Nate and Amber's Family

I'm Back!

2009-11-02T10:02:00.002-07:00

I have realized how sad I am that I haven't posted on this blog for almost a year. I loved seeing all the fun things we did and watching my family grow. Plus it is way faster and cheaper than scrapbooking! It is a journal/memoir for me and my family... so the journey continues. I am going to try to update at least weekly and not just the big events, but the every day happenings too. So welcome us back to the blogger world.

Halloween 2008

2008-12-07T13:44:00.014-07:00

The update continues...

What do you get when you have an Angel, the Devil, Superman, an a Ladybug?

The cutest family that I love the most!

We had such a great halloween! We went Trick-or-Treating at Nate's work and Michael scored a lot of candy (for me, since he can't eat most of it! Don't worry though, he has enough candy that he can eat to last him until next Halloween!) On the way home from Nate's work we stopped by my cousins house and went Trick-or-Treating with her kids. Michael just loves and adores his cousin Sam and was so happy to be with him. He ran with Sam to all the houses and we were left in the dust!

Michael loves superman (don't ask me how, he's never seen it, but he knows exactly who he is and points out superman toys at the store) so that is what he chose to be.

Madison's costume was a tough choice. It was a toss-up between the cute lady bug costume and Snow White. (Snow White might make an appearance in the years to come.)It rained on us by the time we took any pictures so if you look closely you'll notice that one of Madison's "antenae" has lost it's umph. She was still the cutest ladybug ever though!

She was pleased as could be that people kept giving her candy. The only problem was that she tried to eat each piece every time it was handed to her (no concept of delayed gratification) and she wasn't thrilled when we took anything away!

Nate was the hit of the night! He was so dedicated that he shaved his head (I mean totally bicced!) for his costume. He was painted completely red and used his creative talent to make shadows on his face and his horns look so real! I thought the kids would be so scared of him when they saw him, but they weren't even phased. Not even a double take. (What is that saying Nate???)

He knew what he was going to be and wanted me to join him, but I said no way, so he brought me home angel wings and a halo and and our costumes were set!

We ended the night Trick-or-Treating at a few houses in our neighborhood and then going home to divy up candy. Two piles, Michael "friendly" and non-Michael "friendly" (or in other words, Michael's pile and Mom's pile!)

Happy Halloween!

Alright, alright, I'm getting to it...

2008-12-06T08:52:00.007-07:00

I have been so busy lately and any time I get to spend on the computer is usually spent posting my cards on ebay or trying to keep up my website... but balance in all things right. I can't neglect my poor cute little family. (besides, if I don't blog now I might not get around to it until Madison's second birthday!) Also, this doubles as a great journal and when I get around to scrapbooking these pictures and have forgotten when they were taken I can just come here and check right! Thanks for you patience and your diligence to keep checking to see if I've blogged. And, without further explantion...

Quick Recap:
Madison's birthday was a hit! She had a great time. I made cupcakes for the kids there to frost and decorate. They didn't have any milk or nuts so Michael could have them too! That is a big plus in our family.

We loved having Austin visit! Here are some pictures of his and Nate's "knife" fight with markers and golfing.

Michael is now in preschool and he loves it! (I think I love it more though!) He gets to learn and play and I get 2 1/2 wonderful hours to get things done with only one child at my heels. He loves his backpack and he love to ride the bus. Watching him get on and off the bus each time makes me realize he is so big! Here are some pictures of his first day at school.

Don't you just love the finger up his nose?! It's a nice touch right.

Michael's Birthday was great! We had a lot of kids there and it was fun having them run around. Michael loved opening his gifts and loves the toys that he got!

Thanks for everyone encouraging me to post. I'll do some more updates later. What... I will.

Happy Happy Birthday Madison Dear!!!

2008-07-07T09:28:00.002-06:00

Madison is ONE today! I cannot believe it. She is so tiny that she still fits into 3-6 mo. size clothes! She is such a joy and we love her so much. She is one of the cutest, happiest, smiliest babies I have ver seen. She is a mommy and daddy's girl, she gets shy around others, and she has a smile that melts your heart (and a scream that bursts your eardrums!) She is a doll. I am looking forward to celebrating with her today! Here is her wake up picture with me and Austin and Michael singing Happy Birthday to her this morning. Happy Birthday Madison!

We've Had a Busy Week!!!

