Fraser Family

Check out these updates!

2012-01-16T20:34:00.001-08:00

I did a few updates from the past months. If you are interest in the happenings from a while ago, follow these links.

Santa Pictures

2012-01-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

I took the kids to see Santa way back in November. Yes I am that far behind in my updating. We did a deal at Sears where we got three pictures with Santa for $10, a much better deal than going to the mall. Weston was so freaked out by the big guy. He didn't want to go near him and clung to my leg. I put him up by Santa and told him just smile for me and then we can leave. It was a pretty fast experience so Weston didn't have to suffer for long.

Eva's 4 Month Pictures

2012-01-05T21:33:00.000-08:00

I had Eva's 4 month photos taken on Dec 8 but it has taken me a while to get them posted. She is the cutest little thing you have ever seen. She is such a happy baby girl. I don't know how I ended up with the sweetest baby ever but I am one lucky mommy. At her 4 month well baby check she was super healthy however quite small. She dropped from the 74% for weight at 2 months down to the 5% for 4 months. The doctor put her on cereal and supplementing with formula. It has been a challenge getting her to take a bottle but finally in the last few days she had started to like it. Unfortunately that has ended our time breastfeeding. It is bittersweet. I love breastfeeding but being able to have someone else feed her is nice as well. I am just sad because every moment with her is my last chance. I know that the last time I feed her is the last time I ever get to breastfeed because we are not have any more children. While moving on to the next stage is wonderful, I just didn't want it to happen quite this early. Of course I just want her to be happy and healthy above all else. She sleeps so well and is always happy. She loves to talk and coo and she will play with easy to grasp toys now. I love watching her learn and to watch her siblings entertain her. She is just always so smiley. I makes me happy just to be near her.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

We didn't get our pumpkins carved until Halloween day. For some reason we just kept putting it off and I had given up on them. Chad ended up getting off work early so we could carve them up before we celebrated the holiday. Chad is an amazing pumpkin carver and was able to carve all five of them in a matter of an hour. I was thankful for his mad skills. The kids had a great time this year. They both put their hands in and were willing to touch the goo. It was a fun way to start the night.

Preschool Costume Parade

2011-10-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Weston dressed up as Super Why this year for Halloween. His school had a class party and costume parade that I was able to attend. He was so cute and so excited to walk around the Rec Center and trick or treat. Ms. Deserae had to take his candy bucket from him because he was trying to eat every piece before more was put in. I am so happy that he loves his school and they have so much fun.

Eva's 2 Month Photos

2011-10-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Weston Starts Preschool

2011-09-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Weston started preschool on the first Tuesday in September. He was so excited to wear his new clothes and get to go to school like Quinn. He is attending the same preschool Quinn went to for the last two years. We love the program there and I just know he is going to learn so much.

Paparazzi Accessories

2011-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

So I started a new business and I am so excited about it. I am selling Paparazzi Accessories. It is the cutest jewelry and hair accessories and the best part is that each item is only $5. Most necklaces come with matching earrings as well all for on $5. It is such a great deal you just can't help but love it. The business is a party sales type business so I get to get out, socialize with awesome women and make some money at the same time. I have my first party in Evanston on September 10. I am both excited and nervous because it is the first one. I am also having a "Launch Party" here at my home on September 15. I hope everyone loves this stuff as much as I do. My amazing husband has helped me get everything ready. He built my display boards and easles to hold them and he was able to get me hooks for free thanks to his affiliation with Advance Displays. I wouldn't be ready without him! Thank goodness he can do anything I need him to do. I'm going to have Quinn model a few necklaces for me so I can post just how cute this stuff is.

Off To Kindergarten

2011-09-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the messed up order of these pics. I can't get them to rearrange for some reason. Argh!

Quinn started Kindergarten this past Monday. She was so nervous! I have taken pictures of her on the porch the last two years so when I tried to do it again this year it was a fight. Her nerves were getting the better of her and she just couldn't be her photogenic self. I managed to entice a few cute ones of her which I posted here. Every year before she starts school I ask her a few questions. It is cute to see how her answers change and how they stay the same.

Favorite Color: pink

Favorite Food: ice cream

Favorite Thing to do: go to the swimming pool

Favorite Friend: Emily & Sarah, Zoey, Max, Bryce & Nick (that pretty much sums up Quinn, Miss social)

Favorite Restaurant: McDonalds & Red Robin

Favorite Movie: any princess movie

Favorite Place to go: Cowabunga Bay

What I want to be when I grow up: a teacher, policeman, mom & hairstyler

When it was time to take her to school Chad came home and Grandma Carol & Grandpa Grant were here so we all loaded into the car and headed to the school. I was very frazzled about the whole thing and all the people that had to be mobilized. I ended up forgetting Weston's shoes and I didn't even feed Quinn lunch. Talk about mom of the year. We made it on time however and Quinn lined up in her right spot. She walked into class and put her backpack away in her cubby hole and went to her desk. She turned to wave at me one time and then she socializing and coloring. She made a friend almost immediately and she was happy when we picked her up. The school is really great and I think she will prosper there. We were lucky to get into a charter school. I can't believe one week is gone already. This week Weston gets to start preschool. My babies are growing too fast!

Eva Day Fraser

2011-08-15T16:57:00.001-07:00

We welcomed Eva Day to our little family last Monday 8/8/11. She was born at 2:08pm and weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 21 inches long. She was so easy to deliver it was unbelievable. After a few hours of labor I asked for an epidural and then after about another hour and a half it was time to push. She came out after two contractions, the doctor barely had time to get his clothes on before she was out. She was immediately a great eater and has been so happy it is hard to believe. She sleeps great, rarely fusses and is content just to be. Her older sibling love her. Quinn a bit more than Weston but thats ok. I know my little guy likes her because he offered her his blankie one day. Quinn always wants to hold her and kiss her and help me. I am so lucky to have these three wonderful kids. I am continually amazed at my blessings.

Fun Pictures

2011-08-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

We let the kids play outside on Sunday during a cloud burst and they loved being able to splash in the puddles and run around on the wet grass while the big drops hit them. The temp was still quite warm so it was a rare treat. After the rain stopped both kids were looking so cute in the tie-dyed shirts we had made and the light was very nice so I decided to take a few pictures of them. Weston isn't the best at cooperating right now. He moves too much but I was able to get a few cute ones of him before he took off to play. Quinn on the other hand loves to pose and was more than willing to sit and do whatever I wanted but mostly she came up with her own positions. She is so cute about it.

Family Camping 2011

2011-07-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

We took our annual camping trip the week before the 4th of July. The weather has been so crazy that we actually had a hard time finding a place to go camping. We finally ended up near Little Lyman Lake on the Mountain View side of the Uintas. It was really nice, the weather was perfectly warm and their weren't very many people up in the mountains because of the low snow pack. We stayed 4 nights and could have easily stayed longer if life could have been put off a bit more. Like last year we borrowed my Auntie Jean's camping trailer which was wonderful. In one night I had to get up 4 times between pregnancy peeing and children needing to go potty, I could not imagine going in and out of a tent that many times. The kids had a great time. Weston played ball with the dogs non stop and would chant "drop, drop, drop, drop" over and over until Jet (the psycho fetcher) would drop the ball. Both Quinn and Weston loved fishing with daddy and they spent quite a bit of time at the lake. Quinn actually asked me if she could free half of the worms so they could live. She likes to fish and isn't afraid of the worms or the fish but she wanted to help out a few of the worms, probably so she didn't feel quilty. She is such a sweetie. The kids also had a blast riding the 4-wheeler with daddy. He took them out a lot and they got to see deer and elk on their rides. Quinn rode with me once and wanted to change back to daddy because he was more fun, going through mud and water. In my defense, I was 34 weeks pregnant and I didn't to jiggle the baby out too early. We did go out on one long ride that was pretty bumpy. I kept thinking it maybe wasn't such a great idea but I am now 36 weeks and Eva is still in there so no harm done. Grandpa brought his big canvas hammock and we all took turns enjoying that. Weston discovered he loves to shoot the guns. Quinn has a pink 22 and they both took turns shooting with daddy's help. It was just a wonderful vacation. I felt relaxed and refreshed after and I didn't want to have to leave and come home. When we pulled out Weston said, "I want to go camping again." I think we all had a fabulous time.

Proud to be American

2011-06-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Chad went through the process of getting his American citizenship and he was finally able to swear in this past Friday. We started the process in January when he filed his paperwork. He then had to have his finger prints taken and study for his civics test. We studied every night for a month and he was able to go into the test and pass 100%. He was funny about it, he even worried that he would fail the reading/writing section but I pointed out that he speaks English as his primary language so he would probably do fine. Once he passed all the testing and was approved he had to be a model citizen for about a month before the ceremony for naturalization. He basically had to not commit any crimes or start practicing polygamy...fairly easy to accomplish. At the ceremony he had to swear an oath to put the US above any other country allegiance and to be willing bear arms for the US. They also had a video from President Obama and a video montage of America the Beautiful and then the ceremony was over. It was short and sweet. The kids behaved like angels and I was so thankful for such a wonderful day. Chad is so excited to have his citizenship and the right to vote. He can't wait to go to the polls. To celebrate we had a party at my mom & dad's house and the whole family turned out to support Chad. It was truely wonderful and it feels nice to have one less thing to worry about.

Girls Trip 2011

2011-06-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

My two best girlfriends and I moved our annual trip up to June this year to accomodate the new baby entering my family so we went the first weekend in June to Pinetop, AZ. It was a very relaxing trip filled with a whole bunch of lying around doing nothing. Just what I needed as I approach the end of this pregnancy. We went out and got pedicures, a first for Susan and we spent a little bit of time shopping the local touristy shops but mostly we just were in the room the spa or the pool. It felt like it went by so fast but it was a great weekend away and I can't wait for next year.

