Cam and Kelli

The Best Christmas Gift

2012-01-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

This year for Christmas, Cameron and I bought ourselves and our kids our blog - printed and bound. I think it is one of my most cherished Christmas gifts ever. It is the size of my high school year book and it starts in the year 2007 and ends in October 2011. Some people blog for an outlet of thoughts, to be creative, share ideas, or a simple hobby. Some blogs I read are truly amazing and almost poetic. Let's be honest. Mine is NOT one of these. My goal is to find any extra minutes at the end of the day to upload our latest family pictures, say a word or two and be done with it. I do it to record our family history, like scrapbooking (except I hate scrapbooking) or like a family journal (except I'm pretty terrible at this too). For some reason, blogging has kept me up to date on recording our family doings better than any other way. I'll be honest, it is not my favorite thing to do. I do not like trying to figure out what to say (usually because it is 10 at night and I still need to do dishes or want to read my latest book- let me think, dishes or reading??). By the end of the day, my mind is so pooped I just want to vege and not be creative. I use to not be this way but I think three kids have done me in. It's all about survival now. Anyway, I just wanted to encourage any of you lame and uncreative bloggers out there. It is worth it. Keep going and someday you will have your own book about your own life the size of a high school year book. It's amazing! (I think this is as much as I have ever written in a single post - don't worry, back to the norm next time:)

Christmas 2011

2012-01-07T16:51:00.006-07:00

This year for Christmas we headed south to Henderson to be with my family. All my siblings and their families were there. We had a great time, stayed healthy, and stayed warm!

We had some great chats . . .

good laughs . . .

good food . . .

watched Christmas movies . . .

read Christmas stories . . .

acted out the nativity . . .

made gingerbread houses . . .

and there were plenty of hyper children to keep us occupied!

This is us Christmas morning, ready to see if Santa came.

It was so much fun watching the kids.

Grandpa's great Christmas wrapping.

Cameron got what he has always wanted. A ginormous bottle of Tabasco sauce!

We've been so blessed this year with so many blessings. This Christmas was a perfect way to wrap up another wonderful year.

December Happenings

2011-12-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

On the 11th, I had a birthday! And yes, I ate the entire piece of cake above. After making it through 30 years of life, I felt I deserved it. My sister-in-law Megan made the cake and it was amazingly good (and beautiful)!

We also went to see Santa Claus at the Riverwoods in Provo (which I recommend). No one cried, but Allie forgot to tell Santa what she wanted, Connor was too scared to say a word, and Brinley just stared at the hairy man. She would not take her eyes off of him!

This was before church but the only one that turned out half way decent was blurry.The rest of the pictures by the Christmas tree are just funny.

Boy, it's hard to get a good Christmas pictures of all the kids!

Okay, picture time is over!

Below are a few random things we've been up to.

Allie and Connor play with friends every Tuesday. They love it and I just don't know what we would do without Kate and Eve!

Cameron has been working hard at this! Painting is in progress but it is almost done.

Allie's been . . . I'm not really sure?

Brinley keeps getting cuter by the second!

Connor is learning how to smile and all the kids are learning how to dance (see videos below).

11-11-11

2011-11-27T16:51:00.001-07:00

The holidays took over the month of November this year but before the month slips away I wanted to announce that Cameron turned 30 on 11-11-11. I don't post on all his birthdays but this one deserves extra celebrating. He is an amazing husband, father, and friend. I am so grateful to be married to such a fun, hardworking, devoted, and loving man. Congratulations on making it to 30. Happy (late) Birthday.

Halloween, etc.

2011-11-07T08:12:00.004-07:00

Another year at the Springville pumkin patch... Aunt Megan always takes the pictures (which always turn out great) and the kids have a blast in the mean time.

We had a fun Halloween. Cam and I were Ghostbusters, Allie was a witch, Connor was Lightening McQeen, and Brinley was an angel.

Me and the kids went to visit my family in Vegas while Cameron went out of town for work. Wish we could have stayed longer but Allie had school.

Allie and cousin Ella

Brinley and cousin Lydia.

Allie and cousin Spencer

While we were at Aunt Shelly's, the kids let the chickens out of the coop. We had to round them up - got a taste of what it would have been like as a farm girl.

We went with Uncle Dave and Aunt Tori to the Shark Reef. Allie touched a Sting Ray for the first time. There were divers cleaning the shark tank (with the sharks). They wore chain metal suits. The kids were more interested watching the divers then the sharks!

Wish Grandma & Grandpa didn't have to work the week I was there but it was still fun to see them.

Here are a few extra pics I took during the month of October I couldn't leave out...

Connor doesn't go anywhere without it.

Not a very good picture but Brinley is looking a lot like Allie these days.

It is hard to take pictures of Brinley because she always opens her eyes so wide. She looks so funny!

She's Hitched!

2011-10-12T09:02:00.003-06:00

Cameron's sister, Kirsten, married Scott last Friday. Besides a bit of bad weather and having to move the whole outside reception inside, it was perfect and we had a great time.

Cameron's mom, Papa Bob, Uncle Jim, and Aunt Debbie stayed with us. It was a good excuse to spend some extra time with family.

They set up a photo booth in one of the bedrooms. We took a lot of fun pictures in there so there are more pictures still to come.

The kids were surprisingly perfect the entire day. No tantrums, no fights (that I saw, anyway). For the reception, the attic was open for the kids to play. They had toys, a stage, and amazingly a disco ball. What fun! (Poor cousin Quinn broke is collar bone just in time for the wedding.)

A Month of Firsts

2011-09-27T22:01:00.001-06:00

August was a month of firsts for our family. I know this post is a little late which isn't a first for me but I didn't want to skip August.

Allie's Firsts: Allie is now in Kindergarten and was so excited for her FIRST day of school (if you can't tell). I don't think she stopped smiling the entire day.

Connor's Firsts: Connor was born with a trigger thumb (couldn't straighten his thumb). The doctor said the only way to fix it was surgery and the sooner the better so his thumb would grow correctly. So, off to the surgical center we went for Connor's FIRST surgery. Usually they don't knock you out for it but little kids they do.

This is before the surgery. Can you see his bent thumb in the picture above. We tried to comfort him the best we could by dressing him in his favorite Lightening McQueen pj's and letting him bring his favorite toy car, Lightening McQueen - of course. I guess it would be safe to say that Lightening McQueen is Connor's FIRST obsession!

They put him into this wagon to take him away from his parents. He thought he was going for a ride. Little did he know.

Connor after the surgery. Poor little guy. I don't think the toy snake they gave him was helping.

On a happy note, Connor is now enjoying is FIRST big boy bed. His parents on the other hand, are not enjoying it. If only Connor would never have started climbing out of his crib, he would still be sleeping in it, and Mom and Dad would also be sleeping much better.

Brinley's Firsts: Brinley is sitting up on her own for the FIRST time. She is also army crawling everywhere and really on the go.

Brinley took her FIRST bite of solids in August. She is having a harder time adjusting to the stuff more then my other two but she'll get it. In the mean time we are loving watching her try.

While Allie was at school, I took this picture. It was our FIRST day just the three of us.

Before I Forget

2011-09-20T22:24:00.000-06:00

Before I forget, there are a few things we did this summer that I wanted to post.

First, I took the kids to Pocatello, Idaho to visit Grandma and Grandpa Merrill while Cameron was on a business trip. We had a great time and love being spoiled by grandparents.

Connor picked up a few pointers from Grandpa on how to clean a car (one of Grandpa's favorite hobbies)!

We visited a pet store that has an outdoor area filled with animals. We go almost every time we visit. I also visited a few of my cousins. Connor and Allie loved playing with their second cousins.

