The Bingham Family

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-27T20:14:00.001-08:00

We had very eventful Thanksgiving weekend! Thursday morning started out bright and early with Jon getting up before anyone else in the house and peeling 20 lbs. of potatoes by himself. So nice of him to let me sleep in :) I got up around 7:30 and got Addy dressed and then we all ran out the door so we could make it to the family Turkey Bowl on time (if you are within ten minutes of the actual scheduled start time, you are considered on time, right?!?)

The Turkey Bowl was seriously fun! I haven't ever participated before either because I was stuck at the hospital working a shift, or because I was pregnant, or taking care of a baby. This year, we actually thought ahead of time and asked Grandma Spjute to take Addy so we could both play. Great idea, except for the fact that Addy ended up throwing up all over her house while we were gone, but more on that later!

It was the Keddington's plus Jon versus the rest of the family. The rest of the family (the team I was on) was ahead for most of the game. Then we started feeling bad for the Keddington's, so we decided to let them score a few points to catch up:) Then they surpassed us and we ended up losing the game. The most pathetic part of the whole thing was that I could tell with each passing minute that my body was slowly losing its' ability to run, throw, kick, then eventually walk. I was sore before the game even ended. We won't even talk about how stiff I got over the next few days because it was seriously embarrassing. I was finally able to walk this morning again without limping around. Note to self: WORK OUT!

After a few hours of running like we haven't run in years, we decided to call it a day. We had to prepare for the big feast after all that running!

Well when we went to pick Addy up, we discovered she wasn't feeling well. So she spent the rest of Thanksgiving in her pj's watching show after show between dozing off. I ended up boiling & mashing more potatoes than I ever care to again, then Jon went with his family for the big dinner. He brought me a plate home and it was everything I imagined. Jon's side of the family really can cook I tell you. It's actually quite intimidating. I don't like to cook and therefore I am not any good at it. I was terrified to make the mashed potatoes -if there is anyone that could mess them up, it would be me. Like I would ever live that one down. I practiced twice before the big day and am proud to say that they turned out wonderfully, thank goodness!

When Jon got home, I finally got dressed for the day and then headed out with my sister for the big Black Thursday, I mean Friday, deals. We started at Toys R Us, then went to Walmart (which I will never do again), then Kohls and Target. It was a success. I was able to get everything I wanted to and watched a few funny people in the process. I ended up in line more than I had hoped for, but it sure made for good people watching.

Friday Addy was feeling better when she woke up, so we headed out for a day of shopping at the mall with my Mom and Sister. Jon had to work all day Friday and Saturday, which totally stinks, but we made the best of it. Saturday after Jon got off of work, the three of us went to the Mandarin in Bountiful for dinner. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the Mandarin?! Because I really love it! So good.

Six years ago this weekend, Jon proposed to me at Temple Square. Ever since then, we have made it a family tradition to go there on the Sunday after Thanksgiving to celebrate our engagement. We got all bundled up, stopped at Starbuck's to get some hot chocolate, and we were on our way. It was beautiful, as usual, and we had a great time together.

Jon, Angie, and Addy.

I love this picture of Addy and Ang. Addison really is so lucky to have such wonderful Aunts and Uncles who love her and would do anything for her. She adores them.

Pretty picture.

This picture is taken under the big red tree which is very special to the Bingham's. It was their Dad's favorite tree. They don't decorate it every year, but this year they did and we were very happy.

Now that the Thanksgiving Holiday has come and gone, it is officially crunch time with school. 10 more days until the very last day of the semester and I have a lot to do. I guess that means I should stop blogging and get on with it! Hope you all had a great weekend spent with the ones you love!

St George

2011-11-17T20:06:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Ryan and Dawn invited the family down to St. George for some family fun. Unfortunately, Will came down with croup just before we were supposed to leave, so Will and Dawn stayed home so that Will could get feeling better. We sure missed them.

A few of us headed down to St. George Thursday night ahead of the rest of the crew. We went to Vegas Friday, stopped at H & M, and then met my Uncle for dinner at the best barbecue place I've eaten at hands down, Lucille's Barbecue. It's at the Green Valley Mall. I highly recommend it.

After the rest of the family joined us late Friday night, we woke up Saturday morning and headed to Snow Canyon for a little hiking. It was a lot of fun and incredibly beautiful.

Addy, Grandma & Grandpa.

Ang.

Us. And yes, that is a pink purse that I am hiking with. My little girl won't go anywhere without it, but she handed it off to me early on along the hike.

Grandma & Grandpa, and oh yeah, a nice little shot of Ry in the background.

The whole gang (missing two important people.)

The engaged couple (only 29 more days)!

Thanks Ry and Dawn for a fun weekend!

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-03T10:10:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had Jen Herem take our family pictures for 2011. Once again, we are thrilled with how they turned out. Thanks Jen! Addy's adorable olive dress was made my my super talented friend, Nicole Lawrence, who is the owner of Littlest Lucy. Here are a few, or several, of our favorites...

This shot is my absolute favorite!

Beautiful little girl.

What a handsome guy!

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T21:10:00.001-07:00

Addy was really fun this year for Halloween. She was fairly interested in walking around getting candy from people, but she really enjoyed people watching. She kept saying, "Look at that Mommy!" in the most amused manner. I thought she looked pretty darn cute myself :)

Pebbles trick or treating at Colonial Square with friends.

After Colonial Square, we headed to my parents house for jack-o-lantern pizza and trick or treating around the neighborhood with Aunt Emmy.

Had to post this photo.. My dad getting all of his "toys" ready for Winter today. What a silly thing to do on your birthday, but he was happy with it! My sister and I kept telling him he looked like he could be the chainsaw guy at a haunted house with all of his winterizing attire on. You can't really see in the picture, but he has one of those blue jumpsuits on you often find mechanics wearing. He just needed the mask and his costume would have been complete! Love my cute dad!

After my parents house, we went and visited Grandmpa Spjute who was still at work and ended the evening in the Bingham families' old neighborhood with great friends sitting around a fire. What a perfect Halloween, weather and all. I hear we should brace ourselves for snow tomorrow though :( Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the second annual Spjute-Bingham Witchy Poo Party at Grandma and Grandma Spjute's house. Such a fun thing for the grandkids! Witch's brew, pumpkin painting, and a fire pit - does it get any funner for the kids? Special thanks to Grandpa & Grandma for making it such a fun day for all!

The grandkids, minus a few who are in Seattle.

Addy's pumpkin.

Megan & Addy. I think Addy would be happy if she could follow Megan around all day every day. She adores her.

Joker, aka "Will," and Pebbles.

Before the Witchy Poo Party, Jon took Addy to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. Can I mention how much more I like Halloween now that I have Addy around. It's so fun to watch the excitement in her eyes as she experiences these fun things with people who love her.

And a special shout-out to my Dad who shares his birthday with Halloween! Love you Dad!

Back Bay

2011-10-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Our first full day in Boston, we explored the Back Bay area. This part of downtown is exquisite, filled with picture perfect streets, walkways, and beautiful churches. Oh and we can't forget the home of the Boston Red Sox (our reason for coming to Boston in the first place - Jon's Birthday present).

This is me standing on one of the most beautiful streets in Back Bay, Commonwealth Avenue.

This is the epitome of why I love the architecture so much back East. I would love to live on one of these streets.

After we spent a few hours walking the streets, which just happen to be named in Alphabetical order after early American famous people, checking out several incredible mansions, we headed to Newbury Street and did a little shopping. Then it was off to Copley Square.

Copley Square houses the most beautiful church I have ever seen, Trinity Church. Do not pass this up if you come to Boston. I sat inside that church with my jaw on the floor for probably the first fifteen minutes. It is just so beautiful and incredible.

Jon standing outside of Trinity Church.

After a short tour of Trinity Church, we ran as fast as we could to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox play. It was an experience to say the least. I had no idea people could be so passionate about their local sports team.

Fenway Park from our seats. There seriously is not a bad seat in the entire stadium.

We had a great time at the game! Happy Birthday Jon! Unfortunately, this game was the first of many losses for the Red Sox which ultimately ended their season early. Despite this fact, Jon and I both left with smiles on our faces.

Salem & Concord & Lexington, MA

2011-10-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Due to lack of time and a desire to see all three historical sites, Jon and I decided to smash Salem, Concord, and Lexington into one day. It actually ended up being just about the right amount of time in Salem, but I wish that we had another hour or two in Concord and Lexington before the sun went down.

We started our day off at the Salem Witch Museum learning about the famous Witch Trials that took place early on in our countries' history. It is such an incredibly sad and astonishing thing to think about how these events came to pass and to think of the suffering that took place in this town, eh.

Although Salem is more well known for being the "Witch Town," it is important to realize that this town has much more to offer. Take the food at this restaurant, for example. I am so sad that I didn't take a picture of the name of this restaurant so I would remember it, but this picture above is what is left of the best shrimp dish Jon and I have ever eaten.

Next it was off to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Salem used to be the most prominent port for merchant ship vessels to trade at and there are little traces here and there of that prominent era. We took a tour inside the Custom House to learn more about the trading that took place here. It is very interesting.

Here Jon is at the very tip of Derby Wharf.

This vessel is known as the Friendship. It is a full-scale replica of a 1797 East India Merchant Ship. It is beautiful, but nothing compared to Old Ironsides.

After we had our fair share of Witch History and Maritime, we hoped in the car and drove to Lexington.

Jon and I are standing on Battle Green in Lexington. This is the place where 77 patriots, also known as Minutemen, faced the British, thus igniting the American Revolution in 1775.
This town is full of historic sites and monuments, but we were short on time and had to rush a bit to get in the most important stuff.

On the drive to Concord, we passed the house of the Little Women.

First off, I must say how beautiful Concord is. Seriously, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. This is one of the Minutemen statues that can be seen as you walk up to the Old North Bridge, a pathway over the Concord River.

This is it, the Old North Bridge. This is where the "shot heard round the world" rung out.

After spending some time at the Bridge, we headed up to the museum to watch a little show about the history here and then followed the Battle trail for a few minutes before calling it a day. Next time I go back East, I will definitely make more time for this area. It was picturesque.

The Freedom Trail Part 1

2011-10-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

The Freedom Trail begins at Boston Commons, one of the oldest parts of the city. It was established in 1634 and was initially used as a "common ground" where sheep and cattle grazed. Throughout our nation's history, Boston Commons has been a popular location for sermons and political protests. The day we started our 3 1/2 mile walk, it was nearly empty. It was an extremely rainy day in Boston, but we didn't let it ruin our fun. Today, Boston Commons is a gigantic park and relaxing place found amongst the modern skyscrapers surrounding it.

This monument in the park was erected in the remembrance of the men who gave their lives for our freedom.

Next stop, King's Chapel and Burying Ground. This is Boston's oldest cemetery (1630 - 1796) and is the burial ground for many note-worthy people in our nation's history. I am standing by Benjamin Franklin's parent's graves.

This is the Old City Hall. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

This is the interior of the Old South Meeting House, built in 1727. It is a magnificent building - this picture doesn't do the building justice. This church has been a place throughout our history where people have gathered to bring about change: women's rights, slavery, the Boston Tea Party, as well as the baptismal place of Ben Franklin.

Next on the Freedom Trail is the Old State House. This is Boston's oldest public building, built in 1713. It was originally a place representing the colonial government. After the Constitution, this was also the place where the first governor of the state was inaugurated (John Hancock). In addition, the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people from the balcony of this building on July 18, 1776.

This is the original Paul Revere Bell which is currently on display at the Old South Meeting House. (Picture is out of order).

This is the external of the Old State House. You can't see in this picture, but the building can be identified by the symbols of British imperial power - lions and unicorns. It is also of note to mention that the Boston Massacre took place on the opposite side of this building, where the balcony overlooks the street.

This is the interior of Faneuil Hall. This building has also held many meetings which have brought about significant change in our country's history. Even today, people are made citizens of the United States in this building. The building is incredible.

Outside Faneuil Hall, you walk into a major shopping center known as Quincy Market. The market is a place with lots of dining and shopping. It is a fun place to spend a few hours just hanging out.

From this point, the Freedom Trail leads you into the North End, or Little Italy, which is in the preceding post.

The Freedom Trail Part 2

2011-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

There is so much to see along the historic Freedom Trail that winds through downtown Boston, I decided to break this post up into to separate entries. This second half of the Freedom Trail includes the North End and Charlestown.

We will start in the North End. The North End is also known as Boston's Little Italy. As the nickname hints, this part of downtown Boston looks like something straight from Italy. It houses some of the best restaurants and pastry shops in the country, not to mention it is beautiful.

The oldest street in Downtown Boston. The road is made up of cobblestone and the sidewalk is Brick.

The Freedom Trail is marked throughout the city by this lengthwise brick road map and it takes you to all of the historic sites located in downtown Boston.

The Paul Revere House is the oldest wooden house in downtown Boston. This is the backside of the house. This is where Paul Revere began is famous ride to warn that the "British are Coming!" They have tours of the house, which was pretty neat, but they don't allow pictures to be taken inside.

This is a picture of the top of the Old North Church that houses the "Revere Bell," although it is not the original. The church was built in 1723 and the organ & clock in the church are the originals. There is still service held at this church. The inside is painted entirely white and it is beautiful.

This is the bottom half of the Old North Church. Behind the church is what is known as the Paul Revere Mall. It is a beautiful courtyard that it typically housed with children playing and people playing cards. It is a quaint place ideal for taking a relaxing break from the Freedom Trail. Nearby is also a Memorial Garden hung with military dog tags for those who have died serving our country in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is quite a sight to see.

This is Copps Hill Burying Ground. It is the burial ground for the first 1,000 African American US Citizens. It is also the burial ground for other famous people from history.

From Copps Hill, the Freedom Trail leads you over a bridge and into Charlestown.

This bridge is magnificent. When it gets dark out, all the cables light the sky with a bright blue color. It is really a neat thing to see. The bridge was fairly recently finished and is the entrance/exit to the underground tunnel that takes you under the ocean.

First stop in Charlestown, the USS Constitution. This is the oldest commissioned warship and Navy Vessel in the country. It is really something and quite fancy for a ship.

