The Roeseler Family

Check this out!

2012-01-19T19:07:00.002-07:00

I really want to win this free photo work shop... but I guess if you want to, you can enter too!
http://kevansphotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/key-to-taking-pictures-workshop.html

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Festival of the Trees 2011

2011-11-29T08:45:00.008-07:00

My family decorated two trees for the Festival this year, and the Sunset Jr. High Cheerleaders that I coach did one as well. We went down and decorated them yesterday, and they turned out AMAZING! This first tree was titled "A Redneck Christmas" and we dedicated it to my late Uncle Gerry... This second tree was titled "A Child Is Born" and we dedicated it to my late Uncle Gene....This tree was the Cheerleaders tree. It was titled "A Child's Christmas" and it was dedicated to 3 boys, Dallin, Jeremy, and Tyler.

Everyone go down to the Festival of the Trees this week and check it out. The trees and other things they have there are so beautiful and it's for a good cause! Hope your Holiday Season is filled with ChEeR!

A Halloween Month in Review

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, so since I've started working again, I really suck at keeping this blog updated! Our October was packed full of fun, though! We spent the month wearing silly costumes...going to birthday parties for this cute little guy (Zoey's boyfriend, Brady, turned 2!)...carving pumpkins...Going to parties at dance class...And parties with our cousins... And parties at our church...wearing matching costumes with our cute friends...dressing up as cute cheerleaders...falling asleep on the way to the trunk or treat...going trick or treating twice with these cousins...and once with these ones... and getting more candy than we know what to do with!Hope you all had a SPOOK-tacular October and a very Happy Halloween!

Taste The Rainbow

2011-10-06T08:54:00.002-06:00

(Please keep in mind that all these pics were taken on a cell phone, so the quality isn't the best.)

Nick sent me these pictures the other day. He was at home with Zoey while I was working and I guess this is what they did to pass the time. Eat SKITTLES!! Nick and Zoey both absolutely love them. That's a lot of Skittles!This picture is my favorite! I just love her little face as she's eating the candy. So cute. I have no idea what this little sad face is for... but I thought it was funny!Zoey insisted on wearing her Tinkerbell backpack and Dora watch the other day. She looked like such a big girl that we had to take her picture. It won't be long until we're taking another picture just like this on her first day of Kindergarten...

Beauty Day

2011-09-21T07:17:00.002-06:00

So Zoey and I went and got our hair cut the other day. This wasn't Zoey's first hair cut, but she was so darn cute and excited for it that I had to blog about it. She sat still the whole time, and between you and me, I think she felt pretty grown up! When we were walking out to the car I told Zoey I was so proud of her for being such a good girl and sitting still so good. She turned to me and said, "Mommy, you good girl like me too!" Oh, that girl makes me smile!

Quite An Adventure!

2011-08-31T14:09:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, my mom took me, Zoey, Ben, and Isabel on the FrontRunner to Salt Lake City. The kids were SO excited to ride on a "real train!" Here they are waiting for the train to come...They thought it was so cool that we got to go UPSTAIRS on the train! After we got off the train, we headed over to the Discovery Gateway. It was TONS of fun (although, a little pricey). The kids were running around non-stop the entire time. There was SO MUCH to do! Like play with balls...

Hit Things... (I mean play music!)

Play House...

Climb the rock wall...

Fly a helicopter...

Do some gardening... and ride a horse... The worst part about this place... THE NOISE!!! It's a super loud place, I think that's why the kids love it so much! We finally tore them away from there and headed over to the fountains to cool off. Thanks, Mom, for taking us! It was an adventure well worth it!

HeLp! VoTe FoR ZoEy!

2011-08-29T10:47:00.001-06:00

Nick and I entered Zoey in 101.5 The Eagle's Cute Kid Contest! Click Here to check it out and VOTE FOR HER because she's by far the cutest kid there! Thanks!

Pioneer Day Celebration

2011-08-19T11:18:00.005-06:00

I know this post is WAY late... but it's my blog so I can post when I want, right! We had a nice fun Pioneer Day at home this year. Pizza and fireworks!It was Zoey's first real exposure to fireworks. (We watched South Ogden Days fireworks from our deck, and we were horrible and didn't go see any on the 4th this year. We watched a bunch of random ones from our front porch instead, and she really liked them!) Don't you love this little pizza face?She LOVED the pops that she could throw on the ground. Or step on if she didn't throw them hard enough. But when it came to the ones you light, she kinda had a freak out session! I think because they were so close and so much louder, she hated them. So I took her inside and let her watch them through the window and she loved them! Eventually I did get her out on the porch to watch them, but she REFUSED to sit in the driveway. Funny girl!

Celebrations!!!!

2011-08-16T10:23:00.004-06:00

We're so lucky to have two fun days of celebration right in a row during the month of August. Unfortunately, I've been kind of a loser with the camera right now and I didn't get pictures of any of it! My birthday was on the 8th. Yes... I'myears old now! I worked both jobs on my birthday.... I know, SUCKY!! But my hubby did a nice job of making it a fun day still. We went out for a little shopping and then went here... for some yummy ice cream after I got off of work. He gave me this new cd... and a pillow and now I just need to order this

although I may opt for this adorable swim skirt bottom instead...
On the 15th, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. WOW! I can't believe it's been 8 years already! We took Zoey with us and enjoyed a delicious dinner here...

Zoey loved the animals and the salad with raspberry vinagrette and our food was fabulous! Thanks honey for taking us there. Can't wait to see what the next 8 years holds for us...

South Weber Days 2011

2011-08-10T22:48:00.000-06:00

If you're from South Weber then you know... South Weber's Country Fair Days is a tradition! Every year we spend the day at the park doing the parade, dance performances, booths, food, and then fireworks. It's so much fun! It really is one of my favorite days of the year, and I'm lucky that my husband has learned to like it too! Zoey, of course, has a blast with all the kids and excitement. But her favorite activity of the day was this....

Playing in the sand with her cousin, Braylon. They were both covered head to toe with sand-y goodness!!

Now doesn't that just look like fun?!

Dancing Queen

2011-08-09T22:42:00.002-06:00

I started working part time, so my blog has been neglected. I'll try top catch up in the next few days... Zoey started taking dance lessons at the studio that I teach at. She's the youngest in the class. Usually they start at 3 and she turned two in April. But she is doing AMAZINGLY well! She listens most of the time, does the dances good, and is really good at tumbling. For how young she is, she's doing great! Her teachers, Michele and Shae, keep telling me how ready she is to dance. She gets so excited every week when it's dance day! Grandma bought her this cute outfit and she loves to wear it! I'm so proud of how well she is doing!

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-30T13:09:00.005-06:00

This summer was Zoey's second year of swim lessons... and she LOVED them! Can't you tell by this adorable smile!?She had the same teacher, Angie, who she loves.She would come home from lessons and tell me that she, "swimmed like a fish!"She is really good at "humming" under the water. They teach them to hum when they go under so they will breathe out their noses. Angie was totally impressed that Zoey could do it because most kids can't figure it out until they're at least 3 or 4 and she's only 2. I told you she's a freakin' genius! :)

She loved swim lessons so much that she now gives swim lessons to all her bathtub toys. It's so cute! She makes them back float and she holds their hands and tells them to hum while she puts them under the water.

Glitter Girl

2011-07-29T22:53:00.000-06:00

My sister and I got our toes done the other day and Zoey kept asking to get hers done too. She loves getting her toenails and fingernails painted, but she doesn't hold still very well. I was doubtful that she'd sit with her toes in the light and everything, but she did! She sat so well and let Kenzi do her toes. She laughed when Kenzi filed her toes and said how it tickled. And of course she picked PINK!! It was adorable. And she was so excited when they were done. Oh, she's such a girly girl! I love it!

Say What!?!?

2011-07-12T22:12:00.002-06:00

A while ago Zoey came up to me and said, "Mom... I wanna see yo nippo." WHAT!?!?! I couldn't figure out what she meant. She kept asking to see my nipple... Ummmmm... AWKWARD!! She finally had to move my glasses out of the way and then pointed to the mole on my face (you can see it in the pictures below) and said "YO NIPPO!!" LOL! She now knows that they are called moles but continues to call them nipples cuz it makes people laugh. Funny girl!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-09T23:28:00.004-06:00

We continued the tradition of inviting our friends and family over for a BBQ to celebrate Independence Day. Let me tell you... it is probably one of my favorite days of the year! I worried when it was gray and cloudy in the morning but it actually worked out great. It wasn't quite as hot as the day before. Here's my picture marathon from the day...

We enjoyed good food with great people! (Of course, I only got pics of a couple of them. If you were there but you're not on here... SORRY!)

