Thanksgiving

For thanksgiving this year we met up with Jed's family in Colorado. It was so much fun getting together for the holiday and enjoying the time we got to spend together. I think this was the first holiday his whole family has been together in quite awhile. Ashlee loved getting to spend time with her cousins Jett and Luke; and Hyrum and little Tommy really seemed to play together well too. The other cousins arrived a few days later and it was fun to watch Ashlee get to play with girl cousins around her age. Her and Lola had a lot of fun. We really enjoyed our time there and the kids got to go to the dinosaur museum and dinosaur hill again. Of course us ladies enjoyed our time Friday morning out shopping. Even when I have nothing really to buy I just LOVE going to Black Friday. We were done by 7:30 and went and had breakfast with just the girls. I am blessed to have such wonderful sister-in-laws!!! We did end up staying there for a long time (I just could not face the Vegas traffic so we went early and stayed late) but we truly had a marvelous time (thanks for hosting Carolyn!!! You made it amazing for us all.) Anyway here are a few pics from the trip. We hope that you all had a fabulous holiday and are looking forward to Christmas as much as us!!!

We took the kids swimming at Uncle Adam and Aunt Liz's hotel so much fun!

The kids loved jumping on the trampoline with Aunt Anna and her friend (who is headless in this pic for some reason Sorry Dave!!)This is part of the dinosaur museum. The kids LOVE it here.On Thanksgiving day we drove up to the colorado monument and hiked around.

The whole gang gathered together!

We're Pregnant

We are excited to announce that baby #3 is on its way! This new little one should arrive around May 31st, 2010. Of course we are all very excited. Ashlee is very protective of my belly. She was even worried that the baby would be covered with food when I ate so I had to explain a little bit more than the typical "the baby is in my tummy" stuff. Anyway all is well so far although I was surprised to learn that I am now considered high risk because of my age...honestly??? Me??? The good thing is that means I get more ultrasounds so I won't complain too loudly. Here is the ultrasound picture. It was so fun to watch the hands move and the heart beating.

Disneyland Trip

This year we decided to take advantage of the Disneyland free on your birthday event. We went for mine since Jed is down there for the fair in Los Angeles this month. It was such a blast. They give you a button to wear that says it's your birthday and every single worker wishes you a happy birthday. My kids loved that part and kept saying Happy Birthday Mommy!!! The kids got to wear buttons saying they were celebrating too. We had such a wonderful time and even got my mom to ride SplashMountain. I just love that place...truly the happiest place on earth.

Make a Smilebox postcard

New Moon

So, I liked Twilight. I realize I was in the minority, but I thought it was a decent movie. I have been a little nervous for New Moon since I saw the first trailer. It seemed mediocre at best. Well a friend of mine posted this trailer on her blog and I have become converted again. Honestly my heart was pumping watching this. Take a look and tell me your thoughts. (Especially Anna. Can this convert you again????)

What it's been a month and a half???

I can't believe it has been soooo long since I last blogged. The only defense I have is the lack of pictures to post. For some reason I think I can only blog once I have some terrific pictures. Sad, I don't feel that way about other peoples posts, but they always seem to have something interesting to say. Myself, I just love to have pictures to go along with the event I am talking about. It just makes the post so much more enjoyable and easy to do. So I apologize for the neglect oh blog of mine and look forward to many more posts yet to come....(still waiting for the pictures though :( Sometime this week hopefully!

Cousin Luke's B-day

This week we were able to keep Jett and Luke a little longer than expected. It was so fun to plan a b-day that would be fun for all. We took everyone to the waterpark in the morning and then we finished the day at Chuck-E-Cheese. I was so amazed at how many tickets they accumulated. It was so fun to watch the kids go back and forth at the pizza place. They got so many tickets that the were each able to get two toys....it was almost more fun putting the tickets in the "cruncher" than getting the tickets themselves! We ended the night with a cupcake shaped cake for Lukey and a birthday song. It was truly a FUN day! The next day we drove them to meet their mom in St. George and I got to visit with a dear friend. We had such a fun week that we (meaning me..) needed a few days to recover. I loved having my nephews here and I know that Ashlee enjoyed her time with her cousins. Hyrum had fun playing with big boys and wanted to copy them. So cute. I wish we lived closer so we could hang out more! Come back ANYTIME boys!

