The Cannons

February in Nutshell

2011-02-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well another month has come and (almost) gone! It has been a fun and exciting month for our little family...I guess February not such a bad month after all. Here are the highlights
-We made our annual escape from winter (not to Mexico this year) But a close second; St. George/Mesquite. With good reason too. We went to see Savannah and Jeremy be baptized. It was so nice to hang out with the Cannon Fam and to enjoy the 65 degree weather! Lydia took all of five minutes to get comfy with her cousins and she did her best to keep up with them and and their leather bottom feet all weekend. We also took a fun little family drive/hike to the dinosaur tracks...very cool!

-Valentines Day...was low key but really nice. Gary wrote me a thoughtful note and gave me a spray tan. I wish I could spray tan every week in the winter. I'm not a good looking white person ;)
-Birthday Celebrations - We had a fun little party for Amy and Jesi. I made them a cake from scratch and we had a nice dinner. I think they both had good birthdays.
-THE Wedding of the year...Our dear friends Caitlin(Lydia's idol ad BFF)and Darren (Gary's BFF) got married!! It was a full two-day event with the rehearsal dinner, temple sealing, and the reception. It was so much fun to be a part of their special day!

January...gone so soon?!?!

2011-01-28T11:21:00.001-08:00

January has never been one of my favorite months, but this year seems to have been more tolerable that most. Maybe because I've been busy working or maybe because I have these two cuties to keep me entertained while we're stuck at home doing a whole lot a nothin'. Here's a re-cap of our month...

News Year's Eve we partied with the Mowers as tradition would have it and had a blast. We brought Sadie with us but Lydia chose to stay at Grammies with her cousins.

The next two weeks we suffered through colds and flu, starting with Sadie girl. I'm so glad to finally be over it for now...fingers crossed

We've been on a spending hiatus which has been kind of nice after Christmas. It's been fun to fill our free time with things besides shopping and eating out.

The last few weeks I've been love the myfitnesspal app. That's right! It's time to lose the baby weight. I've been doing pretty well on my little diet until the last couple days. My bro lost 45 lbs recently so he has inspired me to get healthy (not that I'm entirely unhealthy, but my diet was in need of a little makeover)

I've been running, not as much as I should, but I have bee getting out to jog now and then in preparation for a 1/2 marathon this spring.

We continue to juggle like crazy...dropping a ball once in a while but managing OK for the most part. I like to think life will be less hectic one day, but until that day comes we'll enjoy it the way it is :)

So thanks, January, for going easy on us this year! Here's hoping February (my least favorite month) will come and go as quickly as you did.

The Nutcracker

2010-12-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

It was so much fun to have Lydia with me to enjoy the tradition of the Nutcrakcer. She did really well for the first half but pretty much lost interest for the second half (I thought the DC during the intermission would do the trick-no luck) It's been a long time since I've been, so it was fun for me too. It was nice to have so many of us there together too. Thanks mom, for the idea!

Christmas was Merry

2010-12-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice Christmas this year. I'll admit-we didn't do as much done as we (I) would have liked, but it was very relaxing and we managed to make some good memories (and lots of sugar cookies)!

We had mom's party Christmas Eve. It never dissapoints. The food was great, the gifts were plenty and Amy and I even threw together a quick devotional which turned out to be a success. Mom spoiled all of us to death as usual and got me some super cute boots and leggings and the coolest cookbook called Mad Hungry...can't wait to cook my way through that one!

Christmas morning was awesome! Watching Lydia's surprised look upon seeing her gifts from Santa was absolutely priceless (maybe I'll post the video later- when I'm feeling less lazy). As for us big kids, I managed to get Gary exactly what he wanted which may have been a first in our 6.5 year marriage! He got me the cutest Patagonia coat (look for it in future posts) and a netbook so I can work in bed next to him as opposed to out in my office into the wee hours (nice!) I hope Christmas was as good to you as it was to me!

Birthday Boy!

2010-12-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the best daddy in the world! We were so excited to start the day off with bacon and eggs and presents to open. We love the daddy and we're so thankful for him and all that he does for us. As Lydia would say, "my daddy is a fixer cuz he can fix ebything." She's right! Gary holds all the talent in the family when it comes to anything requiring the hand and eye to work as one. We love him for this and so much more! Happy 34th Gar!

My Little Princess...

2010-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

Today Lydia insisted on wearing her favorite dress (tights, church shoes, and petty coat included) to school. All of her friends were dressed in snow boots and jeans, but she never second guessed her decision. I guess this ranks right up there with last week when she chose to wear her Little Mermaid costume (over her clothes)to the mall. She was the main attraction in the Nordstrom shoe department as she danced around while my mom and I tried on and deliberated over shoe purchases for over an hour. Oh how I love this girl! I hope she never loses her independent little spirit!

2010-12-09T14:53:00.001-08:00

I never seem to have a good block of time to write anything thoughtful on here(sometimes I don't even have time to spell check it)Nonetheless, I like to make sure I take time to record my thoughts so I at least have a little bit of a journal to share with my girls...

Today I've been thinking how good my girls are. I can't get enough of them. Lydia is so much fun right now. We just got back from a fun trip to Winnemucca and it made me realize how much she's grown since last time we were there. She used to be A LOT of work to take on road trips. This time she jabbered the whole way home and kept us entertained the entire time.

We had such a fun time in Winnemucca. Lydia loved seeing all her cousins, aunts and grandparents. I failed to get pictures. But the Cannon girls and Gramma Janice put on a beautiful wedding for Brad and Clarissa and Steph did a super cute Sesame Street birthday party in true Cannon fashion with home-made EVERYTHING! Gary got some hunting in and had some success with that. I ate all weekend and probably gained five ponds. We got to see aunt Jen's adorable new house. Which is actually an old house full of charm and character. Paula was kind enough to host us and made us feel right at home.

Now it's back to the grind stone...Gary and I have both had a little bit of a hard time adjusting back after so many fun-filled days with family. Being in the midst of the holiday season has definitely helped ease the pain.

November in Review...

2010-11-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

November has come and gone like the wind this year! I can't believe it's almost over. My work has been uncharacteristically busy for this time of year (which I am definitely not complaining about!) Gary has been busy with work too and life has been crazy as we've juggled this with taking care of our two loves.

Sadie is getting so big and continues to be a sweet, happy, healthy baby. Though she did start the family off with colds. Lydi and I followed. Gary has escaped it so far (as usual).

We were able to bless Sadie on the 14th and many of The Cannons came to town for the occasion. We, of course, got some shopping in while they were here. It was a nice weekend. Gary gave a beautiful blessing.

Last week I was able to have a GNO with my USU buddies. We always have a fun time catching up and enjoying our favorite..TRIO. Later that week my mom and sister and I saw The Color Purple at The Capitol Theater. I love The Capitol Theater and I especially love Broadway musicals. It was an excellent performance.

Thanksgiving was...interesting. But it is always a great time for me to reflect on everything I have to be grateful for. I'm overwhelmed at the blessings that surround me.

Gary and I did some Christmas shopping tonight and had some success getting ready for the big day. I look forward to being done with the shopping part of this holiday very soon.

When Daddy's Away...

2010-11-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Gary has been on another hunting trip this weekend and we've been doing what we can to pass the time around here...here are a few iphone images I thought I'd share...
Nerds for breakfast (not really, but she likes to eat them with a spoon!), Lydia's self portrait of her doing yard work (is it just me or is that REALLY good for 3 years old!?!?) and Lydi and Mitch enjoying dinenr at Tio's

Baby's First Halloween

2010-11-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

we were so excited for Halloween this year. It was the first year Lydia has been really excited and aware of it! She had so much fun. After many, many costume ideas she settled on a butterfly. I found a cute wand and halo to go with the outfit and thought she could be a fairy. But she wanted no part of the halo or wand...just a skirt and wings. She looked so cute. Thanks to aunt Jen for the perfect skirt!

She had her class party on Friday. we got to go see her, but she wouldn't do any of the singing or dancing the other kids were doing. A little shy of the stage...just like me and her dad.

Saturday was the annual Halloween party at my mom's house. Mom went all out as usual. It is always so fun! Of course the rain put a damper on trick-or-treating, but for a bunch of spoiled kids who get candy whenever they want anyway, that was no big dal :) Lydi's favorite part was when everyone left and she had her Grammy all to herself. She was in heaven when she got to sleep over and watch a movie, just her and Grammy.

Saide girl was as sweet as could be. She looked so cute in the outfit Lydia wore three years ago.

Lydia 2 months

Sadie 2 months with GG

Just Average

2010-10-25T22:28:00.001-07:00

Our little Sadie girl is TWO MONTHS already! She had her well check this week and did really great with her shots. Lydia and I were bracing for the worst but she hardly whimpered. She was a little fussy over the weekend, but not too bad. SHE is so AVERAGE (on the growth chart that is). Here are her stats:

Weight: 11.35 lbs 61%
Height: 22.44 in 49%
Head: 15.4 in 59% (I had to double check this one...I think Lydi was bout 159 percentile. Sadie has lucked out...I wanted to go buy her a hat to clebrate. She'll have to wear a few for me and her sister)

So there you have it. Average on the charts and anything but in our book. We are loving this little piece of heaven more and more by the minute. She is starting to grin and has the cutest little dimples. She is just as sweet and as healthy as can be. What more could one ask for, really!

LoVeLY LittLE GIrLS...

2010-10-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling so blessed today thinking about my two sweet little ones. I just love them to pieces. Sadie is such a good baby. I hesitate to type this...but she has been a good little sleeper lately. She is a wonderful blessing in our home. Lydia just can't seem to get enough of her. The thought of the two of them sharing life's journey makes me so happy. I am so lucky to have a wonderful sister of my own and I'm so glad to know that they'll have each other.
We are back to life as usual trying to juggle two full time jobs and now two kids. I looked at Gary last night and said "how is that we have two jobs, two kids and no baby sitters or day-care?!?" His reply: "We're livin' the dream." Sometimes it feels more like a nightmare, but maybe he's right- we are pretty lucky!
These thoughts, of course, come on a quiet Sunday night. We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning...:)

Birthday Bliss...

