Little Rascals

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-05-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

Easter

2009-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited for the Easter Bunny to come and visit them! He spoiled them this year with lots of yummy treats and some pretty cool toys!! Aside from hunting for their baskets we have our own little indoor easter egg hunt. It was so cute to watch them race with such enthusiasm to see who could find the most eggs. Bailee was such a good big sister and even helped Brecken reach a few that were a little too high for him to get. Kids make these holidays so much fun!!!

ALS 5K & 1K Kids' Race

2009-05-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Brecken, our little champion!

Bailee and Brecken racing to the finish line.

Handing out gift certificates as raffle prizes.

Dad, our awesome traffic controller and route director. Thanks for all of your help!
We appreciate all that you did to make this run possible!!

Jason, Danielle and Christi. What a great team!!

Everyone hanging out waiting for the drawing to begin.

Marci and Pat. Thank you Pat and Grady for the fabulous music!

Aunt Polli and Uncle Kelly sprinting to see who is the first one across.

Jenny Sperry, the overall Female winner.

Jeff Gardner, the overall Male winner.

The winner of the 1K.

The cow train was a huge hit with the kids.

The bounce house was so much fun to have there as well. It kept the kids occupied and happy!

Mom, the best food preparer ever!!! Thank you! You are a lifesaver!!!

The finish line! YEAH!!!

We want to thank our sponsors and everyone that came out and supported us and helped us raise over $1800 to donate to the ALS Association. This was our first year and it was a huge success with 165 runners/walkers. We were very nervous about the turn out, the weather and having enough supplies but everything went way better than expected! It was neat to meet so many different people that have been affected by this awful disease and hear how they made it through. We hope our contribution will help to one day find a cure so that no one else has to die due to this terrible illness. Thanks again and we look forward to next year!!

Bailee's New 'Do'

2009-03-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

After a lot of indecisiveness and discussion, Bailee decided that she wanted her hair short for Spring and Summer so we went last night and got it cut. She loves it and has been asking since the minute we left the salon when she can show, Grandma, Grandpa, Miss Amber, her aunts and uncles. I think she is adorable with short hair and I love how it makes her look younger because she is already growing up way too fast! She is so excited about her new hairdo!

Tubing in Pine Valley

2009-03-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

Mom, Bailee and Brecken braving the steep hill at Pine Valley Reservoir. Trust me when I say it was a lot bigger than it looks and you definitely get some speed!
It was a little scary trying to hold on to 2 kids and making sure not to let go of them or land on them. YIKES!!

Dad with Bailee on his back. This is the only way that she would go down and even this took a lot of bribing.

Jason and I with our snowman that Bailee proudly named, Yipee.

Our 2 little munchkins with Yipee.

Brecken working hard at getting that snow packed in good and tight.

Dad and Brecken building our handsome snowman, Yipee. The reason I say handsome is because Bailee declared it was a boy due to the fact that it was constructed by Brecken and Jason. How funny are kids!

Brecken was a brave soul. He would go down any which way we mentioned. Belly first, head first, bum down backwards, laying down, etc. He conquered those hills like they were nothing to him. Bailee on the other hand was our timid one. She had to be given a pep talk before every run. But they both did great once they got the hang of it.

Jason making a path for the kids to tube down.

Oh what fun!!

WWWWEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

We had a great day up in Pine Valley and couldn't have asked for better weather. It was actually quite warm on Wednesday when we went up. We were definitely worn out by the time the day was over though. Treking up the hill of the reservoir was enough to make you want to pass out. There was a reason we only did that ride 5-6 times. We look forward to hopefully getting one more fun day in the snow before it is all melted and gone.

Grandma Bloemke: You are loved and missed!!

2009-02-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

We are very sad to have to say goodbye to our Grandma Bloemke. These are the last pictures taken of our family with her the week before she passed away. She came out to visit and we were so blessed to get to see her before she left this mortal world. She was in so much pain and we know that she will no longer have to go through that battle because she is in a much better place. We love her so much and she will be greatly missed. We were very lucky to have such a wonderful example in our lives.

Anyone interested in having fun while helping to raise funds for research on Lou Gehrig's disease we are putting on an ALS 5K run/walk and 1K kids race at Highland Park on March 28, 2009. Please visit the website at als5k.com for more info. We look forward to the day that they finally find a cure to this horrible illness. Thanks!

Tuckered Out

2009-02-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

While I was at work on Saturday night, Jason was getting Bailee ready for her dance recital and thought it was a little too quiet in the house, especially with a 2 year old running around. He went to go play investigator and this is what he found. . . a tuckered out little boy! How cute!! I could not believe that he was actually tired enough to fall asleep in that kind of a position.

Happy Early Valentines' Day

2009-02-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Jason had to work on Valentines' Day so we decided to celebrate on Friday instead. We gave the kids their presents early so that they could enjoy them while Jason and I were at dinner. We went and ate at Red Lobster and it was delicious!! The wait was almost an hour but it was well worth it. This is one of Jason's favorite restraunts but I would never eat there because I hate fish/seafood and I am not much of a meat eater but I tried the Cajun Chicken pasta and was very impressed!! I would definitly go back again. After we ate we went and did a little shopping at Old Navy. It was a fun night! I am so lucky to have such a sweet guy in my life!! I love you babe!!! :)

80's Party

2009-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

On February 7th, we went to an 80's party at Clint and Kate Dalley's home. It was a BLAST!!! I laughed so much that night that I thought I had pulled a muscle from laughing so hard! We ate and while we were eating we watched a movie that Justin Stum had made of music videos from the 80's. It was hilarious how cheesy they were!! I can't believe we actually wore some of the things that we did and to think that they are coming back into style. . . After we ate we played Limbo and had a dance off competition. Now that was something!! :) Congrats to the Wright's for winning that and congrats go out also to Maile Pastor for winning Limbo and the Vaughns for winning best outfits. We definitly need to do this more often. What a gnarly time!!

Elks Lodge Law Enforcement Night

2009-02-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Every year the Elks' Lodge prepares a very nice dinner for all members of Law Enforcement and their spouses. It is such a kind thing for them to do and it is always a ton of fun! After enjoying dinner at the Elks', we went and got hot chocolate at the Maverik and went up on the hill to relax, visit and take in the awesome view. We had a good time!!

2009-02-11T08:32:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-02-11T08:29:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-02-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

East Zion

2009-02-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we were able to go up to a cabin in East Zion that the Sharp family rented and play in the snow and stay over night. It was a gorgeous cabin with a beautiful view! On the way up we took a wrong turn and got stuck in the snow but after 2 hours of digging and spinning and sliding, a CAT backhoe finally came to our rescue with a tow rope and pulled us back to the main highway. Thank goodness!! It was bitter cold and I was beginning to panic, especially with little ones in the car. The snow was incredibly deep and we learned a lesson for next time: no 4-wheel drive, no trip to East Zion. We stayed up until all hours of the night playing canasta and laughing our heads off. These guys are some of the funniest people we know and always guarantee a terrific time. We are already looking forward to next year only we will be a little better prepared. Hey, what can I say, we made some memories that will not soon be forgotten.

