The Deckers

Missing

2009-08-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

I know I have been missing from the blogging world...find me on facebook. Much LOVE!

Dancing the day away

2009-05-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Lia has just loved her little dance class. It's so sad that it has ended for the summer :( I think I am going to get her into a tumbling class....

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

Could these girls be any more adorable?? Lia looks so grown up with her new haircut!!!

Silly Lia

2009-03-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

Naps have been hard aroung here.... I have found Lia asleep on the floor more than once. She cracks me up!!! I love this little "mini-me"!!! Notice that her "baby" is gripped tight in hand!!

She is so silly. She had this treat that turned her mouth green and she thought it was so funny!!!

The fiery pit of death

2009-03-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come.... the firery pit of death has been filled!!! We figured that since we will be in this house for at least another summer we may as well make the back yard fun. Lia just LOVES this thing!!

Presley is 6 months old

2009-03-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

My sweet Presley is 6 months old!!! She is staying strong at 95% for height and 75% in weight. She is 16 lbs. of pure joy (keep in mind that Lia weighed 20 lbs by this time)!!!

Arizona trip '09

2009-03-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

Every spring we get outta the snow and head to Arizona. This year we decided to leave the kids at home and stay at a 5 star resort!! We were able to go to the Mesa Temple (we made a new years resolution to go to two out of state temples) We had a blast and it was just the break we needed!!! I LOVE the sun!!

Backsplash

2009-02-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

I saw this idea on Rachel Ray a long time ago and LOVED it. I knew it was the perfect thing for the back splash in my kitchen!! Check out the before and after pics!

Little Tiny Dancer

2009-02-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

OK so there is nothing "little" or "tiny" about my two year old who wears a size 4 or 5 but she sure is cute in her dance outfit!!! She just started dance with some other little girls in our neighborhood- and they have so much fun!!!

ooooo for the love of Pete!!!

2009-02-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

This has been the scene at our house... Pete and Lia hanging out in the plastic deck chairs!!! Lia is so funny she sets this up every day... I love it!!! (She also dressed herself :)

Tazzy is 30!!

2009-02-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful husband Taz!! I planned a surprise party for him and it turned out awesome!! He had NO idea. His parents came up from St. George and watched the girls for us while we went to dinner and everyone came over. We had everyone park at the park across the street and walk over so he didn't see any cars!!!

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!!!

The Latest Fix-up

2009-02-03T13:58:00.001-08:00

This house has been so fun to fix up but this time- it was just annoying. Shortly after moving in we noticed that our dryer vent was not working and the clothes were not drying. At first I thought it was our actual dryer so I unplugged it from the wall and put a sock on the end of the vent. It dried just fine????? So we figured there must be a clog somewhere in the pipe. We looked outside under our deck and saw two ventilation pipes side by side. Our basement is finished and there is another set of laundry hook ups down there. We turned on the downstairs dryer and one pipe vented and the other didn't so by process of elimination we assumed the one that did not vent must be for the upstairs laundry (keep in mind that when you assume it means you make an ASS our of U and ME!!) If there was a clog we were going to try to get it out ourselves....we hooked a few broom sticks together with a wire brush taped to the end and stuck it down what we thought was our laundry pipe....(the brush came out clean but the laundry would still not dry -we were so confused!!! I put the stupid sock back on and after a while I finally got sick of the sauna in the laundry room and called a guy to come and snake the pipe. He came to check it out and asked which pipe was ours and I told him it was the one on the right (because the one the left worked when the downstairs dryer was on). He snaked the pipe and said it was clean?????? So then he stuck a camera down in the wall to see if the pipe was hooked up right at the connection to the wall.... nothing. He suggested to cut a hole in the sheet rock next the the pipe and look inside the wall to check things out.

Well as you can see here is the hole by the pipe in the wall. It was connected just fine and there was no clog??????? So we thought it may be a little further down the pipe, on the other side of the laundry room is the kitchen pantry so logically the next step was this

YEP we riped out three tiles and cut through the floor boards to get to the pipe!!! And guess what??? There was no clog in the pipe and it was connected just fine!!!!! So then the only thing left to do was this

YEP we cut a hole in the ceiling downstairs to get to the pipe a little further down. And guess what??? There was no clog in the pipe and it was connected just fine!!!!!! In fact after a LONG investigation we found out that this was not even the right pipe. Under the deck about five more feet down and out of sight from the other two was another vent!!!! THIS ONE WAS OUR VENT!!!!! The other two were 1. The downstairs dryer and 2. The fan in the downstairs bathroom!!!!! AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGUUUUUUUHHHHHH!!! So we snaked the right vent pipe, got the clog out and the dryer worked just fine :) Now we are left with two holes to patch and paint and three tiles to replace. All because we didn't do our homework good enough. We sure learned our lesson on this one!!

Sweet babies!!

2009-01-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Here they are.... my sweet babies. Enjoy!!

Sledding

2009-01-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

This morning we took Lia across the street to the park to sled on her new sled!!!! She loved it and even dared to go down all be herself a few times!!! It is so nice to live close enough to just leave Presley in a nap and bring the monitor with us....that is going to be VERY useful this coming spring and summer!!

