Our Journey

2009-07-24T12:18:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted forever - life is CRAZY!!! - but this was too funny to me. Avery has potty trained, but sometimes it's easier just to let her walk around the house in her underwear rather than taking off and putting on ALL her clothes when she has to got to the potty. Well, today she asked me if she could be Luke's mommy, and I told her of course. So, she was taking cute care of him and Caden called to her, "Avery, if you want to be a mommy, you can't just walk around the house in your underpants". I'm glad he realizes that :)

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T12:00:00.000-06:00

It's tradition in my Dad's family that on Memorial Day, we all get together with my dad's side of the family and go to the cemetery. My dad's brothers and his parents are there, as well as other family on my dad's side. And every year we follow our visit to the cemetery with a BBQ and swimming at my parents house. The guys usually golf in the morning too, but since I don't go to that I don't have pictures.

This has always been a good memory of mine, back to when I was a little girl. The family is getting so big now with all the cousins getting married and having kids, but it's such a fun time to reconnect with them all.

Whoever said cemetery's couldn't be fun? Here some of the kids are enjoy a game of follow the leader.
I'm trying to explain to Caden about some of his relatives. I didn't know my grandparents or uncles, but it was nice to share with Caden what I knew about them.
Grandpa and Lucas watching a little basketball.

We Love Visitors

2009-05-16T11:32:00.000-06:00

We were so excited to have Grandma Paula and the Ryan's sister and niece come visit for the weekend. It was so nice of them to drive up and spend a few days with us.

We spent sme time at the park, swimming at the hotel pool, and riding bikes outside. The kids had a great time

Check out Caden's air...he loves to do this at our pool too.

Ronalee introduced the kids to the ice cream truck. Why have we not done that before??? Of course, Avery doesn't like ice cream...she says it makes her cold. So she opts for a pop-sicle.

Mother's Day "Tea"

2009-05-08T11:16:00.002-06:00

Caden had his Kindergarten Mother's Day program and the kids did so great! They had learned so many songs and had prepared a yummy "tea" time. They escorted their moms into the room, got their lunches for them, and let them sit in their chairs. I thought it was so adorable and sweet of these young kids.

Caden and his best friend Michael

Caden's 6th Birthday

2009-05-06T23:02:00.000-06:00

This year we decided to do another jump house for Caden's birthday. It's so much easier to have a party for a bunch of little boys and let them just rough house their little hearts out - outside. Batman was the jumphouse of choice this year, and I think the boys had a great time.

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T22:37:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of fun for Easter this year. We went to my parents house on Saturday for the traditional Easter Egg hunt for the kiddos. It's always fun to watch the kids help each other find their eggs.

This year, there was a surprise egg. Avery wasn't too excited when she found a plastic egg with a piece of paper in it. The rest of us were thrilled though, because it had a picture of an ultrasound. Ryan showed me and wondered who had a surprise...turns out Jon and Kami were announcing they were having another baby! We were all so excited.

After the hunt, we had lunch together (thanks to mom and dad) and the kids starting trading their loot.

Book of Mormon Reader

2009-02-01T16:12:00.002-07:00

We've really tried, honestly, to do family scripture study. It just hasn't worked how we had it in our minds. So, Ryan bought the kids a Book of Mormon reader and they have loved it!!! Ryan is good to try and read to them each night and Caden especially is understanding the stories so much more. It is a lot of fun to see the excitement they have for the scriptures and learning from them.

Even Better

2009-01-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

So after being thrilled about my savings at Albertsons yesterday, I think I did even better today! I happened upon an auction in the Walmart parking lot in Meridian. Turns out it was a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, and Hubble Homes had donated the furniture/accessories from all their homes. Well, I was in search of a twin mattress set since we are now a family of 3 and I"m ready for Luke to be out of my room and into the crib...thus, Avery needs a bed. We've talked about bunk beds, but we really don't know who to put in what room, who would do best sharing and how to preserve all of our sanity...

Anyway, I'll spare you the boring details and get to the point. I ended up with two complete twin mattress sets (mattress, box spring and frame) for $20 a piece!!! They were never used, only for show purposes. One is a Simmons, the other a Spring Air. I also got a Nautica twin bed set - comforter, bed skirt, 3 pillows with shams and two throw pillows for $30. Finally, I found two curtains to match the bedding at $10 per panel. Crazy that the curtains cost more than the beds! They were negotiating a little here and there, but buy the time I got to the curtains, I felt I got such a good price on the mattresses that I shouldn't bother negotiating. Besides, it was for a good cause. Great bargain day for me!

I set one bed with the bedding up in Caden's room. His bed set is actually the same company, just a different patter. I think they go quite well together.

The bed on the right is the new bed...the one on the left is Caden's.
The new bed and bedding

Krazy Couponing

2009-01-16T23:48:00.006-07:00

Guess how much this cost me?
About $45....saved$75

And this?$25...saved $93

I have to say I'm officially addicted to couponing!!! And I love it when someone else does all the work for me! I've added new links to my sidebar for some of my favorite money saving sites. My latest favorite is the Krazy Coupon Lady. It is a group of girls from my area who find great deals and post them. The best part is they will search through ads, find the best deals at grocery stores, and then post what to buy, where to buy it, links to coupons, etc. They save you so much $$$.

For example, last week Albertsons had a crazy sale...you basically could buy 3 packs of Pampers Diapers for $4...not $4 each, but $4 total!!! Looking back, I should have bought way more than I did! The problem was, you couldn't find them on the shelves anywhere in town, and when they were on shelves, people were clearing off the shelves and buying like 50-60 packs of diapers!

Anyway, I spent $177.89 on groceries and saved $261.90! So, I got $439.79 worth of groceries for $177.89.

Here's my list:

Pampers 10 packs
Rice A Roni 8 boxes
Kellogs Protein Water 36 bottles
Hamburger 7 lbs.
Potatoes 10 lbs.
Dasani Water 24 .5 liter bottles
Fiber One Bars 2 boxes
Cascade Dish Soap 2 boxes
Go-gurt 6 boxes
Yoplait Yogurt 20
Chicken 8 lbs.
Eggs 2 dozen
Charmin Bath Tissue 36 rolls
Cereal 11 boxes
(Cheerios, Kix, Chex, Cinnamon Life)
Granola Bars 6 boxes
Oatmeal 4 boxes
Popcorn 1 box
Cheese 4 lbs.
Milk 1 gallon

The Protein Water, Hamburger, Chicken and Cheese really brought my cost up...those 4 things alone were about $65 of the $177. This was my first time really trying to coupon shop and make it work, so I know many have done way better...but it was a lot of fun!

Restaurant.com

2009-01-15T10:59:00.002-07:00

Have you ever heard of Restaurant.com? Me neither. But I got a discount code and tried it out, and now I'm hooked! DONT PAY FULL PRICE EVER AGAIN when you go out to eat! So here is the deal:

Go to Restaurant.com
Enter your zip code
Choose the gift certificate amount you wish to buy, click checkout
Enter the word EXCLUSIVE (good through 1/19/09)
Be amazed

Example: So I clicked on purchasing a $100 gift certificate to the Melting Pot downtown. It regularly would only cost me $40 on this site. Thats pretty dang good. But I entered my coupon word EXCLUSIVE and my cost dropped to $16.00. WHAT? SERIOUSLY! Awesome.

**Note the small print: Each gift certificate is to be used on a minimum amount...so, the $100 Melting Pot certificate is for a $200 purchase. You could buy a $50 value for $20 instead to be used on a $100 purchase ($8 with the discount). That's $100 to the melting pot for $8!

If you're in Meridian, the 83646 zip code doesn't work...try 83642,

You can also view menus and make reservations from the site.

Isn't she beautiful

2009-01-10T15:26:00.002-07:00

I just had to post this...isn't she beautiful?

Christmas break in McCall

2009-01-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

The day after Christmas, the whole Yorgason family went to my parents cabin in McCall. We usually go twice a year as a family, more if we can, and we always look forward to those times. We weren't sure what the snow would be like up there, but it was perfect the whole time. We usually went out each day and rode snowmobiles, tubed behind the snowmobiles, built snowmen, made sledding hills, played snow football...it is so much fun. Their yard is perfect for all for these things. I think it's the only place on the lake you can snowmobile from...the water drops low enough that there is a huge area to ride out into the lake area. New Years Eve is fun b/c we usually get the kids dressed in their gear and head out around 8 or 9 and spend a few hours out there. It's something we all look forward to each year!

One of the funnest things the kids did was ride from the steps at the cabin on a tube, all the way through the yard down the hill into where the lake was. It was slippery enough they could do that, and then Ryan would pick them up on the snowmobile, he'd carry their tube, and they'd ride behind the snowmobile back to the cabin. They did this for hours and Ryan was so good to drive all the grand kids, and even a few of the "big kids" around.

Avery with her cousin Brooklyn - they are the best of friends
A lot of the gang out enjoying the snow
Avery doing what she does best in the snow - eating it
Avery getting her first haircut from Andrew's wife Kelli

Avery tubing behind the snowmobile with Grandma Yorgason.
View from the cabin
Greg wearing his gag gift from Dave and Lucy...footed pj's
Caden and his best buddy/cousin Gabe
Caden and Avery ready to ride the tube

Avery riding with crazy uncle Greg...it's like he's from Chicago or something wearing those shorts with Sorels
Caden and Max

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T22:25:00.001-07:00

This year we went to my parents for Christmas Eve. Everyone was here, except for Deb and Greg and their 2 boys. I think there were about 30 of us in all. We had a yummy dinner and then the grand kids put on the Nativity. They did such a cute job. Thanks to Lucy for putting that together! Then we watched "The Nativity", a video put out by the church, and my dad finished off by reading the story of Christ's birth out of Luke. It was a special evening being surrounded by family.

My brother Chris has his birthday on Christmas, so we also were able to celebrate with him. He wife Annette brought Cake and ice cream for all of us - YUMMY!!!

Caden was a Wise man, and Avery was an angel
All the grand kids getting ready to start the play
Nicole was the narrator
Caden (Wise man) telling Joseph they'd have to sleep with the animals
Luke was baby Jesus
Angel Avery holding her sheepMy dad reading the Christmas story out of Luke

Chris blowing out birthday candles
Getting ready to open their Christmas Eve jammies - do you think that is what they thought was in there? Caden was a little disappointed it wasn't a toy, until he realized everyone got the same thing.
All the grand kids (minus Cole and Max) wearing their jammies

Avery hiding in the trunk of stuffed animals

Random Pics

2008-12-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

Just some random pics of the kids. Luke is getting bigger, still eating and sleeping lots, Caden and Avery are enjoying all the snow we're getting and can't wait until Christmas!

Luke at about 9 weeks
Tired out after sweeping the heavy snow off the tramp so it doesn't break

The kids are trying to get him to love the bunny, just like Caden did. Luke is actually taken a liking to it and will squeeze it and suck on it.

