OUR PRODUCTION NUMBER

HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-11-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

"I'm Dash" "The Dash"

What a cute boy!! He changed his mind SO many times this year. About a week ago when he said he wanted to be Dash from The Incredibles, I told him he wasn't allowed to change his mind anymore. Dash it is!!!

I made his costume and it was fun to make...even though he wasn't cooperative at all. :)

Running Fast!!

We had some friends come over and spend the evening with us. Andru as a Pirate and Parker as an Army man. Cute Boys!!

Kelly and her little Cow Jameson.

Sporting some JC Bling Lady Gaga glasses.

My decorations. I like decorating for holidays!!

Notice it says 14 days until Halloween. Guess I got lazy!! :)

Kashton and I made this little foam treehouse together. It was a fun afternoon.

Dad's recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. YUMMY!! My favorite.

Cameron's mom's recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash. Cam's favorite.

Our porch. We had spiderwebs and a fog machine that spits out bubbles. When the bubbles pop they're filled with more fog. It's a hit!! All the kids that come to our house will sit and pop the bubbles and watch the smoke come out. Our porch gets a little crowded because the kids like playing in the bubbles.

The Loot!! Notice the paint from his face smeared ALL OVER his sleeves. What a mess!!

Close up of the mess!!! What a sweet boy. We had so much fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Last Game!!

2011-11-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

We had our last flag football game of the season. We were SO sad to see it end. It was our favorite sport to watch.

Kashton scored two touch downs at this last game. We were so proud of him.

He had two coaches. Coach Shane and this is Coach Trevor.

Cute boy with his trophy!!!

Moley Moley!!!

2011-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

This summer, our yard has been completely DESTROYED by moles. We've tried EVERYTHING to get rid of them. We're not sure if something we did finally worked, but this was in my dogs mouth one day.

At first we were yelling at her to drop whatever she had. She went running in the house and under the bed with her tail between her legs. When we discovered it was a MOLE, we were all about praising her and giving her treats. GOOD HERSHEY!!!

The Bump!!!

2011-11-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

So...I've decided to NOT put these pictures on Facebook. Over the years I've sadly heard alot of commets people have made about OTHER pregnant women that have not been too kind.

"She's gotten SO big."

"She's really let herself go."

"You never would've guessed she was really tiny once."

Etc!!!

Go ahead and call me insecure because I'll admit it myself. Yes, I'm VERY insecure. Dont get me wrong though. I think the female body is AMAZING and it's incredible to feel that sweet little baby inside of me. But, I don't look nearly as "cute" as I did when I was pregnant with Kashton. I'm so much bigger with this baby and I'm more pregnant "all over" then just in my tummy. I had a cute little basketball when I was pregnant with Kashton. Now, I feel like my ENTIRE BODY is pregnant with this one. Maybe that's the difference between a boy and a girl.

Anyway....I wanted to take pics of my "bump" because I never did it was Kashton and I regret it. So these pics are for me and for my family who will never get any other chance to see my big belly. :)

This is me at 20 weeks!!

Here's 26 weeks. My face looks pregnant and I'm PRETTY sure the last time my chest was that big was when I was nursing Kashton. HOLY LORD THEY'RE HUGE. CHUNKY MONKEY!!!! A young woman in my ward said I looked like "the cutest pumpkin" she's ever seen.

30 weeks!!! I was on my way to a wedding reception and was (for a moment) feeling cute. So, I took this picture. Then, there was a lady at the reception that said:
Lady: "When are you due?"
Me: "First week of January"
Lady: "WOW, you must get REALLY BIG with your babies."
And...the cute feeling was GONE!!!!

CRASH!!!!!

2011-11-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Kashton has his first big BIKE CRASH!!!! He was going down a hill in our neighborhood and hit a patch of dirt and rocks. Cameron was riding with him and I was sitting on the front porch when it happened. I could hear the screaming from the house and the dread hit me so hard. Our neighborhood is nothing but STEEP hills and we haven't bought him a helmet yet. Normally, I only allow him to just ride his bike in front of our house. Much to my dismay, Cameron will take him on the hills.

So...when I heard the screaming, I was none-too-happy.

I ran around the corner and down the hill (as quickly as my pregnant body would allow me to). I was SO grateful to not find a cracked open head and a body in need of stitches.

I just want to kiss this sweet little face with tears in his eyes. He was SO brave, until we got the hydrogen peroxide out. :)

He got some road rash on his head and nose and you can see a good one on his elbow there too.

Both elbows got torn up pretty good and it was quite an effort to scrub the blood out of his white t-shirt.
I'm SO thankful this was all we ended up with!!!

New Rule: NO MORE HILLS UNTIL WE CAN BUY A HELMET!!!!

Pun'kun Patch!!!

2011-10-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

Over the past few weeks Cameron's show schedule has been really light because the season is winding down and coming to an end while they prepare for the opening of the Christmas show which opens November 1st. We have enjoyed these past few weeks of October doing alot of family activities together.

We went to the McKenna Family Pumpkin Patch together. Something we look forward to every year. We've been spoiled because the weather has been INCREDIBLE this season. We haven't even had any cold days yet. My perfect Fall!!!
Kashton loves these slides every year. They are kind of like a wash board. So he bounces all the way down.

There are SO many activities do this at this pumpkin patch. I actually had a REALLY hard time keeping up with him (which means I didn't get pictures of everything he did). He ran from one thing to the next and was SO HYPER!!! Cameron and I just sat back and laughed. He was having so much fun!!

In years past, he hasn't been able to reach the pedals. He had alot more fun this year on the tricycles!!! My little shortie!!!

On the "haunted" hayride. Yup...these handsome men are ALL mine!!!

This is his "scary" face.

Fun with Daddy!!!

Inside the Hay Maze!

On TOP of the Hay Maze. I'm so glad he's such a BOY!!!!

He ran around the entire perimeter of the Hay Maze and jumped from bale to bale.

Family Photo!!!

I was actually shocked to see that the Corn Maze was still so GREEN!!! We've had such a mild Fall and warm fall this year. I don't think I've ever seen a green corn maze before.

Picking out our pumpkin!!! This is probably the only "negative" of coming to the Pumpkin Patch. The pumpkins are SO expensive. We just got two pumpkins this year. One for me and Cam and then a little one for Kashton because he wanted to paint it.

This picture didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped. I think I need to be 9 months pregnant to really get the full effect. Still....kinda fun.

My handsome boy!!

The 28th Week Bump!!!

Kashton wanted to do it too!!

We're already excited to go again next year!!!!

Branson Balloon Festival!!

2011-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Branson had it's first Hot Air Balloon Festival. We weren't able to go to most of the events they had but I wanted Kashton to see them. So, right after his rehearsal at the church for the Primary Program (where he sang his FIRST solo in sacrament meeting: I Love To See the Temple. And he did a FANTASTIC job), I brought him to Branson Creek (where the new Branson Airport is) and we watched them light up the balloons.

They did a couple of things where they had all the balloons light their torches at the same time so they were all lit up. And then they did something called a "flicker burn" where they flicked their torches on and off really quick. It was fun.

Kashton cared more about the bounces houses that were there then the balloons. He played for about an hour and a half in the bounce houses while I walked around and looked at the balloons.

Kashton got really close to one of the balloons when they lit their torch. He had the most surprised, excited look on his face....and I missed it with the camera. :(
He brought his own money from his "piggy bank" and wanted to buy this sucker. I was a bad mom and let him eat MOST of it. Needless to say, he was up a few hours later throwing up. Poor buddy!!!

Once they started taking the bounce houses down and packing the balloons up, they played the movie "UP" on a big screen. We stayed for a little while but didn't finish the movie. I had a TIRED little boy (and I was exhausted too).

Jamison Sean Tuckett

2011-10-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today would be your 16th birthday!!!

It seems like you were always full of smiles and MISCHIEF as a kid!!!!

I came across this picture recently and smiled and laughed. Some things never change....and I hope they never do. Grandpa feeding the grandkids things he shouldn't, Aitanna always eating sweets, and you... "playing with fire." How in the world did you get a box of matches anyway??? Wait...that's probably a dumb question to ask!! :)

Two chubby boys in the tub!! Grandpa would be so embarrassed...but I don't care. I love this picture of these two amazing guys in my life.
Your appearance in the world meant that Contessa was no longer the only grand child.
But she didn't seem to mind too much!!!

Uncle Joe always had a special connection to you.

Your daddy was and is so proud of you and loves you so much!!!!

Grandpa Duane LOVES his grand kids!! And Raleigh sure loves her big brother.

Happy Birthday Jami!!! I hope Natasha is with you right now celebrating yet another birthday with you.

Like I said before....your daddy has always been so proud of you. Just look at the look on his face.

It's hard to believe that you're not with us anymore.

I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It makes losing you not nearly as painful. It's a comfort knowing that you'll be waiting there for each of us when we return to our Heavenly home.

Where I have the most regret is for the past 8 years I've lived so far away. I feel like I missed out on alot. It was fun for me to read the updates your mom put on her blog. It made me feel like I knew what was going on in your life. Still....I felt like I didn't really get a chance to KNOW you.

It really hurts to know that on my most recent trip to Utah, the FIRST time I got to see you was when you were lying in that hospital. I didn't get to hug you one last time. I didn't get to laugh with you and tease you one last time. Or better yet...YOU tease ME one last time. I hate myself for that.

