More Camping pics

Ady's First Birthday--camping trip

Ady is One!!!

So I'm always a little late posting.... but my baby girl turned ONE, two weeks ago!! We decided to give her a little birthday cake (on her actual birthday) and sing to her. Then the following Saturday is when we had her big birthday bash!! Her birthday fell on a Wednesday, and the next day, we were off to go camping up at Pine Valley. We camped for 3 nights, and on the the last night, we had a lot of family to share the campfire with (so much fun).

Her birthday bash on Saturday was a HUGE turnout. We had so many family and friends. She got ANOTHER cake and lots of gifts. We had a nice barbeque with burgers and hot dogs, and then on to the peach cobbler (thanks Adam, it was DIVINE):). The turnout really shows how much she is loved, and everyone wanted to share in her big day.

Adam made a swing (huge hit with the kids). He threw a rope over a branch in the tree (kinda a tradition when we go camping now). We had so much fun, and it was so great to get of the St.George heat for a few days.

I still can't believe she is one already. She's working on teeth 9 and 10, and is about ready to get out of her infant car seat. She is my baby, and is already growing too fast. She is very independent, that I can barely snuggle her anymore. She just wants to go and go. I love you Ady baby, and Happy Birthday. I'm excited to see what is to come, and what kind of lady you become. At the same time, I CAN wait, slow down ;)

Below are pics of her ACTUAL birthday day... and I will post a slide show of the day of her party and our camp trip above...

Karson goes to Pre-School!!!

Karson ready to go out that door and off to pre-school!!

In front of Miss Kim's house

First (well, technically) time at the dentist...

And, of course, our cute little Ady (sleeping)...

Karson started pre school last week. He is loving it!! He also went to the dentist, and the eye doctor. He did so well, and listened to them and followed perfect direction. All is well, except he will need some orthodontic care in another year or two.Ady has been such a trooper, loading back and forth between pre-school and home (interrupting her afternoon nap). I must thank God for such two beautiful, wonderful children!!

Swimming

We have been swimming a lot lately. Karson is finally getting to where he is not so scared of the water. When we go, he wouldn't go to the deep end at all (even with a life jacket). But, today, we went again, and he took off his life jacket and swam with his dad for a while. The next thing we knew, he was holding his own nose and going all the way under the water!! Great job Karson!! Next is the deep end :)

A little bit of sweet talk

I am true believer that kids can say some of the sweetest, cutest things, and Karson proves me right just about every day. I came home last night, and I usually get home later (around 9:30pm). He, of course, is in bed, and I just have to go in and get my goodnight hugs and kisses. As I lay in his bed with him, snuggling and talking, this is what he had to say:
Karson: "Mom, I want to be a fireman when I grow up."
Me: "You do? I think that is a great idea"
Karson: "Yeah, then I can save the Whole World."
There are still super heroes out there, and my son is one of them. He is going to save the Whole World!! How sweet is that?

Ady's first steps

Yes it is true, she has officially taken her first steps. Now, she will be walking in no time!! While I was at home with her the other day, she took 3 steps. A little while later, Michelle stopped by and she did NINE!! When her dad got home, she really showed off, and took 15 steps!! We are so proud of her!! We are using our old camera and got a little bit of her showing off on video, but now I can't seem to download from the old camera. It's amazing how much you use your camera that you don't even realize!! Hopefully we will have a new one for her birthday and we can get back on track with pictures for her. Anyway, Congrats to our little Ady. You are growing up too fast!!

4th of July

So, of course, I'm late blogging, AGAIN. However, we had a wonderful 4th of July!! No pics, no camera still. We started the day by going to Grandpa and Grandma Christensen's new house down here in St. George. They have a pool there, and we thought it would be fun to take the kids. I seemed to have forotten mine and Adam's suits, so I ran down to Walmart and bought us new ones, and then off to to the pool. Danny and Kim and their girls met us there a little while late, and then came Grandpa. We had a lot of fun swimming. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for letting us use your pool. Ady started to get a little fussy, so we got out and decided we better go home anyway, since we were doing dinner at our house.
We went home and started dinner. Everyone that went swimming, came for dinner. Grandma DeLayne also came over. We had pizza Brats on a garlic bun with pasta sauce and mozza cheese, chips, fruit, salad, and Danny and Kim brought jalepeno appetizers. Everything was delicious. For dessert, I made a coconut cake (Adam's fave), and we were off to the park for the firework show.
When we got to the park, I took Karson over to ride some rides, but we waited in line so long for the swing ride, that that was the only one he went on. We headed back over to our blankets. Adam and Grandpa were off getting snow cones for everyone. Once we FINALLY got our snow cones (another LONG line) we sat down and enjoyed just in time for the fireworks to start. It was a fabulous show, even Ady enjoyed it. With kids and blankets in tow, we headed back to the truck. As we left the park, we noticed we were just about out of gas. So, trying to get out of the park with all the commotion, and to a gas station, and back home, only took us about 45 minutes. Not bad :)hahaha. At home around 11:30, kids are asleep, and I wasn't far behind.
We did have a great time, even with some things that didn't go quite right. We were with family, and having fun. Can't wait until our next adventure!!