2 months old

2008-12-09T13:32:00.003-07:00

Here are the stats from the Dr. visit today.

2 months old
13 lbs 3 oz -90%
25" long - 97%
16" Head - 90%

Yes, we've got a big boy on our hands. Quite different from Avery who weighed just under 12 lbs when she was 7 months old. He is growing great and very happy! He loves his swing, Baby Einstein, his brother and sister, and sleeping!

Bumboo

2008-12-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

So I've always heard a lot about these, but never cared to buy one for $40...but after snatching one at a yard sale for $1 I thought I'd give it a try. These are awesome! and I can only imagine I'll love it more as Luke gets older. Around 2 months old I started using it for him to sit it. It had amazing head/neck/back support. He was able to sit up, look around, strengthen his neck muscles...it was so great! I highly recommend for anyone trying to decide!

Christmas Caroling

2008-12-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Caden went to mutual with me tonight. WE went on hay rides and sang Christmas Carols to the neighbors. Caden wasn't too crazy about going with me, but I think he had a good time. I'm sure we were more entertaining for our lack of organization and singing skills than for good music, but it was a lot of fun.

Bowling in UT

2008-11-28T16:01:00.004-07:00

While in UT we went bowling with Ryan's sister, Ronalee, and her family. We ran into our friends, the Owens, from Boise. The crazy thing though was that the Owens had just left Boise a few days before on their move to Arkansas. We were totally surprised to run into them at Fat Cats. We were even more surprised when we ran into the next night at Brick Oven...what are the odds?

I just this was so cute of his little hands in his pockets... Helping Avery roll her ball down the stand...not sure that is really necessary in bumper bowling?
Avery a little upset she can't have her own Rootbeer...oh to have the problems of a 2 year old :)

Sleepy Heads

2008-11-28T16:00:00.001-07:00

We went to Ryan's mom's for Thanksgiving and I think the boys got a little worn out.

Caden's Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-25T15:56:00.003-07:00

Caden had a Thanksgiving Feast at school. I was so impressed at what they did. Each child made costumes out of paper...they had pilgrims and Indians and all the costumes were so cute. The kids were asked to bring different things for the feast. WE brought cheese slices and we had rolls, turkey, popcorn, apple juice. It was a fun thing for the families to participate in with the kids.

Luke's Blessing Day

2008-11-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

Luke was blessed November 23, 2008. It was so nice to have as many as could be here. Andrew and Kelli came up from UT and were able to bring Ryan's mom with them. It was so nice to have them all here.

I struggled for a while what to do about the big day. You see, we were told that we could only have 5 in the circle for the blessing. How is that possible when I have 5 brothers alone, 2 brother in laws, a father and 3 more brother in laws on Ryan's side? How do you pick and choose. We were told if we couldn't choose then it should be the father and two grandpas. Well, Ryan's father passed away a couple of years ago, and it seemed weired to just have Ryan and my dad in the circle...is 2 even a circle? So we toyed with the idea of doing it in our home. The bishop agreed to that, but then I felt I was going against the council of our Stake President who receive this council from higher up....has anyone else heard of this?

Well, Ryan's side of the family was not able to travel. So we still had 8 total that we had to narrow down...how do you do that? The bishop said he could do 6, but no more. Well, I have amazing brothers of whom each volunteered to not be in the circle. That was nice of them, but when they all volunteer, we're back to where we started. I really struggled with this, right up to the blessing time. We were able to make a decision and I appreciate those who were not able to participate for understanding.

All that aside, it was a wonderful day. The blessing was beautiful and Luke was perfect all throughout the meeting...slept the entire time. Quite different from Avery, whom was screaming as I handed her to Ryan to walk up to the circle :( Anyway, the family all came over after for dinner and spent quite a bit of the day with us. Andrew and Kelli left and took Paula with them back to UT...it was so nice having them here even for such a short time.

Ryan's mom, Paula, with Luke
Ryan, Luke and my dad

The only decent pic we could get of us...Avery was blurry in all them because she wouldn't stop moving!

Luke and my dad, both sound asleep
The grand kids and Matt spent most of the day in the bonus room playing games...thank goodness for bonus rooms!!!
Rachel, Caden and Nathan

Did you get this deal too?

2008-11-16T22:39:00.005-07:00

So, did anyone see this deal today? This awesome Britax car seat was sold on Target for $43!!! It's regularly $290 so it was a savings of 85%. I love a good deal, but this was over the top. I bought one, and found out later there was a glitch in the system and they weren't supposed to be sold for that. I'm still waiting to see if I get it. Some say yes, some say no.

My Big Baby

2008-11-16T15:30:00.001-07:00

Isn't he just cute and chunky? I don't know when or how this happened, but he has turned into a little buddah. He eats so much and is so happy! We are so grateful for that!!!

Quick Sale

2008-11-03T10:26:00.001-07:00

So, we finally had to sale the reliable, fuel efficient, Accord I've had for so long. I got this car the month before I met Ryan, so it basically felt like part of the family. Once Luke was born, and we are now a 3 car seat family, it was just too small and we either had to get a bigger car or always drive separately. That wasn't really an option, so we deliberated on a price and listed it on craigslist. Amazingly, after it was listed for 1 hour we got a call. A guy and his girlfriend were interested. After looking a few times, taking it to their mechanic, bringing their friends to see it, etc., it sold to him. When does something ever happen that fast? I guess it was a good time to sell a car like this. It was right before gas prices came down, so I guess it was a wanted vehicle. We felt lucky to sell it so fast. I guess the girl that bought it lives in the neighborhood next to us, so we often see it driving around :)

Halloween

2008-10-31T22:18:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of fun with Halloween this year!!! Caden didn't have school on Halloween Day, so we pretty much had a mellow day. The costumes this year were fun. Caden decided to be Batman, and Avery was Minnie Mouse. Last year I bought a little pumpkin bundle type thing that Luke was able to wear. He just rode around in the stroller though, so it didn't get shown off much.

The night was beautiful!!! The weather was perfect and we really didn't need jackets until we were about done. We went with my sisters family and her kids and it was fun to see my kids really enjoy it this year. We took our sit-n-stand stroller so Avery was able to easily get in an out, but didn't have to walk much in between houses. It was a life saver!!! She held on so tight to her pumpkin, refusing to let us dump it into the grocery bag we brought so it wouldn't get too heavy. Caden loved running from house to house with his cousins, always exclaiming he was first. He has such a competitive streak in him and it comes out at really interesting times.

Leaf Party

2008-10-29T22:01:00.004-06:00

It's amazing how many leaves fall in my parents yard!!! They've been there for a long time and the trees have gotten so big. We went over to their house with my sister and her kids to let the kids play in the hugs piles of leaves. I remember doing this all the time when I was little, and I would build little leaf houses with my friends to pretend play. We just don't get that many at my house, so it was a lot of fun for the kids to go over there and just enjoy being kids. Even Luke got to lay in the pile...which had to be very strategically done so he didn't get too many in his face.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T23:45:00.005-06:00

Well, we went to the pumpkin patch twice. We tried to go Saturday night, thinking that because they were open until 9:00 pm they would have the patch lit up. Doesn't that seem logical if you're going to be open, you'd still be able to pick pumpkins? Well, we rode the hay ride around and when they got to the pumpkin patch, the driver jokingly asked if anyone wanted off. Everyone around us chuckled. Apparently we were the only one's who didn't know there weren't lights. Well, at least we got out of the house and enjoyed a free hayride. We did get the kids some donuts and did a hay bale maze.

We made it back Monday and planned a little better. I was a little nervous about taking Luke out, but we bundled him nice and tight.

First stop off of the hayride was at the petting zoo and pony rides.

Luke snuggled right up and took his bottle. It was a little bumpy on the hayride drinking it for him, but he managed and fell right to sleep.

Their prized pumpkin picks. They even picked a little one for their baby brother.

Eating hotdogs, nachos in the cold and dark.

We came home to carve our pumpkins, and Caden was not too fond of the "pumpkin guts". He had a lot of fun drawing his own pumpkin face and helping his dad carve them out.

Lucas - 3 weeks

2008-10-26T23:33:00.000-06:00

I just have to post these pictures of his chubby cheeks. He is still growing fast...up to 9 lbs now! He is so fun, although he's decided he wants to fuss at night when the kids are down and I'm ready for some time to myself. He is so great all day, mostly sleeps (that's probably the problem), but at night a different Lucas comes out. We're trying to learn his cues, what calms him, how he likes to be hold, what his cries mean. Hopefully he can be patient with us as we're trying to figure this all out.

This was his first time to church. He was so good. He looked like this the whole time, never had to get him out. Can you believe that belly...I don't think he could get any more full.

Avery & Lucas

2008-10-25T11:17:00.000-06:00

Avery loves the time she has with Lucas in the mornings. Caden is at school, Daddy is at work, and she spends her time taking care of her little brother. As soon as she hears him in the morning, she comes running to me telling me "baby's crying". She runs to find him to either give him hugs, pat his head, or give him his binky. She is such a little mommy...always bringing him blankets, stuffed animals, dolls, pacifiers...anything she thinks will make him happy. She likes to start his swing for him if it's stopped, turn on his music, lay by him if he's in his boppy, and she always makes sure he is coming with us if we go anywhere. It's such a special feeling as a mother to see your children care for each other in such a tender, loving way!!!

Pee-Wee Football

2008-10-18T10:36:00.002-06:00

Caden just finished his first football season. I'm pretty sure that to start the year off, his dad was a lot more excited about football than Caden was. But it didn't take too long and Caden couldn't stop talking about it. Ryan was able to be on of Caden's coaches, and it was a lot of fun for both of them. Although I think it's crazy to start sports this young (we're going to be doing this for the next 15 years....yikes!) Caden grew a lot from this. He was able to meet new friends, and gain some confidence. I look forward to many more years to come.

Time with Daddy

2008-10-16T22:57:00.005-06:00

Ryan and Lucas got to have a little one-on-one time tonight...doing what Ryan's likes to do best - watch BYU football. Although it was a terrible game, Ryan got to enjoy it with Luke. There are many more years of this to come.

Caden and Avery are adjusting pretty well too. The soak up any alone time they get with mom or dad (usually dad). Ryan is so good to let the kids help him with whatever he is doing...regardless of how much longer it may take. He enjoys having time with them, as much a they do with him. He looks forward to every minute he has with them, and the kids definitely know they are loved to pieces by their daddy!!!

If he weren't so tired, he's probably have both kids up on his shoulder. Notice Caden with one headphone in his ear too.
Avery finding time to do her own thing...she loves dress up. She obviously has a creative side and isn't afraid to show it off.
Luke is now about 2 weeks old. I can't believe how he's grown!!! He weights 8 lbs now which I consider such a blessing. He's gaining twice the recommended daily weight and it is such a relief after what we went through with Avery. He is so pleasant and we love having him here in our home!!!

