The Brady Family

The Hunter

2012-01-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Back in October Kaelub went up to Idaho with his brother for his first deer hunt. They were down near the Malad area and spent about 5 days doing their thing. He was so excited to get his first deer and it was a pretty nice one. (This is all according to him and those more experienced in the hunting area than I.) We now have a lot of jerky added to our food storage and a set of antlers that I told Kaelub he could proudly display in his man cave, aka the garage. I refused to let him put them above our bed, which I'm still hoping he was just joking about. :)

Not her hair!

2012-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

It was two Sundays ago while I was at choir practice. Eli cut Ava's hair. I came home and saw her hair out of it's pigtails. When I got closer I noticed hair on her shirt and then realized the top half of her hair on both sides was really short! Eli denied having anything to do with it. He even said Ava cut it herself. I found the pile of hair in their playroom and later found the scissors in Eli's room. He finally admitted it was him to Kaelub a day later. While the kids and I were in Idaho visiting we took Ava to see what could be done to fix it. She ended up with a short little pixie cut and I'm still getting used to it. But she does look cute. Kaelub took this picture on his phone, so it's not the best, but it looked the same on both sides. Poor Ava had a mullet for a few days.

Ball Family Pics 2011

2012-01-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I wanted to get pictures of my mom, Aaron, and all of us. So I asked Kelsey to work her magic, which she had to seriously do to get Ava to even be in the pictures. That girl is constantly in motion! But I love how they turned out! My mom still hasn't seen them...so here's a few of my favorites.

9 Years!

2012-01-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that it's been 9 years since Kaelub and I were married. I remember sitting in the Idaho Falls Temple with butterflies in my stomach. It was Dec. 27, 2002, and it had just snowed. Everything was covered in fluffy white. Most of our family was there, uncluding most of Kaelub's mom's 11 siblings. What a wonderful and precious day to think back on. To be able to be together forever. And it has been quite an adventure so far! Three states, 2 children, starting a company, and now hopefully going back to P.A. school this year. I'm so glad I have such a hard working husband who is such a great dad.

Christmas Day

2011-12-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

We had church at 8 am, so we kept the kids from going into the front room where all the Christmas stuff was. I knew it would be impossible to let them see what Santa brought them and try to get to church on time! They actually slept in and so it wasn't that difficult. When we got home they were so excited, especially Eli. It was fun to see their faces as they saw the play kitchen and race car track set up. I had so much fun turning our old entertainment center into the kitchen for them! I still need to put some paper down inside the shelves, but it turned out just how I wanted. And I even made them aprons and hung them from a hook on the side. It was a big hit and they have played with it constantly since. We opened stockings and then my brother got skype up with my Aunt Jill & grandma who were back in Idaho. The kids had fun holding up their gifts for them to see. Eli saw Kaelub use a knife to cut through some tape on one of the boxes, so then he had to get his play knife to use when opening his gifts. I loved that my mom & brother were here with us! Thank you so much for coming & making this such a special Christmas for us.

Twas The Night Before...

2011-12-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

We kept our Christmas Eve program simple this year with a few songs & a story the kids could make it through. We set up the kids' nativity so they could follow along with the book. I hope they will always remember the real reason we celebrate. What a special time of year it is.
Then we let them open their new pj's to wear to bed & set out some cookies & milk for Santa.

Brithday Time

2011-12-29T10:27:00.001-08:00

I always get people asking me if I hate that my birthday is on Christmas Eve. But I've always liked it on this day. I love this time of the year and that I always am surrounded by family on my birthday. This year since my mom and brother came here for Christmas, we went to joe's for my free birthday meal & then ate at a park nearby. The kids had so much fun playing with Kaelub & their Uncle Aaron!

Ward Christmas Party

2011-12-29T10:17:00.001-08:00

This year the Relief Society was asked to do decorations for our ward party. We decided to do a "Christmas Tree Lane" and have each auxillary decorate a tree. It was so fun to see them! The Primary's tree was so cute! Each of the teachers had their classes make ornaments. We did "Charly Brown" trees for table decorations. We took tree branches and put them in a brown paper sack filled with rocks and a piece of foam. Then tied twine around it and hung 1 ornament from the branch. They were so cute! Eli was in the nativity as a shepard (but he told us he was a cow). It was so cute to watch him up on the stage.

Eli's Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-24T10:12:00.001-08:00

I forgot my camera when we went to Eli's preschool program, but it was so cute. They were dressed in their aprons and chef hats. After they showed us to our seats they brought us a menu with things like "run away men" (gingerbread cookies), "reindeer snacks" (mini chocolate chip cookies), "snowman drippings" (water), & "santa's special" (chocolate milk). While we ate they sang songs & danced. My favorite part was at the end. Mrs K. had askeded the kids questions and then wrote down the answers they said. They each held up their paper with the answers. First question: What should daddy get mommy for Christmas? Eli said toys....cupcake toys. Second question: What should mommy get daddy for Christmas? Eli said Christmas lights. Third question: What is the elves most important job? Eli said go to work and buy and get the bad guys. So funny! When we got home I tried to get Eli to hold his signs so I could get pictures of them, but he wasn't in the mood. So Ava helped me out. Then Eli finally decided to hold up his book Mrs. K gave him.

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

I always love pulling out my Christmas decorations. It makes me happy! We got them all up the day after Thanksgiving because Eli kept asking to put up the tree. I wanted to make a Christmas wreath this year so I looked online to find ideas. I saw several tutorials on Christmas ball ornament wreaths, so I hit the dollar spot at Target and found containers with 8 ornaments for just $1. Then I went to my closet and found an old wire hanger. You just take the wire hanger apart and form a circle, take the tops off the ornaments and hot glue them back on, thread them on the hanger, and cut the extra wire off you don't need. Then I used craft wire to wrap my hanger ends together and tied on some ribbon. Love it! I also made a couple of banners to hang. One with scraps of fabric & mini felt stockings I also found at the Target dollar spot. (Love that section!) Another with scrapbook paper glued to triangles I cut from empty cereal boxes. Just ink edge the paper, punch some holes, tie with twine, and hang! My most recent project I just finished last night was the tree skirt. I had an old tree skirt I didn't love anymore and it didn't match my green, red, & white tree too well. So I found a tutorial for this cute ruffle tree skirt where you don't even sew! Just some hot glue & time.(Visit The Crafted Sparrow blog if you want to make one too!)

A visit from Santa

2011-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago we had a special visitor come to our house. When Eli answered the door he was so excited to see Santa! Kelsey's father-in-law was nice enough to make an extra stop at our house. Eli sat on his lap and told him he wanted toys. Ava didn't want anything to do with him.

Thanksgiving Day

2011-12-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

We started off the day with singing to Eli & opening gifts. He was SO excited for this part! It was fun to skype with my mom, aunt, brother, & grandma so they could watch him. We even got them in a picture. :) Thank you to all who sent cards & gifts! The big hit was his scooter. He got right on and took off, and has been on it constantly since then. We invited Kaelub's cousin and her husband over for dinner and they have a sweet little baby boy who is 3 months old. It was a lot of fun to have them and I completely forgot to get pictures! But I did get the fun turkey cake pops Eli & I made. We relaxed after dinner and then Kellie & I went shopping later that evening. Nothing too crazy, but found some good deals on Christmas gifts for the kids. I like what one of the doctors I work with said about Thanksgiving. It's a nice time to get together with family & friends, have good food, & not have to buy any gifts!