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Island WaterPark - visit continues...

On Monday we decided to take the kids and our nephews along with Jed's parents to Island WaterPark here in Fresno. We had a really great time. The kids loved the wave pool and swimmin' with Grandpa. Hyrum did so well. He was born a fish...the kid just follows the big kids up to the big slides (in the kiddie area) and comes down. He loves to go on the whale and will just stand there and play for a good 20 minutes. He talks nonstop about the bucket that dumps onto of everyone too. Jett and Luke loved visiting the waterpark with Ashlee as well. They went and went until us old folks said enough was enough and forced them to leave :( we are sooo cruel! We had a great time and loved getting to visit with Jed's family. I don't have pictures, but after the waterpark Jed went shooting with his dad will I made beaded watches (really cool) with his mom. We had such a great visit and were sad that they were leaving Tuesday.

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Sequoia National Park

We had such a fun day with Jed's family yesterday. Jed's parents came to see us and the kids. They got to bring our two oldest nephews with them. So we took some time to drive to Sequoia National park to show the family the "big trees." The kids loved climbing the trees and rocks. The highlight was the baby bear we got to see eating insects off of a fallen tree. So adorable I just wanted to bring him home. We had such a good time exploring the area there are really so many things I still need to see there. (That means that if anyone wants to visit us we can take you there too!!!) Enjoy the pictures.

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4th of July

We just had a fabulous fourth of July. On Saturday my family came up and we had a big BBQ with tri-tip and ribs. The kids went in the backyard and played with the sprinklers and baby pool. They had a blast. My mom was so tired she fell asleep. Hyrum shared his bear with her so she could sleep better.
This was my first attempt at the Jell-o flag. It turned out pretty well!

After the BBQ we headed over to the Grizzly game and watched the fireworks. Hyrum LOVED watching the game. I tried to take him to the slide and he kept saying "I wanna watch ba-ball game."

We had a really fun time at the game and surprisingly the kids did very well. After the game we came home and did our own fireworks. The kids didn't get to bed until after 11:00 but I figure it only happens once a year so it was okay!! All said we had a fun weekend and the kids enjoyed being with daddy!! We hope you all had a great fourth too!!

Nothing Much

Lately we have been doing a lot of nothing. (This is probably going to be a boring blog, but I thought I would share for those that don't see us much!) Jed has been working like a madman. I am amazed he can up the pace he has been doing. The kids and I have been keeping busy with Mommy group activities and visiting with "Banka" and Aunt Lena. I was so excited last week when a college roommate of mine happened to be in town and we got to visit. It was so fun to just get to sit and visit with someone I knew so long ago at Rick's. I am happy to say that she hasn't changed much and we seemed to just fit back in to old times of laughing and goofing off. It was so fun to sit remember our old capers with our Family home evening brothers and the old practical jokes we used to play. Fun times at good ol' Ricks college (I can't call it BYU-Idaho yet and yes that does make me old!) My kids loved playing with her kids and Ashlee still says to me "mommy when is your friends little girl coming over again?" Sad to say not for a very long time...she lives in Arizona.

As for the kids they are just being adorable. It makes me sad sometimes to think how much Jed's family misses out on them growing up. Hyrum is just so dang cute! He has pinchable cheeks and is so adorable. I love when he pretends to be a little kitten. He comes up and rubs his face against me wanting attention. Him and Ashlee go all of the house meowing. In this picture he was pretending to type on the pretend computer. So cute!

Ashlee is just turning into such a grown up. Yes she still as tantrums and such, but she just loves to look out for little Hyrum. She loves to play and is very sad that preschool is over. Everyday she asks where we are going today. I just cherish these times when they are small and loving! The other day we played dress up with an outfit her cousins brought back from Mexico when she was two. It finally fits!!

