Atwood Family

Trying to catch up...

2010-02-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was so good about updating my blog when my parents were on their mission. This blog was my way of keeping them connected to us and update them on our lives. Since they came home I have slacked big time. I have to remember that I'm doing this for my family and myself, so we have some sort of family history. This is the only journal I keep, so I have to be better about documenting our lives. My goal is to do at least one post a day till I get caught up and then stay caught up. I love that I can back date everything so it'll all be in chronological order when I make my book. Wish me luck!

Jungle Jims

2009-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Another one of Gavin's favorite places Ayden, Gavin & Keely Keely, Ben, Gavin & Ayden
Grandpa & Siarah

Keely & Gavin

Ayden

Gavin & Siarah

Keely & Ben

Sledding

2009-12-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

The Sledders-My Dad, Steve, Gavin, Shawn & KeelyKeely & Shawn
Gavin & Steve
Hiking back up the hill

Keely & Grandpa

Me, my mom & Lisa. Brrrrr!

Jump On It

2009-12-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

Jump On It is one of Gaivn's favorite places!Ben & Keely

Jumping with dad
Taking a break with Keely
Lovin it!

Ayden

Keely, Gavin & Ayden

Disneyland

2009-11-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

We spent two days at Disneyland while we were in Cali for Thanksgiving. I think I was more excited than Gavin. I Love Disneyland!

Waiting in line for Soarin' Over California. This was our favorite ride.

Steve and I on Tower of Terror. I was definitely terrified!
Waiting in line for Monsters Inc. with my friend Chelsie from College. My friend Steph met me there too, but I forgot to get a pic. :(
A Bugs Life

Gavin's in the Dog Pound.
Taking a lunch break enjoying our $6 corn dogs.

Indiana Jones- Gavin loved this ride.

Gavin and his friend Josh. Some of our friends from Lehi were at Disneyland the same day as us, so we met up for dinner and a few rides.

Spending Time With Grandma

2009-11-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

Of course we can't make a trip to Cali without seeing my sweet grandma Gibby. Gavin loves spending time with his great Grandma. Love you Grandma!

Freezing at the Beach

2009-11-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

Gavin kept begging us to go to the beach while we were in California even though it never got warmer than 70 degree. It wasn't warm enough beach weather for me, but Gavin loved it. He's a beach boy for sure!

Facials

2009-11-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

We went to California for to spend Thanksgiving with Steve's sister Janet and her girls. Janet and I made a huge Thanksgiving dinner which ended with way too many leftovers. It was so great to spend time with them. One night we decided to pamper ourselves with facials, a movie and a soak in the hot tub. Steve even got in on it, doesn't he look cute in a mud mask?

Pumpkin Land

2009-10-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

I was able to be one of the chaperons on Gavin's field trip to Pumpkin Land. It was so fun to hang out with him and his friends. I'm happy I'm able to do stuff like this with him while I'm still "cool" in his eyes.

That is Gavin's "scary" ghost face. Aren't you terrified??

7 Day Get Away

2009-10-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

For our 11th anniversary Steve's present to me was a trip to Ann Arbor to be with my sister. It was such a perfect gift! I spent the week reading, eating, sleeping, and being pampered. It was great to be able to spend so much quality time with my sis. It was also nice to have some one on one time with my niece and nephew. Even though I'm sure Keely would have rather I'd brought Gavin with me, she and Ben were very excited to see me. I love those kids!

The day after I flew in Lisa and I left for a couple days in Traverse City. It was a beautiful 4 hour drive. We bought the book North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (great book) and Lisa read it out loud while we drove. We had a lot of fun on our little excursion.

I can't remember the name of this place, but they had the best chocolate croissants and hot cocoa.

A delicious dessert at Phil's on Front in Traverse City. Soooo Yummy!!

We went to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa for a little pampering. Lisa got the "Mother to be Massage" and I got the "Scent-sational". We felt like new women when we left.

We were told you can't go to Traverse City without going to Moomers for their homemade ice cream. So even though it was only 40 degrees outside we made sure to sample a little taste of country.

Nice pose Lisa!

We didn't spend much time at the lake because it was so cold, but we had to get a picture. It was beautiful!

I was able to tag along on a Young Women's activity to see the broadway show Legally Blonde. I planned my trip perfectly.

The Quinn's carved pumpkins for family night when I was there. The kids had lots of fun, but Ben wanted nothing to do with the pumpkin guts. He a man after my own heart! Thank you Quinn family for letting me hang out with you for a week.

Thank you babe for such an awesome present! It was just what the doctor ordered!!

Jackson Hole

2009-10-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Leders invited the Rex's and us to their Cabin in Jackson Hole again. We always have so much fun traveling with our friends. It's always an adventure!

The view from the Cabin. You can see the Grand Tetons behind us. Gorgeous!

Hoogle Zoo

2009-09-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo with my mom, my sis and Tabitha and their kids. We wanted to see all the babies before they got too big. The baby elephant was so stinking cute I could hardly stand it.

Soooo cute!!

Waiting for the train

Checking out the animals

Ayden loves Gavin and has to copy everything he does.

Cotton Candy

Carousel

The playground

Dear Gavin,

2009-08-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of you on your first day of kindergarten. My stomach was in knots as I walked you to school and could tell you were nervous too. But you put on a smile and got excited for this new step in your life. You looked so small with that giant backpack on and I couldn't believe my baby was going to school. Where did the time go? I wish I could have stayed with you a made sure you were okay, but I know your a big boy now and have to learn to do things on your own.

You are such a strong, brave boy and you're going to do great! As I watched you walk into your class I couldn't help but feel like everything is going to change. I kept a smile on my face till you walked through the door. I didn't want you to see how hard it was on me to let you go. As I walked home and the tears began to fall I wondered what you would be doing, where you would be sitting, will you make new friends your first day or take some time to warm up, would you want your mommy as much as she wants you?

Where did the time go? I feel like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms watching you sleep on our first night in the hospital. My world changed that day, I have never felt such love and joy! I'm at a loss for words to explain how happy you have made me. I don't know if you'll ever understand how much you mean to me. Maybe when you're grown and have kids of your own.

I can't wait to pick you up from school and hopefully see a smile on your face. While we walk home we can talk about your day and you can tell me all about the good and the bad. I hope you'll always feel like you can tell me anything and I'll be there to listen and understand. You're going to be an amazing man one day and I'm going to be there every step of the way. I am so proud of you!

Love you with all my heart,

Mom

1st day of school breakfast

My handsome Boy all ready for school!

Gavin & Hannah ready to go.

Walking to school

Playing while they wait for the bell

Lined up and ready to go into class.

Swimming at Legacy

2009-08-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

We bought a membership to the Lehi Legacy Center back in May and I think we've used it maybe 3 times. I decided we needed to get some use of it before school started so I took Gavin and his friend Brock for an afternoon of swimming and fun. Gavin and Brock are really funny together and we had tons of fun.

Getting ready to jump

and they're off

Brock catching some serious air

They were beating up the waterfall showing it who the boss was, but I think the waterfall got the best of them.

A Little Fishing and Hiking

2009-08-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

We spent a day up American Fork Canyon hiking and fishing. It was a perfect day, except for that fact that they didn't catch a single fish. The weather was awesome and the scenery was beautiful.

Gavin and Steve in search of a perfect fishing spot.

Me and my boy

Not even a nibble

Father and son balancing act

Gavin loved every second of the day. He loves being in the outdoors and spending time with mom and dad.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

2009-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our little family went to the Oquirhh Mountain Temple open house. It was great for Gavin to be able to see everything and better understand the purpose of temples. It was a really fun experience. We're lucky to live so close to so many beautiful temples!

Cowabunga Bay

2009-07-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Gavin and I went to Cowabunga bay with some of my family. It was actually a really fun park. I definitely recommend getting there early though. By the time we left at 4:00 the place was packed. But when we first got there at 12:00 it wasn't busy at all. I'm thinking the best thing to do is be there when it opens at 10:00 and stay till 2:00. And if you go you have to get their soft serve ice cream. It was so creamy and yummy!

Fun With Grandma

2009-07-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

While I was in Park City shopping with my girlfriends my mom took Gavin to the Botanical Gardens with my sister and her little ones. Gavin always loves the Botanical Gardens. Thanks mom, he loved it!

Golf Clubs

2009-07-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Steve bought Gavin his first set of golf clubs. He's so excited to have his very own set.