ZoeyNicole, Sara, & AndrewIsabelNick's Grandma & Grandpa ViternaNick's mom and niece, KaylenNick's Dad

Nick's brother Ryan, my sister Krystle, and Nick

Lots of fun water slides and pools kept the kids busy for hours...

Even the BIG kids!!!! And we enjoyed some rousing games of water balloon volleyball. Trust me... it's quite entertaining when you're playing with kids as young as 2 and 3 years old!

By the end we were EXHAUSTED!!

And if you made it through all those pics you deserve a reward. So here you go! This pic made me laugh SO hard! My sister put Zoey in her swimsuit but couldn't find the swim diapers and forgot to tell me. Doesn't this look comfy?!?! :)

LeT FrEeDoM RiNg!!!

A Happily Ever After...

2011-07-03T17:04:00.009-06:00

Congratulations Jim and Fawn! (I love the pic above. Doesn't it just look like pure love?!)

We celebrated Nick's uncle's wedding last weekend in a cute little garden ceremony. It was fun to see him and his new wife so happy! They've both been through a lot and they truly deserve happiness together.

The Bride & Groom:

The cake:The Food:The Ceremony: His Family:Her Family:

Sunset Parade with Cousins!

2011-06-30T22:48:00.004-06:00

Oh... and popsicles and ice cream at grandma's!!! We're loving summer!

Better Late Than Never!

2011-06-18T20:45:00.004-06:00

So we celebrated this handsome guy's 31st birthday on June 10th. I know, I know... I suck for posting this so late!!Anyways, I think Zoey enjoyed it more than he did! She picked out his presents, including the balloon. She loved it and was so mad at me when I wouldn't let her play with it until after daddy got home from work!She even opened his presents for him!He got some clothes, a new swimsuit, a new Rockies hat,and of course a love from Zoey! He also had cake, but we had friends over and, silly me... I forgot to take pictures. But don't worry, Zoey blew out his candles too! Happy Belated Birthday Babe! We love you!

First of Many To Come...

2011-06-11T22:38:00.006-06:00

We celebrated one of the first hot sunny days of the summer with a visit to the SPLASH PAD with Zoey's cousins Ben and Isabel!!

Boxed In...

2011-06-09T11:37:00.002-06:00

Milestones and Memorial Day

2011-05-31T22:34:00.007-06:00

BEWARE: Long Post Ahead! Read through to the end if you wanna see a nice injury picture...
This little girl of ours is growing so fast that it's ridiculous! She's been hitting some milestones lately..... Her hair is now long enough to experiment on. It's fun! She is now sleeping in her "big girl bed". And she's loving it!

(She's laughing in this picture, not crying!)And she is on her way to being potty trained! I've never pushed her into going on the toilet. I just don't want to fight that battle. I have just let her do it on her own time. She has started telling me when she wants to go and then holds it til she's on the potty! It's a daily occurence now and she's getting better every day! Here she's showing her "potty treats". (Funny story: she went #2 on the toilet the other day. She looked in the toilet and told me that she put a fish in the toilet! Now every time she tells me about the fishy in the toilet. Hilarious!)

And she got stitches for the first time last night... She was crawling up the stairs at a friends house when she slipped and cut her chin open on the stairs. Yes, they were even carpeted!We waited a LONG time in the ER. Of course it was on MEMORIAL DAY so the ER was the only place open. I wish we could have paid an Instacare copay instead.... but no such luck! Zoey was happy as a clam the entire time we were waiting. Singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes". And then telling me that she couldn't find her mouth. (It was numb!)Laying on the bed and watching TV with daddy.Trying to do cartwheels and somersaults on the bed. We finally had to tell her to stop because she kept making her chin bleed again. As soon as the DR came in the room she FREAKED OUT! (Understandably!) They wrapped her up in a sheet to hold her arms and legs down. I cried as they shot the numbing stuff into it and she screamed and cried for me. Then they began stitching her up. It took three of us to hold her down. She was MAD!!!! She kept screaming at all of us...

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

"DON'T HOLD ME!!!"

"I WANT MY ARMS OUT!"

" I WANT MOMMY!!"

The doctor and nurses were laughing about how strong and wiggly she was. Her yelling made me and Nick giggle just a bit. If she knew how to swear, believe me she'd have been screaming profanities at the top of her lungs at us. She did really well overall and they ended up putting 7 stitches in her chin.Above is what it looked like when we got home that night.

And this is the next morning. She did really well and only complained that it hurt once. Our tough little monkey... We love you baby! Needless to say, our Memorial Day was VERY memorable! And here's hoping that we don't see the inside of another ER for a very long time!

Somersaults

2011-05-21T15:52:00.002-06:00

Momma's Girl...

2011-05-18T14:36:00.002-06:00

I've just recently been getting really sad when I look at Zoey because she's getting so big! It's so cliche but she really has grown up too fast. Don't tell anyone but I may finally be getting a little baby hungry! SHHHHHH.......

Blast From The Past

2011-05-15T10:32:00.002-06:00

Had a super fun little reunion with these cute girls from high school the other day. It was so fun getting together and letting all our little ones play in the sand. There were 6 kids there between us all... ALL GIRLS!! Oh, Tara, we missed you and your little boys! Next time! Love you guys and am so excited for the next one.

Brittany, Britanie, Me, Amber

Two Peas In A Pod

2011-05-09T15:38:00.003-06:00

These two make me laugh.

He teaches her the silliest things. He taught her how to do "cheers" with her drinks and now she does it at every meal. She's also taught it to her cousins now! The other day they were "cheers"-ing with their hamburgers! He's been teaching her how to wink and make the clicking noise while shooting finger guns. It's hilarious to watch her try to do all three at once! Makes me smile every time!

Look What I Can Do!

2011-05-01T13:43:00.001-06:00

Hey there! It's Zoey here... I just wanted to share a few of the new things that I can do! I can put my shoes on "my sewf"...I can scream really loud and throw a good "tantum" in the middle of the grocery store. It makes everyone in the store stare at me, and give my mommy looks that are full of pity, embarassment, and laughter...I can push the barstools around the kitchen, and climb up on them to reach any of the cabinets up high or to just sit on the island counter (even though my mommy and daddy always tell me not to)... But my favorite new thing to do is this cool dance... Hope you enjoy it!

BFF's

2011-04-30T13:32:00.011-06:00

We went and hung out at our friends, Jeff and Kim's, BEAUTIFUL new house the other day. They did a great job remodeling! Zoey, of course, could care less about the house. She was just excited to see her BFF and boyfriend, Brady! He's six months younger, but everyone thinks he's older cuz he's so much bigger than her!These two are so funny together. They fight and torment each other, but they play together so well too!

One of their favorite things to do there is sit on the stool in the pantry and have a drink together!

And they both have those "CHEESE" faces down pat!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T21:45:00.005-06:00

We had a super fun and pretty low-key Easter Sunday. The Easter Bunny came and hid eggs and an Easter bucket for Zoey. She is so fun to watch cuz she loves finding the eggs now. She LOVED the Spongebob stuff in her bucket too. Especially the blanket! She wore this adorable dress she got from her Great Grandma Ardy. We had a nice quiet dinner at home and then visited some family after. It was perfect! Hope you all had a great Easter too!

SpRiNg FeVeR!

2011-04-23T21:55:00.006-06:00

That's right... we've got it. SPRING FEVER!!! We're SO ready for spring! My sister, sister-in-law, and I wanted to take the kids to Logan to the cute petting zoo there. Unfortunately the weather decided that it's NOT ready for spring and it rained and stormed the whole day! So instead we took the kids to IFA to see the chicks and bunnies. One of the best ideas we've had. The kids LOVED it, and it was nice and warm and DRY!!! Zoey loved the birds and wanted to hold and pet them. She wasn't too fond of the rabbits though. And she wanted my sister to help her the whole time. I swear that nobody else measures up to Aunt Krystle. Zoey LOVES her! It's quite cute! (I forgot my camera so most of these pics were taken on my phone... thus the crappy resolution! Sorry!) My sister-in-law also invited us to a Easter egg hunt and party yesterday. Zoey LOVED finding all the eggs. She especially loved the CANDY inside! This pic cracks me up...And they made the most adorable bunnies out of old socks. So cute! Thanks Kim!

Have a HAPPY EASTER everyone!!

He Will Deny It...

2011-04-19T14:04:00.004-06:00

But see this guy here? He is WRAPPED around her little finger! This is what happened at our house the other night when he was in charge of getting her bathed and ready for bed... ... and yes she is eating spaghetti noodles in the bath tub. I know.... GROSS!!! Zoey loves her daddy though, and he is a terrific father. In fact, Zoey and I think that he's the best around! We love you Nick!!

