The Lee Family

It finally happened...

2012-02-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

I thought it would have happened years ago and with Phoebe, not Nate. We finally had the "hair incident."

Nate shaved his already shaved head with Tam's face shaver last night. It looks pretty bad. It's pretty bald. I'm glad it was him and not Phoebe. His hair grows so fast. So, we either have to leave it the way it is or bic (how do you spell that?) it.

just thinkin...

2012-01-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

about a way to sum up January.

here it is:

what the H was i thinking going to school full time with 3 kids?!

phew- glad i got that off my chest.

needless to say, school has been on my mind this month- it's KILLING me. seriously.

on a cuter (is that a word?) and happier note- here are some pictures of Suzy on her rocking horse that my parents gave her for Christmas. i love watching her ride it- she LOVES it.

thanks for letting me vent. i feel much better. :) kind of.

I forgot to post this...

2012-01-17T15:28:00.001-07:00

This year for our Christmas party with my parents, each family had to write a poem. It turned out so fun and everyone was so creative. This was ours...

Twas the Day of the Party

Twas the day of the party, and all through the state
Not a soul was yet stirring, they were all running late.
The cheetos and cookies were laid out with care,
In hopes of enticing some grandchildren there.

Rog was still nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of hair-bands danced in his head.
And Jane in her Moo-moo and Mickey-mouse cap,
Had not yet returned from her long winter’s nap.

When Mandi woke up she arose with a clatter,
Then sprang from her bed and whipped up a cheese platter.
Away to car, the Felsteads flew like a flash,
Then “someone” farted and fogged up the dash.

Just then across town in the land of no snow
The Bakers were bustling and almost ready to go.
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature van, so tiny and dear.

With a wrinkly old driver, so spritzy and spry,
They knew in a moment it must be…. that guy.
Less eager than beavers his children they came,
And he swore and he shouted as he called each by name!

“Come Katelyn! Come Tyler, Come Kyle and Annie!
Come Avrie, Come Livy, come on move your fanny!
Come out of the house and get into the van!
He sang as they waddled and/or half heartedly ran!"

From the north came a spirited, lively crew,
with a tear in their eyes as they passed BYU.
While next to the window Braxton didn’t budge,
As he dreamed dreams of freezers, stuffed full of fudge.

And then, back to the Felsteads, as they were drawing near
Aaron pranced and he danced, but nothing too queer.
As they drew into town, turned & headed north bound
More bowel shaking rumbles continued to sound.

The Campbell’s came next, dressed in fur head to toes
with a green booger-sickle hung from mike’s nose.
They packed all their clothes in a large garbage sack
For their suitcases were buried under things to un-pack.

The Lees pulled up last, what a sad tired sight
their 5^th straight Christmas movie kept them up all night.
Good thing the car ride was quiet and still,
No wait, not the Lee kids, now let’s be for real.

The party was festive and redneck as ever,
Thanks to ma & pa, because they’re so clever.
We laughed and we ate, gave gifts and watched a slide show,
and before we were ready, it came time to go.

As each sprang to his sleigh, after all kids had peed
It resembled a wild wildebeest stampede.
Then we heard dad exclaim, as we drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and have fun storming the castle!"

Thanks mom and dad for a really fun party! Can't wait til next time. :) Don't you love these pics of my parents at Disneyland?! By the way- did I mention that we went to Disneyland?!

Thanks Cody and Jess!

2012-01-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our friends Cody & Jess gave us this HUGE candy cane for Christmas!
Here are some pics of our kids trying to eat it.

Seriously though - how do you eat a 2 pound candy cane?!

I feel like we made it a lot easier for them this Christmas! :)
Giant gummy bear anyone?!

my phone died...

2012-01-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have been without a phone for 4.5 hours!

It's killing me.

Remember when cell phones didn't matter?
And somehow we made it through the day without one?!
Remember how I got my very first phone when I was 20?
Kids now days are getting them a lot earlier than that.
It seems hard to believe that I ever lived without one.

So, I'm sorry if you can't get a hold of me for a couple of days. I'm good at checking my email...

The guy at Verizon, who looked just like Steven Colbert off Comedy Central, told me that my phone should be here either tomorrow or the next day.

I might not make it.

Looks like I need to put more money on our Skype account.

After today, I am seriously considering getting a land line...

you know...just in case!!!

Wish me luck.

Family Pics 2011

2011-12-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks Janel for the pics. We loved how they turned out.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-09T15:46:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAM!!

Thanks for always making me laugh!
Love you!

I have no words...

2011-12-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Suzy!!!

2011-12-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

A year ago today our sweet baby Suzy was born. Love you sis!

2011-10-31T09:53:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Autism

2011-10-24T12:09:00.005-06:00

Autism has been on my mind lately. More than usual. I think it's because I've been researching and studying more about it throughout this semester for a huge research paper that's due at the end of November. I found this poem a little over 3 years ago. I love this poem. I can't believe I've never thought to post in until now.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Suzy Q

2011-10-18T14:03:00.000-06:00

I just got a new phone last week, so Tam took all of my pictures off of my old phone and transferred them on to the computer. This gem is a picture that I took of Suzy way back in May. It's my favorite!

The Sand Dunes

2011-10-08T23:23:00.000-06:00

Earlier today, we decided last minute to take our kids to the sand dunes.

They had a great time.

Nate trying to bury himself.

Suzy started standing a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe how big she's getting. She'll be walking any day now.

burying Phoebe in the sand.

Popeye face.

Picture with the sand castle right before Nate kicked it down.

We will definitely be going back again. soon.

Nate & Suzy

2011-09-27T08:08:00.000-06:00

Nate wanted to hold Suzy.

Suzy thought it was pretty fun.

For awhile.

Then she started to get a little annoyed.

One last attempt to smile before she started crying. I had to pry her out of Nate's hands. He wasn't done loving on his sister.

Nate was very sad.

Until he remembered that Blue's Clues was on.
Thanks Blue's Clues!

Free Giveaway!!!

2011-09-20T15:17:00.000-06:00

My sister Jen is giving away 3 accessories on her new blog--shipping is included. Just go to the link below to find out more details.

JEN'S JEWELS N' MORE

She has a lot of cute necklaces, bracelets, headbands, clips, etc. You probs don't want to miss out. :)

How about a new post?!

2011-09-19T10:15:00.000-06:00

I feel like I haven't had time for much since school started. It's been good, just busy. Phoebe started kindergarten this year- did I get a picture of the first day of school?! No, I'm kind of lame like that. Also, Nate started preschool. No pics of that either. One of these days I will be one of those cool moms who takes pics and films everything. But until then, here are a few random pics from the past month.

I got Phoebe's haircut a couple of days before school started- this picture was taken right after we got back- I told her to smile and this is what I got. I hope her school pics turn out better than this.

This was Nate's first homework assignment before he started preschool- to make a "This is Me" page. The paper said to use things like macaroni, rice, cereal, etc- but Nate thought it would be cooler to use candy sprinkles. I thought it turned out way cute and he was SO proud of it.

This is one of my favorite pics. We were up visiting my parents a week or so ago and Suzy was getting way tired, but kept smiling at Tamron as she was falling asleep. So cute.

On Labor day we went on a little hike with Tam's sister and her family and Tam's Uncle Wayne & Aunt Peggy and their family. It was a lot of fun to get out and do something and the weather was perfect that day.

My mom's show finally aired the day after Labor day. I totally forgot to blog about it. I wasn't sure if it was even going to happen though because they kept tricking us. Anyways, it was pretty fun- I thought it turned out good. These are pics after her reveal that night. I can finally post them.

Thanks Nate! I'm always trying to find things to do throughout the day- life just isn't as busy as I would like it to be. :)

Let me just add- I LOVE SWIG! It's so good I could go everyday- I do go everyday- just kidding- kind of.

And finally, here are some before church pics. Why do I always take pics before church?! I think it's because it's the only time I have all three kids ready at the same time. Pretty sad.

I LOVE these pics of Phoebe and Suzy (Nate wouldn't get in- of course). I took these pics yesterday- too bad they weren't this sweet when we actually got to church. But honestly, who doesn't like chasing their 5 year old all the way up to the stand and across the stand, then when you don't let her talk in the microphone, having to drag her off the stand while she's kicking and screaming?! And all of that because you really thought she was going to participate in the primary program, not ruin it. Good times.

Wow, I kind of complained a lot in this post. I hope you still liked the pics. :)

2011-08-19T13:15:00.000-06:00

Did I mention that I'm going back to college? I start Monday and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm going back to finally finish my Associates Degree - it's been over 8 years since I last stepped into a classroom. If all goes according to plan, I should graduate this spring. I haven't decided if I'm going to keep going after that- I guess we'll see how I do.

Talking about it is making me kind of nervous- wish me luck!

WEEZER!!!

2011-08-11T11:28:00.000-06:00

We went to a Weezer concert down in Vegas last weekend! Soooo much fun. I can't believe I've waited 12 years to go. I want to go again- right now! It was outside around 5 or 6 pools- so that was kind of fun. Here are some pics from our trip.

Aubs- Shan- McKay- Missy- Tam

I was SO excited- as you can see by this pic!

Missy bought a Weezer necklace while we were there.

Sara bought Weezer underwear while we were there- and wore them over her pants. Love her!

Sara playing her air guitar during the song "Buddy Holly"- Weezer has the best songs to air guitar to.

At one point during the concert, River got into the pool by where we were standing. I was kind of freaking out. I wish the picture would have turned out better. Oh well- it was AWESOME in real life.

I've decided that I really do have a crush on River. I didn't think it was real, but then we saw them live.

BEST. CONCERT. EVER.

Thanks Tam! That was a fun anniversary gift!

2011-08-05T11:31:00.001-06:00

My mom's episode of Carson Nation will be on this Sunday, August 7th @ 7:00 pm
on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network)- for all of you who are interested. :)

NEVER MIND- FOR SOME REASON IT KEEPS SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ON, THEN LAST SECOND IT'S NOT. SORRY- I'M NOT SURE WHEN MY MOM'S EPISODE WILL BE ON FOR SURE.

Happy 7 Years!!!

2011-07-31T12:22:00.001-06:00

(couldn't find any recent pics- this was life before kids)

Happy Anniversary Tam-
I can't wait to celebrate with you and

next weekend in Vegas!

Love You!!

Happy Birthday Nate!!!

2011-07-10T11:46:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Nate's 3rd birthday! I can't believe it. He's getting so old. Does this mean he's not going to be as naughty?! I don't think I could ever be that lucky!

For the record, Nate CAN be a really sweet boy. I have seen him share with both Phoebe and Suzy, he tries to help out when they are sad and he also says please and thank you all the time. But, it all comes down to the fact that he is a boy. A wild and crazy, WILD boy! I blame Tamron for that. Apparently, he acted a lot like Nate when he was a kid. His poor mother.

Just so Nate doesn't have any question whether or not he was a good boy for me, here are a few memories from this past year. :)

This segment will be called "REALLY?! Nate!"

