You make me laugh everyday

You always tell me you love me

etc..

and I gave him a card with an itunes card in it. He surprised me with a pound of see's chocolate, a big stuffed ladybug, and my favorite roses (white with a red tip= The white rose signifies purity, and the red rose signifies passionate love; the combination of the two colors together conveys both meanings. It also implies a form of unity between the giver and the receive)

After we finished giving each other our gifts I prepared a four course meal that included, soup, salad, and main course of steak, lobster, asparagus, seasoned potatoes, and garlic bread, and dessert was cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries, all with our favorite drink of Sparkling Apple Cider!

Our table setting

The main course

Shaun's gift

The reasons I love him...there are many more, but I ran out of time :)

Today was an amazing day, and I am so grateful for my husband, and so in love with him! He makes me so happy, and I look forward to many more Valentine's Days spent with him.

Wait...

2011-02-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading through all my past blog posts and I came across this poem that I had posted over a year ago. This poem is even more true then it was before, as Shaun and I struggle to get pregnant and find the comfort we need to make it through this when we want to start a family so much. I have learned that the world doesn't stop turning just because one person has a problem, life goes on, friends close to you get pregnant and have children, and their families grow, and although I feel joy and excitement for them on this very new and exciting journey, often I can't help but feel the pain of our two losses and our unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant recently. I do feel as though my world is turning, but ever so slowly. I am eager to find out what the purpose of this wait is. I sit here watching my cousin who is now 5 months. She started her journey on this earth too early, yet she was strong and she is a fighter and she is growing more and more beautiful everyday. I love looking into her eyes and seeing such amazing innocence as the veil is still very thin for her, and she is so much closer to our Father in Heaven than the rest of us. I can not wait for the moment when I get to hold my precious baby and thank Heavenly Father for such an amazing blessing, as our fight for a family has not been easy. I can not wait to see that same innocence in my child's eyes.

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:

Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said, 'Child, you must wait'.

'Wait? You say, wait! ' my indignant reply.

'Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate

hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,

or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe

we need but to ask, and we shall receive.

And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied once again, 'You must wait.'

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut

and grumbled to God, 'So, I'm waiting.... for what?'

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,

And he tenderly said, 'I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want But, you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;

You'd know that I give and I save.... (for a start),

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked

Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for Thee.'

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,

But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, 'WAIT.'

Here is to a successful February, and if not this month, our fight will still not be over... :)

My New Toy

2011-02-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

I have gone through three laptops in 4 years and I am not happy about it, Dell, HP...I don't like them, I've had nothing but problems, and I haven't heard very many good things about the other brands either, so I did what had to be done, I went Mac. Shaun and I are an Apple family! We have had success with the Apple brand, and our iMac, we bought 2 1/2 years ago has not shown signs of aging so we thought why not try out their laptops too? It is necessary that I have a reliable computer for both my job and my school, so with our tax return I gifted myself a brand new MacBook complete with a pink cover! I foresee a beautiful future full of working computers!

My New Found Obsession

2011-02-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love Grey's Anatomy!!!! After hearing about the mind boggling season finale on the sixth season I was curious. I started watching, and I couldn't STOP!!! I have fallen in love with the relationship between Derek and Meredith and I love every minute of the show! I was so sad because my two long time favorite's, Medium and Ghost Whisperer came to an end, but Grey's Anatomy has filled my void! :)

Wrapping up 2010

2011-01-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you have seen, I have been awful at updating my blog. Life is always a crazy whirlwind of events. Before I move right into 2011 I thought I would share some pictures from our Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday. For Thanksgiving Shaun and I, and my sister Emilee traveled to California to visit our family out there. It was an amazing Thanksgiving full of family time and so much love! This year Shaun's family AND my family had Thanksgiving together with a few other close friends and my mom's cousin. My family likes to party so this was right up our alley! The day after Thanksgiving we went with my family to the Beach. We had so much fun and it was so nice being back at the beach after almost 2 years!

I thought it would be fun to fold the napkins into something other than a triangle. This is the Birds of Paradise fold. It was so much fun!

I am always amazed at how beautiful the beach is!

This is one of my favorite pictures of my little sister Katelyn (4 1/2), Jacob (16), and Saryn (14).

My mom and I at the beach. I love her!

My little sister Katelyn showing off her new hat and her cool new sunglasses!

This is another one of my favorite pictures. It pretty much captures our life in a nutshell, everyone in my family doing there own thing.

Katelyn and I showing off our new hats

Shaun and I at Newport Harbor with the family

Katelyn and I playing a game of jumping frogs

Shaun and Katelyn spending time with each other. Katelyn loved watching Shaun play on the iPhone

So that wraps up our Thanksgiving trip, it was a lot of fun, and although we don't have any pictures of Shaun's family we did visit them and we love to visit them when we get the chance!

This Christmas season started off with snow, making snow Angels in the middle of the road, and watching my cousins, TJ (8) and Juliet (4 months).

The start of one very cold winter

My sister, Emilee, who is out here at college was hanging out with me one night when she decided it would be fun to make a snow angel in the middle of street in front of our house. It was fun, she always makes me laugh!

Shaun and I got to watch my cousins while my Aunt Brittany and her husband Joe went to his company Christmas Party. I made Santa masks with my Cousin TJ while Shaun played with Julie aka cuddled with her.

TJ's mask all done!

Shaun with Juliet. She is our best friend! It is so fun to see Shaun interact with Juliet.

Juliet and me just chillin

For Christmas we stayed in Utah but were fortunate enough to have Shaun's dad, Jason and Stepmom, Sue, down for Christmas. It was a wonderful couple days that started off with family coming over and baking Christmas cookie with us Christmas Eve and eating yummy food with us. Christmas morning was a lot of fun, and started off with Cinnamon Rolls and Apple Cider then PRESENT OPENING!!

On Christmas Even my Aunt Brittany and her family came over to make Christmas cookies. My father-in-law, Jason got to hold the baby and he was so excited and so cute with her.

