27...laughs a day...

Halloween 2011 ...

2011-12-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

As always, the kids had a fun Halloween month! One evening we turned off all the lights in the house, ate candy & popcorn and watched the movie Hocus Pocus. It was the perfect kind of scare for my kids. Another evening we walked thru the Murray Haunted Trails. It was so fun! At the end we had hot chocolate and donuts. We will have to do that again next year. For Halloween, Madi dressed up as an 80's Workout Girl, Jacob as a Ninja, and Owen as Harry Potter. They looked so cute. On Halloween Eve we had dinner at Ty's aunt and uncles house. The kids then went trick or treating together and came out with TONS of candy. They dragged their bags with pride. :) October is my busy, fun and special month all rolled in one. Now on to Thanksgiving ....

My Birthday Girl .... Madi!

2011-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today, my baby girl turned 11! I just can't believe it! She began her day opening her birthday presents and then the kids got dressed in their Halloween costumes for the school Halloween parties. After school, Julie and I took her shopping. She got 2 new pairs of TOMS and lots of clothes, jewelry and cute stuff for her hair. Needless to say, she was spoiled. We had family over for dinner tonight. She chose potato soup, caesar salad and red velvet cake for her dinner & dessert. It was delish!

Madi makes us happy each and every day. We love her so much and feel so honored to have her all to us. Hugs & Kisses to our sweet, beautiful, fun, loving Girl.

My Birthday Boy ... Owen

2011-05-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my BABY is 6 years old today!!!

Last Saturday, May 21st, Owen had his family/friend birthday party. The kids had chicken nuggets (Owie's request) and nacho's. We hired a magician to come and entertain the kids for an hour. Owen invited 15 kids. It was so much fun & super funny. Paul Brewer (magician) does a great job keeping the kids happy and very entertained. After that, Owen opened his birthday presents and then we had cake and ice cream. He had a great time!

This morning, Owen woke up to a yummy glazed donut waiting for him. He opened his birthday presents from us and we sang to him. He didn't have school today because of K Assessments. This afternoon I took him and some of his friends to Wheeler Farm for a McDonals picnic. :) The boys had a great time walking around looking at the animals. Once school was out for Madi & Jacob we went and saw Kung Fu Panda 2. It was hilarious! For dinner Owen chose Cheesecake Factory. It was a very delicious choice. After that, we went to Madi's last soccer game.

All in all, Owen had a pretty fun day and birthday. We love his so much, we just can't get enough of our Owie Bowie Baby Doot Doots! XOXO

hAppY bIRthDaY oWeN!!!

My Birthday Boy...

2011-03-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our sweet son Jacob turned 8 today .... and at 4:08 to be exact. For his birthday he got a new mountain bike, tech decks, $, gift cards, a remote control helicopter and clothes. He was spoiled. :)

Here are a few things about our bOy:

1. He's a huge Ute Fan

2. He loves to ride his bike & dirt bike

3. He loves to play basketball & football

4. He loves to play his Itouch and any other electronic (he's a VERY quick learner and plays beyond amazing)

5. He loves to read. He's a smart boy and does a wonderful job in school

6. He loves to EAT; for his birthday dinner he asked for taco's, spanish rice & corn. Instead of cake he asked for brownies & vanilla ice cream with carmel & chocolate syrup on top. Delish~

7. His favorite colors are: red, white & black (U of U colors, of course)

8. He loves his dog Bruno

9. He loves Madi & Owen very much

10. Jacob is precious. He has great manners and acts respectfully. Jacob was always an easy going, content baby. That is something that hasn't changed with him as he's grown. He is still so content and just hAppY. Jacob has a sweet spirit about him with an adorable face to go with it. We love our baby boy! We are just so proud of our William Jacob!

Jacob will be baptized on April 9, 2011. We are so proud of this righteous choice he is making. :) It's been fun planning his special day!

Lots of pictures to be coming ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBA HOUNDS!!!

And for the rest of the family ... March was great and then shocking. We lost Ty's aunt Nancy on March 6th. It's been very tough. Nancy was such a kind and loving person. She is very missed. :(

Looking forward to a HAPPIER April ...

Valentines Day 2011

2011-02-14T19:05:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend both Ty and I were sick. Ty has a horrible head cold and I had the stomach flu. As miserable as I was, I'm glad it was just a 24 hour thing. Ty is still feeling pretty bad. Poor guy.

On Friday, the kids had their class Valentine parties. Madi and Owen both made their boxes to put their Valentines in. They each covered a shoe box with red wrapping paper and then glued pink, white and red hearts on it. They turned out really cute. Jacob made his in class. His teacher cut out construction paper in the shape of a heart and on that he glued colored hearts on it. Cute cute!

So as always, I was running back and forth between each party helping out. It was fun and a little exhausting. They all received a lot of fun treats. I'm glad they all had a fun party day! :)

This morning I surprised the kids with fun treats. They each received their box of chocolate. Along with that, Madi got a new pillow for her bed, Jacob got the Bumblebee Pillow Pet and Owen got the Penguin Pillow Pet. They were pretty hAPpy!

This evening we enjoyed a heart shaped pizza, bread sticks, salad and a heart shaped brownie. We dimmed the lights, lite some candles and listened to love songs. Super cheesy, but it's our tradition and we look forward to it every year. :)

February came and went pretty fast. It makes me glad because it just means Spring is around the corner. March is when I begin to think about which flowers I want to plant in the garden and IF I should paint our front door. This March is an extra special month because it's Jacob's 8th Birthday. He is so excited to be baptized and we are SO proud of our little man. :)

It's a new year!

2011-01-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Happy 33rd Birthday to ME! My cute family kicked it off with a cute card and breakfast in bed with flowers on the side. Loved it! Julie likes to take the birthday person to dinner or lunch for their birthday, so we went to Training Table for lunch. It was seriously delish. We love their cheese fries. After lunch we came home and relaxed for a bit before Julie came over to watch the kids while Ty and I went to look for a coffee table for our front room. I have wanted one for quite some time and since it was my birthday ... why not!

Last night we met up with our good friends, The Gray's, Kirkhams and Groves for dinner at Tempanyaki's. Enjoyed another yummy meal. After dinner they went on to a movie, but Ty and I came home to check on sick kids. Julie was watching them. (Have I mentioned how wonderful and sweet Julie is?) After the movies the Gray's came over and we rang in the New Year together. Madi and Jacob fell asleep. Owen could have cared less. Sami was barely awake. Lexi Lu and Kenzie Jo Jo were out with their friends. The adults made a toast and kissed ... spouses only. Bring it on 2011!

It was a nice and relaxing day and birthday. I feel so blessed that it doesn't take one day a year for me to feel loved by my family. I feel spoiled with their love each day. That is truly the greatest gift of all. :)

I hope 2011 will be just as fun, healthy and great as 2010 was for our family!

New Years Resolution ...

2010-12-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

I will blog at least once a month. Ha! Our family had such a great 2010, I'm sad I didn't blog about it. One day I will be able to make a blog book ... one day. :)

Happy New Years!

Polar Express ...

2009-12-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

On December 3rd, we took the kids on the Polar Express in Heber. We went with Ty's parents, Craig, Lindsey, Hunter, Cole, Austin, Mariah and Rorke! It was very cold, but so much fun! I just wish we would have taken a picture of all of us together. We decided to start the night off by having dinner at one of the kids favorite places to eat ... Dairy Keen! They have trains there!
Owen loved putting a quarter in the machine to watch the train go around and around!
Our cute cousin Rorke ...
Waiting to get on the train ... and in our P.J.'s of course ...

Being excited to go to the North Pole ...

Meeting one of Santa's elves ...
They gave us a chocolate chip cookie ...
and hot chocolate!
My "Nice" kids ...
Everyone read the book Polar Express together ...

Are we there yet? Where is Santa?
Owen yelled "HO!" in the microphone when asked to say "ho ho ho!" ...
Tickets are punched ...
Meeting Mrs. Claus ...
We sang The 12 Days of Christmas ...
Jacob took his part VERY seriously ...
And then finally met .... SANTA!!!

The kids with their bells ...
And the train we were on was taller than Owie Bowie ...
We had a great time being together as a family and look forward to going again next year! Happy Holidays Ya'll ...

November in a Nutshell ...

2009-12-04T18:15:00.001-08:00

Owen was really sick the last week in October and spent a couple of nights in the hospital with H1N1. He was having difficultly breathing. His little body responded well and quickly to the medication and IV's that he was given .... THANK GOODNESS! It was a scary moment for us, but because of prayer he recovered fast. We are blessed with a wonderful family and friends who care about us and our little Owie Bowie ...
Had our first snow ...
Bruno was neutered ...
Ran away with my girlfriends and had a girls weekend in Las Vegas! Me, Becky and Lindsey drove and met Brenda, Shar, Hillary and Nicole. We met the ladies at the theatre where they were standing in line for New Moon. Once we met up with them we went to Yogurt Land and had the best yogurt ice cream ever! Once we went inside the theatre, we still had to wait 3 hours before the movie started. But we had enough to talk about so it was all good. I thought the movie was better than Twilight, but it still had its cheesy parts.
On Friday, we went and had pedicures and manicures! After that we had lunch at a yummy Thai restaurant and then from there we just shopped until we dropped. No. Joke.
That night we met Michelle at Serendipity for dinner. I can't wait to go back and take Madi! They serve your dessert order before your main meal. Hello! Together we shared an oreo sundae with fried oreo's, carrot cake, spinach artichoke dip with chips and nachos. It was very delish! Such a fun day!

On Saturday we had brunch at Egg Works! Their breakfasts are SO good! Our table was right next to Blinging Joe Jackson's. Too bad Janet wasn't with him. After we were done eating we happened to be outside with him at the same time. When I asked for a picture, he asked where we were from and I replied "Murray." WoW. We quickly snapped a picture and then told each other how sweet we were. "You're sweet NO you're sweet" A HEE! I need to get that picture on here. After that went to a few more stores (of course) and then headed home early that evening. Thanks for a fun filled weekend ladies!
Here's a picture of the shoes that were purchased between the 6 of us ladies ...
Back to my family ...