2010-09-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's been an action-packed weekend for our family. We've had lots of fun with Jen and Steph in town for Lydia's party! The party was a success thanks to the help of my mom and sister who are pretty much always picking up my slack. Once again, I couldn't have done it without them!

We went from one birthday party to another...After devoting their Friday and Saturday to my cause, my mom and sister spent Sunday preparing a birthday dinner for me. It was so nice. I have felt so blessed to have such great friends and family around me all weekend. Thanks to everyone for all the birhtday wishes and gifts. Gary surprised me with breakfast and a gift certificate to Nordstrom. I can't wait to re-vamp my wardrobe once I shed the baby belly :) What more motivation does a girl need!

Turk is THREE!

2010-09-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Lydia had her 3rd birthday on the 31st. We celebrated with a special breakfast of our favorite pancakes and none other than McDonalds for lunch. Grandma paid a visit in the evening and we went out to get supplies for the big cousins party which will take place tomorrow.

I can't believe my baby girl is already three. Next week marks the start of pre-school and dance lessons for her too. She's growing up so fast! Lydia has always been a little ray of sunshine in our house. We seem to fall mor and more in love with her every day! Recently we have seen a big increase in her vocabulary and her curiosity. It's been fun to listen to her put words together and interesting trying to answer all of her curious questions (especially with the new baby and all that that entails?!?!)She has also been big on dancing and performing for us lately. We are getting a kick out of her shows and her signature bow(sp?).

We love you Turk! Happy 3rd Birthday!

She's Here and We Love Her!

2010-08-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sadie is here and we are home and adjusting to being a little family of four.

I had a quick labor and delivery which was surprising (and nice). We checked into the hospital at 5am on Thursday and had Sadie here at 10:30am. What a relief to get her here and know that she's healthy. She's been a little angel from day one. We've Had a big "support staff" as we've tried to adjust to having two little ones. Lydia has been sweet and seems to be adjusting well.

while we wait...

2010-08-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to stay busy waiting for our newest addition, and we've been having fun (for the most part) doing it...

-We took a little camping trip with the Gouldings and Darren and Caitlin. It was really nice to get away! We didn't have much luck fishing, but we were in excellent company and had lots of fun!
-We are in nesting mode to the tenth degree (make that one of us!) I may or may not have started a little re-model which was sparked by a dishwasher leak...what's a girl to do?!?!
-Lydi got a new bedroom and has been a very big girl sleeping all night in her big girl bed.
-Last but not least, Gary, in an attempt to get some of the hunting fever out of his system, took a trip to Northern Nevada and successfully slayed an antelope archery style. Apparently it's a pretty big deal and may even make it's way into a magazine or two. The boy has some mean bow and arrow skills :)

PICTURES...

-The Kill

-The worst part...days in 90 degree temps trying to dry out our floors (re-model pics to come...)

-Cute Sundie and the cute campers

-The summer blonde...Love it!

-Loving her new bed..yes that's a bottle, yes she's almost three, yes this is my attempt to help the rest of you you feel better about yourselves and your parenting skills :)

Baby Update...

2010-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this baby is now overdue. She works on her own time like me, I guess! No surprise really! Pray for labor, but for now we are scheduled for the 19th if nothing happens before then. We'll keep ya'll posted.

Summer Fun...

2010-06-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

We've been doing everything we can to make the most of this summer! Since our newest addition joins us in August we're trying to cram it all in up front. Lydia is at such a fun age and we are loving every last minute we have with her til we have to share our minutes with the new sissy (I'm so scared and nervous for that, I can't even tell you!?!?)

Some of the fun things we've been able to do so far include; a short camping trip on which Ava and Mitchel accompanied us. We fit a lot of adventure into the overnight trip. We saw 2 momma moose and their babies and we caught about ten fish. We had a little two point buck that hung out in our camp and even slept there. We also had some good cooking, but there is definitely room for improvement in that department.
Next we had a much anticipated visit from Aunt Jen, Aunt Nancy and Cousin Emily. We fit some fun into the week with them that included lots of yummy food, shopping, swimming, game playing, rodeo going, and relaxing. Lydia has been missing her "friends" ever since they left on Sunday. They really spoiled her with attention and gifts. Aside from that we've been doing a lot of swimming to stay cool. Lydia also started swimming lessons with cousin Mitch and is really loving it. She's a fearless little fish!

The fun in photos...

"Belly Laughs"

2010-06-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I was getting Lydi ready for bed and I groaned and said "I can't even bend over...this belly is so big!" She ran over, put one had on my back and one my belly and said, "Here, I help you get that baby out!"

A few minutes later I was settling into her rocking chair to read her a book. I said come sit on my lap and she looked at me and said, "You too big. I sit on the rug." She's right! the chair is not big enough for THREE of us!

Lydi LOvE...

2010-06-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

It has been great spending more time with my Lydi-bugs this week. She is so much fun. I hate to think she's actually going to grow up! I wish I could keep her just how she is! Here are some of the funny things she's been saying and doing this week...

-She wrapped her arms around me when I was down at her level cleaning and said "you my best friend." HEAVEN!
-She has been wanting to help with a lot of the cleaning and when I try to interfere her famous words are: "no le-my do it!"
-She has been a little lazy with her eating and will look at me and say "feed me."
-She always wants me to rest with her and she'll say "just for minute, palease."
-When she is upset I'll give her a few minutes to get over it and when she's ready she'll say "I not sad, I just happy now."
-She's usually watching a cartoon while I shower and as soon as she hears the water turn off she jumps up and runs in the bathroom to get me a towel and hands it in to me through the shower door. The funny thing about this is the consistency. She will not miss the opportunity. I used to forget to wait for her and she would get so upset...not anymore, now it's just part of the routine.
-She has been wanting to sleep in our bed at night and it makes for a very lousy night's sleep-especially being 32 weeks pregnant! But she always seems to wake up with an issue in the night and knows she'll get in there. The funniest was "there's an alligator in my bed." The first time it was genuine. She had a bad dream. The next three times...not so much. She's now moved on from that to a mouse on her dresser. She is hilarious.

I could go on and on, and this is probably boring you all, but I have to remember these things to get me through those teenage years that might prove to be less enjoyable!

SURPRISE VISITORS!

2010-06-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Lydi's Pa and "udder" (other) gramma stopped in for a surprise visit on their way to Idaho and they brought this darling baby goat with them. What better to come home from church to?!?

It was a nice Sunday all around! We had grammy over for dinner for our favorite; Ritzie chicken! Then we tested the pool by dipping our feet in and realized it needs lots of HEAT! The water was a bone chilling 65 degrees. We made cupcakes after that and remembered why we don't bake! 24 hours later and 14 of the cupcakes are gone! (Lydia had one) OOPS! We are so thrilled for summer to be here and for our new, more relaxed schedule!!!

To Know a Mother's Love

2010-05-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Mother's Day, but it has taken on a new meaning since I've become a mom. The gifts and well wishes are nice, but the best part, for me, is having a chance to reflect on knowing what it means to feel a mother's love.

Mom, Today I'm grateful for you and all that you are. You stand for everything that is good and I'm forever indebted to you for your loving example and selfless sacrifice.

Lydia, You're my world little love bug! I am humbled every time I look at you and think that I've been granted the opportunity to nurture you through this life. I love your snuggles and your laughs and all your 20 questions. I love you to the moon and back!

This poem was shared in our sacrament meeting today. I thought it was worthy of sharing with all of you mothers out there....

Happy Mother's Day!

TEMPLE BUILDERS
-
A builder builded a temple;
He wrought with care and skill;--
Pillars and groins and arches
Were fashioned to meet his will;
And men said when they saw its beauty
"It shall never know decay.
Great is thy skill, O Builder.
Thy fame shall endure for aye."
-
A MOTHER builded a temple;
She wrought with skill and care;--
Forming each pillar with patience.
Laying each stone with prayer.
None saw the unceasing effort;
None knew of the marvelous plan;
For the temple the MOTHER builded
Was unseen by the eyes of man.
-
Gone is the builder's temple;--
Crumpled into the dust.--
Pillar and groin and arches
Food for consuming rust;
But the temple the MOTHER builded
Shall endure while the ages roll; --
For that beautiful, unseen temple
Was a child's immortal soul.

The Coop

2010-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I can't take any credit for it..but Gary and Lydia were a great team on this project!

2010-04-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

So much catching up to do, so little time (actually I'm just lazy when it comes to this blog!) Here's a little snippet of what we've been up to lately...

Mid-March trip to St. George with Mom, Ava and Lydi Bugs to watch Cole play baseball. His team did awesome and we had a lot of fun. It's always nice to escape to Southern Utah this time of the year. Trip highlights include:
-Grammy taking the girls to the snack machine every night before bed?!?!
-Yummy dinner at The Brick Oven (which Lydia slept through)
-Really exciting baseball games courtesy of the The Utah Horns
-A fun little hike on the red rocks before leaving town
-Easter Weekend with The Cannons who came to watch conference. We also had a brunch here Sunday morning with the Johnsons Aunt Pat and Gigi visiting from Boise.
-Building a chicken coop (OK this one is 90% Gary, but I have helped out on the design committee and with a little bit of painting) Lydia has been a big help to.
-Getting Chicks. They're in an incubator right now, but the coop they're getting is high class. I think they'll be very excited about it. Lydi LOVES them and goes out each day to check on them, pick them up and give them kisses. We're excited for the new adventure of raising chickens. When Lydi is asked how they are doing she replies, "they still alibe" which we are proud to say is true-so far, so good!
-Growing Baby #2, aside from all the busi-ness around here, Lydi's little sister is doing well. She's a kicker. I'm sure she just can't wait to get out and join us and all of our fun! Please enjoy the one and only picture you might get of me this pregnancy. I swear 50% of my weight-gain goes to my face-not cute!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...

