2014 for the bodtchers

-Jeremy traded in his white scrubs for a couple of rough weeks of unemployment, before we were blessed with his new job with Envision Home Health and Hospice.
-I gave palliative care to two patients before their deaths, and really decided this wasn't my field.
-Jeremy and I celebrated our fifth Valentine's Day at the temple.
-Amelia made many trips to Home Depot with Dad, which initiated her obsession with the place.
-I was released from my primary calling, and was called to be the Young Women Secretary.
-I finished the Salt Lake City Marathon, exhausted and burnt out. Unbeknownst to me, I was about 3 weeks pregnant.
-Amelia started talking more, understanding more, demanding more, and sleeping less.

-we remembered our Savior on Easter, and Amelia enjoyed her new airplane and egg-hunting at Grandma's.

-I peed on a stick and saw two beautiful lines on Mother's Day. Best Mother's Day ever.
-Jeremy turned 30, and we celebrated with a surprise party with his family.

-we went to Yellowstone for Memorial Day weekend, got away for the first time since Amelia was 4 months old!

-we threw our darling two year old a pirate party for her birthday!
-we finished our basement and signed a one year lease with our renters.
-we got a piece of paper telling us we own both our vehicles.
-we celebrated Father's Day by sleeping in and announcing our pregnancies to our family!
-I interviewed and got a job offer to the IMC Maternity unit.
-Amelia and Bosten took swimming lessons together again for the summer.
-I joined a Ragnar team last minute, ran all three legs, slept uncomfortably in a van, dry heaved a bunch, got a medal and a couple of souvenirs. It was a great experience!
-We celebrated Independence Day faithfully with tradition, and told the whole world we were expecting a baby in December.
-I went to girl's camp with the young women of our ward, and we truly discovered how to Come unto Christ.
-I interviewed and got a job offer to the U's Labor and Delivery unit. I never want to forget how good it felt to know that such a prestigious place wanted me, and I never want to forget how important being a mom is and how important my influence in the home is.

-I started consistently throwing up 2, 3, 4, too many times to count daily and seriously relied on Jeremy throughout my second and third trimester.

-we found out the sex of the baby, and I started dreaming up matching dresses for my girls!

-we fed the ducks of Daybreak Lake often this summer, and Jeremy taught Amelia how to put her arm to good use!

-I ran/walked a half marathon for pioneer day, and we celebrated the evening with the Bodtchers!
-Amelia started preschool at Daybreak Academy and her personality bloomed and vocabulary expanded.
-we went to the Ogden Temple open house before it's re-dedication, and Amelia bellowed out "I love to see the Temple" the entire tour.
-our sleigh bed broke, and Jeremy helped me make a new headboard.
-I finished up orientation and started flying solo as a maternity nurse. It truly is my dream job.

-we went canoeing on Daybreak Lake like 2 minutes before they shut down for Labor Day.

-Amelia found the courage to go the "big slide" by herself, and has never looked back!
-we switched Amelia to a toddler bed because she kept climbing out of her crib. It was followed by probably one of the hardest week of parenthood.
-Jeremy and I celebrated four years of marriage and reminisced how far we have come.
-Amelia brought home her set of school pictures and I about died.
-we went to several pumpkin patches as a family and picked out a perfect little pumpkin at each patch.

-Jeremy sold his final fish tank and solid wood desk so we could transform the office into our new nursery.

-we strolled around the car show on Soda Row and Amelia still asks about it.
-Jeremy repainted our family room and kitchen. And when I say repainted, I mean fixed all the bumps, mudded the holes, sanded them down twice, taped off the ceiling with exceptional care, and retouched the whole place.

-Melissa Jane took our family pictures by Silver Lake and I teared up thinking about the change that will happen by our family pictures next year.

-I threw my first shower for my friend Courtney and baby Harrison. I thought it was a success and I loved that so many women from our ward came to shower her.
-we celebrated my 23rd birthday at Cornbelly's, and I felt truly loved with all my phone calls that day.
-we were Hedwig and Harry Potter characters for Halloween and loved celebrating all week long!
-the combined Young Women and Young Men planned our ward Halloween party, which I considered a slamming success in my books!
-I helped plan and host Young Women in Excellence for the beautiful young ladies in our ward.
-Amelia had her first dentist appointment with Dr. Cottam, and kept giving him her suspicious eyebrows.
-we celebrated Thanksgiving with both families and were thankful for our blessings.
-we planned for all of our Christmas traditions in December, unsure when baby Scarlett would make her debut. we managed to follow through on all including fotofly Santa, temple square, gingerbread houses, holiday treats for neighbors, and zoo lights.
-Jeremy and I celebrated five whole years together.
-we enjoyed Christmas week with our families.
-I finished my last shift as a full time employee on December 28th, exactly 40 weeks pregnant.

-we welcomed baby Scarlett on December 29th with full, grateful hearts. no better way to wrap up an amazing year!

pre-Christmas for the Bodtchers

why did I want a post-Christmas birthday for my Scarlett babe? everyone asked. why would I wish myself to 40 whole weeks? Christmas season is pretty busy, and though it's a lovely sort of busy, I didn't want her  b i r t h day to get a little lost every year.

here's to the season of giving and the gift of Christ.

addressing out my christmas cards

millie girl giving dad the thumbs up for a working snow blower.
we haven't needed it this winter yet!

christmas lights at temple square

december 8th marked five years together for jer and i.

 fotofly santa, of course

santa #1

 santa #2

santa #3

holiday party with dr. cottam

making sure our home is christmas ready!

lots of shopping and special parking reserved for expectant mothers...

holiday show with Amelia's preschool?

christmas treats for our neighbors! I estimated the amount of ingredients needed perfectly, and my family got to share a total of ONE pretzel rod.