Bunker Hill Monument. The famous quote that most remember from the Battle of Bunker Hill was stated by Colonel William Prescott, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!"

This fish statue we came across as we walked from the USS Constitution to Bunker Hill. If I were to live anywhere in Downtown Boston, Charlestown would be it. More specifically, it would be right by Bunker Hill. The architecture is incredible and the area is filled with beautiful monuments, walking grounds, and parks for children. Unfortunately, many people think this is the ideal place and so prices of homes are extremely high also.

Bunker Hill marked the end of our Historical tour of downtown Boston. We decided to head back into Little Italy, or the North End, for dinner and to hit up Mike's Pastry Shop which all the locals rave about.

We ate dinner at an incredible Italian restaurant, Gennaro's. This was probably my favorite meal of the trip. It was delicious!

My salad. Then I had Lobster Ravioli for dinner. Italian food and fresh seafood, it doesn't get any better for me!

Jon enjoying his lobster noodle dish!

And here is Mike's Pastry Shop! Everyone we talked to asked us to have one of their Cannoli's. I didn't even know what a Cannoli was until I came here, but let me tell you, it was to die for! We went later in the evening, but this place typically has lines out the door all day long every day of the week. It is that good! Don't miss this little gem if you are heading to Boston anytime soon. You won't regret it!

Martha's Vineyard

2011-10-12T13:21:00.001-07:00

Day 5 of our trip back East, we decided to drive down to Hyannis, a little town on the Cape, and catch the ferry out to Martha's Vineyard. You can also catch the ferry to Nantucket from here, but we decided to do Martha's Vineyard this time because I did Nantucket with my Grandma when I visited family in Boston seven years ago. Most people like Nantucket better, but you hear about celebrities and Martha's Vineyard all the time and I wanted to see what all of the hype was about.

We couldn't have picked a better day. The weather was perfect! The ferry took about an hour and forty-five minutes to arrive at the Island.

We had an amazing view from the front of the ship we were on. I don't remember the last time I just sat down, relaxed, and enjoyed the view for that long without my sweet little girl tugging at my leg. It was so nice. I forgot what it was like.

On the ride out, there were a few sail boats out. Nice picture babe.

Because we only had a few hours on the island before we had to catch the ferry back to Hyannis, we decided that the best way to see the most of the island was to join a bus tour. The tour took us through the six towns on Martha's Vineyard. If I were to do it all over again, I would have just rented the scooters we were debating on and followed the road all the way around the island myself. Then I could have stayed at this amazing beach for more than five minutes. It was beautiful.

The next stop, Gay Head. This part of the island is still owned to this day by the Indians that settled here many years ago. It houses the site for this beautiful scenery and lighthouse as well as the red cliffs. The "cliffs" behind Jon are what they call the "Red Cliffs." All I could think was, "really, these people need to head down to Zion and Moab if they want to see some real red cliffs!" But whatever, it was still a gorgeous view.

While we were at this stop, Jon decided to take a peek out of the binocular station set up there. First thing he notices... 3 people walking nude on the beach. Now I realize this kind of thing is normal around most of the world, but coming from Utah, we really have lived quite a sheltered life and this was quite a funny thing to us. Jon was cracking up and told me to look through the binoculars because he couldn't stop laughing long enough to tell me what he saw. I did and all I can say is I certainly wasn't expecting that. Makes for a great story and a funny memory.

This park is located in the same town we came into port and we spent most of our time here. It was so pretty and right behind where those cars are parked is the beach and ocean. Does it get any better?

This is known as one of the many "Gingerbread Houses" you can find on Martha's Vineyard. This home is owned by Mr. Norton Anti-Virus himself!. This house is located right along the perimeter of the park overlooking the ocean. Wow!

We just couldn't pass up the whole writing in the sand thing :) I think it turned out pretty cute myself.

Then we had to run back to the ship after grabbing a quick bite to eat. When we were coming back into port in Hyannis, there were hundreds of sailboats out racing. It was the most incredible thing to see. They kept cutting back and forth in front of the ship because they weren't paying attention to what was behind them. We almost ran a couple over, but the captain blew the whistle to alert them to get the heck out of the way. It was really loud. This picture only shows the one close up, but there really were hundreds of them. Literally as far as the eye could see.

Overall, I really loved Martha's Vineyard. It was beautiful and I can see why all the celebrities have vacation homes here. When I go back again, I will be spending the night instead of just doing a day trip so that I can get some good beach time in.

Provincetown & Plymouth, MA

2011-10-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jon and I packed our bags and headed back to Massachusetts for a vacation. We left the little one at home with family for an entire week. My heart broke to leave Addison that long, but she was in heaven playing with family and it was good to get some time with the hubby. On our last day in Massachusetts, day 6, we headed down the Cape and made a few stops prior to making it to Provincetown, or P-Town, as the locals call it, on the tip of the Cape.

We stopped in Plymouth. This is place where the Pilgrims first landed in 1620.

Jenny Grist Mill - the oldest working mill in the United States.

This is a walkway from Jenny Grist Mill to Plymouth Walk. It was beautiful, despite the fact that it was a downpour!

This is the Mayflower 2. It's a replica of the original Mayflower the Pilgrims traveled on.

And this my friends, is Plymouth Rock. No kidding. It's about 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall. Impressive, I know.

Then we made our way all the way down to the tip of the Cape to P-Town. It is a very eclectic town. Lots of fun shopping and dining with beaches all around you. It's absolutely beautiful. It also happens to house my favorite restaurant in the whole world - The Lobster Pot. Incredible views while you eat and the food is to die for. Honestly though, I am convinced you can't get bad seafood back East. All of our food was pretty great. We seriously drove here, a 3 hour drive from where we were staying in Boston, just to eat here. Love it!

My yummy Lobster dish, yum!

Me enjoying my yummy lobster dish at my fav restaurant.

More of our trip to come.

Simple Pleasures

2011-09-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Simple pleasures are things like ice cream cones, big smiles, and the joy that comes from watching your little one find happiness in day to day experiences.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2011-09-01T10:12:00.001-07:00

This morning as I was checking my email and Addy was quietly playing nearby, I heard the sweetest little voice tell her baby that it was time for bed. She then proceeded to lay her baby in her crib and tuck her in. Just as she placed the blanket over her baby, Addy began to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (her current favorite song) to help her baby fall asleep. I sat there watching Addy with the biggest smile spread across my face. As she attempted to sing all the words from the song, but missed some here and there, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. It doesn't get any cuter than that!

This is the Place.

2011-07-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Due to the 24th of July landing on a Sunday this year, Jon had Monday off of work to celebrate Utah's Holiday. We figured what better place than This is the Place Monument Park which is centered around settling this land. We took Addy there last fall and thought it was great, so we were excited to take her back again this year now that she's a bit older. I cannot say enough good things about this place. I love it.

Addy checking out the cows. She didn't want to get too close though. I think the sheer size of them terrified her. But from a distance, they were wonderful.

If she hadn't just spent some quality time with another horse a few days earlier, she probably would have been scared of the horse too. Fortunately she remembered that it was a "nice horse" and ran right up to go for a ride. As you can see, she was delighted.

Checking out the baby pigs....

And the other baby animals....

I love that the kids can get so close to the animals here. So fun.

And of course we had to go on the choo choo since they are simply Addy's favorite thing in the whole world.

Then she got to go on the mini choo choo with Daddy. Seriously, could this day get any better?

Riding around the train track. I must say that it is quite a beautiful view of the Valley.

We love when Dad has a day off of work!

Fun-filled.

2011-07-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun day Saturday. We started at the Handcart Days Carnival at Bountiful City Park. I forgot my camera and was so sad because I could have gotten some cute pictures of Addy on the swing ride. After about an hour and half in the sun and heat, we called it quits and headed to our next adventure.

My Nephew's had a joint Birthday party. It was a pony party. I kept telling Addy that we were going to go to the pony party so she could ride a pony and she seemed super excited about it. Then we got there, and it took her a good hour to stop screaming every time the pony came near her. We eventually got her to feed the pony some grass, then pet the pony, and then she finally decided that it was a "nice pony" and she wanted to go for a ride.

After a few minutes of riding, she decided she was a big girl and didn't need Mommy anymore to comfort her. She could ride it without any help.

After the "Pony Party," we went to the Bees/Buzz (I don't remember what they're currently called) game with family. I am really not a fan of watching baseball, but I actually enjoyed myself. It was probably just the company though :)

Ryan, Will, and Dawn.

The Noyes Family.

Addy and Will were totally on a sugar high and they love spending time together. Here they are sharing Nerds and Kettle Corn. I know, super healthy, but it's a holiday right?

The only time we typically head to a baseball game is over the 4th or the 24th of July when they do fireworks after the game. They let everyone down onto the field and light off the fireworks pretty much right there. Here are the Binghams waiting for the show to begin. Great show by the way.

Bri, Jake, and Baby Rebecca.

My favorite part of the entire evening was when the Bees/Buzz let the kids run around the bases at the very end of the evening after the fireworks. I wasn't sure how Addy would do, but she followed her cousin and the other kids around the bases as fast as she could with a huge grin across her face. It was pretty cute to see tiny little Addy running around with all the big kids. She was thrilled! Here she is coming into home plate. Nothing like a little jont around the baseball diamond at 11:30pm.

Bear Lake.

2011-07-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

When I look back on my childhood, Bear Lake always comes up. We came up here every summer, multiple times. Some of my best memories with family and friends are derived from this ice cold lake. Boating, water weenies, waverunners, Bear Lake dances, ice cream, boat boys, and good friends, just to name a few. Now that I have my own daughter it is fun to take her to a place that has so many good memories for me.

My Mom and Emily stayed up in Bear Lake for about a month. Addy and I joined them for a week in the middle of their stay. It was just the girls.

I meant to put this first picture at the end, oh well. I took Addy and Em over to Le Beau's to get a raspberry shake and while we were waiting Addy crashed into the cement. She was running full speed and didn't even have enough time to put her hand in front of her to catch her fall. She just scraped her face against the pavement. This picture doesn't do the damage justice. It was so sad. She still has a few little remnants of that nasty fall.

Addy and Em spent lots of time digging holes and building sand castles.

Addy chased the ball around kicking it.

Digging in the sand.

We buried a little Mermaid.

Playing with Grandma and Ben on the Beach.

Addy loves squirting everyone. She thinks it's hilarious.

Apparently she thought it would be fun to climb in the water pail and then she didn't like it so much when she couldn't get out.

We didn't go to any Bear Lake dances, but we did make some fun memories. We didn't take the boat up this trip, but we did get a waverunner for a little bit. I am not nearly as gutsy as I used to be on them. It was my sister's first time on one and it was fun to listen to her laugh as she experienced it for the first time. They also have some cute boutique shops up there now and we found Addy a few cute things. It was nice to get away for a week and spend some time with the girls.

The Fourth.

2011-07-18T13:29:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late getting around to blogging about the 4th of July and all of the festivities...

We took Addy to the Centerville parade on Saturday morning. I think we found some of the best seats in town for the show, but I won't be telling where because we plan on sitting there every year now :) Shady, cool, birds eye view, perfect. Anyways, Addy's favorite part of the parade was the helicopter flying by. She is obsessed with helicopters and airplanes right now and was simply delighted to see one so close. My family always went to the Parades when we were in town and so it was fun to share memories like these with Addison this year.

After the parade, we headed over to the city park for the carnival. We ran across the best part of it right off the bat.. a free train ride! Addy loves choo choos. I got to ride with her because Daddy long legs couldn't squish his legs in the little cart. Good thing I have short legs.

She was a little timid about the ride at first, but was in heaven by the time the ride was over.

That's pretty much all we did at the carnival except for the fish pond and Addy jumped in one of the blow up toys for all of two seconds and then decided she didn't like it. I was kind of bummed about the carnival this year. There wasn't much there except for bouncing toys for the older kids and food. We decided to skip the $5 hamburgers at the park and headed out to Salt Lake to the Farmer's Market. We ate lunch at the best little tofu restaurant that we just discovered right next to Caputo's deli. So yummy. Addy even at the rice and she never eats rice.

That night we went to the fireworks at Eaglewood. As usual, they didn't disappoint. Then there was after the fireworks. We got stuck in a traffic jam for like an hour and a half. It was seriously ridiculous. Note to self: walk the three miles next year instead of drive.

Monday morning Jon and I invited siblings, parents, cousins, aunts & uncles over for our famous French Toast. It was a hit yet again. Thanks to everyone who helped with all of the other food. I thought I would share this recipe with everyone. Every time we serve it, people love it and ask for the recipe. Here it is:

Cinnamon French Toast

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

2 TBS. cinnamon

dash of salt

1/2 cup flour

2 TBS. melted butter

french bread ( I buy Costco's pre-sliced french bread)

This recipe serves about six people and we always end up making about four batches when we invite people over. I always automatically double it.

Then there is the syrup. I got this recipe from Brother Barlow's family (seminary teacher from high school)

Barlow's syrup

1 cube butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir over medium heat making sure to scrape the bottom of pan until syrup turns to a white frothy mix. That's when it's done.

It's pretty much a heart attack waiting to happen which is why we only make it on special occasions. What better day than the 4th of July!

We ended the day at the Spjute's house for a bbq. Jon, Addy, and I skipped out on the fireworks. We had enough of them for one weekend and we had one tired little girl on our hands from all of the weekend festivities.

The Farmer's Market.

2011-06-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well it's official.. summer has finally begun - tonight was the first night of the Farmer's Market in Bountiful. Oh how I love the farmer's market! I was kind of sad about their selection of produce tonight, but the other vendors made up for it. Hopefully as the summer goes on, the selection of produce will increase :) We found some super cute stuff for Addy and my favorite vendors are back again this year!

How cute is this headband I found for Addy!!! I showed it to her and she immediately demanded it be put in her hair. The grin that spread across her face when she placed it in her hair was simply hilarious. I couldn't resist. And the trip to the market wouldn't be complete with a slush for the babe. I was trying to figure out what flavor to get a two year old that wouldn't destroy her clothes and get all over everything and the vendor was genius in that they made a tropical flavor that was clear! Problem solved and Addy loved it!

