{ The Marshall Family }

Hayden's first day of Kindergarten!!

2011-08-23T20:46:00.000-06:00

My baby's first day of school!!! He has been very excited to be in kindergarten and ride the bus. He is going to a Spanish immersion charter school, and his teacher's name is Mrs. Huddleston. It is full day, everyday!! On the first day he rode the bus and we met him at the school. He had already made a new friend on the bus, named Carter, and he didn't want us to walk him to his classroom. Well, this momma wasn't going for that, so we took him to his class and he found his seat and had a great day. When he came home that afternoon he couldn't remember what he did all day! We are so proud of him and the wonderful little boy he is. I am missing him at home - it is much more quiet with just McKall at home! I love you Beany!!!

Looking for fish!

2011-08-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

We took a day trip to Idaho City with the Aurdahal's to see if we could find any Kokanee Salmon doing their run. We did spot some at the Grimes Creek area. The kids all had fun throwing rocks into the creek and swimming. They even caught a little fish in a cup! Afterward we had a picnic lunch in Idaho City and got an ice cream cone!

Camping in McCall

2011-08-23T07:56:00.000-06:00

We went camping in McCall, and it sure did confuse our little McKall. Everytime we would say something like "We are going to McCall," or "We are in McCall," she would look at us confused and say "What?" with a stern voice! We had a wonderful time riding bikes, and Uncle Jerry and Aunt Jill were there for a Girl Scout Camp, so Uncle Jerry took us in his boat! There was no lack of dirt on the kids! Mike had a fun scavenger hunt for the kids and they did crafts, and also did the traditional camping activity of watching TV on daddy's cell phone! Kids are spoiled these days!

Happy 5th Birthday Hayden!!

2011-08-22T22:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Hayden!! We love you so much and couldn't imagine our lives without you! I told Hayden he could have anything he wanted for breakfast on the morning of his birthday, and he chose.... a frozen burrito. So, here he is enjoying his burrito! Silly kid!!

Hayden told me he hoped that he would get trick candles on his cake this year, so I followed through! It was pretty funny watching him try to blow them out! Daddy took him to Roaring Springs on his birthday, and they spent all day there!!! He had been dying to go there, so it was perfect for his birthday!!

The next day he had a bowling party with some of his friends. Here they are being typical goofballs!!!

Forrey Family Reunion 2011

2011-08-22T21:47:00.000-06:00

For the Forrey Family reunion this year we took a train ride on the "Thunder Mountain Line," to Banks. The kids had fun with their cousins and walking thought the train and watching everything pass by. McKall and Lilly were being silly, and McKall had some crazy faces that day!!

After the train ride we went back to Grandma and Grandpa Barbour's house for a BBQ. The kids played in the water and did a pinata!

Oh McKall

2011-08-22T11:44:00.000-06:00

The other day I came down the stairs to find this. McKall said her baby needed diaper cream and apparently her face and the couch did too! It was one of those moments, as a parent, that you are raging mad inside, but can't help laughing at the same time. Miss McKall definitely keeps us on her toes, and is a little sweetheart at the same time. She calls her blankie her "dwankie," and tells me that I am her "sweetness." Both melt my heart. She is lucky she is so darn cute when she gets into messes like this! She started going to "school" one day a week at the Infant and Toddler Program at Health and Welfare. She is a typical peer and she is loving it.

4th of July 2011

2011-08-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

This year for the 4th of July we took the kids to see "Cars 2," and we had a swimming party and BBQ with Grandma and Grandpa Wyler at their new house.

That evening we went to see the fireworks, and afterward we did some of our own fireworks at home!! It was a busy fun day!

A little corney!

2011-08-22T11:30:00.001-06:00

Summer without Corn on the Cob - not at the Marshall house!!

Yummy in Portland

2011-08-22T11:26:00.000-06:00

We had to visit some of our favorite places to eat in Portland which included Old Town Pizza, which is haunted!! This picture is what we would look like if we really saw a ghost while eating! I love McKall's face!!

It wouldn't be a trip to Portland without going to VooDoo Donuts either. The downtown location was closed so the other location was packed!!! We waited in line for almost two hours!! It was so hot and we had all about had it by the time we got up to the register. Why do we do this???

Here is the VooDoo loot! They have the best donuts! Yummers!

We tried a BBQ place that we had never been and it was delicious!!

OMSI and AC Gilbert Discovery Village

2011-08-22T11:12:00.001-06:00

While Mike was working the kids and I played! One day we went to Omsi where they had a really neat exhibit where the kids could build ball launchers out of tubing and vacuums. Hayden was very interested in it, and he could have spent hours just in this one place! We also took a drive down to Salem, Oregon to visit the AC Gilbert Discovery Village. AC Gilbert invented the erector sets, so they had a huge playground built out of life sized erector set pieces. It was really fun! They also had fun exhibits, like the bubbles, the giant rocking chair, and the dress-up area! For lunch we ate in the park along the river and took a carousel ride.

Portland Zoo 2011

2011-08-22T10:51:00.000-06:00

Mike took Monday off so we could go to the Portland Zoo together. The weather was perfect, and we had a great time. The zoo has a dinosaur exhibit that we walked through. This was a big deal because last year I took the kids and Hayden didn't make it past the spitting dino! This year he was a little nervous to go past the spitting dino (first dino on the path), but he was brave and went through. I am so glad he did, because we loved it! The dinosaurs are large mechanical ones, so they are pretty cool to see. We also took the train to Washington Park, where the Rose Gardens are, and the kids loved being on the train! The kids loved seeing the Elephants, the Giraffes and the monkeys the best.

Multnomah Falls 2011

2011-08-22T10:22:00.000-06:00

Mike had to work in Portland again, so we made a trip out of it! We stopped at Multnomah Falls, of course, and it was beautiful! I love the cool, wet weather. The kids wanted to hike up toward the top of the falls. We didn't make it all of the way, maybe each year we will get a little further!

Hayden's First Fish

2011-06-10T20:23:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Barbour took Hayden fishing today and he caught his first fish!!!! Hayden has been fishing with Mike a few times, but they have never had any luck. Every once and a while he will ask to go fishing and say things like "I really, really want to catch a fish." He got to reel them in and was very excited!!!

Mike and Maria = 9 years!!!

2011-06-08T20:53:00.000-06:00

**Disclaimer: in this post you will see lots of close up shots :) **

For our 9 year anniversary I tried to surprise Mike with a weekend to McCall. I should have known that he would find out because he saw the hotel reservation while balancing the checkbook. This guy is on every penny- no surprises for him :) Even though he found out, we were still very excited to get out of town alone. We dropped the kids off with Grandma Barbour and headed out of town!! Thanks mom!

We made it to Banks before I got car sick, so we pulled over and walked down to the river. Ahhhhh fresh air.

We ate lunch at the Pancake House and wandered around McCall. That evening we took a drive back toward Donnley to Gold Fork Hot Springs. It was a beautiful drive there and we saw elk along the way. The next morning I slept in and Mike brought me breakfast in bed!

It was pretty chilly and windy while we were there, but still tons of fun! The next day we went to Ponderosa State Park and ice skating. We had lunch at Toll Station Pizza and Mike ordered Beef Stroganoff (what was he thinking) and he didn't like it!! Not that I am knocking safety, but we had to make fun of the flags that they have at the intersections! I was laughing so hard at Mike carrying the flags across.

We didn't spend much time at the lake because of the weather, but we did take a walk around it. I am so grateful to have Mike in my life. I love you sweetheart!!

I like to paint

2011-06-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

...and then eat it. McKall is our little artist. The other day she was painting with watercolors and I left the room for a bit. I returned to find her with blue all around her mouth. It surprised me at first, so I gasped, or something like that, so she knew she had done something wrong. She crawled under the table to hide! Mike and I couldn't help but laugh as she was trying to hide her face from us.

Hayden Spring Soccer 2011

2011-06-08T16:40:00.004-06:00

Another season of soccer for Hayden

Go Number 15!!!! Hayden is playing soccer again! His skills have really improved and he is doing great this season. He has the same coach, who is great, and he has learned a lot from him in the last year and a half of playing. I still remember when he was only three playing (adorable) and think about how far he has come.

On a side note... They were UNDEFEATED!!!

I love being a MOM!

