The Walkers

Christmas Muscial

2011-12-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Addie's school had a very cute Christmas musical and she even had a part in it. It is good that we have these fun Christmas programs and events to remind me it is Christmas because it is easy to forget when it is 80 outside and you spend all day studying. Addie has been singing the songs for me - she can sing every word to O Christmas tree and Go tell it on the Mountain with hand motions - SO CUTE! Love this little lady.

Pumpkin Patch and Thanksgiving Feast

2011-12-07T19:41:00.001-08:00

Addie's class took a trip to a very fun pumpkin patch. this cute picture on the bench are her two besties Lexi and Mika (if you ask Addie Lexi is her best friend and Mika is her boyfriend - good thing he is pretty cute and sweet - on the positive side she told me it is gross to kiss anyone besides your mom and dad). The later pictures are of the Thanksgiving feast at her school. Brandon and I got to go eat lunch with her class. They had cute little pilgrim costumes, the other class were indians but I missed that photo op somehow. I also cooked my first Thanksgiving turkey and had some friends for school to our house. We had a lot of delicious food and I even made pumpkin cheesecake. I kept my black friday tradition - started at 10 at Walmart and shopped until 5, then went to my friend Brooke's house and wrapped it all up. Somehow in all the business of Thanksgiving and shopping - not 1 photo.

Halloween 2011

2011-12-07T19:16:00.001-08:00

Addie has a small crush on Captain Jack Sparrow (I have to say I don't mind Johnny Depp either) and decided she wanted to be a pirate for Halloween We came up with a pink pirate costume that turned out pretty cute! We had lots of Halloween fun with a Ward party, school parade, pumpkin carving, and Trick or Treating.

Seaworld!

2011-10-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

While I was on break we tok Addie to Seaworld. It was so great to take a break and have fun with my 2 favorite people. It was the Halloween Spooktacular and Addie got to Trick or Treat both days we were there and thought that was great. The shows at Seaworld were great. Addie wanted to sit down low and get wet in the Shamu show. We sat on the second row and were SOAKED - Addie cried, it was sad but a little hard not to laugh. We had a great time and can't wait to go again.

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Sunset in Naples

2011-10-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

While Mom and Dad were here we caught a beautiful sunset. This is one of my favorite things in Naples!

Disney World

2011-10-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad came to visit and took us to Disney World as my graduation present for my bachelors degree. Addie LOVED it and was so fun to watch. We all had such a great time! Thanks Mom and Dad, you are great. Bryan came too and we got to celebrate his birthday with him. He got to spend a day at Harry Potter World (we skipped that and spent another day at Disney). Addie got to go on stage with Captain Jack and we rode pirates of the Carribean twice. She loved splash mountain and we rode it 3 times. We ran around Diseny for 3 days straight and Addie was great the entire time and really loved it.

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Catch Up

2011-10-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

Way behind on my blog. Thought I would catch up while I am on break. Last break Susan, Trent, Jessie, and Brett came to visit. It was so great to see them and we had so much fun. Brett and Addie loved getting to spend time together! Miss them all so much, hope they can come again soon :)

Ballerina

2011-06-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Addie had a dance recital and danced to Little Black Rain Cloud from Whinnie the Pooh. She loves to dance and was very serious about her performance. She was so cute to watch. Trent, Jessie, Brett, and Susan were in town and got to watch her dance. She dances around the house all the time. We have dance parties and put on music for her to dance to. She is a pretty good little dancer and gets a serious look on her face and has some cute little moves. She would make her Aunt Jeanette very proud!

Soccer Star!

2011-06-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Addie has been playing soccer at the YMCA. She loves it and is so cute to watch. Her team has been very flaky and only 3 kids show up every week. She is the only one on her team that plays the entire game with a smile on her face. When they take water breaks she takes a quick drink and asks me if she can keep practicing. The coaches are cute and make sure all of the kids score a goal. Her face lights up and she gets so excited to score a goal. If she thinks she is not going to score a goal she starts to cry, it is so sad. She has a competitive side (not sure where that comes from :))

Easter

2011-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Addie has been excited to find out that holidays still happen in Florida and Easter found our house this year. We decorated eggs and cookies with Addies "boyfriend" little Morgan. We had a fun Easter hunt at the church. Addie looked beautiful in her Easter dress! Addie also said in her prayer on Easter, "Thank you that Jesus could die and be desurected so that we could have Easter and live in heaven together".

Grandma Cheryl came to town

2011-06-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Grandma Cheryl couldn't handle more than 2 months without her Addie and came to visit in March. We had so much fun with her (I had some fun between school, Brandon and Addie had lots of fun) Grandma thought Addie needed a pet, 5 goldfish and a beta later we may not be fish people. Addie took it surprisingly well and happily flushed them all down the toilet. We also spent time at the beach, pool, zoo, and a nature reserve. Brandon and Addie took her to see Marco Island (I still have not been to the island). Grandma could not leave without making sure we were adequately decorated for Easter and her and Addie made some fun Easter crafts. We had our friend Daniel and the missionaries over for a lesson and I remembered how knowledgable my mom is about the gospel. She is a great example and we always learn so much from her.

Spring Training

2011-06-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Rays have spring training in Fort Meyers. We caught a game while the redsox were in town. There were a lot of sox fans and I was embarrasing Brandon cheering for the rays (who won)! We had so much fun, I love baseball!
Ramirez strutting his stuff

Ramirez and Ortiz hanging out in the outfield.

Ortiz up to bat

Addie's 4th Birthday

2011-06-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am way behind but while I am on break I will try to fill you in on what we have been up to! Addie turned 4 on March 10. Addie has been such a huge blessing for me and Brandon. We are so lucky to have such a sweet and beautiful little lady. She fills our lives with joy and is full of the spirit. In her prayers she says things like "thank you Jesus could be saved and go to Heaven", "thank you that Jesus is safe in Heaven" "thank you that the gospel could be safe on the earth today". I study with a friend from another religion and Addie's prayers make her cry. She loves dance and she is actually pretty good. She is very graceful and even when she dances with me at home she is serious about her dance moves. She is playing soccer and loves that too! Along with all of the graet things she is becoming quit the little sassafras! She has an attitude and knows how to use it. She has her Dad all figured out and uses it to her advantage often. She is very friendly and we are reading books trying to learn about strangers. Love this lady to the moon and back!

Party with Morgan and Lily at McDonald's (Addie's choice of course)

Birthday Skype so grandma Cheryl could be there for her to open presents :)

Brother Shirey's baptism

2011-03-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Brandon has been taking the missionaries to teach the Shirey family once a week. Brother Shirey was baptized this week. It was neat for Brandon to see the process of teaching discussions and having someone make the decision to join the church. The spirit was strong and it was great to be a part of such a wonderful thing. His wife is a member, they have 2 kids and he will be able to baptize his daughter next month. They are hoping to go to the temple in a year. The missionary next to Brandon is Elder Schvaneveldt, his dad worked at Cabelas with Brandon. Brother Shirey is a guide for a fishing charter company and Brandon loves to talk fishing with him.

Florida Fun!

2011-03-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

The weather in Florida is great this time of year! (We will see how I feel in August). Brandon and Addie have been enjoying the beach, zoo, swimming pool, park, and just hanging out. Brandon is such a great Dad and has been so supportive in my transition to school. I spend a lot of time at school and at the library studying. So far school is crazy busy but good. I am trying to balance things so that I am not a stranger to my family. It is a bummer to hang out at the library while they are out having fun but I can't complain because I have made it to the zoo or beach weekly and still have time to take Addie to the park once or twice a week. Brandon is staying busy with online classes and making life great for me and Addie here in Naples. He also goes out with the missionaries about once a week. We really like our ward here and were just called to primary. There is a law school, pediatric dental residency, and Wolford so the ward is big and is a mix of young families (3 nurseries and 18 sunbeams!) and "snowbirds" who will take of after Easter. The large snowbird population is something new and different. They drive fast and crazy, I wanted to get a moped to drive to school and changed my mind - they will run you down. Also they make Costco in Utah county look slow, they love that place and the sample lines are crazy. You have to go out to dinner and the store after dinner when they are all home for the night. SO things are good here but we do get a little homesick and miss all our friends and family a lot! The pics below are the beach at sunset, the zoo, playing at the beach, and dance class.

