North of You

My baby is 2????

2009-03-24T18:16:00.004-06:00

My baby turned 2 on Friday (where does the time go). We started out the evening with some dinner at Red Robyn. I am pretty sure they have the best fries. Carter was begging us to have the people sing to her, but we thought they would scare her, plus what's the point of having them sing to a 2 year-old? We then went home for a little party. My parents, Todd and Liz's family, and Karen and Natalie came over for the festivities.

Carter and Ryan at dinner.
Spencer at dinner.

The Birthday Girl at dinner.

I am totally digging the cupcake cakes from Walmart! How easy is to hand a kid a cupcake?! Love it!

Of course Carter had to make his way into the picture.

She got a "Build-a-Monkey" from Aunt Karen and Natalie.

Her annual tea set from my mom.

I just love to look of determination on her face in this picture.

March 20th

2009-03-20T21:48:00.005-06:00

What a day March 20th has turned out to be! It's the 1st Day of Spring! (plus 70 degrees! Yea!) It's Cora's Birthday! And, It's Jeannie's Birthday! SO Happy Birthday, Ladies!

Next... Yesterday we had the pleasure of having the Olsen's stay with us on their way to Othello, WA. We all were in heaven! I couldn't figure out who was the happiest, because we all had an extra spring in our step.

We also got to spend Reece's birthday with him! Jeannie has been telling me how he has been planning a surprise party for himself for the last two months. We couldn't let him down! So Jeannie and Kyle dropped Hayden and Riley off first and then drove around the block while we hid. He then came in and we all jumped up and yelled, "SURPRISE!" We then had some dinner, cake and ice cream and then presents! I hope our little, thrown together party lived up to his expectations.

Here is the Birthday Boy when we yelled surprise! ( Look what good parents he has!)

I loved how embarrassed, yet happy he was.

A little birthday cake! That's what she said!(the t.v. in the background)

Cora and her new favorite, Riley!

A special salute on your birthday!

It's a Boy!

2009-03-04T20:54:00.005-07:00

We got a dog today! I found this cute little guy on Pet-Finder. Pet-Finder shows you pictures of dogs, cats and other pets that are up for adoption all over the country. He happened to be in Pocatello (a little bit of a jaunt) but, lucky for us, Ryan works there once a week. We called the shelter and they held this cute little guy for us until Ryan could make it over there. They think that he is a Maltese/Poodle mix and a couple years old. He is awesome! He's already house trained and sweet natured. He doesn't bark, chew or jump up on people. He seriously could be my dream dog. We decided to name him Pokey, since we got him in Pocatello.

Welcome to the family, Pokey!

My Newest Project

2009-02-27T13:09:00.004-07:00

This is a continuation of last week's project. When I purchased the place mats at Walmart, they came with these "dish towels". I put the dish towels in quotes because they were too square to be dishtowels. After I made the purses, I was looking around on-line to find a pattern to make an apron and found directions on how to make an apron out of a cloth napkin. The towel was a little smaller, but worked. So, here is the finished product...
Here is the Napkin, before...And, after...

Liz was over here yesterday and we made another purse. Here are some pictures of the process if you didn't understand the written directions below. I'm a visual person, so here are some visual instructions.

If you want directions on how to make a napkin apron, click here. She has a few different aprons you can make. I liked the bigger sash from a different apron, so I combined two different aprons to make mine. Happy Sewing!!!!

'Tis Wonderful, 'Tis Fabulous

2009-02-18T13:16:00.003-07:00

We made these cute "Place Mat Bags" last year for an Enrichment Activity. I have been wanting to make another one and finally did. These two place mats came together as a deal, so I made two. I will use one for Cora's stuff when she goes to someones house to be babysat and the other I am giving to my niece Julia. I decided that there would have to be something to tell them apart, so I found these little tags that can go onto presents to make the bags different. You could use these bags as a purse, diaper bag, scripture tote, gift bag and so on and so on.

If you haven't made these before and can't wait to make one of your own, here's how:

Purchase a place mat that you like and 2 yards of coordinating ribbon.

lay the place mat flat horizontally

to pin on the ribbon: place the end of the ribbon in the center of the place mat, roughly on the top third. Pin it there and then run it straight to the end of the place mat and pin it there. Lay out the rest of the ribbon leaving room for the handles. The ribbon should loop around and end up overlapping where it started.

Sew the ribbon on. When you start at the the end, sew and reverse it a few times to make the connection stronger and then sew to the end. Once at the end, sew and reverse it a few times as well.

Once the ribbon is sewn on, fold the place mat in half inside-out so the handles meet up. Sew each edge.

If you would like to be done, you could turn it right-side out and be done or you could do one more step to give it a little dimension.

While still inside-out, you can pull out each bottom corner to look like a triangle and sew a straight line 1 inch in. Repeat on the other side. This will give the bag a base.

Turn the bag right-side-out and you are done!

I did both of these in less than an hour. So, it's an quick, easy and inexpensive project. Have fun!

2009-02-15T21:24:00.002-07:00

I thought this was a pretty good parody of Twilight. It's a bit long (9 minutes) but worth it. They put a lot of work into it. I also love the song they chose, it's a good fit for Edward and his "mood swings". Anyway... Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day! (I guess)

2009-02-14T13:54:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am a little sad because I can't spend the day with my Valentine. He had to work in Sun Valley this weekend. I was going to drive up there with the kids today and meet him, but the roads are "difficult" (that is the word the web sight uses for the worst driving conditions). I just didn't think it would be worth the drive for one night, so I stayed home. As a result, I thought it would be fun to make the kids a fun Valentine's breakfast.

Here is their heart shaped breakfast. If you close your left eye, turn around three times, chant "Valentine's Day" twice and squint your right eye, you will be able to see that the eggs were supposed to be shaped like a heart as well.It was a Webkinz kind of day. They each got one from my mom and one from us. I don't know all of their names, but I am pretty sure that they are something original like Hearts or Hedgy. I do know that the bear and dinosaur have a little originality to their names. The bear is Forest and the dinosaur is Cocoa.

Special Olympics

2009-02-10T16:04:00.003-07:00

Idaho was fortunate enough to host the Winter World Special Olympics this year. The World Special Olympics are like the regular Olympics and are only held every 4 years. We had the opening ceremonies this past Saturday and the Olympics will last for a week. My sister-in-law, Karen, is hosting some athletes and a coach from El Salvador. As a thank you for hosting these athletes, she received tickets to the Opening Ceremonies. She had an extra ticket, so Carter got to attend.

Here is a picture of Carter and Natalie with the flame behind them.
Here is a better picture of the flame.

Winter

2009-02-09T14:03:00.003-07:00

I was extremely busy in December with Christmas, company and a wedding, so when January rolled around I was excited to get my blog up to date. That is when I received some news that put me into a "funk". That is the best word to describe it. Well, I think the fog has lifted and I am coming out of it. Here are a few pictures from Christmas and events around it. I have a couple of recent things that I am going to post soon. Thanks for checking my blog and hopefully I will give you more to look at in the future.

Turkey Story

2008-11-27T21:48:00.002-07:00

Please read the following story and the procede with this post...

http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/585559.html

This turkey is my sister-in-law's turkey. She raises turkeys each year and then slaughters them just before Thanksgiving. This big guy got out a week ago and ended up less than a mile down the road. The funny thing about the article is it states that there aren't any farms in the area, but they have a big sign in front of their house that states "Fresh Turkeys for Sale". I guess he decided that since he didn't receive a pardon, he was going to make a prison break.

This turkey may have "ruined" Thanksgiving but will make for a Merry Christmas!

We did have one of her other not-so-lucky turkeys for our Thanksgiving.

Twilight

2008-11-25T15:47:00.003-07:00

We decided that a girls night was in order, since I am pretty sure Kate and I have never had a girls night out together. We decided to have some yummy dinner at the Olive Garden and then go to the movie. The day got a little stressful when my mom called and said she was way to sick to go. I tried to find someone else to go without any luck! How could I not find one person who wanted a girls night out to see Twilight? Then Kris was having some problems as well and didn't think she would be able to make the night out after getting the day off. Luckily for us, she was able to make the movie as well as Wendy. Here are Kate, Ivie and myself at the Olive Garden.
Here we are waiting in the ridiculous line!The line was so long because they kept adding showings of the movie. When I ordered tickets on line, there was only one showing for the movie. When we got there , they had added two more (totalling 3). By the time they let us into the theater (5 minutes before the movie was to start) they had added another. It took them 30 minutes to get the film ready to show on 4 screens. Finally, we got to see it! You should have seen the lobby when the movie was over! It was pure mania! I have never seen anything like it!

When I left, I had mixed emotions. I kinda liked it and kinda didn't. Movies are never as good as the book because they usually omit things or condense things, i.e. two dances into one prom. I know that they added some scenes to bring in the male population, but did so at the expense of the story. Oh, well. But now that I am a few days out, I am seeming to remember a lot that I liked about the movie (i.e kissing scene) and a desire to see it again! I must have liked it more than I originally thought! I am going to see it again tomorrow with my mom. I will have to let you know the final verdict. I hope you all enjoyed it.

What are you plans?

2008-11-20T10:38:00.001-07:00

Lucky 13

2008-11-18T12:58:00.003-07:00

Today is our Anniversary. Yep it's been 13 years! How is that possible? One day it feels like we just met and the other it feels like we have been together forever (that's not always a bad thing). :) Last Friday, we went on a date for our anniversary. We did a little shopping, ate at the Cheesecake Factory (for me) and then went to a movie (for him). We hardly get out with just each other, so it was nice.