2011-05-08T23:27:00.000-06:00

Today is Mother's Day. I love being a mother. I loved being a mother from the first moment I learned I was pregnant with my two sweethearts. Sometimes I feel like all I do is take care of other (little) people's needs, but I wouldn't have it any other way! There is nothing in this world I would rather do- Mr. Hayden and Miss McKall. I love you both with all of my heart. I always will.

To Hayden... you are growing up way too fast. I can't believe you are going to be in kindergarten this year. Today I watched you in Primary and you made me so proud to be your momma. You didn't want to go up and sing with the rest of the primary in Sacrament, because sometimes you are a little shy, that's ok, because you sang to me this morning, in my bed, after you gave me the picture you had drawn for me. You thought it was so funny that the three of you had to "do everything for momma" today! Thank you for cutting the olives up for the yummy taco dinner you guys made me! You are so forgiving of me and are always there to give me hugs and kisses and to "snuggle with mimi." You like to ask lots and lots of questions. You are very smart. You all did a great job making me feel special today. I love you Beany.

To McKall.... you are growing way to fast too, my princess. You are talking a lot now and it is quite entertaining. You told me today, in your cute little voice, "happy mother's day." You can be fierce and stubborn. I think you take after me a little bit :) I hope you use this to your advantage someday! However, underneath that stubbornness and drama you have a tender heart... my little sweetheart. You love to try on shoes, wear pretty clothes, have your hair done and say, "look at me," to Hayden and Daddy after you have been dolled up. I love this about you. You like to be held. I love to hold you. You mostly only want me to help you do things, not daddy. I wish you would let daddy help you more sometimes!! Someday I will miss not helping you with everything. I love you Peanut.

To Mike... Thank you for being a great daddy to these two precious babies. Thank you for all you did for me today. I love you!

Family Fun Day!!

2011-05-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

Mike took a much needed Friday off of work so we could go play together!! We started our day with a puppet show at the Boise Library, the kids love the puppets shows there, and they both like to read. After the puppet show we headed to the Botanical Gardens. It was a perfectly beautiful day to walk around the gardens. The kids loved running up the stone stairs and exploring the paths. It feels so good to have Spring here, although it has been a bit cold still. We lucked out on this day though. After the gardens we went to Idaho Pizza for lunch. Hayden ate a ton- I think he is growing, a lot, right now! Grandpa Barbour has been marking their height in their garage for a while now, and we just measured him the other day and he had grown about an inch in a month and a half!! Some day maybe my yard will look like the Botanical Gardens. What? A girl can't dream a little :)

Easter

2011-04-24T22:28:00.001-06:00

We had lots of fun Easter activities this year. Hayden and McKall really loved coloring eggs! Hayden was much more organized in the way he did his eggs, while McKall was just dunking them in where ever sher could! It annoyed Hayden the way McKall was doing it. We also had a preschool Easter party at our house. No pics... we were having so much fun that I thought about it when the party was over :(

My cute kids all dressed up for Easter!

Hayden on his egg hunt.... a little stressed about the hunt?? Love you!

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Wyler's for Easter dinner and the kids had an egg hunt. Here are the kids looking at the loot!

The weather was beautiful! Hayden took McKall around in the wagon- she loved it!

McKall ate chocolate nearly all day long, as you can tell by her really clean face!

2011-04-24T22:02:00.000-06:00

I celebrated my 32nd birthday this year! Still feel young :) Mike and the kids took me to Olive Garden and got me a ding dong so I could blow out a candle ( I didn't want a cake!). I got lots of fabulous gifts and had a great time!!

My awesome friends took me to Louie's and we had some fun afterward! This is myself, Katrisa, Chelsea, Kristen, Susan and Anjela (both sitting in the back) out having fun after dinner. Annie and Aja had to head home after dinner, we missed them.

I. Love. You

2011-03-29T10:16:00.001-06:00

Some days I feel like all I am is a referee between Hayden and McKall. Ug. However, some days they play great together and have a great time! They were being goofy, and getting along this day. P.S. Most days they get along great!!

On another day I walked into the room to find them

giving each other hugs and being so sweet to one another.

St. Patty's Day!!

2011-03-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

To celebrate St. Patty's Day this year we had green milk and green shamrock pretzels (Mike ruined it for me and says they look like something else. I'll let you decide). We also had preschool at our house this week so we talked about St. Patty's Day, Leprechauns and Rainbows!

That evening Hayden also got to go to an open house for students who will be starting kindergarten! He was so excited and proud. He got to take home a backpack filled with books, and school supplies.

Fire Station Field Trip

2011-03-29T09:41:00.000-06:00

We took a field trip to the Fire Station for preschool. A very nice fireman took us all around the station and showed us the gear and trucks!

Hayden exploring the fire truck!

Oh... I could just eat this sweet little princess up!

It is nearly impossible to get a good picture of both of them in the truck!

Afterward they got a firetruck cookie!

Jack, Rockwell, Gavin, Hayden

Pi Day {3.14. 2011}

2011-03-29T09:25:00.000-06:00

For Pi day this year I made a homemade Apple Pie! Yum!!

In order to get a piece of "Pi" Hayden had to do some math problems with Daddy.

McKall wanted to work on some math too :)

On a non related Pi note... Notice my beautiful Polished Silver walls and chair rail in the background, and my cute lampshade I covered!

On another non related Pi note... as Mike was doing math with the kids he was also playing with his softball stuff. He is getting excited for softball season!

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-03-29T08:41:00.000-06:00

For Valentine's Day this year we had a "fancy" dinner complete with BBQ chicken pizza, fresh salad and sparkling cider. I decorated the table and served Hayden and Mckall with terms like "sir, and madam." Hayden got into the whole "fancy thing" and replied back like " Madam, may I have some more pizza please," in a very proper voice. They thought it was really neat to have a "fancy" dinner and drink out of special cups. After dinner we had a dance with the kids. They thought it was so fun. It reminded me how simple things can be so great. I love my two little Valentines!!!

My Big Valentine. I {Heart} You.

Happy Birthday Mike!

2011-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Mike's Birthday is January 4th. Hayden has been a little trickster lately and he wanted to make this sign for Mike to see when he walked in the door from work. He had us all hide and surprise daddy after he had seen the sign, and walked into the house more. Hayden thought he was pretty clever. We had a little family party for him at home. He requested Navajo Tacos- yum! And of course white cake with chocolate frosting!

Typical Mike didn't want much for his birthday, so Hayden picked out a really cool kite for them to fly together and I got him a six pack of Root beer! Mike did finally break down and picked out a gift for himself... a new EVO cell phone. It is pretty cool and Mike is enjoying playing with it. We are all so grateful for Mike and all that he does for our family! Happy Birthday!!!

Christmas Time 2010

2010-12-31T17:03:00.001-07:00

This year Hayden and I were in the Treasure Valley Night Light Parade. We were part of a float for a new charter school we are trying to get in to. Hayden thought it was pretty cool that he got to be a part of it. We had fun, but we were freezing at the end.

We had an early Christmas at Gary and Vanessa's, like we usually do. This is McKall who was really enjoying chocolate of some sort, obviously!

On Christmas Eve we made sugar cookies for Santa, and the kids both heard Santa's sleigh bells outside of the house! Hayden ~~could~~ would not fall asleep as he was a little bit excited! Hayden wrote a letter to Santa this year and asked him to bring each of us 100 presents. This is the kids in their new Christmas Eve jammies.

Opening presents on Christmas morning.... they were still calm.

I gave up trying to take pictures of them because they would not sit still with all of the new toys around. This is the quality of pictures the kids were giving me. New toys more important that mom trying to get pictures on Christmas morning? Just a few of our favorite gifts this year... Mike got me an Escali Pana kitchen food scale- yay! I made the most delicious rolls and I am excited to play with it! Hayden got criss cross crash from Santa, and McKall got a ton of baby doll stuff. Mike wanted a good one one this this year. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fulfill his request, but he did end up getting his $8.00 stapler that he wanted so badly! Later that day we went to Grandma and Grandpa Barbour's. Amanda and Jeremy were here for Christmas.

For New Year's Eve we are off to spend it with some friends. This year went by very quickly! Here is to a great 2011!

Why do Policemen have guns?

2010-12-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were at Walmart grabbing a few things. On one of the isles Hayden picked up a bottle of cupcake sprinkles, accidentally dropped it, and broke it. I picked it up, kicked the sprinkles over and told him not to touch stuff in the store. I also told him that he could get in trouble if anyone saw him do that (gotta scare the kid- right). We moved on, paid, and went on our merry way.