And I thought I'd throw in an update on Zoey's health. Remember in this post I said she got sick on her birthday? Well I ended up taking her to the doctor early Thursday morning. He was really concerned because she was MISERABLE!! He said he'd never seen her so bad before. I told him it's because she's never been that way before! She's had ear infections, strep throat, and swine flu, and has never acted the way she did last week! He decided to give her an antibiotic shot (in both legs) to help. He was concerned it was meningitis! Scary! He said that the chances of it being meningitis was not super strong because her white blood cell count was normal but she did have some stiffness in her neck and some of the other symptoms. We spent Thursday laying together on the couch cuz she only wanted to be held and watch Spongebob! Nick was out of town for work so that made it even harder! Luckily, she woke up on Friday back to her normal self! So it wasn't meningitis, but whatever it was... it was NASTY!! I'm truly thankful she's feeling better...

TWO-day Is a Special Day!!!

2011-04-13T19:44:00.003-06:00

Baby girl turned two today! Wow! I can't believe how fast it has flown by! We really miss this... But the stage that she is in is REALLY FUN! She started her birthday out giving ME a gift by sleeping the best she ever has in her whole life! It was amazing! She woke up with a cold in her eye. Poor girl! Her eye was almost crusted shut! But once I wiped it off she was fine.We let her pick where she wanted to go for lunch and of course she picked McD's! Every kid loves that place... We really love it too! (SARCASM...) She actually went all the way up all by herself and came down the slide for the first time. She's always been a little scared of going in the tunnels. But of course I missed it and when I tried to get her to do it again she refused! We then took her to the store to pick out a toy. Of all the toys she picked a hula hoop! Funny girl! And of course a Spongebob balloon... we can't ever leave a store without him!After lunch and the toy store we went home. Zoey watched a little Spongebob and had a good nap. She woke up feeling a little warm so I took her temperature. It was normal though. Here's Zoey taking her own temp. She loves to play with it cuz it beeps. I always ask her if she's sick or normal. She always says "no-mul". She's such a cute girl!This picture was honestly taken one minute later. She suddenly started crying and screaming. I had to work for a little bit and she stayed with Nick. He said she cried off and on the entire time. She is NOT feeling well! It sucks she's sick on her birthday! In fact she was asleep in bed before 7:00 and that is SO unlike her! She's a night owl and almost never goes to bed before 9:30. Poor girl! She didn't even eat dinner or open her presents!

A couple facts about Zoey on her second birthday:

- She is SMART!! She repeats anything you say (which means we have to be careful sometimes!). She is starting to learn her numbers and alphabet.

- She loves to sing songs. It's so cute! The other day in the car she suddenly started singing "I a chiwd of dod..." (Child of God). Adorable!

- She has finally started gaining some weight. Her doctor appointment is tomorrow so I'll have her stats then.

- She is still a momma's girl. Especially when she's tired or sick. She wants her mama.

- She loves to play with her daddy. Nobody can make her squeal and laugh like him. It's so cute.

- I haven't really pushed the potty training issue with her. She tells me when she goes and has gone several times in the toilet but I'm kind of letting her go at her own pace.

- She still LOVES her bottle. It's the only thing she's ever been attached to and I feel bad taking it away. I don't think either one of us is ready for that yet!

Zoey,

You are the most perfect little girl we could have ever asked for. Your daddy and I always ask each other "what did we do before you?" You are our whole world and we can't imagine life without you. You bring a special spirit into our home and we love you so much! We love your adorable little personality and can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Happy Birthday Zoey-boey! We love you so much sweet girl!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Birthday Bash!

2011-04-09T23:12:00.006-06:00

(WARNING: LOTSA PICTURES AHEAD!)

As I was making Zoey's cake yesterday, of course she decided to help out! I just had to snap a few pics of her "helping"! And here's the final product... I thought it turned out good. I was pretty proud! TOOT TOOT! (That's me tooting my own horn for a minute!)Zoey's Spongebob party today was FANTASTIC!! It turned out to be so much fun! I made posters of all the characters and hung them on the walls. We made jellyfish out of streamers and plastic bowls. Here's all the kids with their jelly fish.We also had a jellyfish hunt with candy for the winners. The kids had a blast and it was fun to watch them. Zoey was SO spoiled with presents. Here's a pic of all her loot. She made out like a bandit!!! And this doesn't even include anything that Nick and I got her. We're saving it for her actualy birthday! (Stay tuned for that later...)We then had "krabby patty" cupcakes and sugar cookie "kelp fries". Got the idea here and they turned out great! Several of the kids were scared to eat it and confused cuz they thought they were really hamburgers! And Zoey really loved her cake!Poor girl was exhausted by the time it was over and fell asleep before we made it the three blocks back to our house! She loved her Spongebob posters so much that we hung them up on the walls in her playroom. It was lots of fun. Thanks to everyone for coming, for the presents, and for helping out! Nick did so much for the party too... putting up and taking down chairs and tables, and hiding all the jelly fish. You made our little girls day SO great! Happy Birthday Zoey (Well almost... her actual birthday is April 13th). We love you!

What Is Going On?!

2011-04-03T21:01:00.002-06:00

Is everyone else as confused as I am with this weather we've got going on lately? We are SO ready for spring around here! Waking up to snow today was not exciting for us. But we did take advantage of some warmer weather the other day...

Come on spring time! What are you waiting for?!?!?!

Weekend Getaway

2011-03-30T21:42:00.003-06:00

We packed the car FULL to the top last weekend... and headed down south for some fun in the sun! St. George here we come!!! We headed down with Nick's parents, and sister and her kids, to visit Nick's grandparents. (Special thanks to Grandpa Gary for helping keep this little one entertained on the way down!) Unfortunately... we missed out on the sun. It rained and was pretty chilly the whole weekend! But the weekend wasn't short on the fun. We still had a good time hanging out, shopping, eating, and playing cards! Zoey LOVED spending time with her two cousins Roxey... ...and Braylon. These pics of the two of them in the chair are so adorable! They were inseperable. In fact, I walked out of my room one morning to find Braylon sitting on the floor staring at the door. I asked him what he was doing and he said "I'm waiting for Zoey to wake up!" So cute!

But I feel the best part of the weekend was the quality time that Zoey got to spend with her great grandparents. She calls them "Nama Ardy" and "Dampa Flo-wide" (Grandma Ardy and Grandpa Floyd). She spent hours with them sitting on their laps and just enjoying their company. Thanks so much for having us Floyd and Ardy! We love you!

Sneak Peek

2011-03-23T13:32:00.001-06:00

Here's the invites I made for Zoey's upcoming birthday party. She's so excited to have a Spongebob Party! Have I mentioned she's OBSESSED?????

The Letter "S"

2011-03-12T21:09:00.002-07:00

Sleepy head... She loves to nap on our chair but she about fell off today. I had to recline it cuz she was tossing and turning.Slushees... I must say this little girl is like her mama. She LOVES Coke slushees! (Don't hate me for giving her Coke!)Squishy Face.... Nick and I had a good laugh at this the other day. She is hilarious!

Finally....

2011-03-10T22:06:00.003-07:00

...Some warm{er} weather today! Which means we headed to the park to feed the ducks and play on the toys. Zoey always seems to eat more bread than she throws! (And I snuck in a little photo shoot for Zoey's 2nd birthday party invitations! Can't believe I'm already doing that!!) It was lots of fun.... Thanks Kim and Jen for going with us!

Current Crushes

2011-03-03T08:41:00.005-07:00

A couple of things that I'm crushin' on right now...

1. INSANITY...

I actually have a love/hate relationship with this one. I've never loved and hated something so much at the same time. As I am typing this my shoulders are just killing me from my "INSANE" experience this morning.

2. Lemon Berry Squeeze Singles...

These make water worth drinking! 3. Winter Wonderland scensty bar...

It makes our home smell delicious. 4. Paul Mitchell Baby Don't Cry shampoo...

Zoey's hair just isn't the same without it. It makes her hair so soft and smooth. It's a must for any child that suffers from that nasty fuzzy car seat hair!

5. Chocolate Soy Milk...

I don't really like this but Zoey does. And just to hear her ask for "cho-tut moop" puts a smile on my face!6. Cadbury Mini Eggs...

These little pieces of heaven are EVIL!!! I know that's a contradiction but it's true! Nick and I absolutely LOVE them... to the point that we don't buy them cuz we eat them all. So sad to say that our love for them is completely forbidden! So now I'm curious... What about you? What are you crushin' on? Let me in on your little secrets so I can enjoy them too!

Confessions

2011-02-24T21:49:00.005-07:00

(DISCLAIMER: I love my hubby and baby girl more than anything. And we have the greatest families. The following just needed to be said so that I can get OVER IT!! Plus, I don't think many people will read this anyways!)

So I know that people usually blog about all things good in their lives. I try to be positive, but I think that sometimes a girl needs to vent... right?!?! And since this blog is my journal, it ends up here. If you do happen to read this, please don't judge. So without further ado, I confess that...

