Three Toads and a Princess

Deck the Halls?

2011-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Now that the temperatures have reached the low-90's, I figured it was time to share our Christmas pictures! I {LOVE} everything associated with Christmas...the sights, the smells, the tastes, the traditions. Luckily for me, the kids have the same love and cannot stand to sleep in on Christmas morning! They all slept together in Quincy's room and around 4:30 a.m., I received a phone call on my cell from Treyson's cell wondering if they could get up! As much as I really wanted to (shhh, don't tell them that I secretly wanted to), we talked them into going back to bed until 6:00 so that Max would be bearable the rest of the day. Everyone had a great day and loved having the time together.

October Birthdays

2011-04-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Tanner and Max have birthdays within days of each. So we get to celebrate all week long!

Tanner makes me smile. Of all of my kids, he is the cuddliest. He never leaves for school or goes to bed without giving me a hug. He'll sometimes just walk by and pat my back or give me a five-second massage. He loves school and is super social. He plays on a travel baseball team, as well as rec football and basketball. He's such a happy kid. So glad to have him in my life!
Max turned three in October...my baby! Max is such a funny kid that has figured out how to get anything and everything he wants. You would think that Nate's IPad was really Max's because he tends to have it more than his dad. Max loves anything rock and roll and somehow talked us into getting him drums for his birthday (as I said he gets anything he wants). His smile and dimples are contagious and he has the most amazing blue eyes.

Fall

2011-01-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

It seems like lately, I only blog in seasons...one long post that covers three months. So here you have it...Fall.

Back to School

I know it was FOREVER ago that school started (well, the boys insist that the school year is going that slowly), but for my sake, I need to post the big "Back to School" shots. I wonder how long Treyson will let me keep taking 1st day of school pics of him?Treyson-Mighty 7th Grader

Tanner-3rd Grade Stud

Quincy-Kindergarten finally!

Someday, Tanner will be mad about this picture, but I think it's the sweetest thing ever!

Fall Soccer

I love watching Q play soccer. I think after all of her years watching her brothers play, the whole competitive thing makes sense to her.

Pumpkins, Cookies, and Halloween

Max the penguin

Tanner the (surprise) baseball player (he did actually have a tournament that day. We went straight from the fields to trick-or-treating)

We love having our cousins live in Cedar City now!

Q (the bumblebee) and her BFF sister, Ainslee

Knowing me, you won't see me again until Winter is done. J/K... I still have birthdays and holidays galore to catch up on. Is anyone going to time me to see how soon I get them done?

GQ

2010-12-08T15:34:00.001-08:00

Much to Treyson's delight, I wanted to get some pictures of just him for his big birthday. I think the 12th birthday is kind of a milestone, so we had our favorite picture gal, Abbey (from AK Studio and Design) meet us at Treyson's favorite hang-out to snap some pics of my growing boy. As always, I loved the results. (Doesn't he look right at home?)

I also wanted to get some pictures of him sporting his suit. Quite handsome, don't you think?

I'm so proud of the young man that Treyson has become and his decision to receive the Priesthood. His dad gave him a wonderful blessing as he made him a Deacon. He actually was ordained the morning of his birthday and was able to pass the sacrament that day. I admit...I cried through the entire sacrament meeting. One funny story though that helped slow the tears...As Treyson was joining us on our bench after passing the sacrament, Quincy met him at the end of the bench, gave him a big high-five, and (loud enough for multiple rows of people to hear), congratulated him for not spilling the bread or water. Way to go, Trey! Love my boy and will forever be grateful that he was my first. He's an amazing example to each of us.

12

2010-11-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Before we even had kids, Nate had said that he wanted to take each child on a birthday trip for their 12th birthday. At first, he was going to take the boys, and I would take the girls. That sounded like a great deal until we ended up with three boys and one girl. I was feeling a little cheated as Treyson was getting closer to his 12th birthday and the two of them started talking about where he might want to go. Lucky for me, they said I could tag along :). Treyson decided he wanted to go to NYC, which Nate and I were both excited for because we both love the city. As we got planning the trip, Nate realized that Trey's beloved Red Sox would be playing at Yankee Stadium the day after Trey's birthday, so that fact cemented the deal. We were able to leave on Treyson's birthday (August 8th) on a red-eye out of Las Vegas. Because Nate travels so much, we were able to upgrade to first-class for free!!! Nate's use to it, but Treyson and I were in awe!

We landed bright and early and luckily were able to check into the hotel a little early and catch up on some much needed sleep. I headed off to do some shopping and the boys jumped on the subway to see the game. Nate was able to score some amazing third row seats (leather, I might add!) along third base line. The tickets included all-you-can-eat food and beverages, so they definitely took advantage of that and ate until they were sick.

The next day we headed down to Ground Zero and walked through the museum there and then got on the ferry to ride over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Nate and I hadn't ever got off of the ferry to see the statue up close and personal, but I'm so glad we did. The statue is huge! Seeing it from the ferry and standing up next to it are two different experiences. It was also our first time to visit Ellis Island. The history that is in that building was so fascinating! I loved seeing the pictures and the items left from immigrants as they entered this country.

On our final day there, Treyson and I went to see "Wicked." It was so fun to watch Treyson throughout the play...I don't think the smile left his face!

At the NBA Store, Trey was able to see how he would match up to Kobe Bryant.

Rockefeller Center

A birthday shout-out on American Eagle's jumbo-tron in Time Square!

We scored again on the way home when we were upgraded to first-class again. Not a bad way to fly, I've decided! The rest of the kids were so excited to see Treyson and the fun surprises that he picked out for each of them. The others are already starting to talk about where they want to go for their special birthday trip. I can't wait!

Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime?

2010-10-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is my attempt to catch up on our complete summer. Picture overload ahead? You can count on it.

Baseball

Who's surprised that baseball made our list of things we did this summer? Quincy had her first year of t-ball and was hilarious to watch. Figuring she has grown-up at the fields, we weren't surprised one bit when she started telling the other girls on her team how to play the game.
Tanner spent the summer playing his last year of machine pitch and also traveling around with his other team, Cedar Stix. I'm loving watching him improve and try to be just like his big brother.

Treyson made the Cedar American 11-12 year old all-star team. Their team ended up taking third place. Treyson hit two home-runs that are now proudly displayed in his room.

Utah Summer Games

Both of the boys participated in their first USG. Treyson played both basketball and baseball, and Tanner played baseball. We'll just say that Trey's basketball team has got to do a little growing if they'll ever stand a chance against the big boys! Both of the boys' baseball teams ended up taking third place and receiving the bronze medal. Pretty cool hardware!

We're also lucky that Grandpa Cowan works for the Summer Games because he always scores us awesome seats for the Opening Ceremonies! The fireworks are always the best! Fourth of July

I think my little firecrackers are pretty dang cute!
Hangin' with the Cousins

We are so blessed to have cousins that we adore! The kids love spending time together and being wild and crazy!

Outside Fun
We decided to get a trampoline this summer and it was definitely money well spent! The kids loved hooking the hose up to the rails to stay cool and also had many sleepovers out there. A lot of time was spent either at Grandma Esplin's swimming pool or outside on the slip 'n slide.
Another of our favorite things to do is light-up the fire pit in the backyard and roast yummy marshmallows! Most of our time though is spent blowing out Max's flaming ones!Family Reunions
Devin and Melissa were gracious enough to host the Esplin reunion this year. We all headed over to Castledale, Utah to spend a few days together. We were able to see a rodeo, a pioneer pageant, go boating on the reservoir, and go swimming at the rec center. Plus, we did a whole lot of eating! Max hadn't been potty-trained too long before we went to the reunion, so you can imagine there was a lot of {this} going on!

Whew! We made it! Hmmmm....four blogposts a year; one for each season. At the rate I'm going, that might just happen!

Oh, No!!!

2010-08-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Max had his first "head-to-the-coffee-table" experience at the end of April. I was in the other room, heard a crash, and then one of those crys that means, "This is serious!". I ran into the room only to see a gaping hole above Max's eye with blood running down his face. Four stitches later, he was good to go.

About a month and a half later, I got a call from Treyson to come and pick him up from the baseball fields. He and his buddy had stayed after ball practice to give each other batting practice. Trey ended up getting hit on the side of the nose with a bat and split his nose right down the line that connects the nose to the cheek. Five stitches for him and he was good to play in the league championship game that night.

Future Tony Award?

2010-08-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

At the end of this past school year, Tanner's second-grade class learned and presented the play, "Macbeth". Tanner's teacher asked him if he would play the main character. I instantly thought of seeing his name in lights on Broadway; Tanner just thought about all of the lines that he was going to have to learn. He worked so hard to memorize each of his lines, and by the time they presented it at the Bard's Birthday festivities at SUU, he had his role down pack! His favorite scene was definitely the sword fight that he had. He practiced his death scene over and over. I tried to get him to do it with a more dramatic flair to it, but he insisted he do it as his teacher told him to. I was so proud of him for his courage and his hard work. I don't know if he's getting any nomination nods this year, but listen for his name in the future...

Dancing Divas

2010-08-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Quincy really enjoyed her first year at Gravity Dance. She was with her BFF, Ainslee, so what could be better? Watching these two girls together makes me smile..

In May (I know I am WAY behind), they had a recital and danced in their first competition. Quincy was thrilled beyond belief that they took 1st place at competition (little does she know that there were muliple first place trophies handed out. What she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?). She loved getting all fancied up in make-up and curls and then strutting her stuff on stage. Love this dancing diva!

Look at those mad ballet skills! Pointed toe and everything!

My friend Abbey gets credit for the next three pictures. Much better seats and MUCH better photography skills!

Check out that crazy hair! I couldn't stop laughing about this picture! Waiting for their turn at competition...

America's Next Top Model

2010-08-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Right after Quincy's 5th birthday, I had my friend and photo-extraordinaire, Abbey, take her pictures. Can I just say that this girl was in camera heaven! She came up with the funniest, silliest poses and knew how to work the lens! The pictures of her hula-hooping seriously had Abbey and I peeing our pants from laughter! It was a day I'll remember forever...spending a fun afternoon with just my girl. Love her to pieces. I'm so glad I'll always have these pictures to remind me of her fun, spunky personality at this stage of her life. Now, if I could narrow it down, I'd get some ordered! It's too dang hard to decide. Abbey suggested Quincy wallpaper....Now that's an idea!
*Click on the link on the right side of my blog to go directly to Abbey's site to see more photolicious pics of Q!

