Paul and Ashley Justensen Family Page

Fall

2011-11-17T15:32:00.003-06:00

I love the fall! I love the leaves that crunch under my feet as I walk, the cool brisk air, the excitement of upcoming holidays! What a wonderful time of year! Last Saturday we woke early and spent the morning raking leaves.

My wonderful little helpers. They were such troopers to hold bags all morning while we filled them with leaves.

By the afternoon a storm had blown through and we had enough snow to build a snowman!

Fall

2011-11-17T15:10:00.003-06:00

My sweet Amber Marie

Hailey at the pumpkin patch.

Halloween princesses. Aubrey was Cinderella and Hailey was Rapunzel.

This was Hailey's pose when we tried to take family pictures!

Aubrey at the pumpkin patch.

Lots of Updates!

2011-10-14T19:04:00.003-05:00

There are lots of new posts below. Be sure to check them all out. They are in backward order chronologically so you can start with the post titled "Update" and move up from there.

Amber Marie

2011-10-14T17:50:00.004-05:00

The girls came to visit mom and Amber at the hospital and had an immediate bond to her. They are going to be great sisters and best friends...my three little princesses!

When Hailey first met Amber she gave this face and exclaimed "Oh my goodness!" It was love at first sight and she has not let Amber alone since.

Sunday

2011-10-14T17:18:00.004-05:00

The next day was Paul's brother's homecoming from his mission to Argentina. It is so fun to have him home.

Saturday

2011-10-14T16:42:00.003-05:00

The Saturday before the baby was born we picked and canned peaches from our very own peach tree. I've never tasted such delicious peaches!

That night we went to the Salt Lake Bees baseball game. It was my first pro baseball game and we spent lots of time trying to cool off with plenty of drinks and treats.

Update

2011-10-14T16:19:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since I have last updated. I realized after baby #3 was born that all those people who said #3 was the kicker, suddenly you don't have as many hands as you do children, or that you and your husband are out-numbered and the adjustment is hard...all those people said these things in great wisdom. Child #3 has definitely been an adjustment. So, I start my update before the baby was born. Here are some cute pictures of the girls.

Sweet Baby Justensen

2011-08-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

Our cute little bundle arrived today. I went into labor at 2am and it was a lot of fun going into labor on my own this time. We went to the hospital and our little princess arrived at 7:40am. She weighs 8lbs even and is 20 inches long. She has a lot of light brown hair and is simply adorable! We are so excited to have her in our family. We have yet to choose a name but hopefully it will come soon.

2011-08-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

2011-08-30T22:08:00.002-05:00

August 30th

2011-08-29T15:32:00.002-05:00

I think August 30th sounds like a great day to have a baby...don't you?! It seems like the perfect birthday, the date just has a ring to it. I am so excited to go to the hospital tomorrow and have my third little princess! I can't wait! I just found out today so I am rushing about trying to get laundry done and the house cleaned. Hip Hip hooray! A brand new baby!

Birthday/Father's Day

2011-07-06T22:26:00.004-05:00

Paul's birthday was right before Father's Day. We had a fun party, played Paul Jeopardy and everyone got to know Paul a little better.

I made a frozen yogurt cake for Paul's birthday.

Happy Father's Day! We are so grateful for Paul and what a wonderful husband and father he is. We couldn't ask for a better man to be head of our home! We got him tools for both his birthday and Father's Day. What a great gift for a new homeowner!

Update

2011-07-06T22:12:00.005-05:00

I am far overdue for an update. Here are some random pictures. Enjoy!

Aubrey decided to take a nap in the baby carseat. You can see her head poking out of the top of the carseat.

Easter girls.

Aubrey still loves to dress up! She even walked all the way around the block in heals, getting blisters in the process. She didn't mind the blisters because she had so much fun walking around with her plastic dress up heals on!

Crazy!

2011-05-23T11:20:00.002-05:00

The last two weeks have been crazy! We closed on our house and are moving in this Saturday. We have been trying to paint some bedrooms, (the girls' room and the nursery were both blue) as well as Paul's office before we move in. I'm not sure we will finish but we are going to do our best. So, if we aren't painting we are packing, if we aren't packing we are painting. We will definitely post before and after pictures when we get things finished and settled. Can't wait to move into our new house this weekend!!!

Where have we been?!

2011-05-13T14:41:00.002-05:00

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts recently. If all goes well, we hope to close on our new house on Monday! Hooray! We are so excited to be in our own home. Life has been busy with the house and packing, etc. The girls are doing well and are very happy that the warmer weather allows them to be outside playing more. They will be even more ecstatic when we move into our new home and they have a backyard and a swing set. Paul is working hard and enjoying his job, I am unfortunately still sick from pregnancy. I figure this time it's just going to be a full pregnancy sickness, which is OK. The rewards are far greater than the price I have to pay. Here is a picture of the new home we hope to own by Monday afternoon!!!

Ultrasound

2011-04-26T12:28:00.003-05:00

We had our ultrasound and are so grateful to have a healthy strong little baby growing. We are also pleased to announce that we are having...........another little girl! We are so excited to have a third little princess come into our home and can't wait to see what her personality will be like.