New Years' Eve

2009-02-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

New Years' Eve was spent at a home that our friends' the Sharp family rented on 400 S. Main Street in St. George. We played cards, ate way too much food and watched the fireworks at midnight. Brecken was terrified of them at first and would bury his head in my legs, but after about 5 minutes he warmed up and started to like them after all. The kids also got quite a kick out of banging pots and pans. What a fabulous time we had! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!!!

Jason aka Birthday Boy

2009-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

We went out and celebrated Jason's birthday on January 6. His actual birthday is on January 7 but he had to work. We went and ate at the Ruby River Steakhouse (his favorite) and then went to see the move Seven Pounds. It was a very good movie but kind of sad as well. After the movie we went to Applebee's and got a Blondie for dessert. It was a very enjoyable evening spent together. Happy Birthday Babe!!

New Years' Day

2009-02-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, so for some reason I cannot upload anymore pictures from the folder December 2008, so for now I am unable to post any pictures from Christmas and our trip to the cabin in East Zion. I am going to just continue from New Years' Day and if I can get the problem fixed I will post the pics at a later date. So these pics were taken at the park on Tonaquint Drive (not sure of the name but we call it the Dizzy Park) on New Years' Day. The kids had a blast as usual! We met the Sharp and Barnhardt families there and had a good time catching up with them. We ate lunch and then visited while the kids and a few of the adults played at the park. This is one of the neatest parks that I have ever been to. The equipment is very interesting, not like your typical playground. There was a spinning bowl-like seat that Bailee loved to turn around in. I was a little afraid that she might get sick because of how much and how fast she was spinning but she didn't and loved every minute of it. Anyways, we will definitly be making a trip back here.

PJ's from Grandma Kathie

2009-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Jason's mom sent us and the kids' pajamas for Christmas so we let the kids' open them on Christmas Eve so that they could wear them to bed. Oh boy, were they ever excited! The kids' love their pj's and are always asking when it is going to get dark so that they know how long they have to wait before they can get changed into them.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's house and had dinner and spent the evening with family and friends. We were able to have the Todd family and Grandma Little join us so that made for a really enjoyable evening. We have a tradition were we open one present on the night on Christmas eve. They are usually pajamas but we forgot ours at home so we opened our family gifts instead. We also started drawing names because our family was expanding so much and it was getting kind of expensive to buy for everyone. This year we drew my sister Andrea and we got her a gift card to Wal-Mart (I know. Kind of impersonable but it was something that she really wanted and needed). My sister Erin and her husband Johnny drew our name and they got us a gift card to Home Depot which was great because it will help with the expenses with finishing our basement. They got Bailee some reading books and a magnetic book to practice her spelling. They got Brecken 2 trucks that make noise and 2 tractors with cool squishy wheels. They both loved their gifts!

Taste Testing

2009-01-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

While I was baking our holiday treats, Brecken decided that he was going to be a big help and sneak some tastes of miscellaneous ingredients. First of all, I left to go upstairs and fold a batch of laundry while the pretzels were in the oven. I came back downstairs 10 minutes later and he had the refridgerator open, had gotten a straw out of the utensil drawer and was drinking the whipping cream. YUCK! I asked him what he was doing and all he said was 'Me thirsty'. Well, I tried to explain that whipping cream is not something that we drink but I guess when this kid is thirsty he will drink anyting regardless. I couldn't help but laugh but at the same time think HOW GROSS it must have tasted. Do little kids taste buds not work as well as ours do or do they just not know any different? From the expression on his face he looked like he was loving it. He must have thought it tasted great because he downed quite a bit of it. EEWWW!!!
Second, while I was busy talking on the telephone he decided that he was going to get his chair and climb up on the counter to steal some pretzels to sample. I hope they were good because they were his last. What a mess he can make! He also enjoyed getting into the bag of M&M's that was quickly emptied with his two little hands. What a little stinker!!! But I have to admit it is so cute to see the curiosity in his eyes at what he just discovered before he knows he has been caught and then to see him hurry and hide under the table or bury his head in the corner when he knows he has been found and is in BIG trouble. Silly boy!! :)
Oh and if you notice our gingerbread house in the background, it is missing the Peep christmas tree and snowman because he decided that they would be better in his belly than on the house. Gotta love em'!

What a Mess!

2009-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Our basement is coming right along! We had the drywall put up and it made a huge difference. WOW! I am so excited to be all done because then I won't have to mop, vacumn and dust everyday because of the thick layer of dirt that is stirred up in the air from all of the drilling, sawing, cutting, sanding, etc.

2009-01-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

WOW! It is so great to able to be back in the blogging world again. I have been having withdrawls for the last month but I believe we are now back in business. Yah! Okay, so our laptop computer died and we didn't have a comuter for like three weeks. Then we went to Costco and bought a new desktop but it would not let me get on anything that ended in blogspot.com without kicking me off of the internet and restarting the computer. Well, I think after many trial and error experiments unplugging and rebooting and whatever else we did, we finally have the problem fixed. So to say the least I am waaaayyyyy behind in my posts. I have decided that even though a lot of our activities are way past and old by now I am still going to post them so that when I do my yearly blog book I will not leave anything out. I apologize ahead of time for the late posts but give me a week or two and I should be caught up. I plan to post 2-3 a day until I can get current.

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

Winter Pics at Kiddie Kandids

2008-12-22T12:46:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, we went to Kiddie Kandids because we had a free coupon for an 8x11 for Bailee's birthday. We had only planned on getting one picture of her taken but they had such cute backgrounds for winter and Brecken was very eager to get his picture taken as well, which is very unusual. So we decided to take a couple of both the kids and then, of course, we couldn't help but buy some of each. How can you resist when they are so adorable! My only regret was not having Brecken in a sweater so he was in something more appropriate for the snow backdrop. Most people don't go sledding in a button down church shirt.:)Oh well! They were still fun!!

Snow Day

2008-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

We couldn't believe our eyes when we woke up on Thursday. There was snow everywhere! The kids were so excited!! We went out and spend a couple of hours enjoying it: building snowmen, making snow angels and having a snowball fight. We love the white stuff!! It makes it actually seem and feel as if it is wintertime and like Christmas is just around the corner. Hopefully we will have more to play in before the season is over.

