Crockett Family

My table tent for Paige

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

I got this idea awhile ago and decided to do it for Christmas. It took more time than I expected, but that was because I had no directions and had to figure it out as I went. I bought fun fabric for the outside, then got the cheapest sheets possible for a liner. I liked the idea of a liner because it hides all the sewing marks for pockets and curtains. The whole project cost me about $50. They sell on etsy for about $200. She will be able to keep it forever and even pass it onto her kids. That's the great thing about sewing projects. They last.

I had fun making it in my secret room. Paige can't wait to find out what I have been doing in there. She is going to love it!

Tyson's bike

2011-07-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Tyson loves his bike he got for his birthday. He'll come up to me randomly and yell "bike!" because he wants to go outside. He has learned to balance already and lifts up his feet when he gets a little speed. He is getting a little too confident though and takes off down the street. I have had to chase him down a few times.

The EZ Ski

2011-07-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I am actually taking the time to post something. The EZ Ski. Greg and I have been determined to find something that will get our kids out behind the boat BY THEMSELVES so they will be comfortable going solo. Eventually of course, we want them learning to hydrofoil. Preston did get up on it a couple of years ago, but has since developed a stubborn determination not to hold onto the rope when pressure is applied. We tried last year and it was a disaster.

Can't help but love the tutu sticking out under her life jacket. Love my girl.

So when we decided to go to Lake Powell a couple of weeks ago, I thought the EZ Ski would be the perfect thing. Turns out, I was right! Paige wasn't scared at all. She hopped right on and acted like she was scared between grins. She was a little nervous when the boat started moving, but the fear quickly turned to thrill. She did "no hands!" and let go of the rope. We kept telling her to stand up and she wouldn't. Then I saw a look on her face and up she went. We cheered loud and she was clearly proud of herself. I loved it.

Next up, we put Tyson on it. He was curious and thought it was fun until we pushed him out onto the water. He started to cry as we started moving forward. It didn't change to a smile, so we brought him back in. But he did it!

Preston wasn't excited AT ALL. We convinced him to sit on it and that wasn't too bad. Then Greg pushed it out onto the water and he wasn't too happy. Greg pushed him out further, then pulled the rope quickly back in so Preston could feel the pressure. The first time, he hopped right off into the water because he was mad at Greg. This was one determined child. Greg got him back on and pulled him in a few more times. He was done. The next weekend we went to Utah Lake. He didn't have a problem getting on it because he was familiar with that part by now. I started up the boat and moved forward. He was nervous and immediately made the sign to slow down, then to stop. I kept going. Finally, a smile emerged. He even let go of the rope for a few seconds. When he came back in he said "that was fun! I'm going to do it again later!" And he did. The next time, he even stood up. I was so proud of my boy! This was a huge accomplishment for him. He overcame fear and discomfort and discovered something fun. That is what it is all about.

I love boating because it is something we do as a family. Our kids are learning to face some fears and the self satisfaction that comes from accomplishment. I love it.

Childhood Nostalgia

2011-02-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

Paige spent the night at my mom's on Tuesday, all by herself. I think it was actually her first sleepover alone without he brother there. It was a spontaneous thing and she was thrilled to have grandma all to herself to cuddle and play with. When I went to pick her up on Wednesday afternoon, she had her Pinkie bear in a baby carrier. But this wasn't some Wal-mart baby carrier, it was MINE. This was one of those handcrafted items that mom lovingly gave me for Christmas when I was four years old. I love how Mom has kept some of these toys that meant so much to us. Most people would throw them away. Paige loved the carrier. She begged Grandma to let her take it home. I looked at it and thought " I wonder if I could make one..." Ironically, Paige is exactly the same age that I was when I got this toy.

Christmas 1981 with my baby carrier. I was just shy of 5 years old.

How it looks today. A little stained and completely limp, but fully functional for my little girl.

As soon as Paige heard me say something about making one, she was all over it and asked when we could go to the store to pick out fabric. We hustled over there this morning between dropping Preston off at school and getting her to preschool. We found the perfect gingham fabric that was even quilted just like my baby carrier.

I spent ALL day sewing. I realized early in that I completely messed up the bottom and didn't understand how it was put together. So I had to start that part over. It was tricky and I didn't get it exactly right. But Paige doesn't notice those little things. What she sees is a new toy for her babies. She was absolutely in love with it. We made one for her cousin Karli too so they can play with their babies while they get babysat on Fridays.

Paige and her new doll carrier.

Karli's doll carrier.

It's funny how I felt such a desire to reconstruct this piece of my childhood. Everything comes from the store these days, but I wanted to MAKE it. It means more. I hope one day my little girl finds this carrier in the hands of her own child and remembers the special memories she made with it.

ELMO!

2011-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Tyson is obsessed with Elmo. I think it's adorable. All of my kids have like Elmo, but I think Tyson loves him most. He says his name very clearly. I am convinced that I hear that word out of his mouth more than I hear Momma. Every time we walk by my room, he yells out "ELMO!" If we are in the living room and the television is off, he points to the t.v. "ELMO!" When I tell him no, he puts his head in his hands and cries. It's a tough life. Love my cute little boy.

St. George in January, aaaah

2011-01-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

Greg went to St. George all week for work. We love to go visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Springer there so I decided to pack up the kids and head down there too. It was a little crazy doing all the packing and loading. It took a lot longer than I expected, but the kids were a big help. I was nervous about the drive, but they did surprisingly well. Especially Tyson and he DOES NOT like being restrained. It wasn't as warm as it usually is in January. The snow on the mountains was pretty against the red rock. But it was still warmer than home and sunny.

We usually just hang out and go for walks, but this time, I wanted to do a small hike with the kids. They are old enough for some adventures now. I looked on line and found Snow Canyon State Park. I was surprised that it was only a 15 minute drive and yet we had never been there before. We went on the Jenny's Canyon hike. It is only 0.5 miles round trip and perfect for kids. The kids kept grabbing handfuls of sand along the path. As we neared the red rock formations, Preston discovered his echo.

I love red rock and the way the wind and rain carve out spaces. The kids were fascinated. I got this great shot of all three of them. Great because no one is crying which is what usually happens when I put them all together for a photo.

The hike is a slot canyon that ends rather quickly. There was an area the kids could climb up in that was kind of a cave. They loved that. Tyson just wanted to go to the end and hang out there. I haven't really been in a slot canyon. Now I want to explore Zion's and find other hikes.

I took this shot in the cave area. How I wish I had taken my tripod. Still not bad though for being handheld. I love how the light reflects off of the walls.

Preston poses for a shot with mom. I had to have some proof that I was on this trip too! I usually don't get many pictures with me in them.

Next we went over to the sand dunes. It was a small hike to get to, but the kids loved it. They took off their shoes and ran through the sand. The sand was cool and the sun hot. I was actually wishing for shorts mid-day. I think the high was about 57. I love this picture of Tyson tromping through the dune.

We had fun running down the hill. Tyson would run until he lost control and fell. I'd pick him up and he would keep on going, then fall on purpose because he knew it made us laugh. He is the comedian and a little thrill-seeker.

A close-up of the last shot. Note the sand springing from his head as he face plants.

The time at Grandma's was great too. We had a good visit and relaxed. We took the kids' rollerblades to help them learn. Paige loved rollerblading with me. I haven't worn those things since college. She liked to hold my hand and roll down the hill onto the grass.

Preston plays football with Great Grandpa Springer.

The kids loved to cuddle and got a lot of special time.

There is an awesome playground up the street. Everything there spins and uses a person's own momentum. The kids had to test everything out. We played there for quite awhile. The things Greg and Preston are sitting in spin. You have to lean back and then forward to get them going, then you get cruising. I got so sick. I miss being able to do that stuff. How old am I again?

My attempt to get a picture of the kids with the Springers. I am grateful that they can have these opportunities to spend time with their great grandparents. It was so special going to San Diego with them last year. I love visiting St. George. The sun was a welcome change. Coming home to the cold was not so fun.

Christmas Season

2010-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

I love the holiday season. I never feel ready for it, but I really get into it. The kids are the perfect ages. They believe in Santa. Both Preston and Paige keep breaking out in random Christmas songs that they have learned at school. It's so cute. Paige especially loves music. She is obsessed with Taylor Swift. But, the other day, Preston started singing a Taylor Swift song. So funny.

Anyway, we decorated the tree a the beginning of the month. I laugh at myself because I bought this beautiful tree and decorations before I had kids. It is red and white and the ornaments are mostly glass and in the shape of candy. What was I thinking? Kids love candy! When they are toddlers, they don't get that the candy is not real. So Tyson is all over it. We quickly had to revamp our decorations and now only the top half of the tree is decorated.

I remember going downtown to see the lights as a kid. I had no concept of how hard it must have been for my parents, but I remember being in awe of those giant trees. We took the kids down this year and it was really their first time. Preston doesn't remember going when he was younger. We went out to eat at IHOP first, then headed downtown. I haven't been down there forever and didn't realize how many changes have taken place. The parking wasn't bad since we got there early, but Temple Square was packed! The kids didn't notice or care though, all they saw were the lights. They oohed and aaahed. Tyson kept saying "whoa!" and pointing at everything. Paige loved the pink lights, of course. Preston was more interested in the water features. I only took my point and shoot camera because I knew I wouldn't be able to set up my tripod. I turned off my flash and I'm impressed with the photos I got with that little camera.

Preston LOVES legos. I love what he makes with them. He is so creative. I don't know what is "normal" for a seven year old, but he seems to have a unique sense for building things. I would like to figure out how we can encourage his creativity. He came home from church a couple of weeks ago and decided to build a lego Jesus. Yeah, I don't know that any other kid would think of that. Here is what he came up with-

Preston's Lego Jesus.

Then, yesterday, he made this reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. My favorite parts are the antlers and Santa's hat complete with the white ball on the end. Wow Preston!

And last of all for my post, here is my Tyson being his usual monkey self. He will hang from anything. Love that boy too.

Tyson's baby book

2010-11-21T15:36:00.001-08:00

I have been working hard on Tyson's baby book. I still have two more months to scrap, but I am getting close. I have made sure not to fulfill the prophecies of mothers everywhere that you don't take as many pictures of your kids as more come along. I have TONS of pictures of Tyson. I have also written about him every month so that he would have a record that is just as detailed as Preston and Paige. It didn't take much time to just jot things down in a notebook each month. But typing it into a document was a pain. I should have done that all along. I love digital scrapbooking. It fits right with my love for photography and photoshop because I can make it all myself, exactly how I want it. Then, I can upload my pages as full bleed images to Cherish Bound and get a beautiful, classy hard bound book. I can order a copy for me and one for him.

Here are some of the spreads from his book. It is already 100 pages. I kept it simple by using the same background for the whole book.

I just finished this spread for his measurements. I love seeing how much he has changed over 18 months. He is so adorable. I love my cute boy!

I am hoping to submit his book through cherishbound.com by the end of the month!

If you want to learn more about digital scrapbooking, check out my sister Meg's awesome blog HERE!

Deer Widow Weekend

2010-10-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

While Greg was off to galabant around in the mud an rain, I decided to make sure it was a fun weekend with the kids.

I started off the weekend by letting the kids sleep in my bed. I haven't done this before and thought it would be nice to have someone there. I worked on the computer for awhile and when I came in, I couldn't figure out how they were laying. I walked around the bed and felt a foot hanging out. I had to turn on a dim light in the bathroom to look and I laughed. I grabbed the camera and flashed a picture in the pitch dark. It didn't even phase them. I moved them back the right way and they actually slept really well.

I have been wanting to make a tinker toy set of sorts out of PVC pipes and elbows for awhile. I really want to make the water one where you attach sprinklers and fun things, but never got around to it this summer. While looking up ideas online, I found a pattern for marshmallow shooters. I have never seen these before which is surprising since I have served for years in the cub scout organization. They are so simple and cheap. Preston followed the blue print after I cut all the parts. He hadn't even shot a marshmallow and he wanted to reconfigure it and use his imagination. I love seeing that mind at work. We figured out the trick in loading the gun and the mini marshmallows blasted all the way across the basement.

Shooting at a target on the wall. We had to put it high enough that Tyson couldn't grab it.