... I was ready to wring Zoey's neck tonight.

... Sometimes I want to eat chocolate ice cream for dinner.

... Sometimes I'm honestly sick of PeOpLe! (Some of who may or may not have the same last name as us...)

... I really should probably work on taking Zoey's bottle away but it's so nice to just give her half a bottle and lay her in bed at night. I'm just not ready yet.

... I HATE cleaning the bathrooms. And doing laundry. (Luckily my hubby cleaned the shower a couple days ago. Made my day! Thanks babe!) Now if I could just find someone to do my laundry every day...

... I don't like feeding Zoey dinner... or breakfast... or lunch. She's PICKY!!! Plus with her food allergies it's hard to find things she can eat. I'm tempted to feed her PB&J or noodles every day.

... I'm a sporty girl, but I get sick of watching sports 24/7. I think Nick takes advantage of the fact that I like sports. Our TV is permanently tuned to ESPN. Arrggg... I don't think he even cares that they play the same thing over and over and over and over...

... I get frustrated when Nick does the same stupid little things that bug me even when I've asked him to stop. (Put your dish in the stupid dishwasher!) But to be fair (and risk ruining my own spotless reputation), I know that I do the same to him! All's fair in love...

... I am SO SICK of watching Spongebob Squarepants! Nick is too.

... I am impatient. I'm not super happy with the trial of our faith that Nick and I are going through right now. We've tried hard to put our trust in God and do what we're supposed to be doing, but the rewards that we should be getting are a long time coming.

Hmmm..... I feel better. That was cleansing and freeing. Plus putting all these trivial things down on paper really makes me realize that they are just that..... TRIVIAL! I'm so lucky that these are my biggest concerns right now. We truly are blessed. Why don't you try it? I promise that I won't tell anyone....

The Three "R"s

2011-02-15T23:21:00.003-07:00

~ReAdInG~

Zoey LOVES to read books. I'm glad that she shares my opinion of reading instead of her dads! Lately, she loves to climb up on our bed and read my books. She sits there for 20-30 minutes, and flips through them looking for pictures. All the while she tells me that she's reading. Funny girl... I had to take a book away from her because it was a library book and I didn't want to risk her ripping pages.... she screamed bloody murder and threw quite an impressive tantrum!

~RiDiNg~

I have been going to work out with my sister-in-law, Kim, in the mornings. Zoey loves it because she gets to play with her cousins almost every day. Ben and Isabel love to push each other around in this Tonka truck. Zoey has been a little scared to ride until the other day. But she'd only ride if Isabel sat with her or was pushing her. She DID NOT like Ben pushing her. But then, he pushed her really fast, and went up on two wheels going around corners so I can't say that I blame her!

~RoCkiNg OuT~

One of Zoey's favorite things to do is turn on music and dance. And one of our favorite things to do is watch her dance and get her to do funny things. It's hilarious. Of course she never does it as well when I pull out my camera, but you get the idea...

L.O.V.E.

2011-02-14T16:21:00.004-07:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Hope that you all spent the day with the ones that you love!Zoey was spoiled (of course) by all her wonderful grandparents. She got lots of Valentines, and was especially excited to open the ones in the mail. She was also very excited to find "wallet" (money) in several of them. I have to work tonight so Nick and I will hopefully be celebrating another time here...

Inspired...

2011-02-08T09:32:00.003-07:00

by this and this... so I made this:

I made it just a little different from theirs, though. I added some ribbon loops for fun. I really like the little bit of contrast it added. I thought it turned out cute!

Date Night

2011-02-03T14:26:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we came upon some tickets for the Jazz game. I know... they've been struggling. But when you're offered 4 free tickets on the 11th row, you don't say NO! So we took these two:And headed to Energy Solutions Arena. We had a super fun time. Thanks for the tickets, Eric!

I have two complaints though....

#1- Al Jefferson is a pansy! I don't like him at all. Way to foul on the last play of the game, loser!

#2- I love Matt Harpring. And after the game I was talking to him and he was waving and talking with me. He said I could come take a picture with him after he was done. SWEET! I was so excited! Then some beastly lady came up and kicked us out. BOO! So I got a picture of the back of his head. And I did get one of Nick, me, and Harpring... can you see him in the background just above my head?!? Lol! This is the best I got. Thanks a lot stupid arena staff lady, you suck!

Tumbling Toddler....

2011-01-27T14:22:00.002-07:00

I take Zoey with me to cheerleading all the time and she really loves it! She especially loves it when we do tumbling. She always joins in and does her flips and cartwheels. I think it's adorable! And I must say that I am super glad that she shows interest in something that I truly love to do!

Slide

2011-01-19T22:13:00.002-07:00

New Year's Date

2011-01-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

With Zoey being so young, it's hard to be out late, so Nick and I enjoyed a really low-key New Year's celebration this year. We invited our good friends, the Reynolds, to bring their cute little boy over for a little holiday date night! We had BBQ ribs, the guys played pool, and Zoey and her boyfriend, Brady, had a great time together doing this:and LOTS of this:And some more of this:I must admit that they left before midnight (the kiddies just couldn't stay awake that long) and Nick and I rang in the New Year loungin on the couch watching TV. (Is anyone else a little freaked out by Dick Clark? I think he's getting way too old...) I don't really have a New Years resolution because people (including me) never stick to them. I just plan on doing the same workout routine I have been doing... Nick wants to lose 20 pounds. Which I know he will be able to do in like 2 weeks. It sucks that it's so easy for guys to lose weight! As for Zoey, her New Years Resolution is...

to ALWAYS be dressed in the most fashionable clothes

and to change her own diapers!!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T22:23:00.006-07:00

I must say that this Christmas with Zoey was probably the funnest that Nick and I have ever had together. Seeing the pure joy on her face was amazing. The magic of Christmas was alive and well at our house. I love it!

Zoey made out like a BANDIT this year! Yes she is SPOILED!! But not just by us and Santa... EVERYONE spoiled her! Here's a shot of all her loot...Here's what I got that I'm excited about...

And here's what Nick got that he is in LOVE with...

Hope you all had a Christmas that was as good as we did! Are you thinking of New Year's Resolutions?!?!

Christmas Preparations

2010-12-21T23:33:00.005-07:00

Have the new Nativity Set from Grandma out? CHECK!Zoey calls this one Papa (Grandpa Yamashita). We told her they have the same eyes... what do you think? LOL! :)

Make gingerbread houses? CHECK! Put on makeup? CHECK!
Get ready in your finest clothes?

Ummmm..... (Yes this is my sports bra!)Let's try that again... Get ready in our finest clothes? CHECK!

We're ready Christmas! Bring it on!

This Girl's Gonna Be...

2010-12-16T22:01:00.002-07:00

a shoe lover just like her Momma! :) I'm actually amazed at how well she walks in my high heels!

Santa's Little Helper...

2010-12-13T21:24:00.004-07:00

And no I'm not talking about the Simpsons' dog! Zoey has been my little helper lately. Wrapping presents for Daddy. I gave her a marker and let her draw on her present for her Daddy. Now she thinks she needs to "raw" on all of them! Every day she brings me a present from under the tree, points to the drawer where the markers are, and says "raw...raw... peeeease!" How do I say no? Gotta love that little chickadee!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

2010-12-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

My sister in law and I took our kids to Weber State the other day. They had Santa Claus and live reindeer there as well as some crafts and things for the kids. Bonus... it was all free! The kids had a good time. Zoey DID NOT want anything to do with Santa. She sat on my lap by him and that was as close as she would get. And she would only do that after he gave her a candy cane! Oh well, it was still fun. Thanks, Kim, for inviting us!

Festival of Trees 2010

2010-12-01T22:47:00.005-07:00

The cheereladers and student government at Sunset Jr. High (where I coach cheer) decorated and donated a tree to the Festival of Trees again this year. My mom and I had such a good time with it last year that we decided to do a tree this year with our family as well. So we were involved with decorating two trees this year. It was lots of fun and so rewarding. The best part is that both of the trees sold on opening night at the auction, with all the proceeds benefitting Primary Childrens Medical Center! Here's some pics of the trees. The Sunset tree was titled "Wii love PCMC". It included a Wii console, Wii games, TV, TV stand, and video chair.Our family tree was titled "Family Christmas". It included a fireplace and stockings, rocking chair, a chest of Christmas books, and nativity set.

And I just wanted to throw in this picture... this tree was amazing and so clever! It was titled "Maui Christmas". So funny!

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like...