(these are in no particular order)

As a lot of you may know, Nate really likes to paint with poop. I'm hoping that stage is over, but this happened more than once- 5 times to be exact. I'm not sure why I don't have pics of the first and 4th time, but here's 2, 3, & 5.

Here are a few other things:

These next two were fun to clean up:

(while Tam and I were cleaning up this one, Nate dumped a whole bottle of lotion all over our bed)

(this one happened the morning of my b-day! happy b-day to me! i still ended up having a great b-day)

We go to Tam's parents almost every Sunday for dinner. Our kids get into everyone's stuff. All the time. Tam's mom finally invested in some child locks after one particular night there. Here's how it went down (sorry, no pics. I didn't have my camera):

After we finished eating dinner, we were cleaning up when all of a sudden Nate walked in covered in glitter gel. Crap. The Lee's had just got brand new carpet in all of the bedrooms, so I was freaking out thinking that it was going to be all over. Luckily, the glitter was just all over Nate and his clothes. But I noticed something else all over the floor. Nate had dumped a whole bag of fish tank rocks everywhere. I was not happy. While Tam and I were cleaning that up, Nate made his way into another bedroom and covered himself in make-up. Awesome! So I gave the kids a bath before we were about to head home. I thought we were in the clear, but then Nate handed me an empty play dough container. Are you kidding me?! The color of the play dough was blue. Dang it- probs the worst color it could be. So, I went from room to room trying to figure out where the play dough ended up. Of course, it ended up in some brand new carpet. So I spent the next 30 minutes or so scrubbing the floor with my mother-in-law! Good times.

These two are the most recent:

One Saturday morning, Tam and I were just being lazy and watching tv while the kids were playing on the back patio. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. I got up to get it but before I got there, the door opened and there was Nate totally and completely naked and his only response was, "Hi mom!" Then he ran in past me. What the heck?!

So, the kids were playing on the back patio- we have a really tall fence that we lock, so the kids won't get out- the front door is the only way out and we were sitting right by it- how the heck did Nate get to the front door. Tam followed him to find out. Nate climbed on our little picnic table, climbed onto the garbage cans and jumped over the fence- naked. Then I heard the door again- "Surprise mom!"

Needless to say, we put an end to that that day. We moved things around & took things out of the backyard. So, no more naked boys running around the neighborhood.

So Nate, you are a wild and crazy boy that keeps me on my toes constantly, but I probably wouldn't have it any other way- well, maybe I would have it a little toned down. But the point is, we love you anyway. Because even though you make me cry sometimes, you make me laugh more. You are just so dang funny. Love you buddy!!! Happy Birthday! Can't wait to celebrate with you!

(I was gone for Nate's birthday. I was up in Provo for my cousin Wes' funeral. One of the sweetest funerals I have ever been to. He was such an amazing guy. Our hearts still go out to his wife Lori and kids Lucy and Spencer)

Carson Nation

2011-06-23T23:00:00.000-06:00

Carson Nation is a new makeover show premiering on June 25th on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The host of the show is Carson Kressley- he literally threw darts at a giant map to decide which small towns he was going to visit. Beaver, Utah just happened to be one of those small towns that was chosen. My mom was nominated as one of the 3 people they made over in Beaver. We were all really excited about it. We love you mom!

Check out THIS video sneak peek of the episode that my mom is in, and THIS video clip from Regis and Kelly where Carson tells my mom that she was wearing man jeans.

I think the episode my mom is in airs on July 9th.

wHiTe TrAsH bAsH

2011-05-05T13:14:00.003-06:00

We hosted a white trash party (thanks to the idea we stole from our friends jeremy and analee) back in February. It was good times and fun was had by all.

tHe CoMpAnY

(love edward in the background)

tHe FoOd

(a few days before the party, Tam and Shan collected condiment packets from different restaurants. They were a nice touch.)

tHe GaMeS

"Why the neckbraces?!" you might ask?! Well, because everything is funnier with a neckbrace- just sayin...

(not pictured: Brad who won the toilet seat horseshoes. His prize: A kitty soap dispenser.)

Thanks for a good time! Let's do it again!

Happy Anniversary?!?! If you can even call it that!

2011-05-02T17:56:00.003-06:00

The other night I was telling a couple of my friends about the dreaded mullet. They didn't know me back in the days of the mullet. It got my thinking whether or not it was really as bad as I remember- so I looked it up. Indeed, it was. My first post about the mullet was exactly 4 years ago today- so I thought I would do a little anniversary post.

Pretty dang awesome, right?!

Can you believe I sported this look for over a month before I found someone I trusted to chop it off. Yes, chopped. The picture below was how much I had to chop off to make it look decent. Pretty sad, since my hair was probably the longest it had ever been.

Anyways, there you have it.

Hi

2011-04-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

Surprise- a new post. I'm like 3 months behind, so I thought I had better get started. I'm not even sure where to start...so how about we start with the most recent and work our way back?! ok! Awesome!

We had a pretty low key Easter this year. Just stayed home the whole weekend. The Easter bunny did come visit us though- which is always fun. Then we went to church- can you believe that we have church from 2-5. WORST.CHURCH.TIME.EVER. Nate has fallen asleep in Nursery like 3 times now. Anyways, after church, we went to our friends Wes and Amanda's house for Easter dinner. It was a lot of fun and we ate some yummy food.

Tamron's sister Rachael and her family came down for a little visit the week of Easter. We had a lot of fun playing games, watching movies, bowling, etc. We were sad to see them leave. Hudson is their cute baby.

I've been wanting Tam to stain my kitchen table a light green for probs like 4 years now and he keeps saying no, because it's too much work to sand. There's a lot of detail, especially on the chairs. Bummer. But, he wanted to try it on something- so he chose my red table. I think it turned out really nice.

He enjoyed that project so much, that he wanted to stain something else- I suggested my kitchen table, but he decided on a chair from the living room. So, I think he's pretty much going to stain EVERYTHING in the house, EXCEPT my kitchen table. Sad.

My mom made ugly dolls for my kids for Christmas. They love them. Especially Nate. He named his ugly doll Monster Green. So original. :) The other day I came downstairs to find him buckling Monster Green in Suzy's bouncer. I thought it was so cute.

This is what happens when you leave the room for 2 seconds. Nate decided to try and feed Suzy blackberries- she was not very happy.

I think this kid would eat popsicles (spelling?!) all day long if I would let him.

We got Phoebe this electric drum set for her birthday this year. I love that it came with headphones. Yay!

Well, I got myself mostly caught up. But there are a few things that deserve their own posts. What?! You might ask?! Well, here are some sneak previews...

Chinese New Year

We celebrated Chinese New Year with Tam's family.

WHITE TRASH BASH!

Did I ever mention that we hosted a White Trash party in Feb? It was pretty amazing. The picture above is what gave me the inspiration (besides the fact that we copied the idea from our friends jeremy and analee).

So, one night I was making dinner and in the middle of it, realized that I didn't have parmesan cheese. I found a bunch of cheese packets in our pantry and used those in our meal. As I was opening each packet I kept thinking to myself, "Wow, this is really white trash." Tam came home for dinner and saw all of the packets on the counter and said, "Wow, that is really white trash." Good times! Anyways, we felt that it was our duty to host such a party. More on that later- once I get my hands on some pics from Janel.

REALLY?!?!

(that's not chocolate...)
Do you guys remember my very first Really?! post from like a year and half ago? Well, I have a special edition Really?! post coming up soon. I'm going to call it "Really Nate?!" It's going to be a post about how cute Nate is. Really.

one year ago...

2011-04-04T22:04:00.000-06:00

One year ago today, my sweet sister passed away. I've been thinking all week about what I could say for this blog post, but nothing feels right. I don't know how to express my feelings. I will never forget the devastation that I felt the moment we got the bad news, and I haven't been able to stop missing her since. I have often felt that it is comforting for her to have died on Easter, because of what Easter stands for. I am grateful for the atonement and the peace that it brings, but there is still an emptiness that I don't think will ever go away, and maybe it shouldn't if it helps me to remember her. I know that I will see and be with her again, but it is hard not to feel bad for those of us that were left behind, especially her family. We all love and miss you Sara!

Happy 5th Phoebe!!!

2011-03-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

It's Phoebe's birthday for another 20 minutes, so I decided to hurry and do a post. I can't believe that I have a 5 year old. I feel so old. Phoebe had a cupcake party this year. My sister in law Aubrey helped me make these giant cupcake cakes. I think they turned out so cute. And Phoebe thought they were the greatest! All day today I would say, "Happy Birthday Phoebe" and she would say, "Happy Birthday mom!" I don't think she understands the concept of birthdays yet, but she sure had a fun day.

We invited our families over for some cake and ice cream. We also had a piñata. A cupcake piñata. We weren't too prepared for that. We didn't have anywhere to hang it, nothing to hang it with, and nothing to hit it with. So, Tam had the kids punch it open. We started with just the younger kids, but that was taking forever, so we let the older kids join in the fun. They had it open pretty quick. It was crazy. It ended up being a really fun party.

We love you Phoebe Jane!

I'm taking a break from blogging...

2011-01-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

10 YEARS!!!

2011-01-24T12:48:00.000-07:00


Can you believe it's been 10 years since we graduated?! Crazy!!! Well, this post is to let everyone know that we have started a PV class of 2001 blog. You can find it HERE. The purpose of the blog is to let everyone know what's going on as far as the reunion goes. And to reconnect with old friends. Yay!!! The point is to spread the word! If you were at the 5 year reunion, you know how important it is that we do that. And if you weren't there- it's probs because you didn't hear about it. Lame!!! So, if you graduated from PV in 2001- or even if you didn't and you want to help out- then PLEASE make a blog post or facebook or email about it to let people know. Because there are people working hard to make it all happen. Shout out to Abby!!! Thanks Abby for being willing to do this! Ok, so what did we get from this?! Check out the blog and spread the word! Thanks!!! The End!

trying to catch up...

2011-01-03T12:43:00.000-07:00


Thanks Shan and Aubs for getting Tam this Edward blanket for his birthday. He really loves it and cuddles with it every night. :) Christmas 2010

Phoebe Jane

enjoying her new rollerblades. she's actually pretty good.

Nate

Suzy

(my mom made the cute bears and the ugly doll- she made an ugly doll for each grandkid- i'll have to post pics of my other kids dolls.)

i love sleeping babies

Suzy's Blessing


We blessed Suzy yesterday, January 2. It was such a great blessing- Thanks Tam. And what an awesome way to start out the new year. Big thanks to everyone who came and shared this special day with us. And for helping with food and treats. Love you Suzy!!! Happy New Year!

I just love my dad

2010-12-26T19:18:00.000-07:00


Here's my dad dressed as cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation at our family Christmas party. Good times.

since everyone else is doing it...

