Wedding Rings...

I have to give a BIG thanks to Mom for suggesting this idea.

Since the Government is so willing to give money away right now, And Richard and I qualified to get the "First Time Home Buyers Credit", We figured that we might as well take it, and pay off some bills such as our car. Mom suggested that while we had some money we should use it to buy me the wedding ring that we have been saying that we were gonna buy "someday", knowing that it probably wouldn't happen for quite a while. We thought that it was a wonderful idea. So on top off paying off our car we were going to get me a wedding ring.

I have been waiting patiently for the day that we were going to get the money.... from mid April until last week.

So we found a friend to watch the kids (thank you Kim), and took a trip to Scottsdale to the Shane Company. I was so excited to be able to pick out my ring and build it the way I wanted it.

I think that it looks absolutely beautiful (it looks better in person).

you can click on the picture to get a better view of it (please excuse my hairy fingers)

Oh..... I suppose I should thank the government for giving me the nations tax dollars to pay for this... so thank all of you readers who probably helped pay for it too.

Amanda's Birthday....

Our little Amanda is now 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital... Well maybe not yesterday, but it doesn't seem like it was a whole 3 years ago.

Amanda the day she was born. isn't she cute.

One of my favorite pictures of Amanda to date. 1 year old and oh so adorable.

Her 2nd Birthday. Wearing her cowboy hat that she loves so much.

While eating her Cake and Ice cream. Yummy.

Our little Tinker Bell. She LOVES Tink.

Opening up the Tinker Bell blanket

And last but not least, the Pink cup cakes she asked for.

It is amazing to see Amanda growing so fast, and to see how she is learning so much. She is such a sweet heart, and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to give me the opportunity to be her mother. I love her to death and for eternity.

4 wonderful years....

So as of today, at 3:00 pm, Utah time, Richard and I will have been married for 4 wonderful years. It doesn't seem like it has been that long, like time has flown by... But when I look at all that has gone on in that 4 years, 4 moves, 2 children, buying a house, it seems like it has to have been more than that.

When we were at the temple a couple of weeks ago with friends I had to have some pics of the spot where Richard proposed to me.
I have an amazing man as my eternal companion, I am so glad that I can be by his side for that long (if he can stand me that long that is). I am so glad that I found this WONDERFUL MAN, and was able to be married to him in the temple making eternal commitments with him and our Heavenly Father. I am a very lucky girl.

Our visit from Jen and Stephanie

We had some wonderful visitors a couple of weeks ago. My Roommate from College (and adopted sister) Jen, and her sister Stephanie came down from Utah for a little over a week.

We had a fun filled and busy time while they were here, going to the movies (to see a chick flick that Richard refused to see with me), to Arizona Mills mall, and Arrowhead Mall. We were going to go to the zoo, and to Metro Center Mall, to see the places that we spent so much time, and tears during college. I worked at the Chick-fil-A there, and Jen at the pet store. Unfortunately we had to cancel on the zoo, and they had to go with out me to Metro center due to Gabe getting a wonderful childhood illness called Rosiola. We rounded off the week with a trip to the temple.

It was so good to see Jen again, and to get to know Stephanie better. I look forward to many more tips from them in the future (hint hint hint).

A pic of Jen Stephanie, Richard and Gabe,
Andy, Melinda, Me, & Amanda
on our temple trip.

All the nitty gritty about me, I saw this on a friends Facebook and loved it.