So some of you may be wondering some lessons that I might have learned in 13 years of marriage. Well, I don't know if I learned anything big but I did learn a little lesson each year.

Here they are...

Year 1. It is really nice to married to a man who makes the bed every day.

Year 2. Always listen to your hubby when he tells you to go to the doctor. If I hadn't, I might be skinny, but I would be without 3 beautiful children and have a goiter the size of a baseball.

Year 3. Saving up for a house is worth it.

Year 4. Having a husband who makes the bed at all is only something that happens the first year of marriage.

Year 5. A child can bring even more love into a home.

Year 6. Follow your husbands promptings to sell your house. It is for the best sometimes.

Year 7. Rediscover each other.

Year 8. The seven year itch is real, but it can be overcome.

Year 9. Cooperation really works with 2 kids.

Year 10. We really do listen to one another.

Year 11. Building a house isn't that hard when you refer to 10.

Year 12. Having a baby and knee surgery in the same year could only work with the help of a good man.

Year 13. They really were not kidding when they said that communication is key.

What I can say is that I am glad to have this amazing man in my life. We have had a lot of great times and some not so great times but I would not change a thing! All of our times together have been worth it as long as he has been by my side!

I love you, Ryan! We have been counseled to find joy in our lives. You are mine. Happy Anniversary!

Four year olds!

2008-11-14T13:28:00.004-07:00

It has become evident that I have a four year old running around this house. There are shreds of paper everywhere I look. He is constantly cutting and drawing and spelling every one's name in the house. If I have to spell "Carter" one more time, I'm gonna lose it.

His teacher told me a funny story about Spencer the other day. She saw that he was coloring a banana on the board and she asked him about it...

Miss Amanda: "Spencer, what are you doing?"

Spencer: "I'm trickin' it out!"

What else can I say?

Baptism

2008-11-05T23:25:00.004-07:00

I am not always good with the sensitive emotions. I would much rather make a joke. I almost titled this blog "Slam Dunk" but I changed my mind. Is it really necessary for me to always take the easy way out and make a joke. No, this is a time for me to attempt some maturity, I do have an 8-year-old for crying out loud. So here it is...

I have to say that I am so impressed with Carter. Just before he turned eight, our primary had a meeting with all of the children who would be getting baptised this fall and their parents to go over everything that would be taking place. I was impressed on how much he paid attention. A couple of days later he asked, "The primary president said that it was my choice to get baptised. Is that true?" I told him, "Of course it is your choice. You do what you want to do. What do you want to do?" He replied, "I want to get baptised."

Over the next month, I was also impressed with the knowledge he has. His primary teachers are amazing, because, let's face it, I haven't been living up to my potential. They are amazing men! His one teacher sends all of the kids post-cards from his travels. They truly love these kids.

Now, I want to tell you about the actual night. There were FIVE kids just from my ward getting baptised. It was crazy! The whole chapel was filled with people coming to witness the children getting baptised. It was fortunate that there were people out of town, because there wouldn't have been any room for them to sit. Carter was in the second group of kids to be baptised so we had a few moments to talk and take pictures. During that time I really took notice of Carter. He is a nice kid. A really Nice kid. He doesn't care who the person is, he will be nice to them. My heart swelled as I watched him talk to other kids. He was so nervous and excited, yet he managed to pay attention and be nice to all of the kids that were there to get baptised or witness his baptism. The other thing that struck me that night was the actual baptism. Carter had a huge smile on his face as Ryan lowered him into the water. What else can I say? Pure joy and happiness as you become a member of the Lord's church. I was truly touched. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you to everyone, those who was able to attend and to those who weren't there in body, but were there in spirit. We Love You.

All Hallows Eve...

2008-11-05T22:35:00.004-07:00

When I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween, Carter initially said that he and Natalie wanted to be bucket heads. Huh?! Spencer said that he wanted to be Iron Man (a movie, of which, scares him and he refuses to watch). Double Huh?! So after discussion on how this bucket head thing was going to work, Carter changed his mind. :) He then decided that he wanted to be a ninja. When Spencer heard this, he "decided" that he wanted to be a ninja as well. Now, I am sure that many of you know how 4-year-olds with older siblings are, they want to do everything their older sibling does. I am sure this will not end at 4 either. Lucky Carter! Well, since they both decided to be ninjas I decided they all were going to be ninjas. I figured this will be the last year that I could make Cora be whatever I wanted her to be. We extended the offer to Natalie to be a ninja but she said no. She instead decided to be a munchkin (we are the lollipop kids...). I don't think there could have been a costume that would have stuck out any more than hers in comparison to my children, not to mention she is quite taller than my children despite that she is only 6 weeks older than Carter. Check it out...Now, I just thought this picture was funny. I mean, their getting free candy! Why the tears? We have the movie 3 Ninjas. I never heard of it either. I believe we got it out of the cheap bin at Walmart. We were watching it in the car. If you really question acting in a movie, try listening to the dialogue over and over and over in the car. Blah! Well, one day Carter says, "Mom, this movie is PG-13." I replied, "No it isn't. It's a kids movie. They wouldn't make it PG-13." He responded with, "Yes it is. Look at it." I took the movie from him, and sure enough it was PG-13 (nice parenting). What caught me off guard was the reason for it being PG-13. Check it out...

I don't know why, I have just always thought the reason was funny. If you can't read it, it says, "Non-stop Ninja Action".
And that's all I've got to say about that.

Turning 8 in "08

2008-10-29T16:40:00.003-06:00

Finally I am getting around to posting this! I know! Carter turned 8 on the 14th and boy did we party it up!!! We went to this place called Boondocks. It's the epitome of FUN centers. The kids got to eat some pizza and cake followed by some gift time. Then they got to play laser tag and drive go-carts. The best part of the party was Magical Nate! He did it all! He showed off his mad magical skills with some tricks, tried to keep the kids under control during the gifts and then got a couple of kids to shove Carter's face in the cake. Magical Nate Rocks!

Another highlight was the arrival of our friends, the Olsens. They were on their way up to Washington to visit Jean's family. They stayed over at our house and were able to attend the party. When Carter answered the door, Hayden (Carter's buddy) was there and they had the same shirt on. It was fate! Buddies for life! I hope their next trip to WA is soon, we can't wait to party it up again.

Here is a little video I "made" on my computer. It replays the same pictures a lot, so don't feel bad if you want to stop the video. The song is from High School Musical 3, go Wild Cats!

Ode to K8!

2008-10-07T14:47:00.002-06:00

Guess who's birthday it is today?

We must Celebrate

Kate

cuz she is really great

she is never late

she can never hate

it was fate

when Chad asked her to date

he didn't want a rebate

just a re-date

with love giving she can satiate

and radiate

she is top rate

she is funny when she retaliate(s)

her humor undulate(s)

Her friendship I valuate

as pure and great

so, I am here to celebrate

my wonderful friend, Kate

Happy Birthday, Kate!
Does anyone else have the song Mediate (INXS) in their head now?
"We all rotate"

Comical Misunderstanding

2008-10-07T14:20:00.002-06:00

I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing beautiful people. We were discussing how uncomfortable it can be when you are in their presence. She had a made a comment about an attractive person and I automatically that she was talking about Ryan. It wasn't until I got off the phone that I realised that she was talking about someone else. I felt like an idiot at first. But, then I got to thinking that I shouldn't be embarrassed that I still feel attracted to my husband. I feel happy that I am married to this handsome man. It made me remember the first time that I saw him. I remember I was sitting in Sunday School when this completely gorgeous guy starts teaching the lesson. I don't remember a word that he said! All that I remember was thinking how cute and personable he was. I then remember going to a Family Home Evening and he was there with some friends. I remember wondering how I could get him to notice me. I was a decent flirt, but I never approached a guy first. So I wondered how I could get introduced to him. It was then that I learned that a friend had a crush on him. Well, we all know that friend law states that you can't hit on/flirt/date a guy that a friend likes, so he was off limits. Lucky for me, he did notice me somewhere along the way and asked me out and the rest was history. Oh yes, and my friend had moved to Georgia.

In case you may have forgotten (and how could you), here he is...

Snip! Snip!

2008-10-02T17:22:00.003-06:00

No! I wasn't talking about Ryan! :) Cora got her first haircut today.

She really didn't need much. I just wanted her to have the length cut up a bit so her bangs would catch up more quickly. Here are the pictures...
She cried pretty hard and was moving around a lot, so the lady didn't do much. I don't know if it was worth the 10 bucks, but what are you going to do...

Follow it up with some chicken nuggets!

You Say It's Your Birthday...

2008-09-26T15:51:00.005-06:00

Happy 35th Birthday, Ryan!

I would love to tease him and say that he is getting so old, but I will be 35 soon as well and that will come back to get me!

I just want to tell Ryan how much I love him! He is always making me laugh and isn't that the most important thing. He knows how to have a great time! There is no sitting when Ryan is around. There never is any question if the food he is eating is good with all the mmm's going on. Plus, he has amazing quotables such as "It's like the 4th of July in your mouth" and the classic "Double, triple check 'em"

Love ya, Babe! Have a great day!

Garage Days!

2008-09-19T14:55:00.000-06:00

There is this house down the street from us that I am wondering about. Now I am not one to talk about neighbors (who am I kidding), but I am wondering about these people. Yes, they are the ones in the picture above. J/K

Before I start I would like to state that these people are living in a good size home, over 3000 square feet. It has a family room and bonus room, five bedrooms and I will be hosting an open house on Saturday. :) When they moved in, there was living room furniture in the garage. I thought that maybe they were just taking their time getting things moved into their house. Then I would notice people hanging in the garage. I thought maybe they had a band, working out or fixing a car. Lately, while picking up Carter from the bus stop, I have noticed that the people in the garage are just hanging out. Sitting on their living room furniture and talking. I am wondering why. Do they not have enough room in their house? Do they want to experience the fresh air of the garage? Are they from a different part of the country that does that sort of thing? Can someone please shed some light? Thanks!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Lloyd!