Birthday Pictures

2011-05-23T13:37:00.001-07:00

I finally got my kids in for their birthday pictures. I like to take them to Sears each year so I can get a few shots of them standing next to the number of their age. I started doing that with Quinn when she turned one and it has been so great. When Weston turned one I was able to compare side by side at the exact same age and see how much the are the same and different. It is also a nice way to keep track of their growth. I know I will continue doing this until they grow up and move on because it is such a great way to keep track. The kids were great at the pictures and smiled so big. I ended up buying one of every single picture taken simply because they were all so good. Weston was especially excited to stand with his big 3. He could hardly contain his excitement. They were so awsome and I feel lucky to have such beautiful children.

Weston's 3rd Birthday

2011-05-09T14:20:00.001-07:00

Weston turned 3 this year. To celebrate we had a "Mario Jump" birthday party. My little guy recently discovered the super nintendo and the mario brothers games. He loves playing mario and he was very excited to have a "Mario Jump" party. I had big ideas for his party which all turned out so cute...after a little bit of frustration. I made him a mushroom cake and a question mark box pinata just like the ones on the game. We had invited about 10 little friends but in the end only 3 (plus parents) were able to come but we also had grandma & grandpa there and great grandma Smith so it felt like a crowd. I think Weston had a great time. He said it was fun and I enjoyed putting it together for him.

What a Saturday!

2011-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

We started the day off bright and early for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Gateway. Chad and I used to do this every year but the last time we participated was 2006 when Quinn was just a month old. We joined Chad's work team but we didn't actually walk with them. Unfortunately we couldn't find them in the sea of 20,000 people that participated. The kids didn't really understand what we were going to do and by the end they were ready to stop walking. Quinn eventually ended up in the stroller but they were troopers and had a great time.

Immediately following the Race for the Cure we headed to Weston's first soccer game. He did amazing. He wasn't scared of the other kids, he wasn't timid with the ball and he just got in there and played. He almost scored about three times but ended up kicking wide of the goal each time. He doesn't really get the rules of the sport but each time he took a break we would tell him something and he would listen and apply what we said. One time we had to tell him to stop when the Ref blew the whistle and he said "why do I have to stop?" He just wanted to play non-stop. When he got thirsty he would run off for a drink mid-play and we would have to usher him back on. He loved it though and he was so cute out there. This tiny little guy with a lot of enthusiasum.

After Weston's game we had a lunch break at home and then headed to Quinn's soccer game. She did amazing! I actually wondered if we traded kids somewhere along the way. She took the ball almost the whole way in for a goal but ended up falling just at the last minute. She kicked and blocked and even guarded the net one time. She really did great and she seemed to be having fun. This was the first game their team has won and I think the kids loved it. Quinn told me she wants to play every season forever. She is too cute!

After soccer we had a short break to prepare for Weston's birthday party. I will post those pictures shortly in a separate post. It was a busy day but it was fun. Each thing seemed to be better than the last, if that was even possible.

Weston Starts Soccer

2011-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Weston started playing soccer just like his big sister. He had his first practice tonight and he loved it. I don't think he really understood what he was supposed to do but he did it with enthusiasum. He looks so little out on the field in his too big uniform. I actually said to Chad, when did our kids get old enough to play sports? Time sure does fly by but at least we are having fun!

A Digger Bedroom for my BIG Boy!

2011-05-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

When we found out we were going to be having another baby we started work on a new bedroom for Weston. He was still sleeping in the nursery and it was time for him to move into a big boy bedroom. We had our office in the the third bedroom upstairs so we decided to move the office down to the main floor and clear the way for my little guy to have a new digger room. He has waited patiently for his digger room to be finished and it took a while so the excitement was able to build. We had to take out all the custom cabinets and counters that we had in the room, repair all the beadboard and some of the walls, paint everything (I am not a happy painter by the way) and then we also painted his bed and dresser to match. Quinn helped out by painting his letters for his name. She was just excited as he was I think. I ordered his bedroom set from Olive Kids and it arrived a week ago and then this past week I finally finished painting his bed and put it all together on Wednesday. He slept his first night in there that night and he loved it. He was so excited to have his rug and his pillows but his favorite was his clock. He has adjusted so easily and I am grateful for an easy transition. Now I get to super clean the nursery, fix the wall paper that Weston tore down and re-assemble the crib to be ready for baby Eva. I am most excited to bring up all the girl clothes and go through the cute little things Quinn wore. When I am all set up in there I will post some more pictures.

This is Weston enjoying his first night's sleep in his new bed. He is such a little angel!

Thanksgiving Point with MOPS

2011-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

My MOPS friends and I headed out to Thanksgiving Point today to take in the Tulip Festival. It was a little bit chilly to start with but as the day progressed it warmed up nicely. The kids had a great time and they ran their hearts out. I thought for sure they would both come home and crash out but they made it through to bed time. The gardens were a bit disappointing compared to my previous visits, even the tulips weren't blooming yet. We have just had a very cold spring this year and things are slow to grow. It was a fun never-the-less and we loved being there with great people.

Spring Soccer

2011-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Spring soccer has started and we are fully in soccer mode. Quinn loves to play and she has waited very patiently for the season to start up. At first she was a little shy to get out there but after about half of the first game she was right into it. She even scored the only goal for her team. I'm not really into soccer, I really don't know much about the game but I really love watching her play.

The Big 5

2011-03-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

For Quinn's 5th Birthday this year we decided to have a big party. I told Quinn this was the last one for a while, like until she is 16. Well maybe not that long but I am not doing big ones any more for her for a while. We had the party this year at Classic Skating. It was so much fun. Honestly I had as much fun as she did. It helps that her friends have the best moms ever. I love those ladies and their kids! She invited 10 kids and they all came to help her celebrate. They ran and played until they were exhausted. I know three of them crashed out in the cars on the way home from the party, little Weston included. While we were driving home Quinn told me it was the best birthday ever. I'm glad she loved it.

Baby # 3

2011-03-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

I don't think I announced to the blogger world that we are having another baby. We are expecting our third child on August 6th, but with the way my kids like to hang out in there it will probably be closer to August 20th before we get to see her. This week we had a chance to go and find out her gender and you have probably guessed (or seen on Facebook) that it is a girl. Here are a few pics that we got at the ultrasound.

At dinner we always go around the table and say what our favorite part of the day was. Mine, that night, was finding out about our new baby girl. When I got to Weston he said his favorite part was "no baby, no way". I have a feeling we are going to have some issues with him. He is pretty adamant that we are not having a new baby. He told me he only likes Mommy & "kin" (his cute way of saying Quinn). Maybe when he meets her things will work out. Maybe when she arrives she should bring him a big, shiny brand new digger too. That will probably help a little.

Family Photos

2011-01-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

MOPS Wine & Pasta Night

2010-12-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

This year for MOPS I was placed at the Teal table with some awesome ladies. We had our first outside activity in November and it was so fun. We met at Chandy's house to learn how to make homemade raviolis. It appeared to be easy but it wasn't. No one had anything turn out even close to what we expected and all the pasta tasted pretty yucky but after a few bottles of wine I don't think anyone cared. It was a lot of fun to get to know these ladies better and we spent a lot of time laughing and just enjoying our time together. I am very thankful to have the chance to spend time with them all.

Wynnie

2010-11-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

We recently had a very scary experience with our baby puppy Wynnie. We got Wynnie in 2005 when she was 8 weeks old. She was our first child and she was treated like one. My bed is completely scratched from where she used to sleep at the foot and hang her paws over. She just turned 5 this past April, which is pretty young for a Lab. At the beginning of October we started to notice that she wasn't eating. Wynnie is the kind of dog that waits at the door for you to bring her food in and then she just about knocks you down trying to get to the food so we knew that something was wrong. When I took her into the vet they kept her and the knew immediately that something was wrong with her liver. We did blood work on her and found that her liver enzymes were very very high. Her ALT, normally 12-118 was at 623; her AST, normally at 15-66 was at 141, and her Alkaline Phosphalase was at 458, normally 6-131. The whites of her eyes were florescent yellow. I'm not sure how we missed it honestly. The doctor gave us a few options which included meds, ultrasound and biopsy. We decided to go with the meds and try to get her to eat in the meantime. Five days later her numbers had dropped to 372, 111, and 428 respectively. It wasn't a huge decrease but it was progress which we were very happy about. We decided to continue on the meds and wait another two weeks to do more blood work. All throughout this time we were taking Wynnie in to the Vet daily for IV fluids because she wouldn't eat or drink. After a while we dropped it to every other day treatments. The kids and I became accustomed to taking Wynnie to the doctor each morning and picking her up at 5pm each night. It truely is amazing what you can get used to. Quinn drew her pictures to hang up in her room (kennel) and she would draw pictures at home of Wynnie with bandages on her leg, where the IV port was located. After the two weeks went by she started to drink more and we found that she liked Kibbles & Bits. The doctor gave her a liquid vitamin supplement that she loved and she started to act a bit more normal. We did the next set of blood tests and found that all her levels had increased but not drastically, 10 points. The Vet said that it was basically the same and he wanted to wait a month to retest. Wynnie eventually stopped needing her IV treatments and then we were just visiting the Vet's office once a week for a weigh in and to pick up more meds. As the month progressed she gradually improved. Everything became a small victory. One day she picked up a sock and carried it around, it was something the old Wynnie used to do all the time. Another day she did a jump spin as I let her out to go potty. The kids and I would all stand at the window watching her to see if she would poop, a huge victory, it meant the food was getting into her system...and coming back out. Finally after the month was over we took her in last Monday to be tested and her levels are almost normal. She is acting more like herself. Over all she lost about 30lbs. She is very skinny but she is gaining weight back now. I was for sure we were going to lose her but we were blessed with a miracle. I am so very grateful to the animal hospital and the wonderful staff there. They couldn't have been more wonderful. I am also deeply indebted to everyone to prayed or thought positively for us. It seems silly over a dog but she is my first child.

