Hymas Family

Good Bye 2011 We will miss you

2011-12-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight I feel kind of lost....last year at this time i had LOTS of plans and goals set to ring in 2011. I was motivated to make change in my life. I knew we were going to add and addition to our family soon, I knew i was going to work my butt off in the gym, I knew I wanted to get better at wake boarding, reading my scriptures, and pleny of other things. But when I sat down tonight to think about what 2012 will bring....it looked kind of bleak. I wanted 2011 to be my best year yet and I really believe that it was! So i have big shoes to fill for 2012. I still plan to work out at the gym, no babies are in our near future, Im sure ill be able to pick up where i left off with my wakeboarding skills (if you can call them that!), scripture reading has become a habit....where do i go from here?

I have a looonnng way to go before I'm perfect (hee hee) but I do have a few "inner self" things i want to work on. So maybe "myself" will be my project for this year. Who knows?! I have learned alot about myself in these last two weeks as a primary president and I think there is an amazing person in there....i just need to develop and uncover her!

Here's to a GREAT 2012! Happy New Year!

CHRISTmas 2011

2011-12-31T19:28:00.001-08:00

I won't lie, the first weeks of December were quite hairy. I was fighting a horrible cold, dealing with the challenges of a new primary president, writing a talk for sacrament meeting on christmas day, making treat plates, and sending christmas cards. The Christmas spirit almost passed me by. But the Thursday before everything was done and ready and I was ready to enjoy my Christmas!

We started out our celebrations to see the lights in the south hills....always a good time, and Carter was happy to see Santa and get a candy cane.

We were SO happy that Grandma & Grandpa Hymas came to spend Christmas with us! We always love having them. New Christmas Jammies!

And of course Christmas morning was magical. It is so fun to watch the faces of suprised little kids, especially when they are your own!

G&G Hymas even had a few suprises!

Man was this kid happy!

I wish that every christmas we could attend church. Im not sure if it was because I was speaking and had to sit on the stand or what, but I felt the christmas spirit so strong that day. After church we spent 2 hours on the phone with my brother on his mission. It was so great to hear his testimony and that he is being cared for by others & heavenly father. Christmas was so wonderful! What a special time of year. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Nativity

2011-12-31T19:24:00.000-08:00

I mentioned 'simple faith' in my last post....

I was totaly impressed with my sweet Joy School group and their Christmas program. It was so sweet. I watched in awe at the reverence they had as they acted out the Saviors birth. AMAZING.

Although there were a few wisemen who were slightly silly and were seeing who could jump the highest to reach the star.....nonetheless, precious!

Choose The Right

2011-12-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

My blog has been slacking lately, but there is a perfectly good reason. And it is these dear children of the Twin Falls 2nd ward. They have been taking up a lot of my time this last month! You may ask, why?? Well I was recently put in as the new primary president in my ward. If you dont know what that means, it just means I am in charge of teaching alot of children about Jesus Christ...whew...what an AMAZING responsibility. The theme for 2012 is "Choose The Right."

I had a feeling this calling was coming even though I had only served in the young womens program for 1 year. I will miss my YW so much, but I still get to work with children and i truthfully am SO excited to do it. It has been busy but I have loved getting to meet new people and discover strengths i didnt know i had. Tommorow is the new year and with that comes many changes in primary. I hope we are ready! Meanwhile, I sit in awe about how strong and faithful these children are. And I love their simple faith. Isn't that what the gospel is all about. I love them so much and I look forward to serving them and learning from them.
(This picture was made up to give to the out-going presidency.)

Potty Trained!

2011-12-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

PHEW!!! It seriously has been such a long process but I think it's safe to say that this little man is potty trained!!! Thanks to many family and friends who helped along the way! Especially Monroe Whitten (pictured). Whenever he would use the potty at our house, so would Carter!
This was NOT an easy process, but he is fully potty trained night and day! Even if we are in town he will use the potty! I am so proud of him and he loves to hear me say that I am proud of him.
I am so greatful for the potty time app on my phone that would allow him to call someone and report his success (and failures too). He is growing up SO fast and I am SOO excited we only have one kid in diapers now. WAHOOOOO!

Where did November go?

2011-12-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

Seriously November FLEW by! I can't believe December is here. Will life ever slow down?! I find myself holding onto each day of december trying to get the most out of the 24 hours i have each day, trying not to waste a moment.

I had the fun opportunity to do a bridal shower for my sweet cousin Natalie. It was so fun to make some cute decorations for it.

And as always, the food was phenomenal.

It was so great watching Natalie & John get hitched in the temple. It was so beautiful and it was great to get a reminder of the temple covenants i have made with my sweetie.

On the 15th, we celebrated Chad's 29th birthday! We were blessed to have both of our parents here and a few siblings. It was a fun day. Only one more year to the big THREE-O

I'm so stoked we both have bikes now. We've wanted to take a bike trip to Sun Valley for forever and it might just happen this summer!

My little stud-of-a-brother competed in his High Schools Mr. MHS contest and I got the privledge of being his escort.

He's a talented dancer so him and some of his football buddies did a dance. It was great!

And in the end, he WON MR.MHS!! I am SO proud of Adam. He is such a strong, good kid. We've always been close ever since I can remember and I hope we always will be!! He definantly deserved this title. Way to go Adam!

And last but not least, THANKSGIVING!! Chad had to work this year (but really i can't complain about triple time pay!) and we had sick kids, so my dear parents loaded up all the food and came to our house to celebrate the big day. It was so nice to be home for the holiday and have my family as guests in our home. We played lots of games, ate and ate and ate and then everyone but me and Adam went black friday shopping. I will NEVER be at wal mart ever again on black friday. One bad experience and I'll never go back! But while they were out i watched a movie and ate pie with my brother and it was a wonderful evening. I hit the town the next morning and still got lots of good deals. This is the only picture i took over thanksgiving, and it is a pretty pathetic one, but we were just too busy having fun to take pictures! Thanks again mom and dad!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

So of course we had to carve Carter's perfect pumpkin that he picked from the patch. ( We are bad parents and actually didnt get around to carving it until Nov. 1st! Carter helped us remember!) But Chad wont touch the "guts" of the pumpkin to I always have to do the dirty work.
But Chad is more than happy to create the masterpeice. Its a good trade off.

This year we went trick-or-treating with our good friends the Sorensons. I dont know what we will do when they move and leave us! They have been such good friends to us and our kids love eachother! Isn't this the cutest bunch of trick-or-treaters EVER?!

I think the dads were just as excited as the boys were! Here are Carter & Jace knocking on their first door.

The boys...a golfer & Thomas the train

Our girls! A flower and a bee...they go so perfectly together!

I wish i had a movie of Carter trick or treating. He was a little timid at the first 2 houses, and once he figured it out he RAN the whole time! For an hour or so straight! He loved it and woke up every day after Halloween asking for trick or treating! Here he is with his loot! This was one happy boy!

Tubb's Berry Farm

2011-11-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

We found the cutest little pumpkin patch in Twin Falls. They had a straw maze, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and you could pick and eat all the raspberries you wanted for free!! Carter (and Chad) were in heaven! This will definantly be a family ritual every fall!

Carter and Mollie loved the pumpkin patch! He was amazed at the BIG one!

It was so cute watching Carter think so hard about trying to get out of the maze! He's got the Hymas "thinker" gene!

Joy School Halloween Party

2011-11-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Carter has been in Joy School since August and has loved it so much. He has made a lot of new friends and is always asking to go to one of their houses. We had the halloween party at our house and they got to dress in costumes and sing to their moms. Then we had a halloween finger food lunch! I love these little kiddos and their moms!
Here they are singing their songs. Carter loved to sing the songs, but he wasnt very great at holding still for it or keeping his costume on.

I'm so glad we have this wonderful opportunity for joy school. I LOVE JOY SCHOOL!!

Party Time for Miss Mollie!!

2011-10-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Has 1 year really past?! This little gal turned one on Oct. 5th! We didn't do much on her actual birthday since we were having a party on the weekend, but we got a small cake to celebrate. She was actually really grouchy and didn't want any cake since she was teething...

I did get one happy shot of her on her birthday and this happened to be it all decked out in her halloween outfit!
Then Saturday rolled around and it was time to party!! Both my parents and Chad's came and my brother & sister in law and Chad's cousin and her girls were able to come.

We ate a yummy dinner then dove into the present opening. She caught on to tearing the paper really quick.

We got her a giggling baby and she loves it....

and carries it everywhere. I would buy her a million babies if i could get a picture of this sweet look every time!

Of course we had cupcakes....

That she didnt want to eat because her mouth was so sore from teething...she got her first tooth the next morning!

A few days later she was all smiles so we tried again with the cupcake, and she LOVED it.

Mollie, please stay my baby forever. 1 year has come and gone so fast it scares me to think how fast the next 17 years will go. I love you so much. You are my pride and joy. You light up the room wherever you go and make me smile every day. I hope we stay close forever. <3 MOM

100 Years

2011-09-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

For the past year, my cousins and I have been planning a very special surprise birthday party to celebrate 100 years....that is 50 years of my dear mother's life and also her sweet twin sister. Get it? 50+50=100...We did an "old Italian" theme instead of the usual "over the hill" theme since our family is Italian.
Lots of preparations were made and everyone pitched in.

We waited and waited for them to get done shopping, and they were about 40 minutes late to their own party, but that's how it goes when you get the twins together. They finally arrived and I think they were surprised for the most part. Then the party began!

Right away they were whisked away to their seats and dubbed with chef hats and mustaches!

He He He!

The the food festivities began!

Homemade spaghetti by the pound....my family sure knows how to do it when it comes to food!

Next we had a program where we presented a movie that they had answered questions about each other that was a hoot. We all pitched in to buy matching "2 peas in a pod" necklaces for both of them, a scrapbook for everyone to sign with pictures of them growing up and a wonderful poem written by Ericka (Serena's daughter).

And my dear sweet grandpa took a few minutes to express his love to his daughters and talk about raising them, a very special moment.

And our parties are never over with out DESSERT!! We did an Italian dessert table with TWO chocolate cakes, tiramisu, pizzels, biscotti, and cheese cake. Oh so delicious!

Merena & Serena

Of course we had to light candles for them to blow out...Yep that is 100 lit candles on one cake!

Notice the glare from the flame off of their faces! It was a pretty big flame!

Enjoying their scrapbooks.

And you can't turn 50 without at least one gag gift, right? Here they are sharing their over the hill cane complete with spare teeth, fix anything pills, a horn, and magnifying glass.

I've always felt so blessed to feel like I have 2 moms. My aunt Serena has been just as involved in molding my life almost as much as my mom. I never doubted either of their love for me. It is because of these two that our families are so close. I have so many memories with my cousins and still to this day am very close with them. I never had sisters, so i got to adopt all 6 of my cousins as my own sisters. They may be 100 years old together, but in those 100 years I can't help but think of how many people have been served, and loved, and lives influenced because of their generosity and amazing ability to love anyone. These women are amazing, unstoppable, and charitable. I hope some day to be like them. I love you both so much mom and aunt joe!!

