Our Little Peanut

So for those who do not know, I am pregnant! I am a little over 11 weeks along and feeling it. We had our first appointment last Tuesday and we weren't able to hear the heartbeat (which is actually pretty normal but I freaked out.) So we had another appointment today and it took the doc a while but she finally found that fast little beat! Our little Peanut is alive and well and we couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present! Jane is excited to be a sister. We will ask her "Where is mommy's baby?" and she will pat my tummy. We'll see how she likes baby when it takes some of her attention ;) Anyways, we are due July 11th (3 days before Trent's birthday) and look forward to February to find out if we are having a girl or a boy. .

Santa. . .

. . .did not go over well. Jane got to visit the man in red three times this weekend. The first was at the Bassett family Christmas party. She chanted his name all day and then when he came in the room, she tensed up. When I went to put her on his lap, she screamed and tried to get off.

The second time was here at the apartments where Santa came to visit everyone in the Village. I thought she might do better if she went with her BFF Kelli but turns out they were both afraid so instead of one screaming kid, we had two with big tears running down their cheeks. (Trent says she looks like she's laughing in this picture. Believe me, she was not)

The third time was at Trent's work party. I knew better than to set her on his lap and instead went for Mrs. Clause. No dice. She practically crawled up my back just walking towards them and then shook like a leaf when we got there.

I really hope next year goes better. She still gets excited when she sees a picture of Santa or sees him on TV. Guess he's just better from a distance :)

Getting Ready for Christmas

Here in the Bassett house we are getting ready for Christmas. Last week, I was sick so Trent took Jane to go pick out our Christmas tree. She loved it!!! She wanted to touch all the trees and was so proud of the one they brought home. She helped Trent get it all ready for the house and then she helped us decorate it with lights. She even learned how to say "tee!"(short for tree).

We also had the opportunity last weekend to go and see the lights at temple square. It was a tad bit cold but Jane loved all the twinkling lights and esp. loved the water at the conference center and in temple square. There weren't as many trees decorated as I remember there being but it was still a beautiful sight and there is always that special spirit around the temple.

Monday for Family night we got together with some friends to have dinner and make gingerbread houses. It was such a blast! Jane got to meet baby Riley, play with Tyson, and get hopped up on sugar. Brittany made a wonderful dinner and already had the houses constructed to all we had to do was decorate! It was so good to see friends we don't get to see very often.

This weekend we are looking forward to Christmas parties with Santa. . .we will see how Jane likes the man in red. She yells his name ("Tan-ta") every time she sees a picture of him so we are hoping that enthusiasm will carry over to actually sitting on his lap.

Jane Helping Trent wrap, tag, and bow my present. She loves bows and tries to stick 3-4 on each present!

A Wonderful November

So here I am on the last day of the month, almost the last hour of the day making my post about the month of November. I'm a slacker :) We have had quite an eventful month with the election, the first BIG snowfall, Jane turning 18 months old, and Thanksgiving. First off the election. . .boy those results came in fast! I am excited to see what the next four years will bring with Obama in office. I really hope we see the 'change' he has been talking about--and I hope it's for the better.

The first big snowfall of the year here happened the next day and Jane loved to look at it, but was very scared to touch it or step in it. We got her a big fluffy snow suit (she reminds us of that poor kid on Christmas Story who can't put his arms down).

Jane turned a year and a half on the 15th and she finally weighs 20 lbs!!! (too bad all the front facing car seats now say kids have to be 22 lbs. . . maybe by Christmas) She is talking so much more now and can say around 25-30 words (my favorite of which is "cool")

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. We were able to spend it with Trent's entire family (immediate family, that is) and it was so fun having so many people around and kids scattered everywhere. Trent got to go shooting with the Bassett boys in the morning and they all had a great time. I got to scan ads for good Black Friday deals and smell the turkey cooking. mmmmm Jane loved playing with the dogs and her cousins and was so tired by the time we left she didn't even make it to the freeway before crashing. She was not so into turkey dinner but, to her great fortune, the other cousins left their half eaten pie slices on the table when they went to play, and Jane dug in! She was a little pie thief! And Grandpa Bassett egged her on by serving her whipping cream from the can right into her little mouth. That girl was in heaven!