Little League 2010

2010-06-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that we haven't even had the first day of summer and the Little League regular season is already over. In the course of the eight weeks of play, I think there were only about three games that we didn't have to come bundled up in sweatshirts and blankets. We had multiple games that it actually snowed on us!

Treyson moved up an age division this year, and was drafted by Carter Enterprises. The team had finished in last place last season, so we knew that it would be a growing year for the team. Trey was ecstatic to get on that team, because his BFF would be returning for his second year on the team. The two of them had a great time together. Jace even commented that the two of them are like peanut butter and jelly and that they just do better when they're together. Treyson would either pitch, catch or play shortstop and had a great batting average. The team ended the regular season 5-7, which was a great improvement over last year. In the league tournament, they knocked out the fourth place, and then the first place teams to make it to the championship game. The championship game was kind of (ok, really) ugly, and they lost by ten runs. The boys had a great time though, and were proud of how they finished.

On a happy note, Treyson was selected to be on the 11-12 year old all-star team. This is the age group that has the opportunity to advance to San Bernadino if they win the state tournament. We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed for a big tournament win the second week of July!

The Princess Turns Five!

2010-06-13T19:16:00.001-07:00

Clear back on May 6th, our Quincy-girl had a birthday (I'm a little behind, I know)! She counted down for weeks and couldn't wait for the big day to get here. Being the younger sister of boys that live and breathe baseball, we shouldn't have been surprised when she asked for a "combat" baseball bat (Combat is a brand of bats that the boys love). She also had outgrown her bike and was hoping for a bigger one. She has us wrapped pretty tightly around her finger, so her wishes were our command.

Q debated for months what type of birthday party she wanted to have. She loves the books "Pinkalicious" and "Fancy Nancy" so was thinking along those lines, but then decided that all of her boy friends just wouldn't appreciate those party themes. She finally decided to have a big ice cream bar. The kids seemed to like picking from the 20 items to put on their ice cream sundaes. Some (like Dawson!) had to have a little bit of everything. We played some fun ice-cream themed games and giggled a lot.

I'm so glad Q had a good day. I love her to pieces. I love the spunk and craziness she adds to our lives. By the same token, I love the compassion and tenderness that she also brings to the family. Love you, Quincy!

Easter 2010

2010-05-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Am I way too late to post about Easter? I'm running a little behind these days (it's the middle of the little league season. No more explanation should be needed).

We were able to spend the Saturday before Easter down in St. George with the Cowan clan (we missed you Marriotts!). My kids adore their cousins, so we jump at the chance to get together any time we can! Grandma and Grandpa went super early to a park to stake out some picnic tables. The kids just loved running around together and finding the eggs that G-ma and G-pa had brought for them.

Sunday was a little different because of General Conference falling on Easter Sunday. We had our bi-annual Conference breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa Esplin. Devin, Melissa, and Parker were in town for the weekend, so they also joined us. We loved getting to play with Parker, although I'm afraid my kids taught him bad conference etiquette!

We had a great weekend, with two days spent with some of our very favorite people. What more could we want?

Max getting some Parker love!

Doin' Disney

2010-04-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

For the past two years we've been talking about going to Disneyland. We wanted to go while Quincy was still young enough to truly believe in the princesses and to let her experience the magic of Disney. We finally were able to go at the end of March while the boys were out for spring break (if you can call it that...it snowed non-stop while we were gone!). We had such a great time rediscovering the park together. Treyson and Tanner love anything that goes fast, just like their mom, so they were usually my coaster buddies. Quincy amazed me with how brave she was. She went on Tower of Terror multiple times. She really wanted to go on Screamin' but wasn't tall enough. Her favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain. Max is a huge Buzz Lightyear fan, so he loved all of the Toy Story rides. He was such a trooper and went with the flow each day.

We decided to do lunch with the princesses one day so that we could see each of them without searching all over the park for them. It was a highlight of the trip. Q couldn't wait to put on her Snow White costume, and luckily we were able to convince Max to dress like Buzz instead of Cinderella (like he tends to do at home. Issues? Maybe.) This picture below is while they were waiting to be seated. One of my favorite pictures.

Her first peek at a princess!
Max and his "crush"

Tinkerbell tried to fix Quincy's hair just like her own. Tink was quite certain that Quincy was part fairy. I think she's right.

I got to celebrate my birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth. Pretty darn lucky, I think. My kids found me a pin at the park that said "Happy Birthday" on it, so throughout the day I was getting birthday wishes. It was seriously the best way to spend my birthday. I loved watching my kids enjoy each other and the opportunity we had of creating these memories together.

Paradise (Plus A Little Wind And Rain)

2010-03-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Nate and I were able to go on a Caribbean cruise over Valentine's Day with various people from the Leavitt Group. Most of the people were agency people that had earned the trip through sales, and luckily Nate is good at what he does, so they invited us along. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise, so we were excited, but not really sure what to expect. We LOVED it! We were absolutely amazed at the amount of food that was ALWAYS available. There wasn't a night that passed by that we didn't stop for pizza and cookies at 12:30 a.m. We're just glad that we each only added five pounds to our bodies!

Although the food was amazing, the weather was less than desirable. Every day was super windy and overcast. We always had jackets on and were never able to just lounge by the pool. The day we stopped at Haiti, there was a major rain storm. Within two minutes of getting off of the boat, we were drenched from head to toe. Because of the storm, we weren't able to do much, but Nate and one of the guys we were with braved the rain and canoed. We were able to walk around the little shops where the locals were selling items. The day we were in Jamaica started out sunny. We went and hiked the Dunn's River Falls which was beautiful. We were able to spend about an hour on the beach and then the clouds and rain moved in again. We just weren't destined to come home with a tan!

Even though the weather was depressing, we had a great time just being together and exploring the boat and the fun things it had to offer. We definitely want to do it again, we'll just pray extra hard for some sun!

Trey Ray

2010-03-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to tell Treyson how proud I am of him. He was recently selected as the "Warrior of the Month" for the 6th grade at Cedar Middle School. He's always been such a great leader and such a good student. He's received 4.0's both quarters so far while at the middle school and has set a goal to finish the school year the same way. Here's what his teacher had to say about him on the nomination form:

"Treyson is a very responsible student. He is always prepared for class and does his best on every assignment. Treyson is a leader in our class. He sets a good example for others and is always willing to take charge when needed. He is a great help to all his teachers and comes to school each day with a positive attitude."

Way to go Treyson. Thanks for being such a huge part of our family.

The Car That Crossed The Finish Line

2010-02-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

Being the first child, Treyson has naturally been the guinea pig for a lot of our parenting experiences. One of which was the pine wood derby. Year after year, Nate and Treyson would work hard creating a car (remember, Nate is an accountant, not a man that knows how to work complex tools), and then we would all cross our fingers and toes hoping that the car would be able to finish the race. More than once, the car didn't quite make it and a rousing pep talk would then be given to Trey about all that mattered was that he had fun and tried hard and that there were other things that he excelled in and that winning really didn't matter.

Now we're onto boy #2 in cub scouts. The block-of-wood kit was given to him as a Christmas gift from his leaders. There was an audible moan from Nate when the car was opened. Tanner immediately started brainstorming ideas of what he wanted his car to look like (none in which Nate would ever have the slightest idea how to make). Nate also started brainstorming and hit the computer. We love the world-wide-web and the items which can be purchased from people that know a whole lot more about making pine wood derby cars. Tanner actually jumped on board and loved looking at all of the cool designs. With a click of a button, Tanner's car was designed, cut, and shipped to our doorstep. In Nate's defense, by buying the car pre-cut online, he didn't do anything differently than he would have here at home. He would have had to taken the car to someone that had tools and knew how to operate them, and then have them cut it out for him. When the car came, Tanner did have to sand it, paint it, add decals, and the wheels. Everyone was happy with the outcome. Major bonus: the car crossed the finish line, each and every time. Did it take first place overall? No, but we had a smiley boy that didn't need a pep talk. Lesson learned. We'll never cut a car again. Tanner has two more years, and then Max will have three years. Just think what we'll come up with by Max's final year. I see blue ribbons in our future!

THE Mr. Nate Esplin

2010-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Nate called me one afternoon totally cracking up. I wondered what in the world could be so funny in the finance world that he was literally laughing out loud as I picked up the phone. The director of the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce had just left his office. Nate had received a special visit from him to be notified that he would be receiving the Cedar City "Man of the Year" award for the 2009 year. Complete honor, don't get me wrong, but we couldn't stop laughing. Fast forward to January 2010...A special dinner and awards ceremony was held for all of the award winners. It really was a nice night, and such a compliment to Nate for all of the hours of service he gives to the community (especially through Little League) and to the University. I've teased him relentlessly about his big head (well, he did make the kids address him as Sir for awhile, and I would have to chauffeur him around while he barked out directions- j/k). All kidding aside, I truly am proud of him for all of the time he puts into so many different boards and committees. Don't you think that I should have received the "Woman of the Year" award for so willingly donating my husband to so many different causes?

(Kind of a crummy picture, but the kids loved that his face and name were on the State Bank marque for all to see!)

Way to go, Nate! We're so proud!

Giving Us The Finger

2010-01-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Santa had the crazy idea that Treyson and Tanner would enjoy a Swiss Army knife in their stockings. I think that he had intended for these knives to be used when needed for scouts and when the boys were at the cabin. I don't think that Santa had envisioned these knives being used to cut to the center of a baseball. Trey's ideas are bigger than Santa's and he proceeded to cut not only into a baseball, but also into the pointer finger of his right hand.

I was on my way home from running some errands when I got a call from Tanner telling me to hurry home because Treyson had cut himself pretty badly. I thought he was either joking or exaggerating, until I walked into the blood-covered bathroom. After doing a quick exam of the finger, I called our doctor who said to bring him out and they'd take a look. After a quick look, and a second opinion from another doctor, the orthopedic surgeon was called for a consult, because the tip of the finger that had been cut, was starting to turn a little black from lack of circulation. The surgeon was in surgery (doing his job, I guess), so we headed over to the E.R. to be examined there. The doctor there determined that surgery wasn't needed that day (maybe in a couple weeks if it didn't heal correctly), and put five stitches in Trey's finger. I couldn't look at the finger, but after they numbed it up good, the doctor moved the tip around to see how much damage was done. That good, sharp knife cut into some nerve endings and got some of the bone. Lovely, I know. Now, two weeks later, things are looking good. At his first follow-up appointment, the doctor was happy with the coloring and Trey had feeling in the tip. The stitches will come out next week and we'll know then if the skin "took" and is healing correctly. The doctor seemed optimistic that all will be well and that Trey will be throwing a wicked fast ball by next month. For now, knives are off limits and the pocket knife merit badge will have to wait.