Happy 3rd IRFDAY Carter!

2011-09-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

For weeks Carter has been running around telling everyone Happy Irfday Mommy (or Daddy, or Mollie) knowing that his birthday was coming up soon. We sent him out the morning of his party to see his wrapped presents while I layed in bed and listened for his reaction. I heard his whisper "WOW" then he ran in our room, trhew his arms in the air and screamed "Best Birthday EVER!" (I think he gets it off of Tangled...). Then we kicked off the morning with doughnuts for breakfast!

For lunch we got pizza and both sets of grandparents came, Justin & Carrie and their 2 kids, Adam, and Steffan our nephew all got to come! I'm so happy that Carter gets to have and know 2 grandmas and 2 grandpas. I think it is so special.
Getting ready to open gifts

Orange popcorn from G&G Hymas (which he begged for)

A new BSU hat (From G&G Reed) and a hoppity ball thing

His big gift from us was a bike. We let him open his helmet last and then went to the garage for the last suprise.

He ran right to it and took off! Now we really need to have a few bike lessons and learn about using the breaks!

And finally we came inside for Lightning McQueen cake (that I made...although I'm not super proud to admit it!). He blew his candles out on the first try!

Happy Birthday my sweet boy. Thank you for teaching me about patience, unconditional love, selflessness and so many other lessons. You have truly blessed our home with your happy nature and sense of adventure. You mean the world to me and always will. Love you SO much.

A few changes

2011-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

I can feel the business of life starting to set it. My baby has started JOY SCHOOL! I can not believe that he is old enough to go to school! And in only 2 more years I will be sending him out the door to REAL school. Time goes by so fast. This is him all ready for school.

His birthday happened to fall on the day we hosted Joy School so we got to have a little party.

And eat cupcakes!

And this little girl is almost completly mobile! She can stand very well on her own and she has taken 3-4 steps! Her birthday is right around the corner!! Is my other baby almost really 1?!

Meanwhile, she loves to cruise around with her walker. It amazes me that in 11 short months what she has learned and accomplished!

These two have become the best of buddies. They love to roll on the floor together and laugh. When Mollie wakes up in the morning the first person she cares to see in Carter. And she just smiles so big at him. I hope my kids stay friends forever.

Hymas Reunion '11

2011-09-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

As usual, the Hymas reunion didn't disappoint this year! All of Chad's 6 siblings and their families were there except one. Lot of family, lots of food, lots of volleyball, and LOTS of fun!
In true Hymas tradition, Awesome Uncle Chris brought out motorcycles for everyone to ride. I love the look of fear and excitement on Carter's face!

Chad even got in on the fun!

The nephews taught Carter how to play indian poker.....

And he always won! ;)

And a pink 4 wheeler made its debut this year at the reunion since there were a few more girls running around this year. Of course, the boys loved it just as much!

We escaped to town for ice cream one day. Mollie LOVED it.

Carter & his cousins

Thanks for the memories Hymas Family! We love you!!

Mollie's 9 Month Photos

2011-08-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

MY FAVORITE!!!! LOVE THOSE EYES! ^^^

'm a little slow, but here are Mollie's 9 Month photos. My mother in law Evelyn does such a great job! I'm so blessed to have a photographer in the family who captures all these great moments. I know I wouldn't have these otherwise!

More from Baumgartner

2011-08-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

(Most of my family, missing 1 brother who is on a mission)

I needed to put up a few more pictures from our camping trip because there were too many good ones! Like this one......

A cousin kiss....one that will haunt them the rest of their lives!!

Mollie loving the hot pools with papa

Papa and his grandkids (minus one)

Yep thats me...floating the river.

My brother....off his meds ;) Love ya T.

Chillin at the hot pool in the early morning.

Playin games with the fam

A little boy that is supposed to be taking a nap....

Carter loved having his trike up camping...especially because he knew Ryker would push him around on it!

Mollie even got in on some dirt action....what can I say, we're camping!

Oh what do you do in the summer time?

2011-08-03T14:23:00.001-07:00

Do you eat fresh mangoes by the pound?
or boat in a tube?

or maybe jump in a freezing cold river for fun?

Is that what you do?? So do I!!Maybe you swim...

or eat giant berries.....

or blow lots of bubbles for your nephews?

Is that what you do?? So do I!

We have had a FANTASTIC summer! And these are just a fraction of all the fun pictures we have! Hope your summer is as sweet as ours!

Antelope & The 4th

2011-07-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ww had a Happy 4th of July! This little girl turned 9 months old! And it was her first time seeing fireworks (which she didnt like). We spent it in Arco after returning from a camping trip at Antelope Creek.
We went to the parade with a lot of the Hymas'.

At night we went to Idaho Falls for the fireworks with Chad's parents. They were really great.

Poor Mollie didn 't know what to think!

At our annual family camping trip to Antelope, we had a wonderful time catching up with cousins and grandma & grandpa D.

Carters favorite thing was going gor 4-wheeler rides....

Poor kid was so worn out he fell asleep on a ride!

Me, Chad, my brothers, and some cousins hiked up to Iron Bog Lake one day... It was beautiful!

We tromped through SO much snow and waterfalls too!

AMAZING view

The gang at the lake

Love this bridge. Many memories have been had here.

Carter & Papa blowing bubbles

Not the best family photo, but probly the only one we got while we were there.

Mollie did pretty well on her first camping trip. She got cold at night the first night, but other than that it was a great trip for her. She loved swinging in the hammock!

And this little guy i didn't hardly see the whole weekend. He was so busy running around with is cousins (fwends). He had such a blast digging in the dirt, blowing bubbles, and going for rides. He is a boy through and through and was BLACK head to toe at the end of every day. And i didnt even care! :D

June Catch Up!

2011-06-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

June is almost over so I need to do a catch-up post! I will have a lot to blog about in July since the majority of our trips are then. So here goes.....

Mollie and Carter are becoming quite the little buddies. (although it doesn't show it in this picture). They are crazy about each other and Mollie follows him around all day and tries to play with his toys. They are so cute when they get talking and giggling to eachother!
We celebrated Western Days in Twin Falls and took the kids to the parade. Carter loved it, especially the bubble machine.

Our elders quorm held a family pinewood derby last week and Chad is pretty passionate about building a winning car! ( i wish someone would have warned me just how much work you can put into one of these things!)

And if you look close the pink blur is MY car winning the race! I actually took 2nd overall and Chad took 4th!! WAHOO!!!

Ok, all i really did to my car was put the stickers on it, but i can gloat a little can't I?!

The next day Chad's sister, Chelsey and her family came up. We took them to see the falls and just let the kids play all day. Carter loves his cousins. He is right in between them age wise.

We had a cousin day on the Reed side as well at my parents house one weekend and we couldn't resist the chance to take pictures of all the grandkids!

In other news, Mollie is mobile!! I constantly find her in funny positions like this scooting around the house. I have found her in the closet, under tables and in a completly different room than when I left her.

She amazes me so much! She LOVES snack time. It is her new favorite hobby.

Whew! My how June flew by. We are having a fun summer already and July will be even crazier! Look for fun posts coming soon!!

If these chairs could talk....

2011-06-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

They would tell you many things.

Like how many biscotti crumbs they have caught.
Or the summer days they spent basking on my great grandmother's deck in Pingree
Or maybe how they got lonely & neglected when my Nonna got sick and passed onto a better place...

They would tell you of the grandkids they loved
and the long talks that were had on them.
Or about all the coffee cups they have held and laughter they have heard.

They would tell you that some have called them hopeless or a waste of time to repair
and that they are creeky with rusty bolts

BUT

They can't talk, so I will tell you of the HOURS I spent sanding and staining these beautiful chairs of my great grandma's. I was proud to inherit them and to get to refinish them. I have cherished memories on these chairs as a kid so I couldn't just let them be thrown out.
And here is the finished product. With some spruced up cushions (yes the tags are still on), new bolts, and a new coat of stain they don't look too bad!

And if these chairs had ears, I would tell them of the many summer days I will spend relaxing on them, and the BBQ's we will have, and the children they will hold....I can't wait. Bring on summer!

M-A-Y

2011-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing very exciting has happened this month, but i did want to get in a post for May. So here it goes.

This little tart turned 7 months! She is such a joy. People are constantly telling us what beautiful eyes she has and that she will be a heart breaker for sure when shes a teenager! I'm just enjoying her while she's little!

She now bathes in the big tub and loves to splash and kick in the water. I think she will be our little water bug.

Carter is crazy as ever. We made the FOURTH trip to see a doctor for things shoved up his nose within 1 month. The last doctor we saw sent us to an Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor and sure enough he retrieved another wad of paper and a piece of foam. UGHHH!

It was a sad day last week when one of Carter's friends Finn, moved away. These 3 were inseparable and are constantly talking about each other. We will miss you Megan, Jordan, Finn, & Madden!

May was a difficult month for my in laws. We found out that Chad's mom had colon cancer and she went in for surgery the 1st week of May. About a foot of her intestine was removed but since then has been declared cancer free! She is on her way to recovering well.

2 days before her surgery, Chad's dad was on a ladder that collapsed. He came down on top of the ladder on his rear end and compressed a vertebrae. He is as black and blue as you can imagine from his ankle to his ribs. He gets to wear this lovely "turtle shell" for the next few months. And trust me, many jokes have flown around about this shell! I took this picture knowing someday, they would be able to laugh about it all!

We were able to spend Mother's day weekend taking care of these two and seeing alot of Chad's side of the family. It was a wonderful weekend. I just wish it would have been under better circumstances!

Hippity Hoppity Easter

2011-05-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Every year since I can remember, ALL of my cousins have gotten together for an egg hunt every Easter. This is a good chunk of the gang (minus 14 people). We are getting quite large, but wouldn't trade in these visits with my cousins for the world. I'm glad our parents have helped us stay so close. We miss our other cousins in other states that couldn't be there!
The next generation or "great grandkids" (minus 10)!

We celebrate Easter on saturday so that we can focus on Christ on sunday. So Saturday morning we woke up to a visit from the Easter bunny!

These cars have almost made it in the trash a few times. I have never seen Carter SO obsessed with a toy as he was with these cars. He didnt want to do anything but play with his cars. Luckily the coolness is wearing off a little.

Even Miss Mollie made it out with a few goodies!

Then we headed to grandmas where we had a HUGE egg hunt. There were SO many eggs. I don't think Carter knew where to go first.

Easter sunday was a beautiful day and we got to stay and spend it with my family. We attended stake conference where we got to hear an amazing talk from Pres. Uchdorf by satellite broadcast. What a great way to spend the day. Hope your Easter was just as happy as ours. :)

Finding Eggs

2011-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

These wouldn't post to my last entery, but i wanted to have them in our book. Just a few cute ones of Carter finding eggs. We 'practiced' finding eggs weeks before Easter arrived. He got to practice at a friends house too before the big hunt at my moms.