One of my best friends growing up was in town and stopped by for a visit. I miss Heather a ton and wish we lived closer. It is amazing after all these years and a few babies later, I still feel like a kid when I'm with her.

Cameron hiked Mount Timpanogos with his friend Travis. He had a great time and loved sliding down the mountain on the snow.

Who knew I lived near the beach! Okay, so it's a man made reservoir but it's as close as I'm going to get to California these days. Wish I'd known about the Spanish Fork Reservoir all summer!

Allie, Connor, and I went with Aunt Megan and cousin Quinn. We had a great time.

What didn't we do in July?

2011-08-31T07:38:00.000-06:00

July was awesome . . . what can I say. It was busy and crazy and fun! Besides summer camp, swim lessons, and birthday parties, this is what we've been up to . . .

Wish I took more pictures during the 4th of July but this was all I took. This was on Aunt Kirsten's front step where we watched the parade. Great seats!

We decided to go camping up Payson canyon near where we live. However, it rained practically all summer long including on our overnighter. There was a lot of mud, a lot of bugs, but we were still happy campers.

We found the perfect camping spot and hope to go back when it isn't so wet.

My mom, my sister, and her kids came to visit for a week. Wish we could do it more often!

We adult girls played a little, but most of the time we just kept these monkeys fed and happy.

Caught them in the act!

We had a Merrill family reunion this year in Bancroft, Idaho. Our reunion practically doubled the size of the town. We had a great time.

Brinley and me with my sister Shelly and her daughter Lydia.

Grandpa Williams with Connor and cousin Ella.

Allie with cousin Logan.

After the Merrill Reunion, the Williams family (Kelli's parents and siblings), went camping nearby for a few more days. The flies and mosquitoes were out to torment us but besides that, it was great!

We gave the kids bug catching kits to keep them busy.

Uncle Derek with Lydia and Brinley.

We had an activity where we drew names and had to create their faces using nature on paper plates. It is about artistic as the Williams family gets.

Let's be honest, camping with kids is crazy! They are filthy and are constantly under attack by every branch, rock, and insect . . . and they love every minute of it! Here are a few of my favorite pics.

Connor and his awesome spider bite. He lived.

We went on a little hike and found this beautiful natural spring. The water was freezing! Good times!!

Blank

2011-08-17T21:33:00.005-06:00

We have come to realize that if you don't have a cool title for your blog post, you might as well not post. So, sometimes Cameron and I work together to choose the perfect title for my next blog...but when it is late, our ideas get a little dry and we end up with titles like these (we thought of them in this order):

1. July Jubilations
2. The Three Stooges
3. The Three Amigos
4. Los Tres Andersen's Amigos
5. Update
(We know no one else is laughing about this right now but us - it is funny how everything is so hilarious the closer it gets to midnight.)
Here is an update of the kiddos in July anyway...
Allie: Turned the big 5! Had a water birthday party with a few friends and cousins.

Allie, Logan (cousin), and Connor getting ready for the party.

Allie on the slip-n-slide.

Wish I could say I made the cake myself but I know you all wouldn't believe me anyway. Allie's Aunt Megan made the adorable cake and it tasted as good as it looked!

Connor: Growing too fast. Had to give up his hard habit (the binky). Had a rough week but got over it. However, my sweet calm little boy has turned into an aggressive hyper two year old. Terrible two's or the deprivation of losing his binky? Who knows?

Connor giving one last suck before saying good-bye and throwing all his binky's in the trash. He didn't take naps for a week. One day, he was being really quiet in Allie's room. He had found a binky that had somehow missed the 'throw away' ceremony. He put that binky in and was out in no time!

Brinley: Getting cuter everyday. Unsure about me taking pictures of her. She just can't seem to figure out that bright light. And by the way, no, her eyes aren't normally opened quite this big.

Summer Lovin'

2011-07-03T22:15:00.003-06:00

We are having a fantastic summer but it's hard to keep up with the blog posts. Here are a few things we've been up to...

VEGAS: I drove the kids down to Vegas for a week in June to visit my family and forgot my camera. Darn! Until I get pictures from my mom, here are a few pictures I stole from my sister's blog.

The gang at the Boulder City splash park.

Girls Night Out - a.k.a. shopping without kids (well, most of them).

Connor loved to play/wrestle with his cousin Spencer.

What is a vacation without ice cream?

My mom, Shelly, and I tried to make a fantastic double layer chocolate cake for Father's Day. To make a long story short, the thing fell apart. Cameron had to work but flew in for the weekend to spend Father's Day/our anniversary with me.

My sister-in-law Tori is trying out photography and practiced on our family. I think the pics turned out great!

THANKSGIVING POINT (the Discovery Gardens): This was the first time I have gone and we loved it. (Don't worry, the animals are bronze statues:)

SUMMER PROJECTS: I caught Cameron, red handed, heading up to our attic like this...

Then I find him outside doing this...

Before he gets up the later he tells me not to worry because we have a life insurance policy. I tell him that he's going to pretty grumpy if he ends up paralyzed and unable to do any more 'Saturday projects.' Serious, Cameron. Is this really necessary? (He's putting in a fan that sucks all the hot air up into our attic and out of our house.)

FAMILY BBQ'S: We love it when family is town and we love to eat with our family!

BACKYARD CAMP OUT: We haven't been able to do this yet because we didn't have a fence. The kids loved it (they made it until about ten at night. Cam brought them in and tucked their sleepy heads into their beds).

LAGOON: Every year Cameron's work takes us to Lagoon for a day. Once again we had a blast but I didn't post too many pictures this time because they look exactly like the ones last year, except the kids a year older.

HANGING OUT: No school, hot days, and my kids...I couldn't ask for more.

Denver

2011-06-07T14:18:00.003-06:00

Last week we went to Denver, Colorado to visit Cameron's family. We had such a great time. It was one of our greatest vacations!

While the men went backpacking for the weekend, the rest of us ladies (minus Quinn, Connor and Jensen) had a girls weekend.

Aunt Megan took some adorable pictures of the kids. I couldn't choose between the these two of Brinley.

Allie didn't talk to me practically the entire week. She was having too much fun with her cousins.

Sleepover!

Aunt Verretta watched the kids while the moms went garage sale shopping (nothing beats Denver garage sales). Here they are watching a movie. What else do you do with that many kids and one adult? Thanks V!

Cameron went backpacking with his Dad and brothers up at the Lost Creek Wilderness. They luckily had great weather.

My husband is so buff!

Way to go Brandon!

On Memorial Day, we went to a really neat park where we rode a train, went to a petting zoo, and played in the stream. The kids loved it!

Tuesday through Friday we spent time with Grandy and Papa Bob. We decided to go to Colorado Springs and visit the zoo. Loved it! I've never been to a zoo that was so interactive with the animals.

Allie petting a baby Wallaby.

You could buy food and feed the giraffes. Check out their tongues. They would curl around the lettuce and take it out of your hand (or off of your head).

My little tigers.

After the zoo, we stopped at the Garden of the Gods, also in Colorado Springs. It was pretty amazing and the pictures do not do the rocks justice.

On Wednesday we went to the coolest Mexican restaurant: Casa Bonita. It was all decked out and they have divers that jump into a pool in the middle of the restaurant.

Can you see the diver's feet by the palm tree?

That night we had 'Spa night' with just the girls. Here is what we looked like before.

We did facials.

Painted nails.

Allie's first time playing with make-up.

We looked gorgeous!

The next day we went to Loveland and Estes Park. Both beautiful places.

The kids went horseback riding. It was very entertaining.

Allie and Connor found a 'book nook.'

Next to this meadow is a big sign that says "No Hunting." We saw a ton of elk.

We ended our trip with a BBQ at Grandy's. The cousins played while the parents visited. Here are some of my favorite pics of the night.

Dressing up never gets old for Allie.