2008-09-17T22:32:00.000-06:00

The reason we went to Utah on the weekend we did, was for Grandma Lloyd's 90th birthday. It was nice to see and get to know Ryan's aunts, uncles and cousins. It was great to see Grandma Lloyd. She has never seen Cora in person, so it was good for the two of them to meet. We had a nice time. Thanks to Ryan's aunts and uncles for putting on a nice reunion.

Why Must Everything that is Mine be Everyone's?

2008-09-09T14:41:00.001-06:00

Ok, soooo... Why must children think that anything that belongs to mom, belongs to them? They don't do it with their dad! Here's the deal. My children think they can hijack my camera and play with it like it is a toy. I never know what they are doing until I download pictures on my computer and get a bunch of pictures of random things like a thumb, stuffed animal, an eye, a cartoon on t.v., a hot wheels car, etc. OR I go to take a bunch of pictures and can't figure out why they look like crap. Well, the little monkeys got a hold of my camera before we went to Utah and screwed up the settings! Dang It! So these are the fuzzy pictures from when we went to dinner with Kyle and Jeannie. I had been looking forward to seeing them and having fun pictures for the blog and this is what I get. Thanks kids!

We went to a yummy Brazilian restaurant called Rodizio Grill. I had never gone to a Brazilian restaurant, so it was a new experience for me. It was a lot of fun! If you have never been to one before, there is a salad bar that is stocked with a ton of salads that is all you can eat. Then, men walk around with meat on these skewers for you to eat. If you choose what they offering, they will cut a piece off. The meat is all you can eat as well. It was fun and the boys had a great time.

Kyle eating some yummy pineapple. (Well, yummy for him, I don't like cooked pineapple)Carter and Hayden - buddies even after not seeing each other for three years.Spencer loved making friends with Reece.I love when Carter thinks he is funny and does the bunny ears. At least Hayden did it him in a previous picture.Here is a picture of a guy serving the meat.

Laptop woes

2008-09-08T19:50:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to shut my laptop when it made a weird grinding noise. I freaked! It took a little finessing, but I got it opened again. Phew! Well, I haven't shut it since for fear that it may totally break and I would lose my baby! (I know, a little dramatic but I have my life on that thing.) Soooo, Ryan took it to Geek Squad and they said that we needed a whole new screen and it would cost $500. Might as well get a new laptop for that! So Ryan brought it home and called around to see if he could get a part from somewhere for cheaper and do it himself. Now, I love my husband, but handy isn't his strong suit, so I wasn't thrilled about that option. He then asked someone who works for HP and they said it might just need a new hinge and that would be around $45, but he would have to look at it. Well, that wasn't happening! So, I took matters into my own hands today and took the laptop to a place to have it fixed. If it needed a new screen, it would be $220, not as bad as the first, but still not great. Rick (the repairman) said that a screw came out which couldn't be redone because it was stripped, but he could reinforce it a different way and make it more secure than it was before for $45. Now that is something I can deal with. I will be able to pick it up in the morning and then post pictures from my trip to Utah (I know you are dying to see them). Thanks, Rick! You're awesome!

Gotta Go Back, Back, Back to School Again

2008-08-26T14:26:00.000-06:00

School started back up for both of the boys yesterday. Carter is a big 2nd grader and Spence is attending another year of pre-school. They were both excited. When I asked them how their days went, Carter said, "Great!" and Spencer said, "I wish I could stay here all day." That seems to be a good sign. We'll see how they feel about school in a month, or even a week.

Spencer was so excited about the fact that he gets to take a lunch to school this year. Pre-school ends at 11:30, but they can stay until 12:00 and eat lunch with the teacher if they would like. He chose to stay, of course! It was so cute watching him put all of his stuff in his lunch box when he was done. I wish I would have brought my camera for that.

Carter's Teeth

2008-08-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, and some of you may not, we have had A LOT of problems with Carter's teeth. He has had to go under TWICE to have the dentist fix multiple teeth at one time. Well, for the past two years Carter hasn't had any cavities! Which totally rocks! But, with that being said, it doesn't mean that we haven't had any problems. Last night Carter said that his tooth was hurting and I examined it with my professional eye. He brushed his teeth and used some ACT mouth wash and we flossed his teeth. I then gave him some Advil and put him to bed. I told him that if his tooth still hurt in the AM, we would take him to the dentist. He woke up this morning and said his gums still hurt and Yada, Yada, Yada... he had an abscess tooth. I had to take him to the dentist and they had to pull it. Good news is it was a baby tooth, bad news is, he won't get his permanent tooth for another couple of years. Oh, well!

Now, if you are interested in the yada, yada part, you will have to give me a call. It is pretty horrific. I mean gross, like horror movie gross and I thought I would spare you all the details. If you are into horror, give me a call and I will gladly share the details with you because misery loves company!

Memory Game

2008-08-12T15:58:00.000-06:00

Concentration anyone?Here is what you do:

1. Add a comment to this post on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot…anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses.

If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Trip to Twin Falls Temple (Say that three times fast)

2008-08-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

Well, two weeks ago we went to Twin Falls to walk through their new Temple. We had a great time. We then went to Shoshone Falls ("Niagara Falls of the west"). The falls were running pretty high, so the kids were impressed. We then drove home and Cora threw up, twice. That was the beginning of a crazy couple of weeks. So we got home and she threw up again. She was doing better when I put her to bed, but then it was Spencer's turn. He threw up 7 times and had the back door trots ALL NIGHT LONG. It took all of Wednesday to recover from that night. Then Thursday I got us ready to go camping on Friday (that will come in a later post). We came home Sunday, I started reading Breaking Dawn and it took all of my free time til Tuesday. Wednesday Kate came over for a play date. After she left, Carter and I started to feel like crap resulting in throwing up. We then felt like crap for another couple of days and so here I am! Finally posting!

Here we are! Myself, Cora, my mom (Sandie), Carter, My mother-in-law (Carol), and Spencer My cute kids.

Here we are at Shoshone Falls with my mom.
Here we are with Carol.

Fair Play!

2008-07-26T11:04:00.001-06:00

It's fair time again! Every year my mom has the kids come out to enjoy the Canyon County Fair. It's nice because it is small and the kids have a nice time. My mom has a garden wagon that they ALL decided to ride in. They kids got to enjoy the fair in style.

Here the kids are checking out a chicken.
McKinzie was in a bind and needed a babysitter. I said cool, as long as you don't mind her taking a trip. So Kambree got to go to the fair as well.
Checking out the goats!
One cool chick! Too bad she wouldn't keep her hat on.
Annabelle and Liz petting a baby pony.
Spence giving the pony a pat.
Nothing softer than a bunny. Some fresh ink!
While the kids were getting their tats, the lady all but physically forced me to put a small tattoo on Kambree. Even at my protests she cleaned off Kambree's leg and put one on. So now 6 month old, Kambree, is sporting a small heart tattoo on her ankle. Sorry, Ryan and Kinzie! (I was too embarrassed to take a picture of that.)

Tagged!!!!

2008-07-25T17:49:00.000-06:00

All right, I have been tagged so many times and have not done it, but these are simple answers, so I thought I would finally do one...
1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your significant other? gym
3. Your hair? sweaty
4. Your mother? awesome
5. Your father? compassionate
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? Diet Pepsi
9. Your dream/goal? Masters in Counseling
10. The room you’re in? family room
11. Your hobby? anything computer
12. Your fear? I can't say it out loud
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? getting my masters
14. What you’re not? relenting
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? Interior decorator
17. Where you grew up? Idaho/Alaska
18. The last thing you did? Canyon County Fair
19. What are you wearing? capris and T-shirt
20. Favorite gadget? Tie - Blackberry/laptop
21. Your pets? none (do kids count? J/K)
22. Your computer? Loved
23. Your mood? relaxed
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? dirty
26. Something you’re not wearing? earrings
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? most of the time :)
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Thursday
I'm sorry Leslie, but this is stopping with me. I don't ever do them, therefore I am not going to ask anyone to do it. But, if any of you are interested in doing this, feel free!

A Little Bit Girly

2008-07-24T11:05:00.000-06:00

So... I just figured that Cora would be a little Tomboy. She has two older brothers and loves to play with their toys. She has some dolls and stuffed animals but always looked at them like they were planning a sinister plot. Well, we had a girly breakthrough. A friend of mine, Danielle, gave me a bag of clothes that her daughter has grown out of and in that bag there was a pair of princess shoes. Now, Cora's has had a healthy interest in shoes (shoe was one of her first words), so she was happy when she discovered the shoes. She insisted that she wear and walk around in them. Since then, she has now enjoyed playing with her baby dolls. Although, the tomboy does still show when she carries it around by its foot and throws it.

Meet Andy

2008-07-11T17:20:00.001-06:00

No, we didn't get a new dog, but after looking at his cute little face, I wish we had. Grandma Lloyd got this cute little Bichon. His papered name is Raggedy Andy, but we just call him Andy. He loves to chase after my new (not so much now after Andy) broom and chew on it.

4th of July

2008-07-06T17:34:00.000-06:00

Another holiday, other child sick! I only have three, how is it whenever a holiday roles around I have a sick child?