April Babies

2011-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this day because I have been wanting to do this 'April Baby' post for a long time and today the last April baby arrived, my neice Kloe Evelyn. This is Chad's sisters newest one born April 26th.
On Aril 2nd Lily came into the world. My good friend Jenna Sorenson's little sweetie.

On April 3rd (my birthday) another little neice, Haidyn was born to my brother Justin and his wife Carrie.

April 5th was another great day for my cousin Ben & his wife Emily who gave birth to Lydia.
And on April 15th another good friend, Stephanie Gilbert had little Jayden who is a BOY!! (we need a boy amongst all these girls!) I LOVE April because it is my birth month and we have loved welcoming all these little ones to our lives! (hope its ok i shared their pictures!)

What do a rock, wad of paper, and 2 peices of styrofoam have in common?

2011-04-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

They were ALL up my son's nose!! The story starts about 3 weeks ago....

Carter has a styrofoam basketball and we noticed during nap time he was picking pieces off of it and eating it and making a major mess. One day we noticed he had shoved some up his nose. Chad and I held him down and did "surgery" on our own getting all that we could out of it...which was 3 good sized hunks of foam. We thought we had got it all and so we forgot about it. I noticed his breath was REALLY stinky but i thought it was just from drainage from having a cold. It had gone on long enough though that i was starting to wonder if there was still something up there.

One day during nap time he was crying a little and whining like he was in pain. I went in there and noticed there was MORE foam in his nose..AHHHHH! So i got the tweezers and the flashlight and pulled out a small piece of foam and a wad of paper about 1/2 inch long. I kept digging and i scraped something hard with my tweezers. Sure enough, it was a tiny black rock. I knew then we were in serious trouble. I didn't want to even try to get it out. I called the doc and they saw him immediately. The doctor successfuly pulled out the rock and another piece of styrofoam about the size of a quarter! The doc first thought it was a peice of meat or something because it was so decomposed that's what it looked like.

Well I am happy to say that Carter's breath no longer stinks.

He is much happier.

And

I am throwing THIS BALL away!

Rockin' Birthday

2011-04-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

I did it! I turned the corner headed to 30...yes i am 26. It was a great weekend. I got to celebrate every day of it! On thursday, i got to go out with this handsome man on a smokin' hot date to the falls and then to kiwi loco. Friday we headed to Idaho Falls and ate at the Olive Garden with my family and a few cousins in tote.

It was 2 days before my sister in law was set to be induced (Carrie on the Left) and it was my cousin Emily's due date (Right, she later had her baby on the following tuesday). We had lots to celebrate!

Saturday we watched conference which was wonderful and uplifting and then my brother got me tickets to "Bodies" at the Museum of Idaho. If you dont know me, I LOVE anatomy so this was the perfect gift. It is real live cadavers in every form you could imagine on display. If you ever get the chance, GO! it is SO worth it.

That evening we had presents and pie. My sweetie and my mom spoiled me. I'm not a huge cake fan so my mom made us pumpkin pie! Chad got me new running shoes, a SCHWINN!! and a cake decorating kit.

And on sunday we watched more conference and in the afternoon, this little sweetie was born on my birthday! Haidyn Meri Reed! This is my oldest brother's daughter. Here's the birthday girls!

Thanks so much to everyone who made is such a special day! 2011 has been my best year yet!

March Favorites

2011-03-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Although Motherhood definitely has its challenges, I constantly am finding myself in awe that I created these little beings. Carter is entering a hard toddler stage and Mollie is teething and starting to be mobile!! I recently was put in as the 2nd counselor in the Young Women and Chad has been super busy with work and a city league basketball team. Life is SO busy but I can't help but smile at all the sweet moments I have shared with my kids this month. These moments are what makes it all worth it! Here is Carter playing his "tar" (guitar). He even sings "ner-ner-ner" as he pretends to play it. This one melts my heart. Carter loves to share his trains especially with Mollie and no one else.

OK so this one REALLY melts my heart. Toothless baby smiles are the BEST!

Even though feeding babies is a chore and very messy, Mollie got to start solid foods this month and it is still exciting!

Carter wants to be EXACTLY like his dad. He constantly is wearing his jersey and b-ball shoes around the house. He is growing up SO fast. He can already count to 12 by himself, knows his colors, and we are working on the alphabet. He LOVES to sing and can learn any song very quick!

And this little gal changes every day! She is just about sitting on her own and can almost roll over completely on her own. A tooth should pop through any day now. We can't get enough of her smiles and every so often she blesses us with the sweet sound of little giggles. She will be 6 months old on April 5th! My how time flies!

Oh these little ones are the JOY in my life. THIS is what life is all about! :)

Attempt at being crafty!

2011-03-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

YES
I made a car seat cover

NO
It is not perfect
BUT
i love it and Im proud of myself for trying
AND
i had SO much fun making it

Big boys need to play too

2011-03-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been lots of fun getting to watch Chad do what he loves most. He got asked to join a city league basketball team and he has LOVED it. They have won most of their games and has a really great team. Every time i watch them i am SO amazed at how much integrity they have. They call their own fouls, and admit when the ball went out on them. They don't swear or scream at the refs. And they all play pretty level headed. Chad has made HUGE strides in controlling his temper and actions in this game and I am so proud of him. I don't think i could control my temper if there were other guys pushing me around and swearing at me, but some how he does!
The other thing that has made this so fun is that some good friends are on the team and the wives get to get together and cheer on our men. The season is coming to a close, but Chad is already talking about "next time...." GOOOOO FAT BOYS!!!! (no I'm not being rude, that is the name of the team!)

My Little Valentines

2011-02-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

I love these to kids SO much and am so blessed to have them in my life.

We had a wonderful Valentines Day. We celebrated with treats and a heart shaped pizza.

Sweet little girl

2011-02-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Mollie,

You are growing up so fast. Time has flown with you as a newborn. You are 4 months old now and changing every day. You have discovered your toes and ears and are always playing with them. You smile and coo at anyone who will give you the time of day. Yesterday you started rolling over! What an accomplishment! You weigh 14.2 pounds and are 25 in. long. That is tall for a 4 month old.

Last night was the first night you slept in your crib. I have to admit i was a little lonely and would wake up on my own wondering where you were. It breaks my heart to hear you cry while you are trying to go to sleep, but i know it is best for everyone.

The day care lady at the gym asked me the other day if your eyes are always THAT BIG. Well, the answer is yes and i fall in love with them every day.

Mollie you are a miracle and a true joy in life. I LOVE YOU!

Ringing In The New Year

2011-01-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

We had a great time ringing in the New Year. We went out to Moore and spent it with his parents. We had a yummy dinner and some friends came over to play games. Then we played pinochle until it was midnight and ran downstairs to watch the ball drop on TV. The next day we wanted to take Carter sledding, but it was 2 degrees outside! We bundled him up anyway and went out for a few quick runs. I took a few quick photos and then ran back in before I froze to death. It was SO cold! But it was really fun for the few minutes we were out there. We had a wonderful and relaxing time!

Things I learned in 2010:
*Being pregnant with a girl makes you 100 times sicker
*Potty training doesn't happen over night (I'm afraid I'll get to learn this throughout 2011 too)
*I can accomplish tough goals when I set my mind to it
*It's so important to treat the people closest to you the very, very best!
*Labor goes VERY fast for me
*Having a family is EVERYTHING
*It is SO important to have the spirit with me constantly and always in my home for my children's sake (and mine)
*That families REALLY ARE forever...its not just a song
*Patience is a VIRTUE (I'll be learning this throughout the next year too!!)

HAPPY 2011!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

We had a really great Christmas this year. Chad had to work on christmas eve and christmas day so i was a little worried that when we celebrated on the thursday before Christmas, it wouldn't feel right. But I was wrong. It was such a great day and neither me or Chad slept well the night before because we were too excited. Having little kids definantly puts the magic and excitement back in Christmas! Here is Carter and Mollie in their jammies on Christmas Eve.

Dad reading the night before Christmas...(and sporting his new glasses that he won't let me take a picture of him in!)

Carter and his loot!

I saw this pink skirt and couldn't resist. This is what Mollie was wearing on Christmas Day.

The Sunday before Christmas at Grandmas House.

After our Christmas, I packed up the kids and went to my mom's house. We got to have 2 Christmas mornings and that was exciting! Some gifts that top my favorite list this year were: a new video camera and a camp chef! We got lots of other things to take camping too and it made me want to go camping!! It was really a wonderful year.

Something I am going to make a habit of doing that my brother on a mission challenged me to do is make Christmas Eve all about Christ.The whole season should be about him, but other things definantly distract from that. So on Christmas Eve i woke up early to go to the temple. What a great way to start the day! Later that day we watched "His Hands," a DVD about Christ and the miracles he performed. I did a few other things, but it really put Christ in CHIRSTmas for me this year.

Christmas Lights

2010-12-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's a tradition in our family to go up to Hansen to see the Christmas lights each year. Carter really liked it this year and the lights were amazing as usual.
We took along Chad's nephew Steffan and his girlfriend Connie. They both fed the camel.

Carter just lit up when he saw the "choo choo"

So greatful for this time of year.

Ugly Sweater Party

2010-12-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

Our friends, Matt & Jessica Brown invited us to an Ugly sweater party! It was a lot of fun and we ate tons of yummy food and played some fun games. Thanks for the memories Browns!
We even got a babysitter for Carter while we went out and it was really nice to have a few hours away from him!! Here's our ugly sweaters up close. Mine sure was u-g-l-y!!

Mollie's Blessing Day

2010-12-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

On December 5th Chad was able to bless our little Mollie. She was exactly 2 months old! We had so many family and friends come to support us! And it was a great day.

This is the dress I wore when I was blessed as a baby.

We held a luncheon at our house after sacrament meeting and we had about 43 people crammed in our tiny house! But it sure was fun having everyone there.

4 Generations! Mollie, Me, my Mom, and Grandma D. who Mollie is named after.

Me and Chad...just for the record.

It was such a special day and I'm so glad Chad has the preisthood authority to bless our children. It was a very special day.

Gettin' ready for Christmas

2010-12-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

I love a man with a staple gun!! Chad worked so hard the first week of December to get our lights up. They sure look great! I'm glad he enjoys putting lights up every year!

A tradition we have started is putting up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and that is just what we did! Carter loved it and actually helped! Once the tree is up it really starts to feel like Christmas.

Even Miss Mollie got to hang an ornament.

Let it SNOW!

2010-12-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Twin Falls got dumped on!! We got SO much snow and I couldn't resist taking my little boy out to play in it for the first time!
He had a hard time walking in it with his big boots and bulky clothes, but he loved playing in it!

And I really liked throwing snowballs at him!!