Check out Paige's marshmallow bouncing off the wall at the top of the picture. And Tyson eagerly awaits its fall...

Tyson was more than willing to help "pick up" the ammunition that hit the floor. We kept telling him he was eating all our bullets!

That afternoon, we went over to Melissa Dahle's and watched How to Train Your Dragon. We had popcorn, pizza, and friends. What more could you ask for? The movie was so cute. I couldn't believe the animation. I will definitely be buying that one.

Sunday morning was a little crazy getting ready. We missed sacrament, but made it to the last two hours of church so I could play the piano in primary. We came home and had lunch and I put Tyson and Paige down for naps. I cuddled with Paige and dozed (one of my favorite things to do) then came upstairs to check on Preston. I was so groggy, but he wanted to make the other PVC stuff I bought. I bought 10 bigger pipes and a bunch of fittings. I wasn't sure what size to cut them. If they are too small, then you have to buy a ton of fittings which are where the expense is. I made a bunch of 1' and 2' pieces. Thankful for the PVC cutter and that I didn't have to use a hack saw. Here is my boy at work.

What a weekend. I love having time to play with my kids. As much as I would love to stay home with them all the time, I am grateful that we both appreciate our time together more because I'm gone two days a week. I'm a crafty person and always have some little project we make together. I hope they will remember these fun times.

Paige's new hair cut

2010-10-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here is Paige's new do. We are twins.

2010-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Paige was playing with her friend Sophia. I let them get out the Halloween stuff. She saw the pumpkin pictures and asked if she could have them. Then she came up asking for tape. Then she came up asking for scissors for the tape. I didn't worry about the scissors because she uses them often. A bit later, Sophia came upstairs with her hand over the side of her hair. Paige came behind holding her hair and confessed "Mommy, sorry we cut our hair." While I was concerned about Paige, I was MUCH more worried about the neighbor girl. Her hair was much longer and she hacked a good 4 inches behind her ear along with her bangs. Paige cut part of her bangs completely off. Then took a chunk out on both sides of her hair. When I asked her why she did it, she explained.

"My hair was in my face. So I cut it." Not sure why it progressed to more. It must have gotten fun at that point. Still, it's hard not to laugh knowing she was trying to solve a problem. She just didn't choose the best solution. Luckily, Sophia's mom was cool about it and came over to show us Sophia's new hair.

My Climber boy

2010-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

It's in the genes. Greg and I were both monkeys as kids and now we have our own. Tyson latest ventures include climbing into his crib, climbing on the table, and now climbing up the swingset and going down the slide without any help. I have to wrap a rope around my table and chairs to keep him off. It didn't take him long to realize that the bar stools weren't roped and Greg found him on the island eating something. He is so much fun and I laugh at his eagerness to tackle new hurdles. One day, he made it up on the table and proceeded to dance a happy dance to rub it in that he made it. I love this little boy!

Oregon 2010

2010-07-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

We had a reunion in Oregon this last week. I've just read Megan's post and love all the old pictures of "going home" that she pulled out. Mom always called it that because it was where she grew up. The trip was a lot of fun and not as difficult as I anticipated since I went solo with my three kids.

The trip brought out some unexpected feelings in me. It gave me new perspective on remembering my past. We went to Oregon every summer at least. Usually I stayed with a sister or two for a couple of weeks. I loved seeing my cousin Joanna. We spent hours playing in the ditch, walking the canal, or stomping down wheat to make a fort. I can still see Grandma cooking eggs on the stove for a big breakfast while we all sat around her small table. I can remember sunlight streaming in her windows and making rainbows all over her carpet. We played Husker Du a million times and tried to stack playing cards into houses on her floor. I can hear the creak of her old wooden steps and see the view of the farm from the attic window. All that is changed now.

Looking up the road to Grandma's house and land.

My cousin Joanna and her new baby "little Don".

I drove by her farm and my heart sunk. From the main road looking up, it still looks very similar to my childhood. The same land, same grove of trees hanging over the road. But as I approached, it was difficult to see the changes to the house and yard. I didn't want to look. I just want to remember it the way that it was. I guess I just never realized that those memories would stop being made. Going to Oregon was just something that we did every year. My grandpa died when I was around 17 years old. I don't even know the last time we had been there previous to that. I went up a couple years later for my cousin's wedding around 1994 or so. Then that was it. Grandma got alzheimer's and moved down here. I didn't return to Oregon until her funeral in 2005 and that was for one brief day in early December. I didn't keep in touch with my cousins very well. Facebook has helped us reconnect.

When mom told me about the reunion, I really wanted to go this time. I wanted to see this special place. It felt so good to drive those roads and to see the parts that are still the same. It seemed like FOREVER driving in "to town" when I was a child. In reality, it took about 10 minutes. I loved seeing my cousins and their children. I loved watching our children play together. Paige ran around all day with the "girl herd".

Loni and Tonya's place.

Aunt Carolyn's farm.

We had a great time visiting at Loni and Tonya's. Loni made the kids snow cones and they chowed them down. We spent all day Saturday at Aunt Carolyn's. All six of her kids were there, all five of Mom's girls, and Aunt Sharon with her daughter Shannon. I renewed friendships and learned more about lives that I hadn't really been a part of for fifteen years or more. The kids were great the whole time. I was up bright and early Sunday morning to drive home. I was surprised by how well my kids did on the drive home. We were eager to see Daddy and to hear about his weekend riding at the Fire on the Water event.

When I returned home, I found myself very emotional. There is something so peaceful about the countryside. I almost detested driving through our cramped city and longed for a little space to roam. I felt so connected to that place again. I don't want to forget that feeling. I don't ever want to forget Oregon and the memories growing up. I hope to return often with my children to watch them make their own special memories. As the week has progressed, I've sunk back into my daily routine and adjusted back to city life, but I loved my time in Vale.

The little trouble makers.

I love my cute boy!

Preston with his favorite cousin, Logan.

Paige playing with her cousins.

A 2-wheeler bike!

2010-07-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

Paige can ride a 2-wheeler bike! We were out running errands on Saturday and on the way home she asked “Mommy, when we get home can we take my training wheels off and ride my bike?” I was a little surprised by her request, but told her we would. The last time we tried, she got upset real fast and begged to have the training wheels put back on. So, while Daddy went to the store, we set out to practice riding a bike. She got on it and started peddling. I ran beside her with my hand on her back. I let go a couple times and she swerved a little. The second attempt, I was able to completely let go and by number three she had it down. She was so proud of herself. Especially, because this meant she earned a new basket and a bell for her bike. The next day, I asked if she wanted to ride and she cheered so loud. I love it. I love seeing that excitement on her face and pride in her accomplishment. She learned to start on her own and is turning around in the street. I am so proud of my cute little girl.

Self indulgence is a good thing

2010-07-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's a good thing. When I indulge, I am enjoying the little things in life. This is because I appreciate being able to. I am learning that many of the things worth getting in life require self discipline and self control. Indulgence is the opposite of these traits so why is it so good? Well, it depends on how you look at it and how you handle it. The two areas I have worked on controlling most in my life are food and money. It's funny how these two things are so related. Calories are like money- you want calories in to be less than calories out. Whereas with money, you want dollars in to be greater than dollars going out.

I first started “eating right” after I had Paige. I have never been really heavy, but the same principles apply regardless of where you are on the scale when you start. Jen introduced me to eat2get fit. You can find it here (and I can get you 2 weeks free). I learned what foods make up our diet and which are the good ones to eat. Over time, I started thinking about different combinations and made my own recipes. It was a tough change, but now it's so normal to me. I eat five times a day and all the meals on the website are interchangeable. I lost 19 inches in 9 weeks that year. Five inches came off my waist. At the age of 30, I weighed 15 lbs less than I did for most of my twenties and I felt great. I gained a little back but maintained a healthy weight. With my third baby, I was eager to kick it into gear again and this time I lost 20 lbs in about five months. It's amazing what you can do with some self discipline and a little time. I continue to eat this way and exercise even though I'm at the weight I want. I feel healthy and capable.

However, I need my indulgences to keep me going. This is where it gets fun. I get to choose my indulgence. I get to think about it carefully and decide where I'm going to splurge. And I deserve it because I have worked so hard every other day of the week. My usual indulgences are chocoloate- especially cadbury mini eggs. That's a once a day thing usually. My other is Oreos. They are harder to resist every time I open my pantry. The trick is that once I indulge, it's over. I have to jump back into discipline and keep myself from continuing. Last night, my treat was an apple from Rocky Mountain Candy co. Carmel dipped, then white chocolate, then Oreo. It was divine. So yeah, I'm a little obsessed with dessert, but that's because I give myself a reason to deserve it.

Before and After pics from August 2009 and January 2010. I have maintained my loss.

The other area, finance, is equally tough and requires attention. I remember looking into budgets, but never found a way to do it that worked for me. I found Dave Ramsey made the most sense and began a budget on paper and working his total money makeover. Then Jen introduced me to YNAB software. You can find it here (and get a free week trial). I absolutely love this budgeting software. I plan every penny that I'm going to spend at the beginning of every month.

What I love most about this guy's plan is that he recommends living on last months income. You save money in a buffer each month and figure out what you need for an entire month. When you hit that amount, you live on it for that month, and your paychecks that come in get forwarded to next month. So, on July 1, I have all the money in my account from my June paychecks available for my budget. The beauty of it is that my entire month's budget is sitting in my account at the first of the month with a FINITE dollar amount. I can budget every penny because I know exactly how much I have. No waiting for the next paycheck before I can buy groceries. I don't have to guess at what we'll make that month because it's already there. I also don't have to worry about bouncing a check or using any overdraft. I have a one month buffer. Seriously, it is the coolest thing and gives me a lot of peace of mind. Of course, it doesn't work without discipline. I have to stick to the numbers I choose. If I spend more somewhere, I have to sacrifice in other places.

The indulgence side comes from budgeting for indulgence. Yep, I get my blow money each month that I can spend on whatever I want- and I don't feel guilty for spending it. Not that I budget a huge amount. Also, we are better able to save using these methods so when it comes time to spend on something, we can get good quality and enjoy spending because we have saved for it.

Indulgence and self-discipline are opposites, but we need them both. The indulgence has to come with moderation or it can take over. Sadly when we let it take over, we are not happy. I am amazed by the feelings of confidence I have because of daily discipline. Many would say that they aren't motivated to eat right or budget. Well, motivation is emotional. We can't depend on our emotions to move us through temptations and struggles. We have to simply make a choice. Once you make that choice to eat better, exercise, or control your finances, you have to keep going. It's the same choices made EVERY DAY that lead to success. Then indulge a little, savor it, and get back on track. It can be hard, but so worth it.

What do you struggle with? What obstacles keep you from disciplining yourself? Have you felt the satisfaction I'm talking about? What success have you had?

Thoughts on parenting

2010-06-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

I generally only post about events that happen, but today I just wanted a place to share some thoughts.

Different events that have happened over the last few months have made me think about a few things. I've realized that the greatest joys in life come from our relationships with others, particularly our families. I haven't always gotten along perfectly with my family, but I like to think that we have good, respectful relationships. My relationships with my children are so special to me as well. They give me an opportunity to look at myself and examine what kind of example I am and how well I am teaching them.

I love the book Scream Free Parenting by Hal Runkel. The main premise of the book in stressful situations, we generally have an initial emotional reaction. The heat wells up within us and we REACT. These situations tend to come often and without warning when dealing with children. We say things like “don't make me mad” or we simply yell at them and try to force them into compliance through fear. I can sadly admit to yielding to the emotional reaction, hence the need for this book.

Anyway, the author teaches how to first control your emotional reaction and then respond to the situation. This is SO HARD. I have been practicing for months and I still fail. However, I have learned a great deal about my children and how they respond to me. For instance, I've found that when I react emotionally, my daughter in particular, reacts even more emotionally. The situation escalates and resolution is long, drawn out, and difficult. However, when I can calm myself first and respond in a normal tone, she often listens, obeys, and goes on her way. So how do you discipline if you don't yell? You let the consequences do the talking. One warning, then the consequence- usually a time-out (one minute per year for the age of the child) or taking away a toy or whatever. But YOU remain calm. It has been an interesting experiment to watch my children's reactions to my own calm. Unfortunately, it has been hard to maintain. But then, change can be difficult, especially when it is ingrained in you to react. But I believe people can change and that we can always be working on becoming better at something- especially relationships.

