Update??

So, yes, it's been awhile. I'm struggling with a laptop that is so close to crashing...therefore I can't load pictures onto the hard drive knowing that that may be the one thing that pushes it over the edge. So here is a small verbal update...slideshow to follow. (Just need to hijack hubby's for a bit...) Favorite, for me, events that took place...

July...Trips to the zoo, Tracy Aviary, Thanksgiving Point, an all day BBQ with the family up American Fork canyon.
Let's see...Silver Lake, BBQ's with friends, a camping trip with friends (which included complimentary bullets whizzing between mine and Dan's heads...
Night time trips to A.F. canyon with s'mores and tinfoil dinners! (Is there anything better?)

August...Anniversary trip to Deer Valley complete with Randy Travis concert (brrrr...), Ambree turned 19 (still trying to wrap my head around that...although I'm not sure why. I have the wrinkles to prove I do have a 19 year old!)
Lots of pool days, either here or at Sissa's place with the kiddo's, Liberty Park picnics, and more Tracy Aviary.

September... Labor Day at the cabin with a girl's day at Swiss Days, State Fair (I'm still craving the fried pickles and funnel cakes...
Dan's parents came to visit, which was extremely wonderful! We drove up and over the Alpine Loop with a stop at Sundance (one of my favorite places!) Lots and lots of preparations for October... Looking forward to skiing with my hubby up there this winter.

October... Threw my parents a 'surprise' 40th wedding anniversary party, complete with their original wedding colors, awesome treats, a bouquet for the bride, and lots of happy tears...Turned out perfectly. Thank you to all those who helped make it that way. They were surprised to say the least!
Lots of birthdays...Ryan... Addison and Emerie both turned 3, Carter, Christian, and little Lukie! Maddy was invited to her first birthday party...
A surprise visit with Christian! Well, it was a surprise for my parents! So for the first time...they all got to celebrate their birthday's together! Our annual pumpkin carving contest was also included in this celebration. We tried to mush together as much stuff with Christian as possible. Miss seeing him more often!
Halloween...another in the long line of first's, Maddy's first Halloween party! Savvy and Luke (and Robyn) did such a good job and it was so cute!
Pumpkin patches and mini corn mazes...
Maddy started a tumbling class...

November...Dan's good friend came down for a 4 day fishing trip to 6 Lakes...the next weekend, Dan flew up to Seattle to meet his sister's to surprise their dad for his 75th birthday...I know that it meant the world to my husband, let alone for his parents. I'm so glad he was able to get up there. It was the first time since 1984, that all 3 siblings and parents had shared the same table...at Herm and Mary's home. The memories of that weekend will be cherished forever, I'm sure! A busy and stressful past week full of ER and hospital trips...which brings me to this final part...

Thanksgiving is only days away...and I am sooo thankful for my life!

For my husband, who through his own stresses, continues to take care of me and do wonderful, thoughtful things for me and someone who I am more in love with today than ever before...

For my girls, who keep me smiling and laughing day in and day out. I am so grateful for both of them, their personalities, their presence in my life. There is nothing better!

For my parents...gosh...where would I be without them? Besides the fact that they gave me life, they gave me many other qualities to. They taught me generosity, and unconditional love, patience and kindness. They continually teach us on a day to day basis, by their actions, how to live, love, accept, and enjoy!

For my siblings, Jeremy and Melissa...they've made me laugh continually, sometimes uncontrollably. We have shared a life full of trials, full of joy and laughter, and we are closer now than ever before! ...and Ryan, who I miss every minute of every day. I'm so grateful for the 28 years that he was in my life!

For Dan's family...who are sweet and caring. Herm and Mary who have raised 3 wonderful, sweet, compassionate, loving children...and I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be married to one of them.

This year has gone by fast, almost too fast. My girls are growing up...Ambree starts college (sniff, sniff) in January. Maddy will be 2 in March. Huge difference in their ages, yes, but I wouldn't change one thing, one moment, one trial, one relationship, one (or more) mistakes...because I am who I am because of all of these.

Life is good!

More catchup...

So we took our poor little child to Chuck E. Cheese...it used to be fun and exciting! Am had her 4th birthday party there and the kids were jacked about going. Now it's another story...our baby that has NO FEAR of anything. She head dives into her swimming pool and the bathtub and comes up laughing, she climbs ladders (by herself) to the tallest curly slide and goes down by herself (usually ending up backwards) but immediately wants to do it again, she says 'hi' to everyone we see...grocery store, park, walks, etc., and tries to kiss anyone who will pucker up! Not this time...there is something about a giant singing rat and his friends, and a clown pushing down on the other end of a see-saw that made her freeze and shake! Here, below, she is keeping a close eye on the clown that pushed on her see-saw...mind you, it's fiberglass. Then she saw the pink horse following her and slowly melted down into a stiff, screaming mess.