Trent went shopping for us on Black Friday and got some good deals. I'm so glad that he's brave enough to go, because I'm sure not! Later that day we got our apartment all decked out for Christmas. . . now all we need is a tree!
We hope you all had a wonderful November. Here's looking forward to a snowy December :)

Halloween

Well it was quite a shock on Saturday to look at the calendar and realize that we are now in November! October flew by! I swear it was a week long. . . whatever. We had a wonderful Halloween this year. Jane dressed up as Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Trent was Micheal Phelps the swimmer, and I went for the last second mime. We went Trick-or-Treating around our neighborhood and were disappointed to find that not many people were home at 5 in the afternoon. oh well. But it was still fun to have Jane knock on doors, say her version of "trick-or-treat", and then stare at amazement that people would give her candy. She wanted to eat everything she got the moment she got it. We had to stop and wait a few times while she inspected her loot. Then we went to our ward's Chili cook off and had some wonderful Chili and company. After the cook off we came home, put a sugar-high Jane to bed, and played games with our friends Jake and Jenni. Halloween has got to be one of the best holidays ever invented! And now we look forward to November with the election tomorrow (VOTE!!!!!), Jane turning 18 months old, and Thanksgiving. Good times ahead!

Carving Pumpkins

Tonight we carved our pumpkins. It was such a blast!!! Last year Jane just stared at them and smiled. This year she got her hands (and face and arms and tummy) dirty. She loved to feel the pumpkin 'guts' and every couple of minutes she would yell "Whoa!!!" She even tried to eat the pumpkin and its guts. (Heck, she doesn't eat veggies so I thought this was at least a step in the right direction. . .) Trent, as always, went all out and carved a picture. I did an angry pumpkin, probably because I've been watching way too many scary movies on AMC. And for Jane's pumpkin we tried to recreate her Jack-O-Lantern smile, poor crooked teeth. . .

P.S. I just made the best batch of pumpkins seeds ever! mmmmmmmmmmm

I am "Mama"!

That's right! I'm no longer "Da Da" or uuuh uuuh or (shriek) or no name. Jane now calls me Mama!!!!! Thanks for learning my name, Jane. It makes Mommy's day to know you know who she is!

Fall Break

This past week was Trent's Fall Break from school. We took advantage of the extra time with him and did all sorts of fun things. On Monday was the annual Bassett Family Halloween party. It was a blast and, as always, Cathy B. out-did herself! Jane had fun playing with the cousins and eating all sorts of treats and I had fun watching peoples reactions driving down to Lehi in rush hour traffic with mime makeup on (the gas station was the best! people would give me the weirdest looks! loved it!)

Thursday we went and had a family day out at Boondocks. We played a round of mini golf. Trent won, of course, and Jane loved playing with all the rocks along the path. I am definitely rusty on my golf skills but still had fun whacking that little ball around. After golf we went inside to the arcade and played all sorts of games. Jane loved the Whack-a-Mole, but only if we were doing it. . .it scared her to hit those moles popping up. We won enough tickets to get her a little stuffed animal puppy and some other little toys. It was the best family outing we have had in a long while. After Boondocks we got Trent some real nursing shoes and got to visit our good friends Rob and Jocelyn. They are expecting their first baby this November and we couldn't be more excited for them!

golf girl

whack-a-moleOur prizes!

Friday my mom came to watch Jane so Trent and I could go on a hike. We went up to Brighton ski resort and hiked up to two little lakes up there. We couldn't have asked for a better day! There was snow up on the mountain so it was a bit (and by "bit" I mean really) slushy but the lakes were beautiful and it was nice to spend time together.

Trent at Dogwood Lake (there really is a 'lake' in those weeds, promise)

Me at Lake Mary (I'm not in the picture, but I was there :) )

Today was my brother Jon's homecoming talk in church. It was so wonderful to hear him talk about his mission and his experiences. He has grown so much I don't even know what to think! What a guy! We got to visit with family and friends after and it was great to see people I haven't seen in a long time.

All in all it was a great week. Tomorrow it's back to the grind but at least Halloween in coming up fast. . .