The Forgotten Carols

2008-12-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night, me, my mom, my sisters and my friend Nikki all went to see Michael McLean's The Forgotten Carols. It is a tradition for our family to go every year and every year it is awesome! We always pack lots of tissue because we are all big cry babies and the tears flow uncontrollably. It is such a neat show and truly reflects on what this time of year is all about. We went and ate at Wingers' before the show and I think the employees' there thought they had a bunch of loonies visiting their restuaraunt. When you get us all together it can become quite loud and crazy. I am so grateful to have the most fabulous family in the world and the best friends a girl could ask for. Thanks guys for a great time!!!

Let It Snow!

2008-12-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

On Monday it actually snowed in St. George! I could hardly believe it!! The kids loved playing in what little bit there was. It was so cute because their little cheeks were red and they looked so cold yet they did not want to come in to get warm. I tried to bundle them up but then they couldn't move around very easily so they didn't like that at all and it eventually came off. I LOVE the snow and wish it would come more often. But what can I say, I am definitely grateful for what we get because we need it very bad.

Ugly Ornament Party

2008-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we had an ugly ornament party at Monica Johanson's house. It was a blast! It was amazing some of the ornaments that people found and made. I thought mine was pretty tacky until I saw the rest of them. My cheeks hurt so bad that night because I was smiling so much at all of the 'beautiful' ornaments. The diva this year was Shelly Vaughn. She brought a Barbie leg with fish net stockings drawn on it and a garter made out of rick rack. It was a very creative idea! Nice job Shelly!! I have to admit though that I am very glad it wasn't me because this year's diva award was HIDEOUS!

Basement Construction

2008-12-10T10:15:00.001-08:00

We have finally decided to finish our basement after living in our house for 4 years. We are so excited to be getting it done and to have the extra bedroom and bathroom. The basement has served as our storage room for the last 4 years so right now everything that was down there is out in our garage until I can go through it and get rid of a lot of junk. I have been using the basement also as my scapbook room so it will be nice to not feel like I am in a dungeon and actually have carpeting, painted walls and heating/air-conditioning down there. I will keep you posted on the progress. Our neighbor Craig and his friend Jason have done all the framing so next is the electrical and plumbing. YEAH!!!!!

Playing Dress-Up

2008-12-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

My mom purchased some new dress-up outfits so while we were visiting grandma's house the kids wanted to try on and model all of the different costumes. Playing make believe is one of their favorite activities so they were in heaven with these. They were dancing and prancing around the house using all of the tools that came with the costumes. It was so cute!! You gotta love the nice matching purple socks!

Hiking

2008-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Jason and I were able to take part of a day and go to Springdale to enjoy breakfast and some hiking near Zion. It was neat to see the beautiful mountains and breath taking views. Of course the camera does not do justice to the natural eye. We found a cool dam in one of the canyons and that was awesome to see. The water was really gross but the scenery was amazing! We are so lucky to be able to live so close to these beautiful places!!

Bailee's Family Birthday Party

2008-12-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

YUM! YUM! Bailee eating her delicious chocolate cupcake! These things were massive!! I swear each cupcake weighed 4 lbs. And just as a side note, Bailee's red nose is from my lipstick. She wanted to be a kitten for her birthday so I drew whiskers with eyeliner, which you can no longer see, and a red nose, since pink would not show up. :)

Jason and I with Bailee

Bailee with her cousins, Lydia and Gabby, her friend, Byron, and her brother, Brecken

Jason and Brecken. Like father, like son. :)

Bailee opening her presents. This was a really cute Tinkerbell book given to her by Brooke and the girls.

Bailee upwrapping her present, a keyboard from Marci and Pat.

Bailee with her Aunt Marci and Uncle Pat. She was so excited about her new keyboard! We always pretend to play the guitar and the piano but she now has a real one to play on.

Bailee with Lona, Byron and Aunt Brooke

Bailee with her Aunt Andrea

The 3 dancing princesses: Lydia, Bailee and Gabby

Bailee's 5th Birthday Party w/ Friends

2008-11-26T14:12:00.001-08:00

Bailee's 5th birthday was Wednesday, November 19th so we had a birthday party for her with all of her friends. I can not believe were time has gone! Boy am I getting old. . . :) We had a houseful but it made it that much more fun! We frosted cookies, played pin the tail on the donkey, ate cupcakes and ice cream, opened presents and then let the kids play. I didn't realize it until the party but the kids were more into playing dress-up or with Bailee's toys than any of the games we had planned. I stressed so much about having enough activities for them but there was no need because after all we didn't end up playing half of the games I had planned. It was a very exciting day filled with lots of fun memories! Thanks to everyone that came and made it a great time!! WOW!!! My little girl is growing up too fast!

Turkey Trot

2008-11-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

I know that I am a little behind in my posting but I still wanted to share these fun times. On Saturday, November 15th we went and participated in the Turkey Trot at Seegmiller Farm. We had a blast and got a good workout at the same time. All that was required of you is to bring 3 canned goods per person. They have a mile walk and a 5K run both. You decide what you want to do. Bailee, Jason and I all walked the 1 miler. Brecken was lucky and got a shoulder ride from Jason the whole way. He was still very tired since we had to literally pull both kids out of bed in order to make it there in time. After the walk they raffle off tons of turkeys and other cool prizes. We have won a turkey just about every year. We didn't win this year but we were just excited to see how many people showed up. It gets bigger and bigger every year. It is a fun family activity that we have been fortunate enough to enjoy every year and hope it continues for a long time!

Fun at the Mall

2008-11-22T20:48:00.001-08:00

Last Friday, my friend Tara and her kids' Kaylee and Alissa and myself with Bailee and Brecken went to the mall to do some shopping and decided to stop and let the kids' ride some of the rides there. They had a ball! It's too bad money is an issue because if it wasn't we could go broke easily on just rides alone. I don't think they could ever get sick of riding them over and over again. Our kids get along so well and are the best of friends. It makes it nice when they enjoy each other's company so well.

Our Own 'Little' Photo Shoot

2008-11-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I decided to experiment a little bit with our camera and take the kids' out for a photo shoot. We had a lot of fun and the kids' were such troopers. Towards the end they were getting really tired of changing outfits and smiling but they hung in there the entire time. We were out for about 3 hours and took over 200 pictures but I just chose my favorites. I tried to do a slide show but I couldn't get it to work so I apologize for so many pics. I just couldn't decide and didn't want to eliminate any of them.

