The Bledsoe Bulletin

Thank you Auntie Sommers

2011-08-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

8.24.11
We have the greatest faux Auntie. Look at what we found on our front porch this morning? A sweet little bag full of goodies for Trey! She is so thoughtful; we are truly blessed by her friendship and craftiness!

1st day of 1st Grade

2011-08-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

8.22.11
6:30am our morning began with Trey waking up. Not on his own choice, but he did wake up! A special breakfast of cinnamon and sugar rolls and sausage began the morning off right. The night before Trey & Tian both received Father's Blessings which calmed Trey's nerves about school. I don't think he mentioned being nervous once!

We are truly blessed to live so close to the school. Since learning how to ride a bike this Summer, Trey wants Our little "Amish Red Wagon" is going to get a whole lot of miles on it once school is over for the year.

Trey watching his class line up. He was a bit hesitent, but, once he saw sweet Mrs. Flint, he was content with the thought of joining his class.

There's our sweet little 1st grader. All lined up and ready for class. I am quite obsessed with his back pack. I have a serious issue with school supplies, and this includes back packs! We have plenty laying around our home, but, I insisted he needed a new one.

This is a plate my mom gave us for Christmas one year. It says, "I am Super Special Today" and the little boy painted on the plate is in a super hero costume. Trey ate his breakfast, lunch, and dinner on this plate today. After school treats: Cinnamon doughnuts. Do you think we like cinnamon or what?!I 1st day of 1st grade present to give to Mrs. Flint. This water bottle not only had a frozen straw through the center, BUT, it also has a water filter. AMAZING, and very inexpensive. Thank you Wally-World!

Before Tian and I walked to pick up Trey from school, we left him a few little presents. The "Typing Instructor" is something Trey has been asking for all Summer. Tian, being the cute and sometimes sneaky brother, placed the paper underneath Trey's pillow so Trey had to actually "look" for the present. (don't worry. The actual computer program came in the mail a few days alter.) This is a tradition which began with me as a child. I was always excited to come home from my first day of school and see what kind of little gift was waiting for me on my bed. Thank you mom for making my school days so memorable with little traditions like this one!

Tian and I were so anxious to watch Trey emerge from the school doors. I didn't know where to stand so he would see us, I didn't know which door he would come out of, so, thankfully my sweet friend Nanette Baker was there to show me the ropes! He seemed very happy but thrilled to be coming home. As he was riding his bike beside me, I asked, "So, how was school?" Trey's response, "It was GREAT!" He got to take in the lunch bucket with his friend Bethany, he got the special priveldge of having "the frog" at his desk. One special boy and one special girl get the frog at their desk for the day if they are good and follow directions. I was so happy for him!

Look at that determined face! What a sweet, brave, smart and strong boy you are Trey! We are so proud of you.

Who's Trey's Teacher?

2011-08-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

8.18.11
We have been struggling all Summer long with the Trey's schooling decision. The school he attended for Kindergarten closed at the beginning of June, leaving us a little lost with next years plan. I had been doing a little asking around, particularly with children who had attended 1st grade, and found two teachers who I thought would be a perfect fit for Trey. On Monday the 15th of August, when the school's office opened, I marched in, filled in the registration form, and wrote a little note requesting 2 of the 3 teachers for 1st grade. I later went onto the schools website and read up on the teachers I had requested. There was only one Bio written, that was written by Mrs. Flint. She seemed PERFECT! She taught in an all boys 1st grade class for one year which really spiked my interest!

I had heard the class lists were posted in the school's window and my heart just about dropped. I said a little prayer, pulled out my Lava Bear cheer pom poms (just kidding, but rhetorically speaking, I was going to be Trey's little cheerleader!) and drove myself and the boys to the school. I remember my parents driving me to the elementary school to see who our teacher was; I have very fond, and very awful memories of these days, so, I was hoping for the very best. It took a little time for Trey to look at each list for his name, but, finally the last list had his name. Guess who his teacher is.....

MRS. FLINT!

Simple little miracles like this one reminds me of the Lord's love for us. Seriously! The Lord knew I had been stressing over schooling decisions for Trey all Summer. He knew how much I was agonizing over this coming year, and, in such a small yet very large way, a miracle happened for our little family! We are so blessed and feel so fortunate. We live within a half mile from the school, we have a nanny who is coming into our home on Fridays while Justin and I work (more on that later!), AND, Trey has an amazingly organized teacher who seems as sweet as can be.

We can't wait for Trey to learn and grow this year. We love you Trey and want the very very best for you!

Please don't knock the black shoes and GHETTO, WHITE TRASH shoes. He dressed himself. And, if you know anything about Trey, he loves black socks and shoes. He did NOT get that love from me!

Hooray for Trey! 1st Grade, ready or not!

3rd Annual Father/Daughter Swim Activity

2011-08-26T11:50:00.001-07:00

For the past 3 years, we have met at the local pool, with our suits, dads, treats, and goggles for an afternoon of swimming. I have looked forward to this activity every year and I think some of the girls do too! Each girl and her father bring treats to share with everyone, and this year did not disappoint. The Dittrichs brought blueberry bubblegum icecream! (one of the pictures below shows a cute little MacKenna with a purple mustache!) Some of the girls had some pretty cool tricks, if you look below, you will see one father/daughter duo circus act!

Trey's Birthday Cake Celebration

2011-01-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

6.20.10
Grandpa Bend had called weeks in advance asking what kind of cake Trey would like for his birthday celebration. I told him anything chocolate and chocolate! Grandpa Bend found the greatest baseball cake ever. Which part of the cake did Trey choose to eat? The LARGE baseball made out of frosting. A child of after his mama's heart!

Check out the size of that piece of cake!

A family tradition Derek loves to participate in: Derek will play the birthday person "Happy Birthday" on the piano. Usually this is done over the phone, but, because we were in town, we were there to witness the personal concert!

Thanks Grandpa Bend for making Trey's 5th birthday so special! As you can see, he loved his cake.

Father's Day

2011-01-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

6.20.10
Father's Day was extra special this year. I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate Father's Day with not only the father of my children, sweet Justin, but also with my own Father! After church (while I was out in the hall with a loud Tian, Trey got up with the rest of the Primary children and sang in the Musical number. I was shocked.), my dad made a wonderful dinner (yes, he made dinner on Father's Day. That's how he likes it!), the boys shot ground squirrels, and Robert treated the boys, AND myself to a tow truck ride.

Trey and Tian waiting for dinner. Unfortunately, Trey doesn't look too happy about the menu item!Tian could barely contain himself when he saw Uncle Robert driving down the driveway in his tow truck.

Trey and Tian LOVE standing on the back of the tow truck as Robert raises and lowers it.

Justin was playing with my telephoto lens and caught Cooper pointing at a bird.

Yes, Trey is in his longjohn underwear!

I love it here.

Bend Airport Days

2011-01-21T18:56:00.001-08:00

6.19.10
For Father's Day, Trey's 5th birthday, and just BECAUSE, we went to Bend, Oregon for an extended weekend vacay! We left early June 19th and made to Bend JUST in time for their Bend Airport Days. I honestly had never been to the airport; mainly because I had never rented a chartered plane! Although this weekend was supposed to be in celebration of Trey's birthday, this little adventure was actually for sweet Tian, who has LOVED planes for quite some time!

Tian was in heaven, and so was Trey and my youngest brother Derek. Tian road on either Justin or Grandpa Bend's shoulders most of the time and loved pointing out all of the planes!

Here's to our fantastic day at the Bend Airport!!!

(the first two pictures are some of my favorite planes out on display. I loved, LOVED the red planes, and, for some reason, the brown striped planes struck a chord with me.)

(Tian on top of Grandpa Bend's shoulders.)

So, about 5 minutes after looking at all of the airplanes, something caught Justin's eye. He began inquiring information from a man under a covered tent. As I got closer, I realized he was buying tickets for a helicopter ride. He, Derek, AND Trey all took a helicopter ride. I don't know how I remained calm for the 10+ minutes they were in the air. Justin did admit he was a bit nervous when he met the "pilot" who was dressed like a skater and could be 20 at the oldest.

Luckily, they made it to the ground safely, and I began to breath normally again!

Trey was talking a mile a minute when he got off the helicopter.

Tian directing the tour! Actually, he was pointing to this gigantic plane that had flown in from out of state. The plane was featured in several movies. (I wish I could remember which ones!)

There was a sweet gentleman standing beside his plane. I had wanted to take some pictures of Tian next to a plane for his 2nd birthday party invites (the theme: planes, trains, and automobiles!) and not only did the man let Tian pose next to the plane, he let Tian AND Trey get inside the plane.

And, because Tian is just so stinkin' cute, the Bend Bulletin (notice my blog name is VERY similar to the newspaper in Bend?! ) photographer snapped some pictures of Tian WHICH landed him on the front page of the Sunday paper! (And if you were beginning to think that was me in the picture below with the camera, I will in form you that the person below is a MAN!)

After our day at the airport, we went to Pizza and the boys played in their indoor playland!

Mini Sessions with {be}photography of Idaho

2010-10-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

{be}photography of Idaho will be in Central Oregon holding mini session on November 7, 2010! Check out my photography website for more information!!!

Introducing {be}photography of Idaho

2010-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

After about a year of photographing professionally, and 5.5 months spent developing a website, {be}photography of Idaho is up and running at full throttle.

My photography website will allow clients AND their friends to preview some of my favorite shots from their sessions. I will also announce specials, photo shoot session availability, AND give you a sneak peak of my crazy life behind the lens of my Canon.

What is the meaning behind my business name might you ask? A wise and inspired man by the name of Gordon B. Hinckley once wrote a book that was called "Way to BE." This book and it's message has been somewhat a theme in my life over the past year. The book covers 9 ways to be happy and make something of your life. Reading this book brought a whole different perspective to life and gave me the courage to jump into photography as a business and not just a hobby that I love. Therefore, the birth of {be}photography of Idaho came to be!

A little about my photography goal and method:
As I am taking photographs, I try to capture my client in their element. I want to display who they are, what they want to {be} and what makes them happy and unique. I also want them to {be} happy with the pictures they receive from our session, therefore, making a client comfortable and at ease is my top priority.

I have a ton of emotions at the moment; putting my photography skills and my tender heart out there for the world to see. I hope you like my website and frequent often!

Enjoy!
Rebecca
http://www.bephotographyofidaho.blogspot.com/

And if you are a facebook user, you can check out my {be}photography of Idaho business page

Dirty Dash-Boise

2010-09-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

09.18.10

It all began with a phone call from my mother.

Mom: "Do you have a telephoto lens" was the question which began the conversation

Me: "Yes."

Mom: "Well, Emily Huber might be calling you. There is a race coming up in Boise that needs a photographer with a telephoto lens."

Me: *silence* I didn't know what to think. My thoughts were racing.

The day wore on, my thoughts still running a mile a minute, and finally, my questions were answered with a sweet little facebook message from my old friend Emily Huber. We grew up in Bend together, she lives in Twin Falls, and seriously. A person should not be as sweet as she is. She is, and always has been, one of the most genuinely kind, honest, most thoughtful friends I have ever known.