These shoes I love... I bought several pair of them for Addy last year and was so sad when she grew out of them. They are so comfortable as well as durable. They do have squeakers in them, but they are so easy to remove. I loved the squeakers last year, but I think she's a little too old for them this year.

Volker's Bakery, need I say more? Asiago cheese bread and Balsamic Vinegar dip - simply a must.

And Bonus - Vito's was open for dinner tonight! Love this guy who sets up a trailer every day in the U of U extension parking lot for lunch. You should definitely go, but go early. He runs out of lots of stuff by 1:00pm daily. Excellent food and very reasonable prices. Not the healthiest dinner, but his meatball and philly subs are awesome!

What's not to love about the farmer's market? Now I am dying to get out to Salt Lake's on Saturday morning! They usually have lots more produce!

Splash Pad

2011-06-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

The sun and warm weather may finally be making its' appearance this season! Hooray! We have been spending lots of time in pools, but today we decided to blow up the splash pad my sister gave Addy for her birthday. It took like an hour to get the dumb thing set up, but once it was up an running, Addy was one happy camper.

Nothing better than a slide.

One thing I really dislike about condo living is the lack of play area for the kiddos. Seriously, our neighborhood kids play in the street as the mom's constantly yell, "CAR!" It's so annoying. At least we found a small patch of grass to set this thing up on. I think it might be the only one.

Addy especially loves this splash pad because the water shoots up like sprinklers. She would run through the sprinklers every time she saw some on if I let her. She loves it!

Birthday Girl!

2011-06-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

We have been busy around here. I am just barely getting around to Addy's Birthday post :) Addy was lucky enough to have her cousin Will and Aunt Emily sleep over the night before her birthday and then they spent the entire day with us celebrating. I think she thought that was the best part about her Birthday!

I found this cute shirt at Gymboree and just couldn't resist buying it even though she will only wear it one day.

Opening her presents.

She has been eyeing these tricycles every time we walk into the store and was so excited she got one!

As you can see, she was thrilled with her presents.

Addy loves Barbies and Aunt Em gave her a swimming Barbie because she had a swimming party.

Addy & Will opening another toy Addy has had her eye on.

We went to the Zoo.

One of Addy's favorite things right now is trains and so she couldn't wait to ride the train at the Zoo.

We had a swimming party again this year for Addy's Birthday. The weather was barely warm enough to swim, but I think everyone had fun anyways..

She is enjoying the water this summer and loves to jump in the pool.

Addy & her Daddy.

We had a pinata also. The little ones didn't know quite what to think at first, but then they caught on and loved it.

Addy with what once used to be a cupcake cake. The frosting fell off, but it was adorable for a few minutes anyway :)

Mmm.

2 year stats:

Weight: 32 lbs. 94%

Height: 34 1/4" 76%

Head Circumference: 51.4 cm 100%

Two.

2011-06-03T00:21:00.001-07:00

My baby turns two today!

Check out these adorable pictures by Jen Herem. LOVE THEM ALL!

Love you sweet girl. Happy Birthday, Love Mommy.

Any Recommendations?

2011-05-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

I am looking to all of you amazing mothers, friends, etc. out there for a little parenting help or advice.... Addy has entered a hitting era and I am wondering what else I can be doing to help her understand that hitting others is not okay. She is only doing it when she is frustrated or feels angry about something, which is a normal thing, but that does not make the behavior okay. I like to take a positive approach when it comes to the not so fun task of disciplining your child, and I do NOT believe in a spanking approach or excessive time outs. I simply believe that there is a better way to teach. I was wondering if any of you out there have come across helpful books, articles, etc., that teach parents positive disciplining techniques? Thanks for your help. :)

And this picture is just because I think it's adorable.

Addy and her cousin Will stylin' their shades before we left Will's house yesterday.

A Delightful Thursday.

2011-05-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up all cheery, probably due to the sunshine streaming in through my window, and just felt like taking pictures. The result is a mish-mash of our lovely day.

This is what I found Addy doing when I walked into the family room after getting dressed. Addy decided that her baby's bed looked comfy I guess. She was happy as could be just sitting there.

We spent the majority of our morning at the Bountiful City Park. Addy especially likes going down the slides.

She also made friends with several kids. Her new thing is to hold her "friends" hands. Some kids reciprocated the kindness and others thought she was just weird for wanting to hold their hand. I thought it was a sweet, and sometimes funny, thing to watch.

Swinging away.

We kicked the soccer ball around. That's right honey, a soccer ball. Just to be fair though, I brought the baseball and bat for her to play with. She just chose the soccer ball :)

After the park, it was time for lunch with Grandma. Then after lunch it was time for Addy's nap and Mom's turn to get her homework done. Yay.

My reading assignment. Advertising regulations... very exciting.

The view from the deck where I chose to read.

I took a break from reading and took a few pictures of the flowers we planted for my Grandma for Mother's Day last weekend. I can't remember the name of this flower, but I love it!

Then it was back to reading. Saydee wanted to play, as you can see, but I had to do my homework and so she just settled for giving me the puppy dog look until I gave in :)

After Addy's nap, we headed over to the cemetery and put a flower on my Grandma Franke's grave for Mother's Day. I know it is a little late, but the weather has but so dreary that I decided to wait until the sun showed its face before we went to visit.

Then we went to my Mom & Dad's house to pick up some food storage she picked up for me and check on the creek in their backyard. My Dad & brother had been busy setting the sandbags up in preparation for the probable flooding that is to take place in the near future.

Addy throwing things in the yard with Grandpa.

Matt decided to hop on the motorcycle and see if he remembered how to drive it. The moron didn't put a helmet on despite the fact that our Dad almost died a few years ago after crashing head first in our circle. Idiot.

When we arrived home, Clyde, my Grandma's boyfriend, was just leaving. Before departing though, he decided to get down on the ground color with Addy using sidewalk chalk. It was the sweetest gesture considering the fact that Clyde can barely walk, let alone get himself up off of the ground.

And that pretty much sums up our day. I must also mention how proud I am of Addy... we completely got rid of the binky this week. She was pretty much down to just using it as a crutch to help her fall asleep, but I was prepared for this to be a not so great experience for me or Addy. She only cried for a few minutes during nap time and bedtime on Monday, and then by Tuesday it was like she completely forgot she ever even used to have a binky. It was a pleasant surprise :)

Also, we got Saydee's pathology results back this week and it was not a cancerous growth! Yay!

Trish's Baby Shower

2011-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had a baby shower for my cousin's wife Trish. They are expecting their first baby girl after several years of wishing for a baby :) They are thrilled and it is the sweetest thing to see the excitement in their faces. My cousin, who keep in mind is a big, burly guy, painted his daughter's room pink and got a crib set up within a week of finding out they were having a girl. In addition to getting the babies room already, he has made a pink quilt for his bundle of joy and wants to go look at baby clothes every time they walk in the store. I never thought the day would come that I would hear that he made a quilt. I love it! His mother is a very talented woman and taught him everything he knows.

Cute Trish opening her presents.

My dad's side of the family is tiny, but we had a great time visiting with everyone who was able to make it!

And now for the rated "R" baby bag. Take a look at this next picture and see if you see anything that looks a little strange...

Individually we were all thinking the same thing - "Why on earth would anyone put a breast on a baby bag!" I mean I get that breastfeeding is a big part of baby life for some mothers, but to put it on a decorative bag is another story, right? No one said anything about it though until Trish finally asked where her mother in law bought the bag and then she pointed it out to see if Debbie noticed what she had actually bought. We all about died laughing. And then Trish moved the carriage cover and we all discovered what it actually was....

Then we laughed some more. The bear is much more appropriate. We decided it best that we keep the carriage cover in the downward position from that time forward, just to prevent any further assumptions in the future :)

Saydee's Surgery.

2011-05-05T22:15:00.001-07:00

Bright and early tomorrow morning, Saydee will get dropped off a the vet for surgery. About three weeks ago, Jon & I noticed this weird looking mole that seemed to pop up out of nowhere on the left side of her lip. We decided that we had probably get it looked at to make sure it wasn't cancer or something. The vet can't be sure until the mole is sent off to pathology what exactly the growth is, but he strongly recommended we have it removed before it grows any further into her mouth. So we scheduled the surgery and decided to have her teeth cleaned at the same time since she's getting knocked out anyway for the procedure. Keep your fingers crossed that the pathology comes back clean and that Saydee will have minty fresh breath when we pick her up tomorrow afternoon. The poor thing is going to need a little extra love this weekend. We might need some too after we get the bill from the vet! I'm really hoping we don't have to put one of those cones on her head :)

Easter Weekend.

2011-05-03T20:41:00.001-07:00

Easter weekend was super busy for our little family. We got up early Saturday morning and took Addy to an Easter Egg hunt at WX Elementary. We really lucked out there. They had free Easter bunny tattoos for the kids, an Easter bunny so that pictures could be taken, Easter egg decorating, among other fun things. It was great. I think we will skip all other hunts next year and just head straight to WX Elementary.

Addison with the Easter Bunny.

Addy patiently waiting for the horn to blow so she could run out into the field and get some Easter Eggs. She was so excited. It was pretty cute.

The next Easter gathering we went to was at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Mark's house. We did a barbecue and they held an Easter Egg hunt for the kiddos. The picture above is Addy with a few of her favorite people, Megan, her new cousin, and Aunt Angie. Megan is so cute with Addy. Addy follows her around every time we get together and mimics her every move. I couldn't be more pleased with her choice of someone to look up to. Megan is the sweetest little girl and so kind to Addy.

Addy with Grandpa Mark.

The slide at Grandpa & Grandma is one of Addy's favorite things. She spent hours climbing up and sliding down this thing.

Megan and Addy spending some quality time with their awesome aunts!

Grandma & Grandpa also had egg dying. Addy did much better her second attempt at dying Easter Eggs. I think we only broke one egg during the whole activity which was quite an accomplishment when compared to her throwing all the eggs on the cement the day before.

Addy getting her first peek at her Easter basket on Easter Morning. The Easter Bunny brought her Tangled, a Tangled coloring book, sidewalk chalk, and a Barbie, among other fun things and tasty treats. She loves Tangled and the Barbie her daddy picked out for her she walks around with all day every day.

We went to Grandma & Grandpa Duffin's house for brunch on Easter. They also had an Easter Egg hunt for Addy, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She's got this Easter Egg hunt thing down. We had a fun weekend and are grateful to be so close to our families.

First Easter Egg Hunt.

2011-04-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Addy & I went with my Mom and Sister to a Home Schooling Group Easter Party. My sister is home-schooled and activities and get togethers like this are a great way for the home schoolers to get out and socialize with other children. This party was way better than any Easter Party I ever had in school, hands down! I was really glad I decided to take Addy despite the fact that it ran right in the middle of her nap time. She was ecstatic to get out with other kids and get some fresh air, even if it was a little chilly, muddy, and wet.

The get-together was at a park near our house with big open fields, a pavilion, and a large playground. The first thing Addy went for was the playground. She can't get enough of the slides, absolutely loves them. She has no fear either. Forget the little kid slides, she goes for the biggest ones on the playground. It cracks me up.

The next thing the kids did was decorate cupcakes. They essentially made an Easter basket out of the cupcake, if that even makes sense. Addy didn't really care to decorate much. She was more interested in the eating part. I know, big surprise there :) She literally walked over, picked out her unfrosted cupcake and took a bite. It was all I could do to put a little frosting on there for her without her freaking out.

She really enjoyed that cupcake, as you can see.

Then it was on to the next activity, making a tulip out of egg cartons and other random materials. Em was more into this than Addy was, but Addy would do anything if she could just be with her Aunt Em, who she calls "Aunt Um," sometimes just "Um" for short.

They also dyed Easter Eggs, but I was too busy trying to catch the eggs that Addy was throwing around and trying to keep her from getting the dye all over her white cardigan that there simply was not enough hands to take a picture of the craziness.

Then it was time for the Easter Egg hunt. She really didn't get it at first, but then Grandma opened one of the eggs for her to display the candy inside and she caught right on. She ran as fast as her little legs would carry her from that point on to get the eggs. I was dying!

Waiting for the Easter Egg hunt to begin.....

And then before she knew it, her first Easter Egg Hunt came to an end. As you can see from the expression on her face, she felt a combination of confusion and the urge to cry. Poor thing, at least she has several more scheduled this weekend :)

Happy 86th!

2011-04-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

For Grandma's 86th Birthday Party, we headed up for Sunday Brunch at Gray Cliff's Lodge up Ogden Canyon. Nearly the entire family was able to make it and we had fun despite the downpour.

My nephews Colton, Jace, & Alec, as well as my cousin's little boy, Jackson.

My cousins Danielle & Trish. My brother, Todd, and his wife, Julie, and their kids (Kaden was off playing when we took the picture). Jackson, my sister, Emily, and Addy.

My Uncle Skip, Grandma, and Clyde, my grandma's boyfriend.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

It's a Girl!

2011-04-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

No, this is not an announcement that I am pregnant! Gotcha though. This past Saturday, Dawn and I threw a shower for Jon's cousin and his wife (Jake & Bri). She's expecting her first baby girl in May and we are all so excited for her. She marks the first grand baby in the Noyes family, which is always a fun thing.

How cute are the pom poms Dawn made!

The whole group.

We played three games. The one in the first picture was a question game. Whoever got the most answers about Bri and her pregnancy got a prize!

Game #2: Guess the baby food.

Game #3: For some reason the picture didn't load, but we played the game where everyone guesses the size of Bri's baby bump by cutting a piece of string. It's amazing how far off people can get. Some of the strings wrapped around her twice!

Proud Aunt Sara and Bri.

This little skirt Sara made for the baby. Isn't it to die for!

The hosts. I look like I could fall asleep right then and there.

Amy made the adorable cupcakes, thank you. They were a hit!

Bri opening all of her gifts. I think that baby is going to be the best dressed kid in town and may never actually wear the same outfit twice. She got spoiled! Now we just get to wait for her arrival and wait for mom and dad to decide on a name :) Congrats Jake & Bri!

