Life of a Nascar Fan

Christmas Traditions

2012-01-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Every year our family loves to do a few things to help us get in the Christmas spirit. The first thing we do is ride the Trax train to Salt Lake to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square.

Kelby, Gage and Atlee love riding the train! I hate it!! It makes me sick to stop and go so much, but it is so worth it to see them smile.

We love being at the temple and seeing the beautiful lights and displays. It is the perfect way to get in the Christmas mood.

Our next tradition is to make gingerbread houses. This tradition usually turns into a huge frustration for me. This year I just let the kids do it by themselves and let their creativity flow.

Our last tradition to help us get in the Christmas spirit is to write letters to Santa. Each year the kids write a letter to Santa. Then we take them to UPS where they have a special Santa mailbox for all the letters.

Kelby, Gage and Atlee spend the next few days checking the mailbox anxiously waiting for their letter from Santa to come. When they get their letter from Santa they are so excited and I notice they try a little harder to be better.
There are few other things we do, but these are some of our favorite. I love the feeling and magic of Christmas and I love to see the excitement one my kids faces. Christmas is a special time at our house and we love to do things together to feel the spirit of Christmas!

It's Official--Atlee is in Remission!

2011-11-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year when we get to reflect on what we are thankful for and for all of our blessings. With just a few days before Thanksgiving I would like to share one of the greatest blessings I have received. A few weeks ago I received some of the greatest news of my life. Let me start at the beginning. A little over a year ago when Atlee had just turned one and was learning how to walk, we noticed something was wrong with her. She was having trouble walking and she wouldn't straighten her right leg all the way. Her right knee was swollen and she had a limp when she walked. She didn't want to put any pressure on her leg and she seemed to be in a lot of pain.

I took her to the doctor and he thought maybe she had caught her leg in the rail of her crib and twisted her knee. He said to watch her and see if there was any improvement. After a couple of weeks there was no change and we went back to the doctor. He sent us to the hospital for x-rays. Her x-rays came back totally normal. I was getting very frustrated that we couldn't figure it out and she was in more and more pain everyday. We went back to the doctor a few weeks later because she was getting worse. He sent us back to the hospital for some blood work. I prayed everyday that Heavenly Father would help the doctors to find out what was wrong with her. Her blood work came back with some elevated levels of something that made the doctor a little worried. With her blood levels and other symptoms he was pretty certain that it was rheumatoid arthritis. He sent us to Primary Children's Hospital to see a specialist.

Our first trip to Primary Children's was a long and emotional one. The doctor did a bunch of tests and it was determined that she not only had arthritis in her right knee, it was also in her other knee, ankles, toes, fingers, wrists and elbows. Her official diagnosis was Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Her case was a little more severe than other cases because it was in a lot of joints. They had also found a certain type of antibody in her blood that put her at a high risk for a certain eye disease that causes blindness. As the doctor was explaining all of this to me it was like I was in a fog. I could not believe what was happening. On the one hand my prayers had been answered that they found out was wrong with her, but on the other hand I could not believe that this was happening to my little baby. She was only 1 year old! It took all my strength to keep from crying while we were with the doctor. The doctor suggested that we start treating her aggressively. He told us in a lot of cases after much treatment the child could go into remission without any long term effects. I would give her an oral medication two times a day to help with the inflammation of her joints. I would also be giving her injections in her leg every week. The injection medication was a powerful one. It is a drug that is used for chemotherapy. Her immune system would be really run down, she could get sores on her mouth, possible hair loss and stomach problems. I gave her her first injection at the hospital and was sick to watch Atlee cry because of the pain. After 7 hours at the hospital, we left with my world turned upside down.

I cried the whole way home and for the next several days. I thought arthritis was something that happened when you were old. I didn't want Atlee to be in pain and have problems for the rest of her life. I knew in my heart that her diagnosis could have been worse, but I was not prepared to deal with this. So for the next year and few months we went to Primary Children's to have her blood work done, have her liver functions checked and to have the doctor check her progress. That was a trial for me. I hate driving to Salt Lake and to do it every few weeks was really hard for me. I also hated watching Atlee have her blood taken. There is nothing worse than watching your child cry and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop the pain. We also had to go to an eye doctor every few weeks to have her eyes checked and watch for any signs of disease. I spent every day giving her oral medication which looked and smelled like liquid chalk. I also spent every Tuesday night holding her down and giving her an injection. The look in her eye broke my heart every time. She would look at me with a look of why am I hurting her. It got to the point where Atlee knew it was shot night. Even though she knew it was coming it never got any easier. I prayed like I have never prayed before. I wanted so much for Heavenly Father to heal Atlee and take the pain away from her. I could see my prayers being answered but not in the time frame I wanted. I soon realized that we were on the Lord's timetable. Atlee did respond to treatment very quickly. Her walking improved right away, but her joints were still stiff and she did not have full range of motion. All the eye doctor visits resulted in no sign of the disease. Needless to say it was a long year.

To make a long story short, my prayers were answered a few weeks ago. At our last visit to Primary Children's, her doctor said that Atlee had made huge improvements and he could find no signs of the arthritis. He officially declared her in remission. A huge weight was lifted from off my shoulders! We will still have to go back to the hospital every 6 months to make sure it hasn't returned. We will have to continue the visits to the eye doctor until Atlee is at least 8 years old. The eye disease can show up even if she is in remission. At least she can walk and move like a 2 year old should!

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for hearing and answering my prayers. Prayer is a powerful thing and I feel so blessed that Atlee was healed. I am so grateful that Atlee will most likely grow up to be a healthy girl. Prayer and faith have become even more important to me. Without prayer I think I would have been lost for the last year. I know that through prayers and faith, anything is possible. My proof of that is a healthy little Atlee!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T15:52:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a "haunting halloween!"

A Sand Filled Labor Day

2011-10-04T17:35:00.000-06:00

Every Labor Day weekend we usually stay home and hang out. This year we decided to head to the sand dunes. It has been a couple of years since we were there and the kids couldn't wait to go. We got a late start on Friday and ended up not getting there until almost 10:00 that night. We got the tents all set up and everyone went to bed. I foolishly thought that everyone at the sand dunes would also need to sleep at some point during the night. Boy was I wrong!!! People rode the entire night. By 3:00 in the morning I was about ready to lose my mind!! You would have thought it was the middle of the day, not the middle of the night. People would ride by and rev their motor right at our tent. Let's just say it was not a peaceful night of sleep for anyone. I was ready to pack up and go home as soon as the sun came up. I need sleep or I am not a happy person. Kelby and Gage convinced me that we could stay for a little while. They wanted to dig in the sand and ride the 4-wheelers and Gage's motorcycle. I gave in and they had a great time playing and riding.

By late Saturday afternoon everyone was exhausted from no sleep the night before. We had all had our fill of playing in the sand and riding 4-wheelers. We packed it in and headed for home. Even though it was a quick trip and a noisy night, it was nice to get away for a little while. Kelby and Gage are just like their dad. They love to ride motorcycles and 4-wheelers. It was fun to watch how happy they were!

Happy 9th Birthday Kelby!

2011-08-26T18:24:00.000-06:00

I want to wish a very happy 9th birthday to my Kelby! What an incredible 9 years it has been!!

Over the last nine years I have watched you do some amazing things. I would like to share a few memories of you as I have watched you grow up. I have watched you as a baby grow into the beautiful girl you are today. I have watched you learn to crawl, to walk, to speak, to read and to write. I have watched you at dance lessons and then dance recitals. I have watched you cry because you were too scared to dance on stage in front of everyone and then a moment later I watched you as you smiled till your cheeks hurt because you were so proud of yourself for dancing on stage in front of everyone!

I have watched you become a big sister and take such good care of your brother and sister. I have watched you learn to swim and love it so much that you never wanted to get out of the water. I have watched you as you started kindergarten and cried your eyes out because you didn't want to leave my side. I have watched you enter 4th grade and become too cool to have your mom around.

I watched you learn to ride a bike and a motorcycle. I have watched you excel in everything that you learn how to do. I have watched you make so many friends and become an example to others around you. I have watched you earn numerous awards at school and become the smartest girl in your classes. I have watched you surprise yourself in your first spelling bee when you did better than you ever imagined.

I have watched your love of nature and the outdoors grow as we have gone on our many hikes, camping trips and river rafting trip. You truly appreciate the beauty that is in this world.

I have watched as your testimony has grown so much. I can tell how much you love the gospel and the Savior. I watched as you were baptized and the light that filled your eyes and soul. The moment you stepped out of the water is a moment I will never forget. The look on your face of pure happiness was priceless. You were like an angel in white.

I have loved watching you learn, grow and experience life over the last nine years. There are so many things I have watched you do that I will forever hold in my heart. I think ahead to the next nine years and all the things I will get to watch you do. I will be able to watch you enter young women, change schools, date, drive and graduate high school. With how fast these nine years have gone, I have the feeling that I will be watching these things sooner than I want to. The one thing that I have loved watching you do is bring joy and laughter to our family. I love being your mom and being a part of you life. I hope you have a wonderful 9th birthday. I love you!!

Is Summer Really Over?

2011-08-23T16:05:00.000-06:00

What happened? I blinked and summer break was over. Yesterday Kelby and Gage started school!! Kelby has now joined the upper grades by going into 4th grade and Gage is now an all day student by going into 1st grade. It was weird at home yesterday with Kelby and Gage gone all day. There was no screaming, fighting, crying or tattle-telling. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.

Kelby and Gage were ready and excited to start school. Gage was a little nervous about being there all day and all the changes that come with 1st grade. Kelby was ready to get back to learning and seeing her friends.

Atlee was even excited for the first day of school. I think she was looking forward to some alone time with mom and also Kelby and Gage wouldn't be around to pester and tease her.

Anxiously waiting in the lobby for the bell to ring to allow the kids to go to their classrooms.

Gage and his new teacher Mrs. Stoddard.

Kelby outside her classroom. She is too cool and grown up now to have me go in and take her picture with her teacher.

When I picked them up yesterday after school, they were both so excited and said they loved school. They both like their teachers. Gage made some new friends and loved eating lunch at school. He was even excited that he got to do some math problems. Kelby was glad to be back with her group of friends. She even came home with homework--28 math problems and 30 spelling words to practice for the week. She also came home with details for their first project due in a couple of weeks! I should be a fun year for the both of them. I am glad they enjoy school and hope that this school year will be a great one!

