A fun time

So since Bryan got his job we decided to celebrate and take ourselves to Melting Pot. It is a VERY expensive fondue experience. It was a one time thing, unless we become rich! We had a wonderful time and I took notes about all the things we were eating and all the different sauces. Of course when we do our on fondue at home I am sure it will not be the same, but I can at least try! We have done fondue on Valentines day for the last 3 years. This year we kind of forgot about it, but have decided to do it with my family if they are up to it. I have to mentioned it to them, but I think it would be fun to try. So fam...if you are up to it, lets plan!

Also, if any of you are looking for some fun games to try I have a few suggestions. We LOVE playing this game we got for Christmas called Carcassone. If you have played Settlers of Catan before it is similar yet oh so different. You can play it with 2 people and so Bryan and I play it ALL the time. We enjoy playing it rather than watching the TV. Although American Idol will ALWAYS be worth watching. We have been hooked on it for 3 years now too.

Another game we have found fun to play is A Ticket to Ride. That is fun to play with 2 people too. Even though we have lived with Bryan's family and are now going to be living with my family, we have been looking for games that can be played with only 2 people. These are the ones we have come up with so far. We also enjoy Rummikub. Just in case some of you are looking for some games to play just the 2 of you also.

Until later...

Cookies

Sorry, I told Brady we would post some pictures of our Andes Mint cookies we made on Sunday while at my parents house...so here are the pics. They are quite the good and EASY cookie to make. We just bought the package and followed the recipe on the back. So Brady if you would like to try you can follow suit. But I know that you can make much better things. We just had to share.

At least it is a story...

So this past weekend we brought Gracie and Gus-Gus, our cats, down to Denver. We put them in the basement and let them smell everything for a day. We decided to introduce them to my parents cat Minnie Saturday late afternoon. BIG mistake~!!!

It ended up a catastrophe. Gus got scared and then that scared Minnie and so she charged him, and even though I had Gus by the neck he turned on me and BIT me on the arm. I did not think much of it other than it hurt. It did not even bleed that much. I cleaned it out with Hydrogen-Peroxide and put neosporine and put a bandage on it. Then Sunday morning I woke up to a red puffy arm and a red streak going up the underside of my arm and so my mother made me go to Urgent care. It ended up being pretty infected and worse than I originally thought so I had to be given penicillin through an IV and given a brace for my arm so that it would prevent me from using my arm and having the infection spread. Then the doc told me to come back at 6:30 that night for another dose. So I left the urgent care with an IV line in one arm and a brace on the other. I went back at 6:30 for another dose through the IV and then the doc said he wanted me to come back in again the next morning so he left the IV line in and told me to continue to wear the brace. So I slept with the brace and the IV line and then went in again this morning. I was told to go fill a prescription and stay on that for 10 days. SO I could have slept WITHOUT the IV, but oh well...

So a simple cat bite turned into a 35 dollar pain in the BUTT!!!---$25 for the copay for Urgent care and $10 for the perscription...so I guess it could have been a lot worse if not for insurance. Heres my plug for insurance...it is worth it! I guess it is a story and a lesson learned NOT to introduce cats too early and if and when you do introduce them...have protective gear and or a harness for the cat!

So we have decided to just keep Gus and Gracie in the basement until they are comfortable again and maybe introduce the cats in a month or so...we will see how it goes.


notice the blue markings drawn on my left arm...it was the outline of the infection...

The other news is that we went to the national western stock show this weekend too. I liked the rodeo and it brought back many memories of Billy Wall and Kristy and our fun times at those rodeos watching Seth and Billy. It was fun to see the animals too, but my favorite part was the monkey cowboy who rides a dog! His name is Whiplash the cowboy monkey. I will try to put the video on here. But it was HILARIOUS!!!!