106 down, 14 to go!

2011-04-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

After two gigantic presentations, a book report, two tests, and five assignments last week, I finished another semester at Weber State. I met with my academic advisor on Monday to lay out the game plan for the next couple of semesters and discovered that I only have 14 credit hours left until I graduate with my Bachelor's! I have decided to split those credits into 2 semesters, so I will officially be a Weber State graduate in December of 2011! It's only taken me eight years, but better late than never right! I can't wait!

Now let's just hope we don't have another surprise pregnancy on our hands in the next few months so I don't have a repeat of the last time I was this close to graduating :) I ended up flat on my back for 23 weeks with Addy and had to withdraw from all of my classes the fall before I was supposed to graduate in the spring. It stunk, but Addy was worth it. I just really want to get my bachelor's degree finished up already.

Sweet Dreams

2011-04-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ever since Addy was born and I am getting ready to put her down for a nap or at bedtime, I usually (99.9% of the time) hum the tune of "I am a Child of God" to her. It has always been a song that I hold close to my heart, and if you know me, that is really saying something. I have not a musical bone in my body. For me it has always brought such a sense of peace in times of frustration, anger, & sadness. I can remember singing or humming this song to myself as a young child when I was scared or uncomfortable. Without a doubt, by the time the song was over, I felt better.

I remeber the first time I was alone, putting Addy down for a nap. I automatically began singing this tune. At the time, I think it was my way of calming myself down. The fear of the unknowns and uncharted waters of a first child, every funny sound, every tiny cry, funny colored poop - a new experience, a tiny infant that I was responsible for. I sang this tune a lot those first few months of her life. To this day, every time I sing or hum that tune, a new wave of peace comes over me and I am filled with a feeling of love and gratitude for all that I have.

The habit of singing Addy this tune as I put her to sleep has evolved from a way to calm myself caring for an infant into the song taking on a whole new meaning for me from a parental point of view. I feel overwhelmed that God trusts me enough to raise this sweet baby girl. It's a lot of responsibility and I am truly grateful for the opportunity.

Today as I put Addy down for her nap, I began to hum the familiar tune. After the first few notes, my sweet daughter began to hum the tune right along with me. I realized then and there that this song has the same soothing affect for her. I have always known that she loves being held and cuddling before bedtime, but today I understood that it is much more than that to her. I love that she enjoys the song as much as I do and is overcome with the same sense of peace that accompanies me each time I hear my favorite song.

New.

2011-03-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

These were my two designs this week. My goal: look like summer!

The twist bracelet.

Two tone chain necklace.

Happy St. Patty's!

2011-03-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

From one happy leprechaun &

one hairy leprechaun!

Signs of the Season

2011-03-15T21:38:00.001-07:00

You know spring is right around the corner when you start up the grill for the first time in months. For dinner this evening, Jon grilled some steaks & asparagus for the family. I made seasoned potatoes and jello to compliment his cooking. It was the best dinner we've had in a long time. I'm really not much of a cook.

We hung out outside on the patio while Jon cooked the steaks. It was so nice to get out of that dreaded house that we have been stuck in for months.

Addy drug the barbeque cover around the patio. I'm not sure why this was so much fun, but it kept her entertained for a few minutes.

Mom & Ad playing with Saydee.

The grill master himself. He loves to have his picture taken :)

I'm looking forward to many more simple pleasures such as these this summer.

Some fresh air...finally!

2011-03-13T13:24:00.001-07:00

It was finally nice enough out this weekend that we were able to go to the park. We have been locked in the house for almost two weeks with Addy because she was sick that long with the flu and double ear infections, poor thing. She is finally feeling better and we decided to take advantage of the weather. You never know how long it will last in Utah. Em & I took Addy to Smoot Park on friday. Then Jon & I took her to a different park close to our old condo in Bountiful (don't know the name) on Sunday. I have decided that I like Smoot the best because it is geared more towards younger children. We had fun both places though.

Addy refused to swing in the little kid swings. She did pretty good in the regular swings. Em taught her how to swing her legs to go back and forth and she does it pretty well.

She also screams every time we try to get her to slide down the slide, but she loves climbing up them.

She was checking everything out.. birdies, airplanes, cars, etc. They are so curious at this age and it's fun to watch them put things together.

I have no idea what this thing is called, but Addy loves to run across it.

You can see even behind the binky that she is enjoying herself playing at the park!

On a side note, Jon & I went to see that show with Matt Damon, the Adjustment Bureau, with some friends last night and I loved it! I highly recommend it as well as the the fettuccine with lobster at Biaggi's. Yummy! Happy Weekend!

Last thought... My quiet weekend with my family seems irrelevant when compared to the thousands of lives lost in the trajedy in Japan. It seems as though the difficult part has just begun for those who survived the earthquake and tsunami. I am simply heartbroken and feeling very grateful for my family.

Bear River

2011-03-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

Jon and I just got home from a short trip up to Bear River to get some snowmobiling in before the weather warms up, hopefully :). Jon is a salesman/insurance coordinator for Mike & Sterling's Flooring America - Mike & Sterling are taking/took the company up to spend some time together away from work. Half up the company went up with Jon & I, while the other half will be going sometime shortly in the future. I am sure glad we got to go up with the first group. Everywhere we rode, we were the first people to ride since the big storm. Powder. Powder. & more powder. It was fantastic!

It was a blast, besides the fact that Scott got separated from the rest of the group for about an hour. We thought we were going to have to send out Search & Rescue to find him. Just as we were about to head back after searching the entire mountain, Scott came riding from the complete opposite direction that we had been searching in. Apparently he followed the only other people on the mountain thinking we were them. It wasn't until several miles down the trail that he realized they weren't us.

Then Jon went clear up the mountain through the trees and buried the snowmobile in snow that was deeper than he is tall. I still don't know how Jon & Sterling dug him out. He got stuck in four other places trying to get out of the area he originally got stuck in. All the guys definitely got there workout trying to dig him out. I guess they owed him though, he dug every single person out before everyone had to help him.

Other than that, it is absolutely gorgeous up there. We left Addy at home with my Mom & Em so Jon and I were able to spend some time with adults. It was nice even though we missed her like crazy. We played games, ate yummy food, and got lots of good laughs in. Thanks Mike & Sterling!

Jon

Me in my marshmallow outfit. I was toasty warm though so who cares what I look like!

Us.

The whole group, besides me of course.
Sterling, Tyler, Gina, Jon, Brenda, & Scott.

Until next year!

A Deer in the Headlights...

2011-03-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

Literally.

I. Just. Hit. A. Deer. On 1800 South in Bountiful. One second I was just driving along and the next I am slamming on my brakes to avoid a nasty collision. I barely noticed the deer in my peripheral view before I hit it. It seriously came out of nowhere. I am usually careful driving anywhere up here because there are deer running around these parts frequently. But I thought I was safe (though that doesn't mean I was speeding) in this area due to the fact that there is a huge cement wall right off of the road below Mueller Park Junior High. That's the side the deer came from.

By the time I noticed the deer, it was close, like way close. My instincts kicked in and I slammed the breaks on immediately. I didn't come to a complete stop before hitting the deer, but I must have been able to slow down quite rapidly. By the time there was impact, I must have barely been moving. I felt a little bump as I hit it, but I didn't run over it. Everything was in slow motion. The next thing I see is the deer sliding across the street into the other lane as I am looking out of the window on the driver's side. I remember thinking, "Oh no. I just hit a deer. Please don't be hurt." Just then, the deer hopped up and trotted off across the street onto the church property to meet his friend waiting for him. I was stunned. I just hit a deer and it ran off as if nothing happened.

After the shock wore off, I decided it might be a good idea to pull the car over and check out the damage to my Honda Civic. I couldn't believe it. Not a scratch. Just a little bit of deer fur (like maybe 5 or 6 strands) caught on the corner of my plate. No blood. Nothing. I decided to get back in the car and see if I could see the deer again to make sure it was really okay. Sure enough, it was walking around just fine with its' buddy. Seriously. I. Just. Hit. A. Deer. The deer seemed like it was fine, although I'm sure it will be a little sore. I just pray it doesn't have any internal bleeding or anything. I was really worried it broke its leg, but it was walking and prancing along with no trouble at all. My car went undamaged. I still can't believe that just happened. I am curious though, does anyone know who I call if this happens again and the animal isn't okay. I didn't even know what to do.

Snapshots of our week.

2011-03-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Last week was not a fun one. I was sick with the the flu/cold and was miserable all week. You know how it is when you are a mom though, sick or not, you get up and take care of things around the house and your littles. Last week was no different, no matter how much I longed for my bed so that I could get some sleep. We made it through, and I thought that maybe I even did well enough keeping my hands washed that maybe Addy wouldn't even get it. I was wrong, but more on that later.

Monday: I didn't snap out of it until Monday and then I had to kick into high gear. We have a busy week and I needed to play catch up from the week before. Monday my grandma's niece left. She was staying with us for a couple of weeks. We had gymnastics. Went to see Dad at work. Cleaned the house, grocery shopping, went target to pick up a few necessities :), and then the Bachelor. After the Bachelor and getting Addy and my grandma in bed, I finally started homework. Then I read - the Twilight Saga again. I know, I'm ridiculous but I can't seem to get enough of these books. I just love them.

Tuesday: Oh crap! Is it really March 1st already. It's my mom's birthday and Addy is definitely coming down with my stupid cold! Addy and I took her to lunch with Em. After Addy's nap, we then went on the hunt for the perfect gift! I had been racking my brain for a few days, but came up empty handed and now it was down the wire. Thank heavens Jord called me and gave me a genius idea. The Nook. My mom reads more than anyone I know! My brother and I bought her one of the new Color Nooks. She loved it! Thanks again Jord - you were seriously a lifesaver. Dinner. Cake and Ice Cream at my mom and Dad's. Addy is definitely sick. Crappy. Jon takes Addy and my Grandma home to put them to bed while I go for my jewelry class. After jewelry class and stopping by the store on my way home for a few things I had forgotten the day before, I went home and stayed up reading Twilight again. Addy woke up several times because her nose was so stuffy that she kept waking herself up.

Here's what I've learned my last couple of jewelry classes:

Seed bead stacked bracelet.

Crystal bracelet. sterling silver toggle set.

Swarovski Crystal bracelet with platinum heart-shaped toggle set.

Wednesday: Addy is so sick. Won't eat. We stayed at home and hung out all day. It was Jon's half day off, so we got to spend some time together while Addy slept the entire afternoon. It seems like that never happens anymore. Between the number of hours Jon puts in at work every week, my schooling, and with a little one, we don't take enough time for just the two of us. It was fun. We ate Mikado for dinner and then watched Toy Story with Addy before attempting to put her to bed. I read Twilight again while Addy woke up every half and hour until about 2am. Then she finally slept until 6:30. Hallelujah!

Thursday: Toy Story. Lots of books. Cuddling. Barbie. Hot Chocolate - this is the only thing besides Tylenol that helped my throat feel better and it's pretty much the only thing Addy will eat/drink besides yogurt and bananas. That pretty much sums our day up so far. I can't imagine the scene will change much for the rest of the day. Addy is miserable. I may try to get some homework in later this afternoon if I can get Addy to take a nap. Maybe a little Twilight - we'll see. Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice are definitely on the agenda on Thursday evenings after Addy gets in bed.

It seems like once a month for the past few months, Addy has come down with some miserable bug. Poor thing. Another reason I am so excited for warmer weather. I'm sick of her being sick. Hopefully it won't last too much longer, but we're only on day 3 of a bug that lasted a full 7 days for me. Yuck!

Is that bed head or what!?! Now if only she could actually get some sleep.
So much for my busy week. We have cancelled everything so that she can get feeling better and so we don't spread this nasty bug to everyone we come into contact with. I hope we have better luck next week :)

Girl's Night.

2011-02-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

Dad worked late. Mommy wanted to watch the Bachelor. And so we made a night of it.

We made chocolate chip cookies. My grandma and her niece watched the Bachelor upstairs, while me, Addy, and Saydee enjoyed the Bachelor downstairs. Addy pulled up two chairs to enjoy the show. At first I thought, "Oh how sweet. She brought a chair in for me to sit by her." Then she set her baby on the chair and I realized I was mistaken. Oh well. She still gave me a bunch of hugs and kisses and told me "Luv you." I love that she is such a cuddly little thing. It was a fun evening with just the girls.

A Few of My Favorites....

2011-02-19T19:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, maybe more than just a few. But let's be honest, I could put all of the pictures Jen Herem has taken for us in my favorites folder. Love her! Here are a few shots from the wedding:

This one is my favorite. I love how happy Mark & Kathy look with all of the grand kids. And I love that all of the grand kids are just doing whatever they want.

I love this shot also. It captured the essence of how awkward Jon is when it comes to hugging his sisters. Jessica has always been a hugger and her two brothers have a tendency to run when she swoops in for a hug. It's hilarious!

The Bingham-Spjute's.

I think this picture is so sweet. It is Kathy with her sisters. They have the greatest relationships with each other. Not to mention they are all so pretty.

Even though Kathy was dying and kept saying she was the oldest bride in the temple, we wouldn't let her get away without getting a shot of her and Mark making their grand exit. Isn't her suit adorable! She looks fabulous!

We had Jen take pictures of each individual family. I love the way ours turned out.

It was a wonderful day and we are so happy to have such amazing pictures to look back on and remember.

L.O.V.E

2011-02-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day was full of things I love:

A flower.

Not that I can keep it alive for long, but that's beside the point.

My Valentine showing off her Valentine glasses.

A great day at gymnastics. It went oh so much better this week. I might even venture as far to say as it was fun. We may not get kicked out after all. Hooray!

My family.

This is one of many great pictures Jen Herem took at Mark & Kathy's wedding. Thanks Jen!

The Melting Pot.

Jon took me last night and our friends Chase and Ashley joined us. Spinach & Artichoke dip, lobster, shrimp, duck, pork, and caramel toffee chocolate dip. Seriously.. does it get any better? We had a blast at dinner. Thanks Ang for taking such good care of Addy for us so we could go enjoy a night out.