On the Sunday after Christmas we went to Spanish Fork to drive around their Festival of Lights. You basically sit in the car, and turn you radio to their station and listen to Christmas Music while you drive through a park with a lot of fun Christmas lights

My favorite gift from my hubby! He got me Paula Dean red speckled Pots and Pans that I have been wanting FOREVER!! They are amazing, I just love them!

That wraps up 2010, which was an amazing year for Shaun and I. We celebrated our 3rd Anniversary, started fertility treatments, and moved into a home. We are truly blessed and look forward to another great year!

3 Amazing Years Together!!!

2010-12-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Shaun and I are celebrating our 3rd Anniversary today! We have come so far in our journey together, and I can not imagine traveling this road without him. We have been through so much and grown more than I ever thought possible. I am looking forward to the rest of Eternity together with the love of my life! Love you honey!!

The Start of Our Fertility Journey

2010-11-03T22:49:00.000-06:00

As many know, Shaun and I have been trying to get pregnant for almost 3 years being successful only twice and unfortunately loosing both of those pregnancies. It has not been an easy feat, and it has tested my faith more than I ever thought possible. I love children, I am the oldest our of seven children, and I have baby-sat for so many families since the age of 11. I never thought I would have such a hard time getting pregnant and carrying a baby full term.Well before now we didn't have insurance to really pursue help in trying to figure out what was going on. Fortunately September of this year we got insurance through my company for the first time since we got married, and I am happy to say it was the best decision ever! Fortunately for us we have found that the problem might be easily correctable and we do not have to go through some of the extensive fertility treatments we have witnessed a few close family and friends go through. For this, we are very grateful and feel very blessed. After a lot of discussion with one another and my doctor we have decided right now, a fertility drug known as Clomid would be the best start. It is a pill that most of the time corrects weak ovulation and helps with conception. Now I share all of this because I ask that you keep our little family in your prayers as we continue on this long journey to expanding our family. Being parents is our biggest dream. We understand these things are up to the Lord and for me I have had to learn a lot of patience and I have learned that sometimes, even when we don't want to, we must put these things in the hands of the Lord and put all our faith in him. This we have done, and we are hoping the time will come soon...

First BYU Football game...in a very long time

2010-11-03T22:37:00.000-06:00

Shaun and I made the decision at the beginning of the football season that we were going to make it to at least one of the BYU football games, so that is just what we did. We attended the BYU vs. San Diego Football game, and we were lucky enough to be there for one of the very few wins!

Lake Powell

2010-11-03T22:34:00.000-06:00

I work for the most amazing company and this was furthur proven when they paid for those of us from the company who wanted to go to Lake Powell. Shaun and I have never been to Lake Powell, and I have heard it is a must if you live in Utah! We spent 5 days in beautiful Lake Powell just relaxing on the HUGE houseboat our company rented for the week. It was simply amazing!!! No cell coverage, no bills, no work, ALL PLAY AND RELAXING, could it get any better! "I submit that it CAN NOT" Here are some pictures from our amazing adventure...

5 bedroom houseboat complete with two bedrooms, full kitchen, Flat Screen TV, dining area/sitting area, upper deck with a TV and jacuzzi, and slide off the back

Me chilling on the tube-it was DIVINE!

Shaun and I in front of The Rainbow Bridge

Me and the amazingly warm water!

Shaun and I on top of the cliff

Shaun jumping off the cliff

Me jumping off the cliff with my bosses wife Valerie

Shaun back from his Jet Ski adventure

Shaun on the top deck of the boat

Shaun coming in from Jet skiing

One of many beautiful sunsets at Lake Powell

A Very Busy Summer!

2010-11-03T22:01:00.000-06:00

It has been a long time, but I am finally back! Shaun and I have kept ourselves very busy these past few months starting at the end of August when we made the move into our very first home. We came across this home through my uncle who did the renovations for it and we fell in love. A home has never been a necessity but it has been a dream of our for a long time. We are renting but feel this is the best for us right now in our unpredictable life. We are hoping to be here for a very long time, at least the 2-3 years it takes for Shaun to get through school. Which leads to our next big event! Shaun started school!!! Shaun is working on his prerequisites at Provo College and then he will be applying to nursing school in May. He is doing amazingly well, and he is so smart- not that I am surprised. This is a huge step for us, a step that will open many doors in our future. Along with Shaun, I also started another semester at BYU. It has been quite a challenge to juggle a full-time job and school but I have managed so far, and I know most of that is due to the Lord's help. Shaun and I are so happy to be where we are today and we look back at the past and see how far we have come and all the lessons we have learned along the way. It is amazing to look back and see how each experience we have had, has made us stronger and added another stepping stone towards our future! Stay tuned for more of our latest adventures!

Quote of the day!!

2010-08-08T18:45:00.000-06:00

Fear, desire, hope still push us on toward the future.

- Michel de Montaigne

Turning 22!!

2010-08-08T18:38:00.000-06:00

Me after my amazing birthday weekend! First picture as a 22 year old! :)

Went to get a pedicure and the lady who owns the place went to Maceys and got my cupcakes

My toes after an amazing pedicure! Flowers were a birthday present from the owner!