The message went something like this:

"Rebecca. I have a friend who is looking for a photographer and I think this is a job you would be good at." Then, she had posted the message from her friend Garrett. Garrett was wanting to hire a photographer to shoot a 10K race called "The Dirty Dash" coming to Boise. It was Boise's first time hosting the race, and it was considered a "Mud Race." "Triathlons and Marathons are for wussy's" is their motto. COUNT ME IN! I wouldn't be caught dead running in a 10K, but shooting people running and actually having fun doing it? Love it already.

I contacted Garrett, who put me in contact with a sweet girl named Melissa who took my information. They checked my portfolio, my camera and lens specs, and hired me within a day or so!

One obstacle I had to jump through: finding a sitter for the ENTIRE day for my sweet boys. Justin has approached hunting season, making me a hunter's widow (if that is even what they call it!). I had been told by my good friend Amy that a girl in our ward, named Sammy was great. I have watched Sammy grow from a 7 year old to an almost 16 year old teenager with an imagination like no other and energy I could only envy. PERFECT for my two boys. She was hired and up for the challenge.

Day of race. Sammy arrived around 7:10am. The boys had just woken up, Trey was a cranky boy and Tian was as happy as ever. Sammy had some apple cider in hand an two pop tarts. A girl after my own heart. I had made banana bread and Caramel Rolls for the boys and Sammy to eat for breakfast. Sammy quickly ditched her pop tarts and took some Rolls. Once again, a girl after my own heart. Someone who isn't afraid to take the food offered to her!

At 7:30am I was off to Bogus Basin. I was supposed to be meeting my photog friends at 8am, and was a bit nervous I wouldn't make my scheduled time. I was right. Between the traffic weaving up Bogus Basin and my lack of steadiness around the curvatious roads, I got to my destination at about 8:20am. I was freaking out needless to say, but was grateful my new photog friends didn't seem to notice the time. They handed me a shirt, a bagel and cream cheese and took me up the side of the mountain to my station. They provided CF cards, a "camping chair" (which was actually a little "chair" they use in the military I think. I assembled it but never used it.) I was to stake my "Flo-Foto" sign near where I stood, but I don't think anyone noticed it. I waited, with the First Aid and Ski Patrol men and women until the racers arrived. 1.5 hours later. Did I mention I was stationed near the largest slip and slide I have ever seen in my entire life? I knew Trey and Tian would have been so jealous. Secretly, I was hoping to have time to test it out myself, but to no avail.

About 10:30am the first three racers cruised down the hill and slid down the slip and slide. They were serious about this race, no funny outfits or lally-gagging down the slide. After the first three racers slid down the slide, I noticed my CF card I was given did not work. One of the 4 cards was completely full from a race the prior week, the other three were not formatted for my camera. Needless to say, I had somewhat of a panic attack and remembered that I had brought my own CF card which I could easily use. Although, it had a family photo shoot and a maternity shoot from the prior week. Thankfully, I had already uploaded the pictures to my PC, my external hard drive AND my laptop, so I was cleared. The only problem, I had to manually erase one by one. By the end of the race, I could barely move my fingers and was SICK and tired of erasing.

The racing attire was hilarious. I haven't seen so many men in tutu's in my life. There was plenty of spandex and speedos to go around. One team wore tighty-whities. My all time favorite teams had to be the Scooby-Doo gang, including a full on Scooby-Doo outfit (the poor soul who had to wear that beasty costume!), a group of "butchers" complete with blood stained aprons, and one lady wore a bore's head in a Baby Bjorn strapped to her chest. I bet she has a huge bruise forming on her sternum as I type. Did you forget, this was a 10K race?!!!

Thank you Flo-Foto for taking on my skills for the day. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. 5 hours of photo shooting with complete laughter overheard the entire time. The location was beautiful and fresh! I learned a ton, had never shot in AV mode before and was happy to try it out. I also learned I should probably do some more question asking prior to signing up for something so big, but all in all, was so happy to be given the opportunity.

BTW, I came home to two boys and one babysitter, all safe and sound. Although Trey has a fever, body aches and a yucky tummy. Let the flu season begin!

Beware: picture overload!!!! I couldn't help myself. When you take well over 1040 pictures, you just can't choose 3!

Abbey, this one is for you. Doesn't he look like your beloved "Puck?" I kind of thought so!

The woman with the "bore" child.

The Butchers, loved those guys!

This puts a new twist to the old song, "Lady in Red." This is NOT a lady!

My favorite group, the Scooby-Doo gang. The woman in green actually got pretty bad whiplash due to Scooby's slick ride.

Yes, that is a man in a pink fishnet top with duct tape strategicly placed to cover up some private parts.

This dad was the sweetest. He took his son down twice. Even though the son didn't seem to enjoy himself, the dad wanted him to experience some "real" life adventures. (the son had some sort of disability which caused him to wear braces on his arms and legs.) Made me a little emotional to say the least.

LOVE the dad's face in this one!

This group were some type of warrior

Shaydon's little cousin Landon and his mom Brooke!

Mid air landing

Told 'ya, men in tutu's!

There were lots of "piggies" out there! (BTW, this was the constant crowd lining up behind the slip and slide. It made my heart skip a beat, not necessarily in a good way. Considering I was frantically trying to erase my pictures from previous photo shoots from my card in order to make room for this HUGE group!)

The "tighty-whitey" team! They won an award for their "attire."

Miss Melissa Downs!

Mr. Tyson Downs!

Thought this was hilarious! I don't know if they did this on purpose, but look how skillfully placed this mud was placed.

Trey's bday at the "old preschool"

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

6.18.10
Trey celebrated his birthday weekend by starting it off with a small celebration at "old preschool." He brought cupcakes for everyone to share. Don't worry, he did not have to celebrate his 5th bday at daycare, it was just his birthday week!

Trey looks rough and tough; he must have been cold OR embarrassed.

Check out how I delivered Trey's cupcakes to his class! I didn't want to smoosh the cupcakes, so, this apple packaging I got from Costco worked perfectly!

campout

2010-09-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

6.20.10
Justin had been promising Trey a "campout" in the play structure for quite some time. Talk about a swell guy, ON a work night, Justin braved the cold in the tiny play structure.

I took this picture about 10 minutes after the boys went off into the dark and mustered enough courage to scale the side of the play structure. They were both already asleep AND slept through the mighty flash of my camera.

memories

2010-09-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

I find the human mind so fascinating. I have heard that music is one of the most recognized sounds to the human mind, that is why we can remember songs from elementary school and before. There are memories in my lifetime that are triggered by certain music or bands. The memories are sweet and bring a smile upon my face. This past week, both while driving with my boys in tow, I was taken back in time with two songs which brought me right back to my teenage years.

Every time I hear a Matchbox 20 song, I am reminded of my Senior Year. It was the Winter of 1998 and I was flying with my best friend Linzy Griswold to Hawaii. Matchbox 20 had just debuted their first album, and it was featured on the Airline's music radio station. Everytime I hear the song, which begins with this line: "I wonder what it's like to be the rainmaker...," I am brought back to my Senior trip with my best friend. Sun, shopping, sunbathing, Sweet Rolls and Hawaiian fruit juice comes to mind and I am swept off to Kaui with just a little bit of Matchbox 20.

The second memory is somewhat bittersweet, but is guarenteed to bring me back to an innocent time. It was the Halloween Stake dance of my Freshman year of highschool. I was 14, he was 18, he left his highschool sweetheart when a Pearl Jam song was played and swept me away from his younger brother. We laughed, talked, and swayed our way across the dance floor to the Pearl Jam songs "An Elderly Woman behind the counter of a store in a small town" (I THINK that is it's name. The longest title in song history I think!) and "Can't find a better man," and ironically, at the time, and for many years that followed, I felt in my heart that I could not find a better man than this guy. My youngest brother and he shared the same first name and he always joked that we named Derek after him. If that would have been the case, he would have been a perfect person to name Derek after. He was always kind to others, made everyone feel so special, and truly the Lord's Messenger. Ironically, what my brother Derek has become.

We were later reunited at college. He worked at the college bookstore. I had a boyfriend at the beginning of my freshman year of college and turned down the opportunity to reconnect with Derek. I later thought, "what was I thinking? He was my dream guy" but realized, it was for the best. I wouldn't have ever met Justin, my knight in shining armor, the man who WAS "the better man." Justin and I got engaged the summer Derek and his fiance got married.

2003 I received a phone call from my mom early one morning, before I was to be at work. My mom said on the other line, "I don't want to upset you but there is something I have to tell you. Derek was hit by a semi truck while biking home from work. He died instantly."

Devistation.

He had served a mission, made friends with everyone he had met, made everyone feel as if they were something special, and left a young wife behind.

I have sometimes thought what a better world this was having Derek on it. How many lives he touched, mine was just one of hundreds I am sure.

Music and memories. I love the opportunity I have, during the strangest but most opportune time, to be swept away, for 3 minutes, to a place that was sweet, innocent, and life changing. And then, when the last chord has been played and the music stops, to look back at my smiling boys and realize I am now making memories I will always cherish.

tea party in the park

2010-09-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

6.18.10

This month's "tea party" was held in the park with all of our chillens! The children were wild and crazy, running after each other, running AT each other, and eating ONLY the chips and goodies. Not only was this a celebration for us ladies, it was also in celebration of Judie's birthday! Happy "surprise" Birthday Judie!

Judie, the lady of the hour, and Holly. We were told to bring a gift that would be "relaxing and a stress relief to Judie." I was mortified when Judie opened a box of condoms from me, IN FRONT of everyone!

Abbie and Tian. Abbie is an Activity Day girl in my group and my boys adore her.

Treyman and his buddy Jaxon. Jaxon is Abbie's brother. Do you like Trey's head tilt? It is his new pose. I am sure you will be seeing it often!

Trey and Tian waiting for the kids to come rescue them from Base.

Treyman, the big boy. Sitting at the big kids table.

the boys and Cooper

2010-09-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

6.17.10
This is what I saw this morning as I was cleaning up from breakfast.
Tian loves Cooper just as much as Trey loves Cooper. The only difference between their love is that Trey is planning Cooper's exit from this world so when he dies, he can get a new dog. So sad but brutally honest.

Activity Days: Be Involved

2010-09-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

6.17.10
This weeks Activity days was about being involved in the community. I thought the girls would enjoy putting on a story hour for my boys. Using their greatest reading skill and voices for each character, the girls really got into it. The boys got a little antsy towards the end of three groups reading, BUT, that is boys for 'ya!

slave board?

2010-09-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

6.17.10
I received a text from the oldest of my brother's, Robert, before Trey's 5th birday. This is what the text said:

I immediately called Robert and asked, "Excuse me, WHAT is a slave board?"

He meant to write, "Skate Board."

lazy morning

2010-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

6.16.10
When do my boys ever sleep in? NEVER, until this morning. I thought he would be waking up around 9:30am, so, I took a picture of the clock. Not until 10am did Tian wake up!