A Boy or a Girl?

2011-04-10T21:33:00.003-05:00

We are 10 days away from the ultrasound of this cute little Justensen Baby and yes, we are going to find out the gender. Feel free to write a comment with your vote and we will let you know!

St. Patrick

2011-03-30T14:25:00.002-05:00

We had a fabulous St Patty's Day. We learned all about St. Patrick and enjoyed yummy foods like green eggs and pancakes along with green milk for breakfast, green macaroni and cheese for lunch, (and for those of you thinking this is gross, you would be correct. It truly looked disguisting, but the girls loved it!) and tacos on green tortillas for dinner. We ended the day with a treasure hunt for the pot of gold. The clues led us to a pot of treats hidden in the clothes dryer! Unfortunately, I can't post any of these pictures for some unknown reason. You'll just have to imagine how much fun we had!

Bowling

2011-03-30T13:01:00.004-05:00

We took the girls bowling and had so much fun! Hailey was a bit scared at first, but towards the end we convinced her to push the ball. However, she would only go as close as the bowling rack, so we had to help the ball along. Aubrey loved bowling and had so much fun! It was a great family activity, though I have learned from the experience that bowling might not be the best activity during pregnancy!

Aubrey's Ensembles

2011-03-17T10:02:00.004-05:00

Lately Aubrey has been very insistent on picking her own outfits and dressing herself. Once dressed, she proceeds to accessorize. These are her latest creations!

Hailey's Birthday

2011-03-02T17:46:00.003-06:00

We recently celebrated Hailey's second birthday. She is such a sweet girl and our family would not be complete without her. She adds so much spice and fun into our lives. Hailey loves to be teased and she teases her fair share as well. She is a bit emotional but is also quick to laugh. We sure do love this wonderful little girl. Paul and his brother worked hard the night before to get her cake done so she could wake up to her Thomas the Train cake!

Here she is with all her presents.

This was by far one of her favorite presents. My sister sent her some Thomas the Train PJs. She loves them! When I get her up from naptime she has taken off her pants and has her Thomas pjs in hand, asking me to put them on!

Spoke too soon!

2011-02-27T22:04:00.002-06:00

I realize that I spoke too soon when complaining about my kids being sick. After a visit to InstaCare today, two ear infections and RSV, I have learned never ever EVER to complain about my kids being sick. It can always get worse! Be grateful for the sniffling noses and hope that's all it is...sniffling noses.

Sick Sick Sick

2011-02-26T18:03:00.002-06:00

There are so many blogs I have read lately of mothers who are just emerging from being trapped in the house for 4 weeks with sick kids. I am two weeks into this experience and I'm not sure how much longer I can take it! Of course it is nice to have Hailey snuggle up to me, however it would be nice to sleep in my own bed the whole night through. We have tried to get creative in our activities, but it would be nice for the girls to go out and see the light of day for once. This too will pass, I'm sure. The sun will emerge and spring will come...early this year, right?! I guess I will just have to keep waiting.

Christmas Pictures, finally!

2011-02-23T22:15:00.003-06:00

Here are the remainder of the Christmas photos I will be uploading. It only took me two months to do it! We had so much fun enjoying all the festivities of the season and having family around. We discovered over the Christmas holiday that Hailey loves the snow!

2011-02-23T21:55:00.003-06:00

We had so much fun on Christmas Eve with cousins and family. My sister and her kids prepared the program for Christmas Eve and it was so awesome! We loved it!

The girls and I are waiting on Christmas morning to come down the stairs and look at all the presents! Christmas morning was perfect. My sister's kids slept in so we were able to focus on our kids first, and then turn our attention to her kids when they woke up.

Our Christmas morning family.

The best Christmas present! We found out that Baby #3 is on it's way and due September 3rd!

Aubrey's Little Accident

2011-02-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

Aubrey usually waits to go potty until we are sitting up to the table and have already said prayer over our food. She will then wiggle all around while she takes a bite or two, then promptly get down from the table and run to the bathroom. The last couple of days I decided to teach her that she needs to ask to be excused before getting down from the table. (I should also state that before meals I ask her if she needs to go potty and she insistently tells me that she does not. If I make her go before the meal she usually starts crying, telling me she doesn't have to. So I am not oozing with sympathy when she is wiggling uncomfortably in her chair.) It was lunch and we had just finished the prayer. Aubrey stuffed a few bites in her mouth and then got down to run to the bathroom. As she was leaving the kitchen I stopped her and told her she needed to ask to be excused. As I am telling her this I am watching her,her face full of concern and concentration, legs crossed, and pee starting to trickle down her legs. As the pee came down her face relaxed and I couldn't help but laugh. It was quite a funny situation.

Happy Birthday Papa

2011-02-04T17:03:00.002-06:00

In December we celebrated Papa J's birthday!