Another Beautiful Hike

2011-08-19T12:04:00.000-06:00

We had the opportunity to go on another amazing hike. We got up early one Saturday morning and drove to Pleasant Grove. We met papa and grandma and hiked up Battlecreek Canyon to the beautiful Battlecreek Falls.

All along the hike there is water to play in and several different waterfalls. Kelby, Gage and Atlee could not resist the water. Every chance they got, they were in the water!

We loved exploring all the waterfalls and playing in the water. The hike was beautiful!! It is amazing what beautiful creations are in your own backyard. That is one reason we like to go hiking, so we can see different places that you would never know are there unless you get outdoors.

Hiking to Timp Cave

2011-08-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

Our family loves the outdoors, especially hiking somewhere in the mountains. We love hiking to Timp Cave and we haven't done it for a couple of years, so we gave it a go this year. We went for an early morning hike so it wouldn't be so hot. The hike up was beautiful. We could see the sun coming up over the mountains.

We made it to the top in record time! The kids were so excited to be at the top getting ready to go in the cave. We had a little while to wait before it was our turn to go in the cave. The kids were so anxious they couldn't sit still.

Finally it was our turn to go in the cave. I love being in there. I love to see the amazing creations in nature. It is very beautiful and intriguing to me. Even the kids enjoyed it. Atlee kept pointing to everything saying, "Wook at that mom!" It is an amazing sight to behold.

We had an awesome time at Timp Cave. There isn't a better way to start your day than enjoying nature with your family.

4th of July Fun!

2011-08-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

The 4th of July is one of our family's most favorite holidays. We love attending the parade in Provo. Marty always leaves in the middle of the night to save us a spot. This year he had a helper come with him. Kelby was dying to go help save places. They got up at about two in the morning and headed to Provo to save spots. Marty went to sleep and Kelby stayed up and watched all the action going on. Me, Gage and Atlee joined them at about eight in the morning. Kelby was full of stories about all the crazy things people were doing in the middle of the night. After hearing all the funny stories, we enjoyed the parade.

After sweating it out at the parade, it was time to head home for naps before the afternoon festivities began. When everyone woke up it was time to head to papa and grandma's house for food, water fun and fireworks.

After all the water fun we all enjoyed some bad minton, basketball, food and fireworks.

I love this holiday and all the excitement that goes with it. The day is filled with so much fun. I love to watch my kids on this holiday. There is nothing better than watching their faces filled with pure happiness!

Art City Days

2011-07-09T14:30:00.011-06:00

I think this was the first Art City Days in a few years where there hasn't been rain and temperatures in the 40's. We spent the week enjoying the city talent festival, magic shows and concerts. We ended the week of celebration by attending the parade.

We also spent a couple of days at the carnival. Kelby was brave this year and went on one of the adult rides with her dad. Even though she was terrified and wouldn't open her eyes, she had a good time!

Atlee was the most excited of all to be at the carnival. She wanted to ride all the rides and she wanted to do it by herself. On all the rides she went on, she was so happy and yelled to us every time she came around.

We all had a fabulous time over Art City Days. I love to watch the excitement on Kelby, Gage and Atlee's faces as they enjoy parades and carnivals and all the fun things of summer. I love this time of year when I get to spend time with family and enjoy all the summertime fun!

How to Lose a Tooth in 10 Seconds

2011-06-21T15:37:00.009-06:00

For the longest time Gage's two bottom teeth were very wiggly. He wouldn't let anyone try to wiggle them for fear someone might try and pull his tooth out. One day he came home from school (yes this post is a little old now) wiggling his tooth. I had had enough. I told him today at least one of his teeth were coming out. I cornered him in the bathroom and yanked his tooth out.

There were some tears and blood shed, but the tooth came out really easy. When Gage's tooth came out he wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad. He came to realize that the tooth fairy would be visiting him and bring some money for his tooth. Happiness prevailed. A couple days after this tooth came out, Gage was brushing his teeth before school and out popped the other bottom tooth onto his toothbrush. He was screaming, "my tooth, my tooth!" He was excited to get more money from the tooth fairy. Currently his two top teeth are loose and getting closer to coming out. I think the tooth fairy better get a second job!

Self-Portrait

2011-06-07T15:02:00.007-06:00

Atlee found my camera one day, turned it on and proceeded to take pictures of herself. Here are some of the funny shots that she took.

I had no idea she was even taking any pictures until she brought me my camera and said, "wook at me mommy." I could not stop laughing at these pictures. Atlee sure knows how to keep us laughing. What a funny girl!!

Leaving 3rd Grade with a Bang!

2011-06-01T16:22:00.005-06:00

Two days before school gets out, the 3rd-6th grades get to participate in an awards ceremony. Each teacher has the opportunity to present awards to the students who accomplished different goals during the year. Kelby was a multiple winner in her class.

Kelby receiving one of her many awards during the assembly.

Kelby received the Presidential National Physical Fitness Award.

Kelby received the Spelling Award for getting 100% on all spelling tests all year.

Her next award was the Homework Award which included turning in all homework assignments, doing a book report each term, a science project each term and reading every single night for the whole year.

Kelby received the Multiplication Master Award. This was a contest held in her class. The teacher did not tell them about it because she didn't want anybody to study. The goal was to see how well the students could recall the multiplication problems on the spot. Kelby ended up with 3rd place in her class.

The next award was the Citizenship Award. This award was given to students who helped make their class a better place. They had to be friends to everyone and be respectful. Her teacher said it was for the students who went above and beyond what they were asked to do.

Kelby's last award was given in class. Her teacher gave each student an award specific to them. Kelby received "The Best Helper" Award. Her teacher said she has never had anyone be so helpful. Anything her teacher asked her to do, Kelby did it. She had several classroom assignments and they were always done to perfection.

Not a bad way to end 3rd grade. Kelby loved 3rd grade and I think even more excited to move on to the upper grades. I am not sure how I feel about that though. Kelby learned so many things this year and can't wait to learn even more. She ended the year with all E's(which is equal to an A) in every subject all year long! I am so proud of Kelby for all of her amazing accomplishments. She is an amazing, smart girl. I love seeing her learn and grow. Way to go Kelby!

Moving on to Bigger and Better Things

2011-05-27T10:51:00.005-06:00

Last week Gage graduated from kindergarten. To end their time in kindergarten, they had a program for all the parents. They sang songs and recited poems about different things they had learned over the school year.

Following the singing and poems, each child was called up and received their graduation cap and diploma. Gage was the first one up!

The day ended with a song that the kids were so excited to sing. They sang about learning and studying all year so they could be ready to move on to first grade. Then everyone said their goodbyes and it was time to go.

I am so proud of Gage for all that he has learned and accomplished during kindergarten. I have seen him grow up so much during this school year. His graduation was a little emotional for me. I am used to having him home with me and being my little buddy and helper. Now he is moving on and will be gone all day. I will miss him so much, but I know that he will have an awesome time in first grade. I love you Gage!!

My Baby Boy is 6 Today!

2011-05-05T20:55:00.001-06:00

Happy 6th birthday to my Gage-poo. I can't believe how fast these six years have gone by. It seems like only yesterday we were bringing this sweet boy home to our family. Now he is growing up fast and ready for new adventures.

Gage is my adventurous child. He loves to be outside, especially playing in the dirt. He is bound and determined that if he digs a hole big enough in my flower beds, he will find a dinosaur bone. He loves to ride bikes and jump on the trampoline. Pretty much if he is doing anything outside he is one happy boy!

Gage is a very sweet little boy. Being around me and his sisters all the time has given him a soft side. He always loves to give hugs and kisses. He wants to make sure that we are always happy. If he sees that I am having a bad day, he will run up and give me a big hug and tell me that he loves me. Gage also loves being a big brother to Atlee. Those two are like best friends. He is always watching out for her and making sure she is ok. Atlee loves to tease and play with her big brother Gage.

Gage is the joker of the family. He loves to make us all laugh. His laugh is infectious. Once you hear him laugh, you can't help but join in. Gage brings so much joy to our family. He makes life so much better. I love this little boy so much!

Gage is my best little buddy. I don't know what I would do without him. He is always right there by my side wanting to talk to me or tell me a story. Gage is such an amazing, funny, lovable, smart little boy. I am honored to have been his mom for the last six years. I love you Gage and I hope you have a very happy 6th birthday!

The New and Improved Kelby!

2011-04-09T15:53:00.002-06:00

Kelby before--can't see

Kelby after--can see and the world is a whole new place to her!

Please share your comments. Kelby would love to know what you think of her new look!!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Atlee Bug!

2011-03-31T08:57:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it has been 2 years since this precious little girl came to our family. Atlee is such a lovable little girl and we all love her to death. It makes me sad that she is growing up so fast since she will be our last child.

Atlee is so full of life. She is a non-stop talker and mover. She always wants to be playing something. She has a great imagination and loves to play with the Little Tikes kitchen. She brings us food and drinks and makes sure we eat all our food. She is smart like Kelby. She loves to read and do flashcards. She loves to do puzzles and play UNO. She is silly like Gage. She likes to make us laugh and make funny sounds.

She loves to be held and have me rock a bye her. She loves to give hugs and kisses. If Kelby or Gage is crying, she will go over to them and pat them on the back and say, "It alright!" Then she will give them a hug and kiss. She is so sweet that way. She does have her mean side and wants things done her way. She is extremely independent and wants to do everything by herself. She calls herself "At." So when she wants to do something by herself, she yells "NO, At do!" She is definitely a high maintenance little girl.

Two of her favorite things in the whole world are Dora the Explorer and ducks (she calls them baby quack quacks). Nothing else matters in the world if she sees Dora or a duck. She loves to see Swiper the Fox, but she calls him "Oh Man." She is such a funny little girl. She is pretty easy to entertain. She just wants to be doing something or going somewhere all the time.

Even though the past 2 years have been filled with some health challenges and some difficult moments, I wouldn't trade Atlee for anything. I love this little girl so much! She has brought so much joy to our lives. I love to watch Atlee learn so much everyday. She is a smart, beautiful, lovable, amazing, sweet little girl. I enjoy every minute I have with her.

Happy 2nd Birthday Atlee! We love you so much!! (This is one of Atlee's favorite poses. She loves to kick back!)

What an Incredible Week for Kelby!