2010-11-28T22:21:00.003-07:00

Of course Zoey likes to take the flowers off the tree. She has actually been pretty good about leaving our upstairs tree alone... But our tree downstairs, that's another story! You'll notice it's only halfway decorated.It started out looking really cute... but a lot of the ornaments have ended up being moved higher on the tree or here. On the pool table out of reach!Zoey and Daddy out in the snow:Winter brings snuggly warm pajamas and we love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T22:18:00.002-07:00

I find it hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already upon us! I feel like it was just Halloween... Things have been a little crazy, what with the BLIZZARD and all. (Come ON! That storm was definitely NOT that bad! I was expecting way worse!) I just wanted to jot down a few things that I'm thankful for. In no particular order...

1. Old Navy Clearance 50% off: A pair of jeans and a shirt for me, and a pair of pants and a sweater for Zoey = only $17!

2. Farr's Fresh Ice Cream: they are the only place we can take Zoey for ice cream. They have a yummy nondairy ice cream. She loves it! I must confess that Nick and I have actually ate there for dinner! (Don't worry... we fed Zoey real food first!)

3. I finished putting up our Christmas tree. It only took three days. Well, okay it's almost finished! But I love the way it turned out, and Zoey hasn't taken any ornaments off yet!

4. A warm house in a safe neighborhood. I truly think that most of us take this for granted every day.

5. Our good health. And the doctors, nurses, and assistants that help keep us that way. (I'm praying for you Grandma!)

6. Our Freedom. And those out there fighting to keep us free. Thank you. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

7. Good friends. They're hard to come by and we have so many! Love you all!

8. FAMILY! We are so lucky to have both mine and Nick's families living close by. They are such an amazing support system and such a big help with Zoey.

9. My hubby: he works his little tail off every day so that I can stay home and raise our daughter. He's a terrific father and he makes me laugh every day. Plus, he's easy on the eyes!

10. Zoey: She is too smart for her own good! She's speaking in two and three word sentences, and learning new things every second. What would we do without her? We can't get enough of her!

11. The love of our Heavenly Father. I don't know what I did to deserve all that he has given me, but I am eternally grateful!

I know this doesn't even begin to touch on all the blessings that I have or am thankful for, but it's what is on my mind right now.

Here's wishing you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Zoey Would Kill Me If She Knew...

2010-11-16T14:57:00.002-07:00

Zoey has been asking almost everyday to sit on the potty. So we hurry to the bathroom and she sits on the toilet. She pushes and pushes... and then farts! It's hilarious! But hey, if I can get her potty trained that would be AWESOME!!!! This picture will be blackmail someday!

Family Photos 2010

2010-11-15T09:17:00.004-07:00

Amy Bennion took these photos for us. I won a free photo session from her on My Giveaway Today. We love how they turned out! Click here for her website. Now I just need to do my Christmas cards!

4 Years...

2010-11-11T22:39:00.007-07:00

... and we're still not done!
This month marks the four year anniversary of us moving into our house. It was built in 1960, and it was TRASHED when we bought it. To tell you the truth, I cried when we moved out of our old place because it was such a dump. Smelly, yucky, and I won't even mention all the dead critters we found! So I've decided to post some before and after pics of our home. I absolutely love it now! We've poured our heart and soul into making it our home and we're pretty proud of how it turned out (although it's still a work in progress). Take a look...

And I don't have a before of Zoey's room, but I wanted to put in the after because I think her room is one of our favorites in the house!

Egg-cellent...

2010-11-09T12:44:00.002-07:00

We found out a little bit ago that Zoey is allergic to MILK and EGGS. Hmmmm.... that cuts out a lot from her diet. You don't realize that they are in almost everything you eat! What we have done so far seems to be helping a bit. Well, at least we're going through half the dirty diapers that we were before. So that's a start! I am now on a quest to find egg and milk free recipes. If you know of some, send them my way please!!!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2010-11-07T21:13:00.002-07:00

Thanks so much for all your interest in my giveaway. I drew a name out of the hat and the winner of the one hour photo shoot and cd of images is

RINDI!!

Contact me and we'll set it up! I'll be giving away more, so stay tuned.

Beus Pond and FREE Photo Shoot!

2010-11-02T12:45:00.005-06:00

Today, Zoey and I went for a walk around Beus pond in Ogden. We've never been there before and it was beautiful!Zoey was absolutely enthralled by the ducks...She was so irritated with me that I wouldn't let her out of her stroller to go play with them! She leaned and reached as far as she could!
The entire time that I was there I was thinking what a beautiful place it would be to take pictures at. So... I've decided that I'm going to offer to shoot somebody's pictures there for free. I'm giving away a one hour photo shoot and a cd with the images on it. You can click here to check out my most recent photography work. Any takers? Leave a comment if you're interested!

~HaLLoWeEn 2010~

2010-10-31T21:41:00.007-06:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year. All the holidays are so much fun with Zoey! Zoey's costume was by far the cutest in the family, and she actually kept it on! (Except for the antenna headband...) But Nick's was definitely the funniest! He freezed the entire night but it was HILARIOUS!! We trunk or treated with Nick's family, and then went trick or treating with mine. Zoey got all hopped up on M&Ms and tootsie pops, and couldn't sleep last night. Oh well, at least she had fun!

We complained about the rain, but at least it wasn't snowing. And we got this beautiful rainbow too! Happy Halloween!

Pre-Halloween Party

2010-10-29T17:26:00.007-06:00

We had a fun little Halloween party with a bunch of cousins and friends the other day. It was kind of spur of the moment but ended up being lots of fun! We made hot dog mummies and spider cookies, played games, read stories, and made bat doorknob hangers. Thanks Kim for letting us join in the fun! You can see that Zoey loved the spider cookies!

This Post Brought to You By...

2010-10-26T14:35:00.001-06:00

The Letter F

I happened to get into the front seat of Nick's car the other day, not realizing that there was a Christmas present for me sitting there. A new kitchen Faucet! I'm so excited because our old one was cracked and starting to spray water everywhere. I think it's funny what I get excited about, now that I'm married and have a kid. :)

Zoey was walking down my sister-in-laws driveway when she tripped and fell, giving herself a Fat lip. OUCH!

Last but not least, Nick and I spent our First weekend away from Zoey. We cruised down to St. George with some friends for a softball tournament. It was nice not to have to chase her around the park, but we were sure excited to see her when we got home! I was too busy and forgot to take any pictures. Thanks for watching her Grandma and Krystle!

EiGhTeEn MoNtHs!

2010-10-13T12:43:00.003-06:00

This little peanut is 18 months old today. WOW, how time flies! And Nick is bugging me to have another... I don't think I'm quite ready though!

On a side note: I made Zoey's halloween costume and tried it on her. This was the reaction...

So we have been practicing trick or treating to get ready for Halloween. She tolerates the costume when she gets candy so I hope she'll keep it on that night!

No More Cast!

2010-10-02T16:40:00.004-06:00

Three weeks later and Zoey's arm has officially healed enough to not have a cast anymore! She especially loves being able to put it in the water finally!

And a couple random things, just because:

Zoey usually only falls asleep at night if I hold her for a while. The other night all she wanted was to lay on the blankets on the floor. Funny... One of Zoey's new things is turning the lights on and off

She also likes to take the covers off the heater vents and put things down them but I've yet to catch that on video. And this little video just makes me laugh. Zoey's "mean face"!

(And as you can tell by Zoey's jersey... we're excited for JAZZ season! It's almost here!)

GO JAZZ!!

Photography

2010-09-24T17:55:00.002-06:00

I have recently started doing more of what I love... photography. I really enjoy doing it, and have decided to do a Holiday Special. It will most likely include the photo shoot at a location of your choice, 10 edited images on a cd, and 50 holiday greeting cards and envelopes. I really try to keep the cost low because I know how it feels to get ripped off paying for photos! I'll post more details later, but if you want to see some of the photos I've taken recently, click HERE.

See this guy...

2010-09-20T11:55:00.003-06:00

I love him!!! He says that I'm never giving him enough credit on the blog... so here it is. Some of the reasons I love him so much!

- If you recall this post, I debated whether or not bald would be beautiful on him. Well I REALLY love his new haircut! I think he looks great! He is quite a sexy man!

- He almost NEVER misses a Dr. appointment for Zoey. Whether it's a well child check or her broken arm, he will be there! In fact, he held Zoey while she screamed through her X-rays.
- He spent ALL day on Saturday doing a really dirty, gross job that I asked him to do. Just because he's so nice and loves me!

-He has the best sense of humor. He always keeps me laughing with the things he says.

- He works hard all day so that I can stay home with Zoey, and is extrememly good at what he does. Thanks honey!

- He will surprise me by randomly bringing home lunch. Right now, we're on a Jimmy John's sandwich kick. Mmmmm...

- He is Zoey's favorite person to play with, and I love that! He gets her to squeal and laugh like nobody's business!

- He is such a sweet guy to his grandparents, my grandma, pretty much any elderly person. He would do anything for them!

- He would (and does) do ANYTHING for me and Zoey. We're so lucky to have him!

