My friend from college told me about her cousin who lives nearby who is a professional photographer. She was having a contest where you could win a FREE classic photo session and 2 FREE 8x10 prints. A photo from the session will also be showcased on her new photography homepage! To enter the contest you needed to email her a photo that you yourself have taken and must include 1-4 people. The free session will only include the person/people in the picture you submitted.
I have wanted so badly to get the boys pictures professionally taken now that Wyatt is smiling so I hurried and emailed her one of my few photos of the boys. Her children were going to choose the finalists and she posted them on her website this morning. Guess what??! Wyatt and Dax are picture number one.
The winner will be selected by an online blog poll This is here I need your help. Go to http://bloggingwithmindy.blogspot.com/ and vote for Dax and Wyatt. Only one vote per person per day. One the right hand side of the screen is the contest poll and make sure to click on "Picture 1". You don't have to have a blog or need to sign in to vote; it just takes one little click. I know there are tons of you who read our blog and don't leave comments, so go over and at least vote for the boys' picture.
And hurry, picture #3 is already kicking our butt!!
While you're there, check out her photography site, she's amazing!
Hopefully this time next week the boys will be winners!
4/21/2008
Fishing
When I was younger, I loved taking weekend trips with my mom. She was always so fun and would plan a few overnighters for us just because. They wouldn’t be far, Palm Springs or San Diego, but I loved that one on one time (or in my case, being a twin, two on one time) with my mom. I will always have those memories because it meant so much to be doing something with my mom away from the normal day-to-day life. We grew closer, we bonded, we shared a new experience. I hope one say I will get to do the same things with my girls. But until I get a little girl, I will have to be the one to send off Austin and the boys for their weekend getaways.
A few weeks ago Austin asked if he could take Dax fishing. YIKES! A lot of you don’t know Dax and his personality, but I recently concluded, with the help of my sister Jamie, that Dax is definitely spirited. It’s the perfect way to describe him. He has boundless energy, is a total dare-devil, and is extremely passionate and determined (i.e stubborn). All this energy and liveliness makes him extremely accident prone. Fishing, with poles, hooks, lakes, boats and so forth, made me extremely nervous. But, I knew Austin was dying to take him, so I finally gave in, with a tiny prayer in my heart that all would return safely.
Austin's parents spend half the year in Utah and were headed back this week until October to avoid the blistering summer. I know Austin was just as excited to go fishing with his dad before he left as he was to take Dax for his first time. Those three all acted like little boys in a candy store the entire week leading up to the trip. Dax could not stop saying, “go fishin’ with my daddy and my bam-pa”. They took half a day cleaning out the pop up tent trailer, met at the grocery store in the wee hours of the morning before work to get food for the trip, and made a midnight trip to Wal-Mart to get Dax his very own Lightening McQueen fishing pole.
They left Friday afternoon and were coming back Saturday after lunch; a quick 24-hour trip. Poor Dax. I know if I ever send him away to camp or anywhere else, he’ll be so embarrassed of his mom. I packed 3 of his brightest shirts in his closest in case he wondered off, 5 pairs of socks in case his got wet, 12 diapers (that’s like packing 12 pairs of underwear for 1 day…come on!) and his favorite pillow and “numbers” book for bedtime just to name a few things that went into his over sized bag. I’m a little bit of a crazed overprotective mom, but luckily he’s too small to understand my madness.
I took to the night off with a tribute dinner at Red Lobster with my mom and Wyatt and toasted (our raspberry lemonades) to the boys gone fishing. Of course on Saturday we shopped.
The boys on the other hand…..
They headed out on the boat as soon as they set up “camp”. Dax sported a pink life vest and cast his Lightening McQueen rod, in it’s entirety, into the lake within the first 5 minutes. I think he was in charge of the net at that point. It got cold quick so they headed to shore and started the fire. They cooked their tin foil dinners and headed to bed for an early start in the morning. It sounded like Dax slept the best of all three of them, thanks to my great packing, because the two older boys froze! They headed back out on the boat until lunchtime when they decided to pack it in and head home. Sadly, they didn’t catch any fish! I wanted to see the classic picture of Dax holding up his very first fish, but no luck this time. Austin concluded that Dax probably scared all the fish away. Sure!
Even though no fish were caught, they all had a great time. Dax survived, but barely. He took a dive in the boat and hit his lip and cut it in two places. It bled like crazy and Austin asked his dad if he thought he needed stitches. Consensus: No. Then he fell out the tent trailer door and caught his foot in between the two small steps. He cried like crazy and Austin asked his dad if he thought his leg was broken. Consensus: No. Phewww!
A few weeks ago Austin asked if he could take Dax fishing. YIKES! A lot of you don’t know Dax and his personality, but I recently concluded, with the help of my sister Jamie, that Dax is definitely spirited. It’s the perfect way to describe him. He has boundless energy, is a total dare-devil, and is extremely passionate and determined (i.e stubborn). All this energy and liveliness makes him extremely accident prone. Fishing, with poles, hooks, lakes, boats and so forth, made me extremely nervous. But, I knew Austin was dying to take him, so I finally gave in, with a tiny prayer in my heart that all would return safely.
Austin's parents spend half the year in Utah and were headed back this week until October to avoid the blistering summer. I know Austin was just as excited to go fishing with his dad before he left as he was to take Dax for his first time. Those three all acted like little boys in a candy store the entire week leading up to the trip. Dax could not stop saying, “go fishin’ with my daddy and my bam-pa”. They took half a day cleaning out the pop up tent trailer, met at the grocery store in the wee hours of the morning before work to get food for the trip, and made a midnight trip to Wal-Mart to get Dax his very own Lightening McQueen fishing pole.
They left Friday afternoon and were coming back Saturday after lunch; a quick 24-hour trip. Poor Dax. I know if I ever send him away to camp or anywhere else, he’ll be so embarrassed of his mom. I packed 3 of his brightest shirts in his closest in case he wondered off, 5 pairs of socks in case his got wet, 12 diapers (that’s like packing 12 pairs of underwear for 1 day…come on!) and his favorite pillow and “numbers” book for bedtime just to name a few things that went into his over sized bag. I’m a little bit of a crazed overprotective mom, but luckily he’s too small to understand my madness.
I took to the night off with a tribute dinner at Red Lobster with my mom and Wyatt and toasted (our raspberry lemonades) to the boys gone fishing. Of course on Saturday we shopped.
The boys on the other hand…..
They headed out on the boat as soon as they set up “camp”. Dax sported a pink life vest and cast his Lightening McQueen rod, in it’s entirety, into the lake within the first 5 minutes. I think he was in charge of the net at that point. It got cold quick so they headed to shore and started the fire. They cooked their tin foil dinners and headed to bed for an early start in the morning. It sounded like Dax slept the best of all three of them, thanks to my great packing, because the two older boys froze! They headed back out on the boat until lunchtime when they decided to pack it in and head home. Sadly, they didn’t catch any fish! I wanted to see the classic picture of Dax holding up his very first fish, but no luck this time. Austin concluded that Dax probably scared all the fish away. Sure!
Even though no fish were caught, they all had a great time. Dax survived, but barely. He took a dive in the boat and hit his lip and cut it in two places. It bled like crazy and Austin asked his dad if he thought he needed stitches. Consensus: No. Then he fell out the tent trailer door and caught his foot in between the two small steps. He cried like crazy and Austin asked his dad if he thought his leg was broken. Consensus: No. Phewww!
I am so glad they made it all back in one piece. If there were no stitches and no broken bones, I call it a success, even if there were no fish to show for it. Dax will remember that he got to stay up late and look at the stars, roast marshmallows in the fire, sleep next to his dad in the great outdoors and spend the day on a boat. He loves his dad more than anything and I don't blame him. Austin truly is his hero. Dax is still talking about fishing with his dad and his bam-pa.....
4/17/2008
The Day Has Come
My Wyatt is no longer a newborn.
I tried to deny it.
It all started Sunday at Church when I was holding him and half a dozen women stopped me in the hall and gushed at how big he was getting.
Really? You think? I was kinda surprised…shocked even. There’s no way he is that big…right?
