The Covington Clan

I am so bad at blogging!

2010-10-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

I don't know where the time goes but it has been a wonderful summer. See below for a few choice pics. I'll be better at posting during winter. These are just random pics that include hikes, days in the yard, days at the park, a birthday boy, and so on.

I can't Wait for Spring

2010-03-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am trapped in the house with sick children. I think they have caught everything this year and keep giving it back to each other. However today I planned a bunch of fun activities for April and now I can't wait for spring!

I turn the big 30 in 13 days. Any ideas for something fun to do ?

My joys of the day

2010-01-22T21:52:00.001-08:00

I observed a few things today. First I will be glad when Ben is back in town.

Second Greyson is so much like me. You wouldn't believe his imagination! It's so funny. Today we have been on lots of make believe trips. We have been lots of make believe people. He built his own hut and stashed it full of fun trinkets which I discovered while cleaning tonight. His favorite phrase is Mom. . do you know how much I love you? I could hear that all day. Today was the first day that we actually made it through the grocery store in peace. Addi was calm, and Greyson listened and stayed out of people's way. He must have known that I needed that today.

Third Addi is following suit and has started to torment Tobey the dog since she is now mobile. She and Tobey were in the living room tonight behind a baricade of pillows while I ran on the treadmill. Addi would crawl to him and reach up and grab his face. He'd give her the funniest look and turn his back to her. Sure enough she'd giggle and crawl around to tug on his ears. He'd stand up and she'd crawl to pull the hair on his paws. He's much more patient this time around and actually stayed in with her for almost 40 minutes but then I discovered why. . . . he was luring her away from the treats I had laid down for her and as soon as she was far enough away that he could reasonably assume she'd lost interest (so he knew he wouldn't get in trouble) he quickly gobbled them up and left the room. I guess he's no dummy after all. The punishment must have been worth the reward. Watching it all unfold made my run go by much faster.

As you can see today I am so happy. I've also figured out that hormones are playing into the unhappy, unsettled feeling I've had for a week. I've changed my whole eating plan the last two and a half months and it's altered the way my body responds to horomones. Realizing it today will hopefully help me avoid the crash next month.

Happy weekend everyone!

Ups and Downs

2010-01-21T19:25:00.001-08:00

This has been a weird few months but most especially the last week has been crazy. A lot of ups and a lot of downs and they can take place in all of 10 minutes. You might even say I'm emotional (What? I know. . . who admits that)

Tonight as I rocked Addi and listened to calming instrumental music I took some time for reflection. I have got to get control and stop complaining. I have such a blessed life. I love my husband more than I ever knew was possible. I have very strong willed and very loving and sweet children. I wanted them strong so they would not get walked over in the world. I should realize it's a blessing.

I can't quite figure out what's going on with me because I am a naturally happy person and I think when I get down I tend to get a little crazed because I'm striving to get back to the person I know. And yet we will always have down days, weeks, and sometimes months so I need to figure out how to find joy in the small things. Better yet, I need to remember that I found joy in those things and make that my focus instead of all the things I'm not accomplishing, not crossing off my list, the fun I'm not having, etc.

I reminded myself tonight that during the spring summer and fall I don't mind being at home as much. The kids and I can go on a hike, to the park, to museums. A few more months and we'll be spending long hours outside where the sun and fresh air will lift our spirits and inspire more smiles and laughter then the heart can handle.

I feel at times like a horrible mother because I feel like it should be easier. Like I should be able to take it in stride. However I think I still have a lot of horomones going through my system that make me a little crazy and perhaps I just need to take a breath and relax.

Today Addi finally took a real nap; first time in 3 days; and I got a run in, a shower, Greyson and I did school all before she woke up. Already in that hour and a half I felt like a different person.

So long post but I wanted to tell you all thanks for listening to me over the past few months as I've shared with you my trials. I know they are so small compared to what so many of you shoulder daily. But I appreciate your kind words. They truly have touched me and helped me keep going. Thanks to Brenda and my Mom for listening to me daily and helping me to keep perspective.

Each day I will find joy in something and I will strive to be a better friend, wife, and mother.

Love you all,

Breezy

Wow, Where have I been?

2010-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

In case you've wondered what has been going on with the Covington family please read below for a somewhat long update.

In April we had Addilyn and the adventures began. She followed suit with Greyson and had acid reflux and colic. Thankfully we were more prepared and took it in stride. We moved to a new home in July, we love the house. However the house was a foreclosure and so it took quite a bit just to catch up on all the little maintenance issues. Now we are quite happy and trying to be patient to wait and buy furniture and decorations until we've saved up more money.

