The Taylor's

Christmas 2011!!

2012-01-10T20:38:00.004-07:00

These pictures are real random but they were all during our 10 day trip to AZ and back. On our way home to Idaho we stayed a night in SLC and visited my grandma. She turned 91 last week and so we took her a birthday gift. My kids look worn out because they had been in the car since 5:45 that morning. Thanks to papa for driving us back up again.

Christmas night we had dinner at Spencer's and celebrated my mom's b-day. The kids got all dressed in their Christmas jammies grandma made them

Grandma Kodl and Finley.

The kids on their trampoline santa left them in Idaho. They were so excited and have jumped on it almost everyday since we have been home.

Camryn and her cousin gift she got.

Papa bought all the grandkids an ASU sweatshirt this year. They were so excited!!

Finley enjoying our walk around the pond in Litchfield while C feed the ducks.

Papa and sis feeding the ducks.

The kids got to ride in a cotton picker on the farm. Talan told me it was real hot in there!! We had a great trip to AZ and miss the weather and family still, but are happy to be home and enjoying our new year. Ry and T have settled into the NFL playoffs and cheering for Tebow. C started swim lessons and loves it. T has b-ball this week. Fin is still fighting some sickness but I do think we will be okay here.

Family Time...

2011-12-21T11:42:00.004-07:00

We are nicely settled in our "new house" in Hidaho as Camryn calls it. We quickly decorated for the holidays and have been busy shopping and spending time as a family before we head back to AZ for Christmas. Ry was so nice to make a gingerbread house with the kids the other night.

Our little Finley. She's growing so fast and loves her bath. Sleeping at night on the other hand is not her strong point right now. Having had a cold for over a month has put a damper on her sleep schedule!

Last Saturday, Ryan went to Salt Lake to be with his family as his 86 year old grandma went through the temple. I took the kids to Pocatello to see our friends from AZ the Hill's. They actually moved to Colorado in March and we hadn't seen them since. Jord is from Pocatello and they were in town visiting family so we went and played for the day. Talan and Taylor were good buds in preschool and all the kids had so much fun running around their grandma's house. Miss these guys a ton, so good to see them.

Decorating the tree with Dad. It looked great and C hasn't pulled it over this year so far. We just keep catching her opening presents underneath!!

Finally, Talan lost his first tooth. That thing had been loose forever and Ry convinced him to let him pull it out with pliers the other night. Yes, my husband is very nice like that. After a few huge tears and stopping the bleeding we have a lovely smile minus one tooth. He got some money from the tooth fairy and has been telling me all about how he saw her that night. She was shiny and silver I guess!!!

So life goes on and we learn to live and be happy where ever we are. T has a couple new friends right on our street and Cam has had a few play dates as well. Life is good. Love watching the little snow we have gotten fall. And looking forward to a family filled Christmas in AZ.

Goodbye AZ....

2011-12-11T13:39:00.004-07:00

The last few weeks have been pretty emotional for me knowing so many things I love and enjoy in AZ will be no more!! For example, ASU football games. I have been going my whole life and so I thought T and I should hit one more game with Papa.

C and Rachel are little neighbor she was starting to become good friends with.

T's impromptu birthday party with a few friends and the Smith's at Peter Piper Pizza. Man I will miss this place, love the pizza and games!!

Jon, Ry, Mark and Brett. Although I know we will make good friends in Idaho, it is always hard to leave some behind.

C and Mia. Jaye's dog that lets Cam do whatever she wants to her. So cute watching her play with Mia.
So after a miserable 15 hour drive with three sick people and a little bad weather we are happy, healthy and settled in our new house. Cam keeping walking around saying we have a new house in Hidaho. T has settled into school and the girls and I have enjoy our quiet afternoons together staying warm at home. Looking forward to a warm Christmas and all the New Year has to offer us here.

Moving On!!

2011-11-15T10:26:00.003-07:00

I have no pictures to show as my husband, laptop and more have moved to Idaho. That is right, we are moving on. Ryan got a job in Idaho Falls a month ago and we thought it would be a great opportunity for our family. It was not really planned, dropped on us out of nowhere and still I am a bit unsure why we are moving. Denial maybe, but also excited for what lies ahead. (except the weather) As I talk to more and more people about it I continue to hear good things about IF. We found a nice big house to rent and are sure there will be tons of young kids like ours to play with. But, there will be so many things we will miss around here.

Walks to Bashas for donuts and coke.

The winter weather.

Our ward. They just made a Verrado ward and we were excited to watch it grow!

VERRADO. One of the best towns I have ever lived in. So green and pretty. Almost makes you forget you live in the desert. Really did have a "small town" feel.

My family. Papa's nightly drop by visits and grandma's play days.

All the little jobs I did. Bus, Subbing and especially volleyball.

Last, all the wonderful friends we made and the kids our children got to grow with.

So, with all my crying in the past, here we come Idaho!!

Fall Break

2011-10-24T12:31:00.004-07:00

Finley at seven weeks. She is becoming a better and better baby. Smiles a ton and loves to watch the other kids.

My little helper. Always wanting to hold the baby and follow me around the house. I know they say we will miss these days, but I am pretty sure I won't miss Cam acting the way she does most days! Don't be fooled by that smile. In fact, Ry has taught her to say trouble when she is asked what she is. My neighbors find her out front yard wondering the streets all the time, I catch her in the cupboards all the time, she broke a spaghetti jar open the other day. The list could go on and on.....

Ry's parents came in late September to see the baby and we thought it would be nice to bless her. Most of my family was able to be there to.

Reading with Papa Mark!

Finally, Ry convinced him to hold her. It took a few weeks and I think I can still count on one hand how many times he has. He must have my gene when it comes to liking babies!!

Ry took the kids north for their fall break. I had volleyball so Finley and I stayed home and hung with my mom and went to Flagstaff to see Bec for a few days too. They had a fun filled trip:

Stayed at Wendell and Rhonda's house, Rhonda took Kali and Camryn to Jungle Jims, boys went to the ASU vs Utah football game.
Cam went to SV with grandma and papa
Ry and Tal went to ranch and hunted on Grandpa Joe G's land. My dad meet them and they had a great time driving around the valley
Ry killed this buck all by himself, he was so proud!! (Thanks Brett for turning my husband into a hunter)
Ry and Tal finished their week in SV and headed home Friday, Talan had football early Saturday morning

Finley Pics..

2011-09-24T09:43:00.002-07:00

One of the ladies I work with at church came and took some cute pics of Finley. Here are a few of our favorites.

Finally!!

2011-09-12T12:04:00.003-07:00

After forty weeks PLUS five days we had a big baby girl.
Finley Rebecca Taylor was born Tuesday, September 6th, at 4:35 in the afternoon. We had been scheduled to go in Sunday night and be induced, but the hospital was full and we had to sit and wait until they had room. I was a bit nervous not having been induced before but was more than ready to not be pregnant and just wanted to have her. They called us Tuesday morning and by the time we packed got Camryn to my mom's it was 11 or so. They broke my water at 1pm and she was here by 4:30, all 8lbs 15oz!!! Big girl, but so worth the pain and pressure I felt this time due to a failed epidural on my entire left side!!
The kids came to visit that night and sis was excited to hold her but T wasn't. It has been six days now and he has yet to hold her. Told me he doesn't like small things. Okay, not going to push the subject. He is making progress though. At first he wouldn't even be in the same room as her, but now he will sit right next to us as we hold her.

Dad doing what he does best, messing with the baby.

Proud daddy.

Off to School....

2011-08-26T14:28:00.003-07:00

I can't believe he is in school. The last three weeks have flown by as we have been getting into the swing of things here and listening to all the new, fun stuff he gets to do. Since I have still been driving in the am, Ry gets the kids up and off to school. T wanted to ride the bus in the afternoon so Cam and I go get him from the bus each day and hear about his day on our short walk home. Two things are always for sure, he has to go to the bathroom SO bad and he is hungry!! Here he is in front of his classroom.

Dad and Cam leaving Talan the first day of school.

As I said we have been loving his stories about school and all the new friends he has made. He has friends from soccer and football in his class and gets excited about seeing older kids he knows at lunch and recess. He has yet to branch out with his lunch. He takes a PB and honey sandwich everyday with a few other snacks too. The structure has been great for him but being so tired at the end of each day not so much for us.

Out with a Bang!!!

2011-08-06T20:51:00.005-07:00

I can't believe summer is over. We officially start school Monday and since we now have a kindergartner we have to be around! We decided to save most of our travels for the week before. The boys went to Wyo for a family reunion then met us girls in San Diego for a short week at the beach. This is T and C right outside our beach house.

Brynn and C on the boardwalk. C LOVED the beach this year. Always a little scary to think what a two year can do in sand but she understood not to touch her eyes and would spend two to three hours at a time playing with the other kids! That meant I could just sit and relax that entire time...Heaven!

Ry was kind enough to take the two kids to Sea World this year without me. Being nine months pregnant I wasn't interested in walking around there all day. My mom, sister and her fam went too so he had some help from all of them. C really had a good time I guess. This was right after the Elmo show, one of her favs.

Waiting for the sea lion and otter show. The kids came home and told me all about the animals and shows. C keeps calling Shamu, Shamoon!

T playing smash ball.

Like I said, the boys hit Wyo for a few days too. This is Great Grandma Taylor and most of the little kids. They said it was fun, a little cold and rained a bunch.

T and Tyson. He loves this kid!!

The train Ry got to pull kids around in for hours on Saturday.

Sis entertaining herself while T was gone.

Joyce! Need I say more!

Summer Fun!!

2011-07-12T17:45:00.005-07:00

Sorry for the picture overload but despite the heat we have been up to a ton of fun.

We headed downtown to the MLB All-star festivities this week. We figured it may never make it back when T is a kid so we better go. Sure glad we did, he LOVED it. Here we are at the parade!!

