Life is Sweet

Camping

2011-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

This year we only went camping a couple times. We had a ward campout at Mutual Dell - and Landon and I went home at midnight, and then we camped at Granite Flats which was very nice. This spring was cool and wet through June - so I feel like our summer got started late.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2011-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

July 4th 2011

2011-11-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Dallin and Ella Rode in the command car for the Freedom Festival Parade. Uncle Scott drove and Grandpa Stokes rode in the back. They loved it, Scott had to hot wire the car to start, and their were the usual bumps along the way.

We love the 4th of July parade!

Landon loved the parade - especially the marching bands.

July 2011 - Park Day

2011-11-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Yeah! We finally got a new camera! Now we can take better photos of the cutest kids ever!

Spring Baseball 2011

2011-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

Dallin is an awesome baseball player! He didn't strike out all season! Toward the end of the season, he told Ryan that he could hit it a lot harder, but he didn't want to because it stung his hands! This team was so fun, because we had so many friends on it.

Hiking and Flying Kites

2011-11-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

Flying kites...

Hiking...

Sand Angel...

Lots of time together.

St. Patricks Day 2011

2011-11-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't get these up in order, but here is Ella's Leprechan trap. She said that she had one eye open most of the night, but the little guy still got away with her money and some spinach. (Leprechan's like spinach because it is green - of course!) Luckily he left her a few treats.

Day Out With Thomas

2011-11-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Landon Loves Thomas!

He was so excited to go ride on him!

Maybe they could do a little better with Sir Topham Hat! Really - who is this guy!

Green Smoothies

2011-11-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yum!

Our Elk Herd

2011-11-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

These are our elk! We love them. They come right up behind our house.

Making French Toast

2011-11-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ryan is known as the best French Toast maker at our house.

It must be because he has the best help!

Early Spring 2011

2011-11-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

St. George.

We hiked in Zions with the Saxtons!

Games

This is what spring looks like at our house.

Lots of snow!

Baby Ella to 3 years old...

2011-04-12T12:49:00.001-07:00

Here is sweet Ella. My labor was scary fast (too fast for the epidural to kick in) and Dr. Hoff let Ryan deliver her. The first thing I thought when I saw her, was that she was so tiny! I was induced 11 days early to try to make labor easier than it had been with Dallin, and I worried if she was big enough. At 8 lbs. 11 oz., I guess we didn't have to worry.Dallin loved her right away - she did come with a book and a little tool set for him! He called her Ewa and would just sit and watch her. He would clap when she rolled over which she did often, starting when she was only 4 days old!Here is Ella on her 1st Birthday. She was such a sweetheart and an easy baby! She slept in a swing at the foot of Ryan and I's bed until she was several months old. And even then she was a good sleeper and a great napper! She would get her blanket and her baby and stand by her crib until I put her in for a nap.

This is Ella at 2. Holding a snake no less. Her darling little curls stayed right around her ears until she was almost 4. Ella is a sweet little mommies girl and is so darling. She loves babies and dresses. She is definately a girly girl. We love her!

Ella at 3. She is super cute, and loves her new baby brother.

Ella started dance in the fall and loves it. She is super smart and good at everything that she does.

Ella's Birthday...6!!

2011-04-09T20:40:00.001-07:00

My baby girl has turned 6! I can't believe it! I told her to stay little and stop getting older, and she said that she would maybe after she turns 8!

Ella really wanted a friend party, and even though I didn't, she won...it is her birthday after all. So we just invited the friends she plays with all the time. We ended up with 5 cute little girls, and Owen.

We used my favorite mis-matched china. Girls are so fun. Dallin, Ella and I made some tissue poms and I made a cute Ella banner.

At the party, we decorated bags for an egg hunt, made flower clips and egg pets. It was very nice and mellow.

Happy Birthday Ella! I love you!

Snowmobile Sledding and Valentine's Date

2011-04-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

However much I pretend not to love the snowmobiles, they really are a lot of fun! We packed the kids, some snacks, and the sleds on the sleds and left for a fun afternoon.

Landon loved the snowmobile! I thought he would prefer sledding down the hill to riding on the snowmobile, but there was no contest. He takes after his dad.