He then decided to eat apples outside for breakfast.

Evening with Shaydon

2010-09-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

6.16.10
When I had Tian, almost two years ago, Sommers came to my home, picked up Trey, and took him to Planet Kid and McDonalds for a playdate. Sommers was planning on me having quality time with Tian all to my self. She is such a thoughtful friend. It was my time to return the favor this afternoon and Trey couldn't be any more excited. It was one of Trey's first times riding in the middle of the seat which was the coolest thing in his world. The boys went nuts in Carl's Jr. and ran until they were sweaty! At the end of Justin's day, Justin came and played with the boys. I am so grateful for him!

L.O.V.E this picture of Shaydon looking up a Trey. Shaydon and Trey play so well together, even though they are 2.5 years apart.

last day of swimming

2010-08-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

The last day of swimming lessons is somewhat bitter sweet! I love watching Trey's improvements, I love visiting with the other mothers, and this year my sister-in-laws, I enjoy watching others interact with Trey, and I love the feeling of Summer beginning. I am always a bit saddened when swimming is over though. It shows Trey is getting older and a little more independent. Along with independence comes school, sports, dating, and marriage! I know, I have a lot of years to look forward to, but I wish our years could just be spent with Trey as a 4.5 year old enjoying swimming lessons!!! That would be my heaven! (have you read or seen the Lovely Bones? If not, that last sentence will mean nothing to you! At least my sthpouse Chelsea Ann will know; we saw the movie together!)

So, with this being the last day of swimming lessons for him, he was able to demonstrate the skills he has learned.

Can you tell Trey LOVES to swim?! It was his turn next to swim to Miss Emily and he wanted to make sure I wouldn't miss a moment!

Here he goes:

And he is off!!!!

Tacy "superman floating"

Floating has never been a fun thing for Trey. He has always had trouble with water in his ears, due to the multiple tubes that have been placed within his ear drums. This Summer was completely different. The water didn't phase him.
I love Trey's little face just poking through the water's surface.
(floating without assistance!)

Tacy floating:

Here is smiling Tacy. She always had a smile on her face.

Tacy and Trey chugging in their "train" down to the diving board. They are just too cute and could ALMOST pass as twins with their goggles on.

Brave, brave Tacy! With a little help from Miss June, Tacy jumped from the diving board and was all smiles.

(look how proud Miss Emily is of you Tacy! You can see it written all over her face.)

Trey this year tried a cannon ball off the diving board; with a little encouraging from his cousins Jacob and Katie of course. As you can see in the following pictures, he didn't quite get both legs underneath him. BUT, I would have admit his splash caused quite a funny face on Miss Emily's face!!! (I am sure she would not appreciate me posting it, BUT I will anyway.)

(see Emily's funny face? Hilarious!)

I worked a graveyard shift on Trey's last day of swimming, therefore, he only had 7 lessons and did not attend the last class! In his 7 lessons, he accomplished enough to pass to the next level of swimming. Advanced Beginning 2 here we come!!!

Miss Emily on the left, and Miss Megan on the right.

Waterpark Trip #1

2010-08-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

Hands down, one of our favorite places to be in the Summer is the waterpark. Tuesdays are spent with friends, and weekends are spent with family. Today was our first outing to the waterpark and it was a success. Tian spent most of his time with a toy duck in one hand, the other hand swatting at water. Trey enjoyed the big rides with Justin.

Promise, Trey enjoyed himself this afternoon, although this picture might not give him justice. I think he was just bummed the afternoon was coming to a close!

swimming #3

2010-08-26T15:07:00.001-07:00

Trey is just getting so much better at swimming with each lesson he receives. He loves spending his morning in the pool, and I love the time I get to spend chatting with my sister-in-law while our children swim. The memories our children are making with each other are priceless; something I never experienced and only hoped for my children would have.

This class was pretty tight. They loved waiting patiently for their class time, and would sometimes all hold hands.

Tacy, brave girl jumping into the pool. As you can see, I wasn't quite ready with my camera and barely caught this shot. Even though it is blury, you can see just how brave Tacy was! I loved this next picture. Both cousins working on their swimming skills at the same time. They both improved so much over the last few lessons.

Trey swimming solo, head in water, feet kicking IN the deeper portion of the pool! I am so proud of what you have accomplished this Summer Treyman. Such a difference from last year.

what NOT to wear!

2010-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

We were getting ready to go to "the cousins" home Sunday evening, and THIS is what I find Tian wearing:

A future "What Not To Wear" episode in the making. Justin dressed him, I giggled!
Thankfully, "the cousins" love us no matter what! Even if we match or not.

chicks

2010-08-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

This last Tuesday afternoon, prior to Activity Days, we had a pleasant visit from some baby chicks! Trey and Tian, along with the rest of Activity Days fell in love with the chicks. I asked the chicks owner (my good friend Judie!) if I could bring the boys to her home Sunday after church to look at the chicks some more. We love their family, any chance we get to spend with them is a wonderful event.

I was completely unaware of all the fun pets Judie has. Her children participate in 4-H, so they have all kinds of chickens and a bunny. Tian wasn't too comfortable with the baby chicks, but he dug the bunny.

Judie's son Devon is so sweet. He has always been so kind to Trey and Tian, and as you can tell, his sisters love him.
Zayne was one of our Sunbeams years and years ago. I guess this chicken likes to ride on his shoulders.

For some reason Tian LOVED this chicken. It had crazy feathers which made him look like Einstein.

Thanks Judie for letting us crash your afternoon. My boys loved it.

Iron Man-Boise

2010-08-26T14:18:00.001-07:00

I love Reality TV. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I choose to watch the more tame ones, and years ago, I got hooked on the Bachelor. Then it was the Bachelorette, starting with Trista's season. From Trista and Ryan's season, I have always had a slight obsession with Ryan Sutter. He was quiet, charming, athletic, and quite the looker. Very similar to Justin!!! (I love you Justin, but you know I have my celeb crushes!) A few years ago, I came across Ryan Sutter's website and read he participated in the Iron Man in Northern Idaho. I definitely couldn't convince Justin to drive 9 hours to catch a glimpse of Ryan Sutter, so, I just had to dream.

Well, the Iron Man is held in Boise every Summer and I have always had a desire to watch the Iron Man JUST to possibly catch a glimpse of Ryan Sutter competing. So, when our ward volunteered to help with an "aid station" on the running portion of the Iron Man, I was THERE. Justin was volunteering for a "shift" in the early afternoon, and I was going to be taking a shift in the evening. If I would have been thinking clearly, I would have switched Justin shifts just in case Ryan Sutter was in Boise.

Instead of seeing a tv celeb though, I was able to watch a "local, community celeb", and that is Oscar Williamson. This man knows EVERYONE and everyone loves him. He is one of Justin's great friends and he was crazy and brave enough to sign himself up for the Iron Man this year. He also heard that BEEF had their own "Iron Man" sponsored team and knew he wanted! Not only did Oscar get sponsored by BEEF, but BEEF donated hamburgers and hotdogs for our volunteers. Amazing group of people.

So, here is my work at being a paparazzi for our "local celeb" Oscar. Oscar downing a hamburger

(I was wondering how he was going to finish that hamburger while he was running, until I saw him spit it out moments later!)

Oscar had quite the fan club. Here he is showing he cares!

Vicki, my friend and Oscar's wife, and Zachary, Oscar's son waiting for Oscar.
Vicki, not only working her tail off handing out Power bars, soda, oranges, water, sponges, etc. but also waiting patiently for her husband to pass her by.

Oscar had told Vicki on his last lap, he would leave her with a kiss. The kiss everyone had been waiting for!

Look at all of our youth participating. This aid station was a service project THAT they got paid for. Rumor has it, we had the BEST aid station and next year, our group has the opportunity to snag any station we want!

This event was touching, awe inspiring, and exciting. We had a participant crash due to dehydration and heat stroke at our station (she came to the right place! We had two nurses and one sports medicine specialist all in our aid station that this participant had NO CLUE about. We were not a FIRST AID station, just a water, juice and food station!). I saw many participants missing limbs, many walking arm in arm or hand in hand with a spouse, sister, mother, etc. Amazing what people can do with a little strength, help and support from others!

Although there were no sightings of Ryan Sutter, I feel the night was a success. Much better then a reality tv celeb sighting!

swings

2010-08-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

These boys love to swing. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon to swing. Not too hot, the sun wasn't too strong, a slight breeze in the air. Trey is always calculating how high he swings by how far from the willow tree branches his toes are.

And I promise, Tian IS wearing clothes.

I love sitting beneath our willow trees! This was my view this afternoon.

monkey bars

2010-08-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Trey always talks about doing the monkey bars at "old preschool." I had assumed he always had a teacher help him across the bars UNTIL this afternoon he did them all by himself. And yes, I said, AFTERNOON and this boy is in his pj's. He dresses about 4 times a day still.

6.12.10

Appropriate, he is wearing his Small Paul monkey pj's WHILE accomplishing the "monkey" bars!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-08-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, Trey and Tian's preschool/daycare have some pretty fun days. This day in particular was "Crazy Hair Day" for Trey. Tian joined in on the fun when he saw Trey getting red put into his hair. Trey, the over achiever went a little extreme and dressed as a superhero, complete with mask and his superhero cape made by the crafty Jessyka.

Years ago, I worked at an Urgent Care, doing mammograms, bone density tests, AND the Urgent Care's exams. We worked with some crazy nurses, and even crazy-er receptionist. One receptionist was nicknamed, "The lady with blood in her hair" because: #1.We never knew her name. and #2.She had blood-red streaks in her blonde, blonde hair. AND, it wasn't Halloween OR "Crazy Hair Day." THAT was how she wanted her hair to look like. So, as I was styling Tian's hair with the red gel, all I could think about was "the lady with blood in her hair" I worked with many, many years ago! (I later had a reunion WITH this reception once Trey was born. We were taking Trey to a urologist and the "nurse" was "the lady with blood in her hair." I first wanted to giggle when she came to get baby, baby Trey and I from the waiting room, and THEN, I wanted to cry. I knew she hadn't been a "nurse, MA or LPN" for any length of period and I got a little paniced. Luckily, she was no longer with Trey's urologist a month after our first appointment! Our urologist was WAY too good for that lady!)

When I dropped Tian off to Miss Denise, his favorite teacher, she looked a bit concerned. Truly, it did look like he had blood in his hair. I reassured her it was gel and that Trey's hair also looked like this!

(notice the red necklace with the outfit? Everything has to match. In fact, I even think he was wearing red underwear that morning!)

Killdeer

2010-08-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, we were barely married and living in our future dream home. (we began in a backwards life. We first lived in Justin's parents dream home, which was vacant and for sale, THEN we moved to a trashy, nasty, school housing apartment that was probably as large as our "dream home kitchen." What an eye opener!) We would wake up to this screeching, annoying bird outside our window. I was quickly introduced to a bird called a "Killdeer." Throughout that Summer, I enjoyed chasing that annoying bird and watching it TRY to fly with it's fake broken wing.