2010-12-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

i thought i would post our Christmas card since everyone else is doing it. so, tomorrow's Christmas Eve and i still haven't sent these out. what?! as you can see by the pics, i have a reason why i haven't sent them out yet. i have crazy kids. and being a mother of three is hard. so, here's a sneak preview of what's coming in the mail. yay!

2010-12-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Happy 28th Birthday
Cute Husband!

Love You!

2010-12-04T21:37:00.001-07:00

Suzy Michele Lee

December 3, 2010 ~ 12:25 am

7lbs 12oz ~ 19 1/2 inches

I've never been induced before, so I didn't really know what to expect. The hospital told me that they would call me anytime between midnight Wednesday night and midnight Thursday night. Kind of a huge gap. Wednesday night we decided to have Tam's sister sleep over just in case we had to leave during the night- the phone call never came.

Thursday morning I woke up and did the usual morning routine of feeding the kids, getting Phoebe ready for school, etc. Finally at noon the hospital called just to tell me they weren't ready for me and would call me when they were. Thanks. ;) No, I'm glad I heard something. I was starting to think they forgot about me.

Around 6:00 I got another phone call- this time from my doctor. He was explaining to me how busy the hospital had been that day, but how he was still trying to get me in that night. He said to give him a couple of more hours to figure it out. Well, an hour later, at 7:00, the hospital called me back and told me to be ready to come in at 7:45. Yay, finally. Tamron's mom came to have a sleep over with Phoebe and Nate- thanks Roxie.

By the time I got hooked up to everything it was about 8:15. My doctor came and broke my water at 9:30, I got my epidural around 10:00, then by 11:30 I was up to 7cm. The nurse came in and checked me again at around 12:10 and I was to a 10. My doctor came around 12:20 and after only like 2 minutes of pushing, Suzy came at 12:25. My easiest labor yet. Nothing to really complain about- except I think Suzy has her night and days mixed up, so she was up the entire night last night except for a few short naps here and there. Thanks mom for staying up the whole night- I'm sure you're super tired today. Hopefully tonight will be a little easier.

Waiting for us to come home from the hospital.

Nate's first impression of Suzy: could care less that there was a new baby, just wanted to hug me and sit on my lap.

Today: same

Phoebe's first impression of Suzy: just wanted to hold her every second. kept saying, "a suzy, i'm so happy."

Today: could care less. just wants my attention.

We just love Suzy. I forgot how much fun & work it is to have a new baby.

Thanks for all the visits, outfits, dinners, etc. We have a lot of great friends and family.

Maternity Pics

2010-12-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Remember how I don't like prego pics of me?! Well, my friend Janel insisted on taking some and I agreed. I'm glad I did. It'll be fun to have them later. Anyways, here are a few that she snapped of me last night. Thanks Janel.

thoughts...

2010-11-29T16:47:00.001-07:00

I went to the doctor today.
I am now dilated to a 4.
I keep thinking any day now, but she never comes.
My doctor decided to induce labor this Thursday, Dec. 2nd if she doesn't come before then.
I'm super excited!
Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel.
I've been pretty sentimental today.
Been thinking about Sara a lot.
I found out that I was pregnant 4 days before she died.
I was going to tell her the good news when she got out of her coma.
We've decided to name the baby Suzy Michele.
Michele was Sara's middle name.
We're excited for Suzy to come.
We can't wait until Thursday.

The End...

2010-11-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


We had an early Thanksgiving with Tam's family last weekend while his sister's family was in town from Texas, so we didn't celebrate today. We've been spending the day watching movies, sleeping, and just lounging around- which I am totally ok with since I'm pretty close to having this baby. Only 13 more days- if I make it to my due date. So I just noticed in my last few posts that Phoebe's hair is NEVER done. Don't judge me- I promise that I do her hair sometimes, but when I know we're not going to be leaving the house, what's the point?! I'm lucky to even get clothes on her some days...even if they are PJ's...like today. We're having a few friends over tonight for pizza and to watch a movie. That's an ok thing to do on Thanksgiving...right?! I'm going to pretend that it is. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! :)

Random...

2010-11-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Do you think it's ok that Phoebe drums, sings, and plays on the trash can (naked) every single day until she drives me and the neighbors crazy?!

What about if my entire house looks like this?!


How about if I let Phoebe wear this all day today...even if we have to go to the store to get diapers?! Wanna know what I discovered this morning?! Why is that chair there you ask?!

Really?! What's he sneaking you might ask?!

Just these- his favorite thing in the world right now.

I'm not really even sure how many he ate before I caught him. But by the wrappers in the trash I would probs say 10 or more.


At least he's throwing his wrappers away...right?! I'm happy about that- it's not easy bending over to pick things up now days. A special thanks to Phoebe for drumming and singing "Deck the Halls" while I type this post- where did she even learn that song?! I REALLY need a nap.

venting...

2010-11-08T15:07:00.001-07:00

I hate car troubles. Our car has been making some really weird noises lately, so we've been trying to figure out what's going on. We think we've finally figured it out, but now there's something else wrong with it and the part had to be special ordered. It should be here tomorrow- thank goodness- but I've been without a car since Saturday. It wouldn't be so bad if we had two cars, but we don't- just a car and a scooter. It's funny how you don't think about how much you really use your car until you don't have one. I really don't have to go anywhere, but it bugs me that I can't.

Needless to say, Phoebe was pretty stoked to get on the bus today to go to school. Poor Nate though, he's been stuck at home with me. I almost attempted taking him on a walk or something, but I'm just too dang tired to do anything that ambitious- pretty sad- I know.

Thank you to all the family members who have offered their cars or to come pick us up and take us somewhere- so nice of you guys- but it's probably good for me to stay home because then I'm not tempted to spend money.

Good luck riding home from work in the rain Tam! :)

(This is possibly the lamest post ever...oh well)

Halloween Fun

2010-11-01T18:01:00.000-06:00

We had a really fun Halloween this year. It all started Thursday with a parade at Phoebe's school- parents weren't invited to that- dang it, but I think she had a great time. She came home really happy. She dressed as Elmo for her parade.

Later that night, we went to our ward trunk or treat. The plan was for Phoebe to dress as Elmo again and Nate was going to be a dragon, but when Phoebe saw the dragon costume, she decided that that's what she wanted to be. We had a MAJOR meltdown, so needless to say, I gave in and let her be the stupid dragon. It was totally high waters on her plus she refused to wear shoes (another meltdown), so it looked even cooler on her. Nate ended up being Elmo. He didn't care what he was as long as he got candy. I forgot to take pics of that event because I was not very happy.

After the trunk or treat, Tam and I hosted a little Halloween party at our house with some friends. We ate homemade chicken noodle soup, carved pumpkins, dipped apples, ate pumpkin cookies, and watched a movie. I think it turned out pretty fun. Here are some pictures of us showing off our pumpkins.

Janel ~ Jon

Shan ~ Aubs

McKay ~ Missy ~ Garrette


Me ~ Tam (I guess I should have waited to change into my pj's- oh well) Friday night was spent with Tam watching the kids, while I had a girls night with Melissa. We went to Krave for some ice cream and just sat and talked for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun. I really needed it. Thanks Tam and Mel. After the Halloween costume nightmare on Thursday, I decided that the dragon was not going to be a choice. I went to Mandi's (that's who I borrow my kids costumes from every year) on Saturday and picked out a couple more. So we had Elmo, Blues Clues, and a Care Bear. I let Phoebe decide first to avoid any type of meltdown- plus like I said before, Nate really didn't care as long as he got candy. First she decided on the Care Bear, so I got her dressed and she threw another MAJOR fit. At that point I was pretty ok with the idea of just staying home, but since we were meeting up with my family at a trunk or treat, then for soup after, I decided I had better just deal with it and make the best out of it. Anyways, to make a long story short- she finally decided that Blues Clues didn't bug her- YAY! And we ended up actually enjoying ourselves.

*BLUES CLUES*

*ELMO*


After hanging out with my family, we decided to head over to visit Tam's parents before we took our kids home to bed. I totally didn't recognize them when we got there. Hilarious. It's not like them to be so wild. :) After the kids were to bed, we played cards and ate treats with Cody and Jess. Thanks guys for coming over. We had a lot of fun. Halloween day was great because our kids actually did really well at church. Probably the best they've ever been. I can't remember the last time I came home from church not sobbing. It was awesome!!! I like coming home happy. Then I took a 3 hour nap. Thanks Tam. Later we went to Tam's parents house for soup bowls and dessert for his sister Kate's b-day. It's been pretty busy, but really fun. The End (I promise)

32 weeks

2010-10-18T15:58:00.000-06:00

(I'm actually almost 33 weeks now)

I hate pregnant pictures of me, but decided to take at least one this pregnancy...so here it is. Been feeling ok lately- just really tired- I blame that on getting up every 5 seconds in the night to pee and having two wild kids to deal with throughout the day. :)

Went to the doctor today for another ultra sound. He wanted to check the placenta again- it was a little low last ultra sound. Anyways, everything looks great and we're still having a girl.

We're getting pretty excited for this little one to come. Only 51 more days to go.

Fulfilling a middle school dream...

2010-10-04T12:41:00.001-06:00

Melissa called me last month to tell me that our favorite band from middle school was playing in SLC, so of course we had to make the trip up there to see them. I wish we had a choice. So, here we are at the Hanson concert last Thursday. Tam's sister Rachael came with us. We had sooooo much fun singing and dancing (as well as i could being pregnant) to all the songs (well, at least the old songs) - honestly, we didn't know any of the newer ones. I guess we're not true Hanson fans.


The venue where they played was pretty small, so we were able to be really close if we wanted to. I mostly stayed in the back so I could sit down on a chair though. Not going to lie- I felt pretty lame being there pregnant, but I did see one other pregnant girl there so that made things a little better. Here's one of the many videos I took during the concert. This is Hanson singing the famous "MMMBop" a couple of octaves lower. :) Sorry, but you can totally hear me and Melissa singing along.

Thanks for all the fun girls.

2010-09-25T15:12:00.001-06:00


(waiting for the bus) Phoebe's really loving school. It's been so nice having her back. Something fun happened the other day- well, fun for me. Sometimes it can be hard being a parent of a child with special needs because most of the time you have no idea what they need or want, or whether or not they had a good day at school, or what exciting things they did at school that day. It's not like they can really tell you- well, at least Phoebe can't...yet. Anyways, Phoebe came home the other day- it was like any other day- walked in the door, threw down her backpack, stripped down naked (except her diaper), took out her hair things, then came to the table to eat lunch. While she was sitting there, all of a sudden it looked like she remembered something awesome. So, she got her backpack, opened it, pulled out a piece of paper and said, "look, elmo." It was a piece of paper with a bunch of stamped elmo faces on it. She was so excited about it. Obviously that had been the highlight of her day and I was glad I got to see her so excited. She hung her new picture on the fridge. So cute. I know this probably sounds really stupid to a lot of you, but believe me when I say that this is a huge step for us. And the highlight of my week. I'm so happy with the progress Phoebe's making.

I love this little man to death, but he makes me so tired. His favorite word right now is "no"...of course.