I’m lucky. I get to see him every second of every day. And yes, he is obviously getting bigger, but isn’t he still my newborn? I’ve been in denial all week about it. How did this happen?
When did he start chuckling, making high-peeched squeals, and laughing?
When did he start opening his hands rather than them being in little fists all the time?
When did he start holding his head up while on his tummy, and better yet, laying it down rather than letting it fall?
When did he start grabbing at things and bringing them to his mouth?
When did he start taking an interest in toys and wave his arms?
When did he start holding his head sturdy when sitting on my lap?
When did he start cooing at himself when he catches a glimpse in front of the mirror?
When did he start recognizing my voice before he even saw me?
When did all this happen? I guess I came to the dark realization today when I was talking to my twin sister, Jamie, who doesn’t have the chance to see Wyatt as much as everyone else in my family, and I started our conversation off by saying, “He’s getting so big”.
It all started Sunday at Church when I was holding him and half a dozen women stopped me in the hall and gushed at how big he was getting.
Really? You think? I was kinda surprised…shocked even. There’s no way he is that big…right?
I’m lucky. I get to see him every second of every day. And yes, he is obviously getting bigger, but isn’t he still my newborn? I’ve been in denial all week about it. How did this happen?
When did he start chuckling, making high-peeched squeals, and laughing?
When did he start opening his hands rather than them being in little fists all the time?
When did he start holding his head up while on his tummy, and better yet, laying it down rather than letting it fall?
When did he start grabbing at things and bringing them to his mouth?
When did he start taking an interest in toys and wave his arms?
When did he start holding his head sturdy when sitting on my lap?
When did he start cooing at himself when he catches a glimpse in front of the mirror?
When did he start recognizing my voice before he even saw me?
When did all this happen? I guess I came to the dark realization today when I was talking to my twin sister, Jamie, who doesn’t have the chance to see Wyatt as much as everyone else in my family, and I started our conversation off by saying, “He’s getting so big”.
Uggg. It’s so sad that this day has come. Wyatt is no longer my little newborn.
4/14/2008
Melting
We're melting! 95 degrees today and we're melting. It's not even considered summer yet, and we're MELTING!!
Help.
4/09/2008
I’m outta a Job….
….My job of being a mom.
Well, kinda. I still change countless diapers, fill up the Diego cup endless times a day with juice and water, get asked a thousand times a day “what are you doing, mama?” and read the same stories over a million times. But, my job as the entertaining, amusing, interesting MOM, has been taken over.
My “two boys” have truly discovered the benefit of having each other as brothers. This week I started using that phrase a ton and Dax has been repeating it all week long. My two boys no longer need me to make them laugh, make them smile, or tickle them. They have each other.
When Wyatt hears Dax’s voice his eyes light up and he smiles bigger than when anyone else talks to him. Wyatt follows Dax across the room, even though I am sure he gets dizzy watching him run from one corner to the next. Wyatt “talks” to Dax and tells him all his funny, and sometime, sad stories; not me.
Dax asks for Wyatt first thing in the morning. I can barely get a kiss out of him before he is running off wondering, “Where’d White-y go?” Dax shows Wyatt his ouies, brings him his toys to see, and definitely gets more hugs and kisses throughout the day than boring old me.
I am so thankful they have each other and love each other so much, but I am kinda jealous. I loved my job as the fun, exciting mom. I miss it. What do I get to do all day if I don’t get to tickle Wyatt because Dax is already doing it or if I don’t get to play cars with Dax because he’s lined them all up next to Wyatt? I miss the attention and miss being the center of their little worlds. I wonder, is this only a glimpse of what is to come?
I know these two may not always love sharing everything, especially as Wyatt gets older and more mobile. Who knows, this could just be a phase. Either way, I pray these two will always know the benefits of being brothers a being my “two boys”.
And if all else fails, they can still have me. Because according to Dax and the new phrase for today: “Mommy’s a boy”---followed by a mischievous laugh. Thanks bud, good to know!
Well, kinda. I still change countless diapers, fill up the Diego cup endless times a day with juice and water, get asked a thousand times a day “what are you doing, mama?” and read the same stories over a million times. But, my job as the entertaining, amusing, interesting MOM, has been taken over.
My “two boys” have truly discovered the benefit of having each other as brothers. This week I started using that phrase a ton and Dax has been repeating it all week long. My two boys no longer need me to make them laugh, make them smile, or tickle them. They have each other.
When Wyatt hears Dax’s voice his eyes light up and he smiles bigger than when anyone else talks to him. Wyatt follows Dax across the room, even though I am sure he gets dizzy watching him run from one corner to the next. Wyatt “talks” to Dax and tells him all his funny, and sometime, sad stories; not me.Dax asks for Wyatt first thing in the morning. I can barely get a kiss out of him before he is running off wondering, “Where’d White-y go?” Dax shows Wyatt his ouies, brings him his toys to see, and definitely gets more hugs and kisses throughout the day than boring old me.
I am so thankful they have each other and love each other so much, but I am kinda jealous. I loved my job as the fun, exciting mom. I miss it. What do I get to do all day if I don’t get to tickle Wyatt because Dax is already doing it or if I don’t get to play cars with Dax because he’s lined them all up next to Wyatt? I miss the attention and miss being the center of their little worlds. I wonder, is this only a glimpse of what is to come?
I know these two may not always love sharing everything, especially as Wyatt gets older and more mobile. Who knows, this could just be a phase. Either way, I pray these two will always know the benefits of being brothers a being my “two boys”.
And if all else fails, they can still have me. Because according to Dax and the new phrase for today: “Mommy’s a boy”---followed by a mischievous laugh. Thanks bud, good to know!
4/06/2008
Life
Last week a one of my closest friends from high school and Huntington Beach surprised me on my doorstep. We haven’t seen each other since my wedding day and have only recently been in touch through the blogging world. You can imagine my surprise when on a typical Thursday morning my doorbell rings and I opened the door to a face I haven’t seen in close to six in a half years…and her daughter!
My first reaction was total and complete shock. I was so excited to see her standing in front of me! Then complete horror set in!
It was 10:30 in the morning. I was showered, but that does not mean I was looking good. I had no make-up on and my hair was air-drying. With the AZ heat, that equals a hot frizzy mess. I was dressed, but that does not mean I had on a cute outfit. I was in shorts and a boring shirt from lets face it, a few years ago (there wasn’t much on the agenda that day, so what was the point?). I was at home, but that doesn’t mean the house was clean. There was a diaper next to the front door, toys scattered EVERYWHERE, Dax was running around with syrup on his face from breakfast, Wyatt was still in his pajamas waking up from a nap, the couch was pulled away from the wall because our home builders had been in the day before fixing the drywall, dishes were piling up, you could see mini hand prints all over the TV screen, dust bunnies along the baseboards, loads of laundry peeking out the door….the list goes on and on.
I could not have been more embarrassed to be visiting with my friend that I haven’t seen in all these years with me and my house looking the way we did.
We had a great visit and when she left, I kicked it into high gear. I needed the house to be back in tip-top shape. Who knew who would pop in next and I needed to be prepared! I am a firm believer that your house is a reflection of you. I stay pretty on top of my household chores. Laundry, dishes, toys picked up, floors swept; the basics. I try to have a clean house every night when Austin gets home, and if I can’t get it all finished, I just burn a candle and hope it smells like I was cleaning something.
This little visit got me to thinking….
So what if there is still food on the table from breakfast? Or if there are three spit up cloths on the floor because we went through so many making Wyatt laugh after he ate he couldn’t keep anything down? I want to be living, not cleaning! It reminded me of a quote….
I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn.I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.
That is exactly how I feel!
My first reaction was total and complete shock. I was so excited to see her standing in front of me! Then complete horror set in!