Bye, bye cute baby teeth smile :(

2009-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Gavin lost his first baby tooth yesterday. I was so surprised when we realized it was loose. I can't believe he's old enough to start losing his baby teeth. And I can't believe he already has to go through the awkward big teeth stage. So good bye sweet baby teeth smile.

We had a really hard time convincing him to let us pull his tooth. We really needed to pull it because his other tooth was growing in behind it. We tried everything! We even told him the Tooth Fairy brings you money AND a present for your first tooth. But he would budge! In the end it took a very patient daddy 90 minutes of talking, reassuring, coaxing, and begging.

This pictures a little blurry, but you can see the new gap.

The very valuable tooth

His Bakugans from the super generous Tooth Fairy

4th of July

2009-07-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

We had some friends over for a bbq and to watch the fireworks. I love living so close to Thanksgiving Point so we can watch the fireworks in our own back yard.

Watching the show

Gavin dressed up in one of his randon outfits while he was waiting for the fireworks for start. He asked me to get a picture of him jumping. He's got some serious hops!

James slept through the entire show.

Lincoln thought the fireworks were way too loud. He kept his hands on his ears the whole time. Funny boy!

Me and my boy. That face he's making is because he thought the flash was way too bright.

Time for a bigger bed....

2009-07-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

We've been having problems with Gavin waking up and coming in our room every night. He's a crazy sleeper and moves around a ton in his sleep. We're hoping giving him a bigger bed will help him actually sleep in it. Here are some before and afters.

Before

After

Petting Zoo

2009-06-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went to Thanksgiving Point Petting Zoo with some friends of ours. Gavin always loves going to see all the animals.

Petting the Shetland pony colt.

While we were their they brought the mama and her baby out for a walk. Sooo Cute!

And what's a trip to the petting zoo with out a ride on a pony?

Swim Lessons

2009-06-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Gavin did great in swim lessons this year. He's a little fish and loves being in the water.

Girls Trip

2009-06-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

The plan was to go to sunny California, lay out at the pool/beach and read all day. I guess it wasn't in the cards because the sun came out for probably an hour the whole time we were there. But we didn't let the lack of sun stop us from having a good time. We decided to go to Disneyland. That right, four grown women, no kids, perfect amusement park weather, and tons of fun. It was seriously the best time ever. We were all giddy and excited like little kids. We got to go on all the rides we wanted. We didn't have to worry about whinny kids, crying (except for Tabitha on the Tower of Terror), or potty breaks (except when it was time for Tabitha to pump). Ok, I guess I might have needed a few potty breaks too and I guess I might have cried just a little on the Tower of Terror.

We had a blast! I love these girls!! We pigged out, had girl talk and lots of belly laughs. The best part of the trip was we did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. We didn't have any kids or husbands to answer to. It was sweet!

At the airport waiting for our free flight. Thanks Tab!

Disneyland

And when I say pigged out, I mean PIGGED OUT! I don't think I've ever eaten so much before in my life.

Our one visit to the beach. It was so cold and windy! We walked out on the pier snapped a picture and went back to the car.

The view from our hotel room. Thank you Amy for finding us such a sweet deal!

Thanks girls for such an awesome time. Can't wait for the next trip! And thanks to Steve and my parents for taking such good care of my boy while I was gone.

Hawaii

2009-06-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a picture overload! And this isn't even 1/4th of the pictures we took. So here it goes and it's a long one...

We met my parents in Hawaii on their way home from their mission in Australia. It was a perfect opportunity for a little family reunion and we had an amazing time.

Our first eight days in Hawaii we stayed on the North Shore in a beach house. The first day we got there we went for a walk on the beach. Everyone was in their clothes, so we told the kids to stay out of the water. You can see from the pictures that they listened really well. But can you blame them? Just look at that beautiful ocean.

We spent a ton of time at the beach right in front of our house. It was like having our own private beach. Shawn apparently loves digging holes and kept trying to get the kids to join in, but he pretty much ended up playing in the sand by himself. Poor Shawn!

This is the result of one of Shawn's digging expeditions.
Sand Angel
We chose to go to the island of Oahu because my mom's brother and his family live there. They moved to Oahu over 15 years ago and we have only seen them once in those fifteen years. And for some of my family (including my mom) this was the first time they've seen them since they moved. It was so nice to be able to see all of them again and spend time with them. I wish I would have taken pictures with everyone. What was I thinking? Love you all and miss you.

The water right in front of our house was perfect for snorkeling. Gavin even joined in. He was like a little fish out there. It was so much fun to watch.

The view from our house was beautiful! Theirs nothing better than sleeping to the sound of the ocean and waking up to this amazing view.

Everyone except for Steve and I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Steve and I had been there before, so we just sent Gavin with his Grandma and Grandpa. He loved it! Thanks for taking him mom and dad.

While everyone was at the PCC Steve and I spent the day driving along the coast on the North Shore visiting all the great beaches. It was such a beautiful day!

My sweet great aunt Betty sent a cute card with some money it with my Grandma. She wanted us all to use the money to do something fun while we were in Hawaii. We all decided to got to Matsumoto's for shaved ice. Matsumoto's shaved ice is a must have if you're ever on Oahu. It has the best shaved ice ever! And you have to get it with ice cream and condensed milk. Yummy!
On the way home from Matsumoto's we stopped at Pipeline Beach to check out the surfers.

We spent an afternoon visiting Pearl Harbor. Before you take the boat out to the USS Arizona they show a clip about the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. When we were walking out Gavin said, "Mom, that was sad." I said, "It was, wasn't it?" He said, "Ya, tons of sad!" I think he summed it up pretty well.

One night all the adults went to Ola's Restaurant at Turtle bay. It was so good! I had the best braised beef short ribs ever! And it was so great to get out without the the little munchkins.

One of our favorite activities was kayaking. Steve and I loved it! If we lived next to the ocean we'd kayak all the time.

The last four days of our trip we spent in Waikiki. It was just the Quinn's and us who stayed longer. It was nice to experience both sides of the Island, but I'm definitely a North Shore girl. We went from basically having our own private beach to having to share a beach with thousands of people. Our hotel was right by the International Market Place and a couple blocks from the beach. So we spent a lot of time just walking around and taking in all the craziness.

Steve and Shawn's attempt at Surfing. My battery died on my camera just a few minutes after they started. I was so bummed. They actually got up quite a bit.

Sea Life Park

Waikiki Aquarium

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

Favorite quote from the trip:

We were walking to dinner and Keely wouldn't hold Gavin's hand, so he asked, "How can someone sooo beautiful be sooo mean?"

Get use to it buddy. The younger you learn the better.

I had to put this picture in just cause it's so stinking cute. Aren't my boys sweet?

We flew home on the red eye. Gavin feel asleep at take off and woke up when we landed. But that was still only about 6 hours. So here he is recovering from his jet lag in the middle of a BBQ with our friends. On the left is his little buddy Lincoln, sooo cute!

It was an amazing vacation and I hope it's one that Gavin will always remember. Thanks to my family for an amazing trip!

Neglect

2009-06-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

Neglect: disregard: lack of attention and due care

If my blog was a child, Child Services would have taken it away from me. My goal this summer is to stop neglecting my poor blog. This is the only journal I keep and I really what to do a blurb book every year. I've also missed catching up on friends blogs.

So this is me recommitting. I have a ton to catch up on. so hopefully I can do that over the next week or so and then just work on maintaining. Wish me luck.

Hole N" The Rock

2009-04-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

On the way home from Blanding Lisa and I took Gavin and Keely to Hole N" The Rock. It's a home that was built in the side of a huge rock. I wish we could have taken pictures inside the home, it pretty amazing. Gavin and Keely loved it.

Happy Birthday To My Grandpa and Me!

2009-04-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

My sibling and I had been planning to go to Blanding and visit our grandparents for a while now. It just so happened that spring break and my birthday fell on the same weekend. So it worked out that my Grandpa and I got to spend our birthday together.

It was wonderful to spend time with my grandparents and I'm so happy all my sisters and my bro were able to be there too. My amazing grandma (who we told not to fuss over us) made a big turkey dinner that was delicious. Love you grandma and grandpa!!

Tourist In My Hometown

2009-04-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

It was strange to visit my hometown and not have a home to go home to. When my parents left on their mission they rented out the home I was born and raised in for 18 years. So while we were in Blanding we stayed at the Super 8, ate at The Old Timer restaurant and even visited the Edge of The Cedars Museum. It was actually kind of fun to visit Blanding from the tourists perspective. I saw good old Blanding in a different light.

Birthday Suprise

2009-04-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Steve was going to be in Arizona on my birthday so before he left he invited a few of my friends and family over for cake and ice cream. It was a sweet surprise. Thanks babe! And thanks to everyone who came!!