Autumn: Nostalgia and Change

For whatever reason, today Autumn hit me square in the face. I don't know if it was the smell in the air, the crunch of leaves under my feet, or the way the light hit the ground but I was suddenly aware of the change of season. And with it came a rush of memories. Memories of my most favorite autumns of all--those spent down at SUU. I felt so free. . .so independent. I miss riding my bike to school and taking rides up the canyon to see the beautiful trees. I miss poetry readings at Groovatious. I miss the Bohemian life I led of drama and poetry and finding meaning in everything. It was a passionate life. It was dramatic. It was what I can only describe as home, or the closest thing to it. I felt more myself there than anywhere before. I remember expressing everything in me through the medium of theater and poetry. I will forever cherish the memories of performing in "The Shadowbox". It was there I decided that there was something else for me to do. . .somewhere else to be. I miss the poetry and drama and expression. I miss feeling so a part of something. I miss it running through my veins like electricity. To me there will be nothing comparable to Cedar City in the fall. It holds some of my fondest memories.

This fall is quite different than those in Cedar City. The leaves still crunch and the air is still crisp but I have a very different position in life. Elections are coming up, everyday the economy seems to take a turn for the worse, my darling daughter is learning all sorts of new things, my little brother is home from his mission, my husband is going through the toughest semester yet, and I am struggling with things that I have never before struggled with. I used to hate fall because it meant an end of summer, but today I saw how beautiful is it and how beautiful it has always been. Change is good. Nostalgia is good. And this fall I hope that the nostalgia that I feel will lead me to change. I hope that it will push me to bring poetry back into my life. I miss the color that it brings. I hope that I can stop and appreciate the fall colors and smells and light so that 5 years from now I can stop and remember this fall and how wonderful it was.

Things that remind me of Fall:
* The movie Gardenstate
* Tori Amos music
* JaeLyn's cooking and teaching me how to scrapbook
* meeting Trent
* Hard Rock Cafe
* Sarah McLachlan "Afterglow" album (thanks Amylee for hooking me on this)
**Feel free to add your own in the comment section. . .I'd love to hear what reminds you of fall or what fall reminds you of :)

He is Home!!!!!!!!

Today my little brother came home from his two year mission in Texas. I was so excited to see him, I didn't sleep hardly at all last night (I woke up at 1 am and couldn't go back to sleep until 4!) We waited for him in terminal 1 with several other families awaiting their missionaries. Of course the silly boys were the last ones off the plane and took their time getting down to us. Once i saw Jonny I freaked out!!!! I couldn't be restrained. . .even with dirty looks from security personnel . . .as I ran right to him and hugged him so hard!!! He was able to meet his one and only niece for the first time and what a wonderful thing that was. Also, a sweet lady he had the privilege of teaching in Round Rock, TX named Jane came to greet him at the airport and will be going to 3 of the 4 conference sessions with him and his girlfriend this weekend. We had a great time getting to know her and hearing her story was a beautiful experience.

Two years is a very long time and I had missed him more than I can say. I am so proud of him--for his dedication, compassion, and perseverance these last two years. He is such a wonderful example to me and I love him a million times over! Welcome home little bro!

Waiting. . .

Jane and Jane

Hugs are the BEST!!!

Can't you just feel the love?! My silly friend is home!

Our Little Tailgater Jane

So we took Jane to her first tailgate party yesterday. She got all decked out in her Ute spirit and then we walked down to the parties and ate some chicken strips and ice cream and got her her first temp tatoo! (what a rebel) It was hot and she was tired so she didn't enjoy it as much as we thought she would, but we are proud that our daughter is a little Ute!

Her first tatoo

Eating with fellow Ute fans

Ladies in Red

Walking home with dad

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering. . .my little brother comes home in 5 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!

My New Vice

Ever since I was little, I have not liked chocolate. I was laughed at all through school for this and some people just did not believe me. I couldn't do it. I did like Resses peanut butter cups (with the excess chocolate around the outside removed, of course) or the occasional Hershey's Kiss, but offer me chocolate or vanilla and I'd pick vanilla every time.

I guess this all started a few years ago when I went out to lunch with a friend at Chili's and he made me try the Molten Lava Chocolate cake. I didn't promise anything, but I gave it a go so as not to be impolite. I was surprised to have liked it. I actually had more than one polite spoonful. From then on, I started expanding my chocolate horizons with a Hershey's bar here and there or a small piece of chocolate cake when occasion permitted.

But things started getting bad when my dear, sweet sister-in-law brought me a piece of chocolate cake she'd bought from Costco. It was a beast of a cake--huge beyond belief. And moist. . .oh it just melted in your mouth. it took the two of us a week but we finished off that entire cake.