Father's Day Weekend

Okay, so I'm only a week behind. What's wrong with that? :) Last weekend, to finish off my wonderful (not) two week vacation, I went to Provo. Every year is our Family Reunion up there at my Aunt's house. It is always so much fun. Food, Family, Auction, the whole thang. So, of course, it rained, again. We continued on as though it was a beautiful day, which it was (regardless of rain). We had wonderful food, great conversations, and of course a fabulous auction. The kids and I went up with Granma and Granpa Warren. We went up Friday pretty early, and went to my cousin's baby shower. She did pretty well on the gifts she received. We've all waited 10 years for her to have a babe, and with a little boy on the way, we are all way excited. Congrats, Summer, we love you.
Saturday was the Reunion, and then home on Sunday. Quite a quick trip.We came home and gave Adam his father's day gift, and we were happy to be home. I think all of us were completely exhausted. For the last week, Adam and I only want to sleep, not to mention we haven't been to the gym for 3 weeks. Time to get back to our normal lives.
Sorry there will still be no pics, for we have never found the camera, but we did have a good time, and can't wait until next year. :)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Okay, so we went to Salt Lake City for one whole week. Every day has a new story...
Day 1: We left St. George to head to SLC. The drive (with kids) took 6 hours; we were ready to be there. Stopped by Jared and Deb's to drop the trailer off and go to hotel. We check into hotel (Grand America)at about 11 pm. We go up and go to bed. The hotel is amazing. However, I am worried because I don't want to spend my WHOLE day there, and it is suppose to rain tomorrow.
Day 2: Adam, off to the food show early in the morning, left me to make the decision. I decided to go out and get McDonald's for breakfast. It only sprinkled a little rain, so off to Liberty Park. Way cool park. Back to the hotel and out with Adam and kids for dinner. The night turned into a nightmare (I won't go into details--things better left unsaid). Finally got to sleep and the kids to sleep.
Day 3: Adam was back from food show to hotel by checkout. Between Adam and Karson and me, we got all our luggage to our vehicle in one trip. Then, off to Discovery Gateway. Not what I expected. $25.00 to walk in their doors, and parents pretty much just watch the kids. Karson had a pretty good time, though, so I guess that is all that matters. We ate lunch, played more and were off the Grandpa Christensen's house. Rained pretty good this day. Luckily, all our activities were mostly indoors. Grandma and Grandpa fed us a wonderful dinner and off to bed
Day 4: I am already done with the rain. Off to the Hogle Zoo. The day was perfect. No rain. The kids had fun. We got to ride on the Carousel and Train. The animals were all very cool to see. Granma DeLayne came and brought all of Karson and Ady's cousins, making it that much more of a good time. Shortly after we got there, Uncle KT and his family came, too. Finished the trip to the Zoo with the train ride and head for home. Lost the camera in the parking lot, and this is why I will not post pictures of our trip. Still looking for camera (I almost cried). Barbeque at Jared's with Brats and Beer. Both are delicious!s
Day 5: Sad, because I haven't found camera, yet. But, off to the bike ride. Adam and I aren't feeling so well, and Ady seems to have a cough. The Gift of Life ride was fabulous, until... Well, the last stop, from Coonyz to the Filling Station. It rained so hard, it felt like glass hitting me in the face. Adam and I were drenched. Karson and Ady stayed with Uncle Jared and Danny and Aunts Kim and Debby and all their cousins. They went ice skating. I bet they looked so cute, and had so much fun. Off to pick them up and get to G&G Christensen's. Uh, Oh. we are stopped for an hour waiting for a terrible accident to be cleaned up, moving at the same pace as a turtle, we try to be patient. We make it, finally, and hurry to get ready. We head on over to the Filling Station. At this point, Adam's fever has kicked into high gear, and I'm just not feeling "quite right" Around 2 am, we finally make it back to Jared and Deb's for a night of rest.
Day 6: The most important day for Karson. LAGOON!! Still no camera, I'm starting to doubt we will find it. We head back to G&GChristensen's house to pick him up, and Ady is not well. Adam is not well. Karson doesn't look well but says he is, and I'm still not feeling "quite right" But, off to Lagoon we go (Ady stayed with G&G). We get to Lagoon around noon. Karson is having a great time, but Adam and I try to take it easy. Granma DeLayne takes Karson for awhile, so Adam and I can ride rides together. The rain starts in at about 4:30 (sprinkling), but by 5:30, it was hard enough and cold enough that Adam ran to the truck to get our jackets. I changed Karson and me into pants, and then we all decided to just go home (raining pretty good, now). We have free meal tickets and want to cash them in first. With no place open, we end up with dessert. Adam went to fetch the truck. I woof down my funnel cake, throw Karson on my shoulders, put two drinks in my left arm, and hold the funnel cake with my right, and run for the truck (in the rain). We head back to G& G Christensens. Grandma makes us soup (which was delicious)Karson is out already(by 7pm). Adam's fever is still going strong, so he sleeps in trailer. I get up once (sick) and twice with Ady. Karson runs a fever all night, and Adam up all night in the trailer with his fever.
Day 7: Get us out of here!! Still no camera, forget it, it's gone. With the whole family sick (and I mean EVERYONE--cousins, mom, dad, nephews, neices, brothers,--everyone) we are going home. With a quick nap in the morning, we are off. Not so long to get home. Once home, Adam and Ady go to doctor right away. Ady with the bronchiolitis again and Adam with a mild case of pneumonia. We get our scripts, a few groceries, and head home to get better.
So, as you can see, it was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. Not one of our best trips to SLC for sure. I am only praying when I go up again this Friday, the weather will better and we will experience a better time. Don't get me wrong, I really did have fun (mostly), I was just really ready to get back to my own.
I do want to give a few thanks:
Jared and Deb for taking the kids on Saturday and letting us stay in your trailer. And, of course, the barbeque
Danny and Kim for taking the kids on Saturday and taking us home on Sunday:).
Granma Delayne for taking us all to the Zoo, for letting us use your car to put stuff in, and just for EVERYTHING!! Without you, our trip wouldn't have been the same.
Granma and Granpa Christensen for letting us stay in your house for so long, and nursing us back to health (or least trying to). All of your love and support (and medications) are what helped us get through every day while being sick.
Anyone that I may have missed here, I haven't missed in my heart. I do thank everyone for the good times that we did have. I am writing a lot because I do not have pictures to share, and I am sorry for my rambling. We are looking forward to the next time. Yes, there will be a next time. I don't see this trip as a failure, but as an adventure. And one hella good story to tell :)