***********FOODOLOGY***************
1. What is your salad dressing of choice? Ranch or Italian
2. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? personally I like the spaghetti factory, or the new sushi place that we have found.
3. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? lasagna (although, I think I would be sick when I looked at the scale)
4. What are your pizza toppings of choice? pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms.
5. What do you like to put on your toast? Jam and honey, I especially like the homemade jams
***********TECHNOLOGY***************
1. How many televisions are in your house? 2, a big thanks to Aunt Jane and Uncle Lucky for letting us have their Big Screen.
2. What color cell phone do you have? red
3. How long would it take you to look up who invented the Rubber Band? a few minutes, however long it takes to google it
4. Have any idea how many Megahertz your computer has? no idea
***************BIOLOGY******************
1. Are you right-handed or left-handed?Right
2. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? 2 babies, if that counts
3. What is the last heavy item you lifted?Amanda
4. Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No and I hope I never will be, it sounds uncomfortable.
************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
1. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? not really, I think I would look to that day too much, and not live enough in the days that I have left.
2. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I think that I would stick with my name that I have, no point in changing it after using it for this long.
3. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? no way, my dad had a co-worker do that (for less $$$) and he didn't come back to work for a week.
************DUMBOLOGY******************
1. How many pairs of flip flops do you own? four
2. Last time you had a run-in with the cops? besides Richard being pulled over a couple of times for speeding, never.
3. Last person you talked to? The kids, asking them to be careful and stop throwing things
**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
1. Season? Winter
2. Holiday? Christmas
3. Day of the week? Sunday
4. Month? December
***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
1. Missing someone? Family and friends, most in Utah
2. Mood?Tired
3. What are you listening to? Amanda throwing things and laughing because Gabe goes to pick it up to play with.
4. Watching? Children playing, Amanda just got her Tigger toy bouncing and Gabe is trying to imitate it. too cute.
***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
1. First place you went this morning? Haven't left the house yet.
2. What's the last movie you saw?In a theater, Harry Potter and the half blood prince, in general, The best two years
3. Do you smile often?I try to
4. Sleeping Alone Tonight? nope not since Richard got put on days :)
***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************
1. Do you always answer your phone? I try to, occasionally I forget it at home, or I am busy in another room and don't hear it ringing.
2. It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? I don't know, but there better be a very good reason for it that early.
3. If you could change your eye color what would it be?i like my eye color
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I don't add flavors, I do like the cranberry limeade and the watermelon slush though.
5. Do you own a digital camera?of course
6. Have you ever had a pet fish? Nope
7. Favorite Christmas song(s): "Do you Hear what I Hear" and "Mary did you know?"
8. What's on your wish list for your birthday? Same thing as every year, I would love a kitchen aid mixer, unfortunately they cost too much.
10. Can you do a chin up? haven't tried in a long time, my guess is NO!
11. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? a bit of both
12. Do you have any saved texts?nope
13. Ever been in a car wreck? a fender bender, that ended up really damaging my dads truck, didn't realise it until the next morning when all the fluids had leaked out of the truck.
14. Do you have an accent? Richard tells me that I have a Utahhhhh accccentttt. I don't see it though.
15. What is the last song to make you cry? The song that was sung for the closing hymn on Sunday, about ancestors. it was beautiful!
16. Plans tonight? Hopefully get the garage cleaned out a bit so it will be ready for when Jen comes out here to visit this week.
17. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? nope, and I hope I never have to.
18. Name 3 things you bought in the last 3 days. I haven't gone shopping, so nothing.
19. Have you ever been given roses? Richard used to give them to me, He doesn't do it nearly often enough now for my liking.
20. Current worries? Getting the house cleaned up before Jen gets here.
21. Current hate right now? I cant think of one
22. Met someone who changed your life? absolutely, and I thank each and every one of them for it.
23. How will you bring in the New Year? I don't know, I guess it really all depends on if Richard has to work the next day or not. Usually we buy some sparking cider, and play board games, eat popcorn, and other snacks. that kinda thing.
24. What song represents you? cant really think of one, hummmm... I like I am a Child of God.
25. Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? depends on when, I love history, so It would be fun to visit some time periods.
26. Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? Technically Richard was my first boy friend and we were married 5 months after we met, we have been married for almost 4 years now though.
27. Do you have any tattoos/piercings? just ear piercings
28. Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now? I sure hope so
29. Does anyone love you? absolutely
30. Ever had someone sing to you? Richard sings silly songs to me, and Amanda loves to sing I am a Child of God to me.
31. When did you last cry? Sunday during the afore mentioned song.
32. Do you like to cuddle? Yeah with Richard
33. Have you held hands with anyone today? with both Amanda and Gabe
34. What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school? Country, and things like Hanson, Spice Girls, Back Street Boys, and all those other boy bands from the time.
35. Are most of the friends in your life new or old?have some of each, mainly new though.

Gabe's Birthday

Gabe turned 1 yesterday. It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought this little bundle of joy in to the world.

This little cutie has gone from staring at you and smiling, to rolling over, to crawling, and now to walking. He is getting so big, and cuter by the day.

Opening presents. The toy cars that Mommy and Daddy gave him was a favorite present.The most favorite present was the football from Grandma and Grandpa Hurst.
Here is the cake. I have to say I am pretty proud of how it turned out (I made it).

And as always every parent has to take a picture of their kid after they eat their Birthday cake and Ice cream. He loved it as you can tell.

All in all it was a great day, now we just have to wait for September to celebrate Amanda's 3rd birthday. Boy does time fly.

long time...

Well its been a while since I blogged last so I will catch everyone up on things that have been going on here in the Wilcox House....

Richard is in scouts now. He is the Weblos leader (I think I spelt it wrong). Here are some pics of some of the boys, it was taken a while ago so some of them are no longer in his group, they are in the 11 year old group now.

Richard loves this calling, and it was great for while he was still working on Sundays.

Amanda and Gabe are loving playing with each other. They have so much fun playing everything with each other, just as long as they don't have to share the toys that is.

We have also been having fun going to the water park for the Mommy's group in our ward.

I couldn't get Amanda to play in the water for a quite a while the first day, but after she went in, there almost wasn't any getting her out.

We had a fun time when Grandma Hurst, Aunt Janet, and Aunt Miki came out here for a week. They came out here for a wedding, which is why we are all dressed up in the pic. Amanda was so happy to see her "Bampa Hust" and "Aunt Miki" and "Aunt Jant" again, and was so sad when they left, she kept asking for them for like a week after they left.Well that is pretty much all that we have been up to besides the normal everyday things. We are looking forward to a visit from a good friend later this month and I will be sure to post about that too. Stay tuned.