I made these cute witch boots with my mom and sister Mandi yesterday. We had so much fun, we've decided to do a craft together once a month. I'm excited. I like hanging out with them. Thanks for a fun day girls. Can't wait for next time.

2010-09-16T11:41:00.000-06:00


We've been loving being back in St. George. We found a nice place to live and Tamron has a really good job. Life is good. Tamron works at Dixie College as the coordinator of testing services- which means he runs and manages the testing center and all the people that work there. He really likes it. I'm glad. He even has his own office, so Nate and I go visit him sometimes while Phoebe's at school. We mostly go for the candy, but it's still fun to see Tam during the day. :) Nate tries to get on these golf carts every time we go, so Tam let him sit in one the other day. He was in heaven!

I feel like I need to explain these pics- well, Nate is a poop. :) Ok, he really is, but here's the real explanation: one of Phoebe's goals this year in school is to be able to identify all the members of our family (mom, dad, nate) plus grandparents. So I've been gathering individual pictures of everyone to send to school with her. I didn't have a real recent one of Nate, so I decided I had better take a new one. These are some of the attempts. Needless to say, I gave up and ended up using one from a while back. Oh well. In the 4th pic, he's actually hissing at me. Not sure where he learned that...weird.

It's times like this that make it nice to be back in St. George and around family. For Sara's b-day last night we met at the Baker's and ate pizza and wrote notes to Sara. Our notes were things (goals, service, etc...) that we were going to do for her. That was our present to her. Then we went to the cemetery and decorated her grave. It was a good night.

2010-09-15T13:34:00.001-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA!!!

still missing you everyday. love you.

2010-08-18T22:51:00.000-06:00

Tamron got a job at Dixie College.
We're moving to St. George! Yay!!!

July Fun

2010-08-03T16:50:00.001-06:00

Here are some random pictures from July.
Nate doing what he does best...getting dirty.

I straightened Phoebe's hair for the first time.
I think it turned out pretty cute.

The many faces of Phoebe Jane

Swimming

We had our annual 24th of July party at my parents house. I can't believe I didn't take a single picture. Pretty sad, huh?! The party was really fun, but we were missing Sara like crazy. We made these shirts and all wore them for the 5k run/walk. We thought it would be funny to do the 5k in memory of Sara since she hated running. We all had a great time.

After the run we all went and watched the parade, then came home and ate a really yummy lunch and had the annual fish pond for the kids. Later we had "The Campbell Soup Bowl" (chunky style
) where we all broke into teams and played different games. It was a blast.

Then later that evening we made homemade pizzas in my dad's pizza oven (no worries, he didn't burn his face this year) and did our annual talent show.

The Baker's made up a song about everyone to the tune of "I looked out the window"

The Barney's made up a song about their family to the "Brady Bunch" theme.

The Felstead's dedicated their whole skit acting out dumb things my dad has done over the years and what he should have done instead. Hilarious!

The Campbell's acted out the story of Rapunzel. Mikaela made a really cute Rapunzel. :)

And we did "Thank You Notes" that we made up about everyone.

We ended the night eating ice cream and watching fireworks. It was really fun. Thanks mom and dad for another great year! :)

2010-07-26T15:57:00.003-06:00

We're having another

GIRL!

*update: there are a couple of names that I like, but I think we're leaning towards Suzy. I haven't quite decided on a middle name yet.

2010-07-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

I've sure been missing this cute girl a lot lately. Hopefully life starts to get easier, because I'm not sure how much more I can take. Love you Sara! Wish we could laugh and joke with you again.

Happy Birthday Nate!!!

2010-07-09T10:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Buddy!! I can't believe it's been 2 years! :) We love you!!!

REALLY?!?!

2010-07-07T04:05:00.000-06:00

*It's 4:00 am- and I'm still not in bed. I hate when I can't sleep!!!!

*Why am I still throwing up every morning?!?! Shouldn't I be over this by now?!

*How come I have a cold and ear aches in both ears?! So tired of being sick!!!

The End!!!!

2010-06-20T19:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's in our lives!
Love You Guys!!!

SKALOOZA

2010-06-04T00:17:00.001-06:00

This is my bro-in-law Aaron. He's pretty awesome. Not only is he awesome, but he's also a huge nerd. HUGE nerd. :) He like works with computers or whatever... anyways, he and a friend created

SKALOOZA

So, this website is way cool. So cool that I wanted to tell you about some things you can do:

* you can look up your old high school yearbooks

* you can look up old songs that were popular back in the day (Semi-Charmed Life, Brandi)

* they also have a memorial page that lists the people who we graduated with that have passed away. :(

Anyway... Skalooza is pretty cool. You should check it out. (go ahead...click the link...you know you want to)

Plus, it's free. Can't beat that.

THANK YOU!!!

2010-05-27T20:50:00.001-06:00

I'm really late posting this...I mean REALLY late, but I still wanted to post it because I want everyone to see how great my family is. :) For Mother's Day, my sweet cousins gave my mom, sisters, and me these cute necklaces. I thought it was so nice of them to think about us. We all have been wearing them everyday since we got them. We all miss Sara so much and these necklaces are such a great reminder of how much we love her and wish she was here with us.

So thank you to:

The Lundin Girls
(Laurie, Amy, Rachel, Abby)

The Ludlow Girls
(Phoebe, Erica, Megan, Laura, Addie)

The Truman Girls
(Lucinda, Suzy)

The Bowler Girls
(Toni, Brooke, Ashlee)

LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!

In fact, California is so good that...

2010-05-12T15:50:00.000-06:00

we moved back home not even 24 hours after I posted my last post. Yes, that's right. We no longer live in California. We've been having a hard time getting Phoebe's schooling figured out. The school in California wouldn't accept all of the testing and paperwork we already had done here in Utah- so they were planning on testing her again- which is fine- it was just that it was going to take a long time to do it. We decided that it was the best thing for our family to just come home and get her back in school right away. She's been having a hard time away from it. Another reason we decided to come home was because of me. I'll be the first to say it- my heart has not been in a lot of things lately and moving away from my family at this time in my life was one of them. It's true- I'm a mess. I've been so emotional lately with everything that has happened, plus being pregnant, that I physically and mentally didn't think I could do it. I guess I was right- we only lasted a little over a week. Hooray for us! ;) Anyways, that's the sitch. We're up in Beaver again living with my parents until we figure everything out (thank goodness for awesome parents). We're planning on moving to St. George. Wish us luck! And thanks for putting up with me.

California

2010-05-10T23:33:00.000-06:00

I feel really bad about my last post. I feel like I was just venting and feeling bad for myself through the entire thing. Life really is good right now. California is too. I've made some really good friends out here- which I'm so grateful for. These sweet ladies are so great. They plan and invite me and the kids to different activities almost everyday and it's been so much fun. Just what I needed. This past Saturday we even went to Six Flags. So thanks Liz and Andrea for the fun adventures. :)

I thought I would post some pictures of our new place. These apartments were already furnished, so we didn't have to bring much. And apparently I didn't...dang me for forgetting my clothes. Thanks mom for sending them to me. Can't wait til they get here. Hoping it's tomorrow.

The crazy kids. Yes, Phoebe's "dress" is see through. It's actually a swim suit cover. You have to pick your battles...right?! And yes, Nate has a black eye. Poor kid. A few nights ago the kids were jumping on their beds and Nate fell off and hit his eye on the night stand. It was really sad.

My mom made this cute cross stitch for me for Mother's Day. I love it. Thank you mom. It really explains how I think we're all feeling right now. Just want to let my mom and Roxie know how much I love and appreciate them. Thank you for all that you both do for me.

update on the lee's...

2010-05-06T22:45:00.000-06:00

Well, Tamron graduated with his MBA this past Saturday. Just wanted him to know how proud and grateful we are of him. He got a 4.0 in the masters program. It amazes me how well people can do in school when they're married and have kids and jobs...etc. Anyways, congrats Tam and we love you!!!

Sunday morning we headed to California. Longest drive ever. Ok, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The dvd player saved our lives. Thanks mom and dad for letting us take yours last second because we're lame and forgot to charge ours. Doh. Our total travel time was 14 hours, so you can imagine how the kids were towards the end...blah.

California's been ok. I'm not going to lie though...I'm really missing my fam right now. A couple of months ago I was totally for adventure in my life...but lately...I just want to be home. I miss home. Tamron promised that we could move to St. George after this summer. I'm really excited.

(Thanksgiving: when life was still good...)

I'm still pretty sick. I'm hoping that ends soon...

Anyways, this post is really kind of lame...not much has been going on since we've moved here. The highlight of the week was getting internet today. Pretty sad...I know...

A few major changes in our lives...

2010-04-22T15:54:00.001-06:00

First, Tamron's graduating with his masters on May 1. No more school! Ever! Ever! Ever!! Yay!!! I'm sooooo excited!!!

Second,

just for the summer. Tam's going to sell security systems to try and pay back student loans. Hopefully it'll be a good experience.

Third,

and I'm soooooo sick!!!

btw- my blog is no longer private. I'm not sure when or if I'll change it back, so put me back on your google reader!!! :) Thanks!

Letters to mom/ Sara

2010-04-20T10:59:00.000-06:00

I have had several people tell me how good they thought Sara's funeral was. I agree. It seems as though everyone's favorite part were the letters to Sara from her kids and Brad. They were so sweet and precious. I can't help but cry every time I read them. I thought I would share them with all of you who couldn't make it to the funeral. I hope Brad doesn't care.

Dear Mom,
I love you. You are nice. You helped my teacher at school. You picked me up from school. We spent time together going to the store. We went to McDonald's one time. You love me. We had a lunchable at Lin's together. I'm happy you are in heaven. I love you very much. I miss you.
Love, Avrie (5 years old)

Dear Mom,
I wish you were still here. You died on Easter Sunday. You are sure beautiful. I love you. I miss you so much. Dad really misses you too. He wishes you were here and he could hug you. It has been a tough week.
Love, Annie (7 years old)
P.S. you really did die on Easter

Dear Mom,
I love you so much. I wish you were still here. You are a good mom and always took good care of me. Our family misses you so much! I love you! I bet you are in a wonderful place now. There are a lot of people doing nice things for us. We are really sad, but we will be ok- don't worry about us. I know you are in heaven with Jesus, and happy. I hope to see you soon. We love you!
Love, Kyle (9 years old)

Dear Mom,
I love you, nobody can replace you. I can remember when I was little you used to help me collect seashells at Lake Powell. You were always helping us. I really miss you. You were always offering service to everyone. I'm sorry that you missed my birthday on April 1st, but I know that you wished you could come. I pulled some good pranks. We know you are in a better place now, watching us. You are the best mom ever, and I can feel you. I know you will help us get through. I love you mom.
Love, Tyler (11 years old)

Dear Mom,
This has been a very tough week. We all miss you so much. We have all cried a ton. I'm going to miss you doing my hair mostly every morning (well dad can try), and you telling me what NOT to wear for church. I'm also going to miss massaging your back, and you yelling at our dog Emma because all the naughty things that she has done. Well for sure, someday, I'm going to prove that Emma can be a good dog, and outstanding! (but it may take a couple of years...) And don't worry, I'll try my best to keep my grades up! I miss you so deeply, and I'm glad to know that you are happy where you are, and not in pain.
I love you....
Katelyn (12 years old)
P.S. Just promise not to haunt me if our dog Emma gets pregnant.....