Addi will only nurse and won't take a bottle, sippy cup, anything else really. It is so hard for me because I begin to feel so trapped. I haven't been away from her for more than 3 hours since she was born 9 months ago. Seems crazy to me because after a really tough pregnancy and an equally tough infant hood I really need just a day to myself or a day for Ben and I together. I know to many of you that sounds selfish but I just need the break to be able to refuel and to be the best Mom I can be. With Greyson I got to go on a trip just Ben and I when he was seven months old. With Addi I don't think I'll be able to until at least the fall.

In November Addi dropped from the 35th percentile to the 10th. She was refusing to eat any real foods and they were worried she was going into "failure to thrive". This threw another challenge/ trial in our road. I had to take her weekly to therapy to try and teach her how to eat, then I'd have to practice the methods with her at home - 4 - 1 hour feedings a day and 1/8 of a baby food bottle wouldn't even be gone. Greyson had to be out of the room when I was trying to feed her because he was too distracting. So he got ignored for half a day. After a month of trying every possible food (I didn't even care about allergies at that point) we took her in and she was at the 11th percentile. Oh and by the way the doctor said she was teething and she was in the middle of another bad cold. I began to sob. I couldn't handle another thing with her. Weren't children just supposed to start eating? They were hopeful that she had at least not dropped but they didn't even realize what it had taken just to gain that 1%, I didn't know how long this would last. The worry was that if she dropped again her brain would stop developing due to a lack of room in her head and could lead to lasting damage. Did I mention that because she was hungry she was still up 4 to 5 times a night to eat.

Anyway long story short we put Addi on a drug cocktail and she finally had all her systems working the way they were supposed to and she started eating four days before Christmas. It was my Christmas miracle. I hadn't even realized how worried and stressed I'd been until I felt the burden lift. I didn't even realize I hadn't bought Greyson (or anyone) a present for Christmas until a few days after she started eating. It just took so much focus to try and make her eat. She will still only eat adult food and won't eat anything mushed. She likes texture and will spit baby food out and stop eating if you try and sneak it in.

She still wakes up about twice a night to eat. I think she might never sleep through the night but two times still gives me so much more rest than getting up four times.

Amidst all this I have become a little down. I get angry with myself because I am so blessed and I love my children but I feel overwhelmed with lack of sleep and lack of time to refuel. ( I know those of you with more children are laughing saying "and you only have two") but I can't help it. I actually asked Ben in all seriousness if he would be willing to move back to Oregon. Even though I went through this exact same thing with Greyson I just felt very happy in Oregon and still feel like we belong there.

I decided to getaway with the family this past weekend as an attempt to have fun and find joy. I think perhaps my Father in Heaven was laughing at me because we got to Boulder and there was snow everywhere. Usually even when there is snow the slick rock is bare but not this time, there was nowhere to hike. That was the whole reason we came the 5 hour drive down. We were at our cabin which is winterized so there is no running water. We have to haul water from the stream to use the toilet and boil snow to bathe. Saturday afternoon we were playing games in front of the fireplace and just thinking we were glad we came because the children got undivided attention and it was relaxing. Spoke to soon because at 3 a.m. Sunday morning Greyson woke up throwing up (think no water) - we drove home early Sunday - Ben woke up 1 a.m. Monday morning throwing up. Now is the third day Greyson and Addi have diarrhea and I'm wondering when I'll ever know fun again.

We did manage one hike on the way home about an hour from our cabin there was sun and beautiful bare slick rock. It was the only moment of peace.

Anyway so that is what's been going on in our house. I'm trying to tread and keep my head above water until Addi starts sleeping, everyone is healthy, and I can get away. Hopefully by fall. Love you and miss you all.

Some Good news. . . . Addi is crawling and I've lost 35 lbs.

Breezy

I LOVE FALL

2009-10-19T20:46:00.001-07:00

Baby, Blessing, Canyons, Cabins, and a Big change

2009-06-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

A few noteworthy things: We finally took the step and took Greyson's binky away. Only one meltdown for one nap other than that no problem. We also moved him into a big boy bed and he isn't sure life gets much better. This is a long post - just catching up.

Thank goodness we took some professional pictures in her dress because by the time of her blessing brunch she was ornery and needed to go down for a nap so we only got one picture of her in her dress. Oh well. We had so much family there; we felt so loved.