Brinley and Aunt Karen.

May Madness

2011-05-22T21:29:00.007-06:00

I am adjusting to 3! I'll be honest, I am a selfish blogger. I blog mainly to record our family happenings - like a family journal. Then I print it into a book. But now that I have three kids, it's late, and I know Brinley and I will be up in a few hours and I just don't have enough brain power to think up anything fancy to say this time. So...I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Kid update:

Brinley: In a few days, Brinley will be three months old...already! Here are a few pictures from the past three months that I love.
Allie loves Brinley (if you couldn't tell by the pics)!

Connor: Poor little man. I don't know why, but when my kids turn 2, they become accident prone (especially on their foreheads). In the meantime, Connor has sprung a deep love for sports.

Allie: Allie graduated from preschool last Friday. We are so proud of her and all the color she adds to our lives.

Extras: Lately, we have been watching this . . .

It is the river near our home. It is filling up fast but the city is keeping a watchful/helpful eye out for us.

My sister Shelly and her family came to visit for a few days and we went to the zoo among other things. We sure wish they lived closer!

Saturday we finally had some nice weather. We loaded up the kids and drove up to the mountains to enjoy the outdoors (okay, it's only a 15 min. drive).

Brinley is sad that she is missing out on all the fun with her siblings.

Oh, the joys of one o'clock church!

2011-05-16T18:41:00.004-06:00

Yep, that's Connor in Brinley's carseat with Brinley's pink binkey and Brinley's pink blanket. Cam took the picture during church with his phone. Too bad he is only fake sleeping because he could have really used a nap.

Buckets, Boys, & Bunnies

2011-05-08T20:58:00.012-06:00

Buckets: We built a new sandbox this spring that has been buckets of fun. Pardon the pun!

Boys: Connor is 2! It has been the best two years. He was a great baby and is such a little boy now. I am sad to close that chapter of his life - on to the terrible two's.

Bunnies: Easter this year was great! Among other things, we enjoyed the Spanish Fork Easter Egg Hunt at the park near our home. As you can see in the clip below, it was crazy and fun.

Grandma Williams was visiting and got in on some of the festivities!
A few pictures before church Easter Sunday.

I love Spring in Utah!

2011-04-29T15:42:00.005-06:00

Okay, not really. Will it ever stop snowing, seriously! Pictures taken today April 29th.

Brinley's Baby Blessing

2011-04-19T08:01:00.006-06:00

Brinley was blessed on Sunday, April 17th. The day was perfect and it was so wonderful to spend the day with so much family. Wish I was a better photographer but this is as good as it will get. Sorry.

It was hard to get Brinley to smile for every picture. She did her best. At least her eyes were open.
The growing family!

Brinley with her Grandad and Nana from Denver.

Brinley with her Grandma and Grandpa Williams from Henderson

After the blessing, we ate and visited at our home. If the kids weren't eating they were in the sandbox.A mom just can't have enough daughters. We feel so blessed to have Brinley.

Beginnings for Brinley

2011-03-20T18:52:00.007-06:00

We are getting back to reality . . . Our moms have returned home and we are on our own! Brinley is already three weeks old and is doing great - a little too great (she wants to eat all the time)!

Allie loves being an older sister. She is a great help and seems to be completely adjusted to having a new sibling. Connor on the other hand . . . let's just say he's hanging in there... barely!

Here are the three of them together. Connor giving us a big "Cheese."
Bath time - Allie and Connor love to be where the action is. Brinley isn't sure if she likes it yet. We loved spending time with our family these past few weeks. We couldn't have survived without all the help!!Gram with Brinley and Allie.
Nana, Grandad, & Aunt Kirsten with the fam. Brinley is five days old.

Allie and Connor spending time with Grandad.
Allie and Grandma Williams
Aunt Kirsten & Grandy
Allie eating dinner with Papa Bob

Allie & Connor riding Papa Bob.
Our days are a little more chaotic and sleep is now coveted but we feel so blessed. Life really couldn't get any better.

Welcoming Brinley!

2011-03-01T12:49:00.005-07:00

On February 28th, at 5:27pm, we welcomed Brinley Christine into our family. She weighed 8lbs, 1oz, and was 18.5 inches long. She was born on her due date, following in the proud tradition of both of her siblings (Kelli's organizational skills are apparently genetic!). The labor was fast and was definitely our easiest, yet. Kelli and Brinley are both healthy and doing well. Thanks to all of you for the many prayers that were offered on our behalf. We know that we've been richly blessed!

You can see in the photo below that Brinley is already a serious Harry Potter fan like Mom and Dad. She officially became the youngest fan ever after she placed a lightning bolt scratch onto her forehead moments before exiting the womb. (Not to worry, though, since the fingernail scratches should heal quickly...)

The most fun Brinley has yet had came when Allie and Connor came to visit. Connor's had a bit of a cough, so we tried to have the kids keep face masks on when they were near Brinley. The masks didn't last too long, but the smiles on everyone's faces did. At the bottom is a video of the first moment they laid eyes on her.

New chapters for the Andersens...

2011-02-15T20:46:00.014-07:00

Change #1: Cameron has been our ward's Scoutmaster for about three years. At first, I think he was intimidated and overwhelmed but he finally got the hang of it. I even bought him his first backpacking tent this Christmas. If there was one thing that calling required, it was his time (planning, meetings, activities, campouts, more meetings). But, in January, Cameron was released and has admitted it to be bittersweet for him. To be honest, I think he is bored. So, I've been doing what any good wife would do and put him to work (work I know he loves doing, of course).

He has built all kinds of shelves for our closets which I am loving!

He built this adorable picnic table for the kids

He has more time to spend with the kids like building space ships and playing in the snow.

This is a project that is overdue for this blog but I still wanted to record it for our family's memory sake. Cameron built a shed/playhouse last summer. The front half is the shed and the back half is the playhouse. The kids play in it all the time, even the winter. Wish I had a better picture of the final product. I finally got around to making curtains for it.

Change #2: I have been the primary secretary about as long as Cam was Scoutmaster and I, too, was released - just last week. Once again, bittersweet. We have both loved our callings and after serving in the same calling for that long, you get comfortable where you are. I guess it was time for a change. I went to Relief Society for the first time in three years and I have to admit, I missed the loud, entertaining, 'I need to go to the bathroom' all the time primary kids. Sunday never felt like three hours and I often wished I could wear tennis shoes. I will miss my Wednesday night meetings/forced girls' nights out. The ladies I have worked with (some have come and gone) have all been awesome and I'm going to miss them!! It just won't ever be the same.

Change #3: A new baby (very soon!). I have been getting ready for baby #3 (deep cleaning/organizing everything - a horrible obsession I wish I could be cured of) and trying to relax. I can't believe she is almost here. It has been the fastest pregnancy for me yet.

Using my belly for a desk or a table always works out nicely. I feel huge in the red dress but it's the only full body shot I had. I guess I feel that way about any prego picture taken of me.

I wish I had better pictures but here is a shot of a little of the organizing I've done. Connor's and Allie's toys can now be found thanks to all of Cameron's new closet shelves.