Dear Sara,
Over the past few days I've picked up on one of your old habits- I've been checking out the obituaries section of the newspaper to see if I'm in it. As you know, you're in it, and I'm not too happy about it. My heart is broken and I hurt like never before. I miss you.
I received much hope and strength from General Conference over the Easter weekend. The prophet and apostles seemed to have written their messages only for me. I didn't realize at the time that it was to help prepare me for today- me, sitting here, sobbing like a baby with our kids- and you, in front of us, resting in your casket.
I could really use one of your big warm hugs- and your kiss on my cheek. I know you are here now- so plant one on me.
Thank you for the past 20 years. I remember the first time we met- July 25, 1990, 5 pm, at the St. George Taco Time. We were both experiencing our first day of our first job together- and yes, it was YOU, not me, that burned the meat on that fateful day. I remember thinking a few weeks later at work, as I was approaching my 16th birthday, who I would take on my first date to Pine View Homecoming dance. I remembered the counsel of parents and leaders that "you marry who you date." Then I wondered who my wife would be and what she looked like- I fantasized for a moment- then looked up, and there you were, running the drive-through cash register. What a hottie!
Our Heavenly Father brought us together- it was meant to be- You were my first kiss and only girl I ever dated- My true and only love. Our marriage, 5 years later, in the St. George Temple will seal us together forever. What joy you bring to me- 5 wonderful kids and a glorious future through eternity together.
I will do my best, but I can't fill your place in our home. Stay close and keep an eye on us. Especially the kids- they need to feel your comforting love.
Tell our loved ones with you on that side of the veil- a big hello, and we miss them, too. Also, put a word in, that some of us, here, are a little anxious for the Lord's return- I know you will be coming with Him. Until then, I'll try being patient- that will be new for me and the kids- but you are worth the wait. We have a great bunch of family, friends, and ward who are being life savers for us. I've never felt so alone and empty- or that so many people cared.
I love you, Sara- and hope to see you real soon.
Love, Brad
P.S. I was serious about you planting a kiss on me today.

Brother and Sisters

2010-04-15T18:48:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about my siblings since my sister passed away last week. I've been thinking about whether or not they know how much I love and appreciate them. My family's not really the kind who shares their feelings or even hugs, so this is a little weird for me, but I want to make sure they know. :) Jaesi did something like this about her sisters- which was way cute- so thanks Jaesi for the idea.

SARA:

* the oldest sis

* was a wonderful mom
* was a great cook
* was very gullible and so hilarious
* was always concerned about others
* loved chocolate chips and used to sneak them while her kids were at school

(it makes me so sad to write in the past tense. i miss her so much and hope she knew how much i loved her- THIS song has been on my mind this past week- such a good song.)

JEN:

* second sis
* very motivated- she ran two marathons
* best shopper in the world- uses coupons and makes money :)
* LOVES chocolate
* great mom
* glad to serve

MANDI:

* middle child

* loves to shop

* makes me laugh all the time- has a good sense of humor

* very patient with her kids

* loves to be crafty

* such a fun mom- she celebrates every holiday

MIKE:

* the brother
* loves to talk about business and new ways of making money

* fun dad

* LOVES Disneyland

* likes spending time with the whole family

* Probably drives Meagan crazy with all of his new ideas- an entrepreneur

Sara Michele Baker

2010-04-05T22:06:00.000-06:00

St. George, Utah: Sara Michele Campbell Baker, age 35, passed away Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 in Las Vegas University Medical Center. She was born September 15, 1974, in St. George, Utah, the first child of Roger and Jane Esplin Campbell. She was raised in St. George and graduated from Pine View High School, 1992. She married her first love and high school sweetheart, Brad Baker on June 8, 1996, in the St. George Temple. They are the parents of five children.

Sara loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. She was an amazing organizer. She also loved to plan and set goals. Sara was kind, tender, compassionate, genuine and wanted things perfect. She was active in the LDS Church and served as a Primary teacher and counselor, cub-scout den mother, and as a Relief Society Counselor. Her greatest love was her husband and children. She was such a good wife and mother. Her whole life was centered on her family. Family time was so important to Brad and Sara. Their children know how much they loved each other.

She is survived by her husband, Brad and children, Katelyn, Tyler, Kyle, Annie, and Avrie; parents Roger and Jane Esplin Campbell of Beaver; sisters Jennifer (Beau) Barney of Lehi, Amanda (Aaron) Felstead of St. George, Christina (Tamron) Lee of Cedar City and brother Michael (Meagan) Campbell of St. George; Grandfather - Bybee Campbell of St. George. Father and Mother-in-law Phil & Lynette Baker of Washington City.

Sara is preceded in death by: Grandparents, T. Lavoy and Phoebe Esplin, Clidene M. Campbell. Nephews: Brecken and Brayden Felstead. Niece: Audrie Campbell. Brother-in-law: Charlton Robert Palmer.

Funeral services will be Saturday, April 10, 2010, 11 am, Sunset 1st Ward, 82 N Dixie Drive, St. George. Viewing for friends and family will be held Friday, April 9, 6 - 8 pm at Spilsbury Mortuary and Saturday 9:30 to 10:30 proir to services. Interment will take place in Tonaquint Cemetery.

Special thanks to Dixie Regional Medical Center, St. George, Sunrise Hospital and University Medical Center in Las Vegas for their kind and compassionate care.

2010-04-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

My sister passed away yesterday on Easter Sunday after an emergency surgery. We love and miss her so much. Please continue to pray for her little family. Thank you for all your prayers, phone calls, emails, etc.

I love this post by Mindy.

Update on Sara

2010-04-02T17:49:00.000-06:00

It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling right now. I've been sitting at the computer for over 30 minutes just staring at the screen trying to figure out what to say. It's crazy how fast life can change. This post is to update all of you on how Sara is doing and also for journal purposes. I guess the easiest way is to just start from the beginning. (this is going to be a long one)

(getting ready for her second surgery- March 31, 2010)

This was written by Brad:

Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The day for us to remember and forget
We stopped by for an MRI (4th one this week) where the little "bulls-eye" targets were placed on Sara’s head. After a brief visit from Dr. Kaplan and the Anesthesia dude I kissed Sara good-bye and told her that I loved her. Then I was kicked out to the waiting empty room. (The lone and dreary wilderness)
I was lonely and hungry - as usual - (7:45 Vegas time), so off to the cafeteria - to eat 2 pancakes the size of my plate. Rog and Jane joined me around 9:30 am where we waited together and watched the history channel.
The clock was approaching noon, and we hadn’t heard anything. Other patients families came and went, but we just sat there. I was realizing that things had not gone as planned. Finally, Dr. Kaplan joined us and said that Sara was in recovery. He said the news wasn't good, but still hopeful. We were told that things were complicated in her head (surprised?) - lots of scar tissue causing problems. There didn’t seem to be any signs of infection so he seemed baffled as to why Sara was sick and losing vision.
During the procedure the anterior cerebral artery was damaged. It was apparently not repairable. It is related to her left leg area somehow.
We were worried - big-time, but still not knowing what the heck was happening. After a whopping 30 seconds of briefing us the Dr. left us confused and freaked out and said we could see her in a while. ---what the heck?
After another hour I went to the phone and called recovery to get in. What I saw was horrible. Sara was unconsious but her legs were kicking (like trying to kick sheets off) and arms flinching. Her left arm was a little limp compared to other limbs. The Nurse wasn’t to informative other than pointing out her left arm wasn’t too active. That made me feel better - NOT.
We have many different Dr’s and specialists who never seem to discuss business together and a wife who seems to be having a seizure over 3/4 of her body. And a freaked out husband. She had a rolled up cloth stuffed in her mouth protecting her from hurting herself (I guess) and a breathing tube in her mouth. I snapped a photo with my phone then the nurse kicked me out so Sara could be sent off for a CAT scan. Back to the waiting room for me. It was another 4 hours of watching "Nazi’s in America" on the history channel with Rog. He seemed entertained enough. (J/k)
At 4:30 I called on her again and they let me in. She was resting now - not kicking anymore - so at least she looked normal - other than the tubes out of her head, arms, PIC line (surely other places,) and cloth stuffed in her mouth. It took the same nurse about 3 minutes to tell me to go to lunch and that "she would call me" if she needed me...
Rog, Jane, and I walked outside in the cold hurricane wind to head across the street to DelTaco for some lunch - then we realized it was 6pm and not lunch, but dinner.
We sat there for a while because at least it was warm and we could get free refills.
We headed back to the hospital around 7: 30. I called on Sara to learn that she was on her way to the ICU. We headed up and actually beat her there. After a few minutes she was rolled by us by 4 or five people. Rog and Jane didn’t get a glimpse but I saw that it was her.
That was 2 hours ago. It is now 9:30 pm. I have called 2 times to get in, but was denied. Obviously things are not routine here. I am about to make my next attempt to see her.

April 1. 2010

I was finally allowed in to see her in the ICU. Even after all we have been through in the past 8 weeks, I was still shocked by all the medical equipment. I think she must be hooked up with about everything they could find. I feel fortunate that this technology is available. She has EEG equipment hooked up monitoring her brain. You can see a dozen or so wires hooked up to a black box left of her head.
They are keeping her in coma for about a week. Another shocker. I came this morning hoping to see her waking up, but Dr's say it's necessary to prevent further brain damage. They are preventing brain activity and pressures low. There isn't much for me to do here. Rog and Jane stopped by and brought breakfast.
We are all heading home today. Dr. Beraldo Vasquez - cool guy will call me when things begin to change.
"Thank You," to you all for kind words and acts of service. Please continue to pray for Sara.

It's been a really emotional week. It seems as though my emotions are finally getting the best of me. I spent the past few days with the Baker kids, so I was having to be strong and positive- but now I'm having a hard time. Thanks again for all your prayers and phone calls. Please continue to pray for my sis.

back in the hospital

2010-03-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

my sister's back in the hospital down in Vegas. she hasn't been feeling very good lately, so she had another MRI the other day. the MRI showed infection in her brain. they're hoping she won't have to have surgery again, but it's a possibility. she will be down in Vegas for 3 weeks. we love you guys. can't wait to hang out with the Baker kids this weekend. :)

Spring Break

2010-03-23T11:49:00.000-06:00

(March 18-20)

For part of Tamron's spring break, we decided to take a trip up north. Of course I forgot my camera, but I was able to take a few pictures with my phone. We spent Thursday night with Tam's sister Rachael and her husband Zane at a place called Jungle Jim's. So fun! It was like Disneyland for our kids. They loved it. Nate's favorite ride was this rocket ride that I took pics of. He rode that probably 10 times. It doesn't really look like he was enjoying it from the pics, but that's because when I took the pics, he was waiting for it to start. He had a hard time waiting. Phoebe's favorite ride was a mini rollercoaster. She probably rode that one 10 times too. It was so cute to see our kids have so much fun. If you live up north- you should go. It's so cheap for the kids and free for adults (as long as you're riding with your kids).