I loved the times when I came home to Utah to visit and you ALWAYS seemed so happy to see me. It meant so much because I felt like I didn't know you as well as I would've liked. But you made ME feel IMPORTANT!!! I always thought it odd that a teenager would sit and visit with his aunt who lived 1200 miles away. Most teenagers are more interested in their video games and ipods and could careless about the annoying adults that were around.

You were so different!!

Recently, I called home at Christmas to say hello. The phone was passed around from my mom, to my dad, and then to my siblings. Then I was told that you wanted to talk to me on the phone. I was shocked. Really???? A fifteen year old wants to talk to his aunt on the phone?? It was so fun to listen to the excitement in your voice as you asked me if I saw your pictures and videos on Facebook. You wanted to MAKE SURE I saw a picture of the long board you had made in shop. You were so sweet to me.

When I would visit Utah, not only would you tease Kashton...but it was clear that you LOVED him. You were so good to him. I'm SO glad that even though he's only 4, he remembers you. I will try hard to never let him forget. It makes me happy to think that hopefully your playing with my little daughter right now. Taking care of her for me until she's able to be in my own arms. Maybe telling her about all the fun she's going to have. Maybe telling her to give your mom and dad a hug from you. I like to think that anyway!!!
I want you to know how much I love you and miss you!!!

Happy 16th Birthday!!!

Why is Flag Football my FAVORITE sport????

2011-10-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, you might be asking WHY is Flag Football my favorite sport to watch thus far???

Well, I will give you just a few reasons.

First:

Notice the below picture....
Yes, even though my son is running with the ball, this is NOT what I'm trying to show you.
Notice the little boy laying on the ground??? Totally funny!!!
Notice the boy in the background picking his nose??? Also, totally funny!!!

Notice the rest of the boys on Kashton's team just standing there watching him (or running in the opposite direction)??? Also, totally funny!!!!

Second:

Even though tackling is not acceptable in Flag Football, sometimes it happens. Especially by your own team members.

Even though I don't have pictures to show my other two reasons, still...they must be explained.

Third:

Most of the time your OWN TEAM MEMBERS pull your flags when you're running with the ball. Oops!!!

And Fourth:

Many are confused about which way to run with the ball in order to make a goal. So...this confusion leads to little boys running around in circles with the ball. Not really caring whether or not they make a goal but more of a fun game of Keep Away. Run in every which direction in the hopes that no one will pull the blessed flags. "Who cares that I'm holding a football, just please DONT GET MY FLAGS." Many times this means running in the complete opposite direction and scoring a point for the OTHER team. Oops again!!!

I also love the "melt downs" that I've witnessed on the field. Not because they're tired, or hot, or hungry or injured. Oh No!!! "THEY GOT MY FLAGGGGG!!! WHHHAAAAAAA!!!"

I'm pretty sure I've never laughed so hard at a sport in my life.

On top of that! Many people have commented on how much they LOVE watching my son play. Oh...you might be thinking:

"Wow, Kashton must be really good."

Please, Please.....do not be mistaken.

Oh No!!! Not because he's a great player...but the most "ENTERTAINING" to watch!!

Could it be that he's more concerned about looking at his SHADOW when he runs?? Or this.....

Or maybe this......

Also, I'm pretty sure every person connected to a child on either Kashton's team or on the OTHER team eventually ends up figuring out which one is Kashton. Not necessarily because of how entertaining he is but because his coach has to yell his name at least a hundred times considering he's the ONLY one that has NO focus and is off in LaLa Land (or...as my family so lovingly refers to as "Planet Claire") the majority of the time. He's usually picking the grass and throwing it in the air or doing somersaults or spins. Yup...that's my boy!!!

The somersaults usually start with this.....

Kashton is asked to be the Center and hike the ball to the Quarterback. Well.....what can you say when your head is THAT close to the ground?? It's the PERFECT position for a beautifully executed somersault. Needless to say, Kashton RARELY get's asked to be the Center.

Time to Block and protect the Runningback!!! I bet the NFL players could TOTALLY learn a thing or two from this position.

And the pass is made from the Quarterback to the Runningback!!! Good Job Buddy!! Just..........stand there!!! Ya look GREAT!!!!!

Well....he did learn a thing or two from his daddy!!! He knows the right ones to chase.

Once in a while he gets a turn to SHINE!!!

Going.......

Going........

GONE!!! (So far he's scored one touchdown)

Half time!!! What a cute team!!! (All of you who have never been to this part of the country, how do ya like our grass??? WHAT GRASS!!! Oh....thats really just weeds that they mow!!! Yup, the Ozarks are REALLY good at growing weeds)

I also love the fighting over the ball. Who's going to run with it???? Coach....INTERCEPT!!!!

GO BUDDY GO!!!! (Same kid pretty concerned with his nose)

And...

...TACKLE!!!! Oops!!! The Ref blows the whistle: "Remember, we're just pulling flags here, kids."

So, why is Flag Football my FAVORITE sport??? I laugh, and laugh, and laugh!!! I LOVE my little boy so much!!! In my eyes, he IS the best...

...even if he can't focus or listen or pay attention to anything.

At the end of the day....it's ALWAYS a good game!!!

And there are not many things that beat playing catch with Dad!!!

2011 Flooding

2011-06-04T19:20:00.001-07:00

Sorry Mom!!! This post is long over-due. Here are all the pictures of the crazy flooding we've had here. Because of the property that has been lost and damaged, Missouri is in a state of "disaster" right now. It's really quite sad. This is Lake Taneycomo. See the home underwater?

All the floodgates are open!

The walking trail by the Showboat is completely underwater. We went walking on it yesterday (a month later) and after a significant drop in water levels, it's STILL under water.

Kashton LOVED the flooding and the rain. A week before the rain, he was riding his bike on this trail. He kept saying "Oh my gosh mommy, where am I going to ride my bike?"

This is the ramp where the Ride The Ducks go down. The water is all the way up to the bus parking lot.

You probably recognize the gate and road that we normally walk down to load the boat. All completely under water.

He was honestly concerned how Daddy got to work. He thought he had to swim out to the Showboat.

I feel bad that the Showboat grounds lost A LOT of mulch. There was mulch floating EVERY WHERE.

The water is INCHES from flooding into the stores.

Water all the way to the top of the stairs.

You can see how they raised the ramp to the top level. Notice the ramp is going UP!!

A view from the Showboat.

The stairs that lead down to the bottom level. The water is at the top.

The ramps that take you to the Showboat.

The ramp now attached to the observation deck on the second level.

The ramp again. The water is covering the light posts.

A walkway that leads from the Administration building to the The Crews Nest. I've never seen the water that high.

In front of the floodgates.

The RV park that's off to the side of the Taneycomo bridge.

The water is all the way up to the road, completely covering a parking lot. (This picture was taken from the car)

The parking lot at Branson Landing.

Can't get to the Fish House for dinner. :)

There SHOULD be a boat dock attached to the Fish House, but it floated away. That fence is the boardwalk.More Branson Landing.

Completely covering the boardwalk (you can't even see the fence from this side) and all the way up to the maintenance road.

The entire park is under water.

More pics from the car of the RV park by the bridge. Water is up to the road.

The fishing docks. Notice the two boats that floated away?

And thats all the pics I took. I'm actually really mad that I didn't take a picture of this business complex in Downtown Hollister. It was COMPLETELY under water and all those businesses are ruined right now. It's very sad.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2011-04-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't written in a LONG TIME!!! Something that I would like to work on. I feel like I always have so many pictures to share and so many things I'd like to talk about. Now that I'm not working, maybe I'll have more time to do this.

I wanted to share some fun pictures and thoughts on Easter.

We found this nest in our yard. It's the first time I've seen such YOUNG birds!! They look like they're only hours old. It seemed so appropriate for this time of year.

Easter represents the Atonement of Jesus Christ. His resurrection and remission of sins. New Life!!!

Momma feeding her babies!!

We took Kashton to Silver Dollar City for their Easter Egg Hunt. It has been raining for many days but that didn't bother any of us. However....what DID bother us was the complete LACK of Easter Eggs. I was a little angry. I felt like it was a waste of time and I will remember to not do that next year. Kashton found ONE egg and it was empty. I was sad that he wasn't able to participate in an hunt this year...but that's not what Easter is about, right?? There's always next year! However, we did get a picture with the Easter Bunny!!!
We went home and dyed eggs instead. :)

Kashton LOVES crafts and was SO focused on these eggs. He had a ball!!

With all the rain we've been having, our street has been pretty flooded. Kashton has loved the rain ever since he was a baby. So, I told him to go play. He squealed the entire time until I made him come inside and get in a warm bath.

This is our front yard. CRAZY!!!

I forgot to change the settings on my camera. :( Too bad because this is so cute!!!

THE EASTER BUNNY CAME!!!

Kashton was SO cute. He crawled into our bed early this morning and said "Mommy, I've already looked every where for my Easter Basket and I can't find it anywhere. I looked in the closets and in the curtains and I can't find it." Talk about making my heart melt. It was the first thing on his mind when he woke up.

Being the mean mommy that I am, I told him that maybe the bunny didn't come because Kashton wasn't a good enough boy. WOW!!! The puckered lip that I saw. I asked Kashton to help me with some laundry and do you know what???? That darn Easter Bunny put the basket in the dryer. What a cleaver little bunny!

And this precious face says it all!!!

Kashton's totally cute Easter outfit. You can't tell from the picture, but he's wearing a pink shirt with a white collar, pink and gray striped tie, and a gray pin striped suit. He kept asking "Mommy, am I SO handsome???"