Well, this Summer, ten years later, my boys were introduced to Killdeers. Our neighbor's decorative rock attracted a few birds; but one particular bird decided to lay her eggs among the rocks. Trey was a bit nervous about our little bird friend, Tian on the other hand was the adventurous one. (Does that surprise anyone?!) He wanted to hold that CUTE little bird and was pretty upset when I informed him those birds aren't too friendly.

Mama Killdeer protecting her "nest."
Trey, the protective brother saving Tian from the ferocious-feathered friend.

Can you find the eggs?
Tian sad the Killdeer flew away.

The eggs remained for many weeks and were eventually abandoned.

2-wheels?

2010-08-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

6.10.10
So,we thought we were making a break through with Trey and a bike. He would rather ride a scooter, and he is probably more stable then me on a skateboard. But, to get him to ride a 2-wheel bike is something that hasn't quite happened. And for a father who cycles, it is KILLING Justin. So, this evening Justin pulled off the training wheels of Trey's bike and began to teach him. I would like to say it got Trey motivated, but, the only motivation Trey received was motivation to STAY off that bike.

Trey says, "I'm out! Let's go on a walk, I'll sit on the stroller."

swimming lessons part 2

2010-08-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

6.8.10
Day #2 of Swimming lessons. (2 of 8 lessons) The class worked on back floats with kicking and Superman Floats. Trey has gotten so much braver this year. He will swim all by himself to the teacher and he is getting his kicking down!

Cute Tacy Jane-the cousin

cool dude

2010-08-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

6.7.10
Recently, Trey has been interested in "posing" for me. On this particular morning, he asked me to take some pictures of me before we ran errands because, "I look like a 'cool dude'" was his reason.

I think Trey as been watching Glee a little too seriously. When I saw him pose like this, I immediately thought of "show choir."

6.7.10

swimming lessons

2010-08-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

6.7.10
Swimming Lessons is always a highlight to our Summers. We take swimming lessons at the very beginning of Summer, when it is still very chilly, but the water is still very comfy. I figure, it is best to get Trey in the water as early as possible, to brush up on old skills and learn new ones BEFORE the waterpark and lake season begins. This year not only was Keaton in Trey's class, but his sweet, very cute cousin Tacy was also in his class!

Thank heavens for cousin Jacob. When I was wanting to concentrate and watching Trey, Jacob came to the rescue, willingly. What 11 year old wants to watch his little cousin? A very sweet one!!!

Miss Emily and Miss Megan
were Trey's teachers. It was Trey's first time having Miss Emily; to be honest, she looked like the rest of her sisters, therefore, Trey probably didn't notice it was someone new!

home sick from church

2010-08-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

6.6.10
Whether it is a cold, allergies, or just a plain runny, nasty nose, we were NOT taking Tian to church. So, I stayed home with Tian as Justin took Trey to church. Tian didn't seem sick in the least bit, just a nasty nose. So, we pulled out the Playdough and Tian went to town.

We then sat on the couch for about 30 minutes and read every book Tian picked off the book shelf.

bye bye paci

2010-08-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

6.5.10
It has been a few weeks since Tian has used his paci. This morning, I found one, hidden behind our fireplace. Just a reminder of the baby we had, and the big boy we are now raising.

graduation morning for cousin Jori

2010-08-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

6.5.10
"I love technology" (a song made famous by the quirky, and one of my all time favorite movies Napoleon Dynamite!). If it weren't for technology, families would lose touch and never experience life's accomplishments. Let me begin.

I have an uncle who lives in Doha, Qatar with his family. He works for the government in the Embassy and lives out of the country. He was first stationed in Chile, right now they live in Doha, and next year they will be transferred to Greece. (terrible life huh?!) Well, one of my cousins, Jori, was graduating High School and we were all invited to attend her Graduation in Doha! Yes, you heard that right. Now did we attend, that is up to YOU to decide!

We were given a web link for the Graduation Ceremony, which would begin on Saturday morning at 8am, and through our computers and the Internet, we were able to watch the ceremony! What a blessing technology is.

The ceremony seemed to last quite a while, with poor sound and a lot of speakers, but as we watched, I was filled with emotions and the Spirit. How lucky we are to have eternal families. Even though we don't see our families abroad often, we will always be united to them.

My mom and I chatted between speakers, here is her rundown of the ceremony from Bend, Oregon! We counted, there were 5 states watching Jori's graduation at once. She is so loved!

Here are pictures for proof we were "at" the graduation ceremony. First, a picture of Trey's "breakfast." That's right, a gummy worm. (he also woke up and asked to wear his necklace he made at preschool the day before. He was ALL festive for the graduation!)

Tian was bored during the graduation, so, I put a DVD on for him which soon put him to sleep. See Jori, you graduation wasn't what put Tian to sleep!

<>there is the graduating class, and there is Trey, having a second course for Breakfast. Graham crackers. Yummy!

Congratulations Jori! Now, onto natural healing training in a foreign country I am VERY unfamiliar with. Whatever you decide to embark, you will excel my sweet cousin.

yard sale finds

2010-08-19T07:45:00.001-07:00

6.5.10
As Justin rode from Boise to Stanley for a bike race, Trey, Tian and I had an eventful morning. One activity we ventured on was Yard Sales. I was searching for props for photography and came across some amazing finds, AND amazing Yard Sales! Trey ALSO came across something he has been wishing for for 2 Christmas' now: A Snuggie. We bought it, and without even washing it, (I know, it grosses me out just thinking about who might have worn it prior to him.) he wore it the rest of the morning. MIND you, the Snuggie was found at one of the first Yard Sales we hit. Therefore, the rule was, the Snuggie could ONLY be worn in the car. NOT in public. At one of the Yard Sales, we saw our good friend Lonnie Christenson. Her son-in-law was also riding in the race Justin was. Actually, Steve was on Justin's relay team. Lonnie is always so sweet with our boys, Trey loves her and followed her around the Yard Sale. He wanted nothing to do with me. Lonnie helped me pick out a sassy child's chair in RED and a cute step stool in blue.

Trey in his beloved blue Snuggie. ("It is EVEN in a boy color mom" he told me. As if THAT was going to be the deciding factor of why we should purchase the Snuggie!)
Tian testing out the blue step stool and red chair.

a morning in Tian's life

2010-08-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

6.5.10
Lazy morning in Tian's life. It is a rare morning to just lounge in pj's, eat cereal off the floor (promise, they were in a bowl ON the ground!) and stare out the window, pointing at every fly that passed by.

farm days at Preschool

2010-08-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

6.3.10
Trey and Tian have had some of the greatest "teachers" at their "old preschool." (if you are needing an explanation for "old" and "new" preschool names, check in some of my older posts.) This week, Miss Denise and Miss Tori have planned a "Farm Day" for Tian's classroom. They were asked to dress up as their favorite farm animal, or a farmer. So, we pulled out the jean short overalls (I LOVED overalls as I was pregnant with Trey, but as I have had both of my boys, I have decided overalls look WAY cuter on the rack then on my boys. I don't know, maybe it is their big bellies which just throw off the whole "cuteness" factor of overalls.), a plaid shirt, a cowboy hat, and Justin found a handkerchief that he snuck around Tian's neck.

When we got to preschool, Tian was a little shyer then usual, being all dressed up and ready for the farm. Miss Denise was so excited to break out her "John Deer" fruit snacks she picked up for each little child JUST for this special day. She is so organized, not even a mother herself, she takes these little ones into her life as if they were her own. (BTW, I think she is single if anyone would like info on this sweet, sassy, hot little lady!)

Trey saw I was going to be taking pictures of Tian, so, naturally, he wanted pictures taken in his classroom.
This little man standing next to Trey is Juston. When Trey began this preschool when he was just about 4, he was still a little nervous and would break out in tears on a weekly base. Juston would always try to make him feel better. Trey says the girls chase Juston and Trey around the playground.
Kairon is another friend Trey has met. When Kai saw I was taking pictures of Trey and Juston, he asked if I would take a picture of him.
Juston, Tyler and Trey. These three are "supposedly" the lady killers of the classroom. Trey tells me girls want to "marry" them. Oh boy howdy.

Keaton's bday party

2010-08-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

6.1.10
Trey was invited to his first "drop off" birthday party. Drop off, I mean, he was told to be DROPPED OFF and stay at a birthday party by himself! Our Treyman is getting so old!

We brought our friend Ty with us to Keaton's "Super Hero" Birthday party, and the boys were stoked! Trey was excited to have a friend in the car, they were both happy to see their friend Keaton. Keaton's mom Jessyka went all out for Keaton's party; making certificates for Superhero School, a personalized cape for each child, and cute decorations.

Thanks Keaton for having a birthday. Trey had the greatest time, and I swear, he would have worn his cape for a year straight if it was allowed!

Big boys being dropped off for the Super Hero party
Trey holding Keaton's present upside down-I swear he doesn't write backward. There was a really cute girl sitting across the street, Trey just couldn't keep his eyes off her.
Trey nick-named himself the Silver Surfer. He proceeded to wear his cape, mask and necklace throughout the afternoon (while we stopped in to see the Stevens and their new twins and went grocery shopping!!!) and even wore it to bed. When he woke up, he asked if he could wear his cape to preschool.

cousins

2010-08-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

5.28.10
My friend Sommers mother, Debbie was in town to help Sommers with new baby Slater. The BRAVE, brave friend that I have not only was taking care of a 2 year old, (her son Shaydon) her newborn Slater, but she also invited her sweet nephew Landon to their home for a sleepover with Grandma Debbie. I tell you, that is BRAVE! (considering she was about 7 days post pardom.) Debbie went all out for this sleepover, she got the boys matching outfits and books to read. Sommers asked if I would come over and take pictures of the two cousins in their matching outfits. (I was supposed to be taking pictures with Grandma, but, unfortunately Grandma wasn't feeling very well. If you have ever been "prepped" for a colonoscopy, you will know EXACTLY how Debbie was feeling that evening. She was scheduled for a colonoscopy the next morning.)

Thanks bestie for giving me the opportunity to spend the evening with your cute guys.

Landon
Shaydon

congratulations to Shane and Chelsea Ann Stevens

2010-08-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

5.28.10
My dearest friend Chelsea Ann delivered twins, Bentley and Greyson late Friday night. She was induced early that morning, and I will let you in on a little secret: I was on pins and needles the whole day!!! My co-workers were asking for hourly updates as I worked with my cell phone on vibrate, in my shirt pocket throughout the day. At 11am when I received a call from Shane, Chelsea Ann's husband, I about came out of my skin, screaming! All he wanted was a little tutorial on how to upload pictures to their family blog. Chelsea Ann was still going strong, he informed me, but was still in labor. Shane and I talked a little off and on for the next hour, but then I didn't hear back from them until about 11pm that night. I went visit teaching, put my boys to bed, STILL waiting on pins and needles to hear how Chelsea Ann's labor went. I was sooooo grateful to hear from Shane that the twins were doing amazing, and after a long and crazy birth and after recovery, my dearest and one of my closest friends was a mother. A dream she had always had and wished it would come true. She was a mother; and already a great one at that!