Getting settled

2011-01-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

We are finally here in Naples. We had a three day drive that was long and besides Addie throwing up a few times in the car, uneventful. Our house is unpacked and decorated. Addie got a new bed and bedset and we decorated to make her excited for her new room. She is doing well here but is still a little confused about what happened to our old home. The weather is nice, they call it cold because it is in the 60's and raining a few days of the week and the rest are 70 and sunny... love it! Just wish we could have you all here with us!

My poor patient!

2011-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

A week before we left Brandon had a brutal week, Monday a root canal and crown, Tuesday 3 wisdom teeth out, Friday gallbladder out. Poor guy was such a great sport. Good news now he is like a new man in Florida! Thanks to my family who helped out so much thath week, miss you all!

Addie getting her pins out.

2011-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

Addie got her pins out a few days before we left for Florida. She was so brave! I can't believe what a good sport she has been about the whole ordeal. Love this little girl. She needed a little reminding at first to use that arm again but has been doing great. We do little exercises every day to bend and straighten it, seems to be doing great.

A Walker Christmas!

2010-12-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve started out.... at Annie and John's beautiful cabin in Timber Lakes. It was so good to spend time with family. Addie went out to play in the snow, I am a wimp and stayed in the warm cabin. Kurt and Tom took the girls sledding and went down a looong hill. The sled escaped onto the ice and Tom had to scoot out onto the ice to retrieve it. Then they had to climb up the hill carrying a couple of 3 year olds. Luckily all made it up the hill safely. Thanks for a really fun time Annie and John!

After making it safely through the sledding incident, we were "safe at home having a Christmas Eve dinner party with my family. Addie was having a little too much fun playing and ended up falling very hard right on her elbow. We ended up at the hospital and this little gal spent Christmas Eve in the OR. This year she has been so excited about Santa coming (we had our cookie plate ready two days early complete with a carrot for Rudolph). When I asked her if she thought she had been good enough for Santa to bring her presents she said "You bet I have" so cute. I was so sad that she was not going to be home but I told her Santa brought extra presents to such brave little girls. She really was so brave and has been so tough about the whole thing.

Santa really does see you when your sleeping and he found Addie in the hospital, this was waiting in her room when we woke up, he was very sneaky I did not even hear him!

Santa also came to our house, ate our treats, and left Addie more Christmas presents.

I was so sad for Addie having to try to play with Christmas presents one handed. She has been such a good girl I can't believe it. We have spent the last few days at home playing together and I have really enjoyed the time with her. Not the ideal Christmas but I am grateful to have such wonderful family and friends around to celebrate with. I am also thankful for my Savior at this time of year. Brandon and my Dad gave Addie a blessing in the ER that night and I was especially grateful for the comfort of my Savior and Heavenly Father this Christmas!

More Holiday celebration

2010-12-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Today we had decided to make cookies and decorate them for Santa. Felicity, Kelli, Grandma, Grandpa and Bryan came to help decorate. We also made graham cracker trains. Addie could decorate cookies for hours, she loves it and sits at the table until the last cookie is gone. Felicity likes to decorate for a minute until there is enough to eat. They also had fun rocking out to Christmas music and love to dance. Bryan is especially creative with the decorating. Felicity and Kelli also bought a big carrot for both girls to leave out for Rudolph. We are very excited for Santa to come at thie house (Addie says he is bringing a leapster, a dolly, a train, and the next 2 pirates of the carribean movies!)

Monday we celebrated with the Baumgarten family. We ate delicious treats with yummy hot chocolate and wassail. We enjoyed many piano solos and singing including Addie and Jake each singing rudolph the red nosed reindeer and a fun solo by doug on the keyboard. We had the annual Nativity and uncle Doug kept grandpa's tradition of reading Jabez Dawes.

Birthday Fun!

2010-12-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

Abigail and Felicity both have birthdays in December. We had two fun parties, Elmo for Abigail and Circus for Felicity. Addie loves parties and playing with her cousins. TeriAnn and Kelli are both so great at making cute cakes (I wish I had the gift). We have been having so much fun with family lately, let's not talk about moving so far away. I asked Kurt if he wanted to move to Naples but I don't think I have him convinced yet.

Grandma Susan and Grandpa Owl

2010-12-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take Addie to see Susan and "Owl" and do some of the fun Christmas things they miss out on not living here. I also wanted Addie to spend some time there before we move. Brandon had to work, of course (Happy Holidays!). I thought it would be fun to take Addie on the train, and that way I did not have to worry about driving in bad weather. Addie had fun on the train, it was interesting for me and fun with a 3 year old for 5 and 1/2 hours each way! People really camp out on the train and ride across the country, we saw all sorts! We decorated a gingerbread house and sugar cookies, went to see Santa, and went bowling (this was Addie's choice). I think Addie would prefer to spend her time with Grandpa Al out in the wood lot, she does not seem to get cold (she has informed me that she loves to be cold) and loves to be with Grandpa Owl. Next Christmas we wil have everyone out to Naples!

Grandma Glenda's Christmas Party

2010-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

We had Grandma Glenda's annual Christmas Party. The entire extended family was there except for AJ. We always have so much fun and love our Grandma Glenda. We got together to exchange gifts with Al, Susan, and family after the party. We are making a tradition of having a bubble blowing contest. I don't think we declared a winner but we had a lot of fun and sticky faces at the end. We had so much fun. I am starting to feel a little bit sad about moving to Florida and missing out on some of these fun family events.

Addie wona dollar in a coloring contest and was so excited.

Holiday Fun!

2010-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

We have been busy with holidays, finals, and getting ready to move. I want to post some of the fun things we have been up to ! We took Addie to see the lights at Thanksgiving point. We were also able to see a few of Santa's reindeer while we were there and she was so excited. We went to a Nutcracker tea party with Grandma Cheryl, Kelli, Felicity, TeriAnn, Tom, and Abigail. We heard part of the nutcracker story, had yummy tea party snacks, and made a beautiful crown. Addie also helped me decorate for Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving was over (she could not wait). This Christmas she is so excited for Santa and we have been having so much fun. We also picked two names off the sub for santa tree at work. I took Addie to shop for an 8 and 4 year old and we delivered the toys to Santas helpers so they can deliver them on Christmas. I explained to Addie that some Mom's and Dad's can't afford toys and so we are helping them out. She told everyone we saw for the next week about the 4 and 8 year old and their gifts. It made giving those gifts a little more special for me this year.

Playing in the snow!

2010-12-19T16:53:00.001-08:00

Addie loves playing in the snow. We had to make a trip to target to purchase snow clothes the first big snow. We have had to have a few discussions about how it does not snow in Florida. She is getting used to the idea (at first she was telling everyone it snows on the beach). Here are some pics of her with Felicity and Abigail.

Playing in the snow is hard work!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Grand Junction with Susan and Al. We took Grandma Glenda with us and Trent and Jessie were there as well. Addie loves spending time at Grandma Susan and Grandpa Owl's house and had so much fun playing with her cousins. Susan is such a great entertainer and we had a great Thanksgiving dinner. As always we had fun playing games and watching the kids play. Another bonus was that the weathermen fabricated the blizzard and we had great weather driving both ways.