A Sunday afternoon at Payson Cabin. Greyson fell asleep while Ben was swinging him.

A lazy day up Little Cottonwood Canyon. I about killed Ben for getting this picture - who puts a toddler in the middle of a fast flowing river and steps back to take a picture? But I loved how it turned out.

Mother and baby got caught trying to nap.

Our new house! Big entertaining living room - Cute front porch to sit on in summer evenings.

Back of house

Stairway (duh), Loft, Kitchen, and front.

I packed three boxes of books and felt overwhelmed. Not sure this was the wisest choice with a newborn. Also I'm very horomonal so one day I'm very excited and one day unsure. I think I'm driving Ben nuts. Good thing he loves me.

Count your blessings

2009-06-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

Some days I just feel overwhelmed at how lucky I am. Today was one of those days when I felt all of the blessing the Lord has given me and I walked around with a smile. I wanted to list a few.

I am thankful for Ben's job
I am thankful that he loves his job and wants to be there until retirement
I love Greyson. He can try me but he can also make me smile and melt in seconds.
I love Addilyn. She smiles so much. It was all I needed to just adore her.
I love Ben, I am so blessed to have a husband that is more than I ever dreamed. He is my best friend and my soul mate. He takes me for who I am and even seems to love me despite all my flaws :)
I am grateful for my health. I hate how chubby I am but I can still run three miles a day and keep up with the best of them. I don't have chronic pain and I rarely feel sick (now that I'm not pregnant)
I am blessed with the most amazing friends. There are still so many of you in Oregon that I miss and adore and thanks to Brenda here in Utah who has helped me so much with watching Greyson and being there for me to keep me calm.

The list could go on and on but sometimes I think when you have these days it's important to write down your thoughts. Life is great. I often miss working but I can also feel very content with the blessings I've been given.

How did that happen?

2009-05-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

http://amberdphotos.blogspot.com/

We had someone come and take pictures of baby Addi last week. It just so happened to be a day when she was upset all day. She screamed the whole time we took pictures and I was sure none of them would turn out. However take a look at the link, the sweet newborn is mine and the pictures are beautiful! So much Fun!

Settling In

2009-05-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bubble Fun - Being a good brother (he loves to show her his toys)

She looks so much older than two weeks in this picture.

Happy Birthday Ben! This is me only 4 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight! Yes 26 lbs lost in two weeks. Yahoo! Now just 45 more to go.

Greyson entertaining himself. His room was spotless two hours earlier.

Addi is almost three weeks old and we are starting to figure things out. A great blessing has been some drops that the doctor prescribed us to help with collic. She said that they work in about 50% of babies and the other 50% don't notice any change. They just help stop the spasms in their intestines and give them relief. So far it only takes about 15 minutes after the dose and she calms right down. (Yeah! I was sure we'd be in the "doesn't work" group) The Zantac is doing wonders and we can feed without screaming. So all in all even though she has fussy times we are figuring it out and enjoying her tender spirit. She is so beautiful if I do say so myself. I have still managed to have us ready by 10 on most days and I've even managed to do laundry, clean the house, work in the yard, and go for a long walk each day. I have learned that putting her in the stroller and Greyson on a bike and getting out of the house does wonders for us all.

Thanks for all of your comments. It's so nice to feel support from everyone.

Addilyn Kristine Covington

2009-05-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Born April 18th 6lbs 9 oz 19 inches long

Addi was so much fun the first week and a half. I loved being a mom and I felt great about being able to handle it all. I had the house cleaned every day. I was fine with both kids while Ben was at work. I even had us all bathed and ready by 10 a.m. every morning. I felt so connected to her and was so grateful it seemed so different from Greyson's first few months.

However. . . a few days ago she started with the acid reflux and collic. Here we go again. It felt like postpartum hit within a day. I got her into the doctors and we got her some medication for the reflux and now we are pulling out all our old tricks to deal with collic. Needless to say with the reflux she wouldn't let me set her down and I started to feel so trapped. After an emotional day and night I feel a little more normal; after all I know this passes. We just know it will be a few long months ahead.

At the doctors appt Addi was already at 7lbs 14oz at two weeks old she's gained almost a pound and a 1/2 over her birth weight. What a girl. At least she is a much better eater then Greyson was.

She is beautiful and we are grateful to have her bless our home.

The power of a book. . .