Full House

2009-04-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Gavin loves it when his cousins come to stay. We had lots of fun with all the little munchkins running around.

Girls Night Out!

2009-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Lisa and I went to dinner with some of our old girl friends from high school. And by old I mean we've been friends for a long time, not that we're old ;-) Its always so fun to get together with the girls and reminisce about old times. Thanks for the girls night out ladies. Can't wait till next time.

Easter

2009-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Easter morning Gavin opened his new Easter outfit. He wasn't really excited about it. He wanted to know where his candy was.

After church we sent him on an Easter basket hunt. He was very excited that the Easter bunny didn't forget his candy. He got Book of Mormon Stories, swim shorts, 2 star wars movies, some Star Wars action figures, and lots of candy.
We had all my family (-mom and dad) and some friends over for Easter dinner. This will our last Holiday without mom and dad since they come home in may, Wahooo!! But we had fun all being together. I'm so lucky to have such a close relationship with all my sisters and my brother.

After dinner we had an Easter egg hunt all the cousins.

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have such good memories of Easter as a little girl. And I love making new memories with my own little family. I'm so great thankful for our Savior and the sacrifices he made for us so we can all be together forever.

eggs, eggs, and more eggs....

2009-04-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

The couple who was in charge of our ward Easter egg hunt stuffed over 1250 Easter eggs. It was so much fun! Gavin just ran as fast as he good and filled his basket. Good times!!

Seussical The Musical

2009-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad, Here are the photos and video I promised from Christina's play. She did an amazing job! That's one talented granddaughter you have there!!

They're Here!

2009-03-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

My corner bookmarks came and I love them! Aren't they so cute? I usually use little scraps of paper or the book sleeves for my bookmarks, but now I have not one but three of my very own corner bookmarks. I kind of feel like I need to go out a buy at least three new books to make sure they all get equal attention. My husband may not agree. He already thinks I spend way to much on books. But what do you think? Thanks Karli, you're the best!!

Once Upon a Lilly Pad

2009-03-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Mom and Dad, I thought you'd like to see these pictures since chances are pretty good your daughter Laura wont post them :-) Jared and Annalisa were in the play Once Upon a Lilly Pad and did a wonderful job. Gavin loved it! Jared was an alligator or crocodile (don't know which) and Annalisa was a firefly. Don't they look cute?

Christina also has one of the lead roles in Seussical The Musical. She's choreographed all her own dances and has two solos. Her plays not till April, but I'll try to get some video and pictures of her in action.

Love you guys!

Family Get Together

2009-03-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

My little sis Julee and her family came to stay with us this last weekend and while they were here Zeb was able to bless my sweet little niece and namesake Siarah. It was a beautiful blessing and during the entire blessing Siarah was completely silent and just stared up at her daddy. How do we know this, you ask? Her uncle Mikey peeked a few times during the blessing ;-) But it really does make me wonder what she was thinking and feeling.

We also had a little birthday party for my nephews Jared and Ayden. The only problem was Ayden slept through everything, so we didn't even get one single picture of him. Jared doesn't like cake so he requested donuts. Here's a shot of him with his birthday donutcake.

And of course a parties never a party with out the kids beating up on and wrestling around with uncle Mikey

Here are my cute boys :-)

It was great to all get together. All my sibling were there except for my sister Lisa and her family. I love that we all live close and are able to get together as often as we do. We just wish the Quinn family didn't live so far away. And of course we can't wait till May for our parents to be home so they can join in on all the family celebrations.

Bowling

2009-03-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Gavin and I went bowling with Sheri and her girls when our husbands were in sunny Saint George on a golf trip. We had lots of fun! Gavin and Tori even bowled a couple of strikes.

Bunko & Yummy Recipes

2009-03-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have been in this Bunko group for about a year now and I love it! We have such a fun group of ladies. It's always loud and crazy with lots of screaming and laughing.

March was my month to host and I was having trouble deciding what to make for dinner so I asked my friend Kristen (who is an awesome cook) for some suggestions. She has this amazing recipe blog called You Got Served. You should check it out if you ever need new recipe ideas. I've cooked a ton of recipes from it and loved every one. One of the things she suggested I make was this YUMMY Zesty Spring Salad. It was a huge hit!

I also made Cupcake Surprise for dessert and a few of you wanted the recipe, so here ya go.

Cupcake Surprise

Make a regular chocolate cake mix and fill your muffin tins about half way. Then put a scoop of the filling "surprise" on top of the chocolate cake batter. Cook for 18-22 min at 350.

Surprise filling
8oz cream cheese
1 egg
3/4 c sugar
1 bag of milk chocolate chips

They are very easy and ooey gooey delicious!

And The Winner Is ...

2009-03-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

ME!! Yay!! I seriously never win anything. And check out these sweet corner bookmarks. I love them and can't wait to get mine!!

PRIZES!!

2009-02-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here's some more info on the last post I did about my super talented friend Karli. Today is the last day of the contest so she needs all the hits she can get. I just thought you'd like to see the prizes you could possibly win if you help her out. Click here to see the awesome prizes.

I Support Karli Hurren & Blog Wars!

2009-02-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

Click here to visit my talented friend Karli's blog and help her win a contest she's having with her husband. Make a comment and you can even win a sweet price.

Such a great feeling!

2009-02-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

You know that feeling you get when your child does something that really makes you proud? Like when they make a right choice, do something nice or caring? Well today was NOT one of those days. When I picked Gavin up for school he starts telling me all about these children in Guatemala who don't have any shoes or socks, who don't even have carpet in there schools and they have to sit on dirt. Sad right? Gavin's school is doing some sort of fund raiser for some kids in Guatemala. Gavin goes on to tell me this:

Gavin- "My teacher asked us if we had a dollar would we want to put it in a jar for the kids in Guatemala or buy a brownie. I told her I would buy the brownie."

Me- *with a look of shock* "Oh really, why did you chose the brownie?"

Gavin- *with a look of duh* "Because brownies are yummy!"

Oh yeah, and it gets better. He also told me that he was the only kid in his class that choose the brownie. And let me tell you, the pride was overflowing!! I think it's time for some service projects in the Atwood home.

Can someone explain this to me please???

2009-02-20T14:27:00.001-08:00

Is is a lack of commitment? Can't decided if it's truly dirty or not? Or is it really just that much harder to put the clothes ALL THE WAY inside the hamper? I seriously don't get it!

You don't realize how easy you got it until...

2009-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

you don't got it so easy any more.

My real life-Wife and stay at home mother of one.

My life for a week-Single mother of 3 with a high maintenance puppy on the side

My sister Lisa and her husband asked me to go to Michigan and watch their kids for a week while they went to sunny Florida. In that week I became thankful for many things and here are just a few:

*A child who doesn't wake up before the sun. I am not and never will be a morning person.

*A husband who comes home from work at night and plays with our son. Even though Gavin, Keely and Ben are really good kids, having a break at the end of my day would have made a huge difference.

*A husband to hang out with and talk to at night. You don't realize how badly you need adult interaction until your not getting it.

*A warm body in my bed. Even though I'm not much for cuddling it's nice to know he's there.

*Utah weather. That's right you heard me, I said Utah weather. You think it's cold here? Try going to Michigan where the weather forecast says 20 degrees, but feels like 7. The humidity makes it so much colder. Just thinking about it makes me cold, brrrrr!!!

And last but not least...

*Time alone with my amazing niece and nephew. I know it may sound like I was complaining, but all in all I actually really enjoyed the time I had with them. Ben is such a cute, chunky, cuddly, little boy, but in the past had been very withholding of those cuddles. It was great to be the only person he had, so he was forced to love me. I got more cuddles, hugs and kisses from that boy in one week that I have in his whole life time (he's 2 next month). I also loved spending time with Keely. Even doing the simple things like homework was enjoyable. It's so fun to see her learning and growing. She is such a smart, beautiful girl and I'm lucky to be a part of her world.

The Only Option

2009-01-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Gavin's new obsession is Lego Star Wars on the Wii. If we would allow it, he'd play it all day long. Yesterday he asked me if I'd play with him. I asked, "Do you really want to play with me or is it because I'm your only option?" He quite frankly said, "It's because your my only option." Wow! I guess at least the boy's honest.

A Very Happy Day!! :-)

2009-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

Gavin was very disappointing to have to change the date of his party, but when the day finally came he was so excited he forgot all about that sick day. I think the waiting made it even more exciting for him. We had a great time! Gavin ran wild with his friends while the parents were able to just hang out and visit. It was great not having to worry about messes, entertaining the kids, clean up or anything like that.