Finally, a Name - 6 & 7 days old

2008-10-10T23:58:00.002-06:00

Well, the birth certificate office told us today was the deadline. Ryan went down and filled out the birth certificate so it's official. Lucas Merrill Grace. I think it sounds good, and it's much easier for me to say than the other ones we came up with. I don't know why names are so hard for me. It was nice to have a week with him, getting to know him a bit, and finding a name that really seems to fit and feels good. We still call him baby a lot because that is what he's been for a week now, but Lucas/Luke feels good.

These pictures say it all. He is happy, content, eats well, smiles on occasion and sleeps, sleeps, sleeps. We wake him every 3 hours during the day to feed him. After everything we went through with Avery, I want to make sure he is eating well and gaining weight. Caden we just fed on demand and let him sleep as long as he wanted, but little Luke - we've gotten in the habit of waking him to make sure he eats. He is just so sleepy all the time, falls asleep in feedings, and sleeps for like 2 days straight. He's getting better about having some awake time in the morning and a little in the evening. He's just a delight to have in our home and our kids have really loved him to pieces :)

Lucas is a great baby and we feel so blessed. I already said it, but he's happy, healthy, eats well, sleeps well...and we still have yet to hear him cry!!! He lets out a few little grunts and groans, but his little lungs haven't received a lot of exercise yet. Is he for real?

5 days old

2008-10-08T23:52:00.000-06:00

Tonight I think I found his name. We've been going back and forth for some time between Cole and Andrew. It just doesn't feel right. I can't get myself to say either of them. A long time ago we thought of Lucas and Zachary. We haven't talked about either for a while, but tonight, Lucas feels right. We'll see if I feel the same in the morning.

4 days old

2008-10-07T23:37:00.001-06:00

Can I say it again - this baby is so sweet. We're still having a hard time coming up with a name for him, we've been leaning on Andrew (Drew) or Cole. We just can't find the right one...why is this so hard?!?!

The kids are so good with him. Avery loves having time each morning with the baby and Grandma Yorgason. She notices every time I feed him, and runs to the other room to get a diaper. She's picked up on that pretty quick, and it is so nice to have her and Caden helping me.

Today we took the baby to the Dr. for a jaundice check up. He's been a little yellow, and the Dr. had me take him to the hospital for blood work. Number came back high, but not high enough for the light blankets. Hopefully he'll do better the next couple of days. He weighs 6 lb 15 oz today. He eats pretty well, but is sleepy all the time so that takes time to make sure he wakes to eat.

Avery has been playing lots of dress up. The things don't always go together, but she's cute anyway.
Caden absolutely adores his brother. He didn't pay much attention to Avery as a baby, but he can't get enough of this little guy. Every morning he hugs/kisses him before school, and seeing the baby is the first thing he wants to do when he gets home. PS - if you blow up this picture, look at Caden's eyes...aren't those cool?

Day 2 home - 3 days old

2008-10-06T22:09:00.004-06:00

We have been loving every minute of having this baby home!!! He is so sweet and such a good baby. We still have yet to hear him really cry. Did I mention that at the hospital he slept through the circumcision...hopefully that is a sign to his temperment. He is so alert and responsive to those around him. He has awake time each morning and each evening. Other than that, it's sleep, sleep, sleep.

Dad spending some quality time with Avery and Mr. Potato Head.
Dad and baby sound asleep at the end of a long day

1st Day Home

2008-10-05T21:53:00.000-06:00

It's impossible to document every sweet moment one has with these new babies. You truly can feel of their spirit, and his influence makes me want to be a better person. He gives me a little glimpse into what heaven must be like. I can only imagine that the veil is very thin for him and that he is very close to our Savior and those that have passed before us, as well as those still to come. We have enjoyed every minute with him and look forward to many, many more.

2008-10-05T12:47:00.005-06:00

I've got lots to pictures and there will definitely be more pictures and stories to come soon, but I wanted to let everyone know that we are home, the labor and delivery went perfectly, and our baby is beautiful and healthy. We still don't have a name, but one is coming shortly.

I started the induction around 8 am, and he was born at 12:35. Didn't feel a thing from start to finish!!! He is perfect and healthy and the most quiet little baby.

7 lbs. 5 oz
20.5 in

Baby's coming whether we're ready or not

2008-10-01T16:53:00.003-06:00

Well, I haven't posted much about the happenings with the new baby lately. Several weeks back I talked to my Dr. about inducing me since Avery came so fast. He said as long as it wasn't a first baby and not more than a week early, he would love to. Great! We set the date for Oct. 9th. Well, last week at my appt., I asked the nurse about that date and she said my Dr. was going to be out of town that week. WHAT?!?! This was the first I'd heard, and I was hugely disappointed. He told me it was a hospital policy, and unless there was a medical need, the earliest he could do it was the 13th when he got back in town. I figured there was no way I was going to make it to the 13th, so this meant I would have to go into labor (which I'm greatly dreading based on my last experience) and it would probably be a different Dr. that would be doing it. I had everything planned out, when my mom would be here, when my mother in law would come, etc. Now I was back to the unpredictability. I know everyone goes through that, my first two were unpredictable, but after being told a date and mentally starting to prepare for that, I was really upset.

Well, back into my appt today. He told me last week he would strip my membranes today and hope that would put me into labor tonight/tomorrow. This was a possibility I was willing to accept since that meant he would be here and would deliver me. However, after thinking it through, I decided to go against that option and see if another Dr. in his office could deliver me next Thursday, which was the original plan. Well, when I got in today, the nurse took my blood pressure and it has gone way up. She smiled slightly like this might be a good thing for me, and I asked if it was high enough to be induced and she said maybe, I'd just need to talk it through with the Dr.

Well, sure enough, it's at a high enough level and now that I've reached 38 weeks (tomorrow) the baby is coming on Friday, whether we're ready or not. I wasn't expecting this at all, it's earlier than I thought, but he's coming regardless. I feel totally unprepared. Heck, we don't even have a car that will fit 3 kiddos yet. Car seat is still in a bag in the garage, baby clothes aren't washed, my bag is not packed, cradle and swing are still in storage, etc. I think this snuck up on me. We're excited though and anticipating meeting this sweet little guy. We don't' have a name yet, but hopefully it will come when we see him. Any suggestions??? My mom is getting back in town tonight after taking care of my sister for 2 1/2 weeks with her baby. I can't wait for her help, but hope to not totally wear her out. It's crazy to think that we're finally going to have 3 kids. I'm excited for this new phase in life, and know that even though the clothes aren't washed, car seat is not in the car, names aren't picked...this little guys is going to be loved and smothered by all around him and we can't wait to meet him.

Homeless

2008-09-16T08:20:00.001-06:00

I'll keep this short because it's basically for documenting purposes, but we had a long night last night. It started off great, having a good dinner at Red Robin and then we decided to go to the pool for FHE. Summer is coming to a close and we have to take advantage of the nice days/nights we have left. Well, I headed over early to the pool with the kids and Ryan wasn't much behind. I wasn't planning on swimming, but we took the kids in their suits and brought jammies to change into after so they could go straight to bed once we got home. When Ryan got there, he came and sat by me and asked, "You didn't bring the car keys by chance did you?" I knew instantly what he meant, and what the fact that I didn't bring them meant. You see, a couple of days before we had our garage door replaced and we were supposed to program the code to get in. The man who replaced it offered to set the code, but I didn't really care for him to know our code. So, when Ryan asked about the car keys I knew what he was really asking is if we had a house key because the key pad had not been programmed yet. Nope, no keys and no garage opener because we had walked. We decided to get the kids out and head home to try and figure out what to do. We knew Ryan had locked all the doors. He is very thorough about that anytime we go anywhere. And sure enough, after climbing the fence and checking everywhere, no luck. Why couldn't this have been any other day the last 2 weeks. We've had our windows open all day every day...but not today.

So, we borrowed our neighbors phone and called my brother in law Jake to come over with a phone book and cell phone. It was 9:00 pm and I was wanting Caden to be in bed for school. He brought their car and the kids sat in there and watched movies while we tried every code we could think of, hoping that there was some generic code programmed until we set it. Ryan made call after call, getting answering machines or no answers. Finally, we were able to reach someone who quoted a price ($75) and said he'd be there in a half hour. We took the kids back to Becca and Jakes, tried to get them to sleep in their bed, and waited. Ryan came by later once he was in the house, picked us up, and took us home and the kids to bed. It made for such a late night, but at least we got our garage code programmed :)

Chris & Annette's Wedding

2008-08-30T15:26:00.003-06:00

My brother Chris got married, making all the Yorgason kids finally married (except Matt, who thinks he's next now)!!! My sister Deb and her family were not able to be there since she is close to having her baby, and we missed her and Greg and little Max tons. Except for that, it was a perfect day. Everything was beautiful and the ceremony was amazing, even though I thought my brother Matt was going to throw up on me. Didn't happen, but it would have been quite a story to tell. I've added lot of pictures, some which Melissa Boyle Niu took. She is an amazingly talented photographer and a family friend and it was so fun to have her and her brother there. Click on her name if you want to see more of her work.

I wish we could have captured the whole night in pictures. The reception was in my parents backyard, where all of us have had our receptions. My parents have figured this out to a T, and I don't think there was one thing they forgot. They even painted the grass with food coloring where the dead spots were. Nothing was to be left undone. The tent was beautiful, the lights in the tent and bushes set the perfect mood, the food was amazing, desserts were to die for...Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes and a Chocolate Fountain, ice carved into bowls to serve drinks, wedding cake carved out of ice, music I could have listened to all night...it was all so perfect. The kids played their little hearts out on the playground, helped themselves to as much sugar and sweets as one could handle. Caden was so sweaty and hot before the night even got started. He and his cousin Gabe know how to have fun only like boys do. Avery spent the night dancing on the dance floor, playing in the sand, eating lots of food. I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Caden went through two shirts and two pairs of paints by the time the night was over. Who knew chocolate and mud would come out so easy with a little Zout?

Avery just adores Caden, and he's pretty sweet with her too :)
Chris, Annette and my parents
Avery and cousin Josh

A few of the grand kids who were at the temple
Avery and her best friend, cousin Brooke
The whole Yorgason family, minus Deb, Greg and Maxwell
The rest of these are Melissa's pictures. She is amazing!!!
This is in my parents backyard. Absolutely beautiful!!!Beautiful fountain and flowers you can see in the pool
The ice sculpture cake
Chocolate fountain
The piano man - notice the keyboard in his glasses - very creative
My sweet Avery!!!

More Medical Woes

2008-08-28T15:05:00.005-06:00

BEWARE: This may be the longest post ever. Just want to document all the details for myself.

So, the weirdest thing happened to Caden. On his third day of school, things were moving along pretty well. He was going okay, having fun, meeting new kids, doing fun things. All the fun things a mom wants for her kindergartner. Well, the morning of the third day he woke up and said his foot hurt. I passed it off as nothing, and told him that he had probably hurt it the night before at football practice. I went on to tell him all about my experiences playing sports in high school, and those things happen a lot, but that it would get better. Well, he said nothing more until after school. He had a friend over playing, and once or twice he told me his ankle hurt. I again told him he had probably just rolled it at practice, and it would feel better before long. We'd have daddy look at it when he got home. After all, he was running around with his friend, looking normal, and only mentioning it occasionally.