(Love that Zane and Tam rode the rocket ride. They only did it once to try and show the kids how to make the rocket go up and down. I'm glad I got a pic of it though)

Nate was soooo tired in this picture. The rides had worn him right out.

After a couple of hours of rides, we went to get some ice-cream, where Phoebe enjoyed her first concert- well, sort of. There was a band playing in the ice-cream shop and Phoebe went to the front to dance and drum with her spoon on a lamp they had set out. It was cute that she liked it so much, but pretty embarassing for us, so we decided to leave. Phoebe freaked out for like 30 min. It was sad. Oh well, we're mean parents.

Friday morning we headed to the Hogle Zoo. It was kind of cold and the animals acted like they hated us. Plus, we didn't even get to see half the animals. They just weren't there...so that was kind of lame. We still had fun though.

I was also able to meet a couple friends for lunch after the zoo. It was so fun to catch up with them. Then we headed down to Lehi to visit with my sister Jen and her family for a few hours. We ended up spending Friday night at Tam's grandparents in Monroe.

Saturday we spent most of the day in Monroe, then headed down to Beaver for dinner with my parents. We finally made it home at midnight on Saturday.

We had so much fun visiting with family and friends. Thanks to everyone for a fun weekend.

And finally, here's a picture of Phoebe that I took a couple of weeks ago while we were at the Lee's. I thought it was so hilarious.

2010-03-16T10:44:00.000-06:00

If you got an email from me inviting you to something called TUBELY - it wasn't me. Just to let you know...

4 Years Ago Yesterday (I'm a little late)...

2010-03-14T00:06:00.001-07:00

PHOEBE JANE

was born. Happy Birthday sweet girl!

We had a party for her yesterday down in St. George with our families and a few friends. I think it turned out pretty fun. The kids went on a Dora adventure to find their backpack goody bags. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us. We love you Phoebe! :)

I'm tired...

2010-03-04T11:50:00.004-07:00

I'm tired of the snow. As soon as it's almost gone, it snows again. LAME!!! I miss St. George.

I'm tired of being stuck at home all day with nothing to do.

I'm tired of Tam's school schedule.

I'm tired of having sick kids. It's so sad.

I'm just tired of being tired...
(is that how you spell tired?! it looks weird)

On a happier note: Tam suprised us with this slide a couple of weeks ago. The kids are loving it, which means I am too. :) Thanks Tam!!!

That's all for now!

The Baker Kids!!!

2010-02-22T11:01:00.003-07:00

We spent Thursday-Saturday with these cute kids. So much fun. We did a lot of fun things, but one of my favorites was making this music video. Enjoy!! :)

(when we copied the video it must have been on a weird setting because it copied it in a split screen, so don't mind the big green screen at the bottom of the video. lame. i still need to figure out how to change it.)

Also, Sara came home from the hospital Saturday night. It did end up being meningitis. They didn't know whether it was viral or bacterial, so they're treating her for both. She's doing a lot better. Hopefully she doesn't have to go back down.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-15T12:04:00.004-07:00

I spent most of Valentine's Day in Las Vegas with my parents and siblings to visit Sara. It was so good to finally see her in person. She's still in a lot of pain, but it seems like she's doing pretty good...or at least trying to. So, we found out that the doctors really don't know yet whether it's meningitis or not. They're still trying to figure it out. Kind of frustrating. If they can just figure out what it is, she might be able to be transfered to the hospital in St. George...which we're all praying for- it would make life so much easier for her little family. We love you Sara!

When I got home at 7 pm last night, Tamron had already made dinner, fed the kids, gave them a bath, and got them ready for bed. Thanks Tam! It was so nice to just come home to everything already done. I just want to say THANKS to all the husbands/wife for letting us go down to Vegas to see Sara. It was so much fun to spend time with my whole family. :)

(I forgot to mention that Brad was there as well. He took the pics for us. Anyways, I need to mention him, because he's the one that has been there through it all. I can't even imagine what he's going through. We love you Brad.)

Another update on my sis

2010-02-13T20:55:00.002-07:00

Brad posted another post on their blog about Sara. Just thought I'd share it with you guys so you know what's been going on with my sis.

Brad here - it is officially the longest I've ever gone without sleep - yes, I am Grumpy.
Last night was winding down when Sara informed me that she was running a fever of 102 - that led us to call her Dr's office in Vegas - which led to a trip to the emergency room in St. George - then a 2 am drive to Vegas - which is where we currently are - back in Sunrise Hospital...
Brain surgery and recovery is unveiling itself as a bigger pain than expected (for Sara, the most).
Sara has felt awful since Monday night - major head-banging - The Dr's are running tests here - including another CT scan, spinal puncture (sounds pleasant, huh), and MRI scan #3 this month.
She may have spinal meningitis, brain fluid leaking out of her eye, and other possibilities. All I know is Sara is in terrible pain - non-stop. Her face is really puffy and swollen.
I hope we can get her fixed up this time.
Thanks to Andrus,' and everyone for helping with the kids. Joel makes a great 3 am treat shopper for our road trip. Thanks a bunch. We owe a lot of people favors - we hope to make up for it soon.

The doctors decided that it is meningitis. She will probably have to be in the hospital for 2 weeks. Poor Sara. My parents, my siblings and I are all heading down to Vegas tomorrow morning to go visit her. It will be good to finally see her.

Update on Sara

2010-02-12T15:01:00.003-07:00

My sister Sara went to the ER last night and is now back down in the Vegas hospital. Apparently she has fluid leaking from her brain. She's getting another MRI done. We don't know a whole lot at this point, but please pray for her.

Love you Sara!

Remember...

2010-02-10T15:45:00.009-07:00

So, I was going through some old pics today to find a certain one for Melissa. I had so much fun looking at old pics, I decided to share some of them with you...I mean a lot. They're in no particular order.

REMEMBER...

how we got these toad-a-lly awesome shirts from the DI and mine got stolen while I was at cross country practice?! So sad.

REMEMBER...

*eating at Burger Place?
*being in love with Legolas?
*going out to eat whenever we wanted?
*how Spence's thumb is bigger than my pointer finger? And that I have a Jay Leno chin?!

REMEMBER...

the D&C 131 tree and that "8 isn't E nuf"

REMEMBER...

*writing stories every Saturday morning
*wearing the same outfit every week after church
*singing, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for every family talent show?!

REMEMBER...

*having cool friends
*staying up WAY too late
*grandma and grandpa go to a costume party
*Paula Cole's song, "I don't wanna wait." Where she totally has hairy armpits in the music video?!

REMEMBER...

going with these cute girls to the special ed. conference?!

REMEMBER...

working at Charlie's?!

REMEMBER...

when I got my tonsils out in 3rd grade and got get well cards from these sweet girls?!

{Morgan Griffin Whipple}

{Abby Lundin Tatton}

{Tammy Twiggs Knudsen}

REMEMBER...

choir trips?!

REMEMBER...

when Melissa almost burned down our apartment while we were making smores?!

REMEMBER...

Coily the spring sprite and how he always said, "No Springs?!"

REMEMBER...

young love?! I just love this guy!

REMEMBER...

*EFY for the first time
*EFY for the last time
*being an EFY counselor?!

REMEMBER...

middle school, friendship pics, and wearing socks with sandals?!

REMEMBER...

mall pics?!

REMEMBER...

New Kids on The Block?!

REMEMBER...

riding our bikes to the temple & temple devotionals?!

REMEMBER...

cross country races and trips?!

Good job if you made it through. It was a long one. :) Anyways, that was fun. The end!

Random Post

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

Tamron gave Nate a haircut last night. He cut it into a mullet first to be funny, but I made him cut it off. That's still a sensitive subject for me. ;)

I took some pics of the kids today after church. I decided that I needed to start taking more pics of them. Too bad they won't sit still long enough to take decent pics. Phoebe would not look at the camera and when she finally did, she did that really creepy smile. Oh well...I tried.

Nate's getting so big. He looks a lot older with his new haircut. He actually looks a lot like my nephew Jake with this buzzed look. Anyways, if you were wondering why we have boards tied to Nate's crib...here's the answer: (and if you weren't wondering...here's the answer anyway...)

When we moved up here to Cedar, we moved into a way smaller apartment. This apartment is only 2 bedrooms. We have always had Phoebe have her own room because she usually gets up in the middle of the night and stays up for who knows how long. So for the past 7 months, Nate has been in our room...blah...so just recently, we decided to move him into Phoebe's room. It was hard at first, but they're getting used to it and actually enjoy having each other in there. I think Phoebe might even sleep through the night now. Anyways, so we had to put boards on his crib because the first couple of nights she kept climbing in his crib with him and waking him up. The end! Just thought I'd share that with you. :)

Ideas Please!!!

2010-02-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time lately trying to keep my wild children entertained. What kind of activities do you do with your kids during the day?! If I leave my kids alone for more than 2 minutes, they do something naughty and I end up crying. How do you guys keep your kids happy and stay sane?! I need ideas. I know a lot of you guys do arts and crafts and play with play dough, etc. I've tried those things with my kids and they just don't work. So I guess the real question is: how do you moms with hyperactive kids keep your kids entertained?!?!

Please note: I can't usually take my kids outside by myself because we don't have a gated yard and they run in different directions, so that can't be one of the ideas! ;) Anyways, I'm desperate here- if you can't tell. So, if you have ANY ideas...I would LOVE to hear them. Also, we're talking from 8 am- 9 pm.

THANKS!!!! :) Sorry- this post is super lame. At least it has pictures though...right?!

update on my sis

2010-02-02T18:39:00.003-07:00

Brad posted an update on Sara on their blog, so I decided to copy it to mine so you could all hear what's going on. Here it is...