Sledding is also more fun, when you have a lift to the top of the hill.

For Valentines Day this year Ryan and I went to the back side of Timp, found a nice vista and drank Hot Cocoa (well Ryan drank cider of course), while the sun went down. It was really pretty and a great date!

The Worst Month of Dad's Life!

2011-04-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

My dad has been through the fire! At the end of January, Ryan and I and the kids met my parents in St. George for the weekend. My dad was working on fixing the kids 4 wheeler wheel and was feeling great when we got there. (He had just had double knee replacements in June, and was now really feeling good.) He read the kids a story before they went to bed and then Ryan and I stayed up with him and my mom to play cards. That night we were woken by my mom yelling "Callie! Help! Callie!" Ryan and I ran down the hall. My dad was unresponsive, he couldn't talk, and we didn't know if he could understand us. Ryan called the paramedics right away. It took them FOREVER to get there! Once they did, they did some checking - my mom was pretty sure that he had had a seizure. They loaded him in the ambulance and drove him down to the hospital. Mom and I jumped in the truck and went down. When we got there, he was able to talk which was such a relief, but his blood pressure was dropping. He was telling us that his arms and chest hurt. The ER ran EKG's (3) and said something wasn't right, but it didn't look like a heart attack. They took him back to do a CAT and then came back and told us to wait in a trauma room because he wasn't doing well. STRESS!

When they brought him back, he was still telling us his arms hurt, everyone attributed hurting arms to the seizure. The nurse said that, "a miracle had happened in there", and his blood pressure was holding. The CAT scan didn't show any tumors or lesions (great?!). They said that if someone over 40 has a seizure and hasn't before, there usually is a reason. My mom noticed a large lump on his right arm and called the doctor back in. They went to look at the scan and came back and said he had broke his shoulder. They had x-ray come in and take several extremely painful x-rays, then the orthopedic surgeon came in. He told us that dad had dislocated both shoulders and broken the heads off of both of his humerus bones! This brought up the question of what had happened again - no one could believe that he could have broken both shoulders so severely while in bed! (Dad started referring to it as a horrible sleeping accident!) Really he just might be superman! Now we were admitted to the hospital - after first unsuccessfully trying to re-locate the dislocated shoulders.

The good news about finally knowing at least part of what was wrong, was that he could finally get some pain medication! He waited hours with nothing - and you would have had no idea what he was going through, because he doesn't complain. Not that the pain medication could do much, but maybe take the edge off. Now they started test after test. What caused the seizure? They did an echo cardiogram and ran blood tests for heart function. They did a second CAT scan They did an MRI to check his brain, and spinal chord. They did EEG to test brain function. They found a heart murmur that he has had for a long time, but other than that they couldn't say what could have caused the seizure. My dad was his usual smiling self throughout. Doctors and nurses would come in and say, "What are you smiling about?!"

The orthopedic surgeon came in to talk about surgery.

Dad, "Can you do it today?",

him, "How about tomorrow?"

Dad, "Can you do both at the same time?"

Him, "I guess we could."

So we then are getting ready for surgery in the morning. The anesthesiologist recommended one at a time, so we ended up doing the right one that day (Sunday, Jan. 30), and the left one the next (Monday, Jan. 31). The surgeries went well, they had to remove the broken humerus head and put in a titanium head that hammers into the bone, and then attach the muscle over the top of it to hold it in place. The surgeon said he does a lot of these, and dad's was as bad as he had seen - and he hadn't ever seen 2 so bad. (Dad is good at doing stuff well. The knee surgeon said almost the same thing about how bad his knees were!) He had torn his rotator cuff years ago and they had to do some extra work to reattach all that muscle. Ryan and I went home, and my poor mom was left alone in St. George to handle all this. No one at the hospital realized the extent of Dad's injuries (he still was smiling) and every time anyone came in they would pat his shoulders or try to move him, so it was really exhausting to have to explain to everyone not to move him or touch him, especially on no sleep and extreme stress - and we didn't dare leave him!

