The Andersen Clan

Trip to Wichita, KS

2011-09-02T11:50:00.008-04:00

Why did we go there? I know you are curious. It is for a really weird reason. So we traded in our van for a Prius. Our awesome 1991 Olds died on us and so we have been one caring it for about a month. I guess we are spoiled because it was really tough. We had our morning debates about who got the car and why, sooo we decided we needed to get that truck.

Colby had specific ideas and we were on a tight budget so we were having a hard time finding what we wanted locally. There was a beautiful truck in Wichita, KS. So we left Sunday afternoon, stayed in a hotel checked out the truck on Monday. It was not what we wanted and so we drove back Monday afternoon. These are pictures from our trip. One of the coolest parts was this band of homemade windmills that a farmer had welded from old farm equipment. We had to stop and get a picture. The kids were laughing pretty hard at some of the designs.

It was pretty impressive to drive and see these.

The other really cool part of the trip was Dodge City, KS. The story of Dodge City is that back in the day, the city was part of the really wild west. It sat along the Sante Fe Trail and was reputed to be the most lawless town around. Famous figures like "Doc" Holiday and Wyatt Earp came into the town and in a crazy way brought the law back. There were so many murders in the town that there was a hill that they say the men were buried with the boots on and is called "Boot Hill". It was fun to feel like you were back in the west. There was a great train the kids played on and a historic downtown and lots of statues.

Kids on the train.

The Santa Fe trail goes through the area. There was a place you could stop and look at the wagon ruts still visible in the plains.

The bridge we are on is actually one of the "ruts" from the wagons. The wagons traveled in groups of four and as you look on the plains there are literally four deep areas as far as your eye can see.

Hiking the Colorado Mountains

2011-08-17T20:18:00.008-04:00

We went on one of the trails near our campsite. It was almost a mile and it was a lot of fun. The kids liked it and there were great views for pictures so I included some good ones.

Colby and the kids. This is early on in the hike.

I took a turn with the kids. Jayden found a walking stick.

We tried for a family picture but Jayden didn't like the sun in his eyes and Kylie wasn't going to cooperate, so this is the best one.

Our bro-in-law Kevin and Colby's Sis, Martilyn. Baby Rachel is so adorable!

We were on the hike and as you can see, Jayden and Colby hid behind the trees and then jumped out and screamed like Lions to scare us. I saw them before but Kylie jumped pretty good then continued to be a lion for awhile after.

Had to put this one in. This is his, I know it all and am the best, look. He is pretty much the best!

Martilyn and the backside of Colby.

Thought this was tender of Kevin holding hands with his little girl and Colby playing with Kylie and Jayden. Super Dads!

There were markers along the hike so you could tell how far you had gone. This marker was at the end of the hike and Jayden kept mumbling that he was tired as he leaned against it.

A little bit better turnout of a family picture. Wish we looked better, but what should I expect on the "morning after" a good campout.

A cute picture with Colby Jumping in.

Summer camping trip

2011-08-17T17:17:00.008-04:00

So Martilyn, Kevin, Colby and I have talked about camping all summer long. I was hesitant because of the young kids but finally we decided to do it before the summer is over. We went to Meuller State Park and it was so cool! We had a great site and there was a lot of walking/hiking trails. The kids went crazy and helped gather firewood and just plain got dirty! I have to also note that we did not eat very healthy, can you when camping?

Martilyn and Rachel.

Me and the kids. They were playing with the rocks under the tent.

I hope you can see how dirty she is in this picture! She was in heaven.

Colby loading "stuff" back to the car.

Kylie, Jayden and Baby Rachel. Martilyn is a better Mom (look how clean and put together Rachel is :)

I don't know how this pic happened. They look so posed! It is so cute. They are getting so big!

Andrews Family Reunion

2011-08-17T16:53:00.005-04:00

Every other year we have a big Andrews reunion in the summer. Since we have been in West Virginia the last three years we have been missing out on seeing family. It was such a fun reunion. We went to the Ute Stampede, played games in Grandpa and Grandma'a backyard and had the traditional talent show and auction. I was not very good again at getting my camera out and Mark was doing a great job but here are a few I got.

My cousins Jessica and baby Brinlee with Kristine and baby Ashley.

Jayden playing with some of the cousins.

This is the traditional sack race. The boy in the middle in the Gonzaga shirt is my nephew, Christopher. That is Justin's little boy.

Me and my bro Justin.

Colby and I enjoying the races (in the shade).

My Dad on the left, Chris in the middle and my Mom on the right. It was a relay race where you had to take a Lifesaver and transfer it from one toothpick to the next. I was laughing so hard I could hardly do it and finally had to cheat!

I want to thank Melvin and Catherine's family for their hard work and making it a great time together!

Time with Grandpa Andersen

2011-08-17T16:41:00.005-04:00

I was not very good at taking pictures while we were visiting in Logan, but I did get some good ones of the kids with their Grandpa Andersen.

Jayden is telling Grandpa, I love you. Kylie is trying to sign it as well.

Jayden feeding cows with Grandpa. He would just sit there as still as possible and had so much fun. I am grateful Grandpa didn't mind him tagging along.

Tony's Grove

2011-08-17T16:20:00.005-04:00

On our way to visit family this summer we drive through Logan Canyon and decided to stop at Tony's Grove. It was so beautiful. With all the rain and snow that they had it had just opened up a few days before. We couldn't walk around it because there was still so much snow.

We go for exercise for the kids since they are in the car all day and look who is getting a ride :)

Me and the kids on the bridge to get to the South end.

A picture of Colby with the kids. It shows how much snow was still there. The kids LOVED making snowballs in July.

I put this picture in because as soon as Colby did this, Kylie wanted to be Queen of the rock as well.

Our queen of the rock. Just like her Dad!

Biking in the driveway.

2011-06-15T22:34:00.003-04:00

This is one of their favorite activities. They bike around the driveway. What is funny is that Kylie can't really ride her bike so she make car noises and then Jayden will come push her bike closer to his. They are so cute!

Potty Trained!

2011-06-15T22:31:00.004-04:00

We are so excited! He did it, he is potty trained. For doing this, we stooped to bribery and he got this awesome truck with tractors! Have I said that we are excited?

Will Rogers Shrine

2011-06-15T22:15:00.004-04:00

Up the mountain from the zoo in Colorado Springs is a very interesting building. I guess in the 1920's there was a very rich, eccentric man who decided to build a castle like shrine to Will Rogers. The lower room is made for singing, it has excellent acoustics. When we entered, there was a woman there singing opera and recording it. It was AWESOME! You climb up several levels, each level has a room with pictures of Will Rogers in it. Crazy!

Colby, Jayden and Kylie at the base of the building. Can you see the view?

Going up the stairs we stopped for a picture and then realized as I was showing Jayden the pictures that the men are naked. He asked me why. LOL!!

Here we all are at the top!

Colby and Kylie saying hi on the way down.

Jayden, Kyle and me by the shrine.

Jayden, Colby and Kylie smiling by the shrine as well. One of the weirdest things we have seen in awhile but glad we did it :)

Colorado Springs Zoo

2011-06-15T20:50:00.010-04:00

For Memorial weekend we decided to go on a little trip. We didn't go too far. We went about 40 minutes to Springs and got a hotel with a pool and played there then in the morning went to the local zoo. It was pretty fun, you get to feed giraffes and the zoo is literally in the mountain side. Here are some pictures of our experience.

Jayden trying to convince the closest giraffe to come by him.

It was so funny, it was totally in a showdown with Kylie. I think it was mad that we didn't have any food for it :)

They had a cute "garden" and this is them being silly.

She makes a pretty cute tiger.

Jayden playing tiger. They had so much fun with this. They made sure we were tigers too.

Another very cool part of the zoo was the bird room. It was a big room with a lot of exotic birds in it and you held up a Popsicle stick with bird seed on it and they would eat out of your hands. It was crazy!

Kylie loved it too! It was fun.

We were going down the trail when we saw this kangaroo up on the grass. Kylie wanted to climb the wall and literally say hello.

This is kind of a sad picture. The big gorilla was, I think, just getting out of the sun and sitting by the window. Jayden was really quiet and went right up to him. Jayden couldn't stop looking.

This is a for real picture. If you enlarge it you will see a squirrel sitting there eating a chip. It just went right by Jayden and sat down like they were buddies eating lunch together. I was lucky to get a picture of it.

Max's B-Day party.

2011-05-25T21:53:00.003-04:00

Daquan, Max, Jayden, Bo and Kylie watching the presents.

Max, Daquan, Bo, Jayden and Zach trying to see what is in the bag.

Sarah (Max's Mom) helps them with the new legos. I love the look on their faces.

The whole "group". Sarah, Max, Jayden, Zach, Daquan, Barb, Bo, Robin, Michelle and Kylie.

It was a blast! Thanks Max for such a great party!

Potty Training

2011-05-25T21:50:00.004-04:00

We have been working really, really hard to potty train Jayden. He takes one step forward then two back. Colby was home and so we doubled our effort on this day. He was taking awhile and told us to leave and give him privacy. When we came back, this is what we found.

Why not be entertained? LOL!

Kylie is now 2!

2011-05-25T21:15:00.006-04:00

Time goes by so fast. Kylie has been so much fun. She truly has such a personality and never lets things get to boring.

Kylie right now loves

Dora, anything with cats, bling, Tinker Bell, balls and food.

She is really starting to talk and is starting to learn to play with her brother, peacefully. Her B-Day was fun. Colby's sister and family came to celebrate with us. We had dessert, opened presents and then went to play at the park.

Here is the cake, this is mostly for my Mom. I couldn't think of how to do anything with Dora, my mind went blank so I stuck with the colors and just did a heart.

Kylie opening gifts with Jaydens help. I think he was almost more excited then she was. He kept telling everyone that his birthday was next.

Kylie with her big gift of Dora.

Getting ready to blow out the candles.

She tried!

The group of us eating and enjoying.

Kylie and Jayden at the park. He kept giving her hugs because it was her special day.

Daddy and Kylie playing and wrestling at the park. She loves this stuff, she is a tough cookie!

A great picture of Uncle Kevin tossing Jayden in the air. Kevin is so good to play with the kids and they love him, they don't want to leave him alone :)

Playgroups

2011-05-25T21:02:00.005-04:00

We have been having a lot of fun with friends lately. We have been watching and having friends over and I happened to get some pictures. The first one is of just Jayden and Kylie but it was pretty cute so I put it in.

This is Kylie, Jayden, Brock and Max. It was such a fun time with their buddies!

This is another day. Just Jayden, Dante, Bo, Kylie and Daquan sitting on the swing set eating some ice cream. It was a lot of fun and I can't believe they were all so good for the picture!

Easter 2011

2011-05-25T14:21:00.007-04:00

Easter we so much fun this year. We were able to do everything on our checklist to make it a great time.

Dress like the easter bunny.....check.

Dye easter eggs......check.

Decorate easter cookies with friends......check.

Go on an awesome easter egg hunt......check. (not many younger kids showed up so they had so much candy. I think they got more candy for easter then for Halloween.)

Kylie and Jayden with their buddy Bennett.

Go to the local train museum easter party and ride a train......check.

Meet the easter bunny......check.

Use malted easter candy as lipstick.......check.