That brings me to the other part of the book that affected me. It was an exercise focused on the future. He asked the reader to picture their children in 10 years, 15 years, as adults. He walked through questions to help me think about the kind of relationships I want to have with them.

Wow. You mean my kids are going to grow up? There will come a time that I am the “mother-in-law”, “grandma”, and eventually “great-grandma”? Whoa. That seemed to far way to even think about. At the same time, it wasn't that hard to think about what I want. I want strong, confident, children who aren't afraid of the world. I'm not picky about whether or not they go to college, I just want them to be happy. I want them to know that I believe in them no matter what they want to do and that I believe they can achieve anything. They will always have my support and understanding. I want our relationship to be one of respect and understanding. Hopefully they will feel that they can talk to me about any concern that they have. I want to respect their marriages and boundaries, but still be involved in their lives. I will celebrate their successes with them and cry with them if they fail. I will encourage and uplift and let them always know how proud I am of them.

The interesting thing as I did that exercise was realizing how much of that I can do right now. That right now I have the power to decide how our relationships will be in the future. I pray for the strength and control to recognize that emotional reaction and to calm my anxiety. This book has opened my eyes and given me a new perspective on how I handle all situations that generate that reaction. I don't always know how to react, but I certainly do better when I am calm than when I am filled with the fire.

Has anyone else read this book? Have you thought about your relationships with your own children?

To blog or not to blog

2010-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about the whole blog thing. I am a social person. I love to talk to people and hear about there lives and tell them about mine. But blogging doesn't feel social to me. It feels like talking to the whole world and no one is listening. Who am I really doing it for? I deleted my blog awhile ago because of this and now I have undeleted it, but I remain undecided on how to proceed. I look at other people's blogs on occasion, but don't always comment. I enjoy "seeing" what is going on in your lives, but I miss "hearing" what is going on. It's like the blog takes the conversation out of our lives. While it is out there for all to see, I feel even more isolated. It's like if you know what's going on already, there's no need to talk. I don't know. I just don't know where to go from here.

Tyson loves to eat!

2010-05-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tyson is ONE!

2010-03-16T09:11:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right. I am actually posting on my blog again. I have been lazy, I admit it. But, my baby's first birthday can't go unrecognized. He is one year old today. Although yesterday was the day that brought all the memories because that was when I went into labor. Tyson was born at 12:45 a.m.

We celebrated last night with a little birthday party with grandparents. I chose a mickey mouse them, but was frustrated that I couldn't find birthday hats ANYWHERE. We settle for mickey mouse ears.

Tysee loved all his toys, especially the glow worm and the mail box. When we pushed on his worm, it lit up and so did his face. He smiled and giggled and looked at us and looked at it. He was amazed. When I gave him his mail box, he quickly figured out how to put the mail in the slot, then open the lid to pull it back out. He was so content playing with his toys that I hated to pull him away for cake.

Ahh, the cake. This was classic. Finally, my third baby really "got" it. It did take a minute to figure out. We sang to him and Preston blew out his candle. Then we put the little cake in reaching distance. He put his hand right on top and the icing stuck to it. He got this look of disgust and confusion because it was stuck to his hand and he couldn't get it off. He wiped it on the table, then looked at his hand. We put a little icing in his mouth and that set him off. His hands went back into the cake and finally made it to his mouth. He ended up getting chocolate cake all over his chair, his balloons, his face, his feet, the floor, everywhere. Preston and Paige were happy to help him eat his cake as well. We all enjoyed our usual cookies and cream ice cream cake.

He played with his toys until bedtime. It was a perfect one year birthday.

Preston's Film Debut

2009-12-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever, I know. So much has been going on. Our main focus right now is finishing the basement. We have been painting since the week before Thanksgiving and it feels like all the touch ups will never be done. We did get carpet on Monday so now I am vacuuming and getting it ready for the kids to move down. We just need to get the toilet and sink hooked up and they will be set. It is beautiful and I just love it. Especially the cabinets my dad built. I will post pics when it is finished.

So here is a little piece of our daily lives. Sorry for the mess in the video, but the house has been neglected while we work on the basement. I was putting Paige down for her nap and started the video for Preston. This is the first time I've let him video something without me there. The result is hilarious.

Tyson makes a discovery

2009-10-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

I was helping the kids brush their teeth the other night and Tyson was roaming freely. We heard a sound and looked down and there he was discovering the door stop. I can still remember Preston finding it. He was so cute. I had to get some video.

He is Mobile!

2009-10-24T12:09:00.001-07:00

Crawling at 7 months and he doesn't even have any teeth yet. I love my cute boy!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

We kind of decided at the last minute to go by the pumpkin patch. We were on our way home from a quick errand and Paige didn't even have shoes on. We threw her in the wheel barrow and away we went. I liked this patch better than the one down the street. There were hardly any people there.

Family Pictures

2009-10-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

We took these a couple of weeks ago at the quarry near Little Cottonwood canyon. I am loving this location for photo shoots because while it was super busy, there are places for everyone to take pictures. My sister Cindy came up with us and took the pictures for us. I wish I had more time to pursue a side business in photography. I do photo shoots here and there. Someday, I hope to do a lot more. I love taking pictures of people because I love how happy they are when they see a great picture of themselves. I have these pics blown up and framed on my wall and the colors are awesome. Yeah! I finally have some great pictures of my cute family that I can proudly display.

The Utah State Fair

2009-09-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I opened the paper while eating breakfast and saw a picture of the fair. I realized we didn't have anything major going on and decided to go that afternoon. We met Greg downtown and headed off to the fair. The kids were SO excited even though they didn't really know what it was.

Tyson is so funny in his stroller. He has to sit right against the tray so he can look all around.

I took the kids on the big yellow slide. Preston started to go and got freaked out. Luckily they were able to stop us and overlap his burlap bag with mine. He was all smiles once we got going. At the bottom he exclaimed "That was AWESOME!"

My favorite part was watching the kids go through these various stages of a farm. They fed a cow, harvested a garden, sheered wool, sold their goods and got to buy a treat at the end with their money.

They loved to ride their rides. Paige figured out right away how to get her airplane up in the sky. She couldn't get it back down and was crying by the end of the ride.

No explanation needed...

Paige starts preschool

2009-09-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Paige was so excited for her first day of preschool. I don't know that kids really need two years, but she begged and begged last year to go to Preston's school. It will be so good for her to have some social time and to learn a few things. I love Miss Laura's Beary Fun 4 all school. She does it out of her home and takes the kids on field trips every month. Paige is going to love it.

My cute poser. She is such a princess. I am so proud of her.

Squeals of Laughter

2009-09-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

After the last video of Tyson, I had to show the fun Daddy has with him. He is such a happy boy. His latest is that he squeals when he is happy. Sometimes it is so loud, i can't believe it is coming from a 6 month old baby. In this video, Greg gets him laughing good, then he squeals with excitement. So cute.

Preston the Pro Sky Skier

2009-08-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

We spent the day Saturday at Jordanelle. What a beautiful summer day for the lake. We found a beach area up in the arm of the lake. Bob and Vicki brought their boat as well so we parked it at the beach and took ours out to ski. The best moment of the whole day was Preston getting up on the sky ski ALL BY HIMSELF. We have been putting this child ski together as we collect pieces and parts. First we tried having Grandpa pull him into the boat, but it was hard to get enough speed. I was shocked when he agreed to let Grandpa pull him behind the boat. Greg stayed in the water with him. He was a little scared and didn't want Daddy to let go. He popped right out of the water and rode until he realized Daddy wasn't there. Greg couldn't be more proud of his boy.

We also have a trainer board now that we used for Kari, Bob, and Vicki. They were all able to ride and had a great time.

Kari
Vicki
Bob

I rode twice and have the callouses to prove it. I had some huge wake jumps. It was so awesome. I love getting up speed and launching at the wake. I can't believe how much higher I've gotten this year when I have only ridden a handful of times.

Greg goofing off.

And of course, we had to get the tube out for one ride. Paige was mad at first, but ended up loving it.

Utah Lake with the Evans

2009-08-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time at the lake with Kari and Perry yesterday. I rode first and had a great run. My jumps are getting more consistent and higher. I had a couple wake jumps that I was soaring on. It was AWESOME. Coolest feeling ever.

Perry got up for the first time. Way to go Perry! We stayed until dark and I was able to try some pictures of Greg riding with the sunset. It was a bit tricky since I was also driving the boat. The sunset was gorgeous. It was so nice to finally have a nice summer night on the lake. The kids all got out on Greg's lap too. We conned Paige into it so she was mad at us. Preston cried at first then remembered how much fun it is. Drew loved it from the beginning. And Karli was a little nervous but ended up loving it and wanted to go again as soon as she got in the boat.

Thanks for the great time guys! Great to have you back in Utah.

Cool sunset picture of Greg doing a gainer.

Preston and Karli.

Karli, Preston, and Paige mostly hung out in the bow of the boat. They love it up there. We love it because it makes more room in the back of the boat!

Drew is seriously one of the cutest kids. I just want to take his picture anytime I am around him. He is such a BOY. He loved it in the water with uncle Greg.

Happy 6th Birthday Preston!

2009-08-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Wow. My Preston is 6 years old! He had a great birthday. I felt bad because it was my weekend to work and his birthday landed on Sunday. I decided Saturday that is was worth just asking someone to trade. Lucky me, she said yes. I waited until Sunday morning to tell Preston that I didn't have to work after all. He was so excited. We had a great family day. He would open a present and play with it then want to open another one.

Preston still loves transformers so we stuck to that theme.

One of his favorite toys is the box of legos. He always talks about playing with legos when his friends have them. He loves to build so it was a perfect fit. Greg helped him make a bunch of the cars and the house in the picture.

Greg playing ball with Preston with the new foam bat and balls he got. We'll see how long it takes him to whack his sister with it. We were impressed with his coordination. He hit a lot of balls!

My mom had a cake insert for making checkerboard cakes. I used to think they were so cool. I found one at Harmon's and had to buy it. Preston thought his cake was awesome. We put his own toy on it and that was transformer enough for him.

His other favorite toy- optimus prime. He got this from Grandma Crockett. It has a bunch of transformer sounds and lines. Or he can talk into it and his voice sounds like Optimus. He LOVES it.

Also loves his Bakugans. He first saw these at his cousin, Logan's, house and loves them. They are like miniature transformers. I think they are cool because they pop up when they hit the magnet on the card. Such cool toys. Preston keeps saying he can't believe he is 6.

2009-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

My cute happy baby. We found something that did not make him very happy. However, it made us laugh like crazy.

First taste and othe cute pics

2009-08-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tyson got his first taste of baby food. He wasn't too sure about it. He spit more of it out than he swallowed. We were video taping some of it and you see a spoon come at him from the side of the frame. It was Paige with a plastic spoon trying to wipe up the food from his mouth. She just wants to help. We are a few days into the rice cereal now and he is getting the hang of it more. We'll do that for a couple weeks, then start in on some veggies and fruit. He is such a sweet baby.

Tyson has discovered his feet. They are his favorite toy after his hands.

First time in the exersaucer. He liked being upright.

She is my big helper. She always wants to hug and hold Tyson.

I swear he might be teething. He chews on everything! Especially his blanket. He will even suck on my chin if he's hungry.

Off to Kindergarten

2009-08-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my oldest just went off to kindergarten. We met his teacher on Friday for his assessment. He is so ready for school and eager to go. Last night he couldn't pick a book to read because he was SO excited for school. This morning he kept asking if it was time yet.

Paige and I walked him over to the bus stop across the street. He wasn't nervous at all. When the bus came, he got that cute grin that he does when he is excited about something. He got in line and walked onto the bus without a glance back. No crying, no whining, no good bye- just off to the next adventure. I am so proud of him. He is such a sweet boy. Can't wait to hear how his day goes.

Hanging at the beach in Herriman?

2009-08-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

We went to the beach with Grandma a couple of days ago. But we were nowhere near the ocean. This lake was created in Herriman just up the street from my in-laws home. We took the kids early in the morning before it got super hot. The sand is a little rough, but the kids didn't seem to mind. Preston loves playing in the sand so he is content to dig and dig. Paige had her life jacket and a floating star so she wandered out in the water. She got a little far and Preston had to save her.