Well, around 5:00 we were running to the store to get something and he told me once more it hurt. I sat him down and looked at it and it was HUGE!!! From his toes all the way up to his knee he was swollen and I couldn't even see his ankle. What? We took him to my sisters house whose husband is a dentist. He's had some medical classes, and he thought it a little odd. He tends to be kind of laid back about this stuff, but he thought it needed to be looked at. We called one other person in our ward who has some medical training to see if he'd look at it too. He had the same opinion, that it needed attention tonight. He used the word 'cellulitis' and explained that if it was that, we would want immediate medical attention.

Well, I called and made arrangements for my mutual group, letting them know I wouldn't be there. We called our family Dr. but they don't have after hours. I called our Pediatrician and they wanted to send us for x-rays. After I asked more questions and gave her more information (I knew x-rays weren't the answer...his bones were not sore and he had full range of motion) she went ahead and had us come downtown.

Well, once the Dr. saw it she was quite perplexed. Not only was it swollen, it was really red and hot which was concerning. She couldn't figure out why there was no pain when touched. If it was an infection, that should be uncomfortable. Well, she recommended to us that we hospitalize him immediately and get him on an antibiotic drip over night, then watch him. Was she serious? I had no idea it was this serious. This made Ryan nervous, Caden started to cry, I was about to cry. He was doing so well in school, trying so hard to be brave everyday, I just felt this was going to be so traumatic for him. We asked a lot of questions because she just didn't seem confident in what she was telling us, and so I was really not comfortable with what she had to say.

I stepped outside and called my mom to see if she could make some phone calls. Our family Dr. is in their ward and another friend is an ER Dr. I just wasn't comfortable putting him in the hospital, and I wanted another opinion, but was concerned to ignore her recommendation if that was better for him. My mom made a few calls and of course no one was available. I got myself together and went back in. After talking it through with the Dr., we decided to get an oral antibiotic, take him home, and check on him every hour through the night. This certainly wasn't the easiest option, and at the time I didn't even know if it was the best option, but it is what we decided to do.

We stopped at my mom's on the way home and had my dad and Ryan and Matt give him a blessing. Although the blessing was for him, it gave me and Ryan such peace. We felt it was going to be okay. We took him home and started a long night of hourly checks, looking to see if the redness or swelling had changed, taking calls from the on-call Dr. (she was nice to follow up...she was just checking his progress). Waking up every hour during the night and trying to get your mind and eyes to work is a chore. But he seemed okay.

The next day we were supposed to follow up with the Pediatrician, but I wanted my family Dr. to see him. One, to get a second opinion. Two, in case they needed to put him in the hospital, this Dr. would put him up in the one closer to us. When I called the family Dr. to get him in, the nurse suggested we may need to just take him to the ER. The swelling had spread up his leg some more, and she thought that we needed to get him right in. Well, the Dr. wanted to see him first and I'm so glad we did. Although the leg just looked terrible, his gut was that it was okay, it wasn't infected, and that we just needed to keep on the anti-biotic. Rest, ice and wrap were the Dr.'s orders. Keeping a 5 year old down for very long is tough, but Caden was good. The Dr. was right...that was all he needed. I really feel like prayers were answered. It healed so quickly and Caden felt so much better.

These pictures were taken the day after, when some of the swelling had subsided. The black marks and dot were to track the swollen areas and redness.

Caden's 1st Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-25T17:30:00.001-06:00

Caden's 1st day of school went pretty smooth. It's the rest after that that have been a little rocky. More to come later. He was a little nervous, but he was so brave. We took him and ran into his cousins Nicole and Brittany when we got there. They made things a lot less scary. They've been so good to take care of him since, sitting with him on the bus, walking him to class, looking for him at recess. It has made it a lot easier on me as a mom knowing they are there for him. I'm able to go in on Wednesdays and help in the class. That has been fun to be in there with him and see what he does. He has a great teacher and we hope the year will be a lot of fun and he can make lots of friends. He has a lot kids in his church class, but they all go to a different school. My little Caden has always been a little shy at first, so this has been hard for him to meet new people and try to find friends at recess, but he's trying we're very proud of him for being so brave. We love you Caden!!!

Mallorie's Wedding

2008-08-23T17:18:00.001-06:00

Ryan's niece Mallorie got married and they wanted Avery to be a flower girl. We weren't quite sure what she would do or how long she would last, but she did a good job. Mallorie's husband has been in the military, so they had Avery come in after the marines. It didn't seem to faze her. She followed her older cousin, carried her little basket (although she never dropped a single flower) and stood up front. While she last longer than I expected, she got a little scared after she was up there and couldn't see anyone she knew. She started crying and Ryan had to take her out. Needless to say, she didn't got back and finish the job after they were married walking back down the aisle. She was very pretty and did a great job!

Before the wedding, Grandma Paula put curlers in her hair and make her look adorable!

Western Idaho Fair

2008-08-18T22:09:00.000-06:00

Every year we go to the Western Idaho Fair, eat the food, pet the animals, get the treats...and every year we tell ourselves to eat before we go next time. The food is so expensive and gross, yet we feel like we aren't getting the whole fair experience if we don't eat dinner. I guess that's because our kids aren't really into the rides yet, so eating dinner there gives us something to do. It was my brother Matt's birthday, so we met up with my parents, Matt and Becca and Jake. It was such a hot day, but we were able to find a little shade and "enjoy" our food.
We went to a couple of shows. This was the "Splash Dogs" show. They were kind of fun to watch them leap through the air into a big pool of water.
Avery loves animals. You won't find any pics of Caden in here. He stays as far away as possible.

Avery attempting to milk a cow. I'm not sure if she actually did or not. I was to worried about getting it all on film and camera.
We also saw the bunnies, petted sting rays and toured the exhibit where Ryan could buy some $5 baseball hats. The last show we went to was the 4 X 4 show. It sounds crazy, but we went last year and loved it. I don't have any pics, but we're looking forward to it next year too. We finished the night off with cotton candy, elephant ears and the famous Idaho ice cream potato.

Little Fish

2008-08-16T17:04:00.001-06:00

I've said this before, but Avery has no fear of the water. I'm glad, but it is a little scary at the same time. She doesn't really seem to care if anyone is there to get her out, she'll just jump or go under. She seems to think she can swim and while she moves around in the water pretty well, she's not quite ready for that. Notice the tie-dye swim suit...got to love hand me downs :)

Twin Falls Temple Open House

2008-08-15T16:57:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago we tried to go to the Twin Falls temple Open House. On the way, one of us got sick (won't say who) and we needed to turn around and head home. Well, we really wanted the kids to see it. I'm so glad we made the trip back. We left on a Friday after work around 5:45 and got there at 7:45. We were able to get through the session and get out and take a few pics. It was starting to get a little dark, so they didn't turn out great, but it was well worth the drive. The temple is beautiful inside and out!!! We left to head home around 10 pm, and got home around midnight. It made for a late night, but we all are so glad we went.

Hunter's Creek Pool

2008-08-09T16:53:00.001-06:00

Just outside Meridian is a little town called Star. My dad has put a neighborhood there and Ryan has one of his homes out there. They've put a really cool pool in there and since only one family lives in the neighborhood, we've gone out there to swim. We called Becca and Jake to go on this Saturday and it was so nice to have it all to ourselves.

Caden and Allie being Transformers

Ryan & Avery
The kids wore themselves out and decided it was time to start snacking

Back to McCall

2008-08-02T15:17:00.001-06:00

We headed back up to McCall for a quick weekend. We were there with my sister Becca and her family and my mom and dad. We pretty much spent the whole day outside. It was a little cool to start off with, but it warmed right up and we had a great time.

Caden finally warmed up to the idea of jumping of the dock. He did this over and over with Nicole.

The kiddos were digging "all the way to the water". They thought it was pretty cool you could dig down through the sand and find water.
The guys doing a little work on the jet ski, trying to get a rock out.
Avery carried this little basket around everywhere, picking up sand toys and buckets. She did quite a good job cleaning up the beach when it was time.

Avery and Brooke watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
This was the church/barn I posted about on the 4th of July. The church up there is being remodeled, so they have built this barn at the Bishop's house that they meet in every week. They even included all the farm smells :) It's a fun experience to go to church there.

Outdoor Play

2008-07-26T14:08:00.001-06:00

We have been trying to get these kids to play outside and have fun together. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Today the kids had such fun playing with these cheap little water launchers we bought at the Dollar Store. They were the best purchase I think we've made in a long time!!! The kids just filled up their buckets and soaked each other.

Why I've been blog absent :)

2008-07-22T14:06:00.000-06:00

Has it really been this long since I've blogged? I guess my kids have been occupying the computer. I love Playhouse Disney!

Memory Game

2008-07-21T16:59:00.000-06:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it might be fun...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.This could get interesting :)

More Pool Time Fun

2008-07-17T09:36:00.002-06:00

We've raised little water rats! My kids love the pool, almost to the point where it scares me. Caden has really taken off and swims all over the place, jumping off the diving board, swimming from one side to the other. I don't know when or how he picked it up, but he is doing awesome!!! Don't tell Avery, but she doesn't know how to swim yet. She thinks she can, and has no fear of the water. She usually likes to sit on the floor of the pool for as long as she can before popping back up out of the water, or she'll just step off the edge of the stair or pool knowing that before long, someone will get to her. It scares me, but I'm also glad they aren't afraid and want to be around it. It just keeps us on our toes.

Usually we swim at our neighborhood pool. It is the best pool I've ever been to. It is so kid friendly, has the zero entry (like a beach), the whole front half is deep enough for kids to walk around and the back half is about 5-6 feet deep for adults to swim. There are fountains, several water features out of the pool to play in...just so much fun!!!

Avery and her friend Maren Wycherly

We also love going to Grandma and Grandpa Yorgason's pool. This night, we went around 9pm so it was beautiful outside and the pool felt so good. Becca and Jakes's family went too, and my kids loved having races, water fights, playing colors and jumping of the diving board with them.
Not sure what the deal is with the tube, I think he thought it made him go faster in the races. You can't see the other kids lined up next to him, with my brother Matt trying not to get his hair wet. If you know Matt at all, this is not a surprise...getting in the pool trying to get as little wet as possible :)

Playing at the Park

2008-07-14T09:29:00.000-06:00

Ryan has had a lot of softball games this summer. He played on two city league teams, and also had church softball. Some of the weeks got kind of crazy with the number of games to be played, but the kids always seemed to enjoy running around the fields with their friends.

