The Survis Family

Christmas 2011/New Years Eve

2012-01-21T20:49:00.002-07:00

Christmas

Super Long...Sorry

Starting at about Thanksgiving, I was really dreading Christmas this year. Don't get me wrong, I was excited because I knew Jordyn was excited and I was looking forward to seeing Aspyn's reaction to everything. I was dreading it because this year was going to be the 1st year since Cody and I first got married that we would be having Christmas alone and away from our families. We've always had Christmas at my mom's house or like last year they came here. Since my parents and Amberlee came here last year, it was time for them to spend it with Ashley's family.

We didn't want to stray too far from the traditions that we usually do Christmas Eve, so we had planned to still do the big dinner Christmas Eve with all the things we usually have and still just keep with the usual. One day I had been talking to Audrey Reedy, who is Jordyn's soccer coach and friends' mom. She asked us if we were going to be going home for Christmas and if not what we were doing Christmas Eve. When I told her we were staying here this year and that we weren't going to be doing much, she invited us over for dinner on the 24th. She said every year their family gets together (about 12-15 of them) for dinner and then shortly after Santa comes with a gift for the girls. Audrey said it was pretty low key and that they would love to have us!

We decided Why Not! It actually turned out to be so much fun. It really was low key and very comfortable. For dinner we had Tri tip, twice baked potatoes, rolls, salads, green beans, desserts. It was so so good! Mike's (Audrey's husband) grandparents have been here in Paonia for 55+ years. They are amazing & good hearted people. Very down to earth and easy to get along with!

About 1/2 hour after dinner there was a knock on the door and in walked Santa Claus! He did have a gift for all the girls. He visited for a little bit and told them that he would be back once they all were asleep. Jordyn loved seeing him!

Abby, Aspyn, Jordyn, Emily

We returned home later that evening. Jordyn set out her Rice Krispie treats that she had made for Santa, sprinkled the reindeer food out on the snow and everyone went to bed!

Christmas morning we got up around 7am. Aspyn wasn't sure where to start. She ended up trying to bring everyone their gifts. Jordyn got exactly what she wanted from Santa. Aspyn had a great time with everyone's gifts. Cody and I were spoiled by our families as well!

Some of the Christmas morning aftermath

The rest of the day we just hung around the house and played with the new toys. We did our "traditional" Christmas dinner that night. It turned out awesome! Monday my parents came for a visit for a few days. Once they came it was like Christmas morning all over again! Jordyn loved hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa. It didn't take Aspyn too long to warm up to Grandpa this time! By the end of their trip they were the best of buds!

Cody and my dad went out to Crawford Reservoir a couple different days to do a little ice fishing. They didn't catch anything, but still had a great time! It was hard having my parents go home, as it always is. We did make a "kind of" plan to have my mom and Amberlee come back in March!

Even though it wasn't our typical Christmas, it actually turned out to be great. We are now getting to be pretty good friends with the Reedy's and their girls. I'm sure we've started a few traditions of our own and I can now look forward to doing other things with just my little family!

New Years

Cody saw online that Aspen was having a big bonfire and fireworks for NYE. We thought that it sounded like a lot of fun. Something that we could do as a family, but not have to stay home. We went up around 4 o'clock, walked around Aspen for a little bit, and got a bite to eat. Then we checked into our room and hung out there for a few hours. At around 10pm we went out to the bonfire that they had going in the center of the park.

There was DJ who was playing some great music! It was so random, but so awesome. The firefighters that were keeping the fire in control were really getting down.

We enjoyed the fire for quite some time and then decided to do a little Celebrity Hunting around town. We didn't find any and it was so cold just walking around, so we went back to the fire. Jordyn didn't quite make it much past 11, but Aspyn was wide awake and making friends with EVERYONE! She's quite the party animal.

At midnight, we woke Jordyn up just in time to watch the fireworks. Aspyn loved them, even though by then she was ready to drop too. Once they were finished we loaded up and made it back to our motel and all of us crashed!

Even though it was so cold, we did have a great time. I don't know if it's something we will do again with the girls, but it was a fun experience!

2011 was great! We had a good year getting to know so many people here in town. We've all found new interests and are getting & staying active and healthy. We've had a lot of Ups a few Downs, but it really was a great learning year! I can't wait to see what 2012 brings. There are already a few things we have planned or that we know are going to take place that are going to be amazing!

So goodbye 2011, hello 2012!! Can't wait!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving this year was in St. George with the Hone Family. It was so much fun! We actually had a pretty good turn out. My Grandpa and Jodell came from Wyoming. Chris, JoNell & all of the boys were there. My Grandma and Ken came up from Vegas, and of course everyone in my family was there (except Brieanna of course)!

It's pretty much tradition to go out to the desert and do a little shooting. I think everyone really looks forward to it. We turn it into a "friendly" competition having an Annie Oakley shoot off! It's really is a blast!

Amberlee and her "Christmas Present"

Armed and Awesome

One of the A.O finals

We even took Aspyn out. I thought she might get a little freaked out with the all the guns firing, but it didn't bother her at all. While we were out there, she tripped and did a little nose dive. She ended up with her 1st bloody nose. I think she was more mad that I was trying to wipe her bloody nose than she was hurt. After a few minutes she was fine and she was up and running around again!

My dad taught Jordyn how to shoot the pistol. She absolutely loved it! All she could talk about was when she was going to shoot again. I love the fact that she's learning how to handle a gun responsibly at such a young age. Guns and hunting are such a big part of our family, so it just makes sense to start this young!

Cody wasn't really into the shotguns, but absolutely loved shooting my Uncle's 9mm. I think that I've found the next toy that I would like to have!

After we went through a ton of shells, & skeets we went back to my parents house and ate some A.May.Zing dinner! I am never disappointed with any dinner with my family. We all ate too much, but it was so worth it! We really enjoyed seeing the Hone family again. It's been awhile since we've seen everyone. Everyone looked great! I can't wait until the next Hone get together.

The next day we went down to Mesquite to see Cody's family. We went out to dinner with everyone and ended up back at Danie'l and Chad's house. We saw a couple other good friends that we haven't seen in awhile, it was great! Aspyn and Jadon played together really well. Jordyn ended up staying at Grandma Sharon's. I know Jordyn misses her Grandma and Grandpa Survis so it was great that she spent some time with them. We really miss seeing Chad and Danie'l as well, but it's always so nice when we are all able to hangout again.

We ended up in Cedar City for 1 night on the way back home. We stayed with Alan, Taliah and Lyli. Jordyn loves Lyli, and Aspyn just loves playing with anyone. We miss them a lot too!
Our Thanksgiving getaway was just what we all needed. We haven't spent that much time in St. George for a long time!

Aspyn's 1st Birthday

2012-01-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

Aspyn's 1st Birthday was November 12th! We kept it small, but she had a good time! Uncle Terry and Aunt Bonnie came over for cake, ice cream and to open a few presents.

Yes, I made her awesome cake! It was a double layer chocolate cake, with strawberry frosting in the middle. The outside is just plain ol' vanilla! Yeah, yeah I know, not the most creative, but it was super yummy and Jordyn loved to help me decorate it!

Aspyn got right in there when it came time to open her gifts. She loved it!

I found this ball pit and thought Aspyn would love playing in it. Little did I know that Jordyn would love it too, maybe even more than Aspyn! I did end up having to buy more balls, but it was still a hit empty.

We all know that Aspyn LOVES to eat...anything. As soon as I put the cake down on her tray she went to town on it. Yes, she ended up eating the ENTIRE piece of cake.

The aftermath

I can't believe that she has been in our family for a year! This last year went so fast. She's such a good little girl! She is so smart. She loves to read books, loves her sister and her dad. She still loves the outside and the dogs! It really has been great having her in our family. She's just such a joy. Happy 98% of the time, but she does have a stubborn streak with a HUGE attitude. She's definitely going to give us a hard time when she hits the Terrible Two's!

At her 1 year checkup she weighed 21 lb 3 oz and was 29.5 inches tall. Dr Moore noticed that her weight had dropped off since her last visit and that she wasn't following her curve like she had been. She's pretty sure that it's just because she was walking and was a lot more active than before. She does want to see her again in February for a weight check. Other than that, her 1 year appointment was great!

It's going to be a great year watching her learn new things and explore the world around her. I know that the bond between Jordyn and Aspyn will just continue to grow stronger!

Happy 1st Birthday Beebs, We love You!

October Fun

2011-11-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

October has been a fun and exciting month for all of us. My mom and Amberlee came to visit for Cody's birthday. We had a great time! We shopped, ate at Texas Roadhouse, just had a fun visit.

Amberlee & Aspyn

Amberlee and my mom helped the girls carve pumpkins!

Amber decided to take a "traditional" approach to her pumpkin!

Heather, Me, Taliah, Laura

On October 22nd we took a very quick trip to St. George so I could run in the Save A Sister 10k with my cousins, Heather, Clint, Laura (Clint's wife), Sarah (Kyle's wife) and Taliah! We had a blast! I finished in 1hour 3 minutes. It wasn't a very quick pace, but I ran the entire thing & I finished. I call that a success! Now that I know I can do it, I've been working on "picking up the pace"! Sarah, who has ran a lot of races, said that the course was kind of a hard one. There were a ton of uphill parts. I felt better hearing her say that it was kind of challenging! Now we all are training for the Red Rock Relay in Moab in May!!

Jordyn has finished the Fall Soccer Season. She can't wait until Spring to start all over again. Her team lost only 2 games and every kid on the team scored at least one goal for the Season. Jordyn scored the final goal in the final game! It was great. It was such a great team.

All the kids really worked together as a team. They learned how to pass to each other and how to really function together. There aren't many U6 teams that play as well together as they did!

The Saturday before Halloween, we went to one of the Corn Mazes. They had a little scavenger hunt where, as you walk through you find different numbered items. If you find them all you got a little prize at the end. It was great!

This year for Halloween, Jordyn wanted to be something other than a Disney princess. She wanted to be a "Girl Vampire". After looking at a ton of costumes she saw this one and said it was perfect! She was such a cute Vampire! We both agreed though that whatever she decides to be next year we will be finding a wig instead of doing the spray painted hair! Aspyn was a cute Lil Lady Bug! It took her awhile before she would leave her wings alone though. Both girls had a great time Trick or Treating. Jordyn got a ton of candy, and loved passing out our candy after she was done with her Trick or Treating. I am so glad that Halloween is over!!

November is already gearing up to be an interesting month! Fun things and another change is happening! Until next time......!!!

Just an Update!

2011-10-11T14:59:00.000-06:00

Wow! Time completely has a way of slipping away! It seems like quite a bit happens in just a short time!

Jordyn

Jordyn absolutely loves kindergarten! She is doing so well. She's learning to read a little bit, and learning so much about a lot of different things. Lately they have been learning about the Native Americans. Everyday she has came home with different "facts" or stories about them. She gets so excited when she tells me about what she has learned in class.

She is also loving soccer! Her coach is amazing, the kids on the team are a lot of fun and all get along quite well! She has practice on Mondays & Wednesdays with games on Saturdays. I can't believe how much she has improved from Spring. She seems more confident with the game and her skills have improved so much. She has scored quite a few goals in her games. It's so fun to watch her run around the soccer field with a smile on her face. I love watching her improve, learn and grow!

She is such a big help with Aspyn and they get along so well!

Aspyn!

Aspyn is just about 11 months now! She is walking everywhere. She started walking about 2 weeks before her 10 mos. She is down to 2 bottles max a day. Sometimes 1 in the morning (sometimes not) and one right before bed. I think that one is going to be the hardest to break! One thing that hasn't been hard to get rid of is her pacifier! She actually took herself off it. She just decided one day that she didn't want it anymore. She would chew on it and let it dangle out of her mouth, but wasn't really sucking on it. If I would try to give it to her at night she would take it out and throw it on the floor. So we just put it away and she hasn't really cared since. It's been so nice not having to worry about having one around or with us when we go out. It's also been nice not having to worry about us taking it away from her!

She no longer is eating baby food. She just eats what we eat or a slight variation of it. She is down to one nap a day, usually 1-3 hours depending on the day. Aspyn loves books! She has 3 favorite ones that she will find on the book shelf and bring to us to read. Her favorite toy is still her stuffed Monkey and now she has a favorite cell phone! Yup, she's starting early on the cell phone thing. She will walk around with it holding it up to her ear saying "Hello" and chattering all around the house. It seems like everyday she is learning new words or some new thing. Jordyn is still her favorite person. She loves her dogs and still loves being outside. When we are outside she will walk around the yard, crawl on the dogs or play in the grass, the sand or the leaves! She loves (& prefers) to drink from a straw.

She has 4 teeth, 2 top, 2 bottom with one of her eye teeth popping through very soon. She is happy 98% of the time.

It's so much fun watching my girls grow!!

Cody

Cody has had a change in departments at work. He is now in the Survey/Engineering department. He's doing more drafting and working with numbers, more of what he went to school for. He still goes down in the mine, just not for as long during the night as he used to. It's been a very nice change. He leaves to go into work at 11:45pm (to start at 12:30) and gets home about 9:00am. He usually sleeps until about 5pm. It's been nice to have him home at night, to have dinner, spend time with the girls, and help put them to bed. Then we are able to spend some time together before having to leave. The girls love having him awake and home more consistently. I do too! It's really done a lot for our relationship being able to spend more time together. He seems a lot happier in this new department (even though it does have it's down sides) doing more of what he's comfortable doing!

He was supposed to take his Electrical test in November. However, the paperwork to take it was needing to be submitted by October 5th. In order to submit the paperwork you have to have been working for a year. His year hire date is October 6th. They would not make an exception for 1 day. So, the Electrical test has been pushed by to February. That will just give him a little while longer to study so he can pass 1st try!!!

Me

I am adjusting to the changes and all the things that are going on in our family. I love having Jordyn in Kindergarten, Aspyn growing and changing everyday and Cody's new schedule. I have started taking time for myself everyday by either going to the gym or running. It's been great! I feel a lot better! In 2 weeks, Taliah, Clint, Laura, Heather and myself are going to be running a 10k in St George. It's for breast cancer awareness. It called Save a Sister! I am pretty excited to do it. That is 1 more goal of mine that I can cross off my list. This race all I want to do is finish the race. I'm not going for an awesome, amazing time. I just want to be able to say that I finished a 10k. I guess this is just one more stepping stone on my way to my big goal of running a marathon and hopefully (eventually) a triathlon!

All in all we are doing really well. We are getting excited for Fall/Winter to be here!

Next post there will be pictures.....I promise!!

Off To Kindergarten

2011-08-29T22:23:00.000-06:00

Yup, it's that time in every mother's life that they dread. Monday August 22nd was Jordyn's 1st day of Kindergarten. She has been very excited to go since her last day at Preschool. We were able to go into the school the week before and meet the two kindergarten teachers, look around the school and finish any registration. Once we were in the room she got a little quiet and a bit nervous. On our way home she was a lot more talkative and still very excited.

Sunday night, she picked out what she was going to wear the next day and said that she hoped she could sleep!

Her new Kindergarten backpack

Monday morning she woke up on time, with no problems or complaints! When we got onto the school grounds she looked around and said "There really is a lot of kids here". I walked down to Mrs Mohr's class with her. Her teacher was so friendly. She gave her a little name tag to help her learn the kid's names, showed her where to put her backpack and showed her where all of her supplies were. From that point on she seemed quite nervous. A boy from her Preschool, Kelly is also in her class and he was feeling a bit nervous as well. Once me and his mom got them sitting together looking at books, they both were more at ease. I said my goodbyes and left her for her 1st day of school!!

I will admit it was harder than I thought it was going to be. I always thought that since she has been in Preschool from the age of 3, that it was going to be an easy transition. I was wrong. I got a bit teary eyed walking out of her classroom. It just seemed really weird leaving her there all day long. I know she's looked forward to going to Kindergarten for quite awhile, and that she was going to love it! By mid morning I was feeling better.

Jordyn absolutely loved school! She even said that "hot lunch" aka school lunch wasn't that bad! The girls in her class are going to be fun, even if the boys are a little mean (her words). She said her teacher was very nice, and Yes, she is going to love it!

I still can't believe that she is in Kindergarten, and that very soon she will be reading and writing! Watching her grow up is so much fun. I can not wait to see what this school year brings us!

9 Months Already!

2011-08-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

I can not believe that Aspyn is 9 months old. It is CRAZY how fast time passes! It has been so great having her in our family. Her and Jordyn as so cute together. Aspyn loves being around her big sister. She is so happy when Jordyn will play with her (which is a lot). The 1st thing Jordyn does in the morning, is give Aspyn a hug and kiss. The last thing she does before going to bed at night is give her a hug and kiss! I hope that the bond they have now continues as they get older.

Aspyn also loves her dad. Anytime she hears his voice, she starts smiling and bouncing. When he comes into the room, she reaches out for him. It's so cute! Of course if he's not home, she will look for him and keep saying "Da" It's so stinkin cute!

It doesn't matter what we are doing outside, Aspyn just enjoys it all. She loves the water, playing in the sand, the grass, it doesn't matter as long as it's outside! Her favorite animal is dogs. She has a little book that has different animals in it. She'll open it up to the dog page and smile and say over and over "Daw"! When she hears a dog bark, she'll stop whatever she's doing and say "Daw". She loves them! She also likes her little bath duck. Anytime we are in the bathroom, she looks at the tub and says "Duh"! If you give her other bath toys she just ignores them and plays with her "Duh"!

She really loves saying her D's, but you can definitely tell a difference with the vowel sounds. She knows what she's saying!

She loves music and dances (or bounces) to just about everything. She sleeps very well, day and night. She eats anything and everything, but lima beans! She crawls everywhere and has lately been trying to climb the stairs. She's standing very well on her own and walks around the furniture. She's tried taking a few steps between furniture, but no out on her own. She'll throw her arms in the air when you tell her "So big" and actually tries to imitate the words and voice tone! Aspyn will most of the time wave bye-bye and give you an open mouth kiss if you ask. She is so cute when she stops what she's doing and claps her hands, and looks at you like she did something awesome!

Her little personality is so dang cute. She really brings a lot of entertainment to our house.

At her 9 month appointment she weighed 19 lbs 13 oz, and was 28" long. Dr Moore said she is absolutely perfect and doesn't see any concerns at all. She's meeting or exceding the milestones set for her age! I can't believe that in 3 short months she'll be a year. I am not quite ready for that!