Chad's Birthday and Thanksgiving

2010-12-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

My sweet, dear hubby turned 28 on the 15th of November! It was a pretty relaxed day but we all got to spend it together which was the best! He doesn't like cake so he got a chocolate passion bowl for his birthday. (brownies, whip cream, raspberries!) SO YUMMY!
We decided to go bowling in the afternoon. We used bumpers and the stand to help carter bowl. He was more fascinated by the ball return than anything else. Carter and Chad BOTH beat me!Chad really wanted a nice saw for his birthday so he pooled all his birthday money and that's what i bought for him. This just means he has to do many projects for me!

Since all he got was a saw and it wasnt really a suprise, I made him a candy bar poster and cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

A few days later, we took off for the Thanksgiving holiday! Chad had a few days before T-day off so we went to Moore first and spent a few days with his family, then Thursday morning we headed to my grandparents house in Moreland!

These are my grandparents. Mollie Mae is named after my grandma Zelma Mae.

They are amazing people and invited ALL of us home for Thanksgiving! I think there were around 30 people there. Here's a few pics.

The kids table.

And as always, there was LASAGNA served with our Thanksgiving meal. An Italian tradition in my family.

One Month Old!

2010-11-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

On the 5th Mollie turned 1 month old! I can't believe how time has flown! She is holding her head up really well and for the most part is a very happy baby! She sleeps atleast 6 hours straight every night which is awesome!

I have SO much fun dressing her up every day.

For her 1 month birthday i decided to paint her sweet little toes! Oh so fun!! :)

HaLowEEn 2010

2010-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

We took Carter trick or treating at the ward's trunk or treat. He was Buzz Light Year. He loved it.

Here's his buddies from L-R: Jace, Finn, Carter, & Madden

Jace & Carter

Mollie wasn't super crazy about her flower costume...

But it sure was cute!

Chad always makes sure we carve pumpkins and Carter loved the gooey insides of the pumpkins this time. He got right in there and was scooping out the guts!

My little Buzz Light Year

And my little Halloween Sweetie :)

Had a great Halloween!

Mollie's 1st Week

2010-11-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

Your first week of life you slept a lot. Even at night. You let mom sleep and that has made a huge difference. THANK YOU! You loved being held and bundled up and warm.

Your brother couldnt get enough of you. He always wants to hold you and give you kisses. You went to church in this outfit for the first time when you were 12 days old.

You had your first bath and hated it! You screamed through the whole thing.

You were glad to be out of the water and bundled up again.
And we cant get enough of the ruffle bum clothes you have! and how tiny you are! You fit perfectly in preemie clothes for the first few weeks!

At your first check up you weighed 7.5lbs. and you started crying before they ever pricked your heel for your PKU tests. You make the sweetest little squeeks and cute noises all the time.

We love you so much Mollie and are so glad you came to our family!

Sneak peak of newborn images!

2010-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

A sneak peak of a few newborn pics that Chads mom took when she was 4 days old!

This one I took, not professional by any means, but i thought it was cute!

A few pictures as promised

2010-10-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Carter loves holding Mollie
Getting ready to bring her home

Tons and tons of black hair!

Matching cupcake outfits

All dressed up

Cupcake going home outfit

First family picture

Wide awake

Just arrived!

The night before delivery. 39 weeks

Mollie is here!

2010-10-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still in the hospital and dont have my own computer so will post pictures when i get home, but our sweet Mollie is here!! I checked in yesterday at 8AM and by 10AM the doctors were able to get her turned and induced me. Poor Chad got really sick while the doctors were digging into my stomach trying to turn her and had to go sit down. It hurt pretty bad and i have lots of bruises...but it is better than the other option of a c-section!! After 10 they kept turning up my pitocin and got my epidural around noon. 45 minutes later i was ready to push and she arrived at 12:59 pm! Everything went SO fast! Only 3 hours of labor and I was so glad because it was very painful!
Mollie weighed 6lbs 10 oz. (just 1 ounce less than Carter) and 20.5 in. long. She has a ton of black hair and her little head is perfectly round. She is beautiful!!
As for me, I feel great! I didnt need ANY stitches and that makes ALL the difference! Just have the normal aches and pains of postpartum. Chad is loving his little girl. This morning she was a little cold so the nurse asked him to take off his shirt and cuddle with her and he LOVED the skin to skin cuddle time.
We are loving our little girl and I will post some pictures soon!

The Countdown

2010-10-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor yesterday for a regular checkup expecting Dr. Smith to tell me again that we would make it to my due date for sure and probably past....as he was checking me, i had some concerns that maybe the baby was face up instead of face down. He kinda chuckled and said that if she was there was nothing we could do about it at this point. Then i watched his face go from a smile to a frown. He then proceeded to tell me " I just felt a bottom! Hurry and get dressed!" So i pulled my clothes on and went in for an ultrasound and sure enough, our little Mollie is head up.
So...
Tuesday I have to go in at 8AM. He is going going to try to turn her and if he can then he would induce me. If he can't turn her then he would schedule a c-section right away unless i wanted to wait another week to see if she turned on her own. Chances of her turning on her own he said were slim to none. So we are PRAYING that she will either turn on her own or that the doctor will be able to flip her.
I am scared. If i think about it too much I cry. When I think about the baby finally being here though i can't help but SMILE! So many emotions! I feel like a crazy person! I thought i had everything ready to have a baby until i realize I only have 4 days left! SO much to do! I'm just trying to have faith that everything will work out and be positive about it!
So if i drop off the blogger world, now you all know why! We will post some pictures as soon as possible though!

BOISE......STATE!!!!!!

2010-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

September was a crazy month, so if you can bear it, I did 3 posts tonight! So keep scrolling to see all our fun things we've done this month!

In the same week as our other 2 trips we found out that my brother had won some tickets to the Boise State/Oregon game that Chad had been dying to go to. Besides ESPN being there, the Game Day crew was also in Boise for the first time broadcasting their show from the BLUE. We decided we couldn't pass it up! So we hopped in the car and headed to BOISE...again.....It was a great game!

Along with winning the tickets, we were selected as Family of the Game by American Family Insurance and we got our picture up on the big screen! If you look closely, you can tell it is us!

We got to spend some time down on the smurf turf before game time and my brother got a ton of swag for winning. The seats weren't too bad either! (besides a large man and his wife in these fancy stadium chairs who took up most of Chad's seat! By the 3rd quarter I had HAD IT! I KINDLY asked them to please scoot over so we could sit. The man wasnt happy, but they did scooch over a bit so we could sit.)

Thanks Jus & Carrie for sharing your sweet deal with us! And a BIG thanks to Carrie's mom & dad who watched Carter for us!

2nd Babymoon

2010-09-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Before we had Carter, I had a little breakdown realizing that life was never going to be the same again. So we took a little vacation before he arrived and it was really great. Now that i know what is in store for me, I am a little less panicky, but I still wanted to get away. We tried to go to Vegas, but my doctor put a nix on that saying it was too far to travel at 37 weeks. So we decided to head to Utah since we haven't been there in a while.

The day before we left, Chad got off work early and brought me home this beautiful bouquet of flowers and a sweet card saying he was looking forward to spending some time together. SO SWEET!

We went to the SLC temple for the first time. It was AMAZING! If you haven't ever been, GO! It was such a neat experience and the live session is really cool. ( i totally forgot to take pictures on temple square because i had to go to the bathroom and wanted to eat!) whoops, but it was gorgeous as usual.

After that we headed to get a couples massage. Also a first for us. It was very relaxing!

That night we ate at Chile's and then headed to our room in Provo. The next day we did a lot of shopping and then grabbed some sandwiches and headed to Provo Canyon for lunch. I went to school in Utah so I have many memories there and was excited to show Chad my old stomping grounds. Chad liked being in the canyon and we walked to Bridal Veil Falls after we ate.

We then went and saw Charlie St. Cloud and the cheap movie theatre. It was OK. After MORE shopping, we went to IN N' OUT BURGER!! A MUST for Chad since he lived in Vegas and used to eat it all the time. It was delicious. After dinner we hot tubbed with a friend and then went to ANOTHER movie, New Moon also at the cheap theatre. (can i say i love the cheap shows? wish we had one!)

It was so nice to get away and we couldn't have done it without my wonderful parents who took Carter from Monday night until Thurs. morning. We are SO grateful to them. I came back feeling like i could be a better mom and a better wife. Thank so much mom and dad!

Carter's last trip as an only child

2010-09-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do something fun with Carter since he doesn't even know what is coming! There are only 2 weeks left until our baby arrives and I'm afraid he's going to have a hard time adjusting. So we had a fun filled day in Boise and just played with him all day. I'm not so sure he loved the zoo or discovery center as much as he loved having both his mom and dad's attention ALL day. It was so fun to play with him and show him new things. I was so glad we did it.

By the tiger!

On the paddle boat ride.

I love my little Carter Man!

Carter is 2!!

2010-09-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

My little boy is all grown up and I can hardly believe it! We had a great time celebrating his birthday. He had just a few of his closest friends over for a playdate and cupcakes. Jace, Finn, and Monroe were all born with in 2 1/2 months of each other and we also had Mikey there who is 3 (Monroe's older brother).

Carter mostly just licked the frosting off of everything and didn't eat much cake.

Carter's buddie Jace LOVED the cupcakes!

We suprised him with a little trike that he LOVES!

And he also loved his basketball hoop!

We had my parents, Justin & Carrie, Chad's parents and our nephew Stephen and his girlfriend come down for the family party the night before. It was a lot of fun! We ate pizza and watermelon.
I made this cake! I was pretty happy with how it turned out considering it was all from scratch!

At the end of all the parties, Carter was so pooped, he fell asleep at the dinner table one night!

Pre-natal photos of Mollie

2010-09-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

For Blog book purposes I needed to add these in. Chad's mom took these and she did a FANTASTIC job! And it was so much fun! So glad I have these!!

Carter's 2 Year Old Pictures

2010-08-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

We did Carters 2 year old shots last weekend and here are a few of my favs. His 2 favorite things are DADDY and TOOLS right now. So that's what we used as props.

a few family pics yes my belly is ugly and white...but nothing photoshop cant fix!

Baby shower #2 in Rupert

2010-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

My best bud Aubrey was kind enough to throw me a baby shower in my home town where we both grew up. Her sister Bridget is expecting also so it was a double baby shower. I love these girls like my second family!
The pregnant girls. Im having a girl and Bridget is having a boy!

Emily, Aub (my best bud) and I

Matching outfits!

It was alot of fun seeing a few friends from Rupert and getting to catch up. I never took a picture of all my stuff but i got alot of clothes and blankets! It was a great day!

Swimming lessons

2010-08-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

At the last second I signed Carter up for a Mommy and Me class at the Y. It was so much fun and Im glad I did it. He LOVED going down the slide (until he accidentally went under the water once...woops) and he loved splashing and jumping off the side. He was such a trooper! Today was the last day, but Im thinking we will do another class sometime. He is still afraid of the water a little and doesn't like to be dunked. My friends husband came one day to watch and he got some cute pictures. Here's a few....