Most of the fields have a nearby park to play on. After every game, the kiddos beg to play on them. I must admit I get a little burned out pushing the swing or watching them go down the slide again, but they love it. It's so rewarding to see your kids happy, doing what they love, and feeling good. Maybe when I'm not 7 months pregnant, I'll enjoy it a little more too :)

Sick Avery

2008-07-09T09:20:00.002-06:00

Our poor little Avery got so sick after the McCall trip. The day after we got back, she was running a fever all day between 103 and 104. She was absolutely miserable. I went out and ran errands, and she just laid her head on the handle of the cart, moaning, not really even crying, just an "I'm miserable and please help me" kind of moan. (BTW, it was after I got home from errands I realized her fever was so high...I'm not that mean.) The day after, she woke up throwing up and did so about every 20-30 minutes for a good 5 hours. I felt so sad for her. We changed so many clothes and did so much laundry! She was so upset every time because it got her jammies dirty. She didn't really have much on her tummy because the day before she felt so yucky that she didn't eat anything. But she was so thirsty, she kept begging for a drink. The logical side of me said no because it hadn't been long enough time since the last throw up. The sensitive side gave in and let her drink whatever she wanted. I knew it was going to come right up, but the poor thing was so tired and thirsty she just didn't understand how to wait. It was a long couple of days, but once she decided to rebound, our spunky little Avery was back!

4th of July

2008-07-07T08:26:00.009-06:00

We had such a fun time for the 4th of July this year up in McCall. We went to McCall again with my family, and the weather was perfect!!! Most of our time was spent outside, the kids got along great, and Grandma and Grandpa Yorgason were generous as always to everyone and made us feel so welcome. We also got to know Annette a little better. She is marrying my brother Chris next month, and it was fun to see them, get to know her more, and even take a few engagement pictures (almost 700 to be exact)! The fireworks on the 4th were good as always. Up there, you can sit out on your beach or drive your boat out on the lake to watch the fireworks. We usually build a fire, set up chairs, roast marshmallows, do a few fireworks of our own while we wait, and then enjoy the show over the lake. They are always so fun to watch every year and listen to them echo off of the mountains. WARNING: There are lots of pics, some with more explanation than others. Enjoy.

Avery playing out at the beach. Most of our time was spent here with the kids.

Avery modeling her new swimsuit...I just love it!!!

Ryan took Avery out on the boat. They both look a little tired here, and as soon as her life jacket went on she screamed her little heart out. However, 10 seconds out of the dock she was out cold and slept the entire time. All she needed was the mimi in her mouth and blanket in her arms. By the way, she never sleeps anywhere, never has, so this was amazing!

Ryan getting ready to take both kids out on the boat.

Caden and Gabe on the beach before the firework show started. Ryan and my brother Dave brought fireworks up that we watched while we waited for the big show over the lake. Notice their life jackets...they wore those day and night, in and out of the house. They said it made them superheroes.

Sure, Avery's happy here with her sparkler. Fast forward 10 seconds to when it goes out and she sticks it in her mouth - OUCH!!! It had a toasty little end on it that singed her tongue. The cousins ran fast to get her ice and she was over it before too long.

We brought up cheap glow sticks for the kids. They were a hit, even after some of the little ones bit through them and their mouths were glowing in the dark. A few got lost after being buried in the sand, but everyone was happy for the cheap thrill.

Chris feeding Avery Smores. She may look a little skeptical, but she loved them. We roasted marshmallows at the fire while watching the fireworks, then put them between chewy Chips Ahoy...yummy!!!!

Avery loved eating lunch outside. A little baggie of grapes and a princess cup...who wouldn't be happy with that?

The little superheroes strapped themselves together. I'm not sure what kind of power they said this gave them, but it worked. These two got along the whole trip!

What's a trip to McCall without a little project to work on. There was so much snow this winter, that it damaged the fence around the deck. Ryan here hard at work trying to repair it.

Ryan and Avery out on the jet ski.

The kids had several fun water fights. We found these great water blasters at the dollar store and loaded up.

One of the funniest things from the vacation was going to church in a barn on Sunday. I'm waiting for a picture, so I'll post it soon of it, but the church up there is under construction so they were meeting at the bishop's barn. We had to drive about 25 minutes to get there, drive down an old dirt path up towards the mountains, and there it was in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of fun. They had it organized so well, chairs set up, people directing the parking, water coolers outside, outhouses...it really made me appreciate the pioneers. This was so much nicer than what they ever met in, but walking in the dust in our church clothes, sitting in dirt with kids, not wanting them to get dirty, trying to hold everything on our laps so it wouldn't fall to the ground, not wanting the kids to get down because it was such a mess...we have it really good today.

24 Weeks

2008-06-28T16:47:00.003-06:00

Here are our latest ultrasound pics. Can you believe how real they are?

A New Perspective

2008-06-25T23:32:00.004-06:00

I've been reading recently about a family who lost their infant daughter to a tragic accident that has really changed my perspective on things. Maybe it's not so muh a changed perspective, but a very stronger reminder and reinforcer. You can read about it here. This little girl was the niece of a friend of mine and my heart has ached for them the last week or so. I've read each day, hoping the mother would post again, often adding pictures that tell a story by themselves(which my friend took most of them...she's an amazing photographer). Her insight into the whole situation is amazing to me. She has taught me about being a loving mother and wife. She has taught me to hold my kids a little longer at night, to speak kinder and more lovingly, to remember what is important in life and that most things can be replaced...they're just not worth getting angry over. If you have a moment, read her blog. I think you'll be touched just as I have.

It's a Boy!!!

2008-06-02T16:14:00.005-06:00

So, surprise to many of you who didn't know. We are expecting baby #3 and we found today we are having a boy. Ryan knew all along, or at least was hoping, and he was right. I've been so lucky to be free of sickness, and although we had a few scares early on, everything now is well. We are due Oct. 16th and realizing that it not only means one more body around the house, sleep deprivation, more noise, but it also means where do I put him?, we need a new car, etc. My trusty Honda Accord will need to find a new home, and we look forward to a bigger car. Caden is excited. Avery loves babies. And Ryan and I hope for the best. Caden and Avery were each on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of everything one could imagine, so we'd be happy somewhere in between with this one. If you know any cute boy names, please pass them along. We definitely need help!

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-26T18:16:00.003-06:00

This year we went to Utah for Memorial Weekend. We usually stay in Boise and get together with all the Yorgason's on my dad's side, but we decided it would be nice to be in Utah this year. The kids traveled great on the way down...better than they ever have. We didn't leave Boise until about 6:30 on Friday, so it made for a late night getting in around 12:30 in the morning. Of course, my kiddos held out strong like they always did and didn't sleep a wink in the car. Thank heavens for DVD players!!!

Ronalee and Jeff were nice as they always are to have us over for swimming and BBQ on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was too cold to swim, but we got quite a lot of volleyball and four wheeling in.

We went to the cemetery on Sunday to see Ryan's father's grave. Paula just picked out the tombstone and we thought it was really nice. Notice all the trees around in the picture, it is the most peaceful spot there with an incredible view of the valley and even Cougar Stadium. Avery was quite content eating her peanut butter and honey sandwich on the tombstone...is there anything wrong with that?

Kelli and Andrew came over after. We actually saw a lot of them that weekend and it was fun to see so much of them.

Monday, we had to make a stop at Brick Oven for lunch. Why don't they expand? I know they'd be a hit anywhere - at least we make it down there a few times a year for their yummy root beer and salad bar.

It was a fun weekend. The kids traveled great, probably better than I, and it was a nice relaxing weekend. We must have been quite a site on the road. Caden playing Ryan's palm pilot, Avery watching movies on the DVD player, me watching movies on my ipod, and Ryan listening to music/watching shows on his. So much for good quality family time :)

At the cemetery

Caden and Kelli
Andrew and Caden
Avery being silly Avery...trying on Grandma Paula's glasses
The kids with Grandma Paula. Notice the candy necklaces around their necks - they were supposed to last the trip :) Avery's made it about 3 minutes...Caden had good intentions, but who can stop after one bite?
When Avery ran out of necklace, she went for the toes...surprisingly, they kept her entertained for some time

Caden's Pre-school Graduation

2008-05-23T17:18:00.002-06:00

Caden just finished his pre-school graduation. After a tough final days of not wanting to go to school, or anywhere without mom or dad, we were so proud of him for going, doing his parts, and graduating. He learned so much this year, and I can't believe my little boy is going off to Kindergarten next year. He is really missing his teachers and friends. None of them will be with him in school next year, and he is having a hard time with that, but he is so good at making friends he'll be just fin. He got the "good guy" award and that sums him up...always trying to do the right thing, taking care of others, helping...Ryan thinks it's equivalent to the MVP. I think he's right :) He is such a special little guy and we love him so much. Congratulation Boo.

Caden and his buddy Easton
Caden & his teacher Mrs. Houts
Doing his "apple tree" part...I'll post the video when I figure it out

Who's Getting Married

2008-05-22T18:12:00.001-06:00

My sister Becca's kids came over the other day. I love it when little kids get together because they are so creative in their play. Lately, all they want to do is dress up. My sis in law Lucy just brought over some dresses for Avery, thank goodness, because all we have to dress up in is old Halloween costumes that consist of 2 or 3 things. They get pretty bored with that. Nonetheless, the kids pulled out the dresses, Caden put on a black "thing" from his pumpkin costume 3 years ago (yes, it was plenty short, but he doesn't mind) and they told me they were getting married. How cute was that. They even pulled out some white roses from a little bouquet I have so the girls could have their flower. I love their creativity.

Kami's Etsy Site

2008-05-12T14:15:00.001-06:00

My sister in law Kami just created a new Etsy site. She has an amazing talent, and I love the things she's added so far. Soon she'll also be adding some of the cutest hand bags. I wish I had a picture to post of one, but they'll be coming soon. Below are just a few samples of what she has to offer, but she can do anything you want if you don't see something you like. Just click on an image to see it larger. Her prices are totally reasonable, the quality is great, and like I said, she's willing to do anything you want if you contact her. If you have favorite colors, styles, designs...whatever, she can do it. I've had a binki clip like these for both of my kids, and I love them. Also, she's made many, many bracelets for my little Avery and I loved putting them on her. I've added her site as a link on my sidebar, you can click here, or click on the title. If you like what you see, add her as a link on your blog to spread the word.

Bracelets for girls

Binki Clips

First trip to the pool

2008-05-10T19:25:00.002-06:00

So, this has to be the coldest spring ever here. We keep getting teased with an occasional 70+ degree day, only to be back to the 40's and 50's the next. While Ryan's mom and sister were here this weekend, we decided to take them to our pool. We thought the kids were just going to play in the water fountains, but I guess despite the cold weather and wind they had other ideas. If the pool was heated, I would understand. But these kids just don't seem to mind.

