The Tate Family

Weston's 2 Month Appointment....2 weeks later....ooops!

2012-01-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Oh well! I need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to document. I'm just never going to do that well at it again, now that I have 3 kids. I wish I were that mom, but oh well! Wes had his 2 month appointment over 2 weeks ago and he was a big, brave boy...making his mom proud! He is getting cuter and cuter by the minute. It's getting dangerous cause one of these days I will bite his cheeks off, like clean off!

Weight: 12.79 pounds

Length: 23.25 inches

He has grown out of the sink and is now taking big boy baths...Mia loves to take her bath with him! Don't judge her white trash tattoo...it was a classy butterfly on her bicep that sadly washed away after about 25 baths! :)

A Recap Of Christmas

2012-01-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

Weston's first Christmas!

Christmas was seriously a blast! One of my favorites so far since having kids. Wes was for sure everyones favorite present this year! He is such a joy!

We spent Christmas Eve at the Thompson house. We went out back to sing Christmas songs around the campfire and Santa actually made a surprise visit from the top of my parents house. Bo spotted him and I caught this priceless look on his face! It was seriously magical!

My brother Chris and his fiance Sarah!

Weston and Pop

Christmas morning was definitely memorable. Wes rolled over from his stomach to his back and has since done it twice! Bo got tons of legos and Mia got plenty of LaLaLoopsy to hold her over for a while! Santa spoiled the kids, but it was so fun!

Christmas morning pictures are just classic! Tired, squinty eyes and bed head are my favorite!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from the Tate's!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Bo's note "Four Sata"

This past week has been so fun and festive. My kids are loving the holidays and Steve and I have been taking full advantage of the Santa threats...what will we do when Christmas is over?! I had one of those flashback moments this past week when Bo had his first singing program at school. Am I seriously old enough to be going to my own kids programs at school? So crazy! Seriously, when I was watching this I had perma-smile...it's too cute!

Mia also had a Christmas program of her own at dance class. She loves dancing and I can't help but laugh the entire time I watch her!

This past week the kids also got a little visit from Santa. Mia asked Santa for a house...poor man thinks we are homeless! I wouldn't be surprised if we get a sub for santa delivery ;)!

My Boys

And lastly, our house is really flying! Although we aren't necessarily home for the holidays yet, hopefully we will be in next month!

House Update

2011-12-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

They put the rock up and now are working on the siding!

Temple Square

2011-12-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Isn't Christmas the best?! Last night we took the kids to see the lights. Don't mind the enormous, blue bulge on Steve's stomach...it's just Wes, sleeping in his little belly pack!

Turkey Bowl....

2011-11-27T18:05:00.001-08:00

Although I retired from the Thompson family turkey bowl around my sophomore year of high school, Steve still enjoys being a part of it. He took Bo and braved the cold...something I unfortunately am way too big of a wuss to do!

Wes' First Football Game!

2011-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Steve and I were given tickets to the Utah vs. UCLA game. Because the tickets were for a suite, we figured it was ok to brave the snow with our fresh little bundle, Weston. As we were driving over that night, Steve and I realized that Bo's first Utah game was the UCLA game as well...what a coincidence. There must be some sub-concious significance right?

Progress on our Nest...

2011-11-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Our house is really coming along! As of yesterday, they finished drywalling!

Have You Heard Him?

2011-11-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

You have probably heard Steve on the radio if you or your husband is a Utah fan. I think he is really good at this and might just be the next Dan Patrick...he just needs to find some cronies and he is in business!

Snapshots of the Past Week...

2011-11-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

Wes is changing so much...he is becoming more and more aware and cuter, every day! He is killing me with how edible he is!

Wes

Bo and Mia, arts and crafts time...all the time!

Mia being silly....all the time! :)

In preparing for Santa to come, I have been asking my kids all the time what they want Santa to bring them. Trying to steer Mia toward one of my favorite toys as a child that has recently made a comeback, I showed Mia a cabbage patch doll at Target. I asked her if she wanted one and she said, "No, those are weird. They have chubby faces!" Don't judge....I didn't teach her this, but hilarious, nonetheless!

So Happy...

2011-11-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

We recently, before Wes was born, got our kids pictures taken. The print is finally done and I can't wait to hang it in our house!

Don't Let Him Fool You

2011-11-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

This little guy looks like a peaceful sleeper, but wait until about 2am hits...he will rock your world! Steve and I are exhausted and want to cry. I forgot that having a new baby makes you go insane! I feel guilty saying anything cause he is so cute and sweet! He does melt my heart!

Snapshots Of the Past Week...

2011-11-04T15:59:00.001-07:00

Bath time in the sink

Wes had his 2 week appointment this past week. He was 21 and 3/4 inches long and weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. Almost exactly what Mia weighed when she was born! Crazy! He gets cuter and cuter every day! I honestly want to eat him!

We took the kids to the cutest little pumpkin patch out in Riverton. It was awesome!

Mia the bee and Thor

Steve and his pile of people and animals.

Mia's Halloween Dance Party

Bo's Halloween Parade

They completely finished framing yesterday! So, so fast!

More Progress...

2011-10-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

And We Have A Wall....

2011-10-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

We might just move in to our little one walled house. It could possibly be quite cold, but we would have our own space and at least, for sure, our own wall! I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Sweet Moments

2011-10-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Poor Wes is smothered every second of the day. But, seeing how much the kids adore him seriously melts me! This is what it is all about!

Snapshots Of the Past Week...

2011-10-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Our little boy chunking it up!

Bo's first Kindergarten performance...."Three Blind Mice"

Weston grabbing hold of Steve's hand while he eats.

Visible evidence that we now have 3 children....poor homeless Mia!

"Ear Muffs"

Trip to the zoo.

Foundation down, we are rolling!

Weston's Baby Story!

2011-10-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Flowers I got during my hospital stay

Last Thursday morning, October 13, I noticed that I didn't feel well. I have always been induced with my babies, so I didn't quite know what I was looking for when it came to going into labor on my own. I was expecting Hollywood, so I was expecting my water bursting everywhere to cue me in that my baby was coming. Steve had just left for work and I was feeding my kids breakfast when all of a sudden I was hit by a doubling over contraction! But, see, there was no rushing water geysers bursting so all I thought was, "Well, that hurt!" I figured that since I already had plans for my doctors appointment an hour later, I would ask him his thoughts. But, then I got pounded again. This time I collapsed on the floor in pain and it lasted a good 30 seconds. I now was sure this wasn't normal so I got my bag packed and rushed the kids to go. Looking back, I find it hilarious that I threw some laundry in the dryer and went in search of the kids missing sweatshirts, all in between kill me now contractions. We finally made it out to the car and as I am driving off to drop the kids off at my sisters, I double over again. I decided, FINALLY, to call Steve and tell him that I was 90% sure that I was in labor. He asked if he should come and pick me up and I assured him, "No, I am fine! I will drop the kids off and then I will meet you at St. Marks." As we drove, I stopped feeling contractions and decided that I had for sure been dramatic. All of a sudden I was hit with the most intense contraction so far. I was sent into a scream. Bo started crying in the back seat and Mia thought it was hilarious. Apparently she thought I was being a bit dramatic.