The New Me...

It was just time to change (even if just a small change). I went from one extreme hair color to another. I was once very dark, and now I am extremely blonde. I was actually surprised at how well it turned out considering how dark it was before. I really like the color. Thanks to Michelle and her mom for doing such a great job...

Karson's first Dance Recital

Karson is in dance, and has been for only a couple of months, now. He loves it!! Last night was his first dance recital, and he did awesome (of course, I'm his mom, so I would say that). But really, for how long he's been doing it, I really felt he did a great job!! Thanks to Granma DeLayne, Aunt Kimmy, and cousins Jordo and Cammie for coming and making this a great night for him.

Some pics of Dress rehearsal...

Some pics before the show...

Adyson in her very own chair...

Pics after the show...We bought him a rose, and then went to dinner to "The Taco Place" (or Ernesto's). Great job,Karson. We love you so much and are so very proud of you. Can't wait for the next one!

New Pictures of the kids

I wanted to just get some updated pictures of Ady (they change so much in the first year). We went in and were done with pics 20 minutes later. It was awesome!! Somehow Adyson got hold of a a flower and swiped it from them. Now it is one of her favorite things to play with. Funny girl
Fourth of July pics ( a little early, I know)

I have been wanting this pic so long, and waited so long, the shoes didn't fit anymore. But, they were going to be in the pic, regardless. :)

I have this exact picture with Karson as a baby, too.

How adorable....

Kids are so dang fun...

More cute pics of Ady...

Check out this cute video of the kids dancing to a video on tv. so cute...

The slideshow below is a collaboration of pics that I have taken over the last few weeks. Every night, we put Ady to bed, she is real good to sleep in her crib. She has 3 teddy bears in her bed, and almost every night (or naptime), she will snuggle them sleep; it is so sweet...

Our Camping Trip...