Bailee's 1st Hula Performance

2008-11-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Bailee's hula class had a potluck dinner and performance for all of their families. It was so neat to be able to go and watch her dance her little heart out. She did awesome!! Bailee has loved to be able to go and meet new friends especially her teach 'Auntie Lina'. Auntie has put so much dedication, time and effort into teaching these kids and providing such a fun environment for them. She makes all of the costumes herself and just gives so much of herself to make this possible. We truly appreciate her for all of her hard work and everything that she has done for Bailee. The performance went very well and it was cool to also see all of the dances and different things from the Samoan and Polynesian cultures. I have to share one thing that happened that was so funny but kind of sad at the same time. On the very first dance they had to sit on their legs for quite a while during the song. Well, when it was all finished Bailee went to go and get up but her leg had fallen asleep. She tried to stand up but fell back down because she couldn't feel her leg. When she realized what had happened she stood up and had to limp off stage. I don't think she had ever had that happen before. I wanted so badly to jump up on the stage and help her off. It was so sad but kind of cute too. Now that we watch the video we all (including her) get a good chuckle out of it. We are so proud of her and the excellent job that she has done!

Feeding the Ducks

2008-11-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today we decided to go and feed the ducks at the St. George Golf Course. We used to go all of the time but we have not been for several months so we thought the kids would be glad to go again. We actually went yesterday but forgot the camera so we went back again today to get some pictures. They had lots of fun but they were a little more eager to get close to the ducks yesterday. Today the ducks were all in a biting mood. They were nipping at us left and right. They kids were not happy campers when the ducks got too close and stole the whole piece of bread right out of their hands (as you can tell by the expression on Bailee's face). Brecken was brave and let the ducks eat the bread right off of his head. I tried to get pics of it but they were to fast. Bailee did it yesterday as well but the duck was chewing her hair instead of the bread and she did not like that very well. She didn't want to attempt that again today. The ducks were definetly not afraid of people. They would swarm you and almost try to take you out to get more bread. I don't ever remember them begging quite so much. Several months ago they would not even come out of the water to meet you but now you can't even hardly park without almost running over them because they surround your car. We had a great time and will definetly be taking more bread next time. It seems to go too quickly!! Thank goodness for cheap but fun family outings!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-11-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year! We started out going to visit Grandpa Schmutz and Bette then we went to see Grandma and Grandpa Bailey for some treats. The kids were so excited to show off their new costumes. Bailee's friend Claire was so cute and brought over her cowgirl costume for Bailee to use because she wanted to be a fairy so Bailee gave Claire her Barbie Diamond Castle dress to wear. It was a great trade off because I think both girls were more excited at their new costumes than going out trick or treating. Thank you Claire!!! I had been at Wal-Mart the day before Halloween and they were starting to mark down the costumes so I bought a knights outfit for Brecken to play with as dress up. Well he dug it out of the bag and wanted to dress up in it rather than his fireman costume so it was fun to have a little change of costumes last minute. After stopping by the grandparents houses we came back to our house and trick or treated around the neighborhood for a little while. There were a ton of people out! It was really nice because the last couple of years I don't remember it being very busy. After trick or treating we decided we were really hungry and went to eat at Durangos. Yummy! After a very eventful night we were all exhausted and came home to crash!!! The kids are already looking forward to next year!! We'll see how long that lasts!:)

Bunco Halloween Party

2008-11-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is the fantastic group of ladies that make up our Bunco group. It has been so much fun getting to know each and every one of them. I am so lucky to have such great people as friends!! Thanks everyone for sharing in all of the laughter and craziness that we all enjoy so much!

Little Bug Preschool Trunk or Treat

2008-10-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Bailee's school did a trunk or treat on Wednesday and the kids had a blast! Before the trunk or treat they did a parade around the cul-de-sac and had Miss Amber's special witch's brew. After the trunk or treat they enjoyed chocolate cake. Bailee was so happy that her friends Claire and Caleb were there. What cuties!!! This has been a fun filled week so far and we are way excited for tonight!!

Happy Birthday Nikki!!!

2008-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to go and have lunch today with my great friend, Nikki Sharp, for her birthday. This girl is so sweet and kind and she means the world to me. I don't know where I would be without her friendship. She has been my rock and stood by me through thick and thin. I am so blessed to have someone as special as her in my life. She is awesome and I just want to tell her thank you so much for all that she has done for me. Thanks Nikki for so many fun years and many more to come! Happy Birthday Girl!!!!!! Hope you have a fabulous day!!!

Hula Dancing

2008-10-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

On Mondays, from 4:00-6:30, Bailee has been doing a Hula Class at the church taught by one of my mom's co-workers at the Temple. She has loved it and is becoming quite good at shaking those little hips of hers. She impresses me every week with what she learns. I was a little bit worried because she is so shy, but the older girls have taken her under their wing and made her feel right at home. They are adorable to watch! They do 3-4 dances together and sing one song where each girl has her own part to sing solo. Other than Bailee being very timid and quiet she has her part down perfect. We have thoroughly enjoyed watching her show off all of her new moves for us. They have their first performance on November 8th. We are so excited!!!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-27T14:43:00.001-07:00

Church Trunk or Treat

2008-10-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Bailee and Brecken in their cute costumes

Our Family

Bailee and Brecken sitting in the back of the van after they were all through and worn out

My good friend Rhanda Todd and I

Brecken and his friend Wyatt Todd

Bailee and her friend Xavier Todd

Bailee playing the sock toss game

Brecken at the fishing pond

Bailee going fishing

Bailee and Brecken making ghost suckers out of kleenex and dum-dum suckers

Our ward did a dinner, games and a trunk or treat on Saturday night. It was, as usual, a ton of fun. The soup was delicious and the games were a blast for the kids. This just reminds me why Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays!!

Preschool Fieldtrip to Farm

2008-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

The kids got the chance to go and visit Staheli Farm and Pumpkin Patch for a second time because Bailee's preschool class went on a fieldtrip there. Jason took the kids and they had a really great time. He got some fun and different pictures than we got when Brecken's playgroup went so I tried to pick out ones that weren't the same. Can you tell they how excited they were to be there again?!?! I honestly don't think that they could ever get sick of this place. There are to many neat things to do!

Fun in the Backyard

2008-10-23T20:49:00.001-07:00

We have had such beautiful weather the last week so the kids decided they wanted to play in the backyard for the majority of the day. It was so gorgeous outside I just couldn't resist. We have hibernated indoors for the whole summer so the outdoor play equipment has kind of been neglected. What a good way to break it back in now that the temperatures are tolerable!!

Boxes

2008-10-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Why do we spend so much money on toys when kids have the most fun with. . . boxes?
Bailee and Brecken used these boxes to build a fort, a train to ride in, a tunnel to crawl through and a tower to climb on. I wish I would have learned earlier how much fun boxes, hangers, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, paper sacks, etc. are for the kids and I could have saved a fortune.