Fine one minute, dying the next!

I made it to St. Marks and cute Steve was outside waiting for me. Luckily he was already at St. Marks for work that morning, so when I called, he was there and prepared! I was admitted and was dilated to 4 and a half. I have a history of really long labors, so my doctor had me walk around the hospital for an hour. That was so hard! Steve had me power walking around St. Marks and every minute and a half I had to stop for a contraction. So bizarre for me! But, it did work. When I got checked after my walk I was at a 5 and a half and at that point, my body really felt like it was in full swing! It started to really become miserable! I didn't have my epidural yet and I could really feel my body getting ready. The pain was seriously unbearable. It's one of those pains you can't describe! When she checked me about a half hour later I was to a 7 and she went to go and get the anesthesiologist for my epidural. Really, looking back, it was unnecessary because I was moving way too fast, but I was desparate and had him do it anyway. I think I squoze Steve's hands so hard that I broke his bones, poor guy! It was pain at an extreme and all during the time that I was getting that epidural, I knew that I had shifted to a ten. She checked and I was right! Within 10 minutes and 4 pushes, my baby made his entrance into the world! He is perfect! He was my smallest baby by far, but he was also 2 weeks early! Once again, I am blown away by how much I can adore another person! He is amazing and we are beyond happy!

Weston Jeffrey Tate . 12:29 pm . 7 pounds 14 ounces

Our little pumpkin

Grandma Kathy & Wes

Pop & Wes

Uncle Corm & Wes

Baby Weston Is Here!

2011-10-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

After rushing into the hospital this morning in major labor, we welcomed our little sweetheart into the world! We are so happy! Welcome home baby Weston! I just can't say enough how happy we are!

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Just Waiting...

2011-10-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Another few days have passed and as it turns out, we just keep waiting. That is what my life is right now...just waiting for a baby to come and for progress to continue on our "crater". As you can see from the pictures, calling our property a "crater" is really not too far off! We took the kids to go see it this weekend and I thought that the picture of Mia crying was perfectly appropriate! It is exactly what this process makes you do, especially when you are pregnant! Cute Steve has been really patient with me! Thank goodness for him! He literally keeps me sane!

Bo has been playing baseball for the past month and not to brag or anything, but he owns it! :) It's coach pitch, so he is heading into the big leagues, no more hitting off the Tee! And while Bo works, Mia plays! Her new favorite discovery is rolling down hills! Those were the days!

Tiny Dancer

2011-10-05T10:38:00.001-07:00

Mia started dance class a couple of weeks ago and she is really quite in heaven! I danced on and off as a little girl but I always preferred sports. Now that mia is dancing I am loving it! I love braiding her hair and making her all girly and less homeless looking! I am also really hoping she has a little more natural talent than me and my notoriously genetic "Thompson shuffle" (Steve's awesome nickname for my dance moves)!

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Updates....

2011-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the thing about me...I have lost all motivation, completely to post. Not only are we building our new home, but I am 37 weeks pregnant and I am huge! As always! I can't imagine that my skin can stretch anymore! My stomach is so huge that no joke, my skin is beginning to look transluscent....I wouldn't be surprised if I saw my baby wave to me through my giant protruding orb! The funny thing is, I am almost done, but what is it about those last few weeks of pregnancy that feel like it will never end?! I got checked last week at my last doctor's appointment and as sure as I was that he was going to tell me, "Oh, yep, go ahead and push, his head is right there!" That didn't happen, in fact, I am showing no sign whatsoever of progressing to labor. Nothing! My baby wants to shack up in my stomach until adulthood! I really don't blame him, Jr. High does suck, but seriously, I am ready to be done! On a happy note, we are all so excited to see him! He is one loved little cricket! I already adore him! The only recent picture I have of myself in my huge state is this picture of some of my siblings and me from my cousin, Riley's wedding a couple of weeks ago. At least someone has proof that I have gotten overly voluptuous ;)!

And here is the latest photo update of our property...they lay the foundation this week! Bless their little construction worker souls!

Progress, yay!

2011-09-13T16:29:00.003-07:00

So I didn't realize that building a house was going to take forever to start but it has...oh yeah, I forgot to mention, we are building a house! We are so excited but getting started has taken FOREVER! Today was a good day...it has begun! Here we go!

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Having A Full Heart....

2011-09-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

This morning, Steve and I took Mia and Bo out to the 9/11 Healing Field in Sandy. There was such an indescribable and powerful spirit there. Each flag represented someone who lost their life on 9/11 and on each flag was a name and a description of the person that the flag represented. We tried to explain to Bo what had happened 10 years ago and you could see that he didn't understand how people could do that. Can any of us really understand that? I read so many of these cards. So many people with stories and families, it broke my heart once again. But, really I also left with a full heart and a feeling of pride for my country. We are so blessed and will never forget that day!

Yesterday, I saw this video for the first time. It makes me wonder what kind of a person I would be in this situation. It also makes me wonder how many more stories there are like this that we will never know about. I believe that people are innately good and stories like this prove that to me!

Bo's First Day of School....

2011-08-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

We have all been waiting anxiously here in the Tate household for kindergarten to start. Cute Bo is so smart, he has been ready for this for at least a year! On our way to school I asked Bo how he was feeling and he told me he was excited, but that his tummy was doing weird things! So funny! After a few anxious tears and butterflies in his stomach...he made it through his first day of school! Holy cow, what happened to my baby?!

Mia kept giving Bo kisses saying she was going to miss him so much! She really did!

Here's to the rest of our lives! Hopefully he enjoys school a little more than I did!

There Is Really No Stopping Her...

2011-08-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

For Mia's third birthday, in July, we got her a balance bike! She has loved every second of it, but she has let us know that she would have preferred one like Bo, with pedals. After less than 2 months of riding on this balance bike, Mia insisted on the switch and I am shocked to say, she is riding a pedal bike with no training wheels....HOLY CRAP! Is that insane or what? It is hilarious to watch this tiny person riding a bike like a champ...it cracks me up! By the way, this heat is killing off my 8 month pregnant body....HELP ME!

Am I Awful?

2011-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

I find this hilarious on so many levels. I totally remember being a little girl and trying to do stuff like this to my dog! Most of the time my dog would escape, but Rudy was nice enough to oblige while Mia took him for a morning stroll! Am I an awful person that this is my favorite picture ever?

No News is Big News....

2011-07-26T08:52:00.001-07:00

Carolina, Bo, Owen and Mia

The past month has been filled with event after event. Starting with Mia's birthday, we kicked the month off in party mode. After the cabin and Wheeler Farm with cousins, Mia made it to age 3 feeling loved and adored, which she is! A few days ago I asked Mia how big she is and she told me, "48 and a half!" She is full of personality and I am totally crazy about her!

Bo being an older brother!

Mia and Carolina

Bo and Owen

My first ever cheesecake...I think it was a success!

Bo has been growing and learning so much. This last session of soccer he has already scored 7 goals! He also learned to ride a bike without training wheels thanks to Steve's patience! That was almost as hard as potty training, but he did it and now he is a bike riding machine. I will post pictures of that after I get them....give me a break :)! But everyday this past summer has involved swimming suits! The kids have been in heaven and I am sure they will be sad when the weather cools down!