2009-04-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

I remember seeing the Bruno's kids beds and laughing at the mounds of books spread across them. My child is no different. If I clean out his crib he doesn't sleep well. He gets excited to go to bed because he gets to look through his books for as long as he wants without interuption. We've started having to go down at 10:30 or 11:00 at night and turn off his lamp and shut the door with only a little hall light on so that he will finally just lay down and sleep. He never fusses you can just hear him on the monitor reading his version of the book.

I went to a Jazz game the other night and when I got home Greyson's door was wide open so I went in to say goodnight. This was what I found, so ADORABLE!

We all need time in Nature

2009-03-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the family cabins in Payson this weekend. It

was so relaxing.

A dirt covered face, the best sign your child is having fun outdoors!

You would think we need to be taught child labor laws but Greyson just wanted to "putter" with Daddy. Ben raked up leaves and Greyson was so excited to help. He picked up piles and helped haul them off the decks, he also had a broom and helped sweep. It was so cute. We tried to get him to play with a ball or sticks but he wanted to make sure all the leaves were taken care of first.

Me finally reading a book on hypno-birthing. It's about time since I'm due in 20 something days.

Ben and Greyson swinging

We spent almost an hour throwing rocks into water. There is something so soothing about it and Greyson loved it.

One Tuckered Child

I really shouldn't be allowed to go out at this size!

2009-03-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

**For those that want an update I went to the doctors this week and blood pressure and everything was fine. I even lost a few lbs! So apparently I'm still good for another few weeks. It relieved a lot of pressure to know I might be saved from bed rest. Life is good.

I can't believe I'm actually posting this but here I am about to pop!

You know you feel big but when you see it in a picture it's a little scary.

This is the hardware ranch in Logan, UT

You ride sleighs out in the middle of a herd of Elk

They had about 450 there today. This one was catching

up on some rest. Greyson was terrified of the horses but

seemed unaffected by the elk.

What are you looking at?

As if you don't feel big enough when you're this pregnant. . .

check out the sign above the girls bathroom.

We drug Collin and Michon along with us. They are so photogenic it's not fair but we love them anyway.

Last week Greyson and I also went with Brenda and Reagan to the Aquarium. It's one of my favorite places to go because it's small and we can be in and out in an hour. It's also cheap and only 10 minutes from the house, you can't beat that for entertainment.

Brenda and I talked a couple of weeks ago and realized that both of us are really lonely and don't feel like we have many friends. I think sometimes you get in these ruts and don't realize that other people feel the same. Anyway I'm going to drag her with me this summer as I find ways to get out of the house she may wish she'd never told me that.

Not Again!

2009-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Ugh so I just got back from the doctors office today. Apparently my blood pressure is really high. It caught me off-guard because it has been so low this pregnancy and we haven't had any problems. With Greyson I was already on bed rest at this time. Anyway I've been feeling really sick lately and as the Doctor went through the symptoms -yep- I have them all. Anyway I have to take it easy this week and then start going every week to see if I'll end up on bed rest again. They apparently won't do medicine here they will just induce you early because that's the surefire fix. So now I have a horrible headache and I don't know if it's from the blood pressure or from the stress that now I have something to worry about! She seems really healthy and is due in 6 weeks so I figure I've just got to keep her in there for another 4 and then she should be healthy. Have I mentioned I hate being pregnant? (ok I'm really excited to have this baby but I really wasn't meant to birth children- my body rebels)

Not a date but a memory

2009-02-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

Ben and I have been talking about why we don't seem to date much. I think it's because to us dinner and a movie isn't that fun. It's just a lot of money spent but not the greatest time spent together. We realized this weekend that our favorite dates are ones that create memories. This Christmas I gave Ben a date for every month of the year. January's was cancelled because we were in Oregon so we did two in February.

The first was a jazz game. One of my favorite things to do. We had great seats given to us by Ben's work and my brother watched Greyson as part of his Christmas gift to us so it was a pretty cheap date but what a memory.

The next date was this past weekend we spent the day bumming around Park City then we went to Stillman Ranch. There we went for a romantic sleigh ride and then went to a lodge for an incredible dinner. We sat with two other couples that we really got along with and we visited and ate until we could hardly move. The whole time we were being serenaded by a man playing guitar and singing. It was such an incredible afternoon. At the end of the evening the man playing guitar dedicated the John Mayer song "her body is a wonderland" to one of the couples with us celebrating their anniversary. We all got up and danced and I sang a few different words in Ben's ears. After all being this pregnant my body really is a wonderland (ha ha). Afterwards we drove to Payson to pick up Greyson and ended up playing games with my parents until midnight. We've so missed having freinds that like to stay up late and play. It was such a fun day and will always be a memory.