Playing with Ali and Ian

2008-10-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Brecken eating his favorite snack, Goldfish

Brecken getting into things he shouldn't be getting into

Bailee on her favorite thing, the swingset

My sister Erin trying to teach the kids how to play Pictionary. I think they still have a few years Air, but good try and thanks for your patience.:)

Ali, Gabby, Bailee and Lydia. What cute girls!!!

Bailee, Ali and Gabby

Brecken and Ian. What handsome boys!!!!

Bailee, Ali, Lydia, my sister Brooke, and Gabby. Such a good lookin' bunch!!!

On Saturday, Candie came and visited with Ali and Ian. We all met at Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's house and had a great time. They are the most adorable kids!! Thanks Candie, Ali and Ian for such a fun day! (Sorry they are so blurry. They were taken with my phone so the quality is not the best.)

My Hunky Husband

2008-10-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Me in the Past

2008-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Our Handsome Brecken

2008-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Our Beautiful Bailee

2008-10-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

I found this website called Yearbook Yourself on my cousins' blog and decided to have some fun trying it out. It was pretty funny!! I definitely got some good laughs!!:)

Our Cute Kiddos

2008-10-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

These were just some pictures that I had on my phone from the last month that I thought were to cute not to share.

Harmons Party

2008-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Harmons had a party for all of their employees' at the new park on Dixie Drive. It was so much fun! They had a blow-up slide, bounce house, rock climbing wall, face painting, balloon art, tattoos, fishing pond, volleyball and the park toys. They also provided hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, brownies and cotton candy. When it was time to leave the kids didn't want to go. They wanted to go to Harmons afterwards thinking that the festivities would continue at the store. It was so cute! I was so proud of Bailee because she went down the blow up slide a lot and normally she is very hesitant about even going near it. Once again it was proof that her fears are gradually subsiding. The slide was the hit of the party so the bounce house was vacant for most of the time giving Brecken every opportunity to have it to himself. It was a good thing because if any one is bouncing with him he freaks out and won't get in. Bailee got a ladybug painted on her cheek, an Ariel tattoo on her arm and a butterfly hat and poodle ballons. Brecken got a baseball painted on his cheek a fish tattoo on his leg (his choice) and a puppy balloon. They were pretty proud of their balloons because as soon as we got home Bailee got a marker out of the drawer and wrote their names on them so that everyone would know that they were their balloons. Silly kids! Thanks Harmons for the great time!!

Poor Miserable Hubby

2008-10-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Jason went in for surgery to had a deviated septum straightened out and a turbinette reduction (I think that is what it is called). These are the pics in pre-op and at home afterwards. I didn't dare put any on while he was in recovery because it was a little gross. But, all in all he is doing great! The only complaint he has is with the stints (straws to keep the holes from swelling shut) in his nose it makes it impossible to breath through his nose. Because he has to breath strictly through his mouth he has said that his tongue burns because it is so dry. I went and bought a humidifier for him and he has slept much better, with the exception of difficulty swallowing. Try plugging your nose and swallowing and you will get an idea. It definitely isn't the easiest. He goes in to the doc on Friday the get the stints out (hallelujah!). We can't wait for him to get feeling better!!! We love you and hope this fixes the problem for you!:) We will soon find out.

Noggin Buster

2008-10-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, while at Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's house, Bailee got her first goose egg or as Grandpa calls it a 'nogginbuster'. We are not quite sure how it happened because none of the kids would tell us the story but it was a result of twisting around in the swing. I have to give her credit though because it was one of the worst goose eggs I have ever seen and she was super tough. She must get that from her dad.:) She was a little scared to put ice on it but once she was in Grandma's lap and had goldfish she was just fine. Those two things could make anything better. It is now Tuesday and her nogginbuster is completely gone which is very surprising. We all thought for sure she would have some massive bruise all across her forehead. Thank goodness that didn't happen!

St. George Marathon

2008-10-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Great Job Babe on the marathon!!! You did awesome!! We are so proud of you! You are a trooper to keep going especially after getting poured on and having to run the whole way in cold and wet clothing. I'll bet you are so glad that you can take a break now and just relax. No more marathons for a long time!!! YEAH!!!!!

Staheli Farm & Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Brecken's playgroup went on a fieldtrip to the Staheli Family Farm. They had a blast!! They got to see lots of animals: goats, sheep, llamas, cows, horses, chickens, pigs, and ducks. We also got to ride the trailer up to the pumkin patch to see all of the pumpkins. They weren't doing to well this year because of all the squash bugs taking over but it was still cool to see all kinds of pumpkins and learn about them. I never knew why or how they turned from green to orange, but now I do. And last but not least the kids got to ride the train. I think that was their favorite part of the whole day! This has been a tradition for our family to go and do every year. They have so many neat things to do. They have a redneck trampoline(a mattress surrounded by a wall of hay), the slides that end with you landing in dried corn, cowpie toss(bean bags being thrown into a board painted like a cow with holes in it), bales of hay with a plastic cow's head and horns to practice roping, really tall swings(so they go really high), hayrides, etc. It was so much fun!!!

Great Times at Lona's House

2008-09-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Jason and I both had to work so my oh so kind sister and her awesome friend Lona were nice enough to watch the kids for us. When I got there to pick them up (10:30pm) they were passed out on the floor after watching a movie. It was so cute! They had the time of their lives at Lona's house. Thanks so her and Brooke I have these funny pictures to share. I have tons of dress up stuff for Bailee that she prances around in day in and day out, but I never thought about all of the fun boy make believe toys (swords, helmets, masks, capes, etc.) Seeing these pictures definitely made me decide that I am going to have to buy Brecken some more masculine props so that he will no longer walk around in high heels and fairy wings. Thank you Brooke and Lona for providing such a great time for my children. They were worn out and slept like babies the whole night! YEAH!!!

Brecken's Playgroup

2008-09-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today we got to have playgroup at our house. We had six little ones running around having a blast together! We attempted to do some fun projects (cereal necklaces, coloring pages) but they were still a little bit to young to grasp the concept. They were eating the cereal faster than they were putting it on the string.:) They were more interested in the toys than anything else. I thought it might be a bit chaotic but everything went smoothly. They all did very well and got along great. This has been neat to get to watch the kids interact and a good way to get them used to being in a different environment. Here are just a few pictures that I thought were to adorable not to share. Hope you enjoy!!

Painting Projects

2008-09-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to undertake a huge project that I thought would take a day or two but ended up taking 5 days to complete. I painted and glazed my kitchen cabinets. In doing so I learned a lot, most importantly, that I will never do it again. It was a pain in the behind to say the least!!! After the glazing was finished I decided my kitchen had too many light hues of brown so I chose to paint it the dark green that you see. I was very happy with it and loved how it turned out. It made the cabinets stand out way more than before and gave the kitchen the contrast that it needed. I also decided to add some texture to the kitchen and bathroom walls and painted and hung the paneling and moulding. After doing that project, I was surprisingly still in a painting mood so I decided to take down the long curtains I had in my living room and paint it the light yellow to make it a little brighter and lighter in there. I was pleased but very glad to be done. I definetly got my craving to paint out and will not be painting again for a very long time!!!!!!