Zoey and I love you babe!

Help Spread The Word (It's for a good cause...)

2010-09-16T21:56:00.004-06:00

My mom and I coach the Sunset Jr. High Cheerleaders. Every year we do service projects because we feel it is so important for our kids to learn to give back and help those less fortunate. Last year we teamed up with the student government at our school and decorated and donated a tree for the...

We are doing it again this year, and are holding a HUGE yard sale/ bake sale to raise money for it. I'm talking GINORMOUS!!! Like multi-multi-multi- family! It will be held this Saturday, September 18, at 1165 E. South Weber Drive, in So. Weber from 8:00-3:00. PLEASE spread the word... if you're out that way, come and have a looksie! There will be tons of amazing things and all of the profits will go to the Primary Childrens Medical Center!

So bring your kids, spouse, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, relatives, whoever... just get your buns down there!!! You won't be sorry!

Boys= Big Trouble!

2010-09-10T20:43:00.005-06:00

Zoey was playing with her older cousins, Ben (2) and Isabel (4), today. The two older kids were jumping off the stairs onto the bean bags. Ben thought that Zoey would like to play too, so he pushed her down the stairs onto the bean bag. She cried and cried like she hasn't before, but she fell asleep and took a long nap. I figured she was so moody because she was tired. Later on, I noticed she was favoring her left hand. She couldn't pick anything up with it, she wouldn't hold my hand with it, and it just kind of hung by her side. I really wasn't sure if there was anything wrong, but I thought that I'd rather be safe than sorry. So I took her to get it x-rayed. The verdict... Zoey has a small buckle fracture in her forearm. Good thing I took her in!So she will be wearing this beautiful accessory for the next 3-4 weeks! Her arm was too small for the casting material, so they had to put her in a hard splint and wrap it with an ace bandage. I can't even take it off to bath her. Seriously... don't they understand how filthy this will be in two days? Can't even imagine what it will be like in 4 weeks. Guess we'll be going to get more bandages!

All things considering, she's been really good! She's tripped and fallen a couple times, and that really hurt her arm. But overall, she's a happy girl still! And shes getting used to the splint. Poor girl... she's learning at an early age that boys are big trouble!

Body Parts

2010-09-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

We may be biased, but we think this girl's a freakin' genius!!

And darn stinkin' cute too!

When life gives you lemons...

2010-08-31T21:42:00.011-06:00

apparently, you take a bite!

Nick had to go to Vernal overnight for work, so Zoey and I decided to tag along and swim at the hotel. We went to this Mexican restaurant called Don Pedro's for dinner. (I HATE Mexican food, so I got a ribeye and it was TO DIE FOR!) If you're ever out that way (but really, you won't be! Nobody goes to Vernal!) you should check this place out! Zoey liked the rice and beans, but her favorite seemed to be the lemons! :) We also found this beautiful reservoir there. Who'd have thought? And just cuz these make me laugh: Gosh, she's so freakin' cute!

Lake Powell 2010

2010-08-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

We took a trip down to Powell with some good friends of ours. Despite some unfortunate "memories", which include our house boat not being ready on time (we spent two nights at the Victorian Inn in Kanab), the generator on the boat going in and out the whole time, Zoey getting an ear infection, and the previous users not dumping their crap before they left (STINK!!!), it turned out to be a blast! We had some good times too, though. Squishy car rides, looking out for fake cops in Kanab, hours on the beach, building forts in the hotel room, wave runner rides, smores, and the celebration of our 7th wedding anniversary, just to name a few! Plus, the owner of the boat said that since we had such a rough time, the next time we go it will be on him! Thanks guys for the memories, and we can't wait to go again!

Walls

2010-08-07T09:32:00.003-06:00

Nick is a sales rep. for Valspar paint, and has to do demos to get familiar with all the products. So when we finished our basement, we decided to try a venetian plaster finish that his company has. It turned out fantastic! We love the way it looks.
What we didn't love was the TIME that it took to do it. It took FOREVER! And it was kinda hard. Nick vowed that even though he loved it, he would NEVER do it again! So of course I wanted to do a wall in our living room. I begged, and whined, and offered to help with everything but he said "NO"! Well I came home last night to a birthday surprise. (Yes, my bday is on Sunday. I'll be 27.) Nick plastered the wall for me!

>

I abolutely love the way it turned out. It makes the room feel so much more finished. Thanks Nick for my birthday surprise. You did an amazing job and I LOVE IT! I love you!

A Whole Lotta Nothin'

2010-07-31T21:49:00.005-06:00

The last few weeks have been full of a lot of nothing. Just trying to keep cool in this heat we're having...

Zoey and I spent the last week at cheer camp with these cute girls. Zoey was an angel the entire time!

And Nick left without us and took off with the guys. They went to Denver for this...

On a side note... He or She? And what about those brows? Hmmm...

Believe it or not, it's a SHE!!

Fireworks... and more!

2010-07-20T22:50:00.005-06:00

We watched the Clinton City fireworks at Nick's parents new house. Perfect place for it. We sat on the back porch and didn't have to fight the crowds or anything. Wonderful! Zoey had a grand ol' time juping on the tramp and playing with her cousins. The only down part was when Zoey stuck her finger down her throat and tossed her cookies... Nick had the camera at the time and actually snapped a shot of it, but I won't share. Ewwww...

I also wanted to post these funny pics of Zoey. She loves her Coke slushee just like her mama!

FIFTEEN...

2010-07-16T22:49:00.002-06:00

MoNtH oLd PrInCeSs!!

Zoey is now 15 months old and into EVERYTHING!

She is so much fun though! Here's her stats:

Height- 29.75 in. (40%)

Weight- 19 lbs. 11 oz. (10%) Yes she's lost weight since last time. This could be due to #3 on the list below... I have to take her in next month to check her weight. If she's not more than 20 lbs, then "we'll talk" the Dr. said. Keep your fingers crossed!

Head Circumference- 47.5 cm (90%) Oh yeah that's a big head! That just means she's gonna be a genius. Her head has to be big to hold all those brains! LOL!

Here's 15 facts about our little girl:

1: She loves to blow raspberries on anything. Arms, legs, leather couches... etc.

2: She is weaned from nursing, but still loves her bottle!

3: We recently discovered she's lactose intolerant! (You don't wanna know how we found that one out!) Let's just say that we'll be trying soy milk now...

4: She has 7 teeth. And 3 more that are about to break through.

5: Speaking of teeth and lactose intolerance... this has contributed to her not sleeping well again. The last two nights she has done a lot better, so I cross my fingers it continues.

6: She loves to run everywhere... including into the road while she's laughing and mommy is chasing her.

7: She likes to play with her belly button when she's tired.

8: She is a picky eater. This is so frustrating! But she does like corn on the cob.

9: She loves to eat popsicles outside.

10: She loves her daddy to chase her. She squeals and runs into mommy's arms. So fun!

11: She LOVES to play with her cousins. Pure joy flashes across her face when she sees them.

12: She really loves the water since we had her swimming lessons.

13: She can point to her (or anyone elses) eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, hair, ears, belly button, toes.

14: She can wave and blow kisses, and shake her head yes or no. She can say hi, bye bye, please, up, hot, mama, dada, grandpa, grandma, NO, meow, wuff, duck, quack, moo, poop.

15: The last couple of nights, she has not wanted to go to sleep. So we have just let her play a little while before bed. She loves putting these rings on her arms and insists they stay there. I tried to take them off and she whined and cried until she found them and put them back on. So I left them and she fell asleep that way. Hilarious and adorable!

She is by far the most adorable and fun little girl you'll ever meet! Of course, I am biased... but it's my blog so I can say what I want! :) We love you baby girl!

Just Keep Swimming!

2010-07-10T21:10:00.000-06:00

Zoey has been in a mom and tot swim class for the past two weeks. She didn't do too well at first. Well, actually none of them really did. They all cried a lot. By the end she was great though! This is us with her swim teacher, Angie. Zoey now likes to jump off the edge and go under water while holding onto my hands. She can do the backfloat while I hold her chin. She can hold her breath, go under water, and turn over onto her back. She LOVES the pool now! This is her splashing like crazy! She likes to splash mommy too!

I tried to upload a video of her swimming, but it isn't working. So another time I guess!

~4th (actually the 5th) of July BBQ~

2010-07-07T14:25:00.012-06:00

We hosted one of the funnest BBQs and water parties ever this year! I think we'll make it a tradition. The pictures say it all!

BoOmBaNgCrAsH

2010-07-04T13:54:00.000-06:00

(And we didn't even light or see one firework!)

Our Independence Day weekend started out with a

BANG...

We were greeted with this scene right outside our front door. See that big post that the car ran into? It was a light pole. Cracked right in half when that girl hit it. Crazy! She also hit the side of our neighbors truck that was parked on the side of the road. Kinda scary. We've heard that she was drunk.