A few last things I wanted to share:

**Yesterday I was driving Kashton to his Primary activity and I was explaining the Atonement, Cruxifiction, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ to him. I explained that Jesus died to atone for our sins so that we might live with him again. After a few moments of silence, Kashton said: "So, Mommy, does that mean that we'll get to see Jamison again and will he give me a high five." I started to cry very hard in the car while Kashton continued to say "when we go to Utah again will we see him?" Well....he almost got it. But what a humbling experience that was for me. I was so upset that Kashton wasn't able to go hunting for Easter Eggs, I needed my 4 year old to remind me of the TRUE meaning of Easter. "Out of the mouth of babes..."

**Kashton was asked to give a talk in Primary today about Jesus Christ. So, over the past few days we've been telling him the story of Easter in the hopes that he could tell it to his Primary class. So I said: "Kashton, can you tell me the story of Easter? I want to hear you say it now."

Kashton: "Once upon a time, the Easter Bunny came to our house. And so did Jesus. Then there was a huge GIANT that came and killed the Easter Bunny. The End."

**ME: "Kashton, can you say 'I'm grateful for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ' "

KASHTON: "I'm grateful for the erection of Jesus Christ"

HAAA!!! HAAA!!!! SO unappropriate, but SO funny!!!

**Kashton sang with the Primary during Sacarment meeting. He ran so fast up to the stand and started to wave to everyone and blowing kisses. What a HAM!!!

**During Sacarment, I was telling him again (still working on his talk for Primary) about when we die, we can live with Jesus again. I said: "Isn't that SO cool that we can live with Jesus again. Do you want to live with Him."

Kashton: "No!! I don't want to do that. I want to just stay with you and Daddy."

SO CUTE!!! I love him!!

I'm so grateful for my Savior and that I will live with Him again some day and be with all my loved ones again (Jamison, Sterling, Natasha, Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles, etc) How blessed I am to have this knowledge in my life and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

You Tube Clips

2010-07-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

This isn't anything great. I found these on YouTube and thought my mom would like them. You know....the things that only a mom would like. :) Scroll down to the bottom of this blog and hit "pause" on my music playlist, then you should be able to hear the video)

A clip I found of Cameron!

Independence Day!!!!

2010-07-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Because Cameron and I work opposite work schedules, we don't get to spend much time together. Cameron took Saturday off of work and I took Sunday off and we ended up having an awesome weekend together. It's so nice to spend time with each other.

We rented a boat on Saturday and invited some friends to spend the day with us. It was a bit rainy, but we didn't mind. We still had a blast and Kashton was THRILLED. We feel so lucky to live by a huge lake that we get to enjoy any time we want.

Sweet Kelly and Macy!!!
Go Mark!!!
Me just goofing around. This all started out by me almost falling over and I lifted my leg up to help keep my balance. Once I got my balance, I decided to be silly. Cameron grabbed the camera and yelled "What else do you got???" So I showed him. :)

Taking Kashton for a little ride. He loved going on the tube.

Handsome Boys!!

Riding with Daddy!

Once we returned the boat we decided to go down to Branson Landing for dinner only to discover they were having a huge firework show. We decided to stay and enjoy it. We got some delicious take-out food from Waxy O'Sheas' Irish Pub (fish and chips and Scotch eggs...YUM), found a seat and sat for about an hour and a half. The firework show was amazing. We had so much fun. They began with some fireworks while they played the Star Spangled Banner!! This photo melted my heart.

Sunday evening we had some friends and neighbors over and we had our own firework show in our front yard. Sparklers are always a huge hit with the kids. Notice Kashton holding it away from him??? Last year a spark fell into his shoe and burned him REALLY bad (he still has a huge scar). He hasn't quite forgotten that. :)

Cute Anna!!! It was her first firwork show ever.

Amelia isn't sure what to think of those sparklers.

Macy!!!

I LOVE this picture!!! She was a little scared.

Cameron helping Amelia shoot off a cannon!

Kashton had his hands over his ears the entire time.

Kashton's turn to shoot off the cannon.

Pat and Dave!!! Love them!!! So glad they joined us!!!

Random!!!!

2010-07-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Just some random pictures of the past few months (since I've been a bad blogger). They're in no particular order either.

Kashton's 3rd Birthday!!!

In March, we conquered Potty Training!!!!! And the Cookie Monster was his reward!!

He loves his big boy pants!

Another reward he picked out at Disney World. He wasn't allowed to have it until he went potty!

Some family time at Dogwood!!

Enjoying the spring!

Andy Williams!!!! (I never knew he was so short)

Waiting for the cookies to bake!! He did this all on his own. Got his chair, his blankie, and his stuffed animal friends.

Two little firemen!!

Pickin berries at a berry farm!

This is a hydrangea bush I planted five years ago and this is the FIRST year it has bloomed. I've been VERY happy!

Major weird and totally COOL clouds that we had one day!!

Our little friend in the backyard!!
My knight in shining....Elmo underwear. Walked around all day with this sword tucked into his underwear and didn't want to wear clothes.
Enjoying the sprinkler in the front yard!
Visited some Veteran graves on Memorial Day!!

Here It Is!!!!!

2010-03-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

I kinda figured out YouTube!! Here is the video I spoke about in my last post.

You'll have to scroll down to the VERY BOTTOM of this blog and hit the pause button on my music playlist, then you'll be able to hear the sound on the video.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Oranges and Oceans!!

2010-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

With the orange trees EVERY WHERE in Orlando, we just couldn't resist!!! :)

Can I really pick one??? This one wont come off!!!

I want this one instead!!!

VICTORY!!!!

Cameron grew up in Orlando and was quite "at home."

We went to Cocoa Beach one day. This is his FIRST time at the beach. The water was a bit cold (it was the first week of March) but, like all first timers, he was so excited to dip those little toesies in the ocean water. However, this was the BEFORE picture.

And this was the AFTER picture. A larger wave came up and being a first timer dealing with waves....he just wasn't quite prepared. It literally swept him off his feet. I didn't get a picture of him going down and under the wave for OBVIOUS reasons. I was too concerned about him being okay. But it was VERY funny. We have it on video. If I ever figure YouTube out...I'll upload it.

"I got soaked!"

Once we got rid of the wet shirt and he figured out his footing with the waves, he had a BLAST!!!

I apologize for being a little photo happy. We just had a great time. And of course, every parent LOVES to take pictures of their adorable kids.

We ate lunch at a little restaurant on the beach called Coconuts On the Beach. We had yummy "authentic" mahi mahi tacos, pineapple teriyaki chicken, and key lime pie. FANTASTIC day!!!

Good bye to Orlando. I'm sure we'll be back soon!!!

SHAMU!!!!!!

2010-03-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Since we had a day to kill while in Orlando, we were deciding between Sea World and Universal Studios. We figured Kashton would enjoy Sea World a little more!

We had to park our strollers outside the stadium and this little guy was quite the thief. He was going from one stroller to the next seeing what sort of food he could steal. Not only did we laugh quite a bit and were very entertained, but we realized we needed to bring our lunch into the stadium with us. He climbed under our stroller and ripped a hole into the sandwich bags. Sneaky little thing!!!

These amazing creatures seemed to be just as curious about us as we were of them. They were constantly pressed up against the glass watching us until the show started.

AMAZING!!!

Dancing!

This was another incredible experience of our trip. The PhilHarMagic at Disney made me cry, and this show made me cry. Kashton couldn't pull his eyes away from these whales. He was in complete awe. When "Shamu" first jumped out of the water, Kashton turned to Cameron and put his hands on Cameron's cheeks and said: Did you see that??? The look of wonder and amazement in his eyes made me cry. What a wonderful way to appreciate God's creatures and experience the wonder of them.

The dolphin show!!! These two dolphins launched this guy so high up into the air!!

The over-achiever. :)

Feeding the sting rays!!! What a cool experience!!

Okay, Kashton has NEVER really liked stuffed animals. I always wanted to get him his first teddy bear but he just doesn't like stuffed animals. Last year we went to the St. Louis Zoo and were shocked when he wanted a stuffed animal penguin. So we got him one and to this day, he STILL loves that penguin. We think it's because he picked it out...it was HIS choice. So, while we were at Sea World, Kashton picked out a Shamu. Sure enough, he LOVES it. He now carries around his Shamu and his penguin and sleeps with them both.

Another wonderful day!!!!

A Day With "The Mouse"!!!!!

2010-03-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided that 2 is a WONDERFUL age to take your kids to Disney. We were able to enjoy every aspect of the park. He was able to go on all the rides (or the MAJORITY of them). When he took his nap in the stroller, we were able to take turns on all the adult rides with automatic Fast Passes...and he was FREE!!!!!!!

We had the BEST day. Kashton loved all of it....and so did we. It truly was the most MAGICAL day!

We were hoping to see Cinderella, but she wasn't there. However, Fairy Godmother was so sweet. She got Kashton to put one arm behind his back and she was able to thread her arm through his other. A PERFECT gentleman!!

The future King Arthur???
The Wanna-Be-King!!!

DUMBO!!!!!

Big Hugs from Pooh!

And Tigger too!!!

CHURROS!!!! Cameron's favorite Disney treat (he ate three and only shared one of them).

Right before we saw the PhilharMagic show. This made me CRY!!! Kashton was absolutely adorable during this show. Because it's all in major 3-D, Kashton reacted SO cute to everything. He was trying to pop all of Ariel's bubbles, reached out to save Donald Duck, and jumped back in his seat when the giant mop dumped out the bucket of water. He was so cute. The magic and amazment in Kashton's face....yeah, I cried like a baby!!! I'm getting old!!