Trampoline Trouble

2008-09-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

We have decided that we were not meant to own a trampoline. Last night some heavy winds came rolling in and took it for a ride up and over our back wall and into our neighbors awning and backyard. We think it has officially seen it's last day, unless of course Jason can piece it back together. . . again. This is not the first time. Several months ago we had another major wind storm and we were not home. (It seems to only happen while we are gone.) Our neighbor witnessed it catch air and travel up and over our block wall (approx. 6-7 feet high) and land in our front yard shattering into several pieces. We had to buy new bars for the netting that time and it took forever and a day to put it back together. The padding that covered the springs has all rotted away. When adults jump on it the springs come loose and occasionally pop off. So. . . I am not sure how safe it is going to be. . . especially for the kids. We have only had it for one year and I think that one year will be our only experience with a trampoline. Unfortunately!:(

It's Costume Time. . . Already?

2008-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we decided to pull out the totes with all of the Halloween decor and costumes. We got part of it out last night and left them down because we were going to finish decorating today. Well, this morning the kids woke up and did their own thing which is a very rare occasion. Usually, the first thing they do is come and wake up Jason and I. But that was not the case today. Jason and I woke and heard them playing in the kitchen so we just listened for a minute. The next thing we knew they were coming into our bedroom all dressed up asking "Is it Halloween yet?" It was the most adorable thing ever. How can you say no to something so cute? So to this point, it is now 2:30, they still have their costumes on. What can I say? What excitment it is to be a kid.

It's Always Fun at Grandma's House

2008-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

These were just some cute pictures that we took while over at Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's house. It never matters if we have the exact same toys or books or movies as Grandma and Grandpa do they are always funner to play with, read or watch at their house. Isn't that strange!?!?!?:)

T-Rex Whitlock

2008-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to the extended family. My sister Marci and her husband got this new little puppy named T-Rex. He is so cute! The kids loved him and toted him around everywhere they went. Bailee has already declared that she is T-Rex's official babysitter when they need someone to watch him. She wanted to bring him home but we had to explain to her that not all puppies can live at our house. We only have so much room. She was excited to know that she could visit T-Rex whenever she wanted to though. If it was up to Bailee we would have a whole zoo in our backyard.:) While at the zoo in Logan, she wanted to bring home the tortoise, the coyote, the bobcat, the eagle and the porcupine. Silly kids!!!

Memory Grove Park

2008-09-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Grandma Kathie's

2008-09-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

We stopped by Grandma Kathie's in Layton for a visit on our way home. We went and enjoyed lunch at the new Chuck E Cheese but I was unable to get pictures thanks to the dead batteries in the camera. The kids always love playing with the sticks that fall from the trees in her backyard. Thank you Grandma for the extra battery for my camera!

Logan Temple

2008-09-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

We spent part of the afternoon walking around and enjoying the beauty of the Logan Temple grounds. What a breathtaking view! Words cannot descibe how gorgeous the temple and its landscaping was!! The pictures only show just a small part. It must be a popular place for picture taking because there was 3-4 photo sessions going on while we were there. You can see why.:)

Top of Utah Marathon

2008-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Jason did a fabulous job running the Top of Utah marathon in Logan! He said that this marathon was the most physically challenging of all the marathons that he has run. In the first 14 miles the elevation drop was 1100 ft. Were tough on the gluts and hamstrings. He finished in 5:47. We are the most proud family of all! Way to go babe! Another one down, one more to go!! We know you will do great!!

It's Autumntime!!!

2008-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Just after arriving in Logan, Jason had to go and pick up his race packet across the street from the Logan Tabernacle. While he was doing that I decided to let the kids out to play since they had been in the car for most of the day. The leaves were just starting to turn colors and fall from the trees. They had the best time running through them, throwing them and rolling in them. The weather was absolutely beautiful!! Logan was so much prettier than I expected! It was green everywhere. There were so many bright flowers, bushes and trees. The canyon you drive through on the way to Logan was gorgeous but I couldn't get any pics because my camera batteries went dead. Bailee called the trees and bushes 'rainbows' because they were so many different shades. I could definitely live there!

It's Raining, It's Pouring

2008-09-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

So today the weirdest thing happened. It had been a beautiful, bright and sunny day out and within a matter of minutes the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. And I don't mean just a drizzle, it POURED!!!! It came down so fast and so hard that everything was flooding. The storm drains could not keep up with all of the water. As soon as the kids heard the raindrops on the windows they ran out to the garage and grabbed their umbrellas. They were not about to let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass them up. I mean come on, how often to we get rain like that in St. George. NEVER!!!!!! We loved it (even if I did wash my van yesterday) and wish it would do it more often. We definitely need it!!!

First Day of School

2008-09-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Bailee was so excited to finally be able to go to preschool! September 3rd was her first day. These pictures were taken on the first and second days because I was still feeling under the weather on the first day and couldn't function well enough to take a bunch of pictures. Two weeks before preschool started she would ask me every day,"Mom, do I get to go to school tommorrow?" or "Mom, is tommorrow when my school starts?" I always felt so bad telling her no and that she had a few more days until she would be able to go. She knew that all of the elementary school kids had already started and so she was very ready to start herself. She absolutely adores her teacher, Miss Amber and loves to learn new things everyday. One of her best friends, Claire, is in her class so it makes it even funner.

Utah Olympic Park

2008-08-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

While in Park City, we decided to stop by the Utah Olympic Park and check it out. We were glad we did because it was really neat. They had a museum full of memorabillia from the 2002 Winter Games. There were pictures of the athletes, actual medals and uniforms and cool displays. We also happened to be up there while the athletes were training and got to watch them for a little bit. They are incredible! They were practicing ski jumping into the pool and doing all kinds of flip and turns. It was awesome to see and although the pictures don't do justice I thought I would share a couple. Enjoy!!

Utah Olympic Park

2008-08-27T17:37:00.001-07:00

5239364337105172690" />

Park City Marathon

2008-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

We all went up to Park City for the weekend to support Jason in running his 5th marathon. We had a wonderful time and wished we could have stayed for the remainder of the summer. I forget how beautiful the weather is up there. Jason did great finishing in 5:29. I think he is awesome and I have so much admiration for him because I know without a doubt that I could never run that far. We are so proud of him!

POST Graduation

2008-08-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

POST Class #236
What an accomplishment! Way to go guys!! Awesome job!!!