A cardiologist came in and said that dad had a valve that wasn't working properly and would need open heart surgery. The cardiac surgeon came and said that he probably shouldn't have had the shoulder surgeries, (too much stress on a valve that wasn't working properly) but since everything went well, he guessed that was OK. They had run all the tests, and couldn't really tell us much.

They released dad on Thursday night - he had been in the hospital 6 days, but was still doing really bad. We didn't want him to be released! He was on oxygen, blacking out and feeling really horrible. Traci and I drove down to help mom get him home. We were all stressed out. He couldn't get out of pain, couldn't get comfortable, couldn't sleep. And couldn't move his arms at all! My mom went back to work for 2 days, and threw out her back. The next week, dad had an appointment for a consultation with the cardiac surgeon in Salt Lake. Dad tells Linda and Diane he is having surgery, we say he isn't, it is just a consult. Traci meets mom and dad there and calls me on the phone and tells me they have admitted dad - he has talked the Doctor into doing the surgery tomorrow!! MORE STRESS!!

We all try to spend as much time with dad as possible before. They tell us he will be in surgery for 4 hours! At 3 hours they call mom and tell her they have found some surprises and will be closer to 6 hours. We wait. Finally the doctor comes out and tells us, "He must have known that he had to get in right away. He could have died any time." He explained that they went in to fix the valve that was bicuspid rather than tri-cuspid (birth defect), and found calcium deposits that were open to the blood stream and powdery, they found 2 aneurysms; one on his ascending aorta, and another just below the valve they replaced (that one was so thin that you could see through it), and had a hole in his heart, another birth defect. They had to cool his body down to stop his blood pumping for 4 minutes. But after all that... he was doing well. And the surgery was behind us, and best of all the surgeon thinks that his heart most likely caused the seizure.

Wonderful! All fixed. Now he just has several more months of rehab ahead of him. It all probably happened for a reason - but man it has been hard!

Busy Summer!

2011-02-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

I completely changed our decorating style last summer. We went from traditional to shabby chic in just a few months. I painted 28 pieces of furniture that we kept, and at least that many accessories. I sold a lot too. I painted and sold 4 headboards, 4 coffee tables, 2 dressers, 3 couches (didn't paint them), a desk, several end tables, a vanity, a small island, 3 bed tables, 4 chairs, and refinished a table and chairs for a good friend... whew, it makes me tired just thinking about it. And I can't wait to get started again ... as soon as it gets warm.

New Years Eve 2010

2011-02-25T08:06:00.001-08:00

We have a new New Years Tradition. We head down to St. George, and have a nice family dinner followed by fireworks. This year we added a marshmallow roast. It is so much fun and the kids LOVE it! I'm not sure why it looks like it is snowing in this picture! Once again our lovely camera.

It was very sticky and very cold.

Ryan and Brett setting the show.

So much fun!

Dad and Tyge. Landon had to have his own seat.

Mom and Ella, and Wyatt and Dallin.

Christmas Day 2010

2011-02-23T15:29:00.001-08:00

So much fun! The kids wait in our bed until everyone wakes up...this year we waited for an hour for Landon! That is patience! Just the beginning... only a few gifts.

Ella's corner.

Landon loved trains this year. He is a train kid!

Messier...messier...

And here it is. I know some of my friends would start having panic attacks if this was their living room (Jana). But Ryan thinks if you clean up you are not having fun. FYI, this is also his philosophy on the other 364 days of the year.

And then off to Grandma Bott's for more gifts, more mess and more fun! On a side note... Santa asked Landon what he wanted for Christmas. Landon answered a train. Santa asked if he wanted anything else, and Landon said, um, a train. Then santa gave Landon a zhu zhu pet... Santa really blew it! Still months later, if you ask Landon what Santa brought him he says, not a train.

Ella at long last got a real live pet...a fish, named Lily. You have never seen a happier little pet lover! Too bad Lily only lived one week! I was gone and Ella came in and told Ryan that Lily was floating on her side with one eye open and one eye closed. Ella wasn't too sad though, Lily had lived a good life and Ella was pretty sure that Lily was off to visit Sea World or maybe Disneyland!

December 2010

2011-02-23T15:14:00.001-08:00

I love winter here. It is snowy and it storms and makes you want to curl up with a blanket, kids, and a book. It makes Christmas feel very cozy.

