LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 8

This was just after our 2nd anniversary and right before Ethan turned 1. He stayed with your parents while we flew to Florida for a few days and we went to Orlando and Daytona Beach. Since it was December there weren't many tourists around Daytona, which was wierd but nice. We were able to go to Universal Studios and Sea World, which was our favorite part of the trip. About 3 days after we had left, we were missing Ethan and checked on flights to head home early, but that would have cost a ridiculous amount, so we toughed it out and drove down the coast to spend time in Daytona. We visited a lighthouse and went miniature golfing where they had a lot of tiny baby crocodiles in a fenced pond that you could feed. We bought the food but they had already been fed so much that they hardly moved. There had been a sandcastle building contest on the beach near our hotel so the remnants were there, which were really detailed-it would have been interesting to watch them being sculpted. Our time in Florida came to an end and we handed over the keys to our rental car and boarded the plane. We had a long layover in Minnesota so we took the tram to the Mall of America to kill time. When we got back to the airport we had plenty of time before our flight left but when we got to the gate, we realized you someone had looked at our tickets wrong and thought their seat number was our gate number. We were on the wrong side of the airport! So, we took off running, realizing that our flight was probably boarding and there wasn't much hope for us. Just as we turned the corner and our gate was in sight, the doors closed and the flight attendant wouldn't let us on. It was Christmas Eve and they put us on standby for the last flight out to SLC. I just kept thinking about how we were going to miss Ethan's first Christmas...but, we made it home that night, getting 2 of the last 3 seats available. I don't think we spoke until we were flying over Utah...but it was a memorable trip!

Owen had his 18 month check-up today, we are a little late but everyone has been sick and life has been busy. I took him in about a month ago when he had a bad cough which turned into Bronchitis but it's all cleared up except for a runny nose that never ends.

He lost a little weight while he was sick and weighs 22lbs 9oz and is just about 32inches tall, putting him in the 50th percentile for height. He is already putting words together and likes to go to the back door and say "Sit, Bo, sit." and his brothers like to race through the house and say "Set...go!" so he does it, too. He loves cheese (which causes him some problems, if you know what I mean...) and he does not love Nursery. We've got our work cut out for us trying to get him to go in and play with the other kids for 2 hours each Sunday but as soon as he sees the door he gets a death grip on us and starts crying. It's a work in progress...

Things Ethan has said...

"Mom, guess what Matthew in my class does? He eats the kiwi hair."

"Do you want to hear a joke? It's about me and a pickle. Ok...I like pickles because I smell like one."

"Ugh, my heart hurts when I cough so loud."

While driving I told Ethan, "Look, there's where daddy took me on our very first date." He didn't say anything, so I said, "Is that exciting?"
He told me, "I bet it was for you."

When I was hurrying to fix the boys' hair and get them out the door, I asked Ethan to go upstairs and get me the hairspray. He returned a few minutes later with it and told me, "Mom, I didn't know if this was the hairspray, so I asked Jesus and He told me that it was."

Super Bowl Sunday

We had friends & family over to watch The Big Game and there was a lot of good food and a lot of yelling coming from the tv room.

We played a mad game of Phase 10 and kept ourselves entertained while the game went on...

Carol was always up to something... 

And Callie plotted against me... 

Owen, Elisa, and Kamden put Uncle Jeff to good use... 

Kamden: 

Elisa: 

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 7

This is a picture from a rodeo we went to after we were married, but it reminds me of our first date when we went to the PBR. I hadn't ever been to a rodeo before and it took some scheeming to get you to finally ask me. Afterward we walked around campus and then to the train depot, and the rest is history...

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 6

July 4th, 2008: This was such a perfect, fun day. We spent it going to the zoo, the Rose Garden, playing at the park and cooling off in the river. We must have walked a bazillion miles, remember I was getting a blister on my foot so we found a place to sit and watch the parade, then you went to find a gas station or a store where you could get me a bandaid. After the parade we walked to the Old Spaghetti Factory where the boys ended up covered in tomato sauce, then we walked back to the park and watched fireworks. This is one of my favorite days we've spent together as a family.

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 5

We took these while we were dating, right before you moved back home for the summer to work for your dad. You'd been planning on going out East to work, but then you met me and didn't know what to do. I remember we were talking about it and you said you wished you could just have an answer and know what would be best. Right then your dad called and said he needed you to work for him over the summer break. We would be 2 hours away, but that was better than having you on the other side of the country. We talked and texted every day and spent the weekends visiting each other. And we made it!

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 4

             The Donkey:

Remember on our Honeymoon we had to ride "The Donkey" and we thought it would be fun to sit on the top? Then we ended up ducking and dodging tree branches while trying not to bounce out. They took us to a small platform right above the water where saltwater crocodiles were only a few feet from us-that was one of the scariest things I've ever done! Then we went snorkeling in the ocean several miles down the road and I kept thinking "What if those crocodiles got across the road and are in the ocean?" Not to mention that sharks and crocodiles are among my biggest fears...Anyway, it was all worth it when we climbed to the top of an ancient lighthouse and we could see forever. When we were on the ship our waiter, Hoho, would always sing "Happy Honeymoon" to us and we shared a table with the funny Canadians, Jim and Sue. Then we got home and had 2 receptions and we felt like we were still swaying on the ocean while we stood in line!

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 3

This isn't the best picture, but it's from a few years ago when we went on a double date with my brother and his then-girlfriend-but-now-she's-his-wife. It was your first time ice skating and we haven't been back since... Remember when we saw that guy with the 'skullet'? He had a mullet but he was bald on the top.

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 2

Since February is the month of LOVE I am going to do a post every day titled "Lover's Lane". The posts will consist of a memory from my life with Jeff. You should do it, too. Only, please use your own memories. It would be kind of wierd if you used mine.

LoVeR's LaNe #2: This was the weekend we got engaged. Remember when we told my mom and she thought we were joking...maybe that's why she got us the wrong kind of sandwiches from Subway and we ended up just eating the bread while white-water rafting. Anyway, the day after you proposed we told my family and went rafting with them, then you drove like a madman on the way to tell your parents. I was sure you'd get a ticket. We walked in and I'm certain that they knew why we were there. I'm so glad you asked me!

LoVeR's LaNe: DaY 1

Since February is the month of LOVE I am going to do a post every day titled "Lover's Lane". The posts will consist of a memory from my life with Jeff. You should do it, too. Only, please use your own memories. It would be kind of wierd if you used mine.

LoVeR's LaNe #1: This memory is from your brother's wedding...probably the 2nd time we actually danced in public! It reminds me of our own wedding when I had to drag you to the dance floor. We danced to this song at our reception:

You always look so handsome in a tux and I know you don't love dancing, but you love me...and I'll take what I can get!