I love you with all of my heart my spthouse (a little nickname I gave her our Senior year in high school!) and am so happy for the little babes in your life. You were already a perfect mother, you just needed those perfect spirits to be given to you to make your motherhood dream come true. If you would like to read about Chelsea Ann's birth or follow the progression of her sweet babes, here is her Blog

The selfish friend that I admit I am, I went and visited with Chelsea Ann and Shane for about 3 hours the evening after the babes were born. We actually wished them a Happy 1st Day Birthday while I was there. Bentley Skye and I bonded for about an hour while Chelsea Ann and I chatted. Chelsea Ann and I laughed throughout the evening, saying how thankful we were to be so close, as nurses came in to check every orifice Chelsea has on her body, and taught her how to breastfeed. Yes, Chelsea Ann and I have seen each other at our best, in the buff, in the bathroom, whatever you have it, we have seen each other BASICALLY in all situations, so, it didn't bother me in the least bit! (and with the Breastfeeding comment, HELLO, I deal with breasts on a weekly base at work. The ones I see aren't lactating though.)I am grateful to have shared so many experiences with my Chelsea Ann! Love you Chels!

(a pictures requested by Chelsea Ann herself. Little Bentley Skye's feet, the little babe is sleeping in her bed!)

Papa Hill

Mama and Papa Hill. Mama Hill has been through twins herself. She is a PRO! (check out the survivor Chelsea Ann is. All those IV's sticking out of her hand?! She is a champ!)

Greyson

Bentley Skye with an orange bow in her hair. Shane picked out the color for Chelsea Ann.
Grandma Stevens
Stevens room at hospital

Bloody Shirt

2010-08-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

5.27.10
Why do I have blood on my shirt? Well, Trey had quite the learning experience this evening. It involved a hard plastic swing, Trey, and poor Tian!

Trey and Tian were playing outside in the sandbox as I was preparing for a family photo shoot. As I was cleaning my camera, I heard Tian scream in pain. I looked outside our window and saw Trey, standing behind the swinging hard plastic swing, and Tian standing in font of the swing. I knew exactly what had just happened, and I soon realized it wasn't just an accident.

I marched outside, escorted Trey to his bedroom, and then went back outside to pick up Tian. Not realizing how bad Tian was, I just about came unglued when I saw blood streaming out of Tian's mouth. I wanted Trey to see what he had caused, so, I took Tian into Trey's room and we all three sat on Trey's bed. At first, Trey didn't see the blood smeared on Tian' face (the mean mother that I am, I didn't wash Tian's face off until after showing Trey) but he soon caught a glimpse of Tian and screamed. He covered his eyes and said, "Get Tian away mom. He will cause me nightmares." I returned his request with an explanation of why we don't swing heavy objects in front of our little brothers because it will cause blood to stream out of their mouths. (At this point, Tian was just staring at Trey. He had stopped crying a long time ago and was wondering why Trey was upset!)

I then left Trey's room, went into the bathroom and cleaned off Tian's mouth. Tian was smiling, I was almost giggling, the mean, HARSH mother that I am, was secretly hoping, in my Love and Logic mind, that Trey would NEVER attempt to injure Tian again. Hoping the sight of Tian bleeding would be enough to scare Trey to keep Tian safe and not injure him. We will see how long THAT will last, huh?!

reading

2010-08-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

5.27.10
As I was cleaning the kitchen from some meal, I looked into the front room and this s what I saw:

My boys reading to eachother. Have you ever read a Skippy Jon Jones book? The cutest books around I tell 'ya! The boys love to read them!

soccer

2010-08-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

5.26.10

Just like the beginning of school, I gave Trey a "end of school year" gift. One item which was in the gift was a pair of soccer shoes. YES, our Treyman will be playing soccer for the first time this Fall. I don't know if it is bad luck to have his first scheduled game on 9.11, but, it is!

2nd Preschool Graduation

2010-08-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

5.26.10
Trey has way too many preschools to keep track of. This weeks preschool was his "new" preschool. He attended preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30-12 at Miss Des home. Miss Des and Miss Cherry were his teachers and are AMAZING! If anyone is in need of a preschool, they are the place to go!

Justin and I were amazed at what the children had learned throughout the year. They learned an Alpha Rap, how to count in Spanish, all the colors in Spanish, counting out syllables and rhyming just to name a few. (as we were driving to our end of year party at good ol' Mickey D's, Justin turned to Trey and this was their conversation. Justin: "Trey, you are officially smarter then me." Trey: "Why?" Justin: "Because you know a whole lot more Spanish then I do!" Trey: giggled!)

A thank you card Trey wrote which went with a liter of A&W root beer. A note attached to the root beer said, "You are an AWESOME teacher." We added some chocolates to it as well.

Trey with Miss Des (on the left) and Miss Cherry (on the right.)

The Preschool class! Trey sitting between two of his best friends, Keaton P. on the left, and Alexis on the right.

(Trey and his best buddy Ty)

Trey was so mature. Before the program began, he wanted to sit in his spot, NOT near us. (he is sitting next to his "dream girl" Keatyn B.)

Tian sat through the program in awe. If only Sacrament meeting was THAT entertaining!

Ty receiving his certificate of completion. His parents asked if I would take his picture. Not the greatest, but at least it is better then TREY's! (which will not be posted!)

After graduation, we headed to Mickey D's for lunch, play and treats!

The "cupcake toppers" are a creation of Secrets of a Super Mommy!

Isn't she so pretty? Miss Keatyn B. was everyone "girlfriend" for the year. All the boys loved her.

We are so blessed to have had a great preschool year. So blessed to have friends like the Dribnak's pictures above, and so blessed to have a daddy who came and spent the day with our family instead of going into work! So blessed are we!

Slater Larry Gerratt

2010-08-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

5.25.10
My bestie, Sommers gave birth to the sweetest little guy! I was fortunate enough to see little Slater the night of his birth. I held him for quite some time and didn't feel guilty at all for hogging him from his other visitors. (sorry Jessica!) He has got to know his Auntie Rebecca now doesn't he? (Trey asked me the other day if Shaydon, Sommers oldest boy was his cousin and if Auntie Sommers was actually his aunt. I told him she wasn't, but we would like her to be. When I announced I was pregnant with Trey to Sommers, I made a card, with a picture of Trey's ultrasound on it and said, "Will you be my Auntie?" So, the nickname stuck and I am soooooooooooo happy and grateful it did!!)

Sommers is amazing, not requiring ANY medication whatsoever for her first and now her second delivery. Makes me look like a drug seeker!

I loved the time I spent in Slater's hospital room. For one, I feel a little toooo comfortable in hospital rooms (probably because I work in a hospital, NOT because I frequent them!) and two, I love the Gerratts. They are one of the greatest couples we know and we are so fortunate to have such great friends.

You two deserve all the love and support you are given. Love you FOUR!

(if you are criticizing my pictures, KEEP IN MIND, I am in a hospital room at 9:30PM! Terrible lighting, and, I hate the flash~! (and I am sure Slater would too!))

"Be Involved"

2010-08-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

5.25.10

The month of May's theme for Activity Day's was "Be Involved." I wanted the girls to learn how to be involved around the home. Today's activity was making dinner. At the beginning of our activity, I told the girls about my bestest friend Chelsea Ann and how she was pregnant with twins. Chelsea Ann was going to be delivering twins 3 days after our activity, so, the girls were going to be learning how to make a dinner in which we were going to give to Cheslea Ann and her husband Shane. Some of the girls really got into it. Others weren't too impressed, or should I say, "Involved.", so, they chose to sit on our couches while the rest cooked.

Of course Trey got involved.

The fun part about this activity was the girls wrote special messages to Chelsea Ann and Shane and then my boys and I delivered the meal to them.

Seriously, this friend of mine does NOT look ready to have TWINS! She looks TOO amazing!

Nampa Race

2010-08-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

5.22.10

Justin competed in a race throughout downtown Nampa. The police barricaded the streets off, and by police escort, the racers cycled through the streets of downtown. We had the greatest view, standing just on a street corner! It was early enough in the morning that we didn't have to fight crowds or traffic for that matter like most races! We had somewhat of an embarrassing moment thanks to a very observant 4.5 year old. There was one cyclist trailing quite a bit behind the pack and Trey pointed at him and said, "Mom, that guy is going SLOW!" Embarrassment! We were standing close enough to the racers that this poor guy could totally hear us. And, if you can't tell from the pictures, we were the ONLY spectators on the streets!

(that handsome man in front donning the orange is Justin!)

Greenbelt Sunday Walk

2010-08-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

5.16.10
One of our favorite places to take a Sunday stroll is the Boise Greenbelt. We usually park in the Bowen Crossing parking lot and start hiking. We found this part of the Greenbelt in 2007 while Geocaching. We thought it was amazing, until Justin got one of the worst poison oak rashes any dermatologist as ever seen. It was a week before we took a trip to Jackson Hole for a work conference for Justin, and before the conference even began, we rushed Justin to a Dermatologist. He immediately was administered a shot (in the booty!!) and a prescription for special cream which had to be picked up from an old school pharmacist in town. We were so lucky to have gotten into a doctor so quickly.

Anywho, when traveling along the Greenbelt, needless to say, we stay on the path and don't venture into any bushes or trees.

The homes along the path are simply amazing and breathtaking. One of our favorites properties is basically a small zoo. There are little ponies grazing in their front yard, they have swans, geese and dogs. On this particular afternoon they had fun jazz music blaring throughout their backyard as they hosted some friends for a BBQ.

(the amazing property I would kill to own!)

I have a picture of Trey sitting in the exact same spot when he was just barely 2 years old.
I love Trey's clenched jaw face as he ran.
Tian loves walks, especially when he is on Dad's back. He chomped on an apples the whole walk.

Some beautiful things we saw along the way, including a little "love sign."

(we thought this leaf ressembled a "heart.")

Ladies Tea Party #2-Annabelle's and Mine!!!

2010-08-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

5.23.10
It was my turn to host our monthly ladies tea luncheon. I teamed up with my good friend Annabelle (and my hair dresser) to host a very chocolate-y lunch. I use every possible occasion to bring out my chocolate fountain. Because I don't eat candy, this is my way of getting that candy fix!

Thanks Amanda for watching the boys!

Annabelle just returned from a family vacation to Hawaii, hence, the flower in her hair. We didn't just snack on chocolate; we had chicken rolls and yummy broccoli salad.

PJ day at the "new" preschool

2010-08-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

5.18.10
It is a known fact Trey has a SLIGHT obsession with pajamas. And I say "slight" with the greatest sarcastic voice I have. So, you could only imagine how excited Trey was to find out they had earned a movie/PAJAMA day at his "new" preschool. ("new" preschool got it's name from distinguishing between dayCARE and Preschool. I have never been fond of the name, "daycare" and have called daycare "preschool." Once Trey was enrolled in actual Preschool, I told him it was a "new" preschool. Hence, the name "new preschool" came to be!)