More Halloween

2010-10-31T17:19:00.001-07:00

Here is our Halloween in no particular order. It was a fun holiday that lasted about 3 days. The kids scored tons of candy and we had such a fun time.

Chad and I all Star Treked out.

The kids getting ready to go out trick 0r treating.

At the neighbor's house.

My most awsome friend Jil and I at the corn maze.

More Corn Maze.

Quinn's preschool class all dressed up.

Bob the Builder

The crew of the Enterprise relocated to Sportsmans Warehouse. I don't know if I ever saw that episode.

MOPS Trunk or Treat.

Halloween

2010-10-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great time carving pumpkins. Weston wanted to do it all by himself. He tried and helped me as much as he could. Quinn wanted to do hers too but she didn't want to touch the gooey stuff. She ended up having a melt down because daddy was doing it for her and she wanted to do it alone but she refused to put her hand inside. I'm not sure if she wanted to use her brain power to do it or what but in the end daddy just handled it. One of our pumpkins went all mushy on us so we were only able to carve three but it was fine. They turned out really cute.

Quinn went through the costume box and tried everything on. The result was a very funny and super cute model. She would come up and ask me to take her picture and then she would head back to the box for more costumes. What a ham.

2010-10-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

We went pumpkin picking a few weeks ago. It is a tradition I look forward to all season. I love watching the kids run from one pumpkin to another and this year Weston really got into the search. It was kind of a rushed trip because we got there late and it was getting dark before we were done. After the perfect pumpkin were picked we went to Jim's to have pie. We started doing that last year and it is so much fun. It is the first time in the fall that we have pumpkin pie and enjoy the cool weather.

Palm Springs 2010

2010-10-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

I went on my girl's trip a few weeks ago. It was so much fun and the highlight of my year! For the first time ever we were all able to fly together. It was fun to have the girlfriends on the plane with me. Our destination was Palm Springs...which was not at all what we expected. We spent our first day there shopping and the second day we went on the Gondola to the top of a mountain. In between we laughed until we cried and we acted crazy. We discovered Susan knows how to grill and I discovered a few other things about my best friends that I never would have guessed. I am continually amazed at how easy it is to fall right back into a groove with my two best friends. It is like we see each other daily, instead of yearly. Thanks for an awsome time...look out Vegas, we are headed your way next year!

Smith Girls Get Together

2010-10-31T16:37:00.001-07:00

The first weekend in October the Smith Women got together for a sisters/cousins weekend. It was fun. My aunts and cousins got a hotel room for the weekend but unfortunately my mom and I couldn't stay there with them. (My husband was gone hunting and I couldn't let the kiddos stay home alone.) That didn't stop us from enjoying the hot tub with them though. We spent the weekend shopping, eating out and laughing. I am lucky to have these wonderful women in my life. My cousins are the sisters I never had!

Soccer Girl

2010-10-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

Quinn played fall soccer this year. At first she wasn't so sure it was for her. The first two games we had to drag her there and she told me that she hated it and didn't want to do it again. I think it must just have been that she was scared of what was going to happen though because by the third game she loved it. She looked forward to her games and at the last one she even got right into the mix and came very close to scoring a goal. She has already asked when she gets to play again. Weston loved it even more than Quinn did though, I think he will love to play...assuming nothing changes in the next two years, since he has that long to wait.

June Camping

2010-07-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

We went camping with grandma & grandpa a couple of weeks ago. We stayed for 5 nights and had a great time. The kids loved riding the 4-wheelers with daddy and digging in the dirt. Quinn made a flower bed full of replanted wildflowers that was beautiful. Grandpa brought a hammock that the kids loved swinging in and they used his fishing nets as butterfly catchers while they explored the forest around us. Quinn caught her first fish ever in Little Lyman Lake. It was so exciting! Aunt Jean let us borrow her trailer which was wonderful. Weston learned how to get out of bed while we were camping and he brought that new skill home with him. It was a very fun, relaxing trip. I wish we could spend everyday in the mountains away from it all.

Weston's Birthday Party

2010-05-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Weston turned 2 on the 5th of May. We were going to be gone on his birthday so we had a small family party the Saturday before. It was digger/truck themed because that is my son's favorite thing in the whole world. He was spoiled rotten by his parents, grandparents, aunts and sister. His favorite was by far the large trackhoe & dump truck set from mommy and daddy. It even came with tools and a hard hat, which he has worn everyday since his party. I can't believe my little guy turned 2 already. Where did that time go? A friend from my mommy group told me a saying that I think of all the time and it fits so perfect here. "The days are long but the years are short" and I can't believe how true that is when I look back on these last two short years. They flew by and my son grew from the cutest baby boy in the world to the most adorable two year old. I know I am so lucky to have him for a son, he is just like me...which is scary but wonderful at the same time. Happy Birthday little dude!

2010-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend began on Saturday with Quinn and Grandma Linda making a cute Easter Bunny cake. Quinn picked out "rainbow" cake and wanted a blue bow tie on him. However the blue bowtie turned out kind of yucky colored and Grandma pointed out that it looked like baby poop. From then on Quinn didn't want to touch it and told us that "no one is going to want to eat that part". She had a great time cooking with Grandma.

While waiting for mommy to get the egg coloring organized Quinn and Grandma Smith played a memory game out of the egg dye box. Quinn won every game and she thought that was great. For the last game she told me she was going to let Grandma win and she helped Grandma find all the matches. They both thought that was so funny.

Saturday evening we decorated eggs. Weston was really into it for a few eggs and then he wanted to sit with Grandpa Clark and stack the eggs. He moved them from the container to a pile and then back. It entertained him so it was fine with us. He did enjoy the coloring while he did though. Quinn on the other hand didn't have enough eggs to color. She did almost all of them by herself and then she took the time to put stickers on most of them when they dried. She was so excited for that part of the holiday, I'm glad she had a good time.

Finally the big morning came and the kids hunted for their baskets. They scored big this year and loved what the bunny brought. He also hid eggs all over the house for them to find, the majority of which held money for our trip to Disneyland. The kids were excited to get all those dollars. It was a fun Easter and even though I tried to keep it a little less crazy, it ended up that way anyway but oh well. We were very happy to have all the Grandparents with us. It was fun to celebrate with them.

March Birthdays

2010-04-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Quinn turned 4 this month and she had a big My Little Pony party to help her celebrate. It was so much fun for her to have 9 of her little friends show up. For mommy it was more chaos than anything else. We just let the kids play for a while and then we did presents, cake & ice cream and let them play some more. I think everyone had a great time. Luckily it was a beautiful day so we had everyone outside enjoying the backyard. Quinn loved every minute of it and that is all that really matters. It amazes me how many little friends she has managed to make in four short years. Too cute!

Chad also celebrated his birthday in March. We had a quiet night at home and it was great. For his "cake" we went to Cold Stone and bought their cupcakes and they were awsomely yummy. (They should be at nearly 400 calories each!) Chad wanted sushi for dinner so we ordered takeout for us and Mcdonalds for the kids. Chad got a new bike for his birthday so the kids had a great time helping him put it together and watching him ride around the neighborhood. I hope he had a great day.

1st Snow Man

2010-04-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

When we woke up to a foot of snow this morning I had one thought...lets play. I have been waiting for enough snow to make a snowman since Christmas. Quinn has been so excited to get out and play but we just haven't had much of a winter this year. I told the kids that after lunch we could go out and build a snowman and Quinn had her snow pants and boots on before she was even done eating. She even put Weston's boots on him while he was in his high chair still, each on the wrong food, without socks. She just couldn't wait to get outside. It was a lot of fun to build with her too. She had definate opinions of what he should look like and she picked out each rock for the eyes and mouth. She was so upset that we didn't have sticks for the arms that we decided to use hockey sticks. He turned out really cute if you ask me. It has to have been 10+ years since I build a snowman and this was her first time so we did pretty good. Weston helped occasionaly but he always stopped to pose for a picture when the camera came out. He was just having fun scooping the snow with his shovel. Yeah...maybe he can plow the snow when he gets older.

Disney On Ice

2010-04-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just before Quinn's birthday the Disney On Ice show came to town. My friend and two of her girls wanted to go as well so we made a date. We were able to get great tickets (and a great price) through our mommy group so how could we refuse? To add to the experience we took the train downtown. Quinn was so excited, she could hardly wait. The show kept her full attention and she had a great time. During the Little Mermaid part when Ursula came out she looked at me and said "I'm not even scared!" It was so cute. She also informed me that they aren't real, they are just people in costumes. It makes me a little sad that she already knows things aren't real but she is just too stinkin' smart! Besides the prices of everything it really was a lot of fun. Even the adventure of the train ride home was entertaining. I loved having a girls outing with just Quinn. She is already talking about going next year and you know what, we just might.

Dancing Girl

2010-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

We put Quinn into a ballet class so she could try her dancing skills. She had to have ballet shoes for the class and after the first one we went an bought her a leotard and tights as well. She loves to dance and she is really doing great in her class. They are learning lots of different moves and she does pretty well. In the last class they had to skip and it turns out Quinn does not know how to skip. I was giggling pretty hard by the end of that exercise. They are learning 3 or 4 different dances and I think they may have a performance when the class is done. It is just fun to watch her do something that she so obviously loves and she is excelling at. She is the youngest one in her class but it doesn't seem to matter. I think this is something we will have to continue on with, she just loves it so much.