Owen learned so much about Pilgrims and Indians. During the month he would ask me "what are those people with feathers in their hair called?" (answer) "Oh ya! Indians." He came home with a lot of cute Thanksgiving crafts and even had a feast! He was so excited to have lunch at Miss Debbies.
Jacob and his teacher Mrs. Reynolds ...
Jacob learned everything there was to learn about Pilgrims this month. Every day for an hour or two his class would dress up as a Pilgrim (Jacob played John Hooke) and were taught how the Pilgrims lived and what they went through to get food and shelter. He knew that some had even died. John Hooke died. One day, his class went on a field trip and they had to pretend their bus was the Mayflower. On the field trip he discovered some more interesting facts about the Pilgrims. On the last day they had a feast and invited the Indians. All the parents came dressed as Indians and brought the food in his class. It was a fun day and month for Jacob!
The kids played some games that the Pilgrim kids played ...
Jacob kicked butt playing marbles! He took 5 marbles out in one roll ...

Owen got sick AGAIN, but this time it was a sinus infection ...
Put up the Christmas lights .... Ty looks forward to this EVERY year!
Decorated the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving ...
A family picture of us on Thanksgiving will be coming ...

My Miss Madi Girl is 9 years old today!

2009-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! 9 years ago today you made me a mother. Thank you for choosing me. It is an absolute honor being your Mommy. I love you more than all the chocolate in the world!
On Saturday Madi had her birthday party with friends. I love the sound of giggly happy children! They played Balloon Catch and Charades. After that they went on a Scavenger Hunt in the neighborhood. She said she had a great party! Whahooo!

Paris ... or as Ty and I like to call it, Pari ...

2009-10-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Smallest hotel room we've ever stayed in ...

What the heck? While strolling in the park to the Eiffel, Ty and I not only saw these, but watched men using them. So Ty took a turn.
Our first picture of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. Height: 324 meters - Weight: 10,100 tons.
So pretty. This was right across from the Eiffel.
I wanted to take a picture of the police car for my boys.
Why is our Hotel bathroom picture right here? Could it be any smaller?
These were the pretty flowers I saw while waiting in line to go up the Eiffel.

Ground level of the Eiffel ...
Pretty Fall tree ...

Almost to the top. I swore the building shook when I was walking up! As amazing as it was, I have to admit it was scary. I'm not a big fan of heights and you could literally see all the way down on both sides of you while climbing up. It was so worth it though.
Some snapshots from the Eiffel ...

Ty and I walked up to the 2nd level. There are 300 steps to each level, but you have to take the lift up to the very top. Check out that view behind us ...

Our hotel was across the street from where I took this picture. I thought Paris felt very New York but without the super tall buildings. Apartments and offices share the same street.

This was our first meal in Paris! It was very delish, but the ketchup tasted a bit strange. A water or coke this size were both 4.50 in Euros. A simple meal like this was about 40 Euros!

If I remember right, I think Ty told me that this is where Lance Armstrong rides his bike down after a win. I may have to get back to this picture. Pretty view anyway ...
The expression on this mans face was how I felt (and probably looked) after someone would step in front of me while I was trying to take a picture or read a sign. This was at Arc de triomphe ...
Heading to the Arc de triomphe underground. There was some serious madness going on above us. Crazy!
This roundabout has no lines in the street, yielding signs or speed limit. It really is an enter at your own risk. Our tour guide book advised us that if we wanted to live life a little longer, then we shouldn't try crossing by foot. Ty wanted to prove the book wrong.
All lit up. Soooo beautiful!
A couple of potties. How convenient ...
Arc de triomphe ...

We walked up and down these stairs in Arc de triomphe. I made Ty take the picture. =)
View from Arc de triomphe ...
I took this picture while on our way to the Louvre ...
Another warm welcome to Pari! I had a lemon crepe and Ty had a strawberry chocolate coconut one. We were happy!

Walking downtown Paris ...

I loved how the chairs were all scattered around the park. The very first thing Ty and I noticed while in Germany and France was how relaxed and calm people were. No one was walking around talking on their cell phones. No one was cramming food in their mouths while walking around and talking on their cell phones. Everything was in the moment. It was nice and I loved it.
People were wrapped around this fountain just reading and visiting.
A thing ...
"Where are the stop signs? Oh wait! I think those small white poles are the stop signs! Yep, they are!"
de Louvre ...
Applesauce!! Why is the Are de triomphe picture here?
Louvre ...
These were hand sculpt and we have no idea what they were. I just knew my kids would have like them!
Love it ...
Now do you see what I'm talking about? Seriously!
Could totally relate to this woman ...

Inside the Louvre ...

The Mona Lisa ...
While walking back from the Louvre we saw this boat with Mississippi on it.
The Seine River ...

Venus De Milo ...

Are de triomphe at night ...
Flower shoppe ....
Notre-Dame ....
They really know how to sculpt the details of peoples privates and these happened to be boys, so I took a picture from behind knowing that Madi would be looking at the pictures too. lol
Clocks were on a lot of the buildings. Loved it!
Pictures of Germany coming soon ... =)

Versailles, France - 11 Octobre 2009

2009-10-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well since I took SO many pictures of our trip, I thought it would be easier (for me) to break this up into 3 parts. Varsailles, France was the tail end of our trip. Here is Part 3 ...

We toured the Estate of Varsailles, the Gardens and Marie-Antoinetts's State ...
Palace

We traveled from Paris to Versailles on this train. It was about a 30 minute ride. I wish I could say the scenery was beautiful the entire time, but it was mostly all neighborhood after neighborhood without any Costco ...
I'm not so sure if even this size of a fireplace could warm up one of their rooms! Everything was so tall, wide and bare.

The Courtyard ...
I loved every detail on the Palace ...
Who cares about height, they should have gone for width ...
We thought he looked like a dork ...

Marie-Antoinette ...
It showered for a minute or two and then stopped. Ty doing a pretty umbrella dance. We were just happy to be in France!

Just a little staircase, nothing too crazy and big ...
The Gardens and Groves ...

Loved the Fall colors ...
I can't find the words to express my love for this sandwich. Where do I start ... THE CHEESE ... THE MEAT ... THE BREAAAAAD! Loved every bite!
The hunting grounds ...

I thought this looked like a Miss Madi Girl type of bed ...
Grand Trianon walkway ...
More of the Garden and Grove ... I love all their flowers!

Why is this picture here? lol ... I took this picture to show my kids how they have these to lean on rather than benches to sit on.
Interesting little flowers ...
Ty being aMazing in some Grove. There were so many and I wish I could remember the name of it. I bet Ty would know ...
I wonder what kind of berries these are? ...
A clock garden ...
When the French Swat team pulled up they saw 2 curious Americans. So in my panic, I just took a picture of them! I thought it was interesting that we were next to a few other countries Embessy's but our own. Of course.
I almost told Ty to keep quiet while I ate the Creme Brulee. I think it just tasted better because I was eating it in Paris!
A typical looking Restaurant in Paris. I love how the chairs are facing out ...
We got a kick out of watching this guy park his car while pushing the other parked vehicles out of the way. It must be a France thing ...
Here are some fun treats that I brought home to my kids. I wanted them to see a few familiar snacks that they eat but that are in another language and country. It was fun ...

More to come ....

Can't wait ...

2009-09-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Owen's 1st Day of Pre School ...

2009-09-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Owen has been packing his backpack for his school since Madi and Jacob started on August 24th! The poor kid has even stood in line with Jacob thinking he is going to his school. So you could imagine how excited he was to go to preschool today! Too bad the sun was so bright when I was taking his picture ... silly handsome boy!
This is his teacher Miss Debbie and his friend Jakob ...
My Owie Bowie and Miss Debbie ...
After I took this picture, Ty and I hardly had a chance to say bye to Owen before Miss Debbie said "say by to mom and dad" and shut the door. It really was the best way to go, we just weren't expecting it. After school, I was waiting outside when Owen ran out saying he loves preschool and can't wait to go back on Friday!

Labor Day Weekend ...

2009-09-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

We had a quiet weekend this year for Labor Day weekend. We wish we would have just taken the kids camping. The weather right now is great! I think we only have about 2 more weeks before it will start to get a little chilly. Anyways, on Monday we took a little family drive to Millcreek. We enjoyed some snacks and threw rocks in the water. I love the drive. After that we came home and BBQ. Like I said, it was just a nice and quiet weekend.

Oh, I cleaned out the storage area over the weekend and decided it was time to get rid of the swing. Owen loved this swing as a baby. And so did I. I caught him rocking and talking to himself in the swing, so I had to take a picture.

Back to School ...

2009-08-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe My Miss Madi Girl is in the 3rd grade! Wasn't she just born last October!?!
I feel the same way about My Jacob Baby ... 1st grade!

Friends reunited ...

We had an awesome summer! It was full of swimming, riding bikes, picnics, late nights, ice cream galore, beaches and friends! I can't believe how fast it went! But now we are looking forward to an awesome school year with great teachers and friends! I thrive on routine, so it's going to be nice to have that back. Welcome back ...

Family Vacation 2009 ... Avila Beach, CA, Monterey, CA and San Diego, CA

2009-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids standing on the balcony of the condo we stayed in. Just right behind that hotel behind them is the beach!

By day 4, mom was getting a little tired of the sand ...
Owen making "sand angels" ...
Owen had a great time digging up sand and then tossing it up and then watching it land ... he is very entertaining to watch!
Jacob was very content with just playing with his trucks in the sand ...

We took Highway 1 to Monterey! The drive is BEAUTIFUL! We had to pull over to take some snap shots.