The baby's due date is February 28th, but the doctor thinks she might be earlier than that. What do those guys know, anyway, right? I'll probably have the baby on Easter. Either way, though, please keep us in your prayers, and we'll keep you posted.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-09T15:13:00.006-07:00

Our Christmas season this year started off with a ton of snow . . . a little more . . .
it wouldn't stop . . .
Of course, Cameron always goes out of town for work when the big snow storms hit so the kids and I just bundled up inside and waited for Dad to come home. No way was I going to shovel all that snow 7 months pregnant. I don't even have stomach muscles to use anymore. By this point, I was no longer dreaming of a white Christmas!
We all decorated a gingerbread house for FHE. Connor didn't make it for the grand finale (bedtime) and we didn't get any pictures of Dad's awesome architect work. He built it, we decorated it.
Before we headed to Denver for Christmas, we had a little Christmas of our own at home. Once in Denver, we . . .
played a lot with family
ate way too much of really good food
remembered our Savior as we acted out Christ's birth (Cameron - shepherd, Connor - lamb, Uncle James - Joseph, Cousin Ella -Mary, Baby Jensen - Jesus (only two weeks old), Uncle Brandon - shepherd, trying to herd our really frightened cousin Quinn - lamb)
our gorgeous angels
the perfect star
and a couple of very wisewomen
After the nativity scene, Grandad and Nana gave us all comfy pajamas.

Grandad patiently read our sugar-filled children a Christmas story before Santa came.

Santa came and spoiled us all!

Overall, we had a wonderful Christmas thanks to wonderful family and friends.

Twinkle Toes

2010-12-10T21:09:00.001-07:00

Allie took her first dance class this fall/winter. A neighbor had the ballet classes held in her home and her sister was the instructor. Allie loved it and had such a great time.

In December, Allie had her first dance recital where she danced to songs from the Nutcracker. It was very entertaining!

Here is her class - mostly girls in Allie's primary.

Allie with her best friend, Kate

Allie and her dance teacher, Danielle.

November

2010-11-29T21:59:00.007-07:00

I honestly don't know where this month went. But before I blink again, here are few pics.

Cameron turned 29. No really, he turned 29. Cam and I are exactly one month apart and I know that our 29th year is going to be great! It has to be . . . because everyone I know who is older than 29, on their birthday, always says they wished they were turning 29. Must be a good year for people. So from this birthday on, Cameron and I will forever be 29 or at least wished we were. (By the way, that is apple crisp. Cameron isn't very big on cake).

We went to Vegas for Thanksgiving. I was horrible at taking picture this year but we got a few pictures of a hike we went on. My older brother, Dave, took us to this amazing canyon in the middle of the desert (kind of by Lake Mead). But when we got half way, previous flash floods had washed part of the road out. Not to worry, it only made the trip more exciting.

Dave took care of all the difficult parts. We had fun watching.

We drove as far as we could until the canyon narrowed. The rest was a hike. Here is Cam holding Connor at the entrance.
Allie, cousin Ella, and cousin Logan
The trail switched back and forth like a snake. It is amazing what water can do.

Me helping Connor.

Here's the whole gang (except for my dad - he had to work which we were sad he missed out)!

I had to add this random picture of Connor because I just can't believe how big he is getting. He sits with us at the table now and this picture shows how much older he is looking these days. Like I said, I blinked.

Our Halloween Hoopla!

2010-11-07T20:59:00.006-07:00

I probably should have divided this up into a few posts and blogged when the events happened but I've lost track of time. So here we go... Hoopla #1: Springville Pumpkin Patch - They had a petting zoo, hay maze, corn kernel playpen, and more. We go every year with Aunt Megan and cousin Quinn while the hubbies are at work. Great fun!

I feel like this sometimes. I can sympathize with this mother goat.

Corn kernel playpen - I've never seen one before!

Connor and Allie playing in the corn maze

It was hard to get these kids to actually pose for a picture. They were having too much fun.Connor's first experience with a real tractor. He was enthralled.

Hoopla #2: Preschool Halloween Party - I stole the class picture from Crystal (so thanks)! Hoopla #3: Ward Carnival

Allie: Fairy Princess & Connor: Frumpy ElephantWe ate chili, decorated candy sacks, Allie got her nails painted, and we played games. It was the best ward carnival I've been to and so much more fun than a trunk or treat!

Hoopla #4: Trick or Treating - We start this event every year at Uncle Gordon & Aunt Megan's house in Springville. Gordon makes his coveted homemade Chili while I bring the cornbread. This year we had to wait for the rain to stop but once again the weather turned out perfect! Here are the kids getting ready to go.

Here goes our caravan.

Connor picked up the whole 'free candy at each door' idea pretty quick! By the end of the night he was even saying "thank you." So darn cute.

We were so excited to see 'Peter Pumpkin Head' again this year. You can't tell by the picture but there is a light inside which makes the pumpkin's head pretty creepy but the little kids think it's cool.

I love this last picture of Allie and Connor. We just got home and I think all the sugar and walking was starting to get to them. What do you think?

What a Character!

2010-10-17T21:52:00.003-06:00

Connor is such a funny kid to watch. (Maybe it's because he's my second and not my first. Now I sit back and laugh instead of freak out when these things happen). I wish I could get all his silly moments on film but here are a few.
Connor loves getting into our tomato plants out back. He'll eat whole tomatoes and is learning which ones are better to eat (the red ones)!
I wanted to try bathing Allie and Connor separately because whenever they're together, it's like a water war with me in between. However, the moment the bath water is running, Connor wants in. I was in the bathroom when he dove in, shoes and all. . . I just wasn't fast enough.

When you have an older sister, it is bound to happen sooner or later. Lucky for us, Connor didn't like wearing the 'pink dress' as long as Allie did. He tore the thing off as soon as I got the picture.

Need I say more...

We're Dreaming Pink!

2010-10-13T21:17:00.002-06:00

I had my ultrasound today and we are having a GIRL! I think Allie is the most excited out of all of us. No surprise there! She's been begging for a sister ever since I found out I was pregnant. I had hunches myself it was a girl (craving sugar, for instance, gave it away) but I was nervous to let Allie think so. Worried it would be a boy instead, I kept telling her, "I know you want a sister, but the Lord chooses, not us. You may get a brother." After the ultrasound, Allie kept telling me, "See mom, I was right. You kept saying it was going to be a boy but I knew it was a girl."

During the ultrasound, the tech held the camera for a while on the baby's face so we could just watch her move. She kept trying to put her little hand into her mouth and start sucking but couldn't quite figure it out. Instead she would grab her nose. I held back my tears and got baby hungry all over again. So now, all I want to do is pull out Allie's old clothes and start dreaming pink, again.

Fall Fun!

2010-10-06T09:45:00.002-06:00

Fall is here (which I love) and we're getting into the spirit. Here are a few things we've been up to.

Enjoying the rain

Getting ready for Halloween. Made this cute Halloween wreath with my sister-in-law, Megan.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Fall Harvest (don't ever turn your back on a zucchini)!

Allie, Connor, and I made this little squash man the other afternoon. He is made of rocks, sticks, and leaves Allie collected from our yard. We think he's pretty cute.

Back To School

2010-09-27T14:42:00.006-06:00

Let's start with Allie. She has already been in school a month but I wanted to post some of the pictures of her first day of preschool. She loves it and I wish I could be a fly on the wall to see what it is like for her. Connor misses her terribly and follows me around the house not sure what to do without her.

Last weekend was my 10 year high school reunion. It came quicker then I thought. Though I had mixed feelings about going, we all jumped into the car and drove down to Henderson, NV for the weekend. I actually had a lot of fun and was glad I went. Wished more people came but it was good to see those who were there.

We started off by touring my school and yes, people, I went to a high school called 'Basic High School.' It wasn't a school for dummies. Just named after a man with the last name Basic (though someone wasn't thinking about the consequences when naming the school obviously)!
Went out to breakfast with some of my closest girlfriends. We pretty much just talked about the past and by the end my makeup was smeared for laughing so much.
I dragged Cameron around while I talked with old friends but he was a good sport and said he enjoyed it. The rest of the time, we spent hanging out with my family which we loved.
It was a quick weekend and the drive is never fun but thank goodness for portable DVD players. Here is Allie and Connor with Grandpa Williams ready for the drive home.
As for Connor, he is changing too fast. To start the school year off, he watched his first BYU football game and was the cutest BYU fan I've ever seen.
Connor has also started nursery and we took a picture of his first day (he must have been really excited because he wouldn't let us get a good a picture). He loves it by the way.
Cameron, on the other hand, is the only one in the family that hasn't had much of 'back to anything' except work. Although, his best friend from from high school and college was in town and stopped by for a rare visit which Cameron loved. It was as good as a reunion

A Little Good, A Little Bad

2010-08-18T19:31:00.004-06:00

A Little Good . . .