1st Camping Trip in Colorado & Rusti's Visit

2011-08-24T23:34:00.000-06:00

We finally went on our 1st camping trip here in Colorado! My dad came over August 8th for a little vacation. We all decided to head up and check out the Colorado Mountains. We ended up at Island Lake. It was so pretty and so much cooler.

Jordyn and my Dad did a little fishing. They caught a few, but only ended up keeping 1. Jordyn absolutely LOVES fishing with Grandpa. They really have a good time together and have such an amazing bond. I never thought Jordyn would like to fish, but she does and she's pretty good at it. She knows more about fishing and the different baits than I do!

1st Camping Trip

Aspyn really, really enjoyed her 1st camping trip. She did so well. She loves being outside so it wasn't a huge surprise that she had some fun. She loved crawling around in the dirt, trying to eat it and playing with the rocks and leaves. Aspyn loved watching the fire at night . She was just so content to sit on our laps and enjoy being up in the mountain. I think we have another camper in the family! I love it!

We had a great time. We fished a little bit, drove around a little to find other camping spots that are a bit more secluded, and really just relaxed! It was great! Next Summer, we will be doing a lot more camping!!

Aspyn in Jordyn's shoes

Thursday the 11th, my Mom flew over to spend the weekend with us and drive home with my Dad. We had been trying to talk Ashley into letting Rusti come with her. Ashley finally agreed, but my Mom told me that she couldn't get the airline stuff figured out for her to bring Rusti. When we picked up Mom at the airport, she comes walking out holding Rusti! Jordyn was so excited to see Rusti, and Rusti was so very excited to see JoJo! She is such a cute girl, and we really really miss her. It was fun having her. Jordyn and Rusti played all weekend. We loved having her visit!

Aspyn, Jordyn, Rusti

All the girls were so cute together. It's really hard knowing that they don't get to see each other as much as they want to. Hopefully we can keep getting all the cousins together as often as possible!

It was a great week having my parents here, and being able to see Rusti! It's always hard on us when they leave, but I'm so glad that they make the trip out here as much as they can.

Family Vacation to Denver

2011-07-26T23:34:00.001-06:00

Jordyn has been wanting to go to Elitch Garden's in Denver for a very long time. Every time she would see the commercial on tv she would beg to go. Cody & I decided that it would be fun to take a family vacation for a few days there and finally check it out. It was a VERY interesting trip!

We left Thurs July 21st after Jordyn passed her finally day in Level 2 swimming. We made it to Denver around 5 o'clock, checked into our hotel and decided to hit the mall and then get some dinner. We went to eat at Yard House which is Cody's all time favorite place to eat. We order an appetizer 1st, then dinner not too long after. Cody is never one to really venture out once he finds an entree that he likes, but that night he decided to. Our appetizer came 2 minutes before our meals. The waitress felt bad that it came so close to our meals that she said she was taking the appetizer off our bill. My meal and Jordyn's meal was so amazing. Cody's meal had absolutely no flavor, and was very very dry. Cody told the waitress about it and she ended up taking it off as well. He ended up ordering what he normal does (it was amazing) and we still weren't charged for it. We were completely prepared to pay for it, but she said no!

Dad & Daughter being goofy

Friday morning we had to stop at the School of Mines so Cody could get some Alumni gear! We had a great breakfast at a little shop in Golden and then made our way to Elitch's!

Poor peanut not feeling well

Aspyn wasn't feeling very well when while we were in Denver. She slept alot Friday. It was so hot, so the time that she was awake she mainly drank her water and wanted to be held.

Jordyn and the Rasta Bananas

We saw these "Rasta Bananas" and immediately thought of Brieanna!

Jordyn loved these Tea Cups. I was ok with them for the 1st minute. After that I was about to get sick. Jordyn was able to do a lot of the rides there that were for people 42" and shorter. Luckily she was wearing her "tall flip flops" so she was just that much taller! Most of the really fun rides that Cody and I wanted to go on, you had to be 48" and taller, so we didn't go on very many "adult" rides. Cody did go on the old wooden roller coaster. I have no desire to go on those old wooden things. Way too creepy! After we went on all the rides that Jordyn could go on, we decided it was time to check out the Water park part of Elitch's. Everyone else had that same idea. There was absolutely no place to sit, NO shade, no lockers and Jordyn couldn't go on any of the good water slides. She was pretty limited to the kiddie pool that had small slides and water sprayers. Cody and I decided to not change into our suits, but let Jordyn get into hers and let her play in the water for a little bit to cool off. She loved it and had a good time! She was in the Wave Pool and loved jumping over the waves. I can't wait until she can actually do that in the Ocean!

After awhile, we rode on one more water ride and decided to call it a day. Aspyn had had enough, Cody was on the verge of heatstroke and I was just plain tired. Jordyn would've gone for another 5-6 hours I'm sure, but she was happy that she had been able to go.

Our plan was go back to hotel, cool off & change, then go to dinner. When we got back to the hotel we were notified that the power in that area was out and that it wouldn't be on until about 8:30pm (it was about 5). Since we were still very hot and just wanted to cool off, we hit the mall for a very large iced tea and Sprite for Jo, some cold water and cereal for Aspyn. Once we were finally cooled off we found our way to On The Border mexican restaurant for dinner. We ordered and sat there and waited, and waited and waited. We mentioned to the waiter that we had been waiting for about 45 minutes from the time we sat down until then. He went to check on our food and were told that the kitchen had lost our ticket! He was very apologetic, told us he could ring it back in and we would be 1st in line to get our food. Since we really weren't in a huge hurry, and Aspyn had fallen asleep we re-ordered and patiently waited for our food. It actually came out pretty quick and was so yummy! The manager came and told us that for our inconvenience we were getting our entire meal comped! We tried to at least pay for something, but he would have nothing of it!

Once we got back to our hotel around 9 o'clock the power still was NOT on and that it was now going to be at least 11:30 before it was. A security guard let us into our room (since our key cards weren't working). The room was so hot and muggy. So, at 9:30 Jordyn hit the pool in the dark! She loved it! Around 10:30 the power came on & we all were able to finally get to bed.

The next morning we went down to the office to check out. The hotel was giving out vouchers to guests for the huge inconvenience of the power outage that they could use at a future date and any of their hotels. Well, when we got there to check out they had already ran out and wasn't able to get anymore. Instead of mailing us one, they said that they were able to refund us 1 nights stay! The night that they refunded was actually Friday night which was the more expensive night!

Since Jordyn didn't get to do a lot of swimming and water theme park time at Elitch's, we thought it would be fun to maybe hit Waterworld (an all water park theme park). But 1st we made our way to Idaho Springs to eat at Tommy Knocker Brewery! They have the BEST buffalo burgers, root beer & Cody's favorite beer is brewed there! Plus it's an old mining town and very fun to walk up and down Miner street and look in all the fun stores! Then we made our way back to Denver. We got to Waterworld and could not find a place to park. People were illegal parking, parking on the grass, on the baseball field. The line to the ticket booth was so long, as were the lines for the water slides. After discussing it with Jordyn we decided to skip Waterworld and go back to the mall and do "glow in the dark" golf! It was so much fun (and cool)! Jordyn had so much fun! Toward the end she figured out what she needed to do and did really well. Cody and I hadn't mini-golfed in a long time, so it was alot of fun for us as well! After 18 holes of glow in the dark mini golf, we let Jordyn go to Build-a-Bear Workshop and make an animal! Of course she loved it and fell in love with the cat that she created!

We finally made it back home Saturday night at about 10pm. We were exhausted, and so glad to be home! It was a fun trip! We all had a great time and enjoyed being around each other as a family! We've never really gone on a vacation with just the 4 of us, so it was something new. Jordyn can't wait until we go back to Elitch's and Waterworld again. She definitly says that we aren't staying in that same hotel again! We only complained about Cody's yucky meal that 1st night, everything else was just luck that it was comped. It all ended out ok though! We can't wait until next year when we go again!

The next month is going to be just as busy as the 1st part of the Summer. We have a couple of festivals these next 2 weekends, then my dad will be coming over for the Delta County Fair. My mom will fly over during the Fair so us girls can do a little school shopping for Jordyn. Jordyn will start soccer again mid August. Toward the end of August we will be driving to Vegas to go to the Drift races with a bunch of friends and then Jordyn starts Kindergarten! WOW!!

I'll definitely try and keep up with all our happenings! Until then......adios and lots of love!!

Playing Catch Up

2011-07-25T12:05:00.000-06:00

These past couple of months have been extremely busy! My Mom & Dad came over on my birthday for a small visit. We went over to Glenwood Springs for a little swimming at the Hot Springs Pool. That was Aspyn's 1st time in the water. She loved it! She just kept kicking her little legs and splashing. She wore herself out! Jordyn loved the warm water & showed off her underwater swimming skills! The rest of that weekend was mainly spent in Grand Junction for my dad's Uncle Don's wedding and the Hone Family reunion. It was a lot of fun. We saw a lot of family that I haven't seen in a long time. So it was great to be able to visit with them.

I always enjoy having my family around and I know they love being around the girls & us as well!

4th of July was fun as usual! It was Cherry Days time again in our town. Jordyn loves going to Cherry Days and seeing all the people and booths AND the carnival! This year there were no broken bones so she was able to ride most of the carnival rides with her friend Carmen. She had a blast! It seemed a lot hotter than last year, but we still spent most of the day there. Most of the weekend we hung out with a few good friends, had a few bbq's and was able to go to a friend's parents house and watch the fireworks that they lit off. It was a great Holiday weekend!

Happy 4th of July

The Survis Family came that following weekend. We picked them up at the Grand Junction airport on Thursday July 7th. EVERYONE came-Don, Sharon, Chad, Danie'l, and Jadon! Friday we had a wonderful turkey dinner at Bonnie's house. Saturday Jordyn went with the adults into Montrose while we took Chad & Danie'l on a winery tour! It was fun to hear the history of some of the wineries & their wine. We found the most amazing Chocolate Merlot Wine sauce. It tastes so great on strawberries! We really didn't go a ton of places and do a lot, but being able to spend some time with them and for them to finally see where we live was a lot of fun! I hope they will come out again soon.

Since the last time that I posted, Aspyn started crawling EVERYWHERE! She's crawling, pulling herself up, cruising around the furniture and standing alone for a few seconds! All this started and progressed in about a week and a half! Somedays I miss the time where she would just lay on the floor and play with toys. It's fun to watch her practice and try to do new things though. Now if I could get Jordyn to not leave little things all over the floor we would be ok! Aspyn is also eating anything and everything. She LOVES everything she tries, some more than others. She is napping a little better during the day and still sleeping well at night. She still only has 2 teeth & I am not seeing anymore trying to come in yet. She is mainly very happy all day and into the night. We have not given her the reflux medicine for a couple of weeks and she seems to be fine without it! She's 8 1/2 months old and still just as cute as ever!

Jordyn repeated Level 2 swimming lessons. She did so much better this time around. You could just see it in her that it just clicked! She does not have any fear with letting go of the wall, treading water and doing her strokes down the lane. She does still need to work on floating on her back for a little bit longer, but she has done so well! Her instructor told the kids if they swam the required length to pass, then they could jump off the diving board. She loved being able to do that! She's hooked on jumping. She keeps wanting to do it over and over!

Level 2 PASSED

We've had a pretty fun and busy Summer so far! It's been great seeing our families, spending time with friends and spending time with our girls. Its all going by so fast!

St George Utah Trip 5/22-6/2/2011

2011-06-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

****Super Long (Sorry)****

May 22nd the girls and I flew out of Grand Junction to Las Vegas! It was Aspyn's 1st flight and she did very well. She slept the entire way. Going through security wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The only thing that held us up was, even Aspyn had to remove her little tiny baby sandals. Mom and Amber met us at the airport in Vegas and we were on our way to St George.

Monday 5/23 we had dinner at Ashley's house and she colored and cut my hair. We just mainly hung out as a family. I was finally able to meet my niece Rylin! She is such a doll! She looks so much like her dad, Tanner. I absolutely love her!! Rusti has gotten so big. I wish all these kiddos would stop growing up and changing!

Tuesday 5/24 Amberlee graduated from High school. It was a good ceremony, kind of sad, but very exciting. I couldn't believe that my baby sister finally graduated! It just doesn't seem right that she is 18 and now on her own! It was fun to watch her walk through the "D" just like the 3 of us did before her! I know she was definitely ready :-)

My beautiful sister on her Graduation Day

Wednesday 5/25 We moved Amberlee up to Cedar City so she could start her new life as a college student there. Luckily she didn't have a lot of things, and that she had already taken quite a bit up. Mainly it was just getting her clothes moved up and a little bit of decor!

Later that evening me and the girls went down to Mesquite to visit the Survis Family. It was so great to see them again. We went out to dinner that evening with everyone! Jadon is getting so big. I don't know why I didn't have my camera out taking pics of Chad, Danie'l and Jadon, but they all look great!

Grandpa Don with his Girls

I was finally able to get some pictures of Don and Sharon with the girls! It took a little coaxing, but I got them!!

Grandma Sharon with the Girls

Thursday 5/26 Jordyn stayed down in Mesquite with her Grandma & Grandpa and helped Sharon with Jadon! I heard they had a fun time. Jordyn was laughing the entire day! It's so much fun that she was able to spend some time with her cousin, Aunt, Uncle and Grandparents.

Aspyn and I took the afternoon and went over to my Grandma Virginia's house. She and I went and had lunch at Applebee's! Following lunch we went back to her house and spent the afternoon visiting. Most of the time when I am in St. George I'm not able to spend as much time as I would like with her. So it was great to be able to do that. My Grandma Virginia and I have always had a special relationship! I love & miss her so much!!

Great Grandma Virginia with Aspyn

Friday 5/27 In the morning my mom and I watched Rusti & Rylin. Jordyn and Rusti ran through the sprinklers and had a good time with each other! Later in the afternoon, everyone but myself went up to Cedar City for my cousins Lacey Wilkerson and Cody Hone's Highschool Graduation from Cedar High.

That night Taliah Erickson and I ran a Midnight 5k! It was so much fun. When you checked in they gave out glow sticks that you could either make into Mickey Mouse ears, or glasses. As well as some that you could make necklaces out of! We both are proud to say that we finished the race! I ran it in 32.34, and Taliah in 33.54. For me it was definitely an improvement from the 5k that I ran here. With this 5k I ran the entire thing from start to finish. It was amazing! I was very proud of Taliah for running with me and finishing!! We are both wanting to try a 10k in October!

5/28 & 5/29 Was spent with all the family on the Taylor side. We went hiking Saturday afternoon, swimming later that afternoon (until someone pooped in the pool-gross!) and then had a family dinner that night. Only Brieanna, Cody and my cousin's husband Kyle were missing. Our family is so fun! I love it when we get together. Especially now that a lot of the cousins are married and a few have kids. When we get together it isn't a small intimate gathering, but I wouldn't change it at all. It's just a lot of excitement. This is probably one of the last times we would see my cousin Shawn, his wife Michelle and daughter Kylie. Shawn is in the marines and being transferred around Thanksgiving or Christmas. We'll miss them at the get-togethers, but it's only temporary!

Sunday we went to Orderville for Rylin's baby blessing at Tanner's aunt Dott's house. His dad Ricky blessed her. It was a great blessing and he did an awesome job. She looked beautiful in Amberlee's 18 year old blessing dress.

Following the blessing we met back in Cedar for another family dinner at Aunt Debbie's! Awesome food as always!

5/30 Monday It's been a family tradition that on Memorial Day we all meet out at the Cedar City cemetery and take flowers and pay our respects to those family and friends that we have lost throughout the years. I know most of us think about those we've lost throughout the year, but Memorial Day is just a day that the entire family is there together!

6/1/ Wednesday We got Aspyn's ears pierced! She looks so cute. After Jordyn got hers done she wouldn't take them out for about 2 years. We decided not to go through that again with Aspyn, so we got hers done early in life! She did great. Cried for a few minutes afterward but we haven't had any issues at all since!

I took Jordyn back down to Mesquite for another overnight visit with Grandma and Grandpa Survis. They hit the arcade at the Virgin River, ate McDonalds and laughed!

I got to hang out with Rylin & Rusti! Rusti played with Aspyn, gave her loves and was very very good with her. Rylin is a good baby. When she was awake she never cried. She smiled at me (love baby smiles)!!

I love these 2 girls. I wish I were closer to watch them grow up!

6/2 Thursday Early in the morning we stopped in Mesquite to pick up Jordyn, say good bye to Jadon and Sharon and hit the road for the airport in Vegas. Jordyn wanted to stay for a couple of more weeks with my family so Cody and I agreed that it would be fine. Aspyn and I checked into the airport, made our way to the gate, and sat. We were finally able to board the plane about 45 min later than scheduled. Once we were on the plane, we sat for another 30 minutes before we heard from the Captain. During inspection they found a dent in one of the wings so it was going to be a little while before someone from Boeing could say whether or not we could fly on that airplane. Luckily the Captain let us off the plane to sit in the air conditioned terminal instead of on the plane. We were only back in the terminal about 15 minutes before we were able to re-board the plane. From there on out it was smooth sailing! We made it to Grand Junction in about 55 minutes and we were finally able to see Cody! It was great to see him after a week and a half!

This trip to St. George was not relaxing, but it was so worth it. I had a really good time seeing both families and a few friends! I know both families had a good time seeing the girls and spending time with us. Aspyn's 1st tooth came in while we were there, so that was fun too.

In the next couple of weeks, my family is coming here for the Hone Family Reunion and then the 1st part of July the Survis family will be flying over for the 1st time. We are so excited to see everyone again!!

Our Girls Are Growing Up

2011-05-14T22:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Jordyn's Preschool Graduation! I will admit I did get a bit teary eyed. Jordyn has absolutely loved preschool. She loved going every day and made so many new friends there. She loved her teachers and loved learning.

The ceremony started with all the kids (am, and pm) walking in to Pomp and Circumstance graduation song. Then the kids one by one stood up and told us what they wanted to be when they grew up. Jordyn said she wanted to be a Horse Rider when she grew up. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that her good friend Taneal said the same thing right before her!! After everyone told about their "dreams for the future", they performed some songs that they have learned througout the year. The teachers then put up a slide show of the kid's activities all year long. It's so funny to see how much the kids in her class changed from the beginning of the year to yesterday.