Haircuts

2009-01-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

Three outta four Deckers got their hair cut today!! I was the unlucky one who missed out. Here is Lia's before.....

I took her to this super fun place by our house that is for kids only and she loved it. They had games and prizes and it was decorated adorable!!

And here is the after, I was surprised at what a difference it made.

Presley was growing quite the mullet and I decided it was time to let it go. This is her very first little haircut and I was surprised how dark her hair is. After I cut it I placed it in a little baggy to save and held it up to my hair and it is WAY darker than mine!!! Here is her before pic.... you can see the mullet!!

Here is Mommy doing the first haircut!!

And the after... way better!!

Here is a little known fact.... I have cut Tazzy's hair ever since we met!! I only know how to do one cut, but luckily it's the one he likes!! This is the best pic he would give me :)

Rollover

2009-01-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

I snapped this pic of the girls and then Lia wanted one of just us. We were having some fun and then Lia asked for a snack so I put Presley on a blanket on the floor in tummy time and went to the kitchen to get Lia a snack. When I came back Presley had rolled over!!!! Yeah she is getting so big!!
P.s. Presley is THE happiest baby ever she will smile at the drop of a hat but for some reason she is camera shy.... I will catch her one of these days!!

Jumperoo

2009-01-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Lia just loved this thing and now that Pres is holding her own weight I thought it was a good time to bust it out. She is not to sure as you can see by her face...but I am sure she will grow to LOVE it!!!

Christmas

2008-12-30T21:05:00.001-08:00

We had Merry Christmas!! Here are pics of the girls on Christmas morning!! Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!!

Presely's 4 month check-up

2008-12-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

4 months already!!! She is now 25 inches long and weighs in at 13.6 lbs. This puts her in the 95% for height and 75% for weight. I just LOVE this little girl. Lia also needed a flu shot so we put her on the scale to check- I want to hear your guess of how much you think my 2 and a half year old weighs..........

Baby Charlie

2008-12-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

My baby sister had her baby on December 5th!!! Here are a few of his adorable pics that Aunt Em took!!

Em's Temple Pics

2008-12-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Look at these fantastic pics Em took of the SLC Temple. I have been begging her to do these for like two years now and I love them!!! They would make a great Christmas gift check out her blog for more details and her Etsy site to purchase them!!!! Happy Holiday Shopping!!

Ahhh time flies....

2008-12-12T09:15:00.001-08:00

When you are having fun!!! I know it has been forever but we have been having so much fun here are a few things we have been up to:
- Baby shower for Heidi- thanks to all those how brought such great gifts!!
- The Utes winning!!!

Here is Presley the day of the big BYU and Utah game- GO UTES!!!
- A trip to St. George

Lia was not to sure about this jumping in the leaves thing :)
- Baby Charlie born on Dec. 5th at 6:08 a.m. 6 lbs. 13 oz. 19 in. we sure love you and are glad you are here safe!!! (pics to come)
- Girls night- its always a blast!!!

AND.....now to get ready for Christmas :)

Lookalike shocker!!

2008-11-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

Totally shocked- I always thought Taz would win both of these!!!!

New Family Pics

2008-11-18T21:55:00.001-08:00

3 months old

2008-11-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

Three months old- seriously where does the time go? Our little Presley is three months old this week!! She is now sleeping 9 hours a night (thank you Baby Wise)!!! Her eyes are somewhere between blue and green- so we will have to wait to see what happens with them. She is talking and chatting all the time along with her big smiles. She is so much fun to have in our family!! We had our family pics taken last week so look for those coming soon :)

Two month check up

2008-11-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

OK so I know this is a like a week late but I wanted to share the info from Presley's two month check up. She was 80% in height and 50% in weight. She now weighs 10.5 lbs!!! She is growing so fast but is still was smaller than Lia was at her age, she was always in the 95% or above in both!! Presley has been such a joy for me- I love her more than I ever thought possible. I honestly don't know why I didn't have her sooner. She was started to smile and it is so adorable because she only has one little dimple. I love that Lia has a little sister and they can be the best of friends!!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T20:43:00.001-07:00

This year Lia was a pink poodle named Fifi!! She was adorable. This was the first year that she went out trick-or-treating. I took her around the neighborhood and we hit up all the houses of her little friends and the other YW leaders. She was so funny, at first she thought it was like a sharing thing and would take some candy out of her bucket and give it back!! She also invited herself into a few houses (luckily they all knew who she was :) She just loved it- it was so much fun to see her excitement when the doorbell would ring and she could give out some candy!!

This what Presley wore all day- I thought it was funny and could not pass up buying it- even though she is only going to wear it once!

HUNGRY????

Presley was this hilarious hot dog this year!!

We hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween this year and have made it through the Halloween aftermath- coming down off the sugar high :)

Trouble Maker

2008-10-30T14:53:00.001-07:00

Lia has been getting her two-year-old self in a little bit of trouble lately.

During the chaos of Presley's blessing Lia snuck into our bedroom and got into my body cream. She used almost the whole jar on her face- silly kid!!