Thanksgiving Birthday Boy!

2011-11-28T19:07:00.001-08:00

This year Eli's birthday was on Thanksgiving. (Along with my mom's and Aunt Jill's---happy happy birthday to them too!) So I decided to have his party the day before with a few of his friends. I had seen some really cute ideas for a golf themed party, and thought it would be perfect since he was turning 4. It was a lot of fun making everything for it and coming up with ideas. If only it hadn't been so windy! I had foam golf visors & foam stickers for them to decorate, but it was just way too windy. In fact, my tiered platter that held the blackberry "Par"-faits actually blew off the food table and shattered all over the ground. (Kelsey got a great pic to document this awesome moment.) But the kids still had fun playing on the toys and eating the yummy food. Eli was spoiled with some great gifts that he has enjoyed playing with since. And sometimes he will even share them with Ava. Thanks to all of you who came & helped set up and clean up. And to my great friend Kelsey for taking such great pictures for me! I swiped these off her facebook page because I was so excited to get them up. :)

Schnepf Farm

2011-11-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to the farm this year. Every year they have a fall festival with hay rides, pumpkin patch, carnival type rides, shows, etc. And it was so much fun! We met Kelsey and her girls there and the kids had so much fun. Eli didn't want to leave! He and Brookie went on the roller coster first, but they said it was too scary. So we rode the Bee ride, airplanes, & carousel. Then before the kids and I headed home I took them on the train. Eli was in heaven & didn't want to get off it! I think we were there for a good 4 hours. Glad we finally went.

Preschool Halloween Party

2011-11-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Eli's preschool class performed for the parents in front of Mrs. K's house & then went trick-or-treating to all of us. Siblings even got to join in, which Ava was thrilled about! She made friends quickly with one of the girls and held her hand the whole time.

Boo!

2011-10-28T12:54:00.001-07:00

We are ready for Halloween at our house! The decorations, costumes, and even candy to hand out. I've noticed that people in Arizona love to decorate their yards & houses for Halloween. It does make it easier when you have nice weather and no chance of snow. Eli & Ava love to see all the witches, ghosts, spider webs, pumpkins, lights, etc. And we have been taking full advantage of the cooler weather this week. It finally feels like fall! A week or so ago Kelsey did a Halloween photo shoot that was so much fun. Here are the kids as Tinkerbell & a pirate.

Little Miss

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

I'm a little late on posting Ava's 18 month info, but she is just like her brother. In the 99% on height and 25-50% on weight. She is such a girl with her obsession of shoes & dressing up. She will try to put on any shoes--mine, Eli's, Kaelub's, or her own. Ava also loves her babies and tries to change them. She's also going through the "I don't want to wear my diaper" phase. I have to put her in onesies when she goes down for her nap. One too many dirty diaper clean-ups! She is always giving hugs and kisses and trying to keep up with her brother.

September Zoo Trip

2011-10-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Kelsey invited us to go with them and meet some of our friends at the zoo a few weeks ago. We thought it would be fun for the kids, and it was even with the heat. Luckily we took their swimming suits so they could cool off before we left! Ava loved looking at all the animals. Eli said his favorite was the zeebra.

First T-Ball Game

2011-09-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Eli had his first T-ball practice and game last week. It was so fun to watch him with the other little kids on his team. They all wanted to run after the ball once they hit it instead of running to the base. Kaelub isn't too sure how he likes being their coach, but he's doing a great job. There are 6 kids on his team and one of them is actually in Eli's preschool class! So he already had an instant friend when we held the first practice. Ava enjoyed taking a turn running the bases with daddy and wearing Eli's hat while he was up to bat.

Sew Fun

2011-09-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

I am in no way experienced when it comes to sewing. But, I love to sew simple projects that don't take too long & don't stress me out. :) So when I saw a lace layered skirt tutorial, I had to try one for Ava. I came up with my own measurements to fit her, but this is the link for the tutorial I used for the rest. (http://theplannertheprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2010/06/knock-off-buckle-skirt.html) It was SO easy and it's really cute.

Eli's 1st Swim Lessons

2011-09-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

We signed Eli up for swim lessons at our favorite pool and he just finished his first class--"tadpole". I was a little nervous because even though he loves water, sometimes he acts like he is afraid to get in when we go swimming. But he did great! He liked his teacher & had his friend Brookie in the same class. The first set of pictures are from his first day. He really liked the rings & blowing bubbles underwater. Then the last pictures are from the last day when we all stayed to go swimming. The "shrimp" classes were all full for September so we have to wait until October for his next set of lessons, but that's probably good since he starts T-ball in just a week and a half. Guess who his coach is? Kaelub! Should be a lot of fun.

More Fun at GG's

2011-08-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

My grandma has the best grass to play in! It's so green and soft. The kids had fun one afternoon playing outside at GG's house, and they loved playing ball with her.

More From Idaho

2011-08-24T19:25:00.001-07:00

I feel like I'm never going to finish posting our pictures from Idaho! Here are some fun ones from one night that we spent with Grandma Lynda & Grandpa Denny. The kids helped grandma make homemade ice cream and grandpa brought out the four wheeler. He also showed them the garden, and they picked raspberries & peas to eat. Ava even took a ride with daddy on the four wheeler, which she loved. I think Bella thought she was going to drive it herself!

Cake Pops

2011-08-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

My very talented cousin Lanette heard from my mom that I made cake pops for a friend's birthday party, and she wanted me to do a post on them. I looked around online at a lot of different recipes, and after trial and error came up with what worked best for me. And probably the AZ heat right now. :) There are so many different combinations you can do, but this party was circus themed for adults and kids so I chose one that the adults would like and one for the kids. For the adults, it was German chocolate cake with the coconut pecan frosting. And for the kids, white cake with rainbow chip frosting. You will also need lollipop sticks (those white ones found in the cake decorating/wedding area) and chocolate to dip them in. I used what I call the chocolate melting bark from Walmart that is found near the chocolate chips. I used both milk and white. Here are the steps I followed:
1. Bake cake as directed on package.
2. Let sit until cool. (mine was just slightly warm.)
3. Crumble cake in a bowl. I used a fork, but you could use your hands too.
4. Mix in the container of frosting.
5. Roll into balls. I used my small cookie scoop to get them all the same size.
6. Place on cookie sheet covered in wax paper.
7. Melt small amount of chocolate and dip the lollipop sticks in the chocolate. Then stick them in the cake balls.
8. Place in freezer for an hour.
9. Melt remaining chocolate and dip the cake balls. Sprinkle anything you would like to add. (I did coconut and Heath toffee bits for the German chocolate ones. And bright colored sprinkles for the white cake pops.)
10. Stick them in styrofoam or green floral foam to set up. Once the German chocolate ones had set up I drizzled some white chocolate on a few too.
And that's pretty much it! I did put mine in the fridge after they set just to keep them out of sight from Eli and make sure they didn't get melty. You can also do them without the sticks, and use a spoon to roll them in the chocolate. I did that for half of the ones I made.

The Gardens

2011-08-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

My mom and I took the kids up to campus to the BYU-I gardens. They have a lot of fun fountains, flowers, etc. and the kids loved looking at everything. Made for some fun pictures.