Tyson chills in the shade.

Preston dug his feet in the sand and said "look mom, I'm making smoke!" He didn't know you can make "smoke" in the water.

Tyson cried a little the first time I dipped his feet. Then as it got hotter, I think he liked it to cool off. I stood him in the sand and he was perfectly happy. When I picked him up, there was sand all stuck in his little toes. I dipped his head in and he didn't cry. It was fun and so close. We will definitely have to go back. Who wants to come?

Fields of Lavender

2009-07-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Cindy told me about this beautiful place. I made sure to get down there early so we could get some nice shots before the sun got too high. They are located in South Santaquin at the Young Living Farm.

Not only were the fields beautiful, but there was all kinds of stuff for the kids to do. We went on a wagon ride, played on the merry go round, and pedaled across a pond. Tons of fun. Thanks Cindy!

Laugh out loud

2009-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have gotten an occasional giggle out of Tyson, but this is a first. It started when I pulled his wet onesie over his head and he got the giggles. I did some raspberries on his belly and got a real laugh. I couldn't stop because it was the cutest thing. He is four months old already!

4th of July

2009-07-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

We spent the day as a family at Jordanelle. We took Tyson with us and he did surprisingly well in his life jacket all day. He slept a lot. The morning was beautiful. I got out for my second time this year. I can't believe how out of shape I am. At least I can still ride. Greg got the kids out as well. Preston was having a great time and didn't even cry when he got splashed. Then Greg's ski hit something- a stick or something and they did a face plant. Greg was so worried about Preston and he did have a sheer look of terror on his face when he came up, but he didn't freak out. Greg was so proud of him.

We took our child sky ski to try to get Preston to at least sit on it in the water. It was a battle, but he finally did. Then Bob pulled him to the boat so he could feel some pressure. He kind of freaked out. We convinced him to try a couple more times, then he was done. We played up how well he did hoping that next time he'll get right out to do it.

It was a fun day, except for my stupidity. The weather was overcast all morning. When the sun finally came out, I didn't put sunscreen on and my knees are bright red. I'm in a lot of pain.

The crazy moment of the day came when the storm rolled through. It started raining and the clouds were moving fast so we weren't too worried about it. Then the rain started bouncing. I looked closer and we were getting hailed on! That was a first. It only lasted about 10 minutes and the sky cleared up again. What a day. We spent the evening hanging out with neighbors and watching their fire works.

The video had music, but Youtube is muting all soundtracks since I don't own the copyright. So lame.

Ruffle Fluff!

2009-06-23T21:15:00.001-07:00

Paige is in love with this pettiskirt made by my sister Cindy. She used 90 yards of ruffle fluff. The result is a super twirling skirt that makes Paige look like something our of Finding Nemo. She looks like an anemone on the trampoline. Paige is just getting into the whole dress-up thing so it took her about a day to figure out how fun it is to twirl. She is so adorable!

Tyson's Blessing

2009-06-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Tyson's special day. We had a great day with family and friends. He is so adorable. We feel so blessed to have him in our family. He has such a happy disposition. He hardly cries and he sleeps great at night. I love his smiles. Sometimes I watch tv while I'm feeding him a bottle, then I'll look down and he is just sitting there smiling at me and not eating. Cutest thing.

I love this picture with his little tongue sticking out. Daddy was a big help holding him up behind the backdrop.

I made a point to get a picture of just him and us. I know that by the third kid, pictures usually include siblings. I am trying to make sure I get lots of shots of him by himself too.

The blessing circle. How fortunate to have so many grandpas that could participate.

Tyson discovers the chimes

2009-06-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

When I had Preston, my sister Cindy told me I HAD to get these chimes for the play gym. It has been fun watching each child discover that they can kick and make sounds. Tyson will lay there kicking and smiling for ten minutes or more. He loves it. He is starting to reach for the other toys as well. I need to find my baby toys now!

Flyin to Powell for the weekend

2009-06-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

In February, Greg spent some time working at the boat show. The goal was to network with other people who love this sport and get them to join our group here in Utah. He sold a ski to a guy that mentioned he wanted to fly Greg down to Lake Powell to give him lessons. We thought it sounded great, but ski season was a ways away. Sure enough, Greg got a call a few weeks ago. They worked it out to go down this last weekend.

This is the private airplane Greg got to fly down on. Flight time was just over an hour. He couldn't believe that in the same time it takes to drive to Springville, he was in Lake Powell. On the flight home, he sat up front. He said it was one of THE COOLEST things he has done.

They stayed on the guy's houseboat at Hall's Crossing. Greg ran into some other foilers from Colorado as well as an old neighbor. Small world. He was living high.

They spent all day Saturday on the water. Greg was teaching for almost 8 hours straight. There were three couples that he taught. He also rode three times that day. What a long, hard day. I didn't feel that bad for him.

What a cool weekend. It is crazy that people have that kind of money. But hey, if you can't have it yourself, enjoy someone else's right? Of course, Greg had a wonderful time and hopes to go again. It was such a unique opportunity. I just wish I could go down with him. Maybe next year when the baby is older and I'm not nursing. Meanwhile, we have our clinic this Saturday. Hope we get a good turn out.

Cute pics of the kids

2009-05-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

We were actually ready for church on time one Sunday so I took a moment to snap some shots of the kids. I like this one of Preston because it shows his beautiful eyes.

I tried to play around with color over black and white. I love the innocence in her look here.

My Princess Paige.

Tyson started smiling a couple of weeks ago. He is making some cooing sounds too. I love to kiss his cheeks. At his two month doctor visit, he was 10 lbs 11 oz. Some babies are born that size!

Earlier this week, I made my first attempt at a photo shoot with all three kids. It didn't last long and was accompanied by some bribes, but I got a few cute ones.

Paige's surgery

2009-05-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Paige had surgery on her foot on Monday. The previous Thursday, she got a puncture wound on top of her foot by a stick. We think she tripped. Her foot was bleeding like crazy. I got her home and didn't have a clue how to care for it. I read that we should just wash it and apply neosporin. I did that, called her doctor, and watched for signs of infection.

By Saturday night, her foot began to turn red and swell up. I took her to instacare where she was given an antibiotic and told to come back in the morning. She appeared to look better in the morning so we took her to church and figured the antibiotic would continue to do it's job.

Monday morning, there was a small raised area around the wound. I was pretty sure there must be a foreign body in there from the stick. Greg took her to the doctor who sent them right up to Primary Children's Hospital. Greg spent 7 hours up there in a small room as they did an ultrasound, then an x-ray, then ultimately decided to do surgery. It was the longest day for him and he was starving. I got up there just before her surgery. It went well. They cleaned out the abscess and found a small piece of the stick near the bone. We spent two days at the hospital. She came home Wednesday afternoon on antibiotics and is doing great.

Hanging out in her bed at the hospital. The nurses were amazing. We couldn't believe how they catered to the kids there. She got plenty of pink gatorade, a princess fleece blanket, and watched all the Dora that she wanted.

Paige loved playing in the Forever Young play room. She made all kinds of crafts and played with the dolls. Grandpa came to visit Tuesday afternoon and helped her make pictures for Daddy. They also made a necklace out of beads.

I spent Tuesday up there with Paige and the baby. I took my nifty baby sling and carried Tyson in it while pulling Paige around in a wagon. Tyson slept a lot that day so I was able to care for my little girl. I even got a brief nap thanks to the nurses offering to hold him.

Preston was concerned about his sister. He was happy he was able to come visit her. They watched T.V. in her bed and played in the play room. What an eventful week. We are grateful she is doing well and grateful to be home.

One Month Old

2009-04-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Tyson is one month old today! I can't believe it has already been this long. I got so worked up about how hard it was going to be going through another cesarean and now I'm a month past it and feeling great. I was also so worried about going back to the newborn phase and so far he has been easier and happy. Cross my fingers. He nurses great so I don't have to pump a million times a day like before. I love just relaxing on the couch in the middle of the night while he nurses. Sometimes I fall asleep and wake up to find him sleeping too. He has been great at night. I usually get three hours of sleep before he wakes up the first time, then he goes another three and three. I can function pretty well if I get a total of 6 hours. He eats and goes right back to sleep. Sometimes I am only up for a half an hour. Love that. With Preston I would feed him a bottle, get him back to sleep, then have to pump. I was up forever. It was so exhausting.

He is such a content baby too. He still sleeps a lot. He is awake for one to two hours a couple times a day. It amazes me how I am never bored of just watching him and holding him. The kids adore him. They want to know where he is all the time. They are always asking to hold him. We intended to call him Ty, but Preston calls him Tyse and I think it's cute. We'll see which one sticks. The other day, Paige was holding him and said "He's my favorite boy. He's a special boy. I'm going to keep him forever and ever." She is constantly kissing his head and petting his hair. She asks "can I pet him?" I just laugh.

I've had my mother-in-law here every day and it has been wonderful to have the help with the kids. I am a little nervous to really be on my own next week with all three of them. It's not bad until Preston and Paige start fighting or everyone needs something at the same time. We'll see. I'm sure I can handle it. I love having this time home with the kids. I feel so detached from my job and the people I work with. It's kind of weird. I keep thinking I have to go to work but I still have four weeks. I want to enjoy this time off since it is the last I'll have it.

Happy Easter

2009-04-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Easter was a lot of fun this year. The kids couldn't wait to dye Easter eggs. I only did 18 and was surprised that it didn't feel like enough. Their favorite thing was to draw with crayons and see how it looked when it came out. We made an egg with each of their names on it.

When Preston woke up on Easter morning, his first question was "Did the Easter bunny come? Can I go look?" They ripped through their baskets and pulled all the grass out. We had Greg's parents over for breakfast. I made a yummy breakfast casserole. We had a good day to relax. Paige was sick, so she stayed at home with me and the baby while everyone went to church. We did a dutch oven dinner and visited. It is nice to have Bob and Vicki back in Utah.

The kids helped me take an Easter picture of Tyson. They decorated him with eggs.

I wanted a quick family picture, but it was so cold outside.

The Sand Box

2009-03-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Preston has REALLY missed the sand box from our other house. Last year, we improvised by buying a kiddy pool and filling it with sand. That worked for awhile, but eventually the sand all ended up in the playhouse. Our next idea was to dig out around the swing set to make a huge sand box and also have a softer place to land. This was going to be Greg's project this week. We outlined the area to dig out and realized it was HUGE. I didn't want to cut up that much of our yard. Then we got the bright idea to make a simple sand box that juts out from the back fence. Greg was relieved to have a much more manageable project. He put it together in two days. Preston and Paige love it. Now if it would just warm up enough for them to really enjoy it.

Tyson pics

2009-03-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken yesterday. He is such a sweet baby. I am soaking up every minute since I know they don't stay this way for long. Because I plan on this being my last baby, I especially want to enjoy each stage.

He is sleeping well at night. He eats every three hours at night still, but at least he goes BACK to sleep after eating. One night he did go 5 hours between feedings. I'd love for him to keep that up. I find I can function pretty well if I just get a total of 6 hours. I've been able to rest a lot this week with Greg home, but I am getting nervous about him going back to work. It's not that I can't handle all three kids. It's just whether I can manage the three of them, plus get housework done. I am lowering my expectations of cleanliness for the next few weeks.

I am recovering well. I am amazed at how much better I am getting around just one week after getting home. I can lay down with the kids again when it's time for them to go to bed. I fell asleep with Paige today at her nap and it felt so good to cuddle with her again.

Home at last

2009-03-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

5 days old

I finally came home on Friday after five days in the hospital. I stayed an extra night for IV antibiotics because my infection was still not cleared up enough. I told the doctor I was willing to do anything to keep me from having to come back like I did with the infection I got after Paige. The extra day was worth it.

We checked out in the afternoon. I snapped a few pictures before we left. I love the top one.

Tyson got his first sponge bath yesterday. Hopefully the cord falls off in a couple of days so I can use the baby tub. He was a little cold and unhappy. I gave him some naked time on the floor in front of the fire place. He seemed to like it. I was happy to keep him awake for a few minutes in hopes of getting more sleep at night.

The burrito picture. I have one of each of my kids like this. They don't stay tiny for long.