Yesterday I was getting ready with Lia in the room- she was on the bed watching a show. I heard the cat cry outside to come in and went to let him in and by the time I got back to my room Lia had opened my mascara, applied it, and put the lid back on. When I caught her she said, "Mom, I just wanted to share with you"!!! She is a hoot!! The funny thing is that she kinda did a good job getting it on her eyelashes!!

Hay Ride

2008-10-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed out to Black Island Farms for a fun Hay Ride

Lia loved the Hay Ride

Her favorite part was going up and down the stairs

Daddy helped her pick the perfect pumpkin- we are going to carve them tomorrow!!

There are no pics of me because I was behind the camera with little Presley in her sling :)

Blessing pics

2008-10-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is just one of the amazing pics Em took of Presley on her blessing day.... look for more to come :)

Body World Exhibit

2008-10-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today me and Taz (along with Presley) went the Body World Exhibit downtown. Lia stayed home with Grammy H.- thanks again trusty sitter ;) It was so cool and we loved it. I totally recommend it- but you don't really need the audio guide. You cannot take pics inside so this was our lame attempt to snap a self portrait outside. After we had lunch at our fav Rumbi!! Thanks for the great morning honey- I love you!!

Pumkinaze

2008-10-18T20:36:00.001-07:00

Our little family went to this cool corn maze yesterday called Pumkinaze. There was a really fun slide on hay bails and here are a few ways we slid down them...

Yes, this is me with Presley in the sling taking Lia down- she insisted!!

Lia and Daddy going down together.

Lia was so excited Daddy went down upside down!!!

All by herself :) And here is the fun corn maze....

There were tons of fun things for the little ones to do....

Happy Halloween season :)

Baby Dee

2008-10-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

This is my darling baby sister Heidi who is having a baby boy in December. She is naming him Charly- not Baby Dee which is the name of the post. Baby Dee is what I used to call her when we were babies because I could not say Heidi (we were only 15 months apart- cut me a break, I could barely talk when she was born :) I love you so much and can't wait to meet the little guy!!!

Once again- thanks Aunt Em!!!!! And Happy B-Day Robin, I love you :)

A Blessed Day

2008-10-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today my amazing husband blessed our sweet new baby girl. He gave her the most incredible blessing and I am so thankful for him and the wonderful father he is to our girls. Thank you to all the friends and family that came- we really love you!!!
I thought I would try to get Lia's hair to curl, but unfortunately she was cursed with my hair and it just won't curl. Anyway here is a pic of her in her curlers.

My mom made both the girls dresses for this special day. Here is Lia in her new dress.

Presley's dress was so beautiful- thanks again mom :)

Our perfect little Presley Kristine Decker

2008-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

The girls & 6 weeks old

2008-10-08T19:01:00.001-07:00

6 weeks old already!!! Take a look at her BLUE eyes- I still am in shock that we got something other than dark brown. She has been so much fun and has been sleeping 4.5 to 5 hours each night and always goes straight back to sleep (thank you Baby Wise!)

Lia and her cheesy grin- she has been into cheesing it for the camera lately!!

Friends going private

2008-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey I know that are a bunch of you going private and I would love an invite. Please add me- my email is highjump6@excite.com. Thanks and maybe one day I will get around to doing it myself :)

One month old

2008-09-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our little Presley is already a month old. Where do the days go??? Here are a few things about her:
She has started to fill out and get some chubby cheeks
Her eyes are still dark blue (hopefully they will be green!!!)
She LOVES to nurse. She will take a bottle but she is not happy about it
She doesn't really cry- she just squeals when she is hungry
She is so animated- she pulls the funniest faces
She loves to cuddle- any time she is upset I will lay her on my chest and she snuggles right in and calms down
This month has been tons of fun- by hopefully Baby Wise will kick in and we can all start sleeping through the night soon :)

Everyone has their babies!!

2008-09-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would post this cute pic- Lia loves her new baby doll!!

Uggghh tagged

2008-09-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ok- I NEVER do tags but since two people tagged me on this within a few days- here you go.

1. Link to person who has tagged you: http://tykenraandzoey.blogspot.com/ and http://lanceandhillary.blogspot.com/
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 6 random things about yourself
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment.

1. I don't wear prints. I always wear solid colors. I try them on when shopping wishing I will like them but it's really hard for me to buy any clothes that have a print. I know it's kinda weird- you should see my closet.
2. I hate to hear people chew their gum. Please don't sound like a cow chewing cud- it totally grosses me out.
3. I am obsessed with having my floor clean. I own a Dyson and a Floor Mate and a carpet cleaner- I use them a few times a week. I love being bare foot but go crazy if stuff sticks to my feet!!
4. I watch Days of Our Lives. I know, I know- it's totally cheesy but I have watched it like forever and just can't stop!!
5. I use tons of stuff in the laundry- color safe bleach, regular bleach, laundry soap, fabric softener, dryer sheets. You name it- I use it in every load. I know its a little over the top but for some reason I have to do it.
6. I love cereal of any kind- like to the point that I could be totally happy eating it three meals a day.

I tag James- Joelle- and Ricki. Sorry I know it sucks!!