Puddles

2011-08-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

One night it started raining and we were trying to show Eli how he could look outside at the puddles to see if it was still raining. Kaelub decided to take him out and play in the puddles. Ava just stood by the front door watching, and I'm sure wanting to go out too. She made such a mess eating her piece of chocolate cake GG made (with Eli & Ava spelled out with sprinkles on the top) that we got her in the bath right before. GG sure is creative! I wish I would have taken a picture of the cake. So fun!

Back to Vacation

2011-08-15T22:32:00.001-07:00

We met up with Kaelub's family for dinner and bowling one night. It was Eli's second time, so he thought he was a pro! He and Bella love playing...and getting into trouble. Ava was more interested in the arcade games she saw as we walked in to the bowling area. They had a toy car with Kermit the frog sitting in it. She loved to sit in there and give Kermit hugs and kisses. She would run back everytime I took her out.

First Day of Preschool

2011-08-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

I have to interupt our vacation posts because yesterday was Eli's first day of preschool. I am so excited for him and can't believe he's already at that stage. I was a little worried about how he would react when I dropped him off. But he did great! I took him in the door and when I told him goodbye, he acted like it was no big deal. His teacher, Mrs. K, read them a book about seals on the bus and they painted a school bus. They also learned how to sit on the mat with their hands to themselves (she calls it eggs in a basket). And if they are really good throughout the day they get 2 stamps/stickers. When I picked him up, Eli had 2 stamps on his hands. Yay! His first homework assignment is to color/decorate his rocket ship and bring something he would take to space. I wonder what he will pick? (I love the look on his face in the picture I took at our house before we left. Like he is so cool being able to go to school!)

Riot Zone

2011-08-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

The last time we came to the Riot Zone, I think Kaelub and I had been married less than a year. We got all-day passes for Eli & Kaelub so they could do everything as many times as they wanted. Ava was too small for most of it, but she did enjoy the bounce area with grandma and Kaelub even took her around once in the go-karts. She loved that! I played mini-golf with Eli & Kaelub. Eli's favorite was probably the go-karts and bounce area. They had a big inflatable water slide that he thought was great. His least favorite was the Rocket ride...maybe because it was too high for him. Kaelub made it up halfway on the rock wall, but then said he felt like it was swaying too much, which freaked him out. Plus he doesn't even like getting up on ladders, so I was surprised he tried this! I had to laugh at Kaelub taking Eli on the bumper boats because his knees looked like they were up to his neck. He was a good dad to take Eli on them a couple times though. The kids even said hi to a horse in the field next to one of the rides.

Relaxing

2011-08-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

After our fun day we took in the nice weather and played outside. Ava thought GG's flowers were very pretty and even picked one to take up to her as she watched from the deck. Eli showed us his skills while we played kickball. Love how it cools off in the evenings. We don't get any kind of cool off in AZ during the summer.

Warm River

2011-08-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

We love to go feed the fish at Warm River. Auntie Jill, GG, and grandma all came with us. The fish were so big! Eli really can throw the bread pretty good now. Ava just wanted to eat it. She also thought GG would love having a collection of rocks to take home. It was a nice, overcast day and we even stopped at the Frostop for ice cream on the way home.

Girl Time

2011-08-10T21:54:00.001-07:00

My mom and I took Ava to Porter Park one day while Kaelub took Eli with him. She loved all the attention! She played in the water and insisted on eating Goldfish crackers while she played. (You can probably see them in her mouth in one of the pictures.) And she loved her first time on the swings! When she finally got sick of swinging, she played in the bark. She thought it was so fun to pick it up then throw it. As we were leaving she had to stop and watch the guys mowing the grass. She just stared at them, with her usual serious face.

Porter Park

2011-08-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

We always have fun at Porter Park playing in the water or taking a ride on the carousel. On this particular day, Eli hardly touched the water but loved the carousel. Ava was loving playing in the water and wasn't too sure about the horse we made her ride. Not a smile from her the entire ride!

Grandma's Garden

2011-08-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Eli spent many mornings out in my mom's garden helping her pick squash, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and weeds! He had his boots on and was quite the little helper. He was sad the apples weren't ready to eat yet. :) Ava just like to find rocks in the dirt to pick up.

Feeding the Ducks

2011-08-08T21:18:00.001-07:00

I met up with my friend Steph and we took the kids to the Nature Park to feed the ducks. We had to stop and get snowcones on the way, and Eli loved his. (He was devestated when he dropped it in the pond!) Brody & Eli are the same age and they loved playing together. I can't believe how fast the kids are growing up! I love spending time with friends I don't see very often. It's hard to believe we've known each other since gradeschool and now our kids are the same age playing together.

Simple Things

2011-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Idaho we went to see Auntie Jill & GG. The kids loved seeing the birds nest in the back yard, looking at GG's pretty flowers, and helping water the plants. Eli wasn't too sure about eating the cherry tomato Auntie Jill picked for him, but he sure liked getting a drink of water from the hose. Yep, you can still do that in Sugar City. Love the simple things that make kids light up.

I Survived!

2011-08-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

I survived the drive by myself with the kids from Phoenix to Sugar City...and it wasn't too bad...most of the time...as long as they had food in their mouths. :) After leaving work Wednesday with my kids, I drove the 5 hours to Las Vegas to stay with Kaelub's brother and his family. We got there around 9 and the kids went right to sleep. Then we left the next morning early to drive the rest of the way. One package of goldfish, a box of fruit snacks, a Ziploc bag of cereal, half a sleeve of Ritz crackers, a box of Teddy Grahms, a happy meal, and a lot of water later, we made it. I loved watching the temperature drop as we drove. For a week and a half we get to escape the 100* temps and play outside! I thought I would play primary music to keep the kids from bugging each other, but the food worked better. And luckily Eli was very helpful in handing or sometimes throwing Ava food for me. And once we unpacked the car, my mom took the kids to play on the toys so I could vacuum out all the disaster in my backseat! Lots of fun pics will be coming.

Fire Station

2011-07-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we met up with some friends to go on a tour of the fire station. I guess the address some of us went to was the wrong one. Luckily the firemen were nice enough to still give us a tour! I took my camera, but didn't get any pictures because I was too busy keeping track of Ava. But Kelsey did get one of Ava with one of the firemen. Eli love to sit in the truck and they even shot some water out for the kids.

4th of July

2011-07-12T18:38:00.001-07:00

The past few years we spent July 4th in Idaho, so this year we were missing the fun parade, bbq with family, and fireworks! Not to mention the nice weather. But we decided to have our own bbq and get some fireworks, since this is the first year they are legal in AZ. Kaelub took Eli to pick some out and when we lit the first one, both kids were screaming and not in a good, excited, fireworks are fun kind of way! We should have picked one that was a little more mellow to start with. But Eli soon decided they were pretty fun and he loved telling Kaelub to do another one! I think he would be happy to do fireworks every night. Poor Ava though, wasn't too happy about them so I sat inside with her and watched out the window. (Love Eli's crazy look in the picture with him holding the fireworks.)

A Wedding

2011-07-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Kaelub's cousin got married here in the Mesa Temple so we were able to go while his younger siblings watched Eli & Ava. It was so nice and fun for the kids to see some of Kaelub's family that we haven't seen in a long time. Their luncheon was at a place with several fountains outside, so Ava had a lot of fun running around to see the water. I caught her putting her hand in it and then in her mouth! Yuck!