Colby's sister, Martilyn.

Jayden got blue.

Kylie picked it up real quick.

And Colby. His was not as impressive as the kids.

Wear easter glasses......check.

Wake up to a visit from the easter bunny.....check.

It was such a great Easter, the kids are a good age to make it soooo fun for all of us!

Pueblo Zoo

2011-05-25T14:10:00.004-04:00

We went to the Pueblo Zoo with our friends, Andrea and Bennett. It was a lot of fun.

I thought this picture was funny because the sign by them says no feeding the animals but the kids are all hungry and eating.

Us on the camel statue.

Our friends, Andrea and Bennett.

Kylie feeding one of the goats. This was their favorite part of the whole zoo.

This is what they all did when I was ready to take the picture. It is cute. I can't tell if they are hiding from the Lions.

Spring Walla Walla Trip

2011-05-25T14:00:00.003-04:00

I know that people think I was crazy for driving this long, 18 hour, trip but let me explain. We had just moved, we were exhausted and then for the next 3-4 weeks between Colby and I and the kids we were all sick. Like stay in bed, don't sleep at night sick. I was to my point. I guess I needed my Mom but also the kids needed to do something different to get out of the house. We stayed for about 4 days and just enjoyed being around family.

My brother Carl let Jayden ride with him while he was working the pasture.

Here are the kids enjoying the llamas.

This is my parents with my sister, Shauna's, three kids and mine. This pic was about as good as it got. I was laughing so hard a lot of the other pictures were fuzzy :)

Getting into the new house

2011-05-25T13:43:00.004-04:00

I know that it has been three months since the last blog. I don't really have an excuse except life. It has been so busy lately. So.. I have to get caught up.

Kylie and Jayden posing for Valentines Day 2011.

So we are starting to settle in the house at this time but I was tired and didn't want to unload another box with the kids awake so I got out the camera. Jayden saw me lifting the heavy boxes and wanted me to know he was a big boy and could help me whenever I wanted. He flexed so that I knew he was serious and I got a photo.

We got a new fridge for the house. I caught Kylie trying her best to open the door. She hadn't figured it out yet but an A for effort! It only took her about 2 more days to get it figured out.

Here are the kids hanging out behind the couch. Still to this day it is their favorite hiding spot.

My Musically Crazy Past

2011-02-24T12:27:00.011-05:00

I was driving in my lovely minivan yesterday and the station had on its "retro" lunch hour and what was playing? Vanilla Ice - Ice, Ice, Baby. Did I know most of the words? YES! It was so funny and it put me in memory of growing up.

I am starting to feel old. I wonder sometimes that people have no idea who I am talking about when I talk about music I liked when I was young. I remember going to the local music store on Main Street in Walla Walla and Mom letting me buy records. I know I had a Samantha Fox record. (Look her up if you do not know who I am talking about). Then when the records started going away I had tape after tape. I even remember listening to the top 40 count downs on Saturday morning and recording my favorites on my tapes off the radio.

Where did I start musically? I have always been one of those people that don't really have a favorite type. It depends on my mood. I have always been into music and so after you learn of my music history I hope you still want to be my friend :) The pics aren't really in order but it is still a bit of a biography. Hopefully this makes you smile and start singing when you read it like it does for me!

Lets see, it started when I was young and would go to my friend Lydia's house and she had the best windows. We were the most famous Solid Gold Dancers and in those window reflections we could hear the cheers. My Mom did not like their "immodest" outfits but I loved them so much she let me watch that great show.

I was really into Milli Vanilli in elementary school. I remember a D.A.R.E. officer using their music to motivate us to stay clean. Can't deny I was sad when I heard they were fake. I remember I stayed up late to see Leno where they were on after all heck broke loose.

When I was twelve I got to go to my first concert. I went with Molly and we went and saw Debbie Gibson. I remember we were able to worm our way to the front and Debbie touched my hand. I couldn't believe it! For the next little while when I practiced my piano I was her. For those who don't know who she is she was really big at the time. I liked her and Tiffany.

I know I am talking about music, but during this time movies were a big part of my music loves as well. If you don't know what movie this pic belongs to then I am so very sorry. Top Gun, the volleyball scene, and it's music will always be one of my favorites. GO ICEMAN!

Another film I watched over and over. I could do the dance moves and sing along with the movie at the end prom scene like a pro. Again, windows came in handy. :)

Dirty Dancing, another music/dance classic that I can't believe that my Mom let me watch at such a young age. We had a talent show in elementary school that we performed a number from this movie.

I LOVED these gals! Manic Monday, Walk like an Egyptian, etc. I had their tapes and tried to do my hair like the lead singer.

This guy right here is still to this day, one of my man crushes. I had a really cool babysitter who would turn on her tape of Living on a Prayer and we would get hairbrushes and stand on the coffee table (sorry Mom) and would sing at the top of our lungs. Bon Jovi ROCKS!! (Colby is not a fan :)

I just look at this picture and his music comes to mind. Too legit, too legit to quit... You got to pray.... I am not much of a dancer but I could imitate MC Hammer's shuffle across the stage and the running man pretty good. Yes, I did own some pants like his. Not metallic but still not so cool now. I can say that my bud, Molly topped me and had a whole wardrobe full of them.

This was a great album. It was back when she wore the stiff suits, was not too weird and sang a little bit more rock. Black Cat was by far my favorite.

I am a sucker for harmony. When I was younger, and trying to learn alto, I would listen to them and try to sing the different parts. I thought I was a fan until I went to college and one of my roommates put me to shame. She had a BoysIIMen themed room.

Can anyone say anything bad about this group? Aerosmith was one of my favorites. My dream when I was younger was to go to one of their concerts but I never got a chance. Bummer!

O.K. George Michael has since this time gone a little crazy and Gay. But when I was younger I was OBSESSED with his song, "Faith". I can, to this day, still sing every word of it and it is still well played on my ipod.

At this last Super Bowl, Black Eyed Peas performed but there was a cameo by one of my favorites during their performance. Slash! I was so excited until Colby's younger sister had no idea who I was talking about. Slash was the guitar player for Guns N Roses. Only the best hair band back when. Axel Rose and the crew were awesome. It helped that they sang a song called, "My Michelle".

I mean the list goes on and on.

Def Leppord - Pour some sugar on me

Los Loboes - La Bamba

Martika - Toy Story

LL Cool J - Mama said knock you out

Bell Biv Devoe - Poison

Sinead O Connor

En Vogue

Starship

ACDC/Metallica

INXS

Roxette

Salt N Pepa

Billy Idol

Cyndi Lauper

As you can tell, I was not a fan of New Kids on the Block or groups like that. I had a lot of friends that were so no hating going on :) I hope you enjoyed my history and know that when "I like big butts" is playing, I am singing along!

Cowboy Up!

2011-01-31T11:42:00.003-05:00

What do you do on a Saturday morning when you just want to play with the kids? You get out the cowboy hat and take pictures. It was so funny!

Kylie the cowgirl!

Again with the muscles, what is it with you boys? I was laughing so hard and Kylie was laughing because she thought they were making funny faces. It was a great morning!

Journal Entry for me

2011-01-21T12:06:00.006-05:00

So, this blog is for me. Not that I don't mind sharing but my blog is the best I am doing right now to journal. Warning: A lot of bragging ahead. I felt like I wanted to do an update on the kids so I can track their progress better. I think this will be fun!

JAYDEN

Age: 3

Weight: 32 lbs.

Height: Tall

Shoe size: 10 Toddler

Personality:

Jayden is such a good kid. He is one of those kids who just wants to be good and please you. He is a big helper, he puts soap in the dish washer, he empties out the clean clothes of the dryer, he likes to wipe off the table and he is the best dust pan holder around. He is a good big brother because he tries to protect Kylie and he lets me know if she is doing something she shouldn't. The other day I heard him threaten to put her in time out! He is not very good at sharing right now but he solves this by "trading" his toys with Kylie. He finds her something else she might like and then takes the one he wanted from her. What is funny is that usually Kylie doesn't mind.

He loves to talk (a lot) and is already is a master negotiator. His understanding of things is almost creepy, if he doesn't understand he will ask until he does. When he finally gets it, it sticks. He loves to sing and is very good at rhythm. If he sees something cool he will sing about it. In fact he is very animated, he doesn't hold back on how he feels and tells you all about it. He loves the song "Down" by Jay Sean. If he likes a song on the radio he will tell me to turn it up loud and then will shake his head. If he doesn't like it he asks me to change it to a better one :) I think music will be one of his joys.

He is my picky eater. Texture is a big deal for him. Of course his favorite things aren't very good for him. He likes chicken nuggets, root beer, ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, etc. You get the idea. In fact he LOVES chocolate! He likes to drink milk, man he is a milk boy!

He is really into trains, tractors, trucks and airplanes right now. He can tell you which one is which and why they do this and how the work. Yesterday he was telling me all about the motorcycle engine. He told me it is like a car engine but smaller and takes gas. I have no idea where he learned that! He wants to go to school so bad so that he can ride in a bus. I have learned that if we are in the car and he screams with excitement, not to be worried, because it usually means he sees a tractor or truck he likes.

He loves books. We go to the library often and it is fun for him. He like to read them to me by explaining the pictures. He counts to 20 and knows some of his letters but he is getting really good and adding things. He likes to watch on T.V. - Umi Zumi, Dora, Go Diego Go, Mickey Mouse club house, and Max and Ruby. He watched the movie Transformers with me the other day and that is now a favorite, he tells me I need to be careful or the bug in his toys will transform and get me!

Right now it is really important for me to know that he is a "big boy" and that he has lots of muscles. When I try to treat him like Kylie (or a girl) he doesn't like it and he lets me know. He can almost dress himself and we are working on potty training. He is not very interested in that. Lets see, what else? He likes to dance and jump off things and he really enjoys being outdoors. He likes to play hide and seek with Daddy. He is my gear, fix it man. We got him a bike and he likes to ride it but he turns it on it's side and "fixes" it more.

In a nutshell, I LOVE HIM LIKE CRAZY! It is so fun to watch him grow and learn his personality.

KYLIE

Age: 1

Shoe size: 6

Favorite things: Cats (animals in general), eating and shoes.

Personality:

It is so much fun because Kylie and Jayden are quite different. Where Jayden likes things a certain way, Kylie is more laid back. She is a lot of fun, and man can she tease. She likes to take things she is not supposed to, when you are not looking, and then run and hide with them till you find her. She is pretty independent and a lot stubborn (just to be stubborn). She will do things when she wants to and in her own way. She likes to cuddle and put her head on my shoulder. She is a great sleeper and actually doesn't mind being in the crib. It helps calm her down.

She loves cats. At this point all animals, except lions, talk with a meow. She can roar like a lion pretty good. She likes to surprise you and roar. She loves to read books, I will sit on the couch and she will bring me book after book to read. She is starting to talk and says a few words regularly. No,Mommy, Daddy, train, ball, balloon, cat, cookie, juice, bottle and shoe. Now that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to communicate. She can grunt and scream with the best of them. Usually loudly. She loves shoes, she will wear anyones shoes around and loves it. She likes to pick out her own shoes to wear everyday and does a pretty good job at it. What is funny is that in the house she likes to wear shoes but when she rides in the car she is always taking her shoes and socks off.