2010-03-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Now we can use all those cute little dresses twice!

That's right- we're having a GIRL! I was elated to have my "hunch" confirmed. Gary is getting used to the idea of a house full of girls.

The Girl Can Wrench!

2010-03-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Who needs numbers, letters and colors when you've got these kind of skillz!?!?

Sad to Report...

2010-03-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

We're back! It's been a week and we are adjusting to the COLD once again! We had a great time in Mexico. It was pouring rain and grey skies when our plane landed but it cleared up the next morning and the weather was beautiful from then on! We sure did miss Lydi Bugs! BIG thanks to Aunt Amy, Aunt Jen and Steph, Gramma, and GG for stepping in while we were gone. Lydia had fun and hasn't stopped telling us about it!

Some Highlights...
-Jogging every morning in perfect weather.
-A couple of trips to the city. There is so much beautiful architecture in Puerto Vallarta!
-Gary's adventure day. I was excluded from the fun (due to pregnancy), but the guys +Heidi got to go on a full day mountain adventure of mule rides, repelling and zip lining.
-People watching at the beach and pool :)
-Reading "The Year of Fog." ...reading period!
-A couple of good dinners outside of our resort. The resort food was nothing to write home about!
-Watching Gary body board in the ocean...he's like a little kid when he's in the ocean!
Some Low Lights...
-The food (isn't that what vacation is supposed to be about!?!) Gary was getting upset with me because I thought everything had a "different" taste to it. He had to keep reminding me we were in a DIFFERENT country!
-Losing my Versace sunglasses in the ocean(OUCH!)

February Fun!

2010-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

We had a spectacular Valentine's Day with cousins! It was our turn to babysit this year so we had the Johnsons over for a slumber party.

Gary is always good at entertaining the kids! They played Nerf Guns and then he scooped them up and went outside to get their energy out while I made dinner. After dinner we frosted heart cookies. Lydia had a blast with her cousins!

Now it's time to say Adios! We're headed to Mexico to soak up some sun! I. can't. wait.
We're almost ready...

Pedicure: check
COVER-UPS: check
Passports: check (barely)
Spray Tan: check

We can wing it from there! Hasta Luego!

Pregnancy Update...

2010-01-24T07:40:00.001-08:00

I'm in my twelfth week of pregnancy now. Almost out of the first trimester. When I saw the Doc two weeks ago (almost) he said the baby was measuring exactly 10 weeks. So everythignis on track. The appointment went well. Thanks, Les, for the referral. I think it's a good match! AND, I didn't even pass out when they took blood samples (almost, but I remained conscious. That's what counts!) I thought I was turning a corner with the nausea until yesterday! About 3 in the morning I woke up not feeling good and continued to feel crummy all day. By 8pm we were doing our weekly grocery shopping and I was struggling through it pretty bad. I made it to the car OK, but didn't make it home without having Gary pull over so I could, well you know the rest. YUCK! I'm glad it was dark. Other than that things are good. I was lucky with Lydi..I was one of those people who felt better pregnant than not. This time, I can;t say the same. But I can definitely handle this and I know it's nothing compared to what some expectant moms endure.

A quick update on other aspects of our lives:

-Lydia is as cute as ever! we just can't get enough of her. She's talking and rambling so much. She lets me put her hair in sponge curlers at night and she looks ADORABLE with all those funky curls!

-Gary is adjusting to being home with her more and more as work for me has been busy! I figure I have to fit a year's worth of work in before August since I plan to take it easy after that!
-In an effort for getting me to work less, Gary is just wrapping up getting his contractor license. He is SO talented with not only designing, but building too! It's definitely his thing and his clients are always asking him for a good contractor to do their additions , remodels or build jobs. So he has decided to expand to High Desert Design Build! I think he'll be great!
-I still hate the cold (more and more as I get older). We are looking forward to a trip to Mexico in a couple of weeks.

Winter Fun...

2010-01-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

Is that an oxymoron? It was beginning to feel like one until we got a call from the fam that there was a hooky bobbin' party taking place Saturday! Here are some cute pics of Lydi (courtesy of Jesi) having a blast being pulled on the tube. Amy and I held our own knee boarding as well, but nothing surpassed Jesi's face plant in the snow -those darn shoe laces get ya every time!

In other news, we made it through another holiday season. It was so much fun to see Lydia light up at the sight of her toys from Santa. Grandma went a little over board as well. There was great food and lots of fun to be had. Once again Gary proved to be very difficult to buy for- especially with his birthday being the 23rd. He didn't love his birthday dinner and I ruined his cake, but hey I'M PREGNANT(yeah, you read that right) -my cooking skills have been put on the back burner for at least another few weeks until the nausea lightens up.

We had fun New Years Eve with the Mowers who are always so kind to invite us to their party! It's the one time year I get Gary to play games! We had a bast.

Amidst it all we've been thinking of and praying for the Johnson Family. We attended the funeral for Mark on Saturday the 26th. It was a beautiful service and Ben gave a great talk. This has been such difficult few weeks for Ben and all of the Johnsons. Please keep them in your prayers! markandcolettejohnson.blogspot.com.

Now here I am at work (blogging)! But it's definitely back to reality today with one more holiday behind us an hopefully many more to come!

'Tis The Season

2009-12-09T19:02:00.001-08:00

We've been packing some fun Christmas festivities into the last couple of weeks, despite mama fighting a nasty cold, we've been having a lot of fun! Here's what we've been up to...

We got our Christmas tree from a lot close to our house. We had big plans of cutting one down in the Uintahs, but it didn't pan out...maybe next year!

We had tons of fun decorating gingerbread houses with some of our very most favorite people. The event was complete with DELICIOUS food, but Lydi was mostly interested in eating the houses :)

Other things we've been up to...

-Shopping (of course)
-Reading (Gary finished his book and I finshed The Glass Castle and LOVED it)
-Checking out fun lights around town...we saw a really cool nativity scene off of 2700 W in SJ that Lydia was loving!
-Playing in the snow...Thanks to Daddy, Lydi has really been enjoying the snow and the four-wheeler!

Under the Weather Has it's Upside

2009-12-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

I caught my usual late fall cold just before our trip to Disneyland! Being the big wimp I am, I didn't do much while I was sick...but it gave me the chance to read two books. I loved them both so much I had to share...

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith...I picked this up a few months ago and when I finally had the chance to submerge myself in it, I fell in love with it! It's the story of a young girl (Francie) growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. She is very poor, but fortunate to have a mother who values education and realizes it will be the thing that will give her children a chance at a better life... Highly recommended!

I also read (after stealing it from Gary) Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell...the book is a tale of his journey as a Navy Seal and his courageous battle against hundreds of Taliban fighters. He lost three of his best friends and sixteen other men died trying to save his team. This book enlightened me on the war in Afghanistan and the huge sacrifices being made for our freedom. Must read! (disclaimer #1: harsh language, I'm a little numb to it...others may not be. #2: If you're a liberal this is probably not the book for you)

If you have any good suggestions for me please leave them here! I think I've got the reading bug and I'm counting on it to get me through this cold, miserable winter!

The Magical Kingdom

2009-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to take off for the long holiday weekend! It was a big change from the traditional turkey dinner with family, but we had a blast! Disneyland was our destination. Grammie, Lydi, Gary and I headed out Thursday morning and came home Sunday night! We squeezed more fun and excitement into three days than you might believe!

Lydia was skeptical of the characters at first, but definitely warmed up to them by the second day! Gary was in awe, this being his FIRST trip! How does one go thirty something years without seeing the most magical place on earth?!?! Mom was loving every minute of it...she's been a few times in the last few years...I think it will always be one of her most favorite places!

There were definitely A LOT of people with our same idea ;) But when my mom and I mentioned the 45 minute lines to one of the over-zealous "cast members," he was quick to let us know this was one of their "slower weekends." We'll just say I'd hate to see busy if that was slow!

Here are some pictures of us braving the crowd and having a great time...

(had to throw this one in...little evelyn here entertained Lydia for 30 min plus while we waited for a show to start. She was SOOO cute...notice her 6'5" sister next to her...she too was so tall! Looked 11, acted 5..true age: 7, we loved her!)

Halloween.

2009-11-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

When the Blackberry Calls...

2009-10-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I officially failed in the balancing act we call "the working mommy." I was in my bathroom with Lydia trying to do her hair for the day. I heard my phone ringing and realized it was in another room, I left her to run and grab it and returned right back to her and carried on with my conversation. Being a Realtor/mom has required me to be a great balancer of the Blackberry and child care. I'm usually pretty good at it. I typically favor the child, thus the reason I'm on my 3rd Blackberry in 18 months (those stories deserve their own post)!

Today, however, I failed. It was my sister in law. On the phone. She had a real estate question. I suddenly found myself in Realtor mode. I couldn't help her without stepping out of the room once again to sit down at my computer. I ran to quickly look up a number. Seconds (literally seconds) later I heard a blood curdling scream. I hung up on Jesi and knew right then what I would see when I got to the bathroom. I grabbed Lydi and looked for burns. Low and behold she had horrible burns on both sides of her wrist. I. WAS. SICK. I couldn't believe I had just violated so many rules and my sweet, innocent, beautiful girl was now blistered and heart broken! I called Gary up from his office to help with the situation. He was mad at me. Rightfully so! It was an accident, but a very preventable one. So, for those of you out there who have a child...remember these simple rules...