The Best.

2011-02-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend was as good as it gets. We spent a good portion of the time with our good friends we met at the beginning of our marriage. We were all at the same places in our lives when we met: Newly married. Working. No kids. School. Just bought cute little condos that we were so excited to remodel and show off. Freedom to do what we wanted when we wanted. Then we all decided at about the same time. or God decided for us, that kids would be a great idea. Cami led the pack, followed by Ashley, then Lexi & I followed within a week of each other.

These ladies became more than just my neighbors in the time we spent living so close together - they became great friends. Cami & Jared were the first people we ever told we were pregnant. I still remember driving to Cafe Rio, sitting in the back of their car, Cami seven months pregnant, giggling (1/2 out of sheer terror), when we blurted it out.

They were the people I ran to if I needed a teaspoon of sugar. They have taken Addison for me on several occasions. They even cleaned my condo for me after we moved out and put it up for sale (mind you that they were doing the exact same thing we were and had plenty to do on their own.) We have let dogs out to pee for each other, watched each other's children, cried together, laughed together. Crafted together (oh wait, except for me because I simply struggle when it comes to crafting). Despite this fact, they were sweet enough to make an extra craft for me on more than one occasion. They are the people I called when Addy had a fever, a rash, or was just making some funny noise and I wanted a second opinion or some advice. They were my lifeline after delivering Addison. Walks in the morning to get some fresh air. Barbeques. Pot-lucks. Swimming. Basketball. Hot tubbing. I could go on and on. They are simply the best. So you can see why a weekend with these lovely people could not get any better.

Well five kids and three and a half years later, we found ourselves driving up to Morgan to see little Jack be blessed. Congrats Cami and Jared! He's a handsome little man!

Love this picture. I seriously looks like Ava is picking Addy's nose.

The boys and the kids.

Our handsome hubbies.

Saturday we headed out to Chase and Ashley's new house. It is so cute and we couldn't be happier for them.

The kids enjoyed a little Toy Story and jumping on the bed. There may or may not have been throw up involved also. Seems to be a common occurrence when our families get together.
While the girls chatted our husbands were downstairs playing a very competitive game of ping pong. Don't ask me the exact rules involved, but there was lots of screaming as the ping pong ball slapped their backs and left welts all over them. The picture I took didn't capture the damage very well. Apparently this was a fun, manly game though. They played for hours and had a very good time. Can't wait to do it again!

Sweet Angel or Holy Terror?

2011-02-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

So today we started Mom and Tot gymnastics at Flips. I was so excited to take Addy. We went to Pat's Dance and picked out several adorable dance outfits and I kept telling Addy all weekend that she was going to go to dance class. And then we went... and Addy was a holy terror! Not just sort of, I am talking full on screaming, kicking, not waiting for her turn, and certainly not obeying mom for one second. I seriously was drenched in sweat after class was over from chasing her all over the place. I'm not sure at this point who got more of a workout, me or Addy.

It was one of those wake ups for me. Addy is usually so sweet, but today I realized that I have been lacking in certain areas with her. It is very apparent that she has no other siblings yet and has not had to share her time with another child or wait in line. She has gotten everything she's wanted and while I don't think we have gone overboard, I definitely need to teach her patience. And I have to teach myself to be okay with her crying when she doesn't get everything she wants. Again, I don't think I have given in to her every demand, but we need some improvement in this area.

After class was over, I stayed to chat with her Teacher, who was so sweet by the way, to ask her if this behavior was typical the first time or if Addy wasn't quite ready. She assured me that it can be quite normal for children to act this way the first few classes. They do such a great job with these kids and I can tell even from one class with one crazy child that the activities they do in class can have a tremendous impact on a child's development. Things that I couldn't or wouldn't have even thought to teach her at home will be taught in these classes. Not to mention they reinforce teaching the children colors and shapes. If there is anything I learned from today, it is that Addy needs gymnastics. I hope that in a few weeks after she gets into the swing of things that it can be an enjoyable thing for us (provided they don't kick us out before we get there). Until then, there will not be much talk around our house about how excited we are for gymnastics. Quite frankly, I'm kind of dreading it (in a good way I guess).

Despite the fact that today wasn't quite what I expected, Addy still looked adorable in her dance outfit and that's enough to put a smile on my face :)

So they didn't end up wearing shoes after all. Oh well.

Don't let that sweet, innocent face fool you. It was downhill from here!

Pretty in Pink.

Food + Family/Friends + Football = Lots of cheering & fun

2011-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not really one to get into the whole football thing, but I'm a sucker for a good party. In fact, before we got to Ry and Dawn's house for the game, I had no idea who was even playing in it. I think it was Steeler's and Green Bay, but I still couldn't be sure. I even had to ask who won when it was over. Green Bay? Who cares! I had a blast chatting with the girls, checking out Dawn's amazing quilt work, and planning Bri's baby shower. I can officially go on record and say that I love the Superbowl, but not for the same reasons most people do. What's better than hanging out with the ones you love? Any excuse works for me.

This is for sure one of my favorite pictures to date! The two dorky cousins and sweet pregnant Bri!

Dawn always comes up with the cutest ideas for the simplest things. We decided we would do Brats and hot dogs with lots of side dishes to snack on for dinner. Then Dawn dressed the hot dogs up with these cute labels describing what to put on the hot dogs to make them a chicago dog, a chilean dog, etc. So cute! I didn't think I would ever use hot dog and cute in the same thought, but this circumstance called for it.

Chips anyone? Oh wait, Addy and Will ate them all.

Such a terrible picture of us, but I never get pictures with me in them because it seems like I am the one taking them.

More chips and Addy hanging out in Will's tent. They had such a blast together tonight. Will has got quite the assortment of toys. It's so fun that Addy is now old enough for these two to actually hang out with each other. They are so sweet together.

Will, Grandma, Grandpa, and Addy eating, you guessed it, Chips!

The whole group laughing at the commercials! Couldn't have been a better evening. Thanks to my sweet dad for taking my Grandma so that we were able to go.

A little spring in her step.

2011-02-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

In preparation for Addy's first gymnastics lesson on Monday, I went in search of the perfect little running shoes for her to wear. Maybe they won't even have her wear any shoes, but any excuse to buy more little girl shoes works for me. Besides, she has worn a size 5 for months now and then all of a sudden skipped a size and I've had to start buying her 7's for spring and summer. I got home last night after she was in bed and so I showed her the Nike shoes I found for her this morning. A big grin spread across her face when I showed them to her and she wanted them on immediately. Then she wouldn't let me take them off for hours. So that meant that she ran around in her diaper for hours this morning along with socks and her new shoes. Classy.

We are still working on Addy being able to differentiate between a coloring book and a book. She obviously still hasn't quite gotten it.

And yes, that is my sassy little girl with her pointer finger in the air telling Saydee, "No! No! No!" after Saydee tried to swipe one of her crayons. They must taste really good because they seem to be Saydee's food of choice whenever we leave the crayons on the floor for more than a second. It makes for very colorful poop. Nice.

Miniature Mommy

2011-02-01T12:26:00.001-08:00

Last week, my friend Lexi watched Addy for me while I had to do something at our condo. Her little girl, Cam, had this a miniature baby stroller for her dolls which Addy really liked. When I went to pick Addy up, she was pushing the baby in the stroller back and forth down the hallway at Lexi's house. Then she fought me to leave, this is not unusual though, Cam has a way fun house. So after nap time that day, we headed to Target to pick up this baby stroller so that Addy would have one to play with at home. Since then, she has become obsessed with her babies. We have a baby bed, stroller, bouncer, etc. you get the idea. Addy spends her entire day walking the babies around the house in the stroller, feeding the babies their bottles (handing it to them and saying "there you go"), putting them to bed, and listening to the baby noises they make when you press their belly's (with a huge grin on her face). When she puts her babies in bed, she even gives them kisses goodnight and says, "Lub you." It seriously melts my heart.

She's the best miniature mommy I've ever seen.

Despicable Me & Incredible Pizza

2011-01-31T12:19:00.001-08:00

Friday night we had a movie night with the Mann Family. Chinese, Despicable Me, and some pretty cute kids made for a fun night. Addy was in heaven! She loves being around other little ones. Not to mention that they have toys galore after having four kids and so Addy pretty much had everything she could ever want at her fingertips. She spent most of the evening pushing her friend India's baby around in the baby stroller and riding the rocking horse. Her and India also really liked to dance to the cool music on Despicable me. It was adorable and they loved the attention.

Saturday we had the Bingham Family Christmas Party. I know, kind of late, but it was totally worth the wait. December can be a little crazy anyways. The family met at Incredible pizza and ate pizza, imagine that, and then played all sorts of fun games.

We had a party room, so Incredible Pizza provided a Pinata, well a tiny kid friendly version of a Pinata. The kids would just pull strings from the bottom and the candy would fall out the more strings they pulled. Addy didn't know quite what to think of the whole thing.

After she realized it was candy falling out of the pinata, then she really liked it.

I think Addy's favorite thing to do there was drive the car games. She wanted to do it all by herself. Jon and I couldn't put a pinky finger on the steering wheel without her screaming, "Hey!" Translation: Get your hands off Mom and Dad!

So Jon and I would just sit behind her, press the petal so she could drive, and laugh at her driving enthusiasm.

Jon couldn't pass this opportunity up...

And apparently, neither could Addy. Unfortunately she wasn't strong enough to hold the hammer by herself, and when Dad tried to help her she screamed, "Hey!", so she didn't actually get to hit it. This scene literally ended in a temper tantrum.

Addy was too little to do a lot of the stuff there, but the rest of the fam enjoyed riding the race cars.

While the big kids were off playing miniature golf, riding bumper cars, and racing the go-carts, Addy spent her time climbing and going to down the slide in the play yard they had there.

They also had this fun ride for the little ones. Addy went on this thing at least twenty times. She loved it. The car played music as it drove around, so she danced to the music while going around in circles. I was getting dizzy just watching her, but she was happy as could be.

My New Hobby

2011-01-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

I have been taking jewelry lessons for the last few months from a wonderful woman named Judy Parkin. She makes jewelry, scarves, and all different types of art - her company's name is Lil' Bits of Imagination. I decided it was finally time to find a new hobby and this was an excellent choice. I am really enjoying it and have made quite a few fun things. I am running out of space to store all of it, so it's time to start selling. If you are interested in anything, email me at jjbingham@hotmail.com

This can either be a newborn, toddler, or little girl's bracelet. This picture doesn't do this adorable little bracelet justice. I adore it. I made a few other variations for some of Addy's friends, but this one I made especially for Addy.

Had to put this picture in. I am in love with this little outfit I found for Addy from Target - only $8! It was my inspiration for the toddler bracelet above. She's modeling the bracelet in this shot. She loves jewelry, such a little girl!

Bracelet

Necklace, bracelet, earring set. All real stones. I love the color.

Tiger Eye stone earring and necklace set.

Swarovski crystal and sterling silver earrings that matched a bracelet I made for Jon's Mom. (Something blue - for the wedding)

Bubble watch. I didn't actually make this piece of jewelry - Judy Parkin made it for me, but I have made a few of them and given them to friends and family already. These can also be made in little girl sizes, smaller face, smaller version of everything. Love these!

Bubble Watch Bracelet- without the watch face of course. These are so cute!

Necklaces. The thing I love about this one is that the chain is just plain silver and the stones at the bottom of the chain can be switched out to match whatever you are wearing.

This was the first necklace I ever made. I love it and it turned out great. Same as the necklace above, the decorative stones attached to the chain can be switched out to match whatever you are wearing.

All jewelry can be customized to your liking. These are just examples of some of the things I have made.

Marshmallows and Hot Chocolate!

2011-01-25T13:11:00.001-08:00

My little marshmallow is feeling much better and was needing to get outdoors this morning after being trapped in the house all of last week with a stomach bug. Although I was hoping for more of a nice stroll around the neighborhood, we woke up to a snowstorm. After being bummed initially, I decided that some fun in the snow was just what we all needed, Saydee included. So we dressed up in our warm winter clothes, grabbed the sled, and out we went.

Addy was eager to get out - apparently she didn't think I was getting ready fast enough...

She ventures out the sliding glass doors and looks at all the powder she is about to enjoy..
Don't mind the fact that she's wearing my gloves and they go clear up to her armpit. I couldn't find hers and this was the best solution. Ha. Ha.
Looks like she's going to be a snowboarder, just like mommy! Dad tends to trade back and forth between skiing and snowboarding.

After running around for about an hour, throwing snowballs so that Saydee could jump up and eat them, and rosy red cheeks, we decided it was time to go in and warm up with a nice cup of hot, or warm in Addy's case, chocolate. It did take a little coercion to get Addy to come in. Even after we brought her in and took her coat off, she snuck out for one last hoorah!

Apparently she thought it was time to shovel the walkways. Although we enjoyed the snow today, I must admit I am soooo ready for spring.

On a totally random side not, I just wanted to document a little memory for my sake. Last Saturday my Grandma went on her first real date with her boyfriend of several years since her stroke. Clyde, her boyfriend, has been asking to take her for months, but we didn't think she was quite ready to be out on her own without someone there in case she were to fall. Clyde, her boyfriend is 87, may be more frail physically than she is, so we had to wait until my grandma gained enough strength to hold her own. Well he asked if he could take her to dinner on Saturday. My automatic response up to this point was "no," but I stopped for a minute long enough to think that maybe she was ready. I told him that I needed to talk to my dad and I would call him back. My dad agreed that she was probably okay to go and so she did. I stood there with tears in my eyes as I watched them drive off to Iggys. Such a simple thing, but a major step for my grandmother. When we brought her home, she was barely able to walk, barely able to stand, barely able to communicate. Here she is seven months later walking with her walker completely by herself, getting herself dressed, going to the restroom with no assistance. I am not her mother, but I felt very similar emotions that day as I watched the woman I have cared for day in and day out for several months, regain her independence.