So the last exciting news for the day...Bryan was offered a job at Allosource pending a drug test and references. He interviewed for it today and on the drive back up to Fort Collins, they called and said they would offer him the job. We are VERY excited. This makes the transition to Denver a little bit easier in the sense that Bryan does not have to feel all the pressure and stress of trying to find a job. This way he can still explore career decisions that he wants to while working full-time. He will work 10 hour shifts 4 days a week and have every Friday off. Kambria and I like that idea...and that way Bryan can get some volunteer hours in also for prosthetics/ and or nursing. I am so THANKFUL and have to say thanks for all those of you out there who were praying for him! Prayers are answered and we are very grateful to you all.

Until next time, ...

Kambria's first solid foods

So Kambria has been waking up a LOT more lately and so we decided last Saturday that we would start feeding her solid foods. Boy do her diapers reflect it! They STINK!! so we had to go out and purchase a diaper genie so it would not smell up the basement so much.

But it sure has been fun to feed her and watch how excited she is about it. These are some of the pictures that we took. Kambria is SO interested in the table and anything we are eating. I feel like I cant feed her fast enough. She is just eating Barley cereal since her digestive system is not really regular in how often she has dirty diapers. And since rice cereal makes you constipated the doc said to feed her barley first...like I said her diapers stink and she i more regular than she has ever been!!!

On a new subject, we are moving our two cats down to Denver this weekend so that they can stay with my parents and then we wont have to move them next weekend when we move our other stuff. I am not sure how Gracie will be at the move. We are going to move them just in a box with slits for air this time instead of Meeko's carrier. Meeko is Bryan's parents dog. And last time we moved them to their house from our apartment, which was only a 15 minute car ride, Gracie pooped and peed all over herself because she was so freaked out. So we are hoping that the boxes will not freak her out so much. I put them out last night and she has already slept and played in the boxes. So we have high hopes this time. Although the car ride is about an hour and some...we shall see. Until next time

Finally

So I finally feel like my life is moving forward. Bryan and I have had a serious talk about our future plans and he has engaged! He is looking into nursing schools thinking he might want to do that, as well as trying to get a job at Allosource and also looking into getting volunteer hours in the prosthetics field. I know that he does not really know what he wants to do with his career or near future, but it a step closer for me. I just feel like we have been lacking in the forward movement. And now I have some movement.

I do have to admit that there have been MANY prayers and thoughts on our behalf lately and I want to thank all those people out there! THANKS!!! I know each person has their own problems, but I feel like we have been EXTREMELY blessed with friends and family who have a concern in our little "problems."

So the count down for moving has begun for me. It is less than 2 weeks and frankly I cant wait!!! I am very excited! I know that Bryan is not as excited as me, but I think it will improve EVERYTHING for us! If he gets this job at allosource he will be making more money than he currently is and he will only be working 4 ten hour days. I think he will enjoy that more. And I will be happier, not that I am not happy, but I think being with my own family will improve my "happiness" times. I also think that it will be good for my family to have us around too. I know my mother is thrilled. I have high hopes for the next little while.

I am trying to start/ continue working towards my goals. This has been a little difficult as of lately and it has only truthfully been one week. What a pathetic goal getter I am!!! At least I am trying I guess. I shouldn't get too discouraged!

Well I feel like I am rambling now...but I do have to say thanks for posting FINALLY Brady. And I know what you mean...don't get too discouraged. Just continue moving forward. You are in our prayers and thoughts too! Love you!

Good advice

So my friend Heather from Ricks College wrote this little piece of advice on her blog that she got from her mother in law and I thought it was so true that I'm using it too... thanks Heather!

Life is hard. Marriage is hard. Family life is hard. And all for a purpose. Not one of us is at home on this planet; we are all away at school. In speaking of the plan of salvation, mortality, the second estate, is often referred to as the second act. It is a fact that living happily ever after is never written into the second act of plays, but rather it is reserved for the third act. The third act in this play is eternal life, where we will live happy ever after, if, during this life, we endure to the end in gcheer. Being of good cheer is a virtue. Cheerfulness is a condition, more of the mind than of circumstance, and is worthy of cultivation. Mothers who are of good cheer impart courage, confidence, optimism, hope, and faith in the Lord to their husbands and children. Cheerful mothers draw family members to them. The entire family tends to thrive in an environment that is both spiritually and temporally cheerful.