Carter and Jace. The best of buddies!

Baby Shower #1

2010-08-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing family who is always so good about throwing baby/wedding showers for each of the cousins. And they know how to party! My aunt and cousins threw this shower for me in Idaho Falls last weekend and it was such a great time! It had a princess theme and we made princess hats and wands and made hairbows! I know have a new hobby that i am addicted to! And as always, the food was amazing!

Ok this picture is out of place, for some reason i can't move it, but i wanted to show off my new nursing cover that my awesome friend Aubrey made! I love it!!

Heres all the hair bows we made and a few i have collected.

And all my loot!

I brought the princess poster home from my shower and this is what Carter does all day. He lays on top of it and kisses all the princesses...uh oh...i am in trouble!

And just for the record, heres me at 30 weeks!

Camping at Baumgartner

2010-07-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

We had a really great time camping at our favorite spot, Baumgartner! Carter did so good and loved being outside and eating junk food all weekend. I look terrible in this picture, but had to post it for posterity!

There are a ton of pictures for this post so ill keep the writing short and sweet!

We had a little bridge in our campsite that went over a creek and the boys loved sitting on the bridge and playing in the water.

Carter thought this trail was a slide and spent a lot of time going down it on his bum.

Kicking back having a cold one....

Chad jumping off the rock

The water was FREEZING! but these boys were troopers!

Swinging with Daddy

Carter and Ryker are becoming really good buddies and they had lots of fun playing together!

It's a GIRL thing

2010-07-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

No I am NOT crafty. but YES i want to be! When I had Carter, I painted a few things here and there....not a whole lot to decorate in a boys room. But now that I am having a GIRL, I have been bitten by this bug that makes me think I can be crafty! I have many projects I am working on. I finished these frames today. They turned out OK. Just dont look too close. I have some shadow boxes, a bow holder, and a shelf I am working on to refinish. Who knows how they will turn out, but hopefully it will be like what I have in mind! If anyone wants to get together and make things, let me know. I need all the help I can get!!

After much decision we have decided to go with SPRING colors and daisys. I'm hoping for this Banafish Bubblegum crib set. The main colors will be pink, green, and yellow. I love spring so every time i walk into her room, it would be like SPRING! (or make me want to chew bubblegum...im not quite sure!)

We are SO excited about having a girl!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

We didn't have any plans for the 4th so we headed to Rupert for the parade and spent time with my family. Carter was amazed at all the floats and sat super still for all of it! He loved getting all the candy too.

Chads days off were the monday and tuesday AFTER the 4th so we went boating with our nephews and took Carter out for the first time. He really liked being out on the water and was really good. Even though it was windy, everyone got in a few rides. It was a fun day!

JULY!

2010-07-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Need I say any more?! I LOVE July. The weather is finally very warm, and days are filled with playing outside and eating popsicles! One of our favorite July Activities is Hazelton Days! Many of you have heard me rave about the food and fun we have every year. This year we talked some good friends into going with us. They probably thought we were crazy for taking them to some little hick town for a mango on a stick, but it was still fun to be together!

Carter's first experience with BLUE cotton candy. Of course, he loved it.

Our Friends the Sorensons. Thought this was a super cute picture!

Watching FireworksCarter and Jace LOVED the train ride and went on many rides.

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-07-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this little movie clip. It gives me hope when I feel like I'm failing as a mom. It helps remind me what my purpose here on earth is. Please watch it and share it with all the awesome moms out there. It brought tears of JOY to my eyes. YOU are wonderful!

Camping and Boating with Friends

2010-06-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we were able to get together with a bunch of friends from High School and go camping! We camped at Downatta Hot Springs and boated at Twin Lakes. It was such a good time and the weather was perfect!

This snake was crossing our path on the way to the bathroom. ICK!

All the gang! A good friend, Darren, was in an accident right after graduation. He was my date to Senior Prom. He is now paralyzed, but it doesnt stop him from coming out and having fun! The guys loaded him in the boat and he was a trooper the whole camping trip! Glad you could come Woody!

My husband has turned me somewhat into a water rat! And although Im not a good swimmer and I am 5 months pregnant, I just HAD to get in the water and go for a ride. I figured tubing would be less dangerous than wakeboarding (even though i was dying to strap a board on!) and so YES, i did go for a few tube rides and I was very safe! Here's a few pics.

Chad wakeboared, but I was driving the boat for the first time pulling him so i didnt get any pictures. Darn. Everyone was impressed with how good he is!

Here's our campsite.

Me and my best bud, Aub. It was SO great to take a mini vacay with you! And the best part was that my parents kept Carter for the weekend so we could have some nice quality adult time! Wish it would have been longer, but all in all it was a wonderful trip!

Called to Serve

2010-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

My 2nd youngest brother Jordan has been called to serve in the Dallas TX Spanish speaking mission and he leaves to the MTC tommorow. Jordan is the strongest kid i know. He is the definition of virtue and strength. He has endured many trials with his health over the last 2 years and it is a miracle he is getting to serve a mission. Rock Dallas' world Jordy!

The fam at his farewell dinner.

2 future missionaries. I hope these boys look up to their uncle Jordan and strive every day to be like him.

Best of buds, Carter and Ryker ready to go to church.

Those who came to the temple when Jordan recieved his endowments. Such a special day when you can be in the temple with your family!

Proud momma and Pop.

We tried to plan one last camping/boating trip before he left to Lucky Peak, but due to bad weather we had to cancel and "camped out" at mom and dads. We played games for 2 days straight and ate tons of food. Saturday afternoon we went to Sligars in Hagerman for some good ol swimming. It was a blast. Heres Justin (my older brother), his wife Carrie and Son Ryker.

The fam...minus Tony and Monse who are in California.

Carter as always at family gatherings is being chucked through the air.

Carter and Chad in the pool.

We will miss you tons Jordan, but know you are going to serve the Lord and help bring people to this wonderful gospel. I love you lots and wish you the best!

Memorial Day Hymas Reunion

2010-06-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Hymas Family Reunion this year. We went to Heppner OR which was about an 8 or 9 hour drive for us and Carter was a champ while we drove in the car. Thank heavens for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

It rained the first few days we were there, but finally on Sunday we got a nice day so we did lots of trail riding. Chad had a blast. He told me on the way home he thought he could trade his boat in for a dirt bike! If you know Chad, he has a HUGE love for wakeboarding so I was really suprised he said that. I think he had a great time riding with the BIG BOYS.

Yes I even got a few rides in, by this point on the trail, my bladder was about to explode from having a baby bounce on it. I hope she enjoyed the bumpy ride!

Heres most of the gang out on our ride.

Clyde and Evelyn (Chad's mom and dad) even tagged along.

Chad and his dog Goofy.

Carter LOVED the motercycles and 4-wheelers and constantly wanted to be on them whether they were moving or not.

When it rained we piled in the camper and played Sing Star on PS2

Carter man in his riding gear

What would we do without wonderful neices and nephews who loved playing with Carter! Kaylie pushed Carter on this bike for hours every day! They helped make the trip more enjoyable for me!

IT'S A.......

2010-05-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!

Yes that is right, we are expecting a sweet baby girl! She was not shy at all to flash us her girl parts but it was impossible to get a picture of her face. She was just curled up in a tight little ball. SO CUTE! Chad and I are very excited! Thanks for all your votes....Those 11 of you who voted girl, YOU WIN! Watch for our next poll for girl names. we are having a tough time but so far this is what we have come up with...
Brynlie May (May is after my Grandma)
Tenley ???
Mirissa ?????
If anyone has any cute suggestions please pass them on!

Bountiful Basket

2010-05-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

A few of you wanted me to report how my first Bountiful Basket experience went. If you dont know, in Twin Falls, and many other Idaho and Utah cities, a group of volunteers get together and buy fresh produce at deep discounts and sell it at certain pick up spots for $15 a basket! For more info go to bountifulbaskets.org (not .com). You do have to pre pay with a credit card and there is a $3 fee for your first time, but never again. There are no obligations to buy again and you can just order when you want. If you want a basket for Saturday (the next pick up day), you have to order and pay by Tuesday.

So anyways, I was VERY suprised with how much stuff i got! I was really unsure if it was going to be a better deal than just buying it at Winco, but 1) its fresher and 2) YES it is cheaper!

This is what i got:
1 head of leaf lettuce
1 lb. of strawberries
1 little box of blackberries
1 coconut
9ish bananas
1 bag of baby carrots
3 large cucumbers
4 avacados
3 large oranges
9 tomatoes (roma)
2 yellow squash
9 peaches

Now can you get ALL of that for $15 at a store? Just the berries by themselves are atleast $6! The process was so easy and smooth, there was no waiting lines or big problems...(although the credit card orders didnt go through the 1st time and i had to go back and check out twice, but i didnt get charged twice). And as far as i can tell the produce is fresh and yummy. We did have 1 bad orange, and the peaches are hard, but they will ripen up soon i hope! If you have any more questions, let me know! I'd love to answer them!

Dirt, Dirt, Dirt

2010-05-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Well the time has arrived for us to start our yard...ugh. I love that Chad is so handy and can do these projects by himself to save us money, but sometimes I wish he would just PAY someone to do a few of these things! But it is something he enjoys doing and I am very greatful he can do it. I always wanted to marry a handyman and thats exactly what I got.
Due to all the wonderful weather we have had, it has taken way longer than it should have. We had one nice day last week so Chad came home from work at 10AM and it was me and him digging and filling trenches until 10PM! We really needed to get it done, so we just let Carter have a hay day in the dirt. He loved running in the trenches (which created more work for me beacause I had to go re-dig them out when the dirt would fall in!) Its not something I reccomend when you are 18 weeks pregnant. But Carter had a ball and now wants to play in the dirt every day. Who needs grass right?!

By the end of that night I couldnt even sit down I was so sore. I have a few hip problems now and then and I was miserable! And I thought I had strong hands from doing massage, but after hanging on to a shovel for a few hours proved that I am a true wimp. My arms felt like they were going to fall off. Luckily it didnt last long.

But enough complaning....we finally finished our sprinklers! YAY! Now the next steps are a flower garden, food garden, landscaping and grass! The next 6 weekends are packed with summer things already so who knows when we will actually be able to say we have a landscaped yard! Wish us luck on the next few weeks! We are learning a lot! I'll post a few pictures of our progress here and there.

PS We find out what we are having on MAY 27th! Be sure to cast your vote for girl or boy!

Week with Chet's Family

2010-04-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is the last post, I promise! So much has happened this month and i have to keep up with my blog book, so bear with me! We had so much fun having Chet and his family stay with us! We watched their girls while they took off to Boise for a few days. It was fun getting to be a kid again and just play all day. We took them to Hop2It here in Twin. It was a fun little place.

Maycie and Emma.