Jacob's crystal rock that he found on the beach ...
The Candy Factory in Monterey ...
I love my Owie Bowie ...
Some fun sea creatures at the Aquarium in Monterey ...
If you look really really close you will see Nemo and Dorie ...
We thought it was fun to watch and listen to this diver feed the fish and SHARKS through this glass window! She was telling us about the fish while they would come and sneak some food from her bucket!
We stopped on the Pacific Coast Highway and had some breakfast that overlooked the ocean. The restaurant was called Wale Watch Cafe!
Some more Highway 1 ...
I loved the Jelly Fish ... more than the kids I think!

My favorite part at the Aquarium is watching the school of fish swim all around you. It was very amusing to me ...
Owen loved the Penguins ...
My 3 priceless children ....
Madi loved the Seahorses ...

I'm telling you, I loved the jelly fish ...

Back to the beach ...
Jacob was serious about his sandcastles ...
Jacob loved tossing his football into the wave and then would wait for the wave to bring it back to him ...

Happily playing on the beach ...

My Miss Madi Girl ...
I love them ...
How cute is Owie ...
My boys ...

"Wipe Out!"

Madi loved playing frisbee with Dad and Michelle ...
"Oh my, look what washed up to shore!" I love it!!

Beach Babe ...

"Wipe Out!"
"Wipe Out!"
Shell Beach, CA ...

Morro Bay, CA ...
More of Shell Beach ...

We had a fun bon fire on the beach in Avila! We made smores' and watched dolphins swim by ... it was awesome!

Jacob had Aunt Michelle drag him in the sand so he could see the lines that his heels were making!

After our fun stay in Avila Beach and our awesome visits to Morro Bay and Shell beach, we drove to San Diego to visit Ty's grandparents. While we visited with them, the kids just splashed around in the pool for 3 days straight! The kids loved jumping in the pool for grandpa. When they saw him laughing, they would hurry and do it again. We will be forever grateful for this visit to San Diego!

This picture was taken after our bon fire on the beach. We drove our car on the pier and stopped for a minute to listen to the seals! We had all the windows down while we drove. Ty and I laughed. The kids screamed in fear. It was great!

Grandpa's Obituary ...

2009-08-21T07:41:00.001-07:00

WILLIAM RAYNER
William T. Rayner "Bill" William Thomas Rayner passed away peacefully, at the age of 89, on August 17, 2009 with his family (and dear family friend Ann Ward) at his side. He was born on February 10, 1920 in Norwich, England to Herbert and Alice Fisher Rayner. He lost both his parents at the age of eight and was raised by his beloved Aunt Emma. He married Olive Stock on September 12, 1942 and they lived happily together for 67 years. Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple in 1951. Bill was a veteran of World War II, and served for six years in the British Army. He immigrated, with his family, to the United States in 1949, and lived in Salt Lake City, Utah until he retired in 1984 and moved to San Diego. He worked for Cloverleaf Dairy in Salt Lake City for 30 years and for 10 years as an auto mechanic at his son-in-law's (David) service station. He was a master gardener and owned his own gardening service. After his retirement, he enjoyed maintaining his children's yards and gardens, and growing colorful flowers. He also loved playing tennis five days a week with his friends at the La Jolla Tennis Club. He was an avid sports fan and was particularly fond of the Utah Jazz. He was an active member of the LDS church and served in various capacities throughout his life. In addition to his loving wife, he is survived by five children, Keith (Susan), Peter (Kathy), Susan (Brent) Petersen, Julie (David) Tolman, and Nancy Rayner, 15 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, and will be dearly missed by his family and all who knew him. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, his Aunt Emma and her son John. Funeral services will be held on Monday August 24 at 11:00 a.m. at the Union 5th Ward (7784 South 20th East). Viewing hours will be from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23 at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary (1950 East 10600 South, Sandy) and from 10:00-10:45 a.m. on Monday at the ward. The family would like to thank the doctors and staff at the San Diego Hospice for the care they provided during his last few days. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name may be sent to the San Diego Hospice (4311 Third Ave, San Diego, CA 92103) or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences: www.larkincares.com

Grandpa William Thomas Rayner

2009-08-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ty's sweet and adorable grandfather passed away August 17, 2009. Though our hearts are saddened, we feel blessed to know that he is no longer in pain and because of our Faith we KNOW that we will see him again.
Ty was named after this amazing man, William Tyler. Ty has always been called Ty or Tyler, but one time when he was a little boy he came and asked his mother if he could be called Bill, just like his grandpa! =) We carried his name on to our Jacob, who's full name is William Jacob.
I am so thankful that my children are old enough to remember him. I am so grateful that we spent a weekend with him making sure he was well taken care of. One cute story: One morning we were all in the kitchen making breakfast for him and he laughed and said " I feel like a King!" Well Grandpa ... to us you are! You will always be the King of our family!
We will always miss you Grandpa! We love you ...
(Picture taken August 9, 2009)

Meet Bruno our dog ... Fun in Yuba ... Camping over the 4th of July in Strawberry... and some more of our Summer Fun!!

2009-07-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Wow ...
Sitting by the campfire ...

Madi and Hunter wanted me to take a picture of them punching each other ...
Little dirty boy hands ...
Jacob is a true camper! I think he likes to feel this way ...
Owen is a crack up!

Cute cousins ...
Cheeeeeese!

Owie Bowie just rocks!!!
Ty and his boys off on a trail ...
My Miss Madi Girl roasting her hot dog ...
My 4 cute kids ....
I think Jacob was concerned that Owen wasn't dirty enough ...
I can't imagine what camping would be like for my boys without their trucks ...

Owen and Bruno boating at Yuba ....
Jacob did an amazing job riding the motorcycle! He felt in control of it and just enjoyed riding. We are so proud of him!!
Ty with the boys getting ready to go on another trail. Ty came back and told me how well Jacob rode. Ty is one proud papa!
Here is the fish that Owie caught. He didn't want me to take a picture of him with it. Good job O!
A PROUD MOMENT FOR TY!!!! This picture will be blown up and stuck on a wall for sure!!!
Yuba, June 27th ...

What a cute picture ...
So one night, around 10, Ty and I heard the boys upstairs in their room laughing. I had them come down stairs and this is what we saw ....
Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! I love the nostrils ....
For our wedding anniversary Ty and I went and had a couple's message and then went and had dinner at Bambara. It was very delicious. I love that the menu had our names on it. So fun!
Back to Yuba pictures ...

Ty flipping Madi ...
Ty flipping Hunter ...
Bruno's 1st visit to the vet with us ... the kids were so concerned for him when he got the shot.
Bruno ...

Notice who Bruno's keeping his eye on ...
At the zoo with the Enole's and Gray's a couple of weeks ago! "I AM SO THIRSTY .... I WANT WATER!!!!" Good times!
Bruno the show off ....
Madi and her puppy ...
Bruno's 1st time growling was towards Owen. I wonder why ....?
Some more zoo fun ...
Best Buddies ...
The kids snail collection ...
Riding our bikes in between rain storms ....
I wish I would have put this picture in right. Quick Owen story: So Owen came and showed me the scratch marks on his nose and forehead. While looking at that, I noticed he had a thin spot of hair on top of his head. I asked him what happened and he showed me. The kid crawled on his face from one end of the hallway to the other, burnt some hair and gave himself carpet burn on his face. He is such a goof! He still does this ...
Cutest dog ever ...

End of the softball season's BBQ ...
Instead of receiving trophy's, the girls were given a cute little backpack! Good Job Mads!
Hanging out in the backyard .... and being cute about it!

We scream for ice- cream!!!

Happy Fathers Day!!

2009-06-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to you Dad! Thank you for being such a sweet and kind father to me. I am so thankful for all your hard work and devotion to your family. I love you and can't wait to see you in July! Have a great day!

Ty is such a wonderful daddy to Madi, Jacob and Owen! They are so lucky to have him as their father who protects them, teaches them and most importantly loves them with an unconditional heart. If you were to ask Ty what he enjoys doing the most, he would reply "just being with my family." He is always telling us this. We have so much fun with him! The kids love the sound of the garage door going up, because they know their hero, friend and father has come home. I love how they sound when they see each after a long days work. Happy Fathers Day Daddy! We love you so much!

Ok, so maybe this is not the best picture of our family. But what else would you expect when you are at Disneyland, right!?!

Happy Anniversary Ty and Me ...

2009-06-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ok ... I need to make some camera changes here! Ty and I do not have pictures of just us here in my computer. I love our wedding pictures, but am clueless how to get them on here. I wanted to show those off. Anyway, here is a picture of us after 11 years and still going strong ....
Happy Anniversary Ty! I love you so much and am so grateful to have you for my husband. You are my very best friend. I look forward to many, many more years with you! Love you ... xoxo

Owen Can Ride a Bike ... Without Training Wheels!!

2009-06-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

After he crashed he just wanted to give up ...
Anyone who knows Ty, knows that there is NO such thing as giving up ... he was forced to try, try again. I love that you can see Ty grabbing him. What a sad face .... lol!
We threatened to give his bike to our neighbors little boy. When he heard that he just stood up and started walking his bike to his house. He told us he was giving it to Carson. We laughed. It was funna!
After some practice from Ty and I, he finally got the hang of it. One day Ty and I looked out the window and saw Owen and Jacob riding their bikes together. We showed him the way and he figured the rest out all on his own. (He really had no choice because Ty ran over one of his training wheels anyway.) =) Congtrats to you Owie Bowie ... you can ride a bike!

Field Day and the Last Day of School ...

2009-06-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

Jacob with some of his friends. He had a fun last day of school. He got out at 10:30 and Madi was out at 12:30. Ty came home around 12:30 and took the boys golfing. Then Madi went to a birthday party/pool party and Jacob went to an end of the year "splash" party! What a fun way to top off the last day of school. We are very glad about the teachers Madi and Jacob have for next year. So far we are off to a good start of our summer vacation! Let the splashing begin ...
For Field Day we have a little carnival type activity for the students. We have games, jump house, snowies, watermelon slices, pop corn and the game where you toss the ball to make a person fall in the water. ?? But the most fun is when the Murray Firefighters come and hose down the students or anyone just standing around. It's a big hit ... the kids look forward to this every year!