T and Wally the Red Sox mascot. C kept calling them mascets. She loved looking for all of them.

About the only thing she was into, face painting.

Great place to go to cool off this summer.

T running the obstacle course.

Throwing pitches.

Hitting some BP.

This is out of order but we had a nice BBQ and watched fireworks July 4th with Mark and Whitney.

Dad and the kids after he won the obstacle course. He won a pair of Reebok Zigs? Nice pick up for the day.

July 4th fun with the kids.

Building a fort in the house.

Baking with dad.

We have had a great summer thus far. For my memories sake I need to jot down a few more things that I of course forgot to take the camera to.

The kids and I headed to the cabin for three days with Papa Burt. T went golfing twice and then we went to see Cars 2. Just real nice to be out of the heat.

Stayed at a local resort for a night with Bec's family so the kids could swim and play at the water park they had.

Lots of swimming at the Verrado pool. T finished more lessons and can swim like a pro now.

Our ward rented out a local city pool and T jumped off the high dive four times. Had to be convinced each time but he did.

Mom is still waiting to not be pregnant anymore. Seven more weeks!

T is playing in a basketball league and his dad is the coach.

C is almost potty trained. Always a work in progress, but we are excited none the less.

Living through the great Haboob!!!

School's out for summer!!

2011-06-11T21:10:00.005-07:00

Right after school ended we headed north to Wyoming. Tiff and Gina's families were there so we thought we would spend some time with the cousins!! Fun, fun times and not so warm weather. It was so nice to see green everywhere though. We have been so dry here in AZ. After five days of play, Ryan flew home and I slowly made my way back. Spending time at the ranch with cousins and great grand parents. We then went to Salt Lake to see my grandma and Ry's uncle. Talan has a man crush on Tyson so we had to go to Wendall's for a night!!

Each night Grandma Patty had a fun activity for the kids. We had "movie" night and the kids got to by treats at the concessions.

Watching the movie.

Not ten minutes after we got there, C and Peyton found my makeup on my bed and helped themselves to the mascara.My two sweet children at the temple! They were so fun to travel with.

Summer projects have included shelves in the garage and fixing up a dresser for C. I LOVE these shelves. I feel like I have a ton of storage space now and an organized garage!

Thanks to Mark for the man power and brains in the shelve building operation. These two worked all night to get them done!

The heat is here and here to stay. Which means the slip and slide is out and used daily. They love playing in the water. T is doing great in lessons and can almost swim the entire length of the pool. His strokes are very rusty but we are working hard this summer on that! C love the water too. Only problem is she can't swim and I am not up to pushing it this summer. Sorry sis.

We hit a D-backs game a month ago. T loves baseball. And when I say loves it, I mean it. He carries his glove and a ball around everywhere throwing balls to himself. He asks daily to watch the Redsox game via game cast daily or just simply wants to watch any game that is on. We haven't let him play much but I know he is going to want to soon. He just started a basketball league his dad coaches so he is having fun with his friends there. I have learned to keep him busy.
C on the other hand is my little mother. She is always so concerned about her babies and where everyone is. I am excited to watch her with the new baby. It should be fun to just have to two girls home with me this year.

School

2011-06-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

A Nice Visit!!

2011-05-04T08:23:00.007-07:00

Our ward primary with the Easter Bunny.
Coloring Easter eggs.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with Ryan's parents. We thought only Patty was coming which she did on Wednesday evening, but when Ry and the kids got up on Friday Papa Mark had flown in to surprise us. They had called my dad to come get him at the airport so we wouldn't have a clue! We went shopping, ate yummy food, made a trip to the Easter Pageant and just hung out. They got to watch T play a football game and helped a ton with the kids as I had a very busy weekend putting on an Easter breakfast for the ward.

Watching T's football game with Grandma

Happy to see Papa

Eating Pizza by the fountain in Verrado.

Being cute!

Spring Time!!

2011-04-15T12:06:00.004-07:00

I have always loved this time of year. Next to October, I believe April is my second favorite month. The weather is perfect and we get to play outside all day everyday. So sad to think these days will be ending soon.

This is T trying to do P90X with Ryan. My lovely daughter who has definately entered her "terrible" twos. She loves to take her clothes off, carry this toilet all over. sit on it, but has never to this day actually gone to the bathroom of any sorts in it! Instead it's usually on my couch or the floor.

Helping dad and papa lay pavers.

Dressing up in T's football clothes.

Camping in the backyard.

GO JIMMER!!

2011-03-17T10:25:00.004-07:00

Last weekend we made the quick trip over to Vegas to watch BYU in the Mountain West Tourney. I felt it only appropriate that Jimmer would drop 52 as a way of thanking us for coming. It was a quick trip but we were able to see both Friday and Saturday's games. I could not believe the "Jimmer Mania" that has taken BYU by storm. Everybody you saw in Vegas that was a BYU fan had a Jimmer shirt of some sorts on! Camryn even runs around our house now with a white BYU pom pom yelling "Go Jimmer!" without being asked to. Just hope they do okay in the tourney starting today.

A Big Year!!

2011-03-08T13:08:00.006-07:00

Well 2011 has turned out to be a heck of a year so far. Right around the new year we found out we would be having another baby this summer and not a week after that I was called as Primary President in our ward. Not something I was expecting at all. My initial thought was, "No, I just found out I am pregnant and I am throwing up everyday and there is no way I can give this calling what it deserves." But I sat there, smiled and excepted at which point Bishop releases Ryan from his calling and then makes up some ward sports cordinator position for him. Nice huh!

I am now a couple months into it all, still throwing up but chugging along. I have been twice as sick this time and ten times as lazy. I have resulted to a maid once a month, and my house ends up daily as the picture above. If anything positive has come out of all this, I have learned things, housework, can wait. I don't care how big a mess the kids make, as long as they are playing nice. TV is a great source of entertainment and it is ok for them to "snack" all day. I have hit new lows these last few months and am totally okay with it. The five hours I work each day are about all you will get out of me. Also, T has been an amazing helper. He helps with C so much and I don't know what I would do without him.

My calling is going well too. I have great councelors who are picking up my slack and I feel we are starting to feel good about this all. I am happy to serve with the kids, they are the best. So sweet and innocent.

Enjoying Papa Burt's Ranger. Thank goodness Papa comes by daily to make sure the kids are fed and given a little attention!!
My monkey. She is still everywhere and starting to talk a ton more. We recently realized that when she says frog it sounds a bit more like another four letter word that starts with f. Funny but embarrassing.

She has my cleaning gene. She will ask for wipes and then start wiping down the whole house. Love her!!

These two are becoming great friends. I hope they only continue to enjoy each other like they do now.

A day at the Links!

2011-02-12T09:00:00.003-07:00

The boys headed out to the Phoenix Open again this year. It has always been a traditon for the guys in the family and these last few years Talan has been able to go. Man, the countdown started in mid January and you would have thought it was Christmas again. He was SOOO excited to go. It was record low temps this year so it started a bit late and wasn't as crowded they said.
T with his program and ball that Hunter Mahan gave him after practicing. Unfortunately they didn't get to see half the players play Friday because they were making up from the late starts both days.

T got his hat signed by Rickie Fowler too. Ryan said he waited over an hour watching him drive on the range to get it. He was so excited!

This is Rickie Fowler!! The young, cute golfer on tour!

Back to December!!

2011-01-02T08:58:00.004-07:00

We had a real fun, fast, adventure filled December. It started with Talan returning to Disneyland with my sister's family. We kept Brynn and they took him. He had a blast. No rain and three of his cousins to run around with. I will admit, he probably had a better time than with us!!

Grandma Patty and Papa MArk came for Christmas this year. We fit so much in the few days they were here!! Above, the gang enjoying the ASU b-ball game.
Temple lights at the Mesa Temple.

More temple ground pictures.

Me with all my siblings and dad. My poor grandma Layton past eight years ago and did not get a head stone til now! She and my papa are buried in the Gila Valley about three hours from us. We were finally all in town and made a day trip out of it.

Christmas Eve preparing for Santa! T was real excited this year. He wrote a letter and all for Santa this year.

Sissy's new trik Santa brought her.

Dad and T playing his new babsketball hoop Santa brought him.

My friend Crystal was in town from Boston and so we took the kids to the zoo. They all loved it. Always fun catching up with old friends and your kids getting to play a little together.

Dre, Fin, Cam & Talan by the turtles!!

We had a very wonderful Holiday Season and feel as blessed as ever. Hoping 2011 starts the way 2010 ended.

I'm Twoooo!!

2010-12-25T21:14:00.004-07:00

Yes, in the midst of all the Christmas hoopla we now get to celebrate this cute little one's birthday. Oh, I can't even tell you how much she has grown up lately. Such a sweet little girl. She was so excited about her new baby and stroller she got.
The apple cake she requested. (wait that was Ryan.) Grandma Patty was in town and made us a yummy cake!

Watching the ASU basketball game.

She is the "queen" of this house for sure!!

We love you sis!!

A few things I do now:

Break out in really hyper activity at night and do crazy funny things.
Not afraid to wrestle with my brother. I actually will be able to take him soon!
I love babies and dress up! Too girlie for my mom.
Can almost completlely dress myself.
Love animals to death, unless you get me near big ones.
Very easy and out going.

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-11T17:04:00.003-07:00

For family pictures this year I wanted to take them in the cotton fields near our home. For the past few months I have been driving past all these fields on my way to work and I just love watching them slowly turn white. I have so many fond memories of my dad growing cotton every year as a kid. We would walk the rows each summer picking the weeds, ride in the cotton picker as they picked it and then ride on the cotton in the trailer to the gin. Cotton prices have been so bad lately no one has grown much cotton around here until this year. So glad its back! Ry was a little skeptical, not sure about the cotton or the fact that he HATES family pictures, but I was real happy how they turned out.

She was a stinker this day. Could not get her to stand near the cotton by herself at all!