My legs after a very disastrous tubing accient

Another bruise from the tubing accident

Birthday cake made for me by my friend Alex Shipp

My birthday this year was amazing! I was so lucky to have three days of birthday fun! My father in law and his wife, Sue came up to visit us that weekend which made it even more special. On Friday the 16th my aunt wanted to take me to get a pedicure so my aunt Heather, my Aunt Brittany, my mother in law, Sue, and I all went to the salon to get pedicures. It felt so amazing and the lady who owns the place was so sweet. She knew we were coming so she went over to the store and bought me cupcakes for my birthday and she also put flowers on my toes free of charge! After the pedicure we all went out with our husbands to Wallabys for some yummy dinner. The next day, Saturday the 17th My father in law, Jason, Sue, Shaun and I decided to go tubing down the Provo River. This sounded so fun the more I got accustomed to the idea of floating in a tube for 5 miles in cold water. :) Well we got there and got our life jackets on, got driven up about 5 miles, we were dropped off...and from there the fun began! We all got in our tubes and started going down the river when I realized I was running into all the trees and heading for a rock I knew would flip me over. I started trying to paddle away from the rock as fast as possible, only to fail and flip myself over. I was so pleasantly dragged by my tube across the very shallow water with the bottom covered by sharp rocks. This started a chain reaction as my husband, trying to help me, toppled over and lost his tube, and my father in law also toppling over trying to help us, leaving my mother in law floating down the river by herself with a run away tube. So there's the three of us all trying to get out of the water, I'm bawling because I am freezing and in SOO much pain, as my body was just dragged across some very unpleasant rocks, my husband is trying to calm me down while trying to get out of the freezing water and my father in law is also trying to help. Well after we had gotten out safely Jason started down the river (with a pretty rocky start) to catch up with Sue. Shaun was trying to calm be down because by this time I realized I was bleeding, my legs were super hurt and I had lost my favorite sunglasses (that I had been worried about loosing from the start) and my pedicure I had just gotten the day before was ruined!. Long story short, the tubing experiece was terrible, Jason and Sue also ended up falling in the water and had to get help to get out, I sent my husband down the river in hopes that he could still enjoy the journey with his dad and Sue (not knowing at the time that they had gotten out), I sat by myself for almost an hour waiting for them to come get me, only to be greeted by Jason and Sue and no husband because I sent him down the river to "enjoy the journey." Luckily Shaun made it safely down the river, and we all made it home sore but safe. Won't be doing that again for quite some time!
The upside was that we did end the day by going to Tucanos for dinner for my birthday!
Sunday July 18th ( MY BIRTHDAY!!) We were all very sore, but still made the best of the day! Shaun made me my favorite, Dutch Baby, for breakfast, then later that evening we went over to my grandmas for dinner and cheesecake. All in all it was a great birthday weekend and we have a very adventurous three days!

Baby Shower Galore!

2010-08-08T18:13:00.000-06:00

The Mommy to be, Jenna Folsom

The Chocolate fondue table

Chicken Salad Sandwiches, veggies, duck cookies, and water

The Water bowl had lemons and ducks floating in it. Unfortunately the ducks started toppling over.

The centerpiece


The party favors (Blue tin with chocolate bottle suckers, & three little chocolates in different shapes)

On July 10th I threw my Best Friend Jenna Folsom (aka Jenna Borlace) a baby shower. She is expecting a baby boy this August and I thought it would be so fun to do this for her. This was my first baby shower ever and I felt like it was a smashing success! We had yummy food and played some really fun games.

4th of July Family BBQ!

2010-08-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

My Aunt Brittany made this awesome flag cake. Sorry it is sideways...it still looks awesome though!

The boys playing croquet

Enjoying some yummy hamburgers!

My Grandparents getting ready for some fireworks

My Uncle Scott, director of the whole firework operation :)

Getting ready for fireworks! Starting off with some giant Sparklers


My Uncle Burton and Cousin Hunter enjoy the last of the nights festivities...SMORES!

On the 4th of July Shaun and I went up to Lehi for a BBQ and fireworks at my Uncle Scott and Aunt Nicole's house. We had a lot of fun being with family and playing some fun games, eating yummy food, and ending a great day with fireworks and Smores!

Stadium of Fire!

2010-08-08T17:54:00.000-06:00

This year we attended the Stadium of Fire. We were really excited that we got to go see Carrie Underwood at the Stadium of Fire and we had a blast!Here are a few pictures from our very fun evening!

Carrie Underwood!

More Carrie Underwood

Shaun and I before the Stadium of Fire started

The Stadium of Fire Dancers formed the flag, Boy Scouts of America came out and members of each Military branch also came out onto the field

Quote of the day:

2010-07-28T00:22:00.000-06:00

This has become my favorite quote. For me it is true, I never wait around for something. If I want it I work hard to get it.

“Things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle.”

-Abraham Lincoln

Fun in the Sun!

2010-07-28T00:20:00.000-06:00

Our life has been insane these past few months, and although I would love to sit down and right about all our adventures, and I have the pictures for it all, it has been nuts around here. Shaun and I are certainly staying busy with work, and both of us start school August 30th and we are moving into a house August 20th. Stay tuned for updates about our summer adventures!

Putting my craftiness to use!

2010-06-05T10:14:00.000-06:00

My best friend is having a baby boy in August so I decided to throw her a baby shower! I am so excited because if you know me, you know I love to plan a GREAT party! We are doing a duck theme which I am so excited about, minus the complications with finding ducks! Here is the invitation that I made, and I am very excited about how it turned out!

The duck is hanging there by thread so it can easily move so one can read the invite.

If planted it will grow...

2010-06-05T10:10:00.000-06:00

Shaun and I have a fairly large patch of dirt in front of our home and this year we decided to plant flower seeds. I was NOT convinced they would actually grow....but hey, Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow! A few weeks later our little seedlings are sprouting nicely...well four of them, but that is an accomplishment!

2010-06-05T10:07:00.001-06:00

The MOST AMAZING Chocolate cake EVER!!!!!

Women's Conference

2010-06-05T10:06:00.000-06:00

Every April my mom and sister come up for Women's Conference. THis year I was finally able to go because I was able to get it off work, and let me tell you, It was TOTALLY worth it! There were great speakers that I felt were speaking directly to me, and there were great service projects. I was so lucky to have gone with my mom and sister to this wonderful event. It was so uplifting and it took the load from the world off my shoulders. I recommend any women of age to attend this conference!

This is one of the Service Projects they had going on while we were all listening to the speakers. We sat in the back and made this little boxes. This was a very hard project to get through between all the tears. I was truly humbled by this project. These boxes (and they did little infant bracelets to go inside) are made for mommies who have a baby that dies, so they have something to bring home from the hospital. When i heard this I lost it. TO think we were making these boxes for mothers of children who have passed away broke my heart. It made me really think was those mothers go through, and it made me so grateful that I have only had miscarriages, and not made it far enough to where I was delivering and not coming home with my precious baby. Nothing can replace their baby but these boxes are made to let them know that they are loved and cared about.

