The Shannon's

Jog-a-Thon

2011-05-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

My boys had a jog-a-thon at school on friday! Both of them could hardly sleep the night before because they were so excited! Brayden even wore his short soccer shorts under his jeans for the occasion. Colby was in the last "heat" and felt he had to sprint at the get go. They both did fantastic; Brayden running 12 laps and Colby 11! It was fun to run a few laps with them and watch how into it they were...even Lily! :)

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-21T20:08:00.001-08:00

Brayden's Music Performance

2010-04-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's Brayden singing his heart out at his school music performance!

Rock Star

2010-04-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Snowy Sunday

2010-02-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

You'd never know from these pics, but this whole past week we went to the park daily! It was really starting to warm up! I thought winter was leaving...then it started snowing last night and we woke up to a foot of snow! Church was cancelled because the roads were so bad, so we played in the snow a lot of the day!!

Brayden

Bob shoveling our neighbor's driveway across the street - they are elderly and the husband is in a wheelchair.

Lily in our awesomely shoveled driveway (compliments of me!)

Colby helping with our snowman.

Our snowman - of course Bob had to add the ice pick, skis and goggles.

Our kiddos with Mr. ski-snowman

Hope you all had as good a Sunday as us!! :)

Lily's Birthday

2010-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Lily turned 2 yesterday!!

Bob and the boys were at their skiing lessons, so it was just Lily and I most of the day!

Here's a recap of her special day...

We started it right with a Bubble Bath!

Crazy Hair

Then I took her outside to take some pics. Here is her scrunchy-nose face.

Sweet girl

Lily was so excited about the Dora cake I made her...and I must say, I was really proud of it!! :)

Lily showing how she folds her arms.

Peek a boo with the chair.

She decided she was hungry and took the liberty to climb on the counter and peel her own orange (just the little clementine ones).

It was so cute watching her concentrate so hard!

The Peelings

Yummy!!

Oh, Daddy is home and he's gonna get me!

Time to light the candles!

She knew to blow out the candles and everything!

Opening her present from Nana and Grandpa

Cool, a Tinkerbell phone and makeup!

Looking at the books and puzzles I got for her.

I got her a Dora doll with the money her grandparents sent her.

My 3 cuties

Brushing Dora's hair.

And for the best part...

Eating cake and Ice Cream!!!

Happy Birthday Princess!! We love you!

Colby's Puppy Party

2010-02-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

Colby turned 6 on February 19th!

He had a Puppy Party the day before. He is such a sweetheart - he loves Star Wars and Pokemon, but ultimately decided on a Puppy Party so that the girls he was inviting would like the party, too!!

We started the party out with face painting - which I've never done before - but I paint and thought it would be fun! It turned out adorable and the kids loved it! While they were waiting their turn for the face paint, they made collars out of beads.

Then Bob rounded up the pups for a game of "Trainer says" (Simon Says). We had them all wagging their tails and barking their heads off! :) Next it was time for "Poop Scoop", where they had to scoop poop (Milky Way) out of a box. Believe it or not, they all were scoopin' poop as fast as they could!

After Pizza and drinks we had one last game - fetch the bones. They had to find paper bones around the family room - for each one found they got to pick a prize from the prize box.

Colby got so many cool gifts and we appreciate all your kiddos that came to the party! Thanks!

Puppy Colby with his new Webkin he bought with money from his grandparents.

Puppy Cake

Eating Pizza

Abby shared her chair with Colby because we were a couple short! What a sweetie!

Puppy Brayden

Present Time

And more presents...

Just a few more!

Cake Time

All the little Puppies with the bones they found! Don't they look cute!!

Brayden and Colby Skiing

2010-02-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

Brayden and Colby are taking skiing lessons this year! They go every Saturday for 8 weeks - and absolutely LOVE it!

Headbands vs. Bracelets

2010-01-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

"Why does Mommy have to always put these headbands on me...I wanna do it myself!"

" OOO...I like this purple Rambo one...."

"How does this one work..."

"Whoops! Hmmm...harder than it looks...."

"Almost got it, almost got it....."

"These look better as bracelets, anyway..."

Snow Day!

2009-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

We got about 6 inches of snow last night! School was canceled and the kids were excited to have a snow day!! Bob is in Vegas for work and so he left Brayden in charge of clearing the driveway. He was SOO excited! After one swoop down the drive he realized that playing in the snow was much more fun! :) Boys in the snow

This is all that got shoveled before he gave up!!

Our snowy back yard

18 Months

2009-08-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Lily is 18 months old already! It seems like yesterday that I gave birth to her!! She has brought so much joy to our family. One of her favorite pastimes these days is putting on mommy's shoes! It is so cute how much she LOVES shoes! I go down a shoe Isle at a store and she takes off her shoes frantically, saying, "shoe, shoe!" because she wants to try on all the shoes!! This was last Sunday after church - she looked so cute walking around in my shoes!

Putting shoes on mommy (another fav)

"Where did the other shoe go?"

Missing Tooth

2009-08-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Colby lost his first tooth the 5th day of school! He got a little treasure chest from school to put it in. He looks so cute with a missing tooth! :)

First Day of School

2009-08-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Brayden's first day of third grade was Aug 3rd!! Colby had a Kindergarten evaluation that week, then started on Aug. 10th!! I can't believe my boys are so big - my how time flies! My cuties in our front yard.

In front of their school - Brayden trying to act all cool. :)

Silly time!

Brayden went to play on the big playground while I stayed with Colby and waited for the bell to ring....It took Colby all of 2 seconds to throw his backpack down and run to the playground!

Getting in line - Aww, he already made a little friend!

Lily (Our neighbor and carpool partner) and Colby got to sit next to each other! He was so excited!

Brayden's Baptism

2009-08-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Brayden got baptized August 1st! It was so nice to have family come celebrate this special day with us! I am so proud of Brayden for his choice to be baptized and for the sweet boy that he is! We love you bunches!!

Lily & Gandpa

2009-08-19T21:42:00.001-07:00

Lily has always been so timid around people other than her immediate fam. ---except Grandpa!! She adores him!

Of course who wouldn't ...... He chased her around the house just to make her giggle......

He would cuddle with her on her new blankie that Aunt Cynthia made her........

He would sing the "Monkey and the Alligator song" with her............

Show her each picture on her I Spy blankie................

He would tell her how pretty she was..........

And he would push her around the house on her princess bike.............

So I say, what's not to like?!?!

A Little Hike

2009-08-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Craig & Cynthia stopped in, too! We love living close to them!(well, drivable anyway!!) We all went on a little family hike. The boys loved played in the stream and Lily loved the dirt!Cute Couple

Colby has these 2 pairs of socks that he LOVES - these red ones and some striped ones. If you have noticed this in some of our pictures, please know that I know it doesn't match!!

My little hiker

The Girls!! Nana, Brandi, Me, Cynthia & Lily

Lily liked sitting on this rock...and then we made her stay there forever for a photo shoot!

This last pic is from another day - Bob and his Dad went running all over Reno/Tahoe while they were here!! That's my boy! :)

Lake Tahoe with Grandpa & Nana

2009-08-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

For some reason we have no pics at the beach with me or Sharon! We were there having fun with the clan!! :)

Sand fun

Daddy & Me

My Sassy Sis-in-Law, Brandi

Lily used to be content with the sand...until she discovered the water!!

Sandy bum

Lily thought this was the best - Grandpa would do anything for her!!
(including filling up a bucket and emptying it out 5o million times!)

Grandpa, Nana & Aunt Brandi Visit!

2009-08-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Bob's parents came to visit from North Carolina a few weeks ago! We had so much fun while they were here! We went to Northstar - Bob was supposed to do a mountain bike race, but it was canceled due to rain. However, when we got there the rain stopped so we played around. Chess with grandpa
My Strong boys!

My sweet flower girl

Colby posing for Nana

Brayden and Nana

Brayden is 8!!

2009-08-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

My little boy isn't so little anymore! On July 24th, Brayden turned 8! Here's a recap of his special day:

After his favorite breakfast, french toast, he opened presents!

This one is from Colby - he picked it out himself!