Brad here:
I am making my first attempt to post on a blog - I'm a lover NOT a blogger.
Today is quickly becoming a long day. It seems to have started yesterday when we came to Vegas to get blood work, EKG testing, and all registered. We stayed in a hotel accross the street (from Sunrise Hospital) but neither one of us slept (and we weren't honeymooning!)
Check-in time was 5:30 am then off to MRI where they put 10 "bulls-eye" stickers on her head. Surgery started at 7:30 am and lasted for 3 hours. It was good to have Rog and Jane in the waiting room even though Rog snored most of the time. The Dr. brought us good news that the surgery was a success. He thinks he got all the tumor, and it was NOT cancer.
We were told to go upstairs where Sara was in intensive care. On our way down the hall the doors opened up out came Sara - straight from surgery (Jeepers)- on a gourney on her way to the elevator. I was honestly not prepared for what I saw. Rog, Jane, Me, Sara on a gourney, and 2 dudes driving her - crowded in an elevator and went up together. Sara seemed awake - she reached for my hand and held it, but she doesn't remember it now. She has more tubes and drain pipes coming out of her head and body than I care to see - even for a Master Plumber.
They had us go to a waiting room while they moved her in to intensive care - for about 30 minutes.
Big brother Jason came next - with 24 life saving Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I did my best with them but recently sent the few left overs to the Nurses station (as instructed.)
I finally got permission to see Sara in her room - but quickly had to get out to the hall. They had to take out a staple out of her head because the"drain hose (plumbing) was kinked." Jeepers again.
After getting permission to come in - I saw her head unbandaged- Jeepers again. She looked like the Klingons on star trek. The drain tube was visible under her skin on her forehead.
(Then I had to sit down on the chair and hear the nurse ask me if I was ok)
Her head is shaved from the ears forward

(So now she looks like this)

and now thankfully has gauze taped over her stitches / staples and plumbing- (whatever the heck they were)
She is resting well. Thanks to good drugs.
She is not blind or dead so her biggest fear of being buried alive in a coffin is now behind us.
She comes and goes as the hours pass - it is now 5:30 pm utah time. She can't smell but hopefully will be able to. It is common for this surgery to lose smell because 1 "smell" nerve is cut when the brain is moved around.
Yay!!! The nurse just took out a few gruesome needle things out her hand and chest. (I am sitting.)
Anyway - a big thanks to you all. It has been a life changing few weeks for my family. Thanks for your love, prayers, fasting, service, babysitting, hospital survival kits - especially those with extra provisions for me.
Love Brad and Sara -

So there you have it. BTW- that pic of Judy was inserted by me---NOT Brad... He's not that mean...but I guess I am...doh!!! Love you Sara! :)

2010-02-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

My sister Sara, just found out a couple of weeks ago that she has a brain tumor. They don't think it's cancer, which is good. She's getting surgery tomorrow morning down in Vegas.

We love you Sara and will continue to pray for you and that everything goes great. Good luck!!!

Sweet Phoebe

2010-01-17T17:30:00.004-07:00

As some of you might know, Tamron writes poetry. After many years of bugging him, he finally made a book with some of his poems. One of my favorites is about our little Phoebe Jane. I hope he doesn't mind that I'm sharing this.

Sweet Phoebe

So free from cares, so quick to play,
So peaceful as she skips away.

Epitome of innocence,
She is naive of consequence.

She radiates an inner love,
Which rivals any I know of.

Her countenance is clean and pure,
She is a valiant soul for sure.

Her loving Father knew full well,
To shield her from the powers of hell.

He sent her here with us to stay,
For now, so she can laugh and play.

We'll love her, teach her, hold her tight,
We'll keep her safe both day and night.

We're humbled that God sent you here,
Sweet Phoebe we'll be always near.

Happy Holidays

2010-01-05T13:04:00.005-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post, so I decided to update all of you on what we've been doing this Christmas break. One of the days, we decided last minute to take a road-trip with our kids. We ended up going to Jacob's Lake and letting our kids play in the snow (not that we didn't have enough in Cedar...) then we drove to Page to eat lunch and look at the Glen Canyon Dam. It ended up being a really fun day just hanging out and being able to talk with Tam.

Stuffing Nate in the really big stocking...good times! :)

We got to spend a lot of time with Tam's family throughout the break. Here are the kids playing in the leaves at grandpa and grandma lee's house.

We spent FHE over at the lee's house and made gingerbread houses. It was a lot of fun. Mine turned out really crappy because the kids kept taking the candy off it while I was trying to make it...who am I kidding...it would have turned out nasty anyways...I'm just not very good at making gingerbread houses.

Btw- Anne is the lee's foreign exchange student from Thailand. Just thought I'd let everyone know, because she might be in more blog posts. And Spence is our good friend from high school that we hang out with quite often.

We have to duct tape Nate's gloves on...pretty sad.

The Nativity on Christmas Eve.
I just realized that I didn't get pics of everyone there.
So, I'm sorry to:
Sara, who was a shepherd
&
Roxie, who was an angel
(oh, and I filmed the production this year)

Phoebe was really excited on Christmas morning. I don't think she really knew what was going on, but everyone else was excited so it got her really excited.

Nate kept giving crusty looks to everyone. He was not ready to wake up.

Tamron gave me a video camera for Christmas, so I was using that on New Year's Eve instead of my regular camera. We spent New Year's with Shandon, Aubrey, Sara, and Spence. We remade some SNL skits. They were pretty amazing.

Here's Phoebe wearing some glasses we used in the skits. She wore them pretty much the whole day after.

The lee's came up to Cedar to go tubing with us. Again, I didn't take very many pics because I was taking video of everyone tubing down the hills. Doh! Then we came back to our place and ate chilli and hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun. :)

We had a lot of fun throughout the holidays, but now it's back to the real world. Tam started school today (two thumbs down)...only one more semester though. That's pretty exciting! Good job if you made it through this post...it was a long one. :)

Things that make me smile!

2009-12-15T15:32:00.012-07:00

1. Christmas is next week

2. Phoebe's new school picture

3.They're bringing back Chuck in January

4. Nate sings this all the time

5. The Sing-off

6. The semester is finally over and Tam has a couple of weeks to hang out with us

7. This is Phoebe's favorite song and she sings it all day long

8. Chocolate Chip cookies made into ice cream sandwiches

9. The Twelve Days of Christmas
(Thanks dad and mom- we're having a lot of fun)

10. Them

Happy Birthday Tamron!

2009-12-09T13:27:00.006-07:00

(erica does this for every b-day and it's so cute, so i decided to try it for tam's.)

Happy 27th Tam!

1. He's an amazing husband and daddy
2. He loves his kids
3. He likes to play soccer
4. He makes me laugh all the time
5. He loves to travel
6. He has a strong testimony
7. He went on his mission to the Czech Republic and Slovakia
8. He LOVES cheese
9. He wears shorts all the time...even in the winter...he's actually even wearing them today
10. He likes sci-fi shows
11. He was really good at rollerblading in middle school
12. He's an Eagle Scout
13. He's half way through his masters program at SUU
14. His masters degree will be in Business Administration
15. When he was younger, he wanted to be a doctor
16. His eyes change from blue to green depending on the day
17. He has a great singing voice
18. He is a very good student
19. He is number 3 out of 8 kids
20. His youngest sister was born 5 days before we graduated from high school
21. He's a great big brother
22. He's very good with kids
23. He's a hard worker
24. He can't sit still for very long
25. He has worked as a plumber and as a handyman (lucky me)
26. He graduated from Pine View High and Dixie College
27. He writes poetry
28. He likes to have his back scratched
29. He is VERY patient
30. He loves his family
31. He has a great relationship with his parents
32. He whistles all the time
33. He has a contagious laugh
34. He reads the news every night
35. He likes politics
36. He was pretty shy in high school
37. He cuts his fingernails and toenails almost everyday
38. He has a thing for watches
39. He likes to buy things online
40. He likes Weezer (my favorite band)
41. He likes to play online games, but just recently gave them up
42. He's very talented
43. He loves the gospel
44. He plays the bagpipes
45. He played the french horn in high school
46. He likes to play monopoly and risk (my 2 least favorite games)
47. He spoils me
48. He likes sour candy
49. He's a peacemaker
50. He is very easy going
51. He likes to find good deals...or...he's really cheap :)
52. He's good at every sport he plays
53. He likes Saturday Night Live
54. His favorite color is green
55. He doesn't really like cake
56. He LOVES popcorn
57. He likes music
58. He drives a scooter
59. He's really honest
60. He wants to live in Prague
61. He hates when I sing the Utah counties song on road trips
62. He is very considerate
63. He likes to go fishing with his dad and brother
64. He likes coming home and playing with the kids
65. He's very competitive
66. He likes to play jokes on people
67. He hates PJ's
68. He likes action/adventure movies
69. He is almost 30 years old (he hates when I say that)
70. He gets really good grades
71. He used to sing to himself all the time when he was younger
72. He met his wife when he was 14 :)
73. He likes making fun of movies, tv shows, songs, etc.
74. He was 21 when he got married
75. He likes the music really loud when we're driving in the car or when he's doing h/w
76. He has been made fun of for melting cheese on a plate and eating it (gross)
77. He's good at making things from wood
78. He doesn't really like playing video games
79. He cuts his own hair
80. He has a good sense of humor
81. He likes to sleep in..when he can
82. He doesn't really like scary movies
83. It only takes him like 5 seconds to fall asleep at night
84. He laughs at himself a lot
85. He wants his own business someday
86. He is really witty
87. His mom used to have him go outside and run around the house to get the energy out of him
88. He loves hanging out with his younger brother
89. He has broken his arm a couple of times
90. He always tells me that he loves me when we're getting off the phone
91. He likes to watch basketball or read about it
92. He ran cross country in high school just so he could hang out with me
93. He buys sunflower seeds for every road trip
94. He gives the best hugs
95. The first time he had ever been to Disneyland was on our honeymoon (his family went while he was on his mission)
96. When we were first married, he used to talk Czech in his sleep
97. He loves being a dad
98. He loves being married and tells me that often
99. He makes me happy
100. We LOVE you Tam and hope you have a great B-day!

Love:
Chrissy, Phoebe, and Nate

POINT TAKEN

2009-12-01T10:08:00.002-07:00

LAST NIGHT I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH EATING A SMORE AND WATCHING A MOVIE WITH THE KIDS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, NATE LIFTED UP MY SHIRT AND STARTED PINCHING MY FAT. HE KEPT DOING IT. IT PROBS LASTED 30 MINUTES BEFORE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF..."I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT." I HAVE GAINED QUITE A BIT OF WEIGHT SINCE WE MOVED TO CEDAR. NO, I'M NOT PREGNANT...JUST A GIRL WHO LOVES CHOCOLATE! PRETTY SAD, EH?!

I laughed so hard it made me cry!

2009-11-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

You know...sometimes you just got to laugh

2009-11-05T17:06:00.001-07:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Really?! Wednesday!

2009-11-04T17:58:00.006-07:00

It's that time again. A little late in the day, but here it is:

So...I was thinking to myself, "You know, my kids aren't the only reason I say "really?!" in my life." Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most of these will be about my kids, but I'm also going to post about other things that make me say "really?!"

For example:

The other day I was shopping here:

and realized that I had to use the bathroom. I know right?! You're probs all thinking:

"REALLY?!" You used the bathroom in Wal-Mart?!

I know...but I had to go bad! Anyways, that's not the "really?!" in this story. So, I'm using the bathroom and while I'm sitting there (don't worry, I used a seat cover) I decided to read what someone had written all over the door. Btw, I'm really mad because I didn't even take a picture of it on my phone. Anyways, here's what it said:

This bathrum is hontid!
Happy Holowein!!

