Semester Roundup!

School is almost over for us for this semester.  We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!  I have a nice week long break and than start right back up.  In just two more semester I'll be all done and have a Bachelors in University Studies.  It's not really the degree that I wanted or planned, but there are certain sacrifices that you sometimes have to make for the whole family.  Ben's job was to good to pass up in Idaho Falls and I just couldn't bear leaving Brynlee so much during the day to commute and go to classes in Rexburg on a daily basis.  However, I am so glad I am actually finishing and completing a Bachelor's Degree! I'm really grateful for all of the experiences, knowledge, and opportunities that BYU-Idaho has given me.

This semester has been a doozy!  School was busy, life was busy, Ben was busy, basically the one word that sums up this semester is busy.  The one thing that always made me slow down was Brynlee (most of the time).  I try really hard not to work on homework when she's awake, sometimes I do though and she's totally fine with it and she entertains herself with lots of books, toys, and simply exploring.  Brynlee is growing up so fast and has developed quite the little personality.  She can be either a little sweetie or a total spitfire.  God help us when she's a teenager! But seriously most of the time she's great.  She's LOVES hanging out with me in the kitchen and helping me "clean".  Mainly she's obsessed with the dishwasher and thinks it's just amazing.  She's walking up a storm now.  She's actually much better at running then walking.  When she runs she goes pretty far and fast before she falls, but when she walks slow it definitely takes her a lot longer to get anywhere.  She also has developed a love of screaming.  She screams with joy when she is happy and excited.  It's so funny to watch, but I feel bad for our neighbors.

Other than Brynlee and school I've really committed to fulfilling my desire to gain a skill in photography and educate myself.  I've gotten a lot of experience over the last couple of weeks.  I've had 2 couples shoots, 2 families, and 2 maternity session.  And next week I'm doing a senior session with my beautiful sister in law!  It's been busy, but I have to say I have loved doing each one of these and have been able to learn a lot.  One thing expect the unexpected because it will happen, children and snow last...30-45minutes tops so you better hurry and be hilarious.  I can't wait to do more!! I'm happy to have a hobby once again, or at least something that makes my brain work a little hard :)

When it Rains it Pours...Literally

I had to make a trip up to Rexburg to check out the gardens and get a feel of the flow for a maternity session that I have coming up.  Since this is my first session I wanted to be as prepared as possible and have a game plan so she wouldn't have to go from sitting to standing and walking around everywhere then back to sitting then standing then sitting again...you get the picture right.

Well my plans did not got accordingly.

The weather was nasty, but when I left Idaho Falls it said that it was overcast in Rexburg....not raining.

Literally when I got into Rexburg it started to rain...of course.  Me being the stubborn person I am was not just going to head back to Idaho Falls.  I used almost a quarter of a tank of gas just going up there!  I also didn't realize that they changed the parking (again) since I had last been there.  I was worried I would get a ticket so I parked as far away as possible.  I park literally in the farthest corner in the parking lot that is past the right near the temple.

Well when I left my car it wasn't raining that much, just a little drizzle.  Brynlee was bundled up really good to and had a blanket in her stroller so I thought she would be just fine for a few minutes.

Well I got down to the gardens and then it really just started pouring.  So, I ran to the I Center...that is when I basically got stranded.  It was raining really hard and Brynlee was wet just from the walk down from the car.  I didn't have a bottle of formula with me because I didn't think we were going to be there for that long.  I spent the next 30 minutes walking around the I Center trying to wait out the rain.

I then came to terms that the rain for not stopping any time soon, so I ventured out into it.  It was horrible.
I used Brynlee's blanket to try to cover the stroller and block the rain.  But Brynlee kept on pulling it off.  So she was getting drenched.  Then she started crying.  People are now starring and probably thinking who is that stupid girl taking her baby out for a walk in the rain.

I wasn't using the jogging stroller and was in boots, but I attempted to run up the hill.  That is a big stinking hill to! Brynlee was really crying loud now.  She had kicked off her shoes...and her socks.  So now she is completely bare footed in the rain.  Worst mom award right here.  I thought I saw her pink boots about 20 feet away so we ran back down to get them and found her socks as well.

Now I started to cry.  Seriously, right in the middle of campus.  Me and Brynlee just sobbing in the rain trying to get these wet shoes and socks on her feet.  There was really no winning in this situation.

Then all of a sudden I lost my mind.  There was a little go-kart driving by and I totally flagged them down.  I didn't realize that they used them for a tour, I thought that it was just campus employees.  Well I begged them for a ride to my car.  They couldn't believe it, but how could they say no to a crying wet baby!

It was embarrassing.   But, I'm so happy that they gave us a ride.  It was the longest 3 minute ride of my life. I can tell you I was never happier to be home after that.  Brynlee was not a fan of the rain one bit.  She absolutely loves water to, and is not scared at all of it.  But cold rain...not her thing.