Gavin chose the space room and said we had to have a Wall-e cake to go with it. Isn't that a great cake? I wish I could take credit for it, but unfortunately I'm just not that talented. My friends sister in law Jacci made it. Gavin loved it!

A BIG thanks to Gavin's friends for coming and all the great presents!

A Very Sad Day!! :-(

2009-01-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Gavin hasn't been sick in over 2 1/2 year and for that we feel very blessed. But today was the worst possible day for that long run to end. We had planned to have his birthday party today at Kangaroo Zoo and invited 16 of his friends to join us. Last night Gavin went to bed at 9:00pm and didn't wake up till 10:30am. I was hoping he had just hit a growth spurt or something, but that was definitely NOT the case. He woke up with a fever, tummy ache, and a soar throat. So after a call to Kangaroo Zoo to reschedule, a call to my cake lady to order another cake, and a call to all the parents, we are now waiting patiently for next Wednesday. Poor little guy!!

Ugly Sweaters and White Elephants

2008-12-31T23:55:00.000-08:00

Our friends Sheri and Josh had us over for a New Years Eve party. We had all planned on having a sweater party before Christmas, but things got too crazy for every one, so we decided to combine it with our New Years party. We had a very yummy dinner. Sheri made sweet potatoes and cheesy potatoes, Dale made a ham, I did a veggie tray, and Steve and Tami brought drinks and lots of them. Their was way too much food and we all ate way too much. That's what new years resolutions are for, right?

Tabitha, Sheri, Me, And Tami. Josh washed and dried Sheri's sweet wool sweater, needless to say it shrunk a little. I think it was pretty hot though. My Shirt was just naturally a belly shirt, no washing and drying needed. I guess that what you get for $0.99. I think Tami definitely takes the price for ugliest sweater though. Look at that beauty!

Josh, Steve R., Steve A., and Dale. Aren't our boys handsome? Steve R. was soooo uncomfortable doing that pose. He's not a real touchy feely guy, so that pose was killing him.

We had a white elephant exchange. Everyone got some pretty awesome gifts from hunting gear to "The World According to Mr. Rogers." I'm sure that's a must read.

The crew playing the Wii.

The boys seriously rocked at Rock Band. I even got an awesome video of their performance, but my husband won't release the rights so I can post it. I'm going to keep working on him though. Lincoln (bottom left) thought he was playing too. He had a nunchuck in his hand and kept saying, "I'm winning!" So Cute!! I wish I would've taken a picture.

We had a great time! All the kids (except Kyle) even made it to the new year. Thank you Josh and Sheri for hosting us all. We had a blast! Happy New Year everybody! Here's to a great 2009!"

Our 5 Year Old

2008-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

Gavin was so excited to turn 5. The other day he asked me, "How do I turn 5? Is it magic?" He didn't quite understand how one day you're 4 and the next you're 5. Today we did family stuff. His friend party isn't till next Tuesday. That's what happens when you share your birthday with a day like New Years Eve. Poor kid! We had a great day together though.

It's our tradition that on your birthday you get what ever you want for breakfast. Gavin choose chocolate chip pancakes with powdered sugar and pink milk. Pretty healthy, huh mom?

Steve and I with our favorite boy! You can say that when you only have one.

We told Gavin we could do what ever he wanted today, so bowling it was. It was so fun to watch him try to hurl that heavy ball down the lane and then we'd all watch as it crept slowly towards the pins. And for the record Steve and I tied 159 to 159, so what if I was using bumpers.

Gavin got a snowboard for his birthday. He couldn't wait to try it out, so Steve took him in the back yard to show him the ropes. He actually did a really good for his first time. It was icy snow and he fell a few times, but he seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly.

I don't know why I filmed this sideways and I don't know how to fix it. So turn your head to the side and check out our budding pro. Sundance has a hill that you can board on for free when you're learning. So Steve plans on taking Gavin up there as much as he can.

I made him a cake to take to our New Years Eve party, so everyone could sing happy birthday to him there. He kept asking when we were going to HIS party. I guess that's one benefit of sharing your birthday with New Years Eve, theirs always a party.

Some pictures of my little chunk the first 6 months of his life. Gavin's first year he was in 90 to 95th percentile for both height and weight. But as soon as he started walking the chubs went away. We haven't seemed to have that problem with his height though. He keeps growing like a weed.

I feel so blessed to have this amazing child in my life. I don't know how I got so lucky. He has such a sweet spirit. He's so loving and caring with his family and friends. When he says his prayers at night he blesses everyone he can think of, from his family to his friends and even his friends parents. I feel like these 5 years have gone way too fast. I love watching him grow and learn new things, but at the same time I wish it would all slow down. I just need to hold on to my little boy a while longer.

Some of his favorite things this year:
*Wall-e-He loves everything Wall-e. He has the Wall-e voice down and he'll correct you if you try to say it, because your not doing it right of course.
*Iron Man-Remember my post after Halloween about him wearing his Iron man costume everyday? Well it not quite that bad anymore. He's down to about every other day.
*Playing with friends-He think he needs a friends to play with from the minute he wakes up till he goes to bed.
*Playing in his imagination-His imagination play can get pretty intense and involved. And don't even think of interrupting him.
*Wii and Wii Fit-This is only since Christmas, but he loves it.

The Best Christmas Ever!

2008-12-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

While opening his presents Christmas day Gavin said, "This is the best Christmas ever?" That made me so happy! What more can you ask for as a parent? This was the first Christmas we spent alone with out extended family. So we were able to start some of our own traditions. It was lots of fun to have that special time together, but we did miss our families. We were suppose to go to Steve's parents Christmas day, but the weather didn't permit. Luckily my brother stayed in town so he was able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us.

I think this was the funnest Christmas we've had so far with Gavin. He really got into it! He was sooooo excited about Santa and everything Christmas. I recorded every Christmas movie and cartoon I could find on TV and we spent endless hours watching them. I remember how much I loved those things as a child. He would play with the Nativity and ask me over and over again to tell him the story about Jesus. A couple days before Christmas he was at the mall with Steve and they ran into one of his friends. While Steve was talking to him Gavin kept interrupting and trying to get him to continue Christmas shopping. Steve told Gavin that Christmas is about friends and to be patient. Later that day Gavin told me, "Mom, daddy said Christmas is about friends and he's wrong it's about Jesus." It was so cute! We of course both assured him he was right.

I didn't quite have the energy back to do a make a big Christmas dinner, so we went out for our Christmas Eve dinner. Gavin might not look like he's enjoying his dessert very much, but believe me that was his, "this is sooooo delicious" face.

Gavin and Daddy putting out the Reindeer food for Santa's reindeer on Christmas Eve.

Our very musically talented neighbors singing us Christmas carols.

Making cookies for Santa in his new Christmas PJ's

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. Gavin was so worried about falling asleep fast enough so that Santa would come. He also wanted to sleep with a Christmas blanket, because it would help him dream about Santa. I don't know if I've ever seen anything more beautiful than my boy sleeping peacefully. I may be a little bias though.

Going through the stocking Christmas Morning. He was so excited about the candy canes for some reason. He said we had to put all of them up on the tree and eat one every day.

Getting another present to open.

He was very excited about his Iron Man

The Wall-e movie and Wall-e game for the Wii got a few good shouts of joy! He was so excited and thankful for every gift he got. He kept saying, "Santa knew I wanted this!" He even said that when he was opening gifts from Steve and I.

Christmas morning cuddles without makeup (a little scary).
I love this boy!

Our neighbors the LeSueur's and uncle Mikey came over for Christmas breakfast. Gavin and Oliver were way to into their new toys to worry about food.

Gavin and some of his loot.

Gavin showing off his Iron Man PJ's, gloves, and masks. Doesn't he look tough?

THANKS!!

2008-12-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

I'm finally feeling better from my surgery and wanted to take a minute to thank all my family and friends who took the time to let me know they cared. It has been a really rough week and a half, but the out pouring of love has been overwhelming. I had friends bring flowers, jamba juice, meals, and let Gavin play at their houses for hours at a time. I had a lot of friends and family who sent messages by text, email, and facebook. I got a phone call from my sweet parents everyday. And lots of great advice from my mom who I know was wishing she could be hear to care for me herself. My little sister Julee sent me a text everyday knowing I wasn't able talk, to see how I was feeling. My brother came by everyday to play with Gavin. My wonderful husband waited on me hand and foot and even did laundry and dishes. Any of you who really know my husband know what a major act of love doing laundry and dishes is for him. My amazing mother inlaw came and took care of me when Steve had to go back to work. She took Gavin to school, kept our house in order, and cared for me like my own mother would have.