Painted fingers and toes

Made little pizzas and ate them

And flew kites! I was very selective in which pictures to put up since i have already blogged so much, but these are just a few fun things we were able to do. We will miss you guys for 1 more year and can't wait to have you back in Idaho!

Evelyn's Birthday Suprise

2010-04-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Chad's mom turned 60 this April and the family threw a huge suprise party in her honor. It was held at Pocatello Power Sports and Clyde brought her through the upstairs door to this....

ALL 7 OF HER KIDS! It was the first time they all had been together in 8 YEARS! They are in order of age from L to R: Clark, Cami, Chris, Ann, Chet, Chelsey, and Chad. And TONS of other family attended also.

She was so suprised she cried and laughed for the first 2 hours of the party. It brought tears to everyones eyes. The biggest suprise was Chet and his family who came clear from GERMANY for the party. We havent seen them in 3 years and there was even a grandaughter she hadn't met yet. Other siblings traveled from Portland, OR; Prosser, WA; and Logan, UT.

Yes we lit 60 candles on her cake with a blow torch. And she blew all but 2 out in 1 breath! Cami made the cake and it took 6 cake mixes! Great job Cam!

Happy Birthday Evelyn! Hope it was one to remember!

Eastery-Easter

2010-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Baby Ryker loved his first easter!

We had a great Easter this year. Carter enjoyed hunting for eggs although he knew there were treats in each egg so he wanted to open and eat the treats everytime he found an egg! He was so much fun. We had a huge family Easter Party the weekend after Easter and did an egg hunt, pinata, and fish pond for the kids. It was so much fun!

Quarter of a Century Brithday

2010-04-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

25! I can't believe it is here already! I think I have pictures of my MOM's 25th birthday growing up! I remember it seemed so old....yet i still feel so young. It was a very special day for me. Chad's parents came down for Easter weekend so we celebrated with them. We watched General Conference in the morning, then ran and did some shopping and even found a rummage sale (wahoo!) then came back for the afternoon session of conference. After that I spoiled myself and scheduled a pedicure and manicure! It was wonderful. When I returned home, I was told to go to my room!

I came out to find presents, balloons and CUPCAKES! YUM!

Then it was off to Outback Steakhouse for some yummy steak! The best gift of all was it was the first day in quite a while that i wasn't sick from being pregnant. It didnt last long, but it was an entire day i could actually enjoy! Thanks dear for treating me so special on my special day!

Our Little Blessing

2010-04-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I turned 12 weeks in my pregnancy! 1st trimester almost done! So i have to give a little back ground to this post....Don't get me wrong we are SO EXCITED to be bringing another baby into this world! I think both of us though have questioned if it is the right time and have worried alot what life with 2 kids would be like! 1 is hard enough some days! And i definantly dont have the challenge like many do of getting pregnant...We had talked about maybe having a baby once, and i was pregnant right away. So it must have been time. I think it just happened so fast it suprised us both alot!
On Tuesday i went to my 12 week checkup where i was supposed to get to hear the heartbeat for the first time. As the doctor spent atleast 5 minutes probing my abdomen and searching for the heartbeat, and saying over and over "it should be right here!" he said "Well dont worry........(long pause)...YET." And he had a worried look on his face. Which is the LAST thing a doctor should say to an expectant mom, because of course, they are just going to worry. They hurried and took me to the ultrasound room and after a few more minutes of holding my breath, the technician finally said "oh yes, there it is!" PHEW!!! The little heart was just beating away! I was SO glad i wanted to cry. I guess thanks to my anatomy, it was a little more difficult to hear and find.
So anyways i told Chad what was going on as soon as they couldnt find the heartbeat. He told me later that he also had been wondering if this was the right time to have a baby but for those few seconds that they were searching for a little heartbeat, he said it confirmed in his mind that YES he definantly wanted this baby. And that he already loved it and wanted it. Funny how we can love something so small that we havent even met yet!
So in conclusion, this slight little scare has made us want this baby here more than anything. We are up for the challenge! We are so excited for October to come so we can meet our new baby!

18 Months Old!

2010-03-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

I can not believe that 18 months has come and gone so fast! Before I know it this little man will be 2! Some fun things Carter is doing right now are:

-infatuated with Mickey Mouse

-Jabbers up a storm

-Goes to Nursery this Sunday! ( i cant wait!)

-New Words:

cheeeeese

please

ears

boo

Tony

papa

nona

banana

teeth

mom

dad

probly a few more, but i cant think straight right now.

ALSO Carter is going to be a.......

BIG BROTHER! We are expecting a new baby mid October. They will be 25 months apart.

3-YEARS AGO....

2010-03-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

3 YEARS AGO.....
As we were recovering from being ROBBED the day before our wedding and a long night of tears, snowstorms, and missing family members I was trying to pull myself together as i was franticly lacing my husbands Etnies (that matched my white ones under my dress) so that we could make it to the beautiful Logan Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. (yes he wore Etnies to the temple).

We thought March would be warm enough....its spring after all, right? WRONG! Someone tried to tell me that Logan had NO snow in March in 2007. I beg to differ.

Brrrr.

But we recovered from the snow and all our family members were able to make it and most of our stollen items were returned and the wedding went beautifully and so did the reception. It was everything I could have asked for and more to have all the people I love so much in 1 room. It was really a wake up call to me that all the "details" of a wedding really dont matter much. All you need is your family and the people you love to be around you to have a wonderful day!

And I had to post this picture of my dear papa. There is something about being "daddy's little (and ONLY) girl" on your wedding day that makes it EXTRA special.

Here's to 3 years with the man of my dreams and, i hope, MANY more to come. I love you Chad!

Valentines Getaway

2010-02-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day it was Chad's year to plan it and since his week off was the week after valentine's day we decided to celebrate it on Tuesday. I woke up that morning to a sweet love note and at the bottom it said that i had to hurry and get ready because I had a massage at 10AM! I was SO excited. It has been....shhhh...2 YEARS....since i had a massage! I know that is terrible since I AM a massage therapist. But it was WONDERFUL! It may have been the best one I've ever had and i have had a lot in my days. After that, we headed to my moms to drop Carter off then turned around and drove to Boise! When we got there we went to this cool park ( i think it was called Kathryn Morrison Park) or something like that. It was beautiful! There were a ton of walking paths, benches and, and gazebos all over. Ducks and geese swarmed the park! We got down by a pond and Chad pulled a single stem rose out of his coat and gave it to me along with some chocolate covered strawberries. (Since I've been following The Bachelor, I told him i felt like i was on the show!) It was SO sweet! Then we walked around until it started raining.

After that we headed to the Anniversary Inn for a stay in the Capitol Room. It was huge! The picture doesnt do it justice. We had a super relaxing and enjoyable time! I'm so lucky to have a hubby that keeps things interesting and suprises me all the time! Love ya Chad! Thanks for treating me so special!

My Family

2010-02-09T11:06:00.001-08:00

I have the most amazing family ever. This last Sunday we were ALL able to get together for one last shin dig before a few are moving on with different chapters in their lives. This was the last time we are ALL together for 2 years or better. Tony and Monserrat who have been living close to us here in Twin are moving to California. Monse leaves tommrow for a job she was offered and Tony will leave to be with her at the end of March if Walmart can transfer him to CA. So we are sad they are leaving us, but it will help them better their situation. And my 2nd youngest brother Jordan (with the red tie around his neck) is getting ready to submit his mission papers! He could have his call as soon as April! Am i really that old? Justin and Carrie (my oldest brother on the far right) could be leaving anywhere any time, too. He just graduated from BSU and is job hunting.

I seriously dont know what i did to get such an AWESOME family. Not very many families can say that their very best friends are their siblings. When we get together we have SO much fun and always stay up late laughing, playing games, sharing secrets and talking. We always support eachother in all we do and drive lots of miles just to have everyone together. We have made SO many wonderful memories and i hope many more are to come. I love each and everyone of you so much and feel so privledged to be in your family.

"Let there be no empty chairs in our home in heaven!"

SPOILED

2010-01-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have been truly spoiled this month! I've been BEGGING Chad for some storage shelves in my laundry room and in our garage and FINALLY he built some for me! We've been storing our Holiday decor under our house in our crawl space in totes and it's a pain to get down there every few months. So here are my CHRISTMAS SHELVES!

This is Chad's corner. I've actually been wanting him to build shelves for HIM too so that all his tools and stuff would be organized. The shelves are done but the table still needs some cleaning!

Every week when Sunday rolls around I've been having breakdowns because i dont feel like i have anything that is cute or worth wearing to church. I have random skirts that i try to pair with tops sometimes but i just am running out of options and i REALLY wanted some dresses. This last week we went shopping in Idaho Falls and found this cute dress at Down East for $20! All there dresses right now are under $20! (it might be $25 i cant remember) but still a great deal!

THEN we went to Dillards and not thinking i could find anything i could afford i was still having fun browsing and then i came upon THIS dress and i couldnt pass it up! It was normaly $170.00! but had been marked down to $50. Since i had just bought a dress i was sadly putting it back on the rack and walking away and wasnt even going to ask. Chad saw the lust in my eyes i guess and grabbed it and took it up to the counter and bought it for me and it was on an even BETTER sale and only paid $35! I love sales!!! I've wanted a dress like this for a long time. It is a little fancier than i was expecting (95% real silk!) but none the less it will be fun to wear and worth taking care of!

These are the shoes soon to be bought to pair with my new dresses! Can't wait! They match the belt perfectly! Thanks hun for spoiling me! I dont know what i did to deserve it! LOVE YOU!

I have AMAZING friends!

2010-01-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

Please dont kill me for posting these pictures! you all look BEAUTIFUL!

I am SO incredibly blessed to have amazing friends! And they are not just the ones i have posted in the pictures! I have blogged about this group of girls many times - you know who you all are- You are AMAZING! Its been a little over 2 years that i have been in Twin and this group of girls has truly kept me going. We all went through many trials together...babies, moving, building houses, job changes, more babies, and i swear that it is only because of these girls unconditional love and support that i made it through having a baby! Each of them are so talented in many ways! From awesome organizational skills, to running marathons, or being super crafty, What other group of girls do you know that will get together EVERYDAY faithfully for playgroup, take meals in for 2 weeks when i had a baby, throw baby showers, go walking 5 miles EVERYDAY even when its snowing sideways....(ok we didnt go the 5 miles THAT day) and just be there WHENEVER i needed any of them! I dont know what i did right to deserve such wonderful friends, but i am so thankful for all of you! I love that our babies have grown up together, that we are able to serve eachother, and that there is no bad talking or gossip that goes around in this group.

Please know that i value your friendship so much. Thank you for making me who i am today and holding my hand through the tough times and encouraging me to be a better woman. Please know.....

YOU ARE AMAZING!