This Never Happens!

2011-07-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

I don't have the kind of kids who can sleep anywhere. They usually have to be in their beds or in their car seats. Earlier this week I fixed Ava her lunch after she woke up from only a 45 minute nap. Usually she takes a 2-3 hour nap. I was busy cleaning and putting things away. I could hear her making noises for awhile, but then it got really quiet. When I came downstairs, I found her head on the table and she was out! Then yesterday we went to Kaelub's cousin's wedding at the Mesa Temple and then to the luncheon afterwards. So both kids missed their naps and by the time we got home I could tell they were tired. Ava went right down, but Eli hadn't eaten much so I fixed him a little dinner. When he finished eating he told me he was tired. Well, it was 5:30, so I didn't know if I should just let him go to bed for a short nap or try to keep him up a little longer. I decided to let him go to sleep and at about 6:30 he came downstairs, got a drink, then curled up in the chair and went back to sleep! We woke him up to go potty, and he said he wanted to go back to bed, so we put him in his bed and he was out until 6:30 this morning. (Just had to add that as I'm typing this he is in his room singing the "Hello, Hello" Primary song.)

A Skirt for Ava

2011-06-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to try to make a skirt for Ava and I found a tutorial on this blog (lifeincleveland.blogspot.com) on how to make 2 skirts using 3 fat quarters. It was so easy! I added the ric-rac and I think I might add a bow at the waist.

Funnies

2011-06-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just had to write down a few funny things Eli has said this week before I forget! The other day we were at Kelsey's house and the kids were playing. When it was time for us to leave, Brookie said she wanted to watch us leave. Eli then said, "I want to watch leave." He thought she was going to watch a movie called "Leave". :) This reminded me of a story from when I was little. My aunt and I were watching a movie and I'm not sure if I had to go to the bathroom or her, but she said she would put it on pause. I said, "I want to watch pause." The other funny thing he said was today in his primary class. His teacher asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. When she got to Eli he said, "the bad guy." (He has been pointing out the good guys and bad guys in movies lately. And his favorite movie recently has been Aladdin, and he calls Jafar the bad guy...so I'm guessing that's where he got that.) Oh, and today he went up to Kaelub and said, "Happy Mother's Day!" Such a funny boy. And credit to Kelsey for the fabulous pictures! She used Eli as a model for bow ties. Check her out at www.bellapassione.blogspot.com

Peach Pickin'

2011-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last week Kelsey and I decided to take the kids and go to Schnepf Farm. They had peaches, apples, and plums to pick. Their peaches have been really good the last few years we've gone, so Ava and I tried to find the perfect ones. Eli took off with Brookie to pick apples, do I didn't get many pics of him. But Kelsey even lifted him up to get up high in the tree! It was pretty hot, so we didn't last long. But we've enjoyed some yummy peaches the last week or so. Love that Aubrey was hanging out in the stroller trying to eat her feet! And of course I couldn't get a smile from miss serious.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to have family come visit over the weekend! Kaelub's cousin, his wife, Corinne, and their 3 kids came from California. Their little boy and Eli are the same age. Monday morning while Kaelub & Ryan took care of Ava & Brenna, the rest of us went to the movie. Then we went to Joe's BBQ for lunch, a favorite around here. Corinne has family here too and they invited us over for dinner. The kids had a blast playing in the pool, slip-n-slide, swing set, and chasing their little dog around.

Makeover

2011-05-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

For some reason I didn't take before pictures, which I'm really sad about. But these 2 pieces I got off Craigslist for great prices, (I think the dresser was $40, and the desk was actually part of a vanity set that came with a mirror and bench, for $30, but I still need to finish the bench.) The dresser has another 3 drawers behind the door. The desk/vanity is now my sewing/craft desk. I'm so excited to not have to try and sew on my bouncy folding table! That made my eyes crazy!

Fun in the Sun

2011-05-16T14:20:00.001-07:00

I decided even though I needed to do laundry and clean, I would take the kids to the park this morning to let them play in the water. I knew they would love it and I couldn't wait to see Ava's reaction to the splash pad since it was her first time. At first she just climbed back into the stroller and sat there watching Eli and the other kids. Finally when Eli came over I got her to get down and he took her by the hand to walk her over to the water. So cute! And she loved it! Eli spent time between playing in the water, building sand castles with a friend he made, and chasing the birds. Oh, and eating fruit snacks...his favorite. I got a picture of him up close to show what is left of his scab from falling out in the garage last week. It was pretty bad, and I didn't get a picture right after it happened, but you can see on his forehead where there is a little left.

Climber

2011-05-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ava is a climber. She can now climb on the piano bench, bar stools, into her high chair, and the back of the couch. I don't think Eli was this much of a climber. Her face in the picture of her on the piano bench is pretty great. I'm sure she won't think so when she's older, but kaelub and I got a good laugh at it. She still has just 4 teeth, and lately doesn't want to eat anything in her high chair. (I guess now that she can climb into it by herself she thinks it's a toy.) So I'm going to get out the booster seat and try that tonight. I can't believe she's moving past the high chair stage! We took her for her 15 month check-up, and she is in the 90% for height, and 30% for weight. No surprise there. The Dr. was very impressed by her vocabulary: hi, bye-bye, mommy, daddy, shoes, night-night, Eli (her own version), cracker, water, banana, bread, milk, puppy, bunny, piggy, (can you tell what stuffed animals we have?), and chair. She knows where her eyes, nose, mouth, belly button, toes, and hair are. She really loves to poke us all in the eyes and belly button when we ask her to find them! She and Eli are really getting to be good playmates. But Eli still has a lot of not-so-nice moments with her. Hopefully he grows out of those soon. The other picture is one I took of Eli's puppy & Elmo, after he put them down for naps in the kitchen. He even went up to his room to get blankets for them. So sweet!

More From Idaho

2011-05-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Eli loved building with Uncle Aaron. They made some pretty impressive creations out of those blocks. Aaron is a much better builder than I. :) The great thing about the other picture is that this was a mother's day card Eli gave to GG that my mom helped him make. And just 2 minutes later he was throwing up in the garbage can! You would never know by looking at this picture that he wasn't feeling good. And I was glad it only lasted that night and not on our plane ride home the next morning.

Happy 90th!

2011-05-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

The kids and I flew up to Idaho Friday to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday. After waiting almost 5 hours at the airport for our flight to finally leave, we made it to Idaho Falls. It was so fun to see cousins, aunts, uncles, my brother, mom, & grandma. Eli and Ava had a lot of fun playing with cousins. My grandma had so many family & friends come to her celebration. We had her favorite, carrot cake, and lots of pretty flowers. She's such an amazing example to us! Later that day Eli helped Uncle Aaron fix the sprinklers and till the garden. My mom had some little boots for him to wear & he loved walking in the dirt.

GG

2011-04-29T15:31:00.001-07:00

My grandma is known as GG by all her great-grandkids. It was so fun to see Eli play Candyland with her one night! Love that she came all the way to visit us and that my kids will have memories of their GG. We love you!