It was 10:30 in the morning. I was showered, but that does not mean I was looking good. I had no make-up on and my hair was air-drying. With the AZ heat, that equals a hot frizzy mess. I was dressed, but that does not mean I had on a cute outfit. I was in shorts and a boring shirt from lets face it, a few years ago (there wasn’t much on the agenda that day, so what was the point?). I was at home, but that doesn’t mean the house was clean. There was a diaper next to the front door, toys scattered EVERYWHERE, Dax was running around with syrup on his face from breakfast, Wyatt was still in his pajamas waking up from a nap, the couch was pulled away from the wall because our home builders had been in the day before fixing the drywall, dishes were piling up, you could see mini hand prints all over the TV screen, dust bunnies along the baseboards, loads of laundry peeking out the door….the list goes on and on.
I could not have been more embarrassed to be visiting with my friend that I haven’t seen in all these years with me and my house looking the way we did.
We had a great visit and when she left, I kicked it into high gear. I needed the house to be back in tip-top shape. Who knew who would pop in next and I needed to be prepared! I am a firm believer that your house is a reflection of you. I stay pretty on top of my household chores. Laundry, dishes, toys picked up, floors swept; the basics. I try to have a clean house every night when Austin gets home, and if I can’t get it all finished, I just burn a candle and hope it smells like I was cleaning something.
This little visit got me to thinking….
So what if there is still food on the table from breakfast? Or if there are three spit up cloths on the floor because we went through so many making Wyatt laugh after he ate he couldn’t keep anything down? I want to be living, not cleaning! It reminded me of a quote….
I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn.I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.
That is exactly how I feel!
I want everyone who comes to my messy house to know that I spent an hour on my hands and knees in the grass looking for lizards rather than folding laundry, or that I couldn’t stop playing peek a boo with Wyatt for 45 minutes to clean the bathroom because he was smiling the entire time, that the mess on the counter was from when Dax pulled the chair up to help me beat the eggs for breakfast and most of them sloshed out of the bowl, that there is no point in making my bed in the morning because when the garage door opens when Austin gets home that is where Dax hides from him, that the majority of the dust bunnies are there because Dax runs around with the Swiffer being a "helper", that we ran outside in the grass in our bare feet chasing bubbles rather than loading the dishwasher.
Yes, all those things around the house eventually need to get done, and somehow they do (and if they don't just remember the candle trick), but for the time being, I want to enjoy these moments with my children and be an active part of their lives. All those other things can wait.
So if you drop by, and it looks like a bomb went off, just remember, this is our crazy life and we love living every single second!
4/01/2008
April Showers!
Happy April! Even though we’re not planning on too much rain here this month, that’s still the theme! Wishing everyone a happy Spring and sending family member's birthday wishes and couples happy anniversaries'....and everything else going on this month in our growing family!!
1st: April Fool’s
2nd: Happy Birthday Taylor and Rockwell
5th: Happy Anniversary Mel and Gav
9th: Happy Anniversary Shanen and Josh
11th: Happy Birthday Chance
16th: Happy Birthday Lani and Shanen
18th: Happy Birthday Jayden
27th: Happy Birthday Gavin
3/30/2008
Wishing & Hoping
Dax has been talking for a few months now. He adds new words to his vocabulary everyday, is talking in sentences and of course has his favorite phrases. This would include “Run fast like Night Night” (which is Lightening McQueen) followed by him running as fast as he can through the living room, and “Dax trys”, which basically means he is Mr. Independent and has to do everything for himself, to name just a few.
Since he has been talking, I would say there are two phrases that Austin and I have been really big on teaching him. “I love you” is the first one. We say this to him so many times a day it’s ridiculous and he has never ever said these words back. We get hugs and kisses and all those wonderful sentiments, but Dax has never said, “I love you” to either one of us. It’s almost heartbreaking how badly we want him to say these three little words. He’s talking in sentences, but he cannot, or will not, utter these words.
The other phrase has to do with his manners. We are BIG “please” and “thank you” people. We try and remind him to always say these things and we are to the point where he doesn’t even need us to prompt him any more. In the meantime, he has picked up on the phrase, “You’re welcome”. These are all great and we are so proud that he has manners. To set the standard even a little bit higher, when Dax asks for something, instead of whining or crying, like many 2 year olds do, we ask that he says, “May I have a (fill in the blank) please, daddy or mommy”. He sounds like a little robot when he asks this way, but we love our polite little robot!
With all this going on, no wonder this is how just two of our conversations went today.
Dax: “May I love juice, please, mama!”
And a little later…
Austin: “I love you Dax!”
Dax: “You’re welcome daddy!”
We laughed so hard. We love our little guy, we just hope one day in between being so polite he says it back to us!
Since he has been talking, I would say there are two phrases that Austin and I have been really big on teaching him. “I love you” is the first one. We say this to him so many times a day it’s ridiculous and he has never ever said these words back. We get hugs and kisses and all those wonderful sentiments, but Dax has never said, “I love you” to either one of us. It’s almost heartbreaking how badly we want him to say these three little words. He’s talking in sentences, but he cannot, or will not, utter these words.
The other phrase has to do with his manners. We are BIG “please” and “thank you” people. We try and remind him to always say these things and we are to the point where he doesn’t even need us to prompt him any more. In the meantime, he has picked up on the phrase, “You’re welcome”. These are all great and we are so proud that he has manners. To set the standard even a little bit higher, when Dax asks for something, instead of whining or crying, like many 2 year olds do, we ask that he says, “May I have a (fill in the blank) please, daddy or mommy”. He sounds like a little robot when he asks this way, but we love our polite little robot!
With all this going on, no wonder this is how just two of our conversations went today.
Dax: “May I love juice, please, mama!”
And a little later…
Austin: “I love you Dax!”
Dax: “You’re welcome daddy!”
We laughed so hard. We love our little guy, we just hope one day in between being so polite he says it back to us!
3/26/2008
I have a plan….and I need some help!
No, it’s not to turn Dax into a body builder. Let me explain what a picture of my muscle-y son has to do with me having a plan.
Anyone with a toddler knows about the “toddler diet”, right? That very special diet that any 18 month old, two year old, and I am assuming three and four year old is on. The one where they can’t manage to sit at the table for two seconds to eat any worthwhile food, but twenty minutes later need a “snack” or “treat”. I have to say; we don’t battle Dax too much with his eating habits. He does really well most the time, and the time that he doesn’t, we just know that eventually, some day, he’ll be hungry and eat a sensible meal. It’s worked for us. He’s growing so we don’t make it a fight.
In fact, it’s kinda fun to try and figure out a way for him to eat when he is in one of these phases. The latest? Dax gets to choose any seat at the dinner table. Forget assigned seating. If he chooses to sit in daddy’s seat, no problem. He’s choosing to sit at the table so we’re happy. Well last night as Dax sat next to Austin in my chair, and I sat across the table, we were encouraging him to take some bites of chicken potpie. I told him how eating a good dinner would make him “healthy and strong”. I’ve used this phrase with him before, but tonight something clicked. Dax proceeded to take a big bite, jump out of his chair, do a jumping jack, then get back into his chair and flexed. What? Who taught you to flex? He learned jumping jacks from playing Simon Says with his cousin, but flexing? Where did this come from? The rest of the dinner proceeded with Dax delegating whose turn it was to flex and show how strong they were. Austin and I were cracking up, but we all got in a full meal.
Now, back to that chicken potpie. Austin hadn’t been feeling well so I had decided to make him some comfort food. As I went to turn on the oven for an hour, it dawned on me that those dreaded summer months are coming where no one in their right minds uses the oven for an hour. It’s WAY too hot. In the summer you resort to any other form of cooking besides the oven. Last summer included a lot of salads and any cool foods.
My plan for this summer….learn to BBQ.
Yup, that’s my plan. Learn to BBQ. Probably sounds so simple. For me, it’s a little intimidating. I know barbequing is probably fool proof, but I’m kinda scared. I don’t know what to make, how to make it, and what turns out good?? But, with Austin gone late so many nights, I need to figure it out!
The only time I have stood over an open BBQ and grilled was in Hawaii. There is this great restaurant on Oahu where you order your meat, it comes to you raw, you walk over to this massive barbeque and slap your meat right on it. Overhead is a huge board with all the different kinds of meat and the time you should cook it for on each side for whatever way you want it cook; rare, medium-rare and so forth. I NEED this board. I need it shrunk down and sent to me, or emailed or something. I need to figure out a way to cook in the summer, keep my little lightweight Dax “healthy and strong” and I need to get over this little fear called the BBQ.