Last night after we had been home for about an hour, Jordyn started crying saying she wanted to go back to preschool. It was kind of a sad moment for her finally realizing that come Monday she was no longer going back to school (well until September) and that she wouldn't be seeing her teachers very often. She is very excited for the summer so she can do all the fun things she couldn't do last summer because of her broken arm. Even though she is sad that preschool has ended, she's very very excited to start Kindergarten and to be able to go to school all day! I'm super proud of her and the progress she has made this year. I can't wait to see her learn to read and write next year! I'm sure it too will be an adventure. I can't wait

Jordyn receiving her Diploma from Ms Christy

Jordyn and Ms Branndie

Jordyn and Ms Jenn

Just a few things from Grad Night

Aspyn is now 6 mos old! She is so busy. Most days she is content to play with her toys or play in her Exersaucer for quite awhile. She loves drinking from a water bottle and really likes water. I've been making most of her baby food. So far she LOVES avacado, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, pears, applesauce (I haven't made this yet, but have just bought no sugar added applesauce-that works), bananas, apple-blueberry and squash. We have tried peas, but everytime she eats them she gets really cranky. So we are thinking maybe those don't agree with her belly yet. We are going to hold off on those for a little bit longer. It really doesn't take as much time as I thought it would. I think the 1 thing that has taken me the longest is the sweet potatoes because of the time it takes to get them soft enough to puree. I've saved quite a bit of money so far by making our own baby food and I know exactly what she's eating! Aspyn loves standing up, still with help of course and she loves being outside. We spend a lot of time outside just sitting on the porch letting her see everything that is going on in our busy world.

Aspyn loves Jordyn and Cody so much. When Cody gets home from work in the morning she gets so excited just from hearing his voice. Then when she sees him she gives him the biggest grin and starts kicking her legs and swinging her arms. It's so funny! When she sees Jordyn she starts squealing and smiling so much. Jordyn most always seems to be able to cheer her up and keep her happy! She is such a good babysitter. Aspyn goes in for her 6 month checkup and shots next Friday. I know she's growing and developing just fine, but I can't wait to see how much she weighs and her height!

It's so much fun watching these girls change and grow!

Cody is now finished and passed his Emergency Medical Responder class. He is also going to be starting another class for work. This time it's his Electrical class, so he can be a carded Electrician down in the mine. This class will be 2 or 3 months, so he'll stay super busy. In October he will be able to take the test. Hopefully he'll pass. There aren't very many people that pass their first time taking it.

Aspyn and I ran our 1st 5k on May 7th. It was fun! I ran it in 35 minutes. That's not great, but its not horrible. I decided to try it out just to see if I could do it....and I DID!! I walked maybe a 1/4 mile at the beginning and maybe 30 sec at about 2.7 miles, but I ran it! I felt great after finishing. I now can't wait until the Midnight 5k in St George in about 2 weeks!

Coal

2011-04-21T23:44:00.000-06:00

We have been watching the tv series Coal on Spike tv lately. Cody had been looking forward to it since he saw the previews months before it actually aired. Since we've been watching it, I've actually been able to see kind of what he does on a nightly basis. It's kind of scary. Now, this mine is a lot smaller than the one he works at and there are a few differences, but the idea and the work are still the same. It's amazing the work these men (and a few women) do and the kind of danger that they deal with each and every shift. It's scary to think that these people are so far underground, under miles of rock, coal, dirt etc. This show has definitely opened my eyes. I knew going into this line of work it was going to be very dangerous, but it was something that had to be done! Not only do they deal with cave-ins, explosions, but also methane gas and carbon monoxide. I know that they take their safety very serious, and there are strict safety codes and procedures that have to be followed.

I've had people ask me if I worry while he's at work. Well, yeah I do. I try not to think about it though. Things can go wrong in every job. I know Cody stays aware of his surroundings and tries to stay as safe as he can. I also try and remember that coal mining is actually in his blood! Cody's Grandpa, Jack Moser was a coal miner for a very, very, very long time. He is actually still known and respected here in these small towns even though he has passed. Cody's Uncle Terry (Sharon's sister-Bonnie's husband) has also been a coal miner for a very long time. It's a great job, not for the weak (physically or mentally). It's challenging and exhausting most nights.

Not everyone likes coal miners though. There is actually a restaurant here in town that will not serve coal miners. It is owned and operated by people that are "one with nature" (not that there is anything wrong with that). All I can say about it is "You have power to operate your business don't you?" Anyway, I know there is a lot of controversy on coal mining, but right now that industry is providing for my family. The mines around here employ most of the people here. Coal miners are hard working, decent people. They aren't the poor, redneck people that the stereotype portrays.

My eyes have definitely been opened living among these awesome people, and getting to know them and their families. I have a greater appreciation for what they do to make an honest living. If you have a chance, check out the show! It has been "enhanced" a little for dramatic effect, but you can definitely get the idea!

Oh and yes, they do come out as black as it shows on the tv show! Jordyn was pretty amazed (or disgusted) by that!!

Can You Hear That? It's Way Too Quiet!

2011-04-17T01:14:00.000-06:00

This week Jordyn has been out of school for Spring Break. My parents had invited her to come to St. George and spend the week there with them. She misses them all so much, so we agreed to let her go. She is having a blast! Monday she was able to go over to Ashley's house and spend the day helping her with Rusti and Rylin. Tuesday her and my mom went shopping and hung out together. Wednesday & Thursday Jordyn went to a preschool that is in my parents neighborhood. It's ran by some really close friends of the family. She loved it! They were learning about Jungle animals and the letter X. When I talked to her Wednesday night she said "Can I please, please, pleeeeaaasse go back tomorrow?" She went back Thursday and had a Safari! She said that all the kids were very nice to her and she had fun. For show and tell they had to bring something that started with X or had X in the word. She took an "Extra large Penny"! She's just so funny! Friday, her and my dad hung out all day doing miscellaneous activities. Then the family went to the movie Soul Surfer. That was the 1st time she had been to a movie theater (other than the Drive-In), my mom said she did great and that she loved the movie. Saturday she went to lunch with Chad, Danie'l, Sharon & Don. I'm so glad that they came up to St. George to see her. I know they miss her and I know that she misses them. Jordyn said that lunch was "Very fun"! So as you can see she has had a very busy week. I know she's had fun!

While Jordyn has been gone, our house has been so quiet. It's actually been too quiet. I haven't realized in a very long time how much joy Jordyn brings to our home. She livens up the house and when she's not here it just isn't fun around here. Some days the silence was just too much. I am so glad that she is coming home tomorrow. We need some excitement around here! Even Aspyn hated having her gone. The 1st 2-3 days Aspyn was so grumpy. It was almost like she knew she wasn't here and was voicing her disapproval! It will be very interesting to see what she does when she sees Jordyn tomorrow! I can't wait!

Cody and I didn't really do anything exciting this week. We did a little yard work, a little house cleaning. We went on a lot of walks around town. Cody changed the starter & the brakes in the truck. We did go to dinner one night! Mainly we had a pretty boring Spring Break!

Thank you mom, dad & Amber for meeting us in Green River to make the exchange. Thank you for letting her come spend the week with you. Thank you Survis family for taking the time to go to lunch with her! I appreciate all of you!

Just Dance!!

2011-04-03T23:52:00.001-06:00

Today was Jordyn's final dance recital for Beginning Jazz! She was so dang cute! When we first got there and she saw the stage she was so so so nervous. She kept saying that she was cold (it was so hot in there) and when I asked her to smile I got a very nervous smile. I asked her if she was scared and she said "It really is a BIG stage!" I told her she would do great and that I was very excited to see her do her dance! After we found her other friends she seemed to relax a little bit. I left her in the hands of her instructor and went to find Cody so that I could get ready to film it.

The girls were all set up behind the curtain, so when it was opened up you see all these little girls in their cute costumes. The whole audience just "Ahhhed"! Jordyn did really well! The name of the song was "Just Dance". You could tell that she was nervous. She didn't smile her big flashy smile, but she seemed to remember the steps for the most part! Afterward, she said she had a good time, but she couldn't see what video camera was mine! She's so silly :-)

I was super proud of her for quickly getting over the nervousness that I know comes with performing for the first time on a big stage in front of a packed house. I am so proud of her for taking a dance class and having a good time with it. I'm just so proud that she feels good about herself and is willing to participate in activities that may follow her throughout school. I asked her if she wanted to do dance again in the fall when Ms Linda starts up again. She was definitely excited about that and said that she can't wait!

Jordyn, you did a very, very good job with your performance! We love you and are so proud of you. We can't wait until the next performance (including the one's just in the living room)!!

Rylin June Crofts Is Here!

2011-04-03T23:26:00.000-06:00

This morning at 8:21 am, Ashley, Tanner and Rusti welcomed a new baby girl into their family! Her measurments are exactly what Aspyn's were when she was born. She weighs 6 lbs 3 oz and is 19" long! She looks beautiful and I can't wait to meet her!

Last night I couldn't sleep so I was lying in bed looking at some of my previous posts on my phone. I came to the entry that I had written when Rusti was born and I just had this feeling that I would be gettting a phone call or a text very soon telling me that Ashley was going in to have the baby. It was about 30 minutes later at 1:09am that I received a text from Ashley. All it said was "Baby Alert"! I was so excited I could hardly text her back. Finally I ended up just calling her! She said that she had been at the hospital for about 2 hours. She was still at a 4, but contracting every 3-4 minutes. She needed to have 4 hours of antibiotics before the baby was born, so they were going to get that going pretty quick. I told her to keep me posted and told her that I loved her. It was so hard not being there this time with her. I was there to see Rusti being welcomed into the world and it was amazing! I didn't mind not seeing Rylin being born, but just not being able to be close this time really made me quite sad.

Somehow I fell asleep and woke up to a phone call from Ashley at 6:07am telling me that she was only at a 5 and that Dr Chamberlain was going to be there in a bit to break her water. She said she was feeling ok now that she had received her epidural! It was a short conversation, but I'm glad she kept me in the loop. My mom called me at 7:54 to let me know that her and my dad were on their way to the hospital and that she was still at a 5. At 8:30 she called me back and let me know that Rylin had arrived!!

Ashley had 4 Ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy and each time they weren't able to determine the sex of the baby, so Everyone was so anxious to know what she was having. I just knew it was going to be a girl. I was so confident that it was a girl that I had boxed up the newborn & some of the 0-3 month clothes that Aspyn had already grown out of and taken up there for her in February!

I am so excited that I now have another Niece to love! I'm so glad that she is here, she's healthy and she is going to bring so much love and joy into our family! While it's girls=4, boys=0 my dad is so excited to have another little girl that he can spoil rotten!

Rylin June Crofts we can't wait to meet you and love you! Welcome to our family!!

Soccer Saturdays and Sitting Pretty

2011-03-26T20:51:00.000-06:00

Today was Jordyn's 1st soccer game! She did great! She was one of the 1st one's the coach put in. She wasn't at all nervous. Jordyn just went right in and started playing the game. Since this was the 1st game, the coaches on both teams had to do a lot of coaching. Most of the kids have never played before, so it was a new experience to all. There were a couple of goals made by the wrong team, but every kid seemed to have fun! Jordyn was really close to making a goal! Her team did end up winning. I'm not sure what the final score was. I don't think anybody was really keeping track that well! I didn't really care as long as she had fun! Jordyn's jersey number is 23! Jordan's # for Jordyn! Yeah we're pretty creative!

Jordyn's almost goal

Carmen & Jordyn going for the winning hug!

Yup, she's pretty excited to be there!

Stylin!

Aspyn loves her sunglasses! It's a good thing too. She wears these glasses every day when we go jogging. I thought they would bother her, but no! Cody hadn't been off work too long before we had to leave for the soccer game, so yeah he still looks a little "rough"! He won't miss any of Jordyn's activities. Even if he just got off work or has to go right after. He's always there. Such a great dad!

3/26/2011

Aspyn is now sitting up pretty well by herself. It's just been the past couple of days that she's really had the balance to do it. Before she was quite wobbly and wouldn't last too long, but now she'll sit and play with her toys for quite awhile before toppling over! She still can't get herself into sitting, but she is doing quite well. Now we can't get her to lay down! She's just growing so fast. It's all just so fun!

Next Friday is Jordyn's final dance recital and another soccer game! So stay tuned for another update!

What Day Is It Again?

2011-03-19T23:15:00.000-06:00

Wow! Our lives have just gotten a lot more crazy! Jordyn now has something going every day of the week. This past week she has started Level 2 swimming lessons which she goes to Mondays and Wednesdays. Her 1st day she was quite nervous. They are now in the big pool and she can no longer touch the bottom, so she's not as confident as she was in Level 1. The 2nd day she seemed to do a lot better. Jordyn said she does like it and really wants to do well in it. The instructors have said that Level 2 is the hardest level to pass, so we'll see how it all works out.

Tuesday 3-15 Jordyn also started soccer! She had a blast! Her good friend Carmen is also on her team. She has soccer practice Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's so much fun watching her learn new sports and try new things. She just isn't afraid to get in there and Just Do It! I'm very glad that she is one that loves to be outside and active. I would still support her if the things that interested her were inside, but we are just an outside family, so it's great!

Jordyn still has dance class on Fridays! Yesterday they had their 1st dance recital. She wasn't even nervous! She marched out onto the court and performed her little heart out. She was smiling and really animated with her routines. I have to say she was by far the best one (ok I may be a bit biased)! After their routine they stayed and watched the Highschool girls do their routines. Jordyn talked non stop about them on the way home. She said she would love to keep dancing with Ms Linda (her dance teacher) so that she can be as good as the big girls when she gets into highschool!

I'm very proud of her in everything she does. She really is a talented young girl. I guess my career as a "soccer mom" is now beginning. I love it. It makes our days busy, but interesting. We all are pretty worn out at the end of the day, but it is so worth it!

Aspyn is now 4 months old. On her 4 month birthday we decided to let her try a little bit of rice cereal. She wasn't too sure about it. We all had a good laugh though watching her experience the texture of it. We now have switched over to Oatmeal, and she seems to like that a little bit better!

Yesterday we took Aspyn in for her 4 month check up! Wow! She weighs 15 lbs 3 oz (75-90%), and is 24 1/4" tall (50-75%). She is very healthy! Dr Moore is pleased with her growth and development and doesn't see anything we need to be concerned about. We still have her on Zantac, but we have not increased her dose. We are just going to let her wean herself off of it as she contiues to grow. We received the official ok to start solids but I think for now we'll just stick with oatmeal for a little bit and slowly add vegetables for quite awhile before adding fruit. We told Dr Moore about her "mad time" EVERY night. She said it's just colic and as long as she's fed and changed there's really not much we can do, but to let her cry it out. We do still try to comfort her and hold her, but she really does mainly just need to cry for 15 min to an hour then she's fine. Weird. Aspyn is so cute and watching the new things she does is so amazing. Watching the concentration it takes to pick something up or grab something is so cute. She just lights up our entire house!

Cody is taking an Emergency Medical Responder course for work. He goes to that class Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's really not into the whole medical thing, but he needs this class before he can take the Foreman test. Once he's done with the class he will get a raise (YAY!!) but he'll also be on the Mine Rescue team. I'm super proud of him for taking this class. It's been quite the challenge to go to the class, as well as go to work almost right after, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Me, well obviously I'm staying busy getting Jordyn to her various activities, and taking care of Aspyn. I've started jogging again and I feel great! I'm up to jogging 2 miles continuously! That may not sound like very far,but considering I've only been back jogging for a week and a half I feel like I'm doing great! I have 2 goals with my jogging. One is to do a 5k for sure and possibly a 10k by the end of the year. The 2nd goal is to jog 1 mile UP Electric Mountain. Electric Mountain is a steep road that does not level out at all until you get to the very top. I'm excited!

Yes, we are very busy, but we are having a good time and we do still find time to spend together as a family. It's a very fun time in our lives and we wouldn't change it at all! I can't wait to see how the soccer season goes and how Level 2 works out. Stay tuned!!

11th Anniversary and Family Trip

2011-02-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday February 19th was our 11th Anniversary!! I decided that we needed to "Get Away" for a night. We haven't gotten to just be together without the Girls, well....since way before Aspyn was born. We had already planned that weekend to go to St. George to see our families, so I asked my mom if she would watch the Girls for us, she said Yes! So, I booked us a room at the Garden's Bed & Breakfast in Toquerville for Friday night. It was so nice! The room was very cozy, and a pretty good size. It had a fireplace, a huge king size bed, and a HUGE jetted tub! It was decorated very, very nice. It didn't have a TV, so we actually got to just talk. Something we haven't really been able to do for sometime. It had an old record player that we never figured out! It was so relaxing just to be there together! I hope that we'll be able to get away a little more often together this year. We were long overdue!!

11 years seems to have passed very quick! We've had some really high Highs, and some very low Lows, but we are together and we are better than ever! We've definitely changed from the people that we were when we got married, but we have changed together. We've grown together has people, parents, and friends. I'm very glad that we worked through whatever was thrown at us, that tried to pull us apart. Every obstacle has made our relationship stronger! I love you Cody, and Happy 11 years!

Ashley, Rusti, and Tanner were finally able to meet Aspyn. Rusti was so cute with her. She kept trying to give her the Mimi (binki)! She would give her hugs and kisses and just kept pointing at her and saying "baby"! I couldn't believe how grown up Rusti has gotten since October. She looks so much like Ashley (Gorgeous!), and her personality is so very cute. I miss her so much. Seeing Ashley was so great. She looks amazing being 32 weeks pregnant. I really hate being so far away from my family. Being there this weekend makes me realize just how much I am and will be missing out on. It's sad.

Rusti 18 mos

Saturday afternoon we made our way down to Mesquite. Cody's family had never met Aspyn and Cody had never met Jadon. Everyone finally met! Jadon & Aspyn "talked" to each other for about 5 minutes. They were so cute together. Jadon kept trying to grab onto Aspyn. It's funny how much they look alike. They both have this little pin hole thing on their left ear. It's weird, Cody, Jordyn nor Chad have one. Just the two little cousins! It was fun seeing the Survis family again. It has just been way too long! I hope that they will all be able to come over here in the Summer.