2011-03-03T16:42:00.005-07:00

Kelby came home from school one day and proudly announced that she was going to try out for the school spelling bee. She was given a list of words to study for the 3rd grade spelling bee. The top seven left standing would be participating in the school spelling bee. She didn't really feel like studying the list she was given. She went over the words she thought she would be given a couple of days prior to the 3rd grade spelling bee and that was all the studying she did. The day of the 3rd grade spelling bee came. I wasn't too hopeful for her since she didn't study. I wished her luck and then spent the rest of the day wondering what happened. When I picked her up from school, she came running to the car yelling, "I made it, I made it!" She was one of the top seven in the 3rd grade and would be in the school spelling bee 10 days later. She said that the words she was given she hadn't even studied. I have never seen her so proud of herself and I was so excited for her too!
Well the next 10 days came and went with minimal studying. She was frustrated because the words were so hard. I told her to just do the best she can and enjoy this experience. I said she is competing against 4th, 5th and 6th graders and it would be a hard challenge. I said to learn from this experience because she would have three more years to participate in the spelling bee. The morning of the spelling bee she was nervous and a little emotional. I wished her luck and sent her to school. I came a few minutes early to the spelling bee to watch the preparations. There would be 48 participants in the spelling bee. Luckily Kelby drew the 18th spot. There was a good chance others would get out before her turn. The spelling bee started and I wasn't sure who this was more nerve wracking for--the parents or the kids. My stomach was turning the closer they got to Kelby. When it was her turn she got a word we hadn't even looked at. My heart sank. I knew she would be out first round. She got right up to the microphone and spelled the word right!! You could see the relief on her face. The next round she got a word that she always got wrong at home, but she got it right. The next round was another word she always got wrong, but once again she got it right. The fourth round she was so excited that she was doing good for her first time, she quickly spelled the word but left out one letter. She was disappointed and proud all at the same time. She ended up 17th out of 48!! I was so proud of her. I couldn't stop smiling. Kelby is such an amazing little girl and will do so much with her life. Now she can't wait until next year's spelling bee!!

Kelby is on the second row, last person on the left.

Well if the spelling bee wasn't enough great news, the next day at school was even better. During an assembly they were going to announce the Peace Prize winners. Kelby had been hoping all week that she had been chosen, especially since she won the award last year. She wanted to be a two time winner because there have not been many students who have repeatedly won the award. Once again I was nervous waiting all day to see if she had won the award. As soon as school was over, here comes Kelby running to the car yelling, "I won again, I won again!" She was so excited. She said that this had been the best week of school ever! I am so proud of Kelby and all that she has accomplished. She amazes me everyday. I hope her love of school and learning never disappear. She is our shining star!

The Beauty of Temple Square

2011-01-05T11:57:00.005-07:00

Another one of our favorite Christmas traditions is to ride the Trax train to Salt Lake, eat dinner and then spend the evening walking around Temple Square looking at all of the beautiful lights.

Kelby and Gage love riding the train. They love to try and hang on as the train starts and stops. Atlee on the other hand wasn't so sure about the train ride. I think the only thing she liked about it was the fact that she didn't have to be in a car seat.

Once we got to Temple Square, the kids went crazy looking at all the beautiful lights. Even though it is so cold and crowded there, it is a beautiful place to be. All the Christmas lights and the light of the temple make it such a peaceful place to be. We look forward to this trip every year.

Winter is Here With a Bang!

2010-12-21T10:11:00.005-07:00

With snow falling straight for more than 24 hours, I would say winter is here! I woke up this morning to more than two feet of snow. My heart just sank. My biggest fear in life is driving in the snow. I wasn't sure how I was going to get Kelby and Gage to school and not crash or get stuck somewhere. I spent the morning sick to my stomach and quickly getting the kids ready to go. With about 5 minutes before we needed to leave, I got a phone call that changed my day----- SCHOOL IS CANCELLED!!!!
I was sure happy about it, but Kelby and Gage were sad. Today was both of their Christmas parties at school. After telling them it would be ok and they would probably still get to have a party when they went back to school, they decided that it would be fun to be home and play in the snow. This is how they spent the morning.

Yes the snow does go up to Kelby and Gage's waist!! I can't believe there is so much snow and it is still falling with more on the way! Not a bad way to spend a day off of school.

From the words of a famous song..."Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire's so delightful and since we've no place to go, Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!"
Happy winter everyone!

The Smell of Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-20T13:54:00.005-07:00

One of our Christmas traditions is building and decorating a gingerbread house. Every year it sounds so fun and I can't wait to do it and then we start building the house. That is when the anger and frustration start because the dang gingerbread house won't stay up and the walls keep falling down. Well this year grandma found us a house already put together, we just had to decorate. It went much smoother this year without me getting frustrated. I let Kelby and Gage go to town. They each had a side of the house to decorate by themselves any way they wanted.

Kelby and Gage had a great time decorating and Atlee enjoyed eating the candy.

The artists are proud of their finished product. Sure looks good enough to eat!!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-12T15:20:00.009-07:00

Our Halloween festivites started with the tradition of carving pumpkins. Usually this tradition consists of me wiping down, cleaning out the insides and carving the pumpkins by myself. My kids seem to be terrified of the "pumpkin guts." This year Kelby decided to be brave and actually help me clean the pumpkins out!

Gage wanted a picture of him pretending to put his hand in the pumpkin so he would look brave.

Atlee was content to sit and watch us.

After all the cleaning was done, it was time to carve. Kelby and Gage each tried their hand at the carving.

When the carving became to difficult, I took over and finished all the pumpkins. Here is the finished product.

Gage's pumpkin

Kelby's pumpkin

Atlee's pumpkin

After all the fun of carving, it was time to get dressed up and head out for a night of trick or treating.

Kelby the Spider Queen

Gage the mighty Peter Pan

Atlee our adorable little ladybug

It was a "haunting" good night for trick or treating!!!

Pumpkinland

2010-10-29T15:12:00.006-06:00

It is tradition every year that we go with grandma to Pumpkinland. We go through the corn maze, see the farm animals and walk through the light alley. Then the kids each get to pick out some pumpkins from grandma.

We had a great time at Pumpkinland!! The kids even picked out the perfect pumpkins for carving. Thanks grandma for the fun day!

My Little Fish

2010-10-23T15:35:00.007-06:00

My next few posts will be a little out of date while I play catch up. Well at the end of this summer we did swimming lessons again. This year was fun because it was Gage's first time taking lessons.

Gage had so much fun at swimming lessons. For the two weeks of swimming lessons, every morning he would get up asking if it was time to go. His lessons were more about getting used to being in the water and basic swimming skills. He learned how to put his face in the water, hold his breath under water, how to jump into the water and how to float and kick on his front and back. Gage did so awesome! I was so proud of him for all that he learned and accomplished.

Kelby was also having a great time at swimming lessons until the third day. A maintenance person at the pool accidentally released a chemical into the pool right where Kelby's class was swimming. All the kids in her class inhaled the chemical. They all started coughing and couldn't breath. We ended up going home and calling poison control. Luckily the chemical wouldn't harm them, although it does irritate the eyes and throat and can make you feel sick. Kelby spent most of the day with burning eyes and a cough that would not go away. It was hard for her to take any kind of breath. She also ended up throwing up a few times. It was a rough day and I was pretty worried about her. After that she was a little hesitant to go back to lessons. She did go back and she did great. Her class worked on different swimming strokes, dolphin swimming, floating front and back, diving, swimming to the bottom of the pool to get an object and swimming with your face in the water. She did a great job and I am proud of her for how much she learned.

They are both so excited for next summer for swimming lessons again. I am glad they enjoy being in the water and I can't wait to see how much they improve next summer!

Super Mario Brothers Birthday Bash

2010-10-03T12:08:00.002-06:00

Kelby is a huge fan of Super Mario Brothers. She decided to have a Mario themed party for her 8th birthday this year. We had clouds hanging off the deck, Mario balloons tied to the railing, posters and stickers of different characters from the Mario games hung around the backyard and then we had three awesome Mario games.

The first game we played was a Mario obstacle course. Kelby wanted it to be kind of like the first level of the Super Mario Brothers game. I tried my best.

Obstacle #1--Jump on the trampoline 10 times and then jump off into a hula hoop on the ground.

Obstacle #2--Jump through the hoops as fast as you can without falling down, missing or landing outside a hoop.

Obstacle #3--Hit a ball through two characters from the Mario game.

Obstacle #4--Walk across the balance beam in the shape of an "M". If you fall off, you have to go back and try again.

Obstacle #5--Run through the wall of question mark bricks

Obstacle #6--Blong Ball--Throw a ball on one of the three levels. Each level has a picture of a Mario character. Depending on which level your ball lands, you can take a certain amount of time off your total time at the end.

I don't have any pictures of the rest of the obstacles, but they included:

Obstacle #7--Crawl through a 7 foot tunnel.

Obstacle #8--Knock Bowser down. Throw a ball at Bowser sitting on a table and try to knock him off.

Obstacle #9--Go up some stairs and down a slide.

Obstacle #10--Run to the end and touch the flag.

The fastest time wins a prize. The girls had so much fun running through the obstacle course. It was fun to see them cheer each other on.

The second game we played was Mario Bingo.

The final game was "Find the Mario Character." The girls were given a clue that described someone in the Mario games. Then they had to search outside until they found that character. Once they found that character, there was another clue that described someone else. Eventually all the clues would lead them to Princess Peach and they had to rescue her. Then they brought Princess Peach to me and they were awarded their prize for winning the game.

After all the games, it was time for cupcakes and presents. The cupcakes were decorated to look like the red mushroom that makes Mario big and the green mushroom that gives you an extra life.

Kelby got some really fun things from her friends.

Kelby's Mario party turned out to be so much fun. It was great to have all her friends with her to help celebrate her special day.

After the friend party we ended the day with having family over to help us celebrate some more. Kelby said she loved, loved, loved her birthday party, but her favorite part of her birthday was.....

getting the Lego house that she had been wanting. Kelby absolutely loves Legos!! It was so fun to see the excitement on her face when she opened the Lego house. I hope Kelby had a fabulous birthday. We love you Kelby and hope you have fun building!

Beautiful and Clean in White

2010-09-21T09:23:00.007-06:00

Beautiful Kelby was baptized at the beginning of September. It was such a special day! Kelby had been waiting so long to be baptized and was so happy when the day finally arrived. She told me that she thought it was such a neat thing that all of the bad things she had done would be washed away. Kelby was so excited about being baptized that she planned out the program herself. She had her papa speak on baptism, her primary teacher from last year did a talk on the Holy Ghost and her cousin Ashton did a musical number of some of Kelby's favorite primary songs. The talks were so amazing and you could really feel the spirit. The spirit was so strong throughout the whole program. Thank you to other family members who helped by playing the piano and saying the prayers.