My plan? Take on the BBQ! Now help me! What do you all make on that scary thing called the barbeque that I couldn't mess up??
3/24/2008
Spring is Here!
I love the Spring time!! I love everything about it! The thing is, I am quickly realizing that there is no such thing as “spring” in AZ. In fact, there is no such things as “fall” either. In AZ there are only two seasons….Summer and cooler weather. I can’t even bring myself to call it a “winter”. Regardless, I'm not complaining and last week was the first day of Spring, and in Arizona, that means the first day of a very quickly approaching HOT summer!! There are a few things that I have noticed that let’s me know that summer is quickly on it’s way. They all revolve around our wonderful Easter weekend! Here’s my list of things and a quick recap of our fun fun weekend!
1. MOWING THE LAWN
Saturday the day began early with Austin mowing the lawn. That’s the first indication that summer is fast approaching because it’s time to get up EARLY on Saturday morning to mow the lawn to escape the heat!
2. FLOWERS
Our cute friends dropped by a bouquet of freshly picked flowers when they borrowed our lawn mower because there’s busted. Even though people may think Arizona is all brown and desert-y, which in most cases it is, we do have some pretty extraordinary flowers that grow early in the year that really brighten up the streets and yards, and in my case, my kitchen table! I practically made Austin run to Home Depot right then and there to buy me some of those flowers to plant! They were beautiful!
3. SANDALS and SHORTS
If there is one thing I love, it’s wearing sandals. And the thing I love about sandals, is that my feet get tan. I noticed that I was sporting a little tan line on my toes and that Dax was too and it just made me smile. I love tan feet. And of course, jeans are no longer. It’s shorts from here on out. That was our attire Saturday as we got ready for the afternoon with my family.
4. PICNICS and BBQ’s
Last year we started a tradition of getting together the Saturday before Easter to play in the park, BBQ and have an egg hunt. Sunday’s are hard to gather everyone and this gives us all a nice chance to relax and play. So Saturday was our 2nd Annual Kreipl Easter Picnic. We met at the park right next to my house and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite traditions. The kids play in the sand, run around on the grass and play with all the toys brought by everyone. After dinner we have a huge egg hunt and everyone loves that!!
5. WATER BALLOONS
This year I thought it would be fun to fill up some water balloons and have a water balloon toss at the park. Me and Dax do this quite a bit in the backyard and he loves it, and with Saturday being such a gorgeous day, I thought all the other cousins would have fun too. I had each of the kids pick an adult to play with and everyone had so much fun! I think I’ll do that again next year!
6. EASTER SUNDAY
When you’ve slept with windows open and fans on the night before Easter Sunday, you know it’s going to be a pretty great day! I’m holding out turning on the actual air conditioner because there will be plenty of that in the months to come!
I stole an idea from Jamie about making Easter bunny footprints throughout the house with powdered sugar and told Dax that the Easter bunny had come. He ran to see the feet and thought it was a crack up. We have the whole thing on video. The Easter bunny left him a note in his room with clues of all sorts of things he did around the house while Dax was sleeping, and the last clue was that the Easter bunny went and played in “Dax’s house”. This is the little clubhouse that Santa brought Dax and he would sleep in the thing if he could. He loves it. He ran to check out his basket and didn’t come back in all morning.
7. SPRING FEVER
You’d think with Dax getting to play outside all the time, he wouldn’t have Spring Fever. He always gets to ride his bike outside, play at the park, roll around in the grass and eat lunch in “Dax’s house”, but for some reason, this weekend especially, he was in RARE form. Even more non stop than usual, even more spunkier than usual, even more full throttle than usual, and even more rambunctious then usual. You’d think that was impossible with how crazy he is most the time, but he was double his usual self this weekend. The only way I could get him to hold still for a picture in his Easter outfit was to play Simon Says. I bet you can guess what Simon said in this picture?? Does Dax’s Spring Fever explain why I didn’t get a picture of the boys together (or one of the whole family?)? But then again, maybe it wasn’t spring fever at all, maybe it was the handfuls of candy he started popping at 7:30am!!!
Spring is here, but we’re not fooled, we know that’s you SUMMER sneaking up on us way too soon!!
3/20/2008
It happened again
I’ve been tagged again! My cute friend in Utah “bag” tagged me. I'm the only one she tagged so I can't let her down! I’m supposed to take a picture of my current bag and what’s inside. You are real lucky this tag came when it did because I clean my diaper bag out at least once a week because of all the crap-ola that gets in there and it just so happens I did this on Sunday, so consider yourselves lucky!
**2 of Wyatt’s diaper and 2 of Dax’s diapers (potty training is in the works)
**wipes for stinky pants, messy hands and cleaning of the bar on the shopping cart
**an extra outfit for Wyatt. He hasn’t gone "you know what" for more than a few days and I’m paranoid when he does we’re going to be out running around and he’s going to explode!!!
**baby sling; I can’t leave home without it
**2 trucks and a mini baseball for Dax
**hand sanitizer that really entertains Dax because it bubbles when it comes out. My friend brought it over for Dax to help give all the guests who came to visit Wyatt (thanks Joyce!)
**cell phone
**wallet
**Wyatt’s immunization record; I love how they do that in AZ
**2008 pocket calendar
**2 Target receipts. Yes, I’ve been twice the week…I’m so ashamed!
**mini wallet size Relief Society ward directory. By the way, the best idea ever for anyone serving in Relief Society!
**a plastic Easter egg that is no longer filled with treats because it was my bribing technique I used with Dax for Sacrament. Note- it TOTALLY worked!
**grocery list
**makeup bag with endless chap stick and lip-gloss
**a teether for Wyatt that he is too little to use, but serves as a great toy for Dax
** and our best friend, Desitin
So there you go! Isn't there some sort of saying that you can tell a lot about a person and their life by what's inside their purse? Well if not, I just made one up. It really seems like a little peek into my day. Maybe you learned something new about me! I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you need an excuse to clean out your bag, this might work for ya!
I was given this diaper bag before Wyatt was born and couldn’t wait to use it. My favorite part is how the sides zip down and fold out into a changing pad You can wear it over your shoulder or like a back pack. Austin doesn’t even mind strapping it over his shoulder.
Here’s what’s inside---
Here’s what’s inside---
**2 of Wyatt’s diaper and 2 of Dax’s diapers (potty training is in the works)**wipes for stinky pants, messy hands and cleaning of the bar on the shopping cart
**an extra outfit for Wyatt. He hasn’t gone "you know what" for more than a few days and I’m paranoid when he does we’re going to be out running around and he’s going to explode!!!
**baby sling; I can’t leave home without it
**2 trucks and a mini baseball for Dax
**hand sanitizer that really entertains Dax because it bubbles when it comes out. My friend brought it over for Dax to help give all the guests who came to visit Wyatt (thanks Joyce!)
**cell phone
**wallet
**Wyatt’s immunization record; I love how they do that in AZ
**2008 pocket calendar
**2 Target receipts. Yes, I’ve been twice the week…I’m so ashamed!
**mini wallet size Relief Society ward directory. By the way, the best idea ever for anyone serving in Relief Society!
**a plastic Easter egg that is no longer filled with treats because it was my bribing technique I used with Dax for Sacrament. Note- it TOTALLY worked!
**grocery list
**makeup bag with endless chap stick and lip-gloss
**a teether for Wyatt that he is too little to use, but serves as a great toy for Dax
** and our best friend, Desitin
So there you go! Isn't there some sort of saying that you can tell a lot about a person and their life by what's inside their purse? Well if not, I just made one up. It really seems like a little peek into my day. Maybe you learned something new about me! I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you need an excuse to clean out your bag, this might work for ya!
3/18/2008
Watch Me Grow!