Baby #3 is enjoying life inside the belly and he is moving around like crazy! I feel him constantly and was so excited the other morning when Bo got to see my alien stomach move around....I think it all of a sudden became real to him! He was so excited! I loved it!

Last but definitely not least, the following paragraph seems to be a consistent theme in my life! We have lived in our cute little bungalow now for 2 and a half years, but after 2 offers, we are moving on. I will go into more details about it later, but as for now, my life is filled with boxes! Call us crazy, but we will be living out of suitcases for the next 3 or 4 months while our new house is completed. We are excited, nervous and anxious...it will definitely be an adventure!

My baby girl is 3!

2011-07-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

Three years ago today my sweet baby girl made her entrance into the world! I absolutely adore her!

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Tonsillectomy

2011-06-21T08:30:00.001-07:00

My sweet, little Mia had to go in for surgery this morning! She has suffered from sleep apnia and snoring forever and it was all due to her extremely overgrown tonsils! Seriously, they are huge! While in the office waiting for her surgery they gave her a drink of something to "calm" her. It made her high...literally odd to see her like that! At one point she looked over at Steve and started laughing and said, "Dad has two noses!" Although I have to admit it was hilarious to see her like that, it was also extremely disturbing! Hopefully the recovery can be somewhat entertaining so that she isn't totally miserable! Pray for her!

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I Am Seriously Happy...

2011-05-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

The weather today really made me smile! I haven't had a diet coke in almost 5 months, but today I had my first in that long....I know, I am an addicted person, but hey, 5 months without caffeine is pretty good! So, while the kids enjoyed the shade in our backyard, I rested my diet coke on my built in side table (the pregnant belly) and watched the fabulous weather...it doesn't get much better! Is it really going to end tomorrow?

Defiance

2011-05-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

Remember yesterday when I said Mia is a know it all red head, well she is, through and through! Now that she wears underwear, she flat out refuses to wear pants! This is her all ready to go to the store look...I love the boots!

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Big Steps!

2011-05-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

I really am feeling a ton of guilt over my lack of motivation to document on this blog. I try to blame it on pregnancy, but I have to take responsibility for my suckiness! Because it is really my only way of truly remembering those special moments, I feel like a loser of a mom! There have been so many significant things over the past couple of weeks that I have to share. Every person in my little family has played an important part in the beauty of the past couple of weeks...I will start with Bo!

Obviously, as a mother, it's usually the little things that really make the job of motherhood so awesome.

A couple of weeks ago Bo was talking to Steve and I and said, "Hey, let's get in the car and go somewhere!"

Steve responded with, "Well, where do you want to go?"

Bo laughed at Steve like he was a total idiot and said, "Dad, I don't mean literally!"

What the? Who is this child? He is too smart for Steve and I!

One of the best moments for Steve and I came a few Sundays ago, on Mother's Day when Bo was, at the last minute, asked to give a talk in primary. Steve and I were definitely more nervous than Bo because we have never done the whole primary talk thing and really I didn't know how we were going to get Bo to memorize a whole talk in less than 12 hours, on the RESTORATION, nonetheless! So, Steve wrote down the talk and attempted to get Bo to memorize the lines. Bo surprised us when he looked at the paper over Steve's shoulder and began to read the lines himself. Lines like "Joseph Smith was a prophet!" Needless to say, he blew our minds up in front of the whole primary when he read his entire talk without a hitch and sounded out the bigger, more difficult words, with ease! Like I said, he is way too smart for me!

And then today, Bo had his last day in preschool...a sort of preschool graduation! It was awesome! We were those dorky parents with the video camera and camera trying to catch everything that went on! How and when does that happen? Anyway, seriously, if you are in the market for a preschool next year, I HIGHLY recommend Skyline child care preschool....they do a great job! Bo will really miss his "big friends" and I really appreciate the love and patience they showed for him! He is getting so big!

Bo and Mrs. Erickson

Bo and Gentry

Bo and Hailey (a cousin we didn't discover until last week...crazy!:)

and Bo's absolute favorite "big friend"....

Sarah....can we adopt her into our family, she loved Bo so much! There's nothing I appreciate more as a mother than someone who is unconditional with my child!

Then there is Mia...our bossy, little red head! I can't help but let her boss me around sometimes cause she is so cute. Steve says I spoil her! But, she did, out of nowhere, 2 days ago, reach a major milestone in her little life....potty training has officially happened and our little girl is wearing big girl underwear!

She told me yesterday, "Mom, I'm a big girl!"

I told her, "Yes, you are a really big girl!"

She then told me I can give her diapers to the new baby in my tummy! She's definitely not a baby anymore!

And speaking of the little person that is growing inside of me....we are having another boy! We are beyond thrilled! I literally have been glowingly happy about the news! It is exactly how I envisioned and Steve and I are SO happy! I am definitely growing faster than most, as usual, but for some reason, I am ok with that...all I care about is that this little guy comes safely into our home! I can't wait!

I Adore YOU!

2011-05-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Happy 7 years! It seriously gets better and better! I love you!

Partay!

2011-05-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last night, we invited our close friends and family over to celebrate Bo! It was so fun and really, everyone spoiled Bo way too much! We had a taco bar and cake and ice cream....it was the perfect way to send Bo off into year 5!

During this pregnancy I have had zero interest in chocolate...weird, I know! When it came time to make the cake I tried to convince Bo he wanted a yellow cake with vanilla frosting. As you can see, he didn't agree and I think his face shows how happy he is with the results!

Mia and Allie

Tate, Jack, Bryson and Bo

Happy Birthday Senor Bo!

2011-05-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today marks 5 years to the day that Bo came into my life and completely rocked my world! I am still crazy about him and he gets smarter and smarter every day! I kid you not, he is almost smarter than me...that's not saying a lot, but I digress! Bo is such a joy and really makes me happy! I am so proud of him and grateful that he forgives me for being such a pregnant freak....he's my guinea pig, first child, I test all of my parenting out on him and he still loves me! How lucky am I? Happy 5th Birthday BO! I hope you have the best, most fabulous Cinqo de Mayo birthday party EVER! I LOVE YOU!

So, apparently, you forget...

2011-04-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Not long after I finished my last post on here, a month and a half ago, I got hit by pregnancy! Full fledged barfing and non stop sleeping. I landed myself in the emergency room for i.v.'s...only once, but it sucked! I forgot how bad that first trimester sucks. Thus the lack of posts and motivation to finish showing you our amazing trip to France...one day, I guess! I hit week 14 today and I am feeling good. I am sure that by the time 3 pm hits, I won't be able to keep my eyes open, but as long as I can keep food down, I am happy!

Last week we were able to have our second ultra sound and it really made it all worth it. Seeing the little guy, (or gal, we couldn't tell) moving around and lifting his arms above his head reminded me that pregnancy is so worth it! Regardless of how much I hate how I feel, I am home to a little person that relies on me to keep him safe! How awesome is life!

On another note, we are taking our kids on a long road-trip to southern California and Disneyland today! I can't wait to warm my bones!