Caden's 5th Birthday

2008-05-07T11:44:00.007-06:00

Where did the last 5 years go? I can't believe our sweet little Caden is already 5. With the craziness of being out of town, we planned on taking the birthday easy. We were going to invite a few friends over to play, have family over for cake and ice cream that night, and keep it pretty low key. Well, Caden woke up that morning and wanted to know when his pump it up party was.? Last year we reanted a jump house for the backyard, but no go this year. I explained to him we were just going ot have a few friends over, but we came up with a back up plan. Apparently at the local pump it up party place, you can rent the facility for 1 1/2 hour for around $200...um, no. Fortunately today they have open hours that we can just drop in and pay $6 per child. So, we decided to take a couple of friends and head over. I was worried about being there late, having it already full, and not knowing what to do then. Well, we got there, nobody else was there, and we had the whole place to ourselves for all of $18...so glad I didn't rent it for $200 for the same thing:) The kids had a blast, I think we totally wore them out, and only had a few bumps and bruises.
Notice the tears in the next picture...of course they had to bonk heads on the one that I was taking a picture of. Tough boys though, they just shook it off.We had cake and ice cream with the cousins. I didn't know that kids could make so much noise. I'm sure our neighbors wondered what was going on, but at least no one got hurt.
Happy Birthday Caden!!! We love you!

Disneylend & So. California

2008-05-05T10:07:00.003-06:00

We went to California to see my sister and her family. We had such a fun time and thank Deb and Greg for being so welcoming. Adding four more to their house for a week was a bit crazy to say the least, but we had so much fun with them. Greg works for Disney, so we got lots of Disney time in thanks to the benefits they get. Do people really pay what they ask for? I couldn't believe it!!! Besides Disney and the beach, Caden and Ryan hit the pool a few times, Ryan made it to a few of Greg's ward basketball games to play, and we ate at this awesome place called Cherry on Top...self serve frozen yogurt sold by the ounce with every topping you can imagine. You'll have to forgive the number of pictures. How do you narrow them down? We look half asleep in a lot of them, but who doesn't wear themselves out when you are supposed to be relaxing on vacation.

This was the first night there. We went to Disneyland to see the fireworks. I think the tram ride from the parking lot was our kids favorite ride.
Sunday we drove to Laguna Beach. This place was beautiful!!! Sitting high up on the cliffs, the view was amazing. Our kids had the most fun chasing the little bunnies around the park that was next door.
Could I look any more tired?
Monday we took the kids to California Adventures bug area. They have these fun little water fountains that the kids just ran around in for ever. We took their suits and let them at it. Little Max, Deb's baby, was so funny. He found a safe spot in the middle where he didn't' get wet and he didn't' budge. I can't believe I only took this one picture. As soon as I figure out how to post more video, I'll add those too.We went to Newport Beach on Tuesday. The water was cold, but Greg had found this quiet little beach that had parking right close, basketball courts, and beautiful waves. Caden is a water lover and had a blast. Fortunately for me, Avery didn't want to get her feet sandy so she mostly sat on my lap. It made for a relaxing visit. If only I could figure out how to pack a lunch the beach, and eat it without all the extra sand?!?!
Caden and his little buddy Max...he just adores him.
Finally, at the end of the day, she was willing to stand in the sand...shoes on of course.
Rainforest Cafe - this was the happiest the kids were all night. We sat at a table right by a huge elephant and Caden and Max were a little freaked out. Avery, as always, didn't mind. Every time the thunderstorm happened, our table was a little loud with tears and fears. The highlight of the night came when a balloon man came and made whatever we wanted, almost. he did the coolest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Caden and Princess Aerial for Avery.
Wednesday we had breakfast with Minnie and Friends. Geez, these parks can get people to pay anything. It was worth it though because we didn't have to wait in any lines anywhere through the park for pictures...we got all we wanted here.
Avery dressed like Minnie for the day. She loves Mickey and Minnie more than any little (or big) person I know. Once Minnie walked in the room, I've never seen her so happy. Minnie was so sweet to her and held her for a minute.
Caden didn't care much about any of the characters but Pooh and Eeyore. Although his smile doesn't show it here, he was excited to see him.ToonTown...the cutest little place at the park. Here the kids were taking Mickey's car for a little ride.We finally got to see Mickey...who knew that going into his house would wind around and we'd find him here for a picture.Don't you love the hair. Avery was crazy...dancing her little heart out in the street while we waited for the Pixar Parade at California Adventure.
Waiting for the Pixar Parade.
While walking into the park, Kobe Bryant and his family walked right next to us. I scrambled to get my cameras out...I felt like such a tourist. I looked around and no one else seemed to care or notice that he was standing right there. He was pushing a baby stroller and had a few security with him. It was kind of fun to see him.
Thursday night we walked out to Ruby's on the Pier at Huntington Beach. We'd heard quite a lot about this place and it was fun. The shakes and Parmesan fries were good. It was a beautiful walk out there, and it looked like they had a pro volleyball tournament going on. The stands and advertising banners were all set up for the next day.

Finally, a picture of the kiddos at the end of the week. I can't believe we took one picture of them the day we got there, and one the day we left. I think I consumed my memory catching with our video camera, which of course I can't figure out how to upload here, but we'll take what we got.
Thanks again to Deb, Greg and Max for letting us come. We sure miss you guys, and hope to see you again soon.

Pre School @ Planet Kid

2008-04-18T16:37:00.002-06:00

Caden had his preschool field trip at Planet Kid. What a fun place!!! The it's basically a huge McDonald's play place, like 3 levels high, but without the added ketchup smears all over.

ER VIsit

2008-04-13T14:43:00.002-06:00

Ever had those moments as a parent that your gut told you one thing, but your conscience told you another. Well, we had a fabulous weekend. We got a trampoline that the kids absolutely wore themselves out on on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and we were just really enjoying the start of spring. Well, Sunday morning rolled around, and Avery woke up throwing up. What? We just had this 2 weeks ago, how can it be back? We started crediting it with the fact that she had eaten 5 pieces of pizza the night before for dinner and was just sick. Little Caesars does it to Ryan too. Then I started thinking it was heat exhaustion. We had been outside all day, each got a little sunburned, and didn't drink a lot. Could it really show that many hours later? Well, I then realized that Saturday I had picked up this little star off of our floor. It usually was stuck to our fridge as a magnet, and if you twist the back of it it starts lighting up. Well, Saturday when I picked it up off the floor, the back of it was gone. I didn't think anything of it at the time, until Ryan asked if it was possible Avery had swallowed the battery and magnet. No way...she doesn't do that. She never puts things in her mouth. But where was the magnet. We searched hi and low through our house, under the fridge, with flashlights, in toy boxes...we could not find it anywhere. All the while, Avery is still throwing up about every 1/2 hour, sometimes more, and now she has a fever. She isn't eating, drinking, she's totally lethargic. Surely it's just the flu. My gut kept telling me that...but what if? That stupid battery, why can't we find it. We drilled Caden and he had no idea. Avery was the same...couldn't tell us what had happened to it. After talking to our mom's, calling a friend who is an ER doctor and my brother in law Jake, everyone agreed it was potentially serious enough she should be seen. Of course, it's Sunday...these things always happen on Sunday. Dave Johnson called the ER for us and they said it was not busy. So, we headed over.

On the way, Ryan starts feeling sick. He's not nauseated, maybe it's nerves or the fact he hadn't eaten today. It seems to get worse the further we go. He actually wanted to turn around and go back, but I wasn't about to do the ER visit by myself. We finally check in and I just hold Avery on my lap. My poor little girl was so lifeless. It was starting to scare me. Ryan laid himself on the hospital bed, certain he was going to pass out. At this point, he's ready to throw up and I wonder why he didn't' start showing these signs 2 hours earlier...then I would have surely known it was just the flu. Oh well, we're already checked in. The nurse asks Ryan if he needs something to drink, to which Avery catches onto and wants something right then to drink, she just kept crying for something and the nurse said she didn't' think she should. Good thing another nurse came in because he promptly brought her a bottle (they were out of sippy cups) of Pedialyte and apple juice. I've never seen a happier child. She held on to that like it was her best friend and drank her little heart out. Then she wanted more, so we filled it up again and she scarfed that down. Poor little thing was dying of thirst.

The Dr.'s recommendation was to do an x-ray, and check for a urinary tract infection. That had never crossed my mind. I asked how, and he said they would do a catheter since she wasn't potty trained. I was not about to go for that, and told him I didn't think that was necessary. Are they just try to think of ways to make this traumatic for you? She's been throwing up for 10 hours with a fever, you you want to check for a UTI right away. I'd rather wait a few days and see, to which he agreed would be his decision for his own children.

Well, the x-ray went well, not so traumatic, and it came back negative. Of course it did...I knew all along it would, but I couldn't bear the thought of a battery leaking in her stomach and not doing anything about it. Still don't know where the battery is...

BTW, Ryan got worse and worse. The Dr. offered to write a script for anti-nausea. They gave him throw up bags, soda crackers, sympathy...he actually just took the other half of the Zofran they gave Avery. It seemed to hold him over till we got home and then it was a long night for him. Glad to say we're all doing better, hope it never comes back (is that too much to ask), and appreciating our health.

Easter

2008-04-06T12:20:00.001-06:00

So, these are a little late, but better than never, right? We had a fun Easter this year. We started with the family Easter egg hunt at my mom and dad's. It was kind of small this year with out Dave and Lucy's family, or Becca and Jake's family. But the kids had a lot of fun.

Then we had our own Easter egg hunt at home after the Easter bunny hid the eggs we decorated.

Finally, they hunted for what they really wanted...their Easter Baskets. We tried to keep them a little more simple this year. Who needs more candy? We're still trying to finish off the candy from Halloween!

Tonights Prayer

2008-04-04T22:20:00.004-06:00

Caden's prayer went something like this tonight.

First, he started by telling me I was really going to like it. Then he proceeded to mention each of the following.

I love Jesus more than anything.
I know President Monson will be the greatest leader ever.
(at this point, he looked straight at me and asked if Heavenly Father died or is he alive. I told him he is living)
Grateful Heavenly Father is not dead and that he is alive today.
Grateful that there are no Magalons on the earth
I'm grateful I can see President Hinckley and Grandpa Merrill after they died.
I know this church is true.
Grateful for our opportunities

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Avery's 2nd Birthday

2008-02-15T15:57:00.002-07:00

Well, we survived the first two years. For those of you who know anything about our last two years with Avery, we sometimes wondered. She has turned out to be so sweet, funny, tender, strong (in many ways)...we just love her to death. We think she had a good party. For the most part...right up until she burned her lips on the birthday cake. Are we the worst parents in the world? I mean, it happened so fast. Soon enough she was fine and ready to dive into her cake. Two things I learned today (other than not to let your child's face get too close to the candle): 1) don't wait until the day of to decide that it would be a good idea to make a Mickey Mouse cake, and 2)you can't make black frosting. Other than that, the cake would have turned out great. As Caden put it, it tasted better than it looked.

Did anyone see this?