I totally love it, until about January 3rd... then I am ready for it to all melt.

Very minimal decorating this year. A tree, and not too much else.

Temple Square 2010

2011-02-23T14:38:00.001-08:00

We went to Temple Square on December 5th. It was really foggy and so cool! The fog made everything glow and have a really neat feeling.

Landon and Grandpa Bott

Before the night was over all three kids were wet. All the fountains and pools just can't be left untouched! Even through gloves and coats. Really,why would we even expect it.

Nothing beats a nativity to bring the Christmas spirit.

Halloween 2010

2011-02-23T14:13:00.001-08:00

It's OK to post Halloween photo's in February right? Not really, but oh well. Halloween was awesome this year! We again had dinner with Saxton's and then all went out to trick or treat the neighborhood. It's officially a tradition now. Landon refused to have anyone carry him or his candy and probably would be still out right now if we would have let him.

My excuse for my lack of blogging, is that our camera has been not working well -for a long time! I really need to break down and buy a new one, but I want a nice one and don't want to make a mistake. Jana has pretty much sold me on the Cannon G12. Does anyone have a nice camera they love?

Family Photos 2010

2011-01-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

After scheduling and rescheduling 3 times... we finally found a day that worked.

I love this picture because they each look like they usually do!

Fairview Cabin

2010-09-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the cabin! The swing was so fun - everyone went from the top several times.

We had a great campfire and smores, but we slept horribly! As we were going to sleep, a bat was waking up and there was a lot of noises to keep Ryan and I up all night!

We love the Farm!

2010-09-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

A fun horse and buggy ride! Thanksgiving Point is awesome!

First Day of School

2010-09-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Ella is very ready and excited for kindergarten!

First Grade! I can't believe my little boy is in 1st grade! Dallin's favorite thing about 1st grade is lunch!

Landon is not happy about Dallin and Ella being gone. He asks several times a day, "Can we go get Ella?, Can we go get Dallin?"

Ella and Will

2010-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ella spent a lot of the summer with a new best friend, Will. Will is very easy to get along with. Ella would say, "Will, lets go water the plants.", (find bugs, explore, etc.) and Will would say, "OK Ella."

Camping

2010-09-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ella caught a fish! She reeled it in before any of us knew she had it. She told Ryan I think I feel something, and Ryan, busy baiting everyones fishing pole said, "uh huh." Ella and Owen are so much fun! Our kids are pretty much up for anything, but if Ella and Owen are going to be there, then they are definately up for it! (Even if it is having a picnic and hiking when it is really cold, and I didn't bring them anything warm!)

Camping is getting more fun each year. Not so fun with a newborn, and only a little better with a 1 year old. This year we camped on Monday nights. It's awesome because there aren't very many people out camping on Monday night! Thanks for the pictures Jana!

Sand Hollow

2010-09-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

The last few years we have gone down to St. George and gone boating at Sand Hollow. Boating is the best, and we enjoy spending time with the Harrison's and Ohran's.

Dallin, "We're not going to make it!"

Landon's first tube ride!

Cupcakes

2010-09-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Grandma Bott is a cupcake chef! And here is the proof...

Hiking Timp

2010-09-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

The goats were awesome! Their were a lot of them, and we had never seen them jumping and climbing like they were.

The view from the saddle.

The view from the top. We started at 5 am and it was so packed that we had to park almost a mile up the canyon from the Timpanooke Trail Head! We did the whole hike in about 7 1/2 hours. It was about 4 up and 3 1/2 down.

Silver Lake Flats

2010-09-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

We've been hiking a lot this summer. Dallin and Ella are really tough and can do some pretty good hikes now, and Landon is a lot easier as well. Ryan had the morning off, so we drove up to Silver Lake Flats and then hiked to Silver Lake. It was beautiful and we had the trail to ourselves.

Orem Fest

2010-09-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

George's vehicles are so awesome! The last few years he has been saying that it's his last year doing the parades, but each year he is back at it. We love seeing Grandpa Stokes in the parades!