2008-07-07T08:07:00.013-06:00

Monday morning me and the kids traveled to the airport to pick up my niece Britney who stayed with us for four days. Monday we went to Temple Sqaure and walked around the gardens and looked at all the water pools, then we met my brother Brandon for lunch in SLC, after that we headed home and as soon as Nate got home from work we went to the water park.
Tuesday we went shopping at the mall and Wednesday we went to the zoo. Madison had never been to the zoo before and Michael was a baby the last time he went. We all loved the bird show and getting to have them fly right over us. We also saw two bears get into a big fight, and a new baby giraffe. Michael's favorite was the Gorilla's and the train ride and the enormous metal elephant (We had to keep going back to it several times!). Even though it was blistering HOT we all had a great time!

Britney kept asking me if we could make cards, so we did. We spent a day making handmade cards and Britney LOVED IT! She made a stack to take home with her to give to her friends!

On Thursday night Nate and I & the kids went out to eat at Ottavio's which is a super yummy Italian restaurant that Brandon introduced us to a few years back (thanks Brandon!) When we ate there Brandon ordered the Penne Pesto and I had a taste of it. It was so delicious that it is all I have ordered every time that we have gone back!

On Friday we had a great fourth of July! We went over to Nate's parents house for lunch and had a fun time playing the signs game. We got to meet his sister's boyfriend and then they came over to our house later and we played Ticket to Ride. After that his brother and sister-in-law came over and we played Guillotine (For anyone who knows me I LOVE to play games, so this was wonderful for me!) They stayed while we lit off a bunch of fireworks. The kids loved it! Madison was mesmorized and Michael was a great help and got very excited for all of them. It was such a fun good day and is definately one of my favorite holidays!

On Saturday we were driving up to Ogden to be with my family. Brandon and Nate were planning on golfing that evening. We stopped at the Living Aquarium in SLC and took the kids through. Even though it is small Michael LOVED it!

While on the way to Ogden Brandon called and said he and Nate should postpone golfing. Little did we know that it was because my sister-in-law Whitney who was 8 1/2 months pregnant was in pain so they were taking her to the hospital to hopefully get some pain medicine and get checked out. We got a call about 1 1/2 hours later with great some scary news... Whitney was going in for an emergency C-section even though she still had three weeks left in her pragnancy! We were very anxious until we heard the news... Beautiful EMERY ELIZABETH PIERCE was born July 5th 2008 at 7:26pm. She weighs 5 lbs 6 oz and is 17 in, and she is absolutely beautiful and perfect!

After giving them some time and hanging out with some of my old friends in Ogden we headed to the hospital to see her. Whitney was doing well. I think both she and Brandon were still in shock from the whole experience. I loved holding sweet little Emery and I am so happy that both she and Whitney are doing great! I know that they are going to be and already are such great parents.

Sunday we went back to the hospital for more snuggle time with Emery and to check on Whitney and visit with her and Brandon. Then we headed to my parents house to make cupcakes and get ready for Madison's birthday party! We had my parents and the Croyle's there (Brandon & Whitney were kinda busy!). Madison loved her cupcake and cried when it was time to clean up. Michael even got to enjoy because the cupcakes were MILK & NUT FREE!!! He also ate about 3 popsicles.

We stopped by the hospital again before we headed home to give Whitney and Brandon and Emery one last hug! We brought my nephew Austin with us and he'll stay with us until Wednesday. It has been such a busy, exciting, wonderful week. We are glad that Emery is here and that she and Whitney are doing well, we are glad that Britney is here and that we get to visit and spend time with her, and we look forward to my sister Natalie coming out to Utah in just a few days and bringing her three adorable girls (Including Greta whom we have yet to meet, having made her arrival only a short time ago!)

We are grateful for life's blessings and all of the joy it brings! And we love our family!

Allergies are SCARY!!!

2008-06-26T09:36:00.008-06:00

So Michael got two new toys yesterday. One from the Paramedics/Firefighters that had to come to our house, and the other from the doctor in the ER. Yesterday morning we were all enjoying hanging out outside (Nate doesn't work until noon on Wednesdays). Nate was drinking a protein drink and Michael came over and asked for some. Nate gave him a couple of sips and then pulled it away remembering that it had milk in it. We watched Michael and within a minute or two he began throwing up and rashing all over his face.

This wasn't uncommon for us because it is usually what happens when Michael comes in contact with milk or peanuts. We quickly gave him some Benadryl which usually stops the swelling and then he is fine.