Memorial Day

So Jed got Memorial Day off and we decided to take a day trip to Morro Bay. Growing up in Lemoore, Morro Bay was "our beach." We would go there for camping trips with my mom and dad and stay at the overflow campground near Cambria. I have so many fond memories of the place that I love going back just to revisit. The Shell Shop is always and must and so is taffy down by the rock. Unfortunatly the Soldier Factory is gone in Cambria, but you can still visit the mock battlegrounds there. This trip was not a sightseeing one though. We drove to Cayucos and went out on the state beach there. It was cold there when the wind blew but it was still a nice day. Hyrum stayed bundled the whole day and of course my daredevil Ashlee just ran into the water with Daddy. My mom acted as the warming station when they got a little too cold. We then drove to Morro Bay to eat at the Hula Hut and get some Taffy. Before long it was time to head home. We had a fun day and just enjoyed getting some time off from life!! I just love this picture of Ashlee. She just looks like a big girl in it.

Hyrum is "2"

Hyrum turned 2 last week. I can not believe how quickly the time passes. He is such a little ball of energy and has such a loving heart. If someone is crying he runs up and pats their back. If he hurts someone he pats them and says "I sorry." He is just my little angel. Most people he greets by running up to them with arms open wide, so trusting of those around him. This year he add an exciting birthday. On the actual day, Friday, May 15th, we went as a family to Chuck-E-Cheese. He loves to go their and play Skeetball. Hyrum will stand their throwing the same ball up for hours. On Sunday my family came over for cake and ice cream. I made him a basketball cake as he has such a LOVE of balls. I think it turned out okay for my first attempt. Daddy got him a bigwheel to ride around on and he loves it. We then had a little party with some of his nursery friends from church and a friends little boy with a birthday just a few days after Hyrum's (sorry my pictures did not turn out from that.) All in all I think he had a fun time and enjoyed himself. He is truly turning into a little man!

Perfect Angels

Okay so Mother's Day has come and gone, but with computer problems I have been unable to post pictures for awhile. I know it is dumb but I feel like I can't post unless I have some terrific pictures. Anyway I had a great Mother's day with lots of TLC from DH and the little ones. The other day I had to go to the mall with my little ones. They became enthralled with the little photo booth. I couldn't resist so I was able to get these precious pictures:
Kind of reminds me why I wanted to be a mom in the first place. Honestly who could resist those adorable smiles of pure joy.

Easter Sunday

Well we have been having some technical difficulties so I apologize for not updating this sooner. We had a very nice Easter with the kids. It was nice because Hyrum was big enough to go Easter egg hunting. It was so cute to watch him walking around with his basket overflowing so much that he could barely carry it. On Saturday we got together with my family and dyed Easter eggs. Hyrum just grabbed them and threw them in the dye. Of course Ashlee's eggs were almost all pink, big surprise!!! The Easter bunny stopped by Sunday morning for the kids. The one memory I have as a child is always getting a new dress for Easter so I try to keep that up with my kids. Ashlee loved her new dress and Hyrum got to wear a new little vest. They looked adorable if I do say so myself.

After church my family came over for the Easter egg hunt. There were tons of eggs for the three kids to share. They had a fabulous time and we then got to eat some incredible food. I hope all of you guys had a great Easter too!!!

We need a doctor!!

Recently we discovered a strange new disorder? We are seriously disturbed at the speed with with this disease manifested itself. One minute he was fine, the next he was covered with colorful dots. Honestly we are baffeled.

A day at the Beach...

Monday was a rare day for us, Jed took the day off. He has been working basically nonstop for the past few weeks. The kids have really missed having daddy around so we took a day to play. We decided to drive up to Monterey for the day. Ashlee was so excited to go to the beach. She kept looking out the window and saying "Mommy I see the beach!" I didn't have the heart to point out that we were no where near the beach as we were just approaching Los Banos! We first went to Carmel to let the kids play. It was fun, but FREEEEZZZIINNGG cold!!! Everyone was in hoodies, sweatshirts, and pants. Ashlee still got in the water with Jed though. She would run in and out chasing the waves. Hyrum stayed by me and built sandcastles. We didn't stay long and then went over to the wharf. We watched the sea lions and then ate dinner before heading home. It was a fun day to just get away and relax with the kids.