Preston wanted to fly kites with the neighbors yesterday. He gave me a paper sack and asked me to make a kite. I had no idea how. He got upset and said that it was in his fun book. We got the preschool activity book out and sure enough, there were directions in there. We just had to tie strings to his lunch sack and he was set. He ran up and down the side walk with his "kite".

Cousin Party

2009-03-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

I am in my hospital bed holding my sweet boy and enjoying the quiet. He has been so sweet. My milk came in yesterday so I made sure to nurse him for every feeding last night. The two previous nights, I let them feed him at the nursery and I slept. He struggled a little last night, but it wasn't too bad. I dreaded the night time feeding and lack of sleep so much, yet when they bring him in, I perk right up because my baby needs me and it makes me happy to feed him. I'm still not looking forward to the few hours of broken sleep, but there is something special about holding him in the quiet of night and being the only one he wants.

Last night we had a spontaneous cousin party. I thought I was going to go to bed, then my sister Jen called to bring something over. While she was here, Cindy called and decided to come too. Both brought him some adorable outfits. They fussed over him and put Cindy's monkey jammies on him. It was kind of funny watching the aunts dote over their newest nephew.

Jen called Meg to tell her we were all hanging out and she says she wants to come too. She JUST got home from the hospital herself. I was surprised she wanted to go anywhere. Trevor brought her over and hung out with the four sisters. We wished we could get Aundi down here.

I love this picture. Afton was babbling in Tyson's ear and he just slept peacefully. He didn't wake up the whole time they were here. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about him and noise as he has been hearing is brother and sister for several months already.

The cousin twins got to meet each other for the first time. Afton is adorable. She has such distinct features. Meg and Trevor are cute with her. We had a great time just visiting and talking babies.

Cindy got to relive the feeling of being a twin mom as she held both of them. Much easier when they aren't actually preemies and you can give them back to mom. Meg and I will have a lot of fun going through all this together.

He is here!!!

2009-03-17T13:57:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a normal day. Like any other. We got the house all cleaned up and I got these cute pictures of the kids with my belly that I have been wanting to take. I kept telling Greg we need to get some profile shots before we run out of time. We went on my birthday date that afternoon and ate at Rodizio. My birthday isn't until Friday, but we celebrated early to make sure I got one. I teased about it being my last supper. Or our last date for awhile.

We got THE PHONE CALL from my sister Megan that she was in labor. FINALLY. Three days after her due date. She was off to the hospital while I was off to my date. She labored all night long. In the morning we got the call that she had delivered Afton at 7:07 a.m. via c-section. I felt so bad for her to go through all that. I've been there. So, now I knew that our kids would be a week apart as my cesarean was scheduled for Sunday, March 22. How exciting. Tyson had other plans.

I started contractions at 3:40 p.m. on Sunday afternoon just as I laid down to rest. I made a couple of phone calls while they were happening, waiting for them to stop. Courtney was one of the calls and told me "it sounds like you are in labor". It was too early. Eighteen days. I just waited for them to stop. After an hour, I got concerned and called the Dr office. The only symptom I didn't have was that they weren't getting worse. After two hours of having them 2-5 minutes apart, they subsided. I had maybe one or two an hour after that. Whew. I could go to bed and get up and go to work the next day.

When I got into bed, they started again. Every two minutes and much more painful. I decided we better head to the hospital and have them check me. I didn't know if they would try to stop me or what. Greg's dad came over to stay with the kids and spend the night. We left for the hospital at 11 pm and the contractions kept coming. The above picture was the "last shot" just in case picture to get a profile. When we arrived, they checked me in and checked me out. I was dilated to a 4 and fully thinned. The nurse said "looks like you are having a baby." I was shocked. We weren't ready! We still had another week. Whoa. It was fun calling my mom and telling her she was getting another grand baby less than 24 hours after Afton was born!

The thing with a planned cesarean is it is quick. No laboring for hours and wondering when he'll be here. They got me all prepped and into the OR. My water broke just after they gave me the epidural. The doctor joked with me that if my contractions didn't bring me in, the water breaking would have. My doctor was out of town so Dr Langer did the c-section. She was great and explained each step. I loved watching Greg's face as they brought him out. I heard my baby cry and couldn't believe it was all happening.

Here he is just minutes after he was born. He was born at 12:45 a.m. on March 16th. So, while he is only 18 hours younger than his cousin, Afton, he does have his own birthday. He weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. They wiped him off and wrapped him up, then brought him over to rub his little cheek against mine. He is so beautiful and perfect. Greg headed out with them to give Tyson a bath.

I love this picture of Greg bathing Tyson. He is only a half an hour old here. The doctor was great as they got me all fixed up. I went into recovery and they brought Tyson in within an hour. I nursed him and we took some pictures. It was three in the morning and Greg had to work so he headed home. It was a long day for him. I didn't sleep much either. It was fun to call everyone and surprise them with our news. My family was all so shocked.

Greg brought the kids over first thing in the morning before taking them to the babysitter. They were so excited to meet baby Tyson and each one had to hold him. He brought them again after work and Paige just didn't want to go home.

This is one of my favorite pictures so far. I can see both Preston and Paige as babies when I look at him. He has been so good. He is actually nursing so I am hopeful that it will continue. I struggled so much with my other two. I got some good sleep last night and feel great. I have been up and about a couple times today and am not hurting too bad. I hope to have a nice, normal, infection free recovery. Greg is looking forward to a week off next week to snuggle his baby and help me out. Thanks to everyone helping us out with the kids. They love playing with friends and cousins.

Coming soon...

2009-03-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

So I am 37 weeks today and scheduled for my cesarean on March 22. I have a few more ten hour shifts left at work, then I will take two months off with the baby. My sister Meg was due yesterday and baby Afton still hasn't made an appearance. Her doctor won't even induce until she is a week over. She is so frustrated because she just doesn't know WHEN. She also doesn't know what this next phase of life will bring.

Me, this is my third child and third cesarean. I know what is coming. I am both excited and scared. It will be such an adjustment. Preston and Paige will be such big helpers. I worry about how they will do while I am in the hospital for four days and when I get home and can't play with them for awhile. They will be excited about the baby, but I think Paige will struggle a little. I hope the recovery goes better this time around. I am excited to meet my new little one. The baby room is ready, the swing and bouncer are all cleaned up. I just have to wash some clothes and get them in the closet. Wow. I can't believe it is so close. I don't feel ready, yet I also feel like I know what I'm doing. I'm going to have three kids?

The doctor said to get some rest and take it easy this next week and a half. I'll try.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is our Valentine for Daddy. I set up my backdrop and camera this week. I don't have a remote for my new camera, so I had to set it on the timer. I had Paige push the button, then come running over and sit on my lap. It was a little crazy. I have done this for three years in a row now so I couldn't stop this year. Greg loved it.

We used this picture to make Valentine's for Grandmas and mailed them off. Preston glued hearts all over the picture frames. I love my cute family. I think Preston has told me he loves me a hundred times today!

The Baby Room

2009-02-11T09:01:00.001-08:00

The baby room is finally done! We have lived here over a year and this is the first thing we have actually changed about this house.

I liked the brown walls for Paige because it looked cute with her pink bedding. Now that I have a baby coming, I want something brighter. I know I will be spending A LOT of time in this room.

We had some big helpers. Preston barely painted the corner and he was done.

When we took the tape off the wall, we thought the brown stripe was actually kind of cute. I wanted the chair rail anyway.

This is the bedding we used for Preston. As tempted as I was to buy something new, I couldn't see the point in spending money that I didn't have to. Preston's room was painted blue and green, so we made sure to do something different.

I love the final look. We are still waiting on the blinds that have the blackout feature and will also block the heat that comes through that window.

This was my big project. I needed to cover the french doors. I found some cream color blackout panels at the store and used them as a template. I cut the blue fabric and sewed it to the purchased panels. It ended up being a lot easier than I expected. The cream color shows toward the living room and the blue in the baby room. It blocks a ton of light compared to the flimsy fabric that was hanging there before. Hopefully, it will help the baby sleep better.

I need to make a valence now for the window, then it will be totally done. It has been a fun project. Only 5 1/2 weeks to go!!!

The Dentist...Again

2009-02-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today was Paige's dental appointment. Since she is so young, she had to be put under anesthesia. They distracted her with toys, then gave her a little shot to get started. They warned me about her reaction, but it was still a little freaky. She cried a little, then kind of went still and glossy-eyed. The took her to the back and I had to wait about an hour until they were done. When they brought me back to be with her, she was still out. It took a good hour for her to start really coming around. Once we got home, I had to keep her on the ground so she wouldn't try to walk. She has thrown up everything I've given her. It has been about 7 hours now, so she should have the majority of the effects wearing off. When Daddy called, she talked to him and it was the most I'd heard out of her all morning. She is getting her little personality back now. We cuddled on the couch and took a nap together. Preston has had fun playing with his friend Koleson all morning.

She now has caps on her front teeth and some fillings in the back. I feel like the worst parent from a hygiene perspective. We've spent a ton in the last two months on dental work for both kids. Needless to say, we have been MUCH more diligent about brushing, flossing, and not giving treats.

Sunny St. George

2009-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend in St. George with Greg's Great Grandparents, the Springers. We headed out Friday afternoon and made it down in good time. The kids struggled getting to bed, but we enjoyed staying up and visiting. In the morning, we planned to go swimming. We were getting ready for breakfast when the door opened and Bob and Vicki came walking in with Karli. We were so shocked. We couldn't believe they drove 7 hours from Phoenix just to spend one day with us. We hadn't seen them in over a year. Preston and Paige were excited and played with Karli all day long. They hardly fought and had fun playing in Grandma's dirt and stacking rocks.

We lounged around in the morning. I spent time with Grandpa Springer going through pictures and scanning them into our laptop. I am working on a history book about each of Greg's grandparents since we are fortunate enough to have them all so close. I have really enjoyed learning about each of their lives and know my kids will love these books when they are done.

We ended up going swimming at the hotel Bob and Vicki were staying at. The kids were so much fun in the pool. We have to get them out more. Paige learned to make big arm circles while floating on her back and actually moved across the pool. Greg threw her up in the air and she went SO high. She didn't even get scared. Preston paddled around in his life jacket without holding onto us. He has come along way. I even donned my swimsuit. It was 60 degrees outside and the pool was heated so it felt great to have a small taste of Summer. It definitely didn't feel like January.
Paige kissing the baby.
Hanging out with Daddy on the lovely green grass that never needs to be mowed.

I took my tripod so we were able to get a picture with all of us in it. We visited and relaxed Sunday morning. When it was almost time to go, we got a call that Bob's parents just got into town and wanted to come see us.

We spent some time with them so the kids had their grandparents and both sets of great grandparents all together. Soon it was time to go. When Bob and Vicki got in the car, the kids got in with them and wanted to go to Arizona. It was so hard to say goodbye after such a short visit. It is weird to think that our little family as we know it is about to change so much. This was our last trip with our family of four.

Dang Facebook

2009-01-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

I feel like such a slacker. Where have I been? Lurking in the lives of my friends on Facebook. Thanks Jen for pushing me to get on. That thing is so addicting at first. I've enjoyed getting in touch with some old friends though.

I hooked up with a bunch of girls from my college sorority, Theta. We all went out for dinner the week after Christmas. It is amazing how different our lives have all been just 10 years out of sorority. Three of us were pregnant. A couple already had four kids. It was so fun catching up on their lives. I was so close to these girls during a time when I really needed a support group. My best memories are not of highschool, but of my days with my sorority girls in college.

Chelsea was one of my best friends in sorority. It turns out she lives about five minutes from me. I am so excited to be in touch with her again. I remember the late nights going country dancing together at The Bay. There were always a bunch of the sorority and fraternity people from the U. We had so many great times.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-12-24T05:39:00.001-08:00

Greg and I celebrated our ninth anniversary on Saturday. At the time we got married, it was great to get out of school for Christmas break and be married three days later. What were we thinking? It is tough trying to celebrate so close to Christmas. On the other hand, it is a beautiful time of year that is already full of nostalgia. All I wanted was a nice dinner date. We went to the Garden restaurant.