Orem Fest is like Halloween, only less work. You sit on the curb, and people throw handfuls of candy at you. Needless to say, my kids like it better than the 4th of July parade!

Fireworks!!

2010-09-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Sparklers are the best!

Unless you are 2!

I love Dallin's face on this one!

Zions!

2010-09-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

We havn't been to Zions in such a long time! We have never ridden the trams, and this was the first time the kids have been there. We hiked Emerald Pools, and walked to Weeping Rock. We all loved it!

Ella built a sand castle at the upper pool, and caught tadpoles.

First Days of Summer

2010-09-21T05:40:00.001-07:00

Dallin and Ryan went catfishing with Grandpa Bott and Uncle Cory.

And it wouldn't be summer without catching a snake in Grandma Debbie's and Grandpa Bruce's
backyard.

Last Days of School

2010-09-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

We made an army jeep for the Kindy 500 - and when I say we I mean Ryan and I, up all night, the night before.

Preschool Graduation! We will sure miss Mrs. Chris. But Ella is officially ready for college.

I've Been Painting

2010-07-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

I have finally settled on a decorating style. I really like any decor done well, but right now, I love Shabby Chic and Country and Cottage (really I don't know the difference). I love decorating with white. I love the casual look of painted furniture that has been distressed. So I have started re-doing my house. Now that it is warm, I can usually paint a piece or two a week. I got this little vanity at a yard sale a few weeks ago and I love it! And Ella loves it!

Ella's room is finally starting to feel a little more put together! I am going to work on her dresser in the next few weeks!

I just finished this headboard today and I like it, but I don't know if I'll keep it. First off, we have a queen bed and this is a king. And second, Shayla found me another beautiful one. But I do like the white, and having options is so fun!

Disneyland 2010

2010-05-18T10:43:00.001-07:00

Our annual trip to Disneyland was a hit! Laurie and Ashley came with us, which was a lot of fun! We packed in 3 days at the park and fit in the beach as well. All in all we had a great time!

Laurie, Ashley, Ella, Ryan and Dallin on Grizzly River Rafting.

One of our favorite things was the new Toy Story ride! And Dallin's salsa dancing in Playhouse Disney Live on Stage was also very memorable!

Dallin and Ella buying their cotton candy to watch the parade.

Waiting to see if Dallin could get into the Jedi Training Acadamy. He didn't, but it definately wasn't for a lack of jumping up and down when they asked for volenteers!

Landon's favorite ride was Winney the Pooh. Dallin's favorite was Star Tours and Thunder Mountain. Ella's was Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and It's a Small World. Ella turned to Ryan on their way up Space Mountain for her first time and said, "The most important thing is that we have fun." She was a little scared, but good at disguising it.

Dallin and Ella are getting so big! We didn't spend much time in Fantasy Land this trip! And Ella didn't care to take pictures with Princesses. I'm a little sad.

We left Disneyland early to head for Newport beach. It was a little cool , (we are used to cool beaches) so there was almost no one there. We had a picnic and saw dolphins! This was Landon's first time at the beach, (so sad!) There is just something about the ocean. This is definately what I miss most about living in California.

April in St. George

2010-05-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

We have such a great time in St. George! We play from morning till night and the kids are so happy because their best friends, Tyge and Wyatt are with them. This trip we found some very cool narrows, a great bike course in Bloomington, and had a fun Easter Egg hunt to celebrate Ella's birthday.

Ella's 5th Birthday!

2010-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

We worked hard to convince Ella that a family party would be more fun that a friend party - I am going to try to hold off on friend parties as long as possible! So Ella chose to go bowling and to JCW for shakes (where Landon licked ketchup out of a little cup while the rest of us had shakes!)

Dallin and Ella both bowled stikes and spares! Landon loved rolling the ball down the ramp.

Easter Sunday

2010-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter! The anual hunt at the park at Grandma Bott's, the Easter Bunny's Hunt at our house, another egg hunt in Grandma Bott's back yard, and the first ever St. George egg hunt for Ella's Birthday! That is a lot of candy!

Ella changed her clothes right when she woke up, because she had strong feelings about what should be worn to an Easter Egg Hunt. She also ran into our room Easter morning and said, "The Easter Beagle Came!"