This was the only time Owen laughed or seemed happy. He was having a grumpy day! You can just see a little bite of Jacob in the picture.
Madi sliding down with her friends little brother. He looks so happy!
Mr. Grumpy pants wanted nothing to do with the water.
He was drenched ... it was funny to watch.
Jacob was having so much fun! I could not find Madi. =( I wanted a picture of her too.
Anxiously waiting ...

Then this happened ...
and then this craziness happened ...
the ending results ...
The fireman without the yellow jacket is the one who we hold responsible. Madi and Jacob were just dripping wet. They wanted to hurry home to take a hot bath!

It was so FUN!!

McReady's Readers ...

2009-06-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

One of Madi's million dreams came true in March. She has wanted to be on this wall forever. There was a moment in my life when I thought about grabbing a picture of her and gluing it to this wall. But never mind those cheating thoughts ... SHE MADE IT UP THERE ALL ON HER OWN!!! I am so happy for you My Miss Madi Girl!

Dr. Appointments ...

2009-06-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the boys had their well child check ups. I can finally start taking them at the same time. Jacob and Owen kept laughing hysterically anytime the Dr. would touch them. They are so silly. Owen then had to get 4 shots ... so that's when the crying began. Jacob was still laughing. Owen's legs were hurting so bad that he missed his tee ball practice. His coach called and asked about him ... weird. He's 4!! His legs are better now. Thank goodness!

US Air Force Week ...

2009-06-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

It was pretty cool to watch them fly all around us this day! During the day I left the back door open so Owen could hear them fly over us. When he could hear them flying closer he would jump up and run to the back door to watch.

Jacob's Field Trip to the Zoo ...May 29, 2009

2009-06-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

After the assembly for Miss Madi, Owen I drove to the zoo to meet up with Jacob. The parent in charge said they were just flying through the zoo. They barley stopped to look at the animals. They just kind of talked about each animal as they were walking by. They were the first group to be done so we spent a half hour in the playground area before it was time to get on the bus. These boys are so funny! =)
After the zoo his class had a picnic at a park in Sugarhouse. He had so much fun with his friends! It was an "awesome day" as he put it!

School Assembly ... May 29, 2009

2009-06-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here Madi is receiving her 50 point reading award at school. It was pajama day in class and she new she would be getting this award. This was a very happy day for her! Once again ... I am so proud of her. I love that she loves to read so much. She is such a good reader. Because of this award she was able to go to lunch with her teacher, Mrs. Winn!
What a horrible focus on my camera ... but at least I have something.

Redstone ...

2009-06-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to forget these pictures. I love how Rhysie Pants is holding Jacob's hat to help him get on the tire. They both wore their matching sweatshirts the ENTIRE DAY!!
Notice Ty's face in this picture. I recall boys screaming like little girls and Ty laughing hysterically after spinning them so dang fast!

It was funny!

Memorial Weekend 2009 ...

2009-06-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

For Memorial weekend we drove to Colorado to hang out with the Enloes (or Enole's like I like to call them!) We had a great time as always ...

I didn't put these pictures in the order of our trip so I will start with this picture of Jor Jor Binkers!! She is such a spazo! So while Ty and Corey took the 4 older kids golfing, Brenda and I ran to Real Deals to shop with Jorie and Owie! They have a kids play area there, so we left the little ones to play and checked on them every 30 minutes! ... j/k, no more like every 2-3 minutes. Anyways, when I went to check on them this is what I saw ...

We have no idea why she took her shirt off and left it hanging on the hook! She is such a goof ball. Between Owen and Jors our hands are full!
Ty and the kids golfing in the Enole's back yard! Not kidding ... the 3 is right behind their house. I just walked over to take this picture of them. They just went up to the 9th hole. We had too many fun things planned so they didn't have time for all 18. Next time.

We drove in late Friday night. So the first thing we did after breakfast on Saturday was go on a bike ride. After that the golfing and shopping began.

The kids waiting anxiously to go on our bike ride ... too cute!
The gang! We rode 8 miles and then stopped for lunch. The kids did great even with some whining and 1 man down!

"When you have to go ... you have to go!"
Our ground hog friend who was probably wondering who the heck just peed on his flat!
Later that night we went to dinner and a movie. The kids loved Night of the Museum II. On Sunday we drove to Redstone and had a picnic. It is so beautiful there. After that we pretty much just hung out and BBQ. We had a great time visiting our great friends! We look forward to many more fun and relaxing weekends with them!

Fit Fun Walk Run ... May 22, 2009!

2009-06-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Madi and Jacob did such a good job running! Madi's face always turns so red when she is hot. She was pouring water all over herself during and after the run!
Jacob ran a mile with his teacher and didn't stop once! Good Job Bubba!!
He was so happy. All he wanted after his race was an ice cream. In this picture he is running up to me and asking me when he can get an ice cream! =)
Ty and Madi ran 3 miles! They did it in 28 minutes .... not bad at all! Good Job!!
I love that this school tradition has become our families tradition. We are already looking forward to next years! It is so much fun and so rewarding for the kids. My goal is to run along with them next year ... =/!

Owen's Clown Party!

2009-05-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

We ate pizza that Grandma Tolman made ...
and then "Flowers" the Clown came ...
She was awesome and had everyone laughing ... including the adults!
I love this picture of Owen. Every time Flowers gave Owen the wand it would brake off. He was being tricked!
Flowers gave Owen some crayons to put in a pot to make candy. Before Owen would drop the crayon in he would scribble in the pan. I think he was a little confused. It was funny!
Well how about that! Owen turned crayons into candy! I think he may have the magic touch ... good job Owie!

Presents! Presents! Presents! What a lucky little guy ...
We sang to my baby and then enjoyed every bite. Yummy Yum Yum!! We love cupcakes ...
We baked and frosted 48 cupcakes! It was fun and delicious ...
Thanks Flowers for coming to my party! It was fun!!
Owen's cute party hat that Flowers made for him. She made all the kids something cool out the balloons. Owen chose a sword ... of course! She also let the kids pick a toy out of her treat bag. That Flowers ...
At first Owen was a little unsure about the clown showing up. He eventually warmed up to her and became excited. I went back and forth with having a clown come to his party in the first place, just because I think some clowns can overdue it with the make up and then look freaky. I just wanted someone cute and fun and of course age appropriate. Anyway, I got lucky ...because Flowers was perfect! She kept their attention, especially Jacob's. He was hilarious. She did such a great job and I highly recommend her.

I think Owen had a perfect 1st time friend party with his friends and family!

I am happy ... =)

Owie's Birthday Continued ...

2009-05-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

So for Owen's birthday dinner he chose McDonald's. Grandma and Grandpa Tolman came over for dinner. I love that Owen calls his hamburgers "crabby patties." He's kind of a big fan of Spongebob!
He loved loved loved his birthday cake!
Yummy cake ...
We are all singing to him ... Madi and Jacob scream sing!
Make a wish sweet boy ...
What a cute little boy ...

Grandma Tolman picked him up this afternoon and took him to Toys R Us to shop for his presents. He came home with a bag full of presents. He is one spoiled little man!

Happy Birthday Owen! I'm glad you had a fun day! Now it's time to get ready for your clown party on Saturday ... Yay!!

Look who's 4 today!!

2009-05-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe 4 years ago today my baby was born! How fast time flies! Owen was born a planned C-section. I had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. and at 8:15 a.m. this little man came and forever changed our family.

Fun facts about our little boy ...

Owen loves the color white
He likes to eat his food starting in the middle. For example he starts his sandwich with a hole in the middle.
He loves to throw rocks in water and then laugh at the splash
He has ran more than he has EVER walked. Dead serious.
He likes to fart and then blame it on ME! Yes, I have been mortified a few times.
He will snuggle and kiss me (lick me too) any time I ask.
He will ask me to hold him and I love that and I hope it never stops.
He LOVES dirt more than any other outside toy. He likes to put it in his hair especially.
He says the funniest things. He keeps us laughing.
He makes a mess everywhere he goes. He can sit, lay and walk on mess. I kinda think he likes it.
He refuses to help clean up.
I love how he sounds out his words. If he were my first child I would feel nervous.
He is smart
He can do amazing backflips
He likes to flip around a lot
He has the sweetest singing voice.
We love everything about our Owen Byron Tolman. He is delish!!

Owen woke up this morning to see this cool green bike waiting for him. He loved it! The only thing he really asked for for his birthday was a Lightening McQueen car "with no dirt on it." His wish was granted. Madi and Jacob were so cute with him this morning when he rode it for the first time. They wanted to guard him like any big brother and sister should. Later this afternoon Jacob and Owen went on a ride and Jacob let Owie go ahead of him .... (shocked the knickers off me) because he said he "loves him."
We went to Toys R Us to spend some birthday money. They gave him a balloon and crown to wear while he shopped. They also announced his birthday for all to hear. Two strangers acknowledged him and wished him a happy birthday.
For his birthday breakfast we ate french toast.

Happy Birthday baby boy! We love you more than you'll ever know!

More events and pictures of his special day to come ...

Happy Birthday Ty!!

2009-05-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

I love this man!!
There are so many great things about Ty. The kids and I decided we better just narrow it down to our top 10 favorites!

10) He does everything with his family
9) He is patience with us (especially mom)
8) He teaches us how to ride motorcycles
7) He loves to tickle us. When he tickles us he makes us name 5 fruits before he'll stop
6) He is fun!
5) He is smart
4) He likes to make money for the family
3) He pumps my bike tires
2) He loves to teach us all sorts of things
1) He is amazing!!

You are amazing Ty!! I love you bunches and think you are the most loving and dedicated man. I love how you love us. I love that the kids know they we come first for you. We are so proud of you. We hope you have a Happy Happy Birthday!