Family Christmas Party

2011-02-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

This year Santa was able to stop by a family Christmas party we went to. In years past the girls have been terrified of Santa and have only received a candy cane for all their tears. This year it only took one child sitting on Santa's lap for Aubrey to realize that she would get a whole bag of candy if she sat on his lap...I think she was child number 2 in line! When he asked what she wanted for Christmas, she simply stated that she wanted a reindeer. So much for the dog! Hailey also quickly realized that there were bags of candy involved. However, instead of going to Santa she went directly to Santa's elf and repeatedly asked for a bag of candy, completely bypassing Santa. When the elf wouldn't budge, Hailey was next up to sit on Santa's lap. After the rest of the children had their turn with Santa, Hailey slyly took advantage of Santa's age and fading memory to sit on his lap yet again and get a second bag of candy! That's my girl!!!

Hailey was not fooled by that beard.

"Look Mom, another bag of candy!"

2011-02-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

Here is our gingerbread house. It fell apart before we could enjoy breaking it ourselves.

My apologies

2011-02-02T14:19:00.004-06:00

I am so sorry I haven't updated this blog in almost 2 months! I could say we are still recovering from Christmas, however that was more than a month ago. I feel like we are still recovering from Christmas and trying to get back into a routine. We went to Boise for Christmas and were gone for about 10 days, then came back and Paul started work at his law firm. Aubrey has begun another ballet class and we try to think of ways to get out of the house. January seemed to go by rather quickly. I'm not sure I'm ready for February to start. Ready or not, it's here! Over the next week or so I will be updating our blog with pictures of our Christmas vacation! Enjoy!

Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree!

2010-12-12T15:27:00.000-06:00

Random

2010-12-07T15:23:00.000-06:00

An old friend from High School came to visit over the Thanksgiving holiday. Carissa looks fabulous and is so happy. It was great to see her and know she is doing well.

Whenever I lay down on the couch Hailey gets a book and lays on me, wanting me to read to her. I love it!

Katie's House

2010-12-05T15:05:00.000-06:00

We went to my dear friend Katie's house to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with her. She gave the girls Christmas presents which they absolutely adored! I also learned while being there that I am a terrible wii player!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T15:17:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Paul's Dad and brother. We enjoyed their company and the food was delicious! It was a good day and is always a wonderful time of the year to reflect on what we are grateful for. I am so grateful for my family, my sweet sweet husband and two beautiful daughters. Along with the gospel of Jesus Christ, my family makes my life complete. I am so blessed, the Lord has been so gracious to me. I cannot count the blessing and miracles that are so abundant in my life. I have been blessed!

Birthday Cake

2010-12-03T14:59:00.003-06:00

We made Paul's mom her birthday cake. (Thank you Abby and "Hello cupcake" for the great ideas!) Her birthday is the beginning of November so we made a fall wreath to go on top of a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The leaves are made out of chocolate, hand painted by Paul and I. The acorns are made out of caramels dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. It was a lot of work but was really fun to make!

Halloween!

2010-12-03T14:50:00.002-06:00

We went to a ward Halloween party which was a lot of fun. It was raining outside so, instead of trunk or treating in the parking lot, the adults lined the hallways of the church and the kids went around collecting candy. This was by far the best trick or treating experience of my life! We dressed up with a Winnie the Pooh theme. I was Eeyore, Hailey was Piglet, Paul was Christopher Robin, and Aubrey was a chick. (We didn't have another Pooh costume for Aubrey). And, like the wonderful parent I am, I forgot to take pictures! So, about a week after Halloween we all put back on our costumes for some pictures. Nice! (Aubrey took the picture of Paul and I. She did a great job. We have a budding photographer on our hands!)

2010-12-03T14:31:00.003-06:00

I went to Boise in November and got to see one of my dearest friends, Abby! We were next door neighbors in Iowa City and I practically lived at her apartment, especially in the evenings when the girls were in bed and Paul was studying. Thank heaven for wonderful friends. It was so great to see Abby and cute little Paige! (Hailey really was happy about the visit. She was unhappy about being confined for a picture.)

While we were in Boise my sister spoiled the girls rotten! Here they are with their new pillow pets and toys! Bliss!

This is my first cake using ganache frosting, (thank you once again to "Hello Cupcake". Thanks Abby!) It was unbelievably easy...OK OK, it wasn't real ganache. It was the fake stuff (that's probably why it was so easy) but worked like a charm. I decorated the cake with orange peels. I should have waited until the cake was more dry because the orange peels sunk into the frosting. Oh well, it tasted delicious! Yum!

Creepy Critter Cupcakes

2010-10-30T04:26:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Abby gave me a "Hello Cupcakes" book for my birthday and it is awesome! It is amazing what you can do with melting chocolate wafers and m&m's. Cupcake anyone?!

Good Morning

2010-10-29T04:22:00.000-05:00

I appreciate Paul's unwavering dedication to fulfill all his professional and church responsibilities. I also love slow mornings when I get to see this! The girls love their daddy so much and it is fun to watch them snuggle up together.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

We love taking the girls to the pumpkin patch. This year the pumpkin patch was in a field in the middle of a subdivision; not the environment we are used to! However, they had a free kids corn maze, hay rides, and a great pumpkin selection. It was a lot of fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

The wheelbarrow mommy! It was so convenient to have a wheelbarrow when it came to hauling pumpkins and kids around!

