Happily ever after

Sprucedale Ranch

2011-08-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of July I took the kids up to Sprucedale Ranch for one last summer get away before school started. And it was an adventure from beginning to end. Dave wasn't able to go with us so my sister and I caravaned up there, well about 3 hours into the drive it was suppose to be a 6 hr drive) all of a sudden my car started to overheat as we were going up a canyon. So I pull over of course call Dave freaking out, I then call our mechanic who happens to be a good friend in our ward. He had actually worked on the car the night before, so we figure out that the radiator cap wasn't tightened all the way. So I THINK I've tightened it all the way so we get back in the car and as soon as we make it out of the canyon it starts over heating again. So I pull over again and call our friend once more he's thinking he didn't do something properly but is sure that he can fix it. So he, his wife and Dave jump in their car and head out to come fix it.

My sister and I debate about what we should do, we are about an hour from Showlow and it will be at least 3 hours till help arrives for the car. We have 7 children between the two of us and they are all getting hungry and already tired of being in cars. As horrible as this may seem to some we all piled in her minivan. We really had no other choice, we really didn't feel comfortable sitting on the side of the road with 7 children. So we loaded her car up with as much of my stuff as we possibly could and carefully made our way to Showlow. Once there we grabbed some food for the kids and found a park we could hang out at till we figured out my car situation. I wish I had taken a picture of all of us piled in her car it was pretty crazy, and you should have seen the looks we got as we were all climbing out of her car at the park. It was like one of those clowns cars where people just kept on coming.

We spent about 4 hours at the park waiting for my car to get fixed, turns out it was just the radiator cap needed to be tightened. I felt so stupid for not being able to tighten it enough, apparently you have to twist and press down and lock it into place. Not just twist, so next time I'll know better. So once we had the car back we all piled back into our cars and finished the rest of the drive. Sprucedale is located just outside of Alpine, AZ and as a child I use to spend my summers camping in this area. I love it up there, and as we were driving there it was so sad to see the devastation that happened up theredue to the Wallow fire. But I must say that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was still very beautiful and things were starting to turn green. It was so worth the drive and the long day, to be out in the mountains and enjoy the cool weather wasamazing.

The kids got to ride horses, milk the cows, feed the animals, practice and participate for in rodeo. They loved it! It was so nice not having TVs, phones, video games or computers around my kids were outside playing from sun up till sun down. And when it was time for bed they were out really quickly. It reminded me of how when I was a kid I was always outside playing, my mom would have to make us come inside. The kids loved getting dirty, finding frogs and catching insects.

We did have one injury the day before we were to come home, Jaden was out on a horse back ride and the horse got spooked. I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened but he says the horse reared back and then tookoff running. He tried to hold on as best he could but eventually fell off, his leg took most of the fall, hitting a large rock. He was pretty shaken up but had to get back on a horse and ride the rest of the way. I met up with them at another ranch and he was acting so brave, I didn't realize how bad it really was. He didn't break anything but WOW he has the largest hematoma. Needless to say he took it easy the rest of the trip.

The last night there we got to have a little skit night with all of the ranch hands and the other families that were staying there. The kids had so much fun, I loved seeing the sparkle in their eyes. It was such a fun trip that my kids will always remember, Cole keeps asking when can he go back to the ranch.

Jaden Practicing for the rodeo, before his fall.

They even let the little kids participate in the rodeo, here's Cole riding with Mr. Whitney during the rodeo.

My best friends daughter Isabelle went with us, she was such a big help with Maci.

It was so beautiful up there, every where I looked was the perfect picture!

Here's the whole gang, as we were getting ready to leave. My mom has been working there the whole summer as the head cook. It was so good to see her! The staff there is amazing, they were all so willing to help withe kids and get you anything you need.

2011-06-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am enjoying dressing up a little girl, I just had fun with this outfit!!! So I had to take a few pics of her in it.

2011-06-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Maci Brooke Knudsen

2011-06-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

So we have a new addition to our family! (yes i know I am a few months behind on posting this)Her name is Maci Brooke Knudsen she was born on March 9, 2011 weighing 7lb 14oz and was 21 1/2in long. We were kind of in shock to say the least when we found out we were having a girl, but we now can't imagine life without her. She is such an easy going baby, sleeps well, has the sweetest temperament and she has made our family complete. As I post this she is now 3 months old weighs 15lbs and is 24 1/2 inches long. She loves to smile and is starting to roll over. I must say that I am loving having a girl, buying cute outfits, making bows and flowers for her to wear. I love dressing her up and I can't help but buy her a cute outfit when I see one. Dave thinks she has enough clothes but I beg to differ. Her brothers love her so much, when she cries it's not for long. They are rushing to her side and trying to make her smile. I love to watch them with her. She will definitely be a very spoiled little girl with three big brothers and her daddy wrapped around her fingers.

This is two days before I was induced

4th of July

2010-09-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Normally we spend every year in Holbrook with Dave's family for the 4Th of July, but this year we were able to spend it in Albuquerque, NM. With some of our amazing friends, we love to go back to Abq and visit. This visit was extra special because we were able to spend some time with some friends that we hadn't seen in a couple of years.
We were able to head up there on the 1st and spent the first couple of days with our friends the Ritchies, they have six awesome kids. Which two of them happen to be Jaden and Ty's best friends so they were in heaven being able be with them 24/7. Of course I forgot to take any pics of them together but they had a fun time playing and watching movies. We got to hang out with some our friends from our old ward, it felt just like old times. We really do miss our good friends from Abq.
We got to spend the 4Th and 5Th with our friends the Neidigs, they moved from Abq about the same time we had. So it's been awhile since we have seen them, And during that time Chad the father of the family was diagnosed with stage 4 b-cell lymphoma. Which when we got that news last year Dave and I were devastated, these friends are like family to us and my heart just ached at the struggles that I knew knew they would face. So for the past year Chad had been under going a new trial treatment for his cancer and although there were some very scary times. (we almost lost him last Oct to pneumonia) He is now doing great and so far is disease free, so we were really looking froward to spending some time with them and seeing for ourselves that he was well.
So we had an wonderful 4Th relaxing and swimming and just catching up and enjoying each others company.

Jaden, Cole, Ty, Liam and Hailey

Amy and I

Chad and Dave

Family Vacation 2010

2010-08-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Better Late than never right.... At the beginning of the summer we were able to take the kids to Florida, to see their cousins and spend a little time at the Nick Hotel. Let me just say it was long day getting there and an even longer one coming home. But it was so worth it!
Dave's brother Gary and his family live in Tallahassee,Fl and we haven't seen them since Ty was about9 months old. So needless to say it was long over due for us to go see them. We were able to spend five days with them and the kids just loved it, the first couple of days we spent in
Tallahassee just relaxing and playing. The cousins have 4 wheelers and a little piece of land on their property so the kids spent every minute they could out there. Ty had no fear at all when it came to driving them, he was doing doughnuts, fish tailing and of course seeing just how fast he could go. Jaden was a little bit more reserved but still had a great time, and Cole was just excited to catch a ride anytime he could.

On the third day we headed up the coast to a place called Apalacha Cola, my sister in-laws mom and step dad own a beach house up there so we were able to spend some time on the beach. The house was beautiful and we had some amazing storms while we were there. It was awesome to just sit out on the porch and listen to the thunder and watch the waves crash on the beach. I completely forgot to take pictures of the house and the storm, but it truly was amazing.

We were able to spend one day on St.George Island, it has beautiful white sand beaches and the water was pretty clear. We spent the day finding sand dollars, body surfing and burying people in the sand. It was so nice to just sit back and relax, watching my children laugh and play in the sand and water is one my favorite things to do.I wish time could just stand still and we can stay in moments like that forever. Seeing the excitement in their eyes as they see or do something new always brings a smile to my face as well.

Eventually we did have to head back to Tallahassee and then head back down to Orlando, but we had an amazing time with Gary's family and we definitely won't be waiting 6 six years to go back there again.

After spending Five days with Gary's family we headed to Orlando, we are not huge Disney fans so no we did not go to Disney World. Instead we spent the last 4 days of our vacation at the Nick Hotel. The boys have been seeing commercials for this place for years now, and have always asked to go. We told them at the beginning of last school year that if they did well in school and got all A's and all green days that we would take them there this summer. And so the boys did just that, I must say that I am so glad they did because we had an awesome time there. The rooms were super cute, decorated in Nick themes, the boys got a Jimmy Neutron room with bunk beds. And then Dave and I had a room to ourselves as well. We never left the hotel there was always something to do from the water park, to game shows, getting slimed, a 4-d theatre, an arcade and more. There was the twice a day slimming, game shows by the pool that Jaden got to participate in. I was a little worried about how logistically it would work with Cole since he's so little and can't do the things the older boys can. But it was so nice because most of the time Jaden and Ty Could be off doing their own thing while Dave and I played with Cole in the large pool. It is such a family friendly place we loved it. The last night there was their five year Anniversary of the hotel being open so they had a DJ and cake and cup cakes for everyone, they did slimming every hour and had contests for everyone to participate in. It was so much fun, and a great way to end our vacation.