Snow Adventure

2009-12-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

I had to shovel the driveway yesterday so I thought I would create an adventure for myself and invite the kids to go out with me. It was Weston's first time all bundled up and ready to play in the white stuff. He loves the snow and always points and yells at it when we are going from the house to the car or back but I hadn't bundled him to actually play in it yet. At first he wasn't sure what to do, he just sat down and watched Quinn run around. After a while I got a bucket and shovel out for him to play with. Unfortunately it cause a lot of frustration for both of us. He couldn't pick up the shovel with his mittens on and he kept taking them off. Eventually he got the hang of it and he had a blast. He sat by the snow bank and dug holes and filled his bucket. I even heard him singing, which is a sure sign he was enjoying himself. Quinn explored the whole yard and climbed all the snow mountains she could find. We tried to make a snowman but it wasn't quite the right kind of snow. That is one more first we will have to experience before all the snow melts away.

Fundraising

2009-12-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

I don't really know how many people out in blogger land really read my family updates but I wanted to "advertise" this fundraiser I am doing. The mommy group that I am a part of is selling these cute bandaids as a way to raise money for our group. There are 30 to a box with 3 different bible verses about healing on them. They were invented by a grandpa that had a sick grandbaby who always needed to wear bandages. He wanted to reinforce the fact that God heals and takes care of us. We are selling them for $3.50 per box or 3 boxes for $10.00. If you are interested just leave a post. I will get them to you asap. Thanks for your support!

Gingerbread House

2009-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we decided to do a gingerbread house together as a family. Quinn and I saw a kit at Costco and she really wanted to try it so here it is. Mostly it was stressful for daddy and I but I think Quinn enjoyed it. Weston couldn't get involved too much so he ate snacks next to the table while we built. It was fun to see Quinn get so excited to decorate it but the other parts were hard for her. She kept licking the gingerbread man and everytime she could sneak a finger of frosting she did. Weston tried to get into the bowl of decorations and succeeded in stealing a gumdrop. While decorating the man Quinn put a jelly bean between his legs and Chad freaked out about her putting a "schlong" on it. I started laughing hysterically and then Quinn was asking what a "schlong" was. It was definately and interesting experience but the kids loved it and now we have a cute house to display. I am a bit worried that one day I will walk in to find the gingerbread man's head missing or something though, Quinn just didn't get why we weren't eating it....they are cookies right?

Family Update

2009-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I updated our family blog and I just wanted to share a few pictures of the fall fun we had.

Here is Quinn and her two best pals at the MOPS Trunk or Treat. It was freezing out that day! We left Weston at home because he was sick, running a fever, and we didn't want to contaminate everyone. It is a good thing Quinn was able to participate in this fun activity because she got sick the next day and had to miss her school party and parade. Mommy was very sad about it!

This is Halloween night. Quinn was still sick but we let her trick or treat to the house on our street and then Weston and daddy handed out our candy. They had a great time though! Everyone loved Weston's little Yoda outfit. Honestly the few houses we went to were enough to stock the house in candy for all of November.

The one thing we can always count on in fall is the leaves. Quinn was so excited to build them up into piles and then jump into them. She helped me make a huge pile and then she and Weston destroyed it. It was fun to watch them be entertained and in the end they helped me smash the leaves down into the green bin so I could fit more in. That was their favorite part I think, actually getting to get into the garbage can. I think Weston was in heaven!

Witches!

2009-10-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Quinn, Weston and I met up with my awsome friend Lindsay at Gardner Village to check out the witches and catch up. Lindsay and I have been friends forever, she was my first friend when I moved to Wyoming and I feel very fortunate that she is still a close friend. We had a fun time watching the kids run from witch to witch. Quinn was especially cute because she wanted her picture taken next to every witch. She would give a charming smile and pose. It made me wonder if she was my child. Normally I have to fight for a picture. Both kids wore their costumes and had a great time. We love Halloween in our house and the kids were looking forward to going to Gardner Village. It was made even more fun, especially for mommy, by including my great friend and getting a chance to catch up.

Crazy Carvers

2009-10-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Carving our pumpkins was really fun this year. Weston loved putting his hands inside the pumpkins and feeling the "goop" as Quinn calls it. He would stick the scoop inside then taste it. I would say "ooo, don't eat it" and he would giggle. Quinn wouldn't put her hands inside far enought to touch anything. Chad ended up cleaning all but one of them out but I am perfectly fine with that. I don't really like touching the goop either. When it came time to carve Quinn was very specific about hers. She wanted a scary face with pointy teeth. Chad is very creative and he did a great job. I always like the happy go lucky ones so I carved mine that way. By the end Weston was burnt out and Quinn gave up on us after hers was carved. Chad and I decided next year we only do two. The excitement was rekindled when we put the candles in however. Both kids freaked out and wouldn't leave them alone. I love seeing how much they enjoy our family activities and the holidays!

Pumpkin Patching

2009-10-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch for the annual pumpkin picking. It was really fun this year with Weston being so excited about pumpkins. He ran squealing from one pumpkin to the next, trying to pick each of them up. He loved the wheel barrow, the tractor, the pumpkins, the dirt. He is such a boy. Quinn was so concerned with getting the exact one, it was cute. Finally we found the two that would be perfect for our family. The kids had a great time and we started a new family tradition this year. After picking the pumpkins we went and had pumpkin pie at the Village Inn. The kids loved it, the next day Quinn wanted to go back for more pie. I'm glad they like our family traditions.

Look Out Seattle

2009-10-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

I spent a wonderful weekend in Seattle with my two bestest girlfriends. We had such a great time seeing the sights and laughing our heads off. We stayed at the Sheraton downtown and it was awsome. We were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go and the one time we didn't walk we rode the free metro bus. Seattle was amazing. The culture and sights were unbelievable, especially for a Wyoming girl like me. This trip was more of a sight-seeing one for us. We spent most of one day in the public market called Pike's Place. It is the home of the very first Starbucks, which we couldn't find until our very last night. We probably walked past it a dozen times without even noticing. Our second day we went on a harbor cruise from Union Lake through the Ballard Locks and then the Puget Sound. It was really interesting and we actually saw some sun. Our ship was aptly named the Good Time III, which fit us perfectly in so many ways. After the harbor tour we went to Pioneer Historic Square and did the Underground Tour which was crazy. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a whole underground sidewalk system. What a wild thing! We were pooped by the end of that day so we used the bus and finally ended up with yummy cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and a great glass of champagne (and another one of wine) saved from last years trip. We celebrated Dani's accomplishments and Susan's baby. It was a nice night to relax and enjoy each other. On our final day there we headed to the Space Needle. It was awsome but the elevator was a little nerve wracking. After that we had to head to the airport where we literally kicked off our shoes and crashed. It was a whirlwind trip but awsome from start to finish!

Weston's First Haircut

2009-10-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Weston went to get his first haircut today. He went in as my little baby boy and came out as a little man. It was sad for me to see his curls in the back go but I just couldn't take the baby mullet any more. He looks like such a little man now with his spikey, messy hair style. I almost cried when she shaved his sideburns. Babies don't have sideburns...it just means my baby is growing up :(. He loved having his hair cut though, he smiled the whole time he was being shaved. At one point he even stared into the mirror, checking himself out. He did awsome...my little man!

Quinn's First Day of Preschool

2009-09-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Quinn had her very first day of school yesterday. She is going to a preschool by our house so we can walk there easily. She loved it. I thought we would have to leave her screaming but she didn't really even notice us leaving. When I got back to pick her up they were all sitting in a circle yelling. She had a huge grin on her face and looked like she was having a great time. She told me they learned about the letter A and ate an apple for a snack. They learned about big and little letters, played outside on the playground, heard 2 stories, counted to 5 and sang the ABCs. She told me there were lots of toys to play with and that she really liked her teacher. I think she is going to really have a great time there. She already seems to be learning and it was just the first day. When we left she asked if she could go back again. I am so happy she loved it, I guess I shouldn't have worried.

Bike Riding Beauties

2009-09-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Quinn, Weston and I got to go to Evanston and visit with our great friends the Hutchison's. We took Quinn's bike and she got to ride with the girls all over the state park. We stopped loads of times to check out the wildlife in the state park and to check out the new fire circle. It was a lot of fun. After the bike riding we had a picnic lunch and the kids all played tag, including Weston. Mostly he chased the girls but they all were squealing with delight so it was fun. Quinn loves playing with the girls and she has been begging me for months to take her bike up there so she could ride with them. I'm glad we were all able to have such a great time with our wonderful friends!

And I was in the same room...

2009-08-18T12:19:00.001-07:00

It was a long, stressful day of packing and getting ready for camping. Chad took Quinn to Papa Murphey's with him to pick up dinner and left Weston with me. I am sure he thought one kid was manageable, even in my stressed out state of mind. Apparently he was wrong however because I didn't even notice my son painting his face with a marker. I saw him with the marker, I know he can't have them because he has strong little baby muscles that can open lids but I just passed on by. When I finally realized what I had seen it was too late. He was grinning purple and oh so unhappy when I had to wash his face. Thank goodness for washable crayola markers!

Bees Baseball

2009-07-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Bees Baseball game last night. Chad was able to get tickets through his work so we had a family night out. The kids had a lot of fun but honestly 9 innings is just too long for mommy and daddy to deal with them. It is a long game, baseball, and they are not able to sit for that long. Both the kids were up and down and into everything the whole time but overall they were very well behaved. They had a great time eating peanuts and cotton candy and Quinn loved yelling "swing" at the players batting. The best part of the night was the fireworks though. It was firework night at the field to celebrate the 24th and they were very good. Weston isn't a fan of fireworks and he buried his head in my arm and clutched my hand the whole time but he watch them from the corner of his eye. It helped that Michael Jackson music was blarring behind us so the noise of the fireworks was muffled. Unfortunately the Bees lost but it was fun to be there anyway. Thanks to Sportsmans for the tickets and the family night out!