For Sale

2011-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Apple Ipod Touch 8GB MP3 Player (4th Generation- Latest Model) - Black for Sale. The Ipod was literally taken out of the package and six songs loaded on it, maybe used around for a day or two, but that's it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I bought it for Jon for Christmas and a few days later his phone broke and so he went and bought an Iphone, which rendered the Ipod no longer necessary. I bought it for $229. It will also come with a blue cover, a value of $15. It can be yours for $200. Email me if you are interested: jjbingham@hotmail.com

SOLD!

Poor Baby

2011-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Addy has been so sick the last couple of days. Fevers, throwing up, and diarrhea... the worst kind of sick if you ask me. She won't eat - this is a first. Every other time she has been sick, she will still always eat. At least she will drink Gatorade to stay hydrated. And the binky... she won't give it up for anything! It's like she thinks it makes her feel better. But that's the good thing about beings sick, Addy gets whatever she wants. We have watched Toy Story and Sleeping Beauty way too many times the last couple of days and done nothing but cuddle on the couch. She just wants to be held. I do love the fact that she will cuddle with me all day, but I desperately miss that adorable little smile. Can't wait for her to be all better.

Our lovely weekend.

2011-01-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice weekend. Friday night we had dinner with the Spjute's and prepared a little song for our parents and their big day the next day. We sang the Brady Bunch song, with our own words of course, and told the story of how we became the Bingham-Spjute's. It was nice to spend some time with Mark's kids and get to know them better. What a neat, talented family is all I can say. We look forward to spending more time with them in the future.

Then Saturday morning, I went to my friend's house who is teaching me to make jewelry and made this fun bracelet for my sister in law to match her adorable dress for the wedding. It turned out great, if I do say so myself. It is made out of sterling silver and all real stones. I am really enjoying this new hobby. If you look closely at the bracelet, I added a diamond ring charm so that Jess would remember what day she wore the bracelet for. I think it turned out cute.

Mark and Kathy did a civil ceremony in the temple. Here is a picture of the Bingham side of the family at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where they had the family dinner after the ceremony. Jen Herem was nice enough to come and take a few family shots and those pictures will be coming up soon, but for now it's just the pics taken by the family.

Grandma, Addy, and Will as Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Mark came out of the temple.

After the wedding Saturday afternoon, Jon and I came home and put Addy to bed. Then we went and picked up some Sushi and cuddled on the couch and watched Avatar.

On Sunday we celebrated our nephew, Will's, Birthday! Can't believe he is three already. Here he is eating his Spider Man cake. His mom made this cake and it was really something else. Jon kept telling her that she should open a business because it was so good. You can only see a little of what was left of it, but check it out. Pretty impressive. She put a bunch of cupcakes together. I hadn't seen this before... I thought it was an awesome idea!

We decided that it might be smart to strip Addy down to let her eat the cake and it turns out it was a good idea!

Her silly Aunt's were funny and drew an "A" on her pillsbury doughboy belly. It was pretty entertaining!

Then she got a bath to wash all the frosting off.

After her bath, we put her in her jammies and watched Will open his presents. That kid really made quite the haul! Addy especially loved one of his presents... I am pretty sure I know what she will be getting for her Birthday in June.. a spiderman scooter, hopefully the princess version though.

She didn't want to share this thing with anyone and was literally slapping other kids hands away when they tried to touch it. We had to take her out of the room screaming when it was someone elses turn to play on it. This went on for like forty-five minutes and finally we had to just leave because she was being such a stinker. I was so mad. Then we got in the car and she was all smiley and cute, so I couldn't stay mad at her for long. Love this little girl!

Mark and Kathy are now enjoying much better weather than we are here. They are in Hawaii. We couldn't be happier for them! As for me, I am still in my pj's today as well as Addy. Poor Jon had to go to work even though it's a holiday... the perks of a sales job. It was a busy weekend. I'm glad to have a day to recover!

Addy's comfy place.

2011-01-16T13:59:00.001-08:00

Has anyone elses children taken a liking to the laundry basket? Addy loves to go for rides down the stairs in the basket with the unfolded laundry (i.e. me carrying her down in the basket with the laundry), getting pushed along the carpet in the basket, and most recently she enjoys...

just chillin' in the basket with my old baby blanket and a pillow. You just never know what these little ones are going to come up with next. I love it!

The Holidays.

2011-01-02T11:03:00.001-08:00

The holidays this year were amazing! We are so fortunate to be so close to both of our families. We spent Christmas Eve with the Bingham side. Our evening consisted of a candlelight dinner, lights at temple square, matching pajamas, and games, followed by Addy screaming and not wanting to go to bed (finally did at midnight), then she woke up at 4am and could hardly breathe (wheezing) and began coughing which ultimately sounded like a bark. We waited it out until 8am when we all woke up and opened presents. Then we ate a yummy breakfast and then Jon and I got dressed so that we could take Addy to the only Instacare in the state that was open on Christmas day. Come to find out after a couple of hours of waiting there, the poor little thing had croup, just a mild case of it. She was so sweet despite the fact that she felt terrible. Not much you can do for croup, so we just gave her a dose of the steroids they gave us at bedtime and she slept great the next night. That was pretty much the worst of it. Anyways, so after Instacare, we went over to my Mom and Dad's house and ate a delicious dinner and hung out there for several hours.

Addy has a few favorite things from Christmas.

1. Beauty and the Beast, which she is watching in these next two pictures.

2. The bracelets my little sister made for her.

3. Snowman ornament which lights up and changes color with her name on it.

4. The beanbag my mom and dad gave her for Christmas.

5. The etch a sketch.

6. The little driving toy her aunt and uncle ryan & will gave her.

These are a just a few of the things she will not put down!

This has been the view from our family room according to Addy the last few nights.

We have been eating lots of chocolate and lounging around in our jammies, or diapers, whatever the case may be. We have also been playing a lot of Wii, my parents gave us one for Christmas this year. For any of you Wii fans out there, may I suggest Just Dance 2. It is so much fun to play and maybe even more fun to watch people playing. Everyone looks so ridiculous! I nearly peed my pants watching my mom and dad dance to one of Rihanna's songs! Haven't seen them shake their booties like that in, well... never! Not to mention it is quite a workout!

Then there was New Years Eve! Seriously, this was one of the funnest parties ever! I love fondue.

The host of the party.

The dessert fondue table.

More fondue. There was chicken, cream cheese wontons, steak, cheese fondue, a chocolate fountain, anything you could pretty much want, it was there.

Angie preparing her yummy salad.

Our friends Dan and Caroline were able to join us.

Our evening consisted of Addy playing with the remote, one of her favorite things to do these days.

Cute little Addy.

Cute little Will.

Sledding in the house.

And a little Rock band!

Thanks Ry and Dawn. We look forward to your party every year! Happy New Year!

And this last picture I just really love of Addy. I took it with my new camera. I am in love with it!

HO! HO! HO!

2010-12-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! With Love, Addison.

Photo by Emilie

Sure glad Christmas is almost here - Addy has been trying to unwrap the presents under the tree for days.

Eighteen.

2010-12-11T20:39:00.001-08:00

Picture by Photo by Emilie

This sweet little girl is already eighteen months old!

Weight: 26 lbs 12 oz 81st percentile

Height: 34 & 3/4" 79th percentile

Head Circumference: 49 cm 97th percentile

She is such a little chatter box. She talks a ton and makes whatever she says sound very important. We are starting to recognize a lot of the words coming out of her mouth, which is so fun.
She minds us really well and I am truly impressed with how much she understands.
She loves to color - literally walks around the house all day with a box of crayons in her hands.
She loves the miniature table she inherited. My grandpa Franke built this adorable wooden table for me when I was a toddler, and my parents saved it for me to give to my children. She sits at this table and colors a lot.
She loves books - some more than others. It seems like she has just a few favorites right now and could care less about the others.
She loves to cuddle and give her mommy kisses.
Sleeps about 12 hours a night. Naps for 1.5hrs in the afternoon.
Great eater, except when it comes to meats. I am still having to give her baby food meats sometimes to ensure she is getting enough protein. She has a real texture issue with meats, rice, and potatoes. Other than that, she eats just about anything. She especially loves fruit.
We are having to start the whole time out thing with her so that she learns some boundaries. She has been known to throw her plate across the kitchen if she doesn't receive things in a timely manner or if I cut something up she doesn't want cut up for her to eat. Little stinker.
Still hates bath time. Her bath time mainly occurs in the kitchen sink which she does much better with.
We have gotten rid of the binky at all times when she is awake. We are gearing up for the night and nap time after Christmas. This is a pretty big accomplishment in my book.
When she gets up in the morning, she hands me both of her blankets and helps me hang them where they are supposed to go, puts her dolly neatly in the corner - binky by her side, and then reaches for me to pick her up. This is typically followed by a hug and then her reaching for her crayon box. So sweet.
She likes to help me clean around the house. Vacuum, wipe the floor, etc. She walks around with a wet wipe in her hands wiping everything down sometimes. Seriously cracks me up.
She is fascinated with soap and bubbles.
Will not let me clip her nails. It is a fight every time that ends with Addison screaming and crying and me trying not to cry. Needless to say, I only do this when they REALLY NEED to be trimmed. Changing her diaper has just about the same affect. Neither time I look forward to.
Loves her Daddy. She gets so excited when he walks in the door from work.
Loves to Saydee. She follows her around for a good portion of the day trying to give her a hug. Saydee is very patient with Addison.
She loves being around other children.
She laughs and cackles now when she gets really excited about something. I laugh so hard. It is so cute.

We feel so lucky to have the opportunity to raise such a sweet little girl. Love her more than anything and we are really enjoying watching her grow! There's never a dull moment and I am constantly impressed with how much children learn in such a short amount of time.

Family Pictures

2010-12-01T21:22:00.001-08:00

Bingham Family Pictures 2010 by Jen Herem. We are so happy with how they turned out, especially since Addy was so not in a good mood just in time for our appointment. Not to mention earlier that day Addy wacked her head at the playground and ended up with a bruise on her forehead. Why does that seem to happen just before pictures? Doesn't matter when Jen Herem is your photographer - she does such a great job.

Be Mindful

2010-11-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

For some reason today, I have been thinking a lot about something that I came across about a month and a half ago while in Seattle. Jon and I were walking around downtown trying to find this amazing pizza restaurant our tour guide told us to try. It was quite a walk from our hotel, but parking in Seattle is outrageous, and everyone walks anyways. As we walked hand in hand down the street in our warm jackets, we walked past what must have been the homeless shelter. There were people lining up to get in for the evening where it would be warm and dry for them to rest their heads.

As I looked at this large crowd of people, one woman in particular caught my eye. This woman was carrying something tiny in her arms. My first thought, "No, it couldn't be." As I looked closer, my heart sank at the realization that this homeless woman was carrying a tiny baby in her arms. I immediately felt an overwhelming urge to cry as I imagined how in the world this woman was taking care of herself, let alone this sweet baby. How was she doing it alone with no support from loved ones around her? What about the cost of diapers, food, a coat, blanket, what about a place for the baby to sleep? The list goes on and on. I thought of everything I needed and used when Addy was a newborn, and this woman didn't have any of it. The baby was wrapped tightly in a warm blanket. I have no idea what the child wore under the blanket, but it was very evident that this woman was very anxious to get into the shelter. To my regret, Jon and I continued to walk. I was so astonished at what I had just seen that I literally was still trying to wrap my head around it. Then we found the restaurant and went on with our lives.

As I sit in my warm home today, surrounded by people I love, with plenty of food and clothing, I find myself wondering how this woman is doing with her child? Have they survived? I feel an overwhelming sense of regret as I think of what I could have done for her, how I could have helped her. I pray that this season and always, we may be grateful for how much we are all blessed and that we may be mindful of those around us who are struggling. May we act on any opportunity we have to bless the lives of those in need and not look back on experiences such as these wondering if they survived, but know that we did everything we could to help.

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-23T17:56:00.001-08:00

Just in case anyone missed the memo.... It's snowing, really hard. It's supposed to be quite the little storm. In fact, my sister in laws work at the church office building downtown and they were sent home from work early today in order to avoid the storm. Same thing goes for my dad who works for the state. Weber State even cancelled my class tonight. Jon stopped on his way home from work to grab some batteries for our flashlights, just in case the power goes out, and he said it was the store was insane. People were walking out of there with all kinds of emergency supplies and food. He even saw a fight break out between people over some batteries. People are crazy out there. So in light of the weather that seems to be causing quite the uproar, we opted for chinese and a little fun in the snow this evening. Or should I say Jon, Addy, and Saydee opted for some fun in the snow while I am still working on my homework. Nonetheless, I had to take a little break to snap a few shots of these guys out in the snow. It is Addy's first time. She keeps looking up at the sky with her little hands raised in the air saying, "Snow!" So cute. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the evening.

Did I mention that our camera is on its last leg. Bet you can't guess what I have asked Santa for??

Wahoo!

2010-11-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to announce some exciting news... Grandma (Jon's Mom) is engaged! We couldn't be more excited and are happy to be welcoming Mark Spjute to the family on January 15th, 2011!

We love you Kathy, Congratulations!

(I don't have any pictures with Kathy and Mark yet, but I'm sure we will have lots soon.)

My Day

2010-11-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

This picture perfectly describes how I am currently feeling. It is now 9pm and I have been staring at a computer since 7am this morning. The only other things I have done today is eat lunch and dinner, go to the bathroom, and a took a shower but didn't even get dressed. That's right, it's 9pm and I am in my pajamas... the same ones I have had on all day. It has just been one of those days.

Yesterday I realized that a project I have been working on for the past two months for one of my classes at Weber State was not going to work. So last night at 5pm, I started over. Today I attempted to replicate the work done in two months worth of time. I must say that I didn't get as far as I had hoped, but I got a ton done today thanks to my adorable hubby who did everything in my total absence. After hours of researching and compilation, I have a 23 page, single spaced company profile nearly completed. I will have to spend a few more hours tomorrow editing, but that's nothing compared to where I was 24 hours ago. The Company Profile was only part A of a five step project. The good news is that I will have three knocked out by Wednesday if everything goes as planned! Wish me luck! Now I am off to do another assignment for a different class before going to bed. Hope you all have a nice week! Mine is going to go by way too fast - I can already tell.