"REALLY?!"

I realize that it was probs some punk kid that wrote this, but COME ON...if you're going to vandalize the bathroom at least spell it right so we can all read it and not make fun of you! I just thought it was really funny!

My next two "really?!" moments have to do with this nugget of joy:

#1: Yesterday Nate got into the wipes and scattered them throughout the house. This one's not as bad because it has happened to me so many times you would think I would stop leaving the wipes out. So, this one's mostly my fault...but "REALLY?!" bud?!

#2: Last night I was laying on the couch watching a movie with the kids when all of sudden I feel a sharp pain in my big toe. I look down to find Nate biting me...yes, biting me! He actually broke the skin. It hurt like crap and made me cry. Pathetic, I know...but "REALLY?!" I was going to take a pic of it, but you can't really tell that anything happened. Plus, you guys would probs just think I'm a baby! :)

The last "really?!" moment is my most recent one. This happened about an hour ago at dinner. First, here's a little background to set it up. We live in a very TINY apartment. So tiny, that we couldn't even bring our kitchen table. "REALLY?!" That's lame. So, Nate sits in his booster seat that has a tray and that's hooked to a chair. Phoebe sits on a kitchen chair and eats from a tiny table we found at the D.I. Tam and I eat on the couch. Pretty sad.

So, I thought the kids were eating just fine until I went into the kitchen...

She:

took off her diaper, peed all over the chair, and played in the puddle of pee while she ate.
"REALLY?!" Phoebe!!! Luckily, I have a really sweet husband that took care of the mess for me! Thanks Tam!

Anyways, there they are! Hope you enjoyed! :)

P.S. My computer has been acting dumb so it took me twice as long to do this post...and while I was doing this post, Nate got into the garbage and Phoebe made a mess of her room! Awesome!!

2009-11-01T17:57:00.004-07:00

HAPPY
HALLOWEEN

Really?!

2009-10-28T13:34:00.006-06:00

Caution: I'm pretty much venting through this entire post!

Some of you do things like Tuesday Tidbits, Tuesday Confessionals, Flashback Friday, etc.
Well, I'm starting my own called:

"Really?! Wednesday"

this actually might be the only time i ever do this...or not...i don't know...
anyways, this is dedicated to all the times i have to say to myself "REALLY?!"

so, my kids are naughty...and after reading all of your blogs i'm thinking mine are the only naughty kids in the world. that was a "really?!" moment for me.

My kiddo's are busy and get into everything.
Don't believe me?! Check out the picture below:

yes, it's true...we have locks on our pantry, oven, fridge, entertainment center, every single door in our house, and all of the kitchen cabinets. we also have to take the knobs off the oven and lock our kitchen with a child gate.

You think that would be enough...right?! it's not...

yesterday, i went in my room for a few minutes to send an email. i thought everything would be ok. the kids were watching one of their favorite movies, plus the child gate was up. when i came out, this is what i found:

Come on..."REALLY?!" the whole tub of cottage cheese scattered throughout the WHOLE house?! How did this happen?! I thought I had checked EVERYTHING!!!! So, I guess the gate wasn't tight enough AND i forgot to lock the fridge. Dang you Chrissy!! I don't know how I could forget about locking the fridge. I guess since the gate was up, it didn't seem like a big deal. Well, I put the kids in the kitchen while I cleaned up the cottage cheese mess...when all of a sudden I hear a big crash...what now?!?!

"REALLY?!" You've got to be kidding me!!!

so, then i had to lock the kids out of the kitchen while i cleaned up the cup.
it was awesome! :)

We have had MANY "really?!" moments at our house. just in case you don't believe me,
here are a few that i have actually got pics of.
(some are with my phone so the quality is kind of bad)

we all remember this one from earlier this year:

"REALLY?!"

Here's another gem from a while back:

"really?!" mud?!
I had to throw those clothes away!

This one's classic:

"really?!" mud pie?!

At least it's not poop...although that has happend SEVERAL times!
i even stepped in it and it went in between my toes. good times!

We've also had a gallon of milk spilled all over the floor.
That took a full week before the nasty smell left our house.

Here are a few more:

"REALLY?!"

some things we can look back on and think "that was kind of funny"
...dumping 3 cans of formula will NEVER be funny to me. Formula's just too dang expensive!

And finally, the most recent "really?!"
this is a picture of what i woke up to this morning:

i LOVE the look of snow, just not anything else...epesh driving in it.

Am i forever going to have to say "really?!" or does it stop sometime in life?! don't get me wrong, i love my kids to pieces, but come on...

well, now that you've seen a little into my life, i would like to hear about some of your "really?!' moments so i feel better about myself as a mom...

And now for a few random pics that just make me smile:

this one also makes me laugh! i just love him.

Sweet Phoebe!

Cute Nate!

Great job if you made it through this post. And please come back again...
i promise not to vent about everything...

2009-10-20T14:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Mom!!
Thanks for being so wonderful!
We love you and hope you're having a great day!

Also, Happy Birthday Mike!
Sorry, I didn't have any pics of you...

Finally...a new post!

2009-10-05T13:22:00.002-06:00

Last week Phoebe went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch and brought home this beauty. I love that they get to go on field trips. It's so cute. And I think that Phoebe really enjoyed it.

This is what happens when you feed your one year old spaghetti. I don't know why I do the things I do...I just know that Nate LOVES spaghetti.

Phoebe has a thing with sleeping with her blanket over her head. It's weird. I found her like this the other day. She doesn't do this with just any blanket...it has to be this pink one that Phoebe Ludlow made her. Thanks Phoebe! She LOVES this blanket and takes it with her wherever she goes. I love it!

Today...

2009-08-31T15:29:00.000-06:00

...was Phoebe's first day of school up here in Cedar. I think she had a great time. It would be fun if she could tell me about her day. All I know is that she came home really happy, so she must have been glad to be back to school. Her teacher seems really nice. We're really excited for the school year! Yay!!!

I love Nate! :) He's such a happy boy!

My Little Buttercup

2009-08-25T11:28:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics of us in action on the 24th. We were performing THIS for all of you who don't know! :) I stole these pics off my sister's blog. Still no sign of any video...sorry!

need i say more?!

2009-08-19T20:51:00.000-06:00

I just LOVE them! :)

2009-08-03T11:33:00.000-06:00

Dear Tamron,

2009-07-31T09:54:00.004-06:00

We have loved each other for a long time now!

Today we have been married for 5 wonderful years!

We have been on so many CRAZY adventures together!

We have a cute little family!

What more could I ask for?!
I love you Tam!

The 24th of July

2009-07-29T10:32:00.005-06:00

For the past few years, my siblings and I have made it a tradition to spend the 24th at my parents house in Beaver. We had a lot of fun this year. After watching the parade and getting lots and lots of candy, we went back to my parents and made family flags. I wish I would have thought to take pics of them. I didn't take very many pics. doh!!! Anyways, everyone came up with some really creative ideas to represent their family! :) Our flag had a picture of Bruce Lee on it- with the word RESPECT! Yay! I know...we're lame!

After we made flags, we had a BBQ and played in the water. My parents had a huge blow-up water slide set up in their backyard. Needless to say, Phoebe spent the entire day outside playing on the slide. It even got a little cold outside, but the kids still wanted to play in the water, so they got in the hot tub. Awesome!

We celebrated Braxton's b-day while we were altogether. My sis Jen made the cutest cake. It was a hamburger (made out of cake and icing) and fries (made out of sugar cookies) and fry sauce (made out of icing). She is so creative. I might have to steal that idea sometime... :)

Later, we had a fish pond for the kids. They got a lot of fun toys. Then we made pizzas. My dad has is very own brick oven in the backyard to make brick oven pizzas. They were so good. Thanks dad! My poor dad burned his face while trying to get the oven to light. It burned his eyebrows and lashes off. And he has blisters on his nose and cheeks. So sad.

We had a talent show later that night. My parents even built a stage with stage lights and curtains. Each family was supposed to come prepared with a talent/skit to perform in front of everyone. I'm so sad, my camera died right as we were starting. I did manage to get a pic of my parents all dressed up getting ready to sing their song from the 70's. Loved it!

It was so much fun. The Baker's made their own version of the song "The Adams Family"...each verse was making fun of all the adults in the family. My mullet even made the song!!! SWEET! The Barney's sang a cute scripture song, then each of their kids got up and said an article of faith. Good job guys! :) The Felstead's did a skit making fun of each adult in the family. They were pretty funny! The Campbell's did a skit from the Office. Loved the skit. Love the show!!! Then Tam and I did this.

Then we ended the night by watching the fireworks!! :) It was a lot fun. Thanks everyone for another fun year!

2009-07-21T23:46:00.002-06:00

wHiTe TrAsH?!?!
maybe?!

Yeah, it totally is.
But they were having SO much fun! :)

2009-07-14T11:04:00.000-06:00

Well, this cute little guy that won't stay still long enough for me to take a decent picture, just turned one last Thursday...yeah, thursday. I know, I'm totally slacking! We had a fun little b-day for him and my niece, Avrie on Saturday. We spent a few hours here playing! Of course, I forgot my camera. Doh! Anyways, I can't believe it's been a whole year! We love our little guy!!! :)

Here are a few pics of the front room in our apartment. As you can see, we're a little cramped...but we like it. The front room is really the only room worth taking pics of. The bedrooms are just full of furniture and way too cramped to even hang out in...so the front room is where we spend most of our time. Anyways, we're the managers now, so if you happen to know anyone who's moving to Cedar sometime soon, send them our way! :) Thanks!!!

MADDOX

2009-07-06T16:01:00.001-06:00

Maddox Dru Dutton
July 6, 2009 - 2:09 pm
7lbs 5oz - 19 inches

Congrats Elliot and Kori! He's adorable!!!

2009-06-25T20:50:00.000-06:00

Today was Phoebe's last day of school...oh man!!! We're moving up to Cedar next week, so she had to end earlier than everyone else. We're really bummed! She LOVES school and has learned SOOOOO much! We're amazed at how much progress she's made the past few months. She's been working so hard! Yay Phoebe! Here's a picture of the sweet ladies that have been working with our Phoebe Jane. Her teacher is the one on the bottom left. She's a sweetheart! We're going to miss all of them. Hopefully the teachers in Cedar are nice! :)

We're moving up to Cedar a month earlier than we planned because we just found a job as apartment managers. We're pretty excited to get free rent- but not too excited about moving into a smaller apartment. It's ok though because it's only for a year...and how could you go wrong with free rent?! :) Wish us luck with the packing...I HATE packing!!!!

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2009-06-15T16:45:00.008-06:00

Here's another clip of Phoebe singing. I espesh like the part where she keeps repeating "stomp your feet" because I wasn't doing it...I also like at the first when I'm trying to get her to sing a different song, but she decides she wants to sing this one instead. Don't mind my sick voice, I'm getting over a cold/earache thing...so I feel like I'm talking really loud because I can't hear...but really nasally because of my cold. Anyways...