This is just so true...and I say this at a time in my life when it feels like the second act is not going as I want. Well that is not true..it is just going a little slower than I want, but happiness is a journey not a destination. I am very excited to see how the next few months come out and how our attitudes reflect our actions.

Kambria got her 4 month shots two days ago, even though she is almost 5 months, and got her first fever. We kept on top of tylenol and everything turned out fine. I can see how mothers get so worried. Here is this little person who doesn't know what is going on with their body, and all they know is tthey don't feel good. And it is up to the mother to make them feel better. Poor things! But all is well thus far. Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Until next time...

The new years goals...

So last night for our family's FHE we sat down and set some goals. There were personal goals, financial goals, family goals, and spiritual goals. Some of my personal goals have to do with weight loss, which is pretty common for the new years, but I also decided that I would like to do more reading. I am not much of a reader because it is difficult for me to read since I have dislexia, but also I feel like my education is dropping since being a stay at home mom and not doing anything but playing with a little baby. So I decided to plan on reading a novel. I gave myself the goal of just one, but I can read more too. I just wanted to make my goals attainable. We also set family plans liking planning and taking a family vacation other than Utah, since we have not ever gone a vacation since we have been married. I do not care where it is too, just somewhere together.

So that is what is going on here. Also, for those of you who have asked, Bryan did not get into the program he was wanting, but we are still moving to Denver so he can start the volunteering of finding a job within the area he would like to go...Healthcare. We still have a lot of options to look at and talk about, but it is s start. I think it is time to move on to new things...Denver rather than Fort Collins! I am excited and thrilled to live with my family. January 27 is the big day!
Until next time.

Back to normal life...For a while

So things are coming back to normal, now that Bryan's family has gone back to Utah and Bryan has been back to work. Bryan's birthday was yesterday and we had a lot of fun, at least I did, giving him his presents. He always says that he gets jipped because his birthday is so close to Christmas. This year I think was a good job of him not feeling jipped. He got expensive tickets to see the musical Wicked when it comes to Denver in May. He also got the CD of the wicked music so he could learn the songs before we go. He got the piano music to wicked and to Aida which is another musical that is coming to Fort Collins in April. We are planning to go to that one too. His brother Scott gave him a gift certificate to best buy and his sister gave him a certificate to inta juice which is like smoothies. He also got a pair of jeans from his "dad"...I should tell you it really was his mother who got them, but that is the way it works. I think he was impressed! He should have been. It was also my sister-in-laws birthday yesterday. We are going down on
Jan 20 to celebrate with them and my brother Colin since his birthday is January 9. Hopefully Leah had a good day yesterday too!
So to the title of this post...I know now that life will be "normal" until I move to my parents house come January 27th. Since we will be going down to Denver on Jan 20, we will move half our stuff then and then the rest down on the 27th. We, I should say I, am excited to move to Denver. Bryan is ok with it and understands that it is my turn to be with my family. He is a little worried as I was when we moved into his parents because it is the unknown that makes us fear.
so that is when life will not be "normal" to him anymore. Hopefully it will not take him long to feel normal again. We just have to find him a job and find it fast. He will be WAY too bored if he doesn't have anything to "do" on a time basis. If that makes any sense. So that is what the Fairbanks' are up to for now. Until next time...

kambria's first snow

I have posted the story behind all the pictures a few posts down, so be sure to read them all.

Kambria and mom


The whole fam!!
Kambria and Dad

gingerbread houses

The before pictures....

And the after pictures...

The red one is mine the brick one is Bryan's.

the snow

So the pics are here

Well, today Bryan went back to work and his family are doing their own things so I figured I would come and post the pictures I have been promising for a while now...No one hurt my feeling by saying I need to post. I am glad people remind me! ;o)

So the gingerbread houses were a LOT more work than I EVER anticipated. It took us 3 days to complete them and when it came down to it, we became very bored of decorating after about an hour. So this is the finfished product. I would recommend just buying a kit for 10 dollars! Muh easier and just as fun.