Patches, Patches, and more Patches

My little girl Ashlee is a BUNDLE of energy!! She is almost always going, going, going. If we go to the park she plays very hard and loves to run, jump, swing, and slide. I love that she is so active and it is so funny because my mom says that I was exactly like that as a child. The first picture is Ashlee with a fat lip obtained at the aforementioned park. (She fell onto the metal part after the ladder)


Well all of this activity is extremely hard on her clothes. The other day I was looking through her clothes trying to find a pair of jeans when I realized that every single pair of jeans had a huge hole in the knee. Counting the months I thought that these jeans need to last only a few more months maybe weeks so what can I do????? Well like a good SOHM I went to Micheal's and bought some iron on patches and went to work. I think they turned out really cute for a first try.

(BEFORE)
(AFTER)Maybe it is just me, but I think they are just as cute as the pair I bought at Old Navy last year!!!

My cousin is PREGNANT!!!!

Yes I know this might be a weird post, but I just am so excited for my cousin (sorry Jen, I just had to share your news with the world!). She has had so many struggles with pregnancy's and has two babies already in heaven. Her announcement is so incredible!!! She is having a healthy baby girl, due on August 24th. What a terrific blessing!!!! My cousin is such an inspiration to me of her unfailing faith in Heavenly Father and her continued strength through difficult times that could crush a normal person. We are so happy for you!!! Definitely having to plan a trip this summer to meet the new little one.

My adorable kids...

Okay I admit it...my kids watch t.v. from time to time. Hyrum can even sing and dance along with some of his favorites (WonderPets or Barney). Usually they are dancing around or whatever. Well yesterday I had them fed and freshly bathed ready to go to bed. While waiting for daddy to come home they sat and watched a little bit of Barbie's Diamond Castle. I walked in to find Hyrum sitting on Ashlee's lap. She is so adorable because she wants to be a little mommy. It is funny to watch how much Hyrum idolizes his big sister. He will sit like she sits, talk like she talks and when I comb his hair his favorite thing is to say "Oww" honestly the boy has no hair, but that is what Ashlee does so he has to copy her. What a fun age this is for both of my little ones. I am so glad I get to spend so much time with them and watch all of their funny antics!

We're Back!!!

We have finally made it back from our trip. We had a wonderful time and loved the time to relax and get away from life for a short time. The first two days were spent on the boat with a very cold wind that whipped around the deck. We got to read books and eat till our hearts content. Jed and I also got to work out in the gym. Our first stop was Puerto Vallarta where we got to do the zipline. That was thrilling for me as I am scared of heights, but I conquered it! Second was Mazatlan where Jed got our group a ride to a beach/hotel where we rented jet skies and bought from the local merchants. Last was Cabo San Lucas which was BEAUTIFUL. This was most like the carribean. We snorkeled then went to the beach again. We had such a great time and really enjoyed ourselves at each and every stop. Below is a presentation of some of our pictures. I didn't take as many as I thought I would but you can really see the beauty of the areas we visited!

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The Next 7 Days

Okay so most of you know and are probably sick of hearing about it so if that includes you feel free to stop reading now.....for the rest of you....WE ARE GOING ON A CRUISE!!! Can you tell I am excited? We leave on Sunday for a 7 night cruise to the Mexican Riveriera. The kids are staying at home with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law plus a few friends helping out so we can get away without any worries (Believe me when I say that I am so grateful to be blessed with great friends THANKS you guys!) So here is where we will be for the next 7 Days:

Our boat.... Our room....

Where we are going....

Honestly a cruise is as close to heaven on earth as I can imagine right now. Hey I'm hungry..maybe I will order room service, or get pizza, or go to the buffet. Not a dish to clean, a bed to make, a towel to wash, or a meal to plan. Utter selfishness and relaxation. Want to go to the gym, walk upstairs..no babysitting to arrange or car to get in and drive. Everything is right there to enjoy. So when we return I will probably bore everyone with the pictures and details of our trip. Until then I hope eveyone else has a fabulous week!!