Then it was time for Kelby to be baptized. I think she was a little nervous that her toes would come out of the water and she would have to do it again. Luckily her toes stayed under the water (barely) and everything went smoothly. When she came out to the water and I met her in the dressing room, she said to me that she felt so clean. She said she loved that feeling and wished that she would never make a mistake again so she could always feel this way.

After we had her all dry and changed, Kelby was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the special gift of the Holy Ghost. Marty gave her a beautiful blessing. He told her to always listen to the spirit and be an example to everyone. Kelby seemed to be glowing the rest of the day. You can sure see the light of Christ in her eyes. Kelby made a goal after her baptism. She said she wanted to make sure she said her personal prayers everyday. She has not missed one day!! She said that sometimes she is so tired she doesn't want to, but she knows she can't sleep unless she says her prayers. I am so proud of her for making that goal. She has reminded me what is important and now I am back on track to saying my prayers more regularly.

I hope Kelby remembers what a special day this was and the feelings she had. I hope Kelby always listens to the Holy Ghost. I hope her love for the Savior and the gospel continues to grow. I am so proud of her for making the decision to be baptized. Her life will truly be blessed. Thank you to all the family and friends who came to support Kelby on this special day. Your love and support means alot to us, but it means even more to Kelby!

My Big Kindergarten Boy

2010-09-11T15:52:00.004-06:00

Gage started kindergarten 2 weeks ago and he has loved every minute of it! On the first day of school I walked him in. He found his name tag, his backpack hook and his table. He gave me a hug, sat down and told me I could leave now. He was ready to get to work and start learning.

When I picked him up that day, he came running out and told me he LOVES school and he loves learning new things. He was so excited he made a new best friend as well. He said he couldn't wait to go back the next day.
I am so excited that Gage loves school and is happy to be there. I hope he always loves school and loves to learn. I am so proud of Gage and hope his year at kindergarten is a fantastic one! I will definitely miss having my little buddy around with me all day. The first day he was gone I felt a little lost without him. It will be hard not having him with me, but I know he is having a great time at school!

My Big 3rd Grader

2010-09-06T13:55:00.003-06:00

Kelby started 3rd grade a couple of weeks ago. I will tell you that school could not get here fast enough. She was more than ready to go back to school. She luckily got a teacher that she really likes and almost all her friends are in her class. She is so excited for this new school year to learn new things. She is always wanting to learn something new. I hope this school year is an awesome one for Kelby.

I was so lucky to get these pictures of Kelby in the school. She told me she is not a baby and does not need me to come in the school with her. I told her I only wanted a couple of pictures and then I would leave. She finally agreed to let me come in, but only real quick. We sure have come a long way since Kindergarten. I had to walk her in every single day of Kindergarten and almost all of first grade. Then I had to stay in her classroom until the bell rang. She was terrified that I wouldn't come back and pick her up at the end of the day. Now look how grown up she is. She doesn't need her mom anymore. Even though she doesn't need me anymore, I hope that 3rd grade is an amazing one and she will learn so many wonderful things.

Happy Birthday Kelby

2010-08-30T21:07:00.004-06:00

My sweet baby girl turned 8 years old a few days ago!! I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? I am also not old enough to have an 8 year old daughter (wishful thinking that I am still young)! I am so excited for Kelby to be 8 and to be baptized in a few short days. What a neat experience that will be for her. I have seen her mature over the last few months and she is turning into quite the amazing young lady!

I don't even know where to begin with how amazing Kelby is. She is such a smart, beautiful, talented girl. She always does her best in all she does. She loves school and loves to learn. You can usually find her with a book in her hand, if she isn't too busy playing Lego's! She has become my little helper around the house and will do things without being asked. I love to sit in her bed with her and have girl talks. She lets me know what is exciting in her life. She has such a love and excitement for things. One thing I have noticed about Kelby is how her testimony has really grown. She loves to do family home evening lessons. You can tell in her lessons how much she loves the gospel and the Savior. She is a great example to me. I love being a mom to this special girl. She makes me smile all the time. I am so proud of her. I love seeing the young lady she is turning into. Kelby is a joy in my life. Happy Birthday Kelby!!

Our River Rafting Adventure

2010-08-19T11:48:00.023-06:00

We have not been camping or even any kind of vacation since Gage was 15 months old and now he is 5!! It was time for a vacation. In July Marty took the young men to the Beaver High Adventure camp. One of the activities they did was to go with a river company river rafting down the Sevier River. When he got back from that camp he said we are going to go as a family river rafting. Kelby and Gage were so excited! I was not so excited. I was terrified. I have a fear of water, especially water with rapids. I was excited to finally be going on vacation, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. My anxiety only got worse when I found out Marty had talked to the owner of the river company and got permission to bring Atlee down the river as well. There was nothing I could do at this point but worry. We spent Friday camping next to the Sevier River.

After we had breakfast and camp was packed up, we headed to the river company. About 5 minutes before we got there, it started pouring rain and there was no sign of it letting up. Not only was it pouring rain, it was only 40 degrees outside. I was just sick. I didn't really want to go on the river, but I didn't want to drive all this way for our vacation and then end up doing nothing. Well we sat in the parking lot and watched it rain. One of the owners came out and said there was no way we could go on the river. She said they do go in the rain, but with kids it would be a miserable experience. We set up a new appointment for 1:30 and prayed the rain would go away and it would warm up. With about 4 hours to kill we headed over to Big Rock Candy Mountain. It is some mountains that look like they have been made out of candy and then had chocolate and caramel poured over them. There are a few little shops by the mountain so we headed in there. Papa and grandma were nice enough to buy the kids all something. After a little shopping we headed to the town of Marysvale and did some sightseeing and stopped for ice cream. Then it was time to head back to the river company and luckily it had stopped raining. We got there and got all signed in and geared up!

We took a short drive down the road to get the boats into the water.

Here we are ready to board the boat. Big Rock Candy Mountain is in the background.

Well the plan was for me to sit in the back of the boat and hold Atlee while everyone else paddled. That plan worked for about 5 seconds. Atlee wanted to get down and sit in the bottom of the boat and play with the water that was in the boat. After about 5 to 10 minutes into the river ride Atlee wasn't moving. I got all worried that her life jacket had choked her and she passed out. I picked her up and I couldn't believe it--she was snoring. I guess the motion of the river put her right to sleep.

The river ride began and I was so sick to my stomach. Now I had Atlee asleep in my arms and no way to balance myself. I just held on for dear life and enjoyed the ride.

This was our guide Don. He was hysterical!! He had jokes, stories and songs the whole way down the river. He made the ride a lot more relaxing for me. He was also so patient to take it easier down the river since our kids were with us.

We made it to the end of the river safe and sound. If you look close you can see Gage's head peeking out from behind Papa. There were a few close calls for me on the river. We hit a rapid one time that sent me off balance and since I had Atlee in my arms I couldn't stop myself. In the process I almost knocked Gage out of the boat. Another rapid sent me off balance the other way and I went crashing into Marty. He grabbed my leg so hard to keep me and him in the boat. I thought for sure I would have a bruise that looked like his hand. Other than that, I actually had a really good time. Kelby and Gage are dying to go again next year. I guess we will see how brave I am!

After the river we ate lunch and then went for a hike to Bullion Falls. The hike was only a mile long, but it was a pretty steep hill. Once we made it to the falls, it was so worth it.

This was the view when we reached the end of the trail. It was so beautiful!! The sound of the water was amazing. You can actually climb down to the water. It was a little nerve racking. You actually had to do some rock climbing down to the bottom. One person can go down at a time. Poor Kelby was terrified to climb down the mountain. She would not stop crying. I was terrified too, so I said we should work together. I started down first and then waited for her to come to me. We kept doing that until we reached the bottom. We all made it down and had a great time playing in the water. The water was ice cold!!! I could hardly stand to be in it for more than a few seconds. Of course Atlee and Gage wanted to play in it no matter how cold it was. Marty convinced Kelby to swim with him under the falls. I couldn't believe she did it. Kelby actually went with Marty a couple of times. She cried while doing it, but was so proud of herself for going in the falls. The only downside to swimming in the falls was Kelby spent the next hour shivering like she had hypothermia. It was so beautiful to be up close to the water falls.

It was an amazing vacation!! We all had so much fun. I wish there was more time to do stuff like this. I love being with family. There is nothing better. Hopefully this trip will be something the kids remember for many years to come!

Lazy Days of Summer

2010-08-09T10:45:00.008-06:00

My kids love to be outside in the summer. We decided one day to go spend the morning feeding the ducks and playing at Salem Pond. Here are some pics from the day.

There were so many ducks swimming around and even little baby ducks. There were also HUGE fish in the pond (which is what the 2nd picture is if you can't tell).

There is nothing better than being outside enjoying the beautiful world and being with my kids!

4th of July Traditions

2010-08-04T15:02:00.011-06:00

The Freedom Festival Grand Parade

The afternoon consists of a BBQ, water fun and fireworks at grandma and papa's house.

Atlee was more content to sit in a chair and have people squeeze a water ball over the top of her head.

It had been a long day and now it was time to eat!!

Just like that, the 4th of July was over with a bang!

Pioneer For a Day

2010-07-27T14:20:00.005-06:00

Our ward recently had youth conference. They participated in a pioneer handcart trek. Marty is the 1st counselor in the Young Men presidency, but was not able to attend with our youth. Only couples were allowed to go and since we have 3 little kids and no where to take them, I wasn't able to go with him. However, he was able to go meet them along the trail on their last day and have lunch and finish the trek with the youth. He did take a special visitor with him, Kelby. She was so excited to dress as a pioneer and go with her dad to see what it was like to pull a handcart.

The youth were nice enough to let Kelby pull with them for a little while. She said it was so fun to pull the handcart.

At the end of the trek Kelby got to go inside a house that resembled one the pioneers lived in. She kept telling me how small it was and she couldn't believe a family could live in there. That day on the pioneer trek was a great experience for Kelby. I think she has found a new appreciation for what she has. She had a fantastic time. Every time someone mentions pioneers or sings pioneer songs, she gets so excited and reminds us all that she got to be a pioneer for a day!