Baby Andersen #3 is on his/her way! Yep, I'm once again expecting and we are very excited to bring this new life into the world. We are planning on this bundle of joy to arrive sometime around February 28 (Thank goodness it isn't Leap Year)! Although I am very excited to have another baby, I am a little nervous that he/she is #3 (I've heard how hard it is with 3) and that Connor and the baby will be about 22 months apart. However, like I told my mom when I first found out, "Bring it on!" We'll keep you updated.

A Little Bad . . .
This is life. Mostly things in our life our good but every now and then life happens. Last week I said good-bye to my Grandma Williams. Grandpa and Grandma Williams lived by my family all growing up and was there at every pivital point in my life - holidays, birthdays, graduations, etc. However, Alzheimers took my grandma a long time ago and the truth is, I said good-bye to Grandma over three years ago. It was the last time I actually had a conversation with her. I noticed the beginning of the disease soon after high school and by the time I brought Cameron home to meet the family, she swore up and down that Cameron was in fact my brother David. Cameron never knew Grandma. It didn't help grandma that she was almost in perfect health and a fighter. She wasn't going to give in so easy. Now, I am only relieved she is finally in a better place, where she is no longer a prisoner to that awful disease. We will miss her.

What Haven't We Been Doing?

2010-07-31T20:54:00.007-06:00

It has been a busy month for us. I don't have any pictures of the Idaho trip I took with the kids because I forgot my camera but I'll try to steal some pictures from my mom later. So besides Idaho, here are a few highlights of us in July.Allie turned 4. She loves birthdays and has been talking about her fourth birthday party ever since she turned three - but we tried to keep it simple this year. Lucky for us my mom, sister, and Allie's cousins were in town to help celebrate. Allie got her first Barbie!
I made a barbie cake for Allie but I'll be honest, the thing was ugly so no close up shot this year. Lucky for me, Allie didn't seem to notice how disturbing the cake looked. She was just happy it was a cake with a barbie hanging out of it. We went to Jumping Jacks after presents and cake which is always a blast. I felt like a kid again.

We had a Toland-Woodley family reunion in Littleton, Colorado. We went to Water World, ate a ton, had quality time together. It was a great trip!

Cam's Mom took us to Molly Brown's mansion in Denver before the reunion took off. It is something I've always wanted to do there. Very interesting woman for her time.
Last Friday we had a ward campout. It was the first time we used our new (well, new to us) tent trailer given to us by Cam's mom (It was the one his family used growing up). It needed a little elbow grease before we could use it but it was well worth the hard work.

This is us with some friends from the ward on a hike the next morning. This is Maple Lake in Utah and it is beautiful (only about a half hour drive from our house).

In case you ever wonder what Cam does on business trips...

2010-07-09T08:26:00.002-06:00

Mud wars between my rental truck and a front loader in Yuma, Colorado yesterday.

To Boston and Back

2010-06-24T22:34:00.004-06:00

This is by far the longest post in my blogging history but I just couldn’t help myself. Cameron got a free airplane ticket with work so we decided to use it for our anniversary and fly as far as we could. We flew to Boston on the 16th and came back on the 19th. The trip was short but sweet and we walked so much I had shin splints by the end. Cameron says he loved the trip but being the history buff I am, I was in heaven! If it wasn’t so far away, I could live there (on the outskirts).

Day 1: Lexington, Concord, & Salem Massachusetts

If you are ever in Massachusetts, Lexington and Concord are a must see! Here are a few things we did…

We took a trolley called the Liberty Ride and saw all the major sights of the beginning of the revolutionary war. I couldn’t get enough! This is at the Lexington Green where the first shot was fired.

This bridge in Concord is where the war actually began and several British died there.

Many of the original homes and taverns are still around. It feels like you are stepping back in time. Nothing in Massachusetts looked younger than a hundred years. They build everything that way (except the skyscrapers).

There are several very old graveyards we walked through. Everyone in this graveyard died in the 1700’s.

This area was also the hub for philosophers and writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa Alcott (Little Women) who were all friends. Top left is Cameron by Thoreau's statue and his house/shack on Walden Pond (he lived there for more than two years). We have this picture in front of the pond but the picture doesn’t do it justice.

This was Louisa May Alcott’s home. I thought the house inside was amazing. Almost all of the furnishings were the Alcott’s and I stood next to the desk where ‘Little Women’ was written. I could write a page about the house but I’ll stop. It truly was a highlight in my life.

Alcott’s home above (Concord) and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s home below (Salem)

We went to this freaky museum about the Salem witch trials which told us it was okay to be a witch nowadays as long as you are a Wicca. We laughed. The home below is called the Seven Gables and one of the oldest homes in America – 330 years old! Like all the old homes we went through, we couldn’t take any pictures inside.

Day 2: Boston

We walked the freedom trail (a red line through out the city taking you to all the revolutionary war history cites) but one day just wasn’t enough. The entire day felt rushed. This was Bunker Hill and we hiked up the 297 steps to the top of the monument and this was the view from the top.

Top left is the Old North Church where the lanterns were hung to warn the patriots. Top right is Paul Revere. Bottom left is Paul Revere’s home. Bottom right is just the city.

Above is the Old South Meeting House (where the Boston Tea Party began). Bottom left is where the Boston Massacre too place. Bottom right is a Tall Ship or Schooner we rode on. She hoisted her sails and maneuvered around the Boston Harbor.

For any Red Sox fans out there, we took a Trolley to Fenway Park and other random sights of the city.

Day 3: Plymouth

We went to this amazing museum called the Plymouth Plantation that recreated the native village and British settlement as if it was 1621. The natives were true ancestors from the area but the British were actors. These people come everyday and live as if in that time period. They even brought their children with them. I sat and watched a baby crawl around in her deer skin clothing playing with twigs. Once again, it was like I was stepping back in time.

They planted their corn like aunt hills. The tall structer in the middle of the field is where they would put their kids while they worked. That way they watch them. Kind of like a high rise pack and play.

Now I understand why the pioneers thought that Utah was ugly and barren.

The man above was working in this field before we stopped and talked with him. I think he was grateful to have a break.

Cameron next to Massasoit, his ancestor.

Below is where the Mayflower landed. Inside the memorial is the rock above. Most call it Plymouth Rock but in the words of our Bostonian friend Steve, it should be called Plymouth Pebble. It was a little bit bigger than my coffee table.

This Mayflower II was remade after the original one. They crossed the ocean with it in the 1950’s.

This is the Jenny Mill, first Mill in America. They showed us how it worked.

We stayed with our friends, Steve and Lindsay Bullock, who live in Boston. We wouldn’t have made the trip if they didn’t live there. Thanks again!!

Best Decision I Ever Made

2010-06-22T07:41:00.003-06:00

Five Years ago Cameron and I were married in the Las Vegas Temple. Marrying Cameron, by far, was the best decision I ever made. Cheesy as this may sound (and those that really know me, know how much I love 'cheese') Cameron was chosen for me. I know this because I couldn't have found a better match myself. I can go on and on about this but I'll just sum it up by saying that Cameron is a wonderful friend, husband, and father and the past five years have been the best of my life. Cameron - Happy Anniversary and Father's Day!

I'm cursed!