Day 1 & 2

2011-02-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

The first day we arrived in Paris we got off the plane and went straight to Versailles. I was excited to see the palace of so many people in history that I have read so much about. It's definitely one of those places that is hard to believe...I still can't believe people lived like this! It was really over the top and beautiful! Every corner had extravagant details and gorgeous paintings and more than anything, it was HUGE!

The Hall of Mirrors

Marie Antoinette's bedroom

After Versailles, we immediately took off straight for Beynac et Cazenac. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I threw us off course by about 3 hours! I pride myself in being able to navigate and give good directions, but jet lag combined with a foreign language really didn't help us out. When we finally arrived in the village, Steve and I almost cried out of joy when we saw the castle glowing on the cliff. Not only were we so happy to finally be there, but the sight of this village was literally breath taking! It was like nothing we had ever seen before! Then arriving at the cottage was all a part of the package! It almost made us forget about the hell of a drive we had just taken on.

The next morning we woke up and went to a neighboring village called Sarlat. They were having a market that was so charming and cute! Imagine walking through teeny little French streets that still look right out of the 14th century! Every alleyway had something new to discover! It was so beautiful!

Sarlat Market

Sarlat Cathedral

Peaking in through a keyhole of a locked part of the church that is no longer open to the public!

Back in America...

2011-02-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Beynac et Cazenac, France

After a long trip to France we are finally back in the good old USA! The trip is through and I am trying to get myself back to normal...I don't know how! I think the biggest adjustment is not having Steve around 100% of the time! We never left each other's side so as a result, I miss him a lot during the day! I now call him just about every hour! I don't know if it is possible to put into words how incredible this trip was...we both fell in love with this part of France! If you EVER have the chance to go to Beynac et Cazenac....go! It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen and the accomodations were phenomenal, I promise, this was the most perfect house to stay in! Thank you Stephanie & Ben, we really can't thank you enough! Here are a few photos to give a little sneak peak into our experience...as soon as I find the energy, I will post more!

Our cute little cottage...oozing with charm!

The view from our window....unbelievable right?

Beynac Castle

Bonjour from Paris!

2011-02-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

We finished up in Beynac et Cazenac and are now in Paris...I miss southern France and can't wait to share how amazing it was! While there, we found out some exciting news...We are expecting Tate baby #3...we are so excited!

A QUICK LOVE NOTE TO MY LOVER!

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to send a little love note to my husband...aren't high school Savanna and Steve gorgeous?! Happy Valentine's!

Bon Voyage!

2011-02-09T18:33:00.001-08:00

So, Steve and I leave for France tomorrow morning! My emotions this past week have run the gamut! I have been so stressed getting ready that I have literally thrown some serious SUE SYLVESTER tantrums from complete anxiety! But, today it has officially hit me....I am SO sad to leave my kids! I feel so guilty! Actually, Steve and I both do...we are honestly hoping we actually enjoy ourselves....will we? My kids are so dang cute and I absolutely adore them! If my flight goes down, I hope they don't remember the Sue Sylvester me! Wish us luck! Aurevoir!

P.S. I actually feel kind of weird doing this, and really, it's not like I totally deserve to win, but if you get a chance, do you mind voting for me to win this photography mentoring class....I have been eying this for a while and would love the opportunity! Thanks everyone!

Major Reminder

2011-01-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

This past week has been an extremely interesting and trying week. My sweet, little sister had a miscarriage at 15 weeks. I can't even imagine how this feels, but going through this with her has taught me so much! I have a stronger testimony in the love of the Savior and the peace that can come from turning to Him. I have had a major reminder that I need to be more aware of those around me, and I have a responsibility to help. I really hope people feel like they can turn to me for help in their trials because I genuinely want to be there for them! I definitely think I get caught up in my own life and I miss those cues from people who are in need. I really hope I can be better....I guess that is my belated New Year's resolution!

Am I Absolutely Crazy?

2011-01-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

So I am thinking about doing this to my haircolor...thoughts...am I totally crazy to go from almost black to one of these versions of red? Which one is best in your opinions?

Happy

2011-01-21T15:36:00.001-08:00

I have a few things that are making me happy right now...first off, the sun making such a strong entrance into this new year has really made me glowingly happy! As you can see from this picture, Bo is pretty happy himself! He looks like he is going to take off into the sunset!

Secondly, I have been brushing up on my French and I am happy to report that radiation did not completely destroy that area of my brain! I remember so much more than I expected! Which brings me to the third thing making me so happy....Steve and I officially leave for France in 3 weeks! Like I said, I am happy! I can't believe it's really happening...

I guess I am getting up there!

2011-01-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend at the cabin celebrating my birthday. Unfortunately, my body didn't get the memo that it was time to party and I was sick all weekend! But, I am a year older, which is awesome! Steve was the best...not only did he spoil me with gifts, but he took the kids and gave me some room to recover! They went sledding non stop and all I can say is that he is a good dad...he walked Mia up the hill on his shoulders every time! I would tell Mia to toughen up and walk! ;)

I really do love this man...

2011-01-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we got to celebrate one of my favorite people ever...Steve turned 28 yesterday and really, I can't think of a better way to spend a day than devoting my thoughts to someone who I absolutely adore! The day started off at 6:45 am with Steve's friends Matt and Dan kidnapping Steve for breakfast! Like the good old days at Churchill Jr. High, they kidnapped Steve right out of bed! Steve was just glad that they didn't spread deodorant all over him like they did when he was in 7th grade, although that would have been completely appropriate for a birthday breakfast bash! Unfortunately for Steve, after breakfast he had to drive to Richfield for the day to work at a clinic....he didn't get home until about 6:30, just in time for cake, ice cream and a little somethin somethin....;) just kidding! I do want to put out into the world that I absolutely love Steve! He is my rock, and on the days when I really feel like I am losing my mind (which is every day lately), he saves me! I am so glad he was born and that he is mine! Happy Birthday hon!

Potty Talk Clarification

2011-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

As of the past couple of weeks, Mia has shown some major interest in the potty chair. Oddly enough, she is willing to do poops, lots of them, but pee, not happening. So, the other night I had her sitting on the potty chair and I told her that she needed to go pee. After a few pushes she looked at me and in a matter of fact way told me, "Mom, it's not working. I need a body to go pee."

I responded with, "Mia, you have a body!"

She then explained, "No mom, I don't have a body...I need a big body like Bo to go pee!"

So to clarify, I asked her, "Does mom have a body?"

And she laughed and said, "No mommy; only Bo and Dad!"

Thank goodness I don't have a body!

Something that you might enjoy...

2011-01-03T16:27:00.001-08:00

I have a slight confession to make....I never thought the words would come out of my mouth, and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I love pop/r&b. I will say that I haven't always loved this genre, but something about having children has brought me back to my high school, stompin it up self. So, those of you who know my children know that they are, as a result, obsessed with pop/r&b. I guess you could say that I have brainwashed them...oh well! But, this footage is too good to pass up. I caught Bo mouthing his little heart out in the back seat to one of these songs....yes, Bo is wearing a spiderman costume and yes I did video him while I was driving! I am sorry, we are a weird family!

I can't believe 2010 is almost over....

2010-12-30T16:12:00.001-08:00

Seriously, how fast does time fly? I can't move on though, until I finish off my documentation of our fabulous Christmas! We had so much fun Christmas morning and the kids probably got a little spoiled by Santa, but it was a huge success!