She is not really a girlie girl. She will sit still and let me do her hair but then she likes to pull it out. I think that is part of the teasing mentioned above. She doesn't like dresses or baggy clothes because they get in her way of playing. Right now she really likes to play with her stuffed animals, cars and her Weebles toys. Actually she likes to play with anything Jayden is playing with, she loves to follow him and do what he does. She is very ticklish. She is an observer. I don't know how to explain it except for when you look in her eyes you can tell she is picking up and observing everything. When I go to the YMCA she will sit on the stairs of the playground and just watch the other kids. She is not a fan of men, in fact she will step away and stare them down or put out her hand and say No.

She is such a good eater. In fact she would eat every second of the day if I let her. If it is really good she hums um mm while she eats. She is not as much of a sweet eater like Jayden, she likes more of the crackers and chips. In fact she puts a lot of stuff in her mouth that isn't even food, I have to watch her :)

Kylie is a bit more graceful then Jayden. I think she is going to be quite coordinated. She is my trouble maker and I pray often she uses her drive and determination for good. I love her so much and can already tell she is in our family to bring us joy and balance. I can't wait for her to be able to talk more so I can listen while her and Jayden share there special play moments.

Yes, it snows in Pueblo!

2011-01-12T12:16:00.006-05:00

This was our first snow storm. It was about a week before Christmas and it snowed that night. In the morning Jayden comes running through the house yelling, "Mom, it snowed, it snowed. It is Christmas." Before breakfast he wanted to go and play in the snow. At least he let us dress him first. :)

We only got a couple of inches but that didn't matter to Jayden. Kylie did not like it at All! She cried and we had to bring her back in but we got a picture first.

The latest storm happened this last weekend and Colby and I took them outside to play while it was still snowing, before it got dark. Kylie liked it this time.

Kylie and Jayden went down the slide, with the snow it was a fast ride :) We made tons of snow angels!

This is this last Monday morning. Kylie was throwing snow on the window trying to get me while I was taking some pictures!

We made a huge snow pile on the deck. It wasn't great snow for a snow man but a pile was just as great. This is the smaller version, they jumped on it so many times the snow was getting scattered. Jayden is on the pile showing me his muscles!

Oh My Gosh! First of all Kylie posed for this picture and she smiled. That is amazing! After Jayden was on it she wanted to get her picture taken.

Kylie taking the dump truck out in the snow to play with.

Jayden and Kylie playing with the trucks in the snow. Kylie would push snow to Jayden and he would scoop it with the bucket into the dump truck. I love it when they play so good together.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-12T12:03:00.005-05:00

So this year, I was awful about pictures during Christmas. To be honest the morning was so crazy we were glad we got some before Jayden opened every present. It was SO FUN this year. Kids this age make it a blast. Can't wait for next year.

Jayden and Kylie in front of the tree the day before Christmas.

The excitement of figuring out this gift played music. It is still one of their favorites.

Jayden opening his Thomas the Train lego set. He was excited!

Some new Family Pictures

2010-12-10T19:47:00.008-05:00

We recently had family pictures taken and I think they turned out good. We loved the photographer and had fun at the same time. The kids did good... at not looking at the camera and Kylie didn't want to smile... but that is life! We wanted to share them with you.

The Oreo Snitcher!

2010-12-04T22:17:00.003-05:00

I don't even think I need words for this one. I heard a commotion in the kitchen and when I went to see what it was, I heard quick pattering of little feet and a little girl run around the corner. I found her down the hall trying to escape into her room with her snitched Oreo. She is quick, a skilled pantry climber and obviously happy. This is her, I won, laugh. Kylie - 1,341 Mom - 2.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-04T21:50:00.007-05:00

Our family has had a run of sickness. It lasted about 4 weeks. Thanksgiving was at the tail end of all of this, so we decided to stay home and just enjoy the day as a family. I am glad we did because of the storms in Washington and Utah. It was wonderful!! We had ham instead of turkey, blueberry pie instead of pumpkin, we made it just how we like it. We made dinner together, we played with toys, listened to Christmas music, got ready for Christmas....

O.K., I am a little embarrassed but this was my first time ever making a pie. Crust and all. Colby had to document this. It didn't turn out too bad, the hardest part was rolling the dough into a circle that was even. Oh well, I am now not so afraid to do it again.

Colby and the kids dancing to Christmas music. Their favorite is Jingle Bells.

Trains before....

Trains after! Colby and Jayden built it, Kylie destroyed it. She is a good train city monster.

Jayden putting the angel on the tree. He was excited, as you can tell.

Birthday Boy!

2010-11-24T13:10:00.004-05:00

Jayden turned 3 years old! This is our family party for him.

Opening presents. This one is from Grandma Young.

Blowing out his cupcakes. He was so excited!

Jayden, how old are you? He is trying to put three fingers up. He is still working on that.

He had a friend tractor party. This is opening presents.

Jayden blowing out his candle. Max and Bo by his side.

Its a dark picture, but this is the picture of everyone there. We are so glad they came and played with us!

I loved this idea. A piñata, filled with Halloween candy we didn't use during the holiday!

I am a Robot!

2010-11-24T12:19:00.003-05:00

Jayden jumped in the laundry basket and with the dry air and static his hair had a mind of its own!

Jaydens favorite book is called, The Birthday Box, by Leslie Patricelli. In the story the boy gets a box and snips holes in it to become a robot. Jayden found this box and said that it would be "perfecto" (his actual words) for a robot box. We cut holes in it and he did the robot dance and we got some cute pictures. He is so funny!

Our family mechanic

2010-11-19T22:35:00.004-05:00

So, in the end, I am thankful for a frugal husband who is willing to work on our car so that it runs well. But... it was a mess and I was so nervous it wouldn't get put back together! It turned out great, just wanted to show some pictures!

Halloween

2010-10-31T14:58:00.006-04:00

Our sweet Kylie, ready for Halloween. She is a ladybug but wasn't too thrilled about the hat the went with the costume.

She is such a cute poser when she wants to be!

Jayden is a road for Halloween. I took duct tape and made a road then used industrial strength velcro to attach his favorite cars. He loved it and it was a big hit at the party.

The Andersen family. The road, the cat, the ladybug and the cowboy. It was a fun night!

I did get one of them together and her wearing her hat. You can tell by the look on her face she isn't happy about it!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Feeding the ducks

2010-10-19T17:48:00.008-04:00

It was a lot of fun to go and feed the ducks. I have to be honest that the kids ate more bread then they threw to the animals. In fact it took some convincing to share with the ducks.

Colby and the kids feeding the ducks. Jayden is taking a big bite of bread instead of giving it to the ducks :)

A close up of Jayden and the ducks.

Jayden finally decided to share and gave them the bread on land instead of the water!

The ducks got braver and saw her handful of bread. She didn't hang around for them to steal it!

Just a fun pic!

Me and the kids by the pond.

Colby took a turn with the kids in the picture.

I liked the light in the background. Jayden and Kylie climbing the rails to look at frogs and fishes.

Super cute, can't believe I caught it, videos!

2010-10-19T17:26:00.005-04:00

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

2010-10-16T21:32:00.004-04:00

We went to the Canon City, CO pumpkin patch today and it was a lot of fun. Our camera battery is not working so we again used our Camcorder camera so the pics are not so hot but we still wanted to log and share the fun. Jayden was the corn maze leader and after a few minutes thought we were going to be lost in the corn forever. Kylie just wanted to grab everything, from corn cobs, to bunnies, to pumpkins. It was fun.

Kylie couldn't reach the bunnies so Daddy helped her get to pet them. Jayden was content to watch.

Jayden by the tractor. He loves stuff like this.

Kylie and Jayden in a great picture setting of pumpkins and straw. Could I get either one to look at me and the camera? Nope!

In the corn maze. Jayden is showing off a dry corn that he found.

We survived the maze and then went to get our pumpkins in the patch.

Kylie just went from one to the other sitting on them!

This is us on the hayride they gave us. You went on the street for a bit then through the middle of the corn maze. The corn maze part was bumpy and Jayden loved it!

Updates on the kids

2010-10-06T14:36:00.005-04:00

KYLIE

Where does the time go?

Here is my punkin. She LOVES to try on shoes, she is walking around with my flip flops.

I got the camera out one morning and she comes over by me, sits down, and says, "Cheese!" So...I took a picture!

JAYDEN

Just some current pics of him.

Jayden was so excited because he finished this puzzle on his own. It of course has all of his favorite trucks on it.

Since we have moved to Pueblo West, Jayden has found a best buddy. This is Bo and Jayden playing at our house, they are so cute when they are together. It really is a bond you don't see very often.

MY TWO TROUBLE MAKERS

My cute duo, I was taking them for rides in the laundry basket. Might explain why it takes me so long to get the laundry done :)

Jayden, Kylie and our friend Max played at the mall together and had a lot of fun. I actually brought coins so that the car worked. You can see how excited they are as it starts to move and speak to them.

So Kylie can now say cheese. This is the face we get of her on every picture. She wanted to dress up in Jaydens swim shorts and Jayden was playing Superman. I asked Jayden if he could fly like Superman and he says, "Mom, that is silly, I don't have wings." I say, "You don't?" Jayden then says, "Maybe we can go to the store and get me some!"

Colorado Springs Air Show

2010-10-06T14:27:00.006-04:00

This last Saturday we went to the local air show. It was awesome! Jayden was in heaven. There were planes parked everywhere, planes and jets were doing tricks in the air and they had an area with any kind of cool truck you can think of parked so that the kids could climb in them and honk the horns. Jayden is still talking about it! I can't wait to do it again, we got the tickets from Colby's work. A definite for next year, it was fun!

Jayden, Kylie and Dad watching the flying jet pass by.

I don't know how to turn the pictures but Jayden and Dad hanging out.

By one of Jayden's favorite flying things, the helicopter.

I love this picture. Jayden got to touch the wing of a huge cargo plane.

Jayden in the mail truck smiling.

Our family pic while there. Yes, I was there as well but none of me made it on the camera :)

Jayden posing by an old army jeep.

City Parade

2010-10-06T14:21:00.003-04:00

Jayden liking the airport float.

We went to the city parade around fair time and all I remember was it was soooo hot. Of course we were late so we had to sit on the side with the sun. Jayden loved it and Kylie liked the bands and the horses. It was fun, I wish there had been candy, but next time we will go a little earlier!

Our post at the parade.

Kylie pointing at a passing attraction.

What being a Mom has taught me

2010-09-21T12:38:00.006-04:00

I remember the days when I was young and would babysit often. At that time I was pretty confident in my abilities, I just knew that since I did such a great job at babysitting that I was going to be a great Mom. I also remember when Colby and I were first married and wanting kids so badly. I (in my nieve ways) thought that I would bargain with God and told him, quite often, that if I was blessed with kids I would never complain and just enjoy them. Nobody really tells you what it is like to be a Mom. OK, maybe they do, but maybe I wasn't listening. If they really told you what it was like, maybe our world population would be in trouble. So why this blog? I have since grown and have learned a few things since then. Here is what I have learned.

