My Biggest Fan

Dave is a wonderful support. Ever since I have become a Scentsy consultant he has watched Kylie more than his fair share and has spent more of his personal money on Scentsy than I'm sure he ever imagined. After my first Launch Off Party Dave decided to order a warmer for his office, one as a wedding present, and a bunch of scents for his office. He was ordering so many scents that I questioned him and asked why he needed so many especially when he was using his personal money. He quickly replied that he needed several scents if he was going to show people at his office. I was touched by his generosity especially when he was planning on using that money for a fishing trip. That night Dave ended up being my biggest order. I'm continually amazed at his love and support. I am one lucky girl to have him.

Scentsy

I recently have signed up to be a Scentsy Consultant and it has taken off! Scentsy is wickless candle company that sells a variety of candles through party planning. They have warmers, plug-in's, room sprays and car candles. You can order by calling me or order it right off my website and they will send it directly to you. Check out the site to see more.

www.scentsy.com/kierstinscandles

I'm so excited about my new venture that I have to tell you about it. These candles are so great! First, they are so good for families. My neighbors 2 year old put her entire hand in the wax and did not cry. The wax is melted by a 25 watt light bulb through a warmer so the wax gets just above body temperature so it won't burn. Second, its much better environmentally. After the smell goes away after 60-80 hours the wax is still there instead of being burned into the atmosphere. Due to the wax being melted at such a low temperature the wax is not placed in our breathing space. Even those who have had allergies to scents find they can have Scentsy in there home. Next, instead of re-buying glass candles you can buy refills for $5 which is much more cost effective! It also works great in offices due to the candles being flame less and having less worries about having a fire. The candles can be left on 24/7 and can be used as a night light. There is over 80 scents and some great ones that you don't want to miss for the holidays.
Please call or visit my home to smell the new scents. We have a warmer and scent of the month that is always 10% off. We do formal and informal home parties. Our informal party is where I send you a basket of scents to your home and you inform your neighbors and friends of the scents you have and they can order from you and then you get all the free items as if you had a formal party. If you don't like having parties at your home you will love all the free things you can get. Please give me a call and I would love to answer any of your questions and talk with you all about my new adventure!

Happy Birthday Kylie

Happy Birthday Kylie! We celebrated Kylie's birthday the day after her actual birthday on October 5th. Family came from Idaho and all over the Salt Lake Valley to celebrate in between General Conferences. Dave smoked a pig and I made the cakes. Josh and some of his friends stayed overnight so our party became even bigger.
Kylie is a big fan of teddy bears so I had made her a special teddy bear cake. I was unsure how she would respond but knew there was a chance she would hug it just like she does with her stuffed animals. When she reached for the cake everyone broke into such loud laughter that she was taken back and became bashful. She later became more intested but didn't seem to want to eat it. We later gave her a piece of the softer cake for her first real taste of sugar. Kylie was spoiled with gifts and especially with teddy bears. We had asked everyone not to bring gifts but somehow 4 teddy bears showed up and a couple of bows with an outfit. The Benoits came and brought a stuffed animal bear that was as big as Kylie's parents. We thought she would dive into its arms but instead she kept her distance. Still to this day she is trying to warm up to the idea of a life size bear.
We appreciate all the love and support you have shown us. This year has been such a wonderful year full of growing experiences. We love our little Kylie Jean and look forward to many more happy memories together.

Our baby is ONE

I can't believe Kylie is ONE! Everyone warned us that she'll grow up fast but this is unbelievable. It was just yesterday that she was 7lbs 2oz and 20 inches long. Now she's 18.5 lbs and 30 inches long and full of life. She is an absolute joy and we feel so blessed to be her parents.

Accident

On our way home from Stake Conference we were stopped at a light when we were hit from behind. We heard a huge noise behind us and then the car next to us was hit and then ran into our vehicle. Everyone in all vehicles seemed to by alright. Dave was smart enough to have left enough room between cars so we didn't run into the car in front of us. It was right after Stake Conference so our Home Teachers, several neighbors, and the Relief Society President all stopped to see if we were okay. We even received a text from our friend Joel, who lives in Brigham City, 30 minutes after the accident asking if we were okay. We were later harassed that we weren't listening to the prayer when they stated to be careful when driving home. That will make me think twice before I spend most of Stake Conference in the hallway and missing the prayer! Well we really felt blessed and watched over. It could have been much worse and were grateful for everyones concerns.