Superhero Central

Classic Christmas morning bed head pics!

French Toast, Sausage and Bacon

What else can you say about these pictures of Mia's jewelry besides gorgeous? The clip on earrings are my fave!

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

Pictures with our hundredth Santa of the season and Mia is still scared to death...as you can see, I was not letting her off his lap! "You will sit on the fat man's lap and you will like it"...it's all about the Christmas memories, right! :)

I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone! It has been such a whirlwind couple of days and not only are the kids exhausted, but Steve and I can hardly keep our eyes open. We spent Christmas Eve at the Tate's house and although the hyper activity and anticipation was at an all time peak, it was so fun and the kids were in Christmas magic heaven! We started Christmas Eve morning by letting the kids give each other the gifts they had chosen out for each other. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of this Christmas...they were so sweet to each other and were completely hands on in choosing out each others gifts! And they kept it a secret from each other for a good 4 days...that's pretty impressive!

Bo's joy at discovering the Spiderman gift from Mia!

Mia with her "pink princess"...

Is this sac religious? Apparently we read our kids the Christmas story that involves Spiderman...you haven't heard of it? It's awesome!

Tate House

Mia, Bo, Tate, Bryson, Allie

Bo and Santa

When we finally got back home, we received a ring at our doorbell and a special gift from our elves....Jingle and Jangle! So exciting!

Partying it up...

2010-12-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

So, this past weekend, we Christmas partied it up...like hard core! We are talking gingerbread houses, Santa, food, cookies, candy, Chucky Cheese's even CJ's restaurant for breakfast...yeah, like I said, we know how to Christmas party it up hard core! We have 2 very angry children from a few late nights, but it was all worth it!

Thompson Family Party

Bo's Christmas Party hangover!

Mallorie, Grandma Kathy, Mia, Carolina

Christmas gang signs...these mean peace on earth! :)

Uncle Chris, Pop and Bo

Tate Family Christmas Party

Bo, Santa :), Bryson, Tate and Mia

Last but not least, a gorgeous custom portrait of the kids....Chuck E Cheese's style!

Family Christmas Cards 2010....

2010-12-16T09:38:00.001-08:00

So, this past October, Steve and I decided to be a real family and hire a photographer to take our family pictures...although my kids were slight nightmares, I am so happy with how the pictures turned out! So, to all those who aren't receiving a physical Christmas card from us, Merry Christmas! Here's our digital "Happy Holidays" to you...and a few of my favorites from our shoot! I guess we are officially a real family :)!

I can't tell if I love or hate this one! A little too much face and it accentuates that awesome cowlick in my bangs like no other, but I guess when Steve and I are old and gray we might appreciate it a little more!

Dear Santa

2010-12-07T03:06:00.000-08:00

Bo brought this letter for Santa home from preschool today. He explained that he wants Santa to bring him a remote control dinosaur...I definitely think Santa would have appreciated this information a few weeks ago when he finished up his Christmas shopping! Shoot!

Ringing it In...

2010-12-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Our house is all decorated, Steve got up the lights outside and we took a little trip downtown this weekend to enjoy the lights. It was our first time celebrating the holidays at the Gateway and it was so fun spending it with our good friends the Evans family! The air was extra crispy and cold and the smell of sauerkraut was everywhere...how much more Christmas can you get than sauerkraut ;) ? As you can see from the pictures, Bo has taken on the role of family bodyguard rather nicely!

Casey, Jack, Amy and cutest baby Elle!

Never Ending White...

2010-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

We have officially welcomed in winter with a MAJOR snow storm! After 4 times shoveling our walks in 24 hours, I think we are almost completely clear! The kids and Steve built our first snowman of the season...I love the moldy zucchini nose! I watched them build the snowman from the house, in my sweats and drinking my hot chocolate...yeah, I am a good mom!

Is that a sea turtle?

2010-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

This picture cracks me up! Can you tell they are brother and sister? While other kids splash in the bath, apparently my kids like to lazily float in the water! Mia claims it is her interpretation of a sea turtle! I'll take it!

What We Have Been Up To....

2010-11-11T15:01:00.001-08:00

We signed Bo up for swimming school....can you tell someone is a little jealous?

Pampas

2010-11-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Pampas Bakery that is! Tonight, Steve took the kids and I to a little hole in the wall Argentine restaurant in Sugarhouse. Being that Steve served his mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he has always tried to describe the deliciousness of what he ate there. Tonight, I got to experience Argentina and I was SO not disappointed, in fact, I was overly happy about it! Steve could not believe how authentic it tasted and border line cried ;) with nostalgia! The decor is slightly strange and it is located in kind of a basement, but I have to tell you....it's so dang good! The empanadas are to die for and the pastries, well they are heaven! If you are in Salt Lake, you have got to go!

Empanada Joy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

Zombieland

2010-10-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Steve and I watched a scary movie, Paranormal Activity, last night and I am so not the person I was in high school! I used to love scary movies, but now I am just not quite as interested in watching a movie with my hands covering my face the entire time! But, I first saw Zombieland a few months ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since...that doesn't happen very often. Now, you may think I am crazy, but I seriously LOVE this movie and Steve can vouch for the fact that it is brilliant! It has just enough scary to make it very Halloween appropriate, but it is also HILARIOUS! Without a doubt one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! For those of you who watch Rated R movies and are not offended by the F word, over and over and over again, then please watch this show tonight and tell me your thoughts! Don't worry, there is no nudity, just a lot of zombie violence! You may be totally judging me right now, and I would have to say I deserve it, but if I am going to hell, at least Steve will be going with me! :)

Costume Overload!

2010-10-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much the kids are in their costumes...it's a constant all pre-Halloween! When I was growing up I remember wearing my costume to school and then wearing it that night for trick-or-treating...now there are about 5,000 activities requiring costumes outside of Halloween night. Don't get me wrong, I am not totally complaining, it just seems a little overloaded! But, there is something to say for seeing your kids dressed up....it is so entertaining! I may be a little bias here, but I don't think Mia could get much cuter!

And then there is Bo...the most authentic Spiderman in history! Can you tell he has no problem getting into character?

Bo's First School Halloween Experience!

2010-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

I think the title pretty much sums it up...Bo experienced the pre school Halloween parade at Skyline High School and as to be expected, he loved it! Is anyone surprised that Bo wanted to be Spiderman? I don't think so!

Bo with his teacher, Mrs. Erickson

My unsuccessful attempt at a shot of Bo and Mia together at his school....clearly they are very interested in this idea!

Yikes...

2010-10-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

This morning as my kids and I pulled out of the driveway, chattering our teeth, Mia looked at the pumpkins on our front porch and said, "Mom, the pumpkins are wearing hats!"

I appreciate the joy my kids can find in this weather, but as for me, I am struggling with the snow! I may or may not have worn sweats all day yesterday at the grocery store, at Bo's pre school and out to lunch (yes, I was that mom :)!

Yum...

2010-10-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

I made these today with my kids. I had made them before but this was my first attempt at little spooky guys...the mummies are my personal fave, but the cupcakes themselves, they are all pretty freaking delicious! If you like pumpkin then you have to try these! Yum! One little word of warning...the frosting is probably not meant for "piping", but oh my words, it's to die for!

