A Girl and her Bear!!!!

So, I have been thinking about making a post about this for a few weeks now. I felt like maybe everyone would think it was really dumb, but then I realized that this is a Journal that I plan on giving Juliana some day so I need to journal about the things that are important to her. One of the most important things to Juliana is her "Ayva Bear". Her little friend Ayva gave her this bear for Valentines day (thus the name) and ever since it has had to go everywhere with her. She just loves this bear. It is who she talks to, sleeps with, plays with and tries to bathe with. So, I thought I would post about her love....
Juliana giving Ayva Bear kisses at the park!!!! She really loves this bear.
Juliana taking pictures of her Ayva Bear. I let her try and take a few pictures. I love to see what she sees!!!!
Running and exploring at the park together....
I asked her what she was doing and she told me she was picking flowers for Ayva Bear. Do you see Ayva Bear behind her? She is even potty training Avya Bear and I am frequently making Juliana's "big girl" panties fit on Ayva Bear. I am almost afraid to wash Ayva Bear for fear that something will happen to her and then I don't know what I would do.

Happy Birthday Juliana!!!!!

On Saturday Juliana turned 3 years old!!! We had a birthday party for her over at my Aunt and Uncles on Sunday with her cousins. It was so much fun. Juliana got to pick what we had for dinner so Aunt Kathy made her Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She got a darling cake thanks to my Aunt Kathy also. It is a giant cupcake. It was so cute!!!! We had such a wonderful weekend and this was the perfect end to a perfect Birthday celebration.
Juliana and her cousin and one of her best buddies Owen in front of the cake. I think they were hoping that we would turn our heads so they could get a taste.
Juliana and her cousin Alayna!!! Juliana loves her so much.
I think the cake turned out so great. Aunt Kathy made the cake and Juliana picked out the frosting color and the sprinkles if you can really call them that. LOL. I was really worried about decorating it for fear that I would totally ruin it but, I think it turned out great. I want this cake for every birthday!!!!

The proud birthday girl!!!
Juliana and Owen. Aren't they so cute together. She is really going to miss him when we move.
Happy Birthday my love!!!!
She wanted to get a little to close to the flame and needed just a little help blowing it out.
She really enjoyed herself!!!! Thank you Aunt Kathy for everything. Juliana had such a great time and so did we.

Birthday Girl...a ball game and the zoo

So, this past weekend (Saturday) was Juliana's 3rd birthday!!!! I really was such a fun weekend. On Friday night we headed to San Francisco to a Giants Baseball game. Juliana really had a fun time. So did Mike and I . This makes me very happy because we have a few more games coming our way this summer including one to Yankee Stadium. Juliana was so fun and everyone sitting by us loved her and was giving her "High Fives" throughout the game because she was getting so excited when people would stomp their feet and cheer. I really didn't get any good pictures of the game. This is honestly the best picture I got. Pretty sad!!!!

So, we got home Friday night really late and Juliana didn't get into be until after 11 pm. But, when she woke up, I had a Birthday breakfast of Trix and doughnuts (the breakfast of champions). Then she got to open a few presents and off to the San Francisco Zoo we went. We spent most of the day there and we all had a great time. Juliana says the her favorite things were the Giraffes, the Penguins swimming really fast and Train. Here are a few pictures of her and Daddy at the Zoo. It is the first time Mike has gone to the Zoo with her.
I don't know why she looks so unhappy!!!!
Wow, a lion...she loves sitting on these things.
She got to dig in dirt for things. One of her favorite things to do.
I think this turtle looks real. It kind of freaked me out. LOL

There was a lot of other stuff at the zoo but at some I get tired of being behind the camera and just want to enjoy myself.

I really can't believe that my baby is 3. She is so amazing and I just love her so much. I can't imagine my life without her every day. She really makes my life so much fun and there is always something to look forward to with her. I am really such a lucky Mom.

Juliana I love you!!!!

Just a quick up date...

Well, I have been meaning to post for a few days now (I actually started this post last Friday) but it just hasn't happened yet. My school work is starting to get to me. I have a final paper due in less than 3 weeks and I haven't really don't anything for it yet. I really need to get my but in gear. I only have a month left in this class and I am so tired of it I just want to be done already. But, enough complaining.

Here are some fun pictures I took of Juliana. I let her paint with poster paints...normally she paints with water colors and now I know why. LOL

Yes, she was eating it and it was poster paint. Not edible by any means and it doesn't smell good so I don't know why she would eat it. I promise that I do feed her.
I really think this picture is funny because she was actually getting really mad at me for laughing about her face. That's why her fists are all balled up. LOL. She has a little bit of a temper. I have no idea where she could have gotten that from.
My cousin Karley gave her this little hat. It has a matching bag. Well she has fallen in love with it the last week. And this is her pretending to be a "Super Reader" as she calls it. She really is so much fun.