Cole didn't enjoy being slimed, but the rest of us did!

Kindergarten Graduation!

2010-08-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Yes I know I'm very late in posting this.

On may 16th Ty graduated from Kindergarten, I am so proud of my boy. I can't believe this school year has gone by so quickly. I remember the first day of school and walking Ty into be with his teacher. He was so brave but nervous, and I of course cried a little bit when I had to leave him there. And although we had a few ups and downs with teachers he had an awesome year. I am amazed at what he has learned and what he is capable of doing, I have to say that I do love the school that the boys go to. They really help the kids excel and go above the standard requirements. And the boys love it!
Ty is my sweet, but tough little boy! He has such a tender heart and doesn't hesitate to give hugs and kisses. And is a friend to everyone, he has no fear of anything other than new foods he has never tried. He always has a sparkle in his eye and a mischievous look to him, you never know what he is going to say or do. And that always keeps us on our toes and laughing. We're so proud of you Ty we LOVE you!!!

14 Years!

2010-05-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! Dave and I just celebrated our 14 year Anniversary, I must say that the last 14 years have flown by. I remember the day we got married, and thinking that I could never love David more than I did at that moment. But how wrong I was, with each day, week and year that has gone by I've come to love him more and more. He is my best friend, the man of my dreams, my knight in shining armor, the love of my life, I'm sure you get the picture.
This year Dave surprised me with a BEAUTIFUL one of a kind ring from a jewelry designer that I love out of New Mexico. I have to say that normally I usually hate surprises, (because I have some control issues) but I loved this one. Let's just back up to how it all came about. Earlier this year we had some Friends in town from Abq and she was wearing a ring that I just love. I mentioned to Dave that I loved the ring and would love to have one like it. I didn't think he was really listening to the conversation, but thankfully he was. He contacted my friend and between the two of them they were able to get me my ring. I didn't really think that I was getting anything this year because we were saving up for our family vacation. So Sunday morning when he pulled out a little gift bag with the name Lilly Barrack on it I was in total shock, I couldn't believe that he had actually gotten me a present, let alone a piece of jewelry. I could have sworn he wasn't paying attention at all to the conversation with my friend. So THANK YOU Babe you are the best!!! I look forward to the spending eternity with you, I Love You!

Pine Wood Derby

2010-04-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

This was Jadens first year getting to participate in the Pine Wood Derby, Between Jaden, Dave and I there were alot of hours that went into getting Jadens car done. Jaden picked out the design I cut out the wood and Dave and Jaden sanded and painted, and sanded and painted some more. The day of the big race finally came and Jaden was so excited, after about 20 heats it came down to a tie between Jadens car and one other. So they then had to do best out of 3 races, aaannnddd Jaden WON!!!! He was so excited, Dave and I were just as excited since it was our car too :-) Jaden has loved being in scouts and we are proud of him, he just earned his Wolf badge and can't wait to be in a Bear Scout. He is such an awesome kid!!! Jaden we LOVE YOU!

Slacker

2010-03-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

I know I have been slacking on updating my blog. I really have no excuse for not doing it other than the fact that my computer is so slow lately; it makes me dread the idea of trying to upload pics. Life has been busy the kids sports have started up again, Jaden is doing wrestling and Ty is doing wrestling and soccer. Yes I am officially a soccer mom, I never thought I would say that. So we are busy almost every night. Here are a few highlights from the last couple of months.

Christmas was nice and relaxing this year, we spent it here at home all by ourselves. Since last year was crazy, I wanted it to be as low key as possible, and just enjoy the time with my children and husband. Jaden and Ty each got their dual action light sabers and a couple of video games. Cole got a tricycle that has a handle on the back so we can push him around the neighborhood while the older boys are out riding their bikes. I loved watching the reaction on my kids faces as they realize what Santa has brought them. I was so disappointed with myself though, I got the video camera out so that I could record the kids as they were discovering what they had received from Santa. I turned it on and got in place, then they come down and were so excited. I realized about five minutes later that I had forgotten to press the record button. I so wanted to make them reenact it, but Dave wouldn't let me. At least I got a few still pics. All in all we had a wonderful day.

February:

I am now one year older, that's right, I am now 32. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that I am getting older. When I look in the mirror I don't see a 32 year old ,and I try to convince myself that I don't look any older than 27. So for my B-day we took the kids on the light rail to down town Phoenix, and had lunch at the Hardrock Cafe. The kids had a blast riding the light rail and it was fun seeing their excitement. I had a wonderful day enjoying the company of my wonderful husband and beautiful children. Then I got to enjoy a yummy dinner from PF Changs. I guess it's not so bad getting older as long as you are surrounded by the people you love.

The kids:

Lets see, the kids are keeping me busy. Cole is into everything. I can't leave him alone for a minute. Unless of course I want to find him on top of the kitchen table, or climbing onto the stove, or emptying my cupboard or drawers or pulling out all of the games and toys. You get the picture, he is a very active little boy. He is starting to say more and more words , or he has certain sounds for certain things. So he is able to at least communicate some what. He is a very serious little boy when he is around strangers, but when he's comfortable around you, his little personality comes out. And you can't help but smile.

Ty just lost his first tooth last month, it was barely hanging on, and then he and Jaden were having a pillow fight. Of course it got knocked out, and of course it had to land in the carpet, the very plush carpet. So finding it was quite the chore, Dave ended up being the hero who found it. Ty was So excited to finally get to put a tooth under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Ty has also started soccer and wrestling, he was way more excited about soccer since this is his first year doing it. His first game is this Saturday he can't wait to wear his uniform.

Jaden is growing up so fast, I remember him being so small and thinking I can't wait to see what he grows up to be like. And now as I'm watching him I'm so proud of him. He is such a sweet, helpful kid, he loves to make people laugh and he has this sparkle in his eye whenever you look at him. This year he's doing wrestling again, and seems to be really catching on this year. He also wants to try out hockey, we'll see if we can make that happen. He is now a Cub Scout and is loving it, his first pine wood derby is coming up next week. He and Dave have been working so hard and the car and I must say that is looking pretty good!

So in a nutshell, that has been our life latey.

New Flooring!

2009-12-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited I finally got new flooring! I have never liked the flooring in our house and I have been biding my time until we could afford to get new flooring. Well we were finally able to get it, we did laminate wood from the front door to the back door and into the kitchen. Also in the hallway upstairs.(Dave and I installed it ourselves) We then got new carpet for the living rm, family rm, stairs and all of the bedrooms. I love my new flooring the laminate looks like real wood and the carpet is so soft. The first couple of nights the boys wanted to sleep on the floor because they thought it was so soft. I love it! So here is what we did I don't think the pictures do it justice.
Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

2009-12-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my little boy is six now, the years are going by way to fast. Ty is such a happy, funny kid, you never know what he is going to say or do. But he is always trying to make people laugh. He just has this sparkle in his eye you can't help but fall in love with him. Right now he is Kindergarten and loving it, he seems to really excel at math and reading. He loves being a big brother and is always trying to help me take care of Cole. He still has this little lisp when he talks and I know that one day he'll grow out of it, but I'm not looking forward to it I think that it is cute.
Ty has a little patch of brown in his right eye and the other day he came home from school and informed me that all the teachers love to look in his eyes because he has a cool patch of brown. He loves the attention! I love this kid so much and always look forward to the adventures that will come our way with him.
Ty we love you!

2009-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by, I know at times it seemed to take forever(like when we were confined to the house for 4 months) but it really has gone by quickly. This little boy brings us so much joy and happiness. He is walking and running everywhere, starting to talk and loves to play with his brothers. He has the cutest little laugh and quite the personality, I know in his short little life he has already been through so much and seeing him healthy and happy means the world to us. We are so blessed to have him in our family.

Halloween!

2009-11-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

For Halloween this year we were a hodgepodge of costumes. We had a mummy, a power ranger, a dwarf, a hippie and a belly dancer.Jadens costume was a bit tricky getting it to stay together, my friend Angela suggested using spray adhesive to help wrap him up. It worked pretty well, but by the end of the night he was unraveling. That evening we went trick or treating, and then got some yummy mexican food. The boys scored a ton of candy and really haven't touched it since. It was such a fun and relaxing day, I love how excited my kids get this time of year.