Romina's Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups if you're making your own puree)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter, cubed and cold
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon spice mix (see below)

Spice Mix**

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

**you'll only need to use 1/4 teaspoon of this mix for the frosting so keep the remaining mix as a reserve for something else yummy or for the next time you make this recipe.

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Line three 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.

To make the cupcakes, in a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt.

In another, larger bowl whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring with a large wooden spoon until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake until the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for ten minutes; then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream the butter until fluffy, but still cold. Add the cream cheese in small chunks. When completely combined (no lumps of either butter or cream cheese), add the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla and then 1/4 teaspoon of the spice mix before blending one last time.

So, I Am Kind of Freaking out....

2010-10-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

You know when blogs have giveaways and you're thinking to yourself, "Yeah right, I am not going to win so I am not even going to enter!"? Well, I always pass over those little giveaways just like the rest of the world, but Stephmodo had one last week that was calling to me. She owns an amazing cottage in southern France and she was giving away a free weeks stay in seriously a freaking dream of a place...La Maisonette! When I saw the giveaway I decided to enter with no intention of winning...wasn't I surprised to see my teeny little head as the winner of that week long stay! HOLY CRAP! Steve and I are going on a trip...like a real, romantic, once in a lifetime trip....thank you Stephmodo! YAY! I am in serious, total dream shock!

Preview...

2010-10-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

I took pictures of my brother-in-law's family the other night...here is one of my favorites! Taylor's face is just way too cute! Can you tell that she is completely adored? Cause she is!

By the way, my sister-in-law, Jamie (the girl pictured above) recommended the book "The Help"...I just finished it and can I tell you how much I loved it?! It was so good and such an incredible depiction of women! It totally inspired me!

Halloween Festivities Up in Here...

2010-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

This past week I took my kids to a play group at Engh Gardens...it was great! I highly recommend it! The story time and the pirate ship were the definite high lights for the kids!

On a side note, we had our first ever REAL family photo shoot last night. Although I am excited to see the pictures, now I know why my family did it every 25 years while growing up !

Snookus Freaks!

2010-09-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took the kids to the circus, or as Mia says it "Snookus", not to be mistaken with Snooki although, she is ironically appropriate when referring to the circus! It was a long day of waiting on the front porch for Steve to get home from work so that we could go...the kids were slightly excited! Bo did some circus jumps of his own to prepare for the freak show ahead! He wants to be in the circus...he knows what's up! And while we are on the subject of freaks, yes, Mia does look like a teenager in these pictures and she is only 2...she's scaring me! Back on track, the snookus was fun and the kids loved it...there were some parts that I might have recurring nightmares about, but all in all, it was a fun night!

Dang it all...

2010-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today my cute nephews and sister-in-law are heading back to Abu Dhabi to re-unite with my brother, McSean. I am going to miss them so much! But, I have a feeling Bo is going to miss them more...especially Owen!

Bo's first day of school....

2010-09-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today Bo started pre-school. Although he was nervous, he handled it like a champ! We got him signed up at Skyline High pre-school. Steve took the childcare class when we went to Skyline and so he knew what Bo was in for and Bo did indeed love it! Bo, Mia and I celebrated by going out for cupcakes after we picked him up...here's to the rest of our lives! EEEK! Time is flying by too quickly!

Bo displaying his beautiful straw necklace at the cupcake shop.

We Had a Great Weekend...

2010-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

We spent our Labor Day holiday down at the Tate Family cabin and it was so much fun! Steve's dad rented a couple of wave runners and so most of the weekend was spent down at Gunnison Reservoir. The sun warmed our bones one last time before Fall officially hits. I can't believe how many fall leaves we saw...it is seriously on it's way! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fall, but I hate winter, so I am slightly scared of what lies ahead! :) But, tomorrow is Bo's first day of pre school ever, so as one last hurrah, we enjoyed ourselves at the cabin!

Bryson and Mia in the golf cart.

Bo and Steve wave running it up

Cute little white trash Steve

Tate, Bo and Bryson

Mia and Bo holding hands impromptu...aaah they do love each other!

Taylor and Mia

Mia with her classic homeless face

Cute Cousins....Tate, Bryson, Bo and Mia

Seriously?

2010-09-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

I know I keep quoting my children like crazy, but I swear my kids are going through extremely quotable stages in their lives so I apologize if you want an in depth, from the heart post, but this latest quote is too good to pass up!

As I have mentioned before, Bo has definitely been learning some bad habits from his mother. Although it is slightly hilarious to hear casual swear words come out of my 4 year olds mouth, I have realized in the past few months that these no big deal swear words are becoming much to casual for Bo. I have to take responsibility, I never hear Steve say any of these words and Bo usually says these words at the exact moments that I am thinking them...I have decided that I need to nip it!

Anyway, tonight, as I was loading the kids in the car, Mia decided to throw a fit and arch her back as I buckled her into her car seat. Bo, in frustration with his diva of a sister says, "Mia, stop crying! Damn!"

I won't lie, I was thinking that exact thing, but I responded by saying, "Bo, we don't say that word. Damn is a naughty word!"

Bo matter of factly reacts to that by explaining to me in an annoyed way, "Mom, damn is not a naughty word. Beavers make 'dams' all the time!"

I had nothing to say to that! What do you say to the smartest child in the world when he is right? Seriously!

Today, While Sitting In Church...

2010-08-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Mia was coloring in her coloring book when she looked up at Steve and said, "Dad, dad, what's your name?"

Steve told her, "Steve"...she took her crayon and interpreted "Steve" with a little circle on the coloring book.

Then she looked up at me and asked the same question, "Mom, what's your name?"

I told her, "Savanna."

She questioned me with a loud, "Sanna?" as if that was the weirdest name she had ever heard...I told her yes and she turned away with her signature proud, closed mouth grin and once again "wrote" my name on the coloring book in the form of a bright red, squiggly circle.

It was awesome!

It was a beautiful weekend...

2010-08-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

We took our kids for a walk around temple square on Saturday night. I think the pictures speak for themselves! They were loving life....I am not sure how appropriate running races around the fountain is and almost falling in about 1000 times, but they were in their own little heaven!

The Other Day...

2010-08-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

While driving in the car, the subject of age came up with Bo. I was explaining to him that Mia cries a lot because she is only two. Not four like Bo.

Bo went quiet for a minute and then asked me, "Mom, where is my number?"

I didn't get what he was talking about so I asked him what he meant. He said, "Where is my number? Is my 4 inside of my body?"

Let's be honest, age is a strange concept and I couldn't help but smile and imagine a little teeny 4 bouncing off the inside walls of Bo's little guy body!

Poor girl....

2010-08-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Mia is getting so big and I can't believe that we seriously put her in a big girl bed this weekend! It has been the easiest transition because she wants to be like Bo! In fact, she tells me when she wants to take a nap...she's that happy about it...dream! On top of that though, Mia is getting a bigger personality every day. Every day she insists on dressing herself and her latest outfit looked like this:

What I failed to capture were the cowboy boots she had on over her pajama pants...I have mentioned it before, but her nickname has quickly become "homeless Mia"! She's the crazy lady on the bus holding a cat (you know exactly which lady I am referring to), but she pulls it off cause I still think she is stinkin cute! I should take part responsibility for this though because I actually let her look like this, my red headed step child!