1. Don't leave the child alone on the bathroom vanity.
2. Don't leave the child alone with hot flat irons (or anything hot) within reach-or in the same room for that matter.

Bet you're thinking you would never do that! I know you would never do that! I, on the other hand, have done that...along with many other stupid things, but I hope I will never do it again! My baby, unlike my Blackberry, is irreplaceable...Maybe it's time for an ear piece? I Don't think so! No offense to you Blue Toothers!

In an attempt to redeem myself I bought Lydia the Snow White movie and we watched it twice yesterday. It's a little scary for her, but she loves the singing and the animals...who says money can't buy love?!?!

Her Cousin Always Cheers Her Up

Her New Favorite Coat, courtesy of Old Navy Stuff and Save :)

The Burn/Blister, Just One of Three

...and that what it's all about!

2009-10-19T14:28:00.001-07:00

You've got to check out this news clip! I have two of the coolest nephews around...not to mention fabulous ball players!
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705337508/Miracle-League-Kids-with-disabilities-get-to-play-ball.html
...sorry it's not letting me add the link. Just copy and paste it to your browser :)

Leaves are falling all around

2009-10-13T21:55:00.001-07:00

I was standing in line at one of my favorite guilty pleasures the other day (Great Harvest) and the clerk was saying to each person in line, "What's your favorite season? I'm taking a survey." Not surprisingly, four out of the 5 people in front of me (busy day there) said Fall. My reply, of course, FALL! Here's what I love about it...(I didn't bore him with this part)

-Cool, crisp air
-Sweat shirts / Sweaters
-Running
-Leaves changing
-Halloween
-Thanksgving

We've had a lot of fun with Lydia this fall. She's getting excited to wear her Halloween costume and she has loved picking our pumpkins and seeing all the fun things in the stores.

Though fall will always be my favorite, there are a few things I don't like...

-HUNTING Season
-The onset of winter
-The endless amount of leaf raking we'll be doing...anyone looking for a service project?

Life is Good!

2009-09-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Lydia: Cute.
Gary: Understanding.
Work: Busy.
Home: Messy.
Us: Happy.
Me: Grateful.

More to come later, just had to remind myself today that all is well.

My Baby is 2 (yesterday)!

2009-09-01T21:52:00.001-07:00

I wouldn't be me if I weren't posting this a day late. But I can't believe my little sweet Turk is already TWO!

Here are jsut a few reasons why I LOVE my sweet Lydia...

-You make me laugh everyday
-You remind every day what life is all about
-You keep me on my toes
-You're beuatiful-even with dirty sally hair :)
-You're fun, fun, fun!
-You know what you want (I hope you never change)

I love you through and through Lydi Bugs! Happy #2!

Super Saturday

2009-08-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

We had an eventful Saturday beginning with our much anticipated "try"athlon. It was a lotof fun and we were all pleased with our times...except maybe Sundie who came in only seconds behind me with a flat tire :( My time was 50:18 and Gary beat us all with a time of 47:02. My mom and Lydia were our #1 supporters, cheering us on from the sidelines. Christy finished the race as well. I hope I'm half so ambitious at her age!!! Dave treated us all to lunch afterward in Park City. It made for a great Saturday!

Oh wait, that was just the beginning...

I ran to a work appointment quickly after we got home and then it was time to prepare for Lydia's Luau! We celebrated Lydia's #2 with a fun-filled Hawaiian style party that included Hawaiian Haystacks, Limbo contests, Hula contests, Luau music, cake and ice cream, and swimming! I insisted that Jen be our photographer because I realized I had gone to a lot of work for something Lydia is unlikely to remember!

One day I will scale back the birthday parties...one day.

Disclaimer: These events (all in one day) would not have been possible without help from some good friends and family. Thanks to everyone for all the help!

Special Thanks to:

Amy-for doing Lydia's hair and changing her outfit mid-party!
Jen-for great photography
MOM-for helping me clean and shop late Friday night and for picking up the "Costco Cake"
Gary-for preparing my bike and swim gear for race day and for shopping around all week to find me a good pair of running shoes :)

Lydia is a lcuky little girl to have such a big family and so many good friends who love her so much!

Our Little Garden

2009-08-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

"Gardening will bring us satisfaction and remind us all of the law of the harvest, which is relentless in life. We do reap what we sew." -President Ezra Taft Benson

Although I'm no "green thumb" and I admit to enjoying an over-processed Hostess Twinkie once in a while, I do love my garden and I especially Love the fresh veggies we get to enjoy on its behalf! Gary has been more consistent with this than I have, thanks to him, this garden has definitely been our most successful yet!

We hope to expand our garden as the years go by and use it as a means to teach our kids to work and reap the rewards...for now, however, Lydi "no like mayos (tomatoes)" but she does have fun checking up on the garden with us and she works hard a keeping the dogs out.

High School Flash Back...

2009-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was our MHS class of '99 reunion and it was a blast from the past;) We had such a good time looking at old pictures and watching a hilarious video. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to see old friends, but we sure missed the 85% of the class who didn't show up...maybe the 20 year will be more enticing...WOW! I don't even want to think about being 39?!?!

This is how Tom Boys are Made..

2009-08-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Lydia spent last Saturday with the boys doing "boy" stuff while I worked! I think she loves the great outdoors as much as daddy. This weekend is shopping with mommy! We'll see who wins out in the next few years...

Momma's Girl

2009-08-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to get a new camera. I have one REALLY old one and one REALLY big one. I need a nice little point and shoot that I can keep with me. Anyway, here's a rambling of a few things that have been happening around our place lately...(this sure would be a lot more fun with pictures...)
We took a "fun" two day trip to Mesquite last weekend. the time spent with the Cannons was great, but the car-ride was not what I would call fun! Lydi hates her car seat right now! Monday, following our little jaunt south, I took Lydia to Lagoon with my mom, aunt and sister and the kids. We had a blast. Lagoon is an annual adventure for me. I don't think I could handle more than that, but once a year is great. Since it was a Monday there were no lines so we got to do lots of rides. Lydi was a trooper. Her favorites were the boat ride and the water park!
While we're mentioning Lydia...she is talking up a storm and repeating nearly everything we say. Gary's favorite is "Holla." I have to remind him to watch the vocab if he wants Lydia to have any friends. She has really been a mommy's girl lately and I Love it! She is so much fun to snuggle with. Gary usually drops her in bed with me about 7:30 (I know, I'm lazy) and she and I have a few minutes of snuggle time. My favorite thing is when she whispers "bobba, mommy bobba." She knows it's a no-no before breakfast but she loves to try me...sometimes I give in :)
She is loving books! I'm so happy about this. I love the chance to rock her and read to her. It reminds me of when I was little and my mom read book after book to me in our old rocking chair. There are few things more comforting than a book, a mom, and a rocking chair.

As you can see, life has been mostly about Lydia these days and we're loving every minute of her. She will be two in just a few weeks, can you believe it!

The picture below was taken a few weeks ago at a little get together at our home. I think these are some cute little ones (the mommies are pretty cute too) I guess those SUU boys did OK!

It's High Time...

2009-07-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

for an update.

Not much exciting news here, but we've certainly been enjoying the craziness we call summer. We've had fun filling our days with lots of sun and lots of water. Lydia is usually dying ot get in the pool by about 10am every day. She absolutely LOVES it!

Other exciting things we've been doing or thinking about lately...

-RUN, BIKE, SWIM...we are "in training" for our first "try"athlon and boy is it consuming. Gary has even decided that he needs 7000 calories a day to sustain himself during this very strenuous activity. I told him he might be 300 lbs. before it's over...in seriousness, it has been a lot of fun and we've had a blast with our team!
-SEW WHAT? Um, blankets and stuff. Thanks to my good friends Sundie and Cristy for helping me dust off and put to use the sewing machine I got five years ago, I've had fun a making some baby gifts for friends and family.
-PARTY CENTRAL...I hosted a work party and a big SUU alumn get together over the last couple weeks and Gary has now declared August to be a party-free month at our house (with the exception of Lydi's #2- of course...I hope!?!)

Stay tuned for some photos of our summer fun!

The "Staycation" of a Lifetime...

2009-07-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

That's what you get when you combine your favorite people with your favorite activities at your favorite place (home). Thanks for a fun-filled weekend. I didn't get pictures of everything but seom of the highlights were:
*SWIMMING-lots of it! Ash and Cole trying to teach me how to dive :(
*EATING-Too much of it! But lots of yummy food!
*FIREWORKS-I think our driveway show was better hen the city's show!
*TENTS-nothing beats sleeping out in the fresh air and waking up to the sunshine!
*BIRTHDAY CAKE-celebrating mom's special day wiht her! To the greatest mother in the world, I hope your birthday was a happy one!

Tomato Basil Soup

2009-06-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for dinner club and i've made it a few times in the past. I always like to share a new discovery and since most, if not all of you have given up on my recipe blog, I thought I'd post it here...

Nordstrom Café Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients:
(2) 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
1 lb. carrots, chopped
1 lb. onion (I used yellow), chopped
2-3 T fresh basil
1/3 C olive oil
5 C water
5 tsp chicken base
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/3 tsp. salt
1 1/3 tsp. pepper

Sute carrots and onions in olive oil for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil chicken stock (dissolved in the water) and simmer for 45 minutes. Puree in the blender in batches while adding cream. Return to pot. Heat. Serve.

I like to serve it with parmesan cheese and toasted bagettes

So Far So Good

2009-05-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying the long weekend despite the rain. Here is a little bit of what we've been up t oso far...

Lydi was loving the rain this morning. I looked out the window as I was getting ready for church to see her and her Aunt Steph making the most of it...this was all Lydi's idea...

It hasn't been all fun an games...Lydi's not quite ready to share the attention...