The Wild Animals!!! Don't let them out!!

The BEST ride of all!! Small World!!! Two weeks later and Kashton is still singing the song.

A one hour wait to see Mickey and Minnie....TOTALLY worth it!! Kashton was completely in AWE!

Look at the smile!!! Nothing beats that!!

I remember when the characters use to walk around the park and you'd just see them all over the place and take pictures of/with them. Now, they're in certain areas where you have to wait in line to see them. LAME!!! So, we didn't see too many characters!

Riding on the race cars! He loved to bump into the track over and over.

Classic!!!! Tea cup time!

Beautiful!

What a MAGICAL day!!!!

Day 1 in Orlando!!!!

2010-03-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's getting to be that time of year where we start back up at work and we were really itching to have one last "fling" before we begin a long, crazy year. So....we took Mr. Taye Diggs and Miss Piggy's advice and we did the Disney Give A Day, Get A Day.

I made a bunch of blankets to be sent to Haiti (so mad at myself for not taking pictures because they turned out SO cute) and we found these amazingly CHEAP flights straight to Orlando. It ended up costing only $230 dollars TOTAL for all three of us to fly round trip. Isn't that crazy??? Meant to be, I guess!!!!

We stayed with our friends the Eichelbergers and while we were outside visiting and enjoying the WARM weather, I looked over at Kashton and saw this: It totally occured to us that this was the first time our cute son had ever experienced SAND!!! Isn't that sad???? He LOVED it. Normally I would not have allow this....but...COME ON....FIRST TIME IN SAND!!!!!!!! So we let him play and get FILTHY and it was totally worth it. He had a blast!

We really spoiled him rotten...and I don't regret it. This is him riding on a little train. I felt like I was in tears the ENTIRE trip watching the joy on this little ones face as he experienced all this new, fun stuff.

He would wave at us and just BEAM the entire time he went past.

Lucky mouse!!!

Um...EXCUSE ME???????

Family Photo with the guilty butt grabber!!! Just don't tell Cameron!!!

Wow, Buzz is just getting all he can get from my family!

Stopping to smell the roses....or geraniums!!!

It was SO windy!!

We were at Downtown Disney and they had these jumping fountains!! So, being the horrible parents that we are...we stripped our kid down (the weather was not THAT warm) and let him have the time of his life.

That night we went to Margaritaville with Cam's old friends Adam and Jon!! It was fun to see these three together again. The last time he saw Jon was about four years ago and it's been about three years since he last saw Adam.

This seriously was NOT planned. These guys were totally walking like this and it was SO cute. Had to take a picture!!!

Annoying Tall Pirate making balloons.

Um....I'm not even going to bother explaining this one.

Girly Girls!!! I guess I should've worn a pink scarf so that I could fit in better!!!

SURFER DUDE!!! He even has the right hair!!!

More fantastic photos to come!!! Stay tuned......

Valentine's Surprises!

2010-03-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Holidays have been so fun because Kashton is at the age where he understands them. As I was teaching him about this holiday that was coming up, we decided to make Valentines for all of his cousins.

We had SO much fun. We ended up making 23 Valentines and mailed them all out to his cousins and grandparents. The next day, he wanted to make more. :) I just had him make one for daddy.

Then we decided to make special Valentines cookies for his friends here in Branson. This was just too exciting for him!!! He honestly did such a good job. He made MOST of the cookies all by himself. Now, you need to understand that I HATE messes. I don't like him to do things like this because I can't stand cleaning up the HUGE mess. Also, I tend to be controlling and a perfectionist. Things need to be done CORRECTLY or else I go crazy. So...I was proud of myself because I was able to just let it all go. I allowed him to make a huge mess and I let him do it HIS way. Yes, it still drove me crazy...but I bit my tongue. :) Babysteps!!!

DELICIOUS!!!! We probably ate a bit more that we should've. :)

And this is the blanket I made Cameron for Valentines. I didn't know what to do for him and I realized that I spend SO much time making blankets and putting alot of time and love into these things for others....but never for him. He LOVED it (or so he said :> ).

So soft and comfy!!! The best part is we BOTH can cuddle under it.

And this is the ring Cameron gave me. The emerald is my birth stone and then there are two diamonds on either side of the emerald to represent Cameron and Kashton. Cameron designed it himself. GOOD JOB!!! I love it!!We had a WONDERFUL Valentines date. Went to Papoulie's Greek restaurant and then saw Valentine's Day, the movie. LOVED IT!!!! If you haven't seen this movie, PLEASE go see it. What a great, feel good movie!!!!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Valentines Day too!!!

Unusual Snow Day!

2010-02-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

It doesn't really snow in Branson. It's a RARE thing. I spent an entire month in Utah and it didn't snow at my parents house ONCE while I was there. So, I was pretty excited to see it snow in Branson. It wasnt a huge storm (in comparison to Utah storms), but it was big for Branson and we had a lot of fun.

Building a Snowman!
Snow Angels!!!

Why do ALL kids do this?? Such a fun part of growing up.

Yummy!!!

Our weird Snow Man. Cameron is very creative! A punch bowl for a hat, sunglasses, classic carrot nose, a sunglass case for a mouth, a scarf, golf balls for buttons (later, we changed them to lids of sippy cups because they are bright colors), and a crutch for one arm and a fishing pole for the other!!! Our special snowman!! Notice all the snow in our front yard was used to create him.

Mommy, I'm COLD!!!!

A wonderful day followed by hot chocolate and candy canes!!!

More Utah Pics!!!

2010-02-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

Just some more random pictures of Utah. We went to a Grizzlies game because my nephew Jamison's choir sang the national anthem at it.

Kashton LOVED his hotdog!!!

He ate the entire thing and danced to all the loud music.
GO GRIZZLIES!!!!

He loved the Hockey game, but he really LOVED the zamboni. We lasted until the third quarter and then he didn't enjoy the game anymore. It was WAY past bed time. :)

One of the BEST things about my trip home.....my new, beautiful niece Taygen Lola!

My brother Sean's birthday!!! 42, I think!!!

Oprah has this new challenge. No texting or talking on the phone while driving. But she didn't say ANYTHING about taking pictures while driving. :) I had to photograph my beautiful mountains!!!!

You never know what sort of circumstances we will find ourselves in when we feel inspired to pray!!

Playing with one of his favorite cousins, Aitanna.

I have the BEST family!!! My brother Jess who always makes me laugh and can always put me in the best mood. It makes me instantly happy just to see this picture.

My sweet and humble daddy!!! (eating.......no surprise here!!!)

My awesome brother Joe!!! My nemesis growing up....now my best friend!!!

Um...me....ALSO eating and ALSO no big surprise here either!

My beautiful sister-in-law Wendy!!! Wish I could hang out with her all the time. She inspires me to be a better person.

Two cousins having a good time together!!!

Cute Gabriel!!!!

Nothing beats hanging out with cousins!!

Jess and Wendy and their family!!

Joe and his family (we missed you Maria and Alex).

Playing basketball!!!!

The flight back to Missouri!!!! What a depressing day!!! But Kashton was SO excited to fly in an airplane. He talked about it for two weeks!!!!

In the airplane with his monkeys. He knew he'd be safe if he had his "friends" with him.

I LOVE YOU UTAH!!!!!

Play Day with Cousins

2010-02-23T21:48:00.001-08:00

While I was in Utah, I really wanted to go to Gardner Village and take Kashton to my dad's old bakery. The bakery was always a huge part of my life and even though dad doesn't own it anymore, I still wanted to show it to Kashton. So we had a fun little date with cousins to Gardner Village.

I wanted Kashton to see the water wheel that is a part of his great, great, great grandfather, Archibald Gardner's grist mill.

Cousin Emmie. Kashton had SO much fun getting to know his cousins. He just loved them and continues to talk about them all the time. We took them on a tour to the bakery and he got to see Grandpa's old mixer. He thought that was pretty cool!!!

Inside the big walk-in freezer. BBBRRRRR!!!!
"Mommy, can you see my breath??"

In front of the showcases out front!

A special picture for me. I remember growing up with my face pressed to the showcases all the time too. Yummy treats from my daddy's bakery. Secret confession: I use to sneak those little gingerbread men all the time. :) Hope I don't get in trouble for that comment. :)

Yummy!!!

They look delicious but sadly, just don't taste as good. They're missing the magical Duane Tuckett touch!!!! Quality over quantity!!

Sweet AJ (Anna)!!! Kashton just loves "A yay"!

Emmie!

Outside Grandpa's old bakery!

The only decent picture I could get of Kashton. It was past his nap time and he was grouchy. But here, he's watching the ducks and was momentarily happy.

What a fun day!!! I wish we could do that once a week!!! Thanks for such a fun day Wendy, Emmie, and AJ. We'll have to do it again next year!!

Random Utah Stuff!!!!

2010-02-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

These are just a bunch of random pictures.

This was Grandma Elaine's Birthday at the Museum!

Silly Boys!!!
I fractured my tailbone a month ago and hyper-extended my arm while dancing. Just goes to show that I'm getting old. I'm starting to seriously injure myself when I dance now. :) Anyway, Kashton LOVES to wear my little bum doughnut like a hat. It's quite funny!!!

I thought this picture was so cute of my parents.

Lovin some Fettuccine Alfredo from The Brickoven!

Those old-fashioned suckers are the best.

My long time best buds!!! Love these girls SO much. It was so much fun to be able to spend time with my sweet friends Dani and Ang. We totally missed Annie....but she was too busy having a baby. :)

Me and my stupid faces. Ang looks cute....I look like a big nerd!!!