A bit later, in the car, Hayden said, "Why do policemen have guns?" We explained why they have guns. He thought a bit and said, "Do policemen come for falling food?" At this point we weren't sure where he was going with this, so we told him that if the falling food was hurting someone the police may come. About 30 seconds passed and he said, "will they come if the falling food happens just once?"

I looked to the back seat and he had a really worried look on his face. Mike and I then both realized he was scared about a policeman coming to get him in trouble for the sprinkles. It was one of those moments that we were trying not to bust out laughing and trying to comfort him at the same time. It was so sad and funny at the same time. I felt so bad for him, my sweet little boy.

First Big Snow Day!

2010-12-04T15:56:00.003-07:00

We got a ton of snow, so the kids and I headed outside to build a snowman! The roads were crazy, and it took poor Mike 2 hours to get to work! I don't really like the snow and cold, but there is something about the first good snow fall of the year!

Princess McKall turns TWO!

2010-12-04T15:21:00.005-07:00

This year for McKall's 2nd birthday we celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Barbour at Idaho Pizza and then we all headed over to Chuck E. Cheese! One of the kids' favorite places. Hayden wanted to invite all of his friends to CEC for her "party" and we explained to him that they are his friends and that she could just have a party with her family. A little while later he had a solution... we had to invite his friends' younger siblings. One was little tiny Lucy McDonald who was like 10 days old!! He was so cute being concerned about his little sis' birthday and he wanted to make sure she was going to have fun!

We headed home for some cake and presents.

Yummy!

We are so grateful to have our little princess! She is the sweetest little thing. She is starting to say lots of new words and sentences and is keeping up with Hayden running all over the house to do what ever he is doing. She can also be a little trouble maker- one day the kids were having apples for a snack. I left the room for a minute to find that McKall had gotten a hold of the ranch dressing. She was eating it with her hands. On another day I was getting my wallet out of my purse for something and she walked over and held out her tiny had and said "money." She looks adorable in pig-tails! She still has curls in her hair, but the top part is starting to go straight. She doesn't eat much dairy because she doesn't do very well with it- but she loves it. She is very sensitive and dramatic. She loves her baby dolls, and tells us to be quiet when they are sleeping. About 1000 times a day she says "mommy, mere," "daddy, mere" (mommy, daddy come here). We tell her we are right there and she says "k," really loud.

Nice outfit! She loves to "dress up," and this particular day she had on pj pants, a striped shirt, silver shoes, and goggles. Love her!

This is my life...

2010-12-04T15:17:00.002-07:00

...and I love it. Enough said :)

Cousin Lilly

2010-12-04T15:06:00.002-07:00

We took a short trip to Salt Lake to visit Amanda, Jeremy, and Lilly because they were being sealed in the Temple. Mike and Jeremy went to the Jazz game one of the nights, so the kids and Amanda and I hung out in the hotel room. Hayden and McKall had Lilly laughing so hard. The funny thing was they weren't really doing anything- just jumping around and being crazy- pretty much being their normal selves! While we were visiting Lilly got her first taste of meat. Amanda made us dinner and she left to get Jeremy from work, so we were waiting to eat. Lilly climbed up on a chair and started picking food off of the table... Meat. So, we decided to feed the kids before they got back. I gave Lilly a serving of meat. Amanda informed us after she returned that she doesn't eat meat because she is a vegetarian. Whoops. (P.S. Lillian- it was good huh!)

Family Pics

2010-11-25T22:00:00.004-07:00

We finally had our family pictures done. We haven't had any since McKall was born. Hayden is impossible to take pictures of, at least for me, because he can't sit still for two seconds, so I was a little worried about him. It turned out being Mckall who was the cranky one. She is getting her back molars, and it was a little chilly, and she fell on some gravel right as we were starting, and some lady she didn't know wanted to take her picture - so she was just plain in a bad mood. We did have some moments where she was cooperative, so I was pretty happy with how the pics turned out considering the situation.

2010-11-25T21:38:00.002-07:00

For Halloween this year Hayden was Spider Man and McKall was a Black Kitty. Hayden got to go to a Halloween party for preschool. This is his sugar cookie they decorated. Yummy!

We had a trunk or treat in beautiful Curtis Park (even I got excited about it and I usually don't like trunk or treats). And guess who wouldn't get out of the car... Hayden...surprise, surprise.

He was so excited to go and see his friends. When we got there none of his friends were there yet so he waited for them in the car. When they got there they started trick or treating and he wanted to go with just his friends and the moms and have none of the siblings go with them. We told him no, so he pouted the entire time and never left the car. Little Miss had fun! She didn't want to go car to car to go trick or treating because she didn't quite understand it, but she had fun.

Caitlyn came trick or treating through the neighborhood with us. The kids just love her and they had a fun time!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-25T21:28:00.002-07:00

For one of our preschool field trips we took the kids to a pumpkin patch. I thought Hayden would be looking for the biggest pumpkin he could find, but he found this little one he loved.

Hayden and Mckall dancing in the dirt. They weren't the cleanest kids when we left!

The weather was perfect. I love the fall, so it was fun to be outside on a beautiful day.

Here are the boys again making funny faces! Rockwell is not mad... that is his funny face!

McKall loved the swing in the tree.

Soccer

2010-11-25T21:15:00.002-07:00

Hayden played soccer this year again. He really loves it, but we did have a rough start to the season. This was due to the fact that Hayden's uniform color this year was blue, and not red like it was last year. Hayden can have a difficult time with change sometimes! He didn't play his first game because he refused to put the uniform on. We worked on it at home and had him wear it before his next game and he was eventually fine with it. On his team picture day he fell asleep in the car on the way to get the pics done. He was very cranky and refused to be in his team pictures in the process of getting them taken. Both of these things happened in matter of a week. It was one of those times as a mom I was saying "why am I doing this." Well, because he is my beans and I love him even when he is a little turkey embarrassing me.

Hayden loves to go and run with the kids! He just laughs and giggles and has the best time. When he is not playing he likes to cheer from the sidelines.

Turkey Bowl

2010-11-25T21:09:00.002-07:00

Once again we attended the annual "Turkey Bowl" with Mike's friends. We had a lot of fun hanging out and this year while the boys played football and the kids played the girls did a snake wreath craft and some flower hair clips.

We ate at Buffalo Wild Wings and Hayden was loving the wings!

Preschool

2010-11-25T21:03:00.002-07:00

This year for Hayden's preschool we are doing a co-op with his friends Jack, Rockwell, and Gavin. Hayden is loving it! Nearly every morning he wants to know what day it is to find out if he has preschool. This picture is the boys at our house on "D" day showing the Dinosaurs they made. I can't believe my little boy will be in kindergarten next year!

Washington DC- Just Mike and Maria

2010-10-21T18:58:00.007-06:00

Mike and I had an amazing trip to the Washington DC area in September for the BSU vs.Virgina Tech football game. A huge thanks to all who helped us make this trip happen- Mom and Dad Barbour, Amanda, Mom and Dad Wyler, and Kurt and Rainey.

We arrived Wednesday night and stayed with Kurt and Rainey in Virgina and had a great time visiting with them. On Thursday we all drove to Colonial Williamsburg. We were there after hours so we were just walking around on our own looking at all of the neat historical sites. Here is the best part...Mike sees a cute little gate and a walk way into a back yard. Mike, myself and Noah head back there to take a look. Mike goes up to the back porch and discovers the back door of the house is open. He looks at me and says "should we go in?" Mind you, we think these are all "museum" like houses because of where we are at. Mike walks in slowly and I am still in the yard. Then I hear "can I help you?" I was a bad wife and I ran... laughing. Turns out it was a private residence! The guy wasn't mad, he says it happens a lot! It was really odd though because you would never think there would be private residences. It was basically a dirt road, no cars, no lights on in the houses, nothing really to indicate people lived there... until we learned that on the front of some of the houses there is a teeny-tiny plaque that says "private residence." You would think they would make it a little more obvious for Idaho tourists like us! One of my favorite parts of Colonial Williamsburg was walking through the church grounds. There were graves from the 1600's. Amazing. You could barely read the stones. Rainey and Kurt live in Fredericksburg, Va, which has amazing history too. Rainey took us to some civil war sites and showed us around Historical Fredericksburg.