Playin' with sweet baby J and enjoying our company from Reno. (Except Gary is soooo jealous of the beaner baby--he's SOOO cute!) Maybe next time, Gar!

And we can't forget the "early birthday present" from Grammy. Lydia is lovin' her new ride!

Little Swimmers...

2009-05-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

We had such a good time at Lili's 2nd birthdya party on Friday night! Her mommy really knows how to throw a party! For anyone who hasn;t experienced the SJ rec center, it is SOOO fun!

104

2009-05-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

This number and I are getting to know eachother this week, but it does not mean we're friends! Poor Lydi Bugs has been running a terrible fever for THREE days now. It is re-acting well to Motrin, but it just keeps coming back! I've had her in to the dostor's office twice and they've tested her for everything under the sun, but nothing...all negatives!

High fevers have always scared me! I get so worried and think the worst, but I guess I can't run her to the doctor's office every day jsut to have them tell me the same thing! I hope she's back to her old self soon!

Birthday Call...

2009-05-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Dad, Happy Birthday! This is the part where I would normally say I hope you're feeling OK, we'll see you later. But since I can't really say those things to you now, I'll say this...I love you and miss you every day! I think of you often and I tell Lydia stories and wish that you were around so she could climb on you and have a snuggle and so she could look forward to coming over to visit you! I love going through old pictures and seeing you when life was a little easier for you. I love remembering what a fantastic dad you were and knowing that because you were- I was able to know what to look for in a fantastic husband who loves his family more than anything else. I love that I know when I lose my temper it's a little piece of you that was handed down to me and it's OK. I wish so bad that you were here today to celebrate your birthday! We all miss you and Love you so much. This is one of my favorite pictures of us. I know how much this day meant to you and I'm so honored to when I think of the courage it must have taken for you to walk that day! Until we walk together again, I love you, I miss you, and happy birthday! PS: I know you're OK and we will see you later!

A Few Thoughts...

2009-04-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

I first need to apologize for being a lame blogger. It's been a busy couple of months around our house. (as if all of you aren't busy--I'm just more lazy) Anyway, just though i'd jot a few item of interest....

-Lydia met with PT and neurologist from the state. They were so thorough an so nice. They determined that she might be in need of a litte extra help to get caught up to speed on her gross motor skills...she is going to have physical therapy about twice a month and at the end of four months we will re-evaluate with the team from the state and go from there.
-She is talking a lot now and even running (speed walking) away from me. Everyone said I'd hate this, but I actually LOVE it because I know she's making strides.
-We're think about buying a small camp trailer...we are in need of some good quality family time and we're thinking camping migth be our best bet!
-We're looking forward to opening the pool in the next month.
-Work has been insane busy for me lately. I wish it could just be steady but it seems to be feast or famine all the time, name of the game, I guess.
-Gary just got back from the annual Laughlin ride with the Cannons. I was glad they all made it home in one piece(not a street bike fan-I try to tolerate it). He had a great time and said the weather was just about perfect. The best part is the tie die shirt he brought back for Lydi. It looks awesome with her bed head (I secretly love it when she looks a little white trash)
-That's it for now. We'll try to muster up something more exciting real soon.

Oh ya, I got bangs, and went blonde(er). Pleas try to ignore the fact I have no make-up on. YIKES!

I did it

2009-03-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that Lydia actaully got her hair done today (and no, Aunt Amy wasn't babysitting) I actaully did her hair and it turned out. I wanted you all to see her true potential (as well as mine) Honey, your mommy loves you and I'm sorry it's taken this long...I hope you and I have many good hair days to look forward to!

Update...

2009-03-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Lydia had her big evaluation from the therapist today. He was so nice and she was a little ham! She was really showing off her skills. It turns out she's right on track with everything besides the gross motor skills (walking)...just as we suspected! He did say that she has low muscle tone and pointed out a few things to show that is the case. She'll need a little extra help from us, but she is not far enough out of the normal range to qualify for the physical therapy. The therapist thinks she'll be walking and running in 6-8 weeks-I hope so. We didn't get the humungo back yard for nothin'...I'm hoping for a fun summer of running and playing!

In other news...

She had her first hair cut on Saturday at Cookie Cutters! Isn't she a cutie!

Lydia's 18 Month Stats

2009-03-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

We had Lydi's 18 month well-check on Friday and here is what we found out...

Weight: 25 lbs. 12 oz. (70%)
Height: 32 1/2 in. (99%)
Head: 50.4 cm. (98%)

The Dr. said in terms of Lydia's head and height she is about 11 months ahead of most kids her age. It looks like she might be taking right after mommy who was a head taller than everyone all the way through sixth grade and who will NEVER be able to wear a hat in public. Sorry Lydi bug!

In other news...she had pink eye, which is slowly clearing up with the anti-biotics. The doctor said to triple the amount of Miralax we've been giving her to soften her stool (poor thing!) AND she has to start physical therapy because she is not walking well enough for her age. She also has to have a CT scan this week...I am trying to figure out if this is because she is not walking or because her head is so big, or the combination? I may be making a call to the doctor in the morning.

As Promised...

2009-02-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

(please ignore my voice, no wonder Lydia always looks at me funny!)

These Boots are Made for Walkin'...

2009-02-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

and we just found out that Lydi's feet are too! YAY! Our 7 days shy of 18 months old baby is now a WALKER!!! And we're SO proud. Please stay tuned for video proof of this amazing accomplishment...

Weekend in review...

2009-02-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well here we are at Thursday and I have yet to brag it up to you about my FABULOUS weekend. I better get started. Before It's time to talk about THIS weekend, which will be spent WORKING! Now, back to LAST weekend, before depression sets in...It all started with the day of LOVE. I was able to attend a wonderful baby shower for my cute friend SARAH at the beautiful home of her friend Hillary! It was so fun to catch up with my USU buddies!

Then it was home to get ready for my Surprise Valentine's date (made possible by my sweet sis volunteering to baby-sit-Thanks!) Gary was adamant about surprising me because the control freak in me Never let's him. But I tamed the beast within myself and let him...to the point of trying to blind fold me in the car (a story of its own). Anyway, we finally made it to Gateway and I started raddling of the restaurants trying to guess and he wouldn't tell me, but he also didn't know exactly where the restaurant was located. So finally I said "It's FREEZING and we're late..TELL me so I can help you FIND it!" So he did and we headed to Flemming's to meet the rest of our group! WOW! Let's just say we're more the Texas Road House type when it comes to Steak houses, but it. was. heaven. If you haven't been you should save your pennies and go sometime. I had the salmon and it was awesome. After dinner we headed off to the movie. "Confessions of a Shopaholic," a little disappointing, but it was OK!

Sunday morning we headed down t Mesquite. It was really nice to breath some fresh air and see the sun! We hung out with The Cannon clan for the afternoon and Lydi got to spend time with her adorable cousins. the best part...She took her first three steps while trying to escape her Uncle Jimmy (anything to get away from him :) YAY! We were so excited, but we've yet to see an encoure :(

The next morning, in keeping with our annual tradition, we hit the St. George Parade of Homes. We saw a few really neat homes, but mostly just enjoyed being outside a little.

Tuesday morning we woke up, stopped at our favorite, The Bear Paw, for breakfast, and headed home...reminding ourselves to hold off on the road trips until Lydia is old enough to hang a little better!

Wow! Long Post! Thanks Gar, for making my weekend WONDERFUL! I needed it!

A Must See...

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

Gary and I saw Slum Dog Millioanire a few weeks ago and we both LOVED it. Heaven knows the two of us together make for a tough audience. It's rare for us to find a movie that we BOTH like. in this case we both LOVED it. We were captivated the entire time. It was suspenseful and thrilling while being a beautiful love story. It is a testimaony to the resilliance of the human spirit. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good movie this weekend.*

It definitely ranks as one of my top five all time favorites!

*The movie is rated R. There is really no bad language or sexual content, (some violence) but the overall theme of the film is for mature audiences.

One's friends are that part of the human race with which one can be human. ~George Santayana

2009-02-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

Well I think it's about time for an update before I lose all my readers. I have been reflecting, the last couple days, on how grateful I am for the good friends, old and new, in my life. I have been so blessed with wonderful, amazing women in my life. I had a great lunch with friends on Friday then saw the movie "He's Just Not That Into You" with another group of friends on Saturday. I'm planning on attending a baby shower with yet another group of friends this Saturday and can't wait. I am so grateful that I have been able to make and maintain friendships from every stage of my life. The women in my life are such wonderful examples to me of what I think a righteous woman should be. They are BEAUTIFUL, DYNAMIC, KIND, GENEROUS, CARING, FUNNY and everything else that is good. So thank you to my friends for lifting me, loving me, making me laugh, showing me the way by your kind and tender examples, and for just being there! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Grandma Mae

2009-01-14T11:32:00.001-08:00

My sweet Grandma Mae passed away this weekend after receiving a shocking diagnosis of liver cancer about two months ago. I'm so grateful for the time I was able to have with her here on earth. She was such a good example to me. Here are just a few of the things I loved about her...

She was so fiercely DEVOTED to her religion, family and friends.She had a simple SWEETNESS about her. She was always so KIND and had a smile for everyone. She was TRUE to the democratic party and elated to have a new Democratic President (she was not a Bush fan to say the least). She was FASHIONABLE and could window-shop with the best of 'em. She was always dressed to the T with hair and nails in perfect condition. She was an amazing COOK. I'll remember three thing in particular: salsa, cheesecake, and shrimp cocktail. She spoke her MIND. I remember my Dad recounting the story of her telling him NO when he asked if he could marry my mom. (She thought they were too young). Most importantly, she raised my MOTHER to be the most amazing woman I know. My mom is the most giving, loving, devoted, selfless individual I have ever known and I know my grandma Mae played a huge role in making her the person she is.