Landon, after having an Easter Egg hunt yesterday, new what to expect. He would get an egg and yell "Tweat!", open and eat what was inside, and then move on to another.

The Easter Bunny brought Dallin a lightsaber.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2010-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

We colored a ton of eggs this year.

And we even went Easter Egg rolling - something I have been telling the kids that we would do for the last couple years. The problem has been, that it has been cold the week after Easter, but this year we just bundled up, went up the canyon and "rolled" our eggs. It was great!

Waving Bye

2010-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

You can't see it well, but Ryan's arm is out the window waving "bye" to the kids. He waves until he rounds the corner and they can't see him anymore. Dallin and Ella have had the discussion whether or not Dad waves bye all the way till he gets to work, it was undecided.

Tyge's Meatball

2010-03-25T15:18:00.001-07:00

The bottom line is, Landon LOVES food. Even if it is not his. Especially if it is not his.

Spring Skiing

2010-03-25T14:58:00.001-07:00

We took Dallin and Ella to Alta for "Ski Free after 3" a couple times this week. Ryan took them on his own on Saturday, and I went with them this week. They are both great skiiers for having gone only a handful of times. This was only Ella's second time at a resort - she snowmobile skiid last year.

Snowplowing down a hill is really a pretty good workout! I was tired after a couple hours. Taking kids reminds me of skiing when I was young - when you fall, everything is going in the wrong direction, and the tow rope is a joke!

I dropped my poles on the lift and Ella said, "Well, there go your sticks."

So all they could do was to sit, sit, sit, sit!

2010-03-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

This picture reminds me of The Cat in the Hat. I just didn't get my camera out when they were actually sitting in the chairs. Dallin and Ella anxiously watched out the window for a half hour for Grandma Bott to come pick them up to take them to the theater.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2010-03-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

What 33 year old doesn't want to go to Boondocks and play Nascar for his birthday?! Actually it was really fun, Ryan snowmobiled in the morning, and then we went to dinner and Boondocks. The kids loved it.

Utah Lake

2010-03-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

We went out to the Lake with Ohrans and Harrison's to see how the ice had been pushed up into ice mountains. It was very cool and the ice mountains were made up of thousands of crystals. All the boys and Ella loved to throw rocks in the lake.

Snowman

2010-03-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

We had put off making a snowman all winter, and the last few times it snowed, the powder wouldn't pack. So at long last, the first weekend in March we made our snowman.

We Need Some Prince's Over Here

2010-03-10T09:18:00.001-08:00

Poor Sleeping Beauty has no one to dance with.

I love the red parachute guy. And Chewie. Ella is creative and has been working around the no Prince's in the house problem for a while now. Everyone is having a great time at the ball, until Dallin comes and finds Luke Skywalker and even Darth Vader spending their free time dancing with princesses. Lets just say he isn't too happpy about it, and often the ball ends early.

Bott Family Photo Shoot

2010-02-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

I think I have decided that I am a long hair person.

I look at these pictures and I miss my long hair!

This may be my favorite.

Married 10 years!!

Cute Landon had just started walking - right around 15 months.

We had a family photo shoot in November 2009 (Our first since I have been in the family!). I love the pictures. Even though it doesn't seem like it is worth the tears and bribes, when you get the pictures, it is. (Maybe that's why the school pictures didn't turn out - no tears or bribes!)

As I am updating this blog, Jami and Shannon are discussing leg wrestling and who actually ever beat Kira in it (right now the tally is only Jami and Shannon's Dad).

2009 in Retrospective

2010-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! I have committed myself to blogging more! This should be easy, since my last post was February 2008. First, a look back at 2009. A quick look. These were some memorable moments as this year flew by....

A Christmas morning sword fight.

My parents gave the boys Nerf guns (perfect because guns are "it" right now for Dallin, and Wyatt and Tyge just likes "Bad Guys") for Christmas and they had an hour Nerf fight. It is still recalled in a play by play to anyone who asks them how Christmas was. Ella put fairy wings on and stole bullets from Ryan, Uncle Brett, and Grandpa Bruce. She was nicknamed the "ammo fairy".