The next day we were headed to Busch Gardens. We woke up to pouring rain, UGH. We still had to go though because we had already purchased the tickets and drove a couple of hours to be there, the night before. We headed to K-Mart for an umbrella to make it a little more bearable. There was no one there. We parked right up front at the amusement park - that never happens! We had a couple of things going for us- the weather, and it was a school and work day. It couldn't have turned out better! The rain cleared up after a few hours and we literally walked on to any ride we wanted all day long. It was so much fun!

Mike and I went to Mt. Vernon - the home of President George Washington. It was really interesting and beautiful. This pic is Mike at the bathrooms, which was a separate little building on the side of the house. We like to get pictures of Mike in front of bathrooms for some reason!

In DC we had to eat at Ben's Chili Bowl. Yummy!!

And of course BSU won! We had a great time at the game.

We took a tour of the Capitol Building. This picture of Mike is in the center of the building where all of the President's stand as they exit out to be sworn in as President.

We visited the Library of Congress, Arlington National Cemetery, The Supreme Court, The National Archives, and The Museum of Natural History. We packed a ton of stuff into this trip and were so exhausted - but we had a great time!

Were gone over a week and ready to be home- and then our flight gets delayed. That caused us to miss our connecting flight, so we were stuck in San Francisco for the night. That may have been fun, but we didn't get to our hotel until around midnight and had to be back at the airport at 5am. I missed my kids, but it was great to have a little break and spend some time with just Mike.

Better Late than Never

2010-10-20T09:29:00.002-06:00

Yes, I am very behind in my blogging. But, here are some of our fun adventures this summer. We had a great, busy summer! My posts didn't publish is order, uggh, but at least they are there now!

Eating in Portland

2010-10-18T17:08:00.005-06:00

Mike had to go to Portland for a business trip, so we all decided to go and have some fun! While visiting we had to go to "Voodoo Doughnuts!" It is a hole in the wall Doughnut shop that is amazing! The entire store is about 10x10 and there is always a line out of the door. We got the kids the signature voodoo doll doughnut. Mike got the maple bar with bacon on the top, and I was boring and just got a raspberry filled doughnut. I was being pressured to order and I couldn't make up my mind - so that is what I ended up with. It was so yummy!!

We also visited "Old Town Pizza." It is in a historic building which was built on top of underground tunnels. It is supposed to be haunted. Hayden says he saw a ghost!

Oregon Coast

2010-10-18T13:29:00.008-06:00

We were so close that we had to go to the ocean, so we headed to Seaside. When we got there we naturally wanted to go to the beach and show the kids the ocean. Both Hayden and McKall hated the sand and didn't want to walk out to the water. We did have quite a walk on the sand, and it was deep, but we couldn't believe they were acting like that! This is McKall with a yucky face after touching the sand. We made it to the water and the kids finally started having fun, thank goodness, and Mike and Hayden headed out into the water. McKall didn't want to go into the water, so we played on the beach. Hayden got soaked, but he was loving it.

One day we headed out to Cannon Beach. It was chilly and windy, but beautiful. As we walked back to our car we took a path from the beach up to a main road. Well, Hayden, or should I say Mr. Independent 4 year old, decided it was ok to walk on the busy road. Obviously that was not going to fly. He would not listen and it was getting to be dangerous so it had to stop. Hayden did not want to stop. So, I attempted to grab him to pull him up to the sidewalk and keep a hold of him and he proceeded to run into the road, so I ran after him like a crazy lady. He threw a great big tantrum and it resulted in him being carried over Mike's shoulder to the car- kicking and screaming the entire way. We can laugh at it now, but Mike and I were not happy, to say the least as this was happening. I knew one day we would be able to laugh, so once mike has him secure, I couldn't help but take a picture of it! Our friends, the Rahl's, had recently moved to Seaside, so we were able to hang out with them and have a great time playing on the beach, eating ice cream and on the last night there we had a fire on the beach.

Fun in Portland

2010-10-18T12:59:00.004-06:00

While Mike was working the kids and I went to the Portland Zoo. It was very nice and beautiful. We spent hours there looking at the animals and eating lunch. McKall was zonked at the end of the day. She plopped over on Hayden's lap and fell asleep!

The kids' Great Grandpa Larry, Shirley and Uncle Jerry were also visiting Portland for a few days while we were there. We all went to the cemetery to see Grandma Barbour's grave site and many others from our family who are buried there. After that we all went to OMSI. Hayden loved the space flight demonstration. They had a fun kids area that we spend lots of time in.

We also visited the Children's Museum and went swimming. Thanks goodness for GPS, or I would have been a lost mess trying to get to places on my own!

In the evenings after Mike was done working we took walks along the harbor where our hotel was, had fun trying different places to eat, and visited Powell Bookstore, and shopped.

Multnomah Falls

2010-10-18T12:25:00.009-06:00

During our trip to Portland we stopped at Multnomah Falls. Beautiful! Here we are hiking up the trail to get a better look at the falls.

The little cuties taking a break. They had so much fun running up and down the trail. The weather was perfect and the trees and greenery was so pretty.

On the bridge in front of the falls.

Hayden's 4th Birthday!!

2010-10-18T12:11:00.005-06:00

Hayden's Cousin Sam had a Cars birthday, so Hayden had to have one too for his 4th birthday! He invited a few friends and they went to the track to race cars. They had so much fun, and Hayden is actually pretty good at controlling the car. We had taken him a few times, so he had some practice.

After the race track we headed home where Mike flew a helicopter for the kids. They all took their seat in the back of the car to watch.

Of course we had to sing Happy Birthday and blow out the candles!!

Hayden went to bed that night with some of the gifts from his special day! He is laying on the pillow pet from Grandma and Grandpa Barbour that he named "stocky." He was so happy!

Fourth of July Fun!

2010-10-18T11:54:00.003-06:00

This 4th of July was chilly! We have had a really cool summer, which was kind of nice. We went to the parade in Boise with Grandma and Grandpa Barbour. McKall held on tightly to the two little flags in her hands and waved them at the floats as they passed us. Hayden wanted nothing to do with the flags, typical!

After the parade, we walked around the newly remodeled State Capitol Building. The kids love to go up and look down. Grandma, Grandpa, Hayden and Maria got stuck in a elevator and Grandma was freaking out!!! Later that day we went to a swimming party with lots of friends.

The next evening we went to see the fireworks, at Ann Morrison Park, with the our friends the Homers. The kids loved the fireworks!!

One Lucky Girl

2010-06-30T15:33:00.004-06:00

That lucky girl would be... ME! Mike got me flowers today. It sure helped, but that is not the only reason I am a lucky girl. Just wanted to say "I love you Mike."

Joseph, Oregon Part 1

2010-06-28T11:54:00.004-06:00

Gary and Vanessa took us to a fun little place called Joseph, Oregon. It was about a 31/2 hour drive there, so to entertain ourselves during the drive we took pictures of ourselves and made fun of gross gas station bathrooms along the way, and sang to each other! We are really good at being silly. Hayden and McKall did really well during the drive. We stayed in cute little cabins, and had so much fun there. We went with Gary and Vanessa, Caitlyn, Grandma and Grandpa Whittier, Sarah, and Brian and the kiddos.

Mike drove everyone around in a little fishing boat. McKall did not like wearing a life jacket, so her ride was short and sweet. Hayden threw a royal tantrum (with the cabin neighbors watching) when everyone was having boat rides. It turns out he thought there were sharks in the lake and was worried about everyone. We finally convinced him there were no sharks so he reluctantly got on the boat, but ended up having a great time.

We had lots (and lots) of yummy food, a camp fire, and smores. There was a little playground area where the kids played all day. Hayden got a kick out of playing ping pong with Grandpa Gary... he was gigging like crazy. At the end of every day the kids were caked with dirt and exhausted.

Mckall having smores!

Joseph, Oregon Part 2

2010-06-28T11:28:00.003-06:00

We took the Wallowa Lake Tram up Mt. Howard. It was about a 15 minute ride up to the top. We weren't sure if the kids would like it or not, but they had a lot of fun going up! When we got to the top there was snow everywhere, but we hiked on the trail for a bit and luckily the snow was gone. We hiked the trail to the top of the mountain, and it was beautiful.

Hayden was feeding the chipmunks trail mix right out of his hand.