However, this time the swelling didn't stop and neither did the throwing up. (Meaning that the Benadryl we gave him was useless.) I looked at the ingredients for Nate's drink powder to see exactly what was in it and on the label it said "For Adults Only: Not for children under 12" "must mix with at least 8 oz. of water per scoop or may cause choking." Even though there was more than enough water in the drink I figured I'd better call Poison Control to see if this was why he was having a more difficult reaction.

I didn't have Poison Controls number handy, but we have had to call them once before (another story) and my sister who is a police officer had told me just to call 911 tell them it wasn't an emergency, but that you need poison control right away. So I did it again this time. The 911 operator asked some questions and said that she would like to stay on the line while I spoke to Poison Control.

After explaining the situation to Poison Control both she and the 911 operator felt that they should send help right away, so they did. Michael and I waited outside for the ambulance to come. It is a really scary experience to hear the sirens and know that they are coming for your child. We quickly got him into the ambulence just as the fire truck pulled up. They checked all his vitals and his swelling. They said that his vitals and breathing were good, but that the swelling was still a concern. Both eyes were very swollen, one even looked like it might swell shut. They told us that they could take him in (to the ER) if we wanted them to, or that we could keep him and just watch him closely, make sure he didn't sleep, and make sure he didn't quit breathing. They also said to give him more Benadryl and that if the swelling didn't go down then to take him in.

We decided to keep him with us and to watch him. We took him inside and gave him more Benadryl (which he threw up again). I took him and held on the couch and he was alseep within minutes. I tried to wake him up but he was out. I figured he could sleep as long as I was holding him because then I would know if he stopped breathing.

We had our neighbor come over and he and Nate gave Michael a blessing. I tell you right now that I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood. I was pouring my heart out in silent prayer as well that Michael would be okay.

He finally woke up a little bit just to throw up some more. His poor little body would shake and he would cry and it was absolutely miserable for us all. While holding him he had sweat so much that he had literaly soaked my shirt and I had to go change, yet he would shiver occaisionally and kept pulling a towel (handy for the throw-up) over him as a blanket.

The Poison Control operator called us back to check on him. When I told her his condition she told us that he needed to go to the ER right away and be seen. She said he had been swollen too long and that if we waited for him to stop breathing we wouldn't make it. Nate and I said a prayer and then went off to the hospital.

The ER was a typical frustrating ER visit. We were there for well over 5 minutes before anyone even came out to see how they could help us. (Which, when you are worried feels like an eternity.) Then it was more time in the waiting room. Although at this point it was kind of nice because they had a large fish tank with lots of cool fish and Michael kind of came back alive at this point and climbed out of my lap to go check them out. It was a huge turning point in how he had been acting and from then on he seemed to start getting better (wouldn't that be the case when you're already registered at the ER).

A nurse checked out Michael and then they "fast tracked" us because of Michael's condition. After that we spent more time in a cubicle waiting for the doctor. (At this point I thought "WOW, I am glad we brought him in when we did because if we had waited until he stopped breathing he would have died while in the ER waiting for help!") The doctor arrived and she was fabulous with Michael. She checked him all out and then she gave us a prescription for his swelling. She said just to watch him, but that the swelling seemed to be going down finally and that he was looking better.

We left the ER and made a trip to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription and two Epi Pens so that if he reacts this badly again we will be ready.

This is by far the worst reaction he has had. Even the night before we were eating with some friends and Michael snagged a Dorito and... nothing. He was totally fine. He didn't even throw up. This has happened occaisionally, but we were told that whether he reacts or not, each time he is exposed to anything that he is allergic to, the next time he does react will get worse and worse.

We are relieved that he is okay, but I am very scared for the future. It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that you could possibly have your child die at anytime from something so simple as taking a drink. It is hard to come to terms with something like this and yet not live in fear of it or let it rule your lives.

Yesterday was very scary but Michael is doing lots better. He still has some swelling around his eyes, but his face swelling, rash, and throwing up has stopped.

By the end of the day he was already laughing about the day like it was some great adventure. He would pretend to throw up, then make siren sounds, and then say "they help, they help" (because that is what I was saying to him in the ambulence when they were trying to check him and he was freaking out... "They are here to help you Michael." over and over) Then he would laugh. All in a days work for him I guess.