Kissin' Dane

2008-09-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went out to eat with our friends Ben and Joelle- they have a little boy that is 10 months old named Dane. Lia and Dane were so cute together. We sat Dane on her lap and this is what proceeded to happen....

They were hilarious- I hope this is not a sign of things to come :) Thanks for coming up to see us- we love you guys!!

Ahh Fall Time

2008-09-14T13:34:00.001-07:00

I made this wreath last year and just could not wait to hang it. I know it may be a little early but I can feel fall in the air!! It is by far my favorite time of year. I love the slightly cooler weather and the leaves changing colors!!

In the mean time... my baby girl has gained a whole pound in two weeks!!! I am just trying to hold her and love her and kiss her as much as I can because I know it will be no time before she is running around with her big sister!! Yes those are socks on her hands- but I wanted to show her double chin :)

My sweet girls

2008-09-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks again to Aunt Em for these incredible pics!!

More Baby Presley

2008-09-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pics of our new baby girl.

This is us the day after she was born, she is so cute!!

Daddy and Presley in the hospital

I just LOVE this hat- it's to die for!!

This is our baby girl the day we brought her home from the hospital.

Lia was very concerned today when Presley had her first bath. It is so great to have her home with us and spend time with our little family.

Presley Kristine Decker

2008-08-28T19:26:00.001-07:00

Presley Kristine Decker was born VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) at 5:23 pm. 6 lbs 4 oz 19 3/4 inches long. She has tons of jet black hair and what we think will be GREEN eyes and is so amazingly beautiful!! We are so thrilled to welcome her to our family. We love you Presley!!!!

Bellies

2008-08-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

Here is me and my little sister Heidi. She is 23 weeks pregnant with a little boy!!! She is due the week of Christmas- I can't believe that she is half way and I am done this week!!! It seems like just barely I was only half way. Time flies and I can't wait to meet my new baby girl in a few days!!

Lately

2008-08-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well there has not been much going on lately. Just getting ready for the new little one and having some summer fun with Lia.

We have been doing a lot of swimming- as much as I love getting in a swim suit 9 months pregnant. The things we do for our kids!!
She is so funny she loves this hat and insists on wearing it backwards!!

She has said some funny things lately. Last night we were watching the Olympics and volleyball was on. I said, "Lia, isn't volleyball so much fun"? She turned to me and said, "I like basketball better"!!! Taz and I laughed so hard!!! I hope she does well with a new little sister. Those of you who have added another member to the family please let me know if you have some tips in helping a toddler adjust :)

Baby Presley is almost here!!

2008-08-06T08:20:00.001-07:00

Aunt Em is the most amazing photographer!!!!! We are so lucky to be blessed with her talent. Here are a few of the pics she took for us yesterday.

Thanks Em... they are adorable!

The Girly Rooms

2008-07-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have been busy these past few weeks getting Lia in her new room and getting the nursery ready. I am finally ready to post a few pics. First is Lia's new room...

This is her new big girl bed. She loves it!! I added the ribbon on the bottom of the bedskirt because I thought it looked to plain. If you look close you can see Pete the Monkey on her bed :)

Her new dresser- it's so cute!!!

This is an old table that I had and painted it black to match. This way when the bed is converted to a full size she will also have a nightstand.

Last is the curtain I made to match her comforter.

So I guess now is the time to reveal that we are going to name our new baby girl Presley Kristine Decker, and here is her room.....

This is the bumper and quilt that Lia used for three months before we moved and I changed her room to pink and green. I love the colors but I hated how much of the lime green the bedskirt and curtain had so... I had my fantastic seamstress mother help me make a new purple bedskirt and coral curtain for her!!! It turned out so cute- I love it. Thanks mom:)

You might not be able to see her name on the wall so look close.

We are so excited to welcome our new little girl in 5 short weeks!!!!

Terd in the corner

2008-07-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

So Lia is fully potty trained but she is still having a hard time with the pooping in the toilet. Yesterday I put her in her room for a nap and after a minute she was quiet- I thought she had fallen asleep a little too quickly so I decided to check on her. I opened the door and she was standing in the middle of her room and she looked up at me and said "Hey, I need to poop"!! So we hurried to the bathroom and I soon found out that there were no panties on under her dress. I helped her on to the toilet and went back to her room to investigate. My first thoguht was that she had pooped in her panties and taken them off- but there I found her clean panties in her bed. I went back to the bathroom and she looked at me and said, "You happy Mommy? I didn't poop in my panties"!! So I asked her where she did poop and she said, "I pooped in the floor"!!!!! I was shocked and ran back in her room to find a little terd in the corner. I could not help it- I busted up laughing. She was so proud of herself for not pooping in her panties- what a little stinker, literally!!

Palisdes '08

2008-07-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend of the 4th with the entire Decker crew and extended family at Palisades State Park. We loved playing at the lake, watching fireworks on the front lawn of the Manti temple, riding four wheelers, and just hanging out with all the fam.

Lia of course would not ever keep her nametag on the front so we stuck it on her back :)

We all know how much this little girl LOVES shoes!!

So cute.... playing with Papa!!