Highlights from the Longest Day of the Year

2010-07-12T11:02:00.006-06:00

Marty's Aunt Frankie has a party at her house on the longest day of the year. It is so much fun. Most of his cousins and their families are there. We don't get to see them very often so it is nice to spend time with them. At the party we get to enjoy delicious food and great company while the kids play in the yard.

This party has become one of my favorite evenings of the summer. I look forward to being able to relax with good food and family. What could be better!!

Another Cold & Wet Parade

2010-07-01T14:37:00.009-06:00

I think it has become tradition that the annual city parade is going be cold and wet. For the last few years we have had to endure sitting through the parade and carnival with freezing temperatures and rain. The cold and rain won't stop us though, we love to get out to the carnival and parade to welcome the beginning of summer.

One night during the carnival week we were able to take advantage of a break in the storms and head to the carnival for a few quick rides before the rain started again.

Atlee's first ride on the Ferris Wheel and she loved every minute of it.

The night before the parade and a few hours before, it poured rain. I was thinking there would be no parade this year, but it cleared up long enough to enjoy the parade. The temperature was 40 degrees so we bundled up, brought our winter blankets and tried to keep warm.

We had a great time even though it was cold and wet. Here is to hoping that next year will be warm!

Kelby's Last Day of 2nd Grade

2010-06-23T09:54:00.006-06:00

The last day of school for Kelby was an emotional one. She absolutely did not want 2nd grade to end. She had so much fun at school this year. She said that 2nd grade has been her most favorite year by far. She had an amazing teacher, Mrs. Kunzler, that she did not want to leave. Also, her principal Mr. Rowe is leaving to go to a different school. She really wanted him to stay. He is an awesome principal and the school will really miss him. Kelby said she will miss seeing her friends, library time with her favorite librarian Mrs. Lindsey and being Mrs. Kunzler's special helper. I am so glad that Kelby is enjoying school so much. She is an amazing, smart little girl and I hope her love for school is always there. I am so proud of Kelby for all that she learned this year. Keep up the good work!

Kelby and her teacher Mrs. Kunzler

Kelby and Mrs. Lindsey--the librarian

Kelby and her principal Mr. Rowe

My soon to be 3rd grader and kindergartner

Our New Toy

2010-05-29T17:58:00.005-06:00

Now with summer break here and 3 very wild, need to be entertained all the time children, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep up with everyone and keep everyone entertained. Marty is also gone all the time and we only see him on Saturday's. That means that I am with the kids by myself all day everyday!! I got to thinking that I might need a babysitter to help entertain my kids. Here is what I came up with.....

We are all having a blast on the new trampoline. My first time jumping on it sure showed me how out of shape I am. It is quite the workout to jump and bounce kids. Even Atlee likes to jump with me. I have taught Kelby and Gage some of the games I used to play when I was a kid on our trampoline. They are sure having a good time. When they wake up in the morning, the first thing they ask is if they can go jump. Hopefully this will help with the summer boredom and nobody will end up in the hospital with broken bones! Happy summer everyone!

The Graduate

2010-05-29T15:04:00.005-06:00

Gage has officially graduated from preschool! I can't believe how much he has learned in such a short amount of time. I am so proud of him and all that he learned during preschool. His teacher said he is definitely ready for kindergarten. That makes me feel so relieved because Gage would never sit with me and practice any kind of thing for school. Now he can count to 100, recognizes numbers to 20, can count by 10's to 100, recognizes all letters and knows their sounds, writes very good and can even read a few words. He also knows the Pledge of Allegiance, the months, days of the week and many more things. Preschool was a great experience for Gage not only in getting ready for kindergarten, but interacting with other children and making new friends. On his last day of preschool, they got to go to a park and have a picnic with their teacher and play together one last time. Me and Atlee got to join them for the picnic. We all had a great time celebrating Gage's last day of preschool. Here are some pictures of his last day.

Congratulations Gage! We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished during your time at preschool. Keep up the good work and you will do awesome in kindergarten. We love you!

The Circus Came to Town

2010-05-13T21:17:00.015-06:00

The circus made a special trip to town for Gage's 5th birthday and first friend party. As Gage's friends arrived they were greeted by a special clown and then treated to some face painting.

Once everyone had their face or hand painted, it was time to play some games and win some prizes.

Game #1--Pin the Nose on the Clown

Game #2--Pop the Balloon

Every child got a balloon and they had to pop it any way they could think of. Inside their balloon was a paper that said how many prizes they won. It was so fun to see all these little kids try and pop their balloon. Some popped it right away and others could not pop it at all.

Game #3--Milk Bottle Knock Down

Game #4--Duck Pond

Everyone had to take a turn to catch a duck with a fishing pole. On the bottom of the duck was a number of how many prizes they won.

Game #5--Elephant Ring Toss

Game #6--Feed the Animals Bean Bag Toss

The games had been played and the prizes given out, which means it was time for PRESENTS!!

After Gage opened his fun presents from all his friends, it was time to head over to the concessions stand for your choice of ice cream and clown cupcakes!

The circus was a hit! Everyone had a great time playing games and winning prizes! It was fun to have all of Gage's friends over for a party!

After the circus left, we had family over for some delicious clown cake and more presents!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a special celebration for Gage! It meant alot to him. Happy Birthday Gage!

My Big 5 Year Old Boy!

2010-05-05T09:05:00.006-06:00

Five years ago today a beautiful baby boy was born to our family. Gage has been one of my greatest blessings. I was so nervous when I found out he was going to be a boy, but now looking back over the years, I don't know what I was so worried about. Having a son is truly wonderful. Gage is my best little buddy. He is my sweet, lovable, cuddly, cutest little boy. I love Gage to death. I love his big, strong hugs. I love the way he wants to always take care of me and make sure I am happy. I love his adorable, contagious laugh. I love the fact that he wants to live with his momma forever! I love everything about Gage. I am so blessed to have him as my son. I can't believe he is already five. He is at that age now where is life will be filled with so many new adventures. I am glad to be apart of all of them.
Here are some things Gage enjoys at five years old.

Loves Dr. Pepper to drink.
Absolutely loves and adores his little sister Atlee.
Loves Legos, Lincoln Logs and anything with wheels that he can drive around the house.
Loves toys in general. He would literally buy every toy at the store if he could.
Loves to draw and he is very good at it.
Loves to tie things together with yarn, especially two or more trucks at a time. We tease him that he will grow up and be a tow truck driver.
Loves to be outside, especially in the dirt.
He loves almost all food, but really enjoys Mexican. It is great to finally not have a picky eater.
He has quite an imagination and loves to ask a million questions a day.
Loves to be the teaser of the house.
He loves to be his dad's helper when they are working in the garage. He even has his own tools to help fix things.
He is very polite and loves to give compliments.
He loves to give big hugs, which I love because they always make me smile!

Gage I hope you have a wonderful, fantastic birthday. Thanks for being my special little boy. You will never know how much you mean to me. I love you so much and Happy Birthday Gage!

March Highlights

2010-04-14T10:06:00.009-06:00

During the month of March our family was able to attend a few Utah Flash basketball games thanks to Marty's work. His work had purchased a VIP season ticket pass. The tickets were great. Before the game we were able to enjoy a dinner provided by Bajio in the owner's suite. Our tickets were down on the floor on the 2nd row. We were right in the action and the kids enjoyed seeing the players so close up. Kelby and Gage were even chosen at a couple of the games to go out and dance during a timeout! They were able to get free Utah Flash shirts for dancing. It was a lot of fun to be able to spend some time together and enjoy the basketball games!

Also during March Kelby graduated from the radKIDS program at her school. The radKIDS program is a personal empowerment and safety program. They are taught that they are special and no one has the right to hurt them. radKIDS is a program that they do for 4 1/2 months during their PE class. It teaches them things like fire safety, dog safety, bike safety and abduction safety. They are also taught that even someone they know could try to hurt or take them. If they ever feel uncomfortable around anyone, they should get away from that person and go to someone they trust for help. They also learn how to protect themselves in case they are ever in a situation where someone is trying to hurt them or kidnap them. In this course, they learned self-defense moves that they could use in case someone was trying to take them. They practiced these moves and other safety tips over a few months. The night of the graduation they had to go through a simulation of different scenarios of someone trying to hurt them or abduct them. The first situation was someone coming up to them and said that there was an emergency at home and this person said they would take them home and that their mom said it was ok to go with them. The point of the activity was to get the kids to scream and yell for this person to stay back. They were also to ask this person their family password and when this person gave the incorrect password, they were to run to a safe place and tell an adult what was going on. The second situation was to practice some self defense moves on a dummy. The third situation was with a police officer. He was all dressed up in pads and a helmet. He acted as a bad guy and came up to the child and grabbed them. The kids were supposed to use the moves they had learned to fight him off. Once they got away from him they ran to a safe place and called 911. Some kids really kicked and hit as hard as they could to get away. While I was watching this, I kept thinking to myself that I hope Kelby never finds herself in a situation like this, but if she does at least she has some knowledge now to try to protect herself. It put an uneasy feeling in my stomach that this is the kind of world we live in. I definitely keep a closer eye on my kids now and we practice some of the radKIDS rules all the time. Once each child went through the simulation, they were each rewarded with a certificate of graduation. It was a neat experience and hopefully Kelby will always remember what she learned.

March also brought birthday celebrations for Marty, my mom, my dad and Atlee--all within 6 days of each other. Another March highlight was that Atlee learned to walk!! It was an exciting month and hopefully I will have birthday and walking photos posted soon!

1st Birthday Wishes

2010-03-31T09:17:00.013-06:00

I want to wish a very Happy 1st Birthday to my beautiful baby girl. I can't believe a year has come and gone. I feel like I just blinked and now here we are celebrating Atlee's 1st birthday. Atlee has grown into such a beautiful, fun little girl. She has definitely been the hardest baby and at times I thought I might go crazy with all her crying and tantrums, but I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have this little girl in our family. She has become so much fun to be around and I love watching her little personality develop. She is one loved little girl!! Here are a few things about Atlee at one year old.