Frosty the Snowman...

2010-06-05T09:52:00.001-06:00

Was a little lost this Spring!

Boondocks!

2010-06-05T09:51:00.000-06:00

Shaun and I decided that we need to take advantage of what Utah has to offer this summer, so we are trying to visit places like:
Boondocks
Hogle Zoo
The Hale Center Theatre
Thanksgiving Dinosaur Museum
Thanksgiving Point Corn Maze
The Arches National Park

In March we decided to go to Boondocks! It was a good decision because it was so much fun! They had bumper boats, bumper cars, race tracks, miniature golf, arcade games, and lazar tag! On Tuesdays they have their 12 buck Tuesdays where you can get in at that price from 4pm-9pm and all day every Tuesday during the Summer!

We DEFINITELY took advantage of this deal! We had a lot of fun playing Lazar Tag, riding bumper boats, driving race cars and playing on all the arcade games!

New car!!

2010-06-05T09:36:00.000-06:00

Shaun and I decided it was finally time to get a second car! We have been putting it off for a long time because we just made it work with one car, but with our work schedules and them sometimes being opposite it got ridiculous! I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Corolla, and I LOVE IT!! My family are big Toyota fans, they have a sequoia, and two corollas! When I was in college I drove a car that was IDENTICAL to my car now and I loved it. I am now very excited to have its twin a couple years newer! Toyotas are amazing, and they run fantastically! My family has never ever had a problem with the toyotas, just routine maintenance. I have had the car for 2 months now and we are best friends!

Our newest adventures coming SOON!

2010-06-03T23:24:00.000-06:00

Our sister, Emilee, is graduating high school a week from today, on Thursday, June 10th. She will be attending BYU in the Fall and we are so excited for her! We will be driving to California for that, as well as the 8th Grade Graduation for our sisters, Saryn & Katie & our 4 year old little sister, Katelyn's, dance recital! It is going to be a busy weekend for the Neeley family and we can't wait! We are proud of all the girls in our family and for all of their achievements!

Shaun and I are lucky enough to get to attend the Stadium of Fire this year with my grandparents and my aunts and uncles! We have missed it the past two year but we are excited to return to the tradition!

I am also throwing my very first baby shower for my best friend and I am super excited. If you know me, you know I LOVE to plan parties!!! She is having a boy so I am showering this place with plenty of blue and the chosen theme of Duckies! If you have any cute ideas for food or games please let me know!

In August Shaun and I will both be starting school. I will be starting another semester at BYU and Shaun is starting Nursing school and we are very excited! Shaun is so happy to have found something that he enjoys and he will truly be a blessing to the Nursing field!

We will also have several chances to see family this summer which is always amazing since we live so far from our parents and siblings!

In the midst of all the craziness we have definitely found time to be grateful for all of our friends and family! We have been truly blessed with great jobs, great co workers, great family, a great home, and each other! We love each and everyone of you and we hope you all have an amazing summer and travel safely to wherever you may be going!

Ta-ta for now! Love the Hill Family

Viva Las Vegas!!!- Shark Reef Aquarium

2010-06-03T23:12:00.000-06:00

Shaun's birthday present from my parents, was two tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium. We were really excited to do this and we saved it till the last day so could spread the trip out and keep the fun going until the very last minute!

The Piranas! They had a Aquarium worker standing by the Piranas....must tell you how dangerous they are if they are afraid to leave the area unattended...that and people can be so dumb!

We got to touch the Manta-Rays, it was so cool!

They have an exhibit with the largest Octopus...I think in the world, I could be wrong, but it was no where to be seen. I am thinking largest Octopus has got to be pretty large and I was shocked no one could find it. SO I WAS DETERMINED! It took a couple minutes but I finally spotted part of it and let me just tell you, I am AMAZED at how this huge thing could get itself into such a small area! If you look closely you will see it's tentacle curved in almost the middle of the picture!

At the end of the exhibit you walked through a tunnel where you could see sharks swimming over you. I wasn't super impressed...I guess I was expecting a Jaws sized Shark...which is dumb cause I know that then we'd all be in danger...but it still would have been cool.

This picture was in the Shark Aquarium Gift Shop. Sue (Shaun's Step mom) LOVES Flamingos and we saw this, so Shaun modeled it for her- SO CUTE!

Viva Las Vegas!!!- Breakfast on the Patio

2010-06-03T22:56:00.000-06:00

Wednesday came very quickly and we were sad to leave, but we certainly made the most of the last day there! We started the morning off by getting everything packed up and ready for check out, then we enjoyed a very nice breakfast out on the Patio.

Typical Dad and Shaun..hahaDad and Shaun having a very difficult time getting serious for the picture

Not sure what was going on here...Finally a decent picture....until I realized Jason closing his eyes!

He made sure his eyes were open this time!

Viva Las Vegas!!!- visiting awesome pools and going out for Shaun's late birthday dinner

2010-06-03T22:51:00.000-06:00

on Tuesday we played at the pool and had a BBQ then we decided to go visit some pools at the awesome hotels in Vegas.

We visited the most amazing pool at the Golden Nugget on Freemont Street. They had a slide that went through a Shark/fish tank, multiple levels, awesome lounging chairs, Cabanas and so much more!

Tanning while laying in the water!??? I THINK SO!

After we were done being so amazed it was on to Ceasers Palace, which wasn't nearly as cool but still pretty dang awesome!

My hubby the very SEXY lifegaurd! How they do it in Vegas!

....When we were done looking around we then realized why there was no one out at the swimming pool! Most if not all pools on the strip close early...I guess because they want people gambling away all their money, not swimming.

After viewing some awesome pools we headed over to Mandalay Bay to The House of Blues Restaurant for Shaun's birthday dinner (they don't do anything fun for birthdays...like free dessert, FYI!)

I finally got my VIRGIN Pina Colada! They are SOOO hard to find in Vegas! We thought we were pretty darn cool!I saw this shirt in the House of Blues Gift Shop and I thought it was hilarious!

