The Forster's

10/13/10

What's it going to be?

We're taking bets: boy or girl? (ultrasound Nov 5)
and date of birth? (Due Mar 27)
Person who is closest gets $5.

Must have bets placed by Nov 5.

10/6/10

10/3/10

Brandon and I have discussed our food intake a lot lately. We have always tried to eat healthy, but we are starting again new. We really want to live a healthier lifestyle. It is crazy what is fed to kids in school and all over. It is hard sometimes. Every time we go somewhere, somebody is giving Isabela candy. During sacrament I play the piano and Brandon is on the stand. Almost every Sunday when I come down to sit with her, she has a sucker in her mouth. She also is baby-sat by various people outside of our home, in which I cannot control her intake of food all the time. I am determined to make sure she has healthy snacks with her at all times. I am noticing that she really likes salty foods. We are even going to buy meat from some friends we know that go hunting frequently. This will reduce the amount of chemicals and hormones that are given to animals and added to our meat.

Thanks to everyone who is helping us with our goal! and the great support of others who are also working on living healthier lifestyles.

Along with eating healthy, I was greatly impressed during conference. During the first session, I felt there were three main things we as a family need to focus on:

Family Prayer
Family Scripture Study
Family Home Evening

I think it is NEVER too early to start reading scriptures to our children. Even if they don't understand everything, they DO feel the Spirit. They will also quickly pick up the basic principles. Izzy has a picture of Jesus by her bed and she points to him frequently. When I ask, "Where is Jesus?" she will walk over and find the picture. She also points him out in all of the paintings at church.

I feel our stake president is very inspired. One thing he has stressed in our stake is the importance of family dinner. Statistics show our children are less likely to be involved in drugs, promiscuity, and much more likely to serve missions and marry in the temple. Our relationships are strengthened. This also serves our goal of healthier eating. If we can slowly improve, I believe our lives as well as our children's lives will be greatly blessed.

Real Salt Lake Game

Last week Brandon and I went to the Real Salt Lake game (and for Renee, that means soccer haha). We were all rooting for RSL, but then we were playing the Colorado Rapids. Brandon was torn. He prayed for a tie. What luck! Within the last minutes of the game, the game was tied.
Brandon came home as happy has a hedgehog.

Steph & Brandon

"Coach" & Jared

Michael & Janae (& Ari Christensen

10/1/10

Corn on the Cob!

Mmmm! Mmm! Mm! Don't touch my corn now. I take it where I want, when I want, and there is nothin' you can do about it.

Isabela loves to cook with me. She loves to shuck the corn, put it in the pan, and then pulls me into the kitchen multiple times to check on it until it's done. She loves watching what is cooking on the stove. If it weren't so dangerous, I would put her on a chair and let her entertain herself.

9/30/10

Matilda

Just call me Matilda.

I'll have this memorized in no time!

9/27/10

What the...?

A couple of weeks ago, I was still laying in bed when Izzy came walking in to see me. Brandon had gotten up early with her and given her a bottle. She was walking really funny and tripping over things. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then, I realized. I was laughing hysterically. I yelled for Brandon. and showed him Izzy's fat leg. He said, "What is that?" I gave him one guess. (He didn't get it.) Izzy's diaper had come all the way off inside of her zipped up jammies, and slid right down to the bottom of her leg. Poor girl. At least it was just a wet one...

9/25/10

Centrifugal Force

Grandma Becky is pulling me in the wagon!! Notice how I am facing her? Did you ever wonder about centrifugal force? when not all of the weight is centered at the fulcrum point? Yep, we got goin, and I tipped right over backwards.... whoops! Didn't stop me.

I just got up and turned around. Notice how I am faced away now? Keep your arms, hands, and legs inside the ride at all times...

Ciao!

9/22/10

Hats

I LOOOOOVE HOCKEY! What a daddy's girl!

Kathy in our branch made this for me. Don't you even think about taking this off my head...

9/15/10

The people have demanded more....pics of IZZY

So let's get up close and personal with Isabela Mae

Hey is that my long lost twin?

Don't be silly! Made you look

So Papi starting PG in 2024? Yeah! Gimme 5

Guys there is a puppy in here!

Hi puppy why are you all locked up?

GRRRRRRR!!!

messing around

Like YOU have never been bored on a long road trip, please.

Swimming in Vegas! Thanks for letting us stay Jorge

Hey this chair matches my outfit, thanks for the gift Aunt Kimmy

Train ride at Manassa Days parade YEAH

Brushing my teeth with my new hat on

Dad's new/old motorcycle

Eye Kiss for everyone!

8/15/10

The IZ!

Just thought everyone should see how "cool" my daughter thinks she is. She put these sunglasses on all by herself. (and, yes, quickly took them off again) but definitely loves sporting new looks.

Well, we are off to Spokane sometime this week. One more of life's adventures. Love you all!

7/30/10

Fourth Stop - Pioneer Days in Colorado

Best Pioneer Days ever! (except I do miss the grease pole they used to climb in Brigham City to get money on top)

So we started with the pageant at the school. It told the importance of lineage and the Book of Mormon. Everyone was an actor out of the Book of Mormon. Brett was Himni and one of the Stripling Warriors.