1. First of all, I love my kids more than life!

2. I am not a morning person. This is not good when you have kids because kids like to get up at all times in the morning. 1 a.m., 4 a.m., 6 a.m., etc. Sometimes all of the above in one night. I thought that once the nursing stage was over they would sleep through the night for the rest of their lives. Yyyyaaaawwwwnnn!

3. I don't think I will ever be able to go the bathroom or shower or workout again by myself. Now, I could shut them out and lock the door but that is just kid language for.... dump everything out of the kitchen cupboards, fight and wrestle with my sibling, wake up if I am sleeping, FREEDOM!, etc. You get the idea. And no, they have not napped yet so I am still not dressed for the day.

4. My kids can be happily entertained and playing on their own so I decide to make a phone call. The second I get into the phone call they will both NEED me or will, of course, cry, fight, scream, etc.

5. I was never going to be one of "those Mom's" who stuck their kids in front of the T.V. to be entertained. I owe my sanity too and would like to thank...... Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse, Dora, Chuggington, and any movie that lasts more then an hour.

6. Things that were simple before kids are not that way anymore. For example... going real quick to the store to pick something up, filling a prescription, going out to eat. You realize that the perks of being able to get out of the house are not worth all the work to prepare for the outing. Diaper bag, shoes, are their diapers fresh, where are their sippies, will they stay in their car seats, will they cry at the store, does the store have a cart to hold both or at least one child. Sometimes I will get in the car and the kids are ready but I realize that I am not. I haven't combed my hair, I forgot to brush my teeth, etc. I will tell you one thing, we sure get fast service at restaurants now and we are never offered the dessert menu!

7. There is a time and season for everything. Right now is not the season for me to have a clean house. Why? Because young kids are messy eaters. When I put the toys away it is more fun for them to empty the now full toy bins then any of the toys ever were. Because my windows will never be without hand or mouth prints. Someday..... (calm music playing)!

8. At this point I do not understand why Mom's would cry when their kid starts school. I dream of this day! If any Mom out there has forgotten why, they may borrow mine to remember that they should be so thankful.

9. I find myself quite regularly debating, negotiating, or arguing with my oldest Son. Now, I know that I am the adult but his skills are amazing. Where did this come from?

Example..."Mom, how about I have a snack of one Smartie and one cookie?" I respond, "You don't need a snack like that, how about a banana?" After some thinking Jayden says, "OK, how about just one cookie?" I say, "No, it's either a banana or grapes." Jayden then says, "I know, you have a cookie and I will have a cookie." "No," I say. Jayden, "OK, we will share a cookie."

Can you see how I get sucked in? He is very good. I can't lie, sometimes I give up and he gets his cookie!

10. I now recognize the "glaze" look. It is the look in a mothers eyes when she is at Walmart and her kids are crying. It is the look I get when we are in the car and they are being loud and we still have 30 minutes left till we get home. It is the look that Mom's have when the kids are finally in bed and it takes you a few minutes to unwind. Colby says it is like I am in another world. BINGO!

11. I have finally realized that being a SuperMom (world's standards) is totally overrated. I think it is more normal to feel crazy, happy, sad, frustrated, etc. I think that it is OK to "survive" some days. I think that it is OK to sometimes want to put you first. I think it is OK to be happy when your kids are finally asleep. I have learned that it all works out, as long as our kids know we love them and that we enjoy our journey. That is what is so cool, each of our journeys are unique!

Some time with Grandparents

2010-09-15T14:31:00.006-04:00

This is us in Logan visiting family. Grandma and Grandpa Andersen were great sports to let us have some pictures taken with them.

I will be forever grateful to Grandpa Andrews for going and getting his horses so that we could ride them before we had to leave. Jayden talked about them the whole drive home.

I was surprised because he was not scared one bit.

Mom, Kylie and Grandpa in their back yard.

Kylie with the horse, again she is our animal LOVER. She is in awe of them.

Jayden and Grandpa on the 4 wheeler. Jayden doesn't look to happy in this pic but he loved it.

Jayden with the horse.

Ahhhh, memories. It was so fun to make such good ones on this trip!

Andersen Reunion, camping in Logan Canyon

2010-08-30T11:54:00.006-04:00

We went to the Andersen Reunion and it was a lot of fun. Kylie and Jayden played in the dirt, played with Mike and Michele's dogs and overall had such a fun time. We camped the night and Kylie didn't like it at all and so we didn't get much sleep. I ended up taking her for a drive and sleeping in the car with her at about 4 in the morning. Won't do the overnight thing again for awhile :) It was fun to see family, we missed seeing the Nounna's and were glad they were there. We are excited that they will be living closer to us.

All the cousins hanging out by Logan River

Angie and Finn, cute!

Kylie playing in the dirt with sticks.

Aunt Debbie and baby Rachel. Good pic!

Jayden and Emmie. They were buddies and tagged each other all day. They were so cute. I wish I could have been a fly and listened to what they were talking about but every time I got close they would stop talking :)

Uncle Kevin, baby Rachel, Kylie and Jayden.

Finn and Kylie playing with frisbees. They kept handing them back and forth to each other. They are only about a week apart in age.

Hanging out talking. Martilyn, Michelle, Annalese, Angie, Hayley and Finn.

Bear Lake

2010-08-24T16:48:00.006-04:00

We went to Utah a bit ago for a short trip and had a blast. We went with Colby's brother Ben and his family to Bear Lake. It was so fun! In the end we were dirty (sand showed up everywhere, even after we were back home in CO), had great raspberry shakes and got a little sunburned. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Makes me sad that winter is on it's way!

Jayden, Emmie and Anna playing with the boat in the water. Who is in charge?

Now this is a little disturbing/funny! Of all the poses! I didn't know whether to put this in or not but..... here it is. Ben Andersen in all his glory!

This is actually a "clean" picture of Kylie. She could have cared less about the water. The sand and muddy dirt, heaven! She also kept going around to other peoples areas and trying to steal their food, it was funny.

Dad and Jayden swimming. He LOVES water and had fun.

Angie, Angie's brother and wife, the kids in the boat, Ben, Colby and Kylie.

Us in the water.

Hanging out at Bear Lake Beach. Angie, Finn, Colby, Kylie and Jayden

Hayley and Annalese getting warm on the chair, now the faces....I can't explain :)

Just some misc. catching up pictures

2010-08-24T15:34:00.004-04:00

Jayden and Dad went and played in the rain. They were pretty wet but had a lot of fun.

So Jayden never likes to flex his muscles. We ask and ask. He did it and I got it on camera. Miracles!

Having fun for my birthday. I had a lot of help with the presents and cake.

Blowing out the cake.

This was random but it was such a great rainbow I had to get some pictures.

Maybe it will be lucky!

Marti & Kevin visit - Fun Pictures

2010-08-23T15:47:00.005-04:00

Kylie and Rachel, Kylie was fascinated!

Kylie and Rachel all smiles on the couch.

Jayden wanted in. Poor Rachel looks about done.

The Nielsens at our house.

Kevin and Kylie hugging goodbye. This is a big step. Kylie is not a fan of guys and didn't like Kevin too much at the start of the visit.

Kylie and Daddy after our visitors left.

Marti & Kevin Visit - The Riverwalk

2010-08-23T15:27:00.005-04:00

Really we don't live at the Riverwalk! It is just a pretty place and the kids love to go there. Here are some fun pictures of us at the Riverwalk with Marti, Kevin and Rachel. This time we paddle boated on the river, it was fun.

Colby and Jayden playing in the fountains.

Colby and Kevin playing/mocking the statues.

The Andersens on the paddle boat

Our bumper enemies on the "other" paddle boat.

Colby and Jayden hanging out.

Marti, Rachel and Kevin in the gazebo.

This was done with Marti and Kevins new camera. It was hilarious to look at all the pictures it took (it took 10 really fast). Here is one of the best.

Marti & Kevin Visit - The Castle

2010-08-23T14:08:00.006-04:00

So I don't even know where to start to explain this castle. It is about an hour away from our home and has been worked on since the 70's. He started out just wanting a winter cottage and then the government came in and told him he couldn't quarry the rocks on his land. He was angry enough he kept building and building. While we were there he was working on it and yelling all sorts of things about the government. The castle is crazy, a bit scary but absolutely one of the funnest things we have done in a long time. We had fun seeing it with Marti and Kevin and Rachel. Enjoy the pictures!

On our way to the castle. Kevin, Rachel, Marti, Colby, Kylie, Michelle and Jayden.

This is his sign in front of the castle. I don't think it is as much for us as it is for police or government officials. There are also signs around from the government saying the building is not OSHA approved and enter at your own risk.

The Andersens.

Kevin taking Rachel up some steps. Yes, he built this stone by stone. He is a welder by trade.

The Neilsons on the second floor of the castle.

Michelle and Kylie.

This is pretty high up and I am scared to death! You can see all the welding connections on this outside landing so not only can you see all the way down, it is not even.

On another floor of the castle.

Colby and Jayden up on the castle bridge. I agreed to stay down and take the picture!

The castle.

Jayden and Colby looking out through one of the doors on the stairway.

It is hard to see but Kevin is also in the door on one of the towers.

Yard Sales

2010-08-23T13:49:00.003-04:00

No, I am not addicted but I LOVE to go to yard sales. I don't know if it is the area, or we really lucked out. There are some awesome sales here and here are some of my bragging pictures. The Kitchen was $2, the buggy was $5 and the tri-cycle was $2. Maybe they were not that to start with but I wore them down! Who knew it would be so fun! We figure if the kids are going to have a bunch of toys they may or may not play with, at least we know that we got them so cheap that it doesn't matter!

Stotts Visit Part 5 - Pikes Peak

2010-08-23T13:26:00.005-04:00

The view from the top of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, CO. We took the train up to the peak.

Needless to say it was pretty cold and windy on top.

Us at the top. Altitude is 14, 110 feet! Crazy!

Kylie slept most of the way down.

Colby and Kevin and Porter doing....?

So she woke up and was not happy. I think her ears were hurting her. A packed train, no where to go, and she screamed for about 25 minutes. I got some awesome (sarcastic) stares from people who need to realize life is not perfect!

Stotts Visit Part 4 - The City Park Rides

2010-07-26T14:21:00.007-04:00

The City Park here is awesome. Every night during the summer, they open up the kid rides and it is a blast. They only cost 25 Cents so I am happy as well. They really liked it and it was a lot of fun.

Getting ready to go on the train ride.

I like this picture because Jayden is having so much fun and Mason, in the other yellow car, is smiling as well.

The boys jumped on the roller coaster. Jayden loves this ride.

The four trouble makers!

Andrew and Jayden flying high.

Jayden, Andrew and Mason on the carousel ride.

Riding the train around the lake.

The whole group in front of the train ride.

Stotts Visit Part 3 - The Lake

2010-07-26T13:59:00.005-04:00

So the next day we went to the Pueblo West Lake. It was a lot of fun. The water was not too cold so that kids could play in it and there were rocks and shells all around so they could throw rocks and treasure hunt. You can't swim in the water at this area because there are trees under the water so that is why we just "waded" in there. It was a lot of fun!

Us setting up camp next to the water. The kids are already exploring.

The Stotts.

Jayden, Colby and Kylie in the water. Her shoes were never the same after this day!

The girls in the water.

Again, it was a lot of fun. It is only about 10 minutes from our house and so it makes it a great place to go!