The Hazards of Dancing

2009-07-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

My dancing queen gave herself a black eye when a twirl got out of control. I wasn't actually present for the incident. It happened while Chad and I were out for our anniversary and Grandma was in charge. I guess she was spinning and staggered into the game chest we have in our living room. She hit the corner of the chest right on her eye lid. These pictures are two days after the fact. I think she may have learned her lesson about twirling, the hard way, of course. I doubt she will ever give up dancing though, she just loves it too much.

A Very Busy Week!

2009-07-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy week this week. It started on Monday and hasn't stopped yet. Today is a slight down day but it will pick back up this evening and continue on into tomorrow. I love being busy and getting the kids out to experience different things but boy am I tired. Plus my house is suffering a bit as well. Luckily my super awsome friend Vicki is out of town next week and since she is my activity inspiration I think I will have a bit of time to recoop before we start again. It is awsome to have such great friends for me and my kids. We had an awsome week getting out and about, and such fun activities for mostly free.
~
On Monday we went to a carnival put on by some MOPS moms. It was a lot of fun for the kids, they had games to play and a playground and lots of yummy food. All of Quinn's friends were there so she loved it. Weston found this giant basketball and couldn't stop playing with it.
~
On Tuesday we went to Liberty Park with Vicki and almost all of her family for free lunch and to play in the rivers. Unfortunately the rivers were closed for maintenance and we ended up at the splash pad. It didn't hold my kids attention very well so we ate our lunch and headed to the paddle boats. I am indebted to Leslie and Vicki for taking Quinn out. She wanted to go so bad but with Weston I couldn't take her and honestly I didn't really want to. She had so much fun sitting with Bryce and Brighton. It was her first time on a boat and she did great. In the evening we went to a surprise party for one of Chad's co-workers/friend. He was so surprised, it was great. It was also nice to have a trampoline in their yard to entertain the kids.
~
On Wednesday we went to the park with Quinn's friend Roxy and her mommy and baby brother. Those two girls are the greatest friends and we had a blast. The park has a little guy play area too so Weston was able to run around and play without mommy having to worry about him climbing and falling. He loved it and was perpetually smiling. Quinn and Roxy spent most of their time running around squealing at the top of their lungs. They even met a new little friend that joined in the fun. After the park we went to Roxy's house to run through the sprinklers and play in the water. I think that was Weston's favorite part.
~
On Thursday we went to Big Cottonwood Canyon with Vicki's family for a fun day of camping. We took our lunch and dirt toys and stayed the whole day, Chad even came up for dinner and marshmallows. The kids had so much fun. Quinn and Brighton played together great and even Weston wasn't too hard to keep track of. We came home with a pound of dirt each though. It is amazing how dirty you can get in just one day. Again I have to say thanks to Vicki and family for inviting us. It was so much fun!
~
Finally, today, Friday we are going to have lunch with Chad and then mommy and daddy get to have a night out. Grandma Linda and grandpa Clark are coming to watch the kiddies while we celebrate our 5th anniversary. Yeah, sushi and Harry Potter!
~
See I told you it was a busy week!

Weston playing with a giant basketball at the MOPS Carnival.

Quinn and her friend Grayce playing Catch A Fish at the MOPS Carnival.

Weston on the trampoline at Dave's Surprise 40th Birthday Party. He had just fallen head first into the springs, but he is tough and didn't even notice the fall.

Quinn, Mommy and Weston having fun on the tramp at the Birthday Party Monday night.

Slightly blurry...sorry! Vicki and Leslie taking Bryce, Quinn and Brighton out on the paddle boats at Liberty Park.

Quinn having a great time on the boats.

Weston at the Park on Wednesday, climbing through a tunnel that was just his size.

Quinn and her great friend Roxy playing with the sprinklers at Roxy's house.

Camping with the Heath family up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Quinn and Brighton having resting time while we were camping.

Don't Ya Know...

2009-06-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

The kids and I stumbled onto this cute craft at Barnes & Noble yesterday. We were just checking out the kids section of the store to kill a bit of time when they started Story Time. We decided to stay of course and afterwards they had these cute signs for the kids to color. Quinn was so careful about her's. She chose each color and completely filled in each letter, pushing hard to make it dark and beautiful. She waited the whole rest of the day to surprise her daddy. She wanted to put it out in the flower bed but it started to rain (of course) so we put it on the kitchen table where he for sure wouldn't miss it. Every few minutes she would say, "Daddy will be home any minute to see his surprise." When we finally heard the garage door open she ran to the table grabbed her sign and waited right in front of the garage door for him to come in. It was truely made with love. He probably had no idea how much care she put into it. She is just such a sweet girl.

Here are a few little things she has said recently that have made me smile.

"You look beautiful in your dress mommy" Said right after getting out of the pool in my swim coverup.

"I love to watch you dance, please don't stop" Said as I was goofing around to the Jungle Book music.

"You make the best muffins, mommy" Said when she saw the muffins I had frozen in the freezer. Yes I did make them but she hasn't tried one from this batch and the last batch she didn't like.

"I can't hear mom," stops to touch her ear, "my ear no fall off?" Said after banging a loud metal bowl, I just think it was so cute she assumed her ear must have fallen off if she couldn't hear.

So Weston doesn't feel left out, here is a short cute story.

You know your little guy is getting big when he follows you into the bathroom, mischiveously reaches out grabs the end of the toilet paper and makes a run for it. The cutest thing ever is a 1 year old running as fast as his little legs will carry him while a streamer of toilet paper floats behind him. He giggled hysterically as I tried to catch him. It was naughty but it was wonderful too.

Quinn's First Love

2009-05-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Before they were born Quinn and her Nick have been destined to be together. Nick's mommy and I met in child birth class and found out we live around the corner from each other. Nick was born exactly two weeks earlier than Quinn and from the beginning they have been friends. We've gone to all of his birthdays and they have been to all of Quinn's. Lately we have been going to the library story time together and they have really become good friends. On the way home from the story time last week they held hands and walked together. It was so cute! Yesterday we went over to their house for a quick visit and when we left Quinn blew Nick a kiss and said, "I love you, Nick". Nick's mommy and I just about died, it was so adorable. Nick even said, "I love you too!" How sweet! Nick's mommy is sure they are destined for marriage, that would just be too much!

Weston Turns One!

2009-05-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Weston celebrated his first birthday today. We had pizza, cake and ice cream (oops forgot to serve the ice cream), and lots of good company. Grandma & Grandpa Fraser, Grandpa Eugster, Vicki, Bryce & Baby Abby, and of course, mommy, daddy & Quinn were all here to celebrate with him. It was a small but fun party. Bryce is Weston's only friend really so we were very happy to have him join us. The cake was a huge hit with Weston. He ate a huge piece entirely gone and was so cute with his chocolate beard. He also made a huge haul on the presents. His favorites are a toy phone that sings and make animal noises. He holds it up to his ear and says "da" really loud. Where did he learn to talk on a phone? The other favorite is the balls Vicki and Bryce gave him. As soon as they were open he was throwing them and chasing after them. Good choice! He had a great birthday, good thing mommy took lots of pics to help him remember it.

Easter Activities

2009-04-14T05:54:00.001-07:00

Here is our Easter weekend in reverse order, blame it on blogger! My cousin put on a fun egg hunt for the girls in our backyard on Easter Sunday. They had so much fun running around together trying to find the eggs. Quinn was squealing with excitement. Chad and I decided to have a hunt in our yard every year, it is big enough and the kids had a great time.

The Easter Bunny came to our house this year and left all kinds of surprises. A ton of eggs were hidden around the house and the kids' baskets were also missing from where they waited the night before. Quinn was the first one up and she sat on the couch finding eggs that were hidden around the room for a while. Finally we couldn't make her wait any longer for Kaleb and Weston so she went and found her basket while we woke the sleepy heads up. She was so excited and could hardly contain herself. She picked her basket up and dumped it out on the floor, jelly bean went flying. It was really funny. Weston loved his basket too but his favorite was a Cars ball the clever Easter Bunny picked out, how did he know that would be a hit?

On the night before Easter we dyed all our boiled eggs. This year Quinn really got into it. She dyed all of hers and all of Grandma's. She colored on them and got mad when the crayon didn't work. Grandma put egg wraps on them and that was the best. When they were all colored Quinn added more decoration with her stickers. She didn't want to stop but we ran out of eggs and it was way past bedtime by the end. She had a great time though and I am sure she will remember it for next year.

On Saturday morning we went to an egg hunt at the West Valley Rec Center on the reccomendation of Vicki. It was great fun! It was so well organized and Quinn was actually able to pick up candy and eggs without getting mowed over by other kids' parents. She was able to run and pick up anything she wanted and I was impressed by the items they put out. I would definately do this hunt again.

Easter Treat Disaster

2009-04-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Quinn and I wanted to make these yummy peanut butter Easter eggs today. I thought it would be a good mommy/daughter activity because shaping the dough would be easy for her and she could help me every step of the way. I gathered all the ingredients and turned my back on her to find the recipe. From behind my back I hear, "mommy I spilled." I turn around to find this disaster waiting for me. She had decided to shake the powdered sugar bag (for who know what reason) and ended up covered head to toe. It was too funny for me to even be mad. The eggs turned out great and Quinn had fun too. Of course we went to the bath immediately following the completion of the eggs. Having a three year old involved makes everything more exciting.