A mystery car! --It's a hotwheels car that has a black package so it is a surprise which car you get! He ended up with a red and black one.

Brayden opening up his new camera! He was so excited! It's a little weird when your kid asks for a camera and an Ipod...We also got him a Pokemon game!

Then we headed off to swim lessons! They had a blast as usual - Natalie does such a good job teaching them! Thanks Natalie!! :)

Colby and his 2 friends in his class.

Brayden trying to do his back float for as long as he can - Poor kid just sinks!!

Colby and his backstroke.

So am I awesome or am I awesome?!? I made this cake from a pic online! Brayden was ecstatic! He kept giving me hugs and telling me I was the best mom in the world!!

We had his birthday party that evening at the park. We had water balloons, squirt guns and some water games to keep the kids cool.

Then we all settled in for pizza, kool-aid and chips. I forgot the watermelon at home! The kids didn't seem to mind the junk food dinner! ;)

Who wants cake and ice cream?!

Our neighbor brought her ADORABE boxer named Roman! Lily absolutely loves dogs and played with him the whole time!

Lily and Daddy

Little Diva

Present time!

All Brayden's friends got him really cool gifts!! Thank you!!

I'd say the day was a success! Happy Birthday, buddy!!

Craziness

2009-08-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

I think that there are generally 3 types of crazy people in this world:

1. There are those crazy people who hang glide, bungee jump and rock climb without ropes...yes, just plain crazy!

2. Then there are those who see and talk to people that aren't actually there...I can sympathize with these people because they can't help their craziness...

3. Lastly, the crazy 143 people that ran a 50 mile race right along with my CRAZY hubby!!!

That's right, Bob ran a 50 mile race a couple of weekends ago. And not just any old 50 miler - the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 mile - which goes up and down extremely steep peaks! Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it! Here's some pics of the race: We caught up with him at the half way point! It was fun to cheer him on - and Look, he's even smiling after 25 miles!! :)

My boys showing daddy the posters they made for him. Brayden's said "Run, Cheetah, run!!" and Colby's said "Go, Dad, Go!". They had fun coloring them.

Craig (Bob's bro) and Cynthia came down from Idaho for the event! What a nice brother reapplying sunscreen for the second half! After Bob took off again, we all took the kids and relaxed on the beach while Bob kept on running and running and running..........

Then we went to the finish where Lily konked out in her stroller.

Brayden and Colby playing with some sticks while we waited for Bob.

Brayden pretending to be an Indian.

Colby found a cool stick.

Okay, now we're bored.....

And, he FINISHED!! Hooray Bobby Boy!

After race pic with his boys.

He can finally sit down and relax! (Until we had to walk up the hill to the car...hee hee) We're proud of you honey!!

Red, White and Tahoe Blue!!

2009-07-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

So, I started the fourth out right - running my FIRST race ever!! It was only a 5K, but I am really proud of myself! Bob and the kids cheered me on and even ran a little with me at the end. It was exhilarating! Then we walked to Raley's and bought cinnamon rolls and fruit for breakfast. (My running canceled out the cinnamon rolls! It was worth it!)

I know this pic looks like I'm hardly moving! - But it was the last quarter mile and it was straight uphill!
Kristi (my fab running partner) and I after our big race!

Then, off to Incline Beach for a fun-filled day at Lake Tahoe! Bob set up this awning so we had some shade on the beach. This was great for Lily because I was worried about her burning even with SPF50 on! We had lunch and played all day!! As you can see, the kids LOVED the sand! They could play in it forever!

I guess we weren't the only ones who thought the beach would be a fun 4th of July activity! :) It was CRAZY packed!!

Brayden

Lily

The boys building a master plan community with the sand! They were trying to make sure Lily didn't get by to reck their goods!

This is what Bob did while I watched the kids.... :o)

Lily trying to wake daddy up to play! She is SUCH a daddy's girl!

Colby

Lily

Boys in the water

My cute Brayden

Lily thinks she is so big now that she can climb up in the chair!

At around 4 o'clock we went to the movie "Ice Age 3" It was really cute and it gave Lily a chance to take a nap. When it was done, we went out to eat and headed back to the beach! As the sun went down, it got a little chilly. We wrapped our towels around us and smiled! Hip Hip Hooray! We are not melting on the fourth of July!! Then fireworks were shot up over the Lake from a huge barge. Lily was unsure at first, but loved them after the first couple. It was beautiful!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day!

Flume Trail

2009-07-08T13:22:00.001-07:00

Bob and I mountain biked the Flume Trail. It was all fun and games for a while...until ...the 1 mile uphill. I don't just mean a gradual uphill! I had to walk my bike up, it was crazy!
Bob was still having fun of course!

We finally made it ..and it was well worth the view over Martlett Lake! Absolutely gorgeous!

We then climbed up these huge boulders and had a snack as we enjoyed the view.

Next came 4 miles of riding right by a cliff! In this pic the cliff is further away than in most parts. You could hardly appreciate the view over Lake Tahoe, for fear of tumbling down the rocky hillside!

But, we managed to stop and get a good look! The lake really looked amazing fom up here! Next, I don't have pics, but we had a 3 mile ride back to the car in a foot of sand! It was pretty tricky to stay upright! After all that, I only had 2 crashes the whole day!

Conclusion: When Bob tells me he wants to take me on an "easy" trail, realize that it means it will be difficult, scary and exhausting for me!! :)

Father's Day 2009

2009-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Instead of being pampered at home, Bob took Brayden & Colby to Nevada City for Father's Day weekend. Lance Armstrong was racing and he didn't want to miss it! They all came home exhausted, but had fun nonetheless!The boys holding up the paper with Lance on the front page.

Brayden drawing on the race course with chalk - cheering on the riders!

Cute Colby boy

They got front row seating to see all the action! This race was unique in the fact that it was one that they do many laps so they got to see their favorite riders tons of times!

Waiting for the race to start.

Here they come! That's Lance in yellow and grey.

Those are some SERIOUS calves!!

Colby pretending to be asleep for the camera.

Everyone trying to get Lance's autograph after the race!

Tour De Nez

2009-07-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

In downtown Reno, they held one leg of the Tour De Nez, a bike race. Those pro riders were incredibly fast and were amazing to watch! They also had a bike race for kids which Brayden entered. He had a blast! Colby showing off his new Tour De Nez hat and t-shirt! They were giving them out for free for all the kids!
Brayden getting ready to race!

And they're off!

Brayden proud of his finish!

Colby watching the action

Lily and Mommy

Fun in the Sun

2009-07-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

We went to a little splash park next to the library. My boys had a blast. Lily, however, did not want to get in the water one bit! She was much happier climbing all over the bench!

A run and a hike

2009-07-06T13:46:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Bob went up to Lake Tahoe to do a 25 mile run. I met him up there and he watched the kids while I did my measly 3 mile run. :) Afterward we took the kids on a little hike up to this really old cabin. Apparently anyone can use it as a stop in there hike - summer or winter. It was really cool - reminded me of "Jacob's cabin"!!

Birthday Surprises!

2009-06-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bob's birthday was June 10th. My kids were so excited to celebrate! We hung up balloons and Crete paper all around the house - even zig-zagged the Crete paper in the doorway for Bob to run through when he got home! My kids helped make his favorite dinner!--"Mama D'Atri's Pot Roast" They insisted on buying him a present so I gave them each a dollar after doing some extra chores around the house. Brayden decided to pick out a power bar for him and was really excited about it. Colby decided to buy himself candy and color a picture for his Dad instead. :) It was really hard for Brayden to buy the Power Bar when he saw Colby getting candy, but he really wanted to get something special for his Dad. It was REALLY sweet! and I helped Lily get Bob his favorite jerky! For dessert we made him his favorite - Strawberry shortcake. All in all it was a simple, yet sweet little family party! We had a good time! We love you, Bob!! Bob opening his present from Lily

It's jerky!

"No. I don't want any..."

" Mmmm, give me more!"

R2 picture that Colby colored for Bob

Love you, Dad

Brayden made a special box out of construction paper and tape to put his present in.

Wow, what is it?

A Power Bar - Brayden was so proud to buy it himself!

