Happy Valentines Day!

For a FHE in January we each wrote each other 7 love notes.
Then on each day of the first 14 of february we each had a Valentine to open.
It was fun, and Brayden really enjoyed it!
Some were cute, some where coupons for different activity, some were funny.
This is by far the cutest one:

(This one is to Josh, from Brayden. It says:
Free Helper, Me and a cute stick figure.
Good for many times)

Then on each day for the first 14 days, cupid left love notes with different things for Brayden.
This was his favorite:

(One of Brayden's favorite treats - sparkling cider)
He was excited!

thinking out loud....

We have our adoption blog that you can access here:

jandmadoption.blogspot.com

I had an idea...what do you think of this? Please post and tell me what you think.
I was letting my mind zone out the other day and I was thinking about the adoption blog. And how I can feel someone pushing me to work on it more and more.
I also feel someone pushing me to not work - I know it sounds weird and it is bizzare to me, cause I have worked fulltime for 12 years. I have always worked!
Anyway, my idea came to me about the adoption blog...
Josh and I were thinking we should write it and compose it like we have someone in mind...you know? What do you think?

It's my Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to ME! I was too busy yesterday to post on my actual birthday...but here is how my day went:

Josh and Brayden woke up early and suprised me with breakfast in bed!

Handsome husband

Excited Brayden!

Birthday girl!
Good morning sunshine!
Isn't this the best picture of me you have seen! Wow...yes I did just roll out of bed.

The eggs and toast were yummy! I love starting the day out with breakfast in bed!

Thank you to my cute boys who suprised me!

Brayden went to school and Josh and I did our normal birthday celebrating...

Movie and the mall.

We went and saw 'The Fighter' - Awesome show! I thought it was a great show, great actors and it was inspiring of course! I loved it and could have cried at any moment, it is a great show about being victorious with our personal battles. Go see it!

We came home and ran errands and picked up Brayden from school.

Brayden showed us some awesome tricks on his new Wii game Santa brought - Tony Hawk skateboard game and yes...that is my big toe sticking out in the pic...oops.


Then we went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Texas Roadhouse - Yum!
Then we came home for some homemade birthday cake. Yes, I made my own cake, usually I buy them...but this year I wanted a perfect mint chocolate cake.
This was not the perfect cake....I don't know that I will make my own again. But it was delicious for homemade!


Do I feel older?...just a little.
Thanks for all the fun birthday wishes! I am getting use to facebook.
Thanks to my cute boys for making my day so fun! I love you both very much! xoxo

~Mel

Family Pictures

We had a family picture taken down at Wheeler Farm. Our friend Justin did such a great job! I am excited for the proof cd to get them printed out...and don't worry, you will probably have a copy of your own - these might be our Christmas cards this year! You can get a hold of Justin by going through our facebook, or contact him directly at: Phone - 801-810-6760
http://jsmithdigital.wordpress.com/
He is a great guy, super easy to work with, and should be charging more! Can't recommend him enough!

Hoping to Adopt!

We have been approved for adoption through LDS Family Services. We are extremely excited! We have been working towards this since March, we hope to be picked soon...but we have our faith in the Lord cause he knows what is best for us.
We wanted to let everyone know - so please feel free to spread the news!

This can be a very sensitive subject, we are telling everyone to refer birthmom's into LDS Family Services for the counseling, so they can be fully educated and make the best decision for themselves. Through LDS Family Services birth parents get counselling, and support from other birth parents who have placed their children.
Our caseworker has told us that the more people know of our plans to adopt the better our chances are. They say it two steps away from us, meaning someone knows of someone that might be thinking of adoption.
We can't wait to meet our birth parents and develop a relationship with them! Open adoptions seem much more healthy and better for everyone - with the right boundries of course!

This has been an awesome experience for our family so far! We can't begin to imagine what is in store for us!
So how can you help? ... Keep us in your prayers, but more importantly we ask you to pray for our birthparents. Pray for us to come into contact with each other. Pray for their health and safety, and for the great arrival that is coming!
Here is our web page: https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24605330/ourMessage.jsf

Love to you all!
Josh & Mel

Lava Hot Springs

Mel and I decided we needed to have some fun with Brayden. We wanted to go somewhere that he hasn't spent a whole lot of time. Some place that isn't that expensive either. We chose Lava Hot Springs. I have been there only twice before. Once at a church deal and once with Melanie's family. So we invited one of Brayden's best friend to come and we left. Took 2 hours to get there and we unpacked and we were off. One of the first things we did was jumped into the indoor pool there and watch the two buddies jump off the diving board. Then we went to the slides. They have a few there. I tried to get them all to go on the BIG slides but they were all to scared. Then all the diving started. Brayden and Bryson went to the tiny ones to warmed up for the Platforms. The rest of the day all my efforts went to coaxing Brayden. Trying to get him to go off the Platform. Not only did he go off, he went off the 2nd platform. Mel caught the best picture of him. That was the last hour we were there. It was one of the best days.