Stotts Visit Part 2 - The River

2010-07-15T17:28:00.005-04:00

This part of the river is in Pueblo West where we live. The state park/lake is about 10 minutes from our house. We would have done more play at the lake but it started to rain so we went back the next day. Those pictures will come.

So I don't really know how to explain this picture except to say that we had ribs and it soon became a contest who was the messiest. I don't know if you can see Kylie in the background but she won!

Kevin and Angie at our picnic at the State park.

Jayden lost a shoe before going down the fast slide at the park.

Angie and Kylie at the park.

The boys by the river as the storm picks up.

Our family, this might be on the Christmas card!

Walking back to our cars after being by the river. We are trying to get to the cars before the rain starts!

Stotts Visit Part 1 - Riverwalk

2010-07-15T16:49:00.008-04:00

So the Stotts have officially become our favorite people because they have come to Colorado to play with us (already). I am posting this trip for us, but also to show everyone all the fun things to do here and so you might want to plan a trip to see us on your calendars. No pressure :)

This is the riverwalk in Pueblo. It is an awesome area downtown that allows you to walk, play and just enjoy. This is the boys. Colby, Jayden, Andrew, Mason, Porter and Kevin.

This is in the gazebo along the walk. Angie is all smiles.

Andersen Family along the walk. Behind is us paddle boats you can rent and play with in the river and part of downtown Pueblo.

I really like this priceless picture of the Stott boys.

Michelle and Angie by one of the waterfalls.

Jayden and Andrew decided to get up close to the ducks, until the ducks realized we didn't have any food!

This is a dedicated monument where you can all ring bells. I don't know how Angie could stand under them, it was so loud.

Holding hands. What a great pic!

This is all of us except Kevin, he was the man taking most of the pictures.

Kylie in one picture

2010-07-15T16:33:00.004-04:00

I LOVE this picture. I don't know if you see it like I do as her Mom, but this about sums up how cute, fun and mischievous she can be.

Sidewalk Art

2010-07-15T16:09:00.006-04:00

So we were having a hard time coming up with something fun to do for family home evening and when we went outside, Jayden picked up the chalk and then this is what came of it. Our family is forever documented(by photo) in chalk on our driveway. It was so much fun, we were all laughing so hard!

Each member by their chalk person.

Colby wanted his with muscles. We were laughing pretty hard when Jayden wanted to know why Daddy's arms were like that, "Are they broken?".

Jayden by his buddy. We labeled it with a J because J is for Jayden :)

The wave was not too original but I was last and had a hard time coming up with something.

Kylie's was hilarious. She laid down but kept wanting to look at us drawing her. Jayden came over and told her to be still so it was not messy. Then when it was done Jayden asked us to mark hers with a K.

The Move

2010-07-15T15:44:00.006-04:00

To say that this move was easy would be a lie. Colby graduated, then had to study hard for his certification test. Then I was in the hospital for a week and then we had to move. It was hard physically but also emotionally. We were so tired yet so excited for the next step but after being in West Virginia for 3 years we were going to miss it and the friends we made there.

I flew out the weekend before Colby packed up the truck. I went to try to find a place to rent before they arrived in Colorado with the truck. I took Kylie with me and Colby took Jayden and had Uncle Scott to help. Jayden loved the drive. He got to ride in the moving van and was in heaven! Even now we pass trucks that look like moving trucks and he says, "Mom, BIG truck like with Scott!"

It was hard finding a place to rent. There are tons of homes for sale but because of the bad economy more people are renting then buying and so renting is expensive and they went fast! I think we got a good deal on ours. We love the openness of it and it has a great yard. The ward was great and we moved in fast and because Colby had a few weeks off, we were able to all settle in quickly.

So now we are here!

You know that when moving, it always has to look bad before it looks good!

We did it! The boxes were done as I wrote some last minute things on a list before I flew out.

The Saturday before Kylie and I flew out to Colorado, we had a big rain storm. This shows how heavy it was.

What better way to say goodbye to West Virginia then to go and play in the rain. It was so much fun and a great way to end the journey.

Jayden and I jumping puddles.

The "after".

Our neighbor took this of us our last Sunday. I flew out that evening.

Our home.

Grandma Young

2010-06-08T23:09:00.006-04:00

Mom at Colby's graduation.

Us mothers celebrating Mother's Day. Colby gave me the flowers, he is so sweet!

I love this picture, Mom and the kids making music.

OK, you had to be there but this was so funny. I think Mom was playing with the trains more than Jayden was. Mom was a great train engineer!

Colby likes to tease her, I think she is trying to get him to stop.

The family playing with playdough. She supervised Kylie to make sure she wasn't eating it. A BIG job!

This was taken before she went home! We miss her already!

I just am so thankful that Mom could make the trip out. It was so helpful, I couldn't have done it without her, but it was also a lot of fun! We miss her and when we go for longer drives Jayden says, "Are we going to the airport for Grandma?" She is also the favorite when they play with their fake phones, I have no idea what they tell her but they love her!

Thank you Mom!

Colby's Graduation

2010-06-08T22:24:00.006-04:00

Colby is now a PA so my Mom got him a Doctor's Kit :)

Us waiting for graduation to start.

I don't know how she would have been entertained if I hadn't worn my bracelets. Lifesavor!

Colby walking into graduation.

Colby getting crowned.

Jayden was so excited he ran up to Colby during graduation to give him a hug.

Us and the Higbee's. They were from Pocatello, ID and we went through it all together.

Our future graduate!

Colby graduated. I don't even think I can put into words my feelings on this day. We have all been working so hard for this point. We did it!! I am so proud of Colby, he did such a good job! I am so excited to start "life" in Colorado but at the same time I will miss this stage as well. We will look back at this time with fond memories because of all the sacrifices and happiness during this time. West Virginia treated us good.

Kylie is One!

2010-06-08T22:00:00.006-04:00

We wanted the day to be special, so we went to the Mall playgroud, it is better for little ones. She loved it and had so much fun.

This is Mom and Kylie playing on the slide, she couldn't get enough of it.

We have so many boy toys that we went all girly for her birthday. She got her first doll with a stroller.

We did a cup "cake" for Kylie this year. Jayden helped me frost and sprinkle them. Jayden even found the Tinker Bell candle at the store for me.

We couldn't believe how clean she ate her cupcake, that was until we got her out and it was all in the chair and her diaper. She was licking the plate, it was funny.

Kylie is such a blessing in our lives. She loves to dance, to tease, play with toys, eat

and be outside. She smiles so good that is makes her eyes into slits. She makes us laugh and she is a trooper. Her determination and independance knows no bounds but we love that about her. A couple days before her birthday she learned how to walk and hasn't stopped since. We had so much fun planning a family Tinker Bell party and Grandma Young got to be with us to celebrate. We love you Kylie!

Doing time in the hospital

2010-05-02T17:15:00.004-04:00

I am sorry that it has been so long but I have had a rough two weeks. Colby has a job in Pueblo, CO so we flied out there to look for places to live. We got back on Saturday and after church on Sunday I started to hurt in my left shoulder and side. I thought I had pulled a muscle because I carried my bag over my left shoulder and was in a lot of pain.

The next morning I took the kids to the grocery store and when we got home and I lifted Kylie out of the carseat I was in more pain and having a hard time breathing deep. I finally decided to go to the walk in clinic. They told me that shortness of breath was not a side effect of a pulled muscle and said that I should go to the ER. I drove there and the doc got my history and decided because I had traveled recently that I needed a CT scan. I kind of fought him because of the money involved but he insisted. It came back positive for blood clots.

I had three blood clots in my lungs, one being quite large. They call it a pulminary embolism. I was immediately admitted to the hospital and put on pain medicine and blood thinners. It didn't hit me until the next afternoon when I had my "episode". The pain became severe and I couldn't breathe. The more I lost my breath the more paniced I became. It was touch and go there for awhile as they put me in ICU, I couldn't have done it without Colby there holding my hand and helping me calm down. I don't remember too much about those few days except that I could be at peace because the ward was AWESOME and stepped in to help with the kids, came and visited me and Colby was able to be there with me.

It was huge motivation to get better so that I could see my kids, they were not allowed in ICU and it was very hard for me. I went in on Monday and was out of ICU on Friday. I loved seeing the kids again! My Mom flew into town to help on Friday afternoon and it was good to see her. I got out of the hospital on Monday and it has been so good to be home!

I am on blood thinners for 6 months and have regular appointments with the doctors. They do not know what caused this and so after the 6 months when I am off the medications, they will do some tests to see if there is some disorder in the blood. I am tired and get winded pretty easy and bruise easy (I look like a purple people eater!) I am grateful to be alive and when I look back I see so many tender mercies of the Lord that I can't count them all. Our family was being watched over and we are so grateful for the thoughts and prayers you all had in my behalf. Thank you!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T08:29:00.005-04:00

Jayden and I dyed easter eggs. Our hands are proof that it was a messy job, but he loved it. Still couldn't get him to eat the eggs!

Jayden got a chocolate bunny. Colby got those a lot when he was little so we (the easter bunny) is continuing that tradition.

I wish we had video taped this. Jayden is yelling with a mouth full of candy, "I love easter."

It did not take long for Kylie to figure out the candy, easter egg thing. She dove right in.

Kylie by her basket.

Who can resist this cute girl with her chocolate kisses?

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

More outside play, Spring is here!

2010-04-05T08:25:00.005-04:00

It has been a rough winter and so we have been so excited that the weather is turning nice. We have been in the 80's and the kids are loving it. Just having fun playing in the backyard.

Colby's Birthday

2010-03-31T10:08:00.005-04:00

This is Colby's cake. Jayden helped pick out the candles and he decorated the cake. He must really love his Daddy!

This is when Colby came home and was surprised with our party stuff.

Jayden gave Daddy cookies for his birthday. Right after Colby opened them, Jayden wanted one.

This is what Kylie and Mommy gave Daddy. Some new computer speakers that he has been looking at for awhile.

We had practiced all day and Jayden did a great job singing Happy Birthday. It was a lot of fun.

Colby was gone for his birthday but when he got home we celebrated like Rock stars. It was soooo fun. Jayden was so excited and helped me wrap presents, frost and decorate the cake, and made sure Kylie didn't get Daddy's balloons. When we were at the store getting the balloons, Jayden would tell anyone listening that it was Daddy's Birthday. Another year gone by, where does the time go?

Kendra came to visit!

2010-03-31T09:41:00.005-04:00

Kendra by Heinz stadium with downtown Pittsburgh in the distance. It was so windy cold that day!

I think this is supposed to be Mr. Rogers. Is he from Pittsburgh?

We went and did a session at the D.C. Temple. It was awesome!

We went shopping at a cool outlet mall in Washington, PA. We are hanging out while Jayden plays at some cars.

Kendra and I by the Washington monument.

Us by the Capital Building.

Kendra going into the Metro station area.