Our Holidays in Photos

2010-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

Warning: A gazillion pictures are about to follow. Proceed at your own risk.

We had a wonderful holiday season. Christmas Eve this year was with the Cowan family. One of my very favorite traditions is when my dad reads from a Christmas story and then gives us a little present to remind us of the chosen story. This year was "The Last Straw." The kids were super anxious to wake up in the morning to see what Santa brought. Trey even sent me a text at 4:50 a.m. wondering if they could get up yet. A little insane, I know, but it makes this mom smile (I've taught them well!). Christmas day was full of family and fun and a whole lot of being spoiled. Cam's family came to town on New Year's Eve, so all of my family came up to my house for some pizza, lots of snacking, and some silly games. Quincy loved that she got to stay up until "midnight" when the ball dropped in NYC! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that this new year brings happiness.

Abra Cadabra!

2009-12-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

I swear, Miss Abbey Kyhl knows how to work magic! The day that we went to have our family pictures taken was absolutely freezing! (We had actually cancelled two previous dates due to blizzard like conditions, so because there was a clear sky, we went for it!) The kids would sit in the car or outside bundled in blankets until it was their turn to shine. I really didn't know what kind of results we would get, especially of Max. But once again, Abbey came through for me! Loved the results. Thanks Abbey for making us look good! (Check her out at http://www.akstudio.typepad.com/)

Shakin' Her Booty

2009-11-24T17:21:00.001-08:00

I always hoped that I would someday have a little girl, and that maybe, just maybe, she would love to dance. I got both wishes granted! Quincy loves to strut her stuff. She joined a brand new dance studio this year, Gravity Dance Center. Her BFF signed up with her, and boy, can these two move! They had their first dance recital last week, and then danced again at a craft fair. I think my favorite part of those two nights was watching Quincy and Ainslee grooving to the music of the other dancers while they waited their turn on the sidelines. I love these two girls to pieces. They light up my world!

Aloha!

2009-11-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

I cannot even express how fabulous our trip to Hawaii was! We created incredible memories and got some fun pictures. I will admit that there was yelling and tears, but hopefully the kids will forget about that part and just remember the good things. We were able to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, where we had an incredible tour guide. She is a student at BYU-Hawaii majoring in elem-ed, and was so good with the kids! We loved the show after the luau, especially the Hakka and the fire dancers. Quincy became quite the Hakka dancer and might just have to join the BYU football team in doing it. We also visited Pearl Harbor. I was surprised at how good the kids were while we were there. I think they could truly feel how special of a place it was. My very favorite part was just watching the kids play at the beach. Treyson was fearless and loved diving into the water and was an excellent snorkeler. Tanner also loved the water, but was a little more cautious than Trey. Both Quincy and Max got more brave as the week went by, but Max still preferred playing in the sand. Luckily each of the kids were blessed with my skin, and not Nate's. They each came home golden brown and a tad blonder.

I'm so grateful that I got to experience this with my kids. Max is still walking around saying "aloha" and you should see him shake his hips in Quincy's hula skirt! Good times and fun memories. Now, if only I could have some of that Hawaiian sun again. It's freezing in Utah!

The Other Ghost

2009-11-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

There was another kind of ghost for Halloween this year at our house--Tanner got baptized and confirmed on Halloween day. We had such a great day with all of our family. We are so lucky to have so many people that care about Tanner and were here to help make his day extra special. Grandpa Esplin gave a great talk about the Holy Ghost that was geared right to Tanner-it was all about baseball. After the baptism, we ate a yummy Costa Vida meal out at the Leavitt Hangar. The kids loved the extra room to run around and just have fun together.

I'm so proud of Tanner and the decision he made to get baptized. As silly as he can be, he has such a sweet, in-tune side. I love the times I catch him wiping at his eyes during a sacrament meeting or at a friends' baptism. I love even more, the chance I get to talk with him after these experiences and talk about what he's feeling. I love this boy of mine.

Ghosts and Goblins

2009-11-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

We had such an awesome Halloween! The kids had so much fun being able to trick-or-treat with so many of their cousins (everyone was in town for Tanner's baptism. More on that to come soon!). Quincy has known for a year that she wanted to be a witch. She wasn't too scary, but she sure was cute! When Quincy and her friend Ainslee were asked what Max should be, they said a skunk, because he has stinky diapers. I think they nailed that one! He literally was "stinking cute!" Tanner went with the tough boxer, and Treyson bailed on us and went and played in a baseball tournament. I guess you could say he dressed as a baseball player. Such a fun day and night. Now, if only we could get rid of all of the kids' candy. Mom keeps finding the hiding spots!

Birthdays!

2009-11-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

We get to have two birthday celebrations at the end of October! Yea for us! Tanner's 8th birthday was on the 22nd and Max's 2nd birthday was on the 25th.

TANNER

Tanner is such a fun, silly kid. He is known in our family as the teaser, but he also has a very loving, caring side. He excels in school and loves math. Tanner loves to play sports. He plays on a traveling baseball team, called Cedar Stix, and also loves football, basketball, and golf. We love Tanner and are so grateful that he's part of our family.

Crazy hair day on his birthday!
MAX

What do you say about Max? For starters, this boy is loud! He tends to make a lot of noise. Be it with his toys or with his lungs, there is no volume control when it comes to Max. It makes us love him even more! He's been slow to talk, but is finally grasping it, and says new words everyday. Max is probably our busiest baby and is into everything. He loves Mickey Mouse, Dora, and Elmo. He loves to play ball with his big brothers and loves "Ninny" (his name for Quincy). For as wild as this kid is, he gives the best hugs and kisses. I love having him as our caboose. He makes me smile and I love him to pieces.

SUU Homecoming

2009-11-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

During Southern Utah University's homecoming, Nate was honored as the Young Alumnus. He was recognized at the annual brunch, where a slide show had been made about him. He was presented a beautiful statue. Nate has loved being able to stay involved with the university. He sits on the National Advisory board, the audit committee, and also as a coordinator for the annual golf fundraiser. He loves attending the various sporting events and supporting SUU however he can. Him and Quincy were able to ride in the parade after the brunch. Quincy loved throwing candy to the spectators. The focus was suppose to be on Nate, but I think Q stole the show. I'm so proud of Nate. He's so generous with his time and talents. Congrats to my man!

Max getting some love from Thor!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sending a little Halloween love from our family to yours. (Remember to pause the music at the bottom of the page so you can get the full effect!)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Sneak Peek

2009-10-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time in Hawaii. Tons of fun memories. Until I get a few minutes to sit and write all about it, here's a little sneak peek of one of our bathing beauties!

Fall Leaves

2009-10-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love living in Southern Utah during the fall! Every September we take a FHE and go up Cedar mountain with a picnic dinner and check out the gorgeous leaves. It's one of the highlights of the season for my kids.

Touchdown!

2009-10-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Tanner had another great year playing flag football. He loves the action and boy, can that kid run! I love watching him out on the field zig-zag in and out of kids when he has the ball.

Quincy finished up her soccer season as well. We have a little athlete on our hands! Some of the moms from the team made me promise that once she's in high school, she'll only do sports, and not cheer or dance. Nate did a great job coaching those cute little "Tinkerbells!"

Aren't They The Cutest?

2009-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

I had to share these super cute pictures I had taken of Max and Quincy a couple of months ago. I had good intentions of having the pictures taken right at Q's 4-year-birthday and Max's 18-month mark, but I'm a slacker and didn't get them done until August. The photographer's name is Abbey Kyhl and I think she is freaking fantastic! Her website is http://www.abbeykyhl.com/ if you're in the area and needing a super photographer at a super price. Enjoy my kids!

Oh, I just want to eat them up!

Back to School- Part 2

2009-09-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Quincy started back up to preschool this morning. She was ecstatic to be going again. She switched schools this year, and will now be in a class filled mostly with kids from the neighborhood. In fact, we're afraid that cute Miss Wendy might just consider an early retirement after she gets done with this crew. Q hopped right out of bed this morning and couldn't wait to put on her new school clothes. My favorite part was the cute red ballet flats, but Quincy quickly learned, that fashion is more important than function; not too comfortable by the end of the day. Oh well. The price us girls pay.

Q's besties-Daxton and Ainslee

Back to School

2009-09-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

The boys started school nearly two weeks ago and have loved every minute of it! I'm so lucky to have kids that enjoy going. Neither of them have any close friends in their classes (in fact, Treyson didn't know even one boy in his class. Got to love the merging of schools!), but have had such good attitudes about going and making new friends. Tanner is a big second-grader and is really liking his teacher, Mrs. Morris. Trey has moved onto middle school and sixth-grade. I have to say, I've been more nervous for this transition than he has. I remember too clearly some of the stupid things that happen in middle school (I mean to other kids. Not me-I was a perfect angel!). That first day of school I was so nervous that he wouldn't find anybody to sit with at lunch or have anyone to hang out with at break. Luckily, he breezed through his day, finding some of his baseball buddies that had gone to different elementaries, but now can hang out together. Quincy, Max, and I have just tried to stay busy and entertain ourselves while the big boys are away. I love being back on a schedule, but I sure miss them while they're gone!

Cowans, Celebrations, and California

2009-08-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Summer wrapped up with a bang for us. There was so much going on the final weeks before school started, so once again, here is a long (maybe slightly boring) post about the happenings in the Esplin household.

Cowan Reunion
The first weekend in August, all of my immediate family came to Cedar and spent a couple of days at our cabin. We've never had an official reunion, and my kids were ecstatic waiting for everyone to get here. We did a lot of what usually happens at reunions: eating and laughing. The kids loved riding on the four-wheelers and had a great time fishing. The fish must have been hungry at Kids' Pond that day, because I think each of the kids ended up catching one!

While we were all together, we were able to celebrate three birthdays! Dawson's fourth birthday was on Friday, Treyson's 11th birthday was on Saturday, and Colby's (38th. SSHHH, you didn't hear that from me) was on the following Tuesday. Happy birthday, boys!

