Our beautiful Armoire!!! $150 off of Craig's List! And I love it!

Its so nice to have a place to close off the TV and just have a Living room.

CRAIG's LIST IS THE BEST!!!!

Every once in a while I get on and look for certain things, armoire being on of them. It had to have a certain type of handle so that I could lock it if need be. Well I went on on Friday and there was this one. Love at first sight. Its a corner unit which I also wanted because I feel corners are wasted space. Josh went and picked it up the next day. It has just a little strip of paint on the very top but who cares, I don't. And if you double click on the pics you can see the detailed crown molding. An Armoire like this, Solid wood, in the store would be well over $500 and that's at Marshall's discount store. Crazy when you can go on Craigs list for $150. Seriously it was a steal!!

So I was looking for a BYU graduation pic for the post under this video. I wanted to compare how unhealthily thin I was to how healthy I look now. But I couldn't find the folder they are in but I did find this video. It was taken Feb. 22nd 2007 so Sydney had just turned one a week before. Looking at this video I can see her personality that would later come out so much stronger.

This post is in no way meant to sound as bragging or conseated in any way. I'm just expressing frustration that the only time I can seem to look remotely healthy is when I'm pregnant.

So here I am at about 25 weeks pregnant and almost 30 ounds heavier. I have to say it looks good on me. My goal after this baby is to get healthy. People relate being skinny with healthy and I can tell you not is not so. I left Utah in April and I think I was maybe a 100 pounds. Thats what the stomuch flu does to you. Especially when you have it 3 times in one year. YUCK!!

The pics at Joshs graduation were so said, I looked like I would fall over if you sneezed on me. The first thing my dad said to me when he say me was "girl you need to put some weight on!" And boy was he right.

So after the babies born please keep me in your prayers. I want to not only look strong and healthy but be strong and healthy.

And thanks mom for the shirt, I love it!!!

Happy Birthday to Sydney! It was a great time and the kids had a blast. I can't believe she's Two. We had Sydney's favorite eats Hotdogs (no bun) & ruffles Sour cream & Cheddar Chips. We had the bouncey house up the office since it was storming outside. With lots of games and toys in the nursery, the kids had so much fun. GOOD TIMES!!

All the kids had a blast. Kyle, Erin, Isaac, Nathon, Clara, Alex, & Sydney. Moms are Jen in the back and Laura is sitting with a baby lap.
Sydney with one of her new ponys. Thank you to grandma & Grandpa Love and Nannah & PopPop for the pretty Ponys and the perfect fitting cloths.
A good time with the Elefun Game. Catch the buterflies!!!

Sydney tells us all about her Pretty Ponys. Now keep in mind that she only had about a 20 minute nap in the car. So she's basically been up for about 14 hours. A ridiculous amount of time for her. In other words don't exect to understand her I didn't even get anything out of her little speach. Although I think she does say pretty ponys. She much more understandable when she's well rested.

" Happy Birthday Aunt Tellie!!!

Mommy had to put our picture here because she doesn't know how to use the computer like daddy." Isaac

Thank you very much Isaac. That is true I couldn't seem to attach the pic to the email. And Isaac picked this one out in particular. Sorry we don't have more for you then a blog post but you have our thoughts and love!!!

Isaac says you can come visit anytime you want "but you have to go on an airplain ALL NIGHT LONG!!!"

I second that. If you want to come to the sun for a while we'd love to have you. Its mid 80s right now with a slight breeze.

Once again we love you Oertel!!

Josh holding Isaac.

So I was tagged for the husband thing a while ago

but havn't had time to sit and do it so here we go.....

What is his name? Joshua Thomas Sparks
How long have you been together? Married 8 years on June 30th, known each other since we were 16.

How long did you date? I never considered us dating. Hanging out and kissing on a guy to me was not dating. Sad but True!

We remet in January and were engaged by April and Married by June.

How old his he? 29
Who eats more? Uh ya that would be him.

Who said I love you first? He did. (could've been the two piece I was wearing in the hot tub with him, but he seemed pretty serious.) When I could tell he was waiting to hear it from me... "everytime I've said that to someone I've been hurt." J"I would never hurt you." Then I answered, "I love you too." And Josh ofcourse said, "remember who said it first."

Isn't that like from a million different movies? But it is the way it went down.

Who can sing better? I do but I think its only because I've been trained a little and have always loved the spot light. Josh has a good voice but has no desire to be heard.

Who is smarter? Josh by far! Not many people know how incredibly bright he really is. And its not just because of school, he has a really high IQ. Although his dad said Josh was lucky to find me because "more then half of society is below the official stupidity level".

I think that was always meant as a compliment to me?!

Who does the laundry? Depends on how slack I become. Most of the time its Josh asking me on the way out to school if I could please do a load of laundry today since he's down to the last of it. He always asks me nicely.

Who pays the bills? It use to be me but somehow Josh has taken over and thats fine by me.

Who sleeps in the right side? I sleep on the right side... its two feet from the bathroom and I have a cleat shot to the bedroom door since I seem to be the only one who hears the kids.

