Babies

It's been a busy, busy but awesome week. 

First of all I am happy to announce that I have two new nieces...yes two! Remember this post here? Well, those sisters gave birth last week. 

They were both induced Friday at UVRMC. I waited all day with them at the hospital in anticipation of the impending arrival of these two lovely babies. 

Tara Colleen Dean, was born Friday October 26th at 8:16pm and weighed 8lbs 2oz, 21"
Proud parents are Erin & Dave Dean

Kiana (Megan is still debating on the middle name) Curran was born Saturday October 27th at 3:10am and weighed 8lbs. 10oz (I guess her weight right!) and 20". 
Proud parents are Megan Curran, and Steve Menifee

Both babies are healthy, both mommy's are healthy. Everyone is happy! 

I'll post more pictures as I edit the hospital picture I took, and when I do their first photo shoot.

Aren't they adorable?

Twin Cousins born just hours apart.

I love them!

Bubsy

Oh how I love this girl, my niece Elizabeth - Bubsy as we like to call her.  At the moment she is my only niece (until Erin and Megan have their babies this week).

I can't get enough of her! 

Fall

I love fall.

Yep, absolutely love it!

plans

There are nights where Ryan and I just sit and talk all night long. Last night was that night. However, Ryan was mostly doing the talking...but it was good. I like listening to him talk. He doesn't always talk a lot but when he does I cherish it.

He talked for hours (literally) about what our future plans our, our goals. It's funny because it's something we should have talked about a long time ago. Not that we haven't discussed our goals before, but never in so much detail as we did last night.

It was good.

Ryan is a good man and has a good heart in the right place.

He we talked about how we don't want our lives to go in the direction where we always want the latest and greatest thing, or how we have to have a huge house just because we want it - but that we'd get what suits our needs. We talked about how we don't want to have to be a slave to work and work, and work just so we can have a lavish lifestyle - but hardly spend time with the family because we're always working. Definitely don't want that. Sure, it would be nice to have nice things....

Family is first to us, and that's how we want to raise our kids. Hopefully we can teach them the value of money, but also not let it consume their lives in a way that they accrue so much debt, or again, work like crazy just to pay for their "toys", etc.

We'll keep working on our plan, and see how it all folds out.

Christmas card idea

Last night I was talking to Ryan about how I really wanted to put some thought and work into our Christmas cards this year. We've sent out cards once, and I always felt that it was more something that people do because they have kids, not just as couples.

I'm done with that thought. I want to have fun with it!

So, yesterday at work I was looking at different card designs where you can add a picture - I know, real productive, it was a slow day.

I came home and told Ryan that I wanted us to get planning on what we're going to do; what I was envisioning in my head.

I told him of my idea. Then he told me of his ideas...totally different then mine.

I started to get annoyed and wanted to just drop the subject. But after a while I started getting into what he was saying and describing. We spent the next hour on our laptops looking up ideas...

Here are a few...

 Oh gag!

 

This one could be a possibility..

 I'm kind of digging this one.

Yikes. These two are just...awesome!

 

The funny ones are hilarious but I do love the nice ones too, like these ones below...

We also thought about re-creating a scene from a Christmas movie. But I don't want to give that away in case we do it.

What do you think? Which one is your favorite

October happenings...

Some cool things are happening for the Curran Family this Month!

See these two ladies?...

 

...These are my older sisters Erin (36), and Megan (will be 40 Oct 19th). This above photo was taken a few years ago. Yes, they are laughing hysterically at something - which makes me laugh hysterically looking at it. Megan's face kills me! HAHAHA!

Fast Forward a few years to today, and this is Megan and Erin now. Both Pregnant with girls and both due October 22nd. What are the chances?!

 

showing of their bellies...

 Photo shoot with Erin a few weeks ago...

 

Impromptu photo shoot with Megan while I was taking pictures of her son, Kai.

Back at the end of August and beginning of September we had a shower for Erin, 

and then one for Megan.

 Our dear friend Robyn MacDonald Tischner (we've known their family from Hawaii days - basically like cousins to us) made Erin and Megan a blessing dress for their girls. Both dresses are gorgeous!

 I'm amazed at her talent.

 It's crazy to think that this family of 3, will now be a family of 4. Two boys and One girl...+ Mom.

....and this family of two will be a family of three.

So exciting!

I've had a lot of friends ask,"how are you doing with all this, Shannon?"as I've struggled with getting pregnant.

I will say that at the beginning it was tough...really tough...and sometimes today it still is. I remember when Erin sent a text to the family showing a picture of the positive test, I felt joy for her right away and then sobbed. "Why can't I just pee on a stick and have it say positive!" I cried to Ryan. He laughed and then hugged me tightly. 

With Megan...it was...different. She didn't tell me she was pregnant. In fact it was a little secret amongst some in the family. I guess because she didn't want to ruffle any feathers? Not sure. But my parents told me, and I always felt bitter that she wasn't the one to tell me. It wasn't my parents responsibility to tell all of us. Forgive and forget, right? Moving on.

I'm happy for both of them. I'm happy that Erin was able to get pregnant right away at 36. I'm glad she hasn't had any complications with it, although she did have a mis-carriage right away after she got married, but was able to get pregnant again right away. I'm happy she is healthy, and that the baby is healthy. I'm happy their starting their family. So exciting! And even happier that they're moving into my neighbor hood and my ward.

I'm happy for Megan that she is getting the girl she has always wanted. I'm excited to meet her and see if she looks more like Kalin or Kai? Either way, she'll be beautiful!

It's fun that the Curran Family is expanding. 

I just wish I could help add to it. 

We'll get there. 

Yes we will.

Life

The other day I got to hang out with two friends that I hadn't seen in a few months. It's always nice to pick back up where we were. We went to Zupas for dinner and chatted for a few hours. It was so nice!

One of them asked, "so, how's life? what's new?" 

My response was this.

"good. things are good. nothing new. same old same old."

Then I started thinking about my days...they usually go like this.

7:30am Get up, take a shower, get ready for work.
8:15am head downstairs, take max outside get him breakfast, start fixing breakfast for me and Ryan.
8:30am package up all my food in the cooler to take to work.
9am - 5pm work.
5:30-6:30pm get home from work. Chill for a little bit, talk to Ryan about the day. Get dinner going.
6:30-7:30pm eat dinner, clean up dinner mess.
7:30-9:30pm sit and watch our favorite shows. I usually do my workouts while watching TV (on the days I work out - or I just go to the gym)
9:30-10:30 getting tired can't decide yet when to go to bed. Check emails, fb, etc.
10:30-ish start heading upstairs. Lock doors on the way up, open bedroom windows, turn on the ceiling fan, brush teeth, etc.
11:00 Usually lights are out, play a few ipod games, like Scrabble, Song Pop (while Ryan helps me guess the songs).

Wow, life sure is exciting...lol!  A lot of those days we may go on drives at night, go on dates, but this is a typical night at the Hadden Hilton.

I think I need a hobby.