It was so much fun! Kendra flew into Pittsburgh and we explored Pittsburgh. Got lost, found a cool place to eat and made it home after the kids were in bed. The next day we went shopping. Then on Thursday we left to go to D.C. for three days. It was so much fun, the bed and shower head were awesome at the hotel. We got to sleep in and just enjoy our time. It has been awhile since either one of us have done that. Thursday we went to the temple, Friday we explored and walked....and walked....and walked. That evening we met Kendra's cousin for dinner in Georgetown and it was fun. Saturday was the drive home and hanging out with the kids. Monday we went and saw Philippi and we got some good ice cream and then Tuesday came and it was time for her to go! It went by too fast! Thank you Kendra!

Kendra and I met 14 years ago when we were roomates and Ricks College. I tease that she is my sister, it has been fun to be so close for so long. Also.... a shout out to our husbands who let us do this and didn't roll there eyes at us, too much!

A day at the park.

2010-03-21T19:32:00.004-04:00

So glad for good weather we went and had fun at the park Saturday. Jayden and Daddy swinging.

Mom and Kylie hanging out.

Jayden is so big as he climbs the equipment.

Kylie enjoying the day.

Kylie's Determination

2010-03-19T10:16:00.005-04:00

Kylie is so much fun, but she has so much fire. She is mad at me in this picture and making sure I see it before she continues on.

See the pretty flower in her hair, the girlie shirt? Wasted, she loves cars, etc. She is a rough tomboy.

Outside with Daddy watching him play with the grass.

Outside playing on our Castle. See, she has moments like these and we forget about the earlier mad screams.

I showed this picture because Jayden is cute with the bubbles, but can you see Kylie's focus is on his bubble liquid. She wants it so bad. Such focus!

Her favorite thing to do is wrestle. All you have to do is lay down on the ground and she will quickly crawl over and climb on you and bounce and smile like this.

Another cute moment as she plays with her Elmo.

This is the barrier we have made in the living room so that Kylie can't play with the toys Jayden wants to play with. She is trying with all her might to break through. She is like the Rapters on Jurassic Park, she tests the fences often in all the areas to find weaknesses.

She is so much fun but a challange. She is 100 % Kylie and not going to be anything else unless she wants it. She took her first steps on St. Patty's day. 10 months old! She loves baths, she loves food (wow, can she eat) and she loves anything that Jayden is playing with at the moment. She loves to wrestle and play cars. She can already drive a car across the room, and she loves to scream. She is very good at it. She is sneaky, she can hide and be real quiet so it is hard to find her, closets and under the kitchen table are her favorite places. She has recently learned to throw all of her stuff out of the crib, Jayden doesn't like the mess so he will clean it up for her :)

She is such a smiler and so much fun! She is so different from Jayden we feel like we are first time parents all over again but we feel so blessed to have them both in our lives.

Jayden at the terrible two's

2010-03-19T09:53:00.006-04:00

I explain this picture below. If you will notice the tape holding the toy together.

Jayden playing with bubbles in the back yard.

Jayden and Daddy wrestling and rolling down the hill in the back yard together.

This is his I don't want to wear anything but my fireman boots and nothing else look.

Jayden is a mover in his sleep, I came in to check on him one night and this is how he was sleeping.

Jayden playing, "see you mommy!"

I love Jayden soooo much. He is my joy and he makes me laugh so much....but....he has reached the time that he tests me. More than usual. I have already told you that he is a little OCD. He likes things a certain way, well he has now discovered tape. It holds his toys together so Kylie can't break them, it fixes his books that he has torn, it keeps his train bridge from falling, etc. He has used all the tape in the house, so we go to Sam's Club yesterday and what does he want to hold on to in the cart? The tape I bought, he was so excited.

I told him this morning that he couldn't have a drink until he was dressed. He took off his pajama bottoms, but on a pair of shorts and ran and got the gallon of milk out of the fridge and brought it to me in his bedroom. I guess I should have been more clear :) We now have divided the living room up so that both kids are happy. We use the ottiman and the chair to make a corner of the room where Jayden can play and Kylie can't get his stuff. He spends a lot of time in that corner!

Jayden loves cars, trucks, trackters, motorcycles, etc. The other day we drove by a construction site and he said that there was a backhoe, he was right. CRAZY! He loves Mickey Mouse and Dora and Thomas the Train. He loves going outside to play or go for a walk. He hates bugs and usually doesn't like getting dirty. The other day he played in the dirt but then wiped his hands on the grass and said, "that is sooo gross".

He asks me almost everyday if he can go to church. The other day we were at church and waiting for the sacrament and Jayden wanted a snack. I told him he had to wait till the sacrament was over. I told him we need to be reverent during the sacrament and he said, "so we can think of Jesus." Yeah Friend Magazine. As we were driving by a church last week, it has a tall spire and a golden cross on top, he yells all excited, "temple". So he is listening and learning.

So don't think he is perfect... yet. We were at the grocery store and Jayden saw a man with a beard and longer hair and yelled that it was Jesus. Thankfully the man laughed. We have been trying to teach Jayden the correct words for his "private" area, so when he asks we tell him what it is. His new thing now is that when I put on his diaper, he waves at his penis and says, "bye bye penis, see you later". Oh Boy!

Snow, Snow go away!

2010-02-26T10:29:00.002-05:00

So, this is totally out of order but I made an earring holder. I used a shadow box frame with a hinge top. I took out the glass and put in some cross stich plastic material. I then covered some foam with material and used pins to hold my necklaces on the inside. It works good except I realize I have way to many earrings. Is that possible?

I love this picture because we call Kylie, Kylie Lou Who. With her big ponytail, button nose and cute teeth she looks like the little girl Cindy from the movie, "The Grinch".

Jayden and Kylie in the play ambulance at the mall indoor playground.

So here is the inside of the earring holder to hold the necklaces.

Here is the front before I hung the earrings.

Here it is all finished.

So it is a random blog again but all is good. I got crafty because it has snowed non stop for several weeks. We got a few teaser warm days and then we were dumped on again last night. It is so frustrating that I find myself looking for jobs in Florida. Will people visit us in Florida?

Jayden loves graham crackers but when he asks for them it sounds like...."Mommy, can I have those damn crackers?" I can't help but smile. Kylie continues to be a nine month old going on 15. She is so determined, I am amazed and scared at the same time. Last night she screamed till about 4 a.m. because we decided not to give her a bottle in the night. We finally gave up and gave her a bottle of water. She stopped the second we gave her the bottle. uuuuRRRRRGGH! I am so tired!

Jayden is learning his numbers and colors. He will fix all my boo boo's with a kiss and we have a toy hammer that he will use to fix everything in the house that is broken. He has been taught that pictures and the TV are never broken.

Facebook Issues

2010-02-22T08:42:00.004-05:00

OK. I don't know if I am the only one that feels this way but daily I debate about the pros and cons of facebook. I love the fact that I have caught up with friends I haven't talked to in awhile but I also have some "friends" that I wish I could un-friend without hurting any feelings. So here are my thoughts about facebook.

Am I a wierdo because I don't say any inspiring quotes on my status? I have to admit I don't even know any cool quotes off the top of my head and I don't think I would have the time to look one up. I don't even understand other people's quotes half the time!

I feel like a secret stalker. I know people only put up information they want people to see but sometimes it is a little wierd. My Mom will call me and say, "What's new on people from facebook". And I update her on family, etc. Does that make me a gossip? Nope, a secret stalker.

Darn my brother for getting me started in Mafia Wars. Every few days I do jobs, get FAKE money, and rule New York. I am obsessed with getting more money. My brain knows it is fake money but for some reason I still enjoy seeing those dollers increase. Maybe it is because I have no REAL money.

I have learned that the "LIKE" button is like the easy button. If I don't have anything cool to say, I push LIKE. Easy as pie!

I can have tons of cool things happen to me throughout the day but once I sit down to write a status my mind goes blank. Someday it will come together.

I have realized that the constant to facebook is that they are always going to change things and I am always not going to like how they change it. I just wish I could see people's status comments and not every live news feed happening on everyone's page. Again, maybe this is a test of patience for me.

Yes, I admit it. I have looked up an old boyfriend, classmate, etc. just to see how they are doing but never added them as a friend. Refer to the secret stalker comment above.

So, I continue to use facebook. Does anyone else feel this way? Have a great day!

What I Love

2010-02-15T09:43:00.003-05:00

I thought that since it is the Monday after Valentines Day, I would write a few things that I love.

Of course I love my hubby Colby, I sometimes wonder how he puts up with me. I love Jayden so much, he gave me a kiss on my head yesterday when I bumped it and then told me, "Sorry Mommy". I love Kylie, her smile and squinted eyes light up my day and I can't help but smile.

I love the gospel. It is my rock.

I love my family and good friends, what would I do without them?

I love shaved legs and fresh silky sheets. It is the combo that is my favorite.

I love when Colby does the dishes or changes a diaper, it turns me on faster then any flowers ever could.

I love music. Any kind, it just depends on my mood. It can pump me up, relax me, etc. depending on what I listen to.

I love it when my kids giggle, especially when they are giggling together like they are sharing a secret.

I love a hot, hot shower or bath. The best part is when there are no kids in the room with me.

I love when I find an awesome deal. I get so excited.

I love it when I put my pants on and they feel loose, that is a good day!

I love reading a good book.

I love Dr. Pepper, McDonald's french fries, Chewy chips ahoy, fresh bread and ice cream. (All healthy of coarse)

I love home decor stuff. I love it when I can decorate a room the way I like it for what I can afford.

I love it when my hair turns out. With the humidity here that makes each day hit or miss. I am reminded of Monica's hair in the show Friends when she goes to Florida.

I love when I get a close parking spot at Wal-Mart.

I love when I get good mail, OK, I am wierd, I like the catalogs and junk mail too!

I love when I cook a meal and the first few minutes after it is served it is silent. That means it was good.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Pictures in a closet and snow!

2010-02-12T10:06:00.006-05:00

Colby and Jayden shoveling after our big snow storm.

We went sledding. I lasted about 10 minutes and then the kids were cold :)

The kids in the snow!

So, Jayden does not like to pose for pictures but for some reason he loves to sit on his bins in the closet with Kylie and have me take a picture. Here are other shots of the same.

I know, I blogged two days in a row. It is hard to be so effecient but I better take advantage of it while I feel like it :) I never know what to blog so here is a list of bullets I have been thinking about lately....

* I think if I have to listen or watch Polar Express one more time I will crack, but.... I am not willing to give it up yet because Jayden sits and watches it. I mean he watches and sits through the WHOLE movie! How else would I get a shower?

* I am learning that I just have to get used to the fact that... I will never sleep in again, I will sweep the floor multiple times daily no matter how "careful" the kids are, and that when Kylie screams (and she is loud) that it doesn't matter how much Dr. Pepper I drink or chocolate I eat, I can still hear her.

* I have to be careful what I now say. I told Jayden to go upstairs and get his milk (in a sippie). I thought that was pretty clear... he brought me the whole gallon of milk!

* Having put Jayden in a bed.... I will keep Kylie in a crib forever!

Kids are still asleep so here is another post

2010-02-11T13:49:00.007-05:00

Us at Grandpa and Grandma's Ward Christmas Party.

This is priceless. Jayden won't get too close, Kylie is crying and Santa looks like he needs a break!

Kylie striking a pose.

My dear friend lives in SLC and I got to visit them a couple of times. They loved to sit on the couch and let me take their pictures. What a cute picture!

Colby and I in front of the Christmas tree.