Jessie and I had both decided not to do much black Friday shopping, then the ads came and we got sucked right in. We started at Walmart at midnight and shopped until 6 am. We ended up having so much fun running around the stores finding what we needed and were laughing at each other and the crazy people running around with us all night. The best things is that in one night I completed 90% of my Christmas shopping, YEA! Now I can get it wrapped and enjoy the holiday celebrations without the stress of holiday shopping. I wish I had pictures of us crazy girls, but we were too focused on the task at hand. We even cut out what we wanted and taped them to paper making a collage of what we were looking for at each store and had them in order by what time the stores opened, this was Jessie's idea ( that I laughed at), and was so helpful, we got every single item we really wanted!

Flying By!

2010-11-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Time is flying buy. Brandon and I have both been really busy with work, finishing the semester and getting ready for finals, Addie, and getting ready to move. I can't believe how fast time is flying by, we realized last night that in two months from now we will be packing up and heading across the country.... Crazy! Early in Novemeber we had the Murdoch girls weekend in Park City. It was fun as always, I love spending time with Jessie and Susan. Jessie and Trent invited us to a Jazz game last week. We had great seats in the lower bowl and had a lot of fun (it would have been perfect if they had beat Oklahoma City). This past weekend we headed to Grand Junction for Mary's homecoming. Al, Mandy, and Mary all gave great talks and it is always good to spend time with the Slack family. Here are a few pic's:

Halloween Fun

2010-11-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Addie was so excited for Halloween. The older she gets, the more fun we have with each holiday that comes along. She was a hula dancer and looked so cute. Halloween was freezing so she wore her costume over a coat and jeans. Bryan loves to take the kids trick or treating (I think the candy played a small role in wanting to take them!), Bryan is such a fun uncle and the kids love playing with him. He was Captain Jack Sparrow which made Addison so happy. She makes Brandon watch Pirates of the Carribean almost every time I go to work. She informed me that she is going to dress up as Jack Sparrow next Halloween and did not like my suggestion that she could be Elizabeth Swan! Kelli is the ultimate at creative costumes and thier family was a s'more, Felicity was a cute little marshmallow, Kelli was the chocolate bar, and Kurt was the graham cracker and wrapped around them. TeriAnn is also the creative little crafter and made Abigail a cute Tutu to wear with wings as a ladybug. My child is the one in the purchased costume, oh well she is still stinking cute! Brandon kicked of the week by taking Addie to carve pumpkins with my family while I was at work :(. She wore her costume to dance for a little party and also had a halloween party at school. She had a very fun week and somehow did not end up with that much candy (I might be mean but that made me happy).

Preschool field trips

2010-11-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

In October Addie's class had two field trips. They spent one day at the fire station and the post office. Addie loved the firetruck and dressing up as a firefighter. At the post office they mailed themself a letter and she was so excited when it actually came in the mail (Now she wants to mail someone a letter everyday). The second field trip was to pumpkinland at vineyard garden. We went through the pupmkin patch, played on the toys, saw the animals, and got to pick out a pumpkin. I love to help out at school and see her play and make new friends.

Addie W. and Addie C.

HeeHaw Farms!

2010-10-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Kelli and I took the little ladies to HeeHaw farms, they had so much fun and were very cute to watch! Here are a few photos from my phone (I have been forgetting my camera a lot lately). Felicity and Addie are such cute friends, now I just need to convince Kurt and Kelli to move to Naples!

Posing on the giant pumpkins.

Feeding the animals, they had so much fun with this until they ran out of food and a cute little goat with horns started butting the kids!

They would have gone down all night if we let them.

Waiting for a hayride enjoying some popcorn.

Tractor ride.

Naples!

2010-10-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a trip to Naples Florida. Addie had her first airplane ride. It was a long trip for a 3 year old with a layover, Addie was so good and we were so proud of her! It was also Addie's first trip to the beach. She had a blast playing in the waves, finding shells, making a sand castle, chasing birds, and soaking up the sun. The weather was perfect and it was a great trip. Why Naples you might ask? I applied for graduate school at Wolford College. And...... I heard back yesterday and we are headed to Naples!!!! I start school in February, the program is 28 months and I will graduate with a masters degree in nurse anesthesia. We are very excited to start this new adventure together and feel like this will be a great thing for our family. I am really blessed with a husband who is willing to support me and move across the country with me. The biggest draw back is the distance from family. I have had a good scolding about taking Addie away for 28 months. The good news is that we have given people an excuse to visit Naples, you will see in the pictures that it is a beautiful place!

The Big 35!

2010-10-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to you! 35 years ago the most important man in our life was born. Me and Addie are greatful for that great day, we are the two luckiest gals in the world! I could not have picked a better man to marry, and Addie could not ask for a better Dad! We have had some great adventurs so far and I am excited for the adventures to come! Have a happy birthday.

We love you!

Enjoying Fall

2010-09-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Most people love fall, I will be honest it is not my favorite. It is not fall itself but the fact that winter comes after fall. I love the heat and love summer (swimming, BBQ's, camping, etc. - what's not to love?). This year I am actually enjoying fall, the warm weather is really helping. Two weekends ago I went hiking in the Uintas for Kurt's birthday, my camera battery died and I have no pictures but it was beautiful and we had a great time. This past weekend we took the 4-wheeler out for a ride in the canyon. The weather was perfect and the leaves were beautiful. My picutres do not capture how pretty it was! Addie LOVES getting out for a ride. She asks to take the 4-wheeler and go camping all the time. We rode for a couple of hours and when we got back to the truck she was really mad we were done. She sits up front and "helps" Brandon drive. I just sit on the back and enjoy the ride.

Going to school!

2010-09-05T22:45:00.001-07:00

Our baby girl started preschool this week. She has been so excited to start school! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. She is already a little smarty pants (too smart sometimes) but I am excited for her to be social, make friends, and have fun. Dance class also started again for the fall this week and she loves that too. With Brandon and I both in school it is a busy fall at our house!
Looking so grown up! We forgot her backpack at grandmas so she took Mom's to school, just a little big.

I think she has been hanging out with her uncle Kurt too much because she made me take a silly face picture before I could take a serious one.

Camping at Strawberry

2010-09-05T22:27:00.001-07:00

Brandon has an archery tag for deer. We spent a few nights camping up at Strawberry so Brandon could do some hunting. It was a little bit chilly, but still lots of fun. Addie loves camping, she will even tell you about how she learned to dig a hole for a bathroom. We tent camp and were not anywhere close to a bathroom. She really does love camping, she asks me to go almost every day. Today she was in her room pretending she was camping with her stuffed animals. She likes fishing and riding the 4-wheeler. Camping is also the only time she gets excited to go to bed.
Roasting a starburst!

Enjoying a pretty day at the lake

Reeling one in

Going for a ride with Dad

Grandma Susan and Grandpa Owl

2010-08-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take Addie to visit Susan and "Owl" in Palisade, it has been a while since we have been to visit and I wanted to see the recent remodeling they have done to their house. Brandon had to work (of course, you may notice he is not in many of the summer photos), so we took Grandma Glenda with us in his place. Ben and Dani were also staying at Susan and Al's. They had a full house but as always made room for us and made us feel welcome. Addie had so much fun playing with Alli and Maycie. They had a cute little picnic outside eating delicious fresh picked peaches. Glenda, Susan, Addie, and I had a girls day out. We went shopping, had lunch, and took Addie to a very fun park called the Rocket Park. It was a quick trip but was lots of fun. Glenda was a great travel mate and is Addie's special friend. Thanks again Susan and Owl.

Girls night out!

2010-08-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

We escaped for a girls weekend to Park City. Jeannete was up from St. George and so we had all the big girls present, we let Abigail join in the fun but left the toddler girls home with the boys! We went to dinner at Zoom, shopped the boutiques and the outlets, sat in the hottub, caught up on gossip magazines, watched date night, and had a massage! It was lots of fun, thanks gals!