Rainbow after the Storm

2009-06-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

We've had a VERY wet June! I hear it's very uncharacteristic of Reno. But it has rained almost daily! After a big storm we had this beautiful rainbow out our back window!

Lake Day!

2009-06-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours have a boat and invited us to the lake Memorial Day weekend. We all had a blast! Thanks so much for the fun day Adam & Keyonna!! Colby chillin' on the boat.

Ammon & Brayden being the flag boys.

Colby & Lily - they are going to be in the same kindergarten class!

Brayden driving the boat.

We got out of the boat for a while to see this really cool geyser.

Brayden & Ammon riding in the tube.

Me and Lily

I thought I was posing for a sweet pic of me and my kids...Colby had a different idea!

Colby & Lily in the tube. (This is getting confusing with 2 Lily's!) Lily is riding in it backwards. They both have a thumbs down sign - which means 'go slower'. Colby actually wants to go slower because he gets scared easily and Lily is trying to be nice even though she likes to go faster! :)

Keyonna and I riding in the tube with our little ones. Anna and Lily BOTH fell asleep in the tube while we were going!!

Bob & Brayden going fast! Brayden is my little dare devil!

Lily in the boat.

Bob tried to get a picture of all of us - sorry Colby for cutting you in half! :)

Idaho

2009-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since our trip to Idaho, so I thought it was about time to post some pics! We visited Bob's brother Craig and his wife Cynthia for Craig's graduation. He graduated from Boise State in psychology. Craig, your awesome!! :) Bob's parents flew in from North Carolina for the occasion. It was great to see them!

Nana & Brayden

Sweet Colby

Brayden

This was at a cool bike park we went to. All the guys went off jumps and on all these ramps. It looked awesome...and scary! Cynthia was the only one woman enough! Go Cynth!

Bob attempting the tri-teeter-totter.

Lily loved this soccer ball! And it matches her outfit! :)

Aunt Cynthia blowing bubbles with Colby. He ended up spilling most of them on her! Sorry Cynthia!

Brayden getting ready to chase Grandpa and tackle him.

And he's down! They both piled on!

Walking up to the Graduation.

Lily is happy to be there!

Our fam with the new Graduate! Congrats Craig!

Oh no, not already!!

2009-06-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

My life just changed drastically last night when Lily realized that if she stood on her tip toes, she was tall enough to open doors! Brayden and Colby had already went to bed and had not witnessed this yet. And when morning came, they shut their bedroom door so Lily wouldn't come in and mess up there train tracks that they had so carefully set up....well, you guessed it, Lily proceeds to open their door and I hear Brayden, horrified, "What?! She just opened the door!!" So, I realized it's not just me that is now faced with this immense new difficulty! :)

9 amazing years

2009-06-04T11:48:00.001-07:00

June 3rd 2000

I didn't know I could be so happy! Thank You, Hon, for 9 wonderful years!

Coach Pitch

2009-05-24T17:36:00.001-07:00

Brayden thinks he's hot stuff now that this is his first year in Coach Pitch Baseball. He has to remind Colby about it all the time! It's amazing what a difference a year makes! He is now consistently batting and catching well. And he really understands the game and likes to play. It's fun to watch!

Practicing his swing for the Camera.

T-Ball

2009-05-13T15:06:00.001-07:00

This is Colby's first year in T-Ball! He is on the Angels. He was so excited - until he had practice! I think he would rather play in the dirt! :) He does love to bat, though. And he wouldn't miss a game because of the treats! It's so fun to watch these little munchkins play!

Baseball

2009-05-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

This was taken at opening ceremonies about a month ago. You can see everyone bundled up! They can finally play without a coat on now! :) They are having fun this season!

10K

2009-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

So I just wanted to do an easy run Monday night- slow and steady - because lately I've been so intent on going faster that I hadn't reached 4 miles yet. I had a 4 mile goal in mind. I reached 4 and still felt good, so why not 5? I reached 5 and geez, only another mile till 10K....So I actually ran 6.2 miles! Holy Moly! Can you believe it?

A Conversation with Colby

2009-05-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Colby: Why is my name Colby?
Mom: Because Mommy & Daddy chose that name when you were born.
Colby: Can we rename me?
Mom: What would you like your name to be?
Colby: Hmmmm... let me think... if my name was Cole, then I wouldn't have any nicknames. It has to be something that starts with C.
Mom: okay...
Colby: Are you thinking of something that starts with C?
Mom: Yeah...
Colby: Are there any Star Wars names that start with C?
Mom: I'm not sure...
Colby: Does Commander start with C?
Mom: Yes, do you want to be named Commander?
Colby: No, I'm still thinking...
10 MIN LATER
Colby: I think it should be Cole Cody Shannon...(stops with a smirk on his face to see my reaction).....KIDDING, I don't want to change my name!

Sprink Break in California

2009-04-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

We had a fabulous vacation last week in Northern Cali. It was beautiful in the Spring and the weather was great! Here's some pics to recap our trip: Foresthill Bridge - tallest in California! Took a break from the drive to walk it!
My boys

Lily refused to be held anymore.

Boys in front of the Kelp Forest at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Lily Chillin' in the stroller.

They hatched!

We went to a bike festival, too. They had some fun stuff for the kids - like riding bikes & bounce houses. It was cool to see some of the athletes do jumps and flips on their bikes.

Go Brayden!

Poor Colby is terrified to ride his bike without training wheels. Hopefully I'll convince him soon!

Lily

Ryan Leech - a guy who does these awesome bike tricks! It was amazing!

We went to the beach in Carmel. It was a gorgeous day!

Brayden building a sand castle for Lily.

My boys debating whether the water is too cold to get in--they eventually did--I wouldn't dare!

Cuties

Lily loved the sand and wanted Daddy to sit and play with her.

Colby always has to pose with something...this time it's a shovel full of sand. :)

Lily doing her 'Ta Da' thing with Mommy.

Wait for me!!

Eating lunch at Union Square in San Francisco.

Lily @ Union Square. She loved it when I fed the birds and they'd all come around her.

My sweetheart.

Brayden & Cole at Pier 39. Man those seals stink!

Taking a break from the stroller.

My guys playing on these metal seals.

Our fam on the Cable car.

Golden Gate Bridge - taken from a hill that Bob ran up.

Easter Morning

2009-04-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

We had a fabulous Easter this year! The night before Easter we made "Easter Story Cookies" which was fun to do with the boys and helped them learn more about the atonement. On Easter morning their baskets were full of sand toys and flip flops - and then they were off looking for candy filled eggs around the house!

Colby with rooster hair :)

A few days before Easter I was talking to Colby about why we have Easter. We were talking about Jesus when he suddenly exclaimed,"Mom, I know somebody OLDER than Jesus!" and I said,"Oh, yeah?" and he when on super excitedly,"Yeah, he's like 9....or even 10!!" His eyes were all big with amazement-it was soo funny!

My two sweet boys sharing their candy.

Lily loved to play in the grass.

My kiddos

Things I love about Lily

2009-04-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Lily is the sweetest little girl! She is constantly giving everyone kisses and big hugs! Whenever one of the boys tackles Bob, Lily runs up to give him big kisses and hugs to make him feel better.
She also gives her baby dolls and her pink spotted puppy kisses and holds them out so everyone else can give them loves, too. She now carries them around the house tucked under her arm. It is adorable!
Last week Lily realized that we fold our arms during prayers. I hadn't even thought to teach her this yet when I first saw her folding her arms at the dinner table.
Lily loves to show us her belly button! - and she hurries and puts her shirt back down bashfully. She also shows daddy where his nose is by hitting him in the nose and laughing! :)
She loves to put things in stuff and take them back out. So, on Friday I bought her a pink purse with a butterfly on it, thinking she'd like to put things in it. Ever since she has carried that thing on her arm as she waddles around the house! Sometimes with her dolly in it or her princess phone. Man, that was the best dollar I've ever spent!
Lily wants to know what everything is, so she is always pointing at everything for me to name for her.
Lily loves to play with baseballs. When going to Brayden or Colby's practices, if she doesn't get to play also, she is so angry! We have to remember to bring extra balls for her to play catch, too! Bob is convinced she's going to be our little softball player!
Lily knows when she is not supposed to have something. When she finds one of the boys' small legos or a tiny piece of something or other, she hurries to me to hand it to me! I don't have to worry so much about choking hazards!
Lily absolutely loves her brothers! Colby drags her around the wood floors by her arms - and she thinks it's hysterical! I worry sometimes - but they are having a blast! And Brayden plays peek-a-boo with her, a definite favorite! Though both boys run away from her slobbery kisses!
Lily is a die-hard John Mayer fan! No, really! When she was really little, the only thing that would calm her down on long road trips was John Mayer's version of "Free Falling". And now when Bob turns on the John Mayer music videos on our computer, Lily is right there dancing away! She can even turn the volume up and reaches for him on the screen! I am NOT kidding, I really think she's in love with John Mayer!!