Jason being sworn in. (Sorry the picture is so bad. My camera did not like the dim lighting.)

Jason and his co-worker, Jesse Sanchez. They were roomates while up in Sandy at POST.

Jason and his friends from POST: Brandon Hughes, Jesse Sanchez and Peterson.

Jason, Bailee and Brecken

Jason and his mom, Kathie. It was so kind of her to drive down from Layton to be with us during this neat time. We were glad to get to see her and spend time with her even if it was short.

Jason, I and the kids

2008-08-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Park City Fire Truck

2008-08-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

We were on our way to Smith's when we saw this fire truck in the parking lot and had to stop and let the kids' check it out. What kid doesn't think a fire truck is so cool!!

Welcome Back Mom and Dad!

2008-08-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

On August 11, We got to go down and pick up my parents' from the Las Vegas airport after they flew in from a 7 day cruise to Alaska. It is so good to have them back!! We all missed them a lot but Bailee and Brecken couldn't wait to see Grandma and Grandpa Bailey. The wait was almost unbearable for them. When they spotted G-ma and G-pa down walkway in the baggage claim they took off running as fast as they could. I wished I had my camera on because it was so cute! That day it was also Jason and I's anniversary of the day we met 9 years ago!! I am funny that way and celebrate both anniversaries. Love you hon!!

Paper Projects

2008-08-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

The kids' and I decided that it was time to be creative and use up some of the misc. craft paper and items I had laying around and make some fun projects. The kids' were so proud they wanted to show them off. In case you can't tell there is a ladybug costume, a caterpillar and a puppy dog. We also made sock puppets but we had to let the glue dry.

Washington County Fair

2008-08-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we went to the fairgrounds for some carnival fun. My brother-in-law Pat and my sister Marci went out to watch Pat's brothers band, Closure, play as part of the entertainment. After watching them for a little bit we headed to the rides. I bought Bailee a wristband for unlimited rides because she now has no fear and loves every ride there is. I wasn't sure that Brecken would like many of the rides so I waited to by him tickets until later in the evening after I tried letting him on the ducks that go around and learned that he did indeed like the rides. The kids rode for 3 hours and probably could have been there longer if they weren't ready to collapse due to extreme exhaustion. On Saturday, we went back to visit the petting zoo and watch the demolition derby but, I forgot my camera so unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share. All in all it was a great time!!

Washington City Community Center Pool

2008-08-03T15:47:00.002-07:00

I know we have a ton of swimming pictures but I couldn't pass up blogging them because they all turned out so cute and they all marked a milestone for the kids'. This was Bailee's first time going down all of the slides at the Community Center pool. She freaked out two months ago when we tried to bring her to this pool because on all of the slides water falls on her head. But now that she doesn't mind it this was no big deal to her. There is a huge bucket that dumps water from above the slide area and she would simply wait until it dumped and then go up the stairs and down the slides knowing that she had a few minutes until the bucket would dump again. I don't have any pics of Brecken on his belly but he also just started laying on his tummy in the kiddie pool and kicking his legs to make a splash. It was adorable but I couldn't get to my camera in time. Maybe next time.

Good Times

2008-08-03T15:47:00.001-07:00

Curly Sue and Que

2008-08-02T10:31:00.003-07:00

Bailee decided that she wanted her hair in curlers so we made her gorgeous. But it didn't take long for Brecken to come and want the same. Unfortunately his hair is not long enough so we were only able to get two in. He is so funny! He looks up to Bailee and wants to be just like her. Whether it be painting our fingernails, playing Barbies, brushing our hair, building with blocks or watching Dora, he wants to be a part of it. Bailee is the same way though. Everytime Brecken pulls out the building blocks or trains and cars or wants to watch Bob the Builder or Thomas the Train she wants to be involved as well. I have to be grateful for now that they aren't into the cuties or the 'I don't want to play with girly/boyish toys thing. I just melt everytime I do something for the kids', and I help Bailee first, (ex. brushing hair or teeth, painting fingernails, getting a drink of water) Brecken will always come up and say 'Momma, Me' implying he wants the same thing done to him. They play so good together and enjoy each others company. Bailee is such a great big sister to him. In fact, Brecken won't even sleep in his own room. He has to be in Bailee's room with her or he won't stay in bed. Kids are too much fun!!!

Swearing In Ceremony

2008-08-02T10:31:00.002-07:00

On Monday the Washington County Sherrif's Department had a Swearing In Ceremony for all of the new deputies just returning from the academy. There were six of them: Jason, Julie Lee, Robert Tibbets, Stephen Mock, Robert Waggoner and Jesse Sanchez. They had to go and officially get sworn in at the courthouse but they wanted to do something where the family could be there to watch. It was really fast but neat to see. My camera was really slow so I only got one picture. Congratulations Babe!!

Swim Lessons

2008-08-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Bailee just started swim lessons at the St. George City Pool. The first day she was terrified at the thought up putting anything above her shoulders in water. We decided to take her three nights in a row to the pool and work with her ourselves to try and get her to do it and not be so afraid. The first night we worked with her she put her whole head under! Granted it took 20 minutes of giving her a pep talk . . . she finally did it!! The second and third days of swimming all she wanted to do was bobs(putting her head under), ice cream scoops(front stroke and back stroke), blow bubbles and tigger bounces. We are making headway! YEAH!!!! Bailee we are so proud of you!!

Sand Hollow Aquatic Center

2008-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

For family night on Monday we decided to go and swim and Sand Hollow Aquatic Center. We got the kids' new life jackets so this was a good chance to try them out. They both were scared to death when we let go of them but when they realized that they were floating they were okay with it. You can tell by the look on Brecken's face how much he enjoyed being on his back.:-) While we were there some friends of ours, the Hansen's, ended up coming as well so that was a lot of fun to catch up with them and the kids had friends to play with. Bailee and Abby were so cute! One thing we have discovered about Bailee and being out in public places is if she sees anyone about her age she will immediately go up and say 'My name is Bailee. What's your name?' and just start up a conversation with them. It is so cute because she makes friends where ever we go but we need to have a talk with her about being careful too.

First Day in Uniform

2008-07-26T16:37:00.001-07:00

Today was Jason's first day that he was able to wear his uniform to work. It is now official! He is Deputy Jason Little. . .that sounds kinda weird. I am going to have to get used to that one but we are so proud of him and are so happy that he is doing what he loves. They do a swearing in ceremony on Monday so I will post more pics then. Doesn't he look so handsome!:-) We love you!!!