Loving the Michael Jackson inspired clothing!!!

Yummy Mrs. Fields Cookies. Can we work on getting her in Missouri???

I'm mad this picture is a little over-exposed. I was too close to him when I took it. I think it's so cute.

He wore my hat all morning!!

Hope you enjoyed all the random pics!!!

Steve and Kelly Visit Utah!!

2010-02-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

This was kind of a cool thing for me because this is what I use to do when I was a little kid. Dad bought this old steam engine probably before I was born and we loved it when he'd pull it out and run it. How special it is to see this done with the next generation and it's still just as exciting.

I remember how much I loved watching the steam come out and here's my son....history repeating itself!!

Thanks Dad for more special memories!!

Our friends Steve and Kelly came to Utah. It was their first time visiting, so we took them up into the mountains!!! Millcreek Canyon!

A wintery Kiss!!

Tough Abominable Snow Beasts!!

Um.....REALLY?!?!? Ya couldn't wait???

(BTW: for those who were concerned...it was really put there by a dog, not by Steve. He may be disgusting, but that's taking it a little TOO far.... even for Steve....I think!! Well.....maybe not!!!)

Nothin beats Utah Snow!!!!

We took them to Temple Square!

YAY UTAH!!!! This sounds cheesy!! But I LOVE Utah so much, it meant alot to share something so wonderful and special to me with my friends!!!

Tis The Season.

2010-02-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas was fun this year. It was unlike any Christmas I've ever had. My son is old enough to understand Santa, but most importantly, he began to understand why we celebrate Christmas. He knew it was "Jesus' Birthday." I'm thankful my little boy is learning and understanding such important principles.

A few days before Christmas, we spent the day at Silver Dollar City. Since we've lived in Branson, Christmas just CAN'T be Christmas without Silver Dollar City!!

We took Kashton to see Santa at the City. What a GREAT Santa. He was SO excited to see him. It was so cute to see them with each other.

Giving Santa a BIG hug!! So sweet!!!

A Christmas Kiss for Mommy!!!

The lights are always so magical!!

Santa came!!!!

Taye was ready for Santa to come!!!

So was Hershey....can't ya tell???

Christmas Morning!!

Kashton loved his microphone. He LOVES musical instruments and anything that makes or plays music!!

I had the best Christmas present. It doesn't really snow in Branson and I LOVE snow. Growing up in Utah, Christmas isn't Christmas without snow. I've been pretty bummed out since living in Branson and not getting any snow. So... I kinda cried a little when I saw this little dusting of snow on Christmas morning!!!

The other favorite toy....his super cool Robot man!!!

And the helicopter!!!

This Christmas was so different because it was the first Christmas that we weren't in Utah, or with ANY family at all. We were all alone. The days leading up to Christmas, I was pretty sad. Not quite sure how to spend the day without my family around that I love. But it ended up being a nice day. I had a sweet little boy that was SO excited about receiving the ONLY thing he asked Santa for. A Giant heart shaped sucker. The only thing he wanted. :) Such satisfaction in such simple things.

He had so much fun playing with his new train set.

No reason to get out of our jammies!!! We just relaxed and all napped together and watched movies.

Later that evening we went and saw The Princess and the Frog (BTW: his first movie...which...he still is not ready to go to movies. Too A.D.D.). But he was pretty excited about the GIANT icicle we found. He had to take it for a ride in his dump truck.

What a wonderful Christmas with just our little family. I look forward to another one next year.

A Visit From The Folks!!

2009-12-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

In my previous post about Thanksgiving, I mentioned my parents came to visit. It was wonderful having them here for about a week. Here are just some random pictures.

I LOVE it when my dad comes to visit. He's such a Mr. Fix-it. Everything that doesn't work in my house, he always fixes. One day I came home from work and found my toilet sitting in my backyard, he's fixed my faucets, my vacuum, the plumbing, and my favorite was the three days he spent fixing an electrical problem. This time, he fixed my retarded door-knobs. My dad's AWESOME!!! Thanks dad!

We went for a beautiful walk. Kashton LOVES to walk Hershey our dog.

An Ozark Leaf!!

We played a round of golf. My parents use to take me golfing quite often when I was young. It's nice to be able to return the favor. We had a great time. I'm so glad that Cameron is starting to like this little sport that I've always enjoyed. Not fair that I've been playing so much longer than him but he can kick my butt.

Look at that form...

Kashton had so much fun and was such a good boy. He played in the golf cart with his sword almost the entire time.

My parents came to see our show a couple of times (my biggest fans). Mom took some pictures with our fancy schmancy camera. I'll post some pictures that she took of our Christmas show later.

Kashton loves to go down to Branson Landing and see the Fire and Water show. He always says he wants to go see the "fire jump." I take him down there at least once a week. It was nice to have my parents join us.

My parents are awesome. I wish I could see them more often!!!

Love ya mom and dad!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2009-12-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

We were so fortunate to have my parents come and visit us for Thanksgiving this year. They planned it last year when they were here at Christmas and it definitely gave me something to look forward to all year. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving this year. It felt weird and different compared to the HUGE family Thanksgivings that I grew up with that included all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. But I still enjoyed the day and I owe that to my parents for making it so nice!!

Kashton had so much fun showing off his tent and tunnel to Grandma and Grandpa!!

Looking through the LONG tunnel!

Kashton showing Grandma how it's done!!

Grandma giving it a try!

Are you stuck???

Grandpa's turn!! I think that's cheating!!!

Well, not sure that's how it's done, but it makes a nice girdal anyway!

Um...still trying to get out!! I think he might REALLY be stuck!!!

Grandpa has made his way down the hall, still trying to get out of the tunnel!! Kinda looks like an overgrown caterpillar!!!

And the tunnel FINALLY gave birth to the 63 year old man!!! That's probably the most exercise he's had in years!!!

We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Kashton LOVED the Rockettes. We had to rewind it a couple of times so that he could see it again!!

He got so excited and yelled "Mom, they're doing battements." Yup, my two year old knows what a battement is!! (Those of you who don't: Battement is the ballet term for....basically a kick) (Oh, and dad's asleep on the couch after that work out he just had)

Work it Out!!!

Helped Grandma make some fresh Naborhood Bakery Cinnamon Rolls straight from Utah!!

And ate ALOT of frosting!!! One of those things I dont EVER allow...but since it's a holiday...to each his own!!

Want some????

One FULL oven.

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Mom cooked a FANTASTIC meal! (I helped a little)

Yummy Turkey!!!

And we had FRESH pumpkin pie!!! That's one of the advantages of having a Baker for a father!! I made an apple and chocolate pie...but who cares??? WE HAD NABORHOOD BAKERY PUMKIN PIE!!!!

The rest of the day Cameron had to go to work and the rest of us stayed home and played games. Then that night we went and saw Cameron's younger brother Cory's show. Thanks Mom and Dad for making the day special!!!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving too!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-11-12T20:25:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I'm a little late. But I couldn't miss out on this post because it's just TOO cute and we had just TOO much fun! At first, I didn't give Halloween alot of thought this year. We were SO busy with Christmas rehearsals that I was choreographing and we were feeling a little overwhelmed with life. Then there was that small added stress of what to do about Halloween. If it wasn't for our son, we probably would've written it off this year.

About a week before Halloween I was joking around when I told Cam we should just go as 80's cartoons. Little did I know that it had to have been a purely inspired idea because these were the BEST costumes EVER (in our opinion any way)!! Best of all, I MADE costumes. Never done anything like that before and we had SO much fun. It was really fun teaching Kashton what a Smurf was. I made his costume!

Thank You make-up classes from BYU. Kashton was SO good and held so still. The threat of not going "trick-or-treating" and getting lots of candy was enough for him to hold still.

These pictures are a little out of order but for some reason, Blogger wont let me move them into the correct order. Dumb program. :) Cute little dude trick or treating.
YUP, made THIS FANTASTIC costume as well!!!

Bad picture (my battery was dying)

Kashton the Smurf and Macy the Monarch Butterfly!

Cute little bum!!!

The kids (minus Parker who showed up after we took this picture)! Kashton, Kendal (Tinkerbell), Macy (Butterfly), Talen (Peter Pan), and Heaven (cute Zebra).

Rainbow Bright posing with her little poser!! I didn't make my costume. I actually found it on ebay for $10 and it was SO cute!!! I made my wand and bought the "armbands" at Target (really, they're socks).

Okay, quick FUN story. I looked online for a He-Man costume and they were all WAY too expensive so I thought: I'm making that!!! Because I live in a dumb city :), I had to drive 45 min. to get to a fabric store, so we usually make a family trip when we go there. That ended up being so fun. Cameron normally doesn't care about such things, but I guess because it was HIS costume....HE CARED!!!! He picked out ALL of his own fabric. I was going more for the cheap, silly fabric. OH NO, he wanted the GOOD stuff. He-Man was his hero and he had to look just PERFECT. It was so cute, I loved how much thought and detail he put into it all. We stayed up until 1:30 the night before finishing his costume and he worked along side of me the entire time. I loved it. He went into the craft store and picked out his own medallions to go on his sword, breast plate,arm bands and belt and he was very picky about them too. In fact, he wasn't quite pleased with the medallion for his belt, so on Halloween day he dressed up in his costume and walked into Michaels to get another one and he was SO proud of that costume. He carried that sword like it was his pride and joy. :) He made it out of wood and then spray painted it silver. I wish I could see him get that motivated to fix some things around the house. :) I'm thankful for my performing background because not only did I have the wig stored in all my old costume stuff, but I've worn MANY spats in my day. So I designed his "boots" to be spats that he could pulled over his shoes. They turned out AWESOME!!!