Only in Manti- need I say much more?

Me and Ali

Oh the belly shot

Lia rode this bike 80% of the day- thank you Brielle for letting her ride it since she was convinced it was hers!

Lia's 2 year check-up

2008-07-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

So today we visited Lia's pediatrician. It was a little late but it was the first time I could get her in because we have been traveling so much. Here are her stats:
33 lbs.
99% in height
95% in weight
She is growing up so fast- good thing this was her last shot until kindergarten. Oh man I can't even think about kindergarten!!!!!

Pete the Monkey

2008-07-01T14:23:00.001-07:00

My two year old baby girl has an imaginary friend. Pete the Monkey. She totally made him up on her own and begs me to tell her stories about him at least five times a day. She talks about how he eats bananas and plays in the jungle- it is so stinkin' cute!!! I absolutely LOVE her new found imagination- this phase of her life is so amazing!!!

South Carolina

2008-06-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Lia eating a hot dog- notice the ketchup all over her face :)

Lia and Daddy!!

Lia and Mommy- eating a lemon.

Lemon face!!

We love the beach!!

Climbing trees!!

Lia and Bella pulling faces- I can't believe they are only three days apart. Lia is a giant :)

So last week was a blast- It was the perfect way to spend our 6 year anniversary!!! We spent the whole week at a Marriott resort on Hilton Head Island with our friends The Butterfield's and the Kettle's- love the perks of Taz's job!!!! All in all Lia was a good little traveler (as best you can expect from a 2 year old). I was really bad about taking pictures- I would either forget to put it in my bag or just plain forget to take some when I had it:( We spent plenty of time in the pool and on the beach, there is not a whole lot to do there but relax so that was nice. Lia became quite a good little swimmer thanks to Daddy the former swim teacher. We ate some good food at Sticky Fingers and enjoyed the southern hospitality!! We all wore spf 70the whole time but somehow Lia ended up with a killer tan?? Taz enjoyed his time on the beautiful golf courses with friends and totally spoiled me with a two hour trip to the spa. I got an hour facial and an hour massage- it was the most relaxing thing I have ever done!!! We shared a bed with Lia for the first time in her entire life and she was the only one who loved it. She was convinced that Daddy's pillow was hers and was bulldozing him all night long while kicking me!!! One night we turned out the lights and she decided that it was not time to go to bed so she climbed up on Taz and said, "What's up Daddy"? It was so funny we could not help but bust out laughing. Lia had some naughty moments being out of her element and playing with the other girls- she is in for a surprise when this baby comes!!! We had so much fun- sorry we don't have more pics to share :(

I know..... I know

2008-06-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

So I have not posted in a long time. Since Lia's B-Day there has not been a whole lot going on. We have been doing a lot of yard work and flower planting and refinishing our deck (again...don't ask). Those are the pics down below- thanks Taz for doing all the hard work. Lia and I got the flu..... in June. We have been swimming, blowing bubbles, riding bikes, and sidewalk chalking. We helped my parents get their lawn ready for sod. And the best news is that Lia is ALMOST potty trained. Yes ALMOST there- we are down to maybe one accident a day and the poops are not very consistent but she has really got the hang of it. We got her a gumball machine and give her a quarter when she goes and she just loves that. Taz had a great Father's Day- it's amazing to see how much one little girl can love her Daddy!!! It's not hard to love him when he is the best Daddy in the WORLD!!! Well on Friday we are off to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a week at a Marriott resort so look forward to the pics from that.

Birthday Girl

2008-06-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday was such a fun day! Lia loved having her friends and family over for her little party. She got such great gifts- thank you everyone. Here are a few pics of her eating her cupcake and opening presents.

After we headed over to the park to spray silly string and blow bubbles!!

What a fun day- thanks again to everyone who made it so special!!!
p.s. There is your belly shot Jamie :)

My Lia Loo is turning two!!!

2008-05-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

My beautiful baby girl is turning two on Monday June 2nd.

Aunt Em took these way too cute pics of her at the playground across from our house- thanks Em!!

Lia's new favorite sign is "I love you" she calls it LOVIES!!

Hanging out at Great Grandma's

2008-05-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute pic of Lia that my cousin took while we were hanging out at my Grandma's house this weekend. She caught a cute smile that I just had to share with all you. Thanks Karen :)
P.S. Lia pooped in the big girl toilet today!!!!!!

Big Girl Bed

2008-05-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Need I say more???? My little girl is growing up so fast- next its potty training!! I would love to hear some advice on both of these things from all the expert mothers out there!!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mother's I know and love. And to my own mother and mother-in-law I love you so much and hope you had a wonderful day!!!
I am so thankful for the privilege I have of being Lia's mommy I love every day I get to spend with her. Thank you for being such a sweet little girl- I love you.

This is my awesome gift this year from Taz- a new ceiling fan in our bedroom!!! The one that was in there before was way too big for the room and hung down too low. The new and improved is a low profile with only 44 inch blades instead of 52!!! It also has whisper quiet technology which is a fancy name for super quiet. The best part about it is the remote control- you can set the temp and it turns the fan up and down and makes sure the room stays that temp.
The old......