Treehouse Museum

2008-07-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

As I was going through my photos I realized that I had totally forgotten to post about our visit to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. Last week while we were in Salt Lake for the week we spent half of a day in Ogden with Jason's mom, Kathie. She was able to go to the Treehouse Museum with us for a couple of hours and we had a lot of fun despite a little panic for a few minutes when we lost Bailee. Anyone that has been there before knows how many places there are for the kids to play and hide upstairs and downstairs. She was in the Treehouse and she came down with a chicken costume on. I told her that if she wanted to go and play on the firetruck she needed to go and hang the chicken costume back up first. She went up the Treehouse to hang it back up but never came back down. After about five minutes I went up to check on her thinking she just got sidetracked playing with something else. The costume was hanging up but she was no where to be seen. After Kathie and I frantically searched the entire building we could not find her anywhere so I got the help of the workers there. I guess this happens pretty often. Anyways, one of the workers eventually found her dressed down in the fireman's hat, jacket, boots, etc. sitting in the back of the firetruck. My heart was definetly pounding faster than it ever has before. Thank you Kathie for your help watching Brecken! After that fun ordeal we were able to enjoy the different stations. We made feather necklaces, traced dinosaurs onto paper, dressed up as animals and children from other countries, went down the tunnel slide (with a little push from Mom) and pretended to be a firefighter. We are definetly going to have to go back when we have a little more time to spend there. It was a really neat place!! Unfortunately Kathie had to work that night so we weren't able to spend much time together. We always seem to have a hard time getting to spend much time with her but hopefully our next trip up will allow for better circumstances. We love you Grandma Kathie!!

Welcome Home Dad!!!

2008-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

YEAH!!!!! Jason is finally done with the police academy!!! His last day was Wednesday. He finished at noon and got home about 5pm. To say that we are excited is an understatement! He has been in Sandy (4 hours away) since May 12 attending POST so that he could become a certified deputy for the Washington County Sherrif's Department. He has been working at the jail in booking since November as a civilian employee, but this will now enable him to make a little more money and be able to eventually go out on the street doing patrol. He has been able to come home each Friday night and leave again on Sunday afternoon which has made it a little more bearable. But the drive was very exhausting for him so he is grateful to be home for good. We missed him tremendously but are so proud of what he has accomplished!!!!

A Day at the Park

2008-07-16T12:27:00.003-07:00

On Thursday of last week we were able to get together with my cousins, Amy and Nicole and their kids and spend several hours at Heritage Park in Cedar Hills. It was the coolest park ever! It had a river that ran through it with a tunnel and a bridge. There was lots of shade and overall it was a beautiful park. The kids had lots of fun but I had more fun getting to visit with my cousins. We don't get to see a lot of each other so every opportunity we get to see them is a cherished one. They always make me laugh and I have the best time when I am in their company. What a blessing it is to have such wonderful family!!

Our Visit to the Woodward's

2008-07-16T12:27:00.002-07:00

While in Salt Lake, we were lucky enough to be able to meet up with some friends of ours (Jason, Sherelle, Mackenzie and Zach Woodward) that we hadn't seen in close to 4years. They now live in Pleasant Grove so we are very excited to get to see them more often. Mackenzie is 3 months older than Bailee and Zach is five months older than Brecken so they got along great. Sherelle was so kind and cooked a fabulous dinner that was absolutely delicious! We ate and visited for a couple hours catching up on what has happened with each of our family's over the last several years. It was so neat to see everyone! Thanks again Woodward's for your kindness and hospitality!! We are so blessed to have such terrific friends!!!

Lagoon

2008-07-16T12:27:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday myself, my sister Andrea, Bailee, Brecken and Jason all got to go to Lagoon for the annual Harmons summer party. They sell discounted tickets making it very cheap to get in. We all had a blast!! We arrived at 11am and stayed until 10pm. We spent the entire day in the Kiddieland riding the small kids' rides. I always have more fun watching the kids and seeing how excited they are and what a good time they are having then going on the adult rides myself. About the most adult ride we did was the Tidal Wave. That definetly made me realize what a weak stomach I have and that my amusement park days are probably over. I do not do well when it comes to heights, roller coasters or free falling. Jason was able to come up and join us at 6pm after he got out of the academy for the day. It was nice because Harmons had rented 2 pavillions where they had free cotton candy, watermelon, brownies, drinks, chips, ice cream and popsicles, face painting, clowns that made balloon animals and a raffle. We were able to purchase hot dogs and hamburgers for .50-$2.00 so we didn't have to spend a fortune on food while we were there. My favorite part of the whole park was Lagoon A Beach. They have the Main Stream that is kind of like a lazy river where you can float on tubes around and around. It is so relaxing! I put Brecken on my lap and Andrea put Bailee on her lap and we spent quite a while just going in circles. They have an awesome pool area up above the lazy river where they have some cool slides for the small children to go down. Overall we had a great time and hope to be able to go back in the near future.

More Fun at Jungle Jim's

2008-07-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

While in Salt Lake, we couldn't pass up going to the funnest place of all, Jungle Jim's. When we first arrived Brecken would only ride in the swings and the carousel, but by the time we were ready to leave he was riding every ride except the roller coaster. It takes time for him to warm up and let his fears subside but once he does he doesn't want the fun to stop.

Pony Rides at Gardner Village

2008-07-14T11:21:00.004-07:00

Last Monday we decided to stop by Gardner Village and check out the petting zoo there. We were lucky enough to come on a day when they were letting the ponies give rides to the children. Bailee and Brecken were very excited and did not want to get off after the 5 minutes of riding. Bailee said she wished that we could have a pony for a pet. Too bad we don't live on a farm.:-)

Museum of Natural History

2008-07-14T11:21:00.003-07:00

We also stopped by the Museum of Natural History on the University of Utah campus on Monday. We happened to go on a free day so that made it extra nice. The kids loved to see all of the cool rocks and dinosaurs. Brecken was a little nervous with the big skeletons of the dinosaurs but it was fun to see the expressions on their faces when they saw such large animals. They have a great kid area where they can read books and watch TV programs to learn about dinosaurs, put together a large puzzle on the wall, play a matching memory game on the wall, dig for dinosaur bones and get your picture taken with a dinosaur. That was the funnest part of the whole museum! They were still a little too small to fully understand the whole history of it all.

Where a Kid can be a Kid

2008-07-14T11:21:00.001-07:00

This was just another one of our fun trips to Chuck E Cheese. This has become a tradition every time we are in Salt Lake. The kids have the best time!

Salt Lake Bees Game

2008-07-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

On Sunday when we arrived in Salt Lake, we went to a Bees minor league baseball game. One of Jason's classmates had season tickets that she let us use. Thank you Bobbi! They were playing the Tucson Sidewinders and unfortunately we lost 3-5. Jason took the kids up to get a drink and they got to get their picture taken with the mascot. They thought that was pretty cool!