Lacyee, Kylie, Layne, Damion and Jayden!

Layne, Kylie, Laycee and Damion

Me and the kids at the Stewarts ward Christmas party.

Cousins at the Christmas Party!

Uncle Roger and Grandma Andersen with Kylie. Roger was awesome and held her a lot during the party so that I could take pictures.

Obviously this is the party couch!

Us at temple square. And then our camera battery died!

It's amazing!

2010-02-11T13:11:00.007-05:00

Jayden and Kylie in their car at Grandma Youngs.

Jayden helping with the llamas. Yes, my parents still have them.

Jayden and Colby and the flight to Logan, UT. All smiles.

Michelle and Jayden on the Tractor in Walla Walla. I was rusty, but I can still drive!

So one night I hear Jayden crying saying that he is dirty. I think it is a dirty diaper until I turn on the light. He had smeared Desitin EVERYWHERE! It was all over hime, all over the bed. He had dunked his cars in it. I almost cried!

She looks like such an angel but really she is a monster in the making!

Jayden, Colby and Kylie at the beach in Florida.

My travel buddies on the way to Florida.

Me and Lydia. She was my friend when we were little and we got together to eat one night and it was a lot of fun. Reminded me of why we were friends so long ago. My face hurt from laughing so much!

I know it has been a long time since I blogged. We left for Logan, UT on November 23rd and didn't get home until the 1st of February. Colby did a rotation in Logan then one in Florida. Florida was nice! I feel bad about taking so long, but when you are traveling and getting used to being home it takes awhile to get the chance to do this. We are glad to be back and hope all is well with everyone. I will put more pics and blog more soon.

Just some more pictures to enjoy.

2009-10-19T13:56:00.008-04:00

Just a fun one of Jayden playing with Daddy! He likes to jump and have fun.

Jayden is my little fish. He has no fear of water/baths and was excited to be in the bubbles and smile at the camera.

I bought a huge pack of diapers and so Jayden stacked the boxes, sat on top and let his stuffed animals join him. He was so funny to see him get off, arrange the animals then sit down and then get off and move them again.

So this is the first picture of Kylie sitting by herself. She likes to do it but I have a hard time getting pictures of it because she can't do it for long. She is so motivated to move and sit on her own. Not bad for 5 months.

Kylie and Dad. Dad looking a little scary!

She rolled over to the hat and was smiling and laughing when it was over her head. Our little cowgirl!

So in the blog below I talk about Jayden being naked. He doesn't like to take naps and so usually that is the time when he tries to be naked most. He got his pants off and was trying to put them back on and got both legs stuck in one leg of the jeans! He was screaming and I came to check on him and he kept saying, "stuck".

Jayden is officially Binky free!

2009-10-19T13:26:00.008-04:00

So, we have slowly gotten rid of Jayden's binky. We snipped the plastic part weekly until there wasn't anymore for him to grab. He now says that the binky is broken. Anyways, now he is a big fan of this blanket. He grabs it out of his crib and says that he is sleepy so that he can cuddle with it. He doesn't want to share though and will grab a blanket for Kylie if she is rolling on his blanket. He then points to her blanket and tries to get her to stay on her own! What a cutie!

This is the kids playing. She rolls around and follows him everywhere and so he started playing under the piano bench because, "she not get me"! Yes, I did dust after I saw this picture!

Jayden wanted to be with Kylie and is learning how to say cheese to get his pic taken. They have a lot of fun together.

Here is another pic on the couch. Kylie was leaning on him and Jayden was laughing because she was getting him.

So I hope other Mom's go through things like this but my son does not want to wear clothes. AT ALL. He will laugh and clap and say, I naked! The only way I can keep his diaper on is to duck tape it or let him be half naked. Here is a picture of him happy and half naked. I have not missed the fact that he wants to be naked now that it is cold outside.

This is Kylie being cute and taking off her socks. She won't keep them on, I think she is learning from her brother. The animal by her head is a bunny, Jayden has a bunny and thinks that she should too and so he is always putting this blue bunny by her.

Not much new

2009-10-06T12:55:00.009-04:00

So Kylie can't stay still. She was facing the opposite direction on the blanket and when I came back in the room she was trying to pull Jaydens Jeep out of the bucket to play with. She is so determined!

So my love of Ice Cream has passed on to Jayden. I told him to look at the camera while he was sharing Ice Cream with Dad, and this is what I got! A mouth full of ice cream and attitude!

Kylie loves this bouncer. Jayden didn't like it so much but she will bounce in it for quite awhile. (tender mercies)

So we go to the mall and there is a station of coin cars. I never put coins in them but Jayden loves to "drive" them and play in them. There are two other red sport cars and which one does he like to play in? The pink popcycle truck! Go figure!

Jayden loves to play in the diaper boxes. Colby put Kylie in one and Jayden got sooo excited and pushed "his" box right next to hers and climbed in. What a character! My three most favorite people in the world.

We have been pretty busy with lots of things going on so I haven't been good about blogging. I need to do more! The only thing going on lately is daily "stuff". I am learning about some of my habits that I didn't realize I had because Jayden has become the little immitator. I was playing with him on the floor the other day and my glasses kept sliding on my face, I kept pushing them back into place. One time I looked at Jayden when they slipped, to be funny, and he took his finger and pushed my glasses up for me! :)

Today he decided not to nap, I still put him in the crib for quiet time but he doesn't like it. He can't yet figure out how to climb the crib and so what did he do today? He had some naked time. I walk in after about an hour and he has no socks, no pants and his diaper is ripped to shreds. He had peed in the crib and was quite proud of it(we have been making a big deal about potty so that we can start him potty training). He kept pointing to it and then to himself and then felt I had listened and he smiled and said out with his arms up. What am I going to do about this? Duck tape comes to mind! I can make that diaper a part of him in a perminant way!

Colby is in his fifth rotation. He is in trauma surgery. It is pretty fast paced so he is tired when he gets home but his shift is 7-3 p.m. Not bad! I am so proud of him and all he is doing and learning. We are getting a little trunky and ready to be settled.

A Camping We Will Go

2009-09-20T15:23:00.010-04:00

Here is our camp site. There are so many trees in WV that you camp in open spaces :)

The group around the camp fire.

Jayden and Dad. Jayden liked playing with the sticks, he was proud he found a big one.

Colby and Jayden and Jayden's buddy Jett on the 4 wheeler.

Dad and Kylie hanging out in the shade on Saturday morning.

Jayden and Mom.

This last weekend we went camping. It is the first time we have gone camping with the kids. It actually was a lot of fun and was better than I thought. Not to say that we aren't tired today! Our friends in Philippi know a man who has a great area to camp and play. Jayden could run and play his heart out with the other kids and we adults could talk, eat smores, and ride the 4-wheeler. It was a blast and we are glad we took the opportunity to do it. We have missed it.

Baby Story!

2009-09-16T22:38:00.003-04:00

Baby Kylie.

Baby Jayden.

I am inspired by my friend Holly. I feel like I want to tell my story about how Jayden and Kylie came to be. Now I know how babies normally get here, but for us it was a journey with much different results. Jayden and Kylie are what you would call "snowflake babies". We won't be hiding this from our children and so why not educate others about the options out there for those of us who struggle bringing a spirit into this world.

We were married 9 years ago, we did not start trying to have kids until we were married for about a year. We tried to concieve without too much concern for about 1 1/2 years after that. Finally we realized that something wasn't right and we went to a normal OBGYN with some experience in infertility. At this point it is test after test to make sure your body is performing normally. They are expensive and some painful but worth it if it will help answer those questions about why you aren't successful yet. The tests showed that we were both perfectly normal and we learned that we fall into 15% of people who at this point their infertility is unknown. We were given some prescriptions to help but they were not successful and caused some interesting and funny moments in our marriage. It was not a comfort to know you fit in that unknown category and to be honest every month was a game of waiting and then total dissappointment. The hardest times were when you were a few days late and then found out you were not pregnant. We lived in Utah and the pressures there to start a family are strong. That is a good thing but a lot of people did not understand and asked a lot of questions that were hard for us to answer. It is hard to explain because we felt God's hand throughout the whole process but patience was hard.

Finally the doctor in Logan said that he could do no more for us and recommended us to a specialist in Salt Lake City. We were excited to find out what was next and for this consult. It was a horrible moment for us. He kept stating the odds against us, we were now in an 8% category. The money we needed was staggering and in the end he felt it might be time for us to look into adoption. I will never forget the drive home. Our solution? We went shopping and spent a lot of money on stupid stuff. We decided to take a break for a bit.

In 2004 we moved to Boise, ID. While we were there, we heard of another infertilty clinic and decided to give it another shot. It was wonderful! We were given the odds but we were also given hope, we left that consult with a plan. First we tried inter-uter insemination. That was done once a month for three months. This is where they take Colby's swimmers and insert them further into my tubes. The hope is that if my uterus is tilted or my body is fighting the swimmers, they have a better chance. It was not successful. That was O.K. because we found out more things that were not the problem. Next was IVF.

IVF is one of the hardest things emotionally and physically I have ever done. The medication routine is intense! They cause all sorts of hormones to go crazy. I still remember that during one medication I had a personal space bubble and I would get so angry if Colby got in my bubble. It was life or death if he got in my bubble :) They were able to "harvest" 19 overies. That is very successful but come to find out that after my eggs were in the test tube, my eggs were not progressing and dividing how they were supposed to. At least we had an answer, we didn't know why but my eggs are not good. That was another rough week. We could try IVF again but the stats were not good for us. With as much as went into the process, I couldn't go through it again with the odds as bad as they were.

We took another break but got the itch again when we were living in Pocatello, ID. We decided to look into adoption and went to a meeting with LDS Social Services. Now remember that I am adopted. I had a closed adoption and feel strongly that that is the way to go. I love my birth mother in a way that is hard to explain but I know that she gave a gift by letting go and letting my adoptive parents take over from day one. It was hard to hear in the meeting how many rights the birth mother now has. We left the meeting knowing that we were not ready for this avenue and the waiting time given to us was three years!

We prayed and decided to go back to the clinic for a consult one last time. We had decided that this was going to be it, maybe we weren't meant to have children! We were told we have three options...1. Try IVF again with Me and Colby. 2. Try an egg donor situation 3. Try something called Embryo Adoption. We knew 1 was not an option. Egg donation cost about $15,000 and was hard to handle for us. Embryo Adoption cost only $2,500.

What is Embryo Adoption? A couple comes into the clinic and does an IVF procedure. They have success and have left over embryo's. They then sign over all rights and donate those embryo's to those who need them. We prayed again and felt this was the way to go. It is a little wierd being mailed a list with ethnicity, eye color, blood type, etc. information and "shopping" for a couple that looks somewhat like you. We had a hard time finding a match and then one day got a call from the office saying they had a couple that we might be interested in. It was like a peace settled over us and we knew we had found what we were looking for. We had 10 embryo's to use.

Our first time they let 6 embryo's develop further and two were awesome. I can not tell you how awesome that day was when we found out that we were pregnant! It took 7 1/2 years but finnally we were going to be parents! It was not wierd, when he was born he was ours in every way! We laugh now and wink at each other when someone tells us how much he looks like Colby. I will never forget when we blessed Jayden, I never thought that day would come. We are sooooo blessed! We didn't know if we were lucky the first time and so we decided to do the procedure again the next summer.