Mercy River

My mom and I went to Cherry Hill Friday night to enjoy Mercy River.
Mercy River is one of my favorite groups! They are so cute, the picture is of them singing to their cute husbands.
Thanks for going with me Mom!

Happy Anniversary!

I am late posting, but our 5th Wedding Anniversary was yesterday (6/22/10).
We spent the day together, we went to the Bountiful Temple where we did sealings.
I love doing sealings!! Cute old man as the sealer.
We then ate lunch at the temple, which I have never done. It was yummy!
For a gift we got a memory foam mattress pad - heaven!
So, of coarse I had to take a nap! Day off = nap!
The new memory foam just sucked me in - I told Josh to wake me up in an hour...3 hours later I was able to get my bones up.
We got dressed up, dropped of cute Brayden boy to Grandma Julies, where he had fun with his cousin LG, Aunt Leslie and Grandma at the pool.
We headed to The Roof Restaurant.
Here are a few picks....
Our view!


Us at the table, there is a lot of back light - sorry it is hard to see our faces.

Us together, there is a lot of back light - sorry it is hard to see our faces.

Sexy husband!




Josh - I love you!! These past five years have flown by. I am so blessed to have you as my husband. You truly are the sweetest man alive. I can't wait for the rest of our lives, cause with you by my side I can really do anything. You are the best honey!
Much love,
Mel XO

Summer is here!

Brayden loves to jump on the tramp with the sprinkler underneath.
He invited his best friend over to play and here they are soaking up some sun after jumping on the tramp!

Parenting Fun

What to do when your son comes to you and tells you that he has a book report due tomorrow. First you kinda get on his case for playing outside and not doing his homework. Then you see his face, which make you hate yourself for getting on his case. Never the less, Brayden and Mel got on it.If you know Mel she just goes full blown. This book report was done in 45 minutes. Its funny what your kids can do when you tell them they have only 30 minutes of your help and then their on their own. I never seen Brayden work so hard on his homework as he was for those 45 minutes.

Weekend in Denver

Jeff and Josh found tickets to game 1 of the Denver/Jazz game in Denver. So Friday night we decided to fly out on Saturday and go to the game. It worked really well cause Grandpa Guy is out in Denver and we have great friends living out there.

Josh called Mark and Kandice and they were so gracious and invited us to stay there and also offered to pick us up at the airport. THANK YOU MARK & KANDICE!! We just felt bad we couldn't stay longer.

We spent some time at Fat Cats, bowled and ate pizza - then we headed to the game.
It was fun the Jazz hung in there - until the last 6 minutes of the 4th quarter.


In the arena, the fans weren't too bad, the usual comments. We had a good time.
Then we walked out on the streets to find our car.... it was HORRIBLE! We couldn't believe how inhuman the Denver fans were acting. They were saying all kinds of things about Utah, our religion, and lets face it we were 6 of the maybe 18 Jazz fans there among the 18,000 Denver fans.
On top of all of it, we couldn't remember which way we parked so we are walking around like idiots! With all the traffic congestion, people were walking by us saying things, rolling down their windows scream obcinities at us - which is fine, but I have an 8 year old boy with me. Truthfully I know Brayden has heard the F*** word out of my mouth a few times. So it isn't like he hasn't heard it, but what grown man laughs and jumps around us screaming it to an 8 year old boys face! So after what felt like an eternity of being persecuted we find Grandpa and his truck. PHEW!

We headed to our car, which luckily Grandpa remembered where it was.
We drove home to Mark and Kandice's cute apartment and talked and went to bed.
Mark & Kandice - that guest bed was the most comfortable bed Josh and I have ever slept on! I don't know if it was just that it was 2 am and we were exhausted, but that bed was heaven! Thank you sooo much!!

We needed to catch a flight at 10:45 am, so we got up around 7 ish and began getting ready. Mark and Kandice were already up and making breakfast! Kandice thank you so much for the yummy breakfast and for your sweet hospitality! Such a perfect hostess!
Love you guys!