Trey wore his favorite pajamas; his "camping" footsie pajamas to school. (he calls them his "camping" pj's because the pj's have tents, owls (my favorite part of the pjs; not too many boy pj's have owls on them!), squirrels, all things camping I guess.) Because of the feet in the pj's, he couldn't wear actual shoes. So, his rain boots came in mighty handy. I thought he looked cute in his zip-up footsie pj's and bright green boots. You can only dress like this when you are 4; although I wish I could wear an outfit like this in public and still look cute!

Trey wrestling with his best buddy Keaton P.

Trey had been waiting for weeks for this big day, I am so proud you helped your class accomplish your goal Trey!

waterpark season passes, kiddie area and playing

2010-08-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

5.17.10
It is that time of year to start getting ready for the water park. This morning was dark and dreary, but a perfect day to pose for our season pass pitures! We then took a walk around the park, sizing up all the rides we would go on this summer.

My photog/coworker/friend Emily met us with her two sweet and very cute kiddos for some fun at Whazoo for a few hours. Emily's poor little guy Chase wasn't feelng too well,therefore, he really didn't enjoy the full magnitude of fun Whazoo has too offer. AND, Emily and I were crawling, swinging and sliding the afternoon away so I failed to get any pictures for proof we were actually at Whazoo.

The evening ended with some bike riding and railroad building in the driveway.

(BTW, I promise Tian removed the dragon from his mouth for his Water Park season pass picture!!)

Ke$ha Fans

2010-07-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Terrible I know, but I couldn't resist. The boys love Ke$ha and dance their hearts out whenever a song of hers comes on the radio. The cutest thing about their dance moves is how great they can "shake their 'thangs" while strapped into their seats.

Girl's Nite-Sushi Style

2010-07-29T19:30:00.001-07:00

Have you ever enjoyed watching someone eat Sushi for the first time?

I had the pleasure of meeting girlfriends from work at a Sushi joint where we enjoyed watching some of our friends squirm while trying Sushi for the first time. We were all shoe-less, eating in a little VIP room designated to us, laughing our hearts out. It is so comforting knowing you can have fun with coworkers in AND out of work!

Sonya on the left and Emily on the right. (Emily is not only my coworker, but she is my photography friend as well!)

This is Heidi. Heidi is my supervisor, and to be honest, she probably makes this face every time she sees my name on her caller ID!

Heidi (on the left) and Sonya's (on the right) expressions are PRICELESS!

This was my favorite of our assorted Sushi bar. I usually only settle for the California Roll, but this night I ventured out for something different and am so glad I did.

Here we are, the Park Center Ladies! If anyone needs their mammogram, you will probably see at least one of us, if not the whole clan at some time during your visit! Thanks Vy(far left bottom with dark short hair!) for setting this night up. It was delish and so fun!

Tian and the "cool cup"

2010-07-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

Trey received this cup from Grandma Bend many years ago but it still remains one of the favorites in our cup drawers. Trey has given this cup the name, "the Cool Cup." Tian has somewhat adopted it.

Notice the pile of babies (Tian's nickname for his massive blanket stash is "baby") on the kitchen floor. The morning routine, not only do you have to pick Tian up out of his crib, you have to pile on his three blankets.

Ten Years-Zip Lining

2010-07-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

5.15.10
I have been thinking about our ten year wedding anniversary for quite some time. We try to plan a large trip each year, but this year was a little different. For one, I wasn't feeling comfortable about leaving our young boys with family or friends for a long stretch of time, nor was I wanting to bring our young boys on a weekend excursion. So, thankfully we are blessed with a wonderful babysitter who I trust with all of my heart. A few months ago when planning for our anniversary, I suggested Zip Lining . Justin asked me to repeat myself when I told him I wanted to go Zip Lining. He couldn't believe I wanted to go. I am not one for scary rides or adventurous climbs, but when it comes to CONTROLLED adventure, I am all there! (zip lining, paragliding, etc. )

The night before we left, I typed out a 4 page "note" ("more like a novel" my coworker commented as I printed off my pages. I told her I would rather be safe then sorry) and made copies of the boys shot records and insurance card. I also left strict instructions to Amanda, if and when an emergency may arise, to take the boys to a hospital in Boise or Eagle. Nothing in Nampa or Meridian. (she laughed, but little did she know I was DEAD serious. No pun intended!!!)

We had a wonderful time. I didn't stress over the boys at all. In fact, when I left, Trey was already taking a nap and Tian was as happy as ever to see us leave. When Trey woke up, Tian had already gone down for a nap. So, basically Amanda as watching one boy at a time. Not only was she a happy camper, so was I!

Thank you honey for a wonderful afternoon, celebrating our ten years of marriage.

Here are some pictures from our day outing! Beware, picture and video overload!!!

This is the group we were with for the afternoon.The man standing second from the right was a burley guy. He and his girlfriend of one year sat next to me in the "tour van" up to the zip line. (you take a huge van up the mountain for about 35 minutes before reaching the zip lines.) I was a bit nervous sitting so close to them. FYI, I have a slight fear of bigger men with facial hair. Justin teases me about it, but it is true. Anyhow, he ended up being the most scared out of all of us and screamed on most of the lines! If you closed your eyes while listening to him talk, he sounded EXACTLY like Jack Black. By the end of the tour, I wasn't afraid of him at all. See the guide to the right of Justin in the light blue shirt and Khaki shorts? He is a news anchor for the early morning local news station. Justin didn't even recognize him (probably because he never watches the news in the morning, AND because he isn't as star struck as I am) until our "tour" was about finished. Justin had been teasing and joking with him the whole afternoon, which led me to believe he knew who our guide was. Justin eventually asked him if he was on TV because he didn't believe me! Silly Just. Just to prove, yes, Lincoln Graves was our tour guide. Here is a picture copied from KIVI's website!

Random tour guide in the background of our picture. He was the main guide and did all kinds of tricks. Kind of funny picture actually, those harnesses aren't that attractive!

Not the greatest picture of me, and actually it looks like I am just a foot off the ground, but I will tell you I am up much higher then you think!

For this picture, you are told to spread your hands AND your legs out, like a flying squirrel. Swear it!

I think Justin was proud of me for even suggesting we take the Zip Line tour for our 10 year wedding anniversary! This is his "proud face!!!!"

Trey's Preschool video

2010-07-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

Trey's "old preschool" graduation

2010-07-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

5.13.10
When our beloved Miss Michelle moved on to bigger and better things and we were in search of a new daycare, I conned Trey into believing he was going to a school. He believed me and called it his preschool. (btw, I hate the word daycare.) When we enrolled Trey into Tiny Tots with Ms. Cherry and Ms. Des, he began calling Tiny Tots his "new preschool" and daycare his "old preschool."

Trey has been working for weeks preparing for his "old preschool" graduation. He learned new songs and was excited to perform them. The kids were asked to wear blue shirts and everyone was invited. Justin and I were both able to leave work early to witness this huge monumental milestone.

I grinned from ear to ear, holding both cameras in hand to document every second of this program.

Trey stood so quietly and politely in his assigned spot for the graduation presentation. The program was running quite late, and he was terrified to leave his spot. I finally talked him into leaving his spot and saying hello to us.

Trey with Ms. Nikki (on the left) and Ms. Christina (on the right)

Isn't he the cutest graduate ever?!

Trey's VIP day

2010-07-18T04:39:00.000-07:00

5.12.10
Every once in a while Trey is chosen to be the VIP (Very Important Person) at Preschool. I knew this would be his last opportunity in Preschool to be the VIP, so I wanted to make his day a little extra special.

After picking him up from school, I told him we were going out to lunch. He asked "where?" I told him Carl's Jr. He said, "Oh," as if not impressed in the least bit about my plan. I then told him that he was going to have a Very Important Guest join us for lunch (which I had already pre arrainged) and asked if he would like to know who the guest was. I told him it was going to be Chelsea Ann and Treyman literally jumped out of his carseat. He said, "Yipee" and his attitude completely changed!

Chelsea Ann is so sweet, always supporting our family. Chelsea is pregnant and due in two week and looks amazing! You would never have guessed she was carrying two babies.

We are so proud of you Trey and think you are VERY IMPORTANT!
Thank you Chelsea Ann for always supporting our family!

Shaydon

2010-07-18T04:34:00.001-07:00

5.11.10
We love when Shaydon comes to visit! The morning was spent outside in the sand.

Be Involved-Activity Day Talent Show

2010-07-18T04:10:00.001-07:00

5.11.10
The girls were instructed a few weeks ago to think of a talent they would like to demonstrate in front of the rest of the girls.

Each girl brought their talent and wowed the boys and I for the afternoon. There was everything from hula hooping, singing, book reading, paintings, jump roping, and keyboard playing!

It was Lauren's last day at Activity Days, so, having the greatest mom, she brought cupcakes to share with everyone.

Rachael is quite the artist.

Tabitha sang a song she composed. As you can see Tian is dancing around, enjoying her song.

Abagail is a very entertaining reader.

Abigail also jumped rope.

Ke' ilani also jumped rope.

Brooklynn and I had a little hula hooping contest.

Lexi loves to draw and is very good at it.

Lauren serenaded us with two songs on her keyboard.

The theme for the month of May is to Be Involved. Through this activity about sharing their talents, hopefully the girls will be more willing in the future, as they grow older to put themselves out there and display their talents.

2010-07-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

5.9.10
I have been trying to figure out why Tian's face is breaking out in splotches every once in a while. I have used so much aquafor on his face, most of his shirts have grease stains on them. We finally have realized what it is: Strawberries. Tian loves strawberries, poor guy, but it is out of his diet now. No fresh strawberries, strawberry yogurt, strawberry jam or strawberry popsicles.

Love the bed head.

This little cabage patch has been a little friend Tian loves to sleep with at times. Have I mentioned, not only does Tian sleep with three blankets which he has named "Baby" but he insists on taking two toys to bed with him. This doll looks a little like him, minus the bald head.

swimming lesson stamp

2010-07-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

5.9.10

Tian was so proud of his bubble swimming stamp he received after his swimming lessons. He would say, "Bubble" and pull up his shirt to show his stamp. He was pretty sad when he woke up from nap and found his stamp had rubbed off after we washed his hands.

This picture was taken right before he found his bubble stamp had disapeared. He was all smiles in this picture, he was completely opposite a few minutes later!

Grandma's chat

2010-07-18T03:44:00.001-07:00

5.8.10

Our laptop came with a webcam. Skype couldn't be any easier!

I surprised my mom by calling her with Skype and sat in our kitchen. She looked at my surroundings and guessed it right off the bat. She said, " Are you calling from a notebook?"

Mother's Day walk

2010-07-18T03:08:00.001-07:00

5.8.10

After Church and nap time for the boys, we decided to go on a walk along the Rails to Trails greenbelt path. The weather is finally warm, so we packed up the boys, our dog Cooper, the Super Trooper, and the stroller.

This old bronco in the field used to belong to one of Justin's high school friends Tyler. I so wish I could climb the fence and check it out. I bet it would make for an amazing photog prop!

I just love this shaggy haired little man!