Mothers Day 2009

2009-05-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ty and the kids made me a delicious brunch after church today. I was given flowers, chocolate, a hand painted flower pot with a flower in it from Madi, a card and a hand print of Jacob. Thanks for the Wii Fit too!! I took a nap, watched a movie and didn't have to touch a dish or bathe the ducklings ... well how about that!

But my greatest gift of all is being the Mother of these 3 beautiful children ...

Owen and Mom Date ...

2009-05-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Jacob went to a birthday party after school and since Madi was still in school Owie and I decided to head to the farm for a picnic. We love Wheeler Farm!

On Thursday, Friday and Saturdays they offer pony rides. I found out after Owie's ride that these were the same ponies that Madi had for her birthday party when she was 4! It took Owie about 10 seconds to warm up to the pony. While I was taking this picture he was just laughing and loving it!
Owie basking in the sun!!
He chose McDonalds for lunch ...
We fed the ducks ...
Owie pretending to be a "farm puppy!" Ruff! Ruff!
Playing in the tree house ...
Owen and Licorice ...

Owen LOVES to throw rocks in water and listen to it's splash. He is learning how to skip rocks!
Cutest 4 year old boy ever ...
I love this picture of my sweet baby boy ...
Owie likes to try and pick up rocks. He was so nice and moved a big rock out of the way so people wouldn't trip over it. (Not this rock) Owen loves his rocks ...
We saw 2 baby chicks and 1 baby duck ... and many more of our favorite farm animals.

I'm crazy in love with this little boy! Thanks for a fun day Owie Bowie!!

Madi's Dance Recital ...

2009-05-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last night was Miss Madi Girls dance recital. She didn't miss a beat or step while dancing her cute little tush off! I love this girl!

My little Rockin' Robin ...
The theme was American Bandstand. The music was great!
We were in Moab when they had their dance pictures. I promised Madi that I would take a picture of her class ... and here you have it!
This is Madi's element. Center stage. All eyes on her. No talking please!!

You did a great job Madi! (she is the 6th girl back)

Supercross 2009 in Salt Lake City ...

2009-04-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Before the race started they visited the Pit Area to check out the racers bikes and maybe meet some of the racers ... preferably James Stewart. They did not meet anyone, but did have the opportunity to stand and drool over dirt bikes for however long needed.
James (Bubba) Stewart's crib on wheels ...
more dirt bike shots ...

I took this picture before they left. Ty was so excited to take the boys to the race. Jacob was so excited he could hardly handle it and Owen had just woken up from his nap, so he was very onery. Owen soon overcame that as soon as they hopped on the tracks to the Stadium!
Jacob refused to take his eyes off the race long enough for a picture ... he was just too happy!
GO JAMES (BUBBA) STEWART!!!
YEAH!!!!

I see medical bills ...
and he WON!!
Here Stewart is coming in to finish the race ...

My boys ...
They were beaming with joy when they came home last night! I'm glad they had an awesome time together smelling race gas and that James Stewart won for them! =)

I see a tradition.

Girls Night ...

2009-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

While the boys went to Supercross, Madi and I decided to go see the Hannah Montana Movie. I was surprisingly pleased. The message was mother approved. I probably shouldn't admit this though, but I got a little choked up when she sang The Climb. I can't decide if it just sounds better in the movie or if it's because I know how hard it is to be a teenager and I'll have one in less than 5 years ... I don't know, but I love the words to this song.

After the movie we went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe. Madi loves their pancakes! We then ran over to Cold Stone to pick up a raspberry sorbet with sprinkles (at Madi's request) to take home. When we came home, we jumped in our jammies and watched some TV and shared our dessert.

I had a fun night with my favorite girl! I look forward to many, many more fun times with my Madi Girl!!

Madi the Star Student ...

2009-04-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

This past week Madi was the star student in her class. Each day she was able to share something about herself.

*Monday: she brought in her "About Me" poster that she put together all by herself.
*Tuesday: her class made a "you are special" book for her.
*Wednesday: she shared her favorite toy, which is her little pet shops collection.
*Thursday: she shared her favorite book "James and the Giant Peach."
*Friday: she was asked to share a hobby or treat. Madi decided to play the piano for her class.

Here Madi is telling her class how long she has been playing and what level she is on.
She played Christmas Parade and Love Somebody. She did such a great job!
After she played, she passed out pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
I wish you could see her handwriting in the picture ... her poster is awesome!

A couple of things about our "miss thang" ...

I love to read ...
I love school ...
I'm a big sister ...
I love Disneyland ...
I was just baptized ...
I love to have picnics at the farm ...
Swimming rocks ...
I love going to the movies with my friends ...
My favorite movie is High School Musical 3 ...
I LOVE my family ...
Swimming with my cousins rocks ...
My favorite color is purple ...
I love my motorcycle ...
My favorite sport is swimming ...
My favorite food is pizza ...
My family is the best!

To top off her week and for getting her awesome award that day, I surprised her with Pizza Hut for lunch! She said she had a very fun week!

Congrats Miss Madi Ann ...

2009-04-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

On Friday (yesterday) Madi received the "McReader of the Month Award" from her school during their assembly. To get this award you have to have the highest reading points in your class for the entire month. They choose a student from each class and grade.

Madi LOVES to read (especially before bed time)! I am so proud of you my Miss Madi Girl! What else can I say .... YOU ROCK!!

My Madi Girl and her Softball ...

2009-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

Madi had her first softball game tonight. They lost 1-7.

Her awesome coach made the girls these cute hair bows to wear for each game. I love it! They don't have their t-shirts yet, but the color is purple. So far we are off to a good season ... bows and purple!

Jacob Our Golfer ...

2009-04-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Jacob's first golf class and he LOVED it. He is very excited for next week. One of the questions that his instructor asked was "Do any of you know a name of a professional golf player?" Jacob raised his hand and shouted "I watch Tiger Woods!"

After they practiced a bit his instructor had the boys gather around him to discuss what a golf course looks like. The instructor (I really can't remember his name) picked Jacob out and asked him to name something that he sees on the map .... it could be anything! Of course Jacob said "the golf carts!" It was cute .. to me of course. Then when one of the other boys noticed the water, Jacob raised his hand and as dry as can be asked "what happens when the ball goes in the water?" He was off in la la land when the instructor replied "it would be a penalty ... great great question Jacob." My cheeks hurt from laughing. He is seriously so funny!
All the boys were given a golf ball to take home. Right now this is the most special thing in Jacob's life!

Picnic at the Park ...

2009-04-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Ty and the kids rode their bikes to the park while I stayed behind to make our picnic lunch. I arrived by vehicle. I have no idea where my helmet is ... and no! I am not hiding it. I'm bummed because it was nice and new!

Anyway, we had the park to ourselves and of course ... we had a great time!
Jacob suggested that I take this picture of him. He loves Bugles!
This was my dessert ... but the kids had slurpees waiting for them when they got home.

Madi Girl is my monkey bar queen!! She is fast! No wonder she has sores on her hands when she comes home from school. Madi will not move to another school unless she has monkey bar approved it. It's this serious.

Jacob Lost his 1st Tooth ...

2009-04-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

While we were in Moab I noticed that his tooth was loose. We were more excited than he was. This afternoon he came upstairs and said "Mom, this is the day my tooth is going to come out! Mom, this is the day my tooth is going to come out! Mom, this is the day my tooth is going to come out!" He was a little nervous, but with one pull it was out! He didn't cry or have watery eyes. You are so brave Jacob.

He is so excited to find out what the tooth fairy will bring!!

Happy Easter 2009 ...

2009-04-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we had our big Easter egg hunt with cousins at Mike and Trish's house ... and of course we had a blast! We ate a delicious meal and had yummy cake! This evening we are going to Lindsey and Craig's house to have another egg hunt (we just like to hunt for eggs that much) and Sunday dinner!

How funny are some of these pictures? I am still laughing.

Easter Festivities ...

2009-04-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday night we decorated our Easter eggs. The kids had so much fun that we ended up doing it again on Saturday. They did a great job and made some very nice looking eggs.
After that we made rice crispy treats that we shaped into eggs. We were going to dip them in chocolate and then dip them again in sprinkles ... but we decided to watch a movie instead. The kids loved it when I sprayed their hands with the Pam cooking spray. Thanks for the great idea Rice Krispy Treats commercial!
Madi took hers seriously ...
but the boys not so much!

Moab 2009

2009-04-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

For Spring break this year we took the kids to Moab. We went with our friends the Kirkham family and had a great time with them. It was mine and the kids first time there and we already can't wait to go back. It is so beautiful and fun for the kids. I love that they have simple hikes for the kids to go and explore. We visited the Arches one day and had a picnic. The weather wasn't that great, but we made the best of it anyway!

Owen kept wanting to pretend he was a spider monkey. He about gave me a heart attack every time he would run up a rock and then jump around from one rock to another.

Ty and the kids thought they would try to catch this huge rock .... just in case it fell. "Strength of a bear."
I can't forget that Ty and Ty did go on some dirt bike rides. I wish I had taken a picture of him. Next time though .... yay!!=)

The Sand Hill or Mountain ...

2009-04-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

One afternoon we took the kids over to this huge sand hill to climb and roll down. It looks like every mothers nightmare of a clean up with kids, but surprisingly it wasn't too bad. We all had a great time playing around here. The kids wanted to go back, but one time was enough for Ty and I. Great times, I tell ya!

Riding the 50 ...

2009-04-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Madi has actually outgrown the 50. She rode our friends 70 and she said she felt more comfortable on it. I guess it's time to purchase a new bike. Madi rides great and is always observant of things around her. You go Madi girl ...

This was Jacob's first time riding by himself. He did such a great job. He only crashed once, but got right back on. You go Jacob!!

He is trying to practice his turns. I like that you can see him lift is arm when getting ready to make a turn. He did it!!

The joy of getting Owie dressed in the morning ...

2009-04-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think it would be easier to shave a sheep and milk a cow than put clothes on this boy!