decorating a gingerbread house with my babe, nothing like trying to make her pattern the mint chip lights bringing out my ocd!

amelia loves playing dress-up! we should get some different costumes for her sometime...

cuddling with my millie girl

cookie decorating

riding in the front seat with dad! (up the driveway)

"tree of life" in Draper

nativity scene at the draper temple, amelia loved seeing baby Jesus

christmas sunday, matching with dad!

all the bodtcher cousins, love their sweet little personalities!

zoo lights with the bodtchers, love this freezing freezing tradition!

getting scarlett's nursery ready, last minute of course!

matching christmas pj's for christmas eve!

xo
hope your christmas is merry and bright,
we'll be awaiting a new baby!

november for the bodtchers

daddy & millie taking a mini nap// loving on hadly mae// flashing the U, she loves saying, "utah utes!"// just a good ole selfie with mama// cheeses for breakfast// we made a number chart at alphabetters, and she loved seeing this on her fridge and counting up// just trying to be like mommy at an OB appointment// so sometimes she turns her back to me and says, "mommy, don't bother me!" hilarious!

there's almost no better feeling than a 12 hour hospital cancel from work. I was napping when they called at 5 pm, and I jumped right out of bed and told Jeremy we were going on a date! (thanks grandma and grandpa bodtcher for watching millie on short notice!)// amelia on the way home, I love that she fell asleep with her legs crossed// christmas lights up at the beginning of november, thanks to the help of uncle travy// we had joe and michelle over for dinner and fhe; amelia loved being in the center of attention// we made some dinner for the schow's, jeremy had this brilliant idea of making both alfredo and fettuccine, since you really never know what you're in the mood for// this picture is when I truly felt at peace about amelia not being my only baby. when we brought dinner to the schow's and held baby harrison, amelia was completely in love- being so soft, wanting to kiss him, whispering. I'm sure it won't always be hugs and kisses for her baby sister, but she sure is going to be the best big sister!// amelia always asks to sit in the front with me when we get to where we're going. sometimes I feel too nauseated to get out right away, so take selfies until we're ready// she loved her little green octopus. and I just love that her favorite color is green.

I worked 4 twelve hour shifts in a row, and needed a full day in jammies to recuperate, amelia loved joining me and making me laugh// working on some different faces- "scared!"// "building a temple, mommy!" I always tell jeremy how grateful I am that our daughter loves and appreciates the temple, it brings tears to my eyes sometimes// oh the life of a celebrity... so hard!// we hosted young women in excellence: we decided to go easy on the content of the food, so we could really go all out on the decorations. you can probably see there was a section of toppings for each color that represented each value. AND we tied it all in to our DOTS theme (depend on the savior). I seriously am so please with how beautiful it turned out! funny side story: jeremy came to help set up with me, and he held the balloons as I filled them with helium/tied ribbon on them. he lost like 5 balloons in the air (his one job!) good thing we could laugh about it at such a stressful moment...// amelia insisted on her bear eating breakfast with her, she even protected him with her bib.

loves those lashes// love when she randomly comes to lay down on me// jeremy and I agreed to not turn on our lights until after thanksgiving, but we would go out every few nights and surprise amelia. she would gasp and say "ohhhhhh my goodness!! they boooootiful, daddy!"// first dentist appointment for my millie babe. no cavities, but she was sure suspicious of dr. cottam!// so excited to use her own self-made toothpaste!// she looked so big to me washing her hands right here// snow. what a scary sight after my long night shift// sometimes we have trouble going down for bedtime and amelia sneaks out and tries to hustle us out of her routine.

 oh you know, causal walk around the temple. amelia loves it when we go on a non-monday so she can actually walk inside the gates// one for millie and one for baby scarlett!// a good mom always tucks all the friends in too// just a little thanksgiving craft on thanksgiving eve// I promise she loves us sometimes...// tried another family picture right before I had to leave for work// 4-wheeler rides with grandpa!// I heard she had a rough thanksgiving evening (you know my no-nap millie?), and she fell asleep at 6 pm on the way home.

we loved seeing our sweet lexie and the hank boys. amelia used to play with grant all the time and we've surely missed them so!// ring-around the rosie with grandma at a post-thanksgiving lunch with the bodtchers// and you know always a good time with her cousin kohen// just some thumping ritual to continue our celebration of thanksgiving weekend.

hope you had a wonderful november! I'm sure grateful for my lovely family and friends and this life I'm living. I truly could not be happier with this chapter in my life.

family of three for the last time

You know how family pictures are a little stressful? My day-to-day life is silly and wonderful and beautiful and I just wish those moments could be captured, but you know, dressed up style. Amelia is wearing her cousin, Remy's cardigan, Jer is wearing brand new pants we got at the beginning of the year for a job that fell through, and I was so self-conscious about anything looking good on my baby bump, We planned for Amelia to have a nap right before pictures, and she woke up with a nice little blowout all the way up her back and hair 5 minutes before we were leaving. We drove 30 minutes up to silver lake, took pictures for 7 minutes before the sun dipped behind the mountains. This couple take engagement pictures? came right to our spot and started snapping pictures next to us, Amelia whined and kept running away from the camera, Jeremy kept trying to keep her from eating the weeds, I was contracting the whole time. Honestly, I was just worried we all looked like a hot mess.

We got pictures back yesterday, and aren't they just beautiful? A lot of the candids are better than the posed, but I've always like candids better anyway. I'm grateful to have photos that showcase my family in our slew of silly, happy, giggly, playful, serious moments, just how we are. I love them so much it hurts. And part of me still can't believe there will be another little baby in pictures next year! Thanks Melissa for capturing us for 2014!