We spent Friday and Saturday at the Roy Aquatic Center. If you remember from last year, we are quite enamored with this place. We ran into some old friends while we were there. It was so fun to see them, their little boy, and their adorable little twins! Zoey really enjoyed herself, but she didn't care much for the slides. She liked playing with her aunt Krystle, the tables, the food, and the seagulls more than she liked playing in the water.

She did get used to the water and was having a grand ol' time playing and running around. When

BOOM!

Some idiot teenagers weren't watching where they were going and plowed right into her. Completely LEVELED her to the concrete, nose first. OUCH! She screamed and cried and our day at the pool was officially over. I tried to get a good pic of her nose. I think this pic is hilarious! She was in her car seat and so tired that she looks drunk, but still so cute!

We then headed to Sushi Ya to celebrate my brother's 31st birthday.

Happy Birthday Brother!

(Let me tell you... my brother can put down the sushi! HOLY COW that boy can eat!)

Once again, my sister was kept busy with her nieces and nephew. They love her!

Nick isn't a fan of sushi, so he wasn't super stoked about the food. Then

CRASH!

Zoey did this...

all over his pants. Thus, this wonderful picture!

Apparently she thought she was pretty funny!

We roasted marshmallows with some friends from the ward to finish off our night, but I failed to get any pics of it. Our celebration continues tomorrow with a BBQ and water party! I'm loving this three day celebration for one holiday thing that we've got going on! Happy 4th y'all!

LET FREEDOM RING!

It's Official!

2010-06-23T15:31:00.003-06:00

SuMmEr'S HeRe!!

Today was really the first "summer" activity of the season. The weather's been so crappy that we've been trapped indoors. We went to this adorable splash pad by our house. It's a blast, but it was PACKED!

Zoey got this freakin' cute swimsuit for her birthdsy from one of my best friends. I put it on her and then laughed cuz it's so dang adorable!Although Zoey did enjoy the water and all the kids, I think she loved playng with the gates and benches more! Silly girl!

You know an outing is successful when your little one falls asleep on the way home and is out for two hours right?

We'll be going back a LOT now that the warm weather has finally come to stay. Anyone want to join us next time?!

Living Planet Aquarium

2010-06-21T15:04:00.006-06:00

A while ago we took Zoey to the Living Planet Aquarium. It was smaller than we thought it would be. Zoey really liked it though. She almost touched the sting rays, but then it splashed her and she gave up on that pretty quick! We really liked the jelly fish and the seahorses. But the BEST thing was the penguins. Zoey LOVED them! She would giggle and point to them and didn't want to leave them. They were so cute and interactive with the crowd. So adorable! Then we went to DP Cheesesteaks for lunch. Yummy! It's Nick's favorite place for cheesesteaks. Just a nice little family day.

Testimony Builder

2010-06-19T10:42:00.007-06:00

It seems as though my family has received bad news from several different directions lately. I have two uncles, as well as an old friends husband, that have recently gotten the terrifying news that they have cancer. All three of these men are good supportive dads, and two of them are fantastic grandpas. I grew up in the beautiful city of South Weber. My parents and many of my friends still live there. Yesterday the So. Weber community was devastated when cancer took the life of a friend, neighbor, coach, and most of all husband and father. His death was a long time coming and he passed peacefully. He was a friend of many of my friends, and I taught his daughter tumbling. Although I didn't know him personally, I have been very much affected by his passing. My heart aches for his wife and family left behind. The news about these four men makes me SO very grateful for my father, father in law, and especially my husband. Good fathers are becoming more of a rarity in the society that we live in today. So many women and children do not have the support that they deserve from a man of the house. I am so grateful that Zoey has the love of so many dads out there, whether they are blood related or not. And I am most greatful for my Heavenly Father and the plan that he has given us. Receiving this bad news lately has strengthened my testimony. I know that no matter what happens here, families can be reunited for eternity in heaven. I am so thankful for my eternal family. If you're reading this, give the fathers in your life a hug. You never know what tomorrow brings.

Thank you Dad and Gary for being amazing fathers and grandfathers. Thank you Nick, for being a great daddy to our little girl. I love you guys! Happy Fathers Day!

Hello?

2010-06-13T22:10:00.002-06:00

Where are you summer? We are in desperate need of some sunshine and warm weather around here. This rain is just so depressing, and we're itching to get outside, play in the water, and lay in the sun! So to help cheer us (and hopefully you) up, I'm sharing some pics that made me smile!

Halfway...

2010-06-10T21:51:00.005-06:00

TO SIXTY!!!

HaHa! Yes, that's right... my man turned thirty today! I always tease him cuz he's older than me. Some people have a hard time with the big 3-0, but Nick honestly doesn't mind. Nick had such a long day at work today that we didn't celebrate too much. We went to brunch at Karen's Cafe on 25th street. (We highly recommend it if you've never been. Yummy and cheap! Their only flaw is that they don't serve scones!) And he opened one present. For some reason he really wanted this...

He is really a kid at heart! He got that and a t-shirt. These were also in the door when I got home tonight. Adorable brithday cards from our nieces and nephew. So cute!I guess that we will be finishing our celebration this weekend. Nick told me that his hair is thinning so much that when he turned 30 he was going to shave his head. I always tell him that I love him the way he is. Really, I've seen way worse!As far as I know, he hasn't done it yet. I may be surprised when he gets home though!

Bald can be really good...

Or really, really bad...

I guess we'll see!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

I love you more than ever!

You Might Be A Redneck Baby...

2010-06-07T23:31:00.000-06:00

If you like to walk around with your onesie undone,

and your Mama doesn't care. If you thoroughly enjoy taking a trip to the DI. And could stay for hours if Mama would let you! If you see no harm in walking around outside with no pants on.

If you think you look good sporting greasy hair,

messy face, and some nice 80's glasses.

Oh we're such proud redneck parents!

Hip, Hip...

2010-05-28T13:25:00.010-06:00

HOORAY!!

See this cute daddy here:

Well he is part of the Graduating Class of 2010! That's right folks, Nick walked at his graduation ceremony last night! He receives his Bachelor in Science Business Administration. Not only that, but he graduated WITH HONORS! If you know Nick, then you know that this is a huge accomplishment for him. Let's just say he wasn't an enthusiastic student in high school. But he has been so motivated to finish college, and I am SO extremely proud of him!This little peanut was SO good during the graduation. She laughed and smiled and flirted with the old man sitting next to me. It was cute.

I think this was the most entertaining (and a little unconventional) commencement ceremony I've been to. They had a short speaker and then a musical presentation by "Vocalocity". They are a male acapella group. They were really good and actually kinda funny.

I know these pictures are AWFUL! (I couldn't lug around my good camera and Zoey at the same time. :( So I had to settle with taking my camera that didn't have near a big enough flash. Oh well!) But here's a pic of Nick walking across the stage and getting his picture taken right after.

Nick's parents, and Grandma came, as well as my parents.

CONGRATULATIONS, BABE!!!

Zoey and I love you and are so glad to have you in our family. You do such a great job of supporting us being such a great daddy and husband. We're so proud of you!

So since I don't work, and have no money, poor Nick had to buy his own graduation gift. We are finishing our basement, so we got these new couches! Purrty, right?

One more random thing about Nick... He has a phobia. It's called achondroplasiaphobia.

It's the phobia of little people. No joke, he really is scared of little people! Before I met Nick, I very rarely ever saw them. Nick, on the other hand, sees them all the time. We see them everywhere! We even had one on our cruise ship a couple years ago! So of course, who was at his graduation last night...Don't think I'm rude for getting a picture. It was too funny to pass up though, cuz when Nick saw it he freaked out and started to hyperventilate. It's a big joke among our friends and family, so I thought I'd share with y'all too. (Nobody be offended by this, please. I myself am a bit of a "little" person being only 5'1. You'd think Nick would have married someone taller! HAH!)

Diva In Training

2010-05-25T21:48:00.009-06:00

Make-up... CHECK!

Fancy new shoes... CHECK!Bangly new bracelets... CHECK!A pair of stylin' shades... CHECK!Some slammin' new wheels... CHECK! ... and CHECK!Hanging out with a much older crowd... CHECK!

Your own personal throne... CHECK!

It's official... we have a "DIVA" on our hands here!

(P.S. Isn't that rocking chair just adorable! My parents found it at a yard sale for like $4 and gave it to Zoey. If you can't tell, she ♥s it SO MUCH!)

GUARANTEED to Make You Laugh!

2010-05-19T23:38:00.005-06:00

This was on our way to St. George. She's never done this before, but we loved it!

I told you that it would make you laugh, right?! And I just threw this video in for fun.

(Actually, it's more for journaling purposes than anything else. I want Zoey to be able to look back on this one day when she's older.)