Well, it was a fun holiday in spite of the sickness. We went to my mom's for lunch and then to Karen's for dinner and play. The evening started with dinner followed by swimming and fireworks. We also celebrated Mark and Steve's birthday. Mark turned the big 50 today. Happy Birthday, Mark! I took Cora home early so she wouldn't be scared by the fireworks which turned out to be a good thing, since when I took her to the doctor the next day, she had a double ear infection! Yippee!

Here is Ryan with John (in blue, family friend), Mark (birthday boy) and Karen Annabelle and Spencer watching the fire crackers and bottle rockets being lit.
Carter
Kristi throwing Spencer in the air.
My poor sick baby! You can tell she is sick by those glossed over eyes.

Rest of Mexico

2008-07-05T11:23:00.000-06:00

So the rest of the trip to Mexico was a lot of fun, but boring to people who don't know who we know. So I thought I would make things a little easier on you all and just show some highlights. The next day on the trip we went 4-wheeling with Chris and Lisa. I hadn't done it since I was little so it took some time getting used to, but once I was used to it, we had a good time. They took us on a a tour of the desert and then down to the beach for us to ride around a bit. The helmets they had us wear were like hard hats. We were a little afraid that they were going to take us to a construction site and put us to work. We also had to wear bandannas because of all the dirt. Ryan and I looked like we were going to rob a stage coach, but Lisa looked like an Arabian princess. I am jealous of those eyes! I was so ready to take a shower when we got back to the hotel! That night we had another reception! The next day we hung at the pool and had massages. That night we went to dinner with a couple of Area Vice-Presidents. The next day we hung at the pool all day and then we went to the dinner/party that recognized the sales winners (Ryan). That was fun as well. The next morning we came home. It was a little sad to leave a nice vacation, but it was also nice to get out of Mexico and be back in the good ol' USofA. The best was seeing my kids when we got home. I missed them sooo much!

Chris on his 4-Wheeler
Lisa, Miss Arabian Princess.
The night we went to dinner with the Area Vice-Presidents
The Awards Banquet
What do you do with Sombrero's lying around? Take a picture, of course! (I am not pregnant, no matter what the picture looks like. I just ate dinner, so lay off! :) )
A look from above at the dinner/party on the beach.
This sign had spotlights on it when the sun went down. They also put on a nice fireworks show. Only in Mexico would they shoot off fireworks so close to where people were sitting. Let's just say that I got something in my eye from the fireworks. Good Times!

Cabo, Baby!

2008-06-22T14:28:00.001-06:00

We got back from Cabo about a week ago and I have been trying to post this for about a week now. I finally have a minute and the computer is running at a normal speed.

For those of you who don't know, Ryan won another trip through work for being an awesome salesman! Go, Ryan!

So, here are some pictures of the first day and a half we were there.

These are pictures from the lounge in the hotel. We stayed at the Hilton.

The next morning we went deep sea fishing.

Here we are with Ryan's co-worker, Ming, and his wife, Dingh.
Here's Ryan reeling in a shark! That's right, a shark! That was scary when it came aboard!
Ryan with the Marlin he reeled in.
Me reeling in a wahoo (sp?).
Ryan holding the big ol' fish I reeled in.

That night they had a welcome dinner. Here we are in front of one of the pools on our way to the party.

No party is complete in Mexico without a mariachi band!
Ryan's co-worker, Teri, and her hubby, Todd.
Ryan's other co-worker, Lisa, and her hubby, Chris.
Us!

I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW!

2008-06-09T21:56:00.000-06:00

I know! I haven't blogged FOREVER! Sorry! It has been crazy around here! Below are just a few of the pictures I have taken over the past couple months. It started with Spencer's birthday and ended with Carter's Baseball Party. Here is what happened in between. Sick (me), field trip, another field trip (same week), dentist (me), activity days, activity days planning meeting, book club, babysitting, volunteering, another field trip, BASEBALL and more BASEBALL, Ryan out of town a lot, birthday, Mother's Day, Baseball, field trip, volunteer, babysit, swimming lessons, activity days, another field trip, school program, babysit, dentist (kids), school program, baseball, end of school. The hard things were, I am new into my calling of Activity Days and the other girl has no problem delegating things for me to do and I am the team mom for Carter's baseball team. They are a lot of work! THEN... Carter's coach tells us at the last game of the year that he would like to extend the season and arrange some games with another league! Like I don't have enough to do and I already planned the party. Well, we had the party anyway! I did my part! Having said that, yes we did have practice tonight! When will it end?

I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW! (Part 2)

2008-06-09T21:55:00.001-06:00

These boots are made for walking...

2008-04-04T18:09:00.000-06:00

I took the kids to Caldwell to see my mom at her work since Carter didn't have school. While we were there, Cora took three steps. This could be the end of my bliss! She is going to be dangerous soon. Lucky for me, we made sure that this house doesn't have the lever door knobs. No playing in the toilet for her!

Spring Break!

2008-04-01T11:59:00.001-06:00

The kids had a great Spring Break! Monday started with Carter going to his cousin, Natalie's and playing all day long.

On Tuesday, I met up with my sister-in-law, Liz, and we took our kids (along with Natalie) to I-HOP to have the Horton Hears a Who breakfast and then took them to the movie. I forgot my camera! Breakfast was really cute. They had Green Eggs and Ham with Pancakes with pink and blue syrup. The movie was cute too. We had fun, but it wasn't a cheap excursion!

The next day I took the kids over to Kate's house. I forgot my camera AGAIN. (What's up with me?) We had a nice time hanging while the kids played. We never get to see each other when our kids are in school because one of us (usually her) is having to pick up kids not long after dropping them off. She has one in 1st grade and two in preschool. She is busy.

Then, Thursday I met up with Kate and her family at PoJo's for some family fun. PoJo's is place similar to Chuck E. Cheese's but has bumper cars. It took some convincing, but I got Carter and Connor to go on the bumper cars with Chad (Kate's hubby).

Friday we relaxed during the day and then Ryan took the boys to the motorcycle show that night with his friend Phil and Phil's son, Aiden. Spencer was in heaven! I guess he was jumping up and down the whole night.

Saturday, Ryan took Carter skiing. He offered to take Spencer, but Spence didn't want to go. They met up with Todd and Annabelle and had a great time. Carter learned how to use his poles and went down the big hill without any help from Ryan. You go Carter!!!

Sunday we went to church and vegged all day. We needed a day to recoup!

So here are the pictures I did take...

Cora still eating her pizza.

Carter playing a game.

Connor playing a game as well. Boys will be boys.

Kate's twins taking a ride. Emmie is on the left and Callie on the right.

Kate and Josie

This was the best picture that I could get of the bumper cars. These are the best bumper cars ever, by far. They spin on a dime!

Cora and Dax waiting while we turned in our tickets. I have to make a comment about Dax's bib. The last time Kate was at our house she had a similar bib on Dax and Ryan came home for a minute and asked, "What is that he has on him?" I said, "It's a bib!" Ryan replied with, "THAT is not a bib." Lucky for me, Kate laughed hysterically! It is a good thing she can appreciate Ryan's sense of humor.

We had to have a picture taken of us! Kate and I have been friends for nearly 9 years and we only have one other picture taken with both of us in it. I think it is about time, don't you?

This was the motorcycle show. Downing some popcorn before the festivities begin.

A look at their view!

Sorry it was soo wordy. But it was a fun-filled week fit into one post. I guess it is to be expected.

Easter 2008

2008-03-23T14:18:00.000-06:00

Like most holidays, everything seems to rush by in a whirlwind. So, in the last 18 hours we have colored eggs, taken baths, gone to bed, woke up, searched for Easter baskets, got ready for church, attended church, came home, opened the stuff that the Easter Bunny brought and played with it and ate some candy, lunch and more candy. It is time for a nap! Before the nap ~ here are the pictures... We first colored the eggs then took a bath. Once they were all clean and the eggs were dry, we decorated them with stickers.
In years past, the kids put out their Easter Baskets and the Easter Bunny comes and fills them with goodies and then hides some eggs. Well, this year the Easter Bunny decided not to hide any eggs, because they are going on an egg hunt at Karen's house. What the Easter Bunny did this year was hide their baskets and then gave them clues hidden in plastic eggs to find the next egg and eventually their baskets. The best part of it was Carter's reaction when he didn't see his basket in the morning. He said, "I can't find our baskets and all that is here is this egg." He seemed so worried that he may have been in trouble with the Easter Bunny. After the game he said, "This was sooo much better than last Easter! I love the Easter Bunny."
Carter reading his clue. Spencer opening a clue.

Home from church in our Easter best. Cora figuring out the mystery of the plastic egg.

Carter's new metal baseball bat. No swinging in the house unless you see an alien.
Spencer got a tee-ball set. He is really good at balancing the ball on his head. :)

Cora's 1st Birthday Party!

2008-03-22T16:24:00.000-06:00

Our CUTE little girl turned 1 Thursday! So we had to have a party, of course.

How sweet is that face?
Checking out the new present from Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Doug with cousins Annabelle and Julia.
That was a yummy chocolate cake! We got the chocolate cake from Costco. It was delicious!
I little pooped from all of the fun.
Her second wind kicked in after everyone left and she really started to enjoy her new toys!
Testing out her new toys with her bros.

Happy Birthday to Two Jeans!

2008-03-20T07:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to two awesome chicks!

First, Happy 1st Birthday to my little girl, Cora Jean!

How quickly a year has gone. She is a loving little girl who knows how to not to take any crap from her brothers. She loves to dance and eat bread (a girl straight after my heart).

Second, Happy Birthday to Jeannie!

She is such a fun friend and is usually up for anything. She loves American Idol and could out-vote any of you!

I hope you both have a great day! Eat as much chocolate as you can!