2008-02-14T14:27:00.001-07:00

How should we live and achieve our dreams

Trust me, these are the best

2008-02-13T13:51:00.006-07:00

Has anyone ever tried these? These are, hands down, the best tortillas out there. I was just introduced to them at Christmas and Mexan cooking has never been the same. Ryan, me and the kids just love them. They are perfect for making cheese quesadillas (which is our favorite), or add lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and a yummy dressing (creamy tomatillo from Cafe Rio) for a salad. You can buy them at Costco, maybe Sam's Club. They are uncooked so you heat your skillet to warm, put them in, flip them, and they're done. Remember good old Cafe Rio - these are just as good! Try them and tell me what you think.

Recipe Blog

2008-02-12T10:14:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I want to start a recipe blog? Anyone up for it. The only catch is that you have to help. It's not such a good idea to start a recipe sharing blog if I'm the only one sharing recipes :) Doesn't exactly help me out much. I haven't thought it all the way through, but if you think you want to join, let me know. Post a comment here and we can set it up so that everyone who wants to join can be listed as a member. What do you think? Any other ideas? Any catchy titles? I'm just so tired of trying to think of somthing new to cook for dinner that has ingredients that I've heard of and that doesn't take forever to make. Hope you all are interested!!!

Here's the link if you want to take a peek. I posted 1-2 things just to start off. Again, just post a comment here. I'll add you to the list of publishers. Then you can post a new recipe whenever you want, and go here to check out new recipes to try. It's that easy. There's been a few interested so far, but we want many, many more. What better way to try new recipes than from friends and others who have tried and loved them for themselves.

BTW - leave your email on your comment so I can e-mail an invite to join - THX

Cute Quotes

2008-02-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

Caden's had a few really cute things he's said lately:

Today when saying the prayer, he said "Bless Avery that she will close her eyes RIGHT NOW!!!"

He also blesses that his and Avery's testimonies will grow in every prayer. Kind of sweet, that he remembers and thinks to ask for that. Oh, the faith of a child.

The other night, he had just brushed his teeth and then blew in my face to see how it smelled. He likes the smell of freshly brushed teeth, who doesn't? I told him it smelled so clean, to which he replied "Like a clean toilet?"...not quite I told him.

At church today Caden wore a new tie. I asked him after if anyone noticed or said anything. He told me that one of the little girls in his class told him she didn't like it. I asked what he did, and he said he told her he didn't like her dress. Not exactly the response I thought would have been best, but maybe expected for a 4 year old.

Weekend in McCall

2008-02-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

We went to McCall this weekend. I have never seen so much snow in my life. We were a little uncertain about the roads and wether or not we'd go, but we made it. We're so glad we went. The weather was perfect, so much fresh snow. The first day the guys spent most of the time blazing trails with the snowmobiles so we could go out and play without getting stuck. There is at least 5-6 feet of snow in the yard. Walking was a killer because ever step we sunk to our waist. It was so much fun though and the kids spent almost th entire time outside, even into the dark hours. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Yorgason for inviting all of us.

Reflection on President Hinckley's Life

2008-01-29T13:41:00.001-07:00

I saw this video on my friend Elizabeth's blog. It was such a nice reflection on the Prophet's life and what he stood for. The picture towards the end of him at what appeared to be his wife, Marjorie's funeral, broke my heart. There is such joy knowing he is with her, and that we all can be together forever. He lived a wonderful life. Now is the time for us to stand a little taller and be a little better, just as he always taught and showed us to do.

Glenn Beck's Tribute to President Hinckley

2008-01-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Glenn Beck last night. I don't know how many out there watch him, but I get a kick out of him. I thought this was a touching tribute to him.

President Hinckley

2008-01-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

We just received the news about President Hinckley's passing. It's amazing the range of emotions from sadness to joy for him. He lived such a full, wonderful life dedicated to our Savior Jesus Christ. He was such an example to all of us. I really felt like he truly loved and cared for each of us. Looking at his picture evokes such feeling of love for him, and I will deeply miss him. I told Ryan tonight I wish I had just one more opportunity to listen to him. We will miss him, and find peace knowing he is with his dear wife Marjorie now.

I hoped this day would never come

2008-01-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

I really hoped it wouldn't happen. Caden was my climber, not Avery. She's always been so content to play in her bed, never trying to get out. Tonight, that all changed. She has had the worst few weeks - colds, coughs, runny nose, stomach flu, then an earache...she just isn't sleeping well. Tonight I just couldn't keep going in her room to hold her. I know she feels awful, but it was getting so exhausting. Her cry is more of a whine at this piont...it's so sad, and I just decided to let her fuss it out. Well, I only lasted 5-10 minutes and I went back in her room to try again. It was nearing midnight, and we've been doing his for almost 3 hours! Well, I walk in and she's standing next to her bed, on the floor, finger in her mouth, just waiting for someone to come get her. How did she do that? She's not tall enough, I can only figure she stacked enough blankets and toys in her bed to get out. I didn't even know she knew that was an option. Life has changed for all of us now - I can only hope that she'll forget by morning :) I'm off to help her again...it's 12:20 in the morning and she's still fighting it...will she eve go to sleep?!?! Did I mention Ryan stayed home sick today and Caden joined him by throwing up this afternoon?

Does this seem unusual?

2008-01-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

Avery had the flu...it's never a convenient time, but at 2 in the morning when I just laid my head down 20 minutes before is really not convenient. She threw up from 2 am until 9 am...every 1/2 hour. No exaggeration - really every half hour. I ended up sleeping on her floor (if you can call lying there with your eyes closed for 10 minutes after taking the time to clean up the previous mess and waiting for the next). I slept on her floor because I figured if I was there, I could hear the cough before the throw up and hope to catch it. Well, like clockwork, every half hour was often enough that we got into a good routine...she'd cough, I'd jump and grab the bucket that I conveniently placed at the end of her bed, I'd sit her up and hold her face over it. She'd tell me no, I'm okay, while trying to push it away, and then she'd throw up. Then I'd hold her in the chair for 15 minutes until she'd ask for her bed, to which I gladly put her in so I could clean out the bowl and lay on the floor once again.

Here's the unusual part. I put Avery to bed last night at 9:30. No complaints from her...she asked. She slept so great! My kids are good sleepers anyway, usually sleeping until anywhere from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. This was different though. I had to check on her several times to make sure she was still alive. I don't know about anyone else, but anytime my kids sleep excessively, my mind races that they might not wake up. What is excessive? How about until 3pm...yup, she slept till 3pm today. I checked on her often from about 11 to 2:30 because nobody can sleep that long, can they? 17 hours!!! Each time I saw her she was in a new place in her bed, eyes closed and sound asleep. That must mean she was still breathing. It was the craziest thing...not only that, about 5:30 she asked to go to bed again. I laid her back down and she was out. I don't understand it, oh well. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Random Pictures

2007-12-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

Just some random pictures that don't really relate to any event - just everyday at the Grace house.

Anyone else like to wear goggles around the house...she even wears the blue ones in public...I'm sure people think something is wrong with her eyes.
Caught these two hiding in my storage closet under the stairs watching a movie. Caden made sure they both had water, bunnies and blankets. What a good brother!

I have to capture them reading in case they end up like me and never read when they get older...surely that isn't in the genes.
The Ringling Brothers circus...not exactly sure why it's called the greatest show on earth, but it was a memory.Caden's preschool Thanksgiving feastWard Christmas party pictures with Santa - amazingly no one is crying in this picture.

Andrew and Kelli's Wedding

2007-12-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

We took a break from the Utah vacation to go to sunny California. My youngest brother Andrew married Kelli on Dec 28th in the Newport Beach Temple. Wow!!! What a beautiful day. The temple is absolutely stunning. Kelli and Andrew are perfect for each other and I just love Kelli! Welcome to the family. It was fun to see my sister Deb and her family who live down there. All of the family except for 8 grand kids made the trip. We were tired and worn out by the end, but it was well worth it.

Andrew & Kelli Yorgason - isn't she beautiful!!!
My entire family minus 8 grand kids.Avery with my dad
Ryan and I - isn't he so handsome!!!
My parents.
Now you see why Kelli is Matt's favorite sister in law.
The Newport Beach Temple

Christmas

2007-12-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Christmas was totally crazy and totally fun this year. We went to Utah to spend the holidays with Ryan's family. The kids traveled great, the weather was great, and we had such a good vacation.

A little impromptu picture in front of the Christmas Tree. This is as good as it gets when the little one is ready for her nap.
I don't think I've ever seen a happier boy on Christmas. Transformers are his life right now, and the pj's on Christmas Eve and an Optimus Prime and Bumblebee transformer from Santa made his day.
She loves her babies almost as much as Mickey mouse and the candy in her hand.
Just a little stroll for all the babies she could find.
Taking a break from playing in the snow

New Doo

2007-12-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is everyone going dark? I thought I'd try it out. What do you think?

Field trip to the fire station

2007-12-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

A friend from the ward planned a trip to the fire station for a bunch of kids. Caden has always loved fire trucks and firemen. However, we've really never talked to him about fire and the dangers of it. I realized this trip could do two things - it could teach him about fire and the dangers, or it could intrigue him and peak his curiosity.

Just a night or two before the field trip, the battery in the smoke alarm in his room was dying, so that annoying beep started. Of course he wanted to know what it was, and when he realized that it wasn't working anymore and dad was going to just take the battery out so it would stop beeping, the questions really started. I didn't realize the connection he would make to the fire alarm not working any more and what would happen if the fire started in his room. This field trip was a great way for the firemen to answer a lot of those questions, what happens, how long it takes for them to come, etc.

This was such a good experience. He had his concerns resolved, and now he is our little fireman at home. He reminds us to turn off he fireplace, blow out candles, and he puts out pretend fires all day. He is always wondering what will cause fires and what things can catch fire, but it is out of concern rather than mischief.

Fireman showing the ins and outs of the truck...have you ever seen so many 3,4 & 5 year olds so attentive?
Explaining the jaws of lifeThe kids helped the firemen dress in their gear. They wanted the m to see and hear what to expect if they came to their house for a fire.After with the token fire hat

Whatever it takes

2007-11-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

This is Avery's new habit when trying to sleep. Each night, I find her in her bed looking like this.
Maybe that didn't look unusual, but it isn't so much how she's laying, but what's on her toes. The binkis, every night or nap, usually on two or three. I'm not sure what is so comforting about that, but she loves it, even walks around the house with them there.

We're on a date

2007-10-31T22:49:00.000-06:00

Caden and Avery, on many occasions, can be found sitting in the pantry stuffing their faces with cereal. This night, they had the boxes all lined up, chair set up inside, and basically pigging out. Caden informed us they were "on a date".