Fun with the COZY COUP

2010-01-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Carter and Finn

Carter and Mikey

This fire truck may have been the best purchase yet. It is the hot item at every playgroup, babysitting job, or friend day. Carter loves to watch cartoons from it, push people around in it or ride on the back. He pushes it around all day even with no one in it. He uses it as a step ladder to climb up on anything, and plays with it EVERYDAY. I cant say that for most of his toys. Currently he can only push himself backwards when he is in the car, but soon hopefully, he will figure out how to go FORWARD!

Im so glad i work at a USED childrens store where i can pick up hot items at half the price (or better!) that are in great condition. I hope we have many summers of playing outside in it! We had one growing up but I was the one always pushing my brothers around in it, rarely riding in it. So i knew it would be a fun toy!

Christmas at the Hymas Home

2009-12-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

Chad's mom and dad visited us on Sunday and Monday on their way through to Washington for Christmas. We played games and had a great FHE with them. For our activity, we went up to Rock Creek in Hansen to see the amazing lights. It's clear out there, but well worth the drive. Here's a few pictures from the evening.
They have a HUGE camel named Bull and everyone can feed him a carrot. This is Clyde feeding him.

Carter got a candy cane from Santa.

Yes, its as insane as it looks!

We spent 2 days before Christmas at my parents house in Rupert. It was SO fun and SO good to have all my brothers there. We played lots of games, ates lots of food, opened presents, had a gift exchange,and had a wonderful family testimony meeting the night before Christmas Eve. A Reed Family tradition. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful a testimony can be in the presence of loved ones. I love my family SO much! Carter had a blast running free and having uncles and grandparents to entertain him.

This was the BIG boys form of entertainment. Yes, that is my baby boy being chucked back and forth like a football. Not quite sure how i feel about this entertainment, but the boys and Carter were sure giggly.He loved sitting on all of the presents that were just his size to sit on.....

Tearing off the wrapping paper and EATING it.His aunt, Monserrat, made this hat for him. He loved stretching it out and pulling it down over his face. He is such a character!

And pulling all the cushions off of the couch and sitting on the them...

Then we came home so we could celebrate in our new house for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Chad had to work Christmas NIGHT, but it wasnt that big of a deal, especially since he is making DOUBLE TIME AND A HALF right now, we can't complain.

Heres our Loot from Santa. The GORGEOUS picture of the Logan Temple was taken and framed by my mother in law! We have really wanted a BIG picture of that temple but they are very expensive. This was my Santa gift!

Carter LOVED his Cozy-Coop fire truck that Santa brought. We spent most of the day pushing him around in it. Carter and his gifts after opening presents. He got bored pretty quick with opening gifts because he just wanted to play with his truck and books.

Mom's presents. The Michelangelo picture at the top is one i wanted for my massage room. I LOVE it. Chad's mom framed it for us and it turned out really good!

Chads goodies. I made the BSU blanket for him. And rock band is a FAMILY gift. He mostly got tools. Sounds boring to me. All in all, it was a WONDERFUL Christmas. It was a PERFECT week. And i'm so glad i got to spend it with the people who are most important to me and to feel the Love from my Savior at this Christmastime.

CHRISTmas SEasoN

2009-12-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like i need to do a little post tonight because FINALLY, tonight feels like Christmas. I have been praying, serving, playing music, doing EVERYTHING i could to feel the christmas spirit but not much was working! I guess it all started at 4am at walmart on Nov. 27th BLACK FRIDAY...DUN DUN DUNNNNNN....i was accused of crowding in the crazy wall to wall madness of walmart. I guess i was sorta guilty, but didnt know it at the time. i had just hopped in a line and when i got to the front of the line, found out that my line was cutting off another line. I would have left and gone to the back, but have you been in walmart on black friday when the check stands open? i couldnt move, forwards, backwards, sidways or UP for that matter. i couldnt breathe! i felt my heart racing as a few women crowded in front of me, but i made it out of the store alive and without punching anyone in the face. I know i have many friends who live for black friday...but its just not for me. i will NEVER, do you hear me, N E V E R be at Walmart at 4 am again. I dont care how good the deal is....So thats how my christmas was started....Then things as they always tend to go just flew by....parties, new babies, graduation, new business, work, shopping, babysitting, ward parties, service projects, and on and on and on....Not all bad things, just things that take up a lot of time and make the days go by so fast! What happened to being a kid when the days couldnt go by any slower?
And all of a sudden here it is 1 week before Christmas! But i am happy to say that all my stresses are over! All i have to do for the next 6 days is enjoy being with my family! The shopping is done, meals are in order. Chad's parents will be here sunday night and monday. We will be with my family tues and wed. and be home to enjoy the holidays in our own home for christmas eve and christmas day. I am exstatic! I can feel the love of my savior today and feel love for the people around me whether i know them or not. (i have avoided walmart so that i could be able to say this by christmas!) And to my pleasant suprise, i have found very good deals NOT at walmart. No i am not an ANTI WALMART, but something happens in that store on Black Friday that brings out the little more selfish parts of people which was a HUGE disapointment to me.
I think i have finally recoverd though from my hard feelings. :) and am going to sit and listen to christmas music tonight with the lights off and just enjoy EVERYTHING awesome about this season. I can't wait for Christmas. it is FINALLY here!

Massage Room

2009-12-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Its DONE! After many weeks of trying to get my massage room in order, it is finally ready to do massages in. It may still need a few decorations here and there, but if someone needed a massage tommorow, i would be ready! My first appointment is even scheduled! I'm so excited!
Here's a few pics and the gift card holders I stayed up late making last night.

Hot rock table.

Entrance

NOV/DEC Update

2009-12-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am incredibly behind on my blogging, so i hope you will forgive my super long post! I haven't blogged for a whole month...so here it goes. In november, we celebrated Chad's 26th Birthday! We were still on a strict part of the HCG diet that we were doing but we were still able to have some sugar free chocolate pudding with raspberries and whip cream in place of cake. (his request). And it did taste very yummy. We spent the day watching a BSU game i believe, then went to dinner at Sizzler for steak! After that i suprised chad and drove him to the bowling alley for some cosmic bowling. It was a good day.

(P.S. LOOK HOW SKINNY CHAD LOOKS IN THIS PICTURE...HE'S LOST 30 LBS!!)

I am a terrible person and didnt take ANY pictures at Thanksgiving. We went to Arco to spend it with Chad's family and it was so good to see everyone! We went down one day earlier to do some projects! I had Chad and his dad cut some shelves to go above the washer and dryer and cut me some 4 inch blocks for a craft i am trying to make...ill post pictures when we get them done. While the guys worked in the shop, Evelyn and I made TONS of goodies and prepared things for Thanksgiving Dinner. And as always, dinner was fabulous! the rest of the evening was spent playing pinochle and scum.

A few days after T day, my mom and sister in law got together and made a TON of these... It was a lot of work, but fun and very tasty! Mom made us matching gingerbread aprons.

On the first of December we got a new NEPHEW! Ryker John Reed. 8 lbs. 5 oz. This is my older brothers first son. His poor wife Carrie was in labor for 14 hours (she was induced) and had to push for 2. She's a tough woman. I never could have done that. He is healthy and doing great. He is Carters 1st cousin on my side of the family and i believe the 20th cousin on Chad's side. We love his so much and i spent most of the day holding him on Thursday! He is so precious.

Carter was not interested in Ryker at all, so he spent the evening...

Trying to escape out of the doggie door and..... trying to ride a remote control truck...couldnt get the pic to upload...

Then we came home and decorated our Christmas tree. It never is "Christmas" for me until the tree is up and presents are under it. I love to turn out all the lights and just stare at it. Carter enjoyed sucking on all of the ornaments and playing IN the ornament bag. couldnt get that picture uploaded either...weird.
Now we are ready for Christmas! The shopping is almost all done so we are trying to just enjoy the season! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

12 DAYTZ of Christmas

2009-11-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

I saw this on a blog and had to pass it along. It's so cute and gives you atleast 1 date night a month with you hubby. This would make a great christmas gift too! Check it out.

http://somewhatsimple.blogspot.com/2009/11/12-daytz-of-christmas.html

All Things October

2009-11-01T20:38:00.001-08:00

We've had a great October! I love Fall because of all the beautiful colors outside, the delicious smells and the yummy food! Oh and don't forget HALLOWEEN! Heres what we've been up to this last month.

Since Chad had to work, Carter and I went trick or treating with a few friends. It was a lot of fun and the boys were all troopers! Here is Jace and Carter who were both little monkeys!

It was a chore to get all 3 of these guys to sit still for a photo shoot. Here is Carter with his friends Jace and Finn ( a little devil)

Went to our ward Halloween Party and Carnival...lots of fun!

Carved Pumpkins...Chad always goes all out when it comes to pumpkin carving. i carved mine and Carter's in the time he did his own.

My costume for my sister in laws baby shower. I'm a bubble bath.

Family Pictures....

Hope everyone is having a wonderful fall!

The BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love Fall, but mostly so i can eat Pumpkin Cookies! This recipe is SO good! Even if you dont think you like Pumpkin cookies, i promise you will love these! I had a few friends request this recipe so here it is! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix in Bowl:
1 c. canned pumpkin (a 15 oz. can is 1 3/4 cup)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 egg

Put in sifter: (or if you dont use a sifter just stir in to creamed mixture)
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Sift in dry ingredients

In a separate small bowl mix:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk

Add milk mixture to pumpkin mixture

Add: 2 cups chocolate chips (i use milk chocolate)
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional - i dont do!)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. makes 2 dozen cookies.

OUR HOME

2009-10-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked to see our new house so here are a few pics. Please keep in mind we are still getting settled, so don't mind the random boxes of stuff in corners and the NON decor on the walls and the lack of grass...it will all come with time i am told. But so far we are LOVING our new house and couldn't be happier. We really like our neighborhood too. And our new ward is amazing!Outside of our house

Walking in the front door.View to the kitchen
Decal above the sliding door to the back yard in the kitchen.
Carter's room. (Nothing is on the walls yet in his room. It has been neglected!)
Main Bathroom between Carters room and my massage room.

The massage room...where you soon want to be!Master bedroom to closet and master bath

Master bathroom. LOVE our big boy tub and we splurged on a rounded shower curtain rod.
our bed (dont worry we are re doing our colors soon!)
vinyl decal and wedding pic above our bed

We have a guest bedroom/computer room/extra boxes room but i didn't dare take a picture of it! Same with our garage. We are trying to get it completely finished so its a mess.
PS to all my friends who just bought new homes, im expecting pics of yours too SOON!

My Baby is 1!

2009-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have thought all day about labor and delivery....it wasn't really a whole YEAR ago, was it? No way have i had this little man in my possesion for 365 days! It's unreal how time flies and unfair too. Despite my refusal to let my baby turn 1, he did and we had a really great day! We took him to get a haircut to start the day off...that was HORRIBLE! I had wanted to take pictures (i had visions of him sitting on my lap, happily licking a sucker and getting a really cute haircut) but i ended up getting to hold his face while Chad pinned him down on his lap. He was screaming and squirming but i had to hold his head still while the hair stylist snipped a little here and a little there. AFTER the haircut, he got a sucker and ate it in 5 minutes. He was SO sticky, then the loose hair stuck to him, so needless to say he was a sticky mess!!