Well, as you can see, we have the cutest, sweetest little girl on the planet and are so glad to have her in our family! Such a girl with her purse and phone!

Still loves her fingers, too.

"See my pretty purse?"

1.22 miles

2009-04-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I ran 1.22 miles yesterday!! I am soo proud of myself. To all you runners out there, this may seem absurd that this is such an exciting milestone in my life...so don't make fun, K?!

My friend Christi and I have been walking /running for the past few weeks and decided to train for a 5K on July 4th! I am excited to enter the world of the runners! Yippee! :)

Colby's Prayer

2009-04-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Colby LOVES to say the prayer at dinner time. It is so hard for him to take turns! His prayers always consist of cute things and are really long! This came from his prayer yesterday....

"... and please bless Lily, that she will grow up in a few weeks..."

Power Ranger Undies

2009-04-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday morning I was diligently folding laundry....looking at it all on my couch you'd think I hadn't done laundry in years.... Anyway, Lily kept putting Colby's undies on her head and hysterically laughing! It was hilarious!! How on earth does a 1 year old know that undies on her head is funny?? My boys got a kick out of it, too.

And Colby decided he wanted to get in on the action!!

Glow Bowling

2009-04-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

We took our kids Glow Bowling recently! It was all dark with black lights! The kids thought it was so cool that they were glowing and the pins and lanes were, too. It's hard to tell from the pics. Towards the end, Lily wanted to touch all the bowling balls and even walk up the lanes....yep, she's officially in the "I want to do everything, but can't quite yet" stage!!

Nana & Lake Tahoe

2009-04-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Bob's mom came to visit a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun! Bob and the boys took her to a UNR game, We went shopping for girly clothes for Lily (that's ALWAYS fun), and while Lily was napping, Bob took her and the boys to Lake Tahoe. Through this fun week with Nana, I don't have a single picture of her with my kiddos!!! What was I thinking? I'll do better next time, but Bob did get a few pics of just the boys at Lake Tahoe.....

Rock & Roll Baby

2009-04-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Bob and the boys went to Papa Johns to pick up a pizza for dinner on Monday. After they got the pizza and were ready to leave, Bob said, "Come on, boys." To which Brayden replied,"Boys???...We're not boys.......we're ROCKSTARS!!!"

7 1/2 hours, nonstop

2009-03-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my hubby!! He ran a 50K this Saturday in Cali.! That's about 32 miles: 7 1/2 hours, up and down mountain trails. Whew, I'm tired just talking about it! (I have to add that he has been sore the past couple of days and walking like an old man!! Hee hee!) Congrats, babe! I love you!

Lily

2009-03-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics of my little princess I took on her birthday that I didn't have enough time to post. She just wanted to eat the rocks! :)

Lily's 1st B-day Party

2009-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lily turned one on February 20th! Can you believe it?! She has been such a joy to our family. She is a crazy speedy crawler! - As of her birthday, she hadn't taken a step, but this morning she took four in a row! She's gettin' there! The past few weeks her vocabulary has skyrocketed! She says mama, dada, bob (for her bottle), poopa (for puka, our dog) and Ta-Da (when she does something she's proud of!) Here are some pics of her special day! Birthday Cake
Lily in her "I'm one!" hat - she actually liked wearing it.

Lily loves pushing her baby stroller around the house.

She could play with these balloons forever!

Present time

Is this what I'm supposed to do, Dad??

My very 1st lipstick!

Me & my brothers

Mommy & Me

I don't like my hat anymore!

Not too sure about this cake thing.

Lily decided she liked the cake and Colby decided he liked the hat.

Daddy & kiddos

Happy Birthday Lil'!!!

Colby's Star Wars Party

2009-02-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

Colby wanted present time first...again. :)
I guess if it were my choice, I'd want present time first, too!

Pin Darth Vader on the Tie Fighter.

Hmmm...is this for me?

So we let the birthday boy go first....his second big swing knocked it down! I felt bad for the other kids - but once they saw all the candy, they didn't mind!!

Free for All!!

Bob being funny with the top of the pinata on his head.

The kids showing me how much candy they got.

Colby & the Darth Vader cake I made.

Lighting the candles! We love you Colby!

Colby is 5!

2009-02-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Colby's birthday was last Thursday, the 19th. We went to Chuck E Cheese for lunch and had a ton of fun! Colby wanted present time first.
Brayden got him a pair of Star Wars pj pants. (I had some input on that one!)

Daddy & Lily

Colby opening a Lego Batman game from Bob & I. He was thrilled!

What's Chuck E. Cheese without a little ski ball?!

More pizza!!

Lily liked the Bob the Builder ride the best!

And Bob's fav was the basketball!! Overall we all had a great time!!

Go Wolf Pack!!!

2009-01-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

This last weekend we went on a family date! I was very leary - dinner and a basketball game with my three kiddos?????

We went to downtown Reno - ate at a nice Italian restaurant. My kids were PERFECT! Had great manners and they didn't even have crayons there! My boys grabbed some tooth picks on our way out (as you can tell in the pics) and on to the UNR (University of Nevada Reno) vs. Fresno game. My kids had a Blast! Brayden and Colby loved cheering and actually kinda knew what was happening in the game. Lily was in awe of all this new stuff - so she sat quietly sucking her fingers the whole time! Wow - I couldn't believe how much fun we all had!! Oh, and Bob caught a shirt that the cheerleaders were throwing! Brayden couldn't wait to get home and wear it to bed! (Though it was 10 sizes to big!) All in all - it was a great night! :)

Daddy & Me

2009-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Bob was looking at a magazine one evening and gave Lily one ... which she proceeded to tear up! I thought it was too cute so I ran to grab the camera! And this is Lily when she realized I had the camera and she couldn't have it!

Sledding Extravaganza!

2009-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

We took our kids sledding the Saturday after Christmas. The snow was so deep by Lake Tahoe that when you took a step on some that wasn't packed down yet, you'd fall in a few feet! My boys (that includes Bob!) had a blast! I was surprised at how daring they were! I didn't get a good pic of them going down the hill for two reasons - 1 - They'd slide down so fast and jump out, ready to hike up again, before I could fiddle with the camra while holding Lily - and 2 - Lily didn't like the snow that much! She basically bawled the whole time except for when Bob took her on the sled! So I took her in the car for most of the time. All that white stuff and being bundled up was not for her!! However, we still had a good time! Colby
Colby jumping off - ready for more!

Brayden waiting for the okay from Dad.

Lily Sledding with Daddy

Can't you tell she was having so much fun?!

Christmas

2009-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Yippee, I am finally posting about Christmas!! We had an awesome, relaxing Christmas just with our little fam. There were many highlights so thought I'd just name a few...... My inlaws bought our fam a Wii. This is Brayden perfecting his bowling swing! When we first got the Wii, I was the bowling Queen!! - Now Bob and Brayden get strikes almost every roll! We also love boxing! Bob and I decided it's a great way to solve any marrital spats! :)

This is Lily's favorite toy! She started out throwing the baby out of the stroller and playing with the toys - and now, just weeks later, she's giving the baby kisses and pushing the stroller all around the house! It's so fun having a little girl!

Star Wars was the theme this year! My dad got Colby this HUGE Millenium Falcon and Brayden this way cool R2D2 Robot! Even Bob was in Heaven! ;)

We loved receiving everyone's Christmas cards and letters! Thanks for keeping in touch!