Grandma and Halloween

2007-10-31T21:34:00.000-06:00

Grandma Grace came and visited from Utah for the week. We had a great time. Here are a few pics from the week.
The kids loved trick-or-treating. Caden definitely had things figured out this year. Every house he'd run back saying "I'm getting more candy than I ever thought I would!" He loved the night, except for the houses with dogs. Even the smallest puppies made him jump out of his skin.
Avery wasn't sure why she was dressed up, although I think she was the cutest lady bug I've ever seen. We had to get a sack from one of our friends houses to dump the candy in because her pumpkin just got too heavy. She didn't quite understand, so when we gave her the empty pumpkin back she had a meltdown. By the end of the night, she learned to say "trick-or-treat" and how to chew through wrappers to get a taste of what she wanted.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

2007-10-27T15:22:00.000-06:00

Has anyone ever thought of teaching their 4 year old Rock, Paper, Scissors? I hadn't, not sure why, but it is a great tool at restaurants and anywhere you're trying to keep kids entertained. Ryan taught it to Caden sometime ago, and now Caden wants to play it anytime we are out. Even Avery gets in the action. Here he is with his cousin McKenzie in Utah, both apparently thinking scissors. I think Caden's competitive nature wants him to keep winning, and we're trying to teach him it's okay to not win every time. How do you encourage good sportsmanship without stifling the competitive nature?

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-19T22:09:00.000-06:00

Caden had his pre-school pumpkin patch field trip today. It was so much fun. Ryan was going to come with us, but he ended up getting sick so he stayed home with Avery. I loved the one on one time with Caden. When we first got there we went on the hay ride with his buddies Noah and Easton.
After the hay ride they took us to the patch where the kids were all able to pick one pumpkin. The only rule is they had to be able to carry it out on their own. Caden was so indecisive, trying to figure out which was the best. We must have picked up 10 before he decided on the one.

After all was said and done, we pushed our luck a little far with the good weather. We decided to go on one more hay ride with Noah, and part way through it the rain started coming down!!! We raced to our car and after all that fussing about the perfect pumpkin, I dropped it when we got to the car because we were so wet. Caden was a good sport about it and said we could just put the big crack at the back when we set it on the porch. Such a fun day and can't wait till next year!

Cadenism

2007-10-18T15:21:00.000-06:00

I'm terrible at journaling, so this is my way of writing down things I don't ever want to forget. Caden has such an imagination, and some of the things he says surprise me. The other day he asked who the person is that lost their voice. I was a little confused but thought he must be talking about Little Mermaid. I'm not sure why I thought that b/c he's only seen it a couple of times, but it's the first thing that popped in my mind. I told him Ariel from Little Mermaid, and he told me, "No mom, it's the Holy Ghost". A little confused I asked what he meant and he started singing "Listen to the STEAL small voice, listen listen" I'm not sure how he put it all together, but he figured the Holy Ghost had his voice stolen.

Everyone needs a Caden

2007-10-18T00:45:00.000-06:00

I know, I know - it's been a long time. There is a reason behind that, which I won't go into, but there is a reason. Nonetheless, I want to brag on my little Caden this go around. Everyone needs a Caden in their home. He is the wittiest, spunkies, sweetest, smartest little guy. Here are just a few examples:

Today we were headed out run some errands. Caden said from the back of the car "Mom, will you show dad where my pre-school is?" To which Ryan replied "Caden have you forgotten that I have picked you up before?" Caden just disregarded what his dad had said, and continued to tell us it is where the red finger is.?.?.? I wondered myself what that could mean, thinking of possible Halloween decorations at nearby houses, that's about all the further I could get in trying to figure out what the red finger meant. As he's telling us about the red finger, I look at him and he is pointing to the left with his index finger extending out and back. As we get to the street where we would normally turn, sure enough, a sign right on the corner for a property for sale. A big red hand with a red finger pointing that direction. Oh, the things he notices.

Speaking of pre-school, while we were on our way home from it the other day, Caden pointed out a big American flag next to our church. He said "Hey that's our flag". I thought I would teach him a little something and tell him it is for the United States of America. He then proceeded to recite the entire pledge of allegiance, start to finish, without missing a beat. Who knew he knew that? I sure didn't. I laughed so hard listening to his little voice say big words like allegiance, republic, indivisible. I ask him every day what he learns about pre-school and we only get as far as snack time, washing our hands and playing outside. Glad to know he is actually learning.

Finally, we have a little tradition around here that I hope never goes. Each night at bed time, he asks if I will lay down with him so he can brush my hair! I love that!!! Not only is it a little bit of heaven to have my hair played with so long, but he asks so many questions and it is fun to watch his mind think and absorb so much.

Time-Out for Women

2007-09-15T23:43:00.000-06:00

I just went to Time-Out for Women this weekend and highly recommend it to any and every woman who has an interest in going. There were wonderful speakers with a little something for every one there. What a powerful influence we could all have if we followed the messages of our great leaders and those who have learned much and shared with us. We can all be so much more. We can all attain our fullest potential if we will try. We can all be excellent Mothers, leaders, listeners, examples. A big thank you to my sweet husband, Ryan, who took the kids all day so I could do this. It was an all day event and a lot of people sacrificed so the nearly 3000 women could attend. Ryan made it possible so I could go. The only regret is now the kids would rather him be home every day with them. They had a lot of fun together. I'm grateful for the wonderful husband and father he is, and what he does to help me be a better mother and wife.

Mister Moppee's Birthday

2007-09-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

Today was Caden's sunbeam teachers birthday. Her name is Sister Mockbee, but Caden has always called her Mister Moppee. We've tried correcting him, but figured no harm done. He came home from church and told us it was her birthday, so we decided to get her something. I asked him what he wanted to get her, and after giving a list of suggestions, he decided on lotion and flowers. We went shopping together and he found some things he thought she might like...brown sugar and fig lotion (from Bath and Body Works - Caden's got good taste...I bought myself some and love it) and pink flowers. He loves eating brown sugar on oatmeal so that was an easy one when her heard that one, and the pink flowers were the closest he could find to Lightning McQueen red. We took them to her house, I snapped a quick picture to capture the moment, and he gave them to her. Scared of the dog he could hear barking on the back yard, he was ready to hand them to her and run, but she managed a hug out of him. I thought it was cute and thoughtful of him to remember her.

She eats what???

2007-09-06T23:20:00.000-06:00

I don't know whose child this is, but Avery will eat anything and everything. She is such a good eater, and it's all so healthy. I know she didn't' get it from me. I'll give Ryan all the credit on this one. She eats peaches 2 and 3 at a time, strawberries by the hand fulls, grapes, corn straight off the cob, hamburger, steak, chicken, pancakes (every morning - 6-7 of the minis plus a bowl of fruit), bananas, carrots, watermelon, entire cans of Vienna sausages, pudding, yogurt, pinto and black beans, ham...I could go on and on. Every once in a while we catch a good picture of her, and these were the best. It shows how happy she is when she gets to eat. This truly makes her happy. Notice the corn straight off the cob in her hand...she loves this!!! She gets plates and bowls out and brings them to us when she wants to eat. Sometimes she does sign language to tell us. One of her favorite places to play is in the pantry. It's her own little slice of heaven. She still is the tiniest little peanut, but I know she's healthy and that's good enough for me.

Caden's 1st Day of Pre-School

2007-09-05T23:11:00.000-06:00

Caden had his first day of pre-school. This is something Ryan and I have gone back and forth on for some time, not knowing if it was the right thing for him or not. Actually, I knew it was, Ryan knew it wasn't. I felt he didn't need it academically, although it wouldn't hurt. I just thought he needed it for his confidence, separation issues, and some structure and learning from someone else. Well, we agreed to go to the Open House and let him try it out and see what he thought. He was still a little reluctant, but willing to try on the first day. Caden on the other hand was excited and ready. He has two friends in the class, Easton and Noah, and goes 3 times a week. He is loving it and really learning a lot every day. The 2nd day was hard, and we actually brought him home crying after he realized his two friends weren't there. But since then he has done so well and now looks forward to it.

The eyes are a dead give away that he was a little nervous to go.
Still a little nervous, but willing to give it a try. He was able to sit with Easton which helped.
The three buddies all smiles after their fun first day.

More Utah time

2007-09-02T23:05:00.000-06:00

While in Utah, we got to see all of Ryan's family. Caden has a lot of fun playing with his cousins there, and this day we went to the Dyer's. He and Mckenzie become better friends the older they get. They found these 2 umbrellas and ran around most of the day in the rain. Unfortunately, we found Caden's at the end of the day turned inside out. I guess the wind got a little too strong - oops, sorry Ronalee.

Our kids also seem to have issues with animals. Caden hates them and Avery smothers them. We've talked off and on about getting a bunny. They just love Ronalee's bunny, and we think it might help Caden with his fears. Here, Avery was trying so hard to pet it without poking and scaring it. She also tried to give it her binky, touch his eyes, and kiss it. We'll have to work with her a little more.

BYU Football!!!

2007-09-01T22:37:00.000-06:00

We went to Utah for the first BYU football game. We love this time of year. We actually were just planning on going to see Ryan's mom and family for the long weekend, but since there was a game and there were seats available, we went. We weren't sure how Avery would do for that long with no nap, but I guess with enough people to look at and food to eat, she can last a really long time. Caden and Ryan sat with his mom, and Avery and I sat with my parents and brother. That's why I don't' have too many pics or Ryan and Caden. The game was unbelieveable hot, we were sweaty and tired, but we had a lot of fun. We can't wait to go to another one!

The poor guy sitting in front of us. Avery couldn't keep her hands to herself and kept touching the couple in front of us. They were nice about it, but I'm sure bothered. She would drop her toys down below their chairs, and her sippy. Towards the end of the game the mans shirt had brown spots on the back. I asked Andrew, my brother, if he thought Avery had done that. Avery turned around and was holding an Oreo from her bag and had chocolate all over her hands and face. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I'm sure he realized it was her.

Why does he want to count my teeth?

2007-08-31T00:36:00.000-06:00

Caden made his first visit to the Dentist. It went better than it might have, had he not been going to his Uncle Jake. We just told him Jake wanted to count his teeth. He kept asking why, but he eventually trusted us. In the end, no cavities and 2 toys from the dentists toy box. I think he won't mind going next time.

A little nervous before going in. He sat so still for the x-rays. At least it was only 2 instead of the 18 his mom and dad got.
Uncle Jake being so careful and gentle. Caden really trusted him. As you can tell, he's quite comfortable in his seat watching Tom and Jerry in the overhead TV.
Not terribly exciting, but his eyes were funny to watch. He wanted to watch the cartoon, but he was a little leery of what Jake's assistant was up to.

When he was all done, the assistant set a chair up so he could finish his cartoon. It doesn't look too comfortable, but he didn't mind.
Showing his clean pearly whites! Yea - no cavities!!!

Why is he wearing my jammies?

2007-08-28T00:29:00.000-06:00

Our kids have no hope when it comes to practical jokes. Caden's figured them out quick and likes to "prank" us all the time. The other night we got the kids ready for bed, but reversed their jammies. Caden figured it out and thought it was pretty funny, but Avery wasn't so sure. She wanted her jammies off Caden and she let all of us know it!Once we got the issue resolved, Avery was ready for prayers. Her little arms are short and small, but this is how she prays. It's so sweet and simple, until prayers are over and she shouts "Amen"!