Sunday we spent time with my family at my parents house. Had dinner, just relaxed and visited. I really didn't want to leave! Monday afternoon we stopped by my Grandma Esmeier's house for a little visit, stopped in to see my Grandpa Taylor for a few minutes and hit the road to go home.

This weekend went way too fast. It was definitely worth the long drive to be able to see both families for such a short time. We miss them all so much, and really wish that we could see them more. I'm hoping that when the Summer is blazing hot there, they will want to come visit us in our cooler town!!

I Love My Families!! Thank you all for the fantastic weekend. Lets do it again soon!!

Music and Smiles

2011-02-24T22:05:00.001-07:00

Music has always been a HUGE part of my life. It's always been a way that I've been able to express my feelings when I can't find the words to do so. It's been a way that I've been able to cheer myself up, calm myself down, or just feel something. I've always loved ALL kinds of music from Classical Instrumental to Classic Rock, from Rap to Country and just about everything in between.

Last week I heard a song on one of our CD's. I had to stop for a minute, just listen and realized that the song that was playing expressed what I feel when I see my girls smile! I know people can interpret songs different ways, but this song just made me....Smile!

Bad English-When I See You Smile

Sometimes I wonder

How I'd ever make it through,
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me,
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh,
you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh,
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world
that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing that I ever knew
And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it,
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you baby
Is all I'll ever need,
you're all I'll ever need

Chorus

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright
So right...

Maybe soon I can actually have the song posted or the link to this song, but for now it's just the words!

Happy 5th Birthday Jordyn

2011-02-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jordyn's 5th Birthday. I can't believe she's 5! It seems like time is going so fast. Part of me enjoys watching her grow up and change, but part of me just wants her to stay that little girl forever. 5 years just seems like such a grown-up year. Somedays I look at her & just can't believe how much she's grown up.

This year Jordyn wanted a Rapunzel theme for her Bowling party! She was really excited when she saw this cake at the store and just had to have one for her party. Jordyn talked non-stop about her party and how much fun it was going to be. She was right too!

Avalon, Teneal, Nikki,Carmen, Jordyn

Jordyn invited 5 of her friends from around town. She was thrilled that 4 of them were able to make it. She has quite a different bond with each one of these girls. She actually met Carmen before we moved out here. Nikki was the 1st little girl she met at church and was the only other girl in her class. Teneal and Jordyn just hit it off the 1st day of Preschool. Avalon and Jordyn also met at church. Avalon is her older friend, but they get along really really well.

Jordyn received quite a few gifts for her Birthday. Her expression was pretty much like this with every gift that she opened. There wasn't a gift that was given to her that she didn't love. Watching her open them was so much fun. She felt really happy that her friends cared about her!

Carmen & Jordyn

All the girls had a great time bowling, eating pizza, cake and ice cream. This was the 1st year that she really, really wanted a Birthday party. So I was relieved that it turned out as fun as it did.

I'm very excited to see how she grows and matures this year. Right now her favorite color is still purple. She is becoming more of a girly girl, but still would like to play softball this summer and maybe soccer. Jordyn is loving her dance class and can't wait until the concert so she can wear her sparkly costume! She is absolutely the best big sister and is so in love with Aspyn. She tries to do so much for her. Jordyn has such an easy going temperament. She loves people and will talk to pretty much anybody. She is so smart and learns very very quick. She is so beautiful (I know I'll hate that when she's older!). I think some of her best days are when she can spend a day home with Cody. She loves being around him, and I know he feels the same about spending time with her.

Happy Birthday lil bug! While we can't believe you're 5, we are so excited to see where this year takes you! Love you baby!

Family Update

2011-01-27T12:25:00.044-07:00

Finally, I'm back with an update on our family!! We had family pictures done January 7th. I thought it was about time to show off our awesome girls! I think they turned out quite well. It was pretty fun to get them done. Even Cody was on board with doing them!

Cody and I are great! Cody is still working graveyard shift. We have adjusted ok, but it's still super hard when he has to go back after having 3 days off. We really enjoy those days & nights he has off. It's a great job, and he's learning a lot. He does have the opportunity to take it as far as he wants to. I'm finally adjusted to life with 2 kids. We have a schedule figured out, as far as bath times for both kids, what I can and can't get done while Jordyn is in school. Just normal day to day stuff. I've figured out times that I can finally get a workout in. It's not the time I really want to work out, but it's worked so far! I had a personal trainer tell me once, that 6 months after you have a baby, you can no longer use that as an excuse as to why you are still "fluffy". So, I am doing my best to not look "fluffy" when Aspyn reaches 6 months!!

Jordyn started taking a dance class January 14th. She's been asking to take ballet since we first moved here. Well, I couldn't find a ballet dance class close to our small town, so she had to take Jazz! She loves it! Her 1st day she was kind of nervous right at the start, but after meeting her teacher she just jumped right in to the funny dances they learned. It's a 10 week class, followed by a concert. The teacher asked each girl what their favorite color was (so she could get an idea on costumes), well each girl had a different color. So I think their costumes are going to be rainbow!! She learned the dances so quick. She's such a natural! I think everything she does, she does well. I can't think of anything that she's done lately that she hasn't enjoyed and had a good time at. I still wonder what she's going to want to do in high school. I wouldn't mind if she did everything there is to do. She's just so happy when she's doing some sort of activity. Just seeing her having so much fun and learning and socializing, is so great. She's a lot less grouchy and moody too!

She also moved up to a different class in Primary this year. She is now in CTR class. There aren't a lot of kids in the ward her age, so a couple of classes are combined. She loves it! I think she knows more people (young and old) than we do! There is one girl that no matter where we see her, whether it's the store, or church will just run up to her, pick her up and just hug her. Everybody that Jordyn meets really, really likes her. She's got such a great personality! She's beautiful, and so so so creative!!

Her 5th Birthday is coming up. I'm getting nervous about the bowling party that she wants to have. I'm sure it will go just fine, I'm just stressing a little about it! I can't believe she's almost 5! Wow!!

Aspyn is now 2 months old! She had her 2 month checkup and shots on January 13th. She did awesome. The shots barely bothered her. By the time the needles were out she was back to smiling at the nurses! She weighs 11 lbs 1 oz and is 22 1/4" tall. That puts her in the 50% for both height and weight. Dr Moore is very pleased with her growth and says that she is hitting all the milestones for her age and then some! Around Christmas we switched her to Soy formula after several weeks of her being colicky, and super mad at the end of the day. We tried other formulas like sensitive formula, gas & colic formula and nothing seemed to make her happy. Soy formula seems to have helped a ton! She is less gassy, and less colicky. At her 2 month checkup, I was telling Dr Moore about her still spitting up a lot, not letting us put her down for at least 30-45 minutes after eating, and sometimes still crying while eating. She determined that she may have a bit of Reflux. So we now have her on Zantac twice daily. Having her on that medication has been such a huge help. She is now more content to be put down on her blanket to play after eating, the crying while eating is no more and is so much more smiley!!

She is liking tummy time a little bit more, as long as her diaper is OFF. Once it's off she'll play, lift her head up and all around and will be okay for quite awhile. If her diaper is ON, forget about it! She will just be super mad. She loves, loves to stand up. If she's a bit fussy, if you stand her up she'll smile and everything will be great again. We play a little game where we hold on to her hands and have her sit down. We'll tell her to stand up and she'll pull herself up. She'll stand for quite sometime, we'll tell her to sit down and she'll sit herself down. She knows what's going on and is quite a strong little girl! It's so much fun watching her learn new things! She's been sleeping in her crib upstairs since New Year's Day and it's been great. She will sleep from around 10-11pm to 6:00-7:30am. During the day she'll just catnap, but I am loving the night time!

Everyone is happy and healthy and doing great! We are trying to stay busy and involved with activities and fun. We are getting back on track with things financially and personally. It's such a great feeling!! So far it seems like 2011 is off to a great start!!

Goodbye 2010

2011-01-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday December 29th we woke up to a lot of snow! Jordyn was pretty excited! She wanted to go out and build a snowman, so we did! Isn't he great!! It was fun. We built the snowman, had a small snowball fight, she made snow angels! Then we decided we were a little chilly so back in the house we went, where Cody had a wonderful fire raging!!

It continued snowing until about December 31st. We have gotten used to driving in this white stuff. Four wheel drive is great! They don't plow the roads here in town, so where ever you go, don't plan on getting there too quick. Such a different experience than living in Southern Utah! We love it though!

2010 has definitely been a year of up and downs and major life changes. From lost jobs, to big moves, to broken bones, to adding Aspyn to our family it's been one heck of a year! We've learned a lot this year about ourselves and our families and what really matters in our lives. Looking back at all the challenges we had this year, I am glad they all worked out the way they have. Cody and I live in a place where we feel "at home". We have been accepted by the people here and have made a few friends that don't really care how we live, what we drive, the amount in our bank account or what you do for a living. Jordyn has made friends that she will be able to have throughout her school years. Aspyn will have the same opportunity to have those kind of friends as well.

So, while 2010 wasn't exactly what I had in mind when it first started. I am very grateful and happy about the way it ended!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Christmas this year was so much fun! It started a week before Christmas actually. Jordyn was able to go to St George and spend that week with Grandma & Grandpa. She had a blast! The original plan was for her to come back with them on Thursday when my family was coming over here, but the weather put a kink in things and they didn't end up coming over until Friday.

Friday my family made it over here early enough that we were able to have a fantastic Christmas dinner or ham, funeral potatoes, shrimp, sparkling juice and salad. After dinner Jordyn and Amber went out and spread Reindeer food out on the lawn for Santa's reindeer, so they would have something to eat while Santa was inside. Jordyn was so excited this year for Santa to come. Other years she's been excited, but this year was the 1st year that she "got it"! It really wasn't too hard to get her to go to bed, as long as Amber went with her!

Well, Santa came and the next morning Jordyn was super excited to see what he had brought everybody.

Jordyn had written a letter to Santa saying she wanted a new bike and a new Barbie house. She must have been really good, because she did get both!

Everybody seemed to have gotten what they wanted and more. It was a great Christmas, not because of all the "stuff" but because my family was there with us. It was great! Aspyn was spoiled as well. We didn't make her get up with us and participate, but shortly after we started she woke up and was very very interested in.....her bottle! Next year will be great!

Santa brought Cody and I a Wii, with some games and Guitar Hero. Most of Saturday was spent playing the wii, having bowling tournaments and trying to master the songs on the guitar. Who would've thought that by playing the wii you could really become sore?! We just lounged around the entire day.

We also received a phone call from Brieanna! It was so great to hear from her. She is doing great! I really missed her being there, but hearing from her was just the perfect last gift Christmas day!

Sunday my dad was able to bless Aspyn in our ward. He did a really good job! The missionaries, the Bishop, his counselors, & the Elders Quorum president were also there in the circle. It was such a great blessing. I'm glad he was able to do it here in our ward!

Monday Cody, Jordyn and I went up Powderhorn to do a little bit of skiing. Jordyn had her first ski lesson. She did amazing! Her instructors were amazed at how well she caught on. We saw her a few times when we were all in line to get on the lift and asked her if she was ready to go. "Um NO!" Then we asked her if she wanted to come back again. "YES!!"

I thought she would be scared to try skiing, but she wasn't scared at all. She started out in Level 1 and by the end of the day she was on Level 3. Amazing little girl!

Cody and I had a good time snowboarding also! I think I do like Utah snow a little bit better though! It's going to be great to have a ski resort about and hour and a half away now that Jordyn is getting into it. Only 3 more years and we'll Aspyn up there on skis!

Tuesday my family had to leave to get home. It was such a great holiday being here with them. I'm so glad they made the trip over. It made the 1st Christmas here in Colorado not so lonely!

1 Month!!

2010-12-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Aspyn is 1 month old already! It seems like just yesterday we were getting ready to welcome her into the world. She has already changed so much. When she was born she looked a lot like Cody and Jordyn. Now that she's gotten a bit older she's starting to look a bit more like me. I still think her eye shape is that of Cody, but her eye color is mine (I hope that doesn't change). Her hair has lightened from dark to more of a redish brown like mine was when I was a baby (poor girl)! As she continues to love to eat, the shape of her face is more like mine. It's just amazing to see the similarites in the girls, but at the same time see the differences already! I can't wait to see what Aspyn is going to look like as she gets older.

This past month having her in our lives has been great. We've all had to adjust to many changes, but it has all been worth it. Watching Jordyn and Aspyn interacting with each other just makes the hard times seem to disappear. Here are a few pictures from the past month!

3 Days Old

18 Days Old

23 Days!

Sisters!

2 Weeks!

2010-11-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! Aspyn is already 2 weeks old! Time sure does fly. We just got back for her 2 week check-up. She now weighs 7 lbs 3 oz and is 20" long!! She is getting to be quite a little chunker! She still only gets up once during the night and is actually staying on a pretty good schedule.

I caught Jordyn singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her a couple of nights ago while holding her hand. It was so cute. I wish I could've captured that moment on video. It was so sweet. Jordyn has started to do more with her. She'll hold her more, she's fed her a couple of times. She's so good to keep and eye on her while I shower or get some housework done. She's so cute with her! I promise next time there will be pictures.

Our lives are still adjusting, but so far it's been pretty easy (I hope I didn't just jinx ourselves).

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late posting about Thanksgiving, but I couldn't let this year go by without putting down on "paper" what I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for my entire family! My parents are amazing people and I am thankful that they are MY parents. I can't imagine what my life would be like without them. They have been such a great support to us this past year. I know I always have them to help me get through tough times! I'm so glad I have my sisters. They have taught me so much about myself and who I want to be. I'm so glad that we are close. It's so nice to be able to reach out to one of them if I'm hurting or to help lift them up if they are hurting. I'm so thankful that they are in my life. I love them so much!

I'm thankful for Cody! He's such a great husband & father to our two little girls. I'm thankful that he is willing to work hard to provide for us even though it's in a field that we both didn't really expect. I'm thankful that he works hard so I can stay home with the girls and not have to worry about daycare. I'm thankful that he is there for me each day. I'm thankful for the person that he has become since living here in Colorado. I know our relationship has changed for the better because of it. I'm thankful that he forgives me of my shortcomings and that he can look past my faults. I'm so thankful that I have him to grow and change with. I can't imagine anybody else that I would want to spend forever with! Thank you, I love you!

I'm so so thankful for Jordyn and Aspyn! I'm thankful that they are healthy and growing! I know that life is very fragile and I don't take that for granted. They have already taught me so much and I know I will learn even more from them. I'm thankful that Jordyn is so easy going and has been able to adjust to the many changes in her life. She is such a great big sister and I am thankful everyday for her help, and love. Aspyn has already brought so much joy into our family! She has brought us even closer as a family.

I'm thankful to have a roof over our heads, a job that provides well for us, a vehicle to get around in, plenty of food on our table, clothing to keep us warm!

I'm thankful for a handful of amazing friends. Those friends that no matter what life has thrown our way has always been there for us and I know always will. I'm thank ful for great In-Laws who love us and are there for us when we need it. I hope they know that we love them and can feel their love.

Even though we are away from family and friends this season I hope everyone knows that you are in our hearts and that we love you all!! Thank you for your love and support!!

Aspyn Raelyn

2010-11-23T13:57:00.002-07:00

She Is Here!!!

November 11th I had an appointment with Dr Garrard. She did a quick ultrasound to check my fluid as well as a check to see if I had dilated anymore since the week before. I hadn't changed at all as far as the dilation, but my fluid was down to a 7 when it had been a 16 the Friday before. We had planned to induce on the 12th prior to this appointment for other reasons. Dr Garrard said it was a good thing the induction was already scheduled otherwise we would have been scheduling one then. The fluid was just getting too low. That night Cody & I finished up with little projects around the house as well as packing Jordyn to go to her friends house the next day. I was a little nervous, but nothing too bad. I did actually get some sleep that night.

November 12th at 8:00am, we checked into the hospital. The nurse put me on the monitor for an hour just to see what the baby was doing. At 9:30am she checked me, I was still only 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. She then placed the Cytotec, the drug that was to help "ripen" my cervix and to help dilate. Following that medicine, my contractions did get harder and more frequent. The nurse had us up walking around the hospital & the room to try and get things moving along. At 1:45 she checked my again, I was still only 2 cm & 50%. I thought "Oh man, this is going to be a long day/night!" We were still supposed to keep walking around until the Dr came in to break my water. At 3:00pm she came in, broke my water and said that I was 3cm & now 70% with my cervix being anterior (that's good!). Dr Garrard said I could have an epidural anytime I wanted I just had to have a bag and a half of fluid in me before the epidural could be placed. I tried just walking around for a little bit, but lucky me, I was having back labor with Aspyn. I had it with Jordyn also. Back labor is by far the worst pain ever. I finally decided it was time for the epidural! The anesthitist came in about 4:30pm, we got the epidural line in, started the medicine. The epidural only numbed my left side. I was still feeling everything on the right side. The nurse came in and gave me some Fentanyl in my IV to try and help with the pain after we tried different positions to try and get the epidural to work. The Fentanyl seemed to help. I was able to relax a bit more. At 6:15 the nurse came in to check me again. She didn't think I would have progressed much, but checked anyway. I was 8cm and 100% effaced. She was shocked!! She quickly called my Dr, had the CNA set up a table and began getting the baby's stuff set up. At 6:30 my Dr was there and we were able to start pushing! I was numb enough that I couldn't feel a lot of pain, but I was able to feel a ton of pressure. Dr Garrard was amazing and easy going! She didn't have the nurse/CNA convert the bed to a delivery bed, there were no bright lights, no hurry to get the baby out. We just let my body do what it was supposed to do!

At 6:56pm Aspyn Raelyn Survis was born! She weighed 6 lbs 3 oz & was 19 inches long! She looks a lot like Jordyn & Cody! She was placed on my chest and wasn't crying at all. The nurses said all her stats were great! She was just content to lay on me for quite awhile!

We were pretty worn out, but all 3 of us were doing well! Jordyn called the hospital 5 minutes after she was born to talk to me. It was pretty funny. She didn't know we had had her, but she called and was informed that her sister had arrived!!

Jordyn was able to come the next day to meet her new sister! She was so cute with her. Jordyn had a cold so she wasn't able to hold her a long time, but I was so glad that she was able to see her. She absolutely loves her!

We were able to come home Saturday night. The first night wasn't too bad. The hardest part was waking Aspyn up to eat every 2-3 hours. Now we are old pros and only get up once a night!