So, last week we went camping up to Oak Grove. What a fun 4 days. First, we left our house around 1p on Monday. When we got there, we scoped the campground for a place to park the trailer. Once we found our spot, and got the trailer parked, I started setting up camp, while Adam leveled out the trailer. Before I could even get camp set up, Karson was giving a pine branch for a present (he is so sweet). After we got everything set-up, Adam got the rope out for swings. He tied one to one branch and the other to another branch. He hung a swing(brought from home) and Ady's car seat. Karson LOVED to swing, it was his favorite thing to do, and Ady would sleep everytime. How relaxing!!
A little while later our friend, Jake, came up and had a taco with us, and just hung out for a while. He headed back home just before dark.
The next day, we got up and swang some more, and Karson rode his bike. He would go down a really steep hill, and the we would have to help him back up with the rope. Before we knew, Granma came. Karson was soooo excited to see her. First, he showed her his swing and then off to show her his bike. After pulling him up the hill three times, Granma had had enough and was ready to relax. Uncle Dan and Aunt Jan stopped by, but also left just before dark. We had chicken and veggie foil dinners for dinner, followed by a wonderful dutch oven cake that Granma and Karson made. YUMMO
Day 3, We woke up and a had a fabulous breakfast; pancakes made from the Batter Blaster. Later, Granma and Karson decide to be birds. They first went on a lengthy hike, and when they returned, they made birds nests (for them). Ady even joined in on the fun, too. Karson, a little while later, gave me my second gift, a beautiful leafy flower. And dad got a fabulous stick. :) Uncle Dan and Aunt Jan came up a little earlier in the day, and stayed for a little bit longer this time. It was great to see everyone. That night we ate ribeyes for dinner, and had the wonderful banana boats for dessert.
Day 4, we are all ready to head home(with the exception of Karson of course). He kept saying that he wanted to camp "all days". But alas, we had to go. After cleaning up camp and fixing the flat tire on the trailer(Thanks, Adam), we were off. We headed home, and got there by close to 1p. The rest of the day was cleaning and laundry.
It sure can be a lot of work to go camping with a whole family, but boy is it worth every bit. We had so much fun, and I'm looking forward to the next trip.

The Kite Festival

So, we made it through the kite festival. I think the kids had lots of fun (well, they didn't want to leave). My mom and I went together and met Kim there, and between us all, we had 7 children. DeLayne came down from work and joined in on the fun.

The whole experience was quite overwhelming. When we first arrived, we were all very hungry and wanted to eat. We found a little stand that sold just about everything. My mom and I shared the fish and chips (that were absolutely delicious) and Karson a corn dog (of course) and snow cone. Ady just ate a bottle :). After lunch, we decided to try some bounce houses, but failed terribly when we bought way too many tickets (little did we know about the free games) and Karson wouldn't even get on them. The kids all had different ideas of what to do, when we finally decided to go to the train. Finally, a success. The kids rode the train 3-4 times!!

We were pretty worn out at this point. It didn't seem as though we did too much, but we were there for 3 1/2 hours and the sun was getting pretty hot. The moms said it was time to go (we didn't even fly kites).The kids were a little upset (not that we didn't fly kites, but that we had to leave all the fun), but reluctantly followed us out to the bus to get a ride back to our cars. I said I wouldn't do it again next year, but all in all, it was for the kids. I am glad I got them out of the house, and that they had fun.

So, with Mother's Day just around the bend, I decided to add this note. It came over to me in an e-mail (Thank you, Chey). It is so beautiful, I wanted to share. To all you Real Moms....
Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Reaal Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...
The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
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So Easter was a blast this year. We decorated eggs the friday before Easter with cousins Jordo and Cammy. And on Easter morn, I made a frittata dish that turned out pretty dang good. Then, off to hunt for eggs in the back yard. We later went to my parent's house for a barbeque, and then off to Adam's moms house for yet another hunt. The kiddie took a purple bath that night, and off to bed. It was a very fun Easter this year.

Is That Ady!!!???

Well, I guess crawling early wasn't enough for her. At only 6 months old, my sweet baby girl is now pulling up to her feet and standing. Without anyone coaxing her or teaching her what to do (no, not even Karson), Ady pulled herself up in her crib for the first time last Wednesday. I am so sad she is growing so fast. But, at the same time, look how cute she is!!

Today, I had the pleasure of going to my niece's soccer game. I believe it was her first or second one. She did such a great job. Her first quarter, she was the goally(I think that's how it's spelled). The ball never came close to her, but she looked so cute just waiting for her moment. She definetely gets in there and gets the ball, though. She really did great. Way to go, Dakoda!!

My baby turns 4

So, he did it. He went ahead and turned four years old. I told him not to, but they never listen to the parent's simple request of never to get big, do they? I know 4 is still little but it went so fast.
He had a great party. He was just as excited as I thought he would be. We had pinata and pin the "1" on the Thomas and, of course, the Thomas Cake. I can't even begin to tell you how excited he was about the cake. He's been talking about it for MONTHS (literally). He received many great gifts, and gave a little gift in return (the favor bag).
He truly is a sweet hearted boy. As we walked back to the truck to go home, he said to me "Mom, thanks for my happy birthday"; I thought I would cry right then. I hugged him and kissed him and told him that he was very welcome. However, it would not have been so happy had it not been for his special friends, so thanks to everyone that came making this another happy successful birthday for my little man.