Hailey loved the wheelbarrow and did not want to get out! She stayed in there almost the whole time.

Aubrey loved sitting in the tractors! This was her highlight. Our John Deer Aubrey.

I am a mother

2010-10-26T15:20:00.004-05:00

I am a mother. I am not JUST a mom, or ONLY a mom, but I am a mother! I have two wonderful children who mean the world to me. I can kiss away their owies; I can sooth away their bad dreams; I can comfort them when sad; I second for a bucking bronco or a tickle monster. I am a great story teller and story reader...for hours and hours on end! When tummies are upset and the girls have thrown up so many times that we are running out of clean blankets to give them, I am the mom who gets to sit up and rock and rock and rock them to sleep, soothing their aching tummies and drying their tear stained eyes. I get to hold them and cherish them, knowing that they feel safe and secure and loved with my arms around them. Not all aspects of motherhood are glamorous or fun, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have been blessed with the two most beautiful girls in the world. I am so grateful to be their mother. I am a mother!

Go Team!

2010-10-25T16:08:00.001-05:00

My sister recently sent us a BSU cheerleading outfit. Go Boise State!

Paul's Admissions Ceremony

2010-10-24T16:01:00.003-05:00

Paul recently passed the Bar Exam and was admitted to the Utah State Bar. It was a great ceremony and I am so proud of all that he has accomplished! What a great man! Congratulations Sweetie!

The Smells of Fall

2010-10-21T14:03:00.004-05:00

I love the smells of Fall! I love the smell of pumpkin, warm apple cider and the smell of cold fresh air. I bought a new candle the other day, mulled cider. I lit it and enjoyed that delicious scent all morning. Then I put out the candle and started simmering broth for homemade chicken noodle soup...with homemade noodles! Yum! All afternoon the aroma of warm soup drifted through the house and made me appreciate Fall! What a great time of year!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

2010-10-10T19:26:00.003-05:00

My birthday was this last week and, for my birthday, I wanted to make a cake. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work due to all the colors I used. I had to re-learn a lesson that I first learned on the last fondant cake I made...don't roll the fondant out too thin! I also learned to really kneed and work with the fondant to make it nice and smooth before rolling it out. So, here is the first fondant attempt, looking more like old wrinkly skin. The second attempt turned out much better! For my birthday the girls and my father-in-law got me cake decorating supplies while Paul promised me a 1 hour back massage!!! Heaven! In all, it was a wonderful birthday!(Sorry we didn't get more pictures!)

Random Pictures

2010-09-20T22:10:00.003-05:00

We went to a luau and Hailey immediately fell in love with all the leis. I took them off her but she started to cry so I promptly put them back on. She walked around all night like this. Adorable!

We enrolled Aubrey in a ballet class and she loves her leotard and skirt. It is so fun to watch all the little girls prance about! My little ballerina.

If the leis picture didn't emphasize this point enough, here is another picture to show just how much Hailey loves necklaces.

Twins

2010-09-19T15:15:00.002-05:00

Many people comment that our girls look like twins. When out in public there have been countless times that people have commented on our "twins". Just this week I was at the store and a man asked if I got two for the price of one...no no, they aren't twins. We went to the doctor this week for the girls to have their routine checkups. Aubrey is in the 16% for height while Hailey is in the 75% for height. I guess that explains why they look like twins, they are practically the same size!

Case Lot Sale

2010-09-10T22:37:00.003-05:00

I love Western Family and I love case lot sales!

Spagetti Night

2010-09-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

Family Home Evening Chart

2010-09-10T22:23:00.005-05:00

While in Boise my sister helped me make this family home evening chart. I love the way it turned out. It is a dark brown color with brass buttons for hooks. I had a hard time deciding what to for the name tags. I could have done our names printed out, or big initials, but when my sister and I saw the little dog stickers in the store I knew I found the perfect tags! It represents our family so well! The girls love dogs so much and are always going over to look at their puppies. Can you guess which dog represents who?

Ensign Peak

2010-09-10T22:16:00.004-05:00

We hiked up ensign peak and the girls did a great job. Hailey wanted to walk the whole way and did not want to be carried!

Hailey is crying because she doesn't want to be held.

Aubrey found this cluster of rocks at the top of Ensign Peak and pretended it was her house.

2010-09-10T22:14:00.001-05:00

Ice cream anyone?

2010-09-10T22:07:00.003-05:00

Nutty noodles with chicken

2010-09-10T22:03:00.004-05:00

This meal may not look like much, but it is delicious. Cook wheat noodles with carrots and edamames. Add the sauce which is peanut butter and low fat sesame ginger dressing. Top with cucumbers. Yummmmmmy!

Liberty Park

2010-09-10T21:47:00.004-05:00

When we went to Lagoon both girls loved the rides, Hailey liked them because she could sit right by or behind Aubrey. We took the girls to Liberty Park and Hailey did not like the rides as much because the rides don't have two seats, just one. We took the girls on the ferris wheel and Aubrey loved it while Hailey cried. In all, it was a fun time!