Aspyn loves having a bath in her big bathtub. She has just been so much fun to have in our family. It's amazing to see how much she's grown & changed just in the 11 days that she's been here! Jordyn loves being around her all the time and loves telling her friends about her. Cody is such a big help. He'll feed her, change her. get up with her at night, just hold her! I think he loves her!!

I can't wait to see how much she changes and how our lives will continue to changte with her here.

Halloween & Brieanna's Farewell

2010-11-04T12:57:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I was finally able to get clearance from my Dr to travel to St. George! I was so excited to hear that news. I had the Jeep loaded up when I went to my appointment, so I was glad I didn't just have to turn around and go home! Jordyn & I left town about 4:30, we stopped only for potty breaks (Jordyn & my pregnant self), a quick stop to pick up my Grandpa Taylor in Salina & then to deliver my Grandpa to my Aunt Debbie's house in Cedar. We finally got to St. George at about 11:30 that night. We were tired, but so glad to see my parents.

Friday morning we just hit the ground running! I went down to my mom's office with her where she had to see a post op patient who happened to be one of my patients when I was working at the Foot & Ankle Institute. It was so great to see her! I knew I missed my patients, but seeing one of them again I really started missing them. After visiting with her for a bit & my mom finishing up some things we were off to Costco, then lunch with my sisters, Rusti, mom & dad! After lunch, Jordyn and I headed down to Mesquite to see our Family there. We were able to visit with Don & Sharon for quite awhile until Chad & Danie'l got off work. When they arrived we were finally able to meet Jadon! He such a cutie! They got Aspyn a cute outfit, some lotion & body wash, & Danie'l made a very cute and soft blanket for her! We all went out to dinner at a new Diner in Mesquite. It was fun, but we all forgot our cameras. After dinner Jordyn & I headed back to St. George. When we got back my Aunt Stephanie and her whole family had gotten there from SLC. So of course we visited for quite awhile!

Saturday morning we went up to Pine Valley to get some pictures of Aunt Steph's family. It was fun, chilly, but fun. There pictures turned out super cute! We then all met at Paula's Mexican Restaurant for some lunch to celebrate Shawn's birthday! After lunch I was finally able to get the last bit of shopping done for the baby & myself that I had been putting off. I feel so much more prepared now!

At about 6:00 Saturday night all the kids set out trick or treating around my parents neighborhood. I think they all had a pretty good time. By the time we got back though, they were ready to be done! Jordyn was a very cute Cheerleader this year! Some people asked her to show them some moves, & of course she did. She loved it. I think she was more excited to be able to use the costume in her Dress-up box after Halloween though!

Sunday was a very difficult day. It was Brieanna's Farewell at church. The day started off ok, just everyone getting ready. I wanted to get a few pictures of her & I before church because I knew after it would be crazy at my parents house.

After getting a few pictures outside with Brieanna, I went back into the house and just started bawling. It finally just hit me that those pictures were going to be the last pictures I would get of her before she leaves on her mission. From that point on it was a water works kind of day. At church Ashley sang a song requested by Anna. I cried. Brieanna got up to speak, I cried. I know she'll be fine & time will pass quickly, but I am sure going to miss her!! The church was packed from the front all the way to the overflow in the back. There were even people in the foyer. It was amazing seeing how many people love Brieanna and our family! After church quite a few people came back to my parents house for a luncheon. Jordyn & I then made our journey back down to Mesquite to tell the Family good by one last time. It was great to see them & give Jadon one last little squeeze!

Monday we packed up and headed home after a tearful goodbye with Brieanna. We made it home about and hour before Cody had to leave for work. It was great to see him!

Tuesday I went in for my 37 week check up. When I had seen Dr Garrard on Thursday I was barely a fingertip dilated. Tuesday I was a good 2 cm dilated! I was super shocked that I had changed that much in such little time. Dr Garrard said all looked great! We are super excited that VERY soon we will be having this little girl. I finally feel ready!! Now we just wait!!

I Am A Slacker

2010-10-27T12:59:00.000-06:00

Finally I am getting around to updating this blog. Sorry I'm slacking lately!

On October 16th we took Jordyn to Devry's Pumpkin Patch to let her pick out her own pumpkin. While we were there we decided to do the Corn Maze. I've never been a big fan of them, mainly because I can never find my way out and I have to end up going out the in. Armed with our ariel view map of the corn field we headed inside. We got turned around a bit, but really enjoyed the adventure!

I just had to get a picture of Cody & Jordyn being quite kooky (which actually is pretty normal)!

I think it took us about 30-45 minutes, but we eventually found civilization again! Jordyn was worn out from all of the walking, but she had fun. After the Corn Maze we wandered over to the actual pumpkin patch. It was just acres and acres of pumpkins. I didn't think we would ever be able to find one that we all loved!

After searching for quite a while, Jordyn finally picked one that was going to just be perfect! A few days later we sat down and started carving that thing. Cody & Jordyn both can not stand the feel of "pumpkin guts". It was pretty funny watching Jordyn scoop out the guts. It took her a while, but the job did get done!

Jordyn decided to name the pumpkin "Wally"! So now Wally sits outside on the porch with 2 of his smaller uncarved friends. Jordyn loves turning on his light at night. She thinks our house is the spookiest house in Paonia!

On Oct 15th I went in to see Dr Gray for the follow up Ultrasound. Everything is going great! Aspyn is growing! She weighed 4 lbs 8 oz at that appointment. She went from the 5th percentile to the 9th! Dr Gray expects her to just steadily keep gaining and growing. As long as she keeps up with her curve, he sees no reason why we would need to induce any sooner than originally planned. My fluid level was still looking pretty good. I am still having biweekly NST's, but they have been pretty quick. We are usually only hooked up on the monitors for about 30-40 minutes. All in all we are looking pretty good health wise!

I see Dr Garrard tomorrow for my 36 week appointment. I'm supposed to be leaving for St George right after that appointment IF she thinks everything looks good enough for me to be 8 hours away from here for 5 days. I have been having some cramping and some lower back pain so we'll see. Brieanna's mission farewell is this weekend and I really don't want to miss seeing her 1 last time before she leaves. Keeping fingers crossed!!

This picture is one at 35 weeks. When I walked into Labor & Delivery for my NST that day, I had a Dr ask if I were there to see family, because I didn't look pregnant. I wasn't quite sure how to take that. Most people would probably be thrilled to hear that, but with her being small I was kind of unsure how I felt about that comment!

It is officially Fall here in Colorado! We've finally gotten out of the 70's and are now between 45-60 most days. It's quite cool! One drawback of living where there are 4 seasons is having to deal with the leaves that fall from the trees. Cody & I raked up 6 bags of leaves yesterday just from the front lawn. There are now more back on the ground! Oh well, Winter is coming sooner that we think!

Fun Times With The Family

2010-10-03T21:12:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, my Mom, Grandma, all of my sisters, and niece Rusti came over to visit us! We were so excited to see them! Jordyn was very thrilled when they finally arrived at about 9:30. It was so great to be around them again!

Friday we went into Montrose to do a little shopping. We stopped at Russel Stover Chocolate Factory for a few samples and to get some amazing chocolate!

Rusti was so excited to see those red balls in front of Target. We all got our cameras out to take a picture of her & Jordyn. I think the local people thought we were a little weird!

So we got a little out of control while in Target, but hey that's just what we do!

Saturday we went to a local winery. Yes, my family went to a winery, No they did not sample the wine! We went there mainly to check out some of the local jams & honey and ended up picking peaches!! We ended up picking 3 boxes of fresh peaches! It was such a fun experience. One I'm sure we are going to repeat next year!

Brieanna & Mom picking peaches

Even Jordyn climbed the ladder to participate!

Jordyn peeking out from a Peach Tree!

Cody and Brieanna

The cart of Peaches & the Limo for the kids

It was a ton of fun! Later that day Jordyn and Amberlee made Halloween masks. Jordyn has been asking for awhile to put up the Halloween decorations, so doing this with Amber was exciting for her.

Jordyn's mask!

Also, while they were here Ashley gave the 3 of us haircuts, and me a color & a wax. I feel like a whole new person. Cody looks so much better after having his mullet cut off and Jordyn's hair looks so much healthier evened out.

This morning about 10:00 o'clock they hit the road to head home. Jordyn was quite upset when they left. She cried and was sad for about 1/2 hour. She just wanted them to stay a little longer. I was sad to see them leave, but I was so grateful for the time that they were able to spend here.

I really do have an awesome family. We all get along so well and truly enjoy each others company. We can be doing something big or doing nothing at all and no matter what we always have a good time. It doesn't matter how long we go in between seeing each other. We can just pick right up where we left off. I can honestly say that my sisters are my best friends. I am so glad that we are in this family together. My parents are amazing people. Throughout every hardship that me, my sisters or anyone else in the family may have, they are there for us without question. I really couldn't ask for better parents.

Living so far away has made me appreciate the time I am able to spend with them. Even though Dad couldn't make it, I am so glad they drove over to see us for just a weekend. I can't wait for the next 3 months. We are still planning on going down around Halloween, they will be coming over for Thanksgiving (and to see the baby!), and then they will get to enjoy a white Christmas here in Colorado!

Now, it's back to a normal, boring week. A few NST's @ the hospital, a new job for Cody & of course school!

32 Weeks

2010-09-28T14:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my first Non Stress Test (NST) at Delta Hospital. It went really really well. I was hooked up for about 35-40 minutes. In that time the baby's heart did exactly what it was supposed to. When she moved in accelerated, but then went down to a good resting point. I get to have these done twice a week until I deliver. It's not that the Dr's anticipate that any thing will go or be wrong, this is just a pretty non-invasive way to keep track of her growth. It was kind of relaxing laying there and just listening to her heart beating! After that appointment I went into see Dr Garrard for our 32 week appointment. I've gained 2 lbs so that's good. It means Aspyn is growing! I asked her if her low weight meant that we would be pushing back the due date & induction date. She said No. In fact if, after I go to the next Ultrasound with Dr Gray & she's still measuring small, we may induce sooner than 39 weeks. It may mean she would do better on the outside. Dr Garrard did say that she wouldn't let me go over though! So that's nice knowing that no matter what we'll have this little girl before Thanksgiving!! I told her about the constant headaches I've been having for about a week. My blood pressure has been fine & I'm not having any symptoms of preeclampsia, but she wanted me to have some blood work done, just to make sure that it's not going to be an issue. Other than the headaches I've felt fine. Just anxious I guess. I won't see either Dr for another 2 weeks, unless something comes up with the NST's. I can't wait for the next Ultrasound! It will be a very informative scan.

I really think that a lot of the issues I've had this pregnancy are stress related. It seemed like the issues started in August and the stress started late July. It's amazing the affects that stress can have on the body. I've tried to minimize the stress, but it's been impossible. I think now everything should be settling down, I hope!

I'm getting really excited for this weekend! My mom, all of my sisters, Rusti & Grandma Ann are coming over! They will be here Thursday-Sunday. Not a long trip, but so nice! I'm so glad that they are willing to make the trip over, when we aren't able to get over to see them. We feel very loved! I'm sure we won't do a whole lot, but the visiting will be nice! Ashley hasn't ever been here, so I'm excited to show her our little town and our abode! Jordyn is way excited for her Aunts to come over to play baseball with her! I think she gets a little tired of seeing us all the time!

The next month and a half are going to fly by! I guess I'll just take it day by day!

31 Week Ultrasound

2010-09-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

Today I went up to Grand Junction to see Dr Gray, the Maternal & Fetal Medicine Dr, for our follow up Ultrasound. Everything looked pretty good. My fluid level was finally where it should be. Her heartbeat was really good. She was just measuring a little bit small. She's weighing about 3 lbs even. So she's smaller than other baby's at 31 weeks. Dr Gray isn't worried about it. He said she's not going to be a midget or a dwarf or anything she just may be smaller than Jordyn was at 7 lbs. He wants me come back to see him in 3 weeks to check her growth again. He said I shouldn't worry because she's not so small that he anticipates any problems. He said that basically everything is pretty normal and boring! We like that!! Everything internally & externally looks great with her. She's definitely looking a bit more squished in there! It was great to see her again & watch her heart beat quickly! She is also head down, so that's a relief. If she wasn't head down by 34-36 weeks we were going to have to do an External Cephalic Version where they manually turn the baby to be head down. I really didn't want that so YAY for head down!!

I'll see Dr Garrard next Monday, but will definitely look forward to the next Ultrasound. I don't know if by Aspyn being smaller than we thought will change the due date & induction date. I'll update next week when I know the answer to that. Hopefully not!!!

Yummy Success!!

2010-09-14T13:02:00.001-06:00

After many many months of us trying to grow some tomatoes & cilantro, we finally have a small crop!

We first planted the tomato plants & cilantro seeds around the middle of June. We watered, we waited, we fertilized, we even tried talking nicely to them. Nothing! Toward the end of July we noticed a few tiny tomatoes starting to grow. Jordyn was so excited! Then they got a bit bigger, but didn't really start to turn red. Finally, now that the growing season is getting closer to being done we finally have tomatoes and more are continuing to grow!! They are so tasty and smell like only tomatoes from the vine can. The cilantro took a lot longer than the seed package said, but they too finally made it! There really isn't anything better than a juicy tomato or the taste of fresh cilantro. Especially when you know that you were the one that grew it!!

Jordyn's first week of school went really well. Right now there are only 10 kids in her class and she is only 1 of 3 girls. She seems to have made pretty good friends with both the girls and a few of the boys. She was pretty upset that she wasn't able to go to school on Friday (the class is M-TH) and was quite bummed the rest of the day. She really likes her teachers & is so glad to be able to walk down to the school everyday!

Brieanna has a big day coming up this Saturday the 18th. She is finally going through the temple as one of the preparations for her Mission. She's very very excited. As it gets closer to her leaving, I start getting more emotional. Even though she's been in Cedar going to school & I've lived far enough away that I didn't see her a whole lot, I have always been able to get a hold of her when I've needed a little pick me up. If I've ever had a rough day & just needed a distraction she's always been one that I could text or email or call & just say "Hi"! It's going to be hard not being able to communicate with her as quickly as I'm used to while she's on her mission, but I am super excited for her to go.

Brieanna & I on a "sister date" about a year ago

We had our 30 week appointment yesterday. Nothing too exciting to report. I passed my Glucose test, we are still looking good weight, & measurement wise. Heartbeat is strong & healthy. We are just growing nicely! I had a bad thought about a week ago though. Brieanna's farewell is on Oct 31 in St. George. That week I'll be 36 weeks. I had the thought that maybe my Dr wouldn't want me to drive 8 hours to St. George & 8 hours back being that far along & being only 3 weeks away from the induction. I asked her thoughts about it yesterday. She has no problem with me going!!! Of course, if I go into the Dr that week before I go & "things are progressing" then we'll have to rethink that. I am now excited to go to Utah again!!

30 weeks & growing

I'll go to Grand Junction next Tuesday to see Dr Gray for what I hope is the last Ultrasound! We are just checking fluid & measuring her growth. It should be pretty fun to see how much she's grown since the last Ultrasound. Obviously she is growing just by looking at me, but getting the actual measurements is quite reassuring!

Until next week.....ciao!!

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-07T12:33:00.000-06:00

Our Beautiful Daughter Ready For Her First Day!!

Today has finally came!! The day Jordyn has been counting down to! Yes, it is finally the 1st day of School! All we've heard about for the past few days is how excited she was to go to school. Yesterday she got a little nervous because she would be away from me for a few hours, but this morning there were no worries at all! She had her outfit picked out for weeks and was so excited to finally put it on today.

I just walked her down to the school about 15 minutes ago. Now I don't know what to do for the next 3 hours. Since we moved here I haven't had that much time to myself. The house is very quiet. I know school is going to be very good for her, & I will adjust. I guess I should just enjoy the next 10 weeks with her in school, because Aspyn will be here soon!

Grandma Karen & my sisters got Jordyn this backpack along with a bunch of school supplies. When the box came in the mail, she was just ecstatic. She loves Capri Sun's & is so excited that she'll probably be the only one in school with this backpack! I hope she enjoys school & makes new friends. I can't wait to hear about her first day! She's just growing up so fast!!

Rusti had her 1st birthday Saturday in Orderville. I can't believe she is 1 already. This past year seems to have just flown! I wish we could've been there to give her the biggest hug & kiss ever on her big day. We will see Ashley & Rusti soon though. I'll have lots of loves to give then! Happy 1st Birthday Rusti!!

Chad & Danie'l had baby Jadon yesterday (Labor Day-hehe)! He is 6 lb 5 oz & 20". From the photos that we've seen, he looks adorable. Looks like a good mix between the two of them. We are very excited that he has finally arrived & that both he and Danie'l are doing well! We wish them well with these next few days getting settled back at home. Happy Birthday Jadon!!

So many exciting events lately make me really miss home. Wish we could be closer!!

28 Weeks

2010-09-01T12:16:00.000-06:00

On Monday we went for our 28 week appointment. We are still measuring right on! The heartbeat is still strong and sounding good. A couple of people have commented on my weight gain or actually the lack of weight gain. I asked the Dr about it since everyone but me has been worried about it. She is actually very pleased with what I've gained. I've gained a total of 10 pounds since the beginning. She said that Americans, when pregnant, tend to eat for 2 or 3. You really only need 300 extra calories a day. I haven't exactly been eating really strict, but I have tried to not eat everything in sight! If I want chocolate cake, I will eat chocolate cake (not the whole thing obviously)! I drink nothing but water, milk and maybe a glass of ice tea. I feel healthy and Aspyn is growning nicely. So she said to not let their comments bug me, because she's fine with it all!! I also asked her what she thought about an elective induction. She is totally on board with us having one. We've decide on November 19th for the induction!! We brought it up for a couple of reasons. One was just having a date so my mom could plan her schedule for coming out to stay with Jordyn and to help me out before having to go back to work. The other was just being able to get to the hospital in time with it being cold & snowy around here. Dr Garrard also said that if my fluid was looking too low, we would always induce sooner, but we would cross that bridge later if needed. It's crazy to know that no later than November 19th we will have this little girl!! Hopefully she'll come on her own before that, since Jordyn was about 8 days early. We'll see.

We go back in 2 weeks to Dr Garrard. Then in 4 weeks we go for another Ultrasound in Grand Junction with Dr Gray. He just wants to check growth and fluid. It's all just so much fun!!