Birthday Celebration

Treyson turned the big eleven on August 8th. You know, that's really not that far from driving and dating and all those things that "big" kids do. Yikes.

We spent most of his birthday at the cabin with the family, but he was getting pretty anxious to get home so he could open his presents. He's been begging for quite awhile for a cell phone. I've always asked him why a ten-year-old needs a phone. Well, I guess eleven-year-olds do. I had told him not until he was at least twelve, so imagine his surprise when the new shorts he got started to ring! He was so excited! As much as I didn't want to give him one, I have to say, I've loved being able to reach him whenever I want. I love this boy and am so glad I can call him my first. He is such a great example for his younger siblings. He is so self-motivated and wants to succeed in all he does. Love you, Trey Ray!

California

The day after Treyson's birthday, we loaded everyone up and headed to San Bernadino, California to watch the 11-12 year old baseball team play in the regional tournament. The boys didn't have the best tournament, but we loved watching them and just feeling the excitement that is there. Besides baseball, we were able to do all of the kids' school shopping (they were thrilled), eat at some yummy restaurants, and go to the beach! The water was really cold, so Max and I stayed away, but the rest of the family jumped right in! Max loved playing in the sand and trying to bury his legs. It wasn't a super warm day, so we didn't get any sunscreen on Nate or Trey...oops. Not such a pleasant ride home the next day for either of them. We had a great time, and got us super excited for Hawaii in October.

Q's Athletic Debut

2009-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

After years of watching the boys play sports, Quincy finally got her turn to take the field. She was so excited the day of her soccer game, that she came out of her room, at 6:50 a.m., fully dressed in her soccer uniform (the game wasn't until much later)! She must have been taking notes during the boys' games, because she scored five of her teams seven goals! She was a little firecraker! First career goal!

Look What My Girl Can Do

2009-08-21T12:05:00.001-07:00

I love determination. Q has been asking all summer long if I'd take off her training wheels. I told her she had to keep practicing going up hills and over the drive-way bumps before we'd try two wheels. Well, I finally decided that I needed to get rid of the extra security and see how she would do. I think she did just fine, don't you?

Where Has The Time Gone?

2009-08-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

I swear summer just started, and here we are getting ready to head back to school. Life has been crazy at our house...who has time for blogging? So now, because of my slacking, is one major long blog, with picture over-load. If you spit on pictures of my kids and recounts of their daily life, stop reading now.

All-Stars
Treyson made the 9-10 year old all-star team again this year! He absolutely loves the game of baseball and was excited to extend his season. His team played great! They easily won their first three games: 17-3 over Snow Canyon, 15-6 over Washington, and 10-0 over Dixie. They went into the championship game as the #1 seed, but really struggled that day. They ended up losing twice that day, to finish in 2nd, behind Washington. I'm proud of their team; second place in state is not too shabby!

*On another baseball related note-Treyson (and Tanner) played in a tournament with their travel teams at the end of July. Treyson hit a GRAND-SLAM!!! Pretty exciting day for him!

Park City

The Esplin family reunion was in Park City this year. We stayed at a nice cabin in the mountains above the city. We had a smashing game of wiffle ball (Quincy has quite the little swing! She amazed us all!), particiapted in family olympics, attended a (cancelled) Utah Beez game, and spent a day at the Winter Sports Park. The kids loved riding the alpine slide and the zip line. Nate and two of his brothers even were brave enough to do the bobsled! They were quite proud of their finish time and spent the rest of the night analyzing how they could have done better. The Beez game got cancelled due to illness, but we were able to watch a home-run derby that was led by up-and-coming player Bryce Harper (he was on the cover of SI and is only 16 years old). Bryce even signed a ball for each of the boys and gave Tanner one of his batting gloves. A few years from now, that glove will be worth some money. Bryce is being called the Michael Jordan of baseball, so Tanner is cherishing that glove.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE mice. Is it any surprise that it was me that was trapped in a bathroom with one while at the cabin? I was just gettting ready to go to bed and went in to use the bathroom. While locking the door, I thought, "no one is going to come in, why lock it?", but did it anyway. Maybe this is too much info, but while I was doing what needed to be done, a mouse appears from under the cupboard. I immediately screamed (not caring that it was 12:30 am and that I might wake up someone), and had three brother-in-laws race to my rescue (Nate was outside sleeping with some of the kids). I quickly got my pants up and stood on the bathtub. The mouse kept trying to get out of the door, but was stuck in with me. I finally had to climb over the toilet (which I somehow remembered to flush), and over the sink to open the door for the guys. Once it was open, they proceeded to attack the mouse with two brooms. I stared up at the ceiling not wanting to see what was happening. Apparently there was a lot of blood and insides on the floor and wall. Luckily I had a dreamless night that night. I still get the shivers thinking about it. Yuck.

We also celebrated cutie-patootie Parker's first birthday and had family pictures taken. We had a great time and are so grateful that we can get together each year.

Kissin' cousins (Max and Jane)

Girls Camp

I love working with the young women! I'm sure I'll be released sooner than later (I got called to be the cubmaster-yuck!-about three months ago), so I'm so grateful for any opportunity to hang out with these cute girls. We rocked it hard at the dance, laughed lots, ate lots, and just had a lot of fun together. Love these girls.

Fun at the Cabin

2009-07-16T12:21:00.001-07:00

While Teri was here with the kids, we were able to go spend the night at the cabin. You would think that since it's only a twenty minute drive, that we'd be up there multiple nights a week, but no, something called baseball tends to take every waking moment. Thankfully, there was a night with no practice and we got to party with the cousins. The kids had a great time fishing, riding the four-wheelers and roasting marshmallows. I loved just getting away for a minute and just vegging. Hopefully once all-stars is done we can return, but I won't hold my breath. There's always another tournament to practice for, right?

Slip Sliddin' Fun

2009-07-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

While Alayna and Tim have been off cruisin' the Alaskan waters, we've been able to play, play, play with her cute kiddos. The kids have been wanting to do the slip and slide all week and we finally got it out today. I think Dawson was in heaven-his smile was priceless!

Future Hall of Famer

2009-07-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Being the baby, Max tends to go to a lot of ball games that don't include him being in the line-up. That hasn't stopped him this season-he has spent ample time hanging out in the dug-out trying on everyone's helmets and carrying around their bats. One game, while we weren't watching, he even tried to walk up to the batter's box; helmet on, bat on the shoulder! We think this little slugger is pretty dang cute and can't wait to watch him when he finally gets a turn.

We Love the Red, White, and Blue!

2009-07-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July! We had a great day being together-parading, barbequing, and fireworking. I love my little firecrackers and love creating memories and traditions with them. We were even lucky enough to have cute Dawson and Madelyn here with us while Alayna and Tim are cruising in Alaska. Quincy's been counting down the days.

We are the Champions! (Insert singing here)

2009-06-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

After going 12-2 in the regular season, Treyson's little league team tied for first place! By coin flip they received the first place spot for the tournament round, and after three games of intense play, they came away the champions! The final game was kind of ugly (our #1 and #2 pitchers had used up their pitches in the Wednesday game and were unavailable to pitch in the final game). Luckily, the pulled it out. The boys were pretty excited. Each of the kids improved tremendously. They had great coaches that made it fun. Trey had a great season, ending with two home-runs and many triples. He spent most of his time at either pitcher or shortstop and is now just hoping to get a phone call from the all-star coach tonight. We love spending our nights at the fields and don't know what we're going to do with all of our free time. I just might have to start cooking again.

This is what Max found to entertain himself this week.

Going, Going, Gone!!!

2009-05-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Treyson hit his first home-run tonight!!! He couldn't be more excited, and I couldn't be more proud. Way to go, Bud! (Thanks for letting me brag my boy up!)

End of School Wrap-Up

2009-05-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely amazed that school is out for the summer already! Where did the time go? Before I know it, my "little" boy will be a middle schooler! AAAGGGHHH!

The last couple weeks of school, the kids had a number of programs. Tanner's wonderful teacher put on a Mother's Day program in her classroom. The kids sang a number of songs and read cute letters to each of their moms. Tanner had warned me that I might cry a little bit; he knows me so well. What I wasn't expecting was for him to get a little teary-eyed as well. It was something I'll always remember. The whole 1st grade also put on a program for their parents. The music teacher at the school is amazing and did such a great job. Tanner has loved the songs that they've been learning.

Mrs. Cynthia Dunaway-teacher extraordinaire

The fifth-graders performed a patriotic program for the whole school the day before school got out. At the program, one fifth-grade boy and girl from each class was presented the "Hope of America" award. Each teacher is suppose to select a boy and girl who does well in school, is friendly and accepting of others, and is well-rounded. Treyson was pretty excited that his teacher chose him to receive the award. Nate wrote a nice little tribute about Treyson that we read at the assembly. We're so proud of Treyson and the good student he is. He loves school and has had such an awesome teacher this year.

My Toothless Wonder

2009-05-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

Isn't this smile cute? Tanner's been keeping the tooth fairy extra busy these days! He's lost three teeth in the last three weeks. Thankfully he's running out of teeth (for awhile, anyways)!

Quincy Takes The Stage

2009-05-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Q loves a crowd. Q loves applause. Q loves being the center of attention. Is it any surprise that she LOVED her very first dance recital? I was so proud of my little girl up on stage plie-ing away! My eyes totally filled with tears (I know I'm cheesy), but Nate was smart enough not to point that out. Looking forward to many more awe-inspiring performances.

This is Quincy's darling teacher, Vandi. We love her!

Quincy-girl turns 4!

2009-05-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our little princess had her 4th birthday yesterday and I'm amazed at how fast another year has gone by. We absolutely adore this little girl; sass and all. She has brought such a sweet spirit into our home. She keeps all of us on our toes and constantly laughing with the cute things that she says. The boys adore her (even through the teasing), and are her knights in shining armor.

She's been begging for months to have a birthday party, and how could I resist that cute face? She finally decided that she wanted an "art" party. Thankfully the forcast said "sunny" (they forgot to mention windy), and we were able to party it up at the park. We made aprons, played with play dough, did a little spray paint art, and decorated our own cupcakes. When the kids had all gone home, she gave me a big hug and said it was the best party ever. I got my four-year-olds approval, and that's all that matters. I love you, Q.

Nursery, Here I Come!