We just had to get down on the concrete to get a closer look at the water.

Boise!!!

2010-09-07T22:22:00.005-05:00

After the family reunion the girls and I headed to Boise for a few weeks. We had so much fun! Thank you to my mom, brother, and sister for hosting me and for the great great time. We were there for my Mom and brother's birthday, I also got to see my nephews' football games, and do some fun crafts. I'll post pictures of the crafts when they are finished.

Aubrey made a birthday card for my brother and then wrapped it up in tissue paper. How cute!

She was enjoying her cake so much that Aubrey didn't quite make it to the bathroom.

Under the watchful eye of my sister Hailey grew freckles.

2010-09-07T22:10:00.003-05:00

Every family got an award. The award given to our family was for Paul, he got the "Bar" award. Paul is holding a piece of wood with a bar attached to it...a little something we can display in our home!!!

Family Reunion

2010-09-07T21:53:00.004-05:00

We went to Blackfoot this summer for my family's reunion. We had SOOOO much fun and the kids loved playing with their cousins. Activities included boating, obstical course, triathlon, and Paul and I were in charge of the minute-to-win-it competition!
These are the pictures of Aubrey participating in the kid's obstical course.

Swimming through the pool.

Running through the cones.

Tossing the bean bags.

Jumping in the castle.

Trying to break a water balloon over Dad's head!

2010-09-07T21:37:00.003-05:00

Here are all our family participants! They did a tremendous job, especially the bikers who probably went well over their alloted distance. My brother on the far right did the entire triathlon by himself. He also went well past the biking distance as he missed the turn around point...let's just say the biking portion could have been marked better.

The Triathlon

2010-09-07T21:01:00.006-05:00

Paul and I decided to participate in a triathlon this summer that much of my family was participating in as it was being held during our family reunion. We were going to do it as a team, my sister-in-law would run, I would bike, and Paul would swim. Training went well this summer but, unfortunately, I got sick right before the reunion. So, my nephew took my spot biking for our team.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law did a great job running.

Here is my brother and nephew taking off on their bikes after the runners came in.

Here is Paul and the rest of the family, waiting for the bikers to come in so he can get started on the swimming portion.

We went out to hunt for the bikers...we found them! My brother had taken a wrong turn and led my nephew the wrong way. I am sure they biked much farther than the triathlon required! Poor guys! I'm glad I didn't bike after all!!!

The bikers finally made it to the finish line.

Dinner Tonight

2010-09-07T20:32:00.006-05:00

I tried a new recipe from a new cookbook. "Savory Yellow and Green Zucchini Pancakes". The title is so delicious it made my mouth water. However, I learned a few valuable lessons from attempting this recipe. First, actually the only lesson I learned, is to follow the directions exactly! If you don't, it simply doesn't turn out as good, in this case it wasn't even edible! (I unfortunately get lazy when I cook and have to learn this same lesson over and over again, just follow the recipe!) Instead of grating the zucchini and yellow squash, which the recipe calls for, I chopped it in my chopper because I did not have an electric grater...who wants to grate it all by hand?! This caused the consistency to be very different...perhaps too different. The batter was too watery to form pancakes. Then, unfortunately, I added twice the amount of onion the recipe called for. This mistake was not intentional. I didn't even notice until Paul asked to see the recipe after tasting the vile concoction. Paul tried to improve the meal by adding sugar to counter-act the bitter and potent taste of onion. He topped the meal by adding about a cup of ketchup to his meal! I took a few bites and couldn't finish. After dinner Paul took the rest of the...meal, and put it in a tuperware container. I said "Um, your saving that?!" Paul said, "Yea, I'll eat it tomorrow. We shouldn't waste good food." I said, "That is not good food!"
This is what was for dinner tonight!

Summertime Update

2010-09-07T20:12:00.003-05:00

To all of my faithful bloggers out there, I am so sorry to have kept you in suspense for so long about my wonderful summer. Wait no more! Relief is here. However, because I have so much to update I will try to update ofen over the next week or two, giving you highlights in each update.

Hailey is teaching herself how to eat! She loves feeding herself and will no longer allow anyone to help her.

My sister came to Utah with her son and his cousin. They stayed the night at our house and then headed to Lagoon the next day. She offered to take us with them to Lagoon and we couldn't pass up such a good time! We had so much fun. Paul went on all the scary rides with his two nephews and the girls had such a great time riding the kiddie rides. We had so much fun! Thanks Carrie for a great great time!

It's been a while

2010-07-12T15:00:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I have updated the ol' blog. How time flies! We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Utah. We have been able to see so many family members and it has been a lot of fun to attend so many family functions. Paul has been studying for the bar exam, which he takes in three weeks, and was also recently called to be the Elder's Quorum President in our ward. Needless to say, he stays busy!
I have been taking short trips to Provo to visit family and friends and have been keeping the girls occupied this summer by taking them to Liberty Park where the girls can splash around in the fountains. We also enjoy going to the library once a week and having "school time" at home. I was recently called as the Primary Secretary in our ward and I am thrilled to be in primary again! It is so much fun!!! Here are a few pictures and highlights from the last couple of months. Enjoy!
We only walked about half a block and enjoyed the South Salt Lake 4th of July parade.