Eagle Scout

2010-08-24T22:29:00.001-07:00

My brother Seth (aka Sethy!) got his eagle scout. We are really proud of him. We had all of the family together that weekend except for Max and Luke and so we snapped a family photo. Not a bad looking group if you ask me!

SUMMER!

2010-08-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Brandon informed me summer is coming to an end, I did not need to be reminded but I decided to enjoy the rest of summer to the fullest. I am just starting a crazy semester and busy fall so I wanted to spend as much fun time with Addie as I could. We have been having a blast. I have so much to post but for now here is a trip to the zoo with Kelli, Felicity, and Grandma; the farm at Thanksgiving point with Kelli, Felicity, and Kurt; an Owlz game with Brandon, Kurt, Felicity, and Kelli (the girls got to run the bases at the end); a pool party at the Woffinden's who were nice enough to invite the entire Radmall clan; and playing on grandma's trampoline with Felicity and Abigail. We also frequent the Scera pool. Kelli and Felicity are our play buddies and we have so much fun with them!

Girls trip to Seward

2010-07-23T01:39:00.001-07:00

The boys were on a fishing marathon in Alaska. As much as I love to fish I get too cold to fish in the river for 20 hours a day. I spent time with the gals sightseeing, shopping, and having fun. We went for a day to Seward to see the Harbor and Resurrection bay. We hit the cute shops in town and went to the Sea Life Museum. We ate lunch at a wierd little place called the crab pot. On the way to Seward we stopped and did a short hike to Exit Glacier. On the way home we stopped at Sawfest 2010. In Soldotna they have a carving contest using saws. Some of the carvings are actually cool and some were just funny. The boys spent 12 hours on the Kenai fishing for Kings and caught exactly 0 fish. I had fun getting to know Jone and Kathy better and getting to spend time with Susan. We had an exciting game of Phase 10 where Jone and Kathy were introduced to my competative side (I grew up playing a lot of card games and I hate loosing) and I also introduced them to peopleofwalmart.com.

I love Halibut!

2010-07-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

Monday we went Halibut fishing out of Homer. We had a rough ride out to sea, I was a little queezy but nothing compared to my last trip to Alaska. (last time I was pregnant and sick in general) We did not have great luck on Halibut this trip, we limited but did not catch big fish. This was a bummer but I still love fishing for Halibut.

A salmon shark

Me and Brandon with our sad little Halibut.

Russian River Falls

2010-07-18T23:20:00.001-07:00

Sunday we went to Russian River Falls. The trail to the falls is really pretty. We did this when we went 4 years ago, it was fun to go back. Both times we have found a brown bear fishing in the falls. It is fun to watch the bear fish and play in the falls.

A beautiful view of the Russian Lake

Bear fishing

Susan and Al

Brandon and I had this exact shot 4 years ago, I was pregnant with Addie that trip (no, not pregnant this trip)it is amazing to think what has happened the past 4 years!

Alaska Wolverine Creek flyover

2010-07-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Our flyover charter went out of Soldotna and flew to Wolverine Creek. Brandon did this last year, so he stayed back to fish Reds on the Kenai with Al. I went with Jon and Jone. Murray, Kathy, and Susan were out on another boat. We had so much fun. We saw 7 bears total, 5 adults and 2 babies. We saw a mother bear nursing her cubs, a bear fight, and had a bear walking on his hind legs in the water right around our boat. We also all limited on reds. Such a fun day. Jon and Jone were a lot of fun, Jone took a big hook to the nose and was a very good sport! You may notice the picture of Sarah Palin, not everyone gets to fish with Sarah Palin while she is filming an outdoor special! It was a great start to our trip.
Getting ready to go

A view from the plane.

Alaska is so beautiful!

Jon and Jone fishing.

Snorkeling

Angry bears

Sarah and family

Susan landed a fish.

Mama and cubs.

Mama nursing her cubs, that is Susan and Kathy on the boat.

This was a big old boy, he did nto stay long and we were glad!

Walking aroung scoping out the fish.

Spring and Summer update

2010-07-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on blogging. I have so many cute pictures but had to cut it down. I am in Alaska but we are relacing while the boys have a fishing marathon, why not catch up on the blog?

4th of July fun! I had to work the 3rd but Brandono took Addie to the PG fireworks, she had so much fun but thinks fireworks are Really Loud!! Sunday we went to Grandpa's up hooble creek and camped overnight, we celebrated my birthday and had dutch oven dinner and cobbler, YUM! Monday we had a pool party for Max's birthday and had a little party.

Lake Powell with Susan and Al, Al's kids were there excpet for Ben's family and Mary. Al's brother and his family were also there. The weather was not great but I had one good ride on the wakeboard and Addie had so much with the kids!

Addie did a week of Fairy camp, the lady who is going to teach her for preschool this fall does a camp. She dressed up as the fairy godmother, everyday was a different theme like tooth fairy, flower fairy, etc. SO fun!

Addie's first dance class, her teacher does cute little dances, it is so cute to watch!

Stepping out to cure Scleroderma... Kelli won a prize for 3rd place in money raising, it was a 5K and I ran in 22:35, 5 minutes faster than last year!

One of the best things about summer.... Strawberries and cream! I love the rodeo, Addie had fun and asks about once a week to go to the rodeo!

Addie and Felicity at Chuck E Cheese...

A bees game... went into "extra innings" and the Bees won, super fun.. Addie loved the train of course.

We went to Vegas for Aaron's graduation from dental school. Everyone except Brandon made it, who doesn't love the retail schedule?! It was a fun trip and I am so proud of Dr. Radmall

Brandon had 3 days off work, which is rare. We decided to go camping up AF canyon. Addie loves camping, we even got to have Felicity up for the last day. Addie has asked to go camping at least 2 times a week since then.

Too cute to resist, right?

2010-06-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

What an angelic face! Brandon and I are sooooo lucky to be going to Alaska July 9-July 20. This might be really lame but oh well. We are looking for help with Addison while we are gone. We are trying to split it up 2 or 3 days at a time to make it easier. I have some help but still need a few more days covered. Any family or friends that want to play with Addie for a few days please let us know.

Stepping out to cure Scleroderma

2010-06-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

My sister in law Kelli is fighting an autoimmune disease called Scleroderma. It is a disease that effects the connective tissues and essentially causes hardening of the skin. Kelli is great and we are so lucky to have her in our family. She is a great friend to me and I don't think I would be maintaining my sanity juggling work and school without her help. Addie loves spending time with Kelli and Felicity. She has been really brave and positive since being diagnosed, but it has been hard for me to watch her struggle with this. On June 26 my family is running/walking a fundraiser in Suyracuse for Scleroderma. My brother has set up a web site to raise money for the Scleroderma foundation. I wanted to post this link for anyone who wants to learn more or donate. I hope Kelli does not mind me sharing a little bit of her personal life on my blog!

Help cure my Mom

http://www.firstgiving.com/kelliradmall

Our Three-Fold Mission of Support, Education, and Research Support: To help patients and their families cope with scleroderma through mutual support programs, peer counseling, physician referrals, and...

Cutest Cousins!

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

My Mom had everyone over this past Sunday, even Max and Luke were with us. We decided to get a picture of these cute cousins together. With 5 kids it is fun trying to get a good picture. Poor Max was on the sunny side and holding our little chunker Abigail, he was a really good sport. I am biased of course but it looks like a very cute bunch to me. The last pictures are of my parents neighbors the Ludlows. They have been our neighbors for something like 10 years and have adopted us all as grandkids and great-grandkids and spoil us all! We went for a visit with all of the kids. We love our Kirk and Ladawn!

Best friends!