Mae O'Rourke Markham
Mae O'Rourke Markham 1926 ~ 2009 Mae O. Markham died at her home on January 11, 2009, surrounded by loved ones, after a short battle with cancer. Mae was born April 7, 1926 in Tooele, UT to John and Edith Shields O'Rourke. She was raised in Eureka, Utah where she attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and graduated from Tintic High School. She maintained a bond with Eureka throughout her life. She planned and faithfully attended many class reunions. Mae married Robert Markham on February 15, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They resided in Salt Lake. He preceded her in death on September 24, 1995. She was employed for 25 years as an administrative assistant for the South Salt Lake Police Department, where she attained the rank of sergeant, retiring in 1987. She enjoyed an active retirement, spending many hours with her children, grandchildren, great-grand-children and many good friends. Mae loved life and remained vibrant until the very end. She kept busy bowling, going on outings with the 49ers club, serving as a delegate for the Democratic Party and as an election judge for many years. Mae was a member of St. Ann's Catholic Church and St. Ann's Ladies Guild. She is survived by two sons, John (Carol), Ogden, UT; Robert, Salt Lake City; two daughters, Janet Susan Taylor, Murray, UT; Patricia (Jim) Hatchett, Boise, ID; 10 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and sister Marie Jerman, Scottsdale, AZ. Preceded in death by parents, husband and son-in-law Colin Taylor. A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Ann Catholic Church, 450 East 2100 South. A vigil service will be held Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Neil O'Donnell and Sons Mortuary, 372 East 100 South, where friends may call from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Committal, Spanish Fork City Cemetery, 420 South 400 East, Spanish Fork, Utah.

What a Year... What an Understatement!

2009-01-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

Wow! I remember growing up and learning about various events in US History and thinking "weird, nothing really exciting happens any more." Little did I realize I was simply witnessing the "calm before the storm" or maybe I was just young and oblivious to all that was going on around me. Oblivious no more! It's amazing what happens when we, in our little bubbles of life, start to feel the impact of decisions being made thousands of miles from our quiet neighborhoods.

I thought that this information was a great insight to what we have lived through in the last year (from an economic standpoint)...definitely journal worthy!

2008 Tidbits
By The Number$

ROTTEN YEAR - The S&P 500 lost 37.0% (total return) during 2008, its worst calendar year performance since the stock index declined 43.3% in 1931 or 77 years ago. Its loss of 21.9% (total return) in the 4th quarter of 2008 was the 7th worst quarterly loss ever for the S&P 500 and its poorest quarterly showing in 21 years (i.e., since the 4th quarter 1987 produced a loss of 22.5%). The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that is generally considered representative of the US stock market (source: BTN Research).
BEARS - The S&P 500 has experienced 9 bear markets (i.e., peak to trough declines of at least 20%) in the last 50 years (i.e., 1959-2008) or 1 bear market every 5 ½ years. The average bear market “peak-to-trough” decline in the last half-century has been 34.9%. From its all-time closing high of 1565 on 10/09/07, the S&P 500 fell 51.9% to its bear market closing low of 752 on 11/20/08 (source: BTN Research).
DOWN, THEN UP - Since closing at a bear market low of 752 on 11/20/08, the S&P 500 has gained +24.3% on a total return basis. The stock index closed at 932 on Friday 1/02/09 (source: BTN Research).
BIG SWINGS - The S&P 500 had 28 trading days during calendar year 2008 that produced a gain or loss of at least 4% (i.e., the index’s percentage change from consecutive trading days). In the previous 25 calendar years (i.e., 1983-2007), the S&P 500 had 28 trading days that produced a gain or loss of at least 4% (source: BTN Research).
DOLLAR LOSSES - The S&P 500 had a market capitalization of $12.87 trillion on 12/31/07. During calendar year 2008, the stock index lost exactly $5 trillion of market value, falling to $7.87 trillion on 12/31/08. Total US stock losses (from all domestic equities) amounted to $6.9 trillion (source: S&P, Rocky Mountain News).
SMALL-CAPS - The small-cap Russell 2000 stock index lost 33.8% (total return) in calendar year 2008, its worst calendar year performance ever. The Russell 2000 index is an unmanaged index of small-cap securities which generally involve greater risks (source: BTN Research).
GAS PRICES - The national average price of a gallon of gasoline ended calendar year 2007 at $3.05, rose to a peak price of $4.11 on 7/16/08, and ultimately finished 2008 at $1.62 a gallon. From 9/18/08 to 12/12/08 (i.e., a period of 86 consecutive days or more than 12 weeks), the national average price of gasoline dropped each day (source: AAA).
OIL PRICES - The price of oil ended calendar year 2007 at $95.95 a barrel, rose to an intraday record high of $147.27 on 7/11/08, and ultimately finished 2008 at $44.60 a gallon, a swing of nearly $103 a barrel in the final 5 ½ months of the year (source: New York Mercantile Exchange).

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been less than great with the camera lately, but I thought I better take a minute here in my online journal to remember the good times we've been having. After all, life is meant to be enjoyed and sometimes, in all of our trials, we forget just how much fun we are having! Some highlights of our fun and oh so long weekend include:

-A great time with the Mower family on New Year's Eve. We had a blast playing Rock Band and enjoying great company. Lydia was a trooper she made some new buddies and burnt the midnight oil with us!
-An awesome showing by the Utes and some great entertainment watching them prove the world wrong! We enjoyed the game with our good friends, The Gouldings, and their darling girls!
-A few good workouts at the gym with my bff. I hope this is a precursor to what's to come in 2009!
-Our first Markham Family New Year's Day brunch. Thanks, Aunt Pat, for all your hard work on this one!
-Picture Day. Our annual picture with the Taylor Cousins fell on New Year's Day this year and it turned out to be a nice day with Grandma and the Cousins.

Sorry, to my two readers, for the lack of pictures! How BORING!

Christmas re-cap

2008-12-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

It was another grand holiday for us! we have so much to be grateful for at this time! Some highlights of our Christmas include...

-The Taylor Family party at our home on the 19th. We had games, did crafts, frosted cookies, and had wonderful food in true Taylor form.
-Sledding with the Johnsons and enjoying home made Tepanyaki for Gary's birthday.
-"Annie didn't know Joe" a story inspired by a special visit from Santa.
-The best gift ever from Ryan and Jes. Thanks for such a meaningful gift!
-Christmas Eve at Grandma Mae's House. Mom did an amazing job pulling this one off... A long standing tradition that is always wonderful. Once again, great food and company. Lydia loved her gift from Grandma.
-Christmas morning and omelets and Grandma Taylor's house. Ryan and Nellie did a great job taking over the omelet station. Dad was terribly missed, of course.
-Tons of down time with Gary and Lydia. Movies watched include: In Her Shoes (one of my all time favorites), and Kit Kitteredge, American Girl (sp?) LOVED this one, thanks for the recommendation, mom. (Gary even watched and enjoyed both of these)

Take note of the common them here: FOOD, and way too much of it. But please do see my recipe blog in the days to come for some great new recipes I had a chance to try this year.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

The Newest Cannon

2008-12-30T19:48:00.000-08:00

Paula and Troy welcomed Lilyana Malee to their family on Christmas Eve this year! What a great gift! She makes three Christmas babies for the Cannons; Gary 12/23, Jeremy (Lily's older brother) 12/23, and now Lilyana 12/24.

We are so happy for the Walkers and can't wait to meet this beauty!

Lydi has Bed Head

2008-12-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Gary and Lydi up and left me for a road trip to Mesquite this weekend. It has been nice to have some time to get caught up and ready for Christmas, but I miss them already. Here is the picture they sent me this morning, titled "Hers has bedhead". I think she's having a great time getting to know her cousins better and they are taking great care of her.

Finally...

2008-12-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it only took 14 months, but we finally had some professional pictures taken of Lydia. Here are a few of my favorites...

Toddler-hood approaches...

2008-12-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

Dearest Lydia,

You are the light of my life, the apple of my eye, my little piece of heaven. However, as wonderful as you are, there is something we need to talk about...how do I say this gently...

BEDTIME for you is NOT 11pm, that is actually bedtime for mommy and daddy. Your bedtime however, is scheduled for 8pm which works out fabulously, giving your mommy and daddy time to do things like clean the floors-so you can crawl without getting all black and yucky, wash your clothes - so you look and smell nice and clean, and sometimes even go to the grocery store to buy you the things you need! Mommy and daddy also like to have a little R&R during this time. I'm sorry...I hope you are not offended.

Love,

Mom

Lydi's getting a new little....

2008-12-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

COUSIN! Actually she already did. Last night at 6:30 Jackson was born to Steph and Jeremiah in Reno. CONGRATS to the new parents. We can't wait to meet the beautiful babe!

Weekend re-cap...

2008-12-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend we had as we celebrated thanksgiving with family and friends. Some highlights...Dinner at Grandmas with the WHOLE family and a few friends...JEN staying with us...SHOPPING with Jen, Amy, Ava and MOM...avoiding ridiculous crowds, but still finding some good deals...EATING at Archibald's (one of my favorites) with some of my favorite people...RUNNING with my BFF on Thanksgiving night and feeling less guilty about the days menu...EATING at another favorite, Z-Tejas and enjoying the company of good friends...LAUGHING hysterically at "Four Christmases"...LOVING being on a first date with Gary since our little Lydi joined us...MISSING our love bug while we were on our date...have here wide eyed and happy as can be when we picked her up form Grandma's house at 11:00PM...pictures to follow...

SOLD!

2008-11-25T21:18:00.001-08:00

OK, Never mind my last post. I sold my table and bought this one for the same price in a matter of hours...it was a good day!

for sale...