Coles surgery

2009-11-09T15:36:00.001-08:00

I know I am very late in posting this one but decided to anyways so that I at least can go back and recall what happened. When Cole was born I noticed that there was this small lump behind his right ear, I didn't know what it was and didn't really say anything. Well as he got older I noticed that it was still there and seemed to be growing with him. So at his 6 month check up I had his doctor take a look, she said she thought it was a cyst and then suggested that I go see a pediatric neuro surgeon. At the end of August we went in and saw a surgeon at PCH and he took a look and confirmed that it was a cyst. Or also so known as a skull tumor what it is, is a mass of skin cells that is attached to the skull and continues to grow as he grows. In order to remove it he has to be put to sleep they then cut out the cyst and then drill the skull a little bit, just to make sure they have removed all of it. If they don't get it all it can grow back.
So on the 14th of September we took Cole into the hospital, he wasn't allowed to eat at all that morning so he was pretty hungry but he was still pretty happy. The surgery itself only took about 30 minutes but he was under for about an hour. The surgery went well and they were able to remove all of the cyst. We got to go sit by him while he was waking up, it was so weird seeing him unconscious, it took me back to when he was so sick. I didn't like having those monitors beeping at me, him being out of it. I'm so grateful that all went well with this surgery and he recovered well from the anesthesia. The rest of the day he was a little tired but other than that he acted as if nothing had happened to him. He now just has a little scar behind his ear.

Jadens Baptism

2009-09-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

On September 5Th Jaden was baptized a member of the LDS Church, I can't believe that my little boy is old enough to be baptised. Most of our family and close friends were able to be here for this special occasion, the Spirit that was there was so sweet and peaceful. I am so proud of Jaden for choosing to be baptized and for being such a wonderful example to his brothers. Jaden has always had a desire to do what is right and to try and be the best that he can be. I am very blessed as a mother to have such a loving and thoughtful son. I know that as he continues to grow up he will be a great example to all of his friends and his family. We love you Jaden!

Every little step....

2009-08-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yes he's trying to walk now, everyday he gets a little bit braver. If he's not paying attention to what he's doing he gets farther, but when he realises what he's doing he gets so excited that he falls down. I can't believe that he's already hitting this milestone he's growing up way to fast. He also loves to climb up the stairs, so far he hasn't tried to come down them. He just sits there and yells for me until I come get him, which I'm very grateful for.

He's so stinkin cute I can't get enough of him!

Schools back in session....

2009-08-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the summer is over and school has started again. Jaden and Ty were both excited for it to start, finally Ty would be at the same school as Jaden. The week didn't start off so well though, Ty had been complaining that his ear had been hurting for a couple of days and we had been treating him for swimmers ear but it wasn't getting any better. Monday morning it's still hurting and we had meat the teacher day, so we go to the school and meet the kids teachers. Jaden is showing Ty where everything is and playing with his friends but Ty just isn't acting like himself. His poor ear was just getting worse, so that night we ended up taking him to good night pediatrics, they got us right in and tell me he has a double ear infection. I felt horrible, so we go get his prescriptions filled and start him on the antibiotics hoping that he'll be feeling better for his first official day of school.
Tuesday morning he wakes up and his ear is still feeling bad, but we talk him into going to his first day. Normally I wouldn't make him go when he's not feeling well, but at the school he goes to the first day of school is the only day that they let the parents come in and get them settled and see them off to class. So I really wanted him to go so that I could get him settled and make sure he understood what would be going on each morning. They sit by classes so it's not like Jaden could really help him out. It was so sad to see him sitting there not feeling well and he has this deer in headlights look on his face. It's total chaos, the principal and teachers are trying to get the kids under control, the principal is telling the parents how this where they have to leave there kids and that their not to be following them to their classes or else the kids will be sent home with their parents. So it was a bit unnerving, but after it was all said and done he made it to class safe and sound. And when I picked him up at the end of the day he said he had a ton of fun.
I have probably not painted a very good picture of this school, but I must say that I really do love it there. The Principal is a little crazy, but the kids seem to like her and the education they receive is worth putting up with a few frustrations.

Jaden is 8!!!!!!

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

I find it hard to believe that Jaden is now 8 years old! It seems like just yesterday that I got to hold him for the first time, and now he is so big that he can actually pick me up. Jaden has always been my sweet kind hearted little boy, always telling me he loves me and that I look beautiful. He's always mindful of others and is trying to make everyone happy. He is one smart little boy too, he has done so well in school. I guess he takes after his dad in that area, thank goodness!

He is so excited to get baptised next month, and to start scouts and to work on his Faith in God Award. I'm so grateful that he is always trying to do what is right. Jaden we love you and I'm so grateful to have as my son!

Stay Cation!!!!!!

2009-08-01T22:55:00.001-07:00

This year we weren't able to go to Rocky Point, so we decided to do a stay cation instead, so we ended up at the Arizona Grand Resort. We had a great time, the hotel it's self has a water park plus it's located near a great mall and plenty of restaurants. The kids had a blast, it was so nice being able to go back and forth between our room and the park. And being able to relax and just have fun together. One night once we were done with dinner we took the kids over to the golf course at the hotel and we rolled down the hills there, and the boys played in the sprinklers that were going. Dave and I actually use to do that all the time when were engaged so it brought back some fun memories.
The kids thought it was great that we got to eat out the whole time, and they got to rent movies in the room. Plus play video games, they kept asking if we could live there. But as with most good things this to had to come to an end. We had a great time and saved some money, hopefully when we go back next year Ty will be able to ride the water slides.

9 Months!

2009-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Cole is already 9 months old, time is just going by way to fast. He is now crawling every where, pulling himself up and walking around furniture. He'll even stand all by himself, he did take a couple of steps while we were on vacation but has yet to want to do it again. He definitely has a mind of his own, as he is getting older I have discovered that he is very stubborn child.
I love to watch him crawl after his big brothers trying to keep up with them, I'm afraid he'll be bored once they are in school. Coles favorite person is his daddy, his face just lights up when he hears Daves voice and he gets all excited when Dave comes in the room. He can't get to daddy fast enough!
This little guy sure keeps me on my toes we have to keep all the doors to the bathrooms closed otherwise we will find him in there either playing in the toilet, the trash can or unrolling the toilet paper. He loves to be busy!

Fun times........

2009-07-28T09:39:00.001-07:00

Our good friends the Ritchies came into town and were able to stay with us for a week. We had a great time, between the two families there were 9 kids so we stayed busy trying to keep them all entertained. We were able to go Slide Rock on one of the days they were in town, I haven't been there in years but it was just as fun as I remember it. It took a little bit for the kids to warm up to it but once they did they all had a great time, even the two babies loved crawling around on the rocks and playing in the water.
It is was so fun to have them here, our kids always had someone to play with and I loved having someone to hang out with all the time. I haven't stayed up late and laughed like that in a long time. The time went by way to fast and I didn't take near enough pics!

Happy Birthday Babe!

2009-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

I just want to wish Dave a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He just turned 29 again, I must say that I think he just gets better with age. Babe you are my best friend and I am so lucky to have you as my husband. I love the fact that you are still a kid at heart, and that you can still make me laugh. I hope you have a wonderful day! We love you!

Free Photo Shoot!

2009-07-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that during the month of August my brother-in-law that does all of our photos, is offering a free photo shoot. There is a little catch but it's so worth the photos. He does an awesome job, if you are interested check out his web page through the NL Photography link on my blog.

4TH of July!

2009-07-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

For the 4TH of July we always head up to Holbrook, AZ. I love being there for the 4Th, we always go to the fireman's BBQ and then that night watch the fire works up close and personal. This year it was also Dave's family reunion, so we had a fun time hanging out with the family. The girls got to decorate flip flops and the boys got to make marshmallow guns, I don't think that my mother-in-law appreciated that were marshmallow all over her house, but the boys had a great time. We also tie dyed shirts for all of the younger kids, which actually turned out pretty well. This was Cole's first fire works show and since we are really close to where they are set off it gets pretty loud, so I wasn't sure how he would react.
He did great he didn't even jump when they went off, it was great, he just sat and stared at them. It was so fun to watch his expressions.
The 4Th is one of my favorite holidays, and I love to spend it in Holbrook, I just love the small town celebrations. The cooler weather and being able to spend some time with Daves family, we all had a great time!

New haircuts....

2009-07-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Okay so I was attempting to grow the boys hair out, but it was starting to drive Dave crazy. So I said it's either they continue to grow it out or it gets shaved off in behalf of our friend Chad who has lost all of his hair, due to chemo. Once I told the boys their options their answer was unanimous they wanted to shave it in support of Chad. Have I said how proud I am of my children and how much I love them? So here's to you Chad , we love you and our thoughts and prayers are always with you.

Villa De Paz Idol

2009-06-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

For the past three years our ward has done a lip sinking contest called Villa De Paz Idol, last year was the first year that our boys participated in this. And they couldn't wait for it to come this year. I have to say that it is a really fun night, we have 3 people who play Paula, Randy and Simon, we of course have a Ryan Seacrest as well. Everything is done in good fun and everyone has a great time. This year the boys performed "I'm A Goofy Goober" from the SpongeBob Square pants movie. Jaden was the lead singer while Ty jammed out on guitar, it was so fun to watch and once I figure out how to convert the video I'll post it on line. Maybe next year Dave and I will get up the courage to also perform, not likely but hey you never know!

