Back in the USSR

Don't let this title confuse you, I've never actually been to the USSR. But I am back!

I've taken an unscheduled hiatus from blogging for the last 9 months, due to lack of willpower. I actually tried to update this blog many a time, but as soon as I'd sit down at my computer, the urge to take a nap or eat a sandwich would become too strong to resist. 

But here I am! 

I'm not going to spend 4 hours telling you every single thing that's happened in the last 9 months; you'd be bored to tears. But I'll touch on the big stuff!

We moved back to Oklahoma! Brandon completed his masters degree in Arizona, and we left the land of the warm and dry for the land of the warm and humid! 

Brandon got accepted to medical school, because he's an awesome, handsome genius. We couldn't be more proud!

I successfully grew another human!

Interesting how my blogging hiatus coincides with my pregnancy, don't you think? 

Introducing Elena Denise!

Isn't she a doll? 

Things I'm lovin' today.

Today was rough. Really just an all around no-good, crappy day.

And on days where it seems that everything is going wrong, I like to think of all the things that are going right, to remind myself how awesome my life is.

So, here are:

Things I'm Lovin' Today

1. Portia is doing really well in school. She likes her teacher, has friends in her class, and doesn't get stressed or worried throughout the day. I'm so proud of her!

2. Margot is doing really well without Portia here all day! I was worried that the adjustment would be hard for her, but honestly, she hardly seems to notice that Portia is gone. She is actually loving it! I think she is really excited to be in charge of what shows she watches, what games she plays, etc.

3. I am a pretty darn good hairstylist, so when I do my hair at home by myself, and it doesn't turn out quite right, I can fix it. (Bet you can't guess one of the things that went wrong today - that's right, I did my hair by myself, and it didn't turn out quite right.)

4. Brandon is a saint. When he came home tonight to a grumpy wife and messy house, he listened to me complain, gave me a hug and a kiss, and helped me put the girls to bed without a second thought. He then suggested that I go take a bubble bath to relax. 

Best husband ever.

5. I got to take a bubble bath.

6. While today sucked, I still really like Arizona. Our house is adorable now that we've gotten all our furniture set up, and we really like the schools and town. We love it!


What are you loving today?

The canyon is grand.

We have now been living in Arizona for about a month, and this last weekend, took a day trip up to the Grand Canyon! 

Brandon was thinking that since he will continue to get busier with school, he won't have a ton of time for seeing the sights. So we'd better do it while we can. And it's a crime to live in AZ, and not see the Grand Canyon.

So we packed up the babies in the car, along with some snacks and sunscreen, and took off! 

We are lucky enough to live only about 3 hours away from the South Rim of the Canyon, so it wasn't too bad of a drive. The girls actually slept most of the time!

Ready for the pictures?

We had a blast! The Canyon is so surreal; I have no words to describe it! If you ever get the chance to go, do it! 

Surprise!

Ladies and gents, I promise I didn't fall off the face of the earth. The last few months have been super crazy, and I just could not find the time to update the ol' blog.

But things have died down, and I'm back!

Now I know you're all just dying to know what has kept me so busy this summer, so I'm going to tell you, in list form! So without further ado, I give you:

The Crazy Summer of Craziness, or How Our Lives Changed in 2014

1. In the beginning of June, I started working in a salon full time. I missed the salon experience, and Brandon and I were able to make the scheduling aspect of it work. I found an awesome little shop in Claremore, called The Village. If you are in the area and need a stylist, go see Chrissy and Amy! They rock!

2. Brandon got accepted to a Masters in Biomedical Sciences degree at Midwestern University! Basically, it's a year long program that will give him a head start for medical school! Super exciting!

Which leads me to #3 on our list.

3. We moved to Arizona! Midwestern University is located in the Phoenix area, so we are now living life in the desert!

And we are loving it! I am in love with the town, our neighborhood, and our cute little house! I don't even mind the heat! 

4. Portia started kindergarten! 2 days after we moved in, Portia started school. She had a bit of a hard time at first, but is starting to get into the swing of things! She loves her teacher and has made a few friends in her class, and is learning a lot! 

So there you have it! Now that we are all moved in (mostly) and adjusting to our new routine, I will hopefully have the time to blog more. Until then, here's a picture of our cute front door!