Yet here she is, with her own pool that she dives in and out of, trying to put her little push toy in. She's out little She-ra!

She is also 'queen of the fits'. Here she is telling me 'no, no, no' and trying to escape up the stairs.

Here is our poor dog. Don't get me wrong, he loves being outside and basking in the sun. The poor guy has had such a hard transition with Maddy. He just doesn't like her, she stole his spotlight, his thunder, and being the main attraction in the family room. He whines, and shakes, and is a complete mess. He's gotten himself kicked out of 'Puppy Lounge'. If Dogmode every stopped letting him come stay, we would forever be stuck at home, or at least until we decide to find him another home. Most days I don't have the heart...then there are the times when you pick him up, because he doesn't obey well, to take him in, and he screaches like he's being tortured! Our neighbors prolly think he's being abused...and let me be honest...there are days when a swift kick in his hiney doesn't sound half bad...but, for now, he's the deranged, mentally unstable, toddler in our family.

This is one of those days when I am too tired to finish the day...oh wait, that's every day! Almost! Thank heavens for Unisom, Crystal Light energy and Amp!

Sort of out of place... On our way home from St George, we drove through Richfield where my grandma is buried. None of us had seen her headstone yet, and it was right before Memorial Day. Perfect timing... Not a day goes by when I don't think about her or miss her. She was the most angelic, most sweetest, most caring, most giving, most loving person I have ever known. I will never forget the weekend I stayed with her when grandpa had his hip surgery. She tried so hard to stay awake with me, she made her homemade custard, and we talked and laughed a whole lot. Then in the morning, she had to get to her hair appt (across the street), and she slowly got into her pathfinder and tore across that street and into their driveway like a NASCAR driver! That always makes me laugh. Love and miss you grandma!

Every day, well every day when it wasn't raining or cold, Dan takes her over to our very sweet neighbors house to use their swing, slide, and trampoline. She LOVES them. Here they are stomping back. I missed it with the camera, but she bent over to smell the purple flowers, then kissed them.

Yes, I do have another child. :) Ambree is busy with 2 jobs... Famous Footwear and Gymboree. Yes her working there has been a little hard on the wallet, but with the discount's, how could I NOT?? She's gearing up for Fall Semester at SLCC and getting used to having a car, and the added responsibilities and funds. Mom's purse strings are (almost) cut off, trying to get her used to the 'pay your bills first, then play...' rule. Almost set in...almost! Love you AM!!

Hmmm...no posts for a while...so catchup!!

Uuugh! I haven't done this in so long that the thought of catching up scared me away for a bit. Now my OCD has kicked in and I've got to start somewhere...since it's been since April, I'll do it a bit at a time. One post a day until we are successfully up to date.
May was crazy, I won't lie. Fun and not fun, and busy, super busy. We had a booth at the What Women Want expo in St George over the 21st and 22nd so our days were spent...sewing, quilting, and putting together all of our goods for the weekend. Slow turnout...but it's always fun hanging out with the girls. (Mom, Sissa, and Am)
We got to spend time with Ryan's son Christian...and even though the kid is 16 now and Ry has been gone for half his life, he resembles so many of his traits. My mom brought down one of Ry's guitars and gave it to him. He took to it immediately...just like his dad. He had quite the small group of fans, the little ones LOVE him, just like they would his dad if he was still here.

The crew...mom, me, Am, and Melissa

The small crew in their matching jammies...

My favorite pic of these two!! Addy (the cheeseball) is hilarious! Spicy, but hilarious!

Our road trip down. Can't believe how well they did on the way down. Hardly a peep! Endless Backyardigans, chicken nuggets, fries, and very little sleep.

Here is a work day at mom's pre-boutique...Addy and Emmy are ok. Mad's was done this day.

The quilt that I made. Unfortunately, someone snagged it and the quilting started to come undone so we had to take it off the table. Sniff, sniff...

Dan and Maddy playin in the backyard.

Dan took me to Stein Erickson for my birthday. First night away from the baby was hard on us, Maddy had NO idea we were even gone. She stayed at my sisters and her cousins kept her super busy!