2009-04-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm doing the happy dance. As of tomorrow, my baby will be 18-months-old! For anyone out there that hasn't reached this milestone with their children yet, let me explain. Up until this exciting "birthday," 2 1/2 hours of church are generally spent in the hall. We (I mean Nate) usually walks/runs up and down the hall, chasing a runaway child. Occasionally, Nate will try to come into class, to only moments later, return to the hall. Confinement is not good when you are a young toddler. On Sunday, Max can officially enter nursery and we (including him), couldn't be happier! Our good friend and neighbor is the nursery leader, and has graciously let him come in the last three weeks. Happy, happy day in our house.

It is hard for me to believe that my baby is at this point already. He has brightened our world and I'm so grateful to have him as our caboose. He still isn't talking much (unless a couple of animal noises and the word "no" count), but is pretty good at following directions. He's pretty headstrong and in his short little life has thrown more temper tantrums than the others combined. He does the full-out on the floor kicking and arched back tantrum. Quite fun to watch (if we're in the vicinity of our own home, of course). Max is also quite the climber. I'll often find him sitting on the table, eating whatever snack Quincy left up there or coloring with the crayons that she forgot to put away. I love my baby to pieces. I also love that we don't have to deal with him during the final two hours of church anymore. Yea!

Dale Murphy

2009-04-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last night we were able to meet the Atlanta Braves all-star, Dale Murphy. My boys were in heaven! He was a great speaker and shared some fun stories. My boys didn't even complain that they had to wear a polo!

Our (failed) attempt at Easter pictures

2009-04-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

Try as I might, Max will not sit still for pictures. He wouldn't sit on a chair, a rock, or even let Treyson hold him. So, needless to say, our Easter pictures don't include Max. I got a few of him running away, but never any great ones. Oh, the joys of 18-month-olds!

I had to have a picture of the shoes! They're one of my favorite purchases of the season!

One of few pictures where Max is actually looking towards the camera. Notice the chocolate on his face and it's only 8:00 a.m. That's my boy!

Gateway Children's Museum

2009-04-16T14:40:00.001-07:00

Over Easter weekend, the family headed up north for my nephew's baptism/Trey's baseball tournament. I figured that I see PLENTY of ball games, so on Friday, I skipped out on cheering my boy on, and headed to SLC with my parents to meet up with my fabulous sister and her family.

We met up at the Gateway Children's Museum and had such a great time! I only had Quincy (how lucky am I that I was able to leave the others with Nate?), and she absolutely loved it! She gets so excited to see Dawson; if only they could see more of each other! If you've never been to this children's museum, I would highly recommend it. Whenever we travel with the kids, we try to visit the local children's museum. Salt Lake's ranks right up there with the ones in Columbus, Ohio, and in Boston. Such a fun morning with the fam.

Trey's Been Busy

2009-04-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Our school science fair was two weeks ago. The fifth and fourth grade classes are required to participate; the other grades are optional. Tanner asked if he could do one, and me being the super nice, supportive mother that I am, said no. How awful am I?

Treyson got the idea for his project from one of his cousins. He handed out plain white t-shirts to four of his friends and then the five of them wore them on a Saturday. The boys were suppose to go about their normal activities (do their normal stinky boy type things), and then we collected them. We then took all five shirts back around to the boys families and had a parent and a sibling smell the shirts (with their eyes closed). They were suppose to pick out which shirt belonged to their child/brother using only their sense of smell. The experiment turned out cute, with only a few things that we'd do different if we did it again. He ended up getting an honorable mention, which he was excited about. Heck, we were just glad to have the assignment completed!

Next on the list for Treyson was Dare graduation. Each of the fifth graders had to write an essay about what they learned during the course. The Dare officer then picked a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place essay from each class. Trey won 1st place! The 1st place winners each had to read their essay in front of those at the graduation (all 5th graders and their parents). He did a great job, but said that his legs were shaking the whole time. He got to pick a prize (a football), which I guess made it worth it. I was proud of him and the great job he did.

Playing Catch-Up

2009-04-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

I've been a major slacker. Life gets crazy, and the blogging tends to disappear. I wish I could say that I've been on some fun, exotic trip, or even that it's been warm and all I've done is play outside with the kiddos, but no, I've just been here doing the day to day. I pinkie swear that I'll do better.

A Little of This, and a Little of That

2009-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Life is keeping us running lately. Little league has started and we'll be living at the ballpark now (like we weren't there constantly before now). Just a little update on everyone...

Treyson set a goal at the first of the year to hit a home run this year. Well, yesterday Nate took the kids to the fields for some practice hitting. Trey must have found the sweet spot because he hit not one, not two or three, but four home runs! He was pretty ecstatic (so were his parents)! Now he just wants to get one over in a game, when it really counts. He had his first piano recital and did awesome!

Tan-Man is loving playing baseball on a traveling team, just like his older brother. In his last tournament they even won a game (that's a big deal for these little beginners)! He's also playing soccer and has scored eight goals in his first three games.

Quincy just keeps us going with all of her silliness. She went with the boys to the ballpark yesterday and loved being able to pitch and hit, just like them. She made her dad proud that night when she did a practice swing and asked him if she was dropping her shoulder in her swing. I guess she's heard a little baseball talk. She loves going to preschool and to ballet. I love my little princess. We're just never sure what's going to come out of her mouth.

Max is growing up on us! He's now seventeen months and almost legal for nursery. He doesn't talk, but who needs to with all of the chatter we get out of Q (she seriously does not stop)? He just points and grunts, and either gets happy if we guess right, or shakes his head no until we do. He's a busy little boy and is totally getting into climbing on everything. He totally completes our family.

Life is crazy, but life is good.

Happy 40th!

2009-03-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

They went from this:

To this:

Forty years later, there are now four children, two son-in-laws, two daughter-in-laws, 12 grandchildren, and lots and lots of memories. Congratulations Mom and Dad on 40 years together. I love you and am so grateful for the example of marriage you set for me.

Toothpicks Are For Teeth, Not Toes

2009-03-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, while I was at a PTA meeting, I got a call from Treyson telling me that Tanner had stepped on a toothpick and he was screaming like crazy. Me, being the wonderfully compassionate mom that I am, told Treyson to get a wet washcloth, pull the toothpick out, and then cover his foot with the washcloth (I didn't want blood on the carpet of course). I then went back into my meeting thinking that the problem was solved. A few minutes later, Treyson called back and says, "Mom, it's a little more serious than you think. Plus, I learned in school to never pull a puncture wound object out." So, I went back into the meeting, excused myself, and went home to do the deed myself. Needless to say, it was more serious than I had imagined, and there was no way I was going to yank it out myself. The toothpick was sticking out of the ball of Tanner's foot, right by his toes, and parallel with his foot. Totally gross. Luckily the doctor's office wasn't quite closed up for the day, and I was able to rush him out there. The doctor gave Tanner four shots in the bottom of his foot to get him good and numb. As Tanner squeezed all life from my fingers as he was getting the shots, I felt a little guilty about the harm I had done to Nate during my four labors. That's another story though. Anyways, the doctor was able to smoothly pull the toothpick out. It was in there about an inch. Ouch. Once it was out, Tanner was a new man and pretty pumped for the good show-and-tell he would have for the next day. It's healed well and Tanner's running around like nothing happened. Now I just have to do a better job at keeping my carpets "toothpick free."

He Shoots, He Scores!

2009-02-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Trey and Tanner have both finally finished up basketball. This was Treyson's first year entering the "draft," which is suppose to make the teams a little more even. He had a few of his friends on his team, and Nate helped coach. His team ended up split with even wins and losses. He had a great time, but I think he's ready to be playing baseball full-time.

Tanner's age group would meet each week for a series of clinics, and then for the last four weeks, they played scrimmage games. The kids picked their own teams, and needless to say, the teams were always a little lopsided. Tanner had a group of friends that always stuck together. Tanner loved playing the games and had an endless supply of energy. He was all over the court and loved every minute.

Quincy and Max were always just happy climbing on the bleachers, playing with the extra balls, and seeing what treat Grandpa and Grandma would bring them.

My Valentines

2009-02-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

We didn't have our typical Valentine's Day this year. The two older boys had a baseball tournament in St. George, so we spent a very cold weekend watching games. The highlight for Quincy and Max was making (ok, eating) the sugar cookies. Max couldn't get enough of the frosting and I happily obliged him. How cute are these two licking the spoon?

I couldn't resist this picture with the close-up of those chubby toddler fingers!

I love my five Valentines! They make my world go around.

Let The Races Begin

2009-02-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well, another Pine Wood Derby race has come and gone, and Nate is grateful that he has 11 months to recuperate. It is seriously one of those things that he dreads doing each year. He loves working with Trey and the time he gets to spend with him, but remember, he's a sit behind a desk kind of guy. Trey's goal for this year was to at least make it across the finish line (there have been times that it didn't quite make it). He did get one second place, three third places, and the rest fourth, so it was a definite improvement from last year. I'm just proud of Treyson (and his dad) for being good sports and not getting too discouraged. I keep reminding Nate that he's done with one of the boys and the Pine Wood Derby. Now we just have to gear him up for Tanner and Max.

Let's Play Ball!

2009-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Seriously, is there anything cuter than this Tanner of mine at his very first baseball tournament? Plus, don't you think there should be a rule that my kids' uniforms should always be blue to match their eyes?

Anyways...

I was so proud of my Tan-Man! He played four games and was so excited for each and everyone of them. He got walked almost every time up to bat (remember, these kids are seven. I don't think there were many strikes thrown.). He played shortstop every game and did have some balls hit to him and was able to make the play and throw the runner out at first. Their team ended up taking second place (ok, there were only two teams in his age division), and you would have thought they won the World Series, they were so excited! It was so fun to watch him and his excitement for the game. It's a good thing he likes it, because he has another four games scheduled for this weekend!

Treyson's team also played and took third place. He played with a different group of boys this go-around and had fun with them. (I didn't even get pictures of Trey this weekend. I guess I was too consumed by this new orange and blue team I was rooting for.)

Family Pictures

2009-02-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

We had our family pictures taken in November (it seems like forever ago) and I'm finally getting around to posting them. I loved the gal that took them. Her name is Abbey Kyhl and she was incredible! She was so incredibly patient with my very irritated one-year-old and even met with me the following week to try and get better pictures of him. She was wonderful to work with after as I tried to decide what pictures I wanted and went back and edited several more for me. I think her prices are very reasonable, so if you're in this area, give her a call. Her website is: http://www.akstudio.typepad.com/. Sorry for the picture fest ahead!

