Halloween 2009

I know it is a little late, but here are some pictures from our ward Halloween party last year. Tyler was a fireman, and as usual his costume turned out great!

This is Tyler and cousin Princess Rachel.
Tyler and cousin, Dinosaur Henry. Henry LOVED honking Tyler's horn all the way through the parade!! It came in really handy a couple times to get people out of the way!

Tyler hanging out in his fire truck

This finished product!!

We think it turned out amazing!! We were trying to figure out a way to make the hose spray water so we could shoot people during the costume parade, but we ran out of time so it was just for looks. But the horns were real bike horns and they were a hit with all the little kids, but probably drove some of the adults crazy!!

WOW!!! It's been a while!

So I noticed it has been a LONG time since I have updated this! Mike and I are doing well. We had a great holiday season and enjoyed having most of my family down for Christmas. We had a quiet new years eve and day.
Tyler has been doing well too. We have been able to keep him healthy so far this winter and we pray every night that that continues! He is growing SO much! He weighs 50 pounds now. That is good for him, but it is getting hard on me. He is in first grade now and he LOVES it! He has a great teacher and is excited everyday to go to school! He also has a great primary teacher and class. There is one little girl in his class that loves him!! Her name is Amelia and she holds his hand and helps the teacher with him every week! Yesterday (January 11th) Tyler was in charge of doing the scripture and prayer in primary. Mike went in to help and was telling Amelia that Tyler was doing the scripture and prayer and she said "But you are really helping him aren't you?!" Mike said "yes" and after they were done Mike wheeled him back to the class and she grabbed Tyler's hand and said "Good job Tyler!" She is SOO cute!!!
Mike is staying busy with work. Not as busy as summertime, but it is ok. He got rear ended on the 30th of December, which totalled his trailer and ruined the bumper on his truck. Luckily he did not see the guy coming and he was not injured! It has been a "treat" dealing with the insurance company and trying to get everything replaced and get Mike back to work. Hopefully everything will work out!
I have been doing well. Most of you probably know that we are expecting our second child on July 4th. We are VERY excited!! I am feeling well most days now. The first few months were pretty rough! I would throw-up almost every morning as soon as I got out of bed, but now it is just a random "luck of the draw". I will post some pictures later, but know we are doing well and hope everyone out there has a GREAT 2010!!!

LIVESTRONG!!

On June 21, 2009 I participated in my 3rd LIVESTRONG challenge along with my mom and Mike. We were in Seattle for the event and the weather was perfect!! This is us at the starting line waiting to get started. We rode our bikes about 45 miles and helped to raise money for cancer research.

My mom and her friend Jim, that also rides with us, are both survivors and our inspiration, and motivation in most cases!!

Mike, Kristy and Linda ready to go!!
Mike got a hold of the camera and took a picture of me and my mom on the road.

This is the finish line "Go ahead. Pick a fight"!!!

Mike waiting for my mom's friend Jim to finish. It was a little cool in the afternoon.

This is our team, minus my brother Bill that was at the hotel watching golf. Bill had to run the 5k because he had surgery not to long before our trip and couldn't bike.

Linda, Jim Smith, Maryann (Jim's wife), Mike, Kristy

We love doing these rides and look forward to another one next year!!

WHALES!!!!

While in the area we went to Friday Harbor on a whale watching tour. It was AWESOME!!! We got to see lots of Orca Whales, some bald eagles and some harbor seals. I was so glad that we spent to money to do this!!

Me and Mike on the ferry at Friday Harbor
Some of the whales we saw

We got to see a lot of jumpers, they were amazing!!

On the boat ride to find the whales, Bill, Mike and me (along with some strangers)

Here is one of the many videos I took. Watch in the center toward the top and you will see a whale jump twice.

WOW it's been a while!!

So back in June, Mike and I went to Seattle.

He is a few pictures of our adventures there...

The view for the top of the Space Needle.

Pike Market. We met my mom's cousin Mary and her daughter and 2 grandsons
here for a very nice visit!!

We went to a Mariners game at Safeco field. It was a lot of fun!! Funny thing about the evening...it was Ken Griffy Jr t-shirt night so the first how-ever-many people through the gates got a free t-shirt...He didn't even play that night!! I thought it was LAME!!!
We took a tour of the city with "Ride the Ducks". It was a lot of fun!! You ride in this vehicle around the town seeing all the sights, then you go into the water and tour that bay in the same vehicle. If you are ever in Seattle I would definitely recommend it, it was a lot of fun!!