We have had a major blizzard storm the last week. These pictures are from the first storm that gave us about 3 feet of snow. Bryan's work was cancelled along with the rest of the city shutting down too! A lot of people were stuck at the airport for christmas. Glad I was not flying anywhere! It was fun to be snowed in, but now there is another storm that has hit. It has given us about another 6 inches, but it is supposed to continue to snow through Sunday. Denver has shut down since they got about another foot to foot and a half last night. My mother is tired of being snowed in. But at least it is good for family ties and fun huh? I sometimes just wish I was at my families house instead of Bryan's. I just get lonesome for them. But that will come in about a month!!!! YEAH!!! I think my mother is REALLY excited to have us move in with them and have her granddaughter closer. She gets lonesome for adult girl conversations sometimes...and I love getting to oblige her and have them with her!

The next pictures are of Kambria's first sledding experience. Bryan's family went up to beaver ridge meadows and we all went sledding. Kambria stayed indoors most of the time with Bryan's sister Lisa since she is 6 months pregnant and did not want to go sledding. So that was nice to have some time to go with Bryan. Then she came outside for a while and took some pictures! It was a good old time!!!

So that has been what I have done the last couple of days...
And now I am looking forward to setting some new goal for myself and Bryan for the new year. I usually sit down and write myself a letter and seal it up until the next year. I forgot to do that last year and now I am regretting it. So that is what we're going to do for FHE come Monday night. That is my goal anyway. We will have to see if it happens.

thanks for all your support and being patient with me while I have been a slacker on posting. Love you all. Until next time.

Short but sweet!

So I have not posted anything in a while and I have a lot to catch up on...Some people have told me that Christmas has come and gone and I have not posted anything...Well, family from Bryan's side is still in town until Monday the 1st and so things have been quite hectic trying to keep them entertained....So I will post this...Gingerbread houses were fun to do, but really TOO much work for me...I would rather buy the kit than make them from scratch. And we got about 3 feet of snow a week ago and now tonight we are supposed to get another foot before we have even really recovered from the first storm. And Kambria had her first snow experience. I will be explaining more about them come next Tuesday when the schedules go back to normal. And pictures should come along with them too. I am sorry for all my faithful readers who have been waiting for something from me. Hopefully this will last for a while!
Until next time...

Christmas here we come!

So the past 4 days have been nothing but getting ready for x-mas. Monday, Bryan and I decided we wanted to make gingerbread houses for family home evening. Little did we realize that it is truly a 3 day activity; one day to make the gingerbread and bake it, then let it sit overnight to harden, day 2 to put it together and sit overnight to harden again, and day 3 to decorate. So the first gingerbread house we made was not very good. So we tried again. Tonight is the night that we get to decorate the houses...So tomorrow you should see a picture of them all completed...Bryan even says he wants to post them so Brady can be jealous!...Sorry Brady...Bryan just gets jealous of all the wonderful cooking you do! We think it is great!

And last night we went Christmas shopping for Lisa and Eric since they are coming by plane and have limited room for presents...It was fun. I have wrapped all my gifts and they are under Bryan and I's fake tree...Since Don and MaryEllen could not find a real one they liked, for a price they like they used our fake one this year. I am glad that we could help in the festivities. MaryEllen commented that she thought it would be fun to have gifts under the tree before Christmas eve, like she always has. I guess that is when she gets around to wrapping the presents. It should be fun to watch the cats and hopefully not have them tear the presents open before Christmas. Bryan and I are ready for Christmas this year...Since it is Kambria's first Christmas. She does not really understand what is going on, but it is fun for us to watch her experience it.
Well until the gingerbread houses are complete....

crazy times

I have not written in a while, and for all my faithful readers I am sorry. I do not have a lot to say other than holiday times are BUSY! And I am not even THAT busy. I just think it is all in my brain. I do not know if any one else feels this way, but I think that I feel busy because there is a lot of hussle and bussle about. I am trying to remember the the TRUE meaning of christmas and keeping my thoughts in check. I am more in the mood of gift giving than gift reciving, but it still does not seem like Christ is quite in the center of it all...I am working on it!