More to come...

Aquarium...

Normally there aren't enough words for me in a day...today, I am more mute...here are the girls seeing the penguin exhibit at the aquarium...

This was Mad's favorite fish tank. It was her heighth and she tried for 15 minutes to get in there with the fish!!

This was also a favorite...she could touch it and it glowed!!

Boy the girls LOVE their 'mimi'. Addy even calls her 'my mimi'. She has her hands full with them.

Easter weekend...

Easter weekend was at the cabin this year. Am had to work all weekend, so she was the only one who didn't make it up. Of course we had some record snowfall right before...so there was PLENTY of it. We had lots for the kiddies to do up there this year, so it was good. Started with egg decorating... Maddy just wanted to eat the eggs and egg cartons.

Hmmm Mimi...can I have some glitter?

Our transportation up the mountain this Easter...we slid sideways in the soft snow. Mad and I had to get out while dad, running over a case of DC had to straighten it out. Maddy loved the ride...

Dreaming of the cabin, Easter egg hunts, the easter bunny, and of course kissing her cousins...

LOVES the peeps...just like her mom!

The cute little kiddies on Easter morning. The older 3 were up and full of candy before Maddy even opened her eyes...She loves her cousins, sometimes a little too aggressively, but loves them none the less.

Packin' around her basket for the egg hunt, still carries it around the house.

She would stop every once in a while and notice she had stuff in there, pulled it out and started over. Hasn't quite grasped the concept yet...

While moms and dads were running around cleaning and getting ready to venture back down the hill, Maddy and her sweet cousin Savvy cuddled up on the couch to catch some toons. I was a little jealous, she doesn't love to cuddle much, and she sat there for probably close to an hour! Love this pic!!!

What a fantastic time we had. The kids had a ball...the older ones dug a trail to the hot tub in prolly 3 feet of snow. Diehards!!

Maddy's 1st birthday!

My cute momma, Am, Maddy, and Luke.Muggy opening her bubble blower.

She'll be one hot momma in this little swimsuit from my parents.

A stuffed 'Scout' since, even after a year, the real one still won't look at her, let alone play with her.

The 3 amigos!

Excited at the sight of her very own cake! Cute bib is from Mimi and Papa.

Tastes good! Especially when someone lifts it to you!

All the kiddos! Carter, Savvy, Luke, Addison, Emerie (above) wasn't feelin' in the picture mood!

Pre Birthday party in her rainbow bright leggings!

My baby is 1! Still can't believe a whole year has gone by already. It has been an amazing year, watching this little monkey grow and develop. Her personality has come out and she is HILARIOUS! Spicy, cheesy, and hilarious! When I say spicy, I mean the side of her that comes out when she doesn't get her way...she will hit you or bite you, and then kiss you immediately after. She knows what 'be nice' means...even though she doesn't have much restraint in showing that she's displeased about something. Am has been a huge help! Thank you sweetie! Don't know what it is about Am pulling out her camera, Muggy will smile on cue every time. She LOVES her sister!

She's learning new words and chatters to herself in a language only she understands. She intimidates her twin cousins. Emerie always looks nervous when Maddy barrels towards her. She loves them though and loves to give them kisses!

Maddy's party was a blast! Couldn't have been more perfect for a 1st birthday. We barbequed, and all the kids ran and played and squealed and laughed! She got clothes (can't wait for summer to come so that she can wear her zebra and hot pink swim suit!), shoes, a puzzle, a lawnmower, books, dolls, a bubble blower, and a lot of other fun stuff. A little overwhelming for a 1 year old. She wasn't quite sure what was going on. And then the cake...I made her her own little cake with a Mickey Mouse candle, she LOVES Mickey, and she likes to go face first when eating sometimes. It was sooo priceless!

Better walking video...

Here's a better video of her walking. Since today she's ventured the entire length of the family room.

It's official...she's walking!

It's official, Maddy is walking. She suprised us one Sunday morning. (2 days before she was 11 months actually). She just...walked...

Hard to believe that my little monkey will be a year in 2 1/2 weeks. It makes me sad, yet I love watching her grow and learn every single day. She loves to point at things, mimic what you say, even the tone. Every day she's learning a new word. It's hilarious!

The video is a little dark. Don't know what happened, but you can see her taking a few steps!

Warm weather?????

Oh how I wish it was summer already! Boo to the ice crusted snow, the inversion, and the biting cold! I wish I was here...with my babies and my hubby!