2008-11-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

dining table and chairs, seatsup to ten with two leaves...$300--$250 f0r my friends ;)

Lydia's Christmas Wish???

2008-11-22T15:29:00.001-08:00

Well, while 99% of Utahns are either at the Utah v. BYU game or home watching it, I am at work wishing just one person might choose to shop for a town home today rather than see the most anticipated game of the year! Anyway, while I'm here at work, Gary and Lydi are taking there bi-weekly field trip to Cabella's! Gary just sent me this picture of Lydi bugs on the ATV he wants to buy her. It's obviously too soon, but he is counting down the days to when he can buy this for her! He said she loved it too and he had to peel her off of it!

$1.79

2008-11-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else as excited as I am about gas being $1.79 a gallon? Hopefully this will encourage some people to go out and buy their big huge American made gas guzzlers...I say go for it, just don't drive them!

eLeCtIoN dAy...

2008-11-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to post this Wednesday morning when I was feeling all patriotic and hopeful! But, I guess now is better than never. This is for Lydia since my blog is in essence an online journal of her life, I want her to know about this historical night...

Gary and I were both feeling a little bit under the weather, as was Lydi bugs. I was going to vote before going into work, but, of course, I was running late for a meeting and thought to myself "maybe I'll get to it later tonight." Gary was not planning on voting because he hadn't registered with our new address. As we sat and ate dinner and watched results come in from the east coast we decided to pack Lydi in tha car, brave the cold, and head up the street to our precinct to cast our votes. We voted differently that night, but I think by the end of the night we both felt somewhat victorious. Finally, the nasty campaign ads had ceased and our country was once again united by a history making event. I was moved to tears as I listened to President-elect Obama give his acceptance speech...

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America," he said.

The election is historic. When Mr. Obama takes office in January, he will become first the African-American president in the nation's 232-year history. His election ends eight years of Republican control of the White House under President George W. Bush.

As the vote count progressed, the Democrat far outpaced his rival in the state-by-state tally of electoral votes. The winning candidate needs 270 electoral votes. Senator McCain fell far short, as Mr. Obama won such contested states as Ohio and Pennsylvania, which many saw as crucial for a McCain victory.

In his victory speech in Chicago, Mr. Obama spoke of the challenges facing the nation, which include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, what he called a planet in peril and the worst financial crisis in a century.

"There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep," said Mr. Obama. "We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."
-voanews.com

BeLla bEaN!

2008-11-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

My cousin's baby Bella paid a visit from Logan last weekend! we got to visit with her on Saturday. It was such a nice night...it almost felt like summer. The kidlets had a great time playing in the leaves at GG's house. Bella Bean is just two days older than Lydia! Her mom and I are one month and one day apart. She is younger than me- but was supposed to have come first. Just like Lydia should have been here a week before Bella (what do those doctors know anyway!?!) We're just glad we all made it in one order or another!

One Down...

2008-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was a mix of emotions for me. It was hard because I remember last year's Halloween so vividly and this year was different in so many ways! Last year Lydi was two months old. I wasn't working at all at the time and I spent the entire day with my dad preparing for the big Halloween party. I made my mom's famous sloppy joes and got the house ready as I tended to my dad and Lydia. It was a nice day with him and the baby. I don't think he felt very good. It seems like he stayed in bed most of the day as he slept off and on and suffered through the smell of the dinner as it simmered on the stove. (He hated the smell (and taste) of bell peppers).

We miss him so much, but as mom says, "we made it" through our first big holiday without him. There will be many more, I'm sure, and we'll make it through those as well. It will never be the same but we'll continue to create memeories as he would want us to.

This year we changed up the "sloppy joe" tradition a litte bit. Mom made her awesome clam chowder and taco soup and I made rolls that looked like pumpkins.

We had a a great time with everyone and we especially enjoyed the warm weather as we made our way trick-or-treating around Walden Hills.

Lydi was the sweetest Little cowgirl you ever saw!

Time for an Update...

2008-10-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ironically, it seems like when we are doing the most, we have th least time to write about it! So here is a quick run-down of life a The Cannon House lately...

-HUNTING!!! I thought we were supposed to enjoy all things in moderation. Gary must have missed that concept somewhere along the line. He has been hunting WAY too much the lass few weeks. Thanks to lots of help from Aunt Amy, we managed quite well without him (however, we are glad to have him back)
-WORKING! I have had a busy month with work! We are very grateful for that in these fickle economic times!
-PLAYING! Lydi bugs and I had a lot of fun SHOPPING and EATING out with Grandma while Gary was gone> we even go tot go to lunch and shopping with GG and Aunt Kris last weekend! Thanks for letting us tag a long!
-RUNNING...here there and everywhere (actually my faithful running partner, Sundie, has kept me sane over the last few weeks...it's been great!)
-FALLING...more and more in LoVe with the apple of our eyes!
-SMILING...We had family pictures last night and went to one of our favorite dinner spots, Jason's Deli, it was a good night! Can't wait to see the proofs! PS: If anyone is in need of a photographer, you can check out www.saraboulterphotography.com. She is great!

My Favorite Little Bobble Head!

Love that Fall!

2008-10-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a nice prelude to fall. This has to be my favorite season of the year. The bad part is it doesn't last long enough! But we'll do our best to make the most of the next few weeks of cool, crisp mornings, warm days, blue skies and beautiful landscapes!

We started the weekend with a much needed winter prep of the yard! With the help of mom and her green thumb, we were able to get rid of some of dying flowers and overgrown shrubs. Friday night we celebrated the twins fifth birthday with cake and ice cream at the Johnson's. These two are the sweetest little things...I just love them! We had Jim and Janice in town all weekend which was a lot of fun. We even got to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with The Millers. (Thanks for the invite, Millers...we loved it!!!) Sunday was a great day! We were able to attend the afternoon session of conference with Jim, Janice, Aunt Shirley, and mom! Here are some pics of Lydia, Ava and Ash at their birthday party!

Yard Work (re-defined...)

2008-09-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love these two little chums...

My "No, No" is ringing...

2008-09-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have a new universal name for some of our favorite household items...

Lydi is really starting to talk and repeat things we say. These items are no-no's and to her they're literally no-no's. Other words in her vocabulary:

Mama, Dada, Uh-oh, Daw (dog), tsss (what's that)

Tina Fey for President!

2008-09-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have seen this, but I thought it too hilarious not to share!

PS: Baby Mama, provided us with some great $1 Red Box entertainment this weekend! You should see it if you haven't already!

I'm having trouble downloading the file, but you can find it at msn.com

lydi's beach party

2008-09-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

THE SWEETEST BIRTHDAY GIRL...

Gary's creation...SO cute!

Wow! I can't believe the big day has come and gone! As a new mom, I've been obsessing over the 1st birthday party for about, oh, eleven months! It was a lot of fun to plan and thanks to all our wonderful friends and family it went great. The Cannons were represented by Jen (& guest:)) and The Walkers, all the way from Winnemucca! We had many other friends and family showing their support--despite the rain and cramming into the house, we had a great time! Most importantly, LYDI had a great time. She received some fabulous gifts including, but not limited to, these baby bumpkin items found at www.babybumpkins.blogspot.com.

She also received some REALLY cute clothes and some FUN toys that we've been having a blast with all day!

We made it! Our little sweet heart turk bird (I know weird name), is ONE! She is the light of our lives. We are SOOOOO grateful for her and for the great JOY she brings to us each day! We don't deserve her, but we'll keep her!!! AAAHHH hers is just so sweet!

Two to One!

2008-08-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

Two more days and guess who's one...can't wait for the BIG day...

LAKE TAHOE

2008-08-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

Gary has been in a seminar in Lake Tahoe all week. I have always wanted to visit there, so Lydi and I decided to join him for a few days. Some highlights of our trip...

-Hauling Lydia through the airport and getting a range of looks from "how cute" to "Oh my...WHAT is she doing?"
-Taking Lydi for a bike ride along the lake
-Eating lots of YUMMY food!
-Taking a dinner cruise to Emerald Bay
-Learning about some of the history of the magnificent Lake Tahoe

Lagoon, It's What Fun Is ?

2008-08-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Despite the HUGE crowds, we had a fun time at Lagoon yesterday with Grandma and the Johnsons. Thanks to Ben and Wells Fargo for the tickets. Word of advice for future Lagoon goers: Try to avoid going on the LAST Friday of summer! Nothin' like waiting in line for an hour with four kids so they can ride a 60 second ride! I think we'll continue our Lagoon tradition with a mid-week, mid-summer visit next year! Lydi was such a trooper. She was SOOO tired, but couldn't resist staying awake for all the lights and noise. She finally fell asleep sitting up in her stroller only to wake up an hour later with a big smile on her face...I figured it was an opportune time to ride the mary-go-round. Once again, we missed GARY!!!

More Reunion Pics...

2008-08-17T21:27:00.001-07:00

Barton and Yeager

Kammee and Marli -- 1st Place

Danielle and Lydia

My fav 3

Hardman Family Reuinion

2008-08-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Amy and Ben, Lookin' Good!

Ash and Lydi

Aunt Kris and Uncle Wayne

Lex and Jason

Me, Lydia, GG, Kamee, Bella

We had a great time at the family reunion / olympic games this weekend! The Taylors had some good success in the olympic events. Thanks to Aunt Leah and her sweet family for putting on the reuinion this year and bringing almost 200 people together! We missed Gary as he was excused for the opening day of the bow hunt...but it was definitely his loss :)

Other weekend highlights:

-Visit to the sate capitol with Mom, Amy, and the kids.
-Eating at Rio Grande with all the people above
-Shopping with mom at Park Ciy outlets (and being in PC in general)
-Getting AMAZING deals in PC on a fall wardrobe for Lydi-bugs
-Moonlight Madness with mom and Lydia
-Watching Lydia dance along with the hula dancers at Moonlight Madness
-Watching Lydia ham it up for everyone at church today
-OLYMPICS!!!