Pearly Whites

2010-06-28T11:19:00.002-06:00

Hayden and McKall had their first trip to the dentist. Hayden was a little apprehensive at first, but after he told the hygienist about going to the "Kung Fu Panda" movie he was fine! McKall just laid there, but she didn't like getting her teeth cleaned.

Mostly Fat Guys

2010-06-28T11:07:00.003-06:00

Mostly Fat Guys, yes, that is the name of Mike softball team! They don't have the greatest record, but they have fun.

The kids and I enjoy going to the games to play with our friends. The kids get to run and I get to chat. And we try to watch the game too :) This is Hayden with his friends Gavin, Jack, and Kyton.

This would be great!!

2010-06-28T10:55:00.002-06:00

McKall is starting to show some interest in potty training! Yeah! Her big brother is showing her all she needs to know. Yep, she is pretty much the most adorable thing I have ever seen!

Fishing!!

2010-06-28T10:48:00.003-06:00

Mike and Hayden love to go fishing together... but they can't catch any fish!!

McKall and I walked around the paths while the boys were fishing.

Jason Aldean Concert

2010-06-28T10:29:00.004-06:00

Mike surprised me, for my 31st birthday, with tickets to the Jason Aldean concert. This is amazing because Mike really hates country, but he must really love me to go! Mike may not admit it, because it was a country concert, but he had a really fun time too. I had no voice afterward! Mike and I celebrated our 8th anniversary this year. My wonderful mom took the kids overnight, and Mike and I had a glorious time alone. I am so grateful to be married to my sweetie. Ha! What an awful picture of us at the concert, but it is all I had!

Soccer- Spring 2010

2010-06-28T10:06:00.003-06:00

Hayden played Spring Soccer this year. He really improved over last season and enjoyed playing. Watching three year old's play soccer is hilarious! Hayden made several goals this season and was very proud of himself. He still reminds us of the times he was "really fast" and made goals. He has "special" tennis shoes that help him run fast. This picture is Hayden showing us his really strong muscles.

Hayden received a medal at his last game and is convinced he got it because he ran really fast and made three goals in one game. He loved his coach and all of the other players. This season was really cold. For several games we were bundled up in winter clothing. We all had a really fun time.

whoops!

2010-06-28T09:58:00.002-06:00

Hayden and McKall can play FOREVER in the bathtub. Hayden taught Mckall to pour water over his head (by doing it to her) so she thinks this is the funniest thing ever to to. Hayden gets mad and I have to remind him that he taught her how to do it! One night McKall was done with the bath, but Hayden wanted to stay in longer, so I got McKall out and into her PJ's. I was getting Hayden's PJ's ready and I hear a splash and Hayden yelling, "No Princess...Mommy come here fast." McKall apparently was NOT done with her bath!!

2010-06-28T09:41:00.004-06:00

One thing Hayden and McKall are good at is being Silly and Crazy! McKall is finally old enough that they can play together, and in turn antagonize each other... all day long. Most of my days are spent resolving stolen toy dramas, but I love it. They love to chase each other around the kitchen table in circles and circles. They giggle and laugh together and really love each other. Mckall is a little dare devil. I will walk out of the room and not a minute later she is climbing on the kitchen table or moving a chair into the kitchen so she can get on to the counter. She is old enough to go to nursery and she loves playing with the other kids. She is starting to talk, and our favorite word she says is "hotdog." She loves being outside. She has a head of adorable ringlets, and I hope they stay! She loves to dance and spin in circles and do what ever Hayden is doing. She loves her blankies and to snuggle. The funniest thing she is doing now is she stands at the top of the stairs and yells at the top of her lungs "daddy" and "Hay" (for Hayden). We found out she is allergic to dairy, so she has been drinking soy milk.

Hayden finished preschool for the year and still asks in the morning if he has school. He loved it! He impresses me everyday with his memory of little details. He loves to read books and figure out "mysteries." He likes to find problems he can solve for me. Hayden asks a million questions everyday and knows so much. Sometimes he will say things and I will ask him how he knows that and he says "I just know words mom." He likes to sing and at church he loves to find the hymns we are singing. He loves to snuggle with me and pull my hair...still. He has been doing this since he was really little. He really wants to be four. He is so excited for his upcoming birthday. He loves playing with his friends and loves going to Chuck E. Cheese and Rafikki.

To both of you... I love you more than anything in the world. I can't imagine my life without you!

My Cutie Pie's

2010-01-06T16:18:00.004-07:00

Just some fun pics of my little monkies. Oh, how I love these two!

What we've been up to

2010-01-06T14:25:00.005-07:00

The month of December flew by for us, but we we able to enjoy ourselves and spend the holiday's with friends and family. To start out the month we went to the "Winter Garden aGlow" at the Idaho Botanical Garden's. The lights were amazing and we had so much fun. Afterwards we took the kids to Merritt's for a scone. Yummy! Mike's Great Grandma Lydia Berreth passed away. Mike has very fond memories of her and we all think it is pretty cool that Hayden and McKall had a Great-Great Grandma! McKall's middle name is after her. She was so funny and she used to say "so whatever" after everything she said, and I mean everything. There were times that it would get me giggling to hear her say it so much! The service was in American Falls on a cold wintry day, and it was fun to see Mike's family. Our first celebration for Christmas was with Mike's mom. We had yummy food and had fun with our family there. Also, that evening we got together with Mike's brothers and sisters to secretly deliver Christmas gifts to a deserving family in need. We have done this for several years and is one of the most memorable things we do this time of year. We all have so much fun preparing and delivering the loot! We did it this year at Brian and Angie's. They had a play tent that Hayden was having so much fun in that they let him borrow it for a week! He was so excited and he slept in it every night until he had to give it back! The funny thing is he has his own tent, but this one was way better apparently!

We also celebrated Christmas with my family. We again had yummy food and fun. One of the best parts of the day was when Hayden got a four wheeler from Grandma and Grandpa Barbour. They had it it the garage, so we told Hayden there was a surprise for him outside. We got him bundled up and we all went out to the garage and had Hayden come out. He walked outside and we showed it to him, and everybody was oooooohhhhhhhing and ahhhhhhhhing and he got embarrassed and ran into the house. He didn't like everybody making a big deal over him! He finally came out and was so excited to ride it. Grandpa Barbour got on his four wheeler and they both rode up and down the street. It was so cute.

We ended our year on a snowy day celebrating with friends, and Hayden got to spend the night at Grandpa and Grandpa Wyler's. I guess I should also add that I need a new bumber because I slid into a rock on New Year's eve! I will just leave it at that! We are looking forward to 2010!

McKall's First Birthday!

2009-11-26T21:29:00.003-07:00

We had McKall's Grandma and Grandpa Barbour and Grandma and Grandpa Wyler over to celebrate her 1st Birthday! Her actual Birthday this year fell on Thanksgiving Day! She really liked the candle-

but wanted nothing to do with eating the cake. She looked at it like "what is this thing you set in front of me." Hayden couldn't resist though. We tried to get her to eat even a little bit- but she refused.

Hayden helped her open presents, and now thinks the toys she got are his. She is crawling all over and loves to walk along the couches and with her walker. She is getting really good at it so soon she will probably take off on her own. She is clapping and waving bye-bye. She is babbling all of the time and says, ba-ba, da-da, ya, and lots of words that probably make sense to her. She is so beautiful and has long gorgeous eye-lashes. One of her favorite things to do is stand on the couch and look out the window, and she wants to be where ever Hayden is, and doing what ever he is doing. She like to snuggle and is very spoiled! She is the sweetest little thing and we couldn't imagine our life without her!

Say Cheese

2009-11-26T21:05:00.002-07:00

The other night Hayden was going to bed and McKall wanted to climb into bed with him. They looked so cute laying there together so I ran to get my camera. It was so adorable because McKall was seriously posing for these pictures. Every time I would get my camera ready to shoot a picture she would give a big cheesy smile and then go back to normal when I was not taking a picture. Look at those big cheeks and her little teeth. Ahhhh. Melt my heart. Ya gotta love Hayden's cheesy smile too!

Halloween

2009-11-26T20:30:00.006-07:00

We had a little Batman and a little Ballerina this Halloween. It was so fun with Hayden because he really understood Halloween this year. The entire week he wore his costume to school, his party, around the house, and of course Halloween night. We went to Boo at the Zoo - and Hayden had a Halloween Party! He got to invite who ever he wanted, and he served his guests Mummy Dogs and tater tots!