In Loving Memory

2009-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

My beloved Grandfather passed away last week. He lived a long life of 74 years. He was an electrical engineer and could fix almost anything! I remember being out in the garage helping him fix this and that. (Or he made me believe I was a big help!) He was funny and fun to be around. Whenever I would go visit - I knew I would get to try and beat him at chess. He NEVER let me win! - And it made me keep comin' back for more. He was a strong man and believed in hard work. His yard was immaculate all through his own hand. Beautiful flowers, trees, grass - It was always a favorite place to play.

When he was diagnosed with multiple myloma cancer, his doctor gave him 6-9 months to live - but he had other plans. With his healthy concoctions, exercise, and his will to live - he surpassed all odds, living 10 1/2 years. His doctors hadn't seen a patient with this type of cancer live longer than 5. I am so grateful that I had these extra years with my Grandpa. We love and miss you deeply!

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

After much persuasion (from Amber daily), I have taken pics of our home here in NV for you all to see. I loved my old house and wished that I could bring it with me here, however, now I think I like this one better! It is 500 sq ft smaller with only 3 bedrooms (less to clean :) ) - but nicer upgrades. We really like it here and though we miss family and friends, it was a great move for us! Here's the front of our house. The snow has almost all melted. But luckily it is supposed to snow tonight!! Yippee, we may have a white Christmas after all!!!

Kitchen and some of family room. I LOVE having those double ovens by the fridge!! You don't realize how handy it is!

Kitchen from other angle.

This is the entry. Sorry the pic is dark.

This is my fav room in the house! I love these cabinets in the laundry room!

The family & dining (pool table) room. It stinks that our entertainment center didn't fit here, but what can you do.

This is our backyard. The boys have fun riding their scooters and bikes on all this concrete. The snow has almost all melted back here. :(

If you couldn't see in the previous pic, we also have a fireplace outside! Nice for roasting marshmallows and being outside when it's chilly. (Still some snow on the side of the house ;) )

Thanksgiving and Dinosaurs

2008-12-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

We went to my Grandma's house in Utah for Thanksgiving. My Dad flew there as well. The highlight of the trip was going to the Dinosaur Museum the day after Thanksgiving with my Dad, half-brother, Kris, my Stepsister, Shelly - her hubby and kids, and my Stepbrother Jared and his wife. I hadn't seen Shelly since I was 16 and Jared since I was about 10 or so! It was fun to catch up with them. I was bummed that this pic turned out blurry - but here's Kris, me, Shelly & Jared

Dad, Lily, Bob, Brayden, Kris & Colby. Brayden was attached to Kris' hip! He wanted to go everywhere with him - It was so cute!

Me and my bro.

Me & Shelly

Daddy & Lily

Colby

Brayden & Kris playing in the sand/water pit.

My kiddos on a Dino

Lily is as big as a Brontasaurus' toe!

Lily & Janae (Shelly's adorable baby girl that looks identical to her!)

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-12-16T10:49:00.000-08:00

Colby had the cutest Thanksgiving Feast at Preschool. (I do a Co-op preschool where each Mom takes a turn teaching the kids. Colby loves it and best of all---it's free!! And it just so happens that they are all boys - 6 little cuties!) This is Colby making butter! You put heavy whipping cream, salt and a marble in a jar and shake it till it makes butter! I thought that was so cute for the kids to do!

The kids made an Indian hat for themselves and a pilgrim hat for their moms - So this is Colby as an Indian and me as a Pilgrim! :)

Colby in his turkey beak.

The kids sang a turkey song for their moms that they had practiced a couple of days before. It was about a turkey that didn't want to be Thanksgiving dinner! It was adorable.

No more headbands...sniff, sniff...

2008-12-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

Lily will NOT keep any of her cute headbands on anymore! They come off seconds after I put them on her. I am so bummed! So we resorted to these little barrettes. Luckily she has just enough hair to keep them in!

Who's Who?

2008-11-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Lily wore the cow costume for Halloween that Colby wore at her age. I always knew they looked alike - but man I can hardly tell their pics apart! (The last pic is Colby!)

The boys in the 'hood

2008-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

That's NEIGHBORhood. These are my kids playing with Jacob and Aaron. They are the cutest little boys and they all play so well together! It's nice to have playmates along our street!

8 months

2008-10-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Lily is already 8 months old! She is now gettin' around EVERYWHERE! In fact, just the other day I couldn't find her and was almost panicking until I realized she'd crawled under her exersaucer and created her own little fort with her toys under there! (She must have gotten fort pointers from her brothers) As you can tell, she loves to find anything she can't have, such as the outlets. The doorstoppers are also a fav! I love watching her go through these new stages, however, sometimes I wish she'd stop growing up so fast!

Winter Wonderland (more like fall)

2008-10-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

Uncharacteristically of Reno, it snowed the weekend we got there. I blame Craig and Cynthia for bringing the cold down from Boise! (They came to visit that weekend) Bob and my boys had a snowball fight. This is a lovely pic of my hubby pretending to throw a snowball at me. Or so I thought. I was holding Lily and taking pictures. - Should've got one of me & Lily with snow all over our faces! I think Bob had more fun than my kids!

This pic is out of order. We went to Lake Tahoe with Craig & Cynthia. It was so weird to see snow on the beach!

Back to the snowball fight - Colby was sad that he got hit with a snowball - and while Bob was comforting him, Brayden got him in the back.

Brayden so excited about the snow.

Our fam at Lake Tahoe. (I decided to shave my head.)

Craig & Cynth - such a cute couple!

Aren't I a great photographer?! Okay, Okay, so I cheated. This is a pic they had in the visitor center! But this is what it looked like on the drive to Lake Tahoe. It was so gorgeous!

My fam in the visitor's center.

My two cuties. Poor Colby - he had the worst chapped lips and wouldn't let me put chapstick on him.

Lily - happy to be out of her snow coat!

Paper Galore

2008-10-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

We had the luxury of not packing a single thing!! Bob's company paid for everything! Nice! But, when we were unpacking I realized that they packed with tons and tons of paper! They even wrapped each of my shoes in paper! Needless to say, we had paper galore!! My boys and I would pile it all in the kitchen till it was up to the counters - then they would run and jump into it over and over!! They had a blast! Even Lily got into it!

She mainly wanted to eat it.

My boys just wanted to make silly faces for the camera.

Lily grinning because she got to eat all the paper.

Tagged

2008-10-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is the cutest pic of my sis-in-law Brandi! It was taken almost exactly 5 years ago! If you don't know Brandi - She's so much fun! She loves to dance, adores kittens - and once she took me to her favorite pet store by her house where she watches them feed the snakes mice! (I actually think that would be cool to watch, too Bran!) And - She just had her Birthday a few days ago and she turned a whopping 34! Happy Birthday! We love you Brandi!

1. Go to your pictures

2. Upload 4th picture of 4th folder

3. Post

4. Tag 4 of your friends: Amber, Shannon L., Tiffany, Bridget

Yosemite

2008-10-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll be honest...I wasn't exactly excited when we drove up to Yosemite. It was out of our way while driving to Reno, however, Bob and the boys really wanted to go. It is a beautiful place. Bob and I went there a few years ago when we went to San Fransisco - and I had forgotten how angelic it is.

Here's Bob and the kids at the entrance of the park (and puka - but you can only see Bob holding her leash).

So here's me, the kids, and Puka. (Bob and I switched places :) )

The boys went on a hike with Bob while Lily and I took a nap. Colby kept pretending he was Yoda with his walking stick.

We all had lunch at a picnic table surrounded by incredible views! But apparently the bees enjoyed the view, too, so halfway through lunch we headed back to the hotel room for fear we'd get stung.

My G Q boys.

And the next day we arrived at our new home in Reno!!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...yes, 7

2008-10-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Before we moved, we had a pow wow at my moms house with all us crazy girls! Yes, I have 6 sisters - which makes 7 girls in all! Me, Alyssa, Kandis, Julianne, Misty, Melanie, and Brooklyn. By the way, Misty just got her mission call to Cleveland, Ohio!! She leaves November 12th. We are so proud of you Misty!

Here's the cousins (Minus Lily). Brayden, Marley, Asher, Miles & Colby.