When my mother inlaw had to leave my plan was to send Gavin off to a different friends house each day and I would just take care of myself. I had it all lined up, Wednesday-Tami's, Thursday-Sheri's, Friday-Stephanie's. They had all generously said yes to taking care of my son for three days. But Wednesday morning their was a knock at the door. I was pretty drugged up and not real coherent, so I just stayed in bed. I figure it was probably just UPS or something. But the knocking didn't stop, so I stumbled out of bed and made my way slowly to the door. When I opened the door it took me a minute to register who was standing in front of me. It was my sister Lisa! She had surprised me by flying in from Michigan to take care of me. She talked to my mother in law the day before on the phone and when she heard what a hard time I was having decided she needed to come. She got off the phone and told Shawn what was going on any he told her to go and he would take care of the kids and everything else she was suppose to do that week (which by the way was a pretty long list.) So she dropped everything and jump on a plane. I was so happy to see her. I wrapped my arms around her and started crying. I managed to whisper, "I'm so happy you're here!" She took me back to bed and told me to make a list of everything I needed her to do. She was amazing! She took Gavin to and from school, did my grocery shopping, she stuffed, addressed, and mailed my Christmas cards, she did laundry, cleaned my house, cooked the meals, cleaned up my throw up (SICK!), she even did some of my Christmas shopping that I wasn't able to get done before my surgery. The list goes on and on.... I truly believe she was an answer to my prayers. I really didn't know how I was going to make in through the next few days on my own. I could hardly pull myself out of bed to go to the bathroom and was in constant pain. My Heavenly Father knew what I needed and sent me my own personal angel. Thanks you Lisa and Shawn sooooo much for making those sacrifices for me!

Thanks to all for your care and love! Have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Celebrating Early

2008-12-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Steve's birthday early this year because I have to get my tonsils out 2 days before his birthday. I didn't want him feel to neglected so I called a few friends to meet us and Tucanos to surprise him. He claims he was on to me the whole time but I think is was the hostess that sold me out. When we got to the restaurant the hostess told us that the rest of our party was already seated. Apparently she didn't quite understand the surprise thing. It was really fun to get out with friends and enjoy each others company. Thank you everybody for coming and celebrating with us! When we got home I gave Steve Rockband 2 and we stayed up playing it till 1:30. And let me tell you I'm a pretty sweet singer for a girl who can't carry a tune and Steve's can really rock that guitar. So challengers beware!!

Happy Birthday babe! Sorry you have to spend your real birthday taking care of me :-(

Breakfast with Santa

2008-12-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

We went to Breakfast with Santa at Thanksgiving Point. The $20 breakfast was definitely not worth it, but the kids loved seeing Santa and all the other Christmas characters.

Julee & Ayden

Me & Gavin

Keely & Lisa

Gavin & Steve

Keely & Gavin with Mrs. Clause

Ben couldn't have cared less about Santa and the others, but he sure did have fun running around

Keely & Gavin with the Ginger Bread Man

This was as close as Keely would get to the Grinch & Gavin wanted nothing to do with him. Poor Grinch got no love.

Keely, Gavin & Ben (sort of) with the Sugar Plum Fairy AKA Tanya Thompson

The only Grinch Gavin would get near

Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Taking a break after the our big morning

Kids Village Christmas Party

2008-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

I know I went a little crazy with the updates, but I neglected my blog for so long I had a lot to check up on. And I almost forgot Gavin's Preschool Christmas Party.

Kids Village always does such a good job with their Christmas party. Every year they have Santa, treats, crafts and the kids preform a few Christmas songs. Keely and Ben were still in town, so they got to go with us. It was lots of fun for everyone.

Keely, Gavin & Ben eating the yummy treats

Gavin & Santa

This was the only way Ben would get near Santa

Gavin & me making reindeer food

Trax & Temple Lights

2008-12-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Gavin's been asking me to take him to see the "big Jesus" and take him on on train ride for a while now. So I figured we could kill two birds with one stone if we took Trax to Temple Square to see the Christmas Lights. The kids had so much fun riding the Trax and seeing the statue of Jesus and walking around the visitors center, but waiting for the lights to come on was a little difficult for these excited children and their parents. We thought the light were going to come on at 5:30 and they didn't come on till 6:00. So by the time Temple Square was lit the kids were hungry and ready to leave. We saw the Nativity and caught a few glimpses of the light on the way out. It was beautiful, but I would have loved to spend more time seeing the lights.

I LOVE These Kids!!

2008-12-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

When family gets together things can get pretty loud and crazy and these sweet little faces are the biggest offenders. But even with all the screeching, screaming, crying and yelling I love these kids to pieces and will miss them like crazy!!

Loads of Fun!!

2008-12-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

Kangaroo Zoo

Jump On It

Dinosaur Museum

12 adults, 7 children and a baby....

2008-12-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

is how many people we had at our house on Thanksgiving. We went a little ghetto using paper plates and cups, a Halloween table cloth to cover my brothers poker table and we served it all up buffet style. What can I say,? I'm just not really use to hosting that many people for a meal.

Steve and Zeb decided to deep fry one of our turkeys and I can't believe I forgot to get pictures of them at work. It was pretty crazy to watch! After they put the turkey in the oil, flames started shooting everywhere. I was sure someone or something was going to start on fire. It was a little over cooked, but good practice for next year.

We usually have my mom around and she does most the work. I knew Thanksgiving dinner was a lot of work but I had no idea how much. My sisters and I started cooking at 9:00am for a 3:00pm dinner. We ate for about 15 minute and then spent what felt like the rest of the night cleaning up. No wonder my mom's always so tired. That's a lot of work for only a few minutes of eating. But I have to say I think it was worth it. We ate lots of good food and it was great to spend the day with family.

Creating Their Own Fun

2008-12-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving was a lazy day. I don't think Gavin and Keely got out of their pajamas till after 1pm. But that didn't stop them from having some fun. These two have great imaginations and can come of with some pretty interesting play. They built a fort, played spy games with their sweet glasses and at one point each put on one of Gavin's skates and tried to skate outside. These two sure do know how to keep them selves entertained.

Grandma Gibby

2008-12-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky to have our Grandma Gibby with us for Thanksgiving. Shawn and Lisa surprised her with a ticket to Utah so she could spend time with us and her sisters. The great grandchildren loved having her around. We were lucky enough to catch this sweet moment on camera. My Grandpa Gibby pasted away a few years ago and Grandma was talking about how important it is to love and respect your spouses and how she would give anything to be able to hug Grandpa again. Right after she said that Gavin and Keely ran over to her and gave her a huge hug and made everyone cry. They have such big hearts!!

Uncle Mikey

2008-12-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Uncle Mikey is everyone's favorite uncle, because they know that when you are with uncle Mikey nothing is off limits. The word "no" is not in his vocabulary. You want some more candy? Sure! You what to climb on that? Go for it! You want to play with that? It's all yours! Mike watched the kids for Lisa and I one night so we could go out with some friends. When we came home at 9:30pm Gavin and Keely were running around the house like mad men hyped up on sugar. When we asked them why they're not in bed they said, "because Mikey said when he babysits we never have to got o bed!" Sounds about right...

These kids really are lucky to have an uncle who loves and adores them like their uncle Mikey. And Gavin and I are lucky enough to have him right down the road.

I want it spikey!!

2008-11-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

Gavin has been begging me for a while to cut his hair short. I kept putting it off because I love his beautiful, long, blond hair. Well, I finally gave in, I figured if I didn't like it I would just get him a bunch of hats and beenies. As it turns out he looks great! Isn't he a handsome kid? I feel like he looks so much older now though and it makes me a little sad :(

Before

After

When Gavin was done Lincoln wanted his hair cut like Gavin's. He kept saying, "like Gabin's hair." So cute!!

When The Cat's Away The Mice Will Play!!

2008-11-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

The last few days Gavin's been filling me in on the things that went on while I was gone. Here's a couple conversations we've had.

Gavin- "Mommy, daddy loves it when you're gone!"
me- "Oh really, why?"
Gavin- "Because then he can spend all his time with me."
My question, is Steve telling him this or is Gavin drawing his own conclusion? Gavin actually had this same conversation with my neighbor Tami when I was gone. But his answer to her when she asked why was, "Because then he gets all my cuddles. He got ALL my cuddles this morning."