I would have taken pictures, but when you are nervous that your son might quit breathing at some point you don't run and get the camera. Here are some pictures of how he looked this morning eating breakfast. Lots better.

I am sure it probably won't be our last ER visit with with him (too bad too cause it just so happens to cost a small fortune).

(Good thing we got our plane tickets for Hawaii two days before, otherwise I think Hawaii would have been cancelled for not being able to afford it.)

Thanks for your concern and love and prayers. We are grateful for our blessings and for Michael's health and all the help he received yesterday to make sure he was okay.

Family Home Evening

2008-05-20T13:03:00.002-06:00

For FHE we made bird feeders so that we can lure some birds into our yard. Michael loves watching the birds, he loves chasing them away even more, but always gets sad when they go.

More Recent Pics of My Family

2008-05-09T13:26:00.002-06:00

Swimming in St. George

2008-05-09T13:18:00.003-06:00

We took a much needed trip to St. George over Easter weekend and it was FABULOUS!!!

Michael At Play

2008-05-09T13:12:00.002-06:00

A Day In The Life of Me

2008-05-09T13:00:00.009-06:00

This is why I never get anything done, never have a clean home, pull my hair out and cry on some days, etc.

Thank you Michael

You may be confused thinking that this is the laundry room... it's not, it's my bedroom.

I don't know what is more shocking, the mess, or the fact that I still have and use VHS and cassette tapes.

These are just a few of the messes that occur literally on a daily basis, not to mention messy diapers, throw-up from sick kids, etc., but what the pictures don't show are the smiles and hugs that I get from them, and all the wonderful moments that truly make it all worth it!

Get Ready For Some Serious Updates... And a Lot of Cute Pics!!!

2008-05-09T12:50:00.002-06:00

Messy, Cute Kids~

New Business Website

2008-02-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new business website. If you are interested, check it out at www.stampinamber.stampinup.net. I would love comments and feedback on what you think. Also, feel free to pass this around (every little bit helps right!) Thanks so much for everyone who supports me. I really appreciate it!

Uh-Oh

2008-01-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Michael is a pretty curious kid, and he is VERY resourceful. Luckily he is pretty obedient too, but a two year-olds obedience only goes so far. Anyways, needless to say when our little curious monkey goes MIA for a few minutes and all is quiet, then we start to worry. A couple of weeks ago we (Nate, myself and the kids) were all hanging out together. Michael took off down the hallway which is normal, his room is down there... and then there is one of those quiet spells. So I asked Nate to go check on him and this is what Nate brought out to me.

Michael of course loves to watch mom and dad and copy whatever we do. It really makes you aware that your kids are watching your every move and pick up on what you do. In some ways it is good. In other ways it is bad... like when your son tries to apply MASCARA!!!

He did pretty good though don't you think?

Time For Some Updates

2008-01-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Christmas and the New Year were busy, and Michael has been sick for almost a month, so picture taking and posting hasn't taken place as much as I would have liked, but here are some updates from last month...

Michael absolutely LOVED having his dad home all the time for two weeks!!! No one plays like dad does! Nate buried Michael in his crib with all his toys and Michael loved it.

Where is Michael?

Peek-A-Boo

We did a lot of fun family things over the holiday. We decorated gingerbread houses, did several holiday arts and crafts, made breakfast together, played in the snow together, played with new christmas toys together, and got to see lots of family, and we even got to see some of Santas reindeer!!!

A Visit From Santa

2007-12-21T10:38:00.001-07:00

We went to Michael's school Christmas party where we ate dinner, ran into old friends, and got to sit on Santa's lap (well, not me and Nate). Michael wasn't so sure about sitting on Santa's lap. (Can you blame him? It is a little scary!) Madison was all smiles as usual!

Merry Christmas to me!!!

2007-12-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

You are looking at my brand new, wonderful Christmas present. (Although it has already been used twice since Saturday.) Nate and I couldn't wait to ride together so we are saving some of my new gear and that will be my "Christmas present". I love it! I can't wait to race with Nate next summer!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words... And I Have Two!!

2007-11-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

I cut off over 20 inches of hair!!! It will soon be on its way to Locks of Love. (This is the second time that I have donated, but the first time wasn't as much, 13 inches.)

Not that I look like her else wise, but I think this is a total Victoria Beckham haircut. What do you think?