What a combination - we had Strawberry Shortcake, a Ballerina, a Small fry, Batman, and a Zombie! We took the kids trick or treating, but Hayden was done after two streets because he wanted to go home to pass out candy. He loved opening the door and seeing all of the costumes and putting candy into the bags. McKall loved seeing the people at the door, and she and Hayden sat on the couch and looked out the window for more kids to come all night.

Red Hot Baby

2009-11-26T20:07:00.002-07:00

Hayden participated in his first organized team sport this year - soccer! His team was called the "Red Hots." All of his teammates were 3 years old, like Hayden, so it made for some entertaining games! He absolutely loved it and enjoyed playing with the other kids on his team. Hayden mostly liked to run and chase the kids, so basically he wasn't really interested in playing the game! He would run up and down the field with a big ol' grin on his face loving every minute of it. He had an awesome coach who was very patient with the team. We are all excited for spring season!

Mckall

2009-11-03T09:05:00.003-07:00

McKall is all over the place! She loves to "help" with the dishes and loves to climb in!

She loves to eat! This spaghetti dinner was especially messy and fun.

And she is just beautiful!

Preschool

2009-11-03T08:53:00.003-07:00

I figured I better get caught up so I can post some recent pics! This year Hayden started Preschool! His teacher is Miss Annie - who happens to be a wonderful teacher. He goes on Mondays and Wednesdays and on Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays he asks if he gets to go to school that day! He loves it. Each week he learns a new letter and always comes home with fun activities he has done. He wears his "Cars" backpack, and I must say he looks so adorable with it on. He has lots of great friends there and is learning so much.

The Castle

2009-10-21T13:37:00.004-06:00

I love to go exploring at thrift shops. Mike however, does not, but one day I kindly persuaded him to stop into The Goodwill with me. He agreed, not because he wanted to, but because he loves me. Mike and Hayden took off to the toy area while McKall and I looked over the rest of the store. I was done and proceeded to find the boys. This is when I learned that Mike told Hayden he could pick any toy he wanted. I had to clarify...any toy? That is pretty dangerous when you are working with a three year old I tried to tell Mike. But, it didn't matter because Hayden was already on the hunt. Mike and I tried to jump in and find Hayden a toy that we approved of. He didn't like any of our ideas. He had found the castle. The dirty, broken, gross, old castle. Noooooooooo I pleaded. But, he was in love. I reluctantly agreed (because it was only $3.00). On the way out he found another toy. Bad Guy is the name Hayden gave him. I was so happy to be bringing Bad Guy home too. Hmmmmm.

Even though I hated it and did not want this it has brought hours and hours of playing joy to Hayden, so I guess it was worth the pain! By the way, the castle pic does not do this thing justice for just how gross this thing is.

If you are cool, you like to roller skate

2009-10-15T14:57:00.002-06:00

At least that is what Hayden and I think. We took Hayden roller skating and he is a pro. Ok, a pro for a three year old. It was so fun, and he did really good. The place was dead so it was perfect for Hayden to perfect his skating skills without the risk of getting ran over by a thirteen year old girl looking at a cute boy instead of paying attention to where she is going. I know this because I was a skating master when I was thirteen.

These pictures are really bad, but I had to post them. He looks adorable. I taught him to put one foot in front of the other, so he literally said the entire time he was skating "One and then the other," over and over again. It worked. Is it really embarrassing for me to admit that I loved it too. No... roller skating is cool.

This says it all

2009-10-15T14:34:00.003-06:00

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

"Life is like a box of chocolates ... You never know what you're gonna get." - Forrest Gump

What would summer be without...

2009-10-15T13:43:00.005-06:00

The Rodeo. The Caldwell Night Rodeo, to be exact. This is my typical attempt to capture a normal family picture of us. And here you see the typical result. Oh well!

We went with Grammy and Grampy Barbour. Hayden got very excited at all of the events, and loved it! Look at that face, so stinkin' cute.

The Fair. And of course Elephant Ears. Here is Hayden chowing down and loving every minute of it.

McKall enjoyed it too, from the comfort of her stroller. I love that smile.

While visiting Utah this summer we went to the Davis County Fair with my Aunt and Cousin. Hayden loved this water pump. He still talks about it and is determined to find another one... he is still looking.

My note to Hayden

2009-07-28T23:08:00.005-06:00

Dear Hayden,

Today is your third birthday and I wanted to write you this note so you will always know how much your mommy loves you. I remember when you were born and they put your little body on my chest - I was instantly in love with you. Not a day goes by that I am not eternally grateful to have you in my life. You make me smile and laugh everyday with the silly things you do and say, and with your pure innocence. Being a mom is challenging (you can be a little turkey sometimes), but I would never give it up because I love you so much. You are very intuitive and listen to everything going on around you. You amaze me everyday at how smart you are. I love how you like to snuggle with me right now, because I am sure there will be a day when you will think that is not so cool. I love that when you get an owie all you need is for me to kiss it better. You are so sweet to McKall and she adores you. You call her princess with your squeaky little voice and it melts my heart. I love when you sing and do your dances. I love to carry you up the stairs to put you in your "nice, warm, snuggly bed", as you say it - for that one last moment of the day with you. I love how you get so excited every time we go to Costco and they write a smiley face on the back of the receipt. I love when you wrap your little arms around me and tell me I am the best mommy in the whole wide world. I could go on and on, but I mostly want to say I love everything about you Beans, and you are the best little boy in the whole wide world.

Love, Mommy

4th of July!

2009-07-12T21:13:00.003-06:00

We have had a tradition of going to Idaho Falls for the 4th, but we haven't gone for a few years, so we decided we better go this year. We had so much fun being with friends and having a good time. Elizabeth of course came prepared with red, white, and blue nail polish, so I painted McKall's toenails. Can you say cuteness. I love little toes. We went to the greenbelt and fed the ducks, and looked at the river. Hayden was in Heaven.

And of course we watched the fireworks and did some of our own. Both Hayden and McKall really liked the fireworks.

My Girl

2009-07-12T20:50:00.003-06:00

My baby girl isn't so little any more... she is about 71/2 months old. She is proudly sitting up on her own, and loving the freedom of being upright and playing with toys. She is rolling and scooting all over and will be crawling soon, I bet. She loves to eat food and is sitting like a big girl in the high chair feeding herself. It is so fun every morning to pick out her outfits and dress her up. She has about a gazillion flower clips and bows for her hair! She is also a Drama Queen already! She knows what she wants and if she doesn't get it she makes this face!

But she also smiles a lot and she loves to play with her big brother Hayden. She just looks at him and giggles. I love how much they both love each other. He calls her princess and he is always concerned about her well being. We love you little miss.

7 years!

2009-06-08T16:58:00.003-06:00

Today is our 7th anniversary! When I first met Mike at ISU I would have never thought that he would have been the guy... but I sure am glad he was! I am so grateful for all he does for us, and that we have our sweet babies together. Love you Mikey.

Camping with Daddy

2009-06-07T21:18:00.003-06:00

Hayden and Mike recently went on a fathers and sons camp out together. Hayden was more than excited to go... it was all he could talk about! He was so anxious to use his new flashlight in the tent. I thought he looked adorable in this pic! They loaded up the car and headed out.

Hayden slept ok, but Mike didn't. He was trying to keep Hayden warm all night. Hayden didn't want to wear his warm clothes to bed (he didn't quite understand why he had to) so, he got a little cold. He had so much fun running around with the other kids and cooking at the fire. He keeps asking Mike when they can do a camp out again.

Hayden's Buddy

2009-06-07T21:10:00.002-06:00

This is Hayden and his friend Taylor. They are so cute together and love to play. Taylor recently moved away and poor Hayden hasn't even realized it yet!

Crazy Daddy

2009-06-07T20:55:00.004-06:00

One night I was gone, so Mike put Hayden and McKall to bed. When I got McKall up the next morning she had a pair of Hayden's old jammies on. I am not quite sure how in the world she ended up in them, because Mike had to dig through a bunch of Hayden's old clothes to find them. If he would have just looked in her dresser she had a bunch of jammies of her own. Beats me? I didn't ask :)

I did think it was pretty cute though, because I had a picture of Hayden in his crib with the jammies on. So I took one of McKall in the same pose!