The lights at Temple Square. The kids were very interested in the Christmas Story this year and Ella had to derail because she wasn't sure that we had seen the "all of it" (We saw "all of it" twice!)

Traci and Brett found this awesome BMX course in Virgin and we have since been back 3 or 4 times. It is a riot.

The cutest little black cat and monkey ever! We spent Halloween Trick or Treating with the Saxton's. Dallin was sick even before we were done - he had been getting a treat - eating a treat. He asked Ryan to make sure he didn't eat any more candy for 3 days!

Yes, that is Anakin Skywalker in that tree.

Hiking Stewart Falls. Laurie was at Sundance and so we rode the lift, attended some Blue Bird Cafe's (awesome), went to the Symphony on the 4th (the old guy ringing it up about a march), and went to the Summer Theater with the kids.

Sand Hollow in the Fall. Boating, swimming, surfing, cliff jumping.

I LOVE where we live! Mornings are beautiful - this is the sun coming up. But nights are even better! The sun on the mountains, the moon rising, the quiet. Not to mention our awesome neighbors!

August - Ella starts Pre-school with Miss Chris. She was so excited to go to school and to ride the bus! She still loves it! Every day is a great story, but one of my favorites is when one of her friends told her that she didn't want to be friends anymore, Ella came home and thought about it and then, the next day told her, "Sorry, Once you are friends, you can't say you're not."
One afternoon when Ella was telling me how she was playing with two little girls and just decided to ask them, Do you want to be my friend? "and they did Mom!" ...Dallin said, "that's funny, I lost a friend today", apparently one of his friends had been less than enthusiastic when Dallin was informing him on the latest Dinosaur facts. Luckily, all friendships have been restored.

Dallin starts Kindergarten. He has anxiety about school and definately doesn't want to ride the bus! One ongoing story from Dallin was that "a mean girl" at his table would say "who cares" every time he said anything no matter how many times he would say "I do!"

Emmerson set up his big screen in our back yard and we had an outdoor showing of Kung Fu Panda. We wanted to get it in before school started, and it was awesome - even with the light rain and wind.

June 24th, 2009 - Landon is 1! We had a swimming party at Bott's and then cake, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Dallin and Ella barely touched theirs when they turned 1, but Landon was happy to dig in - I'm not sure whether it was his love of food, or love of messes that urged him on.

My parents bought a house in St. George and it has been awesome! We went down about once a month beginning in July. We swam, hiked, biked, had water fights, did fireworks, and just played with cousins. This is on a little hike to some great petroglyphs.

We love taking the kids camping! We don't get much sleep and it really is impressive how dirty the kids get, but it is fun. The last 2 years we have camped at Silver Lake Flats. This year we attemped a lenghthy hike the next morning - it proved to be too much for sleep deprived little hikers. Luckily Aunt Ash was with us to distract Ella with bouquets of flowers.

I love Thanksgiving Point! With it being so close - we were there once a week if not more. It is the perfect place for the kids to get out of the house. We spent days at the Gardens, Dinosaur Museum, and Farm, and often it was like we were the only ones there.

Three monkeys in the car after a long walk out to the airshow. You've got to love the Blue Angels though!

Ella stole the show at her Years End Dance Performance! After she got on the wrong spot (it could happen to anyone) and reduced another little dancer to tears, she sweetly kept trying to coax her back into the dance, all while still performing. It really was much more entertaining than the original!

Disneyland was wonderful this year! Landon's first trip. We all loved the jungle cruise, and Landon especially loved Buzz Lightyear. Every time we got off he would start signing more - with emphasis. Ella loved seeing the princesses and even got to dance in the parade. Both Dallin and Ella say their favorite ride this year was Star Tours - and "maybe next time" they will want to give the Jedi Training Academy a shot. There really is something magical about Disneyland.

This is Ella on her 4th Birthday. We had our first "friend birthday party". We had 18 kids over - I think we will push for family party's from here out. But it is April 8th and notice the snow still on our back lawn.

Easter was wet, but not too cold this year. Both Dallin and Ella really got into the egg hunt at Grandma Bott's - they even "practiced" at home so they could snatch up a lot of eggs.