Presents from Grandma

2009-03-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately Quinn's grandparents don't get to be here for her birthday so they send gifts and we record the excitment to share later. The only postitive about this arrangement is that Quinn loves to get packages in the mail. It is her favorite thing to have boxes and cards sent to her but isn't it fun for all of us to get a surprise in the mail! I hope you all enjoy seeing just how excited she gets when she receives presents from her family.

Quinn's Birthday Party

2009-03-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Quinn had a great birthday party on Saturday. We went swimming at the Rec Center and then had cake and ice cream at our house after. It was fun to see everyone and let the kids run around and play. Quinn loves her friends and she had a really hard time choosing who to play with. The princess cake turned out just exactly how she wanted it and when I asked her later what her favorite part of the party was she said the cake. I am glad she had a great time. Next year I think we will skip the party though, mommy and daddy were worn out by the end. Thanks to all of you who came and made it great. We are lucky to have great friends and so is Quinn.

Happy Birthday Quinn!

2009-03-20T11:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet 3 year old. It seems like just yesterday you came into this world. I am blessed to be your mommy and have you in my life. I want to always remember just how wonderful you are. Here are a few cute stories about you.

At the age of 18 months you helped daddy clean up the dog poop in the back yard. Daddy used the shovel to toss the poo over the fence but you just used your hands. It was cute and yucky at the same time.

Last summer you pushed all of daddy's spare water pipe for the garden through the chain link fence so it stuck out at odd angles and then brought me to see it. You said "see what me make, daddy will be so proud".

When you were first learning to talk you would ask me to watch a "mooy on the t.t." when you wanted a video, and you called pillows "po's". So cute!

Whenever I do your hair you want me to make you look "bootiful" so everyone can see you. You are always beautiful!

I love it when you say to me "Here's the plan" or "options, give me options" or "I want to go to the coffee shop". How about when you told grandma "actually, him a baby" when referring to Weston. When did you get such a big girl vocabulary?

And now mommy and daddy have reason to be scared, you are learning to manipulate. After the gym you said to daddy. "I have an ice cream for you daddy but I no have one for me, maybe you can go to the store and get one for me?" Daddy gets a pretend on but you need a real one I guess.

I hope you have a great birthday. You are just too cute for your own good. Mommy, daddy and brother all love you very very very much! Happy Birthday!

Chad's Thriller

2009-03-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Chad's Vegas Birthday Extravaganza

2009-03-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

We went to Vegas to celebrate Chad's 37th birthday. We left on Thursday the 12th and came home on the 15th. Chad celebrated the big day on Friday the 13th but don't worry nothing bad happened that he didn't bring on himself. The trip was great fun. We stayed at our WorldMark condo on Tropicana. It was a new one to us but it was just as nice as any other one we have experienced. We had friends and family there to celebrate with us which was great. My fun auntie Jean and her husband, my cousin Loggy-baby (as Chad calls him), Steve & Sydni (more cousins) and my bff Dani and her beau Guy. It was quite the group. The theme of the vacation was Fat Tuesdays. The whole trip revolved around the Fat Tuesdays drink stands. It started as soon as the group got off the plane and headed straight for MGM to get a drink there and it didn't end until the curtain went down on the trip. I only had one, the first night and it knocked me out but Chad and crew pounded them and loved every minute. By the end of the birthday day my husband was feeling no pain. The highlight of the trip was Chad dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller in front of a whole crowd at the Hard Rock (video to follow). As for me I was happy to get a new shirt and new shoes. We gambled very little, there was just so much other stuff to do. Needless to say, you can't win big if you don't play big....we didn't win but oh well. We had a great time with great people and I can't wait for next time.

Funny Glasses

2009-03-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post these pictures because I thought they were so fun. Quinn came down the stairs with her glasses, purse, microphone and puppy and said she was ready to go. She was so darn cute both Chad and I were gushing. I took her picture but then she wanted to pose so I didn't get the full effect. She is just adorable sometimes.

The funny glasses came from the doctor's office treasure box. When ever I have a doctor's appointment Quinn wants to go so she can get a prize from the treasure box. She picked these glasses at the appointment yesterday and we had fun taking pictures in them. We put them on Weston too but he didn't like that much. The mustache completely covered his mouth and chin. It was very funny. I am glad Quinn is starting to like having her picture taken again. It will make scrapbooking much easier for me...or maybe harder because now I will have too many cute pictures to choose from.

Weston and the ball

2009-02-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

Weston just learned a new game. He chases this tennis ball all around the living room. He picks it up throws it and then chases it. It is so cute to watch him. He works himself up so much he gets out of breath. I guess he is going to be into balls like most boys. Sorry about the obnoxious background noise. The tv was on and I couldn't get there to mute it.

Valentines Day

2009-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentines day this year! We have two beautiful children who are so happy with the smallest things, whats not to love? Grandma Linda and Grandpa Clark bought them Valentines Day balloons this year. The balloons were a huge success with both kids and they kept them busy for quite a while. Quinn picked them both out but of course Weston didn't mind much. The kids and I got Chad a new coffee mug and a box of chocolates but unfortunately he got a new mug on Friday at work so he didn't need the one we picked out and the chocolates were too tempting for Quinn and I so he didn't get many of them either. Luckily he loves us enough that he didn't mind too much. We took his mug back and used the money to buy a pizza so I guess he got a pepperoni pizza for Valentines day...poor guy! Quinn made him a cute card at play school, that was his favorite part anyway, the rest was just extra. We gave the kids small boxes of chocolates and Pooh Bear cards. The candy was all Quinn wanted, she is such a sweet tooth. I made out a whole lot better than the rest of them, I was the spoiled one this year. Chad took me to see the Twilight movie (I just finished the book) and then he also bought me the new book by Stephanie Meyer called The Host. I haven't started it yet but it sounds really interesting. I just haven't gotten over the last one I finished yet so I'm not ready to move on. It was a great holiday for us. My family is so lucky to have each other, when sappy holidays like this one come along, it makes me thankful to have wonderful people in my life.

9 Months, RSV & More

2009-02-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

Weston turned 9 months old on Thursday. I just don't know where the time has gone! He is not quite crawling yet but that doesn't stop him at all. We have to make sure the floor is always clean because anything he can eat he will. He has 6 teeth coming in all at once, 4 on top and 2 on bottom. He is getting so big too. We went to the doctor on Friday and he weighs just shy of 20 lbs now and is completely average for height and weight. We didn't have to get shots this time which was great because we had enough bad stuff to deal with. He has a mild case of RSV and a slight ear infection. He had to have a tube stuck down his nose to suck out all the junk and then he had a nebulizer (sp?) treatment too. We got a perscription for antibotics and albuteral and we are dilligently treating him every 4 hours. He is getting better slowly but he is my smiley guy again so I am happy to see that. The fear of RSV isn't so bad when you are facing it. I am just doing the best I can to take care of him and he seems to be doing ok. That is all I can ask for. I am sure we will be over it in a week or so. Unfortunately Quinn had to miss gymnastics last week and I don't think she will make it this week either which means we might as well take this month off. Poor girl, she really does love it. Hopefully all will be well in just a couple of weeks and then we will be back to normal. Sorry I haven't been posting enough lately but life just gets more and more crazy.

Quinn goes skating!

2009-01-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

We took Quinn ice skating for the first time about three weeks ago. She was expecting it to be very easy and she was very frustrated that she could just go out and twirl and spin. We watched figure skating just before we headed out to the rink so that made her think it was just a simple thing to do. She really was a natural though, by the time we finished our session she was going just by holding on to my hand and the wall. She can stand up on the skates and even push a little. It was hard to get her not to pick up her feet like she was walking but she will get it. She is only 2 and it isn't the easiest thing to learn....I know. We were just very excited that she had a good time doing it.

Weston's First Hockey Game

2009-01-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

We took Weston to his very first hockey game tonight. He was a little trooper and loved every minute of it. At times we couldn't even get his eyes off the players. He bounced happily on one of our laps all through the game and didn't even get scared when the train horn blew for a goal. Unfortunately the Grizzlies lost but it was fun to get out with Dave & Courtney and see a game. I can't believe this was the first one of the season for us...we have been bad fans this year. Quinn enjoyed it too, she didn't get to bump knuckles with Grizzbee and that made her upset but there is always next time.

Snow Angels

2009-01-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Quinn made her first snow angels in the fresh snow on the driveway the other day while I was trying to shovel it out of the way. She was so cute doing them too, she would make one then get up and put a "hat" on them by pressing the snow above the head mark. Sometimes she would say it was a boy angel. I don't know what the difference is but she was knew when it was a boy or a girl. I'm not sure where she learned how to make snow angels but she knew just what to do and I didn't even have to help her. As I shoveled along I had to destroy her beautiful angels but at least I have them saved in my camera.

Christmas Time

2008-12-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Quinn woke up around 7am on Christmas morning. I thought that was pretty good. Grandma Linda and Grandpa Clark slept in her room so she woke them up first. She told grandma that she wanted to go see if Santa had come. Santa brought her a kitchen set and the tea pot and rocket she had been asking for. Such a smart Santa! Weston got a drum, truck and ball from Santa. We didn't ask for anything in particular for West so he was happy with what he got. After the fun of Santa's gifts was old we moved on to the presents. My kids get so many from there three grandparents and three great grandparents and the aunts and uncles that it takes forever! By the end Quinn was ready for a nap and Weston didn't even make it all the way through, mommy just openned them for him. It was great fun though, the kids got more than enough and mommy and daddy made out alright too. We had two sets of grandparents with us and that was great. We had an omlet breakfast, a ham dinner and a wonderful time visiting. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

Sleigh Ride

2008-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Grandma Carol and Grandpa Grant bought us a sleigh ride for our Christmas present. We went up to Park City Resort to take advantage of the snow and the cold. We had our ride through a company called Snowed Inn and it was really a lot of fun. Two horses pulled the sleigh and they were giant. They were Belgians and they were the biggest horses I have ever seen. They pulled our sleigh like it was not even there. Quinn and Weston seemed to really enjoy the ride too. Quinn was a bit afraid of the horses but she sat on Grandma's lap and took it all in. She was amazed by the night skiers and she decided that she wants to do that too. Weston was so bundled that he could only sit and look around. He couldn't move at all. I am an over protective mom but at least I didn't have to worry about him being warm. It was a really neat experience. I think we will try and do it again in the years to come, it would make a neat tradition.