2 month weight and length: 11 lbs. 12 oz and 24 ¾ inches I am sleeping 9 hours straight at night (mom is happy!) * I have an expanding vocabulary…I say coo and goo * I can follow Dax across the room as he dances around me * I sleep in my own crib in my own room * I love going for car rides and on walks * I sometimes take baths with my big brother Dax * My most ticklish spot is underneath my cheeks * I love it when anyone sings around me * My favorite toy is my yellow musical duck * * I can sleep through almost anything * I have retired a drawer full of clothes that are too small * I love tummy time still * I love sitting in the back yard and watching the kids play * I love to be snuggled and hugged * I always hold real still when dad comes into the room and I hear his voice * I am grabbing at things * I love looking at my mobile * I am a huge sports fan even though I sleep through most of the games * I love getting kisses from Dax
Wyatt is so lovable! He is still a little sleepy-head, but when he is awake he is so happy and so talkative! He tells the best stories...especially to Dax! I LOVE being in a house full of boys. If the Lord blesses me with only sons, I would be a VERY happy mother. I can tell Dax adores him just as much as I do. He is always wanting to help carry his car seat, put blankets on him, asking where he is when he's sleeping, bringing him lots of toys and giving him hugs and kisses. Dax still calls him Wyatt-y (pronounced Whitey). We sometimes catch ourselves calling him that too. It truly is his official nickname. We love you Whitey!!!
3/15/2008
Spring Trainin’ & Easter Egg Huntin’….oh and some brotherly lovin’
To me, one of the perks of living in Arizona is enjoying Spring Training games the month of March. And about a ½ hour away, we’re even luckier to be the home of the Angels, our favorite baseball team. When we moved here last March we didn’t get our act together fast enough to make it to a game, so this year I knew I didn’t want to miss out. For Valentine’s Day I bought Austin tickets to yesterday afternoons game…the Angels vs. the visiting D-backs (they train out in Tucson). We have been looking forward to going for sometime and were really excited to take Dax. We bought tickets for the outfield lawn, packed a picnic, some blankets, and lots of sunscreen and headed for an afternoon at the ballpark.
We got there just as the game was starting and found an open itty-bitty spot on the lawn out in left field. The lawn area was packed with hundreds of people, and we had Wyatt in the stroller, so we were in the back, but it ended up being perfect to get up and stretch and for Dax to play around a little. Again, Wyatt missed out on the entire experience because he slept the entire time…even through two homeruns right next to us! It was so much fun being their as a family and spending an afternoon in the sun watching baseball. It truly is one of our favorite pastimes.Funny story: There was this chain link fence and bushes behind where we were
sitting. Dax pretty much spent the day hanging on this fence with his back to the game looking out at this back road and talking to the random people who walked by. He was well entertained and we were able to catch almost all the game thanks to this cheap entertainment. I couldn’t help laughing when I heard him yelling at the street (there was no one walking by and no cars were even driving on this road) “Always, always, ask mommy daddy help! Right mom?” Just to give you a little background, since Dax is a 4-wheeler riding machine on his bike we’ve needed to pound into his head how we don’t ride our bike in the street and how we need to stop and ask for mom or dad’s help to cross the street. I guess he felt the need to tell the street this very important rule!After we made it home we headed to Austin’s parents house for dinner and a family Easter egg hunt. I had gotten my Easter eggs down a few days ago and Dax and I
had been taking turns hiding the Easter eggs and doing some mini Easter egg hunts around the house. Dax loved to hide them as much as he loved to find them and would constantly tell me, whether he was hiding or finding “No peeking!” After dinner last night, the boys went out in front yard to hide all the eggs. Dax was so excited and made sure none of the other 10 kids got an advantage over him and kept yelling “noooooo peeeeeeeking!” They had 216 filled eggs for all the kids and the yard was covered. They let Dax and his cousin, Jett, out first to give them a head start and Dax came running out the door where there were probably a good 20 eggs right along his path and ran straight into the garage. I have no idea where he was headed or what he thought he was looking for, but obviously our week’s worth of practice did no good!Austin redirected him and when he came to his first egg he opened it up and
said, “Surprise” and proceeds to eat all the jellybeans before moving on. With this little routine, the yard was pretty wiped out by about the time Dax had 6 or so eggs in his basket, so some of the kids with a lot more eggs would set some of their extras around the lawn for Dax to “find”. He was more than pleased. And when there were two $5 eggs left, he was one of the lucky ones to find one…with help from Austin of course. Apparently Austin ALWAYS found the golden egg when he was a kid so he wanted to make sure Dax carried on his legacy. It was such a fun night. We can’t wait to do the Easter egg hunt with my family next weekend! Maybe a week’s more of practice will help Dax out a little! I just had to post this picture of Dax and Wyatt. Dax loves his brother, but is never willing to hold still for me to get a good picture of the two of them together. For some reason this morning he was very willing to spend some time in front of the camera. I love this picture!!
3/14/2008
Flashback Friday!
For those of you who know both my twin sister and I, most would say we are pretty identical. When we were younger only our close friends could tell who was who, and only the closest of friends could tell us apart on the phone. Our older sisters friends would always ask us to smile because the only way you could tell us apart was by our teeth. Once someone figured out a way to tell us apart, or keep which one was which straight, that was how we were known.
When we were babies we were known as either the “yellow baby” or the “orange baby”. Don’t get me started on why those awful colors were our “colors”, but that’s how it was. That’s how my mom would identify us when she would ask my sisters, “Go feed the orange baby” or “Bring me the yellow baby”. Then as we got older, thankfully, our colors changed. Jamie was always in red, and I was always in blue. As we got older still we spent most of our time on the soccer field or softball field. That’s when my dad came up with the system that I would always always wear the number 4 because there were 4 letters in my name and Jamie would always be number 5 because she has 5 letters in her name. That way no one would ever confuse us.
That’s how it worked most of our lives, not much of an identity, but that’s all we knew and I loved being a twin. So now, when we look back at pictures, we have a pretty good idea of who was who. And in those pictures that we happen not to be in yellow, blue or wearing the number 4, my mom was very careful to mark the pictures so she would know years down the road who was who. At least she tried to be careful.
A few weeks ago I was over at my mom’s and she had a small pile of pictures of Jamie and I as babies that some how managed to go unmarked. She was trying to organize to get ready to start our scrapbooks and needed to know which picture to put in which book. She asked if I could tell. A few I could, but there were plenty left that no one could quite be for certain who was who. We decided in the end that it didn’t really matter what pictures went in which book, even if it was wrong, because no one would ever really know.Well, today I sorta feel like my mom. I was looking at a recent picture I took of Wyatt and couldn’t get over another picture in my head of Dax wearing the same shirt when he was about the same age. Although they aren’t twins, and the obvious difference is their hair, I still better remember to organize their pictures well because one day I may be sitting at the table trying to remember which baby was which! They look so alike to me! What about you?
When we were babies we were known as either the “yellow baby” or the “orange baby”. Don’t get me started on why those awful colors were our “colors”, but that’s how it was. That’s how my mom would identify us when she would ask my sisters, “Go feed the orange baby” or “Bring me the yellow baby”. Then as we got older, thankfully, our colors changed. Jamie was always in red, and I was always in blue. As we got older still we spent most of our time on the soccer field or softball field. That’s when my dad came up with the system that I would always always wear the number 4 because there were 4 letters in my name and Jamie would always be number 5 because she has 5 letters in her name. That way no one would ever confuse us.
That’s how it worked most of our lives, not much of an identity, but that’s all we knew and I loved being a twin. So now, when we look back at pictures, we have a pretty good idea of who was who. And in those pictures that we happen not to be in yellow, blue or wearing the number 4, my mom was very careful to mark the pictures so she would know years down the road who was who. At least she tried to be careful.
A few weeks ago I was over at my mom’s and she had a small pile of pictures of Jamie and I as babies that some how managed to go unmarked. She was trying to organize to get ready to start our scrapbooks and needed to know which picture to put in which book. She asked if I could tell. A few I could, but there were plenty left that no one could quite be for certain who was who. We decided in the end that it didn’t really matter what pictures went in which book, even if it was wrong, because no one would ever really know.Well, today I sorta feel like my mom. I was looking at a recent picture I took of Wyatt and couldn’t get over another picture in my head of Dax wearing the same shirt when he was about the same age. Although they aren’t twins, and the obvious difference is their hair, I still better remember to organize their pictures well because one day I may be sitting at the table trying to remember which baby was which! They look so alike to me! What about you?