Welcome Home Elder Auger

Dave's brother Josh just returned home from serving a mission in Micronesia-Guam. Elder Auger had a 6 hour layover in Salt Lake before he headed to Pocatello so we met him at the airport and took him to breakfast. We anxiously waited for him bright and early so we could give him a warm welcome. He had warned us previously in an email that he would not be hugging any girls at the airport. Well, I didn't think that applied to me, for one, because I am his sister-in-law, and two, because I am a woman not a "girl." The moment I saw him I couldn't resist but go up to him and give him a hug. It quickly became a side hug and I heard a big "ugg" coming from the poor Elder. I guess the hugging email applied to relatives as well. I have though I was impressed with his efforts to be obedient to the mission rules.

Last weekend we headed to Pocatello for his Homecoming Talk. It was so nice to hear about his mission experiences and to feel of his good spirit. Both Dave and I have been so impressed with who he has become and for his dedication in the field. Well done Elder Auger and Welcome Home.

Have My Cake and Eat It Too

So my friend Brenda and I signed ourselves up for a cake decorating class at Michael's. It is so much fun except there's only one problem. CAKE! We are always making frosting and of course we have to eat our homework. We placed a #1 on our first cake so we would be able to see the difference from our last to our first.
This past week was the final cake we made in class. Don't ask me what went wrong but gravity seemed to be working against me. My frosting was yellow instead of white, runny instead of firm and the cake was crooked instead of straight. After baking, making the frosting, and decorating for 8 hours I wanted to have a cake fight in my kitchen. I was caked out! It didn't turn out as good as I hoped but at least it didn't taste that bad.

Lunch with Loved Ones

I love it when family and friends come and visit. When Kylie was 2 months old her Great Grandpa and Grandma Vermillion were visiting my parents from Arizona and decided to drive a little further to come have lunch with Kylie and I while Dave was at work. It was so fun to have lunch with Kylie's Great Grandparents and Grandma and have them all get acquainted for the first time. Recently my Aunt Dee from Arizona came up with my mom to visit and meet Kylie as well. We had the same lunch and had them same good time as we had with the Great Grandparents. We had such a nice time and it was great to show off our little miracle.

Ten Months Old

My mom brought over an outfit that I had worn when I was about 10 months old. She had saved the outfit throughout the years because it was one outfit that reminded her of when I was a baby. I waited until Kylie was 10 months old and antisipated dressing her in it to see if there were any similiarities. We couldn't resist but to chase Kylie around the house taking a few pictures.

24th of July

Sorry I haven't written in a long time. I'm backtracking because I want to try turning this blog into a memory book. That should also explain the occasional cheesiness associated with some of these blogs.

The weekend of the 24th we planned our first annual Mills camp out. We spent the weekend at Cub River, Idaho. We ate Dave's delicious dutch oven meals and Christie's sinfully good sweet rolls. We all hiked up to Spring Meadows for a short hike and played silly campfire games while sitting in Ryan and Michelle's outdoor Love Sak. Grandma and Grandpa Mills brought everyone a liter of Coke, mentoes and pipe for a competition to see who's would sky rocket the best in the air. Dave's design looked pretty promising but a mento had snuck through before we were ready and caught us off guard for 2nd place. Grandma and Grandpa Mills gave us an impressive demonstration that swept the competition. We had a great time and it was nice to see all the non-campers "roughen it."

Kylie's First Campout

Everyone warned us that camping with a baby was not going to be easy. However, our expectations were so low due to the warnings that it ended up not being half bad. It helped that we went with the Benoits who have adopted Kylie as one of there own so we always had helping hands. The Benoits are marvelous people who have taken us under there wing. They invited us to the Uinitas for 2 nights of camping and four wheeling. They brought the toys and we brought the food. Dave made some amazing dutch oven meals; ribs, green pepper, onion and bacon potatoes, and Apple Spice cobbler. He also made an impressive loaded breakfast burrito by just boiling it all in a plastic bag. Yummo! How could we go wrong with a menu like that.

Kylie did well for her first time camping. She has always struggled with sleeping anywhere other than her own bed so we knew she was going to be up during the night. She woke up as many times as she would regularly out of her own bed, as if we were indoors, so we felt like it was a success. Kylie shared a sleeping bad right next to the biggest heater in the world, her Dad. Dave sacrificed the most by not moving an inch throughout the night so he wouldn't wake up Kylie. The nights were cold but we were in 20 degree sleeping bags which helped. On our way out of town, Dave was talking with a forest ranger and he mentioned it reached 33 degrees on our last night stay.

