That Weekend *High*

Sitting in bed last night with Nephi and we were planning our week and I was like, "When I have a GOOD weekend with tons of time with you and Marlo it actually doesn't make Monday's dreadful." Maybe a little high off the weekend fumes? I don't know, but we had the best weekend! 

We planned on hiking Table Rock this weekend with Andrew & Kelli but it was stormy last week and the forecast showed another storm and we decided not to risk it. Since Nephi still had the day off, we hit the next item on my bucket list and hiked 'R' Mountain on Saturday morning. It was so great! Perfect weather, picnic breakfast, and happy babies. The hike was easy, just a little slippery from the gravel, but the view was beautiful.

Please do not take these yoga pictures seriously... 

Then we ran home and got ready real to hit the road to the Hillman Family Reunion (Nephi's Moms side)! I finally got to meet Nephi's 'long-lost' Unlce and Cousin. Literally - Nephi's Grandma had a baby before she met Nephi's Grandpa and they only found this out about 7 or so years ago! Crazy. So I finally got to meet them and just fell in love with them and so did Marlo.

Peter, Nephi, Marlo, Mallory, Elizabeth, Kira, Tim
Anna & Brooklyn

This girl! ^ Dad introduced her to this animal app. We used it in emergency situations but I afraid it's too late and we are in for it. 

After the reunion we raced back to Idaho Falls to meet up with Neal, Angie, and Grayson and go to the drive-in. We saw Minions and Jurassic Park. Marlo was a gem at first but then got super cranky and was fighting sleep so bad. Nephi and I were both in the back of the car wrestling her down and then she whacks her head and is screaming - poor girl! But then suddenly she slowed down and fell asleep on me. She can't know you are actually trying to put her to bed or she will melt down. It needs to be subtle. But I am so grateful for her little attitude and putting up with a long fun day!

On Sunday we went to church, got released from our callings, and then went home and hit the sack. Marlo and Nephi slept for 3 hours and I slept for 1.5 which is highly unusual of me. I guess we all really needed it! We did some cleaning and organizing which I love to do with Nephi because I need the extra hand, had dinner, and then went to Tim and Kira's for dessert and just to hang out. Marlo may have taken her "first step" but it's so premature that I am trying not to get too excited about it!

Like I said, no 'Monday Blues' when you have a great weekend! We are looking forward to Monday-Thursday going fast because we have camping, swimming, and picnics planned for the weekend!

OKAY - So maybe Marlo has the Monday Blues!? (10 month photos did not go well)

Father's Day

For Nephi's first Father's Day we went camping with his family. Because of our work schedules ever since we have been married, our weekends are tight and camping has always been on the list but we've only ever gone, now, twice! I know, I am bad - I want to be better when we move to Denver. Not that I love it (I don't hate it) but I know Nephi LOVES it.

We packed up on Saturday while Nephi was at work and then as soon as he got home we hit the road to Palisades to meet up with his parents and the Cannons. They had camp already set up and we just sat around the fire with hot dogs and smores. In the morning we had breakfast, went on a little walk, played around the camp for a bit, and then packed up. A lot of work for 1 night but it was worth it!

We headed to the lake a few minutes down the road and took out the paddle boards. They are harder than we thought but we got a hang of it!

I made some rice krispies for the lunch we were in charge of and they turned out so good! I love rice krispies so I tried my own recipe based on a few that I have tried in the past and love what I came up with:

THICK and Sweet Rice Krispie Treats
1 box of rice krispie cereal
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 bag of mini marshmallows
1 tsp of vanilla
1 cube of butter

Pour box of rice krispies in a bowl and set aside. Brown the butter in a pot on a medium heat and then add vanilla. (You will know it's been properly browned when there are little brown flecks in the butter - make sure you don't burn it!) Add the marshmallow creme and stir (It will turn brown and have flecks in it - it's okay!). After that is mixed, add almost the whole bag of mini marshmallows  slowly (you decide how much you want to use but if you use almost all of it, you can use the whole box of cereal). After everything is melted, pour over the bowl of rice krispies and stir with a wooden spoon. Add to a 9x13 cake pan and let it cool at room temperature.

These are THICK. Like the ones you would get at a deli. I cut them into squares and wrapped them in plastic and put them in a baggy. They are pretty moist and it turns out Nephi likes them more dry so with the extras we had he let them dry out for a day and then finished them off. SO GOOD!

Marlo was a little gem! Slept through the night (between Nephi and I) and even napped a little on Saturday. 

I would follow this man anywhere! Seeing Nephi become a Dad has been no surprise to me. He is still the most kind and genuine man I have ever known, but just really obsessed with another girl :) He loves Marlo to no end and he always impresses me with his patience. I never have to make him go into her room to soothe her during the night, he just takes his turn when it's his turn. He loves putting her to bed, waking her up, changing her diaper, feeding her - anything! He doesn't pick and choose - he is 100% all the time. I truly believe Marlo chose him to be her Dad and then was like, "Okay, I guess that lady can be my Mom." We are beyond blessed to be loved by Nephi! 