Jordyn starts school next Tuesday! Everyday she asks how much longer. I think she's getting too antsy! Hopefully the next couple of days pass quick for her sake!

Chad & Danie'l are very close to having their son Jadon. We are getting excited to see pics of him. We thought we would be able to get to Mesquite not too long after he arrives, but it's looking like it's going to be the end of October before we meet him :-( I hope all goes well with their delivery. We wish them a lot of luck the next couple of days!!

So many fun things happening this month with babies being born, Dr appts, Jordyn starting school, and my sisters, mom & grandma are coming out the end of September. I can't wait for it all to happen!!

A Week of Fun

2010-08-27T14:12:00.000-06:00

Sorry this is kind of long.......

This past week has been a pretty fun week! Last Thursday Cody, Bonnie, Terry, Eleanor, Bret, Austin, Jordyn & myself went to the Dinosaur museaum in Fruita. While the boys loved the dinosaurs and all the noise, Jordyn wasn't to thrilled. She cried a couple of times & wouldn't go near a lot of the dinosaurs. Some of the exhibits were ok, but for the most part it just wasn't her cup of tea. She did say that the next time we go back, she won't be so scared!

After the dinosaurs we all went to Chuck E Cheeses for a late lunch. The kids loved it! We were there for about 2 1/2 hours playing just about every game there is to play. Jordyn has wanted to go there for such a long time, so it was about time we went! It just happens to be at the mall in Grand Junction, so after dinner the 3 of us did a little school shopping for Jordyn. It was a fun day out with the family!

A couple of weeks ago, I found a dresser for Jordyn (since hers can't fit up the narrow stairs in the house), but it was in real need of a new paint job. Since it is going in her room & wasn't brand new I let her pick the color she wanted to paint it. She chose purple-of course! The dresser base is dark purple & the drawers are a lighter purple. We've had a lot of fun painting it together!

We've been going to the park pretty much every afternoon with the boys. Jordyn & Bret have had their little fights, but for the most part they've enjoyed playing at the park with each other. Everytime they would see each other they would give hugs & before they left each day they would give each other hugs again. This picture was taken the last day they were in Paonia before heading back to Virginia. I've shown Jordyn on a map where she lives and where Bret & Austin live. She says that is pretty far! She's a little sad that he had to go back home, but they said maybe they would be coming back for Christmas or for sure next Summer! Hopefully they can stay close even though they live so far away.

Tuesday we went into Delta Hospital & took a tour of Labor & Delivery. With Jordyn I didn't need to do that since I was so comfortable with Dixe Regional Hospital. Since my dad has worked there forever and I worked and volunteered there for several years I just knew what it was like. Here I had absolutely no clue! It is going to be super nice. The rooms are more like suites. It has a huge jacuzzi tub that I can sit in while laboring to help with pain & progression. The oxygen & hoses are all hidden behind a huge picture that slides up when needed. The procedure lights are recessed. It just seems more like a Birthing Center than a Hospital room. After I have the baby I won't have to transfer to another room. I'll stay in that room the entire time I'm there. The unit is very secure. The bands they put on the baby after deliverey will set off an alarm if tampered with or if the baby is taken out of the unit. It's very comfortable there! I'm pretty excited about delivering there now. Jordyn was a bit upset about seeing the room. I'm not sure if it brought back memories of her surgery or what, she didn't really say. Now she says it s a pretty ok room!

In May, while Cody was already here in Colorado, we had started to think of a couple of names for the baby. One day I received a text from Cody saying that if it were a girl he liked a certain name. I thought, Ok let's put that at the top of the list & see how things go. Once we found out we were for sure having a girl we kept thinking of other names. Some we liked, some we laughed at, some we just said "Um No!"

Of the 3 names that we never did kick off the list we finally narrowed it down to 1! We've decided to name her Aspyn Raelyn Survis! I've always wanted the name Aspyn for a girl & that's the one Cody wanted in May. Ralyn is a combination of mine & Cody's middle names. It's fun having a name for her before she's actually here!!

Our next appointment is on Monday. I'm excited to check on our progress & ask the Dr a few questions that have come up. I sometimes think that having a second baby is actually harder on the body than the 1st one. I've had more round ligament pain with this one and my pubic bone feels like it could just break in half somedays, especially after we go for our nightly walks around town. All normal I'm sure!!

Level 1 Complete

2010-08-17T14:23:00.000-06:00

Jordyn passed Level 1 Swimming Lessons August 13th! She did so well! It was so much fun being able to go everyday and watch her progress from the viewing deck. The lessons were about 45 minutes long each day but for those 45 minutes she didn't stop moving. When the instructor was working with another kid, Jordyn would go off to the side and continue practicing what she had learned. The last couple days of lessons, they went into the big pool just to get a feel of what it's like. Her instructor was able to get her to do her back float in the big pool! She's a little bit nervous to go to Level 2 now that she knows what the big pool will be like. The Level 2 class that's starting in a couple weeks is currently full, but if they get enough interest they will open another session. We are keeping fingers crossed they do. She was just such a happy girl being able to go somewhere each day that challenged her! We're super proud of you Kiddo!!

The next couple weeks are going to be a bit busy! Jordyn's cousins (well 2nd cousins actually) Bret & Austin are in town visiting Aunt Bonnie. So on Thursday we are all heading to Grand Junction to Dinosaur Land & then to Chucky Cheese! Jordyn has so much fun playing at the park with Bret, so I know they will have fun there! Then next Thursday Jordyn's school has it's open house where she'll finally meet her teachers and see the classroom all put together. Her school will finally start September 7th. We are all just way too excited. So between now and then it's Back to School Shopping and getting everything ready for that big day!!

I want to think that her going to Preschool here will be just like the other 2 Preschools she's already been to in Nevada last year. I know it's going to be way different. It's everyday but Friday, & it's at an actual school instead of someone's house. In a way I think it's going to be more like Kindergarten than Preschool. I just can't believe she's getting big enough to go to school. Makes me a little sad that she's growing up so fast!

In other growing news, we are at 26 weeks pregnant today! We are finally in double digit numbers as far as counting down the days. I am still nowhere near ready. I'm lucky that I have a sister who also had a girl, so I have inherited Jordyn's and Rusti's clothes back. I don't think I'll have to buy a whole lot of clothes for this little girl for quite a while! We have the crib up & made, and that is about it. I know I have 13-14 weeks left, but I'm starting to feel overwhelmed at all the stuff we still need to get. I guess just one day at a time!! In the past 3 weeks we have definitly grown. I would say I'm looking pregnant now! We'll go back to the Dr on August 30th for our glucose test & another check. Then it's every 2 weeks after that. Always fun!!

Right after lunch!

I think we've decided on a name, but I'll leave that for the next post!!

All In 1 Week

2010-08-09T22:57:00.000-06:00

This past week has been very very busy! Jordyn started swimming lessons last Monday! She loves it!!

She's doing very well. Her instructor says she almost has her back float down! She wants to go into Level 2 so bad. It's a good thing it's an indoor pool! She'll be able to take lessons all winter, hopefully! She went every day last week and will continue everyday this week! I think she's part fish!!

Over the weekend we packed up and headed up to Cedar Mountain for the Taylor Family Reunion 4 Wheeler Trip! It was a lot of fun. Just about everyone was there this year at one time or another! We had a lot of rain, but it didn't keep us from doing what we do best, play! We got there about 7 Thursday night and had to head home Sunday late morning. The entire weekend went way too fast. Ashley and Rusti came up Saturday morning. It was so great to see them. I've really missed my entire family so it was great they could all be there! Rusti was so excited to see Jordyn. It was fun!

Saturday evening, Alan, Taliah, & Lyli came up to visit! They stayed about 3 hrs, and it was great seeing them and catching up on everything that has been happening.

Sunday felt like it took forever to get home. We were all ready to get home and finally have a nice hot shower, but it was still hard to leave!

Today we had another Ultrasound! It was in Grand Junction at St. Mary's Hospital with a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician. The Ultrasound equipment was a lot better than what Delta Hospital had. We were finally able to get the measurements that we weren't able to get the past 2 Ultrasounds! She is perfect! It's a big relief knowing that physically everything is in place, and developing great! She weighs 1 lb 9 oz. We are still right on track! It was probably one of the best Ultrasound experiences we have had. The tech was a lot more informative than the other 2 and once the Ultrasound was done, the Dr came in right then and confirmed that everything was just fine! He did recommend that we come back in 6 weeks for another Ultrasound since my amniotic fluid has been low. He wasn't concerned about it today, but wants to see how her growth is in 6 weeks, but he would leave that up to me & my OB Dr.

We don't go back to the Dr until the end of August, but until then I can rest assured that she is growing! A week ago I was barely showing. This week I feel like I just popped! I'm still wearing my regular pants, but they are getting a bit snug in the belly. I've been wearing poofy shirts a lot more!

Jordyn is still excited and makes suggestions about what to get the baby or what she is going to do for the baby. When she talks about the baby, her face just lights up. I am so glad that she'll get to experience being a big sister!

A Few Good Things!

2010-07-30T18:10:00.000-06:00

Some pretty good things have happened since last post! My sister Brieanna, received her mission call! She is going to Everett Washington! She is so excited. She has wanted to go on a mission since she was young. She doesn't turn 21 until October, so she doesn't leave until Nov 10th. I'll really miss her for the year and a half that she'll be gone. Her and I really are a lot like twins! She won't be around when I have the baby, but it's ok I forgive her!

Jordyn got the pins out of her arm last Friday. I'm so glad that's over!! She was very upset and we had to hold her down while the Dr took them out. It was nothing a little ice cream didn't help though. Now that they are out we have finally been able to go swimming. Cody, Jordyn and I went to the Hotchkiss pool on Monday. We had a lot of fun. 2 hours in the sun though was enough for me though! Jordyn starts swimming lessons in Delta on Monday. It's everyday for 2 weeks. She is just glad that she can finally go (actually I am too)!

One of the best bits of new news is I was finally able to get Jordyn enrolled in the Preschool that they have through the School District. I have been calling for weeks to get ahold of someone that could point me in the right direction. On Tuesday I took a chance and stopped by the Elementary school (where it's located) to see if anybody was there. Luckily someone was walking out just as I got to the doors and told me that the Preschool administrator was at her desk! After talking to her I found out that usually every spot is full by the end of May, but that they had 2 kids leave this year! She will be in the afternoon session which is Mon-Thurs 12:00-3:00. Since it's in the Elementary school it will be an easier transition to Kindergarten next year. She'll be able to meet new kids and also get away from me for a few hours a day!! We are super excited she was able to get in!

I am now 23 weeks pregnant! Time is passing pretty quick. We went for our follow up Ultrasound yesterday. There were a few measurements that they couldn't get before. The tech was able to get a couple of them and confirm several times that SHE is still a SHE!! Yay! There is still 1 more thing that they haven't been able to see both times that they still want to see. This last time she was facing my back and wouldn't budge! Also, both times my amniotic fluid has been low. I talked to the nurse today. She said it's a "low normal" so nothing to be concerned about, and we get to have another Ultrasound at a different location that has a higher resolution machine on August 9th! All fun stuff! I still feel great and she is still moving around a lot! She weighs a little over a pound now and her growth is right on!! We still haven't decided on a name, but the list is growing! I'll see the Dr on Monday, but so far everything looks fantastic. Here we are at 23 1/2 weeks!

I'll definitaly post after our next ultrasound! So, until then...adios!!

We Had Visitors!

2010-07-18T22:01:00.000-06:00

This past week has been so much fun! On Tuesday July 13th Jordyn was able to get her cast off! The xray showed that the bone wasn't completely healed yet, so the pins stayed in. She was so scared to move her arm or even let us get close to it. By the end of the night she was able to straighten it a little bit. Also, that evening my mom, dad & my sister Amberlee came to visit!!! It was so nice to be able to see them again after about 7 weeks. Jordyn was so excited! For about an hour before they got there she was pacing the floor and asking every 5 minutes if they were close! It took her a little bit to get to bed that night! Wednesday we really didn't do much but hang around the house & visit. That night we all went to the Drive-In movie. It was Amber's 1st experience at a Drive-In. We saw Eclipse! It was fun to sit outside, eat candy, and watch the movie. The Drive-In always shows a double feature. The second movie was Letters to Juliet, but by 11:30 we were all too tired to stay for it!

Thursday we went over McClure Pass and headed over to Glenwood Springs to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. You take a tram up the side of the mountain to the very top! There they have Stelagtight caves. It's pretty interesting to walk through these caves that are millions of years old! It was a very nice 52 degrees inside the caves. I could've stayed there all day!

Jordyn was a little scared at first to go into the caves, but after a moment she thought they were really cool!

They also had different rides and activities for the families! Jordyn's favorite thing to do was the Alpine Slide. Amber said her first time down she screamed a bit, but she kept asking to go back again!

Cody & Amber both were talked in to riding Demon the Bull! Both did really well & I think they both actually enjoyed it a bit!

Then there was this Giant Swing Ride! It swings you 1,300 feet above the Colorado River.

Cody & Amber went on it twice. Once on both side of the swing. It kind of freaked them out a bit. It was a pretty fun day!!

Friday we went into Grand Junction to do a little bit of shopping. It was hot in the "Big City"!

Saturday we did a few projects around the house and tried to stay cool! This week, along with the rest of the country, Colorado had a heat wave. Our average high in Paonia is about 88-92. This week was 96-98. I know that compared to St.George or Mesquite is nothing, but in a house without air conditioning that's HOT! Of course the evenings would cool down to about low 60's!

Today the family had to head home to the heat. About an hour after they left I really started to miss them again. I really enjoyed their visit! It was nice to have someone from home come visit us & enjoy our new area with us! In about 3 weeks we will be going up the the annual Four Wheeler Trip where we will see the rest of the family! I think I can make it until then!

Jordyn was sad to see everyone leave. I know she really enjoyed the sleepovers that she had with Amber & Grandma & Grandpa!

Thanks family for the fun week! We miss you a lot!! See you in 3 weeks!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.Oh My Gosh! It Happened Twice!!!

2010-07-10T15:24:00.004-06:00

Yup we are having another girl! We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday. It was so exciting to see her moving around! She is right on track for 20 weeks 3 days, and weighs 13 oz! Our due date is still November 23rd.

Jordyn is excited that she is getting a sister. On our way out of the hospital she kept saying, "I'm so glad it's a sister!" I think she was kind of worried about having a brother. I know deep down she really wanted a little siser. I was so glad that she was able to go in and watch the Ultrasound. I don't think she quite understood that she was seeing her sister on the screen, but I'm excited she was able to experience it! Now she keeps asking when the baby is going to be here!

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'm going to have 2 girls! I know Jordyn and this little one will be very close. Jordyn will be a little mother to her I'm sure! I feel blessed that I get to raise 2 beautiful girls. Cody is fine with having another daughter. That's just one more little girl he gets to tease (since that's what dad's are for)! I know my family is excited for another girl. I don't think we would know what to do with a boy. I told my dad we were just following in his footsteps with only getting girls! Jordyn and my niece Rusti have Grandpa Craig wrapped around their fingers, and I'm sure this one will too!

Even though I still have a lot of things from when Jordyn was a baby, it's still going to be fun to update and shop some more! I've already got a few things in mind! We do have a couple of names in mind, but we haven't officially decided on one yet. As soon as we do, I'll definitaly post it!

I am now super excited for her to get here. I hope the next several months pass quickly! I didn't get the ultrasound pics scanned yet, but I'll leave with a picture of me & our little girl at 20 weeks!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T19:30:00.002-06:00

I am so grateful to live in this country where we can have the freedoms we have! It's a good feeling!

This weekend was Cherry Days here in Paonia Colorado. We started off Saturday morning watching the parade down Grand Street. It was very good for a small town parade. Most of the entries threw candy out, which Jordyn loved to gather up!

Jordyn's favorite entries were the clowns and all the horses at the end.

After the parade we went over to the park where they had a carnival & lots of entertainment. Jordyn wanted to have her face painted. She of course chose the Unicorn! Once we got over to the carnival to get Cody & Jordyn's wrist bands for the rides, we found out that the Carnival's insurance doesn't allow people with casts to ride any of their rides. Jordyn was kind of upset, but not too bad. So, instead of rides she got to do the fun games like Ring Toss, Dart Throw etc. I think we left with about 7 different stuffed animal prizes. She enjoyed it though. Later that night we all went back to the park for a Contra Dance. Contra Dances are kind of like the old time Square Dancing. Jordyn had a blast! She listened to the instructions and followed along with what everyone else was doing and danced along with the rest of us! By the end of the night we were pretty worn out.

Sunday afternoon we went back over to the park for a little bit more fun. Jordyn chose a Butterfly mask for her face paint today. She of course played the games, again! It was quite the weekend, but it was fun!

That's just the start of our busy July month! This month is going to filled with many fun things! This Thursday I have a Dr appt, then Friday we finally have our Ultrasound and finally get to find out what we are having. Jordyn is so excited to go to the "xray" of the baby! Jordyn gets her cast off on the 13th! Then that same week my Mom, Dad & Amberlee are coming for a visit. I am very excited to see them again. I've missed them a lot! Then it's the Mesa County Fair where Jordyn will actually be able to ride the rides! That pretty much takes care of July!

I will be 20 weeks pregnant this week! I am so excited to finally be 1/2 way through! Hopefully the rest of the pregnancy will go just as smooth. The little flutters that I started feeling at 16 weeks have definitely turned into very noticeable kicks. It's gotten to where I can feel most of them with my hand. Pretty amazing! Next week I'll try to have some pics of the baby!

I hope everyone had a safe & fun holiday!

Jordyn

2010-06-20T20:25:00.006-06:00

Jordyn-Sassy, a fighter, very energetic, persistant, very good looking, smart, independent, & highly sensitive.

Here are just a few tidbits about our little bug:

Jordyn is 4 years 4 mos old! Her favorite color is purple (right now!). Her favorite food is corn dogs or macaroni & cheese. While she still likes watching Sponge Bob she is kind of venturing out into other shows on Nickelodeon like iCarly or the baby shows on TLC.