Pocatello

2009-06-07T20:40:00.002-06:00

In April we took a little trip to Pocatello. We stayed with Mike's grandparents, and had a fun time. Hayden loved the horses in the backyard. He even fed them... it was so cute. We also got to see Mike's great grandma Lydia. She is so cute. I think it is really net that Hayden and McKall have a great-great grandma who is alive. McKall's middle name is after her. We also walked around ISU, where Mike and I went. We felt old looking at the students!

2009-04-21T23:27:00.004-06:00

Just a warning that this is mostly me just rambling... I feel like I am so busy lately. I think having McKall attached to me at nearly all times of the day is contributing to that. I love it though. She is my little princess that does everything with me. Soon she will be so "grown up" like Hayden, so I am enjoying this time with her. We have been enjoying the nice weather and getting some yard work done. We made a huge-ola mistake last year when we took out huge flower beds and didn't put landscaping paper down because we thought we were going to move. Well that didn't happen, so now Mike is taking all of the rock out of the beds and putting landscaping paper down and putting the rocks back. Luckily we have found help with this job (we really need it!) We are also in the process of having a patio extension, fences finished, sprinkler work, and more, in our yard, so we are busy with that. I have started an ultra part time job - seems like more at times. I had an old co-worker approach me to see if I was interested in a job and I jokingly said to him that I would only go into work for two hours a week and work the rest from home - and he said ok. So, that has kept me a little busier, even though I am only working an average of 8-10 hours a week. Hayden is a busy body and loves to play with his friends. I thought I should post something since it has been a long time. We are alive and all doing great!

pink and pretty

2009-03-25T09:12:00.002-06:00

Cute! Cute! Cute!

Never a dull moment

2009-03-25T08:15:00.005-06:00

Hayden was enjoying the spring weather by playing outside in the dirt the other day (a.k.a our unfinished landscape project from last year). It had rained the night before, and I didn't realize the dirt was mud when I let him outside. I was in the other room and didn't hear him come in. Hayden started saying "mommy," "mommy," "mommy," really fast. He does this when he knows he has done something wrong.

This is what I found. He was standing in one spot not moving because he had seen the mess he was making. He was so darn cute I couldn't be mad at him. I suppose this is another good reason our house didn't sell to move to a nicer one!

My babies

2009-03-06T09:59:00.002-07:00

I love these little sweeties so much! Hayden is a bundle of energy from the moment he wakes up until he is forced to go to bed at night. He loves playing with is toys, and watch Mickey Mouse Club and Handy Manny. He has become quite the negotiator when it comes to things he wants.

I can't believe McKall is already over three months old. She is basically sleeping through the night and loves to snuggle with her mommy when she is not sleeping. She gives us big smiles and talks to us.

24 days of what...you tell me.

2009-02-28T23:10:00.003-07:00

It is late at night on February 28th, and I am thinking "wow, tomorrow is March 1st," which got me thinking, "wow, my 30th birthday will be in 24 day's," which got me thinking, "I only have 24 days left of my twenties, what crazy things should I do in my last days?" So, I might totally end up regretting this, but I am asking you, my fellow blog readers, to suggest to me what I should do before my birthday. Not to put limitations on my request from you, but it has to be semi-realistic, not too gross, and I do want to actually live to see my birthday (and my children), so nothing dangerous or too crazy. But I am willing to do what you tell me to do... and I might even take some pictures along the way and blog about it. So give me some FuN and CrAzY things to do to end my twenties. And remember be nice :).

Pay it Forward

2009-02-16T22:19:00.001-07:00

Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?! Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway! Better Hurry!

Hayden is good at embarrassing me...

2009-02-12T21:20:00.005-07:00

This is a long post, but I didn't want to leave anything out so when Hayden is a teenager someday, and telling me I am so mean to him I can have him read this. My day started at 4am when McKall woke up to eat. She ate fast and went back to sleep, but I couldn’t. By the time I finally fell asleep I think my alarm went off five minutes later, or at least felt like it. We had two doctor’s appointments today, one for me and one for McKall. We made it to my appointment, and here is where my fun day started… Hayden didn’t want to wait in the room for the doctor, so he kept trying to get out of the door and was yelling really loud to let him out. Embarrassing. My appointment wasn’t too long so in between appointments we went to my cousin Sarah’s house to visit. When it was time to go Hayden threw a fit because he was having fun playing. He threw a tantrum in the car all of the way to our next appointment because he didn’t have his sweatshirt on. He didn’t have it on because he wouldn’t let me put it on because he didn’t want to leave Sarah’s house. We made it to the doctor and he didn’t want to get out of the car. I finally wrangled him out and then I had to chase him through the parking lot after he ran away from me. I managed to get McKall, my huge purse and Hayden into the doctor’s office. Hayden ran out the door, so I chased him again. He is screaming in the waiting room. Embarrassing. They called McKall’s name and Hayden was still screaming. I again managed to carry McKall, my huge purse and Hayden (just barely, because I was basically dragging him) into the exam room. He continued to scream and lay on the floor. He was making such a scene that the doctor came in to see what was wrong. Embarrassing. The doctor managed to distract him with crayons for a few minutes. As the doctor was looking at McKall and talking to me he started acting up again. I am just thinking why does this have to be happening here right now, in front of our pediatrician. I did my best to discipline him the “proper” way in front of the doctor when I just really wanted to scream myself. Embarrassing. Doctor leaves and Hayden wants to take a book home from the room. Another tantrum. Checkout time – Hayden is running through the halls in the office. I am trying to check out and tell the lady for the fiftieth time that they need to bill our insurance for an outstanding bill they say we have while the nurse comes up to me obviously annoyed that I was letting my two year old run through the office and asks me as “politely” as she could if I would like her to bring Hayden to me. Embarrassing. I again manage to get all three of us and our junk to the car where Hayden decides he does not want to be in his car seat. That kid is strong is all I have to say. Meanwhile one of the office staff drives up and parks next to me, and I swear she lingered a little longer than she should have to watch us. I finally got him buckled. Before I knew that Hayden was going to be acting like this we made plans with Mike to meet him for lunch. As much as I didn’t want to with Hayden acting like this we still met him because Mike didn’t take a lunch to work and Hayden and McKall needed to be fed. To punish Hayden for his awful behavior we took him to McDonald’s. He loves it there so there was hope that maybe he would be happy for an hour. He was. On the way to drop off Mike at work, a state trooper pulled right in front of me and blocked off the road completely. I expected someone to call the police on me with the way that Hayden had been acting, but I didn’t expect this. Ok, turns out they were blocking the road off for Vice President Biden who was in town. This was annoying and kind of cool in the same way. We were right up front so we got to see his whole entourage drive by along with all the state troopers from what seemed the entire state. While driving home, Hayden finally fell asleep. Not for long though as he woke up while I was carrying him into the house, and threw another fit. By that point I didn't care so I decided to take a picture of him sliding down the stairs. Later I went shopping by myself and it made me feel better. Even though it was a crazy day with him I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

Map Rock

2009-02-12T15:53:00.003-07:00

Last weekend we took a little drive to a place called "Map Rock" with Mike's brother and his family. It is a big rock with pictographs on it. Hayden had fun climbing on the rock and collecting rocks on the ground and throwing them in the water.

The good things in life

2009-02-02T21:28:00.002-07:00

My house is a disaster from the Super Bowl last night, but I don't care because I got a massage today. AHHHHHHHHHH.

Honesty

2009-01-29T13:48:00.002-07:00

These are some of the funny things Hayden has said today. Wouldn't it be nice to just say out loud whatever came to your mind whenever you wanted. "I don't like the beard on your legs." (ya, ya I need to shave my legs) "I stuck my head in the basket then pooped." (he was playing with a laundry basket) "I want to be naked to cook, but with just my shoes on." (he has a kitchen and loves to cook all day)

Our night

2009-01-20T22:07:00.004-07:00

Mike and I tried a new recipe tonight... eggplant rolatini. Looked good, tasted bad. I ordered eggplant at a restaurant several years ago and didn't like it but I thought I would give it a shot again. We were naughty and went to Red Robin after we each took a bite. Hayden fell off of his bike and got a huge fat lip and a bloody nose, and McKall really loved her antibiotics.