Crawling

2009-06-24T23:11:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that Cole is now 7 1/2 months old! He has just started crawling, which I love but then again I don't. I miss being able to put him down and know that when I come back he'll be in the same spot. But then again it's so fun to watch him learn to do new things, Jaden and Ty didn't crawl this early so I was hoping I had more time to baby proof the house. He has also gotten in his two bottom teeth and he has started pulling himself up on what ever he can find. Jaden and Ty get so worried when they find him standing up next to something, they hate it when he falls down. They're so worried that he's going to get hurt, which every once in awhile he does fall and bonk his head, but hey that's part of the learning process. He gets over it pretty quickly and is back pulling himself up.
He is such a happy kid all the time, at night I hate putting him to bed because he's so full of smiles. I just want to sit and play with him.

Science Museum

2009-06-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

This summer is seems to be flying by and I can't seem to catch up. Between swim team practice, summer movie fun passes and playing with friends we seem to always be busy.
This week I was able to take the boys to the AZ Science Museum, they had some really fun exhibits there. The newest one is all made out of Lego's and it's about castles and mid evil times. The boys got to pretend to joust, and build there own walls around castles to protect them. They had these life size statues of knights and a dragon, completely made out of Lego's. I can't imagine how long it took to put them together. It was amazing the detail that went into building these statues and castles.

In another area it was all about cause and effect and how things work. The boys got to lay on a bed of nails, and were amazed that it didn't hurt. There were some many fun experiments about gravity and cause and effect, it kept the kids entertained for over an hour. I even got in on a couple rounds of tug of war, as did Jaden.

I think we spent over 3 hours there just wondering around and having fun, I actually can't wait to go back and play some more.

Walla Walla!

2009-05-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month Cole and I got to go visit some of our best friends, Chad and Amy Neidig, they live in Walla Walla, WA. Recently Chad had been diagnosed with stage 4 B Cell Lymphoma, these guys are like family to us, so we were devastated when we heard this news. So when Amy called and said they would pay for half of my airfare, up there I jumped at the chance. We haven't seen them in about a year and they had never met Cole, I was sad that Dave, and the rest of the family couldn't go. But I wasn't going to pass up seeing Amy and Chad. I was so glad to get up there and see that Chad was doing well, just the week before I got there he wasn't able to be up and walking around. Due to a hematoma that occurred after his biopsy. But the hematoma had shrunk and he was up and walking and clowning around as usual. Chad and Amy loved Cole of course, Amy said she hadn't seen Chad smile like that in weeks.

The first full day there we got to take a tour of the Ice Harbor Dam, it is located on the Snake River. Chad works for the Army Corps of Engineers, and he is in charge of this dam along with 3 others. So he had arranged for us to be able to go into the heart of the dam, it was really amazing how it works. This dam provides Hydro Electric power for the area, and it was the first dam I had ever seen with channel locks. We were going to watch one of the cargo ships go through the lock but it started to rain so we weren't able to. But I learned some very interesting facts about the dam and how it helps the area. After the dam we went to a park nearby where we got to learn about boat safety and things like that, they also had drinking goggles. These goggle simulate what it is like to be drunk, well since I don't drink I thought I'd try out these goggles. Your suppose to walk a straight line with them on. I could have sworn I was walking on the line, but Chad and Amy were busting a gut laughing at me while I tried to walk on the line. I must say that those goggles really made me kinda nauseous. I'm grateful I don't drink, I can't imagine doing that to myself.

This is me trying to walk with those goggles on, you can see I'm not quite on the line.

The Second day there Amy and I were going to go do some shopping and then go for a walk in a reserve area. But as we were shopping it started to rain, then hail and then it became sunny again. I learned that Amy wasn't exaggerating when she would tell me about how crazy the weather was there. So instead of going for a walk she drove me around the town. Walla Walla isn't very big, only a population of about 30,000, so it didn't take very long. I did see some interesting things, like houses that were built right behind other houses. I don't mean guest houses, I'm talking single family homes, and it's not like the people know each other before the houses are built. So these people have no back yards because their is house there instead. And then there is the complete opposite where you will have a 600 square foot house on a huge lot. It was fun to see.

If you look closely you can see the house behind this one. It's literally in the backyard.

On the third day there we just hung out and got ready for a dinner party that night. I was able to meet some of the friends they had made there. It was fun meeting the people that I had heard so much about. Amy had arranged for one of her friends to make a special cake just for me, it was a belly dancing cake. It was very cool looking, Amy's friend Danila did an amazing job. I had a fun time getting to know their friends, we kept putting off going to bed, because it was my last night there.

The next day I had to get on a plane and head home, I'm so glad I was able to go. I wish I could have stayed longer, but a couple of days was better than nothing.

6 Months Old!

2009-05-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Cole is already six months old, time is going by way too fast. At his 6 month check-up he weighed 16 lbs 14 oz and was 27 1/2 inches long. Let's see, he is teething, sitting up, rolling over, babbling, eating solids, wiggling his way around to get toys and sleeping through the night. He is such a happy easy going baby, he loves to play with his brothers and they love to keep him entertained. I feel so blessed to have this little guy in our lives, I hate to see him growing up so fast but then again I can't wait to see him grow up. I know it won't be long before he's walking and talking and giving us a run for our money.

life lessons

2009-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

I feel horrible when my kids have to learn the hard way. Let me preface this with a story, last month Jaden convinced Dave and I that he wasn't feeling well, so we kept him home from school. All day he acted fine but would insist that his stomach wasn't feeling well. So towards the end of the day as we are getting ready for bed he informs Dave and I that he had been tricking us and that he just didn't want to go to school. So we sat down with him and talked about lying to us and how there were consequences for every action, and we told him that it would be hard for us to trust him now.
Fast forward to yesterday, he woke up saying that his throat was sore. I thought well it could be, Ty does have strep throat and Jaden might be coming down with it to. So I checked to see if he had a temp, he didn't so we said sorry I think it's probably just dry and scratchy, get a drink of water and get ready for school. You just want to stay home because Ty is. We reminded him that he'd tricked us once before and we weren't going to fall for it again. Off to school he goes, around 12:30 I get a call from the school saying that he has thrown up and has a fever. I of course now feel horrible for sending him to school, when I pick him up he doesn't look to good and says that his throat is really hurting. So back to the Doctors office we go, they swab his throat and sure enough he also has strep throat. I felt like a horrible parent for sending him to school, I kept apologizing for not believing him. But he just looked at me and said it's okay mom I shouldn't have lied to you before. He is such a sweet little boy. We both had learn from this experience.
I'm so glad he and Ty are both feeling better now.

2009-04-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today I sat Cole down to play with a bucket full of plastic Easter eggs, I thought that all of the candy had been eaten so no big deal. I went to check on him since he'd been sitting there quietly for a little while . This is what I found! Apparently there was candy still in there and some how he was able to get the package open. So he has officially had his first taste of candy, I think he liked it. I just hope he doesn't have a belly ache later tonight.

My friend Clarissa made a dress for my new niece and wanted to see how it fit on a 6 month old, so we decided to try it on Cole. He'll love these pics when he's older I'm sure, I think he makes a cute little girl!

13 Years

2009-04-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yes that is Dave and I on our wedding day, I guess you could say that we have changed a bit over the years. I can't believe that Dave and I have been married for 13 years now, time has flown by. During the past 13 years we've laughed, we've cried, we've had three beautiful children and made some amazing memories. I couldn't ask for a more amazing husband and father for our children. And after all these years I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think of him or when I catch him looking at me. I can't imagine my life without him, he's my best friend and still the man of my dreams. I can't wait to see what adventures await us! I love you Babe!

He finds this funny.....

2009-04-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last night for some reason, who knows why Ty and Jaden decided to start slapping themselves. Cole found it to be very amusing!

2009-04-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

This past week the weather was nice enough that we were able to break out the water slide. The kids also decided that the pool was warm enough to go swimming, the water was only 70 degrees so there was no way I was getting in but they sure had fun. Ty's lips started to turn blue after a little while so he didn't last very long, but he had fun throwing things into the water so that Jaden and his friend Isabelle could go diving for them.

We'd never been to the Children's museum here so we thought that since Dave had Thursday off we would take the kids and check it out. There were some fun things there but I think it was geared more to younger kids so after about 2 hours they were bored. I'm glad that we went and saw what they had I don't think it was worth the $9.00 per person we had to pay, but it was so nice to be able to spend the day together.

I love this photo!

2009-04-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

2009-04-07T11:33:00.001-07:00

These are some of the photos that my brother in-law took for us, these are just a few of my favorites!