My mom and Lily.

We are going to miss being close to family - especially my kids and their cousins!

My Quirks - Just for Tiff

2008-10-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

I know you were just dying for me to do this since you tagged me, Tiffany!! So I thought it'd be my first real post now that I'm back in the blogging world!!

1. I can't stand long toenails. Yes, the secret is out! (Bob revealed it to Craig and Cynthia while they were here visiting last weekend!) I am crazy cutting my kids nails constantly - and my own! You know how when you get a french pedicure, it looks better if you have a small nail on there...well, before I get a pedicure I have to try sooo hard not to cut my toenails for a week! Weird, I know.

2. I have an old sweatshirt thing goin' on. I have this sweatshirt from....maybe junior high? It's a U of A sweatshirt - which I don't even like U of A - but I LOVE this sweatshirt and can't bare the thought of ever letting go of it! Amber makes fun of me all the time. At first it was just because her hubby is a die hard ASU fan (and alumni), but then when she found out I'd had it for like 14 years - she just laughs every time I bust it out.

3. I love guy movies. I can honestly say that chick flicks really aren't my thing. One of my all time favs is The Recruit.

4. Actually that goes for TV shows and video games too. I loved 24 - but then when they stopped in the middle of the season, and I was heartbroken! I have also been into Splinter Cell on my XBox since we don't have cable and my internet hasn't been working. What can I say, my husband is lucky!

5. I don't like my kids doing anything messy! I want them to be able to finger paint, make cookies, play outside in the rain or mud - but I also can't stand it! It snowed here the weekend after we got here and I wanted my kids to have fun it it - but then I didn't want them all dirty! It's always a conflict with me! I got them pumpkins to carve this evening and I am all stressed about it!

6. You know how there is home-bodies....well, I'm a not-home-body!!! I can't stand being home all the time, I have to go somewhere. It has been driving me crazy being at home since we got here! I am so bored! But since I don't really know anyone yet - the only place to go is shopping! And then that gets me in trouble!! ;)

Now it's your turn! I am tagging Amber, Haleigh, Bridget, Andrea, Cynthia & Holli! Good luck with all your quirkiness!

Rules:
1.Link to the person who tagged you
2.Mention the rules on your blog
3.Tell 6 unspectacular quirks about you
4.Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them
5.Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Holy Moly!

2008-10-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

It has been one LONG week of trying to get our internet set up! Problem after Problem, but Halleluyah, it works!! I have a million things to post! LOTS to follow!

My Little Crawler

2008-09-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, Lily is already crawling! Bob left for Reno Monday morning and she first crawled Monday night. He was so upset he missed it! I was trying to get some cute pics of her in this cute onsie Haleigh gave her, but she kept crawling away!

Friends Forever

2008-09-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

These are some of my amazing friends I went to High School with! They are like family to me! They planned a 'goodbye night out' for me on Tues. How sweet! We went to Costa Vida and just chatted forever. I'm going to miss them so much! Luckily, we have a girls weekend once a year and I've convinced them that either Las Vegas or San Fransisco are good picks! ;)

Haleigh, Bridget, Marci, Amber, and me!

And just a side note: Bridget and Marci both have 3 adorable boys and are pregnant with sweet little girls!! Congrats you two!!

Grandma's house

2008-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

We went to my Grandma's house in Tucson on Sunday. My Sister Melanie lives there too and met us there. It was fun to see them one last time before we move. (October 3rd is our final day in AZ!) My boys caught a baby gecko. It was so cute! Luckily my grandma had a bug holder.
My sis with Colby and Lily
My boys could jump on their trampoline for hours!
Sisters

Bob helping Brayden and Colby send the gecko back to it's family.
Our fam
My kids with their Great Grandparents

Park Day

2008-09-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Bob got home late last night and the kids were excited to play with him! So we decided to go to the park while some people came to look at our house. We had a good time! My two silly boys
Lily likes to eat EVERYTHING!
Sliding with big brother
Brayden loves to make binoculars with his hands for pictures
Our clan
Lily couldn't get enough of the spongy ground by the playground!
Puka even had a good time!

You never know who you'll sit next to!

2008-09-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I FORGOT to post such an EXCITING thing!!! Bob left for Reno last Monday (yes, it's been a week AND I have to survive 1 more! - He gets home this weekend!) Anyways, you'll never guess who he sat next to on the airplane!! (As if the pic doesn't give it away!) Yep - Shawn Johnson!! Bob said she was sooo little and cute! She was awesome in the Olympics! We adore you Shawn!

6 months

2008-09-05T11:10:00.001-07:00

Lily is 6 month old already!! She weighs a whopping 17 lbs. and 3 oz.!! She is in the 80th percentile for her height and 75th for her weight. I took these pics after her bath one day. She rolled right out of her towel! I wish my chubbies looked this cute!

Bowling and Birthday

2008-09-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-Law (Sharon) and Sister-in-law (Brandi) came to visit for a week. We had so much fun!! We went bowling - which is one of Brandi's favs - and my boys had a blast! And guess who won?? Yes, yours truly!! (I actually beat Bob for once!!) We also celebrated my 28th B-day!! I can't beleive I'm almost 30! Craziness. When Bob and I got home from a fabulous day date, Sharon had helped the kids make a cake and cards for me! - I love that kind of stuff! It was a fun week.

Catch up

2008-09-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

My internet hasn't been working for the past couple of weeks - I've been dying!! Well, it's finally up and running, so let me catch you all up on my life since Park City!..................

Park City

2008-08-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

No, we haven't moved yet!! We were just on vacation! We drove up to Park City, UT for a company trip and to visit my grandparents! We all had so much fun! Here's the summary of our trip.............

We stopped at a park to eat lunch in Provo.

The kids were excited to be out of the car!
Daddy & Lily at the park.
We finally arrived at the hotel. We stayed at The Canyons Resort. Our room had two separate bedrooms, a family room, a full kitchen, and a dining room!! His company treats us right!
As soon as we arrived at our hotel, Colby and Brayden snuggled into bed with a snack and turned on cartoons!

Okay, if you don't have one of these - get one!! It's a Tie Chair - it slips on any chair and holds your child there while feeding them! It was AWESOME on this trip when I didn't have a high chair handy and it's great for when I go to my mom's house and stuff. A girl in my sister's ward makes and sells them. Her website is tiechair.com. Seriously, it was a lifesaver!
At dinner one night, there was a face painter and a balloon maker person! My kids had a ball! Lily was a little afraid of my boys when she first saw them!
We rode a gondola to the top of the mountain! Bob and I could barely look down - we're both afraid of heights!

When we arrives at the top, we took a little nature hike, it was so pretty!!
This little girl had a hard week! Halfway through our trip she got her first tooth! I felt so bad for her!
We went to this really cool restaurant called the Mayan. They had a huge pool in the center of the restaurant decked out like a waterfall and these people dressed up and dived off these 30 foot cliffs. --Not just dive, but doing flips and stuff!! It was amazing!! This is Colby with one of them - he was being all shy and didn't want to stand too close!

We also went to the Olympic Park which was where part of the winter Olympics was.
We watched the pros practice their flips off of these slopes and land into water! If you look at the water, you see lots of bubbles - they turn on these bubbles to soften the fall. Apparently you could do a belly flop into the bubbles and it wouldn't hurt!

Brayden and I cruising down the Alpine slide! The only bad thing about alpine slides is that I have a "need for speed" and always seem to catch up to the person in front of me!!!
My boys in the "Bob" Sled! hee hee
You can't tell because the top was cut off, but this is supposed to be the olympic torch - we all wanted to take part in holding it!

Right outside our room was a standing gondola to a parking lot further down the resort. Once a week they have a farmers market down there with music, food, and little booths that people sell stuff at. So - we decided to check it out!
Brayden and Colby lovin' life with a snow cone! They were so nice to share!!
Me and my boys!

Lily and I at the company dinner.
There was a hula hoop contest. My boys were so excited to do it, but Colby soon realized that he didn't know how to hula hoop and he started to cry! It was so sad! They gave everyone little plastic gold metals and that made him feel better!
Daddy & Lil' dancing the night away!