She loves to play "Where is Atlee?"
She loves to be entertained all day long.
She loves to be read to and she loves to read by herself. You give her a book and she will sit down and turn the pages one by one like she has been reading for years.
She loves music and loves to dance.
She still is not crawling and has no desire to even try.
She is soooo close to walking. She does cruise around the furniture or walls or anything that can get her from one place to another.
She loves to be in the stroller as long as it is moving.
She loves cold weather, especially wind.
Her appetite has finally improved and she likes to eat pasta, rice, yogurt, cheese, cold cereal, crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches and milk.
She now has 5 (almost 6) teeth.
If we are all laughing, she makes sure to join in and give us her nice, big fake laugh.
She can make a sound like Donald Duck (HILARIOUS)!
She hates church. She cries the second we get there and usually doesn't stop until we get home. (Sunday's are now my least favorite day)
She has a full head of curly hair and Gage loves to rub it.
She gives hugs, kisses, waves bye-bye, shakes hands and gives high fives.
She loves to give her dolls hugs and has to have one in bed with her.
She says mom, momma, pop and oh no.
She loves to make messes! She will pull all the magnets off the fridge, empty the tupperware drawer, pull garbage out of the can, pull books, toys, magazines out of baskets, take movies and CD's off the shelf and throw laundry around. No wonder I am much busier these days.
She is a special, sweet, lovable little girl!

Take a moment and enjoy these pictures of Atlee from the last year.

It has been so much fun to watch Atlee grow and learn over this last year. She is such a smart, beautiful, fun girl. I just love Atlee to death and I love being her mom. She completes our family so well. I hope Atlee has a wonderful 1st birthday! We love you Atlee!

The Birthday Quilt

2010-03-25T13:05:00.004-06:00

My little Atlee is going to be one next week and I can't believe it. Every year for my kid's 1st birthday I like to make them a quilt. I put a lot of love into making them (since sewing is not something I like to do) and I hope it is something that they will always treasure. Here is the one I made for Atlee.

I think it turned out pretty cute. I want to say thank you to my mom for helping me pin, iron and all the little annoying tasks that come with making a quilt. I couldn't have done it without her help. I hope Atlee enjoys her new quilt for many years to come!

A Little Kelby Bragging

2010-03-06T16:08:00.009-07:00

Kelby has been having an awesome time in 2nd grade. Here a few highlights of some of her great accomplishments over the past few months.

During the month of January, Kelby won the "Peace Prize" award for her 2nd grade class. This award is chosen by the students. They vote on someone who shows hard work, kindness and an all around great student. There was an assembly to announce all the winners. Kelby was so excited when they called her name. Each winner was presented with a certificate and their picture was in the newspaper.

Way to go Kelby! We are so proud of you. Keep up the good work and keep doing your best!

Also during January, Kelby had her 2nd grade program. The theme for the program was Martin Luther King Jr. and making a difference in our world. It was a wonderful program with great messages. They talked and sang about people like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks who helped changed the way we see each other. Kelby even had a speaking part about a little black girl named Ruby who attended an all white school and the opposition she faced. Kelby did a great job on her part.

In the month of December, Kelby had to do an oral country report. She decided to report on Italy. The report had to be 20- 30 minutes and must include facts about the country, holiday traditions and samples of food they eat there. She had to do a display with different things from the country. She also had to make a doll wearing the traditional dress from Italy. It was quite the project!

Kelby did such a great job. Speaking for that long of a time in front of a group of people could be scary, but she did awesome! Kelby even learned a little Italian to start off her report. I was so proud of her. I got to sit up by her and hold up pictures of different things as she talked about them. She didn't even need help once! She said she actually enjoyed doing the report and learned a lot about another country.

I am so glad that Kelby is enjoying 2nd grade so much. She loves learning and doing new things. She has especially enjoyed learning multiplication this year. She has a wonderful teacher who has made this year even better. Her teacher has been so impressed that she has given Kelby little teacher aide jobs. She gets to gather the homework folders, take out the homework and check it off if it was done and put the new homework in. She helps with desk inspection and a few other little tasks. Anytime her teacher needs help with something, she always asks Kelby. Kelby has a great time helping out in class. I hope school is always something that is fun for Kelby. She is such a smart girl and can do anything she puts her mind to. We are so proud of all that she has done!!

10 Months Old

2010-02-04T12:35:00.006-07:00

Atlee at 10 Months:

21 pounds (75%)
28 inches long (75%)
Head size is 46 cm (93%)
She has 4 teeth and another one getting ready to pop through.
She can give hugs, kisses, wave hi and bye and she shakes hands.
She says "mama" and "dada"
She is still not crawling, but trying to walk.
She can stand alone and has taken a couple of steps.
She loves to stand up in her bed.
She loves to walk around all the furniture in our family room.
She loves toys, books and music.
She loves to be out, whether it is a car ride or running errands or taking Kelby and Gage to school, she just loves to be out doing something.
She absolutely loves Dora the Explorer TV show. Every time that show comes on she just smiles away and sits and watches the whole episode.
She hates baby food and doesn't really like much other food either. I am struggling with ideas of food for her to eat.
She loves to spit her food at me when I feed her. (VERY ANNOYING!)
She loves to fake laugh at all of us.
She is a mama's girl and likes me to hold her all the time!!
She is growing up way too fast!

I cant' believe that in 8 short weeks we will be celebrating her first birthday! I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital. Atlee has grown into such a beautiful little girl with little blond curls and all. Kelby and Gage love her to death and still can't get enough of her. Atlee is such a joy in our family. We all love her so much!

10 Years Ago

2010-01-21T14:00:00.005-07:00

10 years ago today my life changed. I married my best friend. It was such a special day and I remember it like is was yesterday. I can't believe how fast the years have gone. It has been a wonderful 10 years though. Like everyone, we have had our bad times and our good times. Luckily the good times outweigh the bad. Marty still keeps me laughing and smiling and I am as happy as could be.

I feel very blessed to be married to such a wonderful man. One who loves and respects me and our children. One who works hard to provide a wonderful life for us. One who honors his priesthood. Especially one who can put up with me and still love me after all these years. I may not look the same or act the same I did 10 years ago, but one thing that has not changed is my love for Marty. I love him more than I did 10 years ago. I can't wait for the next 50 or more years together.

Look how far we have come !! I have loved every minute of the journey!

Christmas Moments

2010-01-12T20:51:00.009-07:00

I love Christmas morning. I love the excitement and anticipation and all the magic in the air. This year Christmas morning came a little too early. Kelby got up at 2:00 a.m. saying that she could hear strange noises (I think she was just ready to get up and open presents). Her getting up then of course got Atlee up. Atlee was crying and would not go back to sleep. I finally got her to sleep at about 3:45 a.m. I got back in bed and settled down when Gage showed up in our room at 4:15 a.m. as excited as could be to go see what Santa had brought. He was so disappointed when I sent him back to bed because it was still too early to get up. After all the getting in and out of bed, I could not go back to sleep. I figured I might as well get up and shower and get dressed. I laid around after that and read a book figuring that the kids would awake shortly since they were so excited. I was wrong. I actually went and woke them up at about 7:30. Gage sat up in bed and said, "Is it finally Christmastime?" It sure was!! It was time to finally see what Santa brought and open presents!

It was an exciting morning. Everyone got what they wanted. Gage got his Nintendo DS with Super Mario Brothers video game. Kelby got the Strawberry Shortcake Cafe with all the accessories that go with it. Atlee got the Fisher Price Incrediblock. They also got many more fun games and toys. I don't think they could have been any happier!

One of our traditions is after we open presents we have my mom and dad and Marty's mom and dad over for a Christmas breakfast. We have been doing it since Kelby was a baby. It is so much fun to have family over and spend the day with everyone. After breakfast the rest of the day is spent enjoying family and playing with all the new toys!

It was a wonderful Christmas. There is nothing better than to see the excitement on your children's faces when they get that special present that they wanted. I will always enjoy that special magic of Christmas!

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T08:56:00.006-07:00

Our New Year's Eve started out with a trip to the movie with grandma to see The Princess and the Frog.

Kelby and Gage love Alvin and the Chipmunks, so when they saw statues of them in the lobby they just had to get their picture with them.

This was Atlee's first trip to the movie. I was nervous how she would do. She was good until the movie started and then she started to cry. I had to take her out. About half way through the movie grandma came and got her. The little pill was good for grandma and then she eventually fell asleep. What a little stinker! The movie was so cute! It is such a good story. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone. Kelby and Gage loved it and we all had a great time!

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out at home and playing games. We are all party poopers at our house (actually me and Marty are too tired to stay up late anymore) so at 8:00 we had our New Year's celebration. Kelby and Gage threw streamers and popped poppers and blew horns and yelled Happy New Year! Atlee loved the horn blowing. She would not stop laughing. When we were all done Gage said, "That was the best New Year's ever!" What a funny kid. Then we were all off to bed to get ready for 2010!

I usually don't set goals for the New Year because I never keep them and then they are soon forgotten. This year I decided to set some goals. Here are a few things I would like to work on.

1. Be more patient with my kids.

2. Spend more time playing with my kids and enjoying it.

3. Get my scrapbook room cleaned out and organized.

4. Lose the baby weight that I am still carrying around. It seems to be harder to lose the weight this time around.

5. Enjoy life more. I always stress over the smallest things. I want to be able to relax and enjoy life and everyone around me.

Hopefully by keeping my list small it will be easier to accomplish. I hope 2010 will be a wonderful year. May all your hopes and dreams come true this year! Happy New Year!

A Trip to the North Pole

2009-12-29T11:05:00.003-07:00

The kids had a great time visiting with Santa this year. Atlee did especially well for her first time. She didn't cry. She kept looking at Santa and then at me, but never cried. I was so proud! Santa asked me if he could give Atlee a special present. He got her a coloring book and wrote a special message to her on the back of it for her first Christmas. It was so cute. It is always a great time when you get to see Santa!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-07T10:26:00.014-07:00

I love Thanksgiving. I love being with family. I love cooking food. I love that there is a holiday for us to reflect and to give thanks for all that we have been blessed with. Every year I cook Thanksgiving dinner and anyone is welcome to come and join us. This year I had my mom and dad over for dinner. Jason, Melanie, Taylor and Kylee were supposed to come and join us, but they ended up sick and couldn't make it. We sure missed them. The day started early with getting the turkey in the oven. Everyone was a great help in getting the rest of the food ready and the table set in time for our delicious meal!

Me and Marty cooking food and our lovely table for dinner.

Everyone playing before dinner!

Everyone enjoying dinner. Even Atlee liked the turkey!!

Our after dinner visitor in the backyard looking for some turkey of his own!

After dinner we were pleased to be entertained by Gage and Kelby. The first number on the program was a song called "The Pilgrims and the Indians" sung by Gage and Kelby.