She loves her dog Suzy & spends as much time as possible outside with her. Her sense of humor is absolutely amazing! She tries to see the good side in all things. Her heart is made of gold and makes friends easily! She'll do anything for anybody. She is very sensitive. Movies with animals make her cry. When she leaves her Grandparents or Aunts, she feels so sad because she is so close to them. When she is around her Aunts she almost seems like she's 16! Sometimes it's really hard to remember that she is only 4 years old. She just doesn't act like it!

She loves spending time outdoors with anybody. It doesn't matter what they are doing as long as it's outside. She loves doing the garden or going up to the corrals with Grandpa Craig. While she can be quite girly most of the time, get her outside and she's not too afraid to get dirty or have a good time.

Her favorite thing to do right now is spending time outside at the park or going hiking or just a walk around the town.

She is so smart and loves learning. Books or her educational computer games really keep her mind growing. I have never met a 4 year old that has a memory like hers! Don't try to tell her that you'll do something at a later time, because she never forgets. Just when you think she has forgotten, she'll pull it out of her memory and amazes me everytime.

Jordyn loves music. Anything from country to oldies. She'll hear a song a few times and remember all the words! Watching her dance is such a great thing to watch. She'll dance and sing anywhere!

Jordyn is so excited to be a big sister. Everyday she comes up with something she wants to do with the new baby. I know she'll teach him or her everything she knows! She'll be an awesome big sister.

I can't believe that she is 4 years old and will be in Kindergarten next year! She's such a fun & great person to be around! Everyone that is around her loves her tenderness and spirit! Having her in our family has been such a blessing and we just can't imagine what our lives would be like with her.

Thank you Jordyn for teaching us love & patience! We love you so much!!

Welcome To Colorado

2010-06-13T20:41:00.003-06:00

We have finally made it here to Paonia Colorado! We have been here only about 4 weeks and it's been adventurous so far!

Here is the house that we are renting. It's 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. The living room is HUGE & very comfy!

We knew when we rented the place that it had a pretty nice yard. We just didn't know how nice. There are about a million flowers that have bloomed, and more continue to pop up. We've also found out that there is Dill, Tarragon, Strawberries, Carrots, Rosemary, Thyme and other edibles that are growing in planters in the back yard! Guess who gets to weed and take care of it all? Yup ME! Weeding, watering and mowing the lawn has now become my full time job, as well as cleaning the house and taking care of Jordyn. Cody does help though, thank goodness!! We'll see if I really do have a green thumb!

On June 1, 2010 Jordyn fell off of an office chair and broke her arm right above the elbow. The Humerus bone was broken completely through so it required surgery. The pic above is here waiting in the ER.

She ended up having 3 pins put in her arm. She had a splint & ace wrap on for the first week to let the swelling go down. On Thursday she was finally able to get her new hard cast. It's Lime green! She'll keep that on for 5 more weeks.

Throughout the whole thing she's done so well. Even right after she broke it she didn't really cry like I would have thought. She whimpered and cried, but it wasn't hysterical or screaming. The only time she got really upset was when they had to do the IV 3 times. After surgery she took pain medication very rarely. Most of what she took was over the counter Motrin. She's had a couple of moments where she gets upset at herself for standing on the chair. We keep telling her it was only an accident and she's not in trouble for it. I think she's learned not to do that anymore!

We've also taken in some of the local happenings! Yesterday we went to Crawford Pioneer Days. There they had Outhouse Races! Yes, that's what I said. Teams build outhouses (not functioning) with a theme and race them on a small track. Winner gets money and an outhouse trophy. Mobile Movement(above) won this year. For some reason I can see Cody, my dad, & Larry Morwood doing this next year! They also had fireworks over Crawford Reservoir last night that were amazing. These small towns do some pretty fun & kind of weird things, but everyone so far has been very friendly! So far, I like it!!

I am now currently 17 weeks into being pregnant. I feel really good! I have my energy and my appetite back, finally! I met my new dr, Dr Bader, on Friday. He's a pretty funny guy. The appointment went really well. The baby's heartbeat was really strong and great. We've scheduled our ultrasound for July 9th. I can't wait to finally find out what we are having! I've been noticing a little bit of fluttering movement recently, so that's been great!

So far, Colorado has been treating us pretty good, other than Jordyn's mishap! Although we miss our families a lot, it's been a good change. Hopefully it just continues to get better!

I'll leave you with a picture of me & baby @ 17 weeks. I'll also update this a lot more now that the internet is up and running! Until next time!!

Jordyn's 1st Flight/Colorado

2010-05-10T11:25:00.009-06:00

This is a long post.....Enjoy!

Thursday, May 6th, Jordyn and I embarked on a new journey! Jordyn had her first experience flying! We got to the Las Vegas airport around 4 o'clock. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:30. I wanted plenty of time for her to take in the sights and not have to hurry! She did really well going through security. She thought it was funny that you had to take off your shoes so they could check them and make sure they were safe! I went through the metal detector first, then had her walk to me. She seemed a little hesitant to walk through it. I guess it's a good thing it didn't go off on either one of us!

Her 1st really exciting moment was the tram that took us to the D gate. She thought the "train" was so much fun! Especially when it went into the tunnel. She felt really big being able to hold onto the pole, like the adults!

At the D Gate, there was this rock lizard. At first she was kind of scared to even get close to it. After about 2 seconds she wanted to climb on his back!

Jordyn was impressed that you could see the plane from the window. She was really intrigued about walking through the "white thing" to get onto the plane.

She didn't really want to walk around the terminal and really didn't complain about having to wait. She was very patient and just enjoyed seeing the planes coming in and leaving. When it came time to board the plane, she just took the whole thing in and slowly made her way to the airplane. Once she got on the plane she kept asking if we were moving yet. She was really, really excited to get going! Once the plane started moving, she held onto the tail of her seat belt, and gave a little shout when it took off!

She sat in her seat, and kept her seat belt on the entire time. I thought she would get bored, but she didn't. She was so calm, the entire time, even when it came time to land. Nothing bothers this kid! Friday we looked at a few houses and just hung out at Aunt Bonnie's house. Saturday we decided to take in some "Local Entertainment". In Hotchkiss they had the Sheep Dog Trials. It was actually quite entertaining. Those dogs are very very smart. Jordyn had a great time watching the dogs bring in the sheep from the pasture!
The park in Paonia is amazing. There is something for every age. Jordyn met a few kids her age there. They really hit it off. She played for hours at this park. To the left of this picture is a HUGE grassy/tree area. There are several activities that take place in the park throughout the summer.
Jordyn flew off the Merry Go Round. It was not her highlight! This spiny thing was crazy. I sat in it for about 2 seconds and got super dizzy. It gets spinning quite fast.
Bonnie had this stick horse at her house for her grandsons. Jordyn just adopted it as her own and would barely put it down. She of course named it "The Black". She would run back and forth all day at Bonnie's doing the rodeo!
Our family picture right before Jordyn and I left Grand Junction. Our plane! Yes, we had to walk down the tarmac to get onto the plane! Crazy small town airports!

We found a couple of houses that we are very interested in. We thought we were set on one, but Sunday morning we found another that may work better for our family.

We had a great time as a family. It was very hard to leave Cody and Colorado, but knowing that it's only for another 2 1/2 weeks I think I can handle it. Jordyn did very well on the plane, and in Colorado. I know this move will be a great opportunity for us!

Quick Update!!

2010-05-03T09:27:00.000-06:00

Friday April 30th I had my first official Dr appointment with Dr Chamberlain to see how everything is progressing! He said everything was right on track for being 10 weeks pregnant! I finally got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was awesome! It was beating at about 177 beats per minute, which according to the Old Wives tale says its a girl! Of course we aren't going to take that as the truth, but it's kind of fun to wonder if it could be right. After hearing the heartbeat it made everything a lot more real. I was excited before, but now that I know that he or she is alive and growing I'm more excited! I go back to see Dr.Chamberlain again on May 24th. At that appointment he will order an ultrasound. I'm not expecting to find out the sex of the baby then, but it will be nice to make sure everything is progressing well before we move to Colorado!

This Thursday, Jordyn and I are flying over to Colorado to see Cody! We are both way excited for that! It will be Jordyn's first flight. She's been asking for quite awhile to go on one, so it should be really fun for her! I'll take a lot of pictures and post them as soon as we get back!

He Passed!

2010-04-26T09:09:00.001-06:00

For the past several weeks, Cody has been back and forth to Colorado trying to get things squared away to start his new job. On April 5th it was the drug test, on April 12th it was the Physical, and last week from the 19th-22nd he had a Mining Safety class. All these had to be taken and passed before he could start. On Friday April 23rd. He finally took his Mining Test. It took him about 4 1/2 hours, was about 400 questions and some essays. The instructor knew Cody didn't want to wait until Monday to find out the results, so he graded his paper Friday. Cody passed with a 98%!! It's the highest the instructor has seen in a new Miner! When Cody called to tell me the results, I cried. I didn't realize just how stressed out I was about him taking this test. If he hadn't passed, he wouldn't have been able to retest until the end of May. I am just so greatful that he did on the first shot! Now hopefully we can start getting things rolling on getting a house and finally getting over there.

It Finally Happened!

2010-04-12T11:03:00.000-06:00

Jordyn is finally going to be a big sister!! Yep, it's true! Cody and I are expecting a baby November 23rd! We are currently 8 weeks pregnant and very excited! Even though we aren't that far along yet, I have already noticed several things that are different with this pregnancy than with Jordyn. I definitely have more nausea than I did with her. Not enough that I actually get sick, but enough that I feel like I could. I already have lower back pain toward the end of the day, even though I'm in better shape now. I'm always hungry, but have more food aversions than before. The smell of fresh baked bread is NOT a good thing!! I get really really tired. By about 2 in the afternoon I'm dragging and by 8 o'clock I'm just about asleep on the couch. Those things aside I actually feel pretty good. I'm still able to continue jogging, I'm just not trying to beat records or anything. I feel healthy and happy and ready to add this to our ever changing fun lives.

We haven't told Jordyn yet. We are waiting until I'm showing before we mention it to her. We feel like maybe she'll understand a little more and maybe then it won't seem as long until the baby arrives. After watching her see Ashley go through her pregnancy, I'm pretty sure she'll understand. I know she'll be excited!

The scariest part of this for me is the fact that we are also trying to move to Colorado in the next month or so. Cody's starting a new job there the end of the month. Having to find a new Dr in a new town is kind of stressing. I've gotten really comfortable with the Family Dr I've had for close to 17 years and who delivered Jordyn. It will work out I'm sure, it's just getting everything all lined up that is quite a chore.

My brother and sister in law, Chad and Danie'l are expecting their first baby September 12th! Also,during Easter weekend, my cousin Heather also let the family know that she is expecting a baby November 11th. It seems that in my family these babies always come in two's (except Jordyn). Heather and Michelle were due close to each other, and Lisa and Ashley were due close to each other! It's quite crazy. It's great to know that Jordyn and this baby will have cousins close to their ages on both sides of the family.

I'm going to try and get better about keeping up on this blog throughout the move and the pregnancy. As for pictures, well.......we'll see!

Biggest Loser Hone Edition The Finale

2010-03-01T09:38:00.001-07:00

The 2010 Biggest Loser Hone Edition has finally come to an end! On Saturday February 27, 2010 everyone met at my mom's office to weigh in on the "official scale". Ashley was there to weigh us all in and to make sure everyone was honest about their numbers!

Cody lost a total of 17.6 pounds. A total of 10.51% weight lost!

I lost a total of 23.4 pounds. A total of 12.66% of weight lost!

Dad lost a total of 15.6 pounds. A total of 9.69% of weight lost.

Mom lost a total of 20.8 pounds. A total of 9.36% of weight lost!

I am so proud of everyone. I know everyone has not only lost weight, but has also made lifestyle changes. All of us have given up soda and really cut back on sweets. Healthy alternatives in food choices as well as portion control are the key. Not one person used diet pills or weight loss gimmicks. Just good old fashioned diet and exercise. Some of us had little to no exercise in our lives at the beginning. I can't say we are addicted to working out or that it's still not difficult to fit it into the daily activities, but I can say we've all seen the benefits of it.

Mom and I still aren't at our goal weight, but we are have made great progress! We are going to continue with the things we have learned throughout this and make it to our goals!

Cody and Dad have both said that they don't want to loose anymore. Both of them look awesome! I think the biggest change has been with Mom! She has so much more energy and looks amazing!

This experience has not been easy, but so very worth it! Sometimes the craving for fatty foods or snacks would be so intense, but I was did find treats that would help with those cravings. Working out was also a challenge for me. I've found that I enjoy running, which I thought I never would. I've also enjoyed getting out with Cody and snowboarding on Cedar Mountain.

I think everyone that participated would say it was a lot of fun! Congratulations to everyone on an amazing weight loss!!

Biggest Loser 2010 Hone Edition

2010-01-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

After receiving too much "Holiday Cheer," the Hone family has decided to do a Biggest Loser competition among ourselves! The participants are... Tanner, Mom, Dad, Cody and Brandi. Each person has put in $50 into a pot. The person with the highest percentage of weight loss will get the pot, and they have to buy dinner for everyone else! The only rule is NO HCG DIET. Other than that they can do as they wish to loose the weight. We all weighed in at my mom's office wearing a hospital gown (so we could all be on the same playing field) on January 3, 2010. We will weigh in again February 28, 2010 to determine the winner!

Cody and I are doing really well. We've actually gotten pretty creative on meals. Most of our meals are very colorful and full of flavor! The excercise is the hardest to get in. By the time we get home at night it's too dark to jog or walk and exercise videos are pretty boring. So, we have been spending a lot of time at Brian Head snowboarding! It's a very good workout! I've found that Sunday is the hardest day for me to stick with my "plan"! Usually Sunday was a day of munching and of course "Sunday dinner". I've found a few snacks that I can eat that are pretty guilt free. I'm not releasing my "plan" or my snacks as other family members may read this and copy me!! One big clue is water has been my best bud for the past week and a half. That's the only helpful hint!

I'm not going to post weight lost for Cody or myself until the final weigh in! I'll keep you posted on our progress though!

So far our energy is up. Not as many headaches, and definitely not feeling bloated as much!

Wish us all Good Luck!!!

2009 Christmas/New Years with the Hone Family

2010-01-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

This year Christmas was sooo much fun. We all gathered at my parents house Thursday afternoon. Cody, Tanner and my Dad worked on our little project truck. Mom and I finished up a little bit of shopping in town. Ashley and Rusti came out after work. Dinner was awesome. My Mom made Funeral Potatoes, Ham, Green Salad, homeade rolls. It was all so good!
Right before dinner, Santa made an unscheduled stop to the house. He brought Jordyn a little Christmas Eve gift. That got her so excited for Christmas morning. Somehow she actually got to sleep!

Jordyn kept asking for 2 things for Christmas. A bigger fridge for her play area and a doctor bed for her dolls! Well she got both and then some!

Christmas morning was a ton of fun. Everyone got what they wanted. By 7:30 that morning we were all ready to go back to bed!Brieanna's best friend Carli Jo Baty was able to spend Christmas with us this year. She was a lot of fun!

Later Christmas morning, we went out the desert and did a little target practice! Even Jordyn got in on it!

I do have crazy sisters :-)

Dad and Anna were the winners this time in our "Mini Tournament"

Hey Amber, what are Clay Pigeons made out of?!?! Just kidding!

Cody and I weren't too bad! We do need a little bit more practice though!

I'm not sure what is up with Brieanna, but she's a hoot!

Like I said, my sisters are a bit cooky!

Later that evening, Cody, Jordyn and I took Cody's parents out for a little Christmas dinner in Mesquite. Jordyn opened gifts there as well. It was fun having dinner and spending a little time with them.

Sunday December 27th, Ashley, Tanner, Cody and I went up to Brian Head to do a little Snowboarding. This was Ashley's first time going. She did very well! I think we've turned her into a snowboard junkie!

New Years Day, the entire family went camping out past Bloomington. Everyone of us went!

Dad decided to take us on a Four Wheeler ride out to where you can look over the Gorge!

It was a very chilly fun ride!

The view over looking the edge was really really cool!

Jordyn had absolutely no fear whatsoever about getting close to the edge. She wanted to just be right there with everyone else!

The night was cold, but we had a good time. Brieanna and Amber started a dance party! I think Cody was the star that night. He busted out some great moves!

Sunday was a beautiful day! We just rode around, and goofed off for most of the day. By late afternoon, we were all ready to be home!

Later that evening we wanted to try out the new Ice Skating Ring in St George. There was Tanner, Ashley, Amber, Jordyn, Cody and myself that went. It was very different, but fun! I had forgotten how hard it was to skate on ice!

2009 was a great year, but I'm hoping for a better 2010! Here's to great family, friends and an awesome New Year!!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2009

2009-11-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

This year, Thanksgiving was at my parents house. It was the year the Hone Family got together and celebrated as a family. We had a lot of fun! At about 10:30 everybody went out to a spot not far from my parents house and we did a bit of Skeet shooting. Everyone participated in the "Tournament". Cody Hone and Zach Hone were the winners, most of the time! There were a few people that this was their first time shooting at an actual moving target, so it was great practice and a lot of fun!! For Dinner we had all the usual Thanksgiving items. Thank you mom for preparing a great dinner :-). There were 16-18 people at my mom's house this year. It was great spending time with the Hone family.

On Friday, we took Cody to Bumblee Castle just outside of Cedar City. It is owned by Ree and Renn Zaphiropolous. My Uncle Chris works for them there. He trains and shows their Shire horses.

Here is Jordyn on one of the "Big Horses". She was a little scared, but then again it's a really long way to the ground!

Renn has a "Bentley House" on the property. And yes he does have a Bentley. Cody was in absolute love with this car. There were photos of Renn and Chris watching the process this car goes through to become a Bentley. The car took 4 mos to build, to his specifications.

Just a quick picture of Cody next to a Shire showing just how big they are!

Saturday, Cody and my dad took a Four Wheeler trip along the ridge looking over Snow Canyon. Cody said it was the hardest ride he's ever taken! They got rained on a bit, but saw some excellent scenery. Ashley and I did a bit of shopping while they rode. It was soo much fun just hanging out with Ashley, Jordyn, and Rusti.

Sunday we had Family pictures taken up in Pine Valley. It was windy so it was really really cold. Everyone was a good sport though and some great pictures were taken. We haven't had a family picture taken in about 13 years (not including weddings!) So it will be nice to have those up in frames soon!

