Labor Day Ride
On Labor Day we took the kids for a ride up the mountain behind our house. It was Luke's first time to ride the four wheeler and of course he loved it! I forgot my camera...but next time I'll take pictures of the view, it's gorgeous....oh, and the wheather here has also been beautiful, I could stay outside all day! (notice we're wearing jackets! we went in the evening)

This weekend was stake confrence for all of Utah and Wasatch counties. It was a broadcast to all 135 Stakes at once! The speakers were Elder Jensen (70), President Uchdorf, Elder Boyd K. Packer, and President Monson's Daughter (sorry, forgot her name) It was pretty neat.

Our adult session Sat night was very good as well. The stake presidency spoke on the atonement and the president's talk was especially powerful. I worried all week how we would attend...having no babysitters, then we took Jeff's advice and took the kids with. When we went to go in the nursery another ward had girls watching kids and they volunteered to watch ours. What a blessing! Jorden was so sweet...he watched Luke most the time and let me take notes. I love how I feel after Stake Confrence...uplifted and blessed.
Jeff and Jenn and their girls came to the meeting with Neil and Michelle and us. Afterwards we ate in our house and Neil made yummy fresh peach shakes for us, which we ate on the front lawn. The girls had a blast playing dress up together. It's nice to still have family close by and see my brother's families more often.

Together at Temple Square Yesterday after church we decided to go to Salt Lake City together and show our kids Temple Square. About 10 min into the drive it started to rain and the wind started to blow...but we're from Arizona right? We love the rain! We looked at the temple, the visitors center, and got a personal tour of the Confrence Center...we were practically the only visitors. The girls had fun looking at the waterfall from inside and we even let them run around for a bit. While looking at the organ and stage THE LIGHTS WENT OUT...and the generators turned on not a second later! It was awesome...did you know there are huge sky lights over the stage/seating area?



We had planned to sit on the grass and eat PBJ's...but instead the picnic blanket was used for warmth and we ate in the car. It was about 7 pm and 60 degrees! I couldn't believe it! Eventhough it was rainy and cold we had so much fun together...just being together and enjoying eachother.

i know, it took forever for me to blog...but my camera won't turn on, either all my batteries are dead or it's broken.

Anyway, we are now living in Saratoga Springs, Utah (have been here a little over 2 weeks) and Jorden starts school at BYU a week from today (tuesday).

Since we got here Luke got his first tooth and his second! Celiese and Maren are pretty emotional and adjusting better every day. We can tell they miss all the Arizona relatives a lot. Celiese asks to go potty about 2 times a day and does! Yeah! She's practically training herself.

Our ward is awesome. We have lots of young families and there is about 50 kids in the nursery! There are several children Maren's age and I hope to be starting or joining a play group soon. We went to the lake with some people from our ward on Saturday and got to meet and talk, it was fun, but I still miss my sister, sister-in-laws, and friends in AZ.

It's been so fun having Jorden around! Jorden, the kids, and I all went to BYU together to find his classes and to the book store, it was a fun day. I couldn't believe how I remembered how to get around campus...I went to BYU for a summer 5 years ago! I love being on campus, there is a wonderful, peaceful feeling there.

For those of you wondering...we have not yet sold our home. We thank you for your prayers and will keep you all updated. Today we are going to Savers to find a dresser...because we don't have one and we have no place to put our clothes that are still in boxes! Isn't moving so much fun?

                                                  Bottle Explosion!!

                                                My sister Mary Anne had put a bottle in the microwave and I set the "timer" for cookies on the microwave for 10 minutes...well you can probably guess I pushed "time cook" instead and my brother Bryan brought the finished product to me!  Oops..but kinda cool!

It's Independence Day!!

        Isaac and Celiese enjoying a root beer pop! 

Maren wearing a dress I made her 2 years ago...the pattern was so big I left off the last tier of material and this year Grandma Bryce sewed it on! Celiese wore it last year too. click

Julia, Annie, and Brett. Brett severed the ligament in his wrist and had surgery on it..ouch!

Sam, Christina, and Hannah...they move into their new house this week!

Luke with Grandma Cindy Bryce watching fireworks for his first time at Nana Marble's home

Lorin and Katy...their first baby due in October, it's a girl!

Let me tell you about my Celiese...

We have been packing up our house the last few weeks and well...also haven't been watching my child as well as I should, anyway, she got in the pantry and three different times bit into my brown sugar bags! If you look closely you can see the holes...I guess she has a sweet tooth like her parents!

If you look at her arm you can see a faded marker line, yup, she wrote with a permanent marker all over her legs and arms right before we left to go to the store and an elderly woman told me, "You think these days will never end but you will miss them one day." I don't know...will I? JK...of course I will!!

Daddy had his Oreos in his office and I found Celiese comfortably sitting in his office chair licking off all the cream, just enjoying herself.  Wouldn't you?

Jorden poured cement for a home next to ours and Jorden let them come "work" with him. He said she literally layed down in the mud and turned over! Pretty funny!

We love Celiese so much and I feel like that mother in the book, "Love You for Always." At night when she's asleep I just hold her because I love her so much and also because when she's awake...she's always going, going, going! The first thing she says when I get her out of bed is "Go!"

Check out this video of Luke...He will be 3 months old tomorrow I took the video on May 28, 2008. He smiles and coos more now and is such a joy in our family.

Coronado Island Trip
A couple of weeks ago we went on vacation to california to ride the waves and relax! We had so much fun and want to say Thanks to mom and dad for this awesome oppurtunity! Enjoy the photos!!