The amazing new....

And the coolest part- the remote...

So nice and I am going to LOVE it this summer during July and August when I am super huge and pregnant. Thanks Daddy Taz I love you!!

A new toy

2008-05-02T21:09:00.001-07:00

Daddy looks so cute riding with little Lia

Notice Mommy and Lia are both signing "I love you"- it's her new thing.

I have wanted one of these bike trailers since last summer and was so glad to finally get one. It is so fun to ride around with Lia- not to mention it's a better work out than you would ever think. It's the perfect way to make some sort of effort to "work out" during these last four months of pregnancy. The best thing about it is that it can hold two kids and convert to a stroller!!! Let me know if you are up for a fun bike ride!!
*On a different note: tonight after I got Lia out of the bath I hit my foot on her dresser and she was worried that I was hurt. She said "Mommy kiss me" and gave me a great big kiss then said "Mommy happy now". I just thought that was so cute and wanted to share some of the fun things my almost two year old is saying!!!!

My life is changed forever!!

2008-04-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

So we all know that I am anal about having my floors clean that is why I have a Dyson and have my own carpet cleaner. Well this is my newest beloved piece of machinery. It's called the Floor Mate and you can get it at any Walmart or Target store. This thing is amazing it vacuums, washes, and dries all your hard floors. Never again will I be on my hands and knees cleaning my floors. I would for sure recommend it to anyone. Thanks Tazzy for this amazing birthday present- sure do love ya!!

Sunny Arizona

2008-04-23T11:42:00.001-07:00

So this is going to be a long post because I am sick of all the slide shows that say they are empty. Anyway- this past weekend we made a fun trip to sunny Arizona to stay with our great friends the Startin's. We were going to use buddy passes given to us from our awesome friend Nicole but the flights were looking really full all day so we decided to use our miles to fly. There was only one seat available on the 11 and one on the 3 o'clock flights- which meant that we had to split up. I was a little worried about this because those of you that have a two year old can understand my concern. So me and Lia went out at 11 by ourselves and she was a perfect angel!!!! She slept in my arms the entire way!! I was able to wrangle her- a stroller- two bags- and a car seat all by myself. We picked up the rental car and were on our way to see Cody, Aubry, and there cute little guy Gage. Then we came back and picked up Daddy when we got in. So we arrived Friday and just spent the day hanging out and letting the kids play outside. We decided to put the kids in the tub together (they are going to hate us for this when they grow up :) Cody happens to be an ultrasound tech with his own equipment so when he got home Friday night he scanned both me and Aubry- who is due about one month after me. I was 19 weeks so we could be 100% sure what the sex was and it is a...........GIRL!!! It was nice to know for sure and now I am so excited to plan for another little princess. We got up Saturday morning and headed out to Freestone Park- it had little rides for the kids. Lia was really freaked out- I am not sure what was going she is usually a dare devil but she wanted nothing to do with these rides... take a look. She did like the train that circled the park as long as she sat on my lap.

We finally got her to ride the carousel and she had a ton of fun.

For those of you that have a baby wise baby you can understand that they like to sleep in their own room and so we put the port a crib in the bathroom. One day while Lia was supposed to be napping I realized that she was not asleep and went to check on her and I found that she had pulled a whole roll of toilet paper in the crib with her!!!! I laughed so hard and had to take a pic.

We went to the splash pad at the mall but Lia was fast asleep she finally woke up and had a blast!

And then there was ice cream.

Saturday night we went to an outdoor showing of Cars. It was so much fun we sat out on blankets and ate treats and popcorn.

We had so much fun at the Phoenix Zoo. Lia loved seeing all the animals and riding the train around the zoo- the giraffes were for sure her favorite.

There was a lot of this....

After the zoo we headed up to the Marrriott resort for some fun in the kiddie pool. It was so awesome and Lia loved it.

We had so much fun and Lia was just as good on the way home- thanks again to the Startin's for a great time. We love you guys!!

The 80's called- they want their bangs back.

2008-04-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to get Lia out of bed and this is what i found....

WOW- talk about 80's bangs. She must have been working on these all night long!!

It took a lot of work to get it to look like this :)

I finally gave in....

2008-04-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

And got Lia the cute green gingham Pottery Barn kids chair that matches her room. I have been thinking about it for a while and when I found this one on sale all I had to do is tell Lia to say to Taz, "Daddy, I want it". Boy she sure has him wrapped around her finger he he. Being the clean freak I am- I love that you can take the whole cover off and wash it!!! After we got it home Lia would not get out of it. Here are some pics of the cutest girl in the world and her new chair. P.S. I told Lia to say cheese and this is the face she gave me.

What a sanity saver!!!

2008-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

So I am not sure if Taz has suddenly started snoring or I am just back in Mommy-mode waking up to any little noise but these have saved my sanity!! They really do work!! Taz was so sweet and agreed to try them for one week- it's only been a few days and I have been sleeping like a log. Thanks honey you are they best!!!!

It's a GIRL GIRL GIRL!!!!!!

2008-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

So the doc says that he is 90% sure that Lia is having a little sister!!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet this new little one!!! Now we just have to think of a girl name- that's the hard part!!