Little Reindeer

2008-12-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

I just had to post these pics. We put the ears on Luna first, she was really good about sitting there with them on so I could take her picture. It was so darn cute we then put them on Wynnie (she would have nothing to do with them) and then on Quinn (she loves them but not in front of the camera) and then on me (be happy I didn't post those pics) and finally on Weston. As you can see Weston loves the camera and he would smile no matter what. He was a happy to be my little reindeer.

Pressed Flowers

2008-12-07T19:40:00.001-08:00

One of my night time rituals with Quinn is to read to her. She usually picks two books and then we read them before she goes to sleep. One of the books that cycles through the ever changing rotation is a Berenstain Bears book called My Funny Valentine. It is a cute story about a mean boy liking Sister Bear and tormenting her with bugs and all the things boys do when they like girls. At the end of the story Sister Bear gets a very pretty valentine from the mean boy and then they become friends. On the last page he gives her a flower and she rushes home to press it in a book. Today, while we were doing some clean-up out in the garden, Quinn found a dried up flower left from the summer blooms. She brought it to me and told me it was a very beautiful flower for me. I thanked her for being so sweet and continued on my way through all the leaves in the garden. As she jogged out of the garden and headed into the house, I heard her say that she needed to put them in a book. I knew instantly what she meant and I was a little worried about what I was going to find but it was cute. Tonight at bath time, I went into her room and found the beautiful flowers sticking out of the Christmas book we read last night. She laid it on her night stand and pressed them to keep forever. How sweet is that!

Christmas Kids

2008-12-04T16:15:00.001-08:00

What can I say, Christmas pics are just sooooo much fun! I let Quinn pick the background, perhaps not the smartest thing I have ever done but she really liked this blue one with the ornaments so we went with it. It is a bit busy and bold especially with what the kids are wearing but with kids like mine, it can't help but be cute. I can't wait to get my prints of these so I can put them on the mantle with all the cute Christmas stuff I have out.

Weston @ 6 Months

2008-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Weston's 6 months pictures turned out great! He has the cutest little sweater that his auntie Jen bought for him and I just had to have his pics taken in it. He is just so adorable when he is wearing it. He is so happy and easy to take to the photo place....reminds me of his sister when she was his age. I sure am lucky to have such adorable children.

Cutest Kids Ever!!!!

2008-12-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

I had pictures taken of the kids together to match our family photos. They really turned out cute! Quinn still isn't the most cooperative little person but somehow we always manage to get the best pictures imaginable. Weston is still in the happy-go-lucky stage where anything we say makes him laugh. I am so happy with the way these turned out.

Fall Leaves

2008-11-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again, when all the leaves on our beautiful trees fall off and we have to clean them up. It seems like we rake them all up and when we turn around the lawn is covered with them again. Chad and Quinn spent about an hour outside raking and playing in the leaves on Saturday only to have the work undone by the wind. It didn't matter much to them however because they were having fun. Chad would throw the leaves on Quinn and she would scream and giggle and run around like a mad woman. It was so cute to watch. This is the first year she has really enjoyed the leaves. Weston was taking a nap while all this fun was happening. Fortunately we have plenty more leaves to rake and he will get his chance to be super cute while playing in them.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

We had a fun halloween. Quinn was the prettiest little Cinderella around and of course Weston is always the cutest little monkey. Chad dressed up as a "plastic" surgeon. He wore scrubs with credit card logos all over them. I threw together a gypsy costume at the last minute. It actually turned out cute for being created about 5pm on friday. I wish Quinn was a bit less camera shy right now. She really was so beautiful but she wouldn't let me get a great picture. Weston of course is always happy to smile for me. We trekked through the neighborhood and Quinn was quite the trooper. She would go up to the door all by herself and ring the doorbell. It was really so cute. We ended up with a lot of left over candy and a lot of new candy acquired by Quinn. Good thing I am trying to lose the last of the baby weight or I would be all over that. For the next little while Quinn and Chad get to be on a sugar high I guess.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

We carved our pumpkins last night and boy are they cute. Quinn was very interested in the gooey stuff inside. She asked me what we do with it....do we eat it? I had to laugh, it was so cute! Quinn was a big help. She told us what kind of eyes and mouth to carve on them. I followed her directions better than Chad did. His are the two scary ones and mine are the happy-go-lucky ones. We lit them last night and put them on the hearth to be enjoyed until Halloween. First thing this morning Quinn wanted them lit again. She was really amazed by them and it was fun to enjoy it with her.

First Solid Food

2008-10-29T13:59:00.001-07:00

We gave West his first "solid" meal on Sunday. We did the good old rice cereal with formula for him and he loved it. He kept openning his mouth like a little bird, trying to get his daddy to put the spoon in. He is just so small in the high chair. I know Quinn was that little when she was his age and eating her first cereal but after seeing her as a big girl sitting in there it just makes him seem so much smaller. I have given West cereal everyday since the first day and he just loves it. Some days he doesn't know quite how to open his mouth and today more came back out than went in but after a while we finished the bowl.

Pick a Perfect Pumpkin

2008-10-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins for Halloween. It was so much fun to watch Quinn run around the field checking out every pumpkin. After we trekked all the way to the end of the field we finally picked out the four that were the best. We picked out one for each of us and it really hit home that we were a family of four when I saw the pumpkins all lined up. We are going to carve them up on Sunday. Quinn has been a bit confused about the pumpkins though, she keeps thinking we are going to paint them with eggs in cups. It is cute, I have to explain it to her about once a day. I guess Easter eggs really made an impression on her. I think the carving process is going to be amazing to her this year. I think the icky goo inside is going to be what really catches her attention. I can't wait to see how it goes. I will post some pics when we get them all done.

Which witch is which?

2008-10-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Quinn, Weston and I went to Gardner Village with our friends Vicki, Bryce and Braiden today. We went to see the witches and all the spooky halloween decor. It is actually the second time in less than a week but it is a fun free activity so why not? The first time we went the place was packed and I forgot my camera. The kids had a great time running around in their costumes. Everywhere we went people commented on how cute the princess and the dragon were. Weston was the cutest little monkey there though. It is nice to have a fun place to take the kids for a few hours. This time of year there is crazy with people but the place is just so cute to visit.

Cutest Kids Ever

2008-10-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

I just took the cutest pictures of my kids and I thought I would post them. Quinn was a really great sister and wanted to give her brother a horse ride on her rocking horse. I was worried that she wouldn't hold on to him tight enough but she really took care to make sure he was safe. Surprising really, because she is often so rough with him. Later I was taking pics of West on the floor and she jumped in with the cutest smile ever. I am grateful that she loves him so much and that I have such sweet babies.

A Weekend Away

2008-10-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

I spent a fabulous weekend with my girlfriends Dani & Susan in Windsor, California. We tasted wine, shopped til we dropped, got lost more than once, had a car from space and generally had a great time. We spent more time laughing than anything else. We arrived in San Francisco around 9pm on Friday and flew home around 4pm on Monday. It was just so much fun. I found out a lot about different wines and I even found a few that I really like. It was so interesting to see how they grew the grapes and made the wines. We also spend some time in the redwood forest and we visited the ocean, both adventures in themselves. We even went through Bodega Bay which is where the movie The Birds was filmed but it was too dark to see anything. I would definately visit the area again. We had a great time. I know I told both my friends this when we were together but I just want to say it again. I am so lucky to have both of them. They are the best friends anyone could ask for! I can't wait until next year.....Washington look out.

Trip to Evanston

2008-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Quinn, Weston, and I went to visit grandma and grandpa for the weekend. It was a lot of fun to just hang out and not be rushed to do much of anything. Quinn loved staying with her grandparents and when it was time to head home she said she wanted stay there forever. We did a lot of visiting while there and got to see my friends from high school and all my family. We went to see Kirk & Jessica's new place, the George's new house and Auntie Jean's new home too. We spent time with a lot of friends and had a great time. I don't know what Quinn liked the most, the cookies grandma made for her or spending time with Sarah and Emily, her friends.

4 Month Pictures Continued

2008-09-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

4 Month Pictures

2008-09-25T19:00:00.001-07:00

Here are the newest pics of Weston. He is just so darn cute! We took him today for his 4 month pictures and he is so happy and smiley I had a hard time picking which ones I wanted. I will do one more post with some more pics.

Lagoon Day

2008-09-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Lagoon yesterday. Quinn was so excited to go. Everyday for the last two weeks she has been asking me, "going to 'goon today?" We went on the website and looked at all the pics of the rides and she decided which ones she really wanted to ride. When the day finally arrived she could hardly wait. She had us all up around 7am and was basically cracking the whip to get everyone ready to go. My parents, Kirk, Jessica and Kaleb all came too. We really wanted to see Quinn and Kaleb riding together and it was very cute. The first ride Quinn went on was the Bulgy the Whale one. She was kind of afraid to go alone so this little boy in front of her said she could ride with him. He was putting the moves on her. It was super cute. After that we did the space ships, Kontiki, the space ships again, the cars, the boats, helicopters, airplanes, dragon coaster and a couple other misc ones. We also did the train and the carousel and the Lady Bug Bop. Quinn says the boats were her favorite, mine was the Lady bug one because of how cute Quinn was on it. She would squeal and laugh every time it dropped us. I thought she was going to hate it but she loved it. Shows you how much I know. Going to Lagoon as a parent is a lot different than as a teenager/non-parent. I only rode 3 rides the whole time we were there. The whole day was about Quinn and her enjoyment. It really was a lot of fun though. It is amazing how much fun you can have just watching your kids have fun. It did rain on us quite a bit which made it slightly miserable. Next year I think we will go a little earlier in the year and I don't think I will buy a ticket, only Quinn and West really will need one. Anyway, it was a nice day with the family for the most part.