After dinner I wanted to experiment taking night shots with my camera. I've never had a chance to do this. Now that I have a nice tripod and a little knowledge, I thought I'd give it a try. It was so fun. We walked all over temple square taking pictures and remembering the day we were married. Luckily our wedding day wasn't as cold! Not that it was exactly warm.

I believe in the Mimi Fairy

2008-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Could it really be that easy? The mimi fairy came on Monday night and the pacifiers are gone. We may have overdone it a little on the presents left by the fairy, but I wanted to make a BIG deal about it. We have been talking about it for a few weeks. Monday night, we put them all in a basket. Paige couldn't resist when she saw so many together and grabbed one. She wouldn't let go. I kept telling her the fairy couldn't come unless ALL the mimi's were in the basket. Finally, reluctantly, she put it in the basket and we went off to bed. Luckily, she was dead tired and fell asleep quickly. I expected to be up with her in the night in a panic, but it never happened.

She loved the gifts from the fairy, but didn't quite put it together. Later she asked where her mimi's were and I explained that the fairy took them. Nap time- no questions. That night she got right into bed and didn't even mention them. Now she plays with her ball that she says the fairy mimi gave her. Seriously, I thought this would be such a war. Here we have been fighting to enforce the "only in your bed" rule and taking them away has been so much easier.

WOO HOO!!!

Paigey and her babies

2008-12-15T11:42:00.001-08:00

Paige loves babies right now. There is just something about little girls where the mommy instinct kicks in at a VERY young age. I made some blankets for her babies that match her own blanket. This picture is what she did with them in my room.

Then there is the side of Paige that still wants to be the baby. I am a little nervous about how she will respond when our new arrival gets here.

This video is Paige doing just that. She found it in the basement and drug it up stairs. I let her get in since she is only 25 lbs. But at 2 1/2 she is performing maneuvers that I don't think the toy was intended for...

We are all doing great. I just finished my three day weekend and now I am off until next Monday. I have all week to sew pajamas and enjoy the Holidays. I am so excited for Christmas this year. These are the magical years- kids are young, Santa is real, presents are awe inspiring. I want to enjoy every minute because I know they are special times.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm a little late on this one. We had a great Thanksgiving holiday at my mom's this year. The weather was awesome. The kids got to play outside and run around. That always makes it easier to get everything prepared. We couldn't keep the kids out of the backyard. Preston reluctantly came in for dinner.

Cindy made these wonderful pies. I think I ate about 4 of them. They were so small,I had to try as many as I could right?

Paige loved dinner because she got the sucker hiding under a turkey afterward.

When I got this shot of Paige, I couldn't help but remember the next one in my own photo book from when I was a similar age. She is a monkey. We always say she got it from Greg, but seeing her on MY tricky bars made me realize that she actually gets it from me.

Preston has no fear riding down the big hill on the side of the house.

My little princess and mom.

Finally, a pregnant sisters shot. Megan is 25 weeks and I am 22 here. It is crazy that with five girls in a family only seven years apart, that this is only the second time any of us have been pregnant together! Lucky me, I'm the only one that has been pregnant with sisters both times. It is fun going through this experience with Meg.

The dentist?

2008-11-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

I took Preston to a dentist about a year and a half ago and everything looked great. He didn't act like it was a big deal to really take them until they are five. We didn't put the kids on our dental plan because, hey, they didn't need it yet. This last few weeks, Preston's teeth have been bothering him and he keeps getting food stuck between his back molars. I made an appointment with our new dentist, who is also our kind neighbor. Preston was excited to go because he had just been to the dentist on a school field trip. That was a nice prep thing.

Anyway, it turns out he has four cavities, three of which are close to the root and may need a mini root canal. We called the insurance to see about getting him on it. They cover check-ups, but no dental work for a year from when you sign them up. Wow. So here I am with decent insurance, but no coverage so I get to pay cash. $$$ Ouch. Good thing we learned this lesson now.

The moral of the story- take your kids to the dentist as soon as they have teeth! Put them on your insurance even if they ARE only two.

My Big Girl

2008-11-06T13:37:00.001-08:00

Greg and I have debated how we are going to get Paige off of her pacifier which she affectionately refers to as her "mi-mi". When a child can carry on a conversation without removing it from her mouth, or flip it right side up without the use of her hands, she is entirely too old for it. The silly thing is, she still uses the 0-6 months ones and doesn't like the bigger ones.

While Greg was on the deer hunt, I tried to put her to bed without it one night because they were all lost. She seemed to understand that. She woke up at midnight traumatized. I got her back to sleep and she woke up at 1:30. This time there was no calming her. I decided it may not be worth the trauma to just go cold turkey.

Our new approach is to restrict it to bedtime. On Sunday, we told her that it was only for bed. Then, we had to stick to our guns and follow through- the hard part. There is something so satisfying about making our children happy that it is difficult to withhold something she wants so bad. But, we persevered. We distracted her all through sacrament and almost gave up twice.

When we got home, she beelined for her bed. So, the funny part is that I didn't specify sleep only, I merely said if she wants it, she has to suck on it in her bed. She quickly discovered that it didn't matter what time of day it is, if she sat in her bed, she could suck on it. I went with it. All week, she has been going into her room at random times to get a "hit".

Two days into it, she started getting sneaky. She came out of her room with her blanket over her mouth thinking I wouldn't know what was under there. She pretended to be a ghost and when I lifted up her blanket, there it was. I heard my door shut and went to open it. She locked it and sat behind it sucking on her mimi. Now, we are on day four and she is doing much better. She still claims to be tired so she can sit in her bed a little, but when she gets out, she leaves it there. Or, she brings it to me and says "don't need it, I'm a big girl". Hopefully, we can phase this thing out before the baby comes. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Cindy's Family Pics

2008-11-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

I took the Bee family pictures last week. I love taking photos outdoors, but I never know where to go. I love Murray Park, but so do about 15 other photographers when you go there during "golden hour". It's annoying because there are always people in the background. Cindy knew of this great place. She even recognized it from photos done by Mar Del. They were shocked that she knew where it was. We decided to check it out. The colors were great and she dressed her family perfectly for it. Her kids are a great age because they will listen to what I ask, even if not very willing. We took them out for Golden Corral after so they weren't complaining.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween isn't complete without seeing the witches at Gardner Village. I met up with Kari and Perry in the afternoon. The weather was actually pretty nice.

The kids had so much fun pointing out witches and running around. Preston kept getting ahead of us in search of the next one. Here I got Paige copping a feel on the same witch she tried to kiss the year before!

Kari hanging out with the chocolate loving witch.

We promised the kids a treat in the end and headed for the bakery. Their prices were ridiculous and the line was long so we left. Preston was traumatized and I needed to stick to my promise so we headed over to Dunford bakery on my way home. All I could think is why am I buying donuts on the biggest candy day of the year?

Preston was so eager to get out trick-or-treating in the evening. He did NOT want to eat food,especially food that is long. Apparently some food is short to him in terms of how long it takes to eat it. I should have given him a nap earlier. We finally got everyone fed and ready to head out. The kids lasted a lot longer this year than last year. I think we did half the street last year and Preston said his bucket was heavy and wanted to go home. This year, I couldn't get him to stay with us. He just kept running ahead. We went around our entire huge block. I couldn't believe how much of it Paige was able to run. She had on her light up princess shoes so she was this little white angel bopping down the side walk with red lights going crazy. She definitely got the whole trick-or-treating thing this year. It rained on us the whole time, but it was just a light sprinkle. The kids didn't wear jackets and didn't even complain about the rain. Candy was the number one focus. It was a great evening and good to spend time with Kari and Perry.

Mom's Halloween Party

2008-11-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

Mom's Halloween party was a lot of fun this year. Kari and Perry came to visit from Arizona so Preston had all of his cousins at this party except for Bentley and Landon who live in Texas.

Aundi put together a great scavenger hunt for the kids that led them all over the yard to find treasures. The kids were a little out of control, but I think they had fun. Preston and Karli played in the playhouse a lot. Preston liked finding ghost suckers on the scavenger hunt.

Cute baby Drew. This week was our first time meeting him and he is already a year old! He is so adorable. I love his angel face and sweet giggles.

Rock wall is finally done!

2008-10-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is our house last year just after we moved in. We definitely didn't care of the burmed up flower beds in the front yard when we moved in. All summer we talked about making a retaining wall and all summer we played. We finally bought the rock and Greg went to work on it. He got so frustrated because the rocks are all different widths and heights. It was tough to overlap them and still keep the wall even.

He has worked hard the last couple of weeks to get it done before the weather changes for good. Once he got the dirt all filled in behind, it really made a difference. I like the end result. Now we just need some shrubs. Oh, Cindy...

Baby Crockett is a...

2008-10-16T15:06:00.001-07:00

I love the ultrasound. I love being with a new doctor who does a free gender check at 16 weeks plus the regular one at 20 weeks. Today is 16 weeks and I had my appointment scheduled bright and early. The baby is around 5 inches long. It was moving and wiggling all over. I love watching the little hands move and seeing the kicks. It's so surreal seeing all that movement when you can't really feel any of it yet. I think I've felt it a couple of times, but it is so faint that I'm not sure.
The best part about this ultrasound was that we didn't have to wait through a bunch of measurements to find out what we were having. She knew exactly why we were there. We took a few profile shots then moved to the legs. She got "THE SHOT" and Greg says "It's a boy!" She laughed and said "you can't really miss that can you?"

We are so excited. We not so secretly really wanted a boy this time. Greg and I both have all sisters so we were hoping Preston and Paige could get a brother. Poor Paige though, she gets the shaft being the only girl. Somehow I don't think the tomboy in her will mind. So now I can clean out Paige's room and switch out the bedding.

The other thing I was so excited for was telling the kids. Greg had to go right to work so I had to wait until he got home! We sat them down for a family meeting. I said "Preston, do you remember when you thought there was a baby in mommy's belly? What if you were right?" He got a big grin on his face. Paige was oblivious. Then he asked if we knew what it was. We asked Paige what she wanted and she said a Gool baby. Preston wanted a boy. When we told him, he said "that's going to be so cool!" It is so nice to finally share this with the kids.

Life at Home

2008-10-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

I normally work just two days a week and have found it to be a great balance. This last three weeks I've picked up some extra shifts and ended up full-time last week. I discovered that there are a lot of little things I take for granted about simply being at home. For instance, I actually WANTED to be at home cleaning my house. It drove me nuts that I didn't have time for my weekly routine. I like having three days to get my laundry done instead of one. I missed my kids a ton. Preston asked me if I hate going to work. I told him no, I just don't like leaving you. I found myself even more determined to spend quality time with my kids in the time that I had with them.

Now that I'm back to my regular schedule again, it is nice to just be at home. I am a bit overwhelmed by how behind I am, but I don't mind so much because I'm with my cute kids.

Speaking of cute kids. I had the following conversation with Preston last night. We had just eaten dinner so I was full. I was standing there and he walked up and put his hand on my stomach.

Preston:"Mommy, why is your belly big like that?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Preston as he is rubbing my belly:"It looks like you have a baby in there!"

I looked at Greg and said "I think it's time to tell them" Luckily that day will come tomorrow after we hopefully find out the gender of this little one. I am surprised that Preston is so observant but I think it is because his babysitter just had a baby.

Paige is so funny too. She has three particular things she is a little obsessed with right now: bouncy balls (but don' t bounce them), sandwich bags, and the color pink. She loves to hold the little bouncy balls in her fist or put them in her pockets. She gets upset when her pants don't have pockets. Anytime she gets a treat or has a toy or anything, she goes to the bag drawer and has to put it in a bag. I can't believe she knows the color pink. She can pick out anything that is pink and got real excited when I brought home her pink princess sheets for her bed.

All these little things that they do are so fun. I don't want to forget them. I don't want to breeze passed this precious time with them. I know I will miss them being this young and innocent. I may not miss them fighting and hitting, but I'll miss cuddling at night and reading books to them. I don't even want to think about them growing up on me.

I am excited to see how they react to the baby. Paige loves babies, but will probably be jealous of all the attention. Preston should be easy going about it. He loved Paige from the first day and never acted up. I am so excited to find out what I'm having. For the first time, I don't have a clue on names though. Both of my kids had names by the ultrasound. We'll see what grabs us.