Who mows the lawn? I don't care for mowing. I've always considered that a man's job.

So, Congrats Josh. Ofcourse it means nothing now or probably for 10 more years since we don't have a lawn.

Who cooks dinner? That would be me. I do really well with having dinner ready when

josh gets home, for a coule weeks and then I go into slack mode for a while and then pick it back up again. I often wonder what it would be like to have a meal waiting when I got home everyday?

Who drives? When Josh is with us that would be him. He refuses to sit in what he call the "B" seat which is short for the B---- seat. Not that thats what he calls it when I sit there (the passenger seat) Just when the wife drives and the husband is in the passenger's seat. He's not hardcore to care enough when being dropped off for school but other wise he is the drive. I know you wouldn't have thought Josh would care huh?

Who is more stubborn? Oh definetly me. Not as bad as before I was on medication but still pretty bad.

Who kissed who first? So here's the thing... I was tring to go a whole month of hanging out (dating) with out kissing him. Believe it or not I was one to kiss on a first date if I felt like it. But that didn't really lead to lasting relationships. After I figured out I had kissed 20 different guys I made a pact that I would marry the next guy I kissed. That would put me at 21. More then my fingers and toes thats not counting repeat offenders. But the 21 st would have to wait since I was preparing to go on a mission anyways.

So I went to all lengths, wearing hats, sitting a good distance away, not sitting in the truck at the end of the evening, ect. Anyways we were talking in the truck and I could tell... so I leaned over him to open his door (small truck) and I think he took it as a move and his lips met mine. I lasted three weeks. And I have to say that of all the lips that have met mine, Josh is BY far the BEST KiSSER ever. I mean next time you see a piture of him take a look at his lips!! WOW!! He still gives me shivers after almost 8 years.

WELL THAT WAS A FUN QUESTION. =)

Who asked who out first? I sked him! I was on a date with another guy and we dropped by the singles Dance. Now my rule was if you go to a dance or a party on or after a date, the date was off. My date went to talk to another girl,I got annoyed (even inspite of my rule) I had a lot of rules. So I walked up to Josh and asked "So when are you going to take ME out?" I was a cocky little bugger. His answer, "How about Friday?"

Who proposed? I don't know, there was never a proposal really just an agreement. We were on the phone J"So you know what your mom says about dating. You either break up or get married. Well I don't want to break up!" L"Are we dating?" J-silence L"ok lets say we're dating... I don't want to break up either." J"So I guess were getting married?!" L"I guess we're getting married?!" And that was that.

Who has more friends? I do. I think I need them More. Josh is happy with me as his bestfriend and a few guy friends . He hates it when I invite couples over and he actually has to meet new people. Funny huh because I've never met anyone who doesn't like Josh.

Who is more sensitive?Thats a toss up because me being a women and pregnant right now you'd think it was me but Josh is a softy and things can sting him prettty bad. But he lets go of things so fast. I'd have to say that it would most likely be me.

Who has more siblings? Josh. His mom had 5 kids in 6 years and then adoptated her neice when her sister passed from breast cancer. So there are 6 kids in 6 years. To the day October 20th. Wow is right!

Who wears the pants? I'd say its equal. We have amazing balance!!!!

I'm truely blessed to be married to a man like Joshua Thomas Sparks. He is a wonderful husband and father and I could not ask for more. I often say that with Josh what you see is what you get but thats not true. It is true he hides nothing that would give you a negative feeling about him, but he keeps his best qualities hiden. He's not a man to brag. I was reading the scriptures with him one night and we came to the scripture that descibes Charity. I looked at him and said, "thats a perfect desciption of you honey!" He brushed it off but I truely meant it. Read that verse (I don't know which it is but I'm sure you do) and that in an inderstated nut shell is my husband.

So yes I still bead and am always looking for inspiration. This set was actually from a beading mag, but I altered it just a bit. For my first try it turned out pretty well. It was hard though. So I have a few other variations of this that should turn out tons better.

Sydney didn't have any winter dress. Why? because I didn't think she needed them. But believe it or not it does get chilly here and tank top dresses weren't cutting it. So I lucked out and went to a Carters outlet and got this dress for about $8!! I got one other one which is pretty cute too, I'll take a pic of it next Sunday. What you can't see is the gorgeous brown hair bow I made to go with both dresses. Big thanks to Wymount enrichment =)!!! She looked soooo cute today it KILLED me. Isaac ofcourse is into dressing himself... needless to say it wasn't picturesk but he pretty proud of himself so we let him go as he was.
Tough guys have temp tattoos of dragons on their arms. I should have had him flex because he actually does have definition. I think his facial expression is priceless just like he is.

Double click on this comic strip to read better.

Isaac was so horrible on Friday I thought I was going to loose my mind. He had one cring fit that lasted about 10 minutes. Much longer then usual. But the second one last 20 minutes or longer. Over ridiculoius stuff.

But at the end of the day, like I always do I went to look at my kids before I went to sleep. This article is so true to life that it made me cry.

And then start to laugh. For those of you who don't have kids or more precicely toddlers you will probably not come to embrace this comic till you do.