Christmas Wish!!

2010-12-07T18:55:00.002-07:00

So today as T and I were on a bike ride this was the conversation we had:

Mom- "So what do you really want for Christmas."
T- "my own PS (Play Station)"
Mom- "We aren't getting one when we have Brandon's to use"
T- "well in a couple years I want my own"
Mom- "Maybe, they are real expensive"
T- "How much in dollars are they?"
Mom- "Like $300"
T- "Wow that's expensive, good things we don't have to buy it, we just have to ask Santa to make it!!!"

Love kids, life is SO simple and logical to them.

The end of Fall!!

2010-11-30T17:31:00.002-07:00

Wow, I can not believe how time just gets away. I sat down today to look at some pictures and blogs and realized it had been over three weeks since I last posted. Not a big deal to some, but I like to remember what we have been up to. Unfortunately when I reflect it seems all that has been happening is work! I know that is not true but I sure feel that way some times. So for a quick update of November here we go.
Ryan took the kids to Vegas to meet his parents for a few days. Nice little vacation for him and a few quiet days at home for me. Oh wait I worked 20 hours the two days he was gone. Anyways, Mark and Patty wined and dined Ryan and the kids and had fun at Circus Circus and all the other cool things to look at there. Ryan also just spent the last five days elk hunting for the first time with my dad and some friends. He and my dad were both drawn for the same hunt and so it was a big group effort this year. Unfortunately the elk were not out in abundance and so Ry left empty handed. Burt on the other hand shot a "spike" a few hours after Ry had left. Typical!!
I have been busy working. I switched bus driving back to the district I worked for prior to when Camryn was born. This should be much less stress and a fewer hours. I am excited for the regular schedule and mundane routine of life again.
Talan has been Talan. Obsessed with football, going to preschool and playing with friends. We had our first "issue" from preschool and I am starting to see a little of what my friends are talking about with older kids and school. Funny though how each parent reacts to these situations! Good kid though, love his energy and passion.
Camryn is terrible. I mean entering the "terrible" twos. WOW is all I can say these days. So quick, I have to watch her every move. So last Saturday evening was spent in the ER with her because she drank and entire bottle of Triaminic. Nice huh. All is well, but this is really the stuff that happens daily with her. One day it's the cough syrup the next I find her with a bottle of vitamins open on the counter. These are things put up, away with lids on. She always finds a way. But she is cute so you have to forgive her. At least I do!
We also had Ry's uncle Wendall and Tyson come for a visit. We hit the ASU football game one night and the boys hit the Cardinals the next. Can you even imagine how excited T was to go to that game. He was glowing for days!
So all is well and cold here in AZ. I am sure all of you up north don't want to hear it, but I am going to complain about how cold it has been here. Please 70 degrees come back!!

More Parties!

2010-11-07T19:06:00.004-07:00

Talan had a costume Party for his birthday this year. The kids went trick-or-treating to our neighbors for some candy. We played a few games, ate hot dogs and ran wild in the back yard. Seems they all had a good time.

T's birthday cupcake.

Family party was at my mom's this year. Had a few cousins over and played in the yard.

T's new bike Grandma Patty and Papa Mark got him. We have already been on some good long rides this week. He is much more willing to ride now that he has a bike that fits him.

The cousins all ready to trick or treat. Never easy getting a pic or them all!

I'm FIVE so.....

2010-10-25T13:37:00.006-07:00

MOM AND DAD WILL TAKE ME TO DISNEYLAND!!!

I cannot believe he will be five this week. For his present this year Ryan and I thought we would take just Talan to California for a few days of mom and dad one-on-one fun! Grandma kept C which made the trip SO much more enjoyable for all. We had been secretly planning this trip for a while and the night he opened his present, which was a picture of Mickey, he quickly replied, "Why didn't you get me a Play Station game?" Nice, I think he was a bit confused because once Ry got online with him and showed him the park he was super excited. We went on a Tuesday which was nice, but as you will notice in the pics it rained ALL day and was pretty cold. The plus, no lines all day. I mean NO lines, but it was real wet. Good time though. Meeting Minnie Mouse. It was pouring at this point outside. We hung in her house for awhile.

Driving the toon town car.

T and Goofy.

@ California Adventure with Lightning McQueen.

Getting on Space Mountain. Our first ride of the day. He was a little scared after that to ride most of the rides but we made him!! What is it with dark, loud rides at Disneyland.

In front of the ferris wheel.

Random picture of Talan. This is all he plays with. Doesn't matter what type of ball, he always has one in his hands.

Disneyland has all their Halloween decor out right now. It was way cute and made you really feel fall is in the air!

Right outside the gates with dad.

About to get on it's a small world. Funny thing about this ride. As we were about to get off he stands up and says, " Well that was sure boring!"

And his favorite ride of the day, The Matterhorn.

We had a great time and it was especially nice to spend time with just Talan. He is such a fun kid and we are so lucky to have him in our family. A few quick things about him:

loves to play slug bug, rat pinch game
controls the music in the car, house and anywhere he can
sports nut, watches and understands football quite well
plays with friends all the time, he is my social butterfly
asks a MILLION questions a day, literally never stops talking or thinking

Volleyball!!

2010-10-16T20:31:00.005-07:00

Really guys, we are done already!!
So I just finished another year of coaching volleyball at Buckeye High School. And as much as I am excited to have my afternoons back and hang with my family in the evening, I am really going to miss these girls. I have loved coaching them and them teaching me about life this year. They really are "good" kids. The whole situation is perfect. From the coaches, to parents and players, they have built a great program I am lucky to be a part of. Can't wait till next year!

More life...

2010-10-05T20:23:00.002-07:00

Soccer has started again. T is loving it as usual and is in a more competitive league. We moved him into the 5-7 age group so they actually have somewhat a real game. He is the smallest kid out there so was a bit intimidated at first. But by the third game he was right in there and actually scored. So proud!!

Heading to our seats at the ASU vs. Oregon game. We love to go to the games and this kid especially loves it.

Headed up north again for conference weekend. The Phoenix weather was still scortching hot, yes 105 degrees plus!! Not up in Pinetop. The boys golfed, the kids rode the quad and the girls relaxed outside. We took our friends the Daynes and Degraws.

Enjoying ice cream while the dads were at Priesthood.

So I trust my kids are playing nicely out back while I do yard work right! I found them in the sand pile dumping buckets of water on each other. Those two....

Life...

2010-09-24T20:44:00.003-07:00

As I mentioned, my entire family, minus Yale, made it up north for Papa Burt's birthday. We had a great time hanging out and the cousins were crazy as ever.

It seems sometimes these days I get so busy with driving, volleyball and subbing that I forget to stop and watch these two grow. They are starting to become buds and actually play together. She loves being and doing whatever he is.

Getting ready to watch the Wyoming vs. Boise game. Didn't go quite as well as we had hoped!

She really is quite a character.

Okay, we no longer have a baby anymore. My good friend took this picture today and I just thought, man she is growing up so fast!! That leaves me with mixed emotion. On one hand I am excited. I have never really enjoyed the baby stages or all of that, but on the other I enjoy her so much and soon she will be gone to school.

The Boys of Fall!!!

2010-08-29T20:42:00.004-07:00

Some may wonder why I keep using song titles as my blog post? No particular reason, just think music says things better than I can and yes, we are ready for fall!! With the summer coming to a close we decided to escape the heat again and head north to the cabin. It was papa Burt's birthday and we thought we would make a big family trip up to celebrate. As usual we loved every minute playing outside and the cousins logged a million miles on the quads. More pics to come!
Another reason we love fall! Football! Ryan "borrowed" Brandon's PS3 while he serves his mission whichs means T and dad get to play Madden quite often. This kid definatly has the LOVE for sports his dad does. They have been talking, watching and planning football trips for the last few weeks. Can't say I don't get excited myself. Besides watching the good college games we get to go and feel the excitement ourselves. (Let's hope ASU isn't too bad this year!!) Plus, cooler weather, T being back in preschool, me coaching volleyball, and much more going on I can't think why we wouldn't want Fall to come sooner. PS- US Open begins tomorrow, another end of summer event I love!

Also, fall means my two little ones will be getting a year older. She will be two and T will be 5. Really guys, that was fast! This pic also has something in common with our title as well. If you haven't already noticed, she has a black eye. She "falls" all the time. Let me just inform you and remind myself of the week C has had.

Thursday- got bit on head at McDonald's by a boy we know from church, left marks.

Saturday- fell off my mom's slide by the pool and knocked her head pretty hard on pool deck, had nice bruise from that.

Sunday- got bit on face at church by same boy in nursery and left huge bite marks by eye

Monday- T and her collide on couch giving her this lovely black eye

For those wondering, this is a normal week for her. As I mentioned before, she is all over the place and up on everything. I can't keep up!!

But, we are so glad she is ours and wouldn't change her for anything. She insists on joining us now at the table and entertains us all by doing so. Love this girl, praying my next is half this busy though!

I hope they call me on a Mission...

2010-08-23T20:59:00.005-07:00

Ryan's little brother Brandon leaves on his mission this week to South Korea. There is something so special about one of your family members serving a mission. You watch them prepare, research the country, ask for advise, and sweat a bit about some food they may have to eat. It reminds you how much work is still needed to be done here on earth.Then I thought back to when I first met Brandon seven years ago and how much he has changed. Through these years I can honestly say one thing has been constant, he's such a GOOD kid. We are so proud to call him our brother and uncle.

He's also a pretty cool uncle. He's been so good to our kids and always makes them feel special. Talan loves his uncle Boskey so much and talks about writing him everyday for the next couple years!

And did I mention this kid is a stud!!
Good Luck Bosk, we will miss you but know you will be an awesome missionary. We love you!

"Night at the County Fair!"