This is my brother Bill getting ready to enter the water on the "Duck"

Girls camp

The past couple weeks have been adventure filled for me!! On June 14th I was at my mother-in-laws for dinner, like every Sunday, and getting ready to leave for girls camp the next day. Tyler was not acting real well and by the time we got home he was running a fever. Not a good time to get sick because I was going to be gone for the next 9 days!! Mike gave him and me blessings and we went to sleep. I woke up at 5:30 Monday morning and checked on Tyler. His fever had broken so I felt that it would be okay for me to go to camp. I packed up and headed to the church. We got packed up and loaded up all the girls and headed to St George, UT. We went to the Cannery there first and helped can apricots. It was a lot of fun and I think the girls really enjoyed it. After that we went to the visitors center at the Temple and ate lunch then we went inside and watched a movie on President Monson. It was really good! After the movie we filled up with gas and headed to Pine Valley where we stayed in a cabin for the night. We also did camp certifications and skits that were a lot of fun.

The next morning we got up and got breakfast and all packed up again then most of the group headed to the Rockin' R Ranch. I went back to St George to meet a parent. We had a little time to kill so we went to the Brigham Young winter home. I thought it was really cool and it really amazes me how crafty those pioneers were!! Then we headed to the ranch to meet up with the rest of the group.

We got there just in time for orientation then one group went on a tube float down the river and my group played in the pond, and made lanterns. When it was our turn to do the float I was not too sure about it because it was overcast, windy and cold. The owner had told us that the river was heated though.....solar heated! Works better when the sun is out!!!

It was FREEZING cold and I could barely move by the time I was finished, but it was fun!! After a long HOT shower I went down stairs and they were having line dancing lessons for the girls then we had dinner then a dance with a live band. It was pretty fun!

The next morning was filled with archery, roping and then this...

We had a good time!! Then after that was over we went horse back riding. This is the horse I got Oreo.

She had a mind of her own!! She wanted to run and if you have ever been on a trail ride you know that is not really allowed, and it was not wanted by me or my bottom either!! She would pause while the horse in front of us got ahead a little bit them would trot up to them. I tried for a while to get her to stop then I just let her do it. I figured she was helping get my bottom ready for my bike ride on Sunday! That evening we had a "rodeo" and the girls were able to "barrel race" and they tried mutton busting but the sheep were not cooperating! They would just lay down, so they taped some prizes to a calf and let the girls chase him to get them off. That was fun to watch! We also went on a hay ride. Before we left we had breakfast and the "Little People, Big World" people were there, so I got to eat breakfast "with" them. It was fun to see them since when I went to their farm a couple years ago it was closed!

On the way home we stopped just outside of Bryce canyon, so we didn't have to pay to go in, and did a hike. It was beautiful!! Me and two other leaders and one of the girls hiked up this hill to the top. The view was great!!

Here is a picture of the view from the top.
We had a great time and I was glad that I was able to go!! I am glad that my mother-in-law is so wonderful and was willing to help with Tyler while Mike was at work!! Thanks Corrine!!!!! I got home at about 6 pm and went to Corrine's to get Tyler, I had to wake him up so I could hear what he and grandma had done!! Then we came home, I unpacked, did laundry then repacked for my next adventure that started the next day at 4:30 am. (More to come on that later!)

Tyler's 6

On Saturday May 30th we celebrated Tyler's 6th birthday. It is hard for me to believe that he is 6 already!! This is Tyler getting ready for the party to start. That is a fly on his forehead.

Here is a picture of his cake. I got the idea from my cousin Jenny, thanks Jenny!

Mike and I went to the party supply store to get ideas of what we could do for the cake. We found a small pail with sand toys in it and I told him we could do a sand cake, a fish cake, or a frog cake. Mike said "frog cake?!?" I said yes and he said he didn't think I could do a frog cake. He thought it sounded too "Ace of Cakes". Well I think I did a pretty good job!!
We bought water guns, water balloons, and soaker balls for the kids to have a water fight. It was a lot of fun!! Mike and I got involved too. The water balloons go way too fast when you do these kind of things, but we had the soaker balls so it worked out well.
This is me and Breanna and Rachel trying to get Mike.

The kids reloading for another round.

This is Henry going to get the other kids. It took him a little while to get into the whole thing but he did and I think he had a great time.

We had a great time partying with Tyler!! He got lots of new clothes, which he REALLY needed since he has grown like crazy over the past 6 months or so!! Mike and I also got him a picture to hang on his bedroom wall and he got the cd's of the primary song, which he will love to listen too!! Thanks to everyone that came and celebrated with us, and we missed those that celebrated from a distance!!!