The other day I had a girls night with some friends. We indulged and bought the beastly cake from Costco. It lite a fire in me! I now actually CRAVE chocolate! I don't even know myself anymore. I bought a pack of chocolate bars the other day and told Trent they were all mine. . .I was protective of the stupid things! I never understood why people, women in particular, spoke so highly of chocolate. Now I know. I've had a taste and there's no going back now!! Of course I'm still kind of picky about what chocolate I put in my mouth but I'm pretty sure the extra pounds I've gained in the last little while are proof that I'm hooked.

Jane's a big girl. . .

This Satruday Trent ran a 5K that the Stake put on. He made good time and had fun. When we got home, he was stretching out and Jane sat down next to him and started stretching with him!!! It was so stinking cute!

Later in the day, Trent went to the U of U tailgate party and came home with a Jr. Ute shirt for Jane. She put it on and walked around like she owned the place. Here are the happy Utes. . .

And then today at church Jane didn't want to sit through Sunday school and by the time we got to Relief Society, she'd had it. I let her play in the hall with my friend Jenni and the little nursery kids came by on their way to snack time. She just joined right up with them!!! I kept wondering if she was doing ok so as soon as the closing prayer was done, I dashed to the nursery and peered in the window. There she was sitting nicely at the table coloring on a fish. She was perfectly content! I was so proud of her I almost cried! I went in to get her and she didn't want to leave. It was Daniel's birthday so everyone got a cupcake. She loved that! A big thank you shout out to the Ashcrofts for letting her join nursery. Hopefully they will let her back next week. . .Here she is with a cupcake covered face and her first nursery drawing (which is, of course, hanging on the fridge!)

Obama '08

This is one of the most inspiring & passionate speeches I have heard in a very long time. I think that it's time for change in this country and I don't think that will happen with McCain. I can't say that I agree 100% with Obama on all of the issues, but come November 4th, I think he's my guy. (the movie is long but worth a watch.)

oh and if you don't agree with my political views, that's ok. We don't have to agree, that's the beauty of a democracy--everyone has a voice. It's just the first election where I've actually felt strongly about a canidate and that the issues and concerns are staring me and my family in the face. Hope you all vote Nov 4. . .no matter who it's for!!

Looking Forward to Fall

I'm sad that the summer is almost to an end. Trent goes back to school in 2 weeks and the pools shut down in 3 weeks. This summer has really flown by. It's been a blast and I really don't want to see cooler weather(esp. snow) but there are some things that I'm looking forward to this fall. . .

September brings back my favorite show of all time. . . The Office. It makes me laugh so hard I pee! Dwight K. Shrute is the best!


The first part of October my little Bro Jonny is coming home from his mission. I have missed that guy so much and I fear he will come home more mature than he left :( He was my joke around buddy and I hope to rope him back into being silly as soon as he sets foot off the plane!

November brings a most blessed event. . . the 6th HARRY POTTER MOVIE!!!! That's right, get your red and gold scarfs ready and head to the theaters. I know I'll be there opening night with my wand and scarf shaking with excitment!!! (I'm a nerd, get over it)

A Shady Deal

So we needed to fill up the other day and we found a gas station who's sign said $4.15 a gallon. This is not a spectacular price but we were on empty and the other gas stations around it had the same price so we pulled in and filled up the tank. When it was done pumping and the reciept printed, Trent noticed that we had paid $4.20 a gallon instead. He went into the cashier to explain the over charge and the cashier told him to look closer at the sign. in tiny little letters, only legible if you are feet from the sign, it read "cash". So you only got that gas at $4.15 a gallon if you paid in cash. RIP OFF!!! I think that is so shady especially in a time where gas prices are outrageous and hurting everyone to advertise like that. And who has over $50 in cash off hand to get gas? Blah. I need a bike.

And for all you Twilight fans out there, I hope Jocob gets the girl! :) Can't wait for the new book! Happy Reading.

Happy 3 Years!

Trent and I have been married for three years now! It's our Anniversary today! We met through a very blind date through the Institute in October 2004 and were married 9 months later. We have had such a wonderful 3 years with my graduation, moving to student housing, vacations, holidays, Trent getting into nursing school, having a sweet little girl, and making wonderful friends. Thanks to everyone who has made these years so fun and enjoyable! We look forward to many, many more and are excited to see what they will bring.