On a side note, I went with my sisters and mom to a LATE movie the other night. I was not looking forward to seeing "Eat, Pray, Love" because, gasp, I can't stand Julia Roberts. But, shock of a lifetime, I loved the movie and I actually thought that Julia Roberts did a good job...I didn't even want to throw things at her face on the movie screen...that's big! But, I highly recommend seeing it....it's beautiful!

What We Have Been Up To....

2010-08-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

Bo started another season of Tee ball. Casey Evans, our neighbor, asked Steve to be his assistant coach and so Bo and Jack have been playing their first season of sports together! I am telling you, something happened when Bo learned to ride a bike because ever since he has been showing more and more confidence in everything he tries. As a result, he has been loving tee ball and he improves daily! It's so fun to see! Today is his last game. Sad that it's over!

Bo's wind up is classic!

Bo and Jack

Mia "helping" coach and saying "hi" to Bo

Jack

The Home Improvement Itch...

2010-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Steve has definitely got it. To be honest, I didn't ever think Steve would be a handy man, but he has absolutely proven me wrong in the past few months! Meet "handy man" Steve...he took on building a pergola over our back patio and finished it in a couple of days! I am pretty excited about it and I think he did a great job! Now if we can get some wisteria going, the project will be complete!

One of Those Moments....

2010-07-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

For Bo's birthday, Steve and I got him a bike. A big kid bike, with training wheels. We were so excited to give it to him and when Bo finally jumped on, we realized he didn't share our same enthusiasm. He was less than interested. Whenever we told him we were going to ride bikes he would cry or pout like we were torturing him. It was extremely frustrating for us! Last week, nearly 2 and a half months after receiving it and making him practice almost every day, a break through happened and Bo figured out how to do it! Riding a bike may seem like something small to everyone else, but I can honestly say, without exaggeration, that it was one of the proudest moments I have had as a parent so far! I knew it was hard for him and I knew he hated it, but he pushed through, figured it out and now he LOVES it! It was huge! Now we spend most of our day riding figure eights in our driveway. Mia occupies herself with the stroller...little momma!

Snapshots from the 4th...

2010-07-12T12:34:00.001-07:00

Now, I know the 4th is now considered "way back when", but the time we spent at the cabin is important to document nonetheless! We had a really fun time and the kids are truly in heaven every time we go.

Bo and Mia got to ride horses at a little town fair. It was Mia's first time and her poor little head was bouncing back and forth so much. I was afraid she was going to get whiplash!

Wynn and Chris gave Mia this little sink for her birthday present. She hopped right in and called it her "tub". Bo went right to work dumping water all over her.

Chris got all of the kids these cowboy hats and bandanas for the fourth...they looked so dang cute!

Chris . Tate . Bryson . Bo . Mia

We went to the Mt. Pleasant Rodeo and Bo got to participate in the cow wrestling competition....seriously, great stuff!

We Christened Our Fire pit

2010-07-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our good friends over for a barbecue. We love the Weddles and the Evans and figured it was the perfect opportunity to christen our fire pit. It was so fun to have everyone together...we don't see the Weddles enough...curse those Chargers! ;) But, lucky for us, Casey and Amy live right across the street, we see each other every day!

Seeing these three together again was awesome. This was Steve's Safety experience...

Bo and Brooklyn

Jack

Gaige

The Evans Family

The Weddle Family

Mia giving loves

Birthday Celebrations!

2010-07-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were able to celebrate Mia with all of our family. She is definitely worth the celebration! She was also incredibly spoiled and as a parent, I feel overwhelmed by all of the outpouring of love she receives from all of those people who matter most! On a side note, I hope Mia will forgive me for letting her look like a homeless child. One day I will learn how to do little girls hair...hopefully!

Mia and her twin cousin Taylor

Mia and her neighbor Jack

Mia and her aunt Jamie

Me and my cute parents

Happy Birthday to my girl!

2010-07-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

To my beautiful little girl...

Happy Birthday! Is it possible that you are two? I have to tell you...I absolutely, unconditionally adore you! You are a joy to our family and I can't get enough of you! You are such a happy girl. Your laugh is absolutely contagious and, without fail, you have Bo bursting into laughter at every meal! Nothing makes me happier than seeing your relationship with Bo grow stronger every day! Although he drives you crazy, your forgiveness of his pestering you, blows me away! You are already a very kind and caring person! Whenever you see me you run to me and give me hugs and you always tell me that I am funny! What you don't realize is that you are hilarious! You love to make people laugh and although you are teasing yourself, you love to make Bo laugh by calling yourself "poopy Mia"....now that's funny!

I feel so blessed to have you in my life! I find extreme joy in giving you comfort when you are sad, reading you books and listening to your stories! You already are my dear little friend and I can't wait to do more and more with you every day! Thank you so much for letting me be your mother! Could I be anymore blessed? Happy 2nd birthday! My stomach hurts when I think about how much I love you! These words are truly inadequate to fully express the joy you bring me, but I do love you...always, always!

Love,
Mom

Meet "Landscape Steve"....

2010-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Steve is always working on some project or another. He is an extremely hard worker and when he came up with the idea to build a fire-pit in our backyard, I thought he might be a little over ambitious! After coming home every night from work and going straight back to work on the fire pit, we now have a seriously professional looking feature in our backyard! Steve does have some surprising personality traits...this personality is what we call "Landscape Steve"!

Who needs the aviary?

2010-06-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

The other night Steve and I were lying in the hammock in our backyard when a huge bird landed on a cable right above our heads. Sarcastically I told Steve it was an owl, but when it turned it's head I realized that my sarcasm was correct. There was a real live owl hunting in our own backyard. It was crazy! Then we heard little chirps coming from above our head and sure enough, the owl went straight over to the chirps. The next day we went to investigate what we had heard and found a full on owl's nest. We couldn't see in it, but Steve and I have figured out that there is for sure a mother owl and a baby owl. How crazy is that?

Happy Thursday...

2010-06-17T15:45:00.001-07:00

Time is flying by! I can't believe it is Thursday, already!

Picture Perfect Week!

2010-06-05T20:08:00.001-07:00

This past week was pretty much heavenly and I have decided that I am in love with St. George! The weather was cooperative, which helps...we never went above 90 degrees! Plus, on top of all of that, Steve's work paid for it all! Like I said, it was heavenly!

The drive down...near the end the kids got a little slap happy!

The little splash park...why don't we have one of these in Salt Lake, I was obsessed with this!

A little hike in the red rocks...

And, the kids were wasted!

The next day we started out by going to a little museum called "Dinosaur Tracks". Knowing Bo, we figured anything dinosaur related should be awesome....well, truth be told, this museum was one of the most unexciting places I have ever gone! I wouldn't recommend it, unfortunately!

More hikes...

and more hikes!

And LOTS of pool time!

Not to be skipped over was Mia's bee sting. While swimming in the pool a little bee hooked itself up to her belly! Poor thing!

We Are Headed for St. George...