Happy Easter!!!!

2008-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Isn't she the cutest little bunny you ever have seen?? Oh and that Easter hat!!! Hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend!!!

BOY or GIRL?????????

2008-03-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

OK everyone- it's time to vote. I have an appointment in one week to find out the sex of our new baby. I will be 16 weeks but they told me that they could most likely see it. So vote away and I will let you know in one week!!!!

So excited for our next vacation

2008-03-15T20:32:00.001-07:00

If anyone has been there and has ideas about fun things to do in Hilton Head- please let us know because this is our first trip. THANKS!!

GrEaT

2008-03-10T12:03:00.001-07:00

So the past few days Lia has been saying GREAT after everything!!! It is so hillarious- here are a few examples of how funny she is.....
"Daddy come play- great"
"Eat lunch- great"
"Go Target- great" (she loves to shop)
"Outside play- great"
The list goes on and on- she has even started saying it in place of yes. I will ask her a question and she will say either "Great" or "No". The things kids say are so funny I just thought I would share this one!!

Really- that's it???

2008-02-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

50%

It's baby time!!!

2008-02-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

I guess it's time to make the big announcement. I am three months pregnant!!!! Here is a pic of the little one from the doc today. I am due the first part of September and Lia is so excited- she always points at my tummy and says, "Baby"!!!! It is so cute. We are way excited and will of course keep you posted. Next month we will find out the sex so look for a poll before then!!!

3 cute girls

2008-02-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today Bella and Hailey came over to play for a few hours!! They had so much fun that the girls were a little upset when it was time to go. Here is a pic of them playing with blocks!!

It is so funny that Lia is sitting like this because I used to sit the same way when I was little!!!

Tryin' hard

2008-02-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

So Lia has been trying really hard to eat all her food on her own. Some things are a little tricky but for the most part she has mastered the spoon and fork!! Cute little booger!!!!

Can you say CHEESE!!

2008-02-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got my food processor for Christmas I have been using it like crazy. I bought this huge block of cheese from Costco thinking that I could use the grater on the food processor!! I guess I didn't realize just how much grated cheese a block that big would make- three frezzer bags full!!!! Oh man we will be eating a lot of cheese around here!!

Little nerd :)

2008-02-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I asked Lia to say "cheese" for the camera and this is what she did....

What a little nerd!!!

29 on the 29th!!!!

2008-01-29T13:47:00.001-08:00

Today is my wonderful husband's golden birthday!! For those that don't know what a golden birthday is- it's when you are as old as your birthday day. So he is 29 on the 29th!!! Thank you so much for being the man of my dreams and the best father a little girl could ever ask for!!! We love you!!!

One year in our house!!!!

2008-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

When we bought our house a year ago it needed a lot of work- and we are almost finished!!!! Check out all the improvements we have made!! We have painted our brains out- doing all the walls and ceilings!! Changed the kitchen cupboards to white and stained the mantle and hallway railing!! Hanging shutters on the windows and painting the front door black. Staining the deck and the latest addition is the new carpet. I love doing home improvement projects- I feel so accomplished when it's all done and looks so good!

Piggies

2008-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

I finally got Lia's hair to fit into pigtails!! I have been cutting the back of her hair since she was 1 so that the cute child didn't have a mullet and finally it was long enough to get into pigtails!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2008-01-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning faces

2007-12-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

I caught these great pics of Lia Christmas morning when she saw what Santa brought her. She LOVED her new kitchen set!!!

Grammy Harrop made these cute jammies for her- aren't they adorable!!!

Hawaii.......at last!!!!!

2007-12-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

We did so many fun things both times we went to Kauai- so I have combined all the pics from the two trips so you can see all the awesome stuff we did!!

Dippin' Crazy :)

2007-12-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Lia is totally obsessed with dipping all her food. She loves to dip pancakes and french toast in syrup, and just about everything else in ketchup. I need some ideas for healthy food you can dip- help me out!!!

Winter Wonder Baby

2007-12-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

While we were in Hawaii last week Aunt Em took these fantastic pics of Lia- look for them soon on your Christmas card!!!!

Let's get dirty!!

2007-12-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a little tidbit of our trip while I am working on the rest of the pictures. This was one of our favorite things we did this time on the island!!! Check it out- we have never been more dirty in our entire lives!!!

Our mini make-over

2007-12-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

We decided to stain our mantle and hand rail in the hallway to match all of our furniture. It turned out so good and it was so easy!! This is our mini make-over- I wanted to wait to post it until we got our new carpet but it's back ordered for three weeks!!! Check out how good it turned out!!

Who knew?? Chiropractors really work!!!!

2007-12-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

So I just thought I should pass on the news that Chiropractors really do work!!! At least for me- my back popped like it has never popped before and those of you that really know me can say that is impossible!! I guess that doing this for 10 years can really mess up your back!!

So if you ever need the number of a good Chiropractor in Layton give me a call!!!

"Mah-Mo"

2007-12-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Lia LOVES her cat Milo. She can't really say his name so she calls him Mah-Mo!! It's SOOOOO cute. He is so good with her- he lets her lay on him and ride him like a horse!!! I took this pic yesterday and thought it was adorable!!

