Accomplished 2014

I really enjoy taking a look back at what my family experienced each year. I hope to do this with my kids as they get bigger. =] So for us Walkers, here's the highlights:

{Vacations}

• We took Brynlee to Disneyland for her first time! She was mostly stroller-bound but had a great time! 

{Jobs}

• Joe changed companies in December after being with Rio Tinto for a year and a half. He is still with them part time, but is now working for Wasatch Electric. 

{Family Changes}

• We lost a family member in December, Joe's cousin Justyn, who was a bright spot in all our lives. He was only 20-years-old and we all still struggle with him actually being gone.

{Big Purchases}

• We bought a HOUSE! 
• We had to buy a hot tub that worked to go with our house, of course!
• We bought a little commuter car from my cousin that Joe will drive to work now.

{Family Events}

• I turned 30 this year!
• None of us had to go to the hospital this year, thank the Lord! Especially since we didn't have insurance all year.
• Joe participated in two days of "Total Archery Challenge" at The Bird and spouses came and stayed the night and we had a large party! It was a blast!
• Brenna started preschool in the spring and completed three months. She then started at a Christian preschool for the fall. She is doing fantastic!
• I ran my first 5K ever! I loved it!
• I went to Vegas with my best friends for the first-ever Lantern Festival. 
• Brenna started tumbling classes and is learning how to use her body in new ways!

Roaring 20's Welcomes 30!

"It's time to just go for it!" is what I kept reading in various chapters of my latest book; that's what your 30s are all about. I think I can do that... But I kept wondering what people in their 30s are supposed to "go for"! I had such a full "Roaring 20s" that I can only see the faces of my two beautiful daughters when I try to push my own boundaries and dreams.

And whoever said "thirty is the new twenty!" lied. When I was twenty I could come and go as I pleased. I slept in as often as I could. And as late. Like till 11am or noon. I went to bed at 1-3 am. I was in college and didn't start my homework until then either. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, from where I wanted. I survived off of Rubios and Noodles and Company without gaining any weight. I hardly drank enough water. I was dating and having sleep overs at my best friends house weekly. I worked hard and played hard. It was so full of fun... and ME!

Now I'm 30 and am a wife and a mother of two loquacious girls who hardly give me a moment of silence when they're awake. (Which I love.)  I tried to take a nap today while the baby slept and my oldest only woke me up four times when I asked her to please play her quietest for 30 minutes. :) I am a team now. I have people who depend on me to get myself enough sleep, eat before I turn into a mom-ster, and to have things figured out to ease life's flow.

Our family is complete and I am really accepting and enjoying the feeling of it. I have started viewing life differently already in the sense that being responsible overtime actually pays off when we're old! Joe is figuring out how to reach his full potential and becoming a leader in his career. I am focused on helping my children come out as smart, God-fearing, and lovely as possible. I am also learning how to control my tongue better and stop cursing with two little parrots around. :)

I did have an incredible celebration though from the love of my husband & mama. So many people I love came and celebrated too. The only two things I really know about myself are: I love people. I love celebrating.

I will never forget this and I will remind myself of their love when I am feeling lonely.

Summer Fun

  Our summer was very full of fun, laughter, and those we love! It could very well go down in history as the most awesome summer. Yet. Ever.

My super handsome brother and his super gorgeous wife came and visited us for a week from Hawaii! We all stayed together at my parents house so we saw them a lot! Kristen was especially sweet and helped me with the girls so much. I got a glimpse of how awesome it would be to have a cool sister-in-law living close to us. We got to check out the NEW and very much improved, Living Planet Aquarium! Brynlee wanted to touch EVERYTHING! :)

We had our annual Stubbs family BBQ where we all grub out and swim at my Uncle's house! Brenna was a fish and stayed in the water the whole time. Brynlee wasn't very into it but did end up liking her floatable car! :)

Daddy-Daughter Game Night at the Bee's Stadium! My dad took me (*awe*) and Joe took Brenna to the game! This was Brenna's first ballgame. And to our surprise we ran into a few princesses! Of course Joe had to go track them all down and make sure Brenna got to talk to them and take pictures. I'm bummed we didn't get any pictures of just me and my dad or joe and Brenna- oops! (Princess trances, I tell ya!)

<Utah State Fair>  

The State Fair never gets old for me. I have been going since I was a college gal, single and looking for a deal. And I enjoy it just as much and more because Brenna decided to be brave and try some new rides this year! Her face here was priceless... sheer shock and dismay! But then once she heard the giggles she enjoyed it. Her cousin Chance came with us this year to join the fun!

Brenna got to see her bestie, Morgan (right) when she was here this summer visiting her dad! It was such a fun time playing and being silly girls! Brenna misses Morgan so much that some days she cries. I love her tender heart! <3 

The Zoo. No summer is complete without a trip (or three) to the zoo! Brynlee got to enjoy it this year and her favorite part by far was the new splash pad. She is a splash-pad-baby. 

One of my favorite things to do each summer is go with my family to the lake! My parents have had their wave runners since I was in college and its been a blast sharing this experience with Brenna! She has loved it so much that she thinks that who ever is with us is the next person taking her out for a "ride"! This year our good friends Chris and Randy came! 

We had another spectacular family wedding this summer! Madi (my cousin) and Spencer wed at the beautiful Millenial Falls. Brenna was the flower girl, alongside her cousin Conner the ring bearer. It's one of the best parts watching those two walk down!

Umm, oh yeah, and we BOUGHT A HOUSE this summer! Woot! Woot! It was such a God-thing, I can't exclaim my joy enough! I was up L-A-T-E one night looking at homes for sale and I saw this one. I immediately wrote my realtor and she responded early the next morning. It had ALL my MUST-HAVES! We finally got to see it, put in an offer right then, and BAM, it was ours the next day. The crazy-cool part is that there was actually multiple offers on this house and for some reason (God<---) picked ours! We were not the high offer! It was such a miracle. We delight ourselves in this house every day!

Brenna started preschool again this summer! She switched schools to a new one called Foundations where she gets to learn alongside other Christian kids and study the Bible. They had their first field trip to Wheeler Farm.

Just another day at the park!

A favorite! Wearing moms sweater!

The saddest part of our summer was saying goodbye to other great friends of ours who moved to Minnesota. Anna has been one of my truest friends I've had in awhile. She watched my girls, I watched her girls, we hung out altogether, did last-minute park playdates, coffee dates, you name it. Her daughters, Jordana and Juliette are also some of Brenna's best girl friends. We miss them so much and it still feels empty here without them!