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

My aunt Wendy and uncle Rick were nice enough to host a Super Bowl party at their house. They always have such yummy food and my kids were ecstatic to play with their dog, Baxter. The three older kids have been begging Nate for a dog for quite awhile (he's allergic). After playing with Baxter for awhile, Quincy even asked Nate if instead of getting her the moon (which she asks him for regulary), if he'd get her dog. We couldn't quit laughing. The food was great, the company even better, and the right team won.

*None of us remembered our cameras, but Whit had her phone. Thanks Whit!

Call Me a Wimp...

2009-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's my "old" age, but I've decided I'm not very adventurous or daring. Over the weekend, Nate and I drove up to West Yellowstone to go snowmobiling with some friends (who from here on out will be refered to as "the experts"). Now mind you, neither Nate nor I had ever even sat on a snowmobile, let alone rode one. We were excited though for a fun weekend away and took "the experts" up on their offer to go ride with them. We were the only two "novices" in the group; the other six ride constantly and are much more willing than I am to go up crazy steep hills (and back down them) at heart-pumping speeds. I told them after the first day of riding that I can get a much bigger "rush" by finding a good deal at Baby Gap. The first day, I managed to run into a tree (going very slowly, easy to fix), tip the machine as I tried to turn uphill, and get thrown from the snowmobile-it flew through the trees one way, I flew the opposite. Luckily I wasn't too hurt (emotionally maybe, but not physically). Nate had only one incident that involved holding onto a tree for dear life. We had fun with "the experts," but I don't think we'll be buying a snowmobile in the near (or distant) future.

2009-01-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Although we froze our behinds off in Chicago, we had such a great time! We gained some weight, spent some money shopping, and had some really good laughs! We even found Oprah's favorite cupcake shop, Mandy B's. One word: yum! Being at the Oprah Show was kind of surreal. I still haven't watched it, so I'm not sure how much we were even shown. Nate said you pretty much had to know where we were sitting and what we were wearing to find us. It was pretty dang cool when Oprah walked out. I have to say, I think she looks older in person. She didn't talk to the audience during the show (she was always studying her notes during the commercial breaks), but after sat and talked and answered questions for about twenty minutes. The show itself was ok. Kate Winslet was on and was a great guest, but the rest of the show was spent talking to people through Skype (satellite). I had a great time with the girls and am so glad I got to spend these days with them. Thank you Nate for an awesome Christmas present and for playing Mr. Mom while I was away. Hopefully next time I'm in Chicago the temperatures won't be in the negative figures!

We brought home a lot more bags than we took! The shopping was too fun!

While Mom is Away...

2009-01-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

While Mom is away freezing in Chicago, I get to play with Quincy and Max all day long!!! We have watched Tinker Bell for the 4th time this morning, did watercolor painting (and cleaned up a couple of times along the way), and avoided work as much as possible. Quincy even taught Dad how to make cupcakes (must be pink). Notice Max watching on from the sidelines eating his chicken nuggets from McDonalds (Dad is the best cook in the world). Notice the laptop computer on the table--unopened as I great intentions of doing some work (not going to happen I don't think). Also, you can see some of Quincy's pretty artwork on the counter as well.

The cupcakes actually aren't half bad. We didn't make very many because we ate most of the batter before we cooked the cupcakes.

We will be back to regularly scheduled programming Wednesday or Thursday (once Lindsay returns). Check her out tomorrow on Oprah as she hangs with Kate Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio.

Tuckered Out

2009-01-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post this picture of Q from Christmas night. I thought it was too cute. I think that's how we all felt that night.

In With The New

2009-01-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day we headed up to Brian Head to do the tubing runs. I hadn't ever been up there, and have to admit, when I got to the top of the hill the first time, I got nervous! I think I must be getting old! I thought Quincy would completely freak out, first at the top of hill, and then the entire ride down, but she absolutely loved it! She was a brave little thing and wanted to do it over and over! Max had fun just sitting in a tube being pulled all over the place.

Out With The Old...

2009-01-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

The last couple of years we've stayed home with our kids on New Year's Eve and partied like rockstars with them. Alayna and Tim were in town still, so their cute family and mine and Nate's parents came up to our house for a little food and Guitar Hero. We watched the ball drop in New York at ten and Quincy was so excited that we let her stay up until "midnight." She really thought she had pulled a fast one on us! Nate and I actually made it until about 12:01, so I'm quite proud of us!

I have to concentrate pretty hard! Tim killed me!

Merry Belated Christmas!

2009-01-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! Ours was spent enjoying our time together and with family. Growing up, Alayna and I had a very hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve (we inherited this from our mom. She still can't sleep and she doesn't have any kids at home!) The two of us would start singing Christmas songs, or any other thing we could think of to wake the house up, around 4:00 a.m. (that is not a typo). It would drive my brother Cameron insane! My kids of course wanted to wake up super early, but six was our limit (have you been around Quincy when she doesn't get enough sleep?). The three older kids all slept in Q's room, and right at six, Tanner came bouncing out. The other two actually had to be woken up! They had a great time exploring their gifts from Santa and were spoiled by each of their grandparents as well. Unfortunately, the day ended too quickly, but now we can just count down until next year!

*I've mentioned before what a great gift-giver Nate is. Well, this year, he went above and beyond. He had each of the kids write a page of "My Favorite Things About Mom" and then he included a list of his own. At the bottom of his page it said:

"Watching your reaction when you find out that you are going with your friends to Chicago to shop and watch the Oprah Winfrey Show live."

Can you believe it? I was sobbing/screaming/laughing! I'm still in complete shock. I actually leave this Saturday and will be going to the show on Tuesday, January 13th. I'm not sure if the show we're watching will be showed live that day or at a later date. Just plan on watching that day, and if anything is different, I'll let you know!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-01-05T14:10:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to tell the very best dad in the world happy birthday! I'm so grateful for this good man and for the example he is to me. He has always been so supportive of me. While I was in high school, he was at every game I cheered at, every softball game, and every concert. He still supports me now by supporting my family. He's such a good sport to attend the kids games, even traveling sometimes to watch Trey play baseball. My kids are so lucky to call him Grandpa, because I don't think they come much better than him. They each adore him and love to sneak into "his chair" so that he'll tickle them. They love walking down to KB Oil to get a special treat with Grandpa. I feel so lucky to be able to live near him and be able to spend time with him and my mom. I love that he's retired and being able to pop in during the day just to say hi. I love you, Dad! I hope your day and year are the best!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-01T19:17:00.001-08:00

Every Christmas Eve afternoon, we get together with our neighbors, the Wilkersons. It's always a good way to kill some time and get the kids' minds off of the big delivery that takes place that night. We either go to a movie or go bowling, and since Max is at a terrible age to go to the movies, we headed to the bowling alley. It was crazy busy out there and luckily we were able to get a couple lanes. The kids always have fun and we love being able to spend time with our good friends.

We spent the evening with Nate's parents, eating, singing, and just enjoying each other's company. Nate's mom made a delicious meal, and then the kids entertained us with a little program. Trey played the piano for us while we sang, and Quincy danced away. The kids always get to open new pajamas and can't wait to put them on.

One of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is listening to my dad read a new children's Christmas book. This year was "The Wooden Shoes". After he reads the story, my parents give us a little keepsake to remind us about the book. They had found little miniature wooden shoes to add to our collection. I love getting these items out each Christmas to display.

While we were in NYC, we found these pjs for Q and her doll. We couldn't pass them up! She was so excited to have matching clothes with her Bitty Baby!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T11:36:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to tell everyone Merry Christmas and to share some pics of my kids from before church on Sunday. I love shopping for Quincy's Christmas dress each year. Nate and I saw this while we were in New York and knew that it was "the dress."

The church missionary department did a YouTube video about Christmas. If you have a minute check it out here: http://ourldsfamily.com/docs/ChristmasGreeting.html

We're truly grateful for this time of year. We're grateful for the birth of our Savior, his life, and his atonement. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas day!

For All Of You Moms Out There

2008-12-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

I thought this was great! This clip is a video of my life, and I'm sure many of you will relate. Happy viewing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMhuAtyFCrw

Christmas Lights

2008-12-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite things to do during the holidays is drive around and look at Christmas lights. Nate always does such a good job at our house. He complains about it every year, but I think he secretly enjoys it, and is always happy with the end result.

Growing up (and even still), I thought I had the coolest Christmas house in Cedar City. Over thirty years ago, my great-grandpa Neeley started putting up a Nativity and Santa scene in his yard. When my parents moved into the home, my dad continued the tradition. Once he has put the decorations up, it truly feels like Christmas is on its way. I'm so grateful for this tradition. My kids look forward to seeing it each year, and many people in the community comment that it's one of the homes that they have to drive by each year.

Another fun thing we were able to do this year was join Alayna's family at the Ogden Christmas Villages. The local businesses each donate and decorate a little "house" that gets displayed around the Ogden downtown park. The kids had a great time peeking into the windows to see how each of the homes were decorated. The Grinch was even there to spread a little holiday cheer!

While we were up north, we also had the opportunity to walk around temple square. None of the kids had ever been there during Christmas, so they loved seeing all of the lights. Tanner even told Nate that our lights at home looked just as good. That made me smile. Nate's good, just not that good!

Family Pictures

2008-12-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend the whole Cowan Family traveled up north to Madelyn's baby blessing. Tim did an awesome job and little Maddie looked beautiful! It's so fun to see Alayna with a little girl. Since we were all going to be in the same location at the same time (something that doesn't happen too often) we decided to get family pictures taken. The last time we had pictures done was at Alayna and Tim's wedding. We felt the two of them were a little over-dressed, so it was time for a replacement. Tim's cousin met us at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and started snapping away. The process was actually quite quick and easy, which was a pleasant surprise. Here are a few of the end result. Don't I have a good looking family? And those grandkids...

Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T13:15:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a little behind, ok, a lot behind, but Happy Thanksgiving! We had such a great weekend filled with family, food, fun, food, laughing, food, and shopping. We're so lucky to have both families right here in the same town. We ate dinner with the Esplins this year, and as always, it was DELISH! Nate's mom is an excellent cook (I really need to learn to make gravy and pies like her), and we were definitely well-fed. The kids loved spending time with each of their cousins. We loved having them stay at our house and "partied like rock-stars" (as the kids said) each night.

What I am most grateful for.

Quincy, Parker, and Kaylee

Kaylee, Jackson, Quincy, Parker, Max, and Treyson
(Don't we have cute cousins?)