Little sicky

2009-01-19T16:32:00.003-07:00

On Thursday in the middle of the night McKall woke up with a pretty high temperature so I took her to the ER to have her looked at. I honestly thought they were going to give her some Tylenol and send her home. However, they ended up taking blood, doing a urine sample, giving her a spinal tap, and an IV and told me she would need to be in the hospital for at least the next 48 hours while they were monitoring her and waiting for the test results. Because she is so little and was a bit dehydrated they had a difficult time getting the IV into her. After several attempts all over her body they finally got it in. I think that was the hardest part because she was so uncomfortable and I couldn't do anything for her. She ended up having a urinary tract infection and all of the other test came back normal. She still has to have some testing done after the antibiotics are done to test her kidneys, etc. to see if they can find a reason she got the infection. Everyone was so nice but we are glad to be home. I didn't sleep hardly at all while there. Any time I even got close some monitor would start beeping or they would be coming in to check her, etc. She is already feeling better, so that makes me happy. I feel bad because I had no idea she was even sick. Looking back I can see that she started being a little more fussy, but she is so mild tempered that her fussiness was nothing that I was even concerned about, just normal baby fussiness, so I thought. I am grateful that she got the fever because I still may not have known and it could have gotten worse.

My Friends

2009-01-19T15:25:00.007-07:00

These are Hayden's new friends Mr. Frog and Daygo the bear (old presents from boyfriends that I knew would come in handy some day. Does this mean I am a pack rat because I still have them?) He named them all by himself. The other night Hayden started screaming about two minutes after we put him to bed, so Mike went to check on him, and he was having a panic attack because Mr. Frog's leg was sticking outside of the blanket. Sorry Mr. Frog.

I love having a girl because...

2009-01-13T22:58:00.004-07:00

I can have her wear cute little bows like the one on this site. Check it out- http://thecraftymoms.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-11-03T19%3A47%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=1. It is so fun dressing McKall up.

Little Princess

2009-01-12T22:05:00.003-07:00

McKall is now six weeks old and as sweet as can be. She has a very mellow temperament and is very alert looking at what is going on around her. She has gained a lot of weight, most of it her cute chunky little cheeks. She is sleeping well at night, which her mommy likes. She is going to be one tough cookie with her brother around. He hasn't done anything too awful to her (yet) but he still doesn't quite get that he needs to be gentle. Today I was in the other room and McKall suddenly started crying. I deciphered the cry as " Hayden has done something to me that I don't like." Sure enough when I walked into the room Hayden had his look of I know I have done something that I shouldn't (head down, eyes rolled up looking at me), and McKall had a sticker stuck to her forehead. Could have been worse. This is her looking so adorable in her blessing dress. I love the back of her little head. All that hair! She is getting a bald spot or should I say bald strip around her head, so I hope her hair stays! Babies always have the funniest hairlines. I love this sweet little girl.

Poinsettia Bowl

2008-12-29T18:41:00.004-07:00

To end the football season off right, Mike was able to go to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. He went with a friend and his son and nephew. He had a lot of fun, despite BSU losing by one point!

The game was the day before Christmas Eve, and they were flying home on Christmas Eve. I was sure I was going to be husbandless on Christmas Eve, and to be honest I thought possibly Christmas day, because of the bad weather. They were flying home through Seattle and Portland - where there were lots of delays and cancellations. But Mikey pulled through and even got home earlier than planned. This was due to the misfortune of others missing their connecting flights due to the weather, so they were able to get on an earlier flight. I think Mike had the feeling that he may not make it home either because on Christmas morning I got to open up a new Kitchen Aid, which Mike went way over his allowed budget for. Isn't it is great to get a guilt gift!

Crazy Hayden

2008-12-29T17:11:00.004-07:00

We have been working on potty training Hayden. He went potty on the toilet and got to go to one of his favorite places... Chuck E. Cheese. Even though it is one of his favorites, he does not like it when the "real" Chuck E. comes out. He was clinging to Mike with all he had. I felt bad for him, but it was pretty funny. We hyped up going to Chuck E. Cheese if he went on the toilet, so the other day I was going to the bathroom and Hayden got really excited, clapped and said "Yeah!!! You went pee-pee Mommy, you get to go to Chuck E. Cheese!" Yes, there is no privacy in this house!

The other night Hayden was walking around the house with these play glasses on. He was so darn cute!

Snow!!

2008-12-29T17:04:00.002-07:00

We have been getting lots of snow! Hayden had so much fun helping Mike shovel the driveway and throwing snow on him. Mike showed him that he could eat the snow and he thought it was so funny. He came into the house laughing and thinking it was so neat. He kept saying "I eat the snow Mommy," and laughing.

Finally

2008-12-15T14:27:00.002-07:00

Because of being on bedrest, and having McKall (so basically a lack of contact with the outside world for two months) I may be a little late on celebrating this, but I filled up my car today for $20.67. This is amazing because the last time I filled up my car it was three times as much. I hope it stays low like this. I remember in high school I had a little Toyota Tercel that I could fill up for $10.00 (gas was $.99) and I could go forever in that little car! Ahhhhhhhh, wouldn't that be nice again.

The most wonderful time of the year

2008-12-15T05:54:00.004-07:00

The past couple of weeks have gone so fast as we have been adjusting to having McKall here. She is the sweetest baby ever. I just love her so much. Most of my day is spent keeping Hayden off of her because he also loves her so much. It is so sweet to watch him with her, but I am also afraid to have them be alone together. So, I am constantly saying "Hayden where are you," or "What are you doing." He loves to give her kisses and rub his little nose and face on hers, or give her toys to play with. He has only tried to pick her up once, but he learned fast it was not ok. He is a big helper when it comes to changing her diaper and feeding her (which is happening a lot!) I am happy to say that McKall has been much easier than Hayden was. She is an easier baby, but I think that Mike and I were just crazy not knowing what the heck we were doing with Hayden.

Mike and Hayden put Christmas lights up on the house. Hayden had fun "helping" his daddy. He really wanted to climb up on the roof!

I took Hayden to the night light parade. When the floats were coming he kept saying "Whoa," and "they keep coming and coming!" He had so much fun. Mike stayed home with McKall so Mommy and Hayden could have some time together since I have been a bit more busy these days!

Mike and Hayden went on a tree hunting adventure to find the perfect tree! They picked out a beautiful tree. We had fun putting it up together, and Hayden was fascinated by the lights. Our house smells so yummy too.

Welcome Baby McKall

2008-11-30T13:29:00.004-07:00

McKall Lydia Marshall, 11-26-08, 5 lb. 8 oz., 18 inches long. We are so excited to have McKall here with us! The labor and delivery went very well and she is a happy, healthy baby! She has dark hair, which surprised us all. Hayden is in love with her and wants to help us with changing her diaper and feeding her. He loves to give her kisses and asks to hold her. He is a typical two year old around her, aka... a bull in a china store... so we have to watch him pretty close when they are together. She is such a sweet baby and so adorable on top of it! It is so fun to finally have her here. I have had problems loading pics on this blog, so I will be adding more pics later, but I got this one to load so I thought I would go ahead with out the rest.... so keep checking if you are interested in seeing more!

A little early

2008-11-24T14:46:00.003-07:00

I know that Thanksgiving hasn't even passed, but I thought I would change my blog to Christmas now since I will be occupied with McKall soon. Plus, I already had my Thanksgiving on Sunday since I will be in the hospital on Thursday. So there!

The day is....

2008-11-22T08:10:00.003-07:00

Tuesday! I am being induced Tuesday (probably later at night) and will have her on Wednesday! I am still waiting to hear from the doctor on when to check into the hospital, but that is the plan so far. I spent an exhausting Thursday at three doctors/hospital appointments to determine this. First, I had my regular appointment with my doctor. She did an ultrasound and McKall was behind in growth and the doc found a few other things that she was looking for to determine if I needed to be induced. The doctor wanted to determine if I needed to be induced that day, or if we could wait, so she sent me to the hospital to do a non-stress test and have blood work done. That determines if the baby is under any type of stress at all. After being strapped up and poked the baby was was fine. Then she called the maternal fetal specialist to see if she would squeeze us in to do another ultrasound and other readings that my doc can't do with her machine. So we headed there and got to see McKall again. The specialist also determined that she was not growing like they would like to see and decided she needed to come out, but she didn't feel it was an emergency, so we will be headed in on Tuesday. They estimated her to be 5 something (it was a long day!) pounds. So she will be a little thing like Hayden. Please have us in your thoughts and pray that she will be healthy! We are very excited and it is nice to finally have an end to the bed rest.