It usually starts with him taking his jammies off ... running down the hallway a million times back and forth (naked). WHY TAKE THE UNDERWEAR OFF WTH THE PJ PANTS!??!! I am better at putting his socks on him when he is laying half way off is bed, upside down with his back to me. Socks are on ... so he runs down the hall again. Now he is upside down looking at me between his legs while I put his pants on him. He kicks one leg out one at a time and really thinks he's helping me out. Runs away again. The best part is putting his shirt on. He likes to shake his head really fast and put his arm in his neck hole or whatever hole the arm is not supposed to be in. Runs another lap. By this point he has been threatened with everything ... he should be wondering if he'll be getting lunch.

Brushing his teeth is awesome. He moves his head around so many times and talks, wimpers, grabs things and then throws it. His toothbrush has spent just as much time up his nose than in his mouth. It's just simple luck to comb his hair. At this point I'm just glad he has his unders on ... even if they are on inside out!

After all that, he gives me his signature look ... see above.

This morning he patted my back and said "mom, you're my pal."

He melts my heart.

SeaWorld here we COME ...

2009-04-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Jacob was SO excited to celebrate his 6th Birthday in Sea World. But of course the getting there part was just as exciting!

This is his second time flying, but first time with JetBlue. He was in awe that he could play his DS and watch CARTOONS at the SAME TIME!!!
How cool is this!?!! After we had landed the pilot allowed any child to come and sit on his seat before getting off the plane. Talk about a little boys dream come true. Thanks JetBlue!!

Jacob just wishes they would change the name to "JetRed" for the Utah Utes. Spoken from a true Utah Fan ... that's our Boy!!

Keep scrolling down, our adventure is just beginning ...

We're in Beautiful San Diego ...

2009-04-01T00:49:00.000-07:00

Jacob's Great-Grandma and Grandpa Rayner picked us up from the airport. Grandma told Jacob that he was 81 years younger than she. It was cute how she told him. He fell asleep on her shoulder ... I guess all that traveling can do that to you.
We went to a restaurant called Coco's for dinner that night. Jacob loved the name. He just laughed when he heard it and kept repeating it! He liked the name so much that we had to go back once again before we flew home ... all because of the name Coco's! I love this boy ... and Coco's fish and chips too. It really is a yummy place to eat!

Jacob wanted to take a picture of his dessert at Coco's!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JACOB .... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!

This is Jacob's birthday outfit. He was delighted. Thanks Grandma Tolman!

We're in SeaWorld ...

2009-04-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

When we first arrived we went over to the Shark Encountrer. This became Jacob's favorite exhibit. Look at that Shark behind you ...
They swam above us. It was awesome. Look at those teeth. This is one of Jacob's favorite pictures.

We even fed a seal ...
Jacob and Grandma waiting for the Dolphin show to start ...

Picnic With Shamu ...

2009-04-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

We had a picnic with Shamu and while we were eating our lunch we enjoyed watching this ...

Sting Rays and Pet's Rule ...

2009-04-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

We loved watching the Sting Rays. Julie and I were able to touch them, but Jacob refused. Silly Boy!

The Pet's Rule show was kind of a favorite of mine. Maybe it's because I hadn't seen it before and have seen the other shows a million times. Jacob was all laughs through this show...it was a really cute show! It made me want a pet for sure.

Jacob was able to pet one of the dogs.

The Wild Arctic and Some Other Fun things along the Way...

2009-03-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

The Wild Arctic ...

Jacob LOVED this ride ...
I kept him well nourished ... a churro, some cotton candy, a little fruit punch pop, a frozen lemonade. It was his Birthday for heaven's sakes!
Jacob began to run in the direction of the Octopus exhibit. He was so excited, but soon disappointed because they only have 1 octopus! Whatever Sea World!

2009-03-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

At this point Sea World was just so much fun that Jacob had to roll down this hill!
"Lion Fish!" Jacob liked the looks of these sea creatures. They were pretty fascinating, that's for darn sure.
When we first saw these Jacob just stood there and asks "Now, what the heck are these?" They didn't offer any information about them. If you look real close, the orange things are some type of fish. They look like pieces of yarn.
At first Jacob was a little nervous to touch the star fish. I had him touch the rock that he was leaning on and told him that the shell felt the same way. He slowly put his fingers in to touch it and ta da ... loved it! I then showed him how to carefully pick one up and he did it nicely, but then threw it down when he was done. It hurt my heart. This was one of my favorite exhibits at the park.
I'm sorry, but if you see people in a tube, who are not wet "yet" and you can put a quarter in a machine to drench them ... who would honestly pass that up!?! Jacob was laughing so hard ... and so was I. Good job Son!

Back to Grandma and Grandpa's House ...

2009-03-31T23:25:00.000-07:00

This is sweet little Isabel, Jacob's second cousin. They became instant friends. They had each other at "coloring."
Grandma Rayner was so sweet and had a yummy dinner ready for us when we came home. Thank you Grandma, it was delicious!
We sang to Jacob and then devoured this chocolate cake. Happy Birthday My Sweet Boy. You have no idea how much I love you!

Jacob at the Beach Part 1 ...

2009-03-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

"Well I'll be darned, I think this here is the ocean!"
"IT'S GETTING MEEEEE!!"
The water was a little chilly, but obviously not that bad because Jacob kept running in to get his piggies wet!
Priceless ...

Jacob at the Beach Part 2 ...

2009-03-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Jacob does not sit at the beach. This is how he makes the best of it ...

He spins in the sand ...
He lays in it ...
He runs on it ...
He splashes in it ...
Ok, so maybe he does sit at the beach .. but it was just long enough for me to take this picture!
If you ask me, "forget the ball game ... take me out to the beach!"

Nice Pictures ...

2009-03-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

I love my kids little sandy piggies!! But of course we had to find it in other places as well ...
Jacob's Photography ...

Jacob with Grandma and Grandpa Rayner. We were at the airport getting ready to fly home...
On Sunday we had family over at our house for pizza and brownie with ice-cream.
I hope each and every one of your wishes come true William Jacob ...To Infinity and Beyond ...

Congratulations Madi Ann ...

2009-03-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

Madi set a goal for herself to get the 25 point award for the AR Reading Program for her school. She brought home two new books every day to read and then she tested on them at school the next day. As proud as I am for her, I am proud to say that I did not have to remind her once about reading and following through with her goal.
These are the awards that she received at school. Her teacher called me the night before to let me know that she would be getting these awards at the assembly the next morning. She was surprised to see her father and I there.
I love this picture of my sweet sweet Madi Girl. Her goal now is set for the 75 pointer. You Go Girl!!

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

2009-03-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

No one can pinch these 3 ...
We didn't catch the Leprechaun, but hopefully next year when we use syrup that will work. He left is little foot prints in the honey and even got some on the rug. Silly Leprechaun. Even though he his pretty tricky to catch he was nice enough to leave us a note wishing us a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Oh, and thanks for the chocolate gold coins too!
For breakfast we had fried eggs (yellow), green grapes, glazed donuts and green juice!

Let's Go Biking ...

2009-03-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

As soon as the sun comes out and feels warm for us .... we grab our helmets and take off on our bikes. I once heard someone say that "kids just don't ride bikes anymore." That is clearly not the case for the Tolman kids. We love to ride our bikes!! In fact when the weather was nice a couple of weeks ago, Ty took the kids on forever long bike rides. They loved every second of it! I, on the other hand need to get over my bike crash incident and get back on the dang thing.

Miss Madi is so good at following bike safety rules. You Rock D!!
Jacob loves to ride fast and then make skid marks on the cement. He also loves to ride down hill and then make sharp turns with his back tire. It's a palm sweater for me. =/
We need to buy Owen a bigger bike this year. When Ty takes the kids on long rides, this is how Owie enjoys it. How could you blame the kid? The best part is when they get home after a 20 mile bike ride and Owen will say he is tired.
We can't wait for it to warm up so we can take our bikes out again!

OWEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

The kids were in bed trying to go to sleep when I went in their bathroom to clean up a bit. The first thing I noticed was the sink filled with water. I tried to drain it ... but oh no, it was plugged! I asked the kids what was wrong with the sink and Owen says, "I put toilet paper in it." I asked him why and he quietly responded .... "because" ....

Well that explains it! Awesome answer Owen ...

My Sweet Sweet Boy is Turning .... 6!!!

2009-03-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of my Jacob! He was 3 years old. He will be turning 6 years old tomorrow at 4:08. He will be celebrating his special day in Sea World!!

There are so many things I love out Jacob. He has the best sense of humor and is constantly making us laugh. He is finally ok with people laughing along with him. He loves to ride is bike and can so FAST!! These past couple of weekends he has been going on bike rides with dad and will ride for miles. In one weekend he rode 17 miles. He has the best of time. He loves to make skid marks on the cement and likes to ride fast and make sharp turns. This boy LOVES speed. He loves boats, Nascar, big trucks and especially dirt bikes and motorcycles. He pretty much loves anything with an engine. I love to see the excitement in his face when he hears an engine rev up!

I love Jacob's heart. He is so smart and happy all the time. He melts my heart when he laughs. I am so proud to be his mom. I love his hugs and kisses.

I love you my William Jacob Tolman .... to Infinity and Beyond ... times a billion!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!

How Crazy is THis ...

2009-03-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Owie Bowie has BEE'S IN HIS THROAT!!

Oh my, what should I do!?!

This afternoon Owen asked if he and Woody could go outside to play. I told him no because he has a sore throat. He said "Ya, I have bee's in my throat." He opened his mouth and said "but they all came out."

Amazing!! Bee's came out of his mouth without stinging him... whew ... that's incredible!

I love you my Owie Bowie!

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob ...

2009-03-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

So last night while finishing up dinner Jacob says, "I'm out" and starts to pull away from the table. I'm far from Leaver it to Beaver's mom ... but really? While I was telling Jacob what he should say when he is finished eating, Ty is over there giving him knuckles. Ty thought it was funny!