Next we heard from Kelby who sang "Ten Little Indians."

After the songs we had a puppet show. Gage had put the whole thing together by himself. He colored and cut out all the puppets. He would have Kelby come in his room and practice the puppet show. The puppet show was about the Indians and the Pilgrims becoming friends.

Their whole program was so cute. They did such a great job with the songs and puppet show. I had a great time watching them!!

After the program it was time to check the ads for any good shopping deals the next day. Even Atlee was interested in reading the ads.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I love having my family over to celebrate this holiday. There is nothing better than being with the ones you love. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family!

New Moon

2009-12-07T09:07:00.006-07:00

I have been so excited for the New Moon movie to come out. Once again my friend Gina and her sisters rented a theater for opening day. This year I had Kelsey, Maria and her two sisters come. It is so much fun to have a girls night out especially when you get to watch New Moon! Gina and her sisters make the whole night so fun. They had cutouts of Edward, Jacob and Bella that you could take your picture with. They also do giveaways before the movie and they have treats for everyone. It is such a fun time. Thanks Gina for making it such a great time!

Now about the movie---Oh it was sooooo good!! I loved the first one, but this one was a million times better. I have to admit that I wasn't a Jacob fan in the books, but in the movie it is hard not to like him (especially when he takes his shirt off). The special effects with the wolves was amazing. I don't think I blinked the whole time. I was on the edge of my seat when Bella was racing to Italy to save Edward. Don't ask me why since I knew what would happen from the books. It was an awesome movie all the way through! I can't wait for Eclipse to come out now!

Here are a couple of pictures from the evening--they are blurring from being in the dark.

Me and Gina

Me with Kelsey, Maria, her two sisters and of course Edward, Jacob and Bella!

Cold Weather Fun

2009-11-17T12:48:00.008-07:00

When the weather outside looks like this.........

It is time to take the kids bowling!!

On Saturday during the snowstorm, we decided to head over to BYU and take Kelby and Gage bowling for their first time. When we got there, Kelby and Gage were on one lane and me and Marty on the other. They grabbed their bowling balls and were ready to bowl.

They actually did pretty good. Kelby even figured out how to hold the bowl with her fingers in the holes and then throw it. Gage was so excited every time he knocked down the pins. It was a blast to watch them play. It was a close game the whole time, but the eventual winner was.....

Kelby won 88 to Gage's 67. We had such a great time spending the afternoon together as a family. Kelby and Gage had a great time learning to bowl. I love being with my family!

On a side note, I bowled one of my better games. Marty, who always brags that he is such a great bowler and kills everyone he plays against, only beat me by 2 points!!

Tis the Season For.......

2009-11-03T19:15:00.008-07:00

Carving Pumpkins

Making Cookies

Costumes, Candy and Trick or Treating

Hope everyone had a "haunting" Halloween!!!

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T18:26:00.007-06:00

October is one of my favorite months. I love the beautiful fall colors, the chill in the air, warm sweaters, the smell of good food cooking and being with family. With October also comes our trip to the pumpkin patch with grandma. We started with the corn maze. This year we had Kelby, Gage and Taylor as the leaders. It was quite fun to follow them. We seemed to go in a few circles and then eventually ended up at the end without finding the secret room. Then it was on to see the animals and play around in the fun houses. After that we headed through the "spooky" lighted haunted house. Then came the favorite part of picking out pumpkins. The kids always head straight for the biggest pumpkins they can find. Grandma was nice enough to let each child pick out one big pumpkin and one little pumpkin. Not a bad way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. Thanks to grandma for the fun trip to the pumpkin patch.

6 Months Old

2009-10-13T09:04:00.005-06:00

Atlee is now halfway to her first birthday. I am not ready for that. I wish life would slow down to allow me to enjoy these moments longer. She is growing and learning so quickly. At her checkup, Atlee weighed almost 19 pounds and was 27 inches long. She is at the top of the charts in her growth. Atlee can roll over both ways, but would rather not lay on the floor. She can sit up and that is what she prefers to do. If you hold onto her fingers she will pull herself up to standing. She has had 2 teeth for over a month and the top 2 teeth are getting ready to pop through. She loves to play with toys and especially examine them. When she picks up a toy, she turns it over and over in her hand and stares at it. Everything she gets her hands on goes right in her mouth. This has become a challenge with Gage to keep his small toys off the floor. She loves to be read to and listen to music. One thing I find funny about Atlee is that when Gage cries, she laughs at him. She has this little giggle every time he cries and she doesn't stop unless Gage stops crying. Atlee is also sharing a room with Kelby. Gage has become quite jealous of this. He really wants Atlee to be in his room. He constantly asks if Atlee can have a sleepover in his room and Atlee can even sleep in the top bunk (Gage's favorite sleeping place). Kelby loves having her in her room until Atlee goes down for a nap and Kelby can't get in her room. I think Kelby having a sister was the best thing that ever happened to her. Kelby loves Atlee to death. Atlee is a mommy's girl for sure. If I set her down and walk out of the room, she watches me like a hawk and starts screaming. As soon as I come back and pick her up, she stops crying instantly. She loves me to hold her and snuggle on my shoulder. Atlee is so much fun. I love watching her learn and experience new things. There is a new adventure everyday. Atlee is very loved by her family and it is so wonderful to have her in our home. I couldn't be any luckier! I am very blessed to be able to be at home and watch my children grow. I have a wonderful family!

What Would We Do Without a Park?

2009-09-15T09:57:00.016-06:00

This post is a little outdated now, but I wanted to put it in. I just never seemed to get around to putting it on my blog, so here it is, better late than never!

The Monday before school started (way back in August), my mom and I took Kelby, Gage and Atlee to the Bicentennial Park. A couple of weeks before, Marty had taken us to this park to play frisbee golf and the kids had a blast! They had been dying to go back. This park is so much fun. First of all there is a huge frisbee golf course. You can play as much or as little of the course as you want. Kelby and Gage had so much fun trying to get their frisbee into the basket.

Gage decided he didn't want to play anymore because his frisbee wouldn't fly very far and he was losing. Kelby also had her moment of not wanting to play when she was losing.

There is also a giant pond and a wetlands area to explore at the park as well. You follow the path around through a swamp, natural grasses, a forest and a natural spring. There are plaques along the way telling about the different things that are in a wetland. It is actually really fun to walk through.

Here are some of the things that were in the pond.

Ducks swimming around

Dragonfly

Tadpoles

Kelby and Gage playing in the natural spring.

After our adventure through the wetlands, it was time to play on the playground. This playground has a lot of different things to play on that aren't at most parks. There is a zip line, climbing walls, bridges, balancing stools, slides and swings.

We all had a wonderful day at the park. It is always fun to be outside and playing together. Thanks to grandma for spending the day with us. I definitely recommend this park as a place to take your family. It is a park that the whole family would enjoy!

Gage's First Day of Preschool

2009-09-08T09:46:00.004-06:00

I can't believe this day has finally come. Gage started preschool last Thursday. My little boy is growing up and now he is ready for school. He has been so excited about going and kept asking how many more days until he could go to his school. He has been so excited to learn. I have tried to work with him at home, but he won't sit with me long enough to do any good. I decided that preschool would be a good thing for him. I am so excited for him to go and learn and make new friends. He will have a great time!

When I picked him up from preschool, his teacher said he was a little sad the first half of class and then he was fine and had a great time. Gage kept jumping up and down saying, "preschool was so much fun mom!" I am so glad that he had a great time. They practiced writing their name, tracing lines and shapes, did colors, weather and many more fun things. I will sure miss Gage the days he is at school. He is my little buddy that is always talking to me. It is really going to be quiet when he is gone. I want Gage to know how proud I am of him. I hope he enjoys his time in preschool and learns all he can. This will be such a fun time in his life. I love you Gage!

A Funny Gage Moment

2009-09-02T10:18:00.003-06:00

The funniest thing happened the other day and I just had to share it with everyone. I was in my bathroom cleaning and Gage was pushing Atlee around in her walker in my bedroom. I had some laundry on my bedroom floor to put away. My bra was also laying on the floor. All of a sudden I hear Gage get all sad and panicked. Then I hear him say, "Oh no Atlee!! We just ran over mom's boob!" He came running in to the bathroom all sad and said, "Mom I am so sorry I ran over your boob! Is it going to be ok?" I was trying so hard not to laugh because he was all worried that he had hurt me. I gave him a big hug and told him that my boob would be ok. He felt better after that. Then he pushed Atlee out of my room and said, "We better leave so we don't run over mom's boob again." I think I better keep my bra off the floor from now on so I don't worry Gage about smashing my boob! What a funny little boy I have. I just love Gage to death!

Happy Birthday Kelby!

2009-08-26T09:43:00.013-06:00

Today is Kelby's 7th birthday. I can't believe how fast she has grown up. It makes me sad in some ways because she isn't so little anymore, but happy in other ways because she has grown into a beautiful girl. I looked through my pictures of Kelby over the years. She has changed so much. There are so many pictures that I would love to share with everyone, but here is a glimpse at the last seven years of Kelby.

7 Years Old

August 26, 2002

6 months old

9 months old

1 year old

16 months old

22 months old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

5 years old

6 years old

7 years old

Kelby, I hope you know how much I love you. I have loved every minute of watching you grow up. I am so proud of you. You are so beautiful, smart, talented, loving and kind. I am honored to be your mom. I couldn't ask for a more special daughter. Happy 7th Birthday!!

Owlz Baseball

2009-08-25T09:40:00.009-06:00

Saturday night we took the kids to the Orem Owlz baseball game. Kelby and Gage have been wanting to go since we took them last year and now that Kelby is back in school this was one of our only chances to go. Plus, there were fireworks after the game and who doesn't like fireworks! The Owlz record going into this game was 16-2. We were hoping to see another winning game.

The Owlz score their first of two runs. They went on to win 2-0.

The kids are enjoying the game and Atlee is enjoying her first popsicle. I know I am a bad mom to give my 5 month old baby a popsicle, but she really wanted it and she really enjoyed it!!

Gage was enjoying the game until Hootz and Holly came out. For some reason he is terrified of them. They would walk around and dance by us and Gage would freak out and cry. Even when they were nowhere near us, Gage kept asking, "Where are the owls, where are the owls? Are they going to come and get me?" He couldn't relax for the rest of the night.

It was a great night out at the baseball game. The game was exciting and we all had a great time. It sure was nice to spend some time together as a family. We ended our night watching the spectacular fireworks!