2009-04-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

2009-04-07T11:32:00.001-07:00

2009-04-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

4 Months

2009-03-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Cole is now 4 months old and he's doing great. The doctors had been a little worried that he could have suffered some brain damage when he was in the hospital. But as of right now he is right on track for his age, he's rolling over , grabbing for toys and interacting with all of us. He is such a happy little baby always smiling and laughing. He also knows what he likes and doesn't like and where he wants to go. I love the fact that he is becoming active, the older my kids get the more fun I have.Here's his stats at 4 months

Weight 15.13 lbs 75 percentile

Height 26in 75 percentile

The Doc says that i'm allowed to take him out shopping with me now. I just need to avoid places where he could come in close contact with people. So i'm excited to get out of the house and feel like a normal person again.

Fender Bender

2009-03-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Yes today I got in a little accident I was headed to my brothers house from the tournament and I looked down for a second. When I looked back up the truck in front of me had started to slow down to turn a corner, I slammed on my brakes and tried to swerve but it didn't help. Well I guess it somewhat helped because it could have been a lot worse, I would have been fine if this truck wouldn't of had a trailer on it, he could have gone around the corner faster. And I could have missed him, but as it was I slammed into his trailer. My fender was a lot more damaged than his trailer, which I think is a good thing. The guy I hit was very nice considering what I did, he says he's just going to fix the trailer himself and not even worry about making an insurance claim. I still have to make a claim because along with my fender getting screwed up I also did something to the radiator.There happened to be two police officers witness this accident so they came over to make sure we were all okay, and give me a ticket. So on Monday I have to get quotes to fix my car, and now I get to pay $180.00 to go to traffic school then a $500.00 deductable for our insurance. I'm grateful Cole and I weren't hurt and that we have insurance, hopefully the insurance company will be easy to work with.

Their 1ST tournament

2009-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

So wrestling season has started again, and today was Jaden and Ty's first tournament. They were both excited and nervous each hoping that they would win a medal. I have to say I was a little nervous to, you always want your children to do well. And you never know who they'll be paired with or how many times they'll have to wrestle. I was also nervous to see how Ty would react, last year wasn't so great for him. Every time he would get on the mat he would cry and refuse to wrestle, so I wondered how he would do this year. He did great! He went out there and did his best and had fun, he ended up getting a third place medal and was super excited. Jaden is doing better this season to, he's trying harder and actually catching on to what needs to happen on the mat, he's super proud of his second place medal. Dave and I are excited to watch the boys have fun with this, Dave especially since he's their coach this year. I've told the boys it doesn't matter if you win as long as you have fun and try your best, I hope they can remember that throughout the season.

Gadgets

2009-03-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

I'm excited my new gadgets are here, one is a battery operated booger sucker. I know some of you may think it's weird to get excited over this, but ever since Cole has been home from the hospital I have been missing the power of the nose sucker they have there. The bulb syringe just doesn't do the job as well as this thing and Cole tolerates it a lot better than the bulb syringe. It also plays music, which I could really care less about but hey that's what it does.

The other gadget I got is a breathing monitor, I call it his buzzy. You can see Cole wearing it below, I went with this one because it's portable I love the fact that he can wear it anywhere, the car, the swing, the bed any where I choose. All the other monitors I looked at were mats that the baby slept on so they could really only be used in one place. This monitors the movement of his stomach if there is no movement after 15 seconds it vibrates trying to wake the child, if that doesn't get them moving than within 5 seconds an alarm goes off. After seeing Cole stop breathing in the hospital this helps me sleep much better at night. Cole sleeps with us still and I have felt it buzz him once or twice but the only time the alarm has gone off is when it fell off the diaper. Which has only happened once, although it did scare me for a second or two. I am so excited to have these gadgets they help make my life easier!

6

2009-03-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Picture tag.
Here are the directions:
Open up the 6Th picture folder on your computer.Post the 6Th picture in the folder and tell the story of it.Then tag 6 of your friends.

Okay so I know it's not an exciting photo,but hey it is number 6. This photo was taken with our underwater camera 3 years ago while Dave and I were in Barbados celebrating our 10 year anniversary. I would love to go back there again.
The people I tag are: Mindi, Mendie, Aleah, Christina, Frances,and Michelle

February

2009-02-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

The month of February is always a busy month for us, we have a lot of family birthdays plus Valentines Day. So it seems like each week we have something going. On the 6TH we Celebrated my 31ST birthday, I didn't do anything to exciting. I got to spend the day relaxing at home, then my parents came over and watched the boys for us, while Dave took me to dinner at Red Lobster. I had been craving crab legs all week, we then went home and had brownies and ice cream with the kids and my parents. It was nice and simple just like I like it. The boys got me some stuff from Bath and Body Works and Dave gave me cash to go spend on what ever I want. I actually love it when he does that rather than him giving me an actual gift. Yes Dave actually put 31 candles in the brownies that's why you see a ton of smoke, I'm surprised that the smoke alarm didn't go off.

On Sunday the 8Th we were able to bless Cole here at the house, there were a lot of people at the house but it was fun to all be together for this occasion. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life, and to be able to live close to family so that we are able to get together for special events like this.

Jaden, Ty and I each got sick the next week, everyone had something different. I had a sinus infection, Ty had a slight cold and Jaden had some weird virus that lasted forever. I was scared to death that Cole was going to catch something, so he was never really allowed in the same room as the boys. Even I wore a mask when I was around him. I have since stocked up on a lot of multi vitamins for the kids and they are finally all healthy. I'm just praying that we all stay that way.

For Valentines we didn't do much just spent the day together as a family, I love having quiet quality time with our kids. Dave and the boys got me a gift certificate for a pedicure, and I'm looking forward to using it.

My brother and his wife both had birthdays the following week and my Brother-in-laws birthday is next week, so all of my family is getting together this weekend to celebrate all four birthdays. I'm looking forward to getting out of the house. This month has flown by I can't believe that it is already the end of the month. I remember as a kid time use to go buy so slowly and my mom would always say, just wait till your older and it will go by quickly. Well now it's going by way to fast it needs to slow down, I know it won't I guess I just need to make better use of my time.

Cabin fever!

2009-02-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

Yes we are still alive! Cole is doing great all the kids are healthy and we're still stuck inside. We still can't take Cole anywhere, he seems fine but the Docs have told us he could easily catch RSV or any other bug really easily. Which I really don't want to watch him go through anything like that again so until May we're on lock down.
But it doesn't mean I can't get a little bit of cabin fever, for example Dave use to do the grocery shopping. But now he stays home with kids so I can do it, I never thought that I would want to go grocery shopping. It's annoying that there are things that I need to go do but can't unless Dave is home to take care of the kids. I feel like I have no connection to the outside world, also I feel sorry for Jaden and Ty. The weather has been beautiful but we can't even go outside to enjoy it, I would love to be able to take them to the park. Or being able to sit together as a family at church, it's just the little things that you take for granted all the time.
There is a bright side, I get to spend a lot of quality time with Cole, I love to watch him smile, his whole face just lights up. And he has started to laugh now, it is so cute although he doesn't know what to make of being tickled. And I am saving Dave a lot of money buy being stuck at home, he likes that part.
I am so grateful for the sisters in my ward who have been willing to pick up Jaden and Ty from school for me. And for those of you who call just to see how we're doing, you guys are wonderful.
I have learned not to take good health for granted, and that everyday is a great gift.

Pics from the Hospital!

2009-01-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

Here he is getting ready for
his first ambulance ride.

This is while we were at Thunderbird hospital

thinking we'd only be there for a few days.

These are the machines and monitors that were

needed to keep him alive.

Even though he was so sick he

was still super cute!

Mom and dad finally getting to hold him after

a week of being intubated.

One of his little toes that was

poked about 12 times. His heals

and a couple of fingers were also poked

a lot to get his blood gas levels.

Here he is with just his feeding

tube, once they took that out

he started eating better.

He finally got his feeding tube

out you can tell he was quite happy!

He got a wagon ride out

of the hospital to our car!

Finally home and resting!

Our Holidays!