2010-06-15T07:02:00.003-06:00

I am cursed! Every time I take a trip to Vegas or Denver, I get sick and give everyone else what I have. This time it was the flu. But if we are going to blame someone, we should really blame Connor. He was the first one that had it:) Besides the flu and quarantining ourselves for the first few days, it was a great trip and we had a wonderful time.

Kathleen/Nana took us to the Littleton Historical Museum

Allie & Connor loved playing with their cousins in Grandad and Nana's backyard.

We had some good food!

Connor thought he was a dog.We went to Pirates Cove but unfortunately it was freezing! When the kids turned blue we decided to head home.

We miss everyone already!

He Did It!!!

2010-06-13T20:25:00.005-06:00

Cameron trained with our neighbor/friend Travis Larsen to run a half-marathon. He ran more than I ever want to think about running. We are so proud of him. He came in at 1 hr. & 53 min. We don't know how good this is but it looked good to me!

Cameron was just satisfied that he beat the girl he had been trailing the whole race (the girl in white shorts). Yeah!!

Sprinting to the finish line. Poor Cameron . . . it rained on them the entire first half. He was drenched and sloshing in his shoes.

The race started at 5:30am. I had to wake my kids up to be at the finish line by 7:00am.

Just a little extra . . . I loved these pictures of my kids and chocolate.

Ahhhhh, this is so good!!!

Summer please!!

2010-05-24T06:58:00.001-06:00

Spring came for maybe a week in April but left and it has been cold/raining/hail/snow ever since. My tulips bloomed (they were gorgeous) but got pelted and destroyed later by hail. We didn’t get to enjoy them for long.

I think Allie has cabin fever. Everyday her bedroom ends up looking like this! Any ideas how to change my child into a clean freak? Helping her clean her room is getting old.

Allie finally completed a good behavior chart she has been working on. She picked out a Barbie movie as her prize.

Connor is starting to laugh more. He can be kind of a serious little guy but there’s a sense of humor in there somewhere.

Fearless!

2010-05-24T06:56:00.001-06:00

Every year Cameron’s work gives its employees free tickets to Lagoon. We love it except that Cameron is a little disappointed that he didn’t ask me about my fears of amusement park rides before he married me. I’m scared of heights, spinning makes me sick, and I hate that funny feeling in your stomach on roller coasters. This year was a little different for Cameron. Allie is now 36’ tall and became Cameron’s riding buddy. She was fearless and was usually pushing her Dad to take her on rides I probably shouldn’t have let her ride. She came off smiling with weird looking teenagers in line saying, “Hey, look at that little girl. If she can come out smiling after that ride, then we can” (direct quote). Connor and I had a great time watching Cameron and Allie have a great time!

We started her out nice and easy . . .

. . . I know this was a kid ride but I told Allie right before this picture that I was a little nervous. She asked, “What does ‘nervous’ mean?” She just couldn’t understand why I should be scared about a egg ride that would shoot me in the air and let me drop (giving me the funny tummy feeling). She loved it.

Allie and Cameron rode in the pink cage. She got a little ‘nervous’ when they started going upside down but once again, she loved it.

It was May 22 (almost June!) and it was in the 40’s. We had to bundle but it was worth it.

On the Road Again . . .

2010-05-24T06:54:00.001-06:00

I decided to head to Vegas to visit the family before the temperature shot up to 120 degrees this summer. My sister Shelly and her family moved from Boise to Vegas awhile ago. We had so much fun I almost stayed an extra week but I missed Cameron (He had to work while I partied). It went by too quickly.

We went to a children’s museum which the parents and children enjoyed equally.

Allie dressed up and put on a play with some random kids, we played with bubbles, and got into a wind tunnel that blew 50mph (It was supposed to feel like a hurricane).

We visited grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Wish we could all live closer.

We went to this awesome outdoor movie (just like in the movie Wedding Planner). There was a carousal, free popcorn, and we watched Bolt.

I blinked . . . one year already?

2010-04-26T10:19:00.010-06:00

Connor turned one yesterday, the 25th. This year has disappeared and I'm sad Connor is growing up so fast. He has been the best baby from birth and I have loved (almost) every minute. He is such a wonderful blessing to our family and we are so grateful!

Happy Birthday, Connor.

Here's a little recap of Connor's first year.

Connor with Grandpa Williams and cousin Spencer.

Connor with Grandpa Andersen

Grandparents Galore!

2010-04-25T21:57:00.006-06:00

This past month, we have been blessed to have been able to see most of our family members. Living in a different state than our parents and most of our siblings can be hard but we love it when they come and visit. Allie and Connor got to play with all of their grandparents this past month. We loved seeing everyone again!

Spring Break

2010-04-05T10:11:00.007-06:00

Cameron had to go out of town for work last week so my mom, brother, and sister with her kids came to spend some time with me. Cameron came back for Easter weekend so he didn't miss out on everything. Before the guys showed up, us girls watched too many chick-flicks and went shopping but here are a few other things we did.

We went to Pirates Island which is a great restaurant for kids.

Connor, me, One Eyed Willie, my sister Shelly, and my mom.

Shelly and I each have two children about the same ages which is awesome for us and for our kids. Connor and Allie got food poising Wednesday night (BEFORE we ate at Pirates Island). Allie puked in my poor mom's face. We didn't know she was sick yet and she was sleeping with grandma while I took care of Connor at the time. I think the last time I pulled an 'all nighter' was in high school. Why is it when kids get sick, it is always at night when people should be sleeping? It was also the first time I slept on my bathroom floor. Babies can't throw up in buckets so every 45 min. I would hear Connor starting to gag and I had to be close to the sink. Poor guy! Both recovered quickly the next day - thank goodness!

Uncle Derek and Connor

The city of Spanish Fork had an Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning. It was pretty crazy but I think the kids enjoyed it.

After the Easter Egg Hunt, we watched General Conference. It is a special meeting that our church holds every six months and we watch it on TV. The kids colored while the adults took notes. Derek found Allie's Doodler for his note taking purposes.

Sunday morning the Easter Bunny came and surprised the kids with too much candy! We had such a great time.

We went to India!

2010-03-28T21:58:00.005-06:00

Okay, not really. Believe it or not, this Indian temple is five minutes from our house in Spanish Fork, Utah. Drive past a few farms and there it is at the top of the hill. Every year they have a festival to announce the arrival of spring. They have Indian food, llamas, music, and colorful powder that everyone throws at each other (I think it is suppose to represent spring colors).
Our friends Troy and Melissa wanted to go so we met them there and had a ton of fun.
Took a picture with a crazy monkey man (side note-monkeys have nothing to do with the festival).

I thought it was funny that the majority of people at the festival were BYU students.

Allie and Connor stayed home with a babysitter, though I think Allie would have loved it.

Death of a Snowman

2010-03-05T15:05:00.009-07:00

Who doesn't enjoy snow in March?

Connor loves pointing these days.

I was folding laundry upstairs and I thought it had gotten really quiet in the house (which always makes a mother nervous). Went downstairs and didn't see Allie . . . but then I found this!

Ten Months - Where Has Time Gone?

2010-02-28T20:41:00.004-07:00

It's like I blinked once and Connor is now ten months old. How does that happen? So, here are a few pictures/movies of my big boy.Dad time. Here are the kids watching the Olympics with Dad. Below is Connor having story time with him.

I came down stairs and Connor was holding this. I wonder who is trying to influence him???
I have a ton of videos posted below - mostly for the grandparents. I had a hard time choosing my favorite.

Best way to get a baby crawling - The Zhu-Zhu!!

Dinner Time. If you can't tell, Allie is copying everything Connor is doing.

Connor's favorite thing to do is play the piano.

Connor is wanting to walk and he has a good little helper to make sure he's trying!

I love January!