Taking to the slopes (In CANADA)

2008-03-13T21:34:00.001-06:00

Ryan finally got to go on his dream trip. As long as we have been married (12 years, yikes am I really that old), Ryan has wanted to go to Canada to go skiing. Well, he just got back from his trip yesterday, and it was worth the wait! He had the time of his life and actually thinks he could give up skiing because it could never be as good as it was in Canada. All I have to say is, "You get your lazy butt up on that slope and ski off those new clothes you bought! I am pretty sure you haven't gotten your use out of those skies and boots either! Oh, and if you are going, you better take our kids so I can have some girl time."

But I am really happy that he finally got to go.

I am glad you got to live out your dream, Ryan.

One of the many signs he and Phil chose to ignore.
Ryan considering going out of bounds, AGAIN.
Phil Moore right there with Ryan, heading out of bounds. (BTW - Phil has a VW bus that he has had restored and if any of your children are "Cars" fans like mine, then you may have noticed that Phil shares the name with the VW bus named Filmore.)
Just a "little" skiing took place on these mountains.
Ryan in front of a very frozen Lake Louise.I will post a video of a little skiing he did on the trip once I get it edited. I am sure you all are on pins and needles. :)

Annabelle's Birthday

2008-03-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Annabelle turned 6 yesterday. I took the boys to her birthday party last night. The had fun eating cake, drinking sparkling cider and watching Annabelle open her presents.
Annabelle is such a cute girl! I hope you had a GREAT Birthday!

What has been going on for the past month

2008-03-04T11:55:00.001-07:00

Once there was a snowman...

It had snowed so much that day that it didn't take Ryan and the boys very long to make the snowman. The problem was that Spence hates getting snow or rain in his face, so he didn't want to stay out too long. Notice the Christmas lights still on the house. It took a while for Ryan to take those down because of all the snow.

Spencer got a new "piggy" bank and was sooo happy. It was in the shape of a baseball.
We went to Grandma Sandie's school to wish her Happy Birthday. She had to have parent/teacher conferences that night (how sad). We took her a cake and a present. It was fun.

Just had to throw in a picture of Cora with her piggy tails.

Twilight Movie

2008-02-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok- so the cast has been decided for the new Twilight movie. I am sorry, but what is up with Jaspers hair? I loved one comment that said it looked like Jon Heder's hair in "Blades of Glory". LMBO. If you want a better look, you can go to http://www.stepheniemeyer.com. SO, tell me what you think?

What have I been doing?

2008-02-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ok - so here is the thing! I haven't posted for so long for the stupidest reasons. First of all, my life went from completely busy to completely boring. I actually got excited to take Cora to the doctor to get a flu shot booster just to get out of the house. I would have done something constructive to my house but we were all a bit sick, so the house went to hell in a hand basket. So not only did I not do anything the first week, but my house was a mess to boot.

Then last week came! I was feeling better, thank goodness, because I was busy. My sister-in-law, Liz, came down with the flu. Not just sick, but the real flu! Ya know the one where even if you had a flu shot, it wouldn't matter. SO, I spent a couple days of that week trying to do stuff for her and her family as well as get my children's Valentine crap together. I only say crap, because I was so busy. I usually like Valentine's Day. Then Valentine's Day came with all of it's parties and what not. (oh, I apperantly forgot that I have a camera because I didn't take any pictures the last couple of weeks) Then, since we didn't have school on Friday, my friend Kate came over with her kids to hang. Saturday, my mom took my kids over night and Ryan and I stayed the night in Sun Valley (forgot the camera again). We had a nice Valentine's weekend. We have since been enjoying hanging out as a family. Ryan had to leave for a couple of days to New Orleans, boo hoo - but that's nothing compared to what Jean is going thru. So there is the catch up. I missed you guys.

Snow Day! Snow Day! No School on a Snow Day!

2008-01-31T16:23:00.001-07:00

We had a snow day yesterday!

I was too busy yesterday to post this, but here are the kids doing a happy dance for no school. I am not sure what is up with my camera. I have been having problems with it since before Christmas. Most of my pictures are turning out blury. I have changed a bunch of settings and don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

Well, here are the kiddos doing a happy dance...Doesn't Carter look like he is Austin Powers in this picture? Ya, Baby!
Look at that cute Spencer!

Carter-isms

2008-01-24T15:14:00.001-07:00

My little toothless child..

Well, we are all feeling better. Ryan and I had that nasty stomach flu that has been going around. That was the weirdest flu ever. While I was sick, I was hanging with Carter and he said something funny. I then got to thinking of all of the funny things that Carter has said in his seven short years. Here are a few...

When he as younger he called Power Rangers "P Rangers"

Commercials were called "Curshameals"

and my favorite - Ice cream was "Ass Cream" We never knew if we should get him a cone or some Desitin.

As he has gotten a little older and can form thoughts into sentences, some of the things that he has come up with are hilarious. One thing about Carter, he says most things with a matter-of-fact tone to his voice.

So, back to the other day. I was watching HGTV and some home improvement show on it. Carter was watching it with me. There was a commercial (or a curshameal) for Best Buy. When it was over, Carter said, "Why did they have a Best Buy commercial? They don't sell things for the home. They sell technology."

My favorite thing he has said was what he said to my sister-in-law when she was taking him to school one morning. She asked him how he liked school and he replied with, "I don't know why they (adults) send kids to a place where they're (kids) just gonna be bored all day." I think my sister-in-law laughed for a week in the way he said that. She said he was so matter-of-fact.

I have to say, he always keeps us on our toes with what he might say. Thanks for making us laugh, Carter.

It FINALLY went missing...

2008-01-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Carter Finally lost his front tooth!

That tooth has driven every person completely nuts for the past month! It has been soooo wiggly and yet he would not let anyone touch it, let alone pull it out! Well, it finally came out on it's own last night. And, thanks to Jeanie's post about the Tooth Fairy, I think she has been back on her game. She came last night! We were a little worried because the money had slipped between the mattress and the headboard, but we found it!

One last thing, when Ryan saw Carter after his tooth fell out he said, "Now that is one messed up grill." (He was joking of course ~ I just thought it was funny. )

My Day So Far...

2008-01-11T12:34:00.001-07:00

Look at these two sweet and innocent faces...

(not a current picture - I didn't have the time)

These two innocent faces have given me a run for my money today.

It was my Friday to babysit my niece. You see, my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, and I have an arrangement to switch off babysitting on Fridays so the other can volunteer at school. Today was my day to babysit. The day started off fine with me taking Carter to school. The other three were great, Julia didn't even take off her socks and shoes which is what she usually does the minute she gets into the car. This beginning of the day was leading me into a false sense of security that today was going to be an easy day. Those thoughts were my first mistake! I come inside with the kids like I do most days and fed Cora her breakfast. I then took her upstairs to lay her down. I decided that since I was up there, I would go into the playroom and reassemble Spencer's Geo-Trax train set. That was my second mistake of the day! While doing this, we discover that one of the trains needs new batteries. I take the train downstairs to replace the batteries (which goes against my personal motto of "When the batteries are dead, so is the toy"). My third mistake of the day! While replacing the batteries, I hear Julia yelling something to me. After a second of brain processing, I realize she is yelling something about the potty. I yell up to her to come down stairs when I catch a glimpse of her walking like a penguin. I am too late! She has COMPLETELY wet her pants. Even her socks are wet. I then take her into the bathroom and sit her on the potty while peeling her wet clothes off of her. I then throw the pee infested clothes down the laundry shoot and return to dress her in a change of underwear and pants (which Liz had brought by total accident - thank goodness). I return downstairs to throw her clothes and some of mine into the washing machine. That was the only thing I did right today. I then finish replacing batteries. The time was then just before 10:00 am. I then decide I would make myself breakfast, since I hadn't eaten yet. While eating breakfast, the two children were hoovering around me like a couple of vultures. In order to eat in peace, I tell Spencer to go to the closet under the stairs to get some toys. Spencer quickly came out with some finger paint from the easel saying he wanted to paint. I said no that I was eating and we weren't going to paint today. Spencer then wanted me to do something for him ( I don't remember what) when I realise that Julia had not come out of the closet. I rise up to go to the closet just as Julia comes running out with paint all over her hands yelling, "You see my pictures?" She has painted all over the easel (which has no paper on it), but luckily for me there wasn't paint all over. I take her into the bathroom to wash her hands noticing that there is some paint on her shirt and pants, but at least it was washable. My relief of the morning comes when my friend, Kate, called me. Talking to her was the forth mistake of the day. While on the phone, I went into the laundry room to change the clothes. When I was done the kids came out of my room to talk to me. When they got close, it got a big whiff of bathroom cleaner. I panicked and asked them what the were doing. They took me into my bedroom to show me that they were cleaning one of Spencer's Lightening McQueens with bathroom cleaner and toilet paper. There were clumps of wet toilet paper all over. I had to make sure that they didn't ingest any of it, so I did a quick breath smell while calmly asking if they put it into their mouths. Luckily they hadn't. I then throw all of the stuff away. While bringing the car into the kitchen to "clean" I notice that the floor is disgusting. I decide to sweep it. My fifth mistake of the day. While I am sweeping the floor, I realise that I haven't heard those two monkeys in a couple of minutes, which is too long today. I go towards my bathroom to reach a locked door. I pound on the door to have Spence open the door. I notice that his pants are a little wet around the knees. I asked him what he was doing and he said cleaning when I hear Julia screaming, "Help me out!" I run to the bathroom to catch her from falling off the bathtub. I notice that my bubble bath is open and poured out. When I pick up Julia, she is covered from head to toe in bubble bath. I then strip her clothes off, her other pants are still in the dryer and not dry yet. I take her upstairs to put some of Spencer's clothes on her that are too small. While changing her clothes and giving the children the lecture that they are now not allowed down stairs, they grabbed two of Carter's Pokemon cards. Spencer had dumped them all over his floor and bed. I then grabbed the cards out of both of their hands and proceeded to pick up all of the cards. While I am cleaning up that mess, I thought that I saw Julia walk by like she was heading down stairs. I yell at Spence to go and find her. He goes down and I hear him yelling for her. I put up the cards and joined into the search. We were running and yelling all over the bottom floor. I then head to the garage and start yelling there. Luckily she finally heard me and yelled back. She was upstairs the whole time! I manage to get Spencer back upstairs with Julia. I took in a deep breath and sank into the couch. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Liz. My three hours were up! They left and I have given the kids food, that is how I have actually found the time to write ALL of this down. My two better take naps today, because this mommy really could use one herself. ZZZ...