I do have to admit it was kind of funny ... I just don't want him to think it's ok. It's not polite. What if he was at someone else's home? Who would that reflect on? ME!!!! ...not knuckle giving dad!

Oh, Owen is crying. Madi says he has a splinter ... I'm out. Ha!

Simple Things that make us HaPpY ...

2009-03-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Jacob: He can swallow macaroni and cheese without chewing it .... eXciting!

Owen: The new Cinnamon Toast Crunch commercial! He has the best belly laugh.

Madi: The FIBER in Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal! She likes to the say the word.

Me: My self entertained children. We held Owen's play group at our house today and the kids were great ... but nuff said!

Ty: His newly organized closet that I cleaned out for him last night. He's thrilled about it ... just overjoyed!

Get a load of this ...

2009-03-03T12:51:00.001-08:00

So this afternoon after taking a cough drop to Madi at school, I pulled in the drive way, got out of the car and as I was helping the boys get out I could hear air coming out of one of the tires. Rear tire on drivers side. I run in and call Ty and he tells me to immediately take it over to the Shop. I tossed the boys back in the car and drive, ever so carefully to the Firestone. I leave the car there and walk home. As soon as I arrive home I get a phone call from the guy telling me he found a SCREWDRIVER and a whole lot of other things in my tire. WHAT??? I call Ty and he hardly believes me and to be totally honest, I didn't believe me either when I was telling him this. Ty asks for the number, calls the dude then calls me back ...

Drum roll ....

TWO SCREWDRIVES AND A PIPE were found in my tire ... now that is AMAZING! Tell you what.

My World's Record ...

2009-03-02T15:18:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago while making pancakes for breakfast ... and without realizing this ... I was making history! What began as making a simple pancake, ended with me making the smallest pancakes ... EVER! Every time I'd make a cake for one of the kids, I would serve it to them smaller than the one I had served before. The kids would laugh and kept asking me if I could make an even smaller one ... and of course I so did. It was a Saturday (our lazy day) so we had all the time in the world. By the time the batter was gone, we had pancakes the size of teeny tiny little dots. The ducklings thought this was amazing! We offered them to the birds by tossing them out the backdoor. It was fun.

So today Cole came over to play and while the boys were eating lunch I over heard Jacob say (in his proud loud voice) "My mom broke the world's record and made the smallest pancakes in the WORLD!!!"

Had I known all this, I would have taken a picture first ... hello!

Ty is Home ...

2009-02-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today was a lazy day for me. I finally got caught up with laundry though so that's a plus. The boys were awesome for me. It wasn't until 4:00 that I discovered that Owen had no underwear on. He said he took them off when he was playing in the basement. That was hours before, but thank goodness he kept his comfy pants on to cover himself. Becky came over to visit with me this afternoon. She is a very sweet friend! I could tell that Madi had a better day at school today because she burst through the door with a smile on her face! Just to make today even better ... DADDY CAME HOME!

My Tuesday!

2009-02-24T22:40:00.000-08:00

This morning we all got out of bed a little later than usual. I need to be better in the mornings. Last night Owen went to bed late, so of course I did too. He wanted to chit chat about a whole lot of nothing. For example he said this: "blood comes out of noses." Anyway, he woke up feeling a lot better today. I think he is all pooped out, if you know what I mean. All he wanted for breakfast were pancakes. He loves syrup so much, I think he just wanted the syrup more than the cakes. Just out of the blue, he will go grab the bottle and lick the top of it just for the heck of it. For dinner we had spaghetti, garlic rolls and corn and he had the bottle of syrup next to his plate trying to figure what he could dip the syrup with. I made him put it away. Silly boy!

Side story: He was sad at the Zoo on Saturday because they weren't selling the kettle corn or "popcorn syrup" so he calls it. He loves anything resembling syrup.

I helped Jacob carry his construction paper filled with cotton balls to his class. The kids loved it. His friend Talon belted out "that rocks!" So cute. I stayed for a minute to watch him show his class his work of art. I could tell he was very proud. I love his little excited but bashful smile. Oh, that boy is yummy! After I picked Jacob and Avery up from school, we went over to Jamie's house for lunch. Thanks Jam, it was delish! The boys stayed and played for a awhile this afternoon and had a blast. Poor Madi had a bad day at school. She made some mistakes on an assignment in class, got kicked and slapped in the face by a friend on accident, had a disagreement with her best friend and then felt left out at her Activity Days. The only thing I felt I could do besides listen to her was to: (1) offer her a chocolate bar (good thing I had her favorite one on hand) (2) let her cry it out (3) tell her how much I love her (4) reminded her that I was her best friend anyway! I'm so happy that she had a fun time at dance tonight. I think that made up for today. Tomorrow will be a better day for her! The kids are fast asleep so therefore ... I'm off to bed myself.

My Monday!

2009-02-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to Owie in the bathroom calling for me to help him. He obviously had some sort of stomach ache. Poor little guy. I kept him inside today, unsure of how bad he was really feeling. He was playing like normal, but kept having to go to the bathroom. Odd illness ... if that's what I should call it. He fell asleep around 11:30 and woke up around 2:00. He is laying right next to me as I type. I hope he falls asleep soon and wakes up feeling all better tomorrow!

This evening the kids and I glued cotton balls to construction paper. Madi made some beautiful flowers and Owen just enjoyed dipping the cotton balls in the glue. For Jacob's 100th day of Kindergarden, each child is to glue 100 items of their choice to a piece of construction paper. He chose cotton balls. I have a cute picture of him holding his masterpiece. It will be posted here shortly. He did a great job and we all had fun!

This evening we enjoyed dinner, baths and reading time. I love listening to Madi read to her brothers. She makes them laugh and is just a lot more fun to listen too. I actually find myself getting more in to the book when she is reading. After our reading time the kids nicely went to bed for me. I have a little bite of a headache, so off to sleep I go.

Weekend Fun ...

2009-02-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Ty and a couple of friends headed out to St. George for some dirt biking. Ty's mom picked the kids up on her way home from work and took them to dinner. I had a baby shower to go to, so that was very nice of Julie to take them for awhile while I went to that. Later when I ran over to pick them up, I did'nt realize how much I had already missed them. We went back to Amy's and there the kids watched a movie. They were so tired and finally around 11:00, we came home and went to bed.

We spent Saturday morning being lazy and watching cartoons on my bed with feet and arms all over each other. At 11:15 the kids had swim lessons. (pictures will be coming) Owen loves to wear his goggles and dive for the rings. He is listening well and is finally dunking his head all the way under the water. At first he would just put his face under and call it good. He loves to jump in and float on his back. Jacob is just gumbie on crack! He is really trying to cordinate is arms and legs while swimming. What is it with boys? He loves to splash around, float on his back and of course, jump in. He is doing such a great job! The week before, he jumped in the deep end but was not sure if he liked it or not. Next time ... we think, I hope?!? Madi is doing great! She is swimming laps from one end to the other. She feels nervous about diving, but does it anyway. Her instructor is very incouraging and tells her she can do it and pretty much just makes her. Ty and I want all of her instructors to be this way. She wants to try out for the Murray Mac soon. We know she can do it! After swim lessons we came home to bathe and have lunch. Soon after that we were off to the Zoo for the afternoon. Being that the weather was so nice, everyone wanted to be at the zoo. I love having a zoo pass, because we never have to feel like we have to see every animal every time we go. As soon as I saw all the cars lined up along both sides of the road, I promised the kids a train ride and carousel ride, then told them to choose the animals they wanted to visit the most. It was just that crazy! For dinner we went to Chili's. We cannot get enough of their chips and salsa. Oh so yummy! The kids were so great at the restaurant and actually ate all their food. Hurray! After dinner we ran a couple of errands. Jacob needed 100 cotton balls for an assignment he is doing in class. Thank goodness I was finished with that because in the car on the way home Jacob's stomach started to hurt. I really think he just ate way too much. For some reason he felt that putting a cup to his mouth to breathe in would make him feel better. I just rolled his window down and had him take some deep breaths. I hate throw up and just wanted to make it home! But somewhere between State Street and Winchester or maybe even Clay Park, Owen decided to grab the cup from Jacob and throw it out the window! Finally we get home and he said he was starting to feel better. Soon after we got home, Ty came home and while the kids were helping him unpack, Jacob throws up in the garage. He runs in and finally makes it to the bathroom, but refuses to bend down to get his head closer to the toilet. Holy crap! So there I am behind him yelling at him to bend down and all the while he is just standing there straight up in front of the toilet while puck is splashing every where. I almost threw up. Ty told me he thinks the entire neighborhood could hear me yelling at him to "bend your head!" Then after that, I could see he had some throw up on his tongue, so I hurried and grabbed a paper towel to wipe it off. Bad idea, because he throws up again, but this time in the kitchen. Dang gag issue! So after those hellish minutes, the kids gave Ty loves and then went to bed! Goood Night!!!

Today Ty stayed home with Jacob. Owen had to pretend he hated Sunbeams and cried for me when I dropped him off. I just tossed him in anyway, and I kid you not, he immediately stopped crying. Amazing! I checked on him a little later to see that he was having a fantastic time! Tonight for family home evening, I wanted Owen to start out by telling us about his lesson in class. He wanted to make sure we all new that the Holy Ghost does not have a body. He quizzed Madi and Jacob by asking, "does Holy Ghost have body?" He was so cute and serious about it. After that I let him pick the lesson out of the box and he chose Ammon. Madi read it out loud and did a great job. Jacob and Owen did not listen. Suddenly when she read about arms being cut off and shown off, Jacob's eyes popped out. I guess that made us want to arm wrestle. Jacob beat Owen. Madi beat Jacob. Madi beat Owen. Now Owen is jumping over our backs and climbing on our shoulders. Ty beat all of us. At one point he thought he would just be nice and let me win. That made me mad, so I tried again. Ty just needs to loose for once! Thanks Madi for having my back ... and zero thanks to my boys!

(pictures from the zoo will be coming!)