There is this really nice restaurant in the Mandalay Bay and they have this tower of wine and "Wine Angels" go up and down to get wine.Also in the Mandalay Bay there is this bar. It costs $25.00 to get in but we heard it was worth it! Everything is made of ice!! EVERYTHING! They give you Parkas to wear inside and you just go in an hang out like a normal bar except FREEZING!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

2010-06-03T22:23:00.000-06:00

As soon as I was feeling better we continued our trip on to Vegas where we met Jason and Sue and stayed in an amazing time share as a Birthday gift from Shaun's mom Nita. It was so nice to relax by the pool and just chill for a few days. We spent the first day relaxing by the pool and sight seeing a little. Some highlights include:

Visiting the Venetian

Visiting M & M World Visiting the Coca Cola Factory, taking a picture with the bear (it is a green screen because they take it professionally also and put in a background), and we tasted Coca Cola around the world.

We also got to go to "The Mentalist Show" which was so much fun. This guy is amazing!! He has a series on NBC, and I recommend everyone watch it at least once!

Shaun's 24th Birthday!!

2010-06-03T22:13:00.000-06:00

My wonderful husband turned 24 on May 15th! I love my husband so much and I think he is absolutely amazing! Every minute with him is an adventure. Shaun is amazing at making people laugh especially me. He is always trying to find a new way to make me smile and laugh so hard that I cry. Shaun is starting Nursing school in August and I am so proud of him. We are starting another chapter of our life and I can't wait to see where it takes us.
For Shaun's birthday we went to Las Vegas to meet up with his dad, Jason, and his Step mom Sue. Before we left Shaun's work threw him a little birthday party with yummy food and cake! That night we drove to St. George and visited my Aunt Bobbie Jo and Uncle Terry and their four amazing children. It has been 2 years since we have seen them and Shaun had never met my uncle or their three boys. They we amazing hosts and they even took care of me since I spent Friday-Sunday sick (Yes, second year in a row I have been sick on Shaun's birthday and while we were traveling to Vegas).

While in St. George we got to celebrate my cousins birthday as well. My aunt and cousin made amazing brownies and then made a ten out of them for the age he was turning and they even put money inside as a surprise! (very well cleaned and boiled money-my aunt informed me)

The awesome "10" My cousin Zach Forsyth

WARNING!!! Picture Overload!

2010-06-03T22:03:00.000-06:00

Hello all of you (maybe three or four) who frequently read my blog! I am finally back. Life has been crazy between work, being sick with Kidney Stones, Shaun's 24th birthday and our St. George/ Las Vegas trip. There is so much to share and so little time, so I will share highlights and A LOT of pictures!

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T20:14:00.000-06:00

This year Easter was very low key. We had a nice big Conference breakfast, a family tradition I grew up with, and we watched General Conference, which was AMAZING! We then went through our Easter Baskets, yes even though we are adults I still insist on putting together baskets. Hope you all had a wonderful Sunday, and a wonderful Easter!

Newest Addition to the Hill Family...Loki!

2010-04-04T19:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday evening I had to take some clothing to the dry cleaners and next door there was a pet store. I had some time to kill so I thought I would go in and take a look around, mainly to see what kind of dogs they had. We hadn't talked about getting a pet but looking at little animals is always fun. After walking around for a few minutes and looking at the dogs, birds, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs I texted Shaun joking around, telling him we should get a gerbil or a hamster....he response was "ok." I was a little shocked but secretly excited! I was quick to pick out our cute baby dwarf hamster. I brought him home and Shaun and I immediately fell in love with our new little friend. It's no baby and no dog, but he will do! :) After checking many times we have come to the conclusion that he is a boy and we finally settled on a name. Loki. It is Chinese and it means "God of Destruction." Which is very funny because Loki is SOOO little.

Cute as a bug!

2010-03-28T00:15:00.000-06:00

For the remainder of our California trip Shaun and I stayed with my family and we were able to spend time with them. Although there are 7 other people in my family Katelyn is who we took pictures of! Every time we visit she is funnier than the last time. She kept Shaun and I laughing throughout our visit. She came in the room we were in the first morning we were there and said "mom said it is time for you to get up, wake up sleepy heads!" Shaun and I could not help but giggle at her cute little voice trying to lure us out of the warm bed. She has Shaun and I wrapped around her cute little finger, and I do a pretty good job of spoiling her. Katelyn and Shaun are best friends, and it is so cute to see them play together. He is so cute with her and she definitely loves him. We watched Panyo (a super cute film about a little fish who turns into a fish...I know weird, but so cute), listened to her quote some of the funniest lines from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, took her to lunch and to the "Beanie Baby" Store, and then to Toys R Us on our way to the airport with my mom. I miss this little girl SOOOOOOO much, it is insane! I can not wait to have my own children that will be as cute as her. She has grown up so fast and she will be 4 YEARS OLD!!! this May. She was so upset with Shaun and I because we were leaving and she was in tears the morning we were leaving when she came into the room and said "mom says you are leaving on the plane today, but I can't come with you!" Broke my heart into pieces! I love you little Katelyn, and we will be back soon to visit you!!!

On The Road!!

2010-03-28T00:02:00.000-06:00

Krysten, Shaun, Katie, and I all drove up to the Fresno Temple for Steve and Shannon's wedding together. We had a blast in the car!

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Day...and family

2010-03-27T23:55:00.000-06:00

Here are several pictures of the Wedding Day, at the temple. It was a beautiful day, and Shannon looked beautiful and her and Steve were so adorable together. It was so nice to be there for their wedding! Congratulations Steve and Shannon!

Congratualtions Brandon!

2010-03-27T23:44:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Shaun's brother, Brandon, one of the newest Kern County Firefighters!

Wedding Decor

2010-03-27T23:39:00.000-06:00

I got some pictures of the decorations after we were finished. They were beautiful and once again Nita did an amazing job!

Putting Fires Out!