The Sad Truth

2008-10-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to realize that sad truth that Summer is over. All those days of warmth and green seemed like they wouldn't end and here we are. I just don't like the cold. We had such a long winter last year that I'm simply not ready for it yet. I hope it warms up enough to get a few more days in at the playground with the kids. Greg still hopes to get out skiing more. If not, he will have ended the season skiing 31 times and only taking our own boat out for 9 of them. That's a whole month of the year! Now, we realize that we let a lot of things go around the house this summer in the name of playing. It was a unique year. Next year, we'll have to be better.

We did spend Saturday cleaning out the garage, then organizing the basement. Those were two huge projects that we were happy to get done.

At Your Leisure

2008-10-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Greg started his hydrofoiling club about a year ago. We have brought a lot more people into the sport this year and hope to get more next year. I know many of you saw it, but here is the link in case you didn't.

Click here to view video

There are a couple of sound bites with each of us. Greg and Jeremy both have blue helmets on so it is tricky to tell who is who. There are some good wake rolls from Greg. All the footage that is shot from the shore is of Greg. There are a couple shots of me doing some jumps. I don't wear a helmet so it's easy to pick me out. The other two riders are Scott (52) and Jeremy. Jeremy does a front flip toward the end that is pretty cool. Greg wants to start working on that trick next year.

The Human Elastic

2008-10-05T17:55:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot of fun playing on the swing set now that the weather is cooling off a bit. This is Preston doing his "trick" that he is so proud of. The swing set has been so much fun all year.

I found the human elastic at Cindy's the other day and happily reclaimed it. When used for it's actual intent, it can be rather dangerous. We've had a friend crack a rib while playing. Anyway, we have more fun just hanging it from the swing set. Preston and Paige can't get enough of swinging and bouncing.

Their favorite thing to do is twist in it. I am surprised Preston hasn't thrown up because he does it over and over and over.

This is the self-entertainment way to play with it. Just wrap it around the chair and use it like a catapult. This one kept Preston busy for a good 45 minutes. When he feels like being nice to his sister, they play together until one of them gets hurt.

Announcing...

2008-09-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Moving in together

2008-09-27T12:55:00.001-07:00

We finally got the bunk beds we ordered about a month ago. The boxes sat in the living room for a week so I decided to do something about it. I assembled them all myself. With some help from Preston and Peter. It actually wasn't that hard. They look black in this picture, but are actually a dark walnut. Preston was actually pretty excited to have Paige move in with him. Ever since his cousin, Bentley, stayed with us, he has been saying he needs a GIRL to sleep in his room with him.
I was nervous about how Paige would do her first night. She woke up three times. Each time she would say "lay down to me for a minute!" It was a long night. In the morning I asked Preston how it was with his sister crying and he exclaimed "she didn't cry at all!"

Yesterday I kept trying to get her down for her nap and she wouldn't. I finally rocked her to sleep and put her in the crib. Then last night, she only woke up once. This morning she told us she was tired and went right into her bed. Greg got this cute picture of her.

Bear Lake

2008-09-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend at Bear Lake with our friends, the Summers. Back in June, I called our vacation club to cash out some credits for gift certificates and got talked into actually using my points and booking something nearby. I am so glad that I did. This trip was much needed and so beautiful. First, I was amazed at the color of the water, especially when we were right out on it in the boat. Second, the leaves were already changing so the mountains were so bright.

Preston had fun fishing on the dock. He fished out on the boat with his new Transformers fishing pole and got bored quickly. On the dock, he could actually SEE the fish. He keeps telling us that he gave it an owy because he watched Greg pull the hook out.

Preston's tag line for the weekend was- "Hey Daddy! Do you wanna get squished?" He loved the murphy bed in the wall that folded up. Greg squished him several times.

We found an awesome beach on Saturday. I couldn't believe how the kids just ran out and played in the water when it was so cold. Water temp was 60 degrees, but the air was about 70 so it was warm enough to enjoy the heat. Paige splashed around while Preston chased seagulls.

Both of the kids love the beach because it is a giant sand pile. They dug around in this hole for awhile.

Paige loved splashing in the water with Daddy. He walked out a ways and got her to follow him all the way up to her chest.

Preston collected sea shells. He was very protective of his prize and made sure he knew where they were at all times.

Greg had an awesome run both days. I couldn't get enough of how blue the water was. It was literally like looking down into a swimming pool. Riding in it was even better.

Check me out. The foil might not look THAT high off the water, especially compared to Greg. But look at how high my head is and you'll know why I can't get the grin off my face when I ride. I love this sport! Too bad this was probably my last ride of the season. Greg will get out a few more times with the guys. We wore the dry suit so the water was very comfortable and not at all cold. I am so bummed that the season is almost over. We have played so much this summer. It's been great having so much time as a family.

Boating with the Canning Family

2008-09-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

We went out with our next door neighbors, the Cannings, on Saturday. The kids loved being on the boat together. We expected it to be pretty cold and bundled up, but the weather actually warmed up pretty fast. They always love being in the bow.

We were all a little surprised when their 11-year old daughter decided she wanted to try it. She got up on the water a couple of times. She did so well.

Joyce also got out and loved it. She did great considering she had never been able to get up on skis before.

Greg gave all five kids a turn on his lap. It took some coaxing, but each of them loved it. I was a little nervous as the driver. Particularly when I saw Greg JUMP with Paige on his lap. I thought they were going to crash. It really freaked me out. Of course, he thought it was great. Paigey was a little upset at him and let him know it.

Preston cried that he didn't want to go out. The water was a little cold, but we kind of made him do it. Well, just like last time, as soon as he got out of the water, he was all smiles. He was so proud of himself and continued to tell us he is a PRO. When you ask him his name, he will tell you "Preston Gregory's Son Pro-Sky Skier Crockett". He came up with that himself. We were proud of him.

Boating with the McInnes Family

2008-09-07T08:05:00.001-07:00

We went out on Thursday with the Mcinnes family. They live behind us and have two cute boys. Preston and Max played and played while we all skied. I got this cute shot of Paige. She is always asking to go boating and walks all over the place while the boat is going. She has pretty good boating legs.

Matt and Michelle both got up on the ski and thought it was fun.

Matt took some pictures of me while Greg drove the boat. It felt so good to get out again. I have been going through withdrawal because the clinic was the last time I got to ski. I went almost a whole month! I crashed a lot, but got some great jumps at the wake. I can't help but let out a yell when I get so high. It is such a rush. I know the ski doesn't look that high off the water, but keep in mind how much higher my head is!

I got some awesome shots of Greg. The lighting was great at the end of the day. He makes it look so easy. His jumps are so smooth and he just glides through the air. Maybe someday, I'll attempt an invert. I never thought I would be good enough to even jump it, so you never know.

Cherish Bound Convention

2008-09-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

We had our convention for Cherish Bound this weekend at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.

We were able to hold our meetings on Friday and Saturday morning in a tent right on the park grounds. I gave a presentation about our customer service department since that is what I am in charge of. I answer all the email that comes into our support system or forward it to the appropriate person.

As I listened to Carol Rice talk about the power of story and the connections we help people make, I was reminded of the first night I heard her speak in 2003. I was so inspired that night. I remember coming home and not being able to sleep as I thought of all the books I wanted to make. I still love this company. I love their mission and the difference they are making with every book someone creates. There are plenty of photobook companies, but Cherish Bound is about more than that. They have stayed true to their original vision of helping people actually write their stories and provide so many tools to help with that. To this day I have published 18 books! I have covered my life from the day I met Greg all the way through my 2007 yearbook.

One of the best Christmas presents ever was the book my sisters and I did for Mom that was filled with memories of our childhood. The night we got together to talk about it was awesome because we all came together and laughed and enjoyed remembering our childhood. Then, when Mom opened her present and the tears streamed down her cheeks, we knew we had given her a great gift. The book is truly priceless and one of her treasures.

We spent the afternoons at the festival. The Timpanogos Festival has been around for 19 years! I had no idea. The park at the base of Provo canyon was built specifically for this festival so there is a place for everything. They get approximately 20,000 visitors, the second largest festival in the nation.

I was first introduced to the art of storytelling at our convention last year. I am a huge fan now. Watching these professionals is like watching a combination of stand up comedy, drama, and musician. There are several styles of tellers. I find I connect most with the personal narrative. I watch these tellers talk about their childhood and I realize that my stories are really boring. Oh well though, if I don't write them, no one else will. My favorites at the festival were Carmen Deedy (above) and Kevin Kling. Both keep you completely engaged for the entire story. Megan and Delayna came down for Saturday afternoon and we had a good time together.

The consultants and staff of Cherish Bound that attended the convention.

The final highlight was Laughin' Night on Saturday night at the Scera Shell theater. The place was completely packed. It was awesome. They had about 10 storytellers that each came out and shared one story. Their stories were incredible. I laughed so hard. The concert alone is worth going to every year.

Happy Birthday Preston!

2008-08-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Preston had a very special day on Saturday. He has been asking about his birthday for about 6 months and it finally arrived! He was a five boy!(as he puts it) In the morning, we let him open a couple of presents. He was so excited about these new movies from Grandma Crockett. He had a primary activity in the morning then his birthday party at one.

This was Preston's first birthday party with friends. The spiderman theme was his idea. He loves all things superhero right now.

The kids bounced around for awhile, then we played some games.

When it was time for cake, Preston knew exactly what to do. I pulled out some candles I had in the pantry and put five on the cake. Preston blew and blew. Finally they were all out, but then one lit back up. He blew it out and it lit up again. He was giggling so hard he could hardly pucker enough to blow. I didn't know I even had any trick candles so it was a great little suprise.

Grandma and Grandpa Nielson and Great Grandma and Grandpa Crockett came for cake and ice cream. Preston opened his other presents from them and us. I watched him open a present, remark on how cool it was, then grab for the next one almost immediately. I was reminded of his second Christmas. The year that he understood how to open a present. He opened one and got so excited that he wouldn't even touch the others. Wow, how things change in a few years!

To tire him out completely, we went to the zoo in the afternoon. A lot of the animals were sleeping. When Paige saw the black bear, she called out to it- "Puppy!" She reminded me of Boo from Monsters Inc. Even though Boo calls Sully "kitty". Preston's favorite animal was the Giraffe. I liked the white alligator. After the kids were hot and tired, we headed home. Preston just wanted to play with his toys. What were we thinking for taking him away from them? He played a little while and zonked right out in bed. He kept saying "I can't believe I'm five years old! I can't believe it!"

Goes on smoothly & wipes off easily

2008-08-21T15:46:00.001-07:00

So it says on the tube of creamy Desitin. The "goes on smoothly" is surely what enticed Paige to continue slathering her arms and legs with it. The "wipes off easily" part is a lie. Why would a cream that is meant to protect against "wetness" come off easily? I had to give her a bath and the bath water filled up with a nice white film that still wouldn't rinse off. Her carpet has a huge white spot that just gets whiter when I scrub it. What to do with my inquisitive two-year-old. I guess I'll have to follow that advice that you can't get mad at them for stealing a cookie when you put the cookie jar right in front of them. Time to lock up all creams, lotions, soap, toothpaste or anything that comes in a tube or a pump.

Preston's logic

2008-08-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

So, I was laying down with Preston the other night at bedtime. We were reading a scripture story and had the following conversation.

Preston: "Mommy, can Jesus see us?"
Me: "Yes"
Preston: "All of us? But there are so many of us"
Me: "He can still see all of us. He has special abilities"
Preston: "Does he just have HUGE EYES?"

Yeah, that is the logic of my cute almost 5 year old. He makes me laugh every day.

Clinic at Rockport

2008-08-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

Our clinic was great on Saturday. We were so pleased with the turn out. We had 36 people total with families. There were 18 people that rode sky skis. Four of them had never been on one before. We had 4 boats thanks to High Adventure Power Sports lending us two boats.

We made t-shirts that say utah hydrofoiling on the front and No Wake Needed on the back. They looked great. Greg was on the lake from 6:30 am until 8:30 pm. That was one long day. I spent a lot of the time on the beach with the kids. I still got two rides in. The last one of the night was my best ride yet. I'm starting to get a ton of air when I jump at the wake. I've even landed a few of them.