A New Breakthrough

2008-01-10T15:20:00.001-07:00

We had a breakthrough today! Just when I was thinking, "What am I going to post on my blog?" I was just beginning to wonder what it is I do all day. Don't get me wrong, I am usually busy all day taking care of kids, cleaning and what not, but nothing interesting enough to post. Then my little girl saved me! We were shopping around (waiting for Spencer to get out of pre-school) when I looked at her and thought I got a glimpse of white. I put my finger in her mouth (it was clean), and, sure enough, she got her first tooth. Poor thing, she goes two weeks with a cold to get another cold two days later, which lasts two weeks to have it followed by her first tooth. Good thing she won't remember it.

Christmas Review Part 2

2008-01-07T16:18:00.001-07:00

Christmas continued with the Lloyd Christmas party at our house. We had a good time with lots of food and even more desert! We ate sooooooo much! It was fun just to hang out and talk. Karen brought reindeer headbands for all of the kids. They looked adorable!

Then Christmas Eve came! Carter started the day sick with a sore throat and ended it with a temperature of 103 degrees. Ryan took Spencer and Cora to his sister's house for a little program and returned home with Cora having hives all over her body. Carter was sick for another week. I took Cora to the doctor the day after Christmas for her hives which was an "allergic reaction" (duh) and she had an ear infection. Spencer came down with the same cold that Carter had the following Saturday and I got it Sunday. What a couple of weeks! We had a great Christmas in spite of it all. Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Doug got the gang a Wii! The kids each a got a game (the much wished for) Pokemon game for Carter and Lightening McQueen (of course) for Spencer! We are in heaven over here.

Christmas Review Part 1

2008-01-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been nearly two weeks since Christmas, so I thought it was time to give an update! We were pretty busy and had company, then the kids got sick followed by me getting sick. Well, I am finally feeling better so here we are. These pictures are from the kids school holiday parties and the big visit we had from Santa. We have the connections, so we don't even have to go to the mall! That's right! No mall for us, he makes house calls. He came over and let Carter, Spencer, Cora (I didn't get a good picture), and some cousins sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. He finished the visit by reading a couple of books. It is his busy time of year so we loved that he took time to come and see us. Thanks, Santa.

I got elfed

2007-12-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

My family got elfed! Check out the link below to see what happened!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1632573091

Cadbury's Lovely Gift

2007-12-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

Every year I wait and wait and wait for Valentine's day to come and go! I mean really, who needs hearts and flowers and goo goo ga ga? The way to a woman's heart is CANDY! Not just any candy, the sweet, creamy, yummy goodness, a little piece of heaven, melt in you mouth richness of the blessed Cadbury Chocolate Creme Egg! Every year I wait impatiently for Spring to come so I can run to the nearest store and purchase my favorite chocolate in the world! Every year after Easter, I run to the store to snatch up any eggs that may be around in order to prolong my sugar induced happiness. Every year after I have eaten my last egg, I curse the Cadbury company for causing my withdrawal convulsions. I am usually heard saying, "What is so hard about making them all year long? Can't they make them for other holidays too?"

Well, this year my wish came true! The Cadbury company heard my (and I hope other people's) requests for the blessed creme egg. This year they Made the Ornament creme egg. I am sorry to say that I only have found them at Walgreen's. I am also sorry to say that I have not been able to purchase a 4 pack of eggs. But, beggars will not be choosers, I will rejoice in the precious egg and buy them individually and be happy! So here is to you Cadbury Company! You really do know how to make a delicious candy!

Picture Day

2007-12-11T12:40:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally had our pictures taken for our Christmas cards on Sunday. Here are a couple that I thought everyone could look at to see Spencer's true nature. He is definitely the goof of the family. Plus, he is the only one of our children who isn't tongue-tied so I guess he likes to show it off.
The following are some pictures I liked of each of the children. This was taken of Spencer right at our front door. He didn't want his picture taken, but I liked it!
This tree is in the park that is part of our subdivision. Look at those beautiful blue eyes.
I am pretty sure that this little girl has captured her daddy's heart. What do you think?

Cora Crawling - The Video

2007-12-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Cora Crawling

2007-12-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Cora took her first crawling "steps" the other day. It is such a hard thing when they start crawling. On one hand, you want them to develop normally and as they should. On the other hand, you want them to stay PUT for as long as they can. I suppose it is inevitable! So BRING ON the messes!

Decorating the Tree

2007-12-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

We finally put up the decorations the night before last! I would do it before Thanksgiving, but Ryan doesn't want it done until December starts, so December it is. So here is the tree...
Cora had fun with some of the ornaments as well. The finished product! Anyone notice the large grouping of ornaments to the left at child level?

It's Another Christmas, Charlie Brown!

2007-11-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is a night that we usually watch a movie because there aren't any shows we like to watch. Carter asked which movie we would be watching and since I didn't want to watch any of the normal DVDs we have, I checked out what was going to be on the tube that night. Lucky for me, A Charlie Brown Christmas was scheduled to be on. So we set up the pillows and blankets and got to watch Charlie Brown pick out the sad Christmas tree and Sally writing a letter to Samantha Claus. I loved the Charlie Brown Specials as a kid and love that my children enjoy them as well. So here we are... Lucy and Charlie... Did anyone else want to ice skate like Lucy after the special?
How cute are these munchkins?
Just the four of us since dad was attending a meeting in Seattle.

What We Have Been Up To

2007-11-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! Where has the time gone? I thought that October would never end and now November is almost over and I don't know what I have been doing?

Last week was CRAZY, as I am sure it was for all of you! We got our first snow of the season last Tuesday! It could not have been a more beautiful snow. While living in Arizona, I would sometimes dream of snow. Sometimes. I would dream of huge beautiful flakes falling on Christmas morning as you open presents by the fire. After that, I dream of warm weather. But this snow was the kind you dream of. The flakes were enormous! The one picture of Carter isn't very good because he was closing his mouth after catching some flakes but I put it on the page because you have a great view of the huge flakes.

The week continued with a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house. We then went to Ryan's sister's house for some easy conversation. The next morning came quite early (4:00 am) with some awesome Black Friday shopping. We finally got home at 3:00 pm. Talk about shop 'til you drop! I then took a nap and went to a friend's to watch our poor Broncos get beat! Sniff! I guess we can't get a BCS Bowl every year! The rest of the weekend included some cleaning, organizing and church. Let's just say some sleep was needed in the end.

After-dinner wrestling with Grandma!
A big bear hug!
A small smile from the Diva!
Ryan's normal reaction to family get togethers and the camera.
Spencer, Carter, Cousin Natalie, and Cousin Reece
Cousin Jamie looking hot with her new bangs!

Do you think someone is ready to go home and get to bed? I meant Cora!

Our Trip to Arizona

2007-11-19T22:44:00.001-07:00

That was one of the quickest trips ever! We weren't in Arizona for 48 hours but it was fun! We spent Friday with Ryan's parents. Ryan and his dad golfed and his mom, Cora and I went to lunch and shopping. On the way home we saw a car that was painted like Herbie, I had to take a picture of it because that is one of Spencer's favorite movies. When I got home and showed him the picture, he just sat there and looked at it for 5 minutes.

Saturday we headed down to Tucson and spent the afternoon and evening with the Olsens! We talked and had some Yummy Queso! I got to see the kiddos. I have missed them soooo much. I can't believe how big they are. I wish I could have put them in my pocket and took them with me. Miranda came by to say hi and see Cora. We then met up with the Batleys and all headed to dinner. It was nice to see Cole and Ellie as well. I used to think that Cole had the cutest voice ever, but Ellie might beat him out! Way too cute. We had some yummy dinner at Blancos. We went back to the Olsens and talked some more. We checked out Jeannie's cute jewelry, I had to take a little somethin' somethin' home with me. A special thanks to Kara for the cute headbands too. Ryan had to finally drag me out at 9:30 to head back to Mesa. Ryan didn't want to leave either, but we had to leave his parents' house by 6:00 in the morning to make our flight in time. It sucked that we weren't able to play cards. We'll have to do it the next time we see the Olsens.

Thanks Jeannie and Kyle for spending time with us. We had so much fun! We sure have missed you guys. We can't wait to see you again.

Carter Water skiing 2

2007-11-05T17:37:00.001-07:00

This one's for you, Hayden!

I thought you might like to watch Carter's first time water skiing.

This outing took place just after my knee surgery so I wasn't able to be there (thank goodness my voice isn't on the video :)). I was sad that I wasn't able to be there but at least we have the video of it.

Go, Carter, Go!

Carter Water skiing

2007-11-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma Lloyd!

2007-11-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma Lloyd!

Grandma Lloyd...