2009-01-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know where to start, first I do want to say thank you to all of our friends and family. You have no idea how much we appreciate your love and support, and all of your prayers for Cole.
On Tuesday the 23rd I took Cole to the Dr.'s because he was getting a cough and had started having a lot of spit. So I just wanted to make sure he was okay and that it wasn't RSV. The Doc said oh it's just a cold and he has an ear infection, so we went home with a prescription and thought no big deal.
We were having all of my family over to our house for Christmas, so they began showing up on Christmas Eve. We had a a fun filled night , we all got to open up our Christmas PJ's, then sang Christmas carols. I did notice that Cole had been breathing really fast but didn't really think anything of it. We got all the kids off to bed and then all of us adults began to get Santa stuff ready.That night Cole was really having a hard time going to sleep and we were trying to get Christmas set up and to say the least I was loosing my patience. On Christmas morning he ate around 4:00 a.m and then I just couldn't get him to settle back down. Then all of a sudden he started gasping for air, it was so scary it was like he was hiper ventilating. My sister Kristi who is a neonatal nurse took a look at him and said you need to get to the hospital, he doesn't look good. So before we had a chance to do anything Dave and I rushed over to the ER.
Did you know that if you say that your baby is barely able to breathe they rush you straight on back. After a couple of breathing treatments and some oxygen he seemed to settle down. They took an x-ray and did an RSV test. They said that it looked like he has pneumonia and that he would have to be admitted for at least a day. So we were taken over to Thunderbird hospital, Coles first ambulance ride and not his last. He did fine on the ride over but once we got there he started gasping for air again, so all of a sudden there are a ton of nurses around him suctioning him and getting him oxygen. Dave and I just sat there watching him struggle to breathe, I couldn't believe what was happening. Once they have Cole suctioned out he calms down and I'm able to hold him, The Doc comes in and takes a look at him and tells us that we will be at the hospital for anywhere from 5 to 7 days. Which I'm thinking are you kidding me, can't you fix him quicker than that. So over the next three days Cole would be suctioned almost every two hours and when I say suctioned it means they take a little tube and thread it down his nose to his throat and suction out what ever they can find. I think that I got maybe six hours of sleep total during this time, because if Cole was laid down he couldn't breathe and it seemed like he was only comfortable if I was holding him. So Dave felt horrible because he really couldn't help much.
By Saturday night Cole was really struggling to breathe and they decided that he needed to be moved to St. Josephs PICU. So at 12:00 a.m Sunday morning we took another ambulance ride. And were admitted to St. Joes, at first Cole was acting fine and they thought hey nothings wrong with this kid, why was he sent here? Well they decided to run some more tests just to be sure of what he had, turns out he did have RSV, apparently they didn't do the tests correctly at the other hospital. By Sunday night Cole was fading you could just see how week he was, it was so sad to look into his eyes. It was like he was begging you to help him, he also hadn't gotten much sleep because he couldn't breathe. So after trying a few breathing treatments they decided that he needed to be intubated before it got so bad that it would be an emergency situation.
Once intubated he could be kept sedated so that his body would allow the machine to breathe for him, that way his body could rest and heal. Now let me just say that the doctors and my sister warned us that RSV can be very ugly, and that it goes in spurts of you think that they are getting better and then they get really bad. And back and forth like this several times. Basically you think it's bad and then you realize nope it can get worse. While he was intubated his right upper lung partially collapsed and he also got the H-flu or influenza on top of all this. Luckily they caught the flu before it got to bad.
During this time at the hospital we learned lots of terms and phrases that I wish we didn't know. Like Bradying, which means all of his stats drop it is very scary when all of a sudden your child's heart rate is in the 40's or 60's an hist o2 levels are about the same. And you also have to watch there co2 levels which need to be in the 30's to 40's but happen to be up in the 90's at times. I lost count of how many times he had to be bagged, to get all of his stats back to normal. I have learned to hate monitors, they now scare me it's like you want them but then you don't. We would find ourselves just watching them and every time numbers would start to drop you just beg for the numbers to go back to normal. Cole was intubated for about a week, his tubes came out the following Sunday morning. While intubated he had x-rays at least once a day, was poked at up to 4 times a day to get his blood gases. Went through 6 different IV's, became slightly addicted to fentanyl and verset. He had continual suctioning done, but with the breathing tube in you could at least suction the lungs really well, which is where everything was building up.
Once he was extubated he then had oral aversion, which is where he doesn't want anything near his mouth, which I don't blame him there. He had to relearn how to suck, so for the first 48 hours after being extubated he wouldn't eat, and they were not giving him any food through a feeding tube. The hope was that if he got hungry enough he would eat, well that didn't happen so they ended up putting in another feeding tube. I was constantly trying to get him to nurse, we even tried bottles but he wouldn't take them either. He still had a lot of mucus in his nose and throat so he was still being deep suctioned about once an hour. Finally we got that under control and since he could then breathe better he started nursing again.
The last two days in the hospital were spent on the Pediatric floor where they were weaning him off his drugs and seeing if was gaining weight back. During this ordeal he lost about a pound, which is not good if you are a baby. Finally on Friday the 9Th of January we were released to come home, those were the most wonderful words I had ever heard.
Over the last 2 weeks I have grown so close to my Heavenly Father and to Dave, I know that it seemed like each time we made progress we were thrown another set back. But I knew that Heavenly Father was there with me, I don't know how many prayers were offered in our behalf but we were truly blessed because of those prayers. I must say that I am so grateful that Dave holds the priesthood and for his strength during this time. And I am so grateful for our families and their love and support, Daves parents were able to come down and help out with Jaden and TY.
I know Jaden and Ty didn't get the Holiday celebration they were expecting but they have been so good. They haven't complained at all, they just wanted their brother to get better. They were able to come and see Cole at the hospital a couple of times. They loved being able to see him and they got to wear masks and gloves they thought that was so cool. Anyways we are all together again, and now we just have to keep Cole healthy because his immune system is shot. So I'm trying to keep my house as germ free as possible. Cole is basically on house arrest until May, that is when RSV season is over. But hey I'll take that over being in the hospital again. I never want to repeat these last two weeks again.

FIVE!

2008-12-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Ty! He turned five this past week. He made sure that on his birthday we remembered that since it was his special day he could do what ever he wanted. We took in cookies to his pre school class and went to Burger King for lunch. He got to ride bikes and play with his friends in the afternoon and then had his favorite dinner, chicken tacos. On Saturday we had some of his friends over, they all were dressed up as Super Hero's. It was fun seeing all these five year olds running around chasing each other with thier super powers.

Ty is such a fun a little boy, he keeps us laughing with his little one liners at the end of his stories. He loves being a big brother and a little brother, and loves to give me hugs and kisses. He definitely keeps us on our toes, you never know what he is going to say or do. I can't believe how big he is now, I wish my kids would stop growing up so fast. We love you TY!

One month old!

2008-12-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Cole is already one month old, time seems to go way to fast. He now weighs 10 lbs 7 oz and is 22 1/4 in. long. He is staying awake more through out the day and most nights he sleeps really well. It's hard to remember our lives without him being a part of our family. He is now smiling and is such a sweet little boy, it's hard for me to put him down. I just love to cuddle with him, I love watching him grow and I can't wait to see who he'll become.

Halloween Baby!

2008-11-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

Okay so as much as I didn't want a Halloween baby, that is when Cole decided he'd make his appearance. Cole B. Knudsen was born at 7:50 on Halloween morning weighing 7lbs 12oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Labor and delivery were quick and for the most part pain free. So far he is the best baby very calm, and mellow, and has been sleeping through all the noise that his brothers make.

Jaden and Ty still got their Halloween, Dave, took them trick or treating. Then brought them to the hospital so I could see how cool they looked.

In case you were wondering they are a good Vampire and Grim Reaper.

2008-10-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

So I thought I'd play a little catch up while I wait for this baby to get here.

Below you see two pics that are of what you ask? It is what is known as a Gourd car, yes you are reading that right a Gourd car. At Jadens school all the 3rd graders make what is called a Gourd car for the Fall Festival, we don't know why but they do. So below is Jadens car, he decided that he wanted it to resemble a space ship. So this was our attemp at making a gourd space ship car.

They had All Sports Day at his school today so Ty tagged along with Dave and got to participate in some of the events. Jaden was very excited to have Dave there helping out. While I stayed at home and cleaned my house from top to bottom, with the help of my Mom and my sister in law Andie. Thank you guys so much for all your help.

Jaden, Ty and some friends at all sports day!

A couple of weeks ago the boys got go to a Birthday party at the zoo. They had such a good time, they had never been to the Phoenix Zoo. Here are a few pics that Dave got of them having a fun time.

And last but not least here are a few pictures of Cole's room. I love the way it turned out!

Almost done.....

2008-10-05T21:03:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that in a couple of weeks Cole, will be here. I think that his room is basically ready, I just need to hang up some pictures and it will be all done. Now I'm just wondering if I'm really ready, I think I have everything I'll need as far as diapers, wipes, baby wash and clothes. Thanks to some wonderful friends who have gotten me so many things I was in need of, I now feel much more prepared. It's just the thought of going through labor and delivery is not appealing to me. I guess no one really looks forward to that part. I'm just praying that I make it to the hospital in time to get my epidural. I know that I can do do it with out the drugs, but why should I if I don't have to. We're all looking forward to meeting this little guy and can't wait to see what he looks like. I'll post a few pics of his room as soon as I get around to taking some.

2008-08-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

My brother in law was able to get my prego pics done for me, I love them! The boys had a great time and they all turned out so good. Below are just a few of my favorites i'm 30 weeks prego in these pics. I can't belive how fast this pregnancy is going by.
Nate thanks again for taking these for me, it's going to be hard to decide which ones I want to get printed up.