Crazy to think just a few short years ago, this boy was a chubby little baby sitting in the stroller cooing at Cooper. Now, he is a boy who picks out his own clothes (hence the high water sweats he had to wear "because they matched") and desires to walk Cooper all by himself.

Mother's Day Text

2010-07-18T03:05:00.001-07:00

5.8.10
This is the text I received on Mother's Day; FROM Trey!

Mother's Day

2010-07-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

5.8.10
Holiday's are big deal to me. I had a mother who made holidays special, and I hope my boys love holidays just as I do. Mother's and Father's Day are no different.

This Mother's Day began with sleeping in just a tad and eating a delicious waffle breakfast made by the greatest husband ever. He even made "vanilla syrup." Tian drew some pictures while Trey dressed up as some character I have never heard of.

After Trey's dressed up, he asked Justin if he could give me my Mother's Day gift. I had no clue what I was in for, and actually, when Trey presented me with my Mother's Day gift, I seriously thought it was a computer printer. I was shocked to find it was a lap top! I was seriously sweating with excitement, I couldn't believe it! Just had been working two different job positions and was getting paid a little extra for his serious extra work. What made this Mother's Day gift so special was that Justin had used the extra money he had earned to buy me my Mother's Day gift. Such a thoughtful, well planned gift.

I am so grateful to be a mother. My boys have taught me patience, strength, compassion and show me how to enjoy life to the fullest. I am also so fortunate to have a husband who is hands on and strives to make Mother's Day very special. He makes life beautiful, and also makes some of the greatest waffles ever!

And for the record, Trey had to show me how to open the laptop. Pathetic I know.

grrrrr vitamins

2010-07-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

5.8.10
Tian points to the cupboard once or twice a day and growls. It took me a day or so to figure out his gestures, but I figured it out. He loves dinosaur vitamins and his way of asking for it is by growling. When asked what a dinosaur says, Tian immediately growls!

Today's choice of vitamins was good old Vitamin C. And instead of asking, Tian decided to help him self.

car tunes

2010-07-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

5.6.10
Who needs a dance floor when my boys can dance in the car. Tian's dance moves are too hilarious, I actually think he enjoys feeling his hair whip around. Do we have a head banger in the family?

reader

2010-07-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

5.5.10
Trey has been reading for about a year and I have loved watching him engaging in books. He loves books, and more importantly, loves sounding out what each word says. I no longer can spell out words while talking to friends or family because he will catch on very quickly to the conversation we are having. I will have to start learning French because he probably already knows more Spanish and Japenese then I do (thanks to Dora and Ni Ho Kai-Lan!).

This particular afternoon Trey was supposed to be taking a nap (hence his pj wearing in the middle of the day) but instead he laid on his bedroom floor reading. How could I resist smiling. I would rather him read then take a nap anyday. Well, just ABOUT any day!

Tiny Tots Preschool fieldtrip- the Zoo

2010-07-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

5.4.10
Trey, Tian, Ty (Trey's best buddy since birth!) and I joined Trey's preschool for the "end of the year" field trip to the Zoo. Trey was so excited to ride into Boise with his friend Ty sitting next to him in our car. I must have been driving a little fast because Ty said more then once, "Trey, your car drives fast." No Ty, your mom is probably just a more cautious driver!

When we got there, Miss Des and Miss Cherry counted all the children and placed a name tag on each child which read, "I belong with Tiny Tots Preschool" and Miss Des' cell phone number written. So smart and organized that Miss Des is!

Trey wanted nothing to do with me. Ty stuck beside me for most of our zoo tour, Trey was all over the place, jumping from one friend to the next. He secretly adores Miss Cherry and would often find her and grasp onto her hand. I hope she didn't mind. Trey wanted to point out everything to Miss Des and Miss Cherry; I tell you what, those woman have patience like no other!

Tian was amazing, sitting in his stroller pointing out different animals.

The greatest part of the zoo field trip was having Trey's cousin Tacy join the group. She goes to Preschool on Tuesday and Thursday morning, so Trey has never gotten to go on a field trip with her. Even though she had her little group of friends and Trey had his, they would join up every once in a while to chat or look at an animal. She is such a good little girl.

About Trey's sunglasses: It really wasn't that sunny and definitely not warm, "sun glass" weather, but they were new and exciting at the time, so he basically wore them everywhere. If an onlooker took a glance at Trey, they probably thought he was blind. Anyhow, he showed everyone his "Jonas Brothers" glasses. As I was walking with Trey and Miss Cherry, a child came up to Miss Cherry and said, "Hey Miss Cherry, check out my new Sketchers." Miss Cherry said immediately, "Oh, you have got to show Trey." Trey is obsessed with Sketchers and knows a little too much about brands for my liking. I was a bit embarrassed but shrugged it off.

After a tour of the zoo, we had a picnic lunch in the park across from the zoo. I packed some Lunchables for the boys which they were anxious to dig into. I remember my mom packing Lunchables for me on field trip days and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I took the boys to the grocery store the morning of the field trip so they could pick out their very own. Tian's had a jell-o cup, Trey's had a crunch bar. Tian sat with the rest of the kids eating his lunch which made me so pleased. I even had to leave Tian for a moment while I ran after Trey, who was running after a goose. I left Tian in good hands of course before I took off running and came back to find Tian sitting so nicely, still eating!

After the zoo, I bravely took the three boys into the Mall to find some school clothes for Trey at Macy's. I found some sweater vests for next year's dress code on the greatest sale. Counting Trey, Tian and Ty (only guessing how much Ty weighs), I think I pushed 105 lbs. around that store. AND, I got the stroller stuck in the middle of the lingerie section. (I promise Alyce I did NOT take Ty bra shopping, it was the only counter with an associate available!)

The 3 best buds!

Ty (notice his name tag on his fleece!)

Trey and his Best Bud Keaton watching the Lion

Trey

Alexis

Trey and Tacy holding Miss Cherry's hand

Our group stopped two or three times and counted off each child.

These next pictures are for you Grandma Marie! Aren't your grandchildren just the cutest?

Tian and his Lunchable

the ghetto cowboys

2010-07-08T08:59:00.001-07:00

5.4.10
There was an ounce of sun this morning, so Trey insisted on wearing some shorts. Not some normal shorts, he decided to wear some jean overall shorts that he has obviously grown out of. He also wanted his blue "engineer" hat because you just can't wear overalls without pairing them with an engineer hat.

Once Tian saw that Trey was wearing a hat, he too wanted to wear a hat. I put a coat on him that was just a little too small (I wanted to get one more wear out of this "cute" coat that I LOVED on Trey, but soon realized the same exact coat, shorts, shirt or hat may look cute on ONE child but may not look so cute on another), and followed the boys out to the backyard.

Tian was carrying a pony head on a stick to play with outside,which gave Trey an idea. I didn't know WHERE Trey's mind was taking him, but he soon returned to the backyard with his girraffe, he has named "Horney" ("because he has horns on his head" is Trey's explaination for his girraffe's name). Soon, both Trey and Tian were running around the backyard with their "ponies" galloping. This was the beginning of the "ghetto cowboys!"

Love and Logic Consequence

2010-07-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

5.6.10
I don't remember what choice Trey had made, but this morning, his consequence was scrubbing my bathtub with a toothbrush. Because we are still in the middle of Winter (yes, the beginning of May still provides wind, chills, and lack of sun in our neck of the country) Trey was more then excited to "test" out his new swimsuit.

After all was said and done, Trey enjoyed his consequence thoroughly and asked if he could start on the next bathtub.

I have got to come up with a better consequence!

Tian's 1st Swimming Lessons

2010-07-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

5.3.10

I have some of the greatest patients. Some I have seen for 6 or 7 years (I have lost track) and even though we spend about 40 minutes with each other one day out of the year, I look forward to our visits! (even if they aren't too comfortable.) One of my favorite patients is Miss Louise! Her daughter is a Physician's Assistant I used to work with 7 years ago and I have been seeing Louise ever since. I wont disclose Miss Louise's age, but she is old enough to have had just recently both of her knees replaced BUT, you would never know it. She has more energy then my 5 year old and is has a memory like a Chinese Trap. She always asks how my boys are doing, remembering their ages and names, and how my brother Derek is doing! (she has a granddaughter with Autism who she watches on a regular base.) Miss Louise has been teaching swimming lessons out of her home for the last 20 years and we have had the opportunity to take swimming lessons with her when Trey was about 2 in a half.

This last visit with her was an extra special one; she informed me that she was holding a Mommy and Me class and Tian and I were invited! I was so excited. I would be taking the class once a week just with Tian WHILE Trey would be in preschool. Thanks to my good friend Alyce, I would drop off Trey at Alyce's home prior to preschool, she would take Trey to school and I would take Tian to swimming lessons. The first swimming lesson was held on a "no school" day for Trey, so, Trey came to cheer on Tian AND to be the photographer. He was such a great boy, just happy to watch and cheer for Tian. (I even got compliments on how great Trey was doing just sitting and watching. If you know Trey at all, he isn't one to just really sit and watch!)

Thank you Miss Louise for inviting us to take a class! You are wonderful, amazing, and full of life. I hope I can be just like you in a few year!

Miss Louise in the blue cap. Look at her Pool House....amazing!
Look how happy Tian is! He loves the water a little too much!

Before we enter the pool, Trey doing a great job as the photographer.

A close up of Tian

Trey loves the camera, can you tell? I had about 30 self portraits to choose from, taken all by Treyman himself. These are two of my favorite!!! Enjoy!

young woman photo shoot

2010-06-29T07:02:00.001-07:00

4.27.10
As I was traveling home from Bend, I listened to my voice mails. (I don't get service until I reach Ontario, Oregon) One of my voice mails was from the Young Woman Leader in our ward. She was wondering if I would be interested in participating in a photo shoot with the girls. I couldn't have been more excited, and called her back immediately. Me and a friend Sara were the photographers, our friend Janae provided hair and make-up for each girl(she waxes my eye brows and is AMAZING!), and my great friend Lonnie provided the photo shoot location. Lonnie has the greatest property and perfect props. It was a bit of a chilly night BUT the lighting was overcast and AMAZING. (it had stormed all day!) I felt like I was 12 all over again. All giggly and boy crazy.

Young Woman Group
(the sun was setting quickly, we barely got a group shot.)

Can you pick out the Young Woman President? She is so cute and youthful, she blends right in with the girls!

Beehive Class

Hallie

Marissa

McKayla

Kyla

Miamaid Class

Audrey

Adrian

Catherine

Laurel Class

Rachael

Shelbie

Margaret

Tori
Countless hours of editing and resizing were put into each photo. Each girl received two fully edited pictures for their reprinting pleasure. I believe the pictures are going to be used for at least two functions throughout the year. All the time and efforts were worth it though; I spent the night reliving my young woman days. Thank you girls for the opportunity to spend the evening with you; I would do it all over again in a heart beat!

tea party

2010-06-29T06:49:00.001-07:00

4.27.10

After taking baby Kalli's pictures, I was invited to a tea party at my friend Lisa's home! For the last few years, I have been invited to an annual lunch, celebrating health, life, and good friends. It usually occurs around June, and usually after a certain annual screening that I get to take part in. Lisa comes along for support because this annual screening exam is something she holds dear to her heart. Well, we have such a great time at our annual lunch, Lisa decided to hold a tea party lunch every month. She and our friend Judie were the first hosts, and it was delicious. It was a serious tea party, with tea sandwiches, lemon bars, assorted teas, salad, all so yummo. Lisa collects tea cups and saucers from all over the world. I felt like an 8 year old, dressing up and playing tea party with all of my good friend.