Easter

2011-04-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ever since we saw the pageant, Eli has been saying, "Jesus died, mom." And it's hard trying to explain to him that Jesus did die, but isn't it wonderful that he lives again. I saw this on a friend's blog, and it's such a great reminder of what we should focus on at Easter.
http://eternallyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/04/his-sacred-name-easter-declaration.html

Plus a few pics of the kids in their matching Easter clothes. Eli was quite the model, but Ava was not too thrilled. :)

Love When Family Visits

2011-04-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

We went shopping one day and let the kids play on the fun toy area. It's outdoor, but covered by a shade tent and it was fun to see the Easter Bunny. Both the kids loved him, and Ava didn't want to get off his lap! (Love the scowl Ava pulled when I took her picture. She's already way more dramatic than Eli ever was!)

Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last year when my mom came to visit, it was Easter weekend. So Eli thought that since grandma was coming it was Easter again. We decided to do an egg hunt in our yard while my family was here, so Eli wouldn't be disappointed. He really found them fast! And then spent most of the day playing with the eggs. Ava loved her fun book and they both laughed with the bunny that sang and moved it's ears.

Easter Pageant

2011-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

After living here for 5 years, we finally made it to the Easter pageant! We got there about an hour before it started to get good seats and took subs to eat. Eli sat on grandma's lap most of the time and watched the whole thing. My camera batteries died right after we got there so I only got a few pictures. The costumes were amazing and I wished I could have had a picture of Eli with one of the soldiers. He did get to pet one of the little lambs though, which he loved. He said it was really soft. Ava wasn't too thrilled about being stuck in her stroller or on someone's lap. So I didn't get to really see a lot of it, but I'm glad we finally went. It's really a great production.

Duck Park

2011-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

We always have to go feed the ducks while my family is here, so we went Thursday morning before it got too warm. This time the fish were fighting the ducks for the bread! And Eli even spotted a turtle, which he was quite proud of. Ava loved playing on the toys and she really wanted to get in the water, but I didn't bring her suit. If you look close, you can see her top 2 front teeth.

Fun Outside

2011-04-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's been really nice this week and the kids have loved playing in our back yard on the toys and at the park. Ava loves going down the slides and climbed up on Eli's trampoline for the first time. She stood up and grabbed the bar and started jumping. I guess she has watched Eli do it enough that she knows what to do! This morning was park play group so we met some friends and let the kids play. Eli had fun with the boys and Ava tried to share buckets with Paris. She's getting more brave and I caught her trying to go off the edge of part of the toys. Crazy girl!

Ostrich Farm

2011-04-14T15:23:00.001-07:00

My mom, aunt, & grandma met up with us in Las Vegas on Sunday and we drove home together. They have been here this week and we have done some fun things with them. On Monday we drove down to Picacho, AZ, to the Ostrich Farm. We fed miniature deer, goats, ostrich, donkeys, and little birds called lorakeets. Eli loved feeding all the animals except not the birds. He said their feet were too sharp. :) We even tried some ostrich jerky---just tasted like regular jerky to me.

Vegas Vacation

2011-04-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

We went to Las Vegas last weekend for my niece's baptism. We made it to Kingman and hit snow! It was pretty cold in Vegas too, and on Saturday it snowed for a little while. It was so fun to see a lot of Kaelub's family while we were there. And Eli & Ava had fun playing with their cousins. I think a trampoline will be in our futre. We couldn't get Eli off! We are so proud of Gracey for getting baptized and for the good example she set as the oldest cousin.

Happy Happy Birthday!

2011-03-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Kaelub's birthday and I was able to switch days with one of the hygienists I work with so I could have today off. Kaelub went to Joe's Farm Grill for some old fashioned breakfast and then went hunting. He was happy to get a coyote after only an hour or so. While he was gone the kids and I went to the park. It had rained overnight so the toys were a little wet, but the kids didn't mind. Then we all went to dinner at Kaelub's favorite places: Liberty Market & Joes BBQ. (They both give you $10 to spend on your birthday, so Kaelub was nice enough to share his food with us.) :) He got his food and we went to a park down the street. The kids were spoiled with double park time and Eli didn't want to leave. Thanks for being such a wonderful husband, father, & friend! We love you Kaelub!

Lately

2011-03-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

Eli loves helping me in the kitchen, both cooking and doing the dishes. As long as he knows where the dishes go and can reach, he will put them away. He's such a great helper! And he knows not to touch knives and be very careful with the breakable dishes. :) Yesterday we had a party for Kaelub since his birthday is on Tuesday. Eli helped me make the cake and frost it. After we mixed up the frosting I let him lick the wisk. He loved that! Ava has taken after her brother when it comes to getting into the cabinets. She loves to climb in them and play. She can now climb onto the couches, and has fun reaching for the light & fan switch on the wall. Her words now include banana (nana), hi, dada, mama, thank you, water, baba, piggy (I won a really soft stuffed pig at my dental convention and she loves it), and Eli (sounds a lot like hi). He hair is still crazy---she won't keep a headband on and always pulls out her tiny ponytail if I can get her to sit still enough to put one in. She climbs up and down the stairs like a pro, loves closing doors and then yelling for us to open them and let her out, loves shoes, and following her brother around. Kaelub's cousin and her husband came to stay with us for the week and the kids loved the extra attention. I didn't even get any pics while they were here, but we loved having them! I have been working of my fun craigslist projects. I'm hoping to finish up a dresser, bench, & table/desk for my sewing machine & craft stuff in the next month before it starts to warm up. I did finish a chair, mirror, pillow, memo board, and a few other craft projects over the past few weeks. I also found a great cabinet (again on craigslist) that just needs new knobs---I'm not a fan of the gold ones. It's fun for me to find something old and scuffed up and turn it into something beautiful again. I think Kaelub just wants his side of the garage back. :)

Did You Know?

2011-03-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

I guess it has been a few weeks since I posted something and we haven't really done anything too exciting but have been keeping busy. Kaelub got to spend 5 straight days with the kids a couple weeks ago because I had my AZ Dental Convention. We were both SUPER excited! :) I listened to speakers talk about all the latest news on prescription drugs, street drugs, how kids are using/making their own drugs, baby teeth and how to make coming to the dentist fun for kids, and my favorite class---Nutritional Supplements! Actually, I learned quite a bit and only got bored a couple times. Here are some of the things that I thought the general public/parent would find interesting (not just us crazy dental professionals):

Kids & Prescription Drugs/Street Drugs
*Vicadin is the #1 most abused prescription drug among teens
*Visit www.FDA.gov for the latest updates on all meds.
*If you have EVER in your life had a joint replacement, you need to take a premed. before getting your teeth cleaned. (www.AAOS.org)
*Inhalant drug use peaks in the 8th grade---usually use items like paint, markers, white out, computer keyboard cleaners, etc. The speaker told us about "whip-its", which kids get from Starbucks. They are a small metal attachment that go on their cans of whipped cream they use and contain nitrous oxide. Kids just ask for them and most of the time emplyees just give them this. Our speaker said he even went in to one Starbucks to try it and he had no problem getting one, no cost.
*"Pharm Parties"/"Pharming": Teens get prescription drugs from parents med cabinets or on the internet, and have parties where they put all the drugs in a bowl and everyone reaches in and takes a handful. Causing more drug overdose deaths now than cocaine & heroine combined!
*www.FIVEMOMS.com for more info on kids abusing over the counter drugs

Baby Teeth
*Don't share utensils/food with your baby unless you have good teeth/no cavities. :) You pass on the bacteria in your saliva to your baby, and if you are prone to getting a lot of cavities even though you brush and floss, you probably don't want your child to be blessed with the same problem.
*Most kids lose their first teeth at age 6-7 1/2
*Don't use words like shots, hurt, pain, etc. when talking to your child about us.