Quincy, Dawson, and Maddie

Grandparents Day and Share Fair

2008-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

The day school got out for Thanksgiving break, Tanner's class had a grandparent's day. The kids could invite their grandparents (or a substitute if one isn't close by) to come and spend the afternoon with them. Tanner's lucky to have both sets of grandparents living here. Grandma Esplin (Grandpa E. couldn't get away from work), and Grandpa and Grandma Cowan joined Tanner in some games, recess, and a short program. Tanner was able to read a little thing about his grandfathers that have served in the military and show a picture of his grandpa Cowan in his uniform. He was so glad to have them share this day with him.

Treyson has been working on a project for school for about the last month. He had to research an ancestor that immigrated to the USA and then create a board displaying some of the things he found out. Can I just say that it was a huge pain! It was one of those "parent projects" that the student needs help all along the way. Thankfully, Nate's mom has quite a bit of info on various ancestors. She made the job much easier. In the end, he did a great job, and did most of the work, with a little guidance. I wonder though if Tanner can use the same project when he's in 5th grade. Wishful thinking.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

(Thanks Shannon for the poem.) We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. We're so lucky to be able to spend the day with most of our family members. We have been incredibly blessed this past year. Have a great day and eat lots of turkey!

High School Tag

2008-11-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

I got "High School Tagged" from my aunt Shannon, so now you all get to read all about my exciting high school years. It was fun to read Shannon's memories from high school 30 years ago. We'll see if I can remember 1991-1995. Here goes!

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes! I loved to have boyfriends (whoever tells Quincy that I did and that it's ok, is so in trouble)! Besides dating some fun boys, I ended up marrying one!

2. What kind of car did you drive? I had a pretty rockin' car. It was a 1976 Monte Carlo. We called it the "love machine" because it was big and red, inside and out.

3. Did y0u pass your Driver's License Test your first try? You betcha!

4. Were you a party animal? Most definitely not.

5. Were you considered a flirt? Hmmmm...

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was in the orchestra and played the violin-something that I really miss.

7. Were you a nerd? I don't think so.

8. Were you on any Varsity teams? I was on the varsity softball team all four years of high school. I was also a cheerleader.

9. Did you ever get suspended or expelled? No way. I've always been a little scared of authority figures and have always hated getting in trouble.

10. Can you still sing the fight song? Of course! (See #8 above) When you sing it week in and week out for four years, it's hard to forget it.

11. Who were your favorite teachers? I loved my science teachers-Mr. Sorensen and Mr. Stephensen (even though those weren't my favorite classes.) I also liked Mrs. Roundy in English.

12. Where did you sit for lunch? Thank goodness for an open campus! Before we could drive we would walk up to KB Oil, Taco Time, or Subway. After we turned 16, we would usually head to Wendy's or somewhere like that. The dollar menu saved us!

13. What is your school's full name? Cedar High School

14. What is your school's mascot and colors? The Redmen (an indian) and the colors were maroon and gold.

15. Did you go to Homecoming and with who? Yes with Todd Garrett, one of my good friends.

16. If you could go back and do it again would you? No way. I loved my time in high school and had great friends and some very good memories, but I don't ever want to repeat the drama that high school girls are involved in (I'm dreading it with Q).

17. What do you remember about Graduation? Graduation was held in the Centrum (basketball arena at the SUU campus). My classmates had selected me to be a speaker as the girl representative. I remember being totally freaked out because the arena was huge and it was full! I also remember just being so happy and proud that I had made it through high school with no regrets. We also left for our senior trip to California that night, so we were all anxious to grab our bags and go!

18. Where did you go senior skip day? Ok, maybe I was kind of a nerd. I had an AP test scheduled on the same day as the senior sluff day, so I sat in a classroom and took a test that day.

19. Were you in any clubs? Yes...The German Club (total extra credit), the spirit club, and a club for girl athletes (can't remember the name).

20. Have you gained some weight since then? Do I really need to answer that? I'll just say that I have four beautiful kids.

21. Who was your Prom date? His name was Pat.

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Been there, done that. Our fifteen is in just over two years. I think that each one gets more fun as people change and continue to "grow up."

23. Did you have a job in High School? I worked for a little while at Godfather's Pizza. Life got too crazy with cheer and then softball to be able to spend much time making money!

Well, there you have it. I wish that I had a scanner to be able to share some lovely pictures from the mid-1990's. You'll just have to picture the big, permed hair.

Susy, Alayna, and Wendy...It's your turn to remember the good, old days!

New York

2008-11-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

We're back from the land of excitement. We had such a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We went with our good friends the Barricks and the Sumans and did a lot of laughing, eating, and walking. We were able to go to "Wicked," Regis and Kelly, The Rockettes, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and the Today show. We also hit Ground Zero and Top of the Rock (top of the Rockefeller Center). We did lots of shopping (the men were very good sports) and found some incredible deals. I loved going to the American Girl store and doing some (secret) shopping for Quincy. She would be in heaven there! One of our very favorite things was going to Canal Street in Chinatown and bartering for purses. Right when we got off the subway a Chinese lady quickly asked us if we were looking for handbags and told us to follow her. We went down, over, and around to get to her secret hideout of purses. She told us to cross the street, and as we did, another lady stepped out of a windowless van. We told our husbands we loved them and to kiss our kids for us and stepped into the van. For a minute we thought she was going to drive off, but after successfully getting our things, we reunited with the guys. We went to a variety of "hidden" purse rooms (we definitely got a workout walking up all of those stairs!) and came home with some fun finds. I just wish that I would have had enough room to bring one home to everyone!

The kids loved their tenders and we are so grateful for the cute couple that stayed with them. I know they were exhausted when we got home and were glad to go back to a normal life. Max ended up with double ear infections while we were gone, so I'm extra grateful for the extra love that he was given. I'm glad to be home to my babies, but I have to admit, another kid-free vacation always sounds tempting!

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip (sorry, there are a lot!):

Happy BD, Grandma!

2008-11-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Today is my sweet grandma's birthday. She's 87-years-young and we are so grateful that she is still with us and is still so strong! She still lives by herself and is extremely independent. She even drove herself to renew her license a couple of weeks ago! Anyone that knows this lovely lady, will agree with me that she is the kindest, sweetest lady you will ever meet. When Treyson was little (I think about two), he nicknamed her "Sweetheart Grandma," because she calls everyone "sweetheart." It fits her perfectly and each of the great-grandkids call her that. She's an avid SUU basketball fan and has had season tickets for years. She does have a feisty side and can get after the refs as well as anyone. She loves her children and grandchildren fiercely and would do anything for them. I'm so grateful to have this wonderful woman in my life and in the lives of my children. She is an amazing example and someone I hope to be like. Love you, Grandma! Here's to many more birthdays!

NY, NY Here I come!

2008-11-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

Nate and I are off tomorrow to the Big Apple! He has a meeting on Tuesday out there, so I'm going along to play! Another couple from work, and two of our good friends are joining us on the adventure. The two of us went out six years ago and were able to see most of the big sights, so I think we'll be spending alot of time on Canal Street (can you say bargain?). We have tickets for "Wicked" and are hoping to get some same-day, half-price tickets for another show, as well as the Rockettes Christmas show. And, if you're not busy Tuesday morning at 9:00, tune into Regis and Kelly, because WE GOT TICKETS! I guess it's pretty hard to get them, so we are ecstatic! We'll see you in a week!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun, but crazy, month of October. We have so many traditions during the month (which makes for easy FHE planning!). From looking at the fall leaves, to picking and carving/painting pumpkins, we always have a good time. Unfortunately, this year when we went to get our pumpkins, they were all either rotten or green. So the "patch" we ended up buying them from was Wal-Mart. Gotta love that!

The kids have been planning since the spring to dress up as the characters from the Wizard of Oz. They wanted the whole family to play. Their well thought-out plan didn't end up happening. Treyson ended having a baseball tournament Halloween night in Mesquite, and when Tanner's tin-man costume came, his head was too big for the hat it came with (surprise, surprise). I offered to improvise for Tanner, but he decided to bag that idea, and was instead, the skeleton pirate from "Pirates of the Caribbean." Quincy was still Dorothy and Max was the Cowardly Lion.

My good husband offered to stay home and trick-or-treat with the kids, while I took Trey to his tournament. I went down Friday with just Trey, and the rest of the family came down Saturday for the rest of the games. Can I just say, it was heaven to sit through the first two games with no kids! Treyson's team did great! They went 3-1, putting them as the number two seed for the championship. They ended up getting slaughtered in the final game, but they had fun and didn't seem to care that their trick-or-treating took place in the parking lot after the night's last game.

1st Birthday Celebration

2008-11-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

We partied like rockstars for Max's first birthday! The family all came up that night for dinner and cake. Max really could have cared less about the wrapping paper or the cake, but had a fun night anyways. I'm sure he was wondering what all of the fuss was about. He would lightly touch his cake and then throw it onto the floor. Why is it that the one time you really don't care if they make a total mess, they decide to be neat and tidy? We're grateful that we have family in town that could come help us celebrate the big day. Here's to a happy second year!

Enjoying the new birthday toys!

"Helping" me make the cake!

"You cannot make me wear this STUPID hat!"

HB to my #1 Sister!

2008-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish Alayna a happy, happy birthday! I hate having her so far away. I wish that I could have wined and dined her today. She has such a good husband that goes all out for birthdays, so I know she was treated like royalty today.

Alayna is my very best friend. Growing up, I'm sure there were days that my parents wondered if I would ever get over myself and be nice to her. I am forever grateful for her and her example. She is truly one of the best little mommies around. She spends countless hours sitting on the floor playing trains with her three-year-old, or, being the school teacher she is, setting up "centers" for Dawson to rotate through. She is such a thoughtful, kind person. She truly loves others, and will do whatever she can to make someone's life easier. Besides being nice, she is ultra-talented! She works from home for a scrapbook company called Storytellers Club. It's a mail-order scrapbooking company. She designs for their monthly kits, plus does a monthly project using their supplies. Go check out some of her work at http://www.storytellersclub.com. As I've said before, I want to be like her when I grow up.

I hope you have a day to remember, Alayna. You are the absolute best!

*I had in mind some fabulous pictures to post of A, but due to unforeseen circumstances (see below), I have nothing to share. All I have are these that I stole from other's blogs.