Annabelle (in animal print), Julie(to the left of Annabelle), Holly(next to Julie)

Lisa, one of the fab hostess!

Thanks to my trusty sitter Amanda for watching our boys while I could dine with friends and enjoy great company. We love Amanda.

Thank you Lisa and Judie for putting on such a delicious and fun tea party. I look forward to our monthly lunch party. (And now I can attend in my regular clothes instead of in my scrubs!!!)

baby Kalli

2010-06-29T06:44:00.001-07:00

4.27.10
I had the greatest opportunity this morning to take pictures of sweet Kalli and her big sisters Ashlyn and Megan. Megan and Trey have been friends since birth. Kalli is so loved, and the sweetest little girl; just like her big sisters!

Bonus Jonas

2010-06-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

4.27.10

Do you think Trey could be the Bonus Jonas? (check out the picture below) So, the sunglasses the Easter Bunny brought Trey didn't quite fit. And, the Bunny has not accepted the fact that Trey doesn't need Velcro to keep his sunglasses on his face. (come on Bunny, he is nearly 5 now!) Trey couldn't have been happier when I found these Jonas Brother's sunglasses, he has worn them all hours he is awake, and calls them his "Movie Star Sunglasses." I think someone at a store said, "Boy, you look like a movie star." And yes, he wears them EVERYWHERE!

On this particular morning, Trey insisted on wearing his sunglasses to preschool, along with his new shoes. The shoes are cheap-os from Wally World, but I figured they were easy to put on and off for preschool, and they were white. Once again, I know, he is nearly 5 and probably should be out of Velcro. For the record, he doesn't know how to tie his shoes and his teachers want everyone to wear slip on shoes. They probably get sick of tying 12 pairs of shoes.

Trey is into posing and asks frequently if I can take a picture of him. This was one of those mornings, right before school.

Promise, I did NOT tell him to put his thumb up.

And these fancy feet are all his doing!

blow fish

2010-06-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

4.27.10
As I was making dinner, I could hear Trey giggling uncontrollably on the other side of my kitchen bar. He finally said, "Mom, come see Tian." This is what I see....

....some love between Cooper. Awww, how sweet! (for the record, this picture grosses me out. I have never enjoyed dogs licking me. ESPECIALLY on the face.)

Here is our blow fish...

(I love Tian's small, sausage-like chubby fingers in this picture!!!)

Trey is usually the one making Tian laugh. So, for Tian to make TREY laugh is pretty sweet!

head first

2010-06-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

4.26.10
Tian is getting brave I tell ya. He decided to attempt the slide head first this afternoon.

a rope+slide=fun mixed with a little danger

2010-06-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

4.26.10
I don't know when it all began, but Trey has had too much fun with this red piece of rope. I think it was used to tie up Cooper, for some reason, to the play structure. (BTW, Cooper is our dog, NOT a human!) Justin left the rope tied up, and then Trey claimed it for himself. These days, Trey has been using it in multiple ways. Somedays, it aids Trey in climbing up the yellow slide. Recently it has been a way to slow himself down while going down the slide.

Being a paranoid mother/healthcare professional, when Trey goes down the slide with the rope, I #1. pray he doesn't catch a limb in the rope and dislocate it or worse. and #2. hope he doesn't get strangled and hung. I know, terrible things to think about, but I have seen some nasty stuff in my days, and just listening to the crazy things Justin and his brothers or friends got roped (no pun inteded) into, anything and everything is possible.

the next basketball ST*R

2010-06-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

4.26.10

Trey and Tian are very different. As a young toddler, Trey was always interested in balls. Tian has always been interested in cars and airplanes. Tian really hasn't had an interest in balls, until a few months ago. Tian must have gotten bored just watching Trey play with the basket ball and hoop because Tian has been "trying" to shoot hoops. This afternoon he devised a perfect way to shoot hoops, and succeed at it!

tian, nature boy

2010-06-28T10:43:00.001-07:00

4.26.10
Tian enjoys the outdoors. He would rather be outdoors then inside. We finally had a bit of warmer weather, our bulbs began blooming, and the bugs were out. Tian couldn't be any happier.

When Tian wants me to take a picture of him, he will say, "Cheese" and make this face.

Crazy, silly boy. This is ALSO called his "Crazy Eyes" face.

ants and rollie pollies

2010-06-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

4.26.10
Trey and Tian inherrited multiple traits and interests from my mother. One of which, oddly enough, is bug catching. I remember my mom teaching me about daddy long legs and rollie pollies we would catch in our backyard in Sandy, Utah. (back then we called rollie pollies Potato Bugs.) Trey and Tian love catching rollie pollies and ants, making little beds for them, and eventually squishing them without knowing it. This afternoon, it was rollie pollies they were after.

Preschool "pick up" fun

2010-06-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

4.26.10
After preschool lets out, the children enjoy running through the front yard. The girls chase the boys and the boys wrestle each other, kick each other and swat at each other. I am always amazed that there aren't many battle wounds.

Trey chasing after his best bud Ty.

Trey stretching before he goes in for the attack once more.
High-Yah!

See, Trey isn't the only wild one that wrestles around!!!!

Tian has gotten quite attached to the Treyman and gets a bit saddened when we drop Trey off at Preschool. When we pick up Trey from school, Tian gets so excited to see him. On afternoons like this one, Tian wishes he could go rough up some of Trey's friends.

On this particular afternoon, I had quite the embarrassing moment. I was busy chatting it up with my friend Alyce while Trey and Ty bounced from one car to another. When I went to go home, my car would not start. I had left on the air and some music for Tian to listen to, and it must have worn down my battery. SO, trusty "Shrek", Miss Des husband came to the rescue and helped start my car. Don't ask me why they all call him Shrek. They all do, Trey talks about Shrek frequently, and Miss Des even referred to Shrek in the preschool graduation speech. He was quite the friendly mascot for Tiny Tots preschool. Thanks Shrek for the jump, thanks Alyce for the chat (I don't even remember what we were talking about), and a HUGE thank you to TT for sitting so calmly in his car seat while we did our car business!

Jason Boon Race

2010-06-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

4.24.10
One of the 1st bike races of Spring and we were able to attend. It was out in the middle of no where, towards Mountain Home, and Justin was looking forward to racing. Shortly after Justin left with his entourage, I loaded the boys plus a stroller and winter coats and took off for the race. I knew it would be cold and windy, and it truly was.

Unfortunately, EVERYONE was dressed the same and Justin was borrowing a friends racing bike (Justin's bike amongst a bow, generator, and binoculars were all stolen out of our garage while I was away in Bend) so I completely missed Justin crossing the finish line.

We were finally reunited with our racing dad and celebrated with a special lunch at McDonalds after the race. Perfect food for post race day: Fries and a chocolate shake.

We are proud of you and your accomplishments Just!

lazy Bend morning

2010-06-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

4.20.10
Growing up, I enjoyed lazy Spring and Summer mornings that my parents home offered. Waking up to sometimes the rooster (which my parents no longer have.), staying in my swimsuit all day long, laying out, spending time with my mom, typical girl stuff.

Well, now that I have two boys, lazy days at Grandma and Grandpa Bend's home are a little different. Eating all morning, wrestling with Uncle Robert and catching some cartoons, adventuring with the cows and the 4-wheeler, and helping with irrigation pipes are all things my boys enjoy doing while at Grandma and Grandpa Bend's home.

feeding time=favorite time

2010-06-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

4.19.10
Tian enjoys feeding the cows for many reasons. He enjoys playing in dirt, feeling like he is "helping" and he enjoys the cows.

Trey enjoys feeding the cows because the cows STOP moo-ing. He hates it when they moo!

rock throwing

2010-06-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

4.19.10
Tian shared a great deal of time with Grandpa Bend throwing rocks into the pond. The larger the better for Tian. It all began with Grandpa Bend picking out the rocks for Tian; then Tian wanted to search for the rocks all by himself.

pond

2010-06-22T22:08:00.001-07:00

4.19.10
After a morning of changing water lines, Grandpa Bend took the boys around the pond in the paddle boat. I even got up the guts to take a ride around the pond with the boys. I think the boys were afraid to be on the boat with me; I am just not as experienced as Grandpa.

tian.cows.4wheeler.Grandpa Bend

2010-06-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

4.18.10
There are three things Tian loves: #1.cows #2.4-wheelers #3.Grandpa Bend.

When you mix all three, the afternoon becomes bliss in the sight of a 19 month old boy.

4-wheeling, Grandpa Bend style

2010-06-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

4.18.10
It's kind of hard to say "no" to your father, and the grandfather of your children when he is so much fun and takes your sons 4-wheeling. BUT, when he takes them 4-wheeling like this......

....sometimes you just have to smile, cross your fingers, and look the other way.

church with Delaney

2010-06-18T18:58:00.001-07:00

4.18.10

While in Bend, we thought it would be fun to bring Delaney along to Primary with Trey. She has never attended Primary but we knew she would enjoy the songs and the sweet lessons Primary offers. And yes, my boys wore their Easter outfits for the third week in a row. Luckily, they didn't wear them to the same places each week.

Delaney wasn't into taking pictures this afternoon, so, this is the greatest pictures I caught of the three of the boys.

The lesson which was taught in Primary was on Prayers. The teacher asked Delaney how she began her prayers, and her response was, "Dear God." Way to go Delaney! We love you.

bend, or

2010-06-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

4.17.10
Jokingly, I was telling my mom we needed to come to Bend soon. And joking back, my mom said, "How about next weekend?" I was working on a Saturday doing Mammograms, and thought, "why not?" Trey would only be missing 1 day of preschool, and pretty soon, he will be entering Kindergarten. We wont be able to miss school as easily. So, after a morning of work, we packed up the car, without Trey noticing, and headed off to Bend. We had gotten about 45 minutes away before I broke the news to Trey. It has become quite the game now that I play with him. Justin stayed behind as me and the boys ventured to Oregon!

When we got to Bend, Robert had just finished his job driving tow trucks, so he showed Trey his "rig." Tian enjoyed the view from the car.

Tian watching from the back of our car

Whatcha think about Trey's outfit? My mom died when he bounced out of the car.

We now know where Trey and Tian get their looks of concentration from. Uncle Robert!

The evening ended with movie watching on Grandma Bend's lap.

milk bubbles

2010-06-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

4.13.10

Trey received this cool cup with a straw from Grandma Bend for doing something amazing I am sure. (she rewards the boys for just about anything!) Tian has taken a liking as well to the cup and THIS is what enjoys to do when it is full of milk.....

This boy of mine is tooooo fun!