Trick or Treat

2007-11-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Michael LOVED trick or treating. (Honestly, what kid wouldn't?) It didn't take him long at all to realize that all he had to do was knock on a door and he would get some candy. In fact, he liked it so much, that when we were Trick-or-Treating at Nate's work he decided to dig in and ate a Hershey's Kiss. This was bad for two reasons... One, he is allergic to milk, so couldn't have the chocolate. Two, he didn't take off the foil wrapper, and he ate it. It took him all of about 30 seconds before he threw it up. I was nervous the night was going to go down hill from there and that he would be too sick to trick or treat, but he recovered quickly.

Notice the gun? It's mine that goes with my pirate costume. Michael wouldn't put it down. But hey, what Pooh Bear doesn't wield a gun??? He loved checking out people's Halloween decorations, and especially all the Jack-O-Lanterns that people had set up. It was a fun night and Nate loved answering the door in his costume to scare all the kids!!!

Halloween Party

2007-11-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Nate and I hosted our first party in our new house, and we had lots of fun doing it!

Nate's costume was amazing. As you can see, he was the headless butler! Michael and Madison were the best friend pair, Pooh and Piglet. My pirate costume was popular, as two of my nieces were pirates too! Nate's brother won the Best Costume award. (He is the escaped convict that you can see lurking in the background.)

One of Nate's friend showed up late, Butt his costume was great! It had hair in all the wrong places and was disgusting. That is what made it so good!

We had a fun night and missed everyone who wasn't there! Happy Halloween!

Michael and Pooh

2007-11-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Michael loved his costume and liked wearing it a lot. The only problem is that it is made to keep kids warm when they are outdoors trick-or-treating. Indoors it is like a sauna and our already skinny son sweats off the pounds while wearing it around. But he does make a perfect and a dang cute Pooh. I figured for him to be Pooh Bear was only apropriate, since he said "Pooh Bear" way before he even said "mama".

Can you find Madison in this picture?

2007-10-17T13:27:00.000-06:00

As I was packing up to leave my cousin's house, my other cousin's little girl started helping me pack up Madison. She added some stuffed animals and the entire contents of a tool box before we noticed. Thanks Brin. It was so cute that I had to take a picture and have a good laugh. Madison just sat there and took it the whole time she was getting buried alive! It was pretty funny! If you look closely at the picture it looks like she is screaming for help!

Michael's Loves

2007-10-17T12:55:00.000-06:00

We went to my cousins house to play last week and had quite a time. Michael came home with two new loves as a result. The first was a battery powered Jeep. Michael loved driving that thing around, and most importantly that he could do it himself. There were lots of tears when it came time to taking turns.

Michael "off roading".

The second love and MOST important, THE drill. While playing inside he found a toy drill that makes noise and moves when you hold the handle. Power tool and noise, need I say more? The toy spent the rest of the day by his side. He loved it (that is a huge understatement). The kids were jumping on the trampoline and Michael wanted to go on. I told him that he would have to leave his drill off the tramp or someone would get hurt. This led to a fiasco. While on the tramp Michael would cry because he wanted the drill. While on the ground with the drill he would cry because he wanted to be on the tramp. I finally gave in and let him be on the tramp with the drill (sorry Kim and Sarah).
Michael crying because he wants the drill.

Michael and his drill.

Watch out for the drill!

Needless to say, the drill came home with us thanks to the kindness of my cousin. And although he has mellowed out about it a little bit and he isn't crying anymore because he has to put it down to eat, it is still the first thing he asks for after his nap and when he wakes up in the morning. Michael always has so much fun at the Conants, and with such fun stuff and friends to play with, how could he not?

Michael and his two loves... the drill and the Jeep.

Michael's Shadow

2007-10-09T18:05:00.000-06:00

Madison has joined the ranks that Michael has paved the way for. . . She is officially a thumb sucker (and good at it too). She turns her nose up at the binky and pops in her thumb. Well, what can you do?!

Our House

2007-10-09T18:02:00.000-06:00

This is for you Natalie (and Nicollette). You asked me to send pictures of our house a while back, well, here they are. We just planted five trees in our yard so it won't be so bare anymore.

Halloween Decor

2007-10-09T17:57:00.000-06:00

I am so excited that we have a house, one reason being that now we have space and I can decorate for the holidays!!!

WASHINGTON!!!