Greg has finally gotten his technique down and just flies over the wake when he does wake rolls. This is probably the highest shot I have of him. We probably need to back off and get some things done around the house. This was Greg's 21st time out this season.

Paige's baby book is finally done!

2008-08-01T12:18:00.001-07:00

Finally, just nine months AFTER the 18 month old point. I had so much fun putting Paige's book together. I wanted to keep it simple because I just don't have the time to design every page as I have in other books. Plus, I wanted the focus to be on her story and pictures, not on the scrapbooking itself. I designed this simple background and used it for every page. I can't wait to see the final book. Just a couple weeks until I have it in my hands.

To those who say you don't take as many pictures of your second child, I disagree. It was so nice having a child that couldn't move those first few months that I took a ton. Her book ended up being 103 pages long. It only took me one month to create the actual book in photoshop because I already had her pictures organized by months. I also kept a typed journal that I wrote in monthly as she grew. So glad I did that or I wouldn't have remembered near the detail that is in the book.

One of the spreads from Paigey's book.

Come Join Us at Rockport August 9th

2008-08-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

We are holding a hydrofoiling clinic at Rockport on August 9th. The clinic will run from 8:30 to noon. Lunch is on your own. Then we'll free ride the rest of the afternoon for anyone that wants to stick around. This is our first time doing something like this. We want to spread the addiction of this sport to everyone we can. If you haven't tried it, come on up.

We started the utahhydrofoiling.com website that we will post events to. We also have a yahoo group for foilers to interact with each other. We are having so much fun with this.

24th of July

2008-08-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

I spent the 24th of July lazing around for most of the morning while Greg went skiing with some guys from the group. In the afternoon, we went over to the Summer's house for swimming and dinner. Paige loved the pool. She splashed all over with Daddy.

While Greg visited with them for awhile, I headed for the Cul-de-sac O Fire with Preston. Cindy and Greg put on a great party with their neighbors. There were so many people there. Preston fun running around with his cousin- especially Logan whom he idolizes.

This was the first year I kept Preston up for fire works. I was a little worried about the noise, but he did fine with his hands over his ears the whole time. I enjoyed taking pictures of the fireworks and got some pretty cool ones. It was quite a show with music and all.

Thanks Julie!

2008-07-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Preston and Paige had so much fun on their weekend with Aunt Julie. Preston loved having a live-in buddy to play with. They went to great grandma's and grandpa's every day. By the end, Paige was ready for mommy to come home. We took Julie out on the boat on Monday. The water was chilly, but that didn't stop the kids from swimming. It was great having her here for a few days to visit with us as well. We are so grateful to her for giving us the opportunity to spend some time together. Thanks Julie!

NW Fly-In 2008 in Grand Coulee

2008-07-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Greg and I just got back from the Northwest fly-in. We had a wonderful time. The drive was rough at 12 hours, but it was worth it. Julie flew up with her kids to stay with ours, so we had a whole weekend all to ourselves. Well, us and 35 other sky ski fanatics. Banks lake was a beautiful lake. We had glass even in the middle of the day on Saturday.

This picture is the marina first thing in the morning.

The best part of a fly-in is getting instruction from people who know what they are talking about. The boat above is the one we hung out on most of the time. The guy flying through the air is our instructor, Lawrence. He is 52 and has been riding for about 10 years! He was amazing. He could tell us exactly what to change each time the boat came around. We learned a ton from him.

This is Ben Ferney. He is a pro that will compete next week at the national competition. It was such an opportunity to ride with him and watch from the boat. He just floats through the air.

Greg improved so much. He is slowing his rotation and getting some high jumps. It was fun to see how much he progressed in just two days.

I'm still fairly beginner, but I worked hard on jumps. I can't believe how many things there are to think about: line tension, height on the foil, dipping before the jump, keeping the tip up. It finally came together for me and I'm feeling pretty comfortable with it.

We filled all the boats with skis and people and headed over to a cove to get a group shot from above. I can't wait to see it.

Wow, this was such an awesome trip. I can't wait to go to another one. We may hold one here eventually. We love this sport and want to spread it so anyone interested, let us know!

4th of July at Rockport

2008-07-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July, we invited Greg's grandparents to the lake. They hadn't been on a boat in several years so they were excited to go. The kids loved having them there. Greg was happy they were able to see us doing something we love so much. We got the tube out as well for the kids. Paige was an animal. She was standing up, leaning over the side, and grinning like crazy. Preston was a little nervous at first, then really got into it, then got wet from a big wave and wasn't so happy.

This picture shows how much higher the water is this year. We had somewhat of a beach to play on last year (top). Now the water goes right to the boulders.

Thanksgiving Point

2008-07-17T10:07:00.001-07:00

I went to Thanksgiving Point at the beginning of July with my friend Courtney. I haven't seen the rose garden in bloom before and loved all the colors. It was a great chance to play with the new camera. The kids loved looking at the fish in the pond. We were roasting by eleven o'clock. We definitely plan to go earlier next time.

Photography practice

2008-06-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

One day, I started looking at the new Nikon camera, the D300. I shouldn't have. I have owned my D70 for four years now and have absolutely loved it. I didn't think I needed anything better until I looked. Shouldn't have looked. Shouldn't have looked. My brain started obsessing over how I could get it. Sell my first born, sell some stock, sell my camera. Well, I did two out of those three and now own the amazing D300. This camera is leagues above my other one. Technology has come so far. I need to spend a lot of quality time with it and learn all the ins and outs.

This morning I did just that. I took Preston and Paige out to some wheat fields just West of us for a photo shoot. Preston wasn't fond of the sticky, poky things, so it didn't last long. Still, I got some pretty cute shots.

After the field, we headed over to the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. Great place for photos and best of all-it's free! We walked all around. The kids liked the stepping stones. I got Paige to sit in front of this rose bush for this picture. I am loving the new camera. I had a few glitches that I have to figure out. I look forward to spending lots of quality time with it! Preston was ready to go to receive the promised bribe- lunch at McDonald's complete with a Kungfu Panda happy meal toy.

She looks like an angel here.

Greg rides away a wake roll

2008-06-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day weekend at the Lake. We headed to Utah Lake at 8 am and didn't get home until 5. We skiied all morning with a friend that taught Greg to ski 4 years ago. Greg has been working on wake rolls. He is finally getting the timing. The kids loved being on the boat and playing in the water. I was swimming with Paige and put her back on the boat. A few minutes later, I heard a splash and saw a foot sticking out of the water. Paige had jumped right off the boat! This girl loves the water. I am continuing to work on jumps. I got some pretty good air yesterday.

Paige rides her bike

2008-06-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

Paige has learned to pedal all by herself. I am so proud of her!

I'm Riding My Bike!

2008-06-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Preston hasn't had any interest in learning to ride his bike. Greg found this handle that attaches to the back. The first day we put it on, I got him to go around the whole block while I pushed him. He said "Mommy, I rode my bike and I wasn't even scared!" I think he worried about falling over.

Today, we went for a ride. I pushed Paige on her bike and Greg helped Preston. He pedaled down our whole street on his own. I was so proud of him. Paige decided to help him out.

Paige doesn't want any help washing her hands after going potty. She climbs up on the counter and gets soap everywhere, then gets excited when she sees bubbles in the sink.

Potty Time

2008-06-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Paige decided it's time to start using the potty. I was vacuuming last week and looked up to see her diaper sitting on my bathroom counter. I went looking for her and found her here on her potty. I decided to give it a try on Wednesday and haven't changed a poopy in 3 days. Not bad. I don't know if she is really doing it, but so far so good. She has peed a few times, including on the leather couch. I don't know if I'm ready for it, but she appears to be so we'll give it a go. Way to go Paigey!

Willard Bay

2008-05-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

We went to Willard Bay on Saturday with some friends that sky ski. This was my first time there and the lake is huge. It is fairly shallow like Utah Lake. The wind was blowing pretty bad, but we ventured out anyway. We drove over to the the other side of the lake and the wind died down. The best part for me was that I got out for the first time this season. It felt so great to get out again. I was worried about riding Greg's vamped up ski, but it was so smooth. I started practicing my jumps again.

The weather wasn't ideal, but a day on the boat is better than any day at work. Paige and Preston bundled up.

Greg is putting the case on his foil. We had three sky ski's on that boat! It was a little crazy. Scott is in his 50's and working on his back flips. Jeremy is working on front flips. Greg is trying to get more air on his back flips and working on wake rolls. He did several rolls on this trip out. When can we go again?!!! I have to work this weekend and we are supposed to be in the 80's. Why does it always work that way?

Happy Birthday Paige!

2008-05-17T07:45:00.001-07:00

Paige turned 2 yesterday! She was so cute. I love this picture of her
with her present from Preston. That is the classic Paigey face.
I had to work all day, so we had a party when I got home. Grandma and Grandpa Nielson came as well as Great Grandma and Grandpa Crockett

I made an Oreo ice cream pie instead of cake. It was so easy and much cheaper than buying one. I used plain vanilla ice cream, added cut up oreo's, put it in an oreo pie crust and froze it. I froze the candle right in with it. She blew and blew and finally got the candle out.

This is my favorite picture of the night. She has her princess jewelry on and she's playing with her new baby. I love how her head is cocked to one side. Later, she was holding the little baby and singing to her.

Paige is so excited to have her own bike! I know she is kind of young but she is so active. She jumped right on. It will take awhile to figure out the pedals. Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

The Fun Book

2008-05-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

So I bought this cheap little book at borders for preschool age activities. Preston just loves it. He calls it his fun book. Can we do something in my fun book today? It has some really cool activities. One way to keep kids entertained is a cup of water and some cheap paint brushes. They can paint the house, the sidewalk, the garage... They had fun with it.

We made fruit rollups the other day. This is so easy! All it took was plain old unsweetened apple sauce. To make it fun, we added food coloring. Then I got all fancy and made designs on my trays.

They took about 6 hours to dry. I cut each tray into fourths and roll them up in saran wrap. It ends up being about 16 rollups for one jar of applesauce. What a bargain.

Preston was proud of his creation. Ok, all he did was choose the color. But, he thought he helped.

Lake Havasu Fly-in

2008-05-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Greg had a great time at the Lake Havasu Fly-in
this last weekend. He met a ton of great guys and
got tips to improve his jumps and flips. He is enjoying
getting to know more people who love this sport as much as
we do.

Greg jumping with his new rear wing.

Not Greg jumping, but it will be someday!

I spent the weekend at home with the kids. We
went to the park, rented movies, made donuts,

2008-04-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

I called my friend Courtney to chat on Tuesday. We realized the weather was beautiful and the tulip festival was on so what better day to go? We packed up the kids and headed to Thanksgiving Point.

I love this picture Courtney took of me and the kids.

Preston and Paige took off as soon as they were free. Despite bringing Cindy's wagon, they didn't do much riding. At least Paige was willing to pull her brother.

The kids had way too much fun in the water. Paige almost climbed in. That won't surprise anyone who knows her obsession with all things wet. Preston showed her how to spray the fountain with his finger.

This is cute baby Alex, Courtney's son. Isn't he adorable?!

Moab

2008-04-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Greg spent Saturday in Moab. They left early and came home late and still managed to get two rides in. He logged 7 1/2 hours on his bike and his body felt it the next day. Greg loves the red rock and the beautiful views from the mountains.

I spent the day at Mom's. I got some cute pictures playhouse I spent so many hours in growing up. Paige had no problem climbing the ladder and going down the slide

by herself. Preston enjoyed the sand box. When I told Paige we were going to Grandma's, she said "Papa!" and "MaGam!" I thought she was asking for Megan. We realized by the end of the day that magam was grandma. So funny.

Skiing anyone?

2008-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

We got the boat out on Saturday to clean it up and get it running. The morning was chilly, but warmed up in the afternoon. Since the weather was nice (60 degrees), we decided to head to the lake for a test.
We invited our friends, the Summers, and their two kids. We got to the lake around 4 p.m. The boat ran great. Of course, since we were at the lake, Greg couldn't resist a quick 45 minute run on the sky ski. He has been itching for 5 months to get out. He donned his nifty dry suit, gloves, hood, and helmet, and jumped into the 51 degree water.

He said he was just going to take it easy, then went out and pulled a back flip on one of his first runs. He was in heaven.

And so it begins- the 2008 ski season.