Giving Thanks :)

2007-11-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving- I thought I would write about a few things I am thankful for. (In no particuar order)
1. Most of all I am so very thankful to have Taz! I can't imagine going through life without my soul mate. I am thankful for a husband who is there to hold me unitl I fall asleep at night, wipe my tears, cheer me up, make me laugh, be my best friend, bring me flowers, be the best father any little girl could ever dream of, and still give me chills down my spine when we kiss. I am so thankful that he has made it possible for me to stay home with Lia in our wonderful house. Taz- I love you more than you will ever know. OK Now that the sappy part is done...
2. Of course I am thankful for Lia who has given me the most challenging and rewarding job I will ever have- Mommy. She blows me away every day with her unconditional love, energetic little body, and ability to learn so many new things!!
3. Family- what can I say I am very lucky to have such great family on both sides- they are the BEST!!!
4. My health- I had a recent scare with Thyroid cancer and it made me realize just how thankful I am so have a healthy working body- except when my back goes out :(
5. The gospel in my life- I would be completely lost without it.
Happy Thanksgiving to all- and I am thankful you are in my life!!!

Flowers make everything better

2007-11-16T20:18:00.001-08:00

So I know that blogs are supposed to be all about the fun and cool things going on but unfortunately there are no fun and cool things going on right now. Yesterday I was carrying Lia and my gigantic diaper bag along with a large board of carpet samplings (the good news is we are getting new carpet :) into Home Depot and..... I sneezed. This sneeze buckled me knees and pulled my back out. The other bad news is that my doctor noticed that my thyroid was enlarged and sent me for an ultrasound. They found three large growths and today I had the joy of having a thyroid biopsy. This meant that I had a large needle stabbed into my neck about 20 times. Taz was so sweet and felt so bad for me that he brought me home these beautiful flowers. Flowers make everything better.

Saying Goodbye

2007-11-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

My parents have sold my childhood home!!!! I will miss this house and all the memories that I have growing up there. Oh man... if walls could talk- these walls would have a lot to say!! I am happy that my parents now get to enjoy a beautiful new house- but this one will be missed by all of us.

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Lia is going to be a flower this year for Halloween- Happy Trick or Treatin' to all!!!

Vegas

2007-10-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so much fun!!! My best friend Jamie was able to have her 5 year old son Jonah sealed to her and her husband Kort as well as have their new baby girl Josie blessed all in one day!!! The temple was so amazing- there are few things better in this world than seeing a family be sealed together forever. I was bawling my eyes out- you know like when you cry so hard you start doing the "Ugly Cry". Thank you Chatlian's for letting us share in your incredible day. We decided that since we were going to Vegas we deserved a date night- so we ate at the Cheesecake Factory which is my all time favorite restaurant(so glad there is one coming soon in SLC) and saw Phantom of the Opera!!! The show was so amazing- if you are ever in Vegas you should really check it out. We left Lia in St. George with Grammy and Papa and were missing our baby girl and wanted to surprise her with something fun so we went to F.A.O. Schwarz and picked her up this cute cat. She just loves him- she held him the entire drive home!!!

The new "do"

2007-10-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

So- I have been wanting to cut my hair short and go really dark for a long time.... well here it is thanks to my friend Sarah!!! Hope you all like the new "do"

Pumkin Patch Hay Ride

2007-10-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Zoo

2007-10-03T20:53:00.001-07:00

Lovin' the Park

2007-09-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who have not been to our new house we have a big park right across the street. This morning Lia was fussy so I asked her what she wanted to do. She took my hand and led me right into her room, opened the drawer her shoes are in, and took them out to hand them to me. I put them on her and she took my hand again- this time she took me straight to the door. It was no big surprise when she took me across the street to the park. She loves to play there at least twice a day. I don't what we are going to do when it snows!!!

Discovery

2007-09-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

Lia is just loving discovering that she has all these super cool body parts. She is WAY into sign language- but it's so hard to catch her in the act so we don't have very many pics yet. Here are a few of her doing her body parts.

BELLY BUTTON

EARS

EYES

NOSE

AND TOES

A Labor Day to Forget

2007-09-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

So Labor Day this year started out great but..... ended in the Emergency Room.
We got Lia some sun glasses to wear in Hawaii...... I guess she will have to wear them in December because we had to reschedule our trip. We went to the Layton Park in the morning to feed the ducks. This duck was so funny he looked like he had a wig on!!!

Lia loved going down the slide at the park. I love that her little head of hair would stand up because of the static!!

We spent some time swinging on the swings!! We headed on home for lunch and a nap. Then we all went out to eat at Cafe Rio.

Around 8 pm Taz thought he would go and spray some weeds in the back yard, but decided that if he burned them with gas they would die faster. So.... the moral of the story is

DO NOT BURN WEEDS WITH GAS!!! He had a flash burn from the fire that covers mostly just one lower arm and a little over half of his face. They were only second degree burns- so there will be no scaring. It's just a long painful recovery so keep us in your prayers.