Dietary Supplements
*We should be getting 7-9 servings of fruits/veggies per day.
*90% of women don't get enough folate/folic acid. (Especially important if you are pregnant.)
*If you take Metformin for Diabetes: chronic use can result in a Vit. B12 deficiency which can lead to more advanced neuropathy.
*Many cardiovascular meds, cholesterol lowering drugs, diuretics, & GERD/ulcer meds interfere with the uptake of certain vitamins/minerals. Check to your Dr.
*Vitamin A: If you take more than 5,000 IU/day, it can cause brittle bones.
*You should get 10-15 min of sun exposure per day, 3 times a week, without sunscreen to get Vit. D.
**This is the handout the speaker gave to us with a complete list of guidelines on what amount of each vitamin you should be taking for your gender, age, and health issues. Check it out---it's very informative!http://www.drlowdog.com/Assets/pdf_files/Chicago%20Dental/DS_Chicago.pdf

Kaelub's Hunting Competition

2011-03-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

Kaelub and his hunting buddy entered a predator hunting competition a couple weeks ago. He was really excited and they ended up winning first place and the "big dog" award. This was his first bobcat and it was about as tall as me! He also got a bobcat on the second day. Even though I don't get into his hunting much, I can't complain when he wins prize money and can sell the bobcat fur. Plus he had such a good time.

Zoo Trip

2011-02-18T20:17:00.001-08:00

This morning we took a trip to the zoo with Kelsey, Brookie, & Aubrey. It was so much fun! We haven't been in at leat a year and a half, so Eli couldn't stop talking about it as we were getting ready to leave and all the way there. He kept asking where the zoo was as I drove. We went to the petting zoo first and I didn't get any pictures of the kids with the goats. But there was a goat on a bench that jumped off and knocked Eli over. Poor guy. I think he was more surprised than hurt. That ended Eli's desire to keep petting the goats. But he and Brookie had fun playing on the toy areas and then we had to stop for a camel ride. Brookie & Eli rode all by themselves! Eli looked really nervous when it was his turn to get on, but by the end of it he was all smiles. As they were waiting in line to get on, they were holding hands. Too cute! We rode the train around to see the zebras, giraffes, lions, elephants, and many other animals. Then before we left we let them ride the carousel. Ava did really well in the stroller for most of it. She was able to get out and run around a little while Brookie & Eli were playing on the toys. I snapped a few pictures of her then. And she really thought the turkeys were funny. Just laughed and laughed---you can see the smile on her face in the picture.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

Had to put one of Eli and his BF Brookie. Yesterday after church she tried to kiss him. He of course ran away. :) Photos done by Kelsey at http://www.bellapassione.blogspot.com.

Picnic

2011-02-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

Today for dinner Eli and I decided we should have a picnic in our backyard. We were going to have one last week, but the rain ruined our plans. Since Kaelub was gone hunting all day, it was just the kids and I. I put the blanket on the grass and stood Ava on the grass just a few feet away from it. When I came back outside with the food she was still standing in the exact same spot. I don't know why she's so afraid of the grass. She has become a pro at going up & down the stairs. I took a couple pictures of her on them the other day. And tomorrow is Eli's first primary talk. I hope it goes well and that he doesn't get too shy.

Free Valentine's Day Subway Art Printable

2011-01-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

Check out this fun blog and all her crafty ideas! Plus, you can get this fun valentine subway art.

http://craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/

Look Who Turned 1!

2011-01-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is 1 already! Crazy. She turned 1 on the 19th, but we had our celebration today with some friends over for dinner. Thanks for coming Kelsey, Brookie, & Aubrey! I had a lot of fun making a happy birthday banner & some decorations for her party. It's about the only thing you can do for a one year old, right? Ava was spoiled with some fun toys and cute clothes. I think Eli tested out most of the toys before she had a chance. (Except for the doll.) And unlike Eli, she actually really enjoyed her cake. Earlier this week Kelsey got some fun pictures of her on the grass. I sent some out on postcards to our family who couldn't be here to celebrate with us and thought the crying picture was perfect for how we felt about them missing out on the party! :) And you have to love the scab on her nose from her carpet burn. The stairs left a mark that time.

Wish you were here?

2011-01-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

Just a few pics to make all of you who are burried in cold and snow jealous. :) You can always come visit and enjoy our nice winter! Eli loves jumping on his trampoline and tells me he is going to jump so high to reach the clouds. And Ava thinks she has the walking thing down and that she should be able to run now. She gets going too fast a lot of the time and wipes out. But she just gets right back up. (She still isn't a fan of the grass, but loved going down the slide a few times.)

Sunbeam

2011-01-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

This was Eli on his first day of Primary! He is now a Sunbeam and I love to look in the door to the room and watch him sitting on his big chair singing or listening to the teachers. Let's just hope he keeps that up. :)

New Years Eve

2011-01-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years Eve at my grandma's house with dinner and the plan to play games all night. (Or at least until we couldn't keep our eyes open.) Plus watch the ball drop on TV. But the power went out at 8 pm and we couldn't see too well to play games by candlelight. Plus no power for the TV and heat. So we headed back to my moms and put the kids to bed. I think we all went to bed by 10! Sad to say.

Friends

2011-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

While we were in Idaho I was able to hang out with Steph and her family.(One of my friends I grew up with in Sugar.) She has a son who is Eli's age and her daughter is a few months younger than Ava. It was fun to see them and Eli loved playing with all of Brody's toys. They both love Cars!

Pizza & Bowling

2011-01-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

While in Idaho we went with family to eat lunch and go bowling. I loved the look on Eli's face the first time he pushed his ball down the lane! This was his first time bowling and I think we will have to take him again because he had so much fun. Love those bowling shoes too! (And check out Kaelub's bowling form. Looks like his college bowling class paid off! Well, we just won't look at the score.)

Grandma's Helper

2011-01-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Eli was Grandma's helper when it came to shoveling the sidewalk. He had a shovel just his size and he thought it was so fun! They even made a snowman.

Eli's 1st Time Sledding

2010-12-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

Kaelub and Uncle Aaron took Eli sledding today and I went along to get some pictures. It was so cold and windy! But they didn't seem to mind and Eli kept saying, "do it again." He only had a couple wipe-outs and the rest of the time was all smiles.

Decorating Cookies

2010-12-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

On Monday Eli and his cousins had some fun decorating sugar cookies at Grandma Lynda's house. I'm not sure if more frosting ended up on and in Eli's mouth or on the cookies!

Christmas Day

2010-12-28T20:18:00.001-08:00

Eli woke up around 7 and was excited to go see if Santa had come. He didn't know what to do at first, but soon was opening up his stocking and drawing on the white board of his new easel. We were all way too spoiled this year! Ava slept though all of the gift opening and didn't wake up until 9:30. Poor girl needed that sleep! My mom kept with tradition and made us go on a treasure hunt for our final gifts. Even Eli got to go on one. Then we went to open gifts with Kaelub's family. His mom works in the Idaho Falls Temple and when they replaced the original chandelier with a new one, she was able to get some of the beautiful crystals from it. She had them mounted in a shadow box with an inscription below for all her children who had been married there. So special & such a wonderful gift to give. After we opened gifts, Grandpa Denny took the kids for rides on the snowmobile. Eli was in heaven!