Kelly and Mark were really sick two days earlier (Mark had the flu and Kelly had a bad cold), so they were good sports and sported their hospital scrubs and braved the outdoors with us for a short while before they retired home.

After Trick-or-Treating, we went to a Halloween party! Kashton's getting sleepy!!

I TOLD you he was proud. He put on the "act" the entire day!!

Sad Story: As we were walking the neighborhood so many kids kept asking us what we were. HOW SAD IS THAT????? When we told them: He-Man, Rainbow Bright, and a Smurf. The kids looked at us as if we were nuts. And I'm not talking about young kids, I'm talking about 14-15 year olds. Come on Parents, don't let your kids grow up not knowing the AWESOMEST (yes, it's a word) CARTOONS EVER!!!

The Peter Pan crew!!!

Hope everyone had as wonderful of a Halloween as we did!!!

Pumpkin Carving!!!

2009-11-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month (and a previous post), we went to a pumpkin patch and let the kids pick out pumpkins. We decided to let them fingerpaint their pumpkins while the adults carved theirs. I think they had a fantastic time painting them.

I think it's cute that Talen chose such a tiny pumpkin.

He's moving in for....

...the Kiss!!!

So proud of his beautiful pumpkin!!!

I love carving pumpkins!!!! The seeds were YUMMY too!!!

My Little Daredevil!!!

2009-11-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

You may or may not have noticed that in the past couple of posts, Kashton's been holding his arm a little funny!! This post is a little over-due....but, better late than never, right?????

About a month ago, Kashton was playing around in the living room with his cousins and they get a little too rowdy sometimes. It was right before bed and they were all jumping off the couch and recliner. This is something that I've CONSTANTLY told him to NOT do.

Side-note: I wasn't too pleased when Cameron taught him to put all the pillows on the floor and then do somersaults off the couch and onto the pillows. I knew this was a very bad idea. But dad is the cool, fun dad and mom just takes away all the fun. So, who does Kashton listen to?? The fun person, or the boring person??? YOU GUESSED IT!!!

Kashton did some kind of Superman flip off of the recliner and I heard him scream in pain and then just lay there on the floor. I immediately knew something was wrong when a half hour later, he was still crying. He usually bounces back fast. We were hoping for a minor little sprain and he'd feel better in the morning. We put him in bed with us and he cried most of the night. So we took him to see the doctor in the morning.

Not sure if you can see this very good, but it's a nice clean break all the way across the bone.

I wanted to cry my eyes out when I saw these x-rays. I can't believe my little boy BROKE HIS ARM!!!! However, he was very cute when he was picking out what color of cast he wanted. He went from yellow, to blue, to green, back to yellow, red, blue, yellow, green. We were going to settle on yellow but he hollered at the doctor as he was on his way out of the room and wanted red. We left it at that!!! Red it is!!!

I'm amazed at how resilient these little kids are. Kashton has been right-handed and with this cast on his right arm, he hasn't acted phased by it at all. He still climbs up on everything using his left arm, jumps around, falls ALOT, eats with his left hand, etc. It's amazing to me!!! Such a strong, brave little boy. Everyone at the doctor's office was amazed at what a good little boy he was when he got his cast on. He held SO still and thought it was SO cool. Typical Boy!!!

Yesterday, he got the cast off!!! I'm also amazed that he only had to have it on for three weeks. Wierd!!! I guess little bodies heal much faster than big bodies!!

Again, everyone was amazed at what a good boy he was. He wasn't a bit afraid of the saw. He called it a vacuum.

He held his arm straight out in front of him like this for a few hours before he forgot all about it and started using it as if nothing ever happened. Hopefully he'll be more careful around the furniture!!!

Dogwood Canyon

2009-11-01T21:33:00.001-08:00

We had a couple of days off of work because the Showboat was being decorated for Christmas. We also had a RARE day of sunshine considering it has rained almost every day all month long. So we decided to make a little drive down to Dogwood Canyon in Arkansas and enjoy nature. We had alot of fun!! I love that place, it's beautiful!! We missed the really pretty fall colors by about a week, but it was still beautiful! It was so peaceful and quiet. I would've loved to have spent the whole day there.

We found this little buddy hanging out in Kashton's hair!! Walking Sticks are SO cool. There are a ton of them out here.

Our model pose!!!

Ah!! Nature is AWESOME!! (As long as there are no spiders around)

Cool Mushrooms!!

Every once in a while we found this random little fairy frolicking in the woods!! She was weird!!

What a fun, and much needed day!!!

Our Visit To The Pumpkin Patch!!!

2009-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

We found a local pumpkin patch here in Branson (the McKenna Farm) and I wasn't expecting much of it, but I was pleasantly surprised!!! Maybe because it's not too difficult to please a two year old. :)

Sadly, Cameron had to work and we REALLY missed having our daddy around to share such a fun experience with.

Kashton picked his pumpkin out very quickly. Probably because he could pick it up. :)

There were these fun little tricycles to ride around a little track. He's still TOO short to do anything like this but he sure did try hard. It was nearly impossible to pull him away from them. I threatened him with time-outs and bribed him with treats to come away from the cycles and he still wouldn't come with me. So I dragged him away literally kicking and screaming. He LOVED them!!!

Not quite tall enough!!!

There were these large industrial tubes on the farm that they had turned into little slides. Kashton loved them. This farm definitely catered more towards younger kids which was PERFECT for us. We had a blast!!!

We had so much fun running through a "Hay Maze." The maze was very small, but again, we had alot of fun and it was perfect for little legs. I kept running ahead of him and snapping pictures. He thought it was hilarious!!

So precious!!!

There were baby pigs that Kashton thought were SUPER cool!!!

MUAH!!!

What a silly boy!!!

We walked through the corn fields!!!

Being silly in the pumpkin patch!!!

Picking out a pumpkin!!!

All three kids were so cute!! I love this picture!!!

We went on a little hay ride that was pulled by tractor!!! The kids loved it!!

There was a corn kennel pit that Kashton LOVED to jump into. He was entertained for such a long time just climbing out of the pit and jumping back into it. It was so cute to watch him have such a blast!!!!

A VERY steep slide!! I was a little nervous but he wasn't even phased!!! My little dare-devil!!!

We found our pumpkins!!! YAY!!! What a great afternoon!!!

We'll have to go back next year and we'll make sure we take Daddy with us then!!! We had a blast but sure missed him!!!

First Haircut!!!

2009-10-23T20:34:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess that time had to come!!! It took forever for his hair to even grow. He was bald for over a year of his life. We've been so proud of his HAIR!!! The longer Kashton's hair grew, the curlier it would get and I just loved those little curls. Neither Cameron or myself were too enthused about cutting it. However, after MULTIPLE times a day of receiving compliments about our darling "little girl", we decided that either we choose to give our little boy a complex, or we cut the curls!!!

So, we said goodbye to the curls!!!

We found this place in Springfield!! I tried to get a "before" picture but he just wouldn't hold still long enough.
He got to choose his own station and his own video. He chose to ride in the blue airplane and watch a Little Einsteins.

Okay, many of you know it's impossible to get a two year old to hold still. But he was SO incredibily good. I've never seen him sit so still before.

Looking "down at the penguin" on his cape while she cut the back of his hair!!

Almost done!!!

Such a handsome boy with his new haircut!!!

In his airplane!!! What a GREAT place!!!

Such a sweet boy!! This haircut has made him look SO grown up. He doesn't look like my little baby anymore. He's my little man!!!

Swinging with Dad!!!

2009-10-17T21:59:00.001-07:00

Recently my brother Joe came to Branson to visit . He was attending some conferences for work up in St. Louis and once his conferences were over, he came down to Branson and spent a day and a half with us before he returned to Utah. I LOVED having him with us even if it was for only a short time. It was fun to show him this crazy town that we call home. Silly Siblings!!! We were told to pull a goofy face. It's funny that we both stuck our tongues way out, we're both beveling our foot...however, I don't know what is up with my random jazz hand. Once a dancer, always a dancer!!
Joe attended church with us and then we drove him up to Springfield and dropped him off at the airport. We drove to a near-by park while we waited to see if Joe got on his flight okay. Kashton LOVES to ride "spider" on the swings with mommy and daddy!

Silly Boys!!!

More sillys!!!

My sweet baby with his long, crazy hair!!!

Random picture Cameron took of me trying to get some sun on my pasty, pale body!!! I can't believe how WHITE I am!!! Wow!!! Well, at least my shoes are FABULOUS!!! That's all that matters, right?

Self Portrait

2009-10-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

We woke up one morning and noticed it was very quiet. Upon looking at the time that appeared on the alarm clock, we were shocked to discover that Kashton wasn't awake yet (or so we thought). When we walked out into the living room, first of all we were surprised to see Kashton sitting on the couch.

At this moment, we learned that Kashton was finally tall enough to open the door to his bedroom. Still we were baffled as to why he was so quiet (and looking a little guilty). Upon further investigation we finally discovered the reason.

He found our camera!!!!

We don't know how long he had been awake, but we learned the story of his morning adventures through his photographic artistry.

These pictures are in order of how he took them!

An upclose look of his "monkeys."

The green in the corner is our ceiling in our living room. So, he was in the living room and he had his monkeys with him.