2010-03-27T22:46:00.000-06:00

After spending a day setting up for the wedding we headed off to a Family Night for the Fire Academy Graduates where the family got to have dinner at the Academy and watch the graduates put fires out. We had a lot of fun watching Brandon preform his tasks. Above are several pictures of the event, including the 6 story building some of the men repelled out of, the cars the set on fire, and the fire truck they drove.

The Aliens Are Coming! The Aliens Are Coming!

2010-03-27T22:40:00.000-06:00

While setting up for the wedding we all had plenty of fun! I took on the job of tying a bow on every chair (about 200 chairs). After awhile it got annoying to kneel down at every chair and tie it on the chair, so I came up with a solution: I tied multiple bows around one chair while sitting down comfortably, which made it easy to take the bows off and just slide over chairs. After doing that for while I started to get tired (because Shaun and I did not sleep the night before due to such an early flight) so I came up with the second solution, laying on the floor with the chair leaning on me- as seen in the picture above. Before the bows I was hanging tin foil for the DJ's backdrop, which turned out to be much cooler than expected. After I was done my mother in law told me we could throw the extra away....I decided to recycle, just in case Aliens were coming I didn't want them reading my mind (movie reference to Signs). I WAS READY!

A start to a very interesting trip...

2010-03-27T22:28:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Shaun and I flew to California for his sisters(Shannon) wedding and his brothers (Brandon) Fire Academy Graduation. When we got there we were immediately put to work setting up for the wedding. One of the things Krysten (Brandon's Wife) and I were sent out to do was to pick up 10 bags of cement from Home Depot because we needed something heavy enough to anchor down stands. Krysten and I felt like this was a great job for two strong women! I ended up getting 7 of the 10 bags on the cart and Krysten, 3. It made the cart so heavy, but Krysten was a pro at maneuvering the heavy cart! It was much more fun than we had anticipated. We were laughing the whole trip and thought it was great that two women were picking up ten 60 pound bags of cement. What a sight we must have been! * On a side note, I had a terrible back ache Saturday and Sunday....I believe it was from carrying the heavy bags, whoops.

Kiss Me! I'm Irish

2010-03-24T22:55:00.000-06:00

Well it is that time of year again...time to decorate the house in green and shamrocks, wear all the green you can, come home to corn beef and cabbage cooking in the crock pot, and celebrate our great ol' Irish heritage! Shaun and I both have Irish in our background, him more so than I but regardless I love St. Patrick's Day! Not only is it another holiday I get to decorate for, but I love corn beef and cabbage, and I love wearing green. This year St.Patrick's day was a little rushed because Shaun and I were flying out to California the next day at 6:40 in the morning but I still made sure we had a great day with delicious food!

New posts coming soon!!!!!

2010-03-23T22:42:00.001-06:00

We are Moving!

2010-01-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

We are moving to a new apartment January 16th! We are very excited and very happy to move out of the complex we are in and pay LESS rent then we are now!

If you would like our new address email me at:

sahillfamily@gmail.com

Goal #1

2010-01-14T01:22:00.001-07:00

To be back to Pre-Wedding Weight!

I started Weight Watchers last week and so far I am loving it! My mom has been doing it for a couple months and she looks fantastic, so as much as I HATE diets I decided to try this out because Weight Watchers is more portion control than a diet!

I am adding in Jillian Michael's Trouble Zones Workout!

Photos of it ALL!!

2010-01-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

Our end of the year Hill Family Photo

The Neeley Family

You've been HOODWINKED BABY!!

Oh YEAH! We are just that cool!

Shari and I after a fun day of shopping!

Shaun jumped in on the fun

My sister in law Krysten and I just chillin

Hill side of the family Christmas Dinner on Sunday

Getting to see Aunt Valerie

Ceiling show on Fremont Street

Yummy Shrimp Cocktails for only $1.99 in Vegas!

Alyssa's Cousin Madison sleeping(above), and Ally excited for the Bellagio Water show (below)

Largest Chocolate Fountain in the world...or something like that (thats the bottom)

The middle

The top

Bellagio Gardens

Katelyn being goofy

Shaun and his brother Brandon trying to master DDR

Several Events all wrapped in one!

2010-01-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

Well, since it seems I can not sleep, I figure, why not post something on our blog since it has been so long! So here is goes, an update from the end of December to January.

This year for Christmas we decided to travel to California to see our family, and by family I mean our parents and brothers and sisters. We got to California on the 23rd and stayed until January 2nd. We had a lot of fun and got to see a lot of our family on both sides. We were greatly blessed to be with family, and we were very spoiled this Christmas which was also a blessing because Shaun and I decided to give to other first before we gave each other presents, which meant in the end there were no presents to each other, which turned out to be a great thing. I love giving presents and watching others open presents from us...not to mention Christmas is NOT about the presents, and our greatest present was being with family on Christmas.

I also got to visit two of my very best friends which was amazing, and I had a lot of fun!

We also got to spend New Years Eve and New Years in California and we spent New Years Eve with my family which is always a blast because the Neeley Family is big on Partying (good clean fun of course)!!!

On Saturday after New Years we left and sent the night in Vegas which was a BLAST!!! We went to Fremont Street which is like "Old Las Vegas" and we had yummy Shrimp Cocktails for $1.99! We were lucky enough to have Shauns dad, Jason, and Stepmom Sue with us which made it double fun! While in Vegas we also got to see my Aunt Jodi, and her husband Jordan and their two little girls Ally, and Madison, who we have not seen since they moved pretty much across the country last summer.

Finally on Sunday we arrived home. Home is always nice after a long trip and it was so nice to be in our own bed.

Monday, January 4th school started at BYU which meant not a moment to loose getting back to reality. I am taking an English Class and a Math class there this semester in hopes to slowly but surely graduate!

My company that I have been with for almost 6 months also moved to a BIGGER and BETTER building where there will be a lot of growth. I love changes, especially changes for the better, which lead me into saying that 2009 has been a fabulous year, but I am glad to see it gone and I am happy to see the beginning of a New Year. A time for a new start, and new goals!

Tis the Season..