2008-08-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

My brother in law Nathan is starting up a photography business, and I volunteered us to be some of his guinea pigs. I was so excited to get some new family pics and I wanted to try doing some maternity shots also. But for those of you who don't know Ty very well don't know that if he doesn't want to do something he will make your life miserable. So my brother in law is trying to take photos and Ty is doing everything he can to not be in any of the photos. By the end I was so frustrated, if you notice in the picture below you can't see TY. Well that is because he was throwing a fit, he is actually laying down in between Dave and I. Needless to say we didn't even try to get any maternity pictures. There were a handful of pictures that turned out well and they are below. My brother in law really does do a great job, I love how he captures candid shots rather than have every thing really posed. You can check out his web page through the NL Photography link on my blog. Thanks Nate I Love the pictures that did turn out.

1st Day of School!

2008-08-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school for the boys, Jaden is now in 2ND grade and Ty is in Pre-School. I can't believe that school is already starting, the summer just flew by I don't know if I'm ready to be back on a schedule again.

Jaden woke up before I did, excited to start his first day of school. We had to find ways to waste time till it was time to head out the door. This year his Teacher is Mrs. Scheek she seems really nice and Jaden is excited to have her as a teacher. She actually teaches a class that is half 2nd grade and half 3rd grade. They have taken some the higher performing 2nd graders and put them in this class and they will be learning some the 3rd grade curriculum. Jaden is excited because that means he'll get to dissect animals for Science.

Ty on the other hand was didn't want to get out of bed so early in the morning, but once he remembered that school was starting he hopped right up. Once we got Jaden settled in at school it was time to get Ty to school, we had decided to eat breakfast at his new school so he was very excited. Once done eating we were off to class, his Teachers name is Ms. Shannon and she is very nice. Ty proudly hung up his back pack then gave me a hug good bye and was done with me. It was kinda sad to see him not need me to stick around.

Ty said he couldn't open his eyes because it was to bright out.

I will admit that I shed a few tears that day, I can't believe that both my boys are so big. I don't like how fast they are growing up, but I guess it has to happen. They both ended up having a wonderful 1st day of school.

Happy Birthday Jaden!

2008-08-01T23:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that Jaden is Seven years old now. It seem like just yesturday that he was a little baby. And now he's almost as tall as me and going into the second grade. I am so grateful though that he is still my sweet little boy who is always telling me how much he loves me and that i'm his best friend. He brings such a sweet spirit to our home and is always trying to help others. Below our are few pictures of him looking back over the years, I can't believe how fast time goes by.

Jaden I just want to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'm so grateful to have you for a son.

Camping!

2008-08-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

My sister Mindi my boys and I and my Nephew Parker.

So we finally got our camping in for the summer, this past week. The boys were so excited they have been looking forward to it all summer. We went up to a beautiful place near the rim, it was so green and there were a couple of tree swings around. We like to go camping where there really is no one else around, so it was nice and secluded.

We always go with my family, so last Monday my sister and I loaded up our kids in my car and headed up to the mountains, to meet my parents and a couple of my brothers. My parents were nice enough to let my sister and I sleep in their camper while they roughed it in a tent. Even though I got to sleep in the camper the beds are as hard as rocks, and being 6 1/2 months prego they felt even worse. So after the first night of not being able sleep we went into Payson and I bought a king size 4inch thick memory foam mattress. Needless to say $170.00 later I did sleep much better the rest of our trip. Although I don't think Dave was to happy about how expensive it suddenly was to go camping. But he wasn't there to really stop me so the pregnant lady won out.

The boys spent the days shouting air guns, Beebe guns and going hiking. We found this cute little fort that looked like Eores house and so then we had proceed to find Poohs , piglets, and Rabbits house. None of the other houses were quite as impressive as Eores though. But hey it's just a good thing that kids have an imagination. Ty learned how to ride his bike with out training wheels while we were up there, he is so proud of himself, and I don't blame him. It rained almost everyday that we were there for about an hour it was nice, I love the smell of wet pine trees.

They were always on the swings!

(Jaden, Ty, and Parker)
This was Eores house!

Ty was able to find many ways to swing in a hammock!

This my other Nephew Sammie he loved playing in the dirt!

On Thursday Dave and my Brother in law Nate came up to finish out the week. Let's just say they are not so much into camping so by Friday afternoon they were ready to go home. But we made them stick it out until Saturday. Dave couldn't wait to get home and shower, and I guess after five days of not really getting a decent shower I kinda smelled to.
Needless to say after a very fun time we were ready to come home, I was so ready to sleep in my own bed and finally get a good nights sleep.

Family Trip to Mexico

2008-07-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

This past week Dave and I took the boys down to Rocky Point for our family vacation. We had a great time, we stayed at a resort right on the beach. So if we weren't at the beach we were at the pool. I didn't know how Ty would do playing on the beach because in the past he has always hated it. But this trip he loved it, I was shocked to see him just run straight for the water. The only thing he didn't like was when the salt water got in his eyes.

Jaden couldn't wait to build sand castles and get buried in the sand. We made him and Ty into mermaids they loved it. They both discovered hermit crabs that lived on the coral, once the tide went out you could play with these crabs in little pools of water on the beach. They each wanted to bring one home, luckily we were able to talk them out of that idea. Dave and the boys also took a ride on one of the red shark, Jaden was a little scared about about going that far out into the ocean, nut once the were going they had a great time and wanted to go again.

Jaden & Ty playing with the Hermit Crabs

Our resort had a water slide and lazy river in the pool area, plus activities for the kids most of the day. It was so much fun watching the boys have a great time, I wish we could have stayed longer.

Dave & Ty on the slide

Jaden preferred the slide
without a tube.

Happy Birthday Dave!!

2008-07-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Okay so I just have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To my wonderful husband. On Tuesday he celebrated his 34Th birthday, we really didn't do to much on his actual birthday. I made him one of his favorite dinners and made his favorite cake. He always has to have a Cherry Chip cake. Then we spent time just relaxing and playing games as a family. His present isn't here yet, he's getting a GPS system for his car. I can't tell if he's more excited about it or if I am.

I just want you to know Honey I love being your wife and being able to celebrate special days with you. You are the best and I must say that I am the luckiest woman in the world. I hope this year will be wonderful for you.

4th of July!

2008-07-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

So for the 4Th of July we love to spend it in Holbrook, AZ with Daves family. There is nothing like a small town 4Th. In Holbrook they have a B-BQ for the whole town put on by the Fire Dept. It is the best and the kids love to play on the fire trucks. My brother in-law is a fireman there so he always brings a fire truck by my in-laws house and takes all the kids for a ride. They love it! Then for the fire works we head out to the mesa and watch them go off, it is cool the fire works are literally going off over your head. so you either have to lay down or crane your neck to see them. The kids love to watch them but they think it's to loud. Ty actually fell asleep towards the end, I don't know how he slept through the noise but he did. Then we always go back to Daves parents house and do sparklers and what ever else we happen to bring from NM. It was a great weekend and nice to get away from the heat.

The kids on the firetruck!

Albuquerque

2008-07-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

So this past week we were able to go back Albuquerque and see some of our best friends, the Neidigs. They are a family that moved from Abq to Walla Walla, WA about two months after we moved here. We've never been able to get up to Walla Walla, so when we heard that they would be in Abq there was no way we weren't going to be there. It was so much fun seeing them, I can't believe how much their kids have grown in the past year. Of course they thought the same thing about Jaden and TY. So we were able to spend a good amount of time with them at B-BQs and swim parties, I really wish they lived closer to us. It was like old times again while were there, I wish that we all could have stayed longer.

Me and Amy

We stayed with the Ritchies while we were in Abq and the kids loved that, the Ritchies have 5 kids. So needless to say the kids were never board. We really appreciate the Ritchies for letting us invade their house for 5 days. Hopefully they have recovered from us being there.

The kids had loved having water fights, it was so fun watching them have fun!

Rocky Point!

2008-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Dave and I had the opportunity to go to Rocky Point, Mexico, with the priests and teachers for their High Adventure activity. We both had never been so we were excited to go, and we weren't disappointed. We had a great time, it was so nice to relax and read a couple of books while sitting on the beach. Dave wasn't busy reading he was doing a service project with the boys and then they got to play at the beach. We can't wait to go back there with Jaden and Ty, I think they will love it. Thank you Mindi for watching the kids, on the way home they were saying they already missed you!

IT'S A BOY!

2008-06-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

So we had our ultrasound this week and found out that we are having another little boy. I guess we're not meant to have girls, but to be totally honest I'm okay with that. I like being the only girl in the house. Now we are just trying to come up with a name that we both agree on, I really like the name Cole but Dave isn't sold on it. I'm hoping that over the next 41/2 months it will grow on him. Jaden and Ty are excited to be having another brother and can't wait till he gets here. Hopefully the the hot summer will go by quickly!

One Year!