2010-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

A quick little Memorial Day trip! I am so excited. It has literally been years since I have been to St. George! See you later suckahs!

Really?

2010-05-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

I know we live in Utah, but really? Is it really necessary to scrape our car windows off on May 24th? Kill me now!

Random snapshots of the past week:

We spent a few days at the cabin....it was so fun to just hang out with the kids and relax! I know it looks like we just found Mia in the woods...a little lost child, but that's what vacations are all about. It's fine with me if you want to look homeless!

Here is where the really random begins. At church Bo fell off a table and smashed his ear. Weird, I know, but even weirder, his ear turned completely black. This picture doesn't do it justice at all. It was bending over because it weighed so much. No wonder his teachers did this "I am grateful for my ears" craft in sunbeams on Sunday!

Then, on Saturday, we were at Home Depot. I have been eying this light fixture for a few months now, but I just couldn't justify the price tag. We decided to just walk by the light fixture to look at it and pretend to purchase it. Well, to make a long story short, they had majorly mispriced it by almost $150...they honored the price and we got it for an EXTREME discount. I am seriously in love with it! Thank goodness for human error...bless it's soul! :)

We Celebrated 6 Years on Saturday!

2010-05-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's been six years and I still have a major crush on this man! It is worth noting that thanks to Steve's mom we had our first overnight date without our children! It was very hot and steamy ;)!

My baby boy turned 4!

2010-05-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little boy is 4 years old! His birthday was on Thursday and I have to tell you, I wanted to post about him, I really did, but sometimes it is hard to find the right words to express just how special someone is to you!

Bo is the definition of energy. I have never seen anyone more ready and active than my Bo. I always tell people that I wish I had even an eighth of his energy....I would actually partially be able to keep up with him! He is extremely mischievous and silly! Although Bo truly challenges me daily to try a little harder and to be a little more patient, he has also taught me unconditional love, both giving and receiving! Despite my mistakes and imperfections, Bo sincerely shows me love and kindness....he has an immense heart and it seems that at those intense moments when I am going through my own personal trials, Bo recognizes my needs and lifts me up! Without fail, Bo tells me, at least once a day that I am beautiful! Deep down, Bo is the epitome of kindness and warmth!

Bo is super, super smart. I am not just saying this as a mother's opinion...it is a flat out fact! He reads small words and continually pushes himself to know more! He loves to learn and challenge his mind! He loves dinosaurs and knows the names of so many! He can also tell me which are "carnivores" and which are "herbivores". Bo loves to wrestle, tackle and on the softer side of the physical spectrum, he loves to cuddle! One of the highlights of my day is cuddling with Bo in bed and having him tell me stories!

I really feel like any post expressing how I feel about Bo is inadequate. He opened my world to a whole new expansion of love! He is a bright spot in my life and I am so blessed to be his mom! Happy Birthday, Bo...you are my favorite little boy in the whole world! I love you, always, always!

Snapshots from our extra packed week of celebrating Bo:

PetSmart with Mia!

Burger King Iron Man Happy Meal!

Mia insisting on wearing your new Iron Man jammies!

Dragon Cake and Dragon Birthday Party

(Bo and I made this together at Build A Bear)

Bo and his cousin Sophie playing Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Dragon

Pin the fire on the dragon

Mia and Grandma Kathy

Bo's cousin, Tate taking a wack at the pinata

Bo and Mia with both Grandmas

Bo Started Tee Ball

2010-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

After the nightmare that soccer was last year, I have to admit that I had a slight dread signing Bo up for Tee Ball. But, it was all needless because he had his first game and it was a huge success! He actually tried and rather than run away at full speed he ran toward the ball! He even has a little shiner to show for it!

Finally, we are done....

2010-04-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

I really started to believe I wasn't going to see the day. We are finally done and I couldn't be happier about our changes. After a lot of contemplation we came to the conclusion that we wanted to make a pretty big change to our home. Before the renovation, we only had a bar to sit at and eat dinner. Now, after the renovations, we have a new master bedroom and our old master became a dining room with french doors out to the back. The pictures I guess speak for themselves. Sorry for the millions of pictures, but we worked too hard not to have it all documented!

PRE-RENOVATION
old master bedroom

Den pre-renovation

hallway pre reno

THE RENOVATION:

Cute Steve working really really hard!

New master closet!

We pulled up the pergo and found our original hardwoods in pretty good shape.

Except for this scary spot...

THE RESULTS

My floor makes me so, so happy! I can't believe the change!

New hallway view

New Master Bedroom

New Dining Room & Pantry!

Now we are just in need of some dining room chairs, a couple of light fixtures and a few accessories. Hopefully I can now return to normalcy and exist once again! Welcome back!

We Are Alive....

2010-03-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

But, we are doing some slight renovations to our house right now and it has thrown us off. All the dust and messiness has definitely kept me away from the computer. Our house should be done by next Wednesday, keeping our fingers crossed. Many pictures to come!

S . H . DOT . DOT!

2010-03-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Every night at our house there is a big wrestle fest...not between Steve and I ;)...between Steve, Bo and Mia. The kids are obsessed with this pile on tradition. A few nights ago, Steve had Bo in a particular difficult "hold". After a few whines of frustration, Bo let out a, "SH**!"
Steve and I looked at each other and then asked him what he said. He once again repeated the same four letter word. Steve let him know that this word was not okay to say but Bo told him, that, in fact he liked the word and he was going to say it. He proceeded to yell the word with passion. A little drama and discipline followed and then Bo cried in confusion, "But, Mom says that word!" Gasp!

Although kids never lie, I honestly felt like he was wrong...I don't say that word, do I? The next day we were out running errands and I was driving along, minding my own business when a car pulled out right in front of me and smashed in my front right bumper. It took me about 2 seconds to realize I do say that word!
I guess it could have been worse...not only did none of us get hurt in that little collision, but there are also much more offensive words in the world! At least my little 3 year old isn't walking around spouting the "F" word!

Snapshots of the past couple of days....

2010-03-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows Steve knows he has a slight obsession with In-N-Out Burger! As would be expected, he has been one happy man since they came to Salt Lake and we have already been out 4 times to forever away just for their burgers. I am not the biggest fan, I prefer Crown Burger, but, my kids on the other hand, might have the obsession in their DNA! Mia did not take the hat off for two days! She literally slept with it in her bed!

This morning, while I was typing an email on the computer, Bo came and asked me if he could take pictures of me. I did find it a little out of nowhere of a question, but I decided to let him try. Can I say that I am shocked with how well the pictures turned out...maybe I have a child prodigy on my hands! Or maybe he is just giving me a taste of my own medicine!

Am I a Loser Or What?

2010-03-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

What is my problem? I can't find the motivation to blog, not that that is a HUGE deal, but I feel slightly guilty that I am no longer documenting my children. I am an awful mother, I know! In my defense though, it has been beautiful "pre-spring" weather here in Utah. Yesterday the kids were running wild in the backyard with Steve, kicking around the soccer ball. Who knew that we would be waking up today to at least 5 inches of snow in our backyard...does it get any more classic Utah than that?! Bo was so sure Christmas was coming again that today he threatened Mia that Santa was going to take all of her toys if she didn't eat her lunch. Hey global warming, try living up to your name! ;)