Welcome to the Family!!!

Announcing Oliver Nathan Mitchell
Born on September 15
weighs in at 7lbs 11 ounces

cutest infant ever

Okay I don't mean to brag...wait yes I do...I am such a proud Aunt. Oliver is the cutest! SO I was up in Rexburg visiting Steph and doing some VERY fun wedding planning/shopping and playing/resting/beautifying and laughing/accidentally snorting/giggling. It was awesome, and just fun to be there with her! And to see Jenni and Danielle was such a treat! Anyway, Amy called me around six to tell me she was headed to the hospital...well I was planning on staying the night with steph and watching Baby Mamma (FUNNIEST MOVIE) and eating some junk treats, but I gathered my belongings and took off to get back to see that baby come into the world. Well I pretty much FLEW from Rexburg to Provo... I kept rehearsing what i would say tot he officer if I got pulled over ..."my SIL in HARD labor, I gotta be there for her, and put the other kids to bed and blah b;ah blah" but I didn't get pulled over, and I was mostly safe, just not 100% lawful... Anyway I made it to Provo in record time, and just like 20 minutes after he was born.

Now the fun news is, I mean besides the existence of a new life straight from heaven and so completely adorable and will bring my personal life waaayy lots of joy, but also we took guesses awhile ago of when we thought he would be born...AND i know I am his favorite already because he was born on the date I guessed! YAY! Plus I am his favorite because I was the first visitor to see him, PLUS when I left last night I cried...(and it was because he didn't want me to leave, had nothing to do with the wet diaper or shock of entering the world or anything) he was just so sad to have his favorite leave him. But I got to hold him lots today, and perhaps the highlight of the day was watching William and Lily with him. For Lily it was so exciting because everything was so "teensy" and "puny bit" and "so little!" and william was asking every other minute, can I hold him now, I wanna hold my brother. SO CUTE. we also had a big brother and big sister party!!! SO fun!
Well, I am grateful he and Amy are healthy and happy, and SO SO CUTE!!! (yes I mean Amy also!)

I WON!!!

Today I was sued...and I won!
I was in a car wreck about 2 months ago, and the guy who hit me only had liability insurance. When my insurance refused to pay for his car's damages he sued me! Crazy right? I mean who in their right mind would ever sue Mwa???? Strike One. So today was the court date, and my insurance graciously sent me with a Lawyer to defend my case...yes!!! I wouldn't have to represent myself like one of those crazies on Judge Judy... he didn't have a lawyer. Strike Two. Also when he gave his testimony he took like 10 minutes to draw a diagram for the judge...10 minutes of silence while he looks at his small drawing he made, and re-constructs it on the white board..10 minutes of all of us wondering...is he EVER going to be done??? I had my sis-in-law Kristen with me rooting me on, you know like the BFF's in Legally Blonde who storm into the Court room screaming "Vote for Elle!!!" Only not as vocal. Well, he took great pains to mark even measurements on the road of his drawing like "from curb to the suicide lane is 17 feet, and the distance between our 2 cars was 7 feet blah blah blah!!! and on an on" so the judge along with everyone else was just rolling their eyes like...uhhh...seriously? Wow. PLUS he seemed to have fabricated some details, I mean I am totally open to the fact that 2 different people= two different perspectives, but he just wasn't right. Strike three. SO I gave my testimony (and yes I know you're all wondering I was SO nervous, like I thought I might explode out of 2 ends...yuck! sorry for the deets, its just that there was like a for rills judge there and everything!) anyway I did a champion job, probly from all my days at peer court, you know being familiar with court proceedings and all (FYI, I volunteered in the community Youth Peer Court when I was in High School with some wonderful gal pals (erica dawn, hollah!) and I got be the swearer-inner and introduce the judge (you know..all rise all rise for judge...) and wrap the gavel...so cool!) Anyway, I was like a lethal weapon, and I really did feel just like Elle Woods, only my heels were not that high and no worries I still am a brunette...okay plus my lawyer totally kicked trash all throwin in legal jargin like "according to Utah code blah blah blah the plaintiff was clearly in violation of blah blah blah, and the only thing the defendant would be guilty of is distracting the plaintiff with her cuteness...oh wait all cept for that last part! Anyway, the Judge ruled that I was not at Fault, so I don't have to pay a single cent. Phew! Plus it was very interesting waiting our turn for our hearing in small claims court...TONS of people get sued for pay day loans...don't EVER get a pay day loan friends, if you're really that hard up for cash, sell your plasma, at least it goes to a great cause! Also if you're wondering, which I know you are, he sued me for 24 hundred bucks and some change. I honestly do feel really bad for the guy, not only does he have to pay out of pocket for his car to get fixed, but he also has to pay for the court fees...Dang! Plus he really was a nice guy! Goes to show...you shouldn't have only liability insurance if you can't afford to pay out of pocket to get your car fixed...
So today I learned a little more about the legal system, and I am so happy to be on the right side of the law you know? Not that I ever haven't been, of course. I feel pretty cool though...how many people do you know that have been sued?