2010-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Kelli helps me out and watches Addie a few times while I am at work. I have also been watching Felicity a couple of days a week. They spend a lot of time together and have become such cute little friends. I usually ask Addie in the morning what she wants to do that day. Her plans usually involve "Felis" in some way. She is always worried about Felicity and often picks a toy to take for her, or if she is getting a treat somewhere she wants one for Felicity too. They usually play really well together and I love to watch them play. We took them for a picnic in the park and to the library the other day. It is so nice to be able to get outside and play!!

Easter Celebrations

2010-04-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun party at my parents house with lots of fun Easter festivities. We dyed eggs, made candy bird nests, and had a fun easter egg hunt. Addie loves all of the holiday festivities and has so much patience to sit and decorate eggs, nest, cupcakes, anything she loves it! Holidays are so much more fun with her around. I love being close to family this year and celebrating and making fun memories with them.

Grandma Susan and Grandpa Owl came to town for Easter and conference weekend. Trent and Jessie spent a lot of the weekend with us also and we had so much fun. Brett and Addie are so cute and I love watching them play! We love to spend time with Gdm and Gdp Slack and it is always sad when they leave!

Happy Birthday MOM!

2010-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

My beautiful Mom just celebrated her birthday. We are all so lucky to have her in our lives. She is loving, kind, giving, patient, and always willing to help freinds or family in need. She is usually underappreciated and I want to say Thanks Mom, you are great! We had a girls lunch on her birthday. The following weekend Aaron and Jeanette were in town so the entire family - minus Max and Luke :( - had a dinner and birthday celebration. Love you Mom!

These girls LOVE their grandma!

Addie and Felicity celebrating one of TeriAnn's fabulous cakes!

St. Patricks Day!

2010-04-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Growing up my Grandma Terry always had such a fun St Patrick's day party. We ate all thigns green, made green crafts, etc. They would let all of us cousins sleep over that night (I can't believe it now there were a lot of us crazy kids!). One of my favorite parts of the night was when we would all sit around my great grandpa Jensen and listen to him tell stories about Ireland and leprachauns. I am sad to say I have a hard time remembering the actual stories but I remember loving to listen to them. He was a great story teller. This year we had our family together at my parents house. We decroated cookies and cupcakes, decorated St. Patrick's shirts, and ate a green dinner. It was so much fun and I love carrying on these traditions with Addie and her cousins.

Addie is 3!

2010-04-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Addie is 3 and I cannot believe how 3 years has flown by. She is so smart, sweet, funny, beautiful and makes our lives better everyday. It is good she is so cute and so much fun because it makesthe moments where she acts like a naughty 3 year old easier! We had a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party per Addie's request! We had Mickey Mouse Pancakes, Minnie Mouse cupcakes, played pin the bow on Minnie, and played don't eat Pete. Of course we celebrated with her for about a week. She was so excited about her birthday this year and had such a cute wish list including an umbrella, a tent, and games. 3 year olds are so easy to please it is great! The night of her birthday she wanted to sleep in the new tent. She must have been excited because she was up and down all night. She sometimes wakes up at night and picks a new place to sleep, sometimes I hear her but she does not usually wake us up. In the morning I went into the kitchen and found a missing cupcake. I thought Brandon had snuck a cupcake during the night but then I found a big pile of crumbs around the garbage can. Miss Addie woke up, moved a chai to sneak a cupcake, ate it over the garbage can, and moved the chair back. So sneaky for a 3 year old, she admitted to the sneakiness and we laughed about it all day! We are such lucky parents to have our sweet daughter (I was going to say baby girl but Addie has informed me that she is not my baby anymore and that she is going to have a baby sister soon! She also told my mom who got really excited and thought I was pregnant..... nope sorry wishful grandma's!)

50 degrees and a trip to the zoo!

2010-02-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today it was 50 degrees! I prefer 80-90 but I will take 50 with the sun shining. Kurt and I took the girls to the zoo. They always love the zoo and we all had lots of fun. I lost my camera at Christmas. I have been holding out hoping it shows up somewhere but I think I may have to break down and buy a new one. Anyways no pictures of us but I copied a few of our favorites from the zoo website. We saw several babies (elephant, giraffe, tiger, monkey, and anything there was 3 of Addie said was a Dad a Mom and a baby!) and the girls loved that.
The turtles were popular in the reptile house.

Baby Zuri and her mom Christie

Addie says her favorite was the Orangutan's

I love the Meerkats, they are so interactive with the kids and so playful!

I love giraffes (even if they stink) and the baby was very cute! Thanks again for inviting us Kurt!

Fun in the Snow!

2010-01-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the snow and headed out sledding Saturday! I thought Addison and Felicity would get cold and not last very long. Nope, they loved it and we had to leave with them crying when the big kids got cold and tired! So much fun!!

5 years later!

2010-01-25T14:32:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I celebrated our 5th Wedding anniversary on December 27! The 5 years have flown by so fast. Brandon and I have had so many great experiences and adventures in our marriage. I am so lucky to have Brandon, he has blessed my life and made me so happy. I loved Brandon so much when we got married but I have been amazed t hrough our journies together that I feel like I love him more and more as time passes and we experience amazing things together. A few of our greatest blessing and my favorite experiences..... 1) Addison 2) Being sealed as a family (we both agree it was the best day of either of our lives so far) 3) Taking a risk and moving to La Sal, even though our time there was short I am so glad we had the experience and I think we both miss it every day! We are very blessed with great family and enjoy the time we get to spend with them. Our lives are chaotic right now with both of us working full time and going to school. It is busy and we don't see each other enough, but it definitely makes us appreciate the time we get to spend together. Brandon you are great and you continue to make me a better person!
So for our anniversary we took a trip to Vegas. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, it was really nice and has such a cool atmosphere! We went to see the body exhibit, we did not get a chance to see it while it was here. It was crazy and I thought it was really cool! We also saw a comedy show the Improv at Harrah's, I love improv and it was hilarious. Otherwise we did the normal seeing sights on the strip, hit the outlets and checked out the Bass Pro Shop. We love Addie but it was nice to have a trip alone!

The Nutcracker and Grandma Susan's

2009-12-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

Aaron's wife Jeanette danced the Nutcracker with a traveling company this year. They mainly dance in Aspen, CO and Santa Fe, NM but they also traveled to Arkansas to dance as well. She was away from Aaron for a long 6 weeks. I went with my parents and stayed overnight in Aspen to visit her and see her dance. She is a beautiful dancer and it was such a fun production, I don't think I had ever seen the Nutcracker before. Since I was over that way Addison and I spent several days at Susan and Al's house. We will not be able to visit them for Christmas so I wanted to spend some time there and let Addie do some fun Christmas things with them. We hit the mall for some shopping and to see Santa Claus. Addie is not a big fan this year, she talks big and gets excited but when she is standing near him she loses that excitement quickly. The only thing she is asking for is books, I find this cute and it also makes me happy that first my child likes to read, and second she has such a simple request. We also decorated cupcakes, Addison decorated 24 cupcakes with not much help and was upset when there were no more to decorate. It was very cute!

Notice we did not catch a photo of her anywhere near Santa!

Too busy to look up for a photo, this is serious decorating!

I think that smile is why her Dad rarely tells her no!

Cute newlyweds!

My brothers thought it was great to be in Aspen since Dumb and Dumber was filmed there and they were reinacting scenes the entire time! Yep they are dorks but I love them anyways!

waiting for the show

Jeanette is a beautiful dancer and has already agreed to give Addison private lessons. I love Aaron a lot he is one of my best friends, I am so glad he found such a wonderful and talented person to marry!

Quilts and Gingerbread houses!

2009-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

We started our Chritmasing off early this year. My Mom had family in town for Thanksgiving so we did our anual Christmas party the day after Thanksgiving (also TeriAnn and Tom's Anniversary :)) Every year each family makes a few childrens quilts and we donate them to the NICU's at UVRMC and PCMC. We have been doing it ever since I can remember and it is a tradition I love. After we took the quilts to the hospital we all went to my parents house and made gingerbread houses. The kids had so much fun, and lets be honest the adults love decorating the houses too! Addie is really cute about all of the Christmas activities this year and she sat with me and decorated the entire house and loved it (she also ate a lot of candy!) Thanks grandma for starting such a wonderful tradition, looking forward to next year already!