Valentines Weekend ...

2009-02-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

Madi and Jacob's class Valentine parties were a lot of fun. I was in charge of drinks for both classes. I bought those 8 oz. water bottles from Costco and took the Kirkland brand wrapper off and just glued cute valentine scrapbook paper around it where the wrapper fit. It turned out so cute and the kids loved it! Since I'm room mom for Madi's class, I was in charge of the party planning. We played freeze dance and pass the box. A couple of other mom's brought in fruit and dip for the snack. The kids in both classes were a lot of fun and of course adorable! I loved watching then proudly pass out their Valentine cards ... so funny!

For Owen's play group they had a cute little Valentine party on Thursday. There, he was able to pass his cards out to his friends and to some of our neighborhood kids. He pretty much attended 3 parties in 2 days. What a trooper!

On Friday night (late) the Enloe family came to town. It's always a treat to see them. That night Brenda and I set the table with heart shaped plates and the kids Valentine gift next to it. For breakfast we had orange rolls and cinnomon rolls with pink frosting and eggs and ham. It was delicious! The kids just played all day while the adults played a couple of rounds of Phase 10. That evening we had Cafe Rio for dinner at our house. It was delicious and far from romantic. After we put the kids to bed we watched a movie, but missed the last 10 minutes of it because the show Madi was recording came on ... dang iCarly!

It was a great weekend! Thanks so much for visiting us! Next time, let's just have a game plan for the guys and finish watching 21!

What A Day ...

2009-02-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

Today started out pretty early. We had to wake the kids up to take Ty to the airport. The kids were great at just getting up and putting their sweaters on. They were so sad to see daddy leave. I told the kids we were only going to Sacrament Meeting and that made them pretty happy. You would think that since we were only going for an hour it would have been pretty smooth ... nope! Jacob wanted the entire row to himself, Owen accidently kicked Madi in the face and then he pulled my hair and took the clip out that was holding my hair together. Awesome!

After that lovely hour, we came home and had a fun afternoon making brownies for our dessert and putting Valentine cards together. I love spending time like this with my kids. We watched a movie and laughed all day. Later, we ran over to Ty's parents house so Madi could ask them some questions for her Grandparent Day Program. It's not until next month, but I guess they need as much preparation done as soon as possible .. chop, chop! Madi also called her grandparents in California and asked them the same questions. We filled out a Family Tree too. I'm looking forward to her Program. She said she has a part to read and songs to sing. I can't wait Miss Madi Ann ...

One conversation I had with the kids this afternoon that I thought was hysterical, was about them remembering me when I was pregnant with Owen. Jacob remembers ... Who? What? When? Huh? But Madi remembers ALOT. Almost too much. One thing she remembers the most was when I would be eating something, she said I always had another in my hand and said that if she would ask me if she could have it or some of it, I always said "no, it's for baby Owen." How sad is that, she was like 4 1/2 and I was eating in front of her and saying "NO!" It is funny that she remembers that though. Oh, she also said in a very shy and sweet eye lashy way that I was "really big!"

Anyway-

I have no idea what ingredient I put in the casserole tonight, but we have been all laughs tonight. Oh, wow! It started with Owen and Jacob saying their night time prayers. Jacob said his first "hfjdhfjkahfjkfhasjfhgdjfgdaskfcnufhewfjksafjkdsfhjdk." Then it was Owen's turn. He started out fine but then wanted to use his Darth Vader voice. Jacob could not handle it and yelled for me. That made Owen mad, so he lifted one leg up and farted. Nice! So then Jacob just yelled louder. I go in to supervise and as I'm kneeling down, Owen climbs up on my back and with both legs dangling beside me, he prays. This time with Owen voice. It was sweet, it really was. Then Owen wanted Jesse to sleep while dangling upside down from the rope on his basketball hoop. He wanted her hat to be on her as well (and I really just wanted a PEPSI), so I found the duck tape and taped her hat on. Madi and Jacob had a good laugh at that. While Madi was fetching the scissors for me to cut the tape, she yelled out for Owen to "improvise." What? So after more laughing and giggling it was finally off to dream land for the kids ... and the pepsi is tasting so dang good!

I'm Back ...

2009-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Check out this picture of Owen with gum stuck to his neck. I hate when that happens! Don't you?

More blogging to come as soon as my camera is all charged up. So much to blog about ... so much to blog about!

Madi Has a Blog!

2008-12-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Please send me your e-mail or leave it on my blog and we'll invite ya! carrietolman@gmail.com

He's Making a List and Checking it Twice...

2008-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

NICE!!!

We had a perfect Christmas. The kids woke up around 7:30. Grandma and Grandpa Tolman came over soon after. It was so fun to watch the kids and listen to then shout out what Santa brought. We could see Owen really understand what was going on. I love Christmas Day!

For breakfast Julie made a yummy egg casserole and potatoes. On the side we had purple seedless grapes. It was great! Ty made his famous Orange Julius that we all love and look forward too. After breakfast we played and took naps. At 5:00 we had dinner at Sue's. We played more with family and opened more gifts.

I love being with family! I love to carry on traditions and create new ones. I'm grateful for this time of year and only wish it could last a little longer. It really just goes by so fast. I'm grateful for the little conversation we had as a family over breakfast as we were reminded of what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.

Twas' The Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas Eve! Ty's family came over for dinner. Thanks to Julie it was deLicIOUS! It's our families tradition to have Trifle for dessert. Ty's Aunt Sue makes it every year and it too was delicious! It has always been fun for the kids to open the present with their Christmas jammies inside. It almost makes it more real for them....Santa is on his way!
Jacob was sick with the flu on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday after he threw up, he started to feel a lot better. We kept him upstairs and had him watch movie after movie while everyone was here. Poor kid had dinner by himself. I did check on him.
Earlier that day we baked brownies for Santa. After they cooled we cut them into a Christmas Tree and a Ginger Man. Of course we left a cold glass of milk next to his plate too. I let Owen decide what to give the Reindeer. At first he wanted to give them some carrots. Clever. Then he changed his mind and said "the deers get an apple!" And so we left an apple on the porch for Rudolph!

Christmas Sunday

2008-12-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Today for our wards Christmas Program, Madi sang the song He Sent His Son with the children's ward choir and after that, Ty spoke on Christ as a Priesthood Leader. They did a wonderful job and I'm very proud of them.

Merry Christmas from the Tolman Family!

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Last night we decided it would be a perfect night to make these sweet looking Gingerbread houses (see below). The kids had a great time. However, I was not as prepared as I thought I was and had nothing to prop the graham crackers up on. I remember using milk cartons as a kid. Anyway, after searching the pantry, I came across some clear plastic cups. They worked but next year....I'm collecting milk cartons or any other carton for that matter. So try not to look too close!

While the kids were at the table creating, Ty and I played a little Guitar Hero. It's just a little addicting...just a little!
This is Owen's Gingerbread house. He refused to sit next to it while I take a picture. Good Job Owie!
Good Job Madi!
Good Job Jacob!
Kenzie and Sophia stopped by to say hi and wanted to show off their beautiful dress attire. Who needs shoes and a jacket when all you have to do is layer up and then run around really FAST! Thanks for the laugh girls!

What is Madi Thinking About...

2008-12-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

I asked Madi how she feels when she is up on stage and dancing in front of so many people. She told me that she feels fine and likes it. When she said that she kind of laughed. I asked her what was so funny and she says this. "I just pretend that everyone is only wearing their underwear and holding teddy bears."
Ok, that is funny!

Our Fun Weekend...

2008-12-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

We decided to start the weekend out right by going to the Zoo to see the "Zoo Lights" on Friday night. Before going there, we stopped at Red Butte Cafe for dinner. Seriously delish food! Everyone must try their taco's. The Zoo was a blast! It was pretty chilly, but worth every minute of it. The kids loved every part of it. I think we started a new tradition! We did'nt have a camera at the time, so no pictures, dang it!

On Saturday morning I took Madi to her dance pratice. Her time frame was 8:30 a.m.-10:30a.m. We were (finally) home by 11:00. Urrrrr! We spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy and playing in the snow (see slide show above). I'm a complete blog dork and have no idea how to "post" a slide show. I know I'll figure it out soon enough. My favorite picture is when Ty has the snowball and Jacob is running away from him!

Ty was super sweet and did some Christmas shopping for the kids and ME on Saturday afternoon. He gave me an early Christmas/Birthday present. Usually that would bite, but because it was a new camera, that made it ok....this time! ;) With Madi's dance recital that night, he new how much I needed it. Thanks a bunch Ty and kids. I love my present! This picture was the 1st picture taken on my camera!
What a fun and full weekend. Next on our list is Temple Square!

"A Dancer's Winter Wonderland"

2008-12-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Madi had her Christmas Dance performance last night. Her group danced to "Santa's Doing the Mambo." She did a great job. I love to watch her dance!
Madi was feeling a little tired after all the dancing. This picture was taken after her 1st show. She had one more to go. Good Job D!
I loVe this picture of her. Such a sweet girl!

Madi with her friends, Jayde, Erika and Abbi. There were 13 girls total in her dance group.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-03T20:11:00.001-08:00

After.....a delicious feast, scrumptious pie, cookie decorating, kids dance party, craft, gift exchange, great conversations, laughing, more conversations, more laughing, more feast, another piece of pie....I can honestly say we had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Miss Madi
Bubba
Dubbers...decorating his cookie

Last Saturday I took the kids to Gardener Village to have their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Clause. The picture turned out so cute. I love it! On the way there, Madi was reciting to me what she was going to ask from Santa. Jacob was so nervous, and I could tell he really did'nt want to be. He eventually warmed up and told Santa what he wanted for Christmas. Owen cried and wanted nothing to do with the event. After a bribe from Grandma, he was over it and smiled for the camera. (little fart!) It was really cute watching him tell Santa ALL the things he wants for Christmas. For only being 3, he sure has it figured out.

This picture was taken after they had their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Clause! I love my kids!