Our Little Swimmer!

2008-08-17T20:39:00.001-07:00

I came home from work one night this week to Gary and Lydi in the pool...Lydi has been a little skeptical of it but with Daddy by her side she put all her fears aside--I think maybe the lack of a swimming suit helped, she doesn't like the cold material on her skin (maybe?)...enjoy, these darling pics, this made my day!

Time to make time!

2008-08-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I need to re-arrange my priorities. (I think this is my dad telling me this). My dad was amazing at keeping track of his friends--especially as he became too sick to work and do other things. One thing he could do was talk on the phone- so he made a great effort to call his friends often. I'm so glad for his example. When I spoke at his funeral, I was amazed as I looked out and saw a packed chapel and overflow! I think there were 350+ people in the room! What a tribute to a wondeful person! I think it's time I apply some of the lessons I learned from him in my own life...

1. Be a better friend
2. Be a better spouse
3. Make time to have fun
4. Take care of yourself

My dad always worked SOOO hard, but I don't think he did it knowing that he would be in a wheelchair at age 49! He always said he would have done things a little differently if he had it to do over again.

So I'm going to change things up a little...wish me luck! Old habits die hard!

ReCiPe

2008-07-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Below is a recipe for Salmon...I serve this at Dinner Club and some of the girls asked for the recipe. I think it turned out pretty good...

Macadamia-crusted Salmon (Red Rock Brewing Company)

For the Glaze:

2 egg yolks
1 C Dijon Mustard
1/2 C Champaign (I used white wine?)
1 oz. minced shallots
8 oz. (by weight) honey
1 qt. Salad oil (I used 1 1/2 C)
Salt and pepper to taste

(This makes a lot of glaze--you could half the recipe)

For the fish:
4 Salmon fillets or steaks
2 eggs
1 C milk
1 C macadamia nuts, chopped fine
1/2 C flour
4 T vegetable oil
Green onions, chopped for garnish

For the glaze: In a mixer, combine egg yolks, mustard, champaigne, shallots and honey. Slowly add oil in a stream to emulsify dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the fish: Beat the eggs with milk. Dredge Salmon in flour, dip in egg mixture, then roll in crushed nuts. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute fish for about 3-4 min. on each side until lightly brown crust. Brush with glaze. Finish under broiler until glaze bubble. Garnish w/ green onions.

love you dad

2008-07-22T08:57:00.001-07:00

We love you dad! You faught a good fight, it's not going to be the same without you! See you when we get there!

Colin Ralph Taylor 1952 ~ 2008 Our beloved husband, father, brother, son and "Pa" passed away July 20, 2008 in Murray, Utah.He was born May 5, 1952 in Clovis, New Mexico to O. Ross and Barbara H. Taylor. He married his high school sweetheart, Janet Markham, on September 9, 1972. Colin graduated from Granite High School in 1971 and began his career at Beehive Poultry where he had worked for his father from a young age. He had a long successful career in the meat and poultry business. He also enjoyed operating Blue Sage, a family hayride and barbeque business in Wanship, Utah. Colin was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed competitive horse pulling, but his true love was his family. He was a dedicated husband and father who lived an exemplary life full of compassion and love for all. His legacy is evident in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his parents; Ross and Barbara Taylor; wife, Janet; children, Amy (Ben) Johnson, Ryan (Jesica) Taylor, and Annie (Gary) Cannon; three sisters, Debbie Wilcox, Shelley (Scott) Woolstenhulme and Kris (Wayne) Witzel, seven grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the many medical professionals that worked so diligently serving him. Funeral Services will be held Fri., July 25, 2008 at 12 Noon at the Murray 15th Ward, 5555 S. 700 W. Friends and family may call Thurs., July 24, 2008 from 5-7 p.m. at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley 1007 West South Jordan Parkway (10600 S.) and one hour prior to services on Friday at the church. Interment at Murray City Cemetery. Condolences may be shared online at www.Jenkins-Soffe.com
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune from 7/22/2008 - 7/23/2008
Guest Book • Funeral home info • Flowers • Charities

-

Big Day for Lydi Bugs!

2008-07-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (at just over 10 months) Lydi had her nine month check-up...

We saw a new doctor (since we've moved) she was great and very willing to spend a lot for time with us! What we found out...

-Lydia is on track developmentally even though she shows no sign of crawling or walking. She just needs to be on the floor little more often.
-She is OK to eat almost anything besides just a handful of foods (yay!)
-She doesn't need the 3am feeding she's been getting for that last two months (however, she'll probably still get it since her dad and I can't bear to let her cry for two minutes--we'll see!)
-Her head is Gi-normous! the doctor was going to send the nurse in to go over the growth chart with me, but a couple minutes later she scurried back in the room and said "has she always had a big head?" "Oh ya," I said, "she gets that from me!" The thing is so far off the charts it was almost off the paper! Hopefully hers will be filled with more brain matter than air like mine!
-She is 97% in height
-She is 75% in weight
-She is 30" now and needs to move on from her carrier to her bigger seat--she was starting to look funny with her feet hanging over that thing!
-She had to get one shot to make up for one she missed at 6 mo. It was devastating to me and her --as usual!

On a side note, she also had her first swimming lesson yesterday. Aunt Kris taught me a little trick of blowing in her face and then dunking her in the pool to teach her to hold her breath under water. I was too scared, so she did it for me. Lydia whaled for a couple minutes afterward, but she didn't swallow any water. It sounds mean, but I am up for anything... I don't want her to be afraid of the water like I was until age 21!!!

Needless to say, it was a big day for her. We finished it off with dinner at Cafe Rio (just the two for us :D) and a trip to see Grandpa in the hospital. She certainly was loud and he was finally getting some rest so we decided to head home!

Let Freedom Ring!

2008-07-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a weekend!

Highlights:

-Steph and Jeremiah visiting from Reno all weekend! We LOVE visitors, and we can't wait to meet their new addition--coming soon!
-Swimming ALL day long on the 4th and watching the kids flipping and diving and enjoying every minute of it!
-Learning to dive--that's right-me at 27!
-Having a yummy 4th of July lunch with some of my favorite people :)
-Making & Eating Steph's home made strawberry ice cream!
-Watching the Riverton fireworks with Lydia!
-Going to lunch with "the girls" at Gardiner Village and eating my all-time favorite carrot cake for dessert!
-Watching Ava be SO excited about shopping and hanging with the girls!
-Having the friends over for fight night and seeing it go 5 rounds--making the $45 more worth it (I guess?!?!)
-Watching steph, in all of her cuteness, roll out 2 dozen home made tortillas and make the famous Mexican breakfast for Gary! (sadly he wasn't feeling 100% and wasn't able to eat much)
-Listening to Steph, Jeremiah and Gary reminisce about the good old days while eating their favorite meal
-Meeting over at mom and dad's house for a delicious dinner with the fam to celebrate mom's B-day!
-Successfully making a recipe I found in a magazine (I'll post it soon!)

I wasn't kidding, it was a fun-FILLED weekend! Can't wait to do it again next year!

Not many pics, but...isn't she just so sweet(:D)!

Beatin' the heat!

2008-06-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

It was a hot weekend filled with house and yard work! It was great to relax tonight and have a nice dinner with the Taylor's and Peppinger's!

SPOILED DOG! He is such a good swimmer --and loves it!

Carter was liking hte hot tub a little better than the pool--just his size!

Cole--Big Boy!

The Kiddies lovin' hot tubbin'

Lydi and her best buddy Gus found some shade!

Wedding Bells!

2008-06-29T21:12:00.001-07:00

The weddings pictures I promised...this was a fun weekend in Winnemucca!

A little sunshine for my little sunshine...

2008-06-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Summer's here and we've never been happier! Has it been a long time comin' or what?! We started the summer off with a fun trip to Lake Mead the last week of May. It was great to hang out with the Cannon Family! Since we're all separated by some pretty long distances, the times we all get together are cherished! Lydi is so loved and spoiled by her aunts and cousins! Other highlights of the summer so far...

-Trip to Winnemucca for more fun with The Cannons and Grandpa and Janice's wedding! (pictures to come)
-Lazy days by the pool (72' is NOT warm enough--dad needs to let the moths out of his wallet and heat the pool)
-Lots of extra time with Grandma and Grandpa now that we are only TEN minutes away instead of 50 --YAY!
-Making our house our own--hopefully we'll be settled in soon.

We were sad to miss to miss the Taylor Family trip to Mexico for Melina and Barton's wedding, but we are glad to have them all back safely and can't wait to see ALL the pics...

Decision made!

2008-05-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

We decided on a house--finally! We're really sad about the Draper house, but it just doesn't seem to be working out--maybe it's not meant to be! We decided on this one in Riverton. I'm hoping we'll enjoy it as much as we think we will! We'll keep you posted on the pool parties!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update to let our blogging friends know we might need to extend our absence from the blogging world a little longer! We are having one hell of a month trying to figure out WHERE we are going to be living in the next couple of weeks when we're out of a home! To make a Really long story short, we are down to two options with the house below being one of them (again). I won't bore you with the details and I won't even ask for advice...I don't think you'll care too much! I will say that we are doing fine other than the fact that we haven't eaten a home cooked meal for weeks and poor, sweet little Lydia hasn't had her hair done for almost that long either! Here are some pictures of the cutie since she's really all that matters anyway! PS: I have been catching up on some of your blogs tonight..I really do care--but first things first, gotta find a house!

Me handling a stressful phone call with Lydi in tow...sums up the month quite well!

What's a post without a pic?

2008-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos...the old and the new...or shall I say the "new" and the "old"...that's right, the house we're buying is 30 years older than the house we're selling...go figure!