Abigail Trevenen!

2009-12-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

My little sister had her baby this morning. Abigail was born at 7:05 AM, weighed 6 lbs 10 oz. and was 19 inches long. Teri Ann did great, too good Abigail came flying out without the doctor there. The doctor was in the next room and we were just pushing away, since it is her first they thought she would push a while, next thing we now out pops her head and one arm, Tom and I just looked at each other and said WOW there she is! The nurse started yelling and people came running, it was great fun! TeriAnn and Abigail are doing great and she is a beautiful baby!

Halloween

2009-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

I am a slacker I know, better late than never right, and in my defense I am in the middle of moving, work full time, and am in school part time. (writing that all out makes me feel much better about being a slacker)We had a fun halloween, we celebrated it all week. We had a party Monday night at my aunt Annie's house. Tuesday I took Addie to the pumkin patch at vinyard gardens. Tuesday night we had a primary party. Friday night we carved pumpkins. I had to work Saturday night but my Mom had the kids over for a party and Brandon took Addie trick-or treating with the cousins. Addie was so much fun this year! She was very excited about har fairy costume and she practiced saying trick or treat smell my feet for like 3 weeks. She also learned the mean old witch song and sang it all the time.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween and fall, is winter really here already.... YUCK!

34 Years Young!

2009-10-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Late Birthday Brandon!
On October 13 my Brando turned 34! Addison and I are so lucky to have him! Brandon is in school full time and working full time. He has been so busy and really has not had any free time at all since school started. He stays up until 1 or 2 every night doing homework and never complains about it. I always tell Brandon he is smarter than me and he is proving me right getting great grades! I tell him everyday how proud I am of him. Brandon is a great Daddy and Addie is definitely a Daddy's girl. For someone who was so nervous to have a baby girl he stepped right up to the plate. I have never had to worry about Addie when I go to work, it makes being a working mom so much easier. He never complains about having to warm me up when I go to bed, he has to cuddle up to me until I get warm and once I am warm I roll over and go to sleep (he doesn't even complain when I make him do it when I crawl in bed after work in the morning and wake him up). He loves me unconditionally, at any weight, hair color, mood, whatever he still likes me (sometimes this is very impressive). He doesn't give me grief about my OCD. He has been through all 4 seasons with me 6 times and is patient with my ups and downs (he knows that I am much happier in the summer than the winter!). Brandon has turned over a new spiritual side that has been so great for our family. I could go on with hundreds of things I love about him but I am sure if he reads this he will already be so emberassed so I will stop. The best thing is that we have almost been married 5 years and I did not really believe people loved each other like Brandon and I did when we got married, and at the end of each year it amazes me that I feel more in love with him than the year before. So even though every once in a while he drives me a little nuts, he has read Ted Nugents book like 5 times, he loves to watch crazy reality TV shows among other things that make him a little odd, Addie and I are a couple of lucky gals!

Side note - I am a blog slacker! Brandon and I are both in school and both working full time, throw in a busy little 2 year old and there isn't time for much else. I looked through a bunch of pictures I need to blog and it is overwhelming. Maybe I will get some pictures up soon.

A Family Forever!

2009-08-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

On August 1st our family was sealed in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It was such a beautiful day for us. There is no better feeling than knowing you are a family for eternity. I feel so blessed! Addie was so excited to go to the Temple. She loves nursery and thought the Temple nursery was the greatest thing ever. It was so tender when they brought her into the sealing room, I think we all started crying about then. She was a little overwhelmed when she first came into the sealing room full of people and was walked to the center. When it was over she quickly informed me that she was in the Temple. The next day Brandon was getting her ready for church and she said "are we going to the temple Dad." I guess even 2 year olds can feel how special the temple is. We had so many family and friends there to celebrate with us and it was so nice to be surrounded by all the people we love! Torie took great pictures, these will be such a great reminder of a wonderful day, Thanks again!

Yellowstone

2009-07-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

We spent last week with my family in Yellowstone. We stayed in a cabin outside the park and had so much fun. Yellowstone is so beautiful and we loved seeing so many different animals in the park. We went to several geysers including Old Faithful, several beautiful waterfalls, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and probably more things I can't think of. I also spent a day hiking with Dad and Kurt in the very northwest part of the park at a place called Fan Creek, the only people we saw were Conservation workers rebuilding a trail, otherwise it was just us. We made friends with a cute Black Bear and got way to close for my comfort, and enjoyed several beaver dams along the way. Brandon spent as much time as possible fishing in and around the park with my brothers and Tom. I have a great family and we had so much fun! Brandon thinks I overdid it on the pictures but I couldn't cut any out so sorry long post!

Family Pictures

2009-07-23T10:23:00.001-07:00

I am not that good about getting pictures of our family. We are getting ready to be sealed (Yeah!) so I thought it was a great reason to take pictures at this great time for our family! Brandon's cousin Torie took the pictures for us. She is great! Addison is not great about pictures and she got some really great pictures of her! If you need family pictures or pictures for any occasion I recommend her! You can check out her blog toriejanephotography.blogspot.com . I hope those of you that thought I forgot how to blog enjoy this post, j/k! I love the pictures! Thanks so much Torie!

It's good to have family!

2009-04-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

We had my family down this weekend to visit and watch conference. Kurt and Kelli came Friday morning and we drove around Arches and did a few short hikes (they seem to bring bad weather on hikes). Starurday between conference sessions we went to Paradox CO to the Redd ranches bull sale. We had the most amazing roast beef sandwiches and watched some of the bull auction. I have been to a few small charity auctions but this was a new experience for us and it was really cool! My Mom, Dad, Seth and Bryan finally made it down Saturday afternoon (they battled bad weather in the canyon Friday night). With the bad weather we just hung out, watched conference, and had our traditional conference brunch. Sunday afternoon the weather was nicer and we went for a drive to the Needles overlook. It was fun to have everyone down, it is always good to spend time with family. Addison loved getting to play and spend time with everyone even if she was unsure about sharing her toys with Felicity!

Bath time!Addison taking off down the trail, she is our fearless ball of energy and she gets on the trail and goes running. People laugh at us chasing her around!

Nice pose Bryan and Brandon
Addie with her Grandpa

Bryan trying to scare some lizards out while Grandma and Addie watch.
Felicity is getting so big and is so full of personality, it was fun to watch her run around and play
Seth and Addison reverently watching conference
Mom and Dad sleeping through, I mean watching conference.

Nap time's over grandpa!

Spring Fever!

2009-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

I love spring. The weather has been great the past few weeks. I am pretty sure we will still get moresnow before summer but I am enjoying the nice weather while it is here. We have been busy as usual the last few weeks. Last weekend we went to Grand Junction to get new tires on our car and see Susan and Al. Addie always has a great time at Grandma and Grandpa Slack's house. She and Grandpa are pals and she has the radar and wants to know where he is at all times. It is very cute. She spent a lot of time outside with the goldfish. She decided she wanted to catch one so she would slowly move her hand to the water and poke one finger in and then pull it out really fast and say I caught one! While Brandon and Al were out shopping for a bow and playing with Brandon's new bow Saturday, Addie and I spent the day with Susan. We played at the playland at the mall and went for a walk to the park in Palisade, the park is Addie's favorite thing right now. Trent, Jess, and Brett came down Thursday night and stayed with us for the weekend. Trent, Jess and a group of friends and family ran the Canyonlands half marathon. They had a good race and we had a fun weekend. After the race we took the kids swimming at a pool in Moab, it was about 80 degrees and it was so nice. Addie loves the pool, she calls it the waterfall and would have stayed all day if I let her. When we got out and I was getting her dressed she kept running towards the pool and would have jumped right in if I didn't get to her fast enough. that is my fearless child! Later we had a BBQ at our house with Jess's Mom, Dad, brother and his girlfriend. Jess has a great family and we always love hanging out with them. It was branch conference today and I was gone all day to chuch and meetings but Brandon cooked a big breakfast and his "famous" pancakes before they had to go. Brett is getting so big and is saying so many words, it was so fun to see her and watch her and Addie play (even if Addie doesn't like sharing much). As always it was good to see them. Other than work and spending as much time outside as possible that is what we have been up to!Catchin' a fish

Love that smile!
WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Purple people eater
Bath time with Brett!