Just a little fitness post...

For the last 3+ months I have been working out in the morning. Because of a change in Nephi's schedule, I can go in the mornings while Marlo is sleeping instead of hoping to make it work in the evenings and it has been LIFE CHANGING! I have gone through phases where I have worked out in the morning and every time I am like - why don't I ALWAYS do this? It helps wake me up, keeps me better disciplined throughout the day, and jump starts my metabolism. I have less guilt and more time and it has made all the difference. 

This morning I had a really good discussion with my trainer. We talked about perception of dieting, weight loss, and fitness. I recently have heard a few people talk about losing weight without any exercise and minimal changes to their eating habits...yeah, here are my thoughts exactly...

I have a love for fitness and I actually enjoy eating healthy foods. But listen, I am not perfect, but I certainly cannot just lose weight by living day-to-day live and not making any changes. 

And although when I hear those people say those things and it can make me feel bad about myself, I have recently decided that I would rather WORK my booty off (literally) than just have it come off with no effort. I love the feeling of a good challenge, the social aspect and community around fitness, and seeing my body change physically even though it may not reflect on the scale exactly.

I am learning to love my body AND allow others to love their bodies. I think it's funny to see the trends change to where being "skinny" (I hate that word by the way - I rather use "thin") is all the rage and then there are trends where being "curvy" (I can't decide how I feel about that word because it's true for many overweight people) is a big deal. YIKES. Just take care of yourself and know that not every body, booty, hips, or ankles are created equal.

My workout this morning ROCKED - bootcamp w/ trainer + elliptical (I have a hip injury so I haven't been able to run.) 

Anyway - I just needed to put this out there for many reasons, but mostly to help remind myself of how grateful I am for my body and to not covet others. Especially after having a baby, I may never get back to my smallest size (my stomach will certainly never be the same) and that's okay. I want to be in a healthy weight range that is achievable so I can feel good about myself (it's okay to want to look good) but also to be a good example to Marlo. 

Wedding Time in AZ

End of June we went to AZ for a weekend for Sheridan and Tiffany's wedding! It was a fast but fun weekend with endless smiles and yummy food. We can't say enough about how much we love Tiffany and how happy we are for her and Sheridan. Tiffany is such a great fit in our family and seeing them together makes my heart want to burst - Sheridan is so happy!

We flew in on a Friday just in time for the rehearsal dinner. We stayed up late of course helping Gird with the final details. They got married on Saturday morning and then they had a beautiful luncheon on my parents house and then we drove to Tucson for the gorgeous reception. I wasn't aware of any blunders throughout the day - in my eyes it was perfect!!

Cutest little flower girl in the town! She was so hot and lethargic - poor girl! That AZ heat kicked our butts! 

They are my favorite! 

Love my husband. 

One of the many reasons I LOVE going home or being with my family is because they are obsessed with Marlo. I can't even explain how it feels as a mother to have people love your baby. I hardly see Marlo when they are around. We were told countless times of how such a good baby she was. She never put up a fight and was so happy the whole time. She loves being around lots of people so it's like a gold mine at events like these. She is a lucky to have all these aunts and uncles obsess over her!

On the flight to AZ she was a little squirmy but on the way home she was out like a trout. Every time we have flown with her people have complimented her/us. She's our travelin' babe!

Can't wait to go to AZ for a MONTH in August! :)

Last Summer in Idaho

Considering this is our last summer in Idaho we are trying our best to soak it all in! With busy work schedules we are trying to check off a short bucket list before we move. The nice thing is that we know we aren't leaving Idaho forever. Who knows if we will move back here but I think we will have family here for a while so that means every other Christmas, at least! I am glad that we will be able to come back to this beautiful place.

Our summer so far [in pictures]!

Went on a little hike up at Heise:

Ran our first family 5k! I pushed Marlo the whole time and she didn't make a squeak:

Tiffany came into town to help Sheridan move and we went to these waterfalls that are about 30 minutes away from where we live (Don't judge us for the Lion King pic - we had to!): 

Went camping up at Palisades for Father's Day with Grandma and Grandpa Guymon + The Cannons. Went paddle boarding too! Marlo was a rockstar :

Took the day off work and went to Rigby Lake with our best friends (Sarah & Avery): 

 Went to a Chuckars game with the Cannons: 

Celebrated 4th of July in Driggs for the day (parade and swimming) and then Idaho Falls at night (dinner + fireworks): 

Only a few more things left to do: 

• Hike Table Rock
• Rexburg Rapids
• Iona Splash Pad
• Lagoon (in Utah) 
• Hike 'R' Mountain