The camping trip resulted in a slower pace but we all enjoyed it.
Dave kept mentioning that we had a successful trip because I didn't say I would never go camping again. Now that's what I call success!

4th of July

The 4th of July was fantastic with new made memories. I had wanted to show Dave off to many of my Sandy friends for years and I finally had my chance. We headed down to Sandy to the ever famous and quite lengthy Granite parade. Dave was able to meet friends that he had only heard about and probably thought they were imaginary at this point. Later that day Michelle's family (Ryan's wife) came over to visit and then we went up as a family to Big Cottonwood canyon for a picnic. My Grandma Mills from Burley was able to join us which made it extra special. We played games, ate too much, and tried not to melt in the sweltering heat. In the evening we watched fireworks in the front and then watched them from the ridge in the back. It was a nice change of pace and as always good to be with family.

Chili Mac

Have you ever heard of Chili Mac? I hadn't until I met David Auger. We were driving to Pocatello one weekend and Dave started talking about how good Chili Mac was. I had never heard of the combination and surely thought I wasn't alone. A wager was on the line and I was betting that most people would not know of the crazy combination. We stopped at a rest stop and I approached an older sales clerk with my bizarre question of whether he had heard of Chili Mac. With a big smile on his face he claimed not only had he heard about it but that it was quite good. This bet was not looking good.

Our pantry was looking a little scarce so I decided to try Chili-Mac. Dave thought it was a monumental moment and stated jokingly that we should take a picture. With a comment like that I couldn't help but grab my camera and take a picture. Dave was thrilled about our dinner and pointed out that our meal only cost $2.00 and stated that he could even "taste the sweet savings." Chili Mac was not all that bad but I don't think I'll venture out for awhile unless my pantry gets the best of us.

15 Reasons to Eat Macaroni and Cheese (without the Chili):

1. You can still eat it after you lose your teeth.
2. Some brands glow in the dark for romantic meals.
3. The noodles don't have feelings (not really).
4. You can store it in your cheeks for between meal snacks.
5. Protects your fall if you nod off at the dinner table.
6. Doesn’t taste like brussel sprouts.
7. Grows mold very slowly.
8. You can tell small children it’s yellow candy.
9. If you hold it to years you can hear the wind rustling through the cheese fields.
10. Contains no cheese!
11. Ideal for that new Pasta and Cheddar Diet plan.
12. Vegetarian! Has no vegetables!
13. Cheap way to bribe politicians.
14. Works well with the Heimlich maneuver.
15. Even if it clogs your arteries the blood can still flow through the little tubes.

Found on http://www.maccheese.com/

Bloom Where You're Planted

I have been dying to plant something for as long as I can remember. I have dreamed about someday having my own home, planting a garden and a few flower pots and raising kids. Well my dreams are coming true. I bought a flower pot and called my mom because she is an expert homemaker and gardener. She went through the Master Gardener program and has always been a good one to call for advice. She came up from Sandy and helped me plant the pot shown above. Of course we had to take a picture of the two of us due to the occasion. My mom and I couldn't help but laugh of how ridiculous we looked taking pictures slammed up against the house next to a flower pot. Out of all the years my mom has gardened she had never taken a picture next to her good work. Leave it to me to be the first to be excited about taking a picture next to a flower pot.
I had so much fun planting flowers I decided I must start a garden. During Kylie's naps I would pull weeds and till our rock garden as fast as I could before she would wake up. I'm sure anyone observing would think I was trying to set a new record for the fastest garden planted. I read all the directions and even took out a ruler to measure making sure our garden would have the best possible chance of survival. I planted cucumbers, squash, peas, chives, strawberries, and red and green peppers. I was not sure how many to plant so I just used all the seeds. Apparently that is a lot by the response I have received from others. I now love talking about gardening and find it amusing to discover the tricks of the trade. I'm already calling myself a gardener.

Fishing Hats

Last weekend we spent Friday night with the Jones. Nate just bought Dave's dream fishing boat so Dave and I decided that we needed special fishing hats for the occasion. We have been searching everywhere we go in pursuit of crazy hats that even the fish will giggle at. We found a couple that we liked and decided to show them off to the Jones showing our preparation for our future fishing trips. So it hit me... lets play SCUM and use these hats according to how well we are doing in the game. Genius! So that's exactly what we did. We tried so hard to make our men be in a position in the game to where the silliest hats. What a riot! We had so much fun I felt like I was back in high school playing silly games. We had a great time and it is now going to be difficult not to play SCUM without wearing HATS.