Gavin -"Mom, daddy let me taste his yucky drink and its really not that yucky!"
Me- "Oh, its not?"
Gavin- "No, it just taste like sprite."
Coke is off limits to Gavin. We always tell him it's daddy's yucky so he wont want it. Apparently that reasoning isn't going to work any more. Thanks babe!

Gavin- "All we ate while you were gone was pizza, mac & Cheese and treats."
Sounds about right...

We were talking about all these little tidbits last night at the dinner table and I was telling Steve how glad I was that Gavin tells me everything. I said to Gavin, "You tell your mom everything, right?" He says, "Yeah, well.... except what I watch at uncle Mikey's house." Hmmm.... apparently Uncle Mikey lets him watch a carton that's not allowed in our house.

This post isn't to bag on my husband. He and Gavin actually had a great weekend together and I love what great buddies they are. I'm just happy to know that he still tells his mommy EVERYTHING! I know that one day he probably wont :( But I'm going to do my best to make sure he does.

3 Days In Heaven! Or Was It Cali??

2008-11-10T18:00:00.001-08:00

My two girl friends and I went to Huntington Beach this weekend for a quick girls trip. It was such relaxing weekend! We did exactly what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. We didn't have to worry about anyone but ourselves for 3 whole days. Its just so nice to be able to get away with good girl friends every once in a while.

Tabitha an I on our flight out. Sheri was already in California on a Disney vacation with her family, so she just met us in Huntington Beach.

Sheri, Tabitha and me on the pier

Lunch at Ruby's on the pier

Laying out on the beach in 80 degree weather.

Getting ready for the day at 11:00am. That's right I said 11:00am, it's our girls trip and will sleep in as late as we want ;-)

I was able to see one of my best friends Chelsie who lives in Newport. Its always so good to see her.

We just pigged out at The Cheesecake Factory

Breakfast at The Sugar Shack... Yummy!!

Shopping at Bella Terra. Aren't these glasses hot??

We got pedicures and manicures from the cool place that does really fun designs on your nails. Tabitha got circles, Sheri got pink plaid, and I got stripes.

Back to reality, soooooo sad!!

Going home was bitter sweet. We didn't want to leave sunny California, but we really missed our kids, oh yeah and our husbands too ;-)

Thanks to all those who made this weekend so awesomely stress free.
* all our husbands for so willingly taking care of the kids all weekend
* my super sweet friend Tami for watching Gavin while Steve was at work
* Tabitha for the buddy passes
* My incredibly generous sister in law Janet for letting us take over her house and drive her car. We got to see a little bit of her and her beautiful daughters on Friday before they left for the weekend, but I totally forgot to get pics :-(
* And last but definitely not least, Sheri and Tabitha. It was so great to share the weekend with such good friends!

Remember When You Promised??

2008-11-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

We bought Gavin's costume a few weeks before Halloween and I heard on almost a daily basis, "Mom, can I wear my Iron Man costume? " I was so tired of telling him no that I promised him he could wear it as much as he wanted after Halloween if he'd just stop asking. So on the morning after Halloween the VERY first thing he says to me is, "Mom remember when you promised to let me where my Iron Man costume as much as I wanted after Halloween?" Of course he didn't forget. That boy has such a one track mind. Well I had to keep my promise, so every day since Halloween if we're home he has his costume on. Oh the joy!!!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T17:18:00.001-07:00

What to say about Halloween?? Lots of candy, friends, and fun!!

My Iron Man

Gavin with his cousins - Jared dressed up like Iron Man too. And our sweet Analisa was an angel of course.

Iron Man (Gavin), Little Witch (Niki) , Cowboy (Kyle), Horse (Jackson), Dorothy (Tori)

Ready to Go

Trick or Treat

After Trick or Treating PJ Party

Lincoln and Gavin

Halloween Program

2008-11-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Gavin's preschool put on a little Halloween program. It was really cute and fun to watch. As soon as he woke up Halloween morning he started asking me when he could go to school. He was so excited to put on his costume. He told me everybody was going to think he was soooooo cool!

Hercules, a Witch and Iron Man

2008-10-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Steve and I waited till the very last minute to find our costumes for a party we went to last Saturday, so I went with the boring witch and I don't know where Steve came up with his. Gavin of course has known what he wanted to be for months. I know we look really miss matched, but we did have lots fun getting all dressed up!

Three witches-Me, Karen, and Sheri

Hercules and Josh the Blind Ref

Me and my Hercules

Creepy Crawly Cooking Party

2008-10-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from my friend Tanya. She has these parties every year for her kids and I thought it was a great idea. So this weekend we had our first ever Creepy Crawly Cooking Party. I think it was a big success. The kids seemed to have a great time and I had a lot of fun too. Tanya recommended that we keep the guest list to around 8 or 9, but Gavin and I got a little crazy with our guest list and invited 15 friends. All but one were able to attend so we had a full house. Luckily my awesome friend Tami agreed to help me. And my other friend Stephanie ended up staying a while to comfort her daughter who wasn't sure about all the boys and she was a huge help too. All in all I think we handled the big group pretty well.

The Invites

1st group shot - We had to get 2 because in one shot we were missing 2 friends in the next Gavin had disappeared. I have no idea where Gavin's hat came from.

2nd group shot

Scary, silly faces and some just plain cute kids

The results

The Menu

*Ghosts - Nutter Butters dipped in white chocolate with mini m&ms for the eyes and mouth (Thanks Tanya)
*Wormy Cupcakes - Frosted cupcakes with Oreo cookies crumbled on top and a gummy worm stuck inside
*Silly Bug Faces - Sugar cookie frosted with mini Oreo eyes, a gum drop nose, and cheese puffs antennas
*Eyeballs - Powdered donuts, Lifesavers, and red and green gel frosting (Thanks Charlyn)
*Spiders - Two Ritz crackers filled with peanut butter, pretzels for the legs and raisins for eyes

Thanks to Kyle for the pretzels, Matthew for Nutter Butters, Zack & Nathan for the Donuts, and Cadey & Evan for the Ritz crackers.

IRON MANS NOT REAL???

2008-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today Gavin and I were driving over the train tracks when he said, "Mom I think a girls stuck on the train tracks!" Then he starts saying in a high, quite voice, "Help me, help me!" I say, "Oh no, who can save her? Can Iron Man save her?" He looked at me rolling his eyes and says, "Iron Mans not real mom."

Silly me! And I suppose the girl on the train track was? Where is he coming up with this stuff anyway?

More fall fun! Well, sort of...

2008-10-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

We also went to Gardner Village which wasn't quite as much fun. I think going during UEA was a big mistake. It was crazy busy! The kids had fun seeing the witches, but the moms didn't have much fun with the crowds. I guess it's all about the kids though, right? I couldn't get any good pictures or Gavin with the witches, because apparently they were too ugly. Gavin's exact words when asking him to move closer to the witch, "No mom, she's too ugly!"

Gavin and Mommy

Yes, this is the best I could do

Lincoln and Gavin

Time for lunch

Fall Fun

2008-10-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

I LOVE FALL! Especially when the weather is mild. This week was perfect weather for joining in on some fall festivities. On Thursday we hit Cornbelly's. I was worried it would be a little crowded because of UEA. But it wasn't too bad and we had lots of fun.

Ready to get started

Our barnyard animals

Lost in the Corn Maze

The whole bunch except Nicole and Oliver. Oli needed a nap :-(

I Don't Know How They Did It?

2008-10-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

We had our first snow fall of the season last night. This morning Gavin and the neighborhood boys (mostly Kevin and Kaleb) built a snowman. I seriously don't know how they did it. As you can see in the pictures below by the time they were done the snow was practically melted. They had to gather snow from three or four yards. It was a lot of hard work, but I think they did a pretty sweet job.

Obviously Gavin was working really hard

What a cute boy!

The final masterpiece

Gavin's New Cousin

2008-10-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

My baby sister just had her second baby. Siarah Lynn Ross was born October 4th weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and was 20 1/2" long. She has tons of black hair and is just adorable. Gavin I spent the week with her and loved every minute of it. Gavin was such a huge help. He loved holding and cuddling her. He and I actually had to argue over turn it was with her. Congratulations Julee and Zeb!! Good luck keeping up with your babies.

Couples Weekend

2008-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing weekend with some great friends. The Leaders were nice enough to invite us to their cabin near Jackson Hole. It was such a relaxing weekend without kids. Great conversation, great food and great fun!!