Family Getaway: St. George Style!

2010-05-16T21:44:00.011-06:00

(Be prepared for PICTURE OVERLOAD!!)

We took a weekend trip to St. George with Nick's parents, his sister, and her two kids.

This beautiful baby... did really well for the long drive. She enjoyed being able to face forward in her new carseat. And she kept herself busy by tearing apart my wallet!
We visited Nick's grandparents that live down there. Great Grandma LOVED seeing Zoey (and the other two grandkids) and spoiled them rotten!
Just thought that I would throw this pic in. My nephew, who is 4, took it. Not bad, right?

Zoey kept the family laughing the entire weekend. She likes to pull this "pirate" face.

And really tried (semi-successfully) to tear apart Great Grandma's potted plants.

Zoey had a great time playing with Daddy...

and eating rocks!

and walking EVERYWHERE!!

She was so cute with her new little cousin. Giving her kisses and hugs.

And these two little monkeys were INSEPERABLE the entire weekend!

Zoey followed him around like a puppy dog, and Braylon LOVED it! I think their favorite thing was to play in the dirt together.

Zoey discovered her love for dark chocolate orange sticks,

and for helping clean up.

And these two monkeys tried their hand at lizard catching.

While this little monkey watched from afar, afraid to venture out on the grass.

Our car ride home went surprisingly well! Zoey sure was a happy girl.She spent most of the time taking EVERYTHING out of her diaper bag...

And playing peek-a-boo with Daddy while he drove.

We made great time and didn't even have to stop once the whole way home! YEA! (This was a big change from when we went in November. I think we stopped three times!)

And Zoey finally was able to get what she wanted! We went to my parents for dinner and my mom let her throw the dirt out of her pots. She LOVED it, and was filthy by the time we left!
Thanks Gary, Jo, Kari, Braylon, and Roxey for inviting us on your mini get-away! And thanks for letting us come visit, G&G. We love you guys!

Mom's The Word

2010-05-09T22:00:00.008-06:00

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother. ~Abraham Lincoln

To all you wonderful mothers out there and all the amazing mothers in my life...

Happy Mothers Day!

We had a great day today, starting with listening to the primary kids sing songs to their mothers in sacrament meeting. It makes me smile to watch them! I got some new clothes, some yummy treats and this... LOVE IT!

Then we headed to the park for a picnic. It finally felt like spring out there today!

We went for a little walk around the park. It was so nice to get out in the sunshine.

And we fed the ducks again. Zoey absolutely LOVES the birds! She pointed out every duck, goose, swan, and seagull and called them all "duck". And if you remember this post, you know that it was a big deal for me to get this close to the birds!

The park was full of families celebrating Mothers Day, including this little family... Adorable!

Predator...

2010-05-04T13:09:00.007-06:00

An innocent child playing by the front door.

When suddenly she spots something...She leans in for a closer look...Afraid to get too close, she uses her moms finger to tap on the door.Suddenly, the predator opens its mouth...

and meows!

The child looks at the cat, and then to her mom...And decides she DOES NOT like that thing. This was too funny in person.

Nick is a cat hater so he loves that Zoey doesn't like them either!

Pitter Patter!

2010-04-28T12:54:00.004-06:00

Zoey's been doing this for awhile, but I couldn't get it on video until now.

She also likes doing somersaults! Just like her momma. I love how she tries to do the somersault by herself. So cute!

Just Because...

2010-04-25T15:47:00.006-06:00

No reason for this post, really. Just some random pics of the little monkey! She's getting to be so much fun, showing her fun personality, and getting into EVERYTHING!She makes us laugh all the time! She loves to try and drink her bathwater and then cries when she snorts it up her nose. Funny...And I have noticed in the past week or so that she is getting to be much braver. She is walking more by herself, and the other day while we were at the Jr. High for cheer practice, she crawled all the way out the door, down the hall, and was heading for the stairs! She was also scared of the grass when I tried to get her to sit on it recently. But Nick played in a softball tourney this weekend and she crawled across the grass without hesitation to get to the bleachers to play. What a brave little girl!She's such a mommy's girl, she usually doesn't leave my side when we're away from home. It's a little sad, but I definitely don't want her to be a wussy, so it's good! By the way... Zoey was great at the softball fields. She loves being there as much as her mommy and daddy do! Which is good... she'll be spending lots of time there this summer. Coed season starts next month! YEA!

Check this out!

2010-04-23T06:42:00.002-06:00

Everyday I go to My Giveaway Today to enter to win fun stuff. I haven't won yet but soon... maybe. It's fun anyways! Any business owners need to go here to enter to win a canvas portrait for display in their building/office. Its worth a shot!

Ladybug Bash

2010-04-18T15:10:00.014-06:00

Zoey's birthday "Ladybug Bash" was a blast! We had lots of family and friends there, and I think everyone had a good time. I had a fun time putting everything together. I made the center pieces and little ladybugs for all the kids to take home.We let all the little kids open one of Zoey's birthday presents and they were so excited! Zoey had the cutest ladybug dress on but this is the best picture I got of it. We had a pinata there for the kids and they really had fun swinging at it. And of course they loved the candy! We had ice cream with red, black, and white toppings. I made these fun cupcakes and a ladybug cake for Zoey. I thought they turned out adorable. Zoey wasn't quite sure what to think of the cake at first... but she ended up really liking it.I probably should have thought how messy the red and black frosting would be!

Oh well, she loved it. Zoey made a haul in presents! WOW! Our little girl isn't spoiled at all, right?

(And I didn't even get a picture of the little bike she got!)

And I just have to toot my own horn and show you the cute onesies I embellished for her. Thanks everyone for coming and supporting us. We love you all! Happy Birthday Zoey!!

12 Month WCC... and more

2010-04-15T18:34:00.004-06:00

We took Zoey to the doctor for her 12 month well child check and her vaccinations. I hate those shots! And so does Zoey, but she sure liked the sucker she got afterward! Here's her stats: height- 28.5" (50%) , weight- 20.04 lbs (50%), head- 46.5 cm (95%). Her growth has slowed a bit, except for her big noggin! But doc said she is doing fine!

A couple side notes:

Grandma Y. bought Zoey these adorable shoes. Zoey HATES shoes, but she actually keeps these ones on pretty good. Thanks mom!

And we have a new addition to our family! Nick's sister and brother-in-law had their second baby yesterday. We're so excited to have another baby in the fam! Meet...

Roxey Lyn

Born April 14th, 2009

7 lbs. 1 oz. 19.5 inches long Zoey wasn't quite sure what to think about her.
This picture is just another confirmation of how my BABY isn't a BABY anymore! She looks monstrous next to her baby cousin. Sad...

Last but not least... Nick taught Zoey a new trick. She thinks it's so cool that it fits so perfectly!

What?! Already?!?

2010-04-13T13:26:00.017-06:00

WARNING: This post is picture OVERLOAD!!

Nick and I can hardly believe it. Zoey is a year old today. People always told us that she would grow up fast, but you don't really understand until you have your own child. It kinda makes me sad. She's not a baby anymore... :( I love the stage she is in though. Learning to walk and talk, and developing a cute personality. We are having her party on Saturday, but daddy made sure she had something to open today on her actual birthday.

Here's a few facts about Zoey:

- She sleeps through the night finally!

- She's kind of a picky eater

- She loves apple juice and doesn't like drinking water!

- She can say mama, dada, hot, up, duck, quack

- She loves to go up and down the stairs

- One of her favorite things to play with is mommy or daddy's phone

- She stands by herself

- She's great at cruising (holding onto things while walking)

- She has taken three steps without holding on, but won't walk anymore than that yet

- She loves to play with her cousins

- She likes to dance

- She has 6 teeth

- She likes bath time

- She hates getting dressed

- She LOVES playing with daddy

- She loves to nurse, and we are working on weaning her off.

Crazy how much she has grown:

Newborn

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months 9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

Happy Birthday, Zoey!!! We love you so much and are so blessed to have you in our family! We can't wait to see what the coming years have in store for you. We love you!

Duck, Duck, Goose

2010-04-11T21:36:00.004-06:00

We went to Layton Park today to feed the ducks. We thought that Zoey would be scared because she isn't around animals often, and when she has been, she usually cries or screams. Surprisingly, she REALLY liked the ducks and the geese.

I don't know why, but I was a little freaked out by the geese. I never really got that close to them before, and they were a little aggressive. I was more scared than Zoey was!

We gave Zoey some bread that she could give the geese, but she wanted to eat it instead!

When it came time to go, Zoey was so excited to wave good bye to the ducks.

But she did NOT want to leave.

She cried and screamed and reached for the birds.

I guess that we will be going back to see the ducks again soon!

Easter Dress

2010-04-11T21:25:00.003-06:00