Well like I said not much happening. Just everyday doing the same old same old...eat sleep and take care of Kambria...that takes all my time.

Until next time

more photos...

Here are some more photos...enjoy

Kambria's 3 month photos

Bryan had the day off yesterday from work since he is working Saturday, so we took Kambria to get her 3 month photos. My brother and sister-in-law did pictures every 3 months for my nephew Hayden and when he turned 1 year old it was really cute to see his 3, 6, 9 and 12 month photos together. So we decided to get on the ball and do it too...But we were not expecting everything that they did. It was a fun experience and from it all we ended up getting a CD that contained ALL 83 photos that they took. The guy said that they normally do not take that many pictures, but he said he goes crazy with babies, since he has a 2 month old son too. So I am sure next time we do pictures, it wont be quite the same, but it was fun for first timers like us! So here are some of the cute pictures so everyone can see...
Until next time...

A good holiday

So I wont say much due to limited time, but Thanksgiving was fun. My family was all together again. We spent 5 days with my family just hanging out, going to our traditional thanksgiving day movie, playing games and setting Brady up on a date with a friend of mine named Esther. It was fun. A very thankful time and I reflected a lot about how much a truly do have. Here is the family photo we took before Colins goes on his mission on January 31, 2007. He is going to Mendoza Argentina!!!! I am only worried about when he gets home and Brady and him talk in Spanish and the rest of us wont be able to understand them...But until next time, enjoy your day!

Thankful

So this time of year really makes one think about all the things one should be thankful for. First thing that comes to mind is my family...Immediate and extended. My little girl makes me so thankful for prayers being answered. I think of all the worries I originally had when I was pregnant and all the family and friends that said prayers in my behalf. I know that they were answered ten fold, because Kambria is healthy, well and growing like a weed. Our friends baby Hannah who is only 3 weeks younger than Kambria is not near as alert or as physically strong. Kambria loves to be on her tummy and holds her head up. She will be crawling soon by the way she is acting on her tummy. She also loves to stand. It is ust amazing how strong she really is. This I am thankful for.

I am also thankful for a husband who loves me beyond measure...Even if I wake up on the grumpy side of the bed and am not a happy camper. He still loves me!! I am grateful for my brothers and sister and the friendship we have with each other. I just wish that I could spend more time with them all. I guess that makes the time I do spend with them that more worth it. I am grateful for a set of parents who love us all and teaches us so much with their actions and words. They have remained faithful to each other and have taught me so many things with their words of love and advice. If I could only begin to have their knowledge I would be set. But I am learning ... Slowly learning.

These are just a few things that I am thankful/grateful for. Did I even mention the gospel of Jesus Christ?...That makes everything just make sense and have purpose. Like my brother Brady said, "there is a lot to think about, but nothingto worry about." I love it!!!

Well until next time, remember that Eliza Fairbanks has a thankful heart this day!

Photo opportunity

Cute!


Kambria has been so cute lately, not that she isn't cute all the time, but tonight she was sitting up all by herself. Some of the credit has to go to the fact that she was calm and not too anxious about moving around. So MaryEllen set up a little "studio" on her living room chair and we took pictures of Kambria sitting up with the help of the crevice of the chair too, but Kambria tried to keep sitting up all by her self. We were VERY impressed, being that she is only 2 1/2 months. I do not think she will officially really sit up for a while, but it was fun to do. We got some cute pictures of her smiling that are absolutely wonderful and I thought I would share. One shows how she likes to play with her tongue, one is of her trying to really sit up and one is of her making her talking cooing noises. Enjoy.