2008-05-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that we've been here for a year now. The time seems to go by way to fast. There are definitely a few things that we miss about Albuquerque. Like are good friends, thankfully we are able to see them every couple of months. Since we had no family in Albuquerque they became our family, I just want to say we miss you guys. And then there are a few restaurants that we miss. Like Dions which has the best pizza, subs and salads, and Sadies I do miss new Mexican style green chili sauce. Okay if I wasn't pregnant and craving the green chili I probably wouldn't miss it quite as much.

But anyways we really are enjoying our life here in AZ, this is the first time in our married lives that we have ever lived near our families. Let me just say that we are enjoying being close to them, I know we live 30 min away from them but hey it's closer than 6 hours. And we have made some really good friends and gotten in touch with old ones, it's been a lot of fun. I'm enjoying life and just taking it one day at a time. I can't wait to see what this next year brings.

CONGRATS!

2008-05-19T18:13:00.001-07:00

Okay so this past week we had alot going on, Jaden finished up the 1st grade. I'm so proud of how well he did in school this year. His school did a little awards ceremony and each class got to sing a song for the parents. Jadens class sang "Life is a Highway" it was cute Jaden got to play air guitar during the performance. And he got an award in reading and comprehension, I can't believe that he will be in 2ND grade next year. The time goes by way to fast.

On Friday my Brother Bryant got married! His wifes name is Andie and we love her to death, she is the perfect match for Bryant. I'm so excited to have a new sister, It was a beautiful day and they looked so in love. I had fun getting to do the brides hair, I love being behind the scenes. Welcome to the Family Andie!

It's been awhile....

2008-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know it's been awhile since my last post, it just seems like life keeps getting in the way. So let me see if I can catch you up for the month of April. It seems like I really haven't done much this month, I think I've been sicker with this pregnancy than with the other two. Or maybe it's just that I haven't been working so I think it's been worse. Either way I am finally starting to feel better. Daves very grateful for that, I think he and the kids went about 5 weeks with out a home cooked meal.

The boys are done with wrestling for the year, Jaden walked away with 3 Medals this season. A Gold, a Silver and a Bronze. Jaden worked so hard at improving this year, I love the fact that he's always trying to do better. Ty walked away with a couple of videos of him crying while wrestling. Daves hoping that next season Ty will be ready to actually take an interest in wrestling.

On the 25th of April Dave and I celebrated our 12 year Anniversary, I can't believe that's it's been 12 years. I know everyone else will disagree, but I truly do have the best husband in the world. I thank Heavenly Father everyday that Dave chose me to be his eternal companion. I know he has his faults but he truly is a wonderful husband and father. Spending time with his family is always his top priority, and he's always making sure that I know he's thinking of me. He cooks, he cleans, he helps babysit my friends kids. The list goes on and on, for Valentines day we each made a list of 101 reasons why we love each other. So I could list all of those but I won't, I just want to say that he's my best friend and I am looking forward to spending eternity with him. Honey I love you!

Last Week!

2008-04-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

So last week was a busy week, we had our good friends the Ritchies from Albuquerque come into town annd visit. They brought thier kids this time so Jaden and Ty were so excited to have friends at the house for a couple of days. All the kids decided that it was super hot and that they needed to go swimming. The pool is still a little bit to cold for my taste so Tiffany and I sat on side lines and let the kids swim. For some reason they didn't find the water nearly as cold.

On Saturday the boys had another Wrestling tournament. Jaden got Second place in his weight class, he did an awesome job. I think that we have decided that Ty won't be in any more tournaments this year, maybe he'll be ready for them next year.

Their first Tournament!

2008-03-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

So Jaden and Ty went to their first wrestling tournament. I was a very nervous mom watching them participate. So it turned out that Jaden was the only kid his age in the 70lb weight class, so automatically got first place. Which he is very proud of! So they bumped him up to the 75lb weight class, that way he at least got a chance to wrestle. Since this was his first tournament he really didn't know what to expect, he did pretty good but he didn't win any matches. But he could care less about that because he got a medal anyways. So he walked away a very happy kid!

Now for TY he was in the 35 lb weight class, the first round he got a by which means basically they gave him a freebie . In order for Ty to get a medal he needed to win two matches. Well the first match he got pinned. The second match was against one his friends from our wrestling club and Ty pinned him. It was really fun to watch those two together. So he has one more match to win if he wants to get a medal, the match starts out really good he's doing really well against the kid , then the ref blows the whistle for a break. Well TY thinks he's calling the match and that he has lost, so he bursts into tears even though we explane that it's not over he still has a chance. He continues to cry so finally they do call the match because he can't stop crying. Even 30 minutes later when we are now home he is still crying. It was a very trying experience hopefully things will go better at the next tournament.

I've been tagged....... thanks Michelle

2008-03-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

10 years ago: Lets see here 10 years ago we had almost been married 2 years. We were living in Prescott, AZ in a 500 sq foot apartment. Dave was finishing up his degree and I was working at Silver Scissors. We were still in the Honeymoon stage (Yes ours lasted awhile) So even though we were dirt poor and living in this little tiny apartment, we thought life was perfect. We were looking forward to Dave being done with school, and I thought once he was done with school I would never have to work again.(I was very wrong) Ahhhh the good old days!

5 Things on my to do list:
Get supplies needed for my trip to Abq
Deposit my money
Clean my house
Go to the gym
Get packed for my trip to Abq

3 Bad habits:
I procrastinate all the time
I never make the bed (which really annoys Dave)
I leave my shoes all over the house

Places I've lived:
Holbrook, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Prescott, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Phoenix, AZ

Things most people don't know about me.
Let's see I guess you could say I'm some what of a control freak. But not about everything, just certain things. I won't go into the boring list.

If I could live on a tropical island for the rest of my life I would. Give me white sand and crystal clear water and I'm a happy girl.

Oh yes, I can not whistle. Dave loves to mock me about this, especially now that Jaden can and I can't.

Here are the lucky people I have tagged.... Mindi, the Jen and Frances

Wrestling Anyone?

2008-02-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Okay I know its been awhile since I last posted, but life seems to get in the way. Most of you who know Dave know that he grew up wrestling and so of course our boys WILL be wrestlers. Jaden has been in wrestling in the past and Ty was always mad because he couldn't join in. Well the year has finally come where Ty gets to do what his big brother does. They both are doing so well, Jaden is so excited because he's bigger than all the kids his age and gets to wrestle older kids. This year Jaden is actually enjoying it and doing well against the other kids. And for those of you who know ty, know that wrestling is the perfect sport for him.

The first tournament is coming up, and Jaden isn't sure he wants to participate. So we'll see what happens.

More marshmellow Pics

2008-01-03T14:39:00.001-08:00

Marc was the second runner up with I believe 18 marshmellows, then came Dave.

Even Jaden and TY wanted in on the action!

New Years!

2008-01-03T14:26:00.001-08:00

Okay so for those of you who are faint of heart you may not want to look at the following pictures. On New Years beacause we had nothing but time on our hands we decided to have a contest. Let's see who can get the most marshmellows in their mouths. Kristi totally beat me record of 11 , she was able to get 16 yes 16 into her mouth. Impressive I know. I came in second and we need to giveMindi and Andie Props for coming
in 3rd and 4th!

Bryant took the prize for the guys,(not that there was a prize) with an amazing 22. What can I say we all have big mouths. Since that only took about 30 min we spent another twenty trying to get our fists in our mouths. I now we really need to get a life.

Christmas!

2008-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

Ty saw this counting cookie jar I think a month before Christmas and talked non stop about it. So that's what Jaden got him for Christmas.
TY got Jaden a nice set of walkie talkies which they love to play with. I think they'll come in handy when we go to Disneyland in February.

Dave and I both had the same idea and got each other PDAs. We're still trying to figure out how they work, so far we have Daves figured out but mine is acting up a little. Eventually I'll get the hang of it.

And then of course we got the all wonderful Wii. It's hard to get the boys off of it, and every once in awhile they let Dave and I play it. It's actually really fun, and Jaden kicks our butts at most of the games. But it is fun to do as a family

Christmas Lights!

2007-12-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

Last night we went with my sister Mindi and her family to see the Christmas lights at the Temple. The boys loved it for about the first 20 min then they decided that if you have seen one light you've seen them all. It really was beautiful, I love the atmosphere at Temple square during the Holidays!

This was when we first got there before they decided they were finished looking at the lights. Eventually Jaden wouldn't even let me take any photos of him because it was cold and he was ready to go!

Here is Parker, Jaden and Ty huddled together enjoying the lights!

We had a great time and it actually was a little cold. So it kinda does make it feel like Christmas!

Tys Birthday

2007-12-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

Although it rained for two days before his party(which was suppose to be outside) we had a great time. We moved the tent indoors and the kids played Hide and go Seek. We were still able to roast marshmellows and have S'mores. The kids loved it, TY keeps saying it was the best Birthday EVER!!!!!