It was great to spend so much time with The Family. It seems like we always have a good time, no matter what we do!!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Halloween 2009 started out a very busy Holiday. On Thursday Jordyn's preschool had a Halloween party for all the kids. I didn't let Jordyn wear her Tinkerbell hair to school that day. I just knew it would be off and torn apart before it even made it to Halloween night. She brought home so much candy I thought she may not need to go Trick or Treating!

Cody's office does a Halloween party for all of the Team members and their kids every year. This year, Jordyn got really involved! She was the first kid to "Bob for Apples"

She even got one! Without using her hands! Talented, I know!!!

Some of our friends from Cody's work dressed up! Christine and her husband, Brian, were (if you can't tell) Axel and Slash! Eunice was a Twister game :-). The office had hired a magician that all the kids loved. The food was pretty snacky and the kids also got a TON of candy from going from desk to desk within the office. Jordyn played tag with some of the other kids. One little boy kept chasing her all over the courtyard. I think he developed his first crush!! AWWE!

On Saturday evening, Taliah and Alan and their little baby girl, Lylian Jo came down to our house. We wandered over to the Fairgrounds where they were having a Trunk or Treat and other games. Lyli went as a baby Giraffe! She was sooo cute. Jordyn went through the Spook Alley twice. The first time she was fine, the second time, she was scared out of her Tinkerbell hair!! We hung out for a little bit, let Jordyn get yet more candy and headed for home. Once we got home we watched a scary movie and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Sunday morning was Baby Rusti's blessing over in Orderville. Ashley and Tanner had his Grandpa Rex give the blessing. He did a very good job. The blessing was beautiful. The blessing took place at Tanner's aunt Dott's house! My grandma Ann came from Vegas, and my aunt Sharon and cousins Lacey and Jace made it from Cedar City. Tanner had a lot of family make it! Following the blessing everyone gathered for yummy dutch oven potatoes and 3 different kinds of chicken! What would a Hone event be without those two things?!

Since all of us girls hadn't had a picture taken with just us for a long time, we all got to endure quite a Photo Session! It was fun though :-)

And here is the family minus Tanner (he was cooking!) We'll get him next time! We had a great time with family and friends! I'm so glad I have such a great family and good friends that we can count on to enjoy Holidays and events with!

The Shark Reef!

2009-09-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, Cody's office sponsored a golf tournament down in Las Vegas. Jordyn and I decided to go down with him, but to go over to Grandma Ann's and wait for him. We had to be down to Vegas at 6:30 which meant leaving Logandale at 5:15 a.m. I don't do well with early mornings on a Saturday. While Cody was "working", Jordyn, Grandma and myself went out to breakfast. Later that morning, after a much needed nap, we went over to the Halloween Store and got Jordyn her costume! At first she wanted to be "Belle", but just as we were about to check out, she decided she wanted to be "Tinkerbelle"! We got her the costume and of course she wanted to wear it right then. I don't know if she'll be able to wait until Halloween. I've had to hide it so she doesn't play dress up with it already!

At about 2:30, Cody was finished. Nobody had eaten since breakfast, so we were all so so hungry. What would a trip to Vegas be without eating at Yard House? So, off to Yard House it was! It's got the best food, and the atmosphere is so relaxing. They play older rock music while you eat. I've never been disappointed there! While we were eating, Jordyn kept saying she wanted to do something "fun"! Well, what can you do that's fun for a 3 year old in Vegas? We finally decided to take her to the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef. We didn't tell her where we were going. She just figured it out once we were inside.
These Jelly fish were one of her favorite things. I'm not sure if it's because of Finding Nemo, or if it's because the water they were in was pink so you could see them. I just don't know.

From the moment I saw this fish, all I could think about was Deuce Bigalow..."hey fishy fishy" Anyway it was neat!

And of course the Star Fish, was pretty cool also. I couldn't get any good pictures of the Sharks. They were swimming too fast and it was too dark.

Jordyn talked about the Shark place all the way home, and into yesterday. I think the Zoo has been replaced by the Shark Reef!

She's Here!!!

2009-09-08T16:36:00.000-06:00

Rusti Kay Crofts has finally arrived! She was born on September 4th, 2009 at 11:00 on the dot. She weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 19 1/2 in long. She is such a beautiful baby! Ashley and Rusti went home on Saturday and are doing great. Ashley and Tanner are going to be such great parents. They are just absolutely in awe of their precious little one!

Jordyn was sooo excited to meet Rusti! She couldn't see her in the hospital because of the Swine Flu issue, so she had to wait 3 days before she saw her. She finally got to see her yesterday. She said on the way to St. George, "Do you think that my cousin missed me?" It was so cute. She wasn't quite sure what to think of her when she finally saw her in person, but after about 5 minutes she was following Tanner down the hall and kept a close eye on Rusti. It was pretty funny. She has a new doll named, you guessed it, "Rusti"! She just babysits that doll like I'm sure she would the "real" Rusti. We love Rusti and are so glad she's made it into the world healthy and beautiful!

On other exciting happenings, Jordyn went back to Preschool today! She started Preschool last February right when she was 3. They took a break for the summer, from about the 1st part of June until today. It was a long 3 mos. Some of the kids that were in her class last time, were back this time, others have already moved up to the 4-5 yr olds. Jordyn was so excited to be back. I was glad to have her go back also. She is just a happier kid when she's in school. She only goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30-11:30, but that's enough for now.

All in all our family is great! Welcome again Baby Rusti!!

Ashley's Baby Shower

2009-08-27T11:43:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, August 22, 2009, we had Ashley's Baby Shower at my mom's house. We didn't really think that she would make it to the Shower, but luckily she did! We had a pretty good turn out. She received so many cute things. This baby will be very well dressed! She has a pretty good start on diapers and wipes. All of her sisters went in on getting her a Travel Playpen that she really wanted. Our family does so many different activities through the year, that it's a necessity! We had the Shower as an Open House so people could just stop by, visit, have a few snacks and leave as they needed to. Well, there were actually a lot of people that stayed and visited for quite a while. It was very nice to visit with people that we haven't been able to for some time. Ashley at first didn't think anybody from Orderville (her husband's family/friends) would make it. About an hour into the Shower her mother-in-law and Grandmother came! She was so glad that they could make it, even if it was just for a few moments. It was a fun Shower! I thank my sisters, mom, and my Aunts for helping me with it!

I had one of my friends from Highschool make this cake for the Shower. She hasn't had any formal training, she's just taken a few classes at Roberts Crafts and read a ton of books! It turned out great!

Ashley is still feeling really great! Her Doctor didn't think she would make it to her Shower, and she did. He just said on Monday that he didn't think she would make to next Monday the 31st! I know she's getting excited. She's doing eveything she can to get things moving. I guess Rusti will come when she's ready. We are so excited to see this cute little baby and welcome her into our Family! I'll update as soon as I have any news!

Our Quiet Weekends

2009-08-17T12:17:00.000-06:00

Finally! We've had some quiet weekends. And by quiet, I mean we have actually been home! On ThursdayAugust 6th, Jordyn got sick at Grandma Sharon's. She had a fever of 101, and threw up. Friday was about the same, except for the throwing up part. She had no appetite and was just feeling blah. On Saturday, she was feeling better, fever was down, and she wanted to go swimming. We hit the Logandale Pool for about an hour. At the end she actually said she wanted to go home. That's so unlike her. Usually we are dragging her out of there. We get home, I go to brush her teeth, (yeah I forgot in the morning, don't judge me!) and I notice that her gums are bright red, they are bleeding a bit and she has about 4-5 canker sores in her mouth. After her nap her toungue is white and leathery and really sore. She had 2 more sores on her lips. The rest of Saturday and Sunday were absolutely awful. She wouldn't/couldn't eat. Even drinking water sometimes hurt her mouth. On Monday, I took her to her Dentist in Mesquite. He confimed that she has inherited the lovely Cold Sore virus that runs in my family. He said that kids who experience and outbreak that young, usually experience a pretty brutal outbreak. He thinks that the one's that will follow throughout her life will be just like the one's we all get. I'm trying to find out if there are any Anti Virals that she can take when she starts getting an outbreak. So far, I haven't found out anything there. Poor kid, it took her until about Tuesday the 11th until she could eat bland eggs. Thursday she was back to her normal self and is finally doing fine!

This weekend, we went to the Washington County Fair! We had a really good time. There was Cody, Brieanna, Jordyn and myself that went. Jordyn had a blast, as usual! She went on every ride she could possibly go on. The little kid rides were not fast enough for her. So she went on a lot of the adult rides. It was so much fun having Brieanna go with us. She is seriously a blast!
Later that night, Cody and I went bowling with Chad and D, and Juan and Carrie. I bowled one of my best games. I bowled a 171! It was great fun! Last night was Carrie's Bridal Shower at Chad and D's house. Carrie seemed to have a lot of fun! That is about the extent of our past couple of weeks! Oh one more fun bit of news... Ashley's is really close to having her baby!! The Doctor doesn't think she'll make it to NEXT Monday! Her Baby Shower is supposed to be this Saturday. I'm not sure if we'll be having it Saturday or not! I'll update as soon as anything happens!!

Colorado July 2009

2009-08-03T12:24:00.000-06:00

What a crazy couple weeks we've had! My family met up in Salt Lake City on July 24th to go to the Hogle Zoo. Cody has never been to a Zoo and Jordyn loves seeing all kinds of animals.

Jordyn loved all the animals there! On the way home she kept saying, "Guess which one was my favorite?" and then she would tell us about some animal. Then about 3 minutes later she would ask us again, and it would be a different animal. She didn't like the "Stink Bugs" (why they had those there, I don't know). She was so good to walk around and look at every animal exhibit. She never once complained. There was a bird show where the trainers had so many different kinds of birds trained to fly all around the audience. From one side to another, up, down. Jordyn was really in awe of that show.

Cody and I had a great time too. Since this was his first time to a Zoo, he took in all the sights!

I think he found his long lost relatives there!!! Quite the resemblance huh?

After everyone had taken in all there was to offer at the Zoo, we went back to Aunt Stephanie's house. Cody and I gathered all our things and got reloaded to head off to Colorado for a little get away! Jordyn stayed with my Family.

Cody and I drove over through Price and Castledale to get to I-70. It was mostly a pretty drive. The closer you got to Green River, the more desolate it got, but most of the drive was ok. So, we continue driving into the lovely state of Colorado. We get about 10 miles from Fruita, CO and the Jeep all of a sudden looses power. I have an engine light that is flashing and another light that is yelling at me to "check gauges". I panick and pull off at the next exit (in the middle of nowhere) and just sit for a few minutes. Knowing we need to at least try to make it to civilization, we continue down the freeway going about 50 mph. We make it to Fruita! Cody checks all the fluids, and yes even the gas cap! At this point, the engine light is on, but not flashing. We decide to drive to Grand Junction and have it hooked up to a computer in Auto Zone. The Auto Zone guys diagnose it and give us a referral to a garage that happens to be open on Saturdays. By this time it's 8:30 pm in Grand Junction. We find us a hotel and call it a night.

Saturday July 25th, this is where we spend 8 hours getting the Jeep fixed. There is nothing around this garage for us to do. Everywhere we wanted to go we had to walk. We walked to much that day. So 8 hours , $350 dollars, 2 new sensors and an Ignition Coil Pack later, Cody and I decide to cut Denver out of our Vacation. We head up to Paonia where his Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Terry live.

Sunday July 26th, we set out for a drive over McClure Pass. It's gorgeous outside! At the top of McClure it's 58 degrees and raining. Something we haven't experienced in a while. Our plan was to do a big loop from Paonia, over to Carbondale, back over to Grand Junction and back to Paonia. Well, the rain had other plans! It rained so much that it caused a mudslide! Yeah, that left us unable to pass! So we turned around and went back the way we came.

It wasn't a total waste though. We saw some beautiful views and stopped into a funny little town called "Marble". They have a marble quarry there (surprised?). Everywhere you looked there were marble statues. That town had a population of 85! Wow!

This is just a view looking off of McClure Pass into the valley. Kind of pretty!

Since we didn't make it through our loop. We decided to go to a Drive-In Movie that was playing in Delta, CO. For 7 dollars a person you got 2 movies. It was a lot of fun! We saw Ice Age and The Proposal. Both were cute and funny. It was so nice watching a movie from the comforts of your own vehicle. We turned the Jeep backward and opened the hatch. We had a few blankets and pillows so it was very comfy. That night we actually had to put on our sweaters. It got kind of chilly.

For the remainder of the trip we just toured around Colorado. We made it as far a Golden, CO. The weather was so beautiful and mild temperatures. We really didn't want to come back, we were really wanting to just have Jordyn shipped to us and to never leave again!

We made it back home to Logandale around 9:00 pm Wednesday. Both of us were dreading the next day when we both had to be back to work. Jordyn was glad to see us. I think that's the longest she's been away from us since she was tiny. I think it was a good trip for all of us! Very, very relaxing (after the first couple of days anyway)!

We brought back 16 dozen ears of corn to split between us and my family, along with a bunch of other fruit. Jordyn and I ended up freezing our corn. We got about 25 freezer bags. It will definetaly keep us till our next trip to Colorado next July!

We did have a good vacation. Not what we had originally planned, but it was great to get away with Cody. We talked a lot about things for the future and just other events that have been happening in our life. Sometimes the best vacations are the ones you least expect to enjoy!

Taylor Reunion

2009-07-20T10:56:00.001-06:00

This weekend we went up to Cedar Mountain to the Taylor Reunion. It was so much fun! Cody, Jordyn and I got up there Friday about Noon. When we left Logandale at 8:30 it was 98 degrees. When we got up to the mountain, it was about 78! Amazing!!

Throughout the weekend, we rode Four Wheelers and just sat and visited with everyone! Jordyn of course loves the four wheelers. She even got to drive one (not alone)!

Cody and I went on a 4 hour four wheeler trip. We got pretty dirty! This is only about an hour in! When Amberlee got back to camp, she went in where Jordyn was. Jordyn took one look at her and screamed. Our faces were completely black! It was alot of fun though.

Saturday night we had a big dinner of Dutch oven Roast, potatoes, the Works! I heard someone say that they counted 26 people at dinner! I think the only person who wasn't there this year was Troy. He had just gotten back from London and needed to get back into Law School mode! We'll forgive him this time!

I have to say I have the greatest family ever! You don't hear of too many families getting together anymore and having as much fun as we do. Our family is really close and it's great to be able to see everyone's families grow!

It was great to get out of the heat and enjoy the "COOL" mountain air! Yes, we even had a little rain!

4th of July 2009

2009-07-06T10:53:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was sooo much fun! We started it off by going up to St. George on Friday to get out of our small town and do a little shopping. We had lunch with Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Vic, Shawn, Michelle and Kiley at Pizza Factory. All the other Family members were on Cedar Mountain.

On Saturday, Cody, Jordyn and I went to Mesquite to the Casablanca Pool Party. Jordyn went down the slide about a million times. Each time was just as exciting as the first time. She's getting to be quite natural in the pool. As long as she has her life jacket on, she's good to go! We were there for about 2 1/2 hours. I think Jordyn could have kept going all day long if we had let her!

Later that evening we went over to Danie'l and Chad's home and had a great BBQ with family and friends. Jordyn met a friend there named "Gabby". They were just running through the house. Inside and outside. We finally talked her into going with us to the fireworks at the park. We got there at 9:20, the fireworks started at 9:30! We cut it a little too close! The Fireworks were short and sweet, but Jordyn thought they were neat. She kept saying" How come they keep coming toward me?!" She was quite entertained!

Yesterday, we hit the Casablanca Pool again! Jordyn got to the point yesterday that she would jump off the side of the pool and not want us to catch her. She went and stood in line for the slide all by herself, and didn't want us to catch her at the bottom anymore! I guess the next step is going to be finding swimming lessons for her while she's not afraid of the water!

All in all it was great weekend! Fun times, good food and great company!

"The Reservoir"

2009-06-30T16:31:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, we went to the Reservoir in Logandale. It was such a hot weekend and we decided we needed a little sun! So off we went! We were lucky to find a tree that we could sit under to get out of the sun for a little bit and have a picnic.

It's actually a pretty place. The water is a very pretty blue.

Jordyn had a blast. With her Lifejacket and hat on, she was off! The Wasps flying around scared her, but being in the water is nothing to this kid. She likes to say "We were Swimmin Women"! She's such a goof!

Cody and I could've spent all day out there. It was sooo relaxing just floating and enjoying the sun. It really didn't feel like it was 108 degrees out there. After about 2 hours, Jordyn got a bit cranky and everything set her off. So homeward bound we went. Just in time for her to bathe and then crash in her bed.

It was great fun!

Kangaroos, Porcupines, & Camels. Oh My!!

2009-06-04T11:17:00.000-06:00

Last Friday, Jordyn's friend Trinity had a birthday party at a little "Zoo" in Moapa. It was actually pretty neat. It was very interactive. You could pet or hold any animal they had there. This Kangaroo is actually the "Grandma". She's 9 years old. They live between 9-12 years. No Boxing Here!

Trinity wouldn't get on the camel unless Jordyn went 1st. So here is Jordyn and Trinity on a 2 year old camel. I thought she would be scared, but it was not even a big deal to her.

Yes, this is a Porcupine and yes the kids were able to pet it. These things are HUGE! I was more scared of these than the kids. They were able to look at the quills that fall out onto the ground. They are pokey, but not like you would think. These guys were busy eating Mangos, Bananas, and other fruit. I guess they can't see very well, so they rely on the sense of smell to get them to their food.

Other animals that were there were Otters, Zebra's, a ZDonk, Lemurs, Wild Bores, about 15 Kangaroos, just other Exotic animals. It was very interesting to see 15-4 year olds interact with animals they have never seen before!

Jordyn's New Earrings

2009-05-28T14:48:00.000-06:00

Yes, We did it. Jordyn finally decided that she wanted her ears pierced. Ashley was going in to Claire's to find new earrings and Jordyn wanted some also. Ashley told her that she needed her ears pierced before she could get earrings. Sooo, Jordyn asked, and of course, Grandma said OK!! She was fine, until the first ear was done. After that, it was a no-go situation. Both my mom and I had to hold her hands down and hold her tight so the poor girl could get the 2nd ear done. It was an awful moment. After a promise of anything she wanted in the store she finally stopped crying.

She absolutely loves them now, but whoooeee it was quite the moment!!