We tried potty training two days of living in the bathroom and then all of a sudden he doesn't want anything to do with it. I guess they say not to push so it's on hold again for another month. Any advice would be welcomed.

Where has the time gone?

2009-01-31T23:46:00.000-08:00

I just realized the last time I took a picture of Greyson was before Thanksgiving. Yes I'm a great Mom. Anyway we had a fun day hanging out at home and going to the park so I opted to take a few pics. Life is good.

I'm a Little Crazy

2008-11-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

First Christmas Tree up. I'm cursing myself now as I've spent the last two days taking them all down. I'm not sure why there has to be one in every room. I think I got that from my Mother.

Leaving a legacy. We took Greyson to the Hill Air Force base museum. We thought he'd love it but I think he has more fun when the planes are flying in the air. On the ground they were just a little bit too big for him to comprehend. Ben's Grandpa Covington was a rocket scientist who developed the ejection seat. It's an amazing legacy to have in the family.

Backpacking weekend with my Sister and Mother.

Just so you have a sense of the size of these cliffs that's my Mom walking in the bottom of the picture.

Pregnant and showing. (part of that is a fanny pack loaded with snacks :))

I couldn't seem to cut down on much weight since I knew it would be cold. This is my pack, loaded as usual.

Soaking up the sun.

Short recap: I've been in bed for 4 months, haven't moved and now that I have a few days a week where I'm not throwing up we decide to go backpacking. What a crazy plan! We had a blast but the sun went behind the cliffs at 4:00 p.m. and by 5:30 it was dark and cold! It was the longest night in the desert I've ever had, but by some stroke of luck it just happened to be a meteor shower that night so I had a beautiful show to watch.

What happened to Fall?

2008-11-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

Fall is my favorite time of year, but because I was in bed for most of it I feel like I only got just a glance before winter was already knocking at our door. It seems like a lot of pictures but they all happened within two weeks of each other.

For those that wonder how I'm doing. I'm much better then the first, still have bad days and still throw up at least once a day. My belly is growing two months ahead of schedule but I think Ben and I have figured out a system and we're hanging in there.

Greyson's birthday. Ben got off early and we took him to the Tracy Aviary. A great bird sanctuary that he loves.

This was so funny, See all the ropes saying don't get behind here? Well Greyson decided to run behind that tree and hide from us. He was laughing and kept going the opposite way of whichever Ben went. This was shortly before he tried to run from us and went through some brush and got body checked by a peacock and ended up on the ground laughing hysterically. I'll write about his hiding games in another post.

Feeding Ducks

Looking for the perfect pumpkin. I wanted the experience and Ben thought they were much cheaper at the grocery store. Sure enough we bought a small $3 pumpkin here for Greyson and we went to the grocery store to buy our big ones and they were only $3 for both huge ones. So Ben may have been right but Greyson loved this pumpkin patch. They had a pirate ship and a hay maze just for kids. It was great. . . . oh and Greyson ran and hid from us in the back of the nursery between a ladder and a big candy machine. Whatever will we do with him?

Boo

Looking Good!

I found it! I found it!

I know I'm cute.

I don't like this. Halloween was a tough day for Greyson. He didn't have a nap, was ornery and then decided he didn't like his outfit. However our sweet neighbors brought him inside and gave him a ton of candy and all of a sudden this wasn't such a bad night afterall. Then we went to my sister's house for her birthday and he played as hard as he could.

My favorite time at the cabin. Playing in the leaves.

That little red spot is Greyson's hat.

Help I've fallen and I can't get up!

Ok I didn't do hair or makeup so I look pretty scary.

Such a doll - my Mom we love having her home!

Cooking hot dogs over the fire. See how burned the one Greyson is "helping" with.

The boys trying to take down a tree.

And winter is here.

Last night we had our Young Women in Excellence. We hosted the academy award. As a host I even had a costume change. Below is my escort, Will Smith. The young women were shocked that this homecoming dress of mine was beautiful and still "in style".

All the leaders. This was a green chiffon dress of my Grandma Biglers that I loved to dress up in. I love that it still fit over a pregnant belly. Thank goodness for empire waists.

When all doesn't go according to plan. . .