Christmas Eve In Idaho

2010-12-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

We left Arizona on Wed and headed to Las Vegas to spend the night with Kaelub's brother and his family. The kids did great & Eli finally fell asleep about 10 minutes from their house. We left early the next morning to drive to St. George to visit Kaelub's grandparents. It was nice to see them since it had been a while and they were able to meet Ava for the first time. Then we made it through crazy Utah construction (why do they fill potholes on the freeway, shutting it down to 1 lane on the busiest travel days?) to get to Idaho. It was fun to celebrate my birthday with the traditional Christmas Eve brunch at Grandma's house. We even saw a little bunny in her back yard, which Eli loved. (We have since bought food for it to try and entice it to stay.) Then I met up with some of my friends from Sugar for lunch---so good to see them! And 2 of them were so cute and pregnant! :) Next we went to Kaelub's mom's house for their party and poor Ava wasn't feeling too well. (I think she is getting more teeth finally. So she has had a fever and is really clingy... mostly to me.) But we had a good time and made it back to my grandma's for the traditional Christmas Eve night carol singing and program. Ava and Eli got to open their gift before going to bed and wear their new PJ's.

Merry & Bright

2010-12-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Eli loved helping us put the tree up this year. He still said it was pokey, but he had fun helping me put the ornaments on. Grandma Joy sent both of the kids an ornament for the tree. Love them! And Eli & I made tree shaped sugar cookies to eat after we finished decorating the tree. Friday night I had my work party so we got a babysitter to stay with the kids. She told me when I took her home that before Eli went to bed he said goodnight to the tree and unplugged the lights. So cute! His new obsession is watching Finding Nemo. I can't even count the number of times we watched it this weekend! He laughs hysterically at some of the parts. It's pretty funny. We are all really busy with holiday "stuff" and just wishing it was a little cooler. 80 degrees just doesn't feel like Christmas!

Getting Ready

2010-12-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

It's snowing. It's cold. But we are so excited & the countdown is on for our trip to Idaho! (This was one of my Black Friday finds. Got one for Eli too. Have to be prepared for those below 0 temps in Sugar City!)

Conversations with Eli

2010-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Lately Eli has been cracking me up with things he says. Here are a few I want to remember down the road.
Me: I'm tired, Eli.
E: I'll take you to bed mommy.
Me: O.k. Are you going to carry me upstairs?
E: No. You're too heavy.
(He grabbed my hand, took me up to my bed, pulled the covers back, I got in, he said prayers, put the covers on me, turned off the light, and closed my door!)

Eli was watching cartoons on PBS while he ate lunch today. The cartoon ended and there weren't any more cartoons on. I can't remember the name of the show, but there was an older man in a suit being interviewed. Eli exclaimed, "Mommy, the prophet!"

The other day Ava was yelling/screeching because it was getting close to her nap time and that's what she does sometimes when she is tired. Eli said to her, "Ava, stop screaming! Aubrey is sleeping." (Aubrey is his BF Brookie's little sister. Funny thing is I tell Eli that when we are at Brookie's house and Aubrey is sleeping or when we are at home and Ava is asleep and he is being loud.)

He's 3!

2010-12-03T14:26:00.001-08:00

Eli turned 3 on the 24th! I can't believe he is already 3 years old. His dinner of choice was no surprise--pizza. This year I didn't even make a cake since he doesn't like it. I made "birthday brownies" served with ice cream. He ate every bite of his "browns". (That's what he calls them.) And loved his singing candle that he made Kaelub light several times so he could blow it out over and over. He was spoiled by all his family with some very fun gifts. I will have to get some shots of him in action on his mini-trampoline, throwing balls at his inflatable target, learning to ride his bike, and playing with his fisher price nativity, remote control car, and train. We were even able to skype with Grandma Joy, Uncle Aaron, Auntie Jill, & GG so they could join in the fun from Idaho! Thanks to all our family for sending gifts & cards to celebrate his big day!

Love These Cards!

2010-11-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

I love searching for that perfect Christmas card design to send out each year. But this year I have had a hard time finding something that I really like. There are plenty of different sites to choose from and I've used a couple different ones the past few years. Then I found this company . I have ordered products from them before and have always loved the way they turn out. There are so many great designs to choose from! I even ordered one of these as a sample card and it came today. Love it! And it came so fast too. I hate when you order something online and then it takes forever to come. That's really annoying when you have something time sensitive like a Christmas card. This card came within 3 days of when I ordered it---fabulous! You can check out more here or here. Now I just have to decide which one to choose---or maybe I will even go with a couple different ones. So many choices.....

Eli's Birthday Party

2010-11-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to do a birthday party for Eli and his friends. I asked him what he wanted to do for his party and he said cowboy stuff. (Probably because he was a cowboy for Halloween.) I found cowboy hats, bandanas, and horses on a stick to use as favors along with harmonicas. We panned for gold, played horseshoes, and played pin the badge on the sheriff. I had it at the park so the kids could play on the toys as well. We had food to snack on and cupcakes. All the kids loved helping Eli open his gifts. :) Kelsey took some great pictures of the kids all having a good time. Thanks to Brookie, Jhett, Dayson, Ellie, Gavin, Brody, & Gio for coming!

Family Pics

2010-11-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Kelsey once again showed us her awesome skills and got some really great pictures taken of us for our yearly family photos. Check her out here: www.bellapassione.blogspot.com. I'm keeping the one we will use on Christmas cards a secret, but these are some of my favorites!

9 Months & A Tooth

2010-11-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Ava finally got her first tooth at 9 months. We went in for her check-up a few weeks ago and she is doing great with everything, but still doesn't sleep through the night regularly. She was just under 19 lbs, which is just above average. Her length was in the 90% (of course), and she is eating anything we give her. Yay! (Eli was a super sleeper but picky eater. It looks like she is just the opposite.) Here is a picture I took of her in her halloween costume where you can see her tooth barely above the gum. The other picture is one from our family pictures that Kelsey took on Monday. You can see it has come in more!

Halloween

2010-11-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

We celebrated on Saturday at our ward Trunkival (carnival/trunk-or-treat). They had a chili, cornbread, and pie cook-off along with lots of fun carnival games for the kids. Eli loved getting a ride in the wagon and his balloon, which he won at the fishing game. As you can see by their costumes, Eli was a cowboy and Ava was a lady bug. I think I might have to do a cowboy themed birthday party for him because he loved his costume so much. Kaelub found him some guns & holsters to wear. I made the chaps and Eli calls them "shaps". Ava's costume was really easy to make and I think it turned out really cute. I'm already excited about next year!

Vertuccio Farm

2010-11-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

On Friday night Kaelub stayed home with Ava so Eli & I could go to Vertuccio Farm with Kelsey & Brookie. We had so much fun! They both loved their ride on the train, so we ended up going on that a couple of times. Brookie was not afraid to pet the animals. We saw pigs, goats, chickens, a donkey, and a cow. They even had a wooden cutout cow with udders the kids could milk. They chased each other through the hay maze, rode the teeter totter, played in the bounce house, and cried when we had to leave. Thanks for the fun Kelsey & Brookie!