After a quick bath and a nap, it was PARTY time! We had it on the patio by the pool here at Rivercrest. As you can see below, alot of our family was able to come and boy was he SPOILED! THanks everyone for the gifts and for coming. Carter may not remember it, but i know many of you made a lot of sacrifices to be here and I will ALWAYS cherish this memory!

This kid gobbled down his cake QUICK and wanted more!!
He had no interest in opening gifts...so i did all the opening.Tony's (Carter's Uncle - my brother) birthday is on Sept 10th, but we thought we would celebrate his along with Carter's since he has to work on his birthday. Here are the birthday boys!

I attempted a football cake, and it turned out ok i thought.

LAGOON......It's what FUN is!

2009-08-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

So with all this work going on with the house, we decided we were in need of some serious fun! Both of us had been working from the time we got up till the time we went to bed either at our jobs or at the house. It was really starting to wear on us. So i looked on Craigslist and came across a great deal for Lagoon tickets and snatched them up as quick as i could. We had SUCH a great time and we laughed a lot and just had so much fun together! Cami, Chad's sister watched Carter while we took off for the day and it was a fabulous trip.

Picture on the train rideSmoochin on the gondola
This poor camel had a sideways hump!
Lagoon A Beach...dont look at my bum!
Chad's favorite ride (and the one i hate the most) The Rocket. Don't worry we went on both Re-entry and Blast Off.

We decided to do something WILD and get tattoos...they are airbrushed of course, but Chad is really liking his! Good thing it only lasts 7 days!

WICKED was probly my favorite ride, but it only lasted like 2 seconds...hardly worth it to wait in line for 30-40 minutes!

The first ride we went on was Cliffhanger which I remembered being a GREAT ride, and it was, except for the fact that we got completely soaked and we were soggy for the rest of the day! Our shoes would make a "squashing" noise with every step and we left puddles every where we walked or sat....it was still a little chilly in the morning but i think we finally dried out by the afternoon!

OUR HOME

2009-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is my soon to be massage room! there are 3 wall sconces in total and one ceiling mount light in the middle. and i have a dimmer switch on them!!

here's a picture of the 2 tone trim that me and chad worked on for 2 weeks! No one told m what a HUGE job it is! We just have a few doors left to paint so its almost done!

veiw to the kitchen

painting away!
I am SO happy with the tile and back splash work that Chad and his dad did! I absolutely love it! It seriously gives such a "homey" look to the house.

Our carpet was put in the other day too so all that is left is the plumbing and it will be done! I'm getting SO excited!

Wedding Weekend

2009-08-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Tony & Monserrat's Wedding weekend has came and went! For the most part things went very smoothly...except for Grandpa falling off the stage and breaking 5 ribs!! Poor guy!! The sealing was beautiful and the weather sorta cooperated. We got sprinkled on a little at Shoshone Falls durring the lunch but then the sun came out and it was good. The reception went smoothly as well and the chocolate fountain turned out better than when we tried it out at her shower. Glad they are married and happy. Congrats Tony & Monse!
Carter really picked up on walking and walked all over the gym while we were setting up and taking down! I can't believe he is walking!!!

Baumgartner Camping Trip

2009-08-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

My family took off the last weekend in July and headed to our favorite camping spot...Baumgartner! We had so much fun and the weather was great! We floated the river and swam a lot and when we got cold we hopped in the super hot natural spring hot tub! Carter did surprisingly well and even got in the water too. We ate a ton of food as normal, and really enjoyed camping! i thought i would be more than ready to be home but i wanted to stay another day! Here's some pics from the trip.

Oh and here's the progress of our house. Painting and tile pics to come soon! it is all done!!!!

Rivercrest Picnic

2009-07-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

We have made some amazing friends here at our Rivercrest Apartments and we are seriously going to miss everyone as they are moving away and going their separate ways. We are so lucky to have friends with the same values and goals as us. We appreciate you letting us into your hearts and you will forever be in our memories. I have never been in a place where i have cared about so many people or had so many friends that i genuinely enjoy being with. THANK YOU!

We all got together and had a BBQ at our wonderful Rivercrest patio and pool. I think about 9 couples showed up and eveyone brought yummy food along with them.

After we ate, it was SOOO hot, so we all jumped in the pool! It was a great evening!

The 4th

2009-07-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a little slow, but thought i'd get our pictures up from the 4th of July. We had a great one! We started off the weekend at Hazelton Days with delicious food and fireworks! I think that night we ate 4 tamales, homemade frys, 1 fried twinkie (which i did NOT want, but chad made me and it was AMAZING!), 2 mangoes on a stick, and 2 drinks. UGH! We were so full but both of us are succers for fair food! Carter LOVED the mangoes and screamed through the fireworks. I finally had to just put him under the blanket and nurse him so he would calm down!

Then we headed out to Moore Idaho for Chad's family reunion for lots of dirtbiking, more fireworks, food, and 4 wheeling. It was a great weekend and Carter was able to stay on a decent schedule despite everything that was going on! It was his first time to really get to play with cousins and he loved it!
When we got home, of course we had to go check out our house and this is what we found. Today, it is painted with all the doors on (including the garage door) and ready for Chad & dad to lay tile!

veiw from the front door
the kitchen & pantry & half bar
tilt your head for this one... view from the back sliding door to the front living room

FREE NURSING COVER!

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

I just saw this posted on craigslist today! if you are needing or wanting a good nursing cover Udder Covers is giving away free ones! you just pay the shipping!
so go to www.uddercovers.com. enter the promo code cuddly2. pick a nursing cover from the essence collection. (colors are going fast!) this is a $32 value. you just pay $8.45 in shipping. totally worth it!! Check it out! im not sure how long the offer lasts!

The Latest

2009-06-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Our house is completed on the outside! YIPPEE!! it is sided, roofed, and painted! The next step is sheet rock! We are so excited! The garage door and front door will also be red. If you cant tell, the eaves, and bottom of the house are red, the body of the house is tan with cream trim. Eventually we will have 2 pillars in the same color scheme. We are so excited to watch this process move along! More BETTER pictures to come soon.MEANWHILE...
We have been spending a lot of time at the pool. Carter LOVES swimming and I will definitely miss having it in our back yard next summer!
And having picnics with friends....Spending some quality time with Uncle Justin who just got back from Taiwan and brought Carter....... The CUTEST traditional Chinese outfit ever! Thanks Jus & Carrie.

Then we went to Pocatello for a great football game in the Mini Dome. Uncle Jordan kicked butt in his ALLSTATE game last weekend. When Carter was 5 days old we took him to a game in the dome and he loved it. He was so good for it! This is the picture we took of him that day.....
And THIS is 9 months later... MUCH bigger and much less content to just sit through a game!

PROGRESS!

2009-06-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well I am home alone and lonely tonight so I am sitting down to blog. Chad is out wiring our new house and has been for the last 2 days! Poor guy has been working so hard and pushing the clock. But I am so glad he knows how to do it and save us some money. It has been about 2 weeks since our house was started and it has gone from just a hole in the ground to being framed, having walls, a roof, windows, tubs, and cement! Its very exciting watching this process. I know it just looks like a bunch of sticks stuck in the ground, but I can't help but try to share my excitement!

Random MAY post

2009-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is a super random post, but a few things have happened this last month and i have been sick for a few weeks and haven't felt like blogging. But I'm starting to feel better and I'm really really behind in the blogging world. So here goes...

My little boy will be 9 months on MONDAY! I can't believe it. He continues to bring us the most amazing joy every day. He is getting so huge and trying very hard to walk. He is the noisiest little guy you will ever meet.
A few of his favorites right now are:
grandpas 4-wheeler (look at that smile!)

bath time and eating rubber duckies....
and his new friend he found in the mirror.Also our new house is finally started! The forms are set and the cement is now poured! They will start framing our house today or tomorrow! YIPPEE!! We are so excited! Our closing date is set for Sept. 15th. It can't come soon enough although we will miss the pool and our friends here at Rivercrest!

We took a little trip to Utah and now we have a new dent in our car...grrr... at Chevron a guy in a truck parked parallel to us but his tiny little trailer was perpendicular to the back of our car. He forgot he was hauling a trailer and we backed into it. Not a huge dent but whenever we try to go to the temple something like this always happens! Luckily we made it in time.
I got to spend a beautiful half an hour with my husband in a sealing room at the new Draper UT temple. SO BEAUTIFUL! The sealing was amazing and I was so glad we could be there with my good bud Heather. Congrats!
Me and the gorgeous bride. We go way back!
I also got to stay a night with my best bud Aubrey in Provo. She's the greatest friend! We had a midnight run to Scone cutters after we watched the season finale to Jon and Kate Plus 8. Good times!
My little brother walked with the Minico High School graduating class of 2009 with honors. GO JORDAN!
My baby brother turned 15...can't belive how time flies. Happy B day Adam!
And last, but not least, my OTHER little brother got engaged!!! His fiance just moved in with us and will be here for 2 months until they get married in the Twin Falls Temple on Aug 7th. We are so excited to have Monserrat in our family! We have been so busy with wedding planning but it has been a lot of fun. OK i think i am done!

Heres to Cafe Rio!

2009-05-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

In honor of Cafe Rio opening on Saturday in Twin Falls, I thought i would make some "mock cafe rio." It turned out SO delicious and if you dont already have this recipe it is a good one to try and pretty simple. It makes a ton, but it was so yummy we ate it for 2 days for every meal! I'm really excited for Cafe Rio to open!

Cafe Rio Dressing:
1pkg Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo (light mayo or plain low fat yogurt)
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tomatillos, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cups buttermilk - to the consistency you want

Easier Dressing Recipe:
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Shredded Cafe Rio Pork
3lbs pork (or chicken)
16oz. bottle of chunky salsa (use blender so chunks are gone)
1 can coke
2 cups brown sugar

Homemade tortillas
3 C flour
1/2 c vegetable or olive oil
1 1/8 c. luke warm water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Mix all ingredients and knead. If too hard to knead, add a little water but if too sticky add a little more flour. Let stand for about 10 min. Makes about 12 small balls. Flatter each by rolling them out and then cook them in a frying pan. Have 2 frying pans going at once so they all get cooked faster. (or just by fresh ones at the store)

Cafe Rio Rice
3 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillon
4 tsp garlic - chopped or minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 small can green chilles
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion
3 cups rice
Mix in a blender cilantro, green chiles and onion. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 min. **We just put everything in a rice cooker and it turned out great!**

Serve all of this with warm black beans (add a little La Victoria Green Taco Sauce to the beans while warming them) pica de gallo, (just chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro - basically what you'll already be chopping, shredded romaine lettuce and of course top the burritos enchilada style with Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce and Montery Jack Cheese.

ENJOY!!