2008-09-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

For those that know me you know how much I love to plan. Ben and I have always had a five year, 10 year, and longterm plan. It used to drive people nuts that everything in our plans always happened right on schedule. That was of course before children entered the picture. Greyson taught me a lot about letting go of control. It wasn't easy and didn't happen overnight but it happened. But I think as he got older and I was able to schedule again I forgot how thrown off a child can make things.

Many of you know that Ben and I are now expecting our second child. I am having a hard time being excited even though it's what we wanted. I am so sick I rarely make it off the couch or out of bed. I feel like a horrible mom and an even worse wife! Ben has a ton of responsibility at work and then he comes home and has to clean the house, do laundry, grocery shop, cook, and take care of Greyson. I am so blessed to have such a great guy. I am not sure why pregnancy is my trial, I watch people that go through it with flying colors and I spend my time over the toilet in the bathroom. The true low so far was last Wednesday, I couldn't keep anything down and alternated between the throwing up and lying on the bathroom floor. Greyson actually found a little hand massager and would rub my back and say "it's ok mommy". How is it that my 22 month old is taking care of the mom? Since then I've been on medication, but it only makes a little difference. I hope I make it through this and I'm trying so hard to have a positive attitude but I hate being sick and it feels like there is no end in sight.

So if you don't hear from me it's not my lack of caring, it's my inability to see past my own needs at the moment. Hopefully I'll start to feel better soon and may actually leave the house.

Due Date April 17th 2009 (forever and ever away)

Botox Gone Badly

2008-08-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer for us and I haven't had much time to blog. I'm having a pretty tough day because I just found out our renters aren't going to buy our house in OR, so I'm officially in freak-out mode. I'm trying to take my mind off of it so here is a quick catch up on our summer.

Hiking in Maple Canyon. . . . Also known as the before picture for great effect scroll up and down a few times.
4th of July - Greyson was stung by a wasp on his lip. I cried and was so worried. Keep in mind we're in Boulder 4 hours from a hospital. The head wound is from Maple canyon the week before. He hiked up a rock slot canyon all by himself and then after we were in the flat cave at the top he tripped and fell and cut his eyebrow. It bled so bad that his whole face and hair were covered. He still has a scar.

He looked like a monkey. It was so sad as he tried to push it down. He also tried to have his binky but he could suck on it with the huge lip.

Waiting for the Parade. Boulder 4th of July is the best. If you want to be in the parade you just meet at one end of town and line up. It last about 10 minutes and Greyson got tons of candy (meaning we as adults got tons :))

In a truly rare weather day it poured on us while hiking over the 4th. Greyson and Ben and I had to head back early because Greyson was so cold.
Playing on the lawn while waiting for the talent show

Just a beautiful shot of sky and slickrock
This of course if for Heidi
Yes I'm a great rock climber
Summer fun
Tobey pouting because I sprayed him with the hose

Oh to be a kid.
Great Basin National Park last weekend
Ben and I were super tired so we ended up staying in Delta on the way. We got this super fun hotel for only $38 bucks! The water was sulfur so we didn't shower and the bathroom ceiling was so low you had to duck, but who can beat that deal!
My little climber
I made it!

Lehman caves, Incredible.
Playing in the stream by our campsite
He was sure he could lift this rock and tried it several times.
Oooohhh.
We went hiking on an incredible trail. We had the whole place to ourselves with deer everywhere.

Zip line adventures

2008-06-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

For Fathers Day we built a zip line at our cabin in Payson. It was so much fun!

Mama please don't take my Kodachrome away. . .

2008-06-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

For those that don't know the title is from a Paul Simon song 'Kodachrome'. If I had the skills I would have a play list and have it playing, but instead you'll have to just hum it.
Kodachrome Basin State Park

It was a rainy stormy Memorial Day weekend, but we had a blast visiting one of the places on our list. We explored every part of Kodachrome in the two days we were there. The rock is so fragile that you can't climb on most of it. It just crubles beneath you. Greyson was a great climber. He is fearless and tackled rock mound after rock mound with great pleasure. It's good to see my child in the red rock. Enjoy the pics.

This one's just for you Heidi. . .

Home Sweet Home (well sort of)

2008-05-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to Portland

A few months ago Ben and I booked flights to Oregon for last weekend. We needed to see friends and reconnect. Thanks to everyone who welcomed us with open arms.

Greyson and I waiting in the airport our flight was at 8:30 a.m.