2010-08-10T12:49:00.008-07:00

I am sure you are all wondering about the title of this post. Well the last few weeks have been spent wondering around the west visiting and vacationing with family and the reason for the trip was to visit the Wyoming crew and attend the Lincoln County Fair. Talan must of requested Chris Ledoux's song a million times, each time informing me we were going to a county fair.
This picture was taken in SLC where Ry's cousin, Amber, got married. It is nice to take T there every once in a while so he can see where mom and dad got married. Funny story, he asked me if he was there when mom and dad got married, I said no. Then asked if he was in my tummy, I said no. As to which he replied, "Jesus was still making my bones, right."

My little poser again.

Before the wedding, T and I headed down to Park City where my family was vacationing. We rode the alpine slide, swam in the hot tub and enjoyed some QT with the cousins.

Cam, T and Layton in Park City.

One last family pic before Boskey heads out of the country! (Taken at the fair)

We went up to Palisades for a BBQ and the boys stayed to camp. They all had a great time despite the rain! G and her fam enjoying some dinner.

Tanner and Clay came too with their families.

C and dad on the merry-go-round.

Parker, Lance and T on a ride. Talan loves this ride. He told me it makes his tummy feel funny when he rides it!

Swimming at the condo pool.

Ry had his ten year HS reunion. It was fun chatting with everyone we don't see very often. I am reminded of a country song now when I think of these guys. It goes something like,

And the glory days I can't relive
stories I'll never forget

And I don't know no friends like the old friends
I never seem to laugh now like I did with them
But deep inside me, a piece of my history
Yeah, I hear there voice even though there gone
That keeps me turning home

It is awesome to see how much fun these guys have when they got together. I love how close they all still are despite their distance and now busy lives. They really do enjoy each other. Their wives are amazing too. We always have mother stories to compare as they all have little families of their own with children similar in age to ours.

T rode a sheep again this year. His was pretty lame, Didn't want to go anywhere real fast.
Parker on the other hand had one that shot right out of the gate. It was so cute to watch him hold on so tight.

We also hiked up to the star. Wow, that was tuff!! The boys never once complained. They are such good kids.

Well, we are so excited we got to spend a ton of time with Ry's family. This was the last time in a few years we will all be together. (More details to come on that.) Each time I leave SV I am reminded how much there is to be said about a small town upbringing. So many GOOD people in that little town. And Ry's family too. I wonder so often what they did to make their children always want to do what is right all the time. It seems way too easy for them sometimes. I knew I made a good decision seven years ago. They truly are a blessing to me and my kids.
A few more highlights were:

We met Tiff's new baby and they blessed her. Macie was so little. Not ready for that again!
My kids had some one to play with at all times. T wouldn't do anything without Hallie. Those two spent hours at the fair playing in the kids area.
Being outside! We miss that these days.
And especially catching up with tons of family and friends. See you all next summer at the fair!
PS- only bad thing, Grandma Patty's house is not Camryn proof, spent most of my time cleaning up after her or following her around so she wouldn't get into things!! She is on a whole other level than the other grandkids when it comes to getting into things.

Summer Lovin...

2010-07-23T20:11:00.005-07:00

Another nice weekend up at Papa's cabin. It was nice to have a little rain shower every afternoon to cool things off. Just being able to go outside and play was awesome. The kids logged a million laps on the quad as usual. Ry and C enjoyed the swing and we even made it up to the country club to play some golf with Papa!

Watching the rain storm. It was the loudest thunder and hardest rain I have seen in a while. C was pretty scared of all the noise!

The crew eating lunch.

She really enjoys water. I am pretty sure she would drown quickly if left anywhere near water. I had mentioned at the beginning of the summer she wasn't sure about it all. Well, not any more. First one to jump in and last one out of the pool. She loves water!!

Enjoying the slip-n-slide!!

And the biggest accomplishment this summer...... Talan can swim!!!! He took some lessons at the beginning of the month and in the last few weeks has been swimming all over. He will now go down Grandma K's slide and jump off the diving board all by himself. So proud!!!

We hit the lake this week. It rained a bit so it wasn't too crowded. Had a great time. T and Cam enjoying the tube.

T and Dad wake boarding.

Mom skiing.

Dad skiing.

For the Love of the Game....

2010-07-20T12:49:00.003-07:00

I don't usually post without pics but I was thinking about some stuff last night and wanted to write them down. So Ryan and I had the luxury of going to a baseball game last night without the kids. (Thanks mom) As we were sitting there a few things made me smile. First, it occurred to me that by the third inning the few people around us had quickly become our new best friends. I know we will never see them again but it's funny how much fun you and some random people can have during a long three hours of baseball. People watching is the best. So many interesting characters out there!! Got to love baseball games. Especially D-back ones. No need to pay attention. They are terrible. So you have three hours of simply talking to whoever you are with uninterrupted. (except they did win and scored 13 runs last night.) Second, the cotton candy dude walked by and Ry and I just laughed. Why, well a few days ago T got a baseball bat and put a helmet on the top and out of no where started to walk around the house yelling, "Cotton candy, cotton candy, who wants cotton candy!" It was pretty funny. That kid has been to too many ball games!! So my point, life is awesome. We live in a great country, have a great family and our children are happy. What more could you ask for?

One more Pic!

2010-06-26T21:38:00.003-07:00

T loves his grandma Patty. He wouldn't smile so she asked him to make a funny face. He was so sad half the way home because he wanted to go stay with grandma so bad. I wish there was a way I could get him there, he loves it. We wish they would move here in the winter so we could see them more! Hint, Hint!!

Micheli Reuinion 2010...

2010-06-26T20:40:00.005-07:00

First of all, I am an idiot. I screwed up our blog and can't fix it. Boy I hate technology. There isn't a thing on this earth that bugs me more than it! So, now that we have that out of the way, this past weekend was spent up in Wyoming at the Micheli family reunion. They haven't had one in four years so it was super fun catching up with a ton of Ryan's cousins. Between his 27 first cousins on that side and their 51 or so kids, which at least half were there, we all had a great time. See, I come from a small family, one aunt and three cousins total, so Ry laughs when I get excited for these things because this has always been his life! So we set off on Thursday and headed north. These pics are way out of order and there are a ton but just keep scrolling down for some funny stuff!
This is T eating a marsh mellow the last night we were there.

Ry helping all the kids.

T going down the slide during his obstacle course run.

Ry caring an egg in his mouth for the relay race.

The catch of the day.

Bran, T, Hal, & Dave going for a ride.

Foosball got pretty intense. You'll have to ask Bryan & Dave how many games they won!!

She is still pretty cute. It was so good to see her. Sounds dumb, but I swear she grew a ton the week she was gone!! I know Grandma and Papa loved having her but we are glad she is back with us. Thanks again Mark and Patty, oh and Gina!!

T watching Tony and Frank feed the cows!

Playing more games. The kids had to throw cheese balls at the faces covered with shaving creme. Dave, Bosk, Ry and Justin being good sports.

Took T to see the Cougars stadium. He tells us he wants to play football at BYU. Sounds good to me.

Checking out the ranch. T was scared of the dogs and C was in heaven with all the animals.

Bosk won the 5k fundraiser they had for his uncle who is running for Governor.

Fishing at Grandpa Joe G's Pond. Ry's favorite activity.

Last but not least. Dave, Bryan (Amber's man), Ry and Bryan swinging. Just like little boys!!
Again, we had a great time, loved the cool weather and especially seeing family we don't get to see that much.

Summer Time....

2010-06-16T13:22:00.004-07:00

We got some free D-back tickets and headed to the ball park last week. It was a nice change, they actually won after losing 10 in a row! T and his buddy ate it up, C just wanted to walk everywhere.

T & his BFF.

Annual trip to San Diego was a little early this year. We only went a few days but still got our beach fix. It was tons of fun and without C it really felt like a vacation. She went to Wyo with Ry's parents who were here last week. Somehow I managed to not take one picture with them. Sham on me!

Enjoying the beach.

Hutton, T and Cam.

More Diego...

2010-06-16T13:10:00.003-07:00

The whole crew on top of the beach house.

The kids with grandma and Jess right after riding some rides at Belmont! (Talan kept calling Belmont park, Velma Park. Too much Scooby Doo watching!)

Ryan Surfing.

Jess trying to surf.

Our friends Mark and Whitney came to visit. They are both from the Diego area and where over visiting their family. Mark was so kind to bring his surf stuff to give us a little lesson.

Although our trip was shorter than usual we had a great time. This one was even filled with some first! We both tried surfing for the first time and we both felt our first earthquake too. Not something either of us found cool. A lot scarier than you think. See you next year beach!!

Welcome Summer!!

2010-06-01T14:16:00.006-07:00

Enough about Ryan and I, and back to why most of you read this thing! Even though school ended a week and a half ago I feel that Memorial Day Weekend officially means that summer is here. Maybe the fact that we have only had a handful of 100 degree days too so far has had me in denial, but the heat is here and here to stay so why not go swimming. T's cousins came for the weekend and we were sure to swim a ton in Grandma K's pool.

Me, T, C, Hutton and Layton hanging in the rocker.

She is still trying to decide whether or not she likes the water. Either way she is super cute!

Ry working the grill!

I told you she was cute.

A few weeks ago T had an end of the year preschool program. They showed us a few of the things they do each day and we watched a cute video. I am real glad we found Mrs. Sterr. T has really enjoyed her class each week. One more year with her and then he will be on his way to school. Good job bud!

They were acting out a book they read.Getting ready to golf with Papa.

My boys suntanning!!

One fun date!!

2010-05-23T14:35:00.005-07:00

Sorry we are still posting about our trip. I just have to add this so we don't forget. After a day and a half in NY we headed back to Boston for one last evening and a fun date with Austin and Crystal before we flew home Tuesday AM. Right when we got to Boston Crystal and I ran to the tennis courts for a quick set of tennis. She just started taking lessons and wanted to practice the mad skills she has. It was so FUN. I haven't played in forever so I was excited to have someone who actually wanted to play. We got back to her place, got a babysitter, and headed to dinner with our husbands. They took us to a little Mexican place one town over and then thought Ry would like to see the Celtics practice facility too. We got the full tour.