Well, this week we have had a renewed interest in potty training. So, we have been working on it the last two days. She is doing really great. Yesterday she had 3 accidents and 6 successes and today she had 2 accidents and 9 successes and she woke up from her nap with a dry pull up. I was so proud of her. I am really working on being really positive and up beat with her. So all of you other Mom's out there I could use your words of wisdom and encouragement on this. I am not the most patient person on earth.

An anniversary, a new hair cut, and a fun saturday at the park!

So, Thursday was Mike and my 4th anniversary!!! Wow!!! LOL.

We really had a good day. Mike had a conference in the city and he got out early. So, Juliana and I headed to the East Bay to pick Mike up at the Bart station. We ended up walking around for a while window shopping just enjoying the beautiful weather and eachother. It was so nice.

While we were out we walked past a little salon and I told Mike that I really wanted to get my hair cut. He said that I could if I wanted to. So, I turned around and walked in to see if they had any appointments open. They did!!! I sent Mike and Juliana off so they wouldn't get to board waiting for me and got right in. I told the girl that I wanted to cut my hair off. She just looked at me and I said "I really do want to cut my hair off!". I told her what I was wanting and asked her oppinion and right before she started she asked me if I was sure. And I assured her that I was indeed sure. Then when she took the clippers out so cut the back of my hair she stopped again to make sure I was really ok with her cutting my hair so short. I again told her that I was sure and that I did know what I was getting myself into that I have cut my hair VERY short many times. It really didn't take that long and I got my hair cut shorter than Mike had ever seen it, but I am in love with it and I am not wondering why I tooks so long to get my hair cut. I love my hair short and I really do think I look better with short hair.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of how it turned out.


Yesterday as a family we went to the park and had a picnic. Juliana had such a good time. And I was so glad that Mike was able to be there for once. I always feel so bad that he never really gets the opportunity to go do the fun activities with Juliana because I normally take her while he is a work.

Of course she was dying to play on the park equipment, but it was so hot outside that we only did that for a little bit.
The rest of the trip we had fun in the grass. She really as a hard time blowing bubbles. She puts the want up to her mouth and in turn the bubbles get on her mouth before she is able to blow.
Juliana has so much fun with her Daddy!!!
I really thought this picture was so cute!!! They are so cute together.

We really had fun with the bubbles!!! The park was so beautiful I didn't want to leave.
Oh sweet Juliana. I can't believe how big she is. She will be 3 in less than 2 weeks!!!
Who doesn't love chasing bubbles....
Mike and Juliana had fun racing... Juliana loves to say "On your mark get set GO!!!" But, normally she starts to run before she gets the "GO" out.
We really did have a great day and a great week!!! Lets hope it continues on through this week because I have procrastinated my homework and now I have a ton to do by my Tueseday night class!!!! Why do I always do that?

Our Journey!!!!

I have felt like our family has been in transition and on this large journey since Mike and I got married in 2004. When we first got married Mike and I were both working in the insurance industry and I knew that it wasn't where Mike was suppose to be. So, right away we started trying to figure out where it was that we wanted to be and what he really wanted to be doing. One day while randomly searching the Internet for jobs, I came across a job posting in Southern California that I thought just sounded like Mike. Everything about the job just seemed to be Mike. So, I showed this posting to Mike to see what he thought. And he really seemed to be interested. Now, this was in June of 2004. We started looking into what he would have to do to get this job and he realized that he would have to take a few classes and then apply for a certificate in California and then he could start into a training program that would put him into the position. So, as soon as he could he started taking classes to get the credits that he needed. Once he started taking the classes it seemed to become clear that we needed Mike to really go back to school eventually and get a graduate degree. In the mean time we got pregnant and had Juliana. Juliana seemed to make this goal more of a driving force, now it wasn't just a dream it was actually what we were going to do. It seemed to take forever but, in February 2006 Mike and I got great news that we had been offered a training position in the Bay Area California to train to be a Public Health Microbiologist. So, we picked up and we moved. It was so nice to move to the Bay Area because we actually had family here. My Dads twin brother and his family live here and it has been such a wonderful experience to grow so close to them. Mike and I were separated for the first couple of months. Mike moved to the Bay Area and I went home to Utah with my parents and Juliana. Once Mike was able to secure housing and after few months of the training under his belt we were able to finally move to the Bay Area also. It seemed that no sooner than moving here our focus was then changed to the next goal...graduate school. Mike's training ended in August 2006 and he started actually working for the lab and started getting ready for the GRE and the Biology Exam. We had plans for starting back to school Fall 2007 but, after some disappointment we weren't able to get all of our letters of recommendation in time. It was very disappointing but we had to just move forward. So this brings us to the present day. We have been accepted to Graduate School.


I really wish that you could read the T-shirt better!!! But......

Mike was excepted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in their Cellualr and Molecular Biology Graduate Program. Yes, we will be moving to Birmingham Alabama!!!!! Wow!!! What a change it will be for us. It is very exciting and very scary all at the same time. We will be moving the first part of August and the program will be starting around the 19th of August. It has taken us 4 years to get here, but I am so proud of all the hard work that Mike has put in to get us here. He really is a great Man!!!!

So, Alabama here we come!!!!!