This was in downtown Park City. We walked along Main St., checked out the shops, and ate pizza at this pizza place! Then we headed to the Chocolate factory and each picked out a yummy treat!
So sweet!

This was at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. We had never been there - It was huge!! I would love to go to Conference sometime!
Our family in front of the Salt Lake Temple - which you can barely see at the top! The flowers around the Temple were so gorgeous!!

After the Temple we headed to my grandparents house who live in American Fork. Lily wouldn't even look at my GrandDad without crying when we first got there, but a day and a half later, he was holding her without tears! Lily has stranger danger! She cries if anyone she doesn't know talks to her or holds her!
My boys had a blast catching butterflies at my Grandma's. Brayden caught a white one with black spots!
This is Brayden hesitant to let the butterfly go at the end of the day, but knew it would be happier with it's family.

There were these caves close to my grandma's house. Bob took the boys while I gave Lily a nap! It was nice to have some quiet time.
My two cuties!

And that concludes our vacation!!

Brayden is 7!!

2008-08-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Brayden's Birthday was last week! I can't believe I have a 7 year old! We had a party at Peter Piper Pizza and all the kids had a blast!!

I made an Indiana Jones cake for his party. I'm usually all about cupcakes - fast, easy - don't have to cut the cake, but this year Brayden specifically asked for an Indiana Jones cake. While we were driving one day I was explaining what the cake would look like and he said,"This is going to be the best cake ever!" He then paused and said, "but I know what's even better." To which I replied, "What?" and he said, "You, mom!!" At this point I made a decision to make all my kids birthday cakes every year!! It was so sweet!

My two sweet boys hammin' it up!

Eating pizza. Lexie, the cute little one in front insisted on having the supreme pizza and taking off all the veggies! I kept asking her if she would rather have cheese, but she declined. I can only assume Tiffany(her mom) buys supreme for herself and takes off the toppings for her!

Present time! Brayden has been so occupied with his new toys since last week! It's been so nice! Thank you to all!!

Daddy & Lily chillin' at Peter Piper.

Lily and I before the party.

She's got some eyes, doesn't she!!

Lily is close to sitting on her own! She can for about 10 seconds tops! She is always leaning to the right and eventually topples over! It is so fun watching her grow!

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

2008-07-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy e-mailed this to me.....rather logical, don't ya think?! ;)

1. If you are choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. The blockage will instantly remove itself.

2. Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. You only need two tools in life - WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Thought for the day: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. THEY'RE NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN YOU PUSH THEM DOWN THE STAIRS.

The time has arrived!

2008-07-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

We knew when Bob took his Associate Manager position at work that we would eventually have to move out of state when he became an Agency Manager. We tried to keep an open mind as to where. We first were looking into Wisconsin. The freezing cold winters weren't exactly my thing and it just didn't feel like "us". Then we were thinking about Las Vegas. After praying about it we still felt a little doubtful. Finally a position in Reno opened up. Perfect! Cooler weather - not freezing, Lake Tahoe right there for skiing, camping & mountain biking (Much to Bob's liking!). And it just overall feels right. So - we plan on moving there toward the end of September! It will be really hard to leave friends and family behind, however, I do feel this is the best choice for our family. Reno here we come!!!

Star Cows...

2008-07-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

So - I came across this comic and thought it was hilarious. Okay, maybe not hilarious, however, my boys are Star Wars fanatics - so I enjoyed it! Maybe you will, too!

Flashback

2008-07-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

My cute little Brayden! I never thought I could love a baby so much! Becoming a mother put a whole new meaning to my life. He will now turn 7 this month! My how time flies!

About a month ago I took my kids to Mesa frozen Yogurt. Brayden was amazed - When we sat down to eat our frozen yogurt he said super excitedly, "Mom - when I grow up - I want to work in an ice cream shop and get people ice cream! That would be the coolest job!" I thought it was cute. Then - a couple weeks later we had some guys come to our house to fix some of our broken tiles. And Brayden said super excitedly,"Mom - when I grow up I wanna be a handyman and fix peoples tiles in their houses!" He went around the house pretending to fix things. And then on Monday night we went to Bahama Bucks. Brayden turned to me - very serious like - "Mom - I don't want to be a handyman when I grow up".....and he paused for a dramatic effect......"I wanna make snow cones!!" Man - if only I could have that kind of passion for life!!
Next came my little Colby boy. What a happy, sweet baby!....until he became my stubborn, mischievious toddler....and he still hasn't outgrown that! As a matter of fact, yesterday I went to the mall. I was trying to do something fun for the kids - they've been cooped up inside so much this summer. I thought it would be fun to eat at the mall and let them play at the play area. My friend Amber and her kids came too. After eating and playing I wanted to glance in Children's Place real quick. Big mistake. Colby was a little crazy boy. I got a phone call from Shannon and while I was going over what we were doing for mutual that night, Colby bit my butt!! Yes - in the middle of the mall - my son BIT my BUTT!! I yelped and dropped the phone and it took everything I had not to strangle him! What the heck? Where does he come up with this stuff? However, no matter what he does - he looks up at me with his big, brown eyes and says, "I'm sorry Mom." so sweetly - and it melts my anger away. He definitely gets his big innocent eyes from me - so I can only assume he gets the butt biting from Bob! ;)
And my toodle noodle, Lily! It's amazing how with each child you wonder if you will ever be able to love another as much as you love the previous. And you always do! She has been such a delight to our family!

She had a well child check yesterday morning. She weighs 15 lbs. 8 oz. And She is in the 95% for her height and 75% for her weight. And a whopping 25% for her head circumference! Big girl with an itty bitty head! She is grabbing everything in sight now and lets out giggles all the time! Plus she is a pro at rolling over! I just love her to pieces!

Swim Lessons are officially over!

2008-06-28T18:41:00.001-07:00

So Brayden and Colby's swim lessons ended last Thursday. Man, it takes a lot to get them there daily!! They learned a lot about the different strokes. Brayden loves swimming the butterfly stroke, and Colby's fav. is freestyle.
I tried to take pics of Lily during their swim lesson. She is normally such a smiley baby, but she just made this face every time I got out the camera - as if to say, "What is that thing your putting in front of my face??"...and..."Can I eat it??"

This is Colby doing his boogie dance after he swam across the long step. He was so proud!

Here is Brayden diving in. He's getting it, however, half the time he ends up doing a belly flop! Ouch!

My two little fish at the end of their lesson! Aren't they adorable! (I'm not biased or anything!)

...And Lily is pooped! Time to go home for a nap!

I'm Alive!

2008-06-25T09:49:00.001-07:00

I know I have neglected my blog for quite some time. - But I am still alive and kickin'! This summer is going by rather quickly. Lily is now enjoying the freedom of rolling over. She can roll both ways and has decided she likes to sleep on her side the best! She has also figured out her own soothing method - sucking on her middle & ring finger while rubbing the back of her head! It is really cute!

Brayden has lost both his front teeth and is getting sick of us asking him to say all sorts of thing that start with "s". It's just so fun to hear him talk without his teeth! Both Colby & Brayden are having fun at swim lessons and learning a lot! They are becoming little fish!

Well, that's the update for this past month - hopefully I can start blogging a little more often!

T-ball

2008-05-19T05:38:00.001-07:00

T-ball is officially over! Brayden was on the cubs in Little League T-ball. He had a blast, however, I'm glad it's over! After a while 2 games a week wears on you! Here are some pics at his T-ball party and his last game. Lily munching on her fingers as usual.
My two adorable boys. (Colby wanted his juice box in the pic)
Daddy & Lily (Colby wanted his juice box in this pic, too!)
Mommy & the Clan
Brayden getting ready to throw to first.
Brayden at bat.

So Big!

2008-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast Lily has grown! Lily and I had a girls pow wow at Amber's on friday night while her hubby and boys were at Fathers & Sons. Her little Gracie (only a week and a half)was so incredibly tiny compared to Lily! It really put in perspective how much she has grown. She now smiles and coos all the time. She is so fun - we love having her in our family!