We just wanted to take a little minute to say our favorite things about Grandma Lloyd

We love when she takes us swimming
We love when she does puzzles with us
We love playing with the stuffed animals at her house
We loved it when she would take us to see Cookie in AZ
We love her rolls
We love her brownies
Let's face it, we love her cooking
We love how she is always up for a party
and most of all... WE LOVE HER!

We love you Grandma Lloyd! We hope you have a great birthday! We miss you and can't wait to see you at Christmas. Let's keep our fingers crossed that you will get to stay with us!

Crazy Cora part 1

2007-11-03T22:24:00.000-06:00

It was a lazy Saturday night! I was laying on the floor next to Cora while she played with toys. Ryan and Carter were watching some show about trick shooting (I was not paying attention to that). Spencer came up behind me, jumped up and yelled, "HI!" This was Cora's response. I hope you enjoy.

Crazy Cora part 2

2007-11-03T22:21:00.000-06:00

The Freaks Come Out At Night

2007-11-01T18:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween, Y'all!

Halloween came again and it didn't fail to impress again! The day was filled with excitement! Carter had his big party at school. He got a ton of crap including a Laffy Taffy which resulted in Carter losing a crown! Just another reason to fork out the money. Our moods could not be dampened though. We got costumed up and headed out for a lesson in gluttony! The kids scored! Got some good candy (a couple of full sized numbers). So here they are again...
The front of Spencer's costume holds candy so he didn't have to take a bucket. It was a nice addition.
My little door greeter. Cora helped me hand out candy. She was a big helper.

Photo Shoot

2007-10-31T12:14:00.000-06:00

I took Cora in to get her "6 Month" pictures taken, even though she is actually 7 months old. Oh, well. We went to Kiddie Kandid and they, like always, did a good job. Cora was hilarious though. She did not want to smile! She wasn't crying or anything, she was just wanting to play with the props. I was definitely tired when the event was over. Oh, do you like the headbands I "made"? I bought the headbands at Target in the hair section for little girls. Then I bought flowers and hot glued them on to pins. I then can interchange the flowers and headbands. Yep, that is as crafty as I get. I am sure not going to sew anything. :)

Family "Fun" Night

2007-10-29T16:54:00.000-06:00

Friday was Family "Fun" Night at Carter's school. We took the kids and Carter's friend to the extravaganza! There were different activities for them to do and, of course, a book fair. We have to make sure they make their money. The kids can't wear their costumes to school, so this was their opportunity!
Carter was Wolverine (from X-Men), Jarin was Spiderman and Spencer was Thomas.
Nice Jack-O-Lantern, Spencer.
Here is our tired Tinkerbell and our tired Ryan.

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

Wednesday was a such a nice day (in the 70's) that I decided it would be a nice day to go to the Pumpkin Patch. I called my friend Amy who has a little boy the same age as Spencer and we headed out. We ate some grub from McDonald's, went on an awesome hay ride, picked our pumpkins which were exchanged for smaller ones, and then went through the hay maze. I thought for sure Spencer would have taken a long nap, but no such luck! Oh, well!

Happy Birthday, Kris!

2007-10-23T15:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Kris!

I would put in a picture of Kris, but I don't have a picture that she approves of. She still wants me to remove the picture I do have posted of her from when we went to the Spaghetti Factory.

For her birthday I took her to the Cheesecake Factory and gave her the Twilight series (which she claims to be loving). She is trying to find a way to be a vampire. :)

Here are some of my favorite things about Kris...

Most of my funniest stories involve Kris (i.e. The Recreational Equipment Inc. Story and a lot of shopping stories).
She is always up for a good time.
She loves to shop, but really doesn't want to try on clothes (like me).
She likes things (movies, books, etc) that are geared for teens (again like me).
She loves food!
She is hilarious!
She understands sarcasm.
She loves to quote movies.
And, she usually says what I am thinking.

Love you, Kris, and I hope you have a great Birthday!

Jedi Birthday Party!

2007-10-18T13:27:00.001-06:00

Sunday was Carter's Birthday but we had his party on Saturday. We had a Jedi Training Camp. I originally got the idea from Jeannie when she had her Incredibles Training Camp. I then came up with some of my own ideas and got some from the internet. The day started with an obstacle course to get their light sabers. We then had some lunch (pizza of course). We then headed back outside for "Distroy the Death Star" with water balloons. We came back inside and had light saber training (keep the balloon from hitting the ground). The kids thought then would be a good time to start combat training with each other. That was the funniest thing I have ever seen. The kids were pretending to die and rolling down the stairs. I was trying to get the cake ready so I didn't get a picture. (Dang it!) We then sang happy birthday and opened presents. We then ate cake and ice cream. The kids headed outside to have some more "combat training". Darth Vader came and the Jedi's defeated him!

It was a fun day and the kids were a blast! Happy 7th Birthday, Carter!

Student of the Month

2007-10-17T19:18:00.000-06:00

Carter was awarded Student of the Month for Responsibility. (That is his teacher on the right.) We went to the ceremony on Thursday (I have been reading the Twilight series and getting ready for a birthday party - so no blogging).

He may be the first male Lloyd to win this award. I think that it may be a sign of the Second Coming. I think it went, And he shall win an award for Responsibility. He will be the first in his lineage and his name will be Lloyd. For then the Lord shall come again.

The ironic thing was, he received the award for being responsible on Thursday and then he didn't turn his homework in on Friday. The teacher may regret giving him the award. :)

What a mom says in a day

2007-10-11T12:01:00.001-06:00

A friend emailed this to me and I thought it was cute. I feel like say all of those things every day. Except for the ipod thing. That is, "You can't have an ipod until you can go without losing your gameboy for at least a week."

Bye, Bye, Grandma and Grandpa Lloyd

2007-10-10T21:41:00.000-06:00

The time of year has come! The birds fly south for the winter. We will miss these birds. Have a nice time in Arizona, Grandma and Grandpa! We will miss you! Can't wait to see you at Christmas!

Here are Grandpa and Cora. I think she has more hair than he does. :)
Here are Grandma and Julia. That is where my boys get those beautiful blue eyes.

Lunch at the Spaghetti Factory

2007-10-07T21:51:00.000-06:00

Ryan was in New York and my mom had all of the kids so Kris and I decided to get some grub at The Spaghetti Factory. I made Kris take some pictures with me even though she didn't want to.

The best part of the day was seeing a man there with his wife and secretary. All three are in my ward and it is suspected that there is a little somethin somethin going on. A girls lunch wouldn't be complete without something juicy.

What I love about the Fall

2007-10-05T22:59:00.001-06:00

I am so happy that fall is here. It starts when the kids go back to school, but I really don't feel it until Ryan's birthday on the 26th. I love that we have such a great correlation between his birthday and a wonderful season.

Here are some things that I love about the fall. I love the perfect balance of light and dark outside. I love the smell of the air. Here in Idaho, we have so many fires in the summer that by the end of August the air is saturated with smoke! When September comes, the cooler and crisper air helps put the fires out and pushes all of the smoke away. I love the changing of the leaves. I also love when you catch a single leaf falling from a tree. I love the crunching sound of the leaves as you walk on them. But, my most FAVORITE thing of the fall is...
The Harvest Moon. This year the Harvest Moon was on Ryan's birthday and I didn't have time to take a picture, to please forgive this picture. This year's Harvest Moon did not fail to impress me again. I love to just stare at it! I also appreciate that I have a perfect view of the rising moon out our upstairs window. I look at the world around me and see such beautiful things and wonder how anyone could not believe that God created this all. When I see how beautiful these things are, it makes me excited to see what it all will look like in the next life.

Cora's First Food

2007-10-04T22:45:00.000-06:00

Ryan's Birthday

2007-10-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday was Ryan's Birthday! We had a nice time with Ryan's parents and his brother Todd's family.

HAPPY 34TH, RYAN!
Ryan got some fly fishing stuff (yep, that's his NEW hobby).
He also got some much needed new clothes (because of the 30 pound weight loss).
The night would not have been complete without a literal fish story. It was this big.

Our Night at Boondocks

2007-09-26T22:40:00.001-06:00

What an Idiot

2007-09-25T15:43:00.000-06:00

I must say that I am not much of a vocal patriot. I am happy to be an American and I love this country, but I do not like getting into political conversations. With that being said, I am so happy to be an American today. I love that anyone has the RIGHT to say their opinion in this country. We may not agree AT ALL what this person has to say, but they have the RIGHT to say it. People can come here and speak their stupid and unfounded views and it is ok. What I don't get is what kind of Idiot would come to a country that he hates? He doesn't like our views and yet he takes an opportunity to come to this country and participate in one of it's fundamental rights. I think him coming to this country and partaking in our right of free speech is ironic since he is practically a dictator and would not allow the same thing in his own country. If you do not know who I am speaking of, I am talking about President Ahmedinejad of Iran. I like this picture of a protester's sign since it saved me the time of finding a picture of him and doing the same thing. Well, all that is left to say is, GO USA.

The New Fall Season

2007-09-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

The new season has finally arrived. Now, there are many shows that I watched last season and many new ones that I am sure that I will watch this season, but, these are the two that I am the most excited about...

First up... Heroes. There are so many things I want to know the answers to: Does Nathan survive? Why didn't Sylar die? and Why is Peter half naked in some insane asylum? I can't wait to find out these things and so much more, only 22 1/2 hours to go.

Second... The Office. I LOVE this show. I loved the updates of their summer vacations that they showed at the end of the re-run last week. (If you missed them, you can check them out at NBC.com) I can't wait to see what happens with Jim and Pam, and Michael and Jan. It will be as equally interesting to see how Michael handles having Ryan as his boss. It is going to be a long 4 days to wait for the season premier.