Home Sweet Home! (I wish)

Great Room

Breakfast with the bunch

Steve the pool shark

It rained all weekend so they had to play arcade golf

Senior portrait pose.

Three stallions in front of three stallions (that ones for you Dale)

Just us girls

Jackson Hole

Dinner in Jackson Hole

Thank you Josh and Sheri for the invite. We had a blast! And thank you Dale and Tabitha for letting Steve and me work you at Cranium, Pool, Fuzzball and Darts. Oh wait, I guess you got us at darts :-)

SOLD!!

2008-09-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

After 10 months of making 2 mortgage payments we FINALLY sold our town home. I can't tell you what a weight this is off our shoulders. We feel so blessed that we were even able to sell in this economy. However it Probably wouldn't have taken so long if we'd been smart and hired a real estate agent from the beginning. Oh well hindsight, right? Thank you Dale Rex for selling it so quickly for us. And thank you to all our family and friends for your prayers.

10 Years and Counting...

2008-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

In honor of our 10th anniversary here are 10 things I love about you.

Your personality, I have a tendency to be a little high stung and get stressed easily and your personality is so chill that you always seem to mellow me out.
Your have a great sense of humor. My friends are always cracking up about the crazy things you do. Like doing a little dance when you answer the door. Even though you can be pretty cheesy at times, you always keep me laughing.
Your dashing good looks! Need I say more?
You are such an amazing dad! I've never seen a more proud father. Gavin will never have to wonder how much his daddy loves him.
You're a loyal friend! You make friends a keep them. Your friends know they can always count on you for anything.
You never talk badly about other people even when those around you do. You're very nonjudgmental and I think that's why you make friends so easily. Which leads me to my next thing...
You make friends easily. You can go into a room full of people you don't know and walk out with a hand full of friends.
I love your competitiveness even though we can get in some serious screaming matches over board games. But it's always nice to be on you team, because we usually win.
You get along so well with my family. From the first time my parents met you they loved you. You immediately fit right in. And of course all my sibling and their spouses love you too.
Last but not least, I love that you love me :-)

Congratulations Amber!

2008-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Steve's baby sister got married last Saturday and are so happy for her. It was a beautiful wedding and great to see all the family. Welcome to the family Brett!

7 Days in Michigan

2008-09-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Gavin's Highlights

Nonstop playing with Keely from dawn till dusk
Going down the tube slide at Rolling Hills Water Park
Playing with friends at the Labor Day BBQ
Keely's new puppy Mattie

My Highlights

2 date nights where Lisa and I actually got to see our husbands
Girl time with my sis
Labor Day BBQ at Kristin's
Spending time with my neice and nephew (even though Ben doesn't love me as much as he should)
Keely's new puppy Mattie

Steve's Highlights

Golfing 63 holes ( I'm not kidding they golfed 63 holes in 3 days)
The Michigan/Utah game, even though the Utes won :-(
Being the favorite - Ben loved him and wouldn't give me the time of day. I don't take it personally though, it's a gender thing. Ben just doesn't like girls.
Keely's New puppy Mattie. Come on babe admit it!

P.S. Thank you Shauri for the pictures! They're only evidence I have that we were there. Lisa and I didn't take a single picture the entire trip.

Boys will be boys. . . .

2008-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

is the saying I have written in vinyl lettering above Gavin's closet. This weekend the saying held true. Gavin was playing at a friends house when he took a head drive right off the couch and into their desk. It's so sad to see him all beat up like that and it happened right before soccer pictures too. We told him he looked like a tough soccer player. I know that the facts of life are that he's going to get bumps and bruises. I know he'll most likely get much worse, but I really hate to see him hurt, and I'm sure it won't get any easier.

I Didn't Even Cry :-)

2008-08-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you how proud I was of myself? Oh yeah and Gavin too. Today was his first day of school and I didn't even cry. I know I'm a big baby, so I really prepared my self this year. This is Gavin's third year of preschool, so I think I must be getting use to it. He was very excited and even insisted on picking out his own outfit. He has never had an opinion on his clothes before, so I have no idea where that came from.

I love this school! When we went to meet the teacher day I was talking to a couple of his teachers about how impressed I've been with the school, because you can just tell how much everyone who works there loves their job and loves the kids. And one of the teachers started crying and said, "We do! We just love the kids!" It makes me rest easy to know that these are the kind of people I'm entrusting with my sweet boy.

What ball?

2008-08-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Gavin had his 1st soccer practice Thursday and his 1st game yesterday. Before soccer practice Steve and Gavin had a big talk on how he needs listen to his coach and do whatever he says. So during practice the kids we running a drill where they had to kick the ball back and forth between a line of cones and once they got to the end they were suppose to kick the ball as hard as they could to the coach. So Gavin gets to the end of the line and coach Callister yells, "Okay, Gavin give me a good kick!" What does Gavin do? He runs towards his coach to give him a good kick. Hey he was just doing what his coach asked, right? It was hilarious!

The Game was pretty fun to watch. We have to remind ourselves that our funny boy is just learning. He mostly just ran up and down the field with the mob of kids and was pretty unaware that a ball was involved. It was lots of fun to watch though. The age group for his team is kindergarten and 1st graders, so technically Gavin isn't suppose to be on the team, but the Callisters' were nice enough to let him sneak on. His team got worked, but they were playing against a team of ginormous 1st graders. Gavin didn't seem to notice though. When people ask him is he won he tell them yes. I guess at that age we're all winners.

Our little winner

Almost looks like he's heading for the ball, huh? Nope just running ;-)

Thumbs Up!

He got pretty worn out. They only had one sub so Gavin kept trying to take his own time outs.

Is it really almost over?

2008-08-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Gavin starts school on Monday and summer is almost over. How did it go by so quickly? This post is dedicated to some of the things we did this summer that I meant to blog about but never got around to. So readers beware this is a long one.

We have an awesome neighborhood with some great kids! One of Gavin's favorite things to do is just run wild with his friends outside playing water games. And it's fun for me too, because I can just sit and visit with the moms while we watch them go crazy.

Gavin loves bowling and he gave me a run for my money. Not that, that's saying much. Steve makes me use bumpers or it's just embarrassing.

We spent a lot of time at our neighborhood pool with friends and cousins. Gavin loves the water. He would swim all day every day if I'd let him

Gavin loved going to Boondocks with his daddy. They would play miniature Golf, ride paddle boats, play arcade games, and run around in the jungle gym. Gavin loves alone time with daddy.

I decided to buy passes to Thanksgiving Point this summer since we live so close. So we've spent a ton of time there. For some reason Gavin loves the Dinosaur Museum. No matter how many times we go he still has fun.

So One Sided!

2008-08-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

I always heard parents talk about their love for their children and thought I understood it. It turns out I didn't have the slightest comprehension of parents love for a child until I had one of my own. And I think its really unfair how one sided that love is. Don't get me wrong, I know that Gavin loves me, but I think it pales in comparison to my love for him. You're probably wondering where this rant is coming from, well let me explain.

Gavin left me Wednesday morning with my sister Julee to go visit my other sister Lisa in Michigan. I'm going to share a few of the conversations we've had that are giving me this complex.

First-The day before he left we were cuddling on my bed and talking about his trip. I was giving him lots of hugs and kisses telling him how much I was going to miss him while he was gone when I asked him if he was going to miss me he said, "Ya, and when I there can me and Keely go to Jungle Java and ......" He just kept rambling on about all the fun things he was going to do when he got there.

Second-When I was dropping him off at the airport and again smothering him with hugs and kisses he says, "K, mom I have to get on the airplane now." And just like that he was off while I on the other hand started crying as soon as I got back in my car.

Third-One of the times I actually got him to talk to me on the phone I guess I'd interrupted an important meal because he said, "Mom I have to go. I don't want my turkey sandwich to go to waist." And this coming from the mouth of the boy I have to force to eat anything. I guess I should be happy he actually talked to me that time. Most if the other times I called he said, "No!" whenever Lisa asked him if he wanted to talk to me. Where the love?

But in all seriousness I'm very happy he feels confident and independent enough to leave us for a week without feeling sad. I'm also very thankful for sisters and a brother in law who love him and take care of him as if he were their own. He's having the time of his life with his best friend Keely and his aunts and uncle spoiling him like crazy. Steve and I have even managed to have a little fun with out him. He keeps telling people we're falling in love all over and again. And I keep asking, "What do you mean again?" Just kidding babe! It's been great to have all this time together, but I think we're both more than ready to have our boy back.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK...