3/13/2008
Is it time??
....for another haircut? It's been since last November that we've cut Dax's hair, and I tend to think if you can get this many hairstyles out of your SON, it's about that time again!
Austin and I are having a little bit of a debate. Austin wants to keep growing it out and I want to cut it short. Help! Any opinions?!
Austin and I are having a little bit of a debate. Austin wants to keep growing it out and I want to cut it short. Help! Any opinions?!3/11/2008
Thanks to the GORILLA….
Don’t you always wonder who is under that mascot suit at your favorite teams’ game? Who that crazy man or woman is jumping around, getting the fans pumped up and poking fun at some poor soul in the front row? Who it is doing those crazy flips, hilarious skits and out of control behavior? Well, we happen to know the Gorilla!
Yes, you heard me right. Thanks to the Gorilla, we got free tickets to the Suns vs. Jazz game last Friday. The official mascot of the Phoenix Suns called Austin and asked if he wanted two tickets to last Friday’s game. Of course! Lower Bowl! Watch Shaq! Be out on a FREE date! Sounds like a no brainer?! Well, you’re probably wondering why the Gorilla called Austin. Here’s their story….
Back in our Provo days Austin worked as a manager at a Physical Therapy Clinic and hired a young man. The two became quick friends and secretly, this young man confided in Austin that he was one of the BYU Cougar mascots. He invited Austin and I to go with him late one night and a few other friends over to the good ol’ Smith Fieldhouse where they practice their trampoline slam dunks for the basketball games. We thought it sounded like a lot of fun so we went. It was a blast! Obviously this young man was a way better dunker then the rest of us, but we still had a great time jumping on the trampoline, trying our best to make a super cool dunk, and landing on the mats without hurting ourselves. It made it way more fun to go the basketball games and anywhere else the Cougar hung out. We felt like we sorta had an undercover celebrity status. We knew who the Cougar was, but we were under strict confidence.
Yes, you heard me right. Thanks to the Gorilla, we got free tickets to the Suns vs. Jazz game last Friday. The official mascot of the Phoenix Suns called Austin and asked if he wanted two tickets to last Friday’s game. Of course! Lower Bowl! Watch Shaq! Be out on a FREE date! Sounds like a no brainer?! Well, you’re probably wondering why the Gorilla called Austin. Here’s their story….
Back in our Provo days Austin worked as a manager at a Physical Therapy Clinic and hired a young man. The two became quick friends and secretly, this young man confided in Austin that he was one of the BYU Cougar mascots. He invited Austin and I to go with him late one night and a few other friends over to the good ol’ Smith Fieldhouse where they practice their trampoline slam dunks for the basketball games. We thought it sounded like a lot of fun so we went. It was a blast! Obviously this young man was a way better dunker then the rest of us, but we still had a great time jumping on the trampoline, trying our best to make a super cool dunk, and landing on the mats without hurting ourselves. It made it way more fun to go the basketball games and anywhere else the Cougar hung out. We felt like we sorta had an undercover celebrity status. We knew who the Cougar was, but we were under strict confidence.
Austin and this young man worked together for a few more years until a job opportunity came up for the young man with the Phoenix Suns. He flew to AZ, tried out, and is now the official mascot for our favorite basketball team!
We were so excited to go to the game on Friday. We called a babysitter for Dax, strapped Wyatt into my sling (which is still by the way the best shower gift EVER) and headed to the arena. Wyatt slept the entire time; the fans surrounding us didn’t even know a baby was with us! Our seats were perfect, on the lower bowl diagonal from the Suns bench. I had never seen Shaq play before, he was taller and thinner than I expected, and even though the Suns lost in the end, it was a really great game! The best part? Cheering on the Gorilla, knowing who was underneath that suit! We had him and his wife over Sunday night for dinner and we now know so much confidential stuff it’s crazy!!
I’d tell you all about…then I’d have to kill ya! My lips are sealed!!!
We were so excited to go to the game on Friday. We called a babysitter for Dax, strapped Wyatt into my sling (which is still by the way the best shower gift EVER) and headed to the arena. Wyatt slept the entire time; the fans surrounding us didn’t even know a baby was with us! Our seats were perfect, on the lower bowl diagonal from the Suns bench. I had never seen Shaq play before, he was taller and thinner than I expected, and even though the Suns lost in the end, it was a really great game! The best part? Cheering on the Gorilla, knowing who was underneath that suit! We had him and his wife over Sunday night for dinner and we now know so much confidential stuff it’s crazy!!
I’d tell you all about…then I’d have to kill ya! My lips are sealed!!!
3/06/2008
Home Sweet Home
Time flies! I realized last week that we were coming up on our year mark of living in Arizona. I can hardly believe it! Today is the day! It seems crazy to think that when we moved into this house we didn’t even know about Wyatt and Dax was only 14 months old. It was a crazy time in our lives. Let’s flashback...
Austin had moved to Arizona before Dax and I at the first of the 2007 year to start a new job and begin classes. Dax and I waited in Utah to sell our house in Lehi. When Austin moved, our house had only been on the market for 2 weeks and we had no idea how fast it would sell with it being the dead of winter and oh so freezing! We had no idea when we would be a family again! Austin lived with his sister and their family and kept his eyes out for houses in this beautiful neighborhood that we absolutely loved in Queen Creek. But we obviously couldn’t make any moves because there was no way we could afford two mortgages and we had no idea when we would sell in Utah. Lo and behold, our house sold just less than 5 weeks of being on the market and escrow would close March 1st. Dax and I jumped on the first plane and quickly began our house hunt. We had to make a decision on a house in Arizona fast becuase I had been approved with my company to work from home, but that process took close to two months. The first place we headed back to was this dear neighborhood that for some reason kept drawing us in.
We had looked for houses earlier in December when we had been in Arizona for Christmas, and really loved two houses in the community. We debated long and hard whether or not we should just snatch one of them up since the market was so great for buyers at the time in AZ, but we didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves. What if our house in Utah took 6 months to sell? Well, when we retuned to Arizona in February, both houses were already gone and the development was basically sold out. We had already looked at every existing home for sell in the neighborhood, and there wasn’t really one that we feel in love with or felt right. I really wanted a brand new house, but we didn’t have time to build. We finally were able to touch base with the realtor of the builder of the development and he mentioned to us that his friend had purchased 4 houses in the neighborhood as an investment, but with the change in market, was planning on only keeping two. These houses weren’t even listed for the public to see. Basically the neighborhood was sold out and for some reason we were really lucky to be speaking to this guy. We walked into the first of the four houses and immediately fell in love. The floor plan was perfect, the location was perfect, the colors were perfect, the cabinets were perfect, the carpet was perfect....Everything I was hoping our new house would be, it was! It was completely finished and brand new, ready to move in. We just had to pick out our appliances, which we had an allowance for! We signed papers the next day and Dax and I headed back to Utah to pack the house up and move to Arizona!
It has been such a great year. We absolutely love our neighborhood and where we live. I knew we were supposed to be here for a reson. Our ward is amazing, we’ve made better friends than ever, and we have so much family around us. Utah was home to us for so many years, but finally we feel like we are “home”! We love being in Arizona! I decided to make our top 10 reasons of why we love Arizona so much!
10. AZ has more than one main highway in the valley (We love the I-15 and all, but seriously…)
9. We won’t ever have to remember the saying “Spring ahead, Fall back” and won’t ever need to remember what weekend Daylight Savings is!
8. We have street names. I know everyone says the grid system is the easiest thing in the world, but honestly, after almost 8 years it still confused me!
7. AZ has more than one professional sports team to root for (Sorry Jazz, we just weren’t that in to you!)
6. We will NEVER have to drive on an icy road, see our cold breath, or scrape off our windshield or driveway again! Hallelujah!