Basket Case

2008-09-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Weston was feeling kind of needy the other day but I was trying to get ready and couldn't hold him so I put him in the laundry basket on the floor by me in the bathroom. He was so cute sitting in there. He posed for about 15 pictures and was so smiley and happy. A baby in a diaper in a basket....what is cuter? His big sister wanted to be included in the excitement and she kept jumping in the way of the camera. I pulled her out of the frame half a dozen times and asked her to please stay to the side while I took the pictures. After a little bit she had enough of all the attention being on her brother. She walked over to the basket and tipped it right over. Brother and laundry went tumbling out onto the floor. Needless to say she had a time out but Weston was fine. He didn't even cry. He is such a tough little guy, as you can tell he has to be to live with Quinn. I just thought it was a cute story and sweet pictures. Even though Quinn really is a super big sister she is only two and sometimes she just has had enough I guess.

Dancing Cutie

2008-09-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

My cutie dancing up a storm at a wedding on Saturday. She definately takes after the Bjelke side of the family.

Lots to catch up on

2008-09-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I have tried about 5 times now to upload my pics to this blog but for some reason it just isn't working. I will post them in the near future if I can ever get them to work. I just wanted to catch up on the happenings in the Fraser Family. Quinn Macey started gymnastics last week and she loved it. It is pretty basic and probably not worth the money I am putting out but we thought we would try it. It is once a week and the class is for moms and tots. She learned how to do somersaults and walk on the beam the first day. I'm sure it is pretty much the same every class but it was fun. We took West and he sat by the sidelines in his chair for the whole time. Quinn made a little friend her same age and with the exact same puppy that we love so much. Imagine that!
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Weston is 4 months now and he weighed 15lbs at the doctors appointment. He is 26 inches long too, he is my tall boy. He rolled over for the first time about a week ago and now he does it all the time. We have taken the binki away from him to try and teach him to fall asleep on his own. It has only been one day so we will see how it goes. Nap and bed last night weren't too bad though so I've got my fingers crossed plus he slept through the night. Hooray!!!
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I am planning to join a mom group with my friend Vicki....hi Vicki, I know you are reading this....and I am so excited. It will be so good for me to get away from the kids for a bit every once and a while plus they will enjoy the time too I'm sure. I heard that this group was wonderful and I just can't wait until next Thursday when I get to go for the first time.
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We sold the Harley and purchased a new 4-wheeler and a 2004 Ford Expedition with the money from the bike. I also sold my '79 Impala. Some of you reading this will be amazed that I finally did it. I finally let go of the car that carried me everywhere for about 12 years. It was harder than I thought it would be, even Chad got a bit misty. Not nearly as much as he was about the bike but maybe a little anyway. I love my new expedition so I don't miss the car at all really but it was my first and only for a very long time. So long old friend!
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All the trees we purchased in the spring died. We pulled them all out and went back to Home Depot for a credit to buy new ones next year. Stupid trees anyway. So much for the future hedge I was so looking forward to. I might try to convince Chad to do something else, maybe lilac bushes or something. All that work his dad and Sherrill and he put in just to have them die. It really is too bad.
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Well that is really all the new and exciting news. I will try and get those stupid pics uploaded soon. Plus a very cute video of Quinn dancing at a wedding we went to on Saturday. How did I ever get such a beautiful daughter!

Quinn's Very First Haircut

2008-09-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

We took Quinn for her very first haircut ever today. She is 2 1/2 already but I just haven't felt the need to have it cut. In some ways I was putting it off because it was the last thing to do before she was truely a little girl and not my baby any more. At first she was quite scared of the lady and the comb. She refused to get into the chair and made me hold her for a while, then she stood on the car but wouldn't sit down and finally we convinced her to sit. Then it took a sucker, bubbles and a movie to keep her from having a break down. Finally we got her her hair done and we were even able to have it blow dried. It looks really cute and very curly. I was also very happy with the place we went. They obviously catered to young kids and they were so patient and sweet with Quinn. I will definately keep going to them.

Dinosaurs and more....

2008-09-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

We took Quinn to Thanksgiving Point to see the Museum of Ancient Life. She has been wanting to see the dinosaurs forever and we finally made it down there. Grandma Sherrill, grandpa Bruce, and grandma Eilleen are all here to visit for the week to visit and we thought it would be a good day trip. Quinn really loved the big dinosaurs and we have been talking about them ever since we got home. After the dinosaurs we went to the gardens and wandered around for quite a while. Quinn slept through most of the big gardens but Weston was awake and loving the outdoors. I loved the secret garden they have set up. I really want my backyard to feel that way, but that is probably a pipe dream. After the big gardens we went to the Children's Discovery Gardens and ran around for a bit. Quinn liked the bear caves the most. We all had a good time in the mazes except for when Chad scared me to death. There is plenty more fun things in store while the Grandparents are in town. I can't wait to see what other adventures we have.

Weston's Blessing

2008-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

We finally had Weston blessed this past weekend. It was a very nice blessing. My uncle Dave did the actual blessing with my cousin Zak and Bishop Rowley standing in. That is one more person than when Quinn was blessed. It was sweet of them to do that for me. The whole family turned out for the occasion and I really appreciate that as well. My little guy looked so adorable in his little dress outfit and Quinn was beautiful in her little jumper dress Auntie Sheila sent. I am just so lucky to have a sweet baby boy and a darling little girl.

After the blessing we had a surprise party for my uncle Dave. It was his 60th birthday so it worked out that the family was already all together. It was a fun time to just visit with everyone and eat yummy food. We had a great turnout for the party as well, including some family that didn't come to the blessing and some members of my aunt Colleen's family. Uncle Dave says he was truely surprised by the party but I don't know if I believe him. It was a hard secret to keep.

Auntie Comes to Town

2008-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Auntie Jenny came to visit us over the 24th weekend. It was so much fun to have her here. I know the kids enjoyed visiting with her and I did too. We had a whirlwind weekend and did a lot in a short period of time. She arrived on Friday and we went to a BBQ that night at my cousin's house (see Josh & Megan's blog for the cutest pics ever). Then on Saturday we went swimming, shopping, and picnicking in the mountains. Sunday we did more shopping and played games all afternoon. On Monday we went to the petting zoo and yes more shopping...oh and the park as well. Jenny left Monday evening and we were all very sad to see her go. Me most of all probably. I just love having another adult around to visit with. While Quinn is quite the conversationalist, somehow it is just not the same. We last saw Jenny in November, when we flew up there for Wade's wedding. I hope it isn't another 8 months before we see her again. She is trying to convince me to just bring the kids up for a visit and leave Chad behind. It is actually an enticing idea. Too bad they all have to take vacation time if I do. I like the idea a whole lot thought really. I will probably end up doing it eventually. When that time comes I will keep you posted.

Picture Perfect

2008-07-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

I had West's 2 month pictures done this week. Here are some of the highlights. It was so hard to pick which ones I wanted to buy because they were all so good. He was so happy and he took such good pictures. We did one of the three of us for Chad's anniversary gift. Yes, it was our anniversary. 4 years sure goes by fast.

Camping

2008-07-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

We went camping this last weekend for the first time this year. We went to the Buck Ranch outside of Kemmerer, WY. It was so nice to get away for a while and not have anything to do but hang out. It was West's first trip ever and he was really good. He even slept through the night both nights we were there. The first time ever and he did it twice in a row. Too bad he didn't keep it up when we got home. Chad and my dad did some fishing while we were there but they didn't do so great. The dogs, all four yellow labs, swam their hearts out. My Wynnie dog is so lazy at fetching at home but when you put water in front of her, you can't get her to stop. Silly dog! Quinn picked a flower for me while we were out on a walk, it was the first flower she has ever picked for me. It was a sweet moment I think every mom waits for. The best part of the trip for Quinn was riding the 4-wheelers. She went out on them everytime anyone was going anywhere. Her grandparents took her to see cows and the river and that was her favorite trip by far. It was so nice to get out and spend some time at the ranch. It has been too long since we were up there. Hopefully were will be able to go again soon!

4th of July

2008-07-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was great! We got up fairly early and went to the parade. It was Quinn's first one ever and she loved it. She liked the horses and the princesses the very best of course. She sat on daddy's shoulders for most of the time. He must have a really strong neck, because she about killed me when I tried to take a turn. At the beginning of the parade they gave her a flag to wave and she was in heaven after that. She waved her flag the whole time we were there and all through the day into the night. She still has it in her toy box and she still waves it from time to time. Flags have been her thing for a while though. She points them out where ever we go. After the parade we had a quiet afternoon at home in anticipation of friends coming over for dinner and fireworks. We had the Berg family, the Lloyd family and the Bryan family all over for BBQ and fireworks. It was really a lot of fun. Quinn was very interested in the fireworks. She held a sparkler for the first time and it was so cute. She held it up as far as she could with one hand and she gripped the front of her shirt with her other hand, she looke a bit like the Statue of Liberty. We let her stay up late to watch the big fireworks from the city park but she just couldn't make it that long. About 10pm she basically put herself to bed. She asked her daddy to take her up and then she was out. It was a long fun day and she just was pooped I guess.