This is Ry in one of the offices with a "mini" 2008 championship trophy.

Sitting in KG's locker. His shoes weren't too big.

When they rebuilt the "Garden" they also put in new banners. These are the original banner that hung in the old Garden.

The center of the court. "Yes we went on our date in workout clothes."
All & all, we had a great trip and were able to see many new things. Just getting to talk with my husband uninterrupted was so nice. I forget about those simple pleasures sometimes. We would not have been able to go if not for Grandma Kodl & Papa Burt's willingness to watch our kids. Thanks so much mom and dad! We did miss the kids a bit, but will admit we need to do this more than once every two years! Besides, Talan told my mom that he wasn't going on any more vacations. He was just going to stay with her whenever we went on vacation! Plus, the last few days T spent with Papa, Uncles Yale and Clarke, and Aunt Heather at the cabin, he didn't have to shower and he got to fall asleep by the fire. Of course he loved it!!!

Newport and New York!!

2010-05-19T14:39:00.006-07:00

New York at night. (From the Jersey side of the Hudson) Crazy to think people actually want to live in all that!!!

So on our way to New York, Crystal suggested we go through a Newport, RI. It is home to the Tennis Hall of Fame, huge mansions from old rich New Yorkers, and much more. It had a quaint small town feel which we enjoyed before we headed to the big city.

This is off the back deck of the mansion we toured. "The Breakers" was the summer home of the Vanderbilt family. Set right on the beach, it was so pretty.

Aren't all summer homes suppose to be this big!! Ry loved this place. We took an audio tour and it was pretty interesting to hear personal stories of children and grandchildren that summered there.

We made it New York later that night. Pretty tired from the drive we opted to stay in. We were lucky enough to stay with our neighbors from AZ. Barb and Eli, who live next door, are actually from New Jersey and so we stayed with them. The next day, Sunday, Barb drove us into the city so we could do the whole tourist thing! If we look cold in the pics, it's because we were. It was so windy and cold that day. This is up top the Empire State Building looking at the Statue of Liberty.

Another sports arena!!

Us in Times Square.

The BAD Yankees stadium.

Looking toward the financial district were the towers use to be.

Ry in Times Square.

More of Boston!!

2010-05-13T13:41:00.008-07:00

The following night we ended up here at the Garden where the Celtics play. Many of you are asking if we did anything beside sports stuff and what a great wife I am for allowing much of our trip to be dedicated to sport stuff, but I must admit I enjoy these things too!

Kevin Garnet before the game.

The King himself, LeBron!!

A pic courtesy of my friend Crystal. Somehow I forgot to get a picture with Crystal but she and her husband are part of the reason we went to Boston. We were roommates in college and since she left Utah two years ago I have not seen her. It was so fun to see her kids and just visit. Ryan was in heaven because he had plenty of people to talk basketball with too!!

The reason I go to games! To see the celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce!

Our trolley tour took us to places like this. The bar Cheers!

A picture of downtown Boston. We were crossing the Charleston River into Cambridge where MIT and Harvard are. So pretty right now. You forget how green parts of the country are when you live in AZ!Down by Faneuil Hall in Boston.

The U.S.S. Constitution Ship in Boston Harbor. We took a tour of the harbor by boat and they give you more history facts the whole time.

Fenway Park...

2010-05-12T21:41:00.002-07:00

We left our kids for the first time since Camryn was born 16 months ago and took a trip to Boston and New York. It was a great break and a super fun trip. The first day we were in Boston was fantastic. We toured Fenway Park during the day, rode around the city of Boston on a Trolley, and also watched the Red Sox play later that night.

Fenway was unreal. Being the oldest park in baseball (opened in 1912), it was way different than all of these modern parks. The history of Fenway and seeing it in person was awesome.

More pictures and info from the trip to come...

Before & After...

2010-05-03T13:25:00.005-07:00

So C is in the "make a mess daily" stage. This is how our playroom looks every morning, and then......

this is it by dinner time. Really, every single day. Fun times with her right now. This is also the first thing you see when you walk into my house. So I am thankful most of the people who come over are my good friends who have kids too and can relate! Besides, who do I really need to impress anyways!!!

The kids right before church!

T and his new BFF Hank. Man these two like each other. His family moved into our neighborhood and ward a year ago and it has been fun to become better friends with them. I am sad Hank goes off to kindergarten next year. They play together a lot and they actually do it without fighting!

She isn't so little anymore!

Funny story real quick. We were at a friends house one Saturday and I could tell she was getting tired. So on the way home I let her get out of her seat so she wouldn't fall asleep. Usually when I unbuckle her she jumps right out. Not today. She first stood up, turned around and fell asleep with her head on the top of her seat and then fell down and stay asleep like this. So cute!

Lehi's Hot Tub

2010-04-20T23:14:00.003-07:00

So we had a little barbecue the other night at our neighbors house. Their names are Eli and Barb, but Talan is convinced that Eli's name is in fact Lehi, and has been calling him that for 2 years now. He doesn't seem to mind. The kids had a good time in his new hot tub.

A nice day out...

2010-03-28T21:06:00.003-07:00

The weather had been real nice, it was spring break and we felt we need to get out since we know these days are coming to an end. We are so lucky to live close to the mountains and therefore after a quick ranger ride here we are! T waiting for our friends
The view of the valley. The grey round thing out there is the Cardinals stadium. Yes, we are still a "big" city, hence the smog!!

The abundance of rain this year has made the desert so pretty. Some flowers blossoming on a cactus.

The family pic for the day!

OPEN!

2010-03-23T20:39:00.003-07:00

So I have a personal goal each year to read a book. Yes, that is right, A book. I am not one for reading at all. Do not enjoy it, makes me tired and gives me a headache. So to make my dad happy I told my him I would read one book a year. Anyways, it just so happens that I have finished two already this year and the last being the one above. Great book, very interesting. My love for tennis of course makes me a bit bias, but really it was just one of those books that makes you want to keep reading. Poor guy had an absolutey insane father and left me wondering how good he really could have been if he had a good head on his shoulders. I find it funny too that all the crap they gave him for the stuff he did when it came out, ie. the drugs, bashing Pete, really wasn't what the book was about. So, if you want a good read, I highly recommend this one. (Oh Ryan hates this guy. Hasn't read the book, but just hates him!! So he is going crazy because I keep talking about him. Sorry babe!)

One fun month!!

2010-03-06T20:35:00.006-07:00

I have no clue still how to get the pictures in the order I want so just go with me! This picture is of Mark and Whitney. We were at a friends birthday, see Meg and Jordan family below, and I snapped it. So these guys are great, Mark and Ryan could play sports together every night of the week and Whit just makes me smile. Such a fun family. Oh, and Mark's claim to fame, he beat Reggie Bush in a track race in high school. I believe him, this is one fast white boy!! Love you guys.
Jord, Hayden, Taylor, Megan and Bentley. Happy Birthday Meg, we love you. Little side note here, Taylor is in Talan's preschool class and we always joke with these two that we want them to get married but it would be to weird for Tay's name to be Taylor Taylor!!

Speaking of preschool. We went to the firestation last week. The kids loved it. This is Hank, T and Bryce on the fire truck.

The two preschool classes at the station.

This picture has been from our latest adventures. Camryn started getting sick this last Monday and it continued to get worse through the week. By Thursday, she was doing pretty bad and so we took her to the doctor and apparently she had pneumonia. Yes, I am a terrible parent. My thoughts were, $35 so they can tell me she is fine. Not this time!! My doc thought her breathing was pretty bad and he had me take her across the street to the hospital for a quick x-ray. This is the poor little contraption they put her in to stay still. Pretty fun. Oh, she is doing MUCH better. We have learned our lesson. Go to the doctor sooner!

Cousin Camden had his 4th birthday in Flagstaff and we drove up for the free pizza!!

Our friend Meg had a birthday last week. Her husband Jordan had everyone over to celebrate. Love these families. Our kids get along, the boys all play together and these four girls are some of my best buddies. All of us women have either had or adopted kids in the last year or so. I am so lucky to have them around.

The girls- Lori, Whitney, Megan, Jill & Me.

Sis cruisin the backyard!!

Jumping (well kind of)

2010-02-25T23:18:00.002-07:00

Talan has gone from not ever wanting to ride a bike to all of the sudden we can't keep him off of it. This is him "jumping off the ramp". He is really proud of the video and wants to watch it over and over again.

Playing with friends!!

2010-02-18T14:41:00.003-07:00

Talan is starting to act sooo old. These are a few of our neighbor friends, but as you can see they are all older than T and therefore go to school all day. It is so comical, but around 3pm he starts to ask if he can play with friends. He knows they get off the bus at 3 and thinks it is immediatly time to play. Got to love this boy.

Caught Talan coming home from the neighbors the other day. This is were he chose to pee instead of coming in. What will I teach Camryn now.

This has been an exciting New Year for Talan. He has started to ride his bike without training wheels. It is amazing how much further and faster he can go without the training wheels on.

Helping dad with yard work.

We headed up north to the cabin so the kids could play in the snow. With all the rain in the valley the mountains have received a ton of snow, 4 plus feet!!

A few new pics!!

2010-02-18T14:31:00.003-07:00

Up north at Papa's cabin. Owen, Anna, Talan & Dane had a blast playing in the snow.

Dane and Talan went on the sled together. At the bottom of the hill they rolled and Dane landed on top of Talan which resulted in a few scraps and a bloody nose. He was tough though and kept going down the hill!!

Camryn enjoyed eating the snow.

Layton, Talan & Camden rode a camel at the zoo.

Getting ready for church.

Still here!