Back into his bedroom, this is an upclose view of the pack-n-play that his cousin Kendal was asleep in.
His bookshelf and the pack-n-play. I can't believe Kendal stayed asleep the entire time.

Sitting inside his tent with his motorcycle.

Another view of him inside his tent. Apparently he got a hold of ALL of the blankets that he owns.

Outside the tent and by the bookshelf and pack-n-play again.

A view of his tent!

Chubby double chin!!!

And again!!
And again!!! LOVE that neck!!!
Up close of the Pack-n-Play!!
Back out in the living room. He crawled up onto the couch and took a picture of the TV.

Knee!

Self portrait...kinda!

His arm and the strap of the camera!

Sitting on the couch with his little foot!!

The ceiling in the living room!

Long story short: Woke up, let himself out of the bedroom, found the camera on the kitchen table, played in the living room, went back to his bedroom, hid in his tent where he thought he'd be safe, and ended back out in the living room.

What an adventurous morning!!!

Day 6: Chicago/ Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Day 6:

Our last day of vacation!!! This is the motel we stayed in. It was very small and cold, but quaint and they gave us free cookies, hot cocoa, and tea every night. BONUS!!!! This is the original Hotel Nauvoo and it's still very close to it's original form. It was very cool and old inside. I loved it.
I wish we could've stayed one more day in Nauvoo. I need to go back there with my mom and dad. I inherited my love for things like this from them. Cameron was very sweet and "grinned and barred it." He's just SO not into this kind of stuff. So we really didn't tour any of these buildings. Mainly because of time and because I didn't want to annoy Cameron. But we drove up and down the streets and looked at them and I got some pictures.

This is Wilford Woodruff's House!

This is Heber C. Kimball's home!!

This is the Cultural Hall!

The Printing Office and the Post Office (I think) and John Taylors home is between them. I thought that was unusual that he chose to have his home joined to these two buildings instead of having a private home somewhere else in Nauvoo.

John Taylor's Home

Brigham Young's home! We did walk through this one. I loved it! I thought it was so fascinating.

All these cute horses came and visited with us! That's the Seventies Hall behind the pasture.

We had an apple in the car so we cut it up and taught Kashton how to feed a horse. He wasn't a bit afraid. This horse was SO sweet!!

This is a model of the ferries that took the pioneers across the Mississippi!!

The water lilies on the Mississippi!

This was Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store. I wish we could've toured these buildings. They're owned by the RLDS (Community of Christ) church.

This was the Smith family homestead. I was so intrigued with this building. This is where the Smith family lived....WOW!! So cool!!! In the bottom right hand corner is the gravestone (marker) for Hyrum, Joseph, and Emma. I can't remember if they're REALLY buried here or not. I know the bodies were moved alot.

A view from the Smith Family Cemetary! Those are Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack's headstones.

Front view of the homestead!!

The Nauvoo House!! Really wish I could've toured this!

We left Nauvoo around 11 AM and drove to Carthage because I REALLY wanted to see the jail. This was the actual jail cell that they were held in. When the jailer found out a mob was coming, he moved Joseph Smith and his other companions to the jailers personal quarters.

This is the actual door and bullet hole where Hyrum was killed.

This was the room where the martyrdom took place. It was hard to hold back the tears. The spirit was amazing. However, my little boy was a little hyper (as any toddler would be) and that distracted me enough from completely breaking down. :)

This was by the front door. It says it's "From Nauvoo Temple." I thought that was really neat.

The jail was at the top of the stairs and the jailers quarters are to the right.

The outside view of the front of the jail.

A view of the window and courtyard where Joseph was killed.

Our happy family....because of these two men!!!

What a fantastic vacation we had. After Carthage we drove the 8 hours back to Branson. We had a GREAT time and Kashton was FANTASTIC!!! We need to take more family vacations together. Thanks for letting me share with you all, hope you enjoyed it.

Day 5: Chicago/ Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

Day 5:

It seemed so surreal to me to be in Nauvoo. It's a place that I've ALWAYS wanted to see. I use to study the history in college and have always been fascinated with this city. I was non stop smiling the entire time and (nerdy enough) holding back tears.

This was the view from the top looking down at the Mississippi!!

A view looking down Mullholland Drive.
The General Merchandise store.

That first morning in Nauvoo, Cameron and I had arranged to do a session in the temple. There is a lady in Nauvoo who's CALLING is to babysit so visitors can do a session. So, we left Kashton with this sweet lady and we did a session. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! It was one of the most beautiful temples that I've been in, I LOVED it!

Our little man getting in touch with his pioneer roots!!!

HONEY, I BLEW UP THE KID....

We went on a wagon ride later in the afternoon!

This was the exact spot where the pioneers loaded their belongings onto the ferries and left Nauvoo. It was hard to hold back the tears.

There was just SO much to do in so LITTLE time. We didn't really get much accomplished in Nauvoo. That night we went and saw a show called "Nauvoo Rendevous." Which was a funny show on SO MANY accounts. :) It was performed by all the Senior Missionaries. The battery on our camera died, so I didn't get any pictures. Cameron's favorite part of the show was the older men in the show that had no clue what the lyrics or the choreography was. I loved it. I thought it was so endearing.

We found this custard place called Annie's Custard that had the yummiest custard. We went there every night and made friends with the ladies there. Everyone was so friendly and personal there. We exchanged phone numbers and they said they'd come see our show in Branson. I hope they call....

Stay tuned for our FINAL day...

Day 4: Chicago/ Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Day 4:

This was just a cute picture I left out of the last post. This was at the Indian restaurant!

Our last day in Chicago, we just walked up and down the "Magnificent Mile" and saw all the stores. I forced Cameron to go into the American Girl doll store. :) I LOVED these when I was younger. Kirsten was my first doll and I still have her. I also have the Samantha doll but she wasn't in the store anywhere. I asked a lady why they didn't have Samantha and she said that she had been "archived." I wonder if that means she'll be worth alot of money one day. I had to get a picture in front of the collection!

An old cathedral. I love old churches.

This was outside of the cathedral and I thought it was gorgeous.

A huge fountain that Cameron SHOULD NOT have been up on. I kept waiting for the police to chase us down.

A rare picture of just me and Cameron!

We took the four hour drive to Nauvoo and this was as we were crossing the Mississippi River. I was amazed at how HUGE it was. I've seen the Mississippi River in St. Louis, but this seemed like triple the size. It was incredible.

Snapped a quick picture while driving by. :)

That was the end of Day 4 for us!!

Stay tuned for a fantastic two days in Nauvoo.....

Day 3 Chicaco/ Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

Day 3:

So, this was very funny at the time but everytime I tell the story it's not so funny anymore. We jumped on the bus by our hotel and we told the bus driver we wanted to go to the Sears Tower. So, the large black man told us where to get off to see this massive building.

When we got off the bus, we looked left and right and up and down and just didn't know where we were. We looked straight up at the huge building next to us that said "Willis Tower" on it. Now, keep in mind that when you're in Chicago and your standing at the bottom of a building, they all look pretty huge. So, I pulled out my little map and stared at it for the longest time, looked at all the street signs that were on the street corners, consulted the map so more....I was SO confused!!!

This nice (and very tall) man walked up to me and said: "You look lost."

Me: "Yeah, I'm very confused right now"

Nice man: "Well, where are you trying to get to?"

I look down at my map and say: "Well, according to my map we should be at the Sears Tower but we don't know where it is. Do we need to go down a block or so?"

Nice Man gives me a funny, yet playful look and says: "Okay, look down! "

I look down at my toes, look back at him and say "Am I here? Is this it?"

Nice Man (laughing): "You made it"

Me (face turning red): "Well, it says 'Willis Tower.' "

Nice Man: "They changed the name."

Red-faced Me (laughing and incredibly embarrasseed): "Thank you very much."

Nice Man proceeds to walk into the very tall "Willis Tower" and heads to work.

So if you're EVER looking for the Sears Tower....IT'S NOT CALLED THAT ANYMORE!!!

Sheesh!!! When were they going to inform the dumb tourists????

So, anyway...this is us in the HUGE elevator. The nice lady let Kashton push the button to take us up 110 stories high!!!

The view on top of Chicago and Lake Michigan!!

They've now added these glass boxes that you can walk out in. It's very scary to look down and see just the ground below you.

At the bottom of the building

While Kashton napped, Cameron and I decided to walk from the "Willis Tower" to Millennium Park. Thats me standing at the bottom of the cool water tower.

Weird, yet cool Asian sculptures.

Kashton playing in the fountains. There were SO many kids there playing in them. Kashton was still not quite awake, so he wasn't as in to it.

There is this big silver sculpture in the park that is like a huge mirror. This is our reflection.

This is what it looks like. I think it's cool that you can see the reflection of the city in it.

A big, cool fountain!!

Navy Pier!!

Cameron really wanted to go on the huge Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier. I thought the pier itself was really cool. I would've like to have stayed there much longer. We didn't get to do all that I would've liked. Just too much to do and so little time.

This is from the top of the Ferris Wheel!

I love this picture!!!

Funny statues outside Navy Pier!!

It had been raining and I didn't want to get my bum wet while I was interviewed by Bob Newhart!

That night we thought we'd be adventurous and try real Indian food. Not only was it a beautiful restaurant but the food was FANTASTIC!!! It didn't look too appetizing and we were a little nervous to try it, but it was SO good. I was mad that my tummy was kind of hurting and I couldn't eat very much.

What a wonderful day!!!

Day 2 Chicago/Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Day 2:

I was kind of nerdy when we got up the next morning. I LOVE to visit new cities...especially if I've never seen them before.