Greyson is not quite sure about this flight. Neither was I but thankfully the flight wasn't full so he got his very own seat. He did great.

Playing at Cooper Park. (We didn't want to surprise the Bruno's too Early)

I love this picture, I actually captured him running!

Yes he's all mine and he's cute.

All that blond hair catches the sun.

The Bruno's. Thank you so much for opening your home to us.

Summer Fun!

Rick and Ben and the boys went to Father's and Son's campout and we had a girls night out. It was so much fun. My first try of Fondue. What can I say, it was wonderful! Thanks Heidi, Heather, and Stephanie. Oh and I won at hearts, can you believe it? [ok I can't lie actually Heather won on the last hand with a run]

Saturday I went to visit Kelly, not she's not bloated she's pregnant!

Then we went to Lunch with Leslie and Melia.

Saturday night Ben and the boys went golfing and Heidi and I crashed Brenda's birthday party. Thanks Brenda and Sarah for letting us come.

The conversation here was pretty serious, you can tell by the looks on everyones faces.

That's more like it, smiles all around.

I had many great pics of this SUPER SLIDE but I'm not sure who is ok with pics posted of them so I just put a few on.

Greyson was exhausted. Our flight home was delayed by a little over an hour and he didn't have much sleep during our weekend. So the next day all he wanted to do was sleep and read his books. He'd actually cry when I'd suggest we should go outside. So Cute.

Thanks Everyone! It was a great trip.

The joys of being a Mom

2008-05-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Two days ago Greyson woke up on the wrong side of the crib (which is unusual since it's always the same side). It all started fine, I changed his diaper and then gave him a hug and then proceeded to pick out his outfit. Lately I have been trying to teach him independence (bad idea) and I let him pick out his own outfit. So that fact that I chose something sent him into uncontrolable crying. Yes he cried and cried and cried. Finally I lost it and put him in his crib with binky and blanket for a time out (he's been awake approximately 30 minutes). Then when he finally calmed down I took him out and we had breakfast only he didn't like the cereal that he chose and began to cry and throw milk around with the spoon. Then we went upstairs so I could get ready and he was grabbing my leg and trying to push me away from the counter. I would move so he could get into the drawers, but apparently he just wanted me to move because nothing made him happy. Finally I walked him out of the bathroom and locked the door, then I climbed in the shower and tried to put my face under the water so I couldn't hear the child hitting the door and crying. Needless to say Greyson spent a lot of time in his crib, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom and we both spent a lot of time mad at each other. We did manage to sneak away to three blissful hours at the zoo where we were both happy.

Then yesterday while running in the morning I decided I'm the adult I set the tone. So I did everything different and tried to be loving and attentive and we had the best day. He didn't cry once and was my perfect little boy, played without complaint, worked on his letters and learning, went on a walk with me, gave me hugs and kisses, ate all of his food.

I guess kids and moms have days too.

What are all the Poor People Doing?

2008-04-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

My Grandma used to say "What are all the Poor people doing?". It was her way of saying life was wonderful. This past weekend we used a gift that my Parents gave us for Christmas. They took Greyson and Tobey (the dog) while we escaped to Colorado for a 2 night stay at a hot springs resort.

Thursday April 17th, 2008
One of the places on our list of places to go this year was Arches in Moab. What an incredible place. There are over 200 arches in this park alone. We started by visiting Delicate Arch. You can't describe the beauty, it is balanced right on the edge of a cliff.

Ben's in the middle, he just wore a color that kind of blends in.

For those of you that know Ben and I, you know that we can't just stay on the trail. After Delicate Arch we saw arches across another canyon so we left the trail and took off for 'Snails and Adventure' (def: finding your own fun and adventure off the beaten path). We found this arch and enjoyed some time looking through the window.

Here I was nagging Ben to be careful. He had to jump across a ravine to get to where he is and between these mounds there are huge canyons. I was not happy about this, but I love that he is fearless.

After Delicate Arch area we drove to the end of the park. The area was called Devil's Garden. We went on a path that took us by many, many arches, below are a few.

Wall Arch

Double O Arch (on the right) Look for Ben in the botton arch and the man on top. I can't remember the name of the arch on the left.

After Double O we decided the canyons were calling to us. You can see in the picture below how much fun and adventure was waiting. So once again we kept leaving the path and finding new canyons and adventures. The way this part of the rock is we kept getting cliffed out and had to retrace our steps many times, too much fun!