Aubrey, Hailey and their cousin Braxon.

Our first washer and dryer!!! Aren't they beautiful?!

Aubrey the graduate.

Paul's Birthday

2010-07-12T14:56:00.002-05:00

Paul's birthday this year was a little crazy and his angel food cake looked like it came straight out of a Dr.Suess book! I actually had to buy a cake at the store because mine turned out so horridly. We had a lot of family and a great celebration, though a bit chaotic at times.

Aubrey is three!!!

2010-07-11T21:08:00.005-05:00

I have to admit that this was the funnest birthday we've had in quite a while. Aubrey was old enough to understand that it was her birthday, it was a party, and there would be cake and presents. She was so excited all day and we had a blast! We went to Liberty Park to play in the fountains and then had a party that night. Aubrey chose her puppy cake and we had so much fun. My sweet baby girl is growing up too fast!

Aunt Carrie sent some fun headbands and a little stuffed frog.

Aubrey got a cute purse and new shoes from Papa.

We're Here!

2010-05-25T14:41:00.002-05:00

We made it! After traveling across the country, stopping in the middle for Paul's law school graduation (for which I am extremely proud of him!) we have made it to Utah! We are renting an apartment in South Salt Lake and it only took us two days of hurried unpacking before Paul hit the books again, this time studying for the bar. We are happy to be here and excited to see friends and family again.

2010-05-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

We got together with some dear friends before we left Iowa. We will miss our Iowa family greatly and all those who influenced our lives for good. We loved the Midwest and it will remain a bright spot in our memory.

Paul and the girls

Paul's Dad came for graduation and it was so much fun having him there. We appreciate the sacrifice he made to be with us on such an important occasion.

We made it!!! I am so proud of Paul and all the hard work and long hours he put into this degree. It feels great to be finished, but we are grateful for the journey and the opportunity to have been at the University of Iowa.

2010-05-25T14:18:00.003-05:00

Paul's graduation!

The girls were helping me pack by pulling out all the packaging peanuts and ripping them to shreds. How helpful!

Aubrey at the Washington DC Temple.

The kids were so excited about the Museum of Natural History it brought them to the point of exhaustion!

Aubrey and her cousin Ethan attempting to catch birds.

D.C.

2010-05-25T14:11:00.004-05:00

We went to visit DC while staying with my brother in Virginia. At lunch time a bird swooped down and ate a piece of bread from Paul's hand.

WWII Memorial

Washington Monument

Utah and Idaho!!!

Abraham Lincoln

Gettysburg

2010-05-25T13:53:00.002-05:00

Gettysburg Visitors Center

Monument dedicated to North Carolina and sculpted by a man from Idaho!

Honest Abe with the Justensens

Life is Beautiful

2010-04-20T12:19:00.002-05:00

Life is so beautiful and good. I am so grateful for all my blessings. I have such a wonderful husband who takes care of me and our girls. One of his greatest desires is to make us happy, and he is succeeding! I have two beautiful little girls who bring me such joy everyday! We have had a busy month and, through it all, we have been blessed countless times and are grateful for the hand of the Lord in our lives. Hailey has had a head-to-toe rash for about 4 weeks. We took her to the Children's Hospital and I was very much relieved at the medical attention and advice we received. Two days later I had an emergency appendectomy. Surgery went very well and I am so blessed that my appendix did not rupture. Paul has been wonderful to take care of me and the girls during my recovery and ward members have been so sweet to bring meals and watch the girls. Yesterday we found out that we have to replace the transmission in our car. I am so grateful we can get this problem resolved before we drive across the country in a couple of weeks! At the end of this month we are moving to Utah and we are excited to be closer to family. We have been so blessed with good friends and good family who surround us, support us, and pray for us. Thank you all for the influence you have had in our lives. Life is beautiful!

New Easter Dresses

2010-04-07T12:37:00.001-05:00

Papa J(Paul's Dad) bought the girls new Easter dresses. They are adorable and the girls look great in them!

Happy Easter

2010-04-07T12:31:00.003-05:00

Paul bought me a new Easter outfit! He did a great job, I love it!

Paul hid easter eggs around the apartment and the girls had a great time finding them all.

Easter morning. We hid the girls Easter baskets and they were so excited to find them.

Paul and his Easter basket.

We dyed Easter eggs on Friday and Aubrey thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Misc.

2010-04-07T12:25:00.002-05:00

The girls love reinacting "Noah's Ark" with Dad on Sunday mornings. Here they are in the ark with all the animals.

Aubrey thought it was so funny to wear Dad's socks.

Here is my little bookworm. She loves to look at books and turn the pages. Don't try to read to her, it will only slow her down!

Aubrey is such a good mom to her baby dolls! She puts them down for naps, feeds them, takes them on walks, everything!

St Patrick's Day

2010-04-07T12:19:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patty's day! We dressed as green as we possibly could and had delicious green oatmeal for breakfast!