2008-07-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

was the sound that woke me up just before 8:00 this morning. All our neighbors know that the Atwood's would never be up before 9:30 on a Saturday. So I didn't know who could possible be at our door so early. When we finally came to and started to become coherent we could hear the sound of waters outside our bedroom window. Steve jumped up and ran to the door where our neighbors the Wanders were standing to tell us we had a problem. One of our sprinklers had broke and was spraying everywhere for who knows how long and had totally filled both our window wells with water. Steve shut off the water and ran downstairs to find 2 rooms and a hall way completely flooded. What a way to wake up!! So we've spent our day moving everything out of those rooms into the family room (see the pretty picture?), sump pumping water, wet vacuuming water up, and trying to dry everything out. Not the funnest way to spend a Saturday! Oh well, I guess it could have been worse.

WHAT???

2008-07-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Can someone please tell me what the heck happened here? Y'all might think I'm a little crazy, but I CANNOT believe Will went home tonight. He was for sure the best male dancer left. And Mark wasn't even in the bottom two, PLEASE!! AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Bellybutton -vs- Belly hole

2008-07-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I somehow deleted my side bar of Conversations with Gavin. I'm going to put it back but in the mean time I had to share a conversation Steve and Gavin had.

Gavin pointing and Steve's bellybutton says, "You have a belly hole daddy." Steve, "No that's my bellybutton." Gavin lifts up his shirt and says, " This is a bellybutton daddy!" then points to Steve's, "That's a belly hole!"

I couldn't stop laughing!!

Sooooooo Funny!!!

2008-07-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

One of my friends just put this link on her blog and I have to share it. This girl is basically making fun of us Mormons and our blogs. You MUST check this out. I was laughing so hard my tummy hurt. I must admit I'm guilty of this cliché myself, but I think that's what makes it to funny. We can all relate, right? And make sure you check out her older posts they just get funnier.

The 4th of July....

2008-07-07T23:24:00.001-07:00

was a perfect day. We spent our day at Huntington Beach with some of Steve's family and our evening at San Clemente Beach with mine.

Us at Huntington Beach

$1 per slide. What a ripoff !

Gavin playing in the sand with his uncle Mike

Emily, Me and Gavin

My Cute Grandma G. with Mike and Emily

Our little beach boy

Yummy Smores!

Taking a walk on the beach

Steve and Gavin walking off into the sunset

The whole bunch waiting for the fireworks

My own fireworks show

Gavin giving my cousin Richelle cuddlesWatching the fireworksIt was a great show and a great day!

Pool Time

2008-07-07T22:58:00.001-07:00

We spent a day at Grandma Gibby's hanging out and playing in the pool. Gavin loves his Grandma Gibby. For the next few days he kept asking if we could go back to Grandma G's house. I don't blame him she is one lovable lady.

Ayden is a dare devil like his daddy. He kept dunking himself and trying to take off and swim on his own. When he was jumping into his dad he decided he'd just try it back words. Luckily Zeb has quick reactions. I tried to get a picture of him jumping in, but this is the best I could do. Good luck with that one Julee!
We also spent a lot of time and my friend Steph's pool who was awesome enough to let us stay in her condo while we were there. Thanks Steph!

Ready to play!

All tuckered out!

We Went To Cali Because. . .

2008-07-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Our niece Chantelle just graduated from UCSB and her mom was having a big graduation party. We are so proud of Chantelle and how hard she worked to get her degree. All of Steve family was there except for his sister Debbie and her family. It was so great see everyone and spend so much time together. We were sorry Debbie couldn't be there, but she was so sweet to stay home and take care of Grandma Atwood so that my mother in law could come and relax. Thank you Debbie!

Stephanie, Judy (mom), Janet, Jeni, Amber, Britney

Gavin coping his Grandpa A.

P.S. More pics to come. I lost my camera for a couple of days so I'm waiting for some pictures from my sister in law.

Beach Trips

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

We had lots of fun trips to the beach. Gavin loves the ocean and playing in the sand. I however pretty much stayed on my towel. I'm a little bit of a beach snob I guess. Once you've been to the clear blue beaches of Hawaii nothing else compares. Good thing he had his daddy and aunts and uncles to play with him.

Gavin & Daddy catching some waves

Steve, Zeb, Gavin & Ayden

Gavin playing with his Grandpa A. and his cousins in the sand

Gavin chasing Aunt Janet

Gavin and Uncle Alan

Gavin loved being buried in the sand. I was a little cold

so he said he would stay in there until he warmed up

Legoland

2008-07-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Gavin decided he wanted to go to Legoland instead of Disneyland. I was a little disappointed but it's all about the kid, right? We had a great time though. It was perfect weather and the park wasn't busy at all. Julee, Zeb and Ayden came with us and poor Ayden was too small for most of the rides, but he and Gavin had a lot of fun in the water park. We stayed till close and on the way out Gavin said, “This was a great day!” I thought it was too.

Drowsy Chaperone

2008-06-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to see this show forever. My girlfriends and I tried to go in New York, but they went on strike the day we went to buy the tickets. So I was so excited when I saw it was coming to Utah. I Loved it, loved it, loved it!!! Steve and I were suppose to go on a double date with my bro and Emily, but Steve couldn't go. So Sad :-( He was really disappointed and so was I. But I was so happy my girlfriend Chelsie happened to be in town and was able to come with me. Chelsie and I were roommates in college and have stayed very close. It was so great to be able see her again and the show was hilarious. I was also able to see her cute baby, but I'm so sad I didn't think to get any pictures with her. Oh well, I'll see them again in a couple of days when were in Cali. Yea!! Now I can't wait for Wicked next year!

Home For a Couple of Days

2008-06-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I just got home from Michigan late Friday night or early Saturday morning depending on how you look at it. It's great to be home and sleep in my own bed again. We missed Steve like crazy, but are sad we had to leave the Quinn's. Gavin loved having a playmate from morning to night and even though I was just there to work I loved spending so much time with my sister. It wasn't all work though, we took a couple nights off to go out for some yummy dinners and even stayed caught up on So You Think You Can Dance. (LOVE it!) We also took the kids out for a little fun! And the Ellis's set up a fun water slide for the kids a couple of days and they loved it. Uncle Shawn even took them golfing. Gavin had a blast! The kids were so good the whole time. They entertained each other all day long while we worked. We really wish they didn't have to live so far away, but are very blessed with how often we are able to visit each other. We miss and love you guys.

Gavin won't be lonely for long though, his cousins Christina, Jared, and Analisa are coming to stay with us till Thursday. Then we're off the California with my sis Julee and her family for Disneyland and some fun in the sun.

Spicy + Fattening = Delicious

2008-06-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today I had to make up Fathers Day for Steve since I was gone last week and I made these yummy appetizers with dinner. They are called Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies. My friend Kristen made them when I was in Michigan and they looked so good I had to try them for myself. I made them with turkey bacon because I'm allergic to pork, but they were still very yummy. You can get the recipe if you click here. Enjoy!

Coming Up For Air

2008-06-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've been gone from the blogging world for a while because I've barely had a second to breathe. I'm in Michigan with my sister Lisa who just bought a house. I came to help them move, paint, decorate, help with kids and what ever else her majesty needs. She has been working me from the time I wake up in the morning until I hit my pillow at night. So I've decided to come up for air for this very important day to pay tribute to my two favorite daddy's.

My poor husband is all alone for Fathers Day and very lonely. I know, soooo sad, but don't worry he's thrown him self a pretty big pity party :-) I've promised him I'll make it up to him by giving him a special day when I get back and he definitely deserves it. Gavin is one lucky boy to have a dad that love and adores him so much. Gavin always knows he can drag out his bed time a little longer if he says, "Oh I forgot I wanted to cuddle my dad!" Steve is always a sucker for that one. It's so cute to watch Gavin with his daddy and see how much he looks up to him. He wants to do everything just like him. Even the little things like getting a toothpick in his mouth after we eat dinner at a restaurant. Steve is so patient and loving and is a great example to Gavin of the kind of daddy he should be. We love you Steve and can't wait to see you. Only 6 more days!!

I have the BEST dad a girl could ask for. He has always been such a rock to our entire family. He's kind, honest, loving, caring, and has a hilarious sense of humor. I use to say that I wanted to marry someone like my dad and I'm pretty sure I struck gold. Steve and my dad are so alike they even have the same irritating habits like repeating the same phrase over and over and over.... I think you get the point. The good thing is his good qualities far out way the irritating ones. Luckily the same is true for Steve. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing father. He has been a great example to me and I'm very proud of him and my mom for lives that they are changing on their mission. I love you dad! Thanks for being you!!