Simply Botanicals

2010-11-01T21:02:00.001-07:00

Any one who knows me can tell you that I have less than perfect skin. It's an unfortunate family curse that I became familiar with around the time I turned 12. It has been an uphill battle since that first breakout. I have tried everything to cure my incurable skin with almost no results. The one exception to that was when I was beyond desperate entering college and convinced my mother to let me try Accutane as a last resort. It worked. For the first time since I could remember I had beautiful looking skin like all of my gorgeous friends! Then the side affects kicked in and I soon realized that perfect skin was not worth the price of Accutane. My body was not the same for two years after taking that wretched acne medication. I would not recommend it to anyone. After that point, I just gave in to the fact that I was probably going to suffer with this terrible skin for the rest of my life. I was actually okay with that. There are certainly worse curses that I could have to endure. And so I have been without any prescribed medications since a few months before I became pregnant with Addy. Then after I had Addy and finished breastfeeding, I decided that the hunt for a healthy cure to my unfortunate curse should continue. I wanted something natural. Something that I could use if I became pregnant so as not to worry about birth defects, side effects, etc. And then I went to Seattle and unsuspectingly found my tiny miracle!

Now I am not going to claim that my skin is now perfect, because it isn't. But, my skin is better, significantly better, since I started using Simply Botanicals Lavender Hydrating Mist and Clear Skin Cream. In addition to these lovely natural products, I have also cut way back on dairy and only drink milk without hormones. I am in the process of doing the same with meats. The lady who sells these products made those recommendations in addition to using the products I purchased. Well, I bought these two little bottles totalling less than $25, way less than any acne medication I have ever taken, with little hopes of it working. I have learned to not get my hopes up after years of failed promised results. Imagine my surprise and enthusiasm as I have seen some changes in my skin. Now I have only been using these products for about two weeks, and so it is still early on, but I just wanted to share my miracle products with you just in case you might share my same terrible curse. There is hope and the hope doesn't necessarily lie in prescribed medications. Natural is what seems to be working for me, and that is saying a lot.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T09:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Cornbelly's

2010-10-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point with the Bingham's. To say that it was cold would be an understatement, but we had some fun prior to turning into icicles.

This was a blow up haunted house monster. During the day it isn't set up as a haunted house, but it was pretty much dark inside so scary for kids none the less. Addy didn't care much for being inside the monster, but she wouldn't take her eyes off of it once she got out.

They have a princess section set up for the kids. Here we are in Cinderella's Carriage.

They had several different sizes of these "Pillows" set up. They are pretty much really big trampoline's. Addy loved them... Not so much the jumping part, but she liked running down the slope of the "Pillow."

The family eating dinner. Hot chocolate was a must. Addy drank almost an entire cup of it herself.

Grandma, Will, Addy, and me going for a cow ride pulled by a tractor. Addy really liked it and didn't want to get out when the ride was over. Our favorite part of the evening was watching the pig races. They were so cute. We didn't get a picture because we were having too much fun watching them. Thanks for the invite Dawn. We had a blast!

Gardner Village

2010-10-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we spent the afternoon with the Bingham side of the family. We went to grab a bite to eat at Kneaders before heading to Gardner Village for their Witches Night Out. All of the stores are open and everyone is dressed up as witches. They even do a witches parade, dancing, and story telling by one of the witches if you time it right. Not fifteen minutes after we arrived at Gardner Village it started to downpour, but we still had a good time.

Grandma popping a wheely.

The family hanging out at the petting zoo.

Addy and the little goat she is looking at became good friends at first sight. She couldn't stop laughing. The goat kept licking her and she thought it was hilarious.

Addy and Aunt Jess.

Love this time of year out at Gardner Village. So many fun shops and entertainment for the family.

Little Ladybug

2010-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Our little little lady is going to be a Little Ladybug for Halloween this year. We had our first Halloween party of the week on Monday evening... The Witchy Poo Party. We ate yummy soup, the Priest of Halloween made a Witches brew for all the kids to enjoy (Root Beer and dry ice), and we read a few scary stories. Addy didn't quite understand the whole thing, but was happy with all of the treats she got. She spent a good portion of the evening at this door trying to get outside. She could not understand why in the world nobody wanted to go out there with her. The weather took a major turn over the weekend and it was way too cold for all of the adults.

Seattle

2010-10-21T10:50:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Jon and I headed to Seattle for a fun little getaway. The first night we arrived, we got all dressed up and went on an Argosy Theme Dinner Cruise. The theme was a murder mystery, very festive considering that Halloween is right around the corner. We had a really good time enjoying the mystery and getting a great look at the City from the water. Here's our ship...

We were totally bummed because this was the best picture we got the entire evening. Dumb camera.
The next morning we headed to Starbucks and how could you miss it, there was seriously one on every corner. A friend told us that there is something like 120 Starbucks in the downtown area of Seattle alone. Just insane, but I love Starbucks and enjoyed a Hot Chocolate with Hazelnut every morning. Mornings should start like this every day. This was the starting point for our Savor Seattle Food tour. If you ever go to Seattle, don't miss this! Our tour guide took us all over Pike's Market and giving us amazing samples of some of the best food I have ever had. I kid you not when I say this was our favorite part of the trip.

Thankfully our camera decided to work the following morning.

Pike's Place Market.

This little set up was in a spice/tea shop at Pike's Market.

Pike's Market is known for the fisherman throwing their fish around the Market. This was us getting ready for the fish throwing frenzy. It was quite entertaining and I must say they have some amazing smoked Salmon.

Jon was picked out of the crowd to learn how to catch and throw the fish around the market. He didn't drop the fish once and had a blast!

The fish wind up...

I don't remember why this gold pig is located in the market, but Jon wanted his picture taken with it. Not something you see every day.

Me enjoying some of the best apples and grapes EVER!

These gems were hung all over the market and I would have loved to take one home with me but there wasn't any more room left in my suitcase. They are just beautiful though.

So this place has the best Clam Chowder I have seriously ever eaten. EVER!

They had the most amazing bouquets lining the market and they were so inexpensive. We are seriously getting jipped here in Utah. It might actually be less expensive to order flowers from Pikes Market and have them shipped here and the quality can't even compare. They were stunning!

One of our many samples... Macaroni and Cheese. Best cheese I have had hands down. I can't remember the name of the place, but it was seriously cool. They were featured on Martha Stewart.

Some of the local entertainment.

Us looking out over the water from the Market.

Some of the fish at the Market. We couldn't resist taking a picture of this.

The gum wall. Kind of disgusting, but completely eye catching at the same time. Who's idea was this anyway and how did it stick?

Another pig picture in the Market. Jon thought this was hilarious!

This parking garage looks like a ship coming out of the street. So cool.

The Underground Tour. Early on in Seattle's history, their entire town was burned to ashes. Instead of tearing everything down and re-building, they just built right on top of the damage. This tour takes you down through the old city. Wasn't my favorite part of the trip, but the history was interesting.

View from the Space Needle of the City. Seattle really is such a beautiful city.

View from the other side of the Space Needle. In addition to seeing all of the visitors attractions downtown, we were also able to see some of our friends who moved here a few months ago. It was fun to catch up with Cami and Jared and see how big their cute little Ava is getting. We had a great time and hope to go back again sometime.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-18T15:16:00.001-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch in Farmington today with Grandma Duffin and Aunt Emily after grabbing a bite to eat. I think Addy liked this stick and the cart better than the actual pumpkins, but at least she figured out what a pumpkin actually was and learned how to say "pumpkin."

Grandma really dug in to find the perfect pumpkin, while the kids hung out on the path. That's not to say Addy didn't have plenty of fun in the dirt. She was covered by the time we got back to the car.

Addy loves her Aunt Em. Thanks Whit for the info. This was way better than going to the grocery store to pick out our pumpkins. I think this will be a new tradition for us every fall.

Man's Best Friend - aka Toby

2010-09-19T13:52:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was not a great day for us. We had to say good-bye to a member of our family. Toby was Jon's dog - he got him on his fourteenth birthday. When Jon and I got married, we just didn't have the heart to take Toby from his "home," and so we left him with Jon's Mom. We have gotten much grief for also getting Saydee, as this was also a gift for Jon on his birthday, but we weren't looking for a replacement for Toby. We just wanted a dog in our home. Toby was still Jon's dog and he stopped by frequently just to say "Hi."

Jon's mom called Saturday morning and told us that she thought Toby had finally reached a point where he was suffering too much and he needed to be put down. He has aged quite a bit over the last two years, but still seemed happy. I guess he had been having difficulty breathing, he wouldn't walk up the stairs, and stopped eating, completely, within the previous three days. These things were not common for him and signaled that something was really wrong.

The whole family met at Jon's Mom's and made their assessments of Toby. It was very evident that he was not well at all - still didn't make it an easy decision. Everyone said their goodbye's and then we went off to Clearfield so that his suffering could come to an end. We get there, and the guy at the counter was such a jerk, completely rude to everyone who walked in the door. He acted as if he was just there to herd everyone through. To make a long story short, everyone was upset, this guy made the whole experience nearly intolerable, and so we began to call around to see where else we could take Toby. As I was on the phone with our Vet for Saydee in Bountiful, the vet came in and they took Toby back to look at him. The vet was much nicer. I came back in with the family to tell them that our vet was getting ready to close for the day and could get us in first thing Monday morning. Then all of a sudden, one of the Vet tech's comes running out yelling, "Who owns the Corgee?" Of course we all respond and she rushes us back to the procedure room. She then proceeds to tell us that they were getting ready to put the line in and he just went agonal. Agonal? What the heck does that mean? Toby was just lying there, but looked like he was okay. The team was frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. The vet finally decided that he was suffering immensely - and he was essentially coding. He suspected heart failure, which now looking back, made a lot of sense. All of the classic symptoms were there. Anyways, they put the line in and everyone stood there in shock and utter sadness. That's when Addy and I left the room. I could see where this was heading and didn't want Addy to see what was going on. (Just to clarify, it was just the guy at the front desk that was a jerk. The other people who helped Toby in the procedure room were very kind and professional.) Then we brought Toby out to the car so that we could bury him at Jon's Mom's house.

We pulled out of the parking lot and just as we are getting ready to pull onto the main road, I see some strange girl running towards us, very rapidly. She looked kind of frantic so I looked around to see what in the world was going on. I couldn't see anything, so I just thought to myself, "wierdo." Then we pull onto the main road and about a half mile down the street we run over something? Jess, Jon's sister, realizes that we just ran over her purse that she accidentally left on top of the car. Kathy, Jon's Mom, pulls over and turns around as fast as she can. In the meantime, I am looking back and watching a man out in the middle of the road picking up Jess's purse and everything that has been spread all over the road from inside the purse. I keep thinking to myself, "He wouldn't steal it, would he?" I hoped that wasn't what was going on, but it sure didn't look good. We finally get to where her purse was and pull into the lot where this man was. He recognized the car as soon as we pulled up. Jon's Mom gets out of the car to retrieve the purse. Jon is sitting in the front seat with Toby in his lap. Jess had gotten out of the car with the idea that she could get to her purse faster on foot, which left me and Addy locked in the back seat. Keep in mind that this was not a great looking guy and as we pulled into the parking lot where this guy was, it was very evident that he was stealing the purse and wallet. The man walked over to his car where he had placed the purse and its' contents into his backseat and handed everything over to Kathy. I was completely terrified and felt incredibly grateful that this man just handed it over. Everything was there. It was truly a miracle. Then we finally got in the car and drove home. Jon and Angie buried Toby in the backyard, at which point we all crashed. What an emotionally exhausting day!

On the way up to Clearfield, someone said, "This is why I will never ever get another dog!" I completely understood why they said this, but as I sat there and thought about it, I thought, "Yeah, but just think of all the years he brought joy to our lives. We all leave this earth at one point or another, and it's never easy, but think of all the good times we had with Toby." We will miss Toby at family gatherings sitting on our feet, barking to get let in, and licking everyone in sight, but we know he is in a much better place now.

State Fair

2010-09-13T15:45:00.001-07:00

We went to the State Fair Today. It was a lot of fun. Addy absolutely loved this toy there and so we may or may not have bought her one for Christmas. I had to finally pick her up and remove her from it so that other kids could have a turn. I'm pretty sure she kicked and screamed for the next five minutes.

The Seal Show. It was really cute. Make sure that if you go that you try to go at a time when this show will be playing. Addison laughed and clapped all the way through.

So I have never been one to look at a pig and say, "Awww, how cute!" Today was a first for me.

Another thing to watch for... this little stinker sitting in the chair hung a large, fake spider from some pipes above and was dangling it down attempting to startle people. It worked, not on me thankfully, but on many other people. Pretty good idea though.
Did I mention how big some of these cows were? I don't remember ever being this close to a cow and WOW is all I have to say about that.

Addy petting the goat while he attempted to get the fudge in the undercarriage and eat her stroller.

There were a lot of super fun rides. I didn't go on any because it doesn't take much anymore to make me feel like I am going to lose my stomach, but my little sister had a blast. This was one of her favorite rides. She's sitting second in from the right in this shot.

Another fun ride.

We also enjoyed a yummy State Fair corndog for lunch. I haven't eaten a corndog in years because they typically sound revolting to me. Today it actually sounded pretty tasty, and it was! After several hours in the sun, we finally had enough and so we headed home.

Thanks for a fun day Mom!

Random thoughts.

2010-09-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

This past week was super challenging for me. I found myself longing for the old days. It's like it all caught up with me at once. I am simply... EXHAUSTED! I'm talking can barely drag myself up out of bed in the morning and fight falling asleep all day. I miss my own house, I miss my furniture, especially my bed. I miss my colorful decor - the olive, mustard, red, and brown tones. I miss being able to sleep in until Addy wakes up. I miss putting Addy to bed. I miss being able to leave whenever I want to go to the grocery store or the mall or with my friends or family. I miss having more alone time with my hubby. Last week was just one of those weeks. I'm glad it's over.