We had a fun St Patty's day activity. We traced shapes with glue and then used green sprinkles to cover the shapes. I wanted to save her hands paper for scrapbooking. Unfortunately the ants got to it!

For dinner we had green eggs and toast! (I made homemade bread and tried to dye it green, but it turned out a mucky brown color instead.)

Valley Forge

2010-03-14T20:24:00.002-05:00

We went to visit Valley Forge and had a lot of fun. It is a huge park with lots of different things to look at, children's activities, and a walking path through the park.

Hailey Washington.

Valley Forge

2010-03-14T20:00:00.005-05:00

Aubrey Washington at Valley Forge.

Here are little cabins to illustrate where the soldiers lived when camped at Valley Forge.

Memorial Arch at Valley Forge.

The house behind us is where George Washington was headquartered and lived beginning in January 1778 and where he commanded the army while at Valley Forge.

This is the Redding Train Station, better known as the Redding Railroad in Monopoly.

2010-03-03T19:24:00.002-06:00

We went to visit my brother and Aubrey must have thought their house was too light to take a nap. She decided to put a blanket over her head while she slept.

Cereal sale! 26 boxes for $26. Pretty good sale, eh?!

Aunt Carrie gave Hailey a cute outfit and fun toy for her birthday.

Auntie Katie gave Hailey cute new outfits for her birthday!

Blocks blocks blocks!

2010-03-03T19:09:00.003-06:00

Hailey's first birthday celebration. Presents! Both us and Paul's Dad gave her blocks as gifts. Now the girls have enough blocks to build a city if they like!

I made us an ice cream cake and covered it in whip cream.

Hailey's yummy cake!!! She really dug in and enjoyed herself, after a little initial encouragement by me.

2010-03-03T15:38:00.002-06:00

Hailey's fish birthday cake.

Paul's dad came to visit. It was so much fun to have him here and the girls loved reading stories with him!

Paul and his girls.

Yes, Aubrey really is this cute! She is so positive and helpful. She is also very polite. She rarely forgets to say "please" and "thank you" and always lets me know how cute I look.

We went to the Washington DC Temple and it was amazing. It is enormous inside and out and absolutely beautiful! I am the little shivering dot in front of the temple.

Valentine Cake

2010-02-11T20:12:00.004-06:00

We are going to my brother's house this weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day. I thought I would make a cake for the occasion. I don't think this is the best cake I've ever done, but I definitely learned a lot from it. It was inspired by a baby shower cake on coolest-homemade-birthday-cakes.com. Aubrey enjoyed helping make the cake.

I also let Aubrey help decorate the cake. The little white ball on the bottom edging is Aubrey's contribution!

My Sweet Girls

2010-02-11T20:09:00.003-06:00

Here are my girls and I, nestled down for a nice story!

Hailey's Aunt Carrie bought her a new Sunday dress. Doesn't she look adorable?! What a cutie!

The Snow Storm!

2010-02-11T20:04:00.003-06:00

We had a two-part storm hit the East coast. Part one of the storm Paul and Aubrey went out to play but decided the snow might be a little too deep! While outside Aubrey met the neighbor's dog, Honey. Aubrey loves dogs and talked about Honey long after their meeting!

Part Two: Dad and Aubrey decided to venture out again and here is their fabulous snowman!!!

Philadelphia

2010-01-18T19:19:00.002-06:00

On Saturday Paul and I went to Philadelphia and toured Independence Hall and saw the Liberty Bell. We were both so grateful for the sacrifice of our nations first leaders and the risks they took for our freedom. We are so grateful to live in this country and have this opportunity to visit these historic sights. Our tour guides were wonderful and incredibly knowledgable. (The picture of the room is the signing room where the declaration of independence was signed and where the constitution was drafted.)

We're Here

2010-01-18T19:13:00.002-06:00

We are here in Delaware and made it safe and sound. We actually made the trip from Iowa to New Jersey in one day. Thanks to my father-in-law and his wonderful Christmas gift (dual screen portable DVD player) the girls were well behaved and did great on the trip. For the next week and with the help of our wonderful family we moved into our apartment and cleaned, unpacked, and got everything in order before Paul started working for the judge. The girls had a rough adjustment period but they are doing really well now. Paul is really enjoying working for Vice Chancellor Parsons and we have had fun meeting new people and observing all the differences between the West, Midwest and the East. It is amazing how different each place is that we move to and yet how good and kind the people are no matter where we go. I am so grateful for good people who go out of their way to make us feel at home, no matter where we live!

Moving

2009-12-26T14:19:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, next week we are moving to Delaware. Paul is doing an externship with a judge in Delaware for his last semester of law school. We are thrilled for this opportunity to move back East, be closer to family, and see the many historic sights. However, we are sad to leave Iowa. We appreciate all the love, support and friendship we have felt while being here. We will miss our midwest home but are excited to move on to a new adventure!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T14:14:00.003-06:00

Here are the girls in their Christmas outfits from Papa J.

Matching christmas PJs! I make Christmas pjs every year and we open them on Christmas Eve. This year I made matching pjs. The girls and I have pink leopard print while Paul has brown leopard print. Paul is such a good sport!