Celiese was very cold and Bryan held her.
Maren and Lilly Coloring
Jorden and Vance after boogie boarding

I wanted to see a star fish...and look we found a huge one!

this is for my Bryce & Marble Families:

Dear family...I made a goal this year to make and send everyone of you a birthday card, well, I've decided to simplify my life. I have been stressing too much over this goal and the truth is...I hardly even have time to feed myself most days and I've decided to try this goal another year. So, if your birthday is NOT Jan-Apr, I'm sorry you didn't/won't get a card and I do want you to know I think of you on your birthdays and not to be sad because another person in your family got a card and you didn't. I love you all and hope things are going well for you! Love, Bethany

The Lord answered my prayers today as I listened to General Confrence. I always enjoy confrence and how it puts oil in my lamp. Boy, was my lamp on empty! I have been struggling with trying to be a mother for 3 children under 3, one being a newborn. I often feel inadequate, tired, worried, frustrated, and depressed. I prayed this week and asked Heavenly Father to help me in this time of my life. This morning my girls were just...well being toddlers...and I just wanted to listen to confrence and feel peace again. After the session a program came on called "You Can Do This." It talked about successful parenting and gave a great website to help parents. This afternoon I heard Elder Ballard's talk about young mothers and I know the Lord inspired him to give this talk for all of us young mothers learning to be parents. It was also comforting to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way! I know the Lord loves us and I am grateful to be a mother. I do have wonderful moments when I feel so blessed and happy that I have 3 beautiful children...and having those moments is worth it!

My brother Neil and his wife Michelle visited last week and we met their twins, Jackson and Haley. They were born in January, a month early, and Luke is pretty much the same size! We think Luke (in the blue) and Jackson look alike...what do you think? We will be renting a basement apartment from them when we move to Utah...there will be 5 kids under the age of 3! Craziness! More pictures of baby cousins to come soon....Speaking of baby cousins Jorden's brother Adam and his wife Kayla are expecting in October to add to the list! Yeah!

I was sleeping peacefully...

Last week I was sleeping so well and the house was very quiet. I usually don't get up until one of my children wakes up, being sleep deprived with a newborn and all, and I had no idea Maren was already awake. She pushed a chair up to the kitchen counter and I know would have had to reach to get the markers and do this! When I first saw her I gasped, took a deep breath and then proceeded to gather up all the markers. I was proud of myself for not getting upset...for after all I am the one who left the markers out for my creative toddler...
Isn't she beautiful?

Luke at One Week Old

Isn't he handsome??

Luke Jorden Marble

Born March 2, 2008

9 pounds 1 oz/ 20 inches long

Yes, Luke is here! He came 2.5 weeks early (thank goodness) I tried putting more pictures on but the internet is taking forever...I will try again later, but for now I just wanted to announce his birth. He is very cute and the girls absolutley adore him! And guess what? I had him natural because he came too fast to get an epidural...but my recovery has been so much better without one. We are all so glad he is here, 2 more babies to go on my side and 1 more on Jorden's side, Jorden's sister Katy and her husband Lorin just told us today she's expecting Oct 29th...That's 4 babies on his side and 5 on mine....wow!

   Jorden got accepted to BYU this week!! He is pumped and we have decided to go there this Fall. Yes, Jorden has decided to go back to school to get a bachelors in Biochemistry and go to med school to be a doctor.  So, we're moving to Provo, Utah at the end of the summer. I have two brothers that live in Utah now, so we'll still get to see family.  JT Lines will keep MB Homes going so the business will live on.  We are excited for this new adventure in our lives! This also means we are selling our beautiful home...and someone is coming to look at it this weekend! Yeah!  

Well..I still don't have the internet and since I am a forgetful prego(i always forget to bring my camera to my parents or inlaws on sundays) my blog has been much lacking, I know. So today I borrowed some pictures from my sister-in-law Kayla's blog..thanks Kayla!

These are pictures of Christmas Eve at the Jorden's parent's home in Safford.  The grandkids did a nativity. Maren was Mary and Celiese was the Angel ...the wandering Angel that is! It was so cute, as you can see in the pictures.  Also, a picture of the girls in their new pajamas from Santa's Elves. Maren LOVES her night gown and calls it "princess" and she wants to wear her princess clothes all day every day.  Her and Celiese get really excited when I put them in their matching pj's and dance around.  We had a very fun Christmas with lots of family and hope everyone else did too!

WE'RE HAVING A BOY! We are so excited (and relieved) that we're having a boy...we need him to help bring some balance to our home. The due date is March 20th and he is measuring 1 week big....so maybe he will come more around March 10th? Celiese was 9 pounds 4 ounces 8 days early so I'm scared.

I have FIVE sister-in-laws who are also expecting! Annie and Brett: Girl, Dec 24th, Christina and Sam: Girl, February 26, Neil and Michelle: Twins,Boy and Girl, Feb 6, Bruce and Brandi: Boy, April 14, and Jeff and Jenn: ?, June. Craziness.
My parents will go from 3 grandchildren to 8 in 6 months!!! Next Christmas we will all be together...8 children 3 and under! Wowsers!

MAREN'S FIRST HAIRCUT






I finally gave Maren her first haircut! It was fun, but her hair curls up so much that it looks like I cut more than I did. She looks a lot like Shirley Temple...but cuter of course :)

CELIESE LOVES TO READ



Often when I'm cleaning up the kitchen or doing other chores I can't hear Celiese talking or running around..I find her in Maren's room with a pile of books just reading quietly and I try very hard not to disturb her!