2010-01-24T21:31:00.003-07:00

I can't believe we are almost an entire month into the new year. The little ones and I have been enjoying just being home and playing outside. Ryan has been working a ton which leaves the kids and I plenty of time to enjoy the lovely AZ winter weather. Oh, we did get 4 plus inches of rain this week. Yes, you heard it. Some huge rain/snow storms came through this last week and our side of town got crazy rain. Fun times!

They really do enjoy each other now.

Talan and dad made it to a Sun's game too a few weeks ago.

My boys at the game. T got some props from people for the cool jersey. Thanks Boskey!!

Christmas 2009!

2010-01-06T13:44:00.004-07:00

We went to Wyoming this year for Christmas. It was real fun, super relaxing and even colder than I thought. Everyone in Ry's family was there so the kids were entertained all day and we ate too much good food and had a good time playing games.

Parker and Talan enjoying one of Parker's toys.

T and his new Stockton jersey Uncle Boskey got him!

Explaining to Talan that Santa took his basketball hoop to AZ because he knew we couldn't fit it in our car home. That smart Santa! Tal was so worried his cousins that were in AZ at our house were going to take it!

Christmas time in our family now means Camryn had a birthday. Our little sis is now one and as cute as ever. She had her one year apt. yesterday and is doing great. She is well on her way to looking like her aunts Gina and Rebecca, tall and skinny! She lost a pound and grew another couple inches! It's funny how petite she seems compared to how Talan was. Anyways, we love her and are so happy she is in our family. Thanks to Grandma Patty for the fun party!

Getting ready to go caroling. FREEZING!!

Brando and Sis.

Parker, Hallie & Talan in their Christmas outfits!

2010-01-06T13:36:00.005-07:00

Cam and Grandma Taylor

G, Hal, Tal, Ry, Jess Mandy, Brian and baby Kamri

Ry, T and Jess by the elk horn arches in Jackson.

Uncle Boskey in action. Can you believe that people actually go to high school games. I wish it were like that here. Ryan has been reffing again and said there haven't been 1/4 this many people at any of the games he's done here in the valley. So sad.

The kids with Grandma Honey.

More Pics...

2010-01-06T13:28:00.004-07:00

Talan and Ry went to the Wyoming Bowl game right before Christmas. T is REALLY into football right now. Surprising!!

T and the QB.

Ry's cousin Matt, his son Cole and his friend Dustin were there too!

T and Cole.

And Cam and I stayed home. Did I mention she likes to climb!

The Polar Express....

2009-12-13T12:44:00.002-07:00

So this week we traveled up north to Williams, AZ where they have a train they turn into the Polar Express each year. Thousands of people come to take this hour train ride each night to the North Pole to see Santa and more. It is actually really cute. You ride for about 30 minutes and suddenly you see the "North Pole" at which point Santa gets on the train and hands out bells to each kid. On our way we get to drink hot chocolate and read the Polar Express book. Then on the way home we sing songs and listen to bells ringing! This picture is Talan getting on the train!

Autumn, Bryce & Talan

The North Pole!!

Santa giving Talan a bell.

The family back at the train station. It snowed about two feet earlier this week which gave it a true Christmas feel. And by the way, it was freezing. We were all real excited to go to Wyoming for Christmas, until we were reminded how cold it will be!! J/K we are excited!! Anyways, it was a good time for all.

And More!!

2009-12-13T12:36:00.003-07:00

We went with our friends the Hill's again to the Mesa Temple lights this year. Such a pretty site and even better weather.
Mom and Sis! (Those are the three camels behind us, not antlers on Cam's head!)

Taylor & Talan

The Family.

Talan really enjoys running around and bothering people at these places. So much energy, so little room in this world for him!

Home Town Holidays & Family Pics!!

2009-12-07T10:30:00.002-07:00

Every year Verrado has a little celebration called Hometown Holidays. We took the kids up for the festivities, which included a hay ride, seeing Santa & much more. It was pretty cold for AZ standards which made for a more festive feel!

Layton Family pics were a few days ago too! This is all the grand kids on my side.

The whole crew!

My Mover!!

2009-12-04T13:42:00.004-07:00

She is barely 11 months and is already walking and climbing all over the place. We found her up here in the play room the other day.

Trying to escape Papa!

Their favorite place!

A good Nights Rest!!!

2009-11-22T15:48:00.003-07:00

Rose Bowl appearances- The entire PAC-10 minus Arizona: a ton
The U of A- NONE

It is fun to see life come full circle as an adult now. I tell myself I don't really care about sports, especially since my husband cares way too much, but I caught myself up late last night watching the Oregon vs. Arizona football game knowing that Arizona would probably go the the Rose Bowl if they won and I was so mad. My dad still plays this game with himself and I do believe he has lost some feeling about it, but we just can't help but feel happy when Arizona doesn't win. So, luckily for me Oregon pulled it off in double overtime and I was able to rest very well and can even go to the ASU vs. UofA game next week and won't have to see those stupid Arizona fans with all their roses bragging how good they are. I am fully aware that ASU will be beat, probably pretty badly too by Arizona, and that is okay!! Unfortunaly I feel Talan is already headed down this path with certain NFL and NBA teams. Of course this is due to his fathers heavy persuasions and completely bias reasoning. For example, it matters nothing to Ryan that Tom Brady is pretty much the best looking player in the NFL, but since he is a Patriot we hate him. And Ben Rothlisberger was pretty funny on that Shaq Vs show but he's got a big head, litterally, and is a Steeler so we hate him too! Oh well. Aren't sports fun & go Devils!!!

He's FOUR!!

2009-11-01T21:25:00.005-07:00

Wow, what a fun weekend Talan has had! It started Friday with a birthday party for friends @ the park. We ate cake, had a pinata, and let the kids play.
Talan went with the Hulk theme this year. (Don't know why, he has never seen the movie/show)

Saturday was Halloween and we went trick or treating. Talan as the Hulk and Camryn as Tigger.

Talan showing off his new kicks and jersey. Do you think he is Ryan's child?

And finally Sunday night was the family party at the park. My brothers b-day was thursday so we tried to include him. We enjoyed yummy food, lots of family and of course beautiful weather!

More fun in the valley of the sun!!

2009-11-01T21:13:00.002-07:00

Talan in his ASU gear ready for the game.
Camryn all bundled up while at papa's cabin. (It was freezing for us phoenicians)

Another trip north with some friends from our ward, which means the kids will ride the four wheeler for hours upon end. Dane and Talan enjoying the quad.

Hank, Tatum, Dane, Talan, Owen & Jack. We had such a fun time up north. Always good to get out of the city and be cold for a few nights!

Out & About!!

2009-10-31T21:03:00.002-07:00

We went with some friends to a fun little corn maze. They had a ton of activities for the kids too. This is C playing in the corn until she realized she could eat it!

Playing on the hay bales. I should take her to Papa Burt's farm. She loved this!

T in the pumpkin patch.

Resting in the corn.

I'm kind of diggin...

2009-10-29T11:31:00.004-07:00

These guys are awesome. I love listening to music and this group is making it a lot more fun these days. You should check them out! Oh, John and Gina it won't hurt you to listen to country!!

Also,

Where was this chick when I was in high school. She may not be the best singer but man she can right such good songs. Every one, so true!

Just a Few things.......

2009-10-14T14:15:00.004-07:00

I LOVE!!
This time of year is by far my favorite. Not only were my two children born in the fall, but there are also four other holidays to celebrate! (That's counting my anniversary too!) Here in Arizona that also means change. The weather, which in turns means prettier grass and flowers! My children finally want to walk with me to the mail and play outside. We also have corn mazes, pumpkin patches and so many other "outdoor" activities lined up for the next seven months. I know I was born and raised here, but after testing the waters up in Wyo, I will admit, the four hot months are so much easier than the nine cold they get. Needless to say, you won't see me or my kids inside for the a while!!!

T testing out the water!

Our pretty winter grass and flowers. For those who don't know, we have to plant a different grass here in the winter. The summer stuff goes dormant and you simply plant the winter stuff right over it!

It's about time!!

2009-10-05T21:03:00.003-07:00

The title to this blog has a couple of meanings!! First, my oldest brother Clarke finally got married. He and Heather have been together for a while now and tied the knot this past weekend. It was a nice ceremony and good excuse to get the family together! Also, it has finally cooled off here in AZ. I mean the mid 80's for the whole next week, hooray!!

T, Cam, Layton & Hutton at the wedding.

C found T's apple he left on the floor.

I took the kids to the zoo with some friends. It was free on Wednesday's in September. I think me and every other stat home mom in Phoenix were there. Good times with my friends though.

Jonas, Drew, Taylor, Kate, T Ella & Reed

They keep growing!!

2009-09-25T20:59:00.009-07:00

Talan has begun playing soccer here in Verrado. He is on a team of 4 & 5 year olds. We hadn't signed him up originally but they needed some more bodies so our neighbor asked us if he would play. We are glad they did because he is eating it up. LOVES to play and is pretty good. Last week he is the only kid on his team that scored a goal and had any desire to even kick the ball. It is not the funnest to watch but he really likes it!

Every night he asks when he has soccer again.

Camryn is crawling every where. Her favorite place to be is on our couch which eventually means she will crawl on to the end table! Oh well.

So our next door neighbors just returned for the winter. They are from New Jersey and the best neighbors anyone could ask for. Barb and Eli, Talan calls him Lehi, moved in right before us and spend about half the year here and half back home. (You know AZ is home of the "snowbird") Anyways, while they are gone we take care of their house, get mail, make sure they haven't been robbed, etc.. not hard at all, but they appreciate it. So to thank us this time, Eli brought Ryan an authentic signed Jets helmet of Joe Namath! We were a bit shocked ourselves. They are so kind, always willing to sit on the porch and talk to Talan all day which to me is payback enough, but they know how crazy sports minded Ryan is and Eli wanted him to always remember him while he is gone. I'm pretty sure we will now!!