Tomorrow is a new day, a new week. This week will be much better. I can feel it already. I knew that taking care of my Grandma would be very trying, even harder than I imagined, but I cannot deny how my family has been blessed. How grateful I am for experiences such as these, for I am stronger today than I was a week ago.

Fifteen.

2010-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

We have now hit the fifteen month mark. Can't believe it has been so long since our baby was born. She's funner than ever and is our no. 1 source of entertainment. She's got quite the personality - a spunky, sassy little thing.

At fifteen months Addison is:

Walking, which she started at 13 months.
Climbing on everything - the fireplace is her favorite place to scare mom.
Has just about rid herself of her Ba Ba, Hooray!
Still has to have her binky at night to fall asleep. Seriously, what was I thinking? We have created a monster. I will never do this again with another child. So not worth it.
Has lots of teeth.
Loves to open and close doors.
Loves story time before bedtime.
Loves puzzles, at least throw the pieces around.
Loves climbing the stairs - she would really do this all day if I would let her.
Loves playing with Saydee.
Has learned to say, "No, no, no, no," and "Don't, don't, don't, don't." Thanks Grandma Craig, I really love those two little phrases. Words I like much better that she says include, " Mama, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Saydee, Em, Yes, Bye, Night-night." She has learned to sign, "Eat." Because all of our friends raved about "Baby Signing Time, " I thought we would give it a try. She loves it.
Loves to cuddle and sit in Mom's lap, when she's not busy getting into everything.
Loves shoes and tutu's.
Hates, loathes, etc. getting her pants changed.
Is helping me put her clothes on.
Loves beanies, not hats, beanies. One exception to this rule is Dad's hat - she loves it and steals it from him frequently.
She loves to play with her hair and Mom's hair.
Loves to play hide and seek and chase Mom and Dad around the house.
Loves being outside.
She loves to sit on seats that are just right for her. Examples include stairs and curbs.
She's happy most of the time and laughs a lot.

This next picture is of an adorable wooden hanger thing that my friend, Jord, made for Addison before she was born to match her bedding. I love it and have used them to hang Addy's hats, jewelry, bows etc. This one in particular hangs next to Addy's crib where she can see it. We hang her favorite Strawberry hat on it. Had to show a picture of just how cute this thing is. Thanks Jord.

Here's a picture of her favorite hat hanging on it. When we go in to get Addy out of bed first thing in the morning, she reaches for her hat and wants to put it on. We spend the rest of the morning running around like this...

We love you sweet baby girl!

Addy's 15 month Stats:

Weight: 24 lbs 12 oz (77th percentile)
Height: 31 1/4" (73rd percentile)
Head Circumference: 48.3 centimeters (97th percentile)

Rainy Days

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

It rained today. I hate rain, but we made the best of being stuck indoors.

We took lots of crazy pictures. Addy loves getting her picture taken. She's such a ham.

This is what Addy looks like when she colors. She colors in the coloring book for about a minute. Then she colors on the coffee table, until she gets in trouble. Then she runs around with the crayons in her hand and throws them around. At least she picks them up afterward.

She loves her stacking cups and shapes container.

This has quickly become Addy's and Saydee's favorite game. They play it several times a day. Addy teases Sayd by rolling this little toy around until Saydee gets a hold of it.

Saydee bites the wheel and begins the process of stealing it from Addy.

Addy sees what Sayd's going to do and does anything she can to keep Saydee from stealing her toy. This time she pulls the fur on her head.

Then she holds Saydee's head between her hands. I missed the next shot, but Addy ends up cuddling up to Sayd and giving her a great big hug. These two are the best of friends.

Labor Day - Continued...

2010-09-06T20:28:00.001-07:00

Labor Day - we started off the morning, running way behind might I add, at Jon's Mom's house. We had a yummy brunch with his family. Then we spent a few hours just hanging out, chatting and laughing. It was nice to just sit down and enjoy each other's company.

Addy and I riding the wooden horse while hanging out with the family.

After Addy had her afternoon nap, we headed up to This is the Place Monument Park. I have lived in Utah my entire life and have never ever been there. It was so fun! They have a petting zoo, train rides, crafts for kids to do, not to mention all of the interesting history for all of the adults. We will for sure be going back in October for their Halloween themed activities. Seriously, if you have kids, don't miss this little gem.

Addy petting the baby goat with Dad and Grandma Bingham. She would giggle as she pet them. It was so cute!

Addy checking out the goat's fur. It's a little more coarse than Saydee's.

And now for the sheep - Addy didn't like these quite as well.

She was completely comfortable hanging out with her goat friends.

I think this picture is adorable. Dad, Addy, and Grandma walking towards the little kids playhouses.

I love this picture. It has to be one of my favorites.

Addy playing on the toy train.

Playing some more and really liking it.

Addy and Grandma enjoying the train ride. Not sure what she is looking at so intently, but I thin it was pretty much the only time she held still the entire ride.

After we finished at the park, we went and grabbed a quick bite and headed home to get Grandma from Daycare. Now we are off to watch The Last Song, which I love! I watched it last night and am making Jon watch it with me tonight because I liked it so much. I pretty much sobbed through the last half of the show. I highly recommend it.

Labor Day Weekend - so far.

2010-09-05T21:34:00.001-07:00

We have had a very busy weekend so far. It started out Friday evening when the girls, (me, Addy, my mom, and sister), went out to the State Fair. It wasn't until we got there that we found out that it doesn't start until September 9th. Silly me. We decided to go to dinner at Zupa's, my new favorite restaurant, and then went to the Gateway for a little shopping and running through the fountains time. I forgot my camera, which I was totally bummed about, because Addy was so cute running through the fountains. She was very timid and shy at first, but by the time we left, she was soaking wet and I was chasing her through the fountains so that we could go before we all froze to death.

On Saturday we went up to Swiss Days in Heber City. I had never been there before and I don't think I will be going again anytime soon. It was seriously insane. We waited in line for an hour to ride their "Park and ride" bus up to the festival. Then as soon as we got there, we waited in line for another hour just to get lunch. Did I mention that it was like 500 degrees outside? By the time we finally got around to the fun part, the shopping, I was so exhausted and frustrated that all I wanted to to was skim through, just because we had put so much effort into the whole thing already, and then leave. I did end up finding some adorable things for Addy, but so wasn't worth it. Next time I go, if I ever do go again, I will NOT TAKE THE BUS, get up there Friday morning as soon as they open, and be out of there before lunch. My dad was in charge of pictures - there was not one picture he took that we were smiling in and we look miserable, so I chose not to post any.

Sunday we had a very relaxing day. We bummed around the house in the morning and then met at Jon's Uncle's and Aunt's house with his cousins, who are our good friends. We all brought our dogs and went to the park to let them run wild. Saydee was in heaven, seriously. She ran so much that she could barely move later that evening when her body had time to realize all the action she had seen all day. We had some lunch and just spent time hanging out in their yard the rest of the day. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. It was so nice. Here are some pictures of our Sunday activities:

Dad and Addison going down the slide. She really isn't a huge fan of the slides yet. I think they kind of scare her. She's more into picking the bark up and throwing it around or handing handfuls to whoever will take it.

This picture sums up a good portion of the day. We watched the dogs play and Addison chased Bri around trying to hand her her white flip flops and then take them from her. Thanks Bri for being so patient with her. I'm not real sure why she took such a shine to those shoes, but she loved them!

Dad trying to talk Addy into going down the slide with him. Two seconds after this picture was taken, Jon went down the slide and ended up getting a burn on his back. It was pretty comical. He slipped or something on the way down and sacrificed himself to save Addy! Way to go Dad!

Bri and Addy going down the itty bitty kid slide. She liked this one the best.

I had to post this picture because I think it is so funny. No I am not kissing Gus, but it certainly looks like I am from this angle.

We are in for another fun filled day tomorrow with the Bingham Family. Not real sure what we will be doing besides brunch in the morning, but it should be good. Jon even has tomorrow off, which is so rare. Can't wait!

The Lunch Time Routine

2010-08-31T14:00:00.001-07:00

Ever since Addison became miss independent and decided that she would not let me feed her anything anymore, she wants to do it all herself, our new meal routine goes as follows:

Step 1: Addison feeds herself. As you can see, a lot of it ends up all over her. What you cannot see is the big pile of clam chowder all over the floor underneath her. Today was especially messy. Addy decided she liked Ivan's Clam Chowder from Costco so much that she actually picked up the bowl after she was done and attempted to lick it clean. That was a first. This clam chowder really is amazing so I guess I can't really blame her. There are just really small chunks of seafood and potato - perfect for Addison to chew on.
Sorry the picture is sideways, but this is a close up of the damage.

Step 2: Bath time in the sink. We don't normally giver her baths in the sink, but we do it during lunch so that we can be in the kitchen with Grandma as she is finishing her lunch. She generally takes a bit longer than me and Addy.

Step 3: Play in the water. AND LOVE IT! For some reason Addy likes her baths in the sink and she loathes them in the tub. Go figure.

Step 4: Play some more and make Mom laugh.

Step 5: This is a must. Make mom chase me around after she gets done wiping the water up off of the tile. I hate my diaper.

Step 6: Finish getting all cleaned up and dressed so that I can play some more. Tutu and all. She is one girly girl!

Dads Day Off

2010-08-28T20:46:00.001-07:00

My Dad and Jon took a much needed break from reality today. Nothing helps these two clear their heads like a nice ride in mountains on the four wheelers.

Jon admiring the view while my dad, the family photographer, takes his photos.

They stopped for lunch at Daniels Summit and enjoyed a burger.

Jon kicking up some dirt.

Look how pretty it is. I guess they only got rained on a little bit.

Glad you guys had a fun day!

Scary, I know..

2010-08-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

Okay..so the picture turned out kind of dark, but trust me- it's a good thing. It might actually scare you to see it in good light. All I can say is STOMACH FLU!! I find myself hanging out with the dog today, my loyal friend. She is the only one who will hang out with me when I am sick. My mom came and picked up Addy at 8 o'clock this morning, Jon left for work and dropped my grandma off at daycare, and so it is just me and Saydee. It got me thinking, and making me feel a little bit guilty, about the fact that I can always count on Saydee to be there for me. This loyal dog laid with me on the couch for nine months while we waited for Addison to arrive. Then after Addy got here, I became so busy with my new little bundle of joy that the poor dog has been neglected on more than one occasion. The twenty pounds she has gained in the past year is proof. We used to take her running or to the park daily until the baby got here and now she is lucky if she gets out three or four times a month. Now our idea of Saydee getting some exercise is letting Addison chase her around the basement or getting out for our nightly walk with the family.

I don't really know what to do with myself... between visits to the bathroom I find myself thinking that I need to check on Addy, fix my Grandma lunch, etc. and then I realize that I just have to take care of myself today. I forgot what that was like. Now if only I could get off of the couch for more than two seconds. Oh well, here's to old times Sayd and thanks for being such a loyal companion!

A Day at the Lake

2010-08-18T15:35:00.001-07:00

Now that summer is nearly over, we decided we should probably take a day and go to the Lake.

It has been two years since I have skied, tubed, or wakeboarded. Way too long. This trip I also learned how to surf behind a boat, something I didn't even know existed. It was fun, but I decided I like wakeboarding better. I am better when the board is actually strapped to my feet.

This is me attempting to climb closer toward the boat where I can let go of the rope and ride the wake.

Jon getting ready to let go of the rope and get a little surfing action in.

Addy going for her first boat ride. She hates her life jacket - can't really blame her, look how uncomfortable she looks.

Addy hanging out with Echo (aka supermom). She has four of the cutest kids ever and raises them like it's no big deal. She is seriously amazing.

Addy soaking up some sun.

Me, India, and Addy drinking some Capri Sun and enjoying some dried fruit.

What a life!

Addy digging in the sand - her most favorite thing in the world to do.

My amazing man.

Addy gets all excited around sand and dirt and loves to throw it around.

She loves her floatie!

Addy, Lincoln, and Jon playing with the sand toys. Addy won't wear her sunhat, so Jon decided he'd put it on. Looks nice on him, don't you think?

Bryce Canyon

2010-08-17T10:19:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Jon and I took Addison to Bryce Canyon with my family. It was a blast. There is so much to see and do, we just couldn't get to everything we wanted to. It was beautiful and the weather was just right. Addison slept in a tent with Jon and I for the first time and she did great. Lots and lots of pictures to follow.

Addy hanging out at her favorite sight-seeing spot. Jon took her to look at some of the outlooks while Em and I went horseback riding.

One of the many critters we saw on our outings. We ran into a snake along one of the trails too, but I refuse to post those pictures since snakes are disgusting. This picture of the squirrel is much cuter.

Addy got sick of riding in the Ergobaby carrier, so we would let her get out and hike around. She loved it, especially the dirt. She has never been so filthy in her life, but she had lots of fun doing it!

Addy learned to suck water from Dad's Camelback water pack. She would get so excited when it was her turn for a drink of water.

This was one of my favorite spots, for a couple of reasons.

1. The view was unbeatable.

2. It provided lots of shade.

3. It provided a place for me to stop and breathe while Jon took pictures.

These next few pictures are from the Ruby's Inn Rodeo in Bryce Canyon. Addison didn't watch a second of it, but she had fun throwing rocks and digging in the dirt. It was fun for the rest of us.

We went four wheeling on some of the prettiest terrain I have ever seen. The next picture is of a small lake we found in the middle of nowhere.

My dad.

Me and Jon.

Check me out.

Jon.

A view from the four wheeler.

Riding around the campground.

Addy tuckered out after a hike.

She loved to arch backwards in her carrier along the hike. She thought it was hilarious.

Me carrying Addy uphill. I am so out of shape.

Digging in the dirt.

We had so much fun. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Yum.

2010-08-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Addy is now feeding herself, or attempting to at least. I think more than half of it ends up on her bib and the floor, but she's making progress. Here she is going for the spaghettios. Look at the intent look on her face...

Look how wide she opens her mouth. She wants to be sure she gets as much in there as possible. It cracks me up. She still says, "Mmm" after most bites.

A successful spoonful. I think most of this one actually made it.

A full tummy means a happy girl.