What ?
Crazy hair!
Jess at the end of the race, no pictures of Trent he was off to find food before I even saw him!
Brandon found these sheds in the field next to our house. We were all stading in the kitchen and Brandon was looking out the window with his binoculars (not an uncommon thing), all of the sudden he is out the door and running across the field and the rest of us are just looking at each other saying What? They are pretty impressive though.

Gunner checking them out. We see elk in the field by our house all the time, the other night I was driving down the road in front of our house after dark and I almost ran into 3 cow elk standing in the road, one night Brandon counted twenty something elk in the field. Also the prairie dogs are out in full force, it is crazy how many there are, Brandon and Trent had a good time shooting prairie dogs. We also have eagles and coyotes hanging out hunting them. There is a tree in front of our house and a lot of days when I am driving home from work there are 4 eagles, 2 golden and 2 bald all sitting in the same tree or they also fly together, it is really cool to see them in a group like that!

My baby girl is 2 today!

2009-03-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 2 years since Brandon and I were blessed with this beautiful girl! Brandon wanted to have kids right after we got married, he was so excited to be a Dad. I will be honest I was a little nervous, I knew I wanted to be a Mom but I wasn't sure if I was ready. Well Brandon won and I was pregnant. I spent six months throwing up and it was not the funnest thing ever. But I could feel this little person moving and growing inside and it made it all worth it. She came 4 days early (it didn't feel early to me). I worked up until 2 days before I had her. Every day I would leave work and say I am going to have a baby today, and then I would go back to work that night and scheme about ways to get my labor to start. Friday I went in for my last check up, I spent all afternoon at the doctors office having tests and ultrasounds and crying, I almost lost it with the doctor but I held it together. They were worried because her heart rate was slow, they almost sent me in to deliver her that day but after all that stress and tears they decided to send me home. I went to the hospital to have her checked Sat. AM and she was fine but I was having contractions. I went home for the day, my mom sent me back at 5 that night, she decided my contractions were bad enough and close enough because I started to get irritated and not fun to be around. I hung out for a few hours and was progressing slowy. I didn't think the whole labor thing was too bad.... then they broke my water, it got a lot worse and I was throwing up every contraction and decided that I had thrown up enough in my pregnancy and got and epidural, which I loved! It was not to bad after that and Addison Grace was born at 11:50 PM 3/10/2007. Having Addison is the best decision I have ever made. I feel so blessed to have sich a healthy beautiful little girl. She is very smart and is always surprising me and Brandon and making us laugh. I can't imagine life without her! She loves to color and read books. She is a little chatterbox and says the funniest things. She loves to sing and dance, she knows the words to twinkle twinkle, I am a child of God, We are a happy family, give said the little stream, I am like a star, wonderpets, backyardigans, and Brandon's favorite George Straight Cowboy's Like Us. She walks around the house singing all day. She loves to be outside, especially at the park or riding the 4-wheeler with her Dad. Addie is definitely a Daddy's girl. Her Dad has a very big soft spot for her and has a hard time telling her no. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband. Sometimes being a working mom is challenging, I am so lucky that Brandon is such a great Dad, he takes such great care of Addie while I work and I do not have to worry about her at all while I am gone. They have so much fun together! It is sad to have your baby grow up but I am so excited to spend the next year watching Addison learn and grow!

Birthday Fun!

2009-03-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

We spent the last two weekends celebrating Addie's 2nd birthday. Last weekend we went to Grand Junction and had a party with Susan and Al, Dani brought Alli and Macey over and Mary and Andrea were there too. We had a lot of fun, Addie loves playing with Alli. I have no pictures to show because I forgot my camera! This weekend we went to Orem and had a party at my Mom and Dad's house. all of my brother's and sisters were there except for Aaron who we missed very much! Trent and Jessie came with Brett. It was so good to see everyone and again the kids had so much fun! Sunday we went to Dave and Donna's so they could also wish Addie a happy birthday. She is spoiled with love and we are so blessed to have such great families!My Mom helped me make a Backyardigan's cake, it is one of Addie's favorite things, her and Brandon watch it every morning.

Felicity was loving Addie's new purse.

Brett loved the Balloons.Felicity helping me and Addie open presents.

More presents, what a lucky girl.

"Maxsky", Bryan, and TeriAnn
Brett and Felicity hangin' out
Grandpa and Max helpnig Addie blow out candles. Luke was stuck upstairs because he had a bad cold. Addison Loves her "maxsky" and Luke, we love having "Tong" (Tom) and Max and Luke as part of our family!

Addie with Grandpa Walker and her new Carebear.

Addie with Grandma Walker.

Thanks everyone for helping us celebrate Addie turning 2!

I love early spring in Moab!

2009-02-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

It was almost 60 degrees in Moab yesterday. We were in town running some errands and I couldn't resist taking Addison to the park. It was such a nice day and I loved it. I am officially ready for spring. Sadly it will most likely still snow again at my house, but the good news is that I can escape to Moab, Arches, or Canyonlands and find some nice spring weather, Yeah! Addison had a blast at the park.

What a sad face, the fun had to end sometime and Addison cried and kept saying "the slide please" it was so sad! I am looking forward to spring and more days at the park!

Cowgirl Up!

2009-02-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

We started riding a few weeks ago with the boys at work. Twice a week we get to go have lessons from a horseman/cowboy named Butch. He is teaching us some great stuff and then we go out and ride for a while. Butch is a great teacher and tells us we do things "plum good" (he uses plum in any sentence and it makes the boys laugh). Getting paid to ride a horse is not so bad really! Today we went out with the cowboys to round up some cattle. After we moved them about 7 miles, we sorted the cows and weaned the calves from the mommas. Last week we helped build an electric fence. We put the babies on one side and the mommas on the other so they are still close to each other and then over a couple of days they gradually move away from each other. During the fall and early winter we got to process the cows which means we weigh, brand, give shots, preg test (not me the vet, I draw the line there), tag, etc. It is usually dirty and cold but I actually really enjoy it. We have also been learning to rope a little bit, I am not any good but it is fun anyways. Before you know it I will be a cowgirl!Here are me and buddy at the end of our ride waiting for a few more cattle to come before we push them all up into the corral. Buddy is the horse I get to ride ( I wish I could call him my horse but that is just wishful thinking) We are riding some of the older ranch horses and they are really gentle and great to ride!

It looks like such a nice day in the picture, it was really cold but I was grateful it did not snow on us!
while I was getting ready to go Brandon let Addie sit on a horse, she loved it! Brandon is missing out on most of the riding because he works at night. I am trying to get him in on some of these longer rides because I know he is really wanting to ride! Brandon says he is getting me a horse for my birthday, I wish!

Life in the boonies!