2009-12-05T11:45:00.001-07:00

This is our FIRST year decorating for Christmas! Yes, Shaun and I have almost been married for TWO years, but we got married so close to Christmas that the first year we didn't decorate, and the second year we moved and were living with my Grandparents during the Christmas season. This year we bought out FIRST Christmas tree together, pre-lit and the perfect size for only $35.00! We were pretty excited. We have also started our own tradition. I am sure everyone knows that Christmas decorations are the cheapest AFTER Christmas so we had the idea to add new ornaments to our tree every year! We have a few decoration just from the years leading up to this Christmas, and this year we bought the red bulbs for out tree. This is the start, and next year we will have something new added to our tree. The purpose of this is to watch our tree grow every year just like our family.

I am also a huge wreath fan and I did not have a wreath for Christmas! So trying to find the cheapest way to do it, I made my own! I also made my own garland with a few things from the dollar store.

....and even though we have never decorated for Christmas we have more Christmas decorations then we do for any other holiday! A lot of our decorations coming from family throughout the past two years and we have also collected here and there when we found the after Christmas deals!

Getting Creative!

2009-12-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

This Christmas is a tight Christmas financially so I had to put my creative thinking cap on to come up with Christmas Present ideas. My friend, Michelle showed me how easy and CHEAP it was to make these flower hairpieces everyone spends a fortune on! I went CrAzY!

Park City, UT

2009-12-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

While our family was here we decided to all go up to Park City, and walk up and down Main Street. It was a great day for going on a relaxing walk and Park City was the perfect place to go to. I have not been to Park City in a very long time and Shaun has never been to Park City so this was a treat! When we got up there we noticed the insane temperature difference between Orem and Park City, luckily we all brought good jackets and we found a store giving out FREE Apple Cider!

It was a lot of fun to see all the different shops and take goofy pictures with a Bear and a Moose!

A very SHADY Alley we came across

A Visit to Temple Square

2009-12-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

The night of Black Friday we all went out to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory, then afterwards we made our way up to Temple Square to look at the lights. Unfortunately we got up there right at 9pm so the Visitor Centers and the Conference Center were closed but we still got to walk around and look at all the lights. I LOVE this time of year, and I love ALL the beautiful colors!

We were super excited to look at the lights!

Shaun and me!

The four of us enjoying the lights

A Night of Shopping and Relaxing...Then another day of SHOPPING!!

2009-12-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

After we ate Thanksgiving dinner the girls discovered Old Navy's Thanksgiving Sale! Needless t say we JUST HAS TO go and check it out! It was a great night with the girls and we all got some really cute things!

Here are the girls right before the shopping trip!

All the boys relaxing on the couch...they DID NOT want to go shopping.

At some point during the weekend Brandon was so kind as to finish up the Apple Pie for me...What a HARD job :)

Sue, Krysten, and I all participated in the craziness of Black Friday as well. I do have to say we were not part of the crazies that woke up super early to get shopping done...but that was mostly due to a miscommunication error regarding who would wake who up...not sure where ALL of our Alarm Clocks were during all of this. Nonetheless we still got plenty of shopping done, and found great prices!

Just teasing Sue about how many times she would have to visit the ATM Machine during Black Friday :)

Krysten in some INSANELY SEXY GLASSES!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

For this Thanksgiving Shaun and I were lucky to have his dad, Jason and stepmom, Sue come up, and his brother Brandon, and Brandon's wife Krysten. Sue and I cooked a yummy dinner together, and I got to experience Thanksgiving cooking and cleaning for the first time! Boy was it A LOT of work, but well worth it! Needless to say this year was so THANKFUL to have our family up for The Thanksgiving Holiday. Thanks family for coming to visit!!

The two Cooks finishing up the last touches!

The table all set!

All of the very delicious food!

Brandon being a big help when it was time to clean up

The whole gang!

SnOw!!!

2009-12-05T10:51:00.001-07:00

While we were in Draper for the Real vs. Galaxy game we also got snow! Sadly the snow did not make it to Orem where we live but it was fun to be there for it in Draper.

Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy- MLS CHAMPIONSHIP!!

2009-12-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

The week before Thanksgiving Shaun and I went up to my Aunt and Uncles house in Draper to watch the Real Salt Lake Game. It was a PARTY with my family that night! There was yummy food, and a great game on. Shaun and I have never really been fanatics about sports but I think this MLS Championship game has changed us. It was such an intense game, and my aunt and uncles are all huge RLS soccer fans which made it even more fun.

The game was a close game all the way till the last few seconds (in overtime), until Galaxy missed a penalty kick and Real Salt Lake made the last goal they needed to be the 2009 MLS Champions!!!!! It was so exciting!!! Real Salt Lake is a very young team and it was a fight getting them here in the state of Utah but persistence and hard work sure pays off!!

Every one was starting to get very tense towards the end of the game!

Only two of the children...kind of trying to watch but preoccupied by their own games :)

Update from the Hill Family!

2009-11-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

So I realized I have not updated our Blog since the Halloween Party so I thought I'd just write a quick update.

Shaun's EMT classes are going great and he loves every minute of them! His class ends the second week in December which will definitly be bittersweet. After he is certified he will begin his search for a job as an EMT. After a year of that he wants to go to Paramedic school. I think this is so awesome for him. He loves everything he is learning and he will be a great EMT.

As for me, I am just keeping busy at work and loving every minute of it. I love my jobs so much! There are always new challenges and I am learning so much. I don't neccessarily have an official title, but I do lots of fun things! I was recently promoted I guess you could call it. I went from being the receptionist to having my own office and I have taken on a few more responsibilities that I am thrilled about. I also start school at BYU in January, which I am very nervous about but excited at the same time.

Shaun and I both look forward to Thanksgiving and spending time with some of his family! I love the holidays and I love family. This is such a great time of year and I love every minute of it.

Things we love:

Snuggling up in a warm blanket

The cold crisp fall smelling air

The look of leaves scattered on the ground and snow on the mountains

A nice cup of Hot Chocolate with a bowl of popcorn

The smell of a new soup I have tried

The smell of fresh bread baking

Having family all around especially for the holidays!