2010-01-24T19:04:00.012-07:00

Okay, not really. I am usually bummed that Christmas is over and January means we have to get back to real life. However, I must say that this January has been surprisingly fun and enjoyable. Here are a few things we've been up to.

Allie and I have been reading 'Great Illustrated Classics' like Pollyanna and Anne of Green Gables at night. We just finished Anne of Green Gables. Allie is 3 and I wasn't sure how much of the novels she was picking up and understanding. However, the other day Allie and I had to cross a puddle filled with cold water and ice. Allie yelled out, "Look Mom. It's the Lake of Shining Waters!" I was so proud of my little Allie. I had brainwashed her to love Anne Shirley as much as I do. I almost cried.
Allie also loves joy school! The other day we went on a field trip to the Post Office. The best part was that she learned that anyone could mail real chickens. (There was actually a very loud chicken there, waiting to be shipped - only in Spanish Fork!)

(Allie is in the purple jacket, holding Anna's hand)

Connor has discovered the joy of bathing. He gets all hyped up just at the sound of water from the bath faucet and of course Allie doesn't want to miss out on all the fun. The only 'modest' picture I had of Connor doesn't really show his excitement. Sorry!

Connor is also a crawling maniac . . . army crawler, that is. He won't crawl on his hands and knees (probably because he gets around so fast on his belly.) Check out the videos below.

Cameron loves home improvement projects and I love that Cam loves them! Cameron and I decided to use some of our Christmas money to finish our fireplace. Cameron kept begging me to put the TV above the fireplace and I finally gave in as long as he could figure out a way to hide all the cords and the DVD player. It was the main reason why I had an entertainment center. So Cam put me in charge of buying an end table, which I found at Savers for $12! Cam found a way to weave the wires from the TV, through the wall, and into the end table that holds our DVD player, etc. He built the mantel, put up the rock, and voila! It is amazing how much money we saved doing it on our own. (A special thanks to Kirsten for assisting in the stone patterning and to Cam's dad for offering free consultation! We love you guys!)

We love Christmas because . . .

2010-01-03T21:31:00.006-07:00

. . . we get to hear the Nativity story each year.
(Allie at our ward Christmas party being the star)

. . . it gives us an excuse to have get togethers with many of our friends and neighbors.
(This was just one of our gatherings we enjoyed - good friends from our married BYU ward)

. . . we get to spend time with family!!!
(We went to Henderson, NV for Christmas this year). . . we get to stuff our faces with really good food and with really good company.
. . . we get to watch all the kids get so excited over Santa Claus.
(Santa made a special visit to Grandpa's house Christmas Eve)

. . . and watch some kids freak out over Santa Clause!

(Kelli's brother David with daughter Ella - she wouldn't get near the guy )

. . . the men get some time doing a little manly bonding.
(the boys helping grandpa build a swing set)

. . .the women get to go shopping - with no children.
(My mom, sister, and I always go shopping the day after Christmas - it is one of the highlights of my year - not the shopping but being with the girls again)
. . . last but not least, we get to wear matching pajamas!

Santa

2009-12-16T07:34:00.003-07:00

On the drive to the mall, I prepped Allie on the whole sitting on Santa's lap scenario so this year she wouldn't freak out. I told her that she gets to see Santa and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. She was really excited about this. So when we got there, she told Santa that she wanted a guitar. We took the picture and walked away. I looked down at Allie who was looking pretty sad and she says, "Mom, he didn't give me a guitar." Oops - I forgot to tell Allie that you tell Santa what you want now and then he may give it to you on Christmas morning. To Allie, everything is new and a learning experience. It is so hard to remember that sometimes.

Tree Plus Snow Equals Christmas!

2009-12-13T21:53:00.004-07:00

Cameron always goes out of town for work when there is a big storm. Last time Allie, Connor, and I didn't have electricity for several hours. He left again just in time for me to shovel all of this. My mom, who lives in Vegas, told me not to shovel it because I would throw out my back. I laughed.

Allie helping . . . because she is late for school by this point.

I thought I did a pretty good job for never having to shovel snow growing up. To be honest, I enjoyed the exercise.

You know the excited feeling you get on the first warm day of spring. It's because you know what is coming. I got this feeling when it started snowing. It just really didn't feel like Christmas until the snow came.

Thanksgiving!

2009-12-06T22:21:00.005-07:00

I wish we would have taken more pictures of our awesome Thanksgiving in Denver this year but I think we used more of the video camera this time. Here are a few of my favorites!
I told Allie that on Thanksgiving we get to eat all kinds of good food like Turkey. She looked back at me with a inquisitive look and said, "a Turkey?" This prompted a deep discussion about how the Lord gave us animals on this earth to eat like chickens, cows, pigs, and yes...turkeys. The next morning Allie woke up all excited and said, "Today is Thanksgiving!!! And we get to eat an animal!"

Allie absolutely loves playing with all her girl cousins.

First Thanksgiving in a long time that I didn't get sick! Now that is something to be thankful for.

Cam's sister Kirsten, step-mom Kathleen/Nana, and Cam's sister Verretta

Kathleen spoiled us with a ton of delicious food. Here are us girls making home-made pretzels.

I woke one morning, got out of bed, walked downstairs to find Kathleen wearing almost the exact same thing as me. Great minds think alike. Thanks again Brad and Kathleen for having us. We had a blast!

John and Emily Jones

2009-12-02T13:24:00.007-07:00

For the past week, Kelli and I have been mourning the loss of John Jones, who died during the Thanksgiving holiday in the Nutty Putty Cave near Spanish Fork. John and his wife Emily were in our last ward, and are some of the best people we've ever met. Their unselfish and faithful attitudes were contagious and inspiring to everyone around them. We treasure our memories of their Sunday School lessons and their warm smiles.

Upon hearing of John's tragic death, we were utterly heartbroken. With his departure, he left behind a wife, a 14 month-old daughter, and a child on the way. Our feelings have ranged from bitterness to sorrow to hope as we have thought about and prayed for this family. Ultimately, we have clung desperately to the knowledge that the Lord loves this family infinitely more than we do and that He will care for them, comfort them, and that with time He will heal them.

A memorial fund and an auction been established to help Emily and her family, for any who are interested. Thanks also to Troy and Melissa for sharing their record of the funeral with us all. We wish we could have been there.

Quick Update

2009-11-19T13:49:00.007-07:00

Life is getting busy with preparations for the holidays but I wanted to blog a quick update.

Allie and Connor found a new toy. Connor loves hearing Allie play the guitar.
Connor's hair was out of control. Every nap he woke up like this. To save money, I decided to cut it myself.

Connor just before the haircut.

Oops! I butched the poor boy. It was harder than I thought cutting a squirmy 6 month old. However, our clippers weren't working so considering, I thought I did an o.k. job using scissors.

I went to 'Time Out for Women' in Salt Lake City with family last weekend. It was awesome and I totally recommend it. While I was gone, Cameron took Allie on a date. They went to Disney on Ice. Allie loved it and Cameron was courageous enough to take her.

2009-11-05T08:00:00.002-07:00

My sister-in-law took this picture and I just love it!

Halloween and a Little Extra . . .

2009-11-01T21:17:00.006-07:00

I can't believe how fast our kids are growing up! Connor is now sitting up and rolling all over the place. I just bought this exersaucer on KSL classifieds. He loves it. Here are a few fun pics and movies.

It was my turn to teach this month for Allie's Joy School. We had a Halloween party on our last day. What cute kids!

Here's Allie (elephant), Connor (Lion), and me at our ward Trunk or Treat.

I got Allie's costume at Costco for $10. I thought it was both a good deal and adorable. However, I had to convince Allie to wear it. She, of course, wanted to be a princess or a fairy. What was I thinking buying my three year old girl a frumpy elephant costume?!Each year we spend Halloween with my sister-in-law and her family. Here is Allie trick or treating with her cousin Quinn, the dragon. As you can see, the Costco costumes were a hit this year! Allie's favorite candy are suckers. Can't keep her away from them.