2009-02-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight for the second time since moving to La Sal I had the joyous experience of boiling my bath water. Ever had this experience? Probably not and you aren't missing out. We came home late last night, and this morning I discovered we had no hot water and for the second time we have run out of propane. I am not used to having to remember this as I grew up in the city and the gas lines were just there and I got a bill in the mail every month. But I am now very greatful for hot water that just comes when you turn on the sink. I have a great appreciation for people who lived without running water and especially hot running water, and now I know why they did not bathe very often. While I am on one I will tell you that I had to get up in the middle of this post to put a log on the fire because I also don't have a heater just a wood burning stove. That is really not so bad except first thing in the morning or when you come home from being gone for the weekend and your house is 35 degrees, a little cold for my taste. Also my clothes smell like smoke. OK enough whining, I really love living in La Sal and 90% of the time those things do not bother me at all, but boiling my bath water puts me over the edge. On the positive last night we had a big bull elk walking through our back yard, I see at least one golden eagle and one bald eagle every day on the road where I live and most days I see a hawk and maybe an owl. Brandon can go out in the back yard and shoot at things. Tomorrow and usually twice a week I get paid to ride horses and learn to rope (I am not going to quit nursing and compete but I am having fun learning). Addison gets to walk out the back door to go see the horses. Every morning when I drive to work I see something that is amazing and beautiful that takes my breath away, whether it is the mountains or the sunriseor an eagle soaring or whatever, it is something every day. Well now I feel much better so now I am going to go say a pray of gratitude for things I often take for granted and go to bed!

Whirlwind weekend!

2009-02-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

We went "up north" this weekend for Justin and Kalyn's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and we are so happy for them. I was a slacker and took no pictures at the wedding! We also got to go see a Jazz game with Trent and Jessie. We bought the tickets with Susan and Al, Susan was stuck at home with nasty influenza and they had to miss the wedding and the game. We were bummed about that and felt so bad for Susan! We were glad Trent and Jess could go in their place and had a great time with them! Brandon doesn't ever miss watching the games on TV but it is always fun to see them up close. We splurged and got tickets in the lower bowl! Sunday we had our traditional super bowl party with my family. It was fun as usual and we ate until we were sick and had some friendly wagers and rivalry! We had to leave at half time so Brandon could get back for work that night and missed an exciting ending! Such is life I guess. Brandon wanted the Cardinals to win so he said he was glad he did not stay to watch them come back and then choke at the end. It is always good to go up and visit with family and friends, but I always come home feeling exhausted because we try to jam so much in while we are in "the big city" we are usually running the entire visit. Thanks to all of our family and friends for making time to hang out with us. Congrats again Justin and Kalyn and sorry again to Susan and Al, we missed you! Super bowl sunday:

Hanging out watching the game.
Addison is showing Felicity how to play the drums. I love watching them play together even if Addison is a little stinker about sharing sometimes.

Our cute little Felicity, she is getting too big.
Me and my Brandony

Felicity with Grandma and Grandpa
Addie and great grandma Gerri
Newlyweds making out of course!

The game:

Me and Jess cheesin' it up for the camera
Brandon was struggling to keep his eyes open, he worked the night before and hadn't gotten any sleep!

Trent and Jess at the game

Family Night Finger Paint

2009-01-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

With the cold weather I have had to get creative with finding things for Addie to do. We have had some really nice days and on those days while I am at work Brandon and Addie go ride the four-wheeler and go outside and play ball and see the horses. Addie loves spending time with her Daddy. We also went to the little petting zoo at the "hole in the rock" last week, and of course she loved that. But we are back to cold and inside activities. Addie loves to color, so Monday night we pulled out the finger paint for a little family night. It is funny to watch Addie because she loves to see what Brandon and I draw but I have a hard time getting her to get her hands in the paint. I don't thinks she likes the feel of it. So she plays with the paint bottles and tells us which colors to try. I had a proud mom moment when she lined all of the bottles up and counted to 8 (there are only 4 bottles I know, she counted them twice) Brandon and I were impressed and he calls her his little smarty pants. I feel like the fact that I am blogging about finger paints might mean my life is a little boring but oh well, we had fun!

Too much fun at nursery!

2009-01-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

We have 9 o' clock church so the routine is that I get Addison lunch before putting her down for a nap. While she eats I change my clothes and straighten up or whatever. Then it gets quiet and this is what I find, Addison snoring in her booster chair. Today is not the first time it has happened but it is always pretty funny. She loves the nursery and she must play hard while she is there.

Just a few new things I think are cute, Addison has learned to shake her booty and sings "Shake your booty" while she shakes it. She also likes to tell me to "knock it off". I don't think it is that cute but everybody else seems to. And for the past 2 days she will note take a nap (I got her cleaned up after falling asleep in her chair and put her in her bed where she did not go to sleep!) I am hoping this does not last because I think nap time is important for her and for me! I can't complain though because she has great sleep habits and she pretty much always has! She loves to take care of her babies. Gunner is her best friend and she loves to chase him around the house and give him loves! She loves to read and has such a funny vocabulary, she cracks me up! I am blessed to have Addison, she keeps me smiling and is always coming up with something new. She may be good at getting into mischief but she is still my little angel!

Alone Time

2009-01-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I got to go on two seperate dates all alone last week! We love our Addie so much, but it is still nice to get time alone. Someone offered to work Brandon's shift for him, and another friend at work offered to watch Addie. We just went to eat in Moab and did some shopping, but we had a great time! Then over the weekend Brandon took me to Powderhorn for our anniversary. Susan and Al watched Addie for us, Addie loves spending time at their house! It was only overnight but we had such a great time. Sunday Brandon skied and I boarded. We take the kids at work to a hill near our house, it is not a huge hill but a fun short run and they have jumps built on the hill. They spent 2 days helping me learn, this week was my first time! So I thought I would spend all day on my butt! The first run was a little rough but I started to get the hang of it pretty quick and we had so much fun! Getting ready to go!

Do I look like I am skilled, nope I am falling, I wish brandon had taken any shots when I was doing pretty good but he thought the falling was funnier!

Still smiling!
My sexy husband! Thanks Brandon, and thanks Susan and Al! Now I have boarding fever and I can't wait to go again!

GO UTES 13-0 !!!!

2009-01-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

What a great game to watch tonight! Tonight was a great ending to a great season and we are proud of our UTES!!

4 Amazing Years!

2008-12-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I have been married 4 years today. My time with Brandon has flown by and is filled with so many great memories. I am blessed to have Brandon in my life and I am a better person because of him. As a working mom I am lucky to have a husband who supports me 100% but also is a dedicated Dad and takes great care of Addison while I am at work. In four years we have each had a few different jobs, moved twice, had our beautiful daughter Addison, been on some great trips together from camping to Alaska. Our most recent change has been our move to La Sal, it has been a big change in lifestyle and we have learned so much about ourselves and grown closer in the short time we have been here. I am one lucky gal! I am looking forward to the next year with Brandon and can't wait to see what great things the next year will bring for us!

Christmas in La Sal

2008-12-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas in La Sal. My Mom, Dad, Aaron, Seth, Bryan, TeriAnn, and Tom came to our house for Christmas. We had so much fun having them at our house and had a really wonderful Christmas. Addison especially loved having the company and walked around looking for them the day they left (it was cute and so sad). OK I have posted a million pictures today so I think I am caught up now! Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!Addie with some new Christmas toys

giving the baby a bottle

playing with uncle BryanThere are three of us there I promise, Me, Bryan, and TeriAnn the snowwoman
Ter and Tom

Addie with Grandma

Addie, Gunner, and me ready for fun in the snow!

Addie had a great time on the tube!

Grandma Glenda's Christmas Party

2008-12-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Grandma Glenda's annual Christmas party. It is always good to see everyone and catch up, we had a lot of fun!Grandma Glenda with all of her grandkids

Tylene and Brett

Glenda and her kids

Trent represented our family in the talent show with a great piano solo (after a little bit of convincing)

Ty Daniel singing a solo.

Brett looking cute in Addie's Christmas dress from last year.

Addie loves her Grandma Glenda!

a little help opening a present.
Addie, Jolene and Tynley checking out Tynley's present.

As always the party was a lot of fun, thanks Grandma Glenda!