What have we been up to??

2009-09-10T20:33:00.004-07:00

Ryan got to go to Texas for the BYU vs. Oklahoma game. My dad had intended on taking the boys in my family but with his health issues the trip turned into Ryan taking his friend Brad and Carter taking his friend Troy. They said it was awesome and that the Dallas Cowboy's stadium was unbelievable.
My dad is doing much better and will be all clear next week!!

Camryn sporting Talan's arm bands!!

More pics from the lake in SV! Thanks Mandy.

Yes that is Talan wakeboarding with Ryan. We are not cautious parents and this was not exactly to Talan's liking until he got up and then he really enjoyed it!

Who says BOYS aren't any help!!!

2009-08-27T13:29:00.003-07:00

I came down from changing laundry up stairs to find Talan feeding the baby.
He has begun helping me a ton with Camryn. (Sometimes a bit too much!)

Wyoming Trip pictures!!

2009-08-13T19:08:00.003-07:00

We had a blast in Wyo, wish we could go more to so all the outside stuff!
This is us up graveyard, the boys stayed and camped.

Peyton and Camryn in the bath. They kind of liked each other this week.

Us up the mountain again.

2009-08-13T19:01:00.002-07:00

The boys got second in their category pig wrestling!!

Talan and Parker rode sheep, kind of!

The crew @ Lagoon! Love that place, hadn't been since I was 14. Somethings haven't changed a bit!

Camryn was a trooper. Not an exciting day for her.

What can change in a week?

2009-08-12T20:36:00.004-07:00

So here we are back from our big trip to Wyoming. I actually got to attend this year because I don't drive bus and my "new" job did not start until Monday of this week. Yes, as the title states, what can change in a week. Well mine sure has. On top of starting to coach the freshman volleyball team at Buckeye High School, we received a call while in Wyoming that my dad, Burt, had a heart attack followed by quadruple bypass last Thursday and will need much TLC for the next few months. I have gone from a boring stay home mom to, hospital every morning for a couple hours, thanks to all my kind friends for watching the little ones, they don't let them in ICU and besides Burt would fear for his life having Talan around, to running my dad's errands and then to coach every evening. I have found myself surprised at how much I still rely on my dad in so many ways and although he often talks of dying, neither he or I were ready for that to actually happen. We have been real tired, stressed and hoping Papa gets to come home soon. He is improving and everyday he walks farther, things are just going at a slower pace than usual. On top of this, Talan has started preschool too. He loves it and we love the break!!
Also, a little update on our niece Hallie. She had surgery on her bad leg last week which went well and went back to SV last Friday. She is doing better each day and Mark sent us a video of her rolling around in her body cast the other night. Little kids are so stinkin amazing and surprise me how well they adapt to change even when they don't understand why.
We will keep you all posted and keep these guys in your prayers!! Thanks

A Weekend Away!

2009-07-20T14:13:00.005-07:00

We decided to escape the heat these last few weekends. The first was in Flagstaff where my niece was baptized. This one was at the cabin with some friends from our ward. The kids loved playing outside and especially riding the four wheelers.
This pic was were I found Talan the other day. Camryn had just woke up and I could hear her laughing. I came in to him bouncing on her and trying to tickle her.

Dad and Talan playing golf in Pinetop.

Papa and Layton on the go karts!

Watching the golf game.

Our little poser!!

More Fun up North!!

2009-07-20T14:04:00.003-07:00

Ryan was the hero on the 4 wheeler this weekend. All the kids wanted him to drive them around.

Eating their otter pops!!

Camryn's first ride!!

Dad with the kids right before he and Papa went off to golf.

Hutton, Layton & Talan trying to behave on the course. The boys were collecting all the golf balls on the chipping green and giving them to this kid to practice.

Really guys!!

2009-07-12T16:39:00.005-07:00

Yes, my baby is crawling and she got her first tooth this week. It is all happening so fast, please slow down Cam.

Talan passed! Level 1 swim lessons, doesn't mean much but he is advancing. We are glad to be done with those for the summer. Sitting out there in the 115 degree heat wasn't fun for Cam or I. But we sure are proud of brother.

He can float on his back!

The Big, Bad 4th of July!!

2009-07-04T20:58:00.003-07:00

Camryn got hold of Talan's crepe paper off his scooter! Whoooops!!
Talan cooling off after his ride.

The family!

On his 10th lap!

T Talan's ready to go....

I know it is a bit premature, still being the fourth, but since my baby goes to bed at 8pm and fireworks were at 9pm, I decided not to mess with that and sent the boys up to the golf course for the show. These above pictures were taken up on main street where Verrado has an annual bike parade for the kids each 4th of July morning. It's real cute, they decorate what ever they are going to ride then line up by the Raven and head down main street and circle around the fountain. Well of the three hundred or so kids that participated, yes Talan was the last one standing. I am not exaggerating when I say this. He would stop for a drink now and again at which point we would ask if he wanted to stop. His reply, "dad, I'm in the parade!!" Okay bud, It's 110 degrees out here, keep going! Once we convinced him to stop and cool off in the fountain, we went for a nice swim at Brad's and then home to rest. We contemplated doing the BBQ thing with friends but opted for a family night @ Johnny Rockets down by the Cardinal's stadium. I then sent the boys off to fireworks.

SIX Months!!

2009-06-21T20:59:00.006-07:00

I can't believe how time flies. Yes she is, six whole months. We had her Dr. apt yesterday and she is officially growing like the weeds in my yard. Two and a half inches and three pounds in two short months. I must have great milk!!! Anyways, here are some pics. She will be crawling pretty soon. We will keep you posted!

She didn't get to the beach much. Sand and babies that don't move well equals a mess.

It's kinda a BIG Deal!!

2009-06-21T20:39:00.005-07:00

Chillin on the beach one morning.
In La Jolla!

Seal Beach!

Getting ready to ride the rides at Belmont. I remember riding that roller coaster when I was 12.

The next "King of the Beach."

So we just returned from our annual San Diego trip. What more can we say, anything that has my entire family together can be nothing short of drama and a good time. Here are a few of our pictures from the beach, Belmont, and around Diego.

Options?

2009-06-17T13:53:00.002-07:00

I have been meaning to write this down for a few days but as we have been in San Diego for the week I am not sitting to write much. The last few weeks have been pretty fun with Talan as he has begun to give me "options" the same way I usually give him. I was told once that it is better to give options rather than commands to your children. Talan's options usually go like this, pick up toys and go swimming, etc. or sit at home in room, etc. for not helping. Clever right, except now I am given options daily too....
Talan- Mom, your options are to play this game with me now or play with me in two minutes.
Mom, you can either get me a drink or sit in time out. What are your options? (Instead of those are your options!) Cute, or is this a bad thing, he is becoming like me.

Fourteen and counting.....

2009-06-17T13:35:00.005-07:00

Roger, as Talan calls him!!
I admit, I am a huge tennis junkie. I grew up in AZ were the sun shines 365 days a year which means all sports are options all year round. And yes, we were big into tennis. All five kids in my family took lessons early on and we all played in high school. I can remember the Andre Agassi poster that hung on my wall as a child and the time my dad got up at 4am and stood in line for tickets to Wimbeldon. I remember watching Sampras, the ultimate grass player, Philapossis, and Seles play there. Thanks to my dad, many of these things were possible. So until I can afford the above, I will again spend the next two weeks of my life parked in front of my TV watching Wimbeldon from sun up to sun down. Ryan laughs because the last two weeks were spent the same way watching Roger Federer win his 14th grand slam and first French Open. We are both huge Federer fans and hope he can pull this one off too.

Oh Summer...

2009-06-08T10:08:00.003-07:00

The dog days of summer here in AZ mean you are one of two places, the pool or the lake. Not only does our community and a bunch of friends have pools we frequent, but we are not to far from Lake Pleasant. This past week we made our first lake trip and it was nice. Other than some choppy water for skiing, the water temp was great and we got the boys in for a swim. Our friends Brad, Raquel and their son Bryce went along as well.

Ry always has Talan make a hand sign!

Camryn with Grandma in her pool. She did not like it too much.

Father's & Son's Outing

2009-05-30T20:51:00.003-07:00

Every year our ward goes on a Father's and Son's Outing. Ryan and Talan jumped at the chance to go camping. That is Talan's favorite thing right now. Ryan said after they got the tent set up around 7pm Talan immediately wanted to go to bed. He loves sleeping in sleeping bags. I enjoyed the peace and quiet around here while they were gone!
This pic is T with a few other kids in our ward.

T doing what he does best. Throw Rocks!

Our big boy. Man I wish they would slow down every once in a while. Next thing I know he will be in kindergarten. I am so grateful to have a husband who enjoys his son as much as his kid likes him. This smile is always there when he is with his dad!!

She's FIVE Months!!

2009-05-27T11:49:00.004-07:00

I can't believe how time flies. She's five months and I'm 30. Oh well, we all know the other alternative! We are loving her easy going nature and ability to deal with Talan already. We are lucky she is still alive. These props help a ton so he can't sit on her so much!

This is how yard work always ends at our house. Talan naked getting sprayed by the hose. It helps that water out of the hose here is always warm, really.

Camryn's first attempt at food. She loves it. We call her our chunky monkey. You should see the roles are her thighs!

When they start growing up....

2009-05-18T16:33:00.002-07:00

For those of you who are not aware I am one of those slacker mom's who is not very good at writing things down or scrapbooking. I am starting to realize that there are things daily that Talan says or does that I need to write down. I enjoy reading one of Ryan's cousin's blogs because a big part of Taffy's entries are stuff her kids say and do. As a stay home mom we know this is our main source of entertainment. So, my point is, I might be adding TALAN TALK a bit more frequently.
If any of you know my son, he isn't shy of questions. Today our conversation was as follows:
Driving in the car, listening to country music... Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night"
Talan- What's beer mom
Mom- A bad drink
Talan- Kenny Chesney drinks beer?
Mom- Probably
Talan- But mom, he's a nice guy!
I wonder what I will do when he starts asking what body shots are as they mention in the song!!!