5. We can wear flip-flops, and sunglasses practically all year around!
4. There will never be a question if it will be snowing on Easter or Halloween.
3. Not only did we not have to say goodbye to Café Rio, but BONUS: we’ve got ourselves In ‘N Out
2. No more driving over the dreaded point of the mountain to go work…I just have to walk down the hallway.
1. The fact that we have a combination of two sets of parents and 5 sisters all within 10 miles of our house is the best thing by far about being in Arizona!
Austin had moved to Arizona before Dax and I at the first of the 2007 year to start a new job and begin classes. Dax and I waited in Utah to sell our house in Lehi. When Austin moved, our house had only been on the market for 2 weeks and we had no idea how fast it would sell with it being the dead of winter and oh so freezing! We had no idea when we would be a family again! Austin lived with his sister and their family and kept his eyes out for houses in this beautiful neighborhood that we absolutely loved in Queen Creek. But we obviously couldn’t make any moves because there was no way we could afford two mortgages and we had no idea when we would sell in Utah. Lo and behold, our house sold just less than 5 weeks of being on the market and escrow would close March 1st. Dax and I jumped on the first plane and quickly began our house hunt. We had to make a decision on a house in Arizona fast becuase I had been approved with my company to work from home, but that process took close to two months. The first place we headed back to was this dear neighborhood that for some reason kept drawing us in.
We had looked for houses earlier in December when we had been in Arizona for Christmas, and really loved two houses in the community. We debated long and hard whether or not we should just snatch one of them up since the market was so great for buyers at the time in AZ, but we didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves. What if our house in Utah took 6 months to sell? Well, when we retuned to Arizona in February, both houses were already gone and the development was basically sold out. We had already looked at every existing home for sell in the neighborhood, and there wasn’t really one that we feel in love with or felt right. I really wanted a brand new house, but we didn’t have time to build. We finally were able to touch base with the realtor of the builder of the development and he mentioned to us that his friend had purchased 4 houses in the neighborhood as an investment, but with the change in market, was planning on only keeping two. These houses weren’t even listed for the public to see. Basically the neighborhood was sold out and for some reason we were really lucky to be speaking to this guy. We walked into the first of the four houses and immediately fell in love. The floor plan was perfect, the location was perfect, the colors were perfect, the cabinets were perfect, the carpet was perfect....Everything I was hoping our new house would be, it was! It was completely finished and brand new, ready to move in. We just had to pick out our appliances, which we had an allowance for! We signed papers the next day and Dax and I headed back to Utah to pack the house up and move to Arizona!
It has been such a great year. We absolutely love our neighborhood and where we live. I knew we were supposed to be here for a reson. Our ward is amazing, we’ve made better friends than ever, and we have so much family around us. Utah was home to us for so many years, but finally we feel like we are “home”! We love being in Arizona! I decided to make our top 10 reasons of why we love Arizona so much!
10. AZ has more than one main highway in the valley (We love the I-15 and all, but seriously…)
9. We won’t ever have to remember the saying “Spring ahead, Fall back” and won’t ever need to remember what weekend Daylight Savings is!
8. We have street names. I know everyone says the grid system is the easiest thing in the world, but honestly, after almost 8 years it still confused me!
7. AZ has more than one professional sports team to root for (Sorry Jazz, we just weren’t that in to you!)
6. We will NEVER have to drive on an icy road, see our cold breath, or scrape off our windshield or driveway again! Hallelujah!
5. We can wear flip-flops, and sunglasses practically all year around!
4. There will never be a question if it will be snowing on Easter or Halloween.
3. Not only did we not have to say goodbye to Café Rio, but BONUS: we’ve got ourselves In ‘N Out
2. No more driving over the dreaded point of the mountain to go work…I just have to walk down the hallway.
1. The fact that we have a combination of two sets of parents and 5 sisters all within 10 miles of our house is the best thing by far about being in Arizona!
3/04/2008
What a Blessing!!
This past Sunday we blessed our little Wyatt. It was such a wonderful day! For only having my grandparents travel from out of state to be there with us, we still had the love and support of over 35 family members! It was incredible the love we felt knowing there were all those people were there for us and to see Wyatt receive this special blessing.I was so overwhelmed with emotion the whole day. Well, I take that back. I was overwhelmed with emotion the entire week leading up to the blessing. It had been on my mind a lot and I think it was just the excitement and the knowledge of what a special day it was for Wyatt and our growing family. I couldn’t help but think that the Lord has blessed us with TWO wonderful, perfect little boys. That He sent two of his children to Austin and I to raise here on earth and then, on top of that great blessing, has given us the wonderful gift of eternal families. I look at Wyatt’s sweet little face and I am so grateful to know that our family is forever. I remember feeling that same exact way when Dax was blessed. And to me, as a mother, there is not one single thing more important than that. That knowledge gives me so much comfort. I love my sons and my husband more than anything else on Earth and to know that we will always be an eternal family is the best feeling.
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. Wyatt looked so handsome and pure dressed in all white. His little blessing outfit is one my mom has bought for all the grandsons to wear and she also has a dress for all the granddaughters to wear. I think it is a wonderful tradition. It’s kinda symbolic that they were all together before coming to Earth and something they can all share to celebrate their birth and being apart of our great family. When I was dressing him I got teary eyed thinking of all the times throughout his life that he will be dressed in white if he stays close to the Savior---his baptism, before he goes on a mission, his temple marriage to his eternal companion, when he visits the temple. I love picturing all those events in my head.
Wyatt fell asleep in my arms just as Sacrament was beginning. When it was time for the blessing, Austin took him and I replaced Wyatt with Dax in my arms. I had been talking to Dax about Wyatt’s blessing for a few days; how Wyatt was going to be wearing all white and how Austin was going to be saying a special prayer just for Wyatt. Dax was so eager to see Austin walk in front of the congregation with his grandpa’s and uncles and listened so quietly as Austin blessed Wyatt. I was choked up the entire prayer listening to Austin bless Wyatt and holding Dax in my arms. Austin gave a very beautiful blessing and you could feel the Spirit so strong. Austin’s dad told me later that he couldn’t help thinking how he was doing the same thing with Austin 29 years ago and all the while I was sitting there thinking how Austin had given Dax the same kind of blessing only 2 years ago. Time flies and I love that I now have two children of God.
I love having Wyatt in the house and being in his presence. It wasn’t so long ago that he left our Heavenly Father and I love thinking that as I hold him and kiss him. I never completely understood in the scriptures when we read to be as little children, but now having two of my own, I can see why we are commanded to be like them. They are so beautiful and Christlike and so innocent. It has helped me so much to feel closer to my Heavenly Father having Wyatt in our family. We are truly so blessed!
3/01/2008
Happy March
Happy March! Wishing you a Happy Easter and sending family member's birthday wishes and couples happy anniversaries'....and everything else going on this month! Plus, helping remind those in the family who are forgetful what's going on this month!
By the way, don't let this picture fool you...it isn't Wyatt. It's Dax at his first Easter. I haven't gotten the Easter box down to get out those adorable ears to take a picture of Wyatt wearing them, so here is Dax!
12th: Happy Birthday Kristin
13th: Happy Birthday Kruz
14th: Happy Birthday Dustin
15th: Happy Birthday Chandler
17th: Happy St Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday Jett
23rd: Happy Easter!
31th: Happy Birthday Sydney
2/28/2008
I NEVER thought it could happen....
...falling asleep at the dinner table!
We’ve all seen pictures of children falling asleep at the dinner table and even clips on America’s Funniest Videos of kids eating dinner with their heads bobbing as they are trying to put a fork of food in there mouth and catch some zzz’s all at the same time. I always thought it was so funny, but never believed it would happen. Until yesterday.
My sister-in-law watches Dax for me while I work on Monday and Tuesday mornings, and I watch her little guy Jett on Wednesday afternoons. The boys are three months apart and have always had a love/hate relationship. Dax is a loveable kid, but he is sometimes real rough, not a great sharer and plays really hard. He goes after what he wants and pretty much bull-dozes anything, or anyone, in his way. Jett on the other hand is just as loveable, but totally opposite. He is sensitive and gets his feelings hurt. So the two of them playing together really ended up being Dax taking over and Jett crying. Kinda exhausting and not so fun to deal with.