2007-10-09T16:49:00.001-06:00

I drove (yes, drove) to Washington to stay with my sisters kids while she went to pack up their home in New Jersey. They have lived far away most of their lives, so I have rarely gotten to see them and it was such a treat to get to spend a week with them. Washington was BEAUTIFUL, but definately very rainy. I wish I would have gotten some pictures of the landscape (maybe next time I visit)! Now we just need to get my sister Natalie and her family to move back to Utah and then we will all be in the Western US.

Britney and Madison were inseperable the whole time. Brit was a huge help and loved to hold Madison all the time!

Noah was pretty fond of her too! (When I was leaving to come home he asked me to leave Madison there!)

Noah's typical day was spent playing on the computer. Webkinz is a huge favorite of his!

Britney spent most of her time cheering!

Madison loved all the attention that she got!

Michael loved running around getting into as much trouble as he possibly could.

I will miss them a lot and I am already looking forward to when I get to see them again!

Fun With Stickers

2007-10-09T16:40:00.001-06:00

Michael loves playing in the craft room (but most often likes to decorate anything but paper)!

Cutest Kids

2007-10-09T16:37:00.000-06:00

Michael always makes me smile! He is always happy (even with his huge blood blister on his lip). I love him so much.

Cutest Kids

2007-10-09T16:32:00.000-06:00

Isn't Madison so beautiful!? I love this picture of my sweet little angel.

A week in review

2007-09-10T08:57:00.000-06:00

This week was a pretty hard/crazy/busy week. Michael spent all day Monday being sick and throwing up. It didn't make for such a fun holiday and we had to cancel plans with friends. Whatever he had I then caught, so we were both down for the week.

Some big news this week was that Michael turned TWO!!! He had his second birthday on Thursday. I can't believe I am old enough to have a two year-old son! So I wanted to have big plans for Michael's big day, but it was kind of a flop. With sickness exhausting us, and the fact that I hadn't been able to get to the store all week, by the time Nate got home from work Thursday night we bagged our plans and headed out for Wendy's (am I a horrible mother or what?) Michael didn't even get a cake or a candle. (He needs Aunt Natalie here to take care of his birthdays for him!) But, as you can tell from the pictures he was happy nonetheless (the Wendy's kids meal toy was a big hit!)

After Wendy's we went home and let Michael open up his present, which wasn't even wrapped (yes, we already discussed how lame a mother I am). He was so excited. He loves this toy, having played with it previously at both my cousin's and my sister's houses.

Bedtime was a bit of a struggle because he wanted to play with his new toys. In honesty, regardless of how pathetic a birthday it seemed, he had a good day and was happy and it was kind of nice to skip the stress of big plans.

Friday Michael and Madison both went in to the doctor and got shots. Michael his two year shots and Madison her two month shots. This made for another crazy day. Neither one ended up very happy, and Madison ended up spiking a fever and not feeling so great for a day or two.

Saturday we spent doing a lot of yardwork. Our biggest challenge with our new house has been trying to get our yard in order and repair the damage done by the previous owners. Michael as usual was a big help (you know, putting rocks where we don't want them, planting weeds we had just dug up, that sort of help, but in all honesty it is a lot of fun to have him out there working with us, and he loves it.) He also loved playing in, sitting on, and sliding down the big mound of dirt we have in our back yard.

Sunday was busy (they usually are). We went to my cousin's baby blessing where Madison got to see my cousin Madison who we got her name from.

Aren't they such a cute pair?! I think they even look a little bit a like.

Last night Brandon and Whitney came over to celebrate Michael's birthday. They got Michael some toy trucks, which were a big hit, and which he broke in right away (even though it was super cold outside). Check out that runny nose (thank you sickness). See the big yawn, yeah, he was tired but couldn't go to bed before trying out the trucks!

It has been a long week and hopefully this one will be a little calmer, we will see. Although it is off to a good start considering it is 9:30am and both kids are back asleep (good considering they are sleeping, bad because that shows how early they woke up since they are both already napping!) But they are definately both cuties!!!

Madison's Baby Blessing

2007-09-03T09:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Nate blessed Madison and it was wonderful! It is amazing to me to think that I am a mother of two! I wanted to take a bunch of pictures, but was so busy that I didn't get any until almost everyone had left. (And none of Madison before we took her out of her dress.) I did however get some pictures of the bocce playing that took place. We had a lot of fun. We love hanging out with the Croyles!!!

Alex and I beat Bob and Andrew. Woo Hoo!

Madison watched, all snuggled up, and cheered on her mommy, while Austin cruised around on Michael's bike.