Here is our Nativity cast! Great story, great actors!

2009-12-26T14:04:00.002-06:00

Here is Mary laying baby Jesus in a manger.

We had friends over for Christmas Eve and reinacted the Nativity story. Aubrey was Mary, Hailey was a sheep, Paul was Joseph and a shepherd, and one of our friends was the donkey.

Hailey the sheep.

Here is a picture of the Nauvoo temple. This is our last visit to Nauvoo for a very long time and it was fun to be there while it was snowing. The Nauvoo temple is beautiful and we will miss it.

Paul took Aubrey sledding and she LOVED it! I think she gets sad when she has to come inside, but it is so cold that she can't stay outside for very long.

Happy December!

2009-12-26T13:49:00.004-06:00

This was our Thanksgiving craft. We made a measuring stick so we can measure the girls' height as they grow. We bought the giraffes already painted from Hobby Lobby so it was a pretty easy activity.

Here are our beautiful Christmas stockings that my mom and sister helped me make this summer. It was so fun to see them hanging on the wall this season and get to use them for the first time! I love Christmas and fun Christmas stockings!

This is Aubrey in her Christmas dress one Sunday morning.

Hailey wasn't quite sure what to think about Santa, but she was pretty certain that his beard wasn't real.

We had a visit from Santa at our ward Christmas party and Aubrey was terrified. Even sitting on Paul's lap she was upset.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T19:43:00.001-06:00

I know that this post is a little late, but here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving. We invited our friends Jared, Jennifer, and Tanner Jackson as well as Cameron, Bree, and Payton Andrew over for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a great time and managed to go a whole night without spilling anything.

We also built gingerbread houses with the Hachtmans. This year's gingerbread house was different than in past years. It was HUGE!! We used almost a complete box of Chex cereal to cover the roof. It was a lot of fun and we are glad the Hachtmans were willing to offer their house for the festivities.

Ward Halloween Party

2009-10-26T10:21:00.002-05:00

We had the ward Halloween party this weekend and had a great time. Aubrey was one of the cutest lions I've ever seen. She didn't particularly love her costume, though she insisted on being a lion, until we put make-up on her face. Then she loved it! She kept looking at herself in the mirror and did not want to take it off even though she was hot and sweaty. Hailey was our cute butterfly, I was a witch and Paul was a gorilla. Paul and I also participated in the donut eating contest! We had a fun time!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T10:18:00.003-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch and picked out the perfect little pumpkin for Aubrey. It was a chilly day but a very busy pumpkin patch. I've come to enjoy the crowds and the hustle and bustle of holidays!

Latest Obsessions

2009-10-15T12:57:00.004-05:00

I have a few recent enjoyments/obsessions. I have been reading Jane Eyre. I can't put it down! Right now I am at the part where Mr. Rochester has just proposed and I can't wait to finish it. What a great book! I feel such emotion, sympathy, and attachment to Jane. I hope the book ends happily...for her sake!

My next obsession is the movie North & South that I recently borrowed from a friend. After watching it too many times to confess, I have ordered the book and can't wait to dive into it! This is truly a masterpiece and is just as good if not better than Pride and Prejudice! So good!!!

Birthday

2009-10-15T12:50:00.002-05:00

Paul did such a wonderful job making me feel so special on my birthday. He decorated the house, made and decorated the birthday cake, went birthday shopping with Aubrey, and made me feel like a million bucks! We started the day with special birthday cereal, then one of my dearest friends took me out to lunch for the occasion. After dinner we had a little party with our friends and neighbors who came bearing gifts and balloons! All in all, I think it is one of the best birthdays I've ever had!

Recent Events

2009-09-21T14:15:00.003-05:00

This is the first fondant cake Paul and I made together this weekend. It was pretty fun and turned out OK.

Here Aubrey is drying out her hair after bath time.

Aubrey made a tent out of the crib and a blanket. Hailey and Aubrey loved their tent and had so much fun playing in it!

Recent Events

2009-09-21T14:00:00.002-05:00

Hailey and I were sick so we stayed home while Paul and Aubrey went boating with some friends in the ward. Aubrey loved boating and swimming!

We rode the little train at the zoo.

Aubrey loved seeing the giraffes at the zoo.

We went to the zoo and Aubrey really enjoyed seeing all the animals. She didn't want to pet any of the animals, but liked to look at them from afar.

When Hailey gets tired and I'm not around to put her down for a nap, she takes things into her own hands and sleeps on her own.

Field of Dreams

2009-09-08T21:24:00.001-05:00

On Labor Day we went to northern Iowa to visit the Field of Dreams movie site. It was pretty cool and I'm glad we went.

2009-09-08T21:15:00.002-05:00

I made decorations for the girls' room with my sister's help this summer. This is Aubrey's wall.

Hailey's wall

We went to the park and Aubrey loved feeding the ducks.

Aubrey loves to play dress up!

ABC's

2009-08-21T14:30:00.002-05:00

123's

2009-08-21T14:12:00.004-05:00

Aubrey's 123's