Connor with his Aunt Kirsty. She's dressed up as the world and we loved her costume! She teaches geography.

It was a great Halloween and we look forward to it every year. Once again, thanks for the awesome chili, Gordon!

Glimpse of Allie as a Teenager . . .

2009-10-10T12:06:00.002-06:00

So I was reading Allie the book "Ten Little Monkeys" for bed last night. I was being a little silly and started to read the book as fast as I could, making Allie laugh. Suddenly she gets serious and says, "Mom, Mom." I stop reading and look up at her. She continues by saying, "Mom, chillax!" She's three! Where is she picking up this modern lingo? Then it hit me - Allie's Aunt Kirsty! Wish I could have gotten it on tape.

September . . .another crazy month!

2009-10-02T21:18:00.005-06:00

1. I painted my hall green

2. Allie started preschool (she is getting so old)!

. . .but not old enough to give up the land of make believe. Here is Allie picnicking with a few friends (Ms. Bunny & Mr. Bear). So cute!

3. Connor starts grabbing and rolling

. . .and laughing.

4. Cameron goes on a hike with his brothers and Dad over Labor Day weekend while I go to Swiss Days in Midway, Ut with the girls.

5. Cam and I meet up in Denver where we visit family for a week and play with Nana's puppiesA few of Allie's cousins6. Cameron goes out of town for week for work.

7. We attend my grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary in Pocatello, Idaho.
8. I manage to catch a cold that turns to Bronchitis. I cough for a couple of weeks until I bruise my ribs. Then, I bend over to put my socks on and "pop." After a morning of a lot of pain and a doctor visit, I learn that I've managed to separate my rib. Still nursing Connor so I only get to take Ibuprofin. It never crossed my mind that coughing too hard could pop my ribs out of place. The madness!

Candid Connor

2009-09-13T21:17:00.003-06:00

Puppies for Sale

2009-08-27T08:21:00.001-06:00

Hi all! Just in case anyone is interested in some poodle puppies, check out this link:
http://maggiespuppiesakc.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-as-cute-as-next.html

Demolition Derby!

2009-08-24T15:41:00.006-06:00

A few fun things we've been doing in Spanish Fork . . .

Cam and I went to a Demolition Derby with Cam's cousin and wife (Evan and Driel). It was my first time and I was a little shocked at first. It was pretty crazy.

For Family Home Evening, we went on this quick hike near where we live to a small waterfall.

Vegas!

2009-08-16T17:39:00.006-06:00

I went home to visit my family last week. We had a great time! Here are a few pics of the things we did.

My sister Shelly, brother Derek, and I enjoying a late night snack. Connor hanging out with Grandpa.

My parents have train tracks behind their house. The train rarely goes by so it is always a treat when it does. The kids love it.

We fed the ducks in Boulder City. It was 9:00 a.m. and it felt like 120 degrees outside.

My sister and her son Logan

Allie and her cousin Logan playing playdoh.

When I'm with my sister and mom, we can't help being silly. We were making cut off shorts and made some awesome headbands out of the extra material.

Logan turned 3! We had a dinner Sunday night at my Aunt Janice's house with more family.

More of the gang on Sunday night.

We dug up a few dress-ups for Allie out of the garage. We found this pretend wedding dress that I played in when I was her age. The dress is over twenty years old and Allie loved it as much as I did.

Story time with Allie and Connor.

I love this kid! Spencer is Shelly's second boy.Connor taking a snooze.
Cam had to work so I drove by myself with the kids. On the way home a deer ran across the road about a hundred yards in front of me. It made it across but then crossed the median and headed into the on coming traffic on the other side of the highway. It didn't make it and was struck by a mini van. I've never seen anything so horrible in my life. The deer flew up into the air higher then the semi-truck next to it. The mini van looked totaled. It was almost as bad as the time my dog ate a baby rabbit in the desert right in front of me as a kid.

Happy Children

2009-07-19T19:47:00.011-06:00

I love happy kids and this past week has been filled with them.

Connor loves to smile and laugh!

Allie turned 3 on the 14th. I wasn't going to have a party but she asked me if she could have a princess party with pink cake and pink ice cream. How could I say no?

Here's the cute invitation that my sister-in-law Megan helped whip up!

I got most of my ideas off the internet including the cake. I think I had too much fun planning this party.

Cameron definitely had too much fun! Here he is drilling a hole in my cone for the flag on the cake. We got creative. The Cake!

We decorated princess crowns and knight swords.

We played a few games like Hot Dragon (a.k.a. hot potato) and searched for Dragon Eggs in the backyard. There were special treasures in each Dragon Egg.

Allie is a shoe girl. She lost her only pair of high heels so I got her these princess shoes for her birthday. Two days later, Allie fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom trying to walk down in her new high heels. We have a "no high heels on stairs" rule now.

June

2009-07-05T15:47:00.001-06:00

Hi all, Cam here. For any of you who are wondering about the image kicking off this blog post, it is, in fact, a gauntlet. The month of June was, for our family, a large gauntlet. Not in the armored glove sense, but in the daunting array of challenges sense (sorry to any of you huzzah types who were getting excited about the misleading picture).

In the last 30 days, my mom got married in Sausalito, CA (which was great!); we had a family reunion in Springville and Spanish Fork (which was great!); my dad, brother, some cousins, and some uncles went rafting on the San Juan river in Southern Utah (which was pretty great!); the scouts and I had a weekend of summer camp in American Fork Canyon (which was great!); I spent a week in Casper, WY with the cursed spooling rig some of you may remember from earlier this year (which was not as great!); and the scouts and I had a second weekend of summer camp in Diamond Fork Canyon (which was pretty great!). It’s been a crazy month, but I’m glad to be back and for things to slow down a little again.

When It Rains - It Pours!!!

2009-06-30T11:09:00.006-06:00

My sister Shelly and her kids went to a wedding in Utah on Tuesday and decided to stay the rest of the week with me. We were very excited, especially because Cameron would be out of town for work and scout camp and we wouldn't have to endure the week alone. For the most part we had a blast until the end of the week when our little vacation started turning into a nightmare!

The week started off with Cameron leaving for Scout Camp.
Shelly's family arrived and the fun began.
We swam, went to the Children's Mueseum, and did a lot girl stuff like paint our toes!

This is when things started to get crazy! Thursday afternoon, a man knocked on our door. They are building a house across the street from us and he said he accidently ran into Shelly's car with a fork lift. Because of this little accident, Shelly had to leave four days later instead of on Saturday as she planned and experienced a lot of inconvenient trips and phone calls to get the car fixed. What a mess!Then around 4:30am on Sunday, I get a light knock on my door. It is Shelly and Logan has a 103 temperature. By Monday we realize he has all the symptoms for swine flu (maybe he got it at the children's museum - we don't know). They are no longer testing for the illness so we will never be sure. For now we have quarantined ourselves until we are sure no one else has it. Story not over - During all of this my family manages to catch a cold, give it to Shelly's little boy Spencer and I end up with one of those sinus infections where it feels like you have a tooth ache and your eyeball is going to pop out. Then Monday night, two hours after we put all the kids to bed, someone starts screaming. Come to find out, Logan has had a massive bloody nose and his face and bed look like a murder crime scene - seriously. We spared you any photos. After washing bodies, sheets, pillows, and bed we get the kids back to sleep. Whew! I think that was all the chaos. Good times!! But like I said, the week for the most part was fun and I thought Shelly and I handled it pretty well. On a good note, Spencer started walking during Shelly's visit and Connor is now smiling all the time. We love it!