These are pictures of "Nate San" preparing for our butt-kicking we dished out to his brother and his brothers wife 15-1. We are a force to be reckoned with!

It was a great day! We appreciated the support of those who could make it, and missed those who couldn't! We will be getting Madison's pictures taken in her blessing dress sometime in the next week or so, so be on the look out for some more pictures headed your way!

My Bald Boys

2007-08-29T09:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Nate decided to shave his head and Michael needed a haircut, so while he was at it he shaved Michaels head too. All Michael's blond hair was in a pile on our floor. And this morning when I went to get him out of his crib I was taken for surprise because I had forgotten about his shaved head. It is taking a while for me to get used to, but I think they are both still so handsome!

I was in the front room when Nate left for a minute, and he came back out like this. I was laughing so hard and I was definately shocked. We decided to give Michael the same do.

Now they are both "baldies".

Fun with Friends

2007-08-27T13:58:00.000-06:00

We had some friends over for dinner last night and after dinner the kids were all playing outside, I went out to check on them and this is what I saw. . .

They had used Michael's plastic vegetables to plant a garden. I thought it was pretty clever and cute! They are cute kids and we enjoyed having them over!

Ludlow Family Reunion

2007-08-27T13:40:00.000-06:00

Saturday was the Ludlow family reunion and it was so much fun. My Aunt Michelle brought a cotton candy machine (which everyone loved) and I was the only one who knew how to use it (thanks to my rodeo days and the summer I made cotton candy exclusively in the trailer).
Michael loved to eat it, but especially loved trying to make his own!

Michael also loved playing on the playground with his dad and playing football with his cousins! Madison was pretty content to just hang out. (She is such a doll!)

It was such a fun day! We love being with family!

Fun with Grandpa

2007-08-22T13:10:00.000-06:00

This picture is just too cute so I have to show it! When we were in Ogden last my dad took Michael for a little ride on the 4-Wheeler. How much fun!

Madison's Buddy

2007-08-16T22:45:00.000-06:00

This is Madison's buddy, Cole (my cousin's son). They are three weeks a part in age. Aren't they so cute hanging out together? Check out his long blond hair! They are definately a pair of cuties!

A Day At The Pool

2007-08-16T22:38:00.001-06:00

We went to the pool today and Michael had so much fun! He has no fear (which makes me have plenty) and he took several spills under water. He could play in the water all day if we would let him. He will be shivering and shaking with cold and yet cry if you take him out of the water. It looks like swimming lessons won't be too far down the road for us.

Madison's Bath

2007-08-16T22:35:00.000-06:00

Isn't this the cutest little sad face that you have ever seen? She actually usually likes baths, but as you can tell she was particularly sad after this one.

Nate Update

2007-08-12T20:10:00.000-06:00

Nate raced in the ULCER on Saturday. It is a 111 mile bicycle race. It started at Thanksgiving Point and went all the way around Utah Lake and back. It actually passed right by our house too. The kids and I watched him ride past our house and we went to Thanksgiving Point to watch him finish. He started at 7:30 and finished at 2:54. He did great, but has been having typical aches and pains after such a long ride. We are all really proud of him. Michael loved watching the cyclists pass us and cheered for them all. It was a fun day!

Michael Update

2007-08-12T20:03:00.000-06:00

We bought Guitar Hero II this week for our XBOX 360 and Michael loves to "Rock Out". (Watch out Austin or his skills might pass your own.) He also got a brand new piano that he loves to play. I think we have a budding musician on our hands!

Madison Update

2007-08-12T11:48:00.000-06:00

Madison just started smiling in response to smiles this week and when she smiles it isn't just a smile it is a grin. She is the cutest little girl and lots of fun. She is growing so fast and I can't believe she is over a month old. She is looking more and more like her older brother and her dad!

Andrew Visits

2007-07-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

Andrew came and stayed with us for a few days while Danielle and Bob were on a river trip. He helped out with Michael and Madison and played enough X-BOX 360 to beat Lego Star Wars in only 3 days! He was a great help and I loved having him around. (Michael absolutely adored him and followed him everywhere as the pictures show.)

And baby makes four- Welcome Madison

2007-07-27T13:59:00.000-06:00

Madison is our new little joy in our life. She was born on July 7th 2007. She is a darling baby and is very good. Michael is a great big brother and loves to hold Madison and to help me feed her! We couldn't be happier to have extended our family.