And Finally We went through and arch and there was a canyon below. It was getting late and we thought maybe it would be a good shortcut back to the car. We walked through the arch and started making our way down the canyon. It was so funny because people at the arch looked at us like we were crazy. We made our way down the canyon, got to the bottom and realized we were under landscape arch which is the only arch that you're not allowed to go near or under. There was a great rockfall there in 1990 (60 tons) and they don't think it's stable. So we quickly dove under the fence and pretended all was well.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday April 18th-20th, 2008

We spent the next day making our way over to Pagosa Springs. We played in Cortez and Durango and then got to the Springs just in time for check in. The next few days were spent lounging in hot springs pools ranging from 87 degrees to 111 degrees. The challenge of the trip was to jump into the river which borders the hot springs. We both did it twice, the first time up to our chest, the second time all the way under! It was 34 degrees!

Lowery Ruins on the Way to Pagosa

This was a wild animal rescue that was in Pagosa. This Cougar was laying down and then in 2 seconds had bounded up to the fence and was staring me down. My heart stopped. Then I played chase back and forth with him and Ben was many steps behind yelling at me to stop. We found out later that this cat loves to play.

There are 18 different pools at the Springs ranging from big enough for 2 to 20. We spared our readers any pictures in bathing suits.

That says the River is 34 degrees. We were crazy!

The River 1st attempt.

2008-04-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

Camping Fun

What joy between freinds. Thanks to Heidi and Heather who enjoyed the journey.

Who sleeps in a tent?

Corn from the Anasazi

Lunch Break
Thanks to Ben and Rick who watched kids so we could play.

Oh the Sun ! ! ! !

2008-03-24T12:59:00.001-07:00

EASTER WEEKEND 2008

Boulder, UT

**Ben and I are the winners of the annual treasure hunt, yes we're proud.

Enjoying Sun and Slickrock; a perfect combination. Look at that blue, not a cloud in the sky.

Greyson and Ben building sand mountains. Greyson was in Heaven. Then of course Ben convinced all of the kids that they need to let him bury them. I'm sure their mom's were thrilled with all that sand.

Greyson and I went hiking and he chose the way. It was so cute to watch him navigate the slickrock.

Getting ready for the town Easter Egg hunt.

One Down Many More To Go

2008-03-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Golden Spike National Monument. While the monument wasn't exactly exciting it was still amazing to think of what a transcontinental railroad accomplished. A trip that normally took 6 month now only took a week. Thanks to all the men that worked to make our country wonderful! (and thanks to Collin and Michon who joined us on our little journey)

The Spiral Jetty . . . Art in the water

2008-03-06T16:29:00.001-08:00

Ok, so you might have me convinced to do this blogging thing. It might be the best way to keep in contact with everyone.

Greyson is on the sled. He loved being carried around the cabins. (Ben has snowshoes on)

Life is starting to settle in here in Utah. We have had 516" of snow since November in the canyon just above our home. Luckily some neighbors have taken pity on me and they use their snowblowers or 4-wheelers to clear my driveway (2 cars wide and about 4 cars deep). A few weeks ago Ben, Greyson, and I went to our family cabin in Payson canyon. Given the record snow year we wanted to see what it was like. We had to park and walk up the canyon to even access it. The snow was up to my upper thigh but even deeper in other places. What a workout! Tobey didn't move for the rest of the day after we got back. Poor guy.

I just got back from girl's camp with the Young Women of our ward. It was great we went to a cabin just above Sundance resort and snowshoed during the day. It's my favorte new winter sport.

We started a new tradition this year and we wrote down all of the places that we want to visit before next year. They have to be affordable and within distance to make them a weekend getaway. That's the 'Adventure Awaits' list on the blog; so stay tuned for pictures.

Greyson is growing like a weed. 18 month pants and 24 month shirts so I think his legs have a little bit of growing still to go. He loves to read and Ben and I have many, many books memorized because he wants us to read them over and over again. We are working on learning the letters A through I. He's actually doing pretty good with them. He jabbers non-stop but is only starting to gain a vocabulary. I think it will be awhile before I start hearing sentences. He has such a strong little personality (I'm sure that's from Ben) but when we get in a group setting he hides behind our legs. I think he'll be shy.

Ben is loving his jobs. He comes home everyday with a smile on his face. He is working at Altaview concrete as their CFO and he also does consulting for a small business on the side. He actually gets up and goes to the gym every morning. I'm not sure what has come over him. Perhaps our list of places to go has given him motivation.