Of course for us nothing could be easy. When we decided to do the procedure again we had to do a blood test and found out that my body did not respond to the Rhogam shot I was giving after Jayden was born. The doctors had never heard of this before so now we are in the 1% group. Rhogam helps your body not fight your babies blood while in the womb because you are different blood types. I am negative and the embryos are positive. Colby is positive as well so we would have had this issue no matter what. The clinic was nervous doing another procedure because it had a high possibility of being a high risk pregnancy. We understood the risks and moved forward anyways. We felt the longer we waited the higher chance there was of my blood fighting the fetus.

We used the last 4 embryos and again had 2 good ones. To our surprise, we were successful again. My blood numbers stayed low the whole pregnancy and so I was not high risk. Kylie was born 4 months ago. My blood was tested and my level now is too high to have another child safely. So, we have a boy and a girl. We love them sooo much and are so thankful for technology today that has allowed us to be parents. We know we are a family in a unique way but still feel that this is Heavenly father's plan for us.

This has been a long blog, I just felt like remembering today and journeling this for the future. Thank you for being patient with me. If you have any questions, please let us know!

Washington D.C. March

2009-09-14T21:08:00.011-04:00

This was our view as we marched toward the Capital building. We were early and so there were a lot of people behind us.

The view behind us.

This was on our way to D.C. The kids needed a break and Jayden decided to take over the car after he had walked around a bit.

On our way to the march we walked by the White house and a great family from Europe took this picture for us.

This is where we were during the speakers at the rally after the march.

Our family at the march in D.C.

Just a shot of us hanging out during the rally.

Jayden is politically active for one so young :)

Another fun shot.

I don't know how to put into words our experience this last weekend. I would say that we are not real political zellots but we enjoy Fox News and Glen Beck. Colby likes Ron Paul. We heard about the march while watching Glen Beck and we felt that we were too close to pass it up. We debated about going and taking the kids, but in the end we just decided to do it. We didn't have a sign that we made to take with us, to be honest it was a rough day the day before and I couldn't think of anything clever. It worked out fine. We dressed in blue and red and felt like it was a movement for us just to be there.

I have been so frustrated at how the media has talked about this rally. There were senior citizens, young people, families, veterans, blacks, whites, democrats, republicans, independants, business people, religious groups, and even some crazy zellots. There were people on Harleys decked out in red, white and blue. There were so many different people but the message was the same, too much government! People were there for healthcare, fiscal spending, Acorn, Congress and senate reform, Czars, not being open and honest with the public. Most wanted Obama and their representitives to know that we are serious and that we are aware and hope they know there will be reprocussions in the next election to those who don't listen to our concerns.

There were so many people! It was awe inspiring! We met people from Illinois, Montana, South and North Carolina, Texas, and Indiana. It was so fun and crazy! There were two parts that really touched me. A lot of people came up to us and thanked us for bringing our young kids and said that they were what this whole rally is all about. The second is that one lady sang the National Anthem (sp?) and the whole crowd stood up and sang together. It was so touching. In a nutshell we are so glad that we went. We feel like we were a part of something good and a bit of history.

Columbus, OH Trip

2009-08-26T13:25:00.006-04:00

Jayden wanted to swim in the hot tub because it was making so many bubbles. He couldn't stop laughing and playing in them. He kept saying, "bubbles".

Colby teaching Jayden how to kick when he is "swimming"

Colby and Kylie, she did so good. She didn't cry or anything she just liked being in the water. Yes, there are no pictures of me on purpose. I think I would blind people with my whiteness!

Jayden and Colby with the elephants at the Columbus, OH Zoo. Jayden didn't want to turn away from them long enough to get a good picture.

My two tigers!

Just another pic where I was lucky enough to have Jayden look at the camera.

Sweet Kylie! This is what she did most of the time at the Zoo!

Me and Jayden with the Kangaroo's. They let you walk around with them, it was pretty cool!
Just so you know, my hair has never been flat since we moved out here. The humidity was bad that morning and all my work gone in a few short minutes :)

So the summer is going fast and we decided to go to Columbus, OH this weekend for a little getaway. The hotels are cheap, the temple is there and they have the best custard ice cream place ever! This time we went to the Zoo, it is an awesome one, and swam in the hotel pool. It was a lot of fun and a much needed get away. We probably won't do something like this very often, they kids were so tired on the way back that a 3 1/2 trip turned into a 5 hour trip because we had to stop so much to calm them down. Oh well, MEMORIES!

Go, Go Steelers!

2009-08-26T13:07:00.003-04:00

Jayden and I decided to build a fort on this day. He had a blast, if he wasn't in the fort he was flopping on the blanket on top to collapse the fort. He kept peeking out under the chairs and saying Hi!

So Kylie is quite a determined girl. She is 3 1/2 months and can roll from front to back and back to front (isn't this early?). To turn over she will grab the blanket like in this picture and grunt and before you know it......

She is like this and smiling. So proud of herself!

Jayden wanted to hold Kylie and help feed her. Most of the time he is not interested at all but this day he was having fun.

So NFL football has started. I know it is just pre-season but this is my plug for the best team out there. I feel a back to back coming on. She is our little Steeler cheerleader!

2009-08-25T13:23:00.004-04:00

I know Jayden is crying, but the story is about his shirt and backpack. My Mom sent him a Buzz and Woody shirt and he LOVES it. He wears it all the time. Well we were in Wal-Mart one day and he saw a Buzz and Woody backpack and loves it as well. He puts his books and toys in it and wears it around the house all the time, it is so funny.

Jayden likes to play the piano, this day he set up his bear to play with him. He was so proud to have gotten both of them on the bench.

Jayden loves to help when I change Kylie's diaper so I thought why not have some fun with it. He took the diapers off and put them on his animals for several hours of entertainment. He finally decided he liked them better without them so that he could cuddle them better.

So we have begun the habit of reading our scriptures at night with Jayden. Instead of the real scriptures we have a book with pictures of kids and the Book of Mormon stories. Now during the day he will grab his scree-shurs and sit and read them.

Kylie was in the pack and play and Jayden with his incredible climbing abilities decided to join her. I was doing the dishes and came in the room to find this. They were having a ball together. Jayden was laughing and Kylie was smiling.

I know it has been a long time, I can't believe it took me so long to sit down at the computer and type stuff. I have been busy, we are trying to fit as much in as we can before summer is gone, and I haven't been able to update 'stuff'. Here are a few pictures and stories to update you. I will blog again soon!

2009-07-22T09:47:00.003-04:00

This is a great picture of the two of them. Jayden loved the fact that he got to hold her all by himself.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken of Kylie. Isn't that smile just precious?

The three of us having fun with the camera. Jayden loved the fact that he could see himself in the screen while I took it. Kylie just looks like she is chillin.

This picture is to show my Dad why I asked him to fortify the crib for Kylie! He is a monkey!

Just another cute pic of Kylie and her new smiles!

So Jayden said his first sentence. I want binky! Yeah! We can't believe he is growing up so fast. It seems like every day I am catching up trying to figure out all the new things he has learned. Kylie is just growing. She is about 12 lbs. and 23 1/2 inches long. She is smiling and responsive and is now trying to roll over, she can get to her side but not much further. We are just having fun!

Bubbles

2009-07-22T09:32:00.003-04:00

This is Jayden and his buddy Grant Godfrey. Grant got this great new pool and invited us over to cool down. They had a lot of fun in it.

Jayden and Grant still in the pool.

Jayden is trying to catch the bubbles that I am blowing while playing in the pool at our house.

He is so funny, he couldn't rest until he could try to blow bubbles. He did it!

Colby holding Jayden and Kylie. This is commen because Jayden wants in on the action!

We are doing good and just enjoying the summer. As you can see we spend a lot of time in our little pools, but they don't know the difference yet! Colby is on his third rotation and doing so good, we can't believe we are getting so close to the end.

So I am feeling good and somewhat back to normal. I did my thing I do after I survive the first few months and got a haircut, new glasses, etc. I am sure you get my drift, I feel like a new women!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-05T18:35:00.005-04:00

I had a great idea in my head that we were all dressed nice for church and we could have our pictures taken outside. I should learn to go more with the flow. They were screaming and Jayden kept trying to run away, someday I will laugh about this but by darn I got my pics! :)

Jayden is one cool dude!

We went to a friends house for the 4th for a picnic and a great homemade waterslide. To our surprise, they also had a great blow up castle. Jayden and I our playing.

Colby and Jayden going down the waterslide. We were all laughing having fun and muddy, despite Jaydens face here he did like it the other times.

The small pool was more to his liking!

We had a great 4th of July weekend. Colby had Friday off and so we chilled out Friday and partied on Saturday. Our ward had a pancake breakfast Saturday morning and it was great. The food was good and Jayden had fun with his friends. That afternoon we went to our friends place and they have a great hill in their yard so they set up a plastic sheet to be a big slip and slide. It was a blast! We had dinner and fun and by the end of the night we were so tired we put the kids to bed and listened to the fireworks on our front steps and drank cold root beer.

Kylie's Big Day

2009-06-30T18:44:00.005-04:00

Jim and Jaylene with Kylie on her special Sunday.

Grandparents with Kylie and Jayden.

The Andersen family on June 28, 2009 before church.

Here is our group of friends from Philippi that came to the blessing and then came for lunch afterwards. I think we are quite a good looking bunch :)

Colby did such a great job with the blessing. I am so excited for this special day and we love Kylie and Jayden so much! Thank you to all who have helped so much while we grow!

Kylie's Baby Blessing Dress

2009-06-30T18:39:00.007-04:00

This post is mostly for my Mom. She wanted to see Kylie in her dress. Here are a few pictures. The dress she picked out is beautiful!

Kirtland with the Andersens

2009-06-30T18:28:00.008-04:00

We visited Kirtland, OH again with Colby's parents. This is during the tour of the village, I didn't get to see most of it because Kylie was hungry and Jayden was feeling wild. This is us hanging out.

Colby and Jayden, best buds!

Our family in front of the Kirtland temple.

Jim and Jaylene, Colby's parents, in front of the temple.

Jayden, Colby and Jaylene waiting for the temple tour.

It was so fun to have Colby's parents come out for Kylie's baby blessing. We went to Kirtland, OH and saw the church sites while they were in town. It was funny to see 6 of us piled into one car, but we made it and it was fun. It is good to remember church history and remember the sacrifices others went through so that the gospel could spread on the earth!

My two cuties!

2009-06-30T18:04:00.006-04:00

We got a new double stroller last week to help me get around town. I had just finished putting it together when Jayden took it over. He would climb in and out, grab is drink, his cars and sit there like he was the man! He loved it and I got to enjoy his smiles!

Jayden loves to give Kylie kisses. Sometimes a little too much! I was lucky and got a picture of one.

I had to include this picture because I love the movie Zoolander and this is her Zoolander modeling pose! It makes me laugh when I look at this!

One morning I decided to give Kylie a bath. I filled the tub with water and then went to undress her. When I came back in the bathroom, there was Jayden sitting in the tub with all his clothes on. He had even gotten his ball and was having a blast. Needless to say there was a lot of laundry to do that week :)