A Little Rodeo

2010-10-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Our stake held a rodeo today and we had so much fun! Eli started off with the chicken chase. Most the time he just stood there looking at all the other kids running around like they were crazy. :) Then we got some cotton candy, took a miniature horse ride, ate some popcorn, had Eli's face painted, and ate some yummy pulled pork sandwhiches. Eli loved watching the animals. He was too little to do the pig chase or muttin bustin. Maybe next year!

More Family Fun

2010-10-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we helped Eli carve his first pumpkin. He loved helping us, except he thought cleaning out the inside was "yucky". (Could have guessed that one with his obsession of having clean hands.) He named it Bucky and was so excited when we lit it and put it on the front porch. He has checked up on him every day and constantly asks us to light the candle when it gets dark. Sunday morning I tried to get a few pictures with both kids together before church, since I don't really have a good recent picture with them together. That was impossible! Oh, well. Then when Eli woke up from his nap later that day he wasn't acting like himself and he didn't want to eat anything. He ended up throwing up twice that night and that was the first time he ever has. In Eli's words, "Mommy, I spit." Luckily it didn't spread to the rest of us and he was back to his regular self on Monday. I finished Ava's costume and I can't hardly wait! (I actually did put her in it while my family was here so they could see it. I'll give you a hint....red, black, & a tutu.) I'm still working on Eli's. If you have cowboy boots that would fit a 3 year old (size 7-8), a hat, or chaps, let me know!

Potato Harvest

2010-10-09T15:21:00.001-07:00

Growing up in Idaho we always had a 2 week break from school around the end of Sept. or first of Oct. for the farmers to harvest their potatoes. A lot of kids worked for the farmers during this time, but since my mom taught school, this was often a time we would go on family vacations. My mom and aunt decided to spend their break with us and have been here for almost a week. We went to an indoor amusement park, did lots of shopping, went to the Arizona Museum for Youth, and had a picnic at the park. Here are some pictures from our fun so far.

Ava's 8 Month Pictures

2010-09-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

My awesome friend Kelsey took pictures of Ava on Saturday and they are fabulous! I'm already having a hard time trying to decide which ones to print out to hang. Thanks again Kelsey! Here are some things Ava has been up to lately: Standing all the time, walking along the couch, loves cheerios, makes a funny scrunchy face, follows Eli around everywhere, trys to find a way to get up the stairs, still drools a lot but no teeth yet, and has the prettiest blue eyes. Eli goes between playing with and teasing/torturing her. He is doing really well still with going #1 on the potty, but we are having problems with going #2. It is frustrating. Kaelub is getting ready to apply to PA programs next month and I'm having fun with projects/crafts. I get to help with the Relief Society activities and we have some really fun ones coming up---a self defense class, Halloween costume party, and super saturday craft day!! It's going to be a fun/busy couple of months. Oh, and my family is coming to visit this weekend!! Can't wait to see them.

Edible Playdough

2010-09-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday Eli and I made some edible playdough. I had seen a lot of recipes for it, but none of them looked like they would actually be that great to eat. And I knew Eli would think it was fun to eat the playdough, but only if it tasted good. So when I found this recipe, I decided to try it. I didn't have a white cake mix like it called for, so I used the one with the colored sprinkles in it. It was really easy and we pulled it out of the fridge today to play with again. Here's the recipe:

1 white cake mix
1 cube softened butter
2-3 Tbl water
food coloring (optional)

Mix cake mix with softened butter. (I used a pastry cutter to do this part.) Then mix water in 1 Tbl at a time. (I only used 2 Tbl in mine.) Roll into balls and add food coloring.

Tutu Cute

2010-09-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

I made Ava a tutu a few weeks ago for her to wear when she gets her next pictures taken. I couldn't resist putting her in it and snapping a couple pictures of her--she was so cute! I can't believe how fast she is learning to do things. She loves to stand, eats anything & everything we give her, is usually very happy, (even though she isn't too great of a sleeper), loves to follow her brother around, babbles a lot, and makes some pretty funny faces. We keep looking for her first teeth to come in, but nothing yet!

Potty Training

2010-09-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a week now since we started potty training Eli. Kaelub took him to pick out his underwear and I made a sticker chart and picked up some prizes at the dollar store. The first 2 days were not fun! We went through 6 or 7 pair of underwear the first day and he fought me a lot the second day. I told Kaelub I felt like I was cleaning up after a puppy with all the accidents! Finally one time the second day when I forced him on the potty as he was kicking and screaming he went! And then he got really excited as we clapped our hands and cheered for him. He especially loved opening a present. He pretty much has the potty thing down at our house and he went on the potty at Walmart a few days ago. One day when we were at our friend's house, he would not go on their potty and ended up having an accident. (Sadly it was on the tile in their toy room and Eli's BF slipped and fell in it---sorry Brookie!) But yesterday we were at another friend's house and he went twice, so he's improving when it comes to going potty someplace new. We still are working on him going #2. For some reason, he still wants to go hide to do that. Any suggestions from you moms who have potty trained kids?

For Fun

2010-08-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

I played around with some pictures I took of Ava on Saturday. It was fun to do while both kids were taking naps.

Here We Go!

2010-08-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'm so not ready for my baby girl to be doing this!

When Daddy Comes Home

2010-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is what you get when your husband comes home to find a Halloween costume your son pulled out of his sister's closet. (Poor Eli---I'm sure he is going to hate us for this down the road.) :)

Lately

2010-08-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've been so busy chasing after 2 kids that I'm not sure I'll remember everything that has been going on. But here goes. Eli is really living up to the "terrible twos" lately. His favorite word has been no. He constantly uses the bar stools to get into the kitchen cabinets for fruit snacks, crackers, etc. I have had to lock all bathroom doors because his water obsession is getting out of control. He fills up the sink with water and soap to make bubbles to the point of overflowing. And he thinks it's great to "wash" everything around. (Candles, dishes---clean or dirty--whatever he can get his hands on, bottles of lotion, and pretty much anything in site.) He loves that he can now reach his clothes that hang in his closet and he constantly pulls them off the hangers. Today while I was trying to get the kitchen cleaned up he snuck upstairs and went into Ava's room. She had been down for a nap and has been congested so I filled the humidifier up before I put her in her crib. Well, he dumped all the water form that out onto the carpet and emptied her dresser drawers of blankets, sheets, clothes into a big pile on the floor. And I'm sure woke her up in the process. That's just a taste of what we have been enjoying lately. He also has OCD with putting things in a straight line. Example: The other day while I was feeding Ava and putting her down for her nap, he emptied the contents of our fridge door onto the counter all in a line. And he also started doing the same thing with cans of food from our pantry on the carpet. I wish I knew what was going on in his little brain. Now for Ava. She had her 6 month check-up last week and is doing great. She's CRAWLING, SITTING, & eating cereal. We can't believe how fast she's changing! She is always so happy and smiles whenever we look at her. Such a sweet girl. Oh, and I put in a picture of Eli out back playing in all the rain from one of the monsoon storms we had the other week. Again, his water obsession.

Ava's Boutique

2010-07-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I decided to start selling some of the onesies, hair clips, burp clothes, etc. that I make. I opened up a shop on Etsy, and I thought I would put up a few pictures of what they look like in case anyone is interested. You can e-mail me at AvasBoutique@live.com with any questions. I have some already made, but I could do different fabric combinations if you see something you like. I use flannel on the burp clothes so they are nice and soft. The appliques and fower hair clips are all cotton.