Pearls and Pregos

On our recent trip to the pier at Redondo Beach we went to a little pearl shop where they let you pic an oyster from a tank and they open it and you get the pearl inside. Sometimes they are big, sometimes small, sometimes black, sometimes white, sometimes there are two or three instead of the usual one. And what's interesting is that you can't tell what size/shape/color of pearl you are going to get by looking at the outside of the oyster. Some big ones have small pearls; some small ones have big pearls. And thinking about how pearls come to be: a very small particle of sand gets into the oyster and it irritates it, and the oyster coats the sand over and over with its "saliva" and over time you get a beautiful, one of a kind, pearl.

I have had the privilege of being around some beautiful pregnant women lately. And I think that they are like Oysters making pearls. Hear me out. It all starts with a small little "particle" and the mothers body makes it into a beautiful baby. Sometimes that little "particle" irritates/makes the mother sick/uncomfortable. And when I look at these wonderful pregnant women, I think, "I wonder what their pearl will look like?" You can't tell by looking at the outside of the woman how big the baby is (most of the time. . I was HUGE and Jane was small.) or the shape or the unique characteristics that the baby will have. But each woman produces their own beautiful, one of a kind, pearl. So long story short. . .that's what I think about now when I see a pregnant woman waddling around: what will her pearl look like? I love the way that God works!


Oh, and if you are wondering. . . .I am NOT pregnant, just admiring those that are :)

California Vacation! Whoo Hoo!

Hello all, we just got home from our weeklong family vacation in California and it was a blast! We left last Saturday night and drove straight through to L.A. My Grandma lives in LA county about a 1/2 mile from the beach so we were able to stay with her. Trent's birthday was on Monday so we celebrated at the beach. He rented a surf board and Jane and I dug holes in the sand. It was a marvelous way to spend his Birthday :) The rest of the week we went to the beach (almost every single day), strolled the baordwalk at Venice Beach observing the strange folks, bought bamboo in Chinatown, and cut open an oyster for a pearl at the pier at Redondo Beach. Jane loved the beach--digging in the sand, squashing Trent's castles, and yelling at the waves. She even started walking more and more as the week went on. Trent did go to the beach everyday (sometimes while Jane and I were taking a nap) and got to be quite the surfer/skim-boarder/body-surfer. The guy is part fish, I'm convinced. And I loved shopping at the little trinket shops in Venice and Chinatown and soaking up the sun. It was a wonderful visit and we already miss the care-free atmosphere. Darn that reality and responsibility! :) Here are some pictures from the week

Jane's first view of the beach. . .at 5:30 am after driving all night

Trent the surfer-bum Bassett enjoying his birthday! Happy Brithday, Love!

Jane and Trent making a sandy creature. . .yikes!

Sand-Baby Jane noticing that she may be bit dirty. . .

Picking oranges from Great Grandma's tree. They are the juiciest oranges I have ever tasted!

Venice Beach. What a crazy place!

Chinatown. . .the food there is GREAT and the shopping is a blast but the traffic getting to/from there is a nightmare!

Jane and Great-Grandma Larsen. Two happy girls!

Walking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jane is starting to really walk!! She has been standing up on her own for a while now but she will either just stand there or take a step and fall down. Today, for reasons unknown to both Trent and I, she jsut started walking! She would pull a magnetic letter off the fridge and then walk across the kitchen with it until she fell. Then she'd get back up and go for another letter. She was going strong there for a while and as soon as I got the camera (it was temporarily lost) she stopped. But we were still able to catch a bit of it on film. Go Jane!! We are so proud of you!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Here's hoping that everyone had a great 4th of July! We had a blast this year. It started with a bang the night before when our bro-in-law accidentally ran a motorcycle into the side of a blazer. He went to the ER and found out that he'd broken his collar bone. Poor guy! the next morning we went with Trent's family to Utah lake for a day of swimming, jet skiing, and boating. Jane loved the water except when we made her wear a life jacket. Trent spent very little time on land affirming to us that he is indeed part fish. And I tried wake boarding!! I didn't make it up, but at least I tried. Then when we got back to the boat dock, I was trying to step from the boat to the dock and the boat moved a bit and I totally biffed it!! I have bruises up and down my leg and on my hip. Ahh, good times! Later that night Trent, Jane, and I went to Sugarhouse park to watch the fireworks. They were beautiful but we left before the grand finale to beat traffic and get to bed. What a wonderful holiday!

Jane and I swimming in the water

Trent wake boarding. He does tricks!

I almost got up. . .just not quite there.Jane enjoying fireworks at the park!