Halloween Party!!!

2009-11-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday night Shaun and I hosted a Halloween Party at my Grandparents house (they were out of town and nice enough to let us use their house). It was a BLAST! Everyone brought yummy food, and everyone had stunning costumes! There were fun games, and a costume contest with prizes. Shaun and I had a great time, and loved being with great friends. Thanks everyone for coming and being willing to share the night with us! We loved every minute of it!

This was the awesome drink there. I found this recipe while I was just looking at different recipes for drinks. It is super easy and yummy! It is a mixture of ginger ale, and sparkling apple cider. You also make a hand to stand up in the drink out of raspberries, cranberry juice, and gelatin. The standing up part didn't really work out so I just threw the hand in there and luckily we had an extra so it looked like two hands floating around. The recipe also said to throw in a guymmy worms....so I did, however I also threw in gummy body parts because there was a shortage of gummy worms at the store...go figure. Then we added dry ice and ta daa!

The completed snack table!

Aunt Heather showing off her sexy pants she made!

Shaun and I dressed as Jailhouse Rock Elvis, and me as his Jailhouse Babe

Jake and Caroline Shillig Family dressed up as Noahs Ark! They were SOOO CUTE!

Audrey as Wayne from Waynes World, she won funniest costume

Larkie dressed up as Juno (her husband, Seth dressed up as Bleaker)

Yay for the Shilligs!

Most of the group at the Party!

Costume Making and Game Playing

2009-11-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Shaun and I were invited by my Aunt Heather (my mom's sister) to come over for dinner. After eating a very yummy dinner my Aunt helped me create my Halloween costume and by help I mean all I did was pin a little here and cut a little there....and she did the rest. Sewing is not something I learned, #1 because my mother doesn't like to sew and #2 I DO NOT have the patience for it (which is probably why my mother doesn't sew, she lacks the patience too...). Thank goodness for two Aunts and a Grandma that can sew and are all pretty darn good at it. A while back Shaun and I were searching for Halloween Costumes and we found a "Jailhouse Rock Elvis" Costume that Shaun really liked and it was decently priced, and we did find a costume I really liked, a "Prison Princess," only downside was that it cost 50 dollars, so we decided finding a pattern and fabric would be a better choice. It turned out to be easier then I thought...we found a great pattern at Walmart, and my Aunt already had fabric that was black and white striped! SUCESS! So after a long night of cutting patterns, pinning, then cutting some more, and then sewing everything together it all came together! Afterwards we decided it would be fun to play Apples to Apples! This proved to be fun and interesting all at the same time. You could tell the more rounds we played the more tired and goofy we got.

So thank you Heather and Burton for inviting us over for dinner and a game! Thanks Burton and Shaun for making the game that much interesting, and THANK YOU Aunt Heather for making my amazing costume for me!

The Start

The Finished

Oh dear....what to do when this is what you have to work with for 'Shy'!?????

The Men concentrating pretty hard

Heather wondering if she put the perfect card down...or NOT!

And there he is folks...Mr. Sexy himself! :)

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-28T17:40:00.000-06:00

Last night Shaun and I carved our pumpkins for out family night. Even though we have been married for almost to years this was our FIRST year carving pumpkins as a family! Last year we got pumpkins but never seemed to have time to carve them so they just sat and looked pretty through the fall season.

This year we got amazing pumpkins and we got a pumpkin carving kit that had some great templates. After picking out out templates we worked away. Shaun chose a very difficult Haunted House template, and I chose a spider and spider web...boy did we not realize what we were in for!!!

However, after A LOT of Pumpkin seed, a couple hundred dots made through paper, and sawing with knives that were either two big or two little, and aching hand...WE FINISHED!! It was totally worth it. I was so excited to light our pumpkins and set them outside to show off!

Shaun's looks so much cooler when it is all lit up because you can see al the details!

Shaun's Pumpkin ALL FINISHED!!!

My Pumpkin ALL FINISHED!!!

I love Pumpkin Carving!

You can't tell but I had my tongue sticking out concentrating really hard

Shaun working away making lots of dots!

AFTER

BEFORE

Shaun pulling out the pumpkin guts....only at the start of a long project

Pumpkin Time!!

2009-10-17T17:24:00.000-06:00

Today Shaun and I decided it would be a great day to go to Pumpkin land and pick out some pumpkins and walk around the corn maze. We invited my Grandpa along with us and all three of us had a blast! That is until I hit my head trying to go down a slide that was probably too small for me in the first place. Shaun was taking a picture of me and then I turned around to go down the slide and I did not account for the ledge that was right behind me and I hit my head right into it. It kind of hurt, but not quite as much as my pride. It was a fun day at Pumpkin Land, we went through the Corn maze, and through the Light Alley (it was definitely not geared towards our age group, but nonetheless we had fun!), we went down the slide, then we went and picked out our pumpkins!!

Just not quite tall enough

This is my grandpa and me and our friend Mr. Peace Sign

Still no third person...so Shaun's glasses stepped in

My Grandpa and Me

Shaun getting ready to go down the slide...he did not hit his head

So this is me....right before I hit my head

We love our Pumpkins!

Our Two Pumkins...Mine is the shorter one, and Shauns is the taller one

NEW SHOES!!!

2009-10-15T21:48:00.000-06:00

Okay everyone, yes I am blogging about new shoes! I have nothing else!! Shaun and I recently found a Macys gift card and I almost threw it out.....BUT knowing my oh so frugal husband I thought to myself, "hmm, he has probably never spent what was on this card." So I decided to call and find out the balance! I was so excited to find out there was money on it, and a good amount, not like a dollar or two!!! Well I thought, hmm what do we need...and what do we need at Macys? The answer!!! SHOES for ALYSSA!!! So today I got black Converse! I have never had Converse shoes before and I am thrilled! The only reason I really considered even buying them is because they will go PERFECTLY with my Halloween Costume! WOO HOO! I know it is silly but we have been trying hard to save any extra money we have and so shopping for something like shoes or clothes has not been at the top of our list, so this is a happy day!

Thanks baby!!