Oh, and Dax calls Jett “Da”. He’s not saying “duh” it’s just the way it sounds when he says Jett. J’s are hard for a 2-year old, right?
Well, when Wyatt was born Dax stopped going over to play because I was home and my sister in law wasn’t working for a little while. After 6 weeks, the boys really started missing each other like crazy. Jett would ask for me and Dax and Dax would see Jett and give him hugs (which never happened) and the boys were all of a sudden BFF’s! It was great! It made it so fun for them to play and so much more enjoyable to be able to watch them play rather than have to referee.
Yesterday was another gorgeous day and Jett came over at about 12:15. Dax was already outside playing and Jett quickly ran to play. They played soccer, basketball, played in the clubhouse, played in the cars, played on bikes, played with the wheelbarrow, sat on lawnchairs next to me and read books. I filled a big tub of soapy water, gave them rags, and they washed ALL the sand toys, the walls, the orange tree, and anything else that looked like it needed water, including themselves. I filled up a trillion water balloons and let them throw them as far as they could. They even thought picking up the broken balloons was fun. They were non-stop and not one of them cried all afternoon and there was not one fight! They played like this all the way until Jett got picked up at about 4:30. I don’t think Dax came inside once that whole time and Jett only did to ask for some snacks. They played long and hard!
Austin wasn’t home so Dax and I were on our own for dinner. We were eating spaghetti and I left Dax at the table to finish his up. He had eaten a huge bowl and was very quite. I just figured he was loving the homemade sauce I was able to make while they played outside. Usually he is up and down a few times from the table to see what’s going on, but not last night. I would glance around the corner to see how he was doing and could see the back of him and could tell he was eating just fine and doing great. I was distracted by a TV show I was catching up on (I’m totally addicted to the Biggest Loser) and totally forgot about him eating. After a few minutes I realized I hadn’t heard him for a few minutes. I looked over and he was sitting in his chair VERY still. I walked over to the table where his spaghetti was completely gone, his fork was on the floor and Dax was literally falling asleep in his chair. His was sitting on his knees, his hand were completely limp in his lap and his chin was just about to fall into his chest. I bent down next to him careful not to startle him and I laughed as I lifted his head and there was spaghetti sauce from his forehead down to his neck. I knew he loved that sauce!
I wanted to hurry and grab my camera, but with my luck he would fall asleep and fall off the chair while I ran to get it and of course earlier that morning the battery had died when I was downloading some pictures! Arggg!! Plus, I did want to pass on the chance of picking up my “baby” and having him fall asleep in my arms because that never happens! His clothes were still wet from the fun he had had outside, and I just wanted to stare at his sleepy spaghetti sauce face. It was one of those moments that make you SO happy to be a mom!
If you are still reading this post after that ginormous story, let me make it worth your while (I just had to write it down since I missed the photo op). This spaghetti sauce that I keep mentioning is the best homemade sauce ever and I am going to share it with you!! The first time I made it was when my grandma and grandpa Kreipl were visiting in Utah a few years back and it was developed by a friend of theirs for her college thesis in culinary school. You’ll LOVE it!
Brown---
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 lb hamburger
Chop---
3 carrots
1 green pepper
1 small onion
3 stalks celery
1 can mushroom
1 can tomato paste
2 cans tomato soup
Combine all ingredients and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Season with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Serve with spaghetti.
Now, this will make a ton and you can freeze the left over’s, but beware you may have to try mine because the secret ingredient is my grandfathers very own seasoning that is forever a family secret. But I think you most definitely will get a hint at how great this sauce is!! Enjoy!
We’ve all seen pictures of children falling asleep at the dinner table and even clips on America’s Funniest Videos of kids eating dinner with their heads bobbing as they are trying to put a fork of food in there mouth and catch some zzz’s all at the same time. I always thought it was so funny, but never believed it would happen. Until yesterday.
My sister-in-law watches Dax for me while I work on Monday and Tuesday mornings, and I watch her little guy Jett on Wednesday afternoons. The boys are three months apart and have always had a love/hate relationship. Dax is a loveable kid, but he is sometimes real rough, not a great sharer and plays really hard. He goes after what he wants and pretty much bull-dozes anything, or anyone, in his way. Jett on the other hand is just as loveable, but totally opposite. He is sensitive and gets his feelings hurt. So the two of them playing together really ended up being Dax taking over and Jett crying. Kinda exhausting and not so fun to deal with.
Oh, and Dax calls Jett “Da”. He’s not saying “duh” it’s just the way it sounds when he says Jett. J’s are hard for a 2-year old, right?
Well, when Wyatt was born Dax stopped going over to play because I was home and my sister in law wasn’t working for a little while. After 6 weeks, the boys really started missing each other like crazy. Jett would ask for me and Dax and Dax would see Jett and give him hugs (which never happened) and the boys were all of a sudden BFF’s! It was great! It made it so fun for them to play and so much more enjoyable to be able to watch them play rather than have to referee.
Yesterday was another gorgeous day and Jett came over at about 12:15. Dax was already outside playing and Jett quickly ran to play. They played soccer, basketball, played in the clubhouse, played in the cars, played on bikes, played with the wheelbarrow, sat on lawnchairs next to me and read books. I filled a big tub of soapy water, gave them rags, and they washed ALL the sand toys, the walls, the orange tree, and anything else that looked like it needed water, including themselves. I filled up a trillion water balloons and let them throw them as far as they could. They even thought picking up the broken balloons was fun. They were non-stop and not one of them cried all afternoon and there was not one fight! They played like this all the way until Jett got picked up at about 4:30. I don’t think Dax came inside once that whole time and Jett only did to ask for some snacks. They played long and hard!
Austin wasn’t home so Dax and I were on our own for dinner. We were eating spaghetti and I left Dax at the table to finish his up. He had eaten a huge bowl and was very quite. I just figured he was loving the homemade sauce I was able to make while they played outside. Usually he is up and down a few times from the table to see what’s going on, but not last night. I would glance around the corner to see how he was doing and could see the back of him and could tell he was eating just fine and doing great. I was distracted by a TV show I was catching up on (I’m totally addicted to the Biggest Loser) and totally forgot about him eating. After a few minutes I realized I hadn’t heard him for a few minutes. I looked over and he was sitting in his chair VERY still. I walked over to the table where his spaghetti was completely gone, his fork was on the floor and Dax was literally falling asleep in his chair. His was sitting on his knees, his hand were completely limp in his lap and his chin was just about to fall into his chest. I bent down next to him careful not to startle him and I laughed as I lifted his head and there was spaghetti sauce from his forehead down to his neck. I knew he loved that sauce!
I wanted to hurry and grab my camera, but with my luck he would fall asleep and fall off the chair while I ran to get it and of course earlier that morning the battery had died when I was downloading some pictures! Arggg!! Plus, I did want to pass on the chance of picking up my “baby” and having him fall asleep in my arms because that never happens! His clothes were still wet from the fun he had had outside, and I just wanted to stare at his sleepy spaghetti sauce face. It was one of those moments that make you SO happy to be a mom!
If you are still reading this post after that ginormous story, let me make it worth your while (I just had to write it down since I missed the photo op). This spaghetti sauce that I keep mentioning is the best homemade sauce ever and I am going to share it with you!! The first time I made it was when my grandma and grandpa Kreipl were visiting in Utah a few years back and it was developed by a friend of theirs for her college thesis in culinary school. You’ll LOVE it!
Brown---
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 lb hamburger
Chop---
3 carrots
1 green pepper
1 small onion
3 stalks celery
1 can mushroom
1 can tomato paste
2 cans tomato soup
Combine all ingredients and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Season with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Serve with spaghetti.
Now, this will make a ton and you can freeze the left over’s, but beware you may have to try mine because the secret ingredient is my grandfathers very own seasoning that is forever a family secret. But I think you most definitely will get a hint at how great this sauce is!! Enjoy!
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