ERRRRRCH!!! CHANGE OF PLANS!!!

sheesh! okay so I was supposedly leaving for Jordan in 8 days...it was going to be wonderful and amazing...it still will be, it will just be delayed. So here's the scoop....John still hadn't received a clearance to go to Jordan for his leave, he may not have got it till the 20th of sept...5 days before he was going to meet me in Jordan. There was still not a sure chance he would even get it, and by the 20th I would have already been in Jordan, so what if he didn't get a country clearance and was shipped off to the states while I was in Jordan....BLAH!!! So frustrating! So if that were to happen we would have to meet somewhere in Europe last minute. Not the WORST proposition ever, but n such short notice we wouldn't be able t plan what to do for 2 weeks...SO our solution? HAWAII!!! I know, it's random but I am postponing my trip to Jordan until the 18th of October. SO I'll still spend 2 months in Jordan with the Lances, and I'll also spend 16 or 17 days in HAWAII with my best friend!!! I'll just meet him in Oahu, spend like 5 days there in Honolulu, then fly to Kona, the big island, and stay for like 11 days! I am so excited! ! and we'll still get to go Scuba Diving! Maybe even with Dolphins and Manta Rays!!! SO COOL! So, then I'll go to Jordan after that. I was a little frustrated at first because we had been talking about going to see all these amazing places in the middle east together, but the important thing is to get to see my cute boyfriend! So I suppose I won't complain about going to Hawaii for 2 weeks...LOL!!! What a lucky girl I am. So I'll still be home for Christmas, and a HUGE plus, Amy is due at the end of this month, so if the little one cooperates I'll get to spend some time with Baby Oliver before I go! YES!!!!! I really am so blessed! AND I am SO excited to see my John boy!!! So those of you looking forward ti my adventurous blog updates, wait a few more weeks! I'll keep you all posted!

TAG

My life is SO boring! The only thing I can think of to blog is this tag I found on Erica's blog...Okay my life isn't all that boring, well not to me anyway...I'm still working hard on my masters degree and trying to finish up some courses for this semester before I move to Jordan for a few months...I'm leaving in 18 days!!! I can't believe it!!!
Okay so the tag is this: You look up your answers on Google images and see what comes up, using the first page only. It was crazy to see some of the images that came up. Some of them were really more difficult than I thought they would be...Here's mine. Try it!

My Age: 24


Favorite Vaccation Spot: Anywhere with my family...this pic I found was fun because it's a family on the beach, a well love vacation spot for my family since before I even came along! We love the coast!


Favorite Color: GREEN

Where I live: Springville, UT (but soon to be Amman, Jordan...not quite at Petra, but pretty close!)

Where I grew up: Springfield Oregon

Where I'd like to visit: The Red Sea (Scuba diving, which I am SO hoping I get to do with John while I'm in Jordan)

And I've ALWAYS wanted to go on an African Safari!!! Not at the Zoo, really truly in Africa


Favorite Food: Nachos...anyone who lives around me knows what a staple of life nachos are for me!

Favorite Treat: Ice cream, though not just any ice cream, I have a few favorites: Mint Chip, Tillamook Blackberry harvest, and I LOVE Breyers all natural vanilla, and I put hot fudge (but chocolate syrup if I have to) and dry-roasted peanuts on top, it's my very very FAVORITE!!!


Favorite Animal: Elephant, I'm even going to ride one someday...


First Name: Courtenay


Middle Name: Beth (okay this was the most decent picture on the "beth" page...LOL!!!


Last Name: Lance (Ever heard of this guy?)