This was the view from our hotel room. I loved how you could see Lake Michigan and all the sailboats from our window.

This was a plaza that was across the street from our hotel. Kashton loved the fountains.

Michigan Avenue!! I thought Chicago was one of the coolest cities I've ever been to. I want to live there. :)

Lake Michigan and the sailboats.

We went to Shedd Aquarium first thing in the morning and this was the view from the Aquarium.

Playing at the Aquarium.

He liked the sea otters!!

A fantastic view of the city from the Aquarium.

After the Aquarium, we walked over to the Field Museum. Kashton fell asleep in his stroller, so we took advantage of looking at the more "boring," grown-up stuff. Personally, I liked the museum more than the aquarium. (That's me and the stroller in front of that MASSIVE building)

The museum was having a special Pirate exhibit. We didn't go to it because it cost extra money...but hey, at least I got to make out with a pirate!!! What better way to spend the day??

The front of the museum!!

Look familiar??? Yeah, this is how intelligent I am. Once we had already LEFT the museum, I was told it was the same museum from Night At the Museum. I'm a genius in the making. :(

More pirates jumping down on us....SCARY!!

Us being dumb. We're probably not suppose to be sitting on this exhibit, but Cameron has his fantasies....

Another illegal move!! Cameron posing with his "homies." Glad we didn't get kicked out of the museum.

Cameron laying on the giant map in the foyer. Pointing to where he went on his mission (Taipei,Taiwan). Aaaaww, it's like being in the MTC all over again!!!

My FAVORITE part of the museum. I've always been fascinated with Ancient Egypt. I thought this was so cool: An example of a family tomb. Those are real mummies in there. Look at the little infant...that broke my heart.

A real mummy...SO COOL!!! A young boy!

So, I thought this was interesting. A tomb for the animals. These are mummified pets: falcons, eagles, cats, etc.

Kashton woke up from his nap (he had a MAJOR blow-out which explains his lack of clothing) and he was afraid of the pirate. Daddy was trying to help him not be afraid...however...I'm not sure what he was doing here. Daddy, what are you teaching your son????

Some street performers. These guys were AWESOME!!! They were promoting "Don't Do Drugs" which explains the red they're wearing. Yup, they're doing exactly what it looks like. Two guys holding one guy upside-down by his shoulders, and the other guy jumped and did a flip inbetween the upside-down dude's legs. So cool!!

We were told that if we wanted to try the best and most authentic deep dish Chicago pizza...this was the place to go!!! That's Cam standing in line OUTSIDE!!!

It took about an hour to get our pizza and LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS!!! The crust was made from cornmeal and it was unlike anything I've ever had before. I'm not a pizza person...but this was REALLY good.

Cameron is in heaven!!!

Stay tuned for Day 3:

Day 1 Chicago/Nauvoo Vacation

2009-09-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

We had a few days off from work, so we decided to take a vacation up to Chicago and then over to Nauvoo. We've never been to either place, so we thought it would be fun to drive up there.

Our first day, we wanted to break up the trip a little bit so we stopped at the St. Louis Zoo and had a fabulous afternoon with Kashton!!
All the animals were so close to us. Kashton fed this little baby giraffe a leaf. It was so cute. Kashton loved it!!!

Sleeping tiger. It was cool to see it laying there. Usually they're always hiding somewhere.

With the recent passing of the most amazing entertainer, Michael Jackson, we've been culturing our son in the art of the Michael Jackson dance!!! He's almost got it down. He was practicing his moves in front of the huge fan that was blowing a mist of water at him. Needless to say, he also had quite the audience cheering him on. There were women taking pictures of this little toddler standing in his stroller saying "Eee Hee. OOWW!"

Sitting on daddy's shoulders watching the sea lion feedings.

Reaching out to pet the penguin. He LOVED this exhibit.

The puffins were his favorite. He laughed and laughed at them playing in the water. We couldn't resist....we bought him a little stuffed animal penguin.

That's a big bug!!!

Beautiful butterflies. Cameron and I were more interested in them then Kashton.

Cameron feeding this macaw Kashton's Cheerios. Glad we didn't get caught and kicked out of the zoo.

Kashton loved this hippo that just kept swimming around in a circle.

We couldn't believe that this elephant came so close to us. I've never been this close to an elephant. We all thought that was pretty awesome.

After the zoo, we continued the four hour drive up to Chicago.

Cameron and I were suppose to go to the Melting Pot for Valentines Day, but it never worked out. So, we decided to have our Valentines dinner that first night in Chicago.

Neither one of us have EVER been there before and we LOVED it. Kashton was not only a very good boy the entire day and was so patient with this long meal we had, but he also absolutely loved it too.

BEING SILLY!!!!

We all loved the fantastic dessert!!! It was the best part of the night.

Yummy, yummy chocolate covered strawberries.

Cameron loved the chocolate a little TOO much.

Like Father, Like Son!!!!

To Be Continued...

A Post for Mom!!!

2009-07-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all!!

Again, I'm HORRIBLE at posting things. I'm so far behind that I could never catch-up.

I was talking to mom the other day and she was saying how she wished she could see the things we've been working on at our house. Mom hasn't been able to see our yard in the summer time...so this post is for you mom!!!!

Here is a portion of our new fence. Obviously it's not quite finished yet. But I wanted to show you what the terrible electric company did to our backyard.

In the Spring when the weather was still nice, I was going outside with Kashton EVERYDAY and we were having picnics out on the grass in the shade of our big tree!! It was SO nice.

Then the electric company (without asking our permission) just showed up in our backyard and started HACKING at the tree to cut it away from the powerlines. I was so mad that tears LITERALLY stung my eyes!! So, here is our very sad and very ruined tree. Actually, it's more like a giant stick in the backyard now.

The backyard is miserable to be in now. There isn't an ounce of shade at all and it's just too humid and yucky!! So sad!!

The other sad thing: I've treated my roses twice already this season for bugs and the Japanese Beetles just wont leave my roses alone. This year my roses have looked worse than ever.

My pathetic rose bushes!!

The roses wont grow as big and beautiful as they use to and they brown and wilt within a day. I use to be so proud of them.

My herb garden!! This I'm proud of.

Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Chives, Parsley, Mint, Basil, and Lavender!

A random collection of flowers. I've never been able to keep flowers alive in this bed before. I brought in a lot of fertilized soil and mulch. So far, so good. Still can't get anything to grow on that trellis though!!! It's as though the trellis is poisonous and kills everything that touches it!! (Besides the random thistle growing behind it....I should go out and pull it right now)

My tomatoes!!!

They're not thriving either. I had ONE big green tomatoe that I was keeping my eye on and of course....Parker pulled it off and bit it. :(

Another view of flower bed and fence!!

Two little tomatoes!! I'll try to keep these ones away from Parker!

My hybiscus!! Again, not thriving this year!!! You can see where the Japanese Beetles have attacked it too!!

My front porch. Put new cushions on the chairs this year.

My hanging basket!!

The front yard is thriving much better than the backyard!!!

My hydrangeas.

Look at the great job Cameron did on the porch. Powerwashed it down, re-painted it, and put those pretty tiles on it. He did such a good job!!!

My Hostas and impatients.

The retarded hydrangea bush that never blooms. But it keeps getting bigger each year.

The stairs!!!

Good Job Cam!!!

The window box!!

Under the small tree in the front yard!!

It's been raining alot and we havent mowed. :)

Flower bed in front.

It's actually thriving his year for the first time, but we still can't seem to kill the stupid Yucca plant. I just keep digging it up every week.

The Crepe Myrtle. It's finally getting bigger!

YAY!!! We finally got a mailbox!!

For all you who've never seen my house (which is EVERYONE), we had a very sad, pathetic excuse for a mailbox...but not anymore. :) I was quite excited about this!!

New counter top!!

YAY!!! Not that horrible, gouged-up green one anymore!!

New, pretty stainless steel sink. No more yucky, stained, gouged-up white one.

More of the countertops and LOOK MOM...I finally went and bought new knobs for the kitchen and installed them all. YAY ME!!!! No more missing knobs!!

And the pretty juicer Cam got me for my birthday. :)

The newly painted living room. We painted it a gold color and installed those shelves!

Last but not least...the picture Kashton gave Cameron for Father's Day!!

Now come see me. :)

Love you!!!

Big Boy Bed

2009-06-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we realized that we no longer have a little baby boy anymore. We decided it was time for him to have his "big boy bed."

This was his last night in his crib. I just had to take a picture of him cuddling with Elmo, it was so cute.

Dismanteling the crib.
My big helper with the screwdriver. I promise we NORMALLY have clothing on him but he had been outside playing and was really hot and flushed. So I let him run around the house in his diaper. :)

The crib was put away and the toddler bed took it's place. He was SO excited about his "feshal" (special) bed.

Already trying out the springs. Look at that BIG TUMMY!!!
Getting ready to say his prayers. He's so cute!! He will kneel down on the floor with his arms on the bed and wait for mommy and daddy to join him. What a good example.
Trying out the bed for the first time.
Later that night, I again had to take his picture. I thought it was SO cute that he was holding both Elmo's and Mickey's hands.
He has been so proud of his Big Boy Bed. It took him a few days to realize that he can get out of it when he wakes up in the morning instead of crying until mommy or daddy comes and gets him. He didn't have a hard time adjusting either. He went right to sleep and never made a peep all night long and he hasn't (yet)rolled out of the bed onto the floor. :) What a Big Boy!!!!