Then the Sanford parade.... every float was a Book of Mormon Story.

The parade is so short, it goes down the street, then turns around and comes back again!!
Maybe I am 5, but that made me so excited. Becky made the Title of Liberty float with Captain Moroni.

Friday was the Manassa parade (the first time). It went up and down the street twice, too.
But it was great! No real advertising, no tiny girls flaunting themselves, no school stuff, just cute hometown, family floats. Each year there is a FLOAT CONTEST. Which do you think won?

Camping Float

Snowman Float

Ice Princess Float (really bad angle, but one of my favorites)

Grease Lightning Float

The Mermaid/Ursula Float

The Earthlings Beware/Martian Float

And there were many Many, more! I love the creativity and fun everyone had. It was the best parade ever! So you see the parade Friday (twice, up then back down the road), then again on Saturday with big ribbons on the winning floats, Grand Prize, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. (Again, you see it twice... so the same parade four times in two days.) Made me happy like a preschooler again ;)

7/29/10

Home for a bit - interviews

We were home for a few days... Brandon and I both got job interviews.
Brandon had 2, one in Montrose, CO, the other in Manti, UT.
So we made plans to go to Colorado...which ended up in an extended vacation for the 24th.
I had my job interview first, for the hospital here in Logan. I went to the interview last
Tuesday morning. And I nailed it! Everything went great, I felt stoked. I have been so uncontent with the job I am in now that I thought this could be my ticket out. I have hesitated in looking for a new job in case Brandon gets one. I don't want to start a new job then quit soon after if we move or something. But I prayed and felt good about it, so I applied. After a second phone interview, they called yesterday and OFFERED ME THE JOB! I was ecstatic. It is always a boost to self-esteem when you know you have conquered something.

But then everything got weird. I asked what the benefits were. The reply "Sorry, we can't disclose that information." and randomness that lead to confusion. I can't take a job if I don't know who is covered and how much, and what my net pay would be... so I declined their job offer.

Then Brandon had his while we were in Colorado. We haven't heard from Montrose yet, but Manti (long story short) said he was their top candidate and had the best interview but do to scheduling issues they couldn't hire him because he needed at least one more endorsement to feel their vacancies.

So good and bad, but here we are... in Logan at the same jobs as before. (I think it's the Lord telling us that it's not time for us to move on yet) We are very content.

7/28/10

Third Stop - Ogden

Sorry, no pics....
but we were able to see the Krebs family. We went down to Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch with all of the family. Everyone's families are getting so big. It has been nice to see all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins.... and meet new additions to the family. Tawnya's kids are huge! Guess it's been awhile since I have seen them.

Brandon and I didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked, but we did find out Casey was getting married (and now is)! Congratulations! We would have loved to have been there, but, of course, we were off to our next destination...

7/27/10

Second Stop - Logan & Provo

Right after Vegas, Brandon's family came up to Utah for the 4th of July.
Becky and Brett drove home to Colorado first in order NOT to find a very important document.
Turns out, it came a couple of days later...
BRETT got his MISSION CALL!!
to the CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE MISSION... Spanish speaking!!
We are So So excited for him! He leaves the end of August to the MTC.
Brandon keeps telling him he hopes he gets the same room he did when he was there because it overlooked Grandpa and Grandma Forster's house, which was awful, being so close, and yet so far. Hahahaha

Then everyone spent a few days here in Logan during the car show and saw the fireworks here Friday. We all went down to Provo Saturday to watch Stadium of Fire in Grandpa & Grandma Forster's backyard.

The jets flew over and shook the whole house. It was so loud, it felt like a bomb was going off. Our little munchkin slept through the entire thing. But they have a little playhouse upstairs that Izzy loved. She would go in and out, open and close the door and windows. She would play peek-a-boo with anyone outside.

It has been a great summer to see all of the family.

Lots of traveling - first stop Las Vegas

So it has been awhile since I have posted. We have been traveling all over. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Brandon's cousin's wedding (Nick), in Las Vegas. He got married to Paige. It was a blast and a half. I had never been to Vegas before. It was HOT! flaming hot!

We stayed with Brandon's friend from his mission who now lives there, Jorge, and his family. We love them and their daughter is a gem. They were great. Not only that, but we got to swim in their pool. Izzy loved it... and so did I.

I got to practice swimming! I am still not that great, but every once in awhile, I get a few good strokes in with great breathing techniques. The best part though, was they use salt instead of chlorine to clean their pool. So not nearly as damaging chemicals and we could spend a lot more time out there.

Izzy loved chillin in the tube. She kicked her legs and layed back to chillax.

Our air conditioning in our jeep went out about 30 miles before we arrived in Vegas. Windows down and lots of water, we survived the few days there and all the way back home. But it was great because we got to go see Ryan's parents and say hi. His dad looked at our jeep to make sure it would survive the trip back to Logan. But, yeah, it is now fixed! Jason Holman fixed it for us!! Thank Jason!