Lily Ruth turns 3

Okay, Lily turned 3 today...I have mixed feelings about this...I would like her to stay this age forever, she's the cutest! Lily is so special to me...this summer she has been my shadow, wanting to come everywhere with me, do everything I do, say things I say, everything...it really is the cutest! She especially likes to help me get ready in the morning and "put on make-up"....I admit I let her wear a little blush, she feels so grown up! It's just so fun, and in the morning she ALWAYS begs to come running with me...I even let her once, that was a mistake! But fun anyway, she wanted to stop after a block and play 'party house' because she was tired, so we played at the park instead. We like to play dress-up and have tea parties and "girly time" she also LOVES me to paint her fingernails, and always says "Oh how gorgeous!" and if I say "Oh Yes! So beautiful!" She corrects me and says "No court, say 'how gorgeous!'" Then she parades around so dainty like to show off her fancy nails. She also loves to dance, most of time she walks on her tippy-toes throughout the house, and when she took ballet class earlier this year she learned some dance steps/moves and she's always saying "first position, Ashante, So-te, plie, leap!" It's so fun! She also LOVES Charlie and Lola, the cutest cartoon ever, and Stawberry shortcake, but she insists that her name isn't strawberry, it's 'straw-bop-berry' like in the opening song...SO cute! I call her my tootle-bug and for awhile if you asked her what her name was she would say "I'm Tooda-Bug_Rufie" SO cute. She's so big now and so fun to play with, she wakes me up every morning with good morning snuggles, and says "Wake up Court, it's time to wake up because it's a happy day!" I adore this little girl! It's going to break my heart to leave for 3 months! Anyway, here's some pictures of her birthday, you're welcome mom! And the dress I got her :)

She's just BEAMING! So proud, and so "gorgeous"!

Was there ever a happier girl? This is when we're singing Happy Birthday

"I'm this many!" In a pair of tinkerbell wings she got from a family friend :)

It was a windy day, and it was so cute to watch her dance around and twirl her dress in the wind

Okay...kinda nerdy...BUT Kristen and I put on my old Prom dresses...I figure we might as well get as much use out of them as we can while they still fit right? Plus Tootle bug though it was SO cool that our dresses matched! I thought so too...

Nate and Amy got her this stroller in preparation for when the new baby comes, so she can take care of her baby while mommy takes care of the new baby, the bear was a gift from Grandma LeAnn, and she named him 'snuggly' and she LOVED pushing him around in her new fancy pink stroller!

I LOVE this picture of her profile, such a doll!

Lily and Kaci strike a pose :)

Okay I am so excited!

Very very cool moment, I just had to share with everyone! I got my passport a few months ago, which is you know SO exciting, and a good thing I got it when I did because when my purse was stolen in California, luckily my passport was not in it, so when I got back a had a form of ID, otherwise I would have been up a creek without a paddle...you know? So anyway, now the other really fun thing...I got my first VISA and stamp in my passport! I am so stoked! I'm going to Jordan and like 5 weeks! SAWEET!
And don't worry, I'll blog all of my adventures!

The Jordanian stamp...visa...SO cool!

My personal info page...the glare is on purpose so nobody can steal my info:) That would be bad!

Hobble Creek camping!

So all summer we've been wanting to go camping, but Amy's belly keeps getting more and more ripe, and every weekend seems to prevent us from venturing out with the gang. So on Friday Amy said okay we ARE going camping tonight, its the last chance we have, because I'm not going when I'm any more pregnant than this! Poor thing, camping (sleeping on the ground, even with a foam pad )with a melon equal to your body weight strapped to your abdomen can't be fun...but she's such a good sport. Well we assessed our supplies (all my camping gear is in Storage with the bulk of my belongings) so we had one sleeping bag and a camp chair...but we were determined. We borrowed a few things, thanks to Ben and Kris for letting us borrow your tent...a somewhat essential item when family camping...and getting a few groceries we set off. Our camp site was perfect, not too crowded (okay way too crowded for my liking, but I really needed some outdoor therapy) nice and shady, a very good flat tent spot, and a great cemented picnic table and fire pit. The highlights included... -Lily playing in the dirt...the ENTIRE time -Williams fascination with the fire, and sticks, not a good combo for a crazy wild 5 year old
-Roasting mallows with a tootsie roll on the end, I don't know if anyone has ever done that, bu as far as I'm concerned I made it up...SO delicious! -telling stories while we fell asleep -Nate whiddle-ing a wooden spoon out of some fire wood and finally...-falling asleep with Lily Ruth in my arms, but then waking up to Williams COLD FEET IN MY PAJAMA PANTS!!! That's right, I said In! I have no idea how that maneuver took place...silly kids! It was a fun adventure and much needed! I love living with this clan!