Blessing Day

2008-04-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Lily was blessed on March 30th. She looked so pretty in her blessing dress that Bob's mom had made. Bob's parents, sister Brandi, sister Andrea, neice Isabelle, and Sis-in law Cynthia all flew in from various places for the blessing. My grandparents also drove from Tucson and my sis Kandis and her kids were there as well. It was a lot of fun to be with family on this special occasion.

Spring Break

2008-04-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd play "catch up" because I've been so bad at blogging lately! For Spring break my boys went camping with Bob. A bunch of families in our ward went, too. My kids had a blast! ...Especially Brayden, flirting with all those little girls! I was supposed to stay home with Lily and get some sleep, however, I decided to paint my kids bathroom instead. What was I thinking??? Well, at least their bathroom looks good! This is Colby & Lexi - the cutest little girl ever! She has adorable curly blonde hair!
Kylie, Paige, Lilly, Brayden
Here's Brayden lovin' life between two lil' hotties - Paige & Kylie! Bob said it was too funny!

3 weeks old already!

2008-03-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Man, these last three weeks have been a blur! Our little Lily is finally sleeping a little better at night. I can usually get 6-8 hours of sleep in at about 2-3 hour increments. She is the light of our family! My boys simply adore her ...as do Bob and I! Here are some pics from the last few weeks...... Hopefully soon I can catch her awake more! ;) A couple days after we got home, Bob decided that Lily needed her first Cajun cooking lesson! Here he is making a Cajun Gumbo Stew and walking her through the whole shabang!

Looking cute during a cat nap.

Looking oh so sweet in her bouncy seat

I was so excited to give Lily her first real bath after her umbilical cord fell off. I got the camera ready and her cute pink towel and wash cloths.......and she hated EVERY minute of it!

All buckled up and ready to go!

Colby turned FOUR!

2008-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

With all the baby commotion I didn't get around to posting pics from Colby's B-day. He turned four on February 19th. (Yes, a day before Lily was born!) He has grown up so much this year! We had a birthday party with a few of his friends. They had so much fun!

She's here!

2008-02-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

Lily made her debut on February 20th, weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 10 oz. (not bad for a couple weeks early!) and she was 20 in. long.
Look at those beautiful long locks!
Though Lily looks so much like Brayden when he was born, I've called her Colby at least 5 times!
Colby was so excited to see her feet! - It was the highlight of the hospital visit for him.
Brayden is so sweet with Lily. He loves holding her and when she cries, he immediately comes to her side to try and make her feel better.

It's so fun having a baby around the house again!

Happy Valentines' Day!

2008-02-14T09:25:00.001-08:00

I hope you all have a fantastic Heart Day!!

oh baby!

2008-01-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

So - since it's been a month, maybe I should update my blog!! ;)

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and of couse I'm measuring big!! 3 weeks ahead to be exact! So I'm 32 weeks, measuring 35. I have no idea why I give birth to almost toddlers! It's miserable telling people my due date because their eyes bug out as they stare at my gigantic belly and they are instantly speechless. O well, what can I do?

Anyway, I am having another ultrasound in 2 weeks to measure the baby and stuff. Dr. Huish told me that he will probably induce me before 38 weeks and if he feels she's getting too big, a C-section could be a possibility. I really DON"T want to go that route, but if my cervix tears like it did with Colby, I will absolutely die!!

I guess there is good news, though! Little Lily will be here shortly! I can't wait to cuddle and hold a baby again!

True Preparation for Parenthood

2007-12-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

So you want to be a parent? Thinking about having children?

Lesson 1
Women: Put on a maternity dress and stick a beanbag chair down the front. Leave it there for nine months. After nine months, remove 10% of the beans.
Men: Go to the supermarket and drugstore. Dump the contents of your wallet on the counter. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home. Pick up the paper, read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.

Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior. Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
To discover how the nights will feel...

1. Walk around the living room from 5 pm to 10 pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10 pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1 am.
4. Set the alarm for 3 am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2 am and make a drink.
6. Go to bed at 2:45am.
7. Get up at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4 am.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years (if you have more than one, you can extend this fun section for years and years!!). Look cheerful.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower bed. Then rub them on the clean walls. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look? Now, you have thirty seconds to try to make everything look clean, because the doorbell just rang; it's the boss and his wife.

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this--all morning.

Lesson 6
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Last take a milk carton, a Ping-Pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Lesson 7
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it in the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8
Get ready to go out.

Wait outside the bathroom for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Come back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path.
Walk back up it. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way. Retrace your steps. Give up and go back into the house.

Lesson 9
Always repeat everything you say at least, if not more than, five times.

Lesson 10
Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a preschool child. (A fully-grown goat is excellent.) If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your weeks groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Lesson 11
Hollow out a melon. Make a small hole in the side. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone. Tip half of the remaining portion into your lap. The other half just throw up in the air. You are now ready to feed a 12-month-old baby.

Lesson 12
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, the Wiggles, Barney, Dragon Tales, Caillou, and Disney. Watch nothing else on TV for at least five years.

Lesson 13
Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway in and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for two years.

Lesson 14
Make a recording of Fran Drescher (she played on the show “The Nanny and has that obnoxious voice and laugh) saying mommy repeatedly. (Important: No more than a four-second delay between each mommy ; occasionally, crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required.) Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt sleeve, or elbow while playing the mommy tape made from lesson fourteen above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Lesson 16
Put on your finest work attire. Pick a day in which you have an important meeting. Take a cup of milk, and put ½ cup of Raisin Bran in it. Stir. Dampen a towel with this mixture. Now, dump the cup on your shirt and attempt to clean it with the towel. Do NOT change. You have no time. Go directly to work.

Lesson 17
Go for a ride, but first...

1. Find one large tomcat and two pit-bull.
2. Borrow three child safety seats and install them into the back seat of your car.
3. While holding something fragile, strap the cat and pit bulls into their car seats.
4. Keep the cat and the pit-bulls from touching each other while driving in heavy traffic.
5. While the cat and pit-bulls fight, scratch and squeal, answer an important call on your cell phone. Put on your makeup while waiting at stoplights.
6. Run several errands, removing and replacing the cat and pit-bulls at each stop.
7. Take the cat and pit-bulls to a meeting. Prepare individual sandwich bags with equal portions of Little Friskies, and Purina Dog Chow.
8. Try to enjoy the meeting while the cat and pit-bulls sniff and pull and howl about the contents of the other's bags.

Lesson 18
SMILE...because it is the most wonderful experience of your life!

Pet Store

2007-12-07T09:10:00.001-08:00

Bob's sister Brandi is in love with this huge Pet Store. She wanted to show us around.

We were amazed by this talking parrot! At first you didn't realize it was the parrot telling you 'hello'!
Brandi loved this new little puppy. It was so small and cuddly!
Brayden and Colby looking at mice with their cousin Max.
This was the puppy that Brayden was so devasted to leave behind! He wanted to take it home so bad!
Here's the scary crocodile
Nana lifting Colby up to see the birds keeping their new eggs warm.

Thanksgiving at the Beach!

2007-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Colby recently learned how to write him name - and he loved showing off his new skill in the sand!
Bob and Brayden trying to throw Uncle Craig in the FREEZING water!
Brayden proudly showing me his new shell collection that Nana helped him find.

Colby started crawling on the beach like spiderman and Bob thought it looked like fun!
Brayden excited to be here!
I wanna be just like Grandpa!
Mommy & Me

Pics from North Carolina

2007-12-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry it took so long to post pics - my computer was doing something funky. Anyhow, here are some pics from our trip! We went to an Aquarium and saw lots of fish! We all had a lot of fun!

Here is Dan (Bob's dad), Craig (Bob's brother), Sharon (Bob's mom), Brayden, me and Colby at the beginning of our Aquarium adventure!

My Boys & Mr Crocodile!Petting the Sting Rays
Getting to know the Horse Shoe Crab
Colby loves Uncle Craig!
Brayden volunteered for a part in the Jellyfish life cycle. He was so cute!

We're back!!!...Finally!

2007-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

We had an extra long, fun Thanksgiving vacation at the in-laws in North Carolina! All my hubby's family was able to come (except my brother-in-laws wife, Cynthia, whom I missed desperately!!). It was neat to have everyone together again because we are now spread out over 4 states!
Pictures will follow - just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive!! ;)