Cute Growing Girl

2007-09-21T15:55:00.000-06:00

I thought there needed to be an update of pictures of the cutest baby!;) I hope you enjoy!

End of Summer Party

2007-09-17T15:34:00.001-06:00

1st Day of Pre-school

2007-09-15T08:18:00.000-06:00

This picture tells it all! Do you think someone is excited for pre-school?
He was so happy to be a big boy like Carter and go to school. He just wishes he could go every day. He also wishes that Carter would go to his school.

Nearly every day when they are done they come out with a hat that they made. They come out with some of the cutest things.

Labor Day Camping With The Boys

2007-09-13T13:07:00.001-06:00

Carter's 1st day of 1st grade

2007-09-12T13:05:00.000-06:00

School Days! School Days!

Look at that cute 1st grader.
We were a little worried about Carter's safety, so we had him escorted to school with special security.
Carter is excited to start the new year with his new teacher, Ms. Varnadoe. Mommy is a little excited too. Now to get the rest of them into school. Do you think there are any pre-schools that take 5 month olds?

Calming Down Time

2007-09-11T22:53:00.000-06:00

Just after I had my knee surgery, Ryan was in charge of getting the kids off to bed. This was to be the time for the kids to relax and calm down. So instead of calming down, Ryan thought it would be a lot more fun to take pictures of themselves. I have to say that I am glad he did.
Note Cora's look on her face. The red light and then flash alarm her every time.
Now the fun is really getting going! The giggling has started!! Carter is laughing and saying, "Look at Cora!" So much for calming down and going to bed.

Extended Guys Trip

2007-09-10T23:28:00.000-06:00

This was the extended guys trip in Florida. This is a warning that some of the following material is graphic and small children should be asked to leave the room before viewing. Now, with that being said, I must leave the room.

Ryan's boss, who is an avid hunter, convinced the rest of the guys to go hog hunting in Florida. They all extended their trips by 2 days to accommodate this hunting adventure. So this is how it went. They meet with some guide guy and he takes them on this enormous truck thing. He sends out his dogs to find some hogs and corner them and then they shoot the pig. There are soo many that they were all done in 1 1/2 hours. Because they were done so early, they decided to go deep sea fishing the next day. They didn't catch anything and Ryan didn't take pictures. I would rather be posting pictures of deep sea fishing than hog hunting. So... while they were hog hunting and deep sea fishing, I was stuck in an airport, tired and grouchy, trying to get back to our children. When they all made their kill, they went to look at the alligators and caught one.
Now, this is the picture that makes me ill. So don't look if you have a weak stomach. The whole time while they were planning this, I kept getting images of Lord of the Flies in my head. I think it would have been more appropriate if they were wearing loin clothes, don't you.

Florida Trip

2007-09-10T14:53:00.001-06:00

A special thanks must be given to Sanofi-Aventis for another fun trip. I suppose that I should give a special thanks to Ryan as well for doing so well in sales last year.

The first night we had a reception dinner and Ryan decided to act like a bull.

The second day we had spa treatments (sorry - no pics) and then went to South Beach for dinner. We had dinner at Lario's which is owned by Gloria Estevan. Pay close attention to the picture of the girls posing like Ms. Estevan under her pictures.

The next day we went back to South Beach and spent time on the actual beach. I only showed one picture because others showed too much nudity. Let's just say that it isn't considered a topless beach but I would never take my kids there.

We then went back to the hotel and went to the awards dinner. Another way for them to pat themselves on the back. Great surf and turf dinner!!!

The next day Ryan left with his boss and co-workers for some guy time and I hung out at the pool and attempted to fly home.

The plane was delayed and we missed our connection. We had to stand in a line in Atlanta to reschedule which took three hours!!! Needless to say we had to spend the night in the airport, wait on standby, barely made our connection in Salt Lake (again) only to have plane problems and be stuck in the airplane for 30-45 minutes before taking off. We finally arrived home only 17 hours later than originally planned. It almost ruined the whole trip. But I guess it is like having a baby, the bad memory of child birth fades as you look at pictures.

Where have I been???

2007-09-10T09:53:00.000-06:00

I know!!! It has been so long since I have posted that no one will probably read this!

Let me explain...

We first went on a trip to Florida - thanks to Ryan's job. Then when I got home, I had knee surgery, which I am still walking around with a brace. Then, in my free time and when feeling up to it, I have been getting the kids ready for and back to school. I also have been doing physical therapy 3 times a week. I am suppose to ice my knee every couple of hours, I have only been doing it 2-3 times a day - that shows the lack of time. Once you get out of the habit, it becomes easier to not do it.

So... please forgive me and I will get you caught up on the last month and a half.

Out With Brigham and Jaissey

2007-07-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

While in Spokane, we met up with some friends of ours from Arizona. They moved to Spokane not long after we moved to Idaho. After Ryan and Brig played tennis (of course) Jaissey and I were invited to go out to dinner with them. We decided to go to a pizza restaurant because they are usually kid friendly. Brigham gave us some options: "There is one down town (which we really weren't near), one with a really good salad bar, or one that has brick oven pizza." We chose the one with the good salad bar. Where did we end up? Round Table Pizza. Apparently, Brigham didn't know that it was a chain. That's ok, Brigham, they really do have a good salad bar and they don't care that children run around. Ryan and Brigham enjoying some good food. The wings look good don't they?

Jaissey and Alec managing to eat food actually good for them. There is no way my kids would eat healthy in a pizza place. Way to get your kid to eat good, Jais.

Carter and I . Carter is trying to say not to take his picture cuz he wants to eat more pizza.

After some yummy pizza and salad bar we headed off to Maggie Moos for some yummy dessert.
Brigham and Jaissey's newest addition, Addie. We managed to sneak in a "Maggie Moo" into this picture.
The family at Maggie Moos.

After Maggie Moos, we headed to Brig and Jaissey's house. The house was beautiful with a gorgeous view.
Ryan and Brigham kicking back and relaxing.

Look at that cute baby and all of that hair. Jaissey looks amazing too! It is not fair that she had a baby only 5 weeks ago.
Thanks, Brigham and Jaissey, for going out and spending time with us. We had a great time!

Carter's New Clubs

2007-07-11T00:46:00.000-06:00

"I AM Tiger Woods." That is what we had Carter say when trying out his new golf clubs. It was only a matter of time before Ryan would buy Carter some clubs. I have to say I was a little surprised that he hadn't purchased them sooner. The first time he stepped up to hit the ball, he nailed it! It flew straight up and out about 20 yards. Pretty good for a first timer! Pretty good compared to me!

Fancy Feet

2007-07-10T19:04:00.000-06:00

My Mom let me give her a pedicure. Now let me tell you something... my mom doesn't let people touch her feet let alone rub them and what not. My mom also doesn't paint her toe nails, so we went for a bold red for her first round. Don't they look nice?

Now, those are some fancy toes!

Our Trip to Spokane

2007-07-10T18:40:00.000-06:00

4th of July

Ryan and I left in the morning to make the 8 hour drive to Spokane. We met up with my parents and the boys just in time to have dinner and enjoy some fireworks from my parent's trailer. Here we are getting ready for the fireworks. The festivities were limited since we had just endured a long drive. We had a good time though just relaxing.

We stayed with my parents in nice RV park that had a swimming pool and golf course. Ryan golfed nearly every day. Thanks for the good times Deer Park RV and Golf Resort.

End of Season

2007-07-03T09:34:00.000-06:00

Final game of the year!!!

Go Mariners!

For the final game of the season, Carter's team - the Mariners - played the Nationals. My friend Kate brought her kids to see Carter play. Her oldest is Connor who is Carter's friend.
That slide was for you Connor. He slides to impress!

Then......

The After Party!

Who is that HOT coach swimming with my son? Oh, that's right! That HOT coach is MY HOT HUSBAND!
Carter going for the front flip.
He didn't have quite enough rotation. Ouch!
The handing out of trophies, with a little bit of jumping on the tramp. Please don't jump on the tramp with those trophies, someone could lose an eye. (Oh crap! I totally sound like a mom.)
The proud player with his trophy! Do you think it is real gold?

Carter finished the season with an awesome play. He was playing short stop (his favorite position) and had a perfect scoop and throw to first for an out. Good job, Carter!

A special thanks to Karen and Mark for letting us use their yard, grill and, most of all, pool. We had a blast!

Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Doug

2007-06-20T22:55:00.001-06:00

A thank you to Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Doug

A trip to Arizona a few years back. Doug is a tall guy, so you can just imagine how tall the cactus are.
Grandma Sandie and Spencer when he was a couple of weeks old. It is weird that this is Spencer in the picture and not Cora. The blue and green tell me it's not Cora.
It is so much fun to go and see Grandma at school. We get to see her in action and be cool around the big kids.
Grandpa is awesome to take us fishing even if some don't want to touch the fish. Carter and Grandpa were the only ones to catch fish the entire trip.
How cool is it when your Grandpa is Santa Claus?Even when your Grandpa is Santa Claus, we still get a little nervous. So I suppose your pregnant mom has to break Santa's knee in order for you to get a picture taken with Santa.

Grandma and Grandpa are great to take the kids for a night or two here and there in order to give mom a break. I know how exhausting it is to chase after two boys, so kudos to G and G for keeping up with them. Thank you for helping me out and spending time with them. The boys love their trips to Grandma and Grandpa's house. They love playing in the yard, making dirt cities, going to monster truck shows, going to movies, wrestling, eating junk food and finishing the night off with a slumber party. Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Doug Rock!