2nd Grade Here I Come!

2009-08-19T10:16:00.005-06:00

It is officially the end of summer vacation. No more lazy mornings. No more laying on the couch watching cartoons. No more do what you want when you want. The new school year has begun. Kelby is now a big 2nd grader and I can't believe it. It seems like only yesterday I was signing her up for Kindergarten. She has learned and grown so much these last couple of years. I am excited for her as she embarks on her 2nd grade adventures. She will learn so many fun new things.

Kelby has been so excited for school to start. For the last couple of weeks she has been asking me how many more days. I am glad that she was excited to get back to school. This morning she got up early (even before her alarm clock went off) and got all showered and dressed. She was ready to go with 45 minutes to spare. She is really excited for her new teacher Mrs. Kunzler and she says she is really happy to be in 2nd grade! I can't wait to hear all about her first day in 2nd grade!!

I Spy...A Trip to the Museum

2009-08-16T16:03:00.006-06:00

My mom and I recently took the kids to the BYU Museum of Art for the Walter Wick "I Spy" exhibit. My kids love the I Spy books, so what a great thing it would be for them to see some of the models that were used to take pictures for the books.

Out of our collection of Walter Wick books, this is one of our favorites. It was also one of the books on display. Many of the pages from the book were blown up and hung on the wall.

The model for this picture was actually on display. Kelby and Gage thought it was so cool to see this model. You could see things on the model that you can't see in the book. It was quite amazing. Kelby and Gage were so excited to see their book at the museum. There were also pictures of people building these tiny models for the books. You don't realize all the hard work that goes into making all these books. There were also many pages from the Walter Wick books hung on the wall to see. In addition to the pictures, there were some of his optical illusions hung up. I love optical illusions! It is crazy that someone can create something that totally tricks your eyes and your brain into seeing something else.

There was also another exhibit going at the same time. I can't remember the name of the artist, but he used everyday items to make art. For instance, melted garbage bags, duck sauce packets, packing peanuts, balloons and many other things. It is crazy to see the imagination of another person brought to life.

I didn't realize you weren't supposed to take pictures, so I only got a couple before one of the security guards asked me to stop. I wish I could have gotten more of the amazing exhibits.

This is the only picture I got of the "I Spy" exhibit. It is the front wall before entering the exhibit.

This is from the other exhibit. It is the used balloon wall art.

We had a great afternoon exploring the museum. We all had a great time with grandma. It is always a great time when you can expose your children to things they don't see everyday.

4 Months Old Already!!

2009-08-12T14:38:00.005-06:00

I don't know where the time has gone. Altee is already 4 months old. She recently had her check up. She is still growing like crazy. She now weighs 16 pounds 4 ounces (95% for babies her age) and she is 25 inches long (80% for babies her age). I can't believe how big she is. She is definitely taking after her big brother Gage. She has also started solid foods. Her favorite is rice cereal mixed with applesauce. She didn't seem to like the applesauce by itself so I mixed it in the cereal and that seemed to work. She has also tried squash, but that wasn't a big hit either. Atlee is becoming more fun to play with. She loves to play with toys. She loves to put everything in her mouth. She is close to rolling over. She is very alert and loves to watch us walk around. She has even walked across half of the kitchen in her walker. Before I know it she will be running around with Kelby and Gage. I love to see Atlee smile. She has the brightest, most energetic smile that you can't help but be happy when you see it. Having Atlee in our family is the best and we love her so much!

Photos and Fun

2009-08-01T18:01:00.012-06:00

My sister in law Melanie (I really think of her as my sister) came over and took some much needed pictures of my kids. The last time I had pictures done of my kids, Kelby had just turned 4 and now she is only a few weeks away from turning 7. It was definitely time for an update. Here are some favorites of the day.

After all the pictures were taken, Kelby, Gage and their cousin Taylor were ready to play in the water. Of course they wanted the pool and the slip n' slide out so they could choose where they wanted to get wet. Kids are funny that way--the more options the better!

Thank you Melanie for taking time out of your day to come and take pictures and spend the day with us. It was fun to sit and talk with you, and Gage and Kelby had a great time with Taylor!

Our Zoo Adventure

2009-07-23T16:32:00.011-06:00

Last week was our annual trip with Papa and Grandma Neck to the zoo. Kelby and Gage had been counting down the days until we were able to go. They love to follow the maps and lead us through the zoo to see all the fun animals.

We were able to see the new baby snow leopard. It was hard to get a picture because the mom was keeping it protected. Here are some of the other things we were able to see.

They also had the new Madagascar exhibit with displays of animals and flowers from there. There was an animal on display called the fossa. The fossa is said to be a ferocious animal, but it looked like a calm, big cat to me. He was just laying there relaxing on the rocks. The following pictures are of the fossa and one of the beautiful flowers in Madagascar.

Kelby and Gage measured themselves against the big gorilla. Kelby gets closer every year.

We couldn't forget Gage's favorite part of the day--the train ride!!

We survived the heat and had a great time at the zoo. It is always fun to watch Kelby and Gage and their excitement in seeing the animals. We have a great time every year. Even Atlee enjoyed her first trip to the zoo!

Thank you papa and grandma for a wonderful day!!

Swimming Lessons & Jumping Jacks

2009-07-18T13:31:00.008-06:00

Kelby recently wrapped up her two weeks of swimming lessons and boy does Kelby love the water!! She was so sad on the last day because she wanted to keep going. She would definitely live in the water if we would let her. She improved so much from last year. She is much better at swimming on her front. She still can float really good, but now this year she can do it longer. Last year she was getting the hang of the backstroke. This year she was awesome at it! Her teacher had her do the backstroke from one end of the pool to the other. She did it with no help and was awesome!!! I think if she ever takes up swimming that the backstroke will be what she does. It is amazing to watch her when she does it. It is like she has been swimming the backstroke her whole life. I had a great time watching her learn and improve each day as we went to swimming lessons. Great job Kelby!

For doing such an awesome job at swimming lessons, I promised to take Kelby and Gage to Jumping Jacks. Papa and Grandma Neck joined us for the last day of swimming lessons, so they also joined us for a fun afternoon at Jumping Jacks!

Papa had a great time chasing Kelby and Gage around. He even had fun on the giant slide even though he burned the skin off his elbow in the process. Thank you both for spending the day with us. We had a great time!

4th of July Festivities

2009-07-07T15:36:00.020-06:00

Our 4th of July activities started the day before. We decided to head to Provo for the Freedom Festival activities. We walked around all the booths and then headed over to the kids activities. Kelby and Gage went on some blow up slides and bounce houses.

The slides were a little too hot, so we walked over to the pioneer village they had set up in the park.

Then it was time to go home to get everyone in bed so we could get up early and head out to the parade.

Waiting for the parade to begin.

Here are some of the fun things we saw in the parade and also Gage and Taylor dancing to the bands that came by. After the parade it was time to head to papa and grandma's for a BBQ, water fun and fireworks!

Even the adults had a great time playing badminton. I played against Marty and lost by a long shot. Then me and Jason played against Marty and still lost. Then Marty and Jason played a few games. There were some close matches, but Marty came out the winner.

Firework time!!

Uncle Jason loves to light fireworks and Gage loves to be in the action learning the trade from Uncle Jason. The kids had a great time watching the fireworks go off.

What a great holiday!! I love spending time with my whole family and enjoying all the freedoms we have. I am especially grateful to everyone who has and who is fighting for our freedoms. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you to all my family for making the 4th of July such a fun day!

Family Night Fun

2009-07-07T14:40:00.005-06:00

Last week it was Kelby's turn to do the lesson for Family Home Evening. She thought since it has been so hot lately that we should go swimming. What a great idea!! I haven't been swimming in a long time and it was also Atlee's first time.

We all had a great time. Even Atlee enjoyed the cool water. She just relaxed as we held her in the water. Kelby had fun showing us what she has been learning at swimming lessons. Gage was just as happy as could be floating in the deep end playing water ball with his dad. Thanks Kelby for the great idea! I love spending time with my family especially when we can cool down at the same time!

Congratulations

2009-07-05T15:19:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to my brother and sister in law who welcomed a new baby girl to their family on July 1! Her name is Kylee. She is so cute with lots of dark hair. Her big sister Taylor is so cute with her and will be a wonderful sister. We are so excited to have her in our family. It will be fun to see her and Atlee grow up together!

It is crazy to see the size difference between Atlee and Kylee. They are only 13 weeks apart!

Art City Days

2009-06-30T14:39:00.000-06:00

We recently celebrated Art City Days. Because of all the rainy weather, we weren't able to get out to many of the activities. Luckily on Saturday the rain stayed away long enough to enjoy the old hometown parade.

After the parade Gage was begging to go to the carnival and ride the Ferris Wheel. The storm clouds were heading in, so we headed quickly to the carnival.

We were able to get a few rides in before the next huge rainstorm hit, so it was time to head home to keep dry. It was a fun day and everyone had a great time!

The Month of Rain

2009-06-30T12:54:00.000-06:00

Up until just recently, June has been a rainy, cool month. The positives: I haven't had to water my lawn very much. I also haven't had to turn on the air conditioner. I do love a good rainstorm. The negatives: We are stuck inside the house for too long. The kids are bored and want to be outside. When they do go outside, it is muddy and then they come back in the house filthy. Kelby complains that this is the worst summer break ever.

To be perfectly honest, I prefer the rain over the hot summer weather. Well there were a couple of warm days mixed in with all the rain and we were able to get the slip and slide out. Kelby and Gage couldn't hold still long enough for me to set it up. Once it was up they were off and sliding!

Gage hasn't figured out how to slide on his tummy, so he slides like he is sliding into first base!

Our Furry Visitors

2009-06-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago the kids were outside playing with Marty when they came running in saying they found some baby chicks. I went outside and there were six little chicks (I think they are quail or pheasant chicks) running around the driveway. Gage and Kelby were chasing them and picking them up. They were so cute and tiny. We tried to look for the mom, but we couldn't find her. Every time we would gather them up and put them in the field so the mom could come and find them, they would come walking back out to the driveway and follow Gage around like he was their mom. It was so cute to watch. We gathered them up one last time and put them in the field and then went in the house. I hope the mom found them and they are ok. We haven't seen them since, so I hope that is a good sign. While they were here, they were sure cute to watch!!

It is kind of hard to tell, but there are two chicks in the flower bed in the first picture and in the other picture three chicks are running across the sidewalk.