Ryan spent every free moment snowmobiling - and after a small accident to his original Ski Doo, bought a new 2008 Ski Doo - who is often referred to as his baby. I was assured that we wouldn't keep both, but here we are a year later with 2 snowmobiles in the garage -and the wrecked one he lovingly tells me is mine.

In January 2009, we went to Island Park, just outside of Yellowstone, with our friends the Harrison's. It was beautiful and a lot of fun. It was really nice to sled in and out of the cabin!

This is Christmas 2008, Landon's first Christmas. Landon was the most laid back baby! He would just sit on your lap and observe. He must of been saving up, because now he is a terror! This Christmas was filled with dress ups for Ella and jets for Dallin.

Swimming

2008-03-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend in St. George with my family. It was really nice to spend several days together, and other than a short hike in Snow Canyon, and swimming, we just hung around the house. Swimming with Dallin is always eventful though - he thinks he can swim - and he can't. He is great at holding his breath and doesn't seem to be bothered when he inhales pool water, but Ryan and I can't relax. Right from the start Ryan had to jump in the pool with his clothes on to grab Dallin from under the water (and really it's like the 3rd or 4th time that has happened). I guess it's time for those survival swim lessons!

Disneyland

2008-03-04T08:38:00.001-08:00

We decided to take a quick trip to Disneyland - who knows when we'll be back. We actually really enjoy going with the kids. I'm someone who never liked Disneyland - until we first took the kids two years ago and had a great time.

It rained for 2 of the 3 days we were there. In this picture you get an idea of how rainy it was. It didn't really bother us though and on our second day there we pulled a 15 hour day! We also got the dream fast passes.

Ella's favorite thing was seeing the Princesses. I'm really not sure where she gets all her girly girlness, but it's not from me! Now that we are back, Ella is posing for pictures with her animals and signing autographs - and of course she has to be wearing a dress!

Tagged - I'm it.

2008-02-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

1. Ten Years Ago....... I was 20! I was coaching at Marlowes, checking the mailbox at least daily for a letter from Ryan, and planning a trip to Europe with Leslie.

2. Five Things on My To-Do List.......Call Primary kids (never ending), clean house (always on the list!), get our yard planned, go to Costco, and do our taxes.

3. Things I Enjoy..... Family time, Walks, Reading, Girls night out, and the Office

4. What Would I Do if I Were a Billionaire...... Buy a boat, a house, hire a maid, travel, and try to stay semi level headed

5. Three Bad Habits..... Seriously - I can't think of any! Just kidding. Eating when I'm not hungry, waiting until the last minute to do something, and letting unimportant things bother me.

6. Places I Have Lived....... Orem, Salt Lake City, Belmont, San Mateo, Pleasant Grove and now Draper.

7. Five jobs I Have Had..... Coaching Gymnastics at Missy Marlowes and at the kids program at the U of U, Womens Shoes at Nordstrom in San Mateo, Teaching 5th grade in San Jose, and the most difficult and demanding and rewarding of all: being a mom.

8. Five Things People Don't know About Me....... I can't waste stuff (it's genetic), I'm a bargain shopper (some might say cheap), I'm a little obsessive about keeping track of finances, I don't think I'm a dog person anymore, and I don't cook.

5 People I am Tagging.... Jana, Jami, Shannon, and Kira

Suncrest

2008-02-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ryan and Dallin snowmobiling behind our house (until our neighbor got mad).

Dallin sledding down one of the hills made from shoveling our driveway - we are seriously considering a snow blower.

Ella helping out.

I don't ever remember a winter like this! It hit 40 degrees yesterday and I felt like it was Spring! It is beautiful up here - but man there is a lot of snow. I'm a little worried that the snow might never melt. I've always liked winter, but something about having a two and four year old and being pregnant puts a damper on winter activities. It takes us easily half an hour to get ready to go outside! At least Ryan is loving it. We watch the weather and he is looking forward to the next storm and I'm just happy if the temperature will be above freezing.

Up and Blogging

2008-02-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

OK. I have finally got my blog going - mostly due to threats from Jami and Shannon that they would start one for me (and I'm sure that it would have been filled with great photos and comments). So here we go.