BYU vs OU

Its here the start of the College football season. My favorite time of year is here. With the Football season here so is the Beynon annual trip to a non-conference BYU game. This year is one of the most anticipated games. BYU vs Oklahoma.
We flew to Dallas where the game was being played. In one of the biggest, newest, staduim in the country. The new Dallas Cowboy Stadium. I couldn't wait. The different thing this year was how we had to get to Dallas. We fly Standby so we have to check flights all the time to see how full it the flights are. I checked the flights and they didn't look good directly there. We had to go with plan B. Which was Salt Lake City to Atlanta to Dallas. Kinda scary. Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world with a plane leaving once every 60 seconds. I wanted to make sure we got there ok so I decided to put us on the 12:50 AM flight to ATL. The problem was 2 hours before the flight some stupid people decided to go to ATL and book up the flight. So Mel, Brayden and I didn't get on. We were the next people to get on if people didn't make the flight. The next flight was at 7:00 AM. I didn't want to drive home and come back in 3 hours and have to be back to get check in. I told Mel that we should go sleep in the truck in the Employee lot. We went out there and slept in the truck for the next 3 hours and check in at 6 am to get on the flight. We made this flight. So did my father and mother. Cort and Jaren not so lucky. They had to fly to Phoenix to Atlanta then sleep overnight there and then on to Dallas. Isn't Standby great!!
Any way we got there Friday night and got to the Hotel. We booked the room through Holiday Inn. Now Melanie new favorite place to stay.(Holiday Inn is a very nice hotel, just so you know). Then went to Dinner at the Outback. Then we went back to the Hotel and Slept and Slept and Slept some more.
Saturday Morning we went to the JFK museum.



Dallas is where he got Assassinated. Me being a history buff, loved every minute!! We went to the 6th floor of the building next to the road where JFK got shot and went through an hour long exhibit on his life and death.






Man it was awesome!! If you guys go to Dallas this is the place to go. Well to be really honest. This is the only thing to do in Dallas besides sports venues and Six Flags. In all seriousness the museum was amazing. I learn a lot.



After this we went straight to the Stadium and hung out there until they opened the doors at 4 pm. This place is huge!!








I can't believe it. You can see this thing from miles away its so big. We get up there and Im in awe. Just so you get this. This Stadium cost 1.3 Billion dollars to build. There are beams in the stadium that are 1/4 mile long. Trust me this thing is BIG!! Our seats were awesome. The Scoreboard was awesome, the GAME was awesome. BYU won 14-13.



I'm still smiling over it. Its still the first game so will see how the rest of the season goes but BYU look really good. Im really sorry about how long this blog was but as you can tell this is our favorite trip so far.

First day of 3rd Grade!

August 24th, 2009 - Brayden's first day of school. He was so excited he woke up at 7:15. He never wakes up by himself, not even on Christmas day!! He then went in and woke up Dad by saying "First day of school, first day of school!" (Like on Nemo). He picked out his outfit, and was excited to see his friends again.
They had a back to school night last week, after we met his teacher Mrs. Stevenson I said to Brayden, "Your teacher seems like a really nice Grandma or Mom! I am excited for you!" He replied and said, "Na ha Mom, she seem nicer!" We all had a good laugh.
He is excited about learning to write in cursive, and to master his times tables.




































Brayden, Kayden and Bryson - ready to scooter to school!

New Skill

For the past 2 years we have been trying to teach Brayden how to tie his shoes. One night my sister Cortnie came over to work on her Iphone and she was talking to Brayden about stuff and found out that he couldn't tie his shoes. For the next two minutes she taught Brayden how to tie his shoes. He got it on like to second time she showed him. I couldn't believe it. How one day he can't do it and the next it just clicks. Thanks Cort!!!! You will be the best teacher ever.

Summer Hair Cut

Mel and I were talking the other night and we had a thought that Brayden might like and we asked him if he would like a Mowhawk hair cut for a week and a Half. He was so excited. While I was on my way home from work that night, Melanie went a head and gave him a mowhawk. As I pulled into the drive way there was Brayden to greet me with the sweet look. When its all spiked up it looks pretty tight!! Here are some pictures

Class Field Trip

Brayden and I went on a field trip yesterday to the Zoo. It was a blast!! You know when you the are chaperon on a field trip you are set into groups. In our group it was just Brayden and I and his little friend Kylee. We got to the Zoo and started off from the back gate and first saw the giraffe and went from there. We saw everything in the zoo on this field trip. We asked Brayden what his favorite part was and he said the monkeys. One thing we found out that he learned was how Peacocks attract their mates. With there feathers with the Eyes on them. The funny thing was he he learn that from Kylee not from the Zoo. It was so funny!! Brayden learns so fast and he remembers everything. The Zoo has change alot sense I was there last. If you havent gone there you should it is pretty nice.

Brayden's Soccer Season '08-'09

Make a Smilebox scrapbook