Talan's new SUMMER Do!!

2009-05-16T16:22:00.004-07:00

Ryan and I have been debating this again for a few days. For some reason, Talan's hair is always an issue with us. However, we both realized that short is better in AZ in the summer. Poor kid was sweating like crazy all the time. At least I don't have to worry about Mark and Patty cutting it this summer!! No, Talan likes it so we do too.

I am a Slacker!!

2009-05-16T15:38:00.010-07:00

As I sit down to update those of you who care about our lives, I am quickly interrupted by a little voice saying, "Mom. I'm in the bathroom going poop, you come wipe?" As I get down the stairs I am reminded that the toilet seat is his shell, he is a turtle I guess and that as much as I wish he knew how to wipe, the few times he has tried... we will end there. So here is a little update.

Talan's new best friend, or should I say favorite person to torment! She really enjoys him even though this is what usually happens.

Well summer is here. We are already at 11 days straight of 100 degrees or more. The only way being outside is comfortable is to add water. Talan loved the water ballon fight we had. Mom and dad are not sure 1 hour filling up ballons that took five minutes to throw was worth it, but the kid sure did.

Their tent!!

I was trying to run out the door to the gym, except I couldn't get out the door!

My Grandma from SLC was able to come and visit again. We enjoyed a few afternoons with her as she stayed at my mom's.

Talan went camping with his dad, Papa Burt, Uncle Spencer and cousin Rhonny. They went out in the mountains behind our house, it rained the entire night and was kinda cold. That was April 10th, we haven't seen rain or a cloud since!

Easter Pics!!

2009-04-19T21:44:00.002-07:00

As I promised, I made my friend JayeLyn take some pics of the kids in their Easter attire! Wow, it sure is hard to get kids to cooperate while trying to take a picture. Here are a few of my favorites. Hope you enjoy.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T21:04:00.004-07:00

Ryan's mom was kind enough to send the kids matching outfits. Super Cute! Thanks Grandma Patty. Hopefully I can get some better pics of the kids this week, for now, her is our family!

The kids playing on Papa Burt's little swing set. We had the nicest weekend here in AZ. A little rain but mostly clear blue skies and nice temps.

More Wyoming Visitors

2009-04-09T14:27:00.005-07:00

Ryan's cousin Audrey and her family have made the trek from Wyoming down to AZ to see Nikki. I guess they are getting tired of the cold and snow too! Nikki was kind enough to let Me steal Aud's family and so we went to the zoo with Nick and all the kids. It was a fun day, we enjoyed the zoo and then they came to our house for the evening. Nick and Ryan watched Carolina stomp Michigan State while Audrey and I watch the kids ride bikes and play outside. Something her kids haven't been able to do in a while! We miss their family tons, but are happy that Nikki lives here so we can see them more often.

Meet the next.....

2009-04-09T14:22:00.004-07:00

ROGER FEDERER!!!
So Talan had his first tennis lesson yesterday. I am not sure who was more excited, me or him. He is really diggin golf and tennis right now, which is funny. So as we were leaving for his lesson yesterday he stops at the door turns to me and as serious as possible ask, "Mom, am I going to play Roger Federer today?" Oh, if only you were Talan, at least he has high hopes!! But I will admit, as one of only two three year-olds there, he was one of the better players.

Brandon's Break!!

2009-04-08T21:36:00.003-07:00

So Brandon had his Spring Break last week and was nice enough to come and visit us. Boy was it a fun week! The boys enjoyed some spring training, we took Brando bowling, and played some miniature golf. The last night we were able to go to the Easter Pageant which Talan loved again. We are glad we got to see Boskey and wish he was around more to teach my child how to talk back and say all the sarcastic comments he does when Brando is around. J/K we love you Bran.

Brandon was sooooo excited to return to the foot of snow that was waiting in Wyoming!!

THREE Months!!!

2009-03-25T14:52:00.002-07:00

Wow, three months, only nine more of nursing. (No really, I'm not counting!) We get to enjoy this cute smile daily, now the rest of you can too.

Nothing Like Good Ole Friends!!!

2009-03-24T12:19:00.003-07:00

One of my good friends from college came into town the other night for work. We had the chance to go to dinner with her. She reminds me that I have only made a handful of "good" friends in life who you can talk to only a couple times a year and feel as though you never skipped a beat! We especially love Ash because she is who introduced Ryan and I. (Don't know if that was her intention that weekend, but oh well.) Thanks again, we love ya and always miss you BYU!!

A few random pics...

2009-03-19T20:47:00.003-07:00

Our little one keeps on growing. She is now over 13lbs. and smiling the day away. Talan really enjoys her and I am sure she will be tough because that kid is rough!!

FINALLY!!

2009-03-19T20:36:00.003-07:00

There she is, our families first official pet. We "borrowed" a cute little bunny from the men who work on my father's farm. We were visiting the farm last week to see the new baby colt and low and behold we found 30 bunny rabbits in a cement hole. The Mexicans seemed to think they make for a fine meal, so we thought we would ask if Talan could borrow one and when I, yes Jessica, was done with it being our pet we would give it back. Just the way pets should be. Free and always a place to go back to when you don't want them. The first pic is where I find Talan about 30 times a day........ he loves that thing and it has actually mellowed out toward all the kids. Talan will bring me his food cup once a day and say she needs her pellets and so I fill it and tell him to put them in her house, then I find them all over my porch, in the rocks, etc.... When asked why they are not in the house his general response, the rabbit spilled them, of course!

She's Two Months

2009-03-01T15:47:00.003-07:00

How time flies. Our little one is already 9 weeks old. Despite having quite the cold this week she has turned out to be a delightful little girl. Very easy going, good sleeper and just a joy to have. Talan has settled in as well. Other than having to give Camryn 75 kisses a day, he doesn't bother her. We are truly blessed by these two little lives.

Yes we did!

2009-02-14T20:30:00.009-07:00

So we are officially crazy. Ryan came home from work on Wednesday last week and ask me if we wanted to go to Evanston to watch Boskey play basketball. That was apparently the CLOSEST they get! I agreed, and Thursday night we were off. By Friday at five we were in the Evanston gym enjoying some SV b-ball. Mark and Patty were real excited to see the kids and agreed to hang at the ranch and Salt Lake with us on Saturday. By Sunday at 9pm we were home. After all, Camryn needed to meet the Wyoming fam. Thanks to Dave, Gina and Brando too for coming.

My Valentines!

2009-02-14T20:24:00.003-07:00

I am so lucky to have two of the CUTEST Valentine's in the world. Ryan is so good at keeping things "light" in our home and Talan just craves his attention. Despite being real busy lately, he always finds time for his little family. Thanks again Ry for all your hard work and fun-loving self.

Camryn's Blessing

2009-02-01T21:06:00.002-07:00

TODAY WAS A SPECIAL DAY FOR OUR FAMILY. WE BLESSED CAMRYN AT CHURCH AND WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE LOTS OF FAMILY THERE. MOST OF JESSICA'S FAMILY WAS THERE, AS WELL AS DAVE, TRENT, NIKKI, JENNIFER, AND DERRELL.

WE STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST CAMRYN IS GROWING AND HOW FAST TIME SEEMS TO BE PASSING US BY.

MY BROTHER-IN-LAW DAVE SPENT THE WEEKEND VISITING AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF OUR WIVES. (THANKS GINA AND JESS!!!) WE WENT TO THE FBR OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT WHICH MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE A REALLY BAD THING. DAVE NOW ASPIRES TO BECOME PART OF THE PGA TOUR. WE DID SOME GOLFING ON OUR OWN AND DAVE GOT TO ESCAPE FROM SOME LARAMIE WEATHER FOR A FEW DAYS.

1 Month Old

2009-01-23T21:49:00.003-07:00

IT IS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT CAMRYN IS A MONTH OLD. IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY THAT SHE WAS BORN. WE HAVE BEEN UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE TO POST SOME NEW PICTURES OF HER, SO HERE THEY ARE. SHE HAS BEEN WAY MORE FUSSY THAN TALAN WAS, BUT EVERYONE CLAIMS THAT GIRLS ARE JUST THAT WAY. TALAN CONTINUES TO BE A GOOD HELP. HE ALWAYS WANTS TO GIVER HER KISSES AND JAM THE PACIFIER INTO HER MOUTH. WE ARE ALL AJUSTING TO LIFE AS A NEW FAMILY.

Trip to the Cabin

2009-01-23T21:30:00.002-07:00

LAST WEEKEND WE WENT TO PAPA BURT'S CABIN WITH JESSICA'S SISTER'S FAMILY. IT WAS A VERY RELAXING WEEKEND BY THE FIRE. THE KIDS DID A LOT OF SLEDDING AND PLAYED THE WII LIKE IT WAS THEIR JOB. THESE PHOTOS ARE ALL FROM A DISPOSABLE CAMERA, SO THEY ARE NOT THE BEST QUALITY. WE WENT SLEDDING ONE DAY AT THE GOLF COURSE AND THE NEXT DAY WE MADE THIS LITTLE HILL BEHIND THE CABIN. THE WEATHER WAS WARM AND THE KIDS HAD A GREAT TIME.

At Last...Pictures of Camryn

2009-01-11T20:23:00.002-07:00

So after about 10 days in a row of Jessica telling me to put pictures of Camryn on the blog, I finally got around to it. She has had a lot of complaining from those who don't have Facebook who want to see pictures of the baby.

We are adjusting well with the newest addition to our family. Talan has been very helpful so far...even a little too helpful. Camryn is doing well, sleeping a ton, and keeping Jessica busy.