Lesson Learned

2008-10-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, Sunday my hard-drive crashed. Not a happy day around here. You see, we have a one-year-old, whose pictures have not been backed up. I'm diligent about downloading from my memory card to the computer, but have no idea how to back them up onto a CD. I'm now going to learn. We don't know yet if we've lost everything, just a little bit, or nothing at all. I'm absolutely sick about the possibility of not having pictures of Max's first year. Thank goodness for blogs and grandpas. Because of them, if we have lost everything (pray with me!), I at least have these two sources for some pictures. So, learn from me, BACK UP YOUR PICTURES!

My Baby is One!

2008-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

From this:

To this:

My little guy turned one-year-old today! It's amazing to me to compare the first picture, taken at one month, to today's picture. Where has the time gone? I've been a little more sentimental with Max. He's our last, and I think will always be my "baby." I've tried to hold him a little longer, play with him a little more. Every new milestone that he's reached, I've realized that's the last time we would be experiencing anything like that again. He is such a happy, easy baby (until it's time to change a diaper or get him dressed-then he crawls away as fast as his legs will go). He has a lot of car-seat time as we take the older kids to their various activities, and he's always so content to sit there and go along for the ride. He has brought so much happiness into our family. His smile and dimples can melt my heart. I love this little guy and feel so blessed that he calls me "mamamama."

*Warning: Picture overload ahead!

One Day Old

1st Halloween

Professional pictures we had done at two weeks. LOVE those squishy lips!

Blessing Day

Two months old

Three Months
Five Months
Nine Months

Ten Months

Eleven Months
His very favorite thing to do

OSU Buckeye fan already

The Birthday Party

2008-10-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm a bad mom, but I tend to dread birthday parties. I really don't know why, because I know how happy it makes my kids. Maybe it's because you spend so much time planning and preparing and then it comes and goes within an hour and a half. Maybe it's the thought of having 15 kids running around like maniacs. Maybe it's the clean-up afterwards. I don't know.

Tanner's party actually turned out ok. He had wanted to do a Halloween party and play "spooky" games and eat "creepy" food, so we scoured the internet looking for fun ideas. We ended up playing "zombie tag" (Halloween version of Marco Polo), "Boo am I" (charades), and "mummy wrap," where the kids wrapped each other up in toilet paper and raced to a designated spot. The food was the funniest part because there were kids that refused to eat some of it because they thought we were feeding them cooked worms and that the appendages floating in the punch were real. Even after I told them that they were only eating hot dogs, about half of the kids wouldn't eat them. It made us laugh. When it was all said and done, I think Tanner and his friends had a good time. Now, if only I can think of a way out of one next year (hey, a mother has to dream!).

Photo Tag

2008-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

My cute Aunt Shannon "photo tagged" me. The rules of the game are to open up your photo files and click on the fourth folder and then the fourth picture. This is the picture that I got:

Two years ago in December, our family and my brother Colby's family headed to the happiest place on earth together. We had such a great time being able to spend four days with them in Disneyland. December was the perfect time to go because the park was decked out in Christmas, but the biggest bonus was that there were NO LINES! My kids absolutely adore their cousins and loved being able to create these memories with them (that's Hadley, Kennedy, and Bentley riding "It's a Small World" with Trey and Tanner. Aren't they cute?).

Now it's your turn. Anyone out there that wants to play, you're invited (I don't want anyone to feel left out!). Go to your picture files and click away.

HB Tanner!

2008-10-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my Tan-Man! We are so grateful to have him in our family. Who can resist that smile and those dimples? He is such a nice boy to everyone (Quincy doesn't count) and has done such a good job in first grade. We're off to start his party now. Wish me luck!

HeeHaws

2008-10-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

While we were up north, we hooked up with Cam and Jami's family for some fall fun. We had wanted to do the corn maze at Thanksgiving Pointe, but the cars that were backed up for a mile just trying to get in, kind of scared us off. We ended up going to "HeeHaws" in Pleasant Grove. What a great decision that was! The kids were able to run around doing the various activities. There was a huge hay-bale slide that the kids loved and kept going back to and Max loved the pens of animals. Quincy and Halle were two of very few kids that got to ride the pony (I guess he tires easily). The corn maze was great. It's divided into two sections. The first one was fairly easy (well, for every one else. I have absolutely no sense of direction. I just follow the crowd). We ventured off for the second round, and after feeling a little lost, we backtracked and came back out through the entrance. We figured that it was getting dark and cold, and not a soul knew we were in there. The kids love spending time with their cousins and were so happy to be able to do this with them. I think we just might have to travel back up next year for a repeat performance!

Which way do we go?

The giant slide from above

Spending time with the Marriotts

2008-10-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

How absolutely fabulous does my sister look? You would never know that she had a baby only two weeks ago, and by c-section, no less! We were able to travel to Ogden over UEA to see the cutest baby ever, Miss Madelyn Jane. My good husband and Tim loaded up all of the kids to go bowling, and Alayna and I got to just relax and stare at baby. She is seriously the cutest thing. Pictures don't do her justice! She has this full head of long, dark hair! I enjoyed loving on her. What a sweetheart! Thanks Alayna for letting us crash at your place for the day. You and Tim do some good work!

Can you believe that this is my "baby"? Only a couple more days and the big birthday celebration will be here!

Volcano Day

2008-10-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

The fifth graders at our school do an annual volcano day, where they put into practice what they've learned about volcanoes. They are responsible to create a volcano and then have it "explode." What fifth grade boy doesn't love a good explosion? Treyson paired up with his friend Berick (whose sister had to make one of these last year. I was glad he was with an "experienced" partner.). They formed their volcano out of foam insulator and used vinegar and Alka Seltzer to form the reaction. Theirs just kind of oozed out, but at least something happened! The best reactions were from Diet Coke and Mentos. Hmmm, if those things together create a massive explosion, what do they do to our insides? I don't think I want to try it.

Our Princess

2008-10-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

The young women in our ward had a princess night for the young girls from primary. Can I just say, Quincy was in heaven! Anytime you can put on a princess dress, high heels, a tiara, and makeup, you know life is good. All of the YW and leaders even got to dress up. I was Snow White and felt fabulous in my gown! (I was hoping to post a picture of Q and I together, but I'm still waiting to have it emailed over to me.) Quincy totally lived it up and made the most of the night. Now, if we could only teach her that princess' don't have an attitude (post about that to come).

Quincy calls Ainslee "the other primpess"

Handbags, anyone?

2008-10-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Do you love handbags? There's an up and coming new purse website. Check it out and enter to win a new handbag! It's http://www.handbagplanet.com

Update

2008-10-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Miss Madelyn is doing so much better! As of today, she is off of the oxygen and iv's and should be transferred out of NICU either tonight or tomorrow morning. There's a pretty strict schedule in the NICU, so Alayna and Tim are only able to go and see her at certain times. They're anxious for her to be released to regular care so that they can love on her and get to know her. Alayna is fairly sore today, but is trying to get up and move more. It sounds like they'll both be staying at the hospital until Monday. Thanks for checking in!

Introducing...

2008-10-02T14:27:00.001-07:00

Is she not the most beautiful thing ever?! (Sorry for the little logo from the phone. I'm not very good when it comes to these things!). Alayna was able to hold her for about a half-hour. She'll stay in an incubator with pure oxygen and try to get the fluid out (I hope I'm telling this right!). Alayna and Tim were told to plan on her staying anywhere from 2-7 days. Alayna is feeling ok, and hopefully will be able to get some rest since little Madelyn will be in the good care of the nurses.

She's Here!

2008-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted everyone to know that little Miss Madelyn Jane Marriott is here! She was born at 8:15 a.m., weighing seven pounds, eleven ounces, and is twenty inches long. She has a full head of dark, curly hair. She's kind of struggling breathing, so they have her on oxygen. I'm not even sure if Alayna has held her yet. The phone call with Tim was pretty quick, so I only got the basics. The doctors didn't seem too worried about the breathing and said that it's actually quite normal for c-section babies. Tim wasn't able to get a good picture yet to send down, but as soon as I get one I will post it. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers for their little girl! I'll keep everyone posted as I find out more.

*Hello to all of Alayna's friends who are checking in here for info! Thanks for taking such good care of her, Tim, and Dawson!

Fabulous Fall

2008-10-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Fall has to be one of the greatest times to live in the state of Utah! Anywhere you go from Northern Utah, to down in the south, the leaves are gorgeous! Last week we took the kids for our annual "picnic at the C," to eat and enjoy the leaves and fall weather. The reds were on, and the yellow and oranges were just coming on. We were probably a week too early to get the really great colors. We're going to have to trek up again to see them again. I love this time of year!

Three Toads and a Princess

Deck the Halls?

October Birthdays

Fall

GQ

*12*

Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime?

Oh, No!!!

Future Tony Award?

Dancing Divas

America's Next Top Model

Little League 2010

The Princess Turns Five!

Easter 2010

Doin' Disney

Paradise (Plus A Little Wind And Rain)

Trey Ray

The Car That Crossed The Finish Line

THE Mr. Nate Esplin

Giving Us The Finger

Our Holidays in Photos

Abra Cadabra!

Shakin' Her Booty

Aloha!

The Other Ghost

Ghosts and Goblins

Birthdays!

SUU Homecoming

Happy Halloween

Sneak Peek

Fall Leaves

Touchdown!

Aren't They The Cutest?

Back to School- Part 2

Back to School

Cowans, Celebrations, and California

Q's Athletic Debut

Look What My Girl Can Do

Where Has The Time Gone?

Fun at the Cabin

Slip Sliddin' Fun

Future Hall of Famer

We Love the Red, White, and Blue!

We are the Champions! (Insert singing here)

Going, Going, Gone!!!

End of School Wrap-Up

My Toothless Wonder

Quincy Takes The Stage

Quincy-girl turns 4!

Nursery, Here I Come!

Dale Murphy

Our (failed) attempt at Easter pictures

Gateway Children's Museum

Trey's Been Busy

Playing Catch-Up

A Little of This, and a Little of That

Happy 40th!

Toothpicks Are For Teeth, Not Toes

He Shoots, He Scores!

My Valentines

Let The Races Begin

Let's Play Ball!

Family Pictures

Super Bowl Sunday

Call Me a Wimp...

While Mom is Away...

Tuckered Out

In With The New

Out With The Old...

Merry Belated Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!

For All Of You Moms Out There

Christmas Lights

Family Pictures

Thanksgiving

Grandparents Day and Share Fair

Happy Thanksgiving

High School Tag

12