The Judd Family

December

2012-01-06T13:49:00.013-07:00

I just love the month of December. I love putting up Christmas decorations. I love the Christmas lights. I love Christmas parties. I love shopping for Christmas gifts for my kids.

I especially love seeing the excitement of Christmas on my kids' faces.

This past month was so much fun. Here is what we have been up to.

We got to have the Anderson Christmas party at my in-laws cabin. Here's a picture of all the cousins.

Carson loves to take his shirt off and he throws a fit when I try and put it back on. I guess he was just trying to show off his muscles with all his girl cousins around. It's amazing how a ping pong ball can make him so happy.

One night for family home evening we put together a gingerbread house.

On Christmas Eve night, Santa decided to drop off a little surprise early. He brought pj's for everyone. Kelli and Carson were so excited.

And yes, Carson has his shirt off again.

Their new pajamas.

And here they are on Christmas morning.

One of the things I gave Chris for Christmas was an oil painting. I started it probably back in the spring. I decided to get it finished and framed for him for Christmas. I spent a big portion of December trying to get it finished on time. So here is the finished product. It is probably one of my favorites.

What a day!

2011-12-07T10:16:00.002-07:00

Friday morning of last week was quite the day. Our dog Millie got spayed 2 days before on Wednesday. We woke up Friday morning and I went downstairs to let Millie outside. I could smell a horrible smell coming up the stairs. I thought "oh no!" I went to Millie's kennel and she had diarrhea and vomit all over in her kennel. Not to mention that it was all over the cone she has to wear to keep her from messing with her incision. (Well, Carson wakes up early so of course he was with me. He also likes to eat shortly after waking up.) I had to put Carson down so I could get Millie outside and clean her kennel. All while I was cleaning Millie's kennel, I was dry heaving. I can't stand dog poop smell. Carson was also screaming because he wanted me or wanted to eat. Then I went outside to clean Millie off. Well, her cone was covered in dog poop and vomit. I had to get my hands in it to get it off of her so I could clean it off. I finally got it cleaned off. Then I had to sponge bathe Millie's paws off because she had stepped in it. Keep in mind that I couldn't bath her otherwise I would have done that right off. Finally, amongst all the dry heaving and screaming from Carson, I got it all cleaned up. I lit a candle and sprayed my house with febreeze because my house reeked.

Shortly after that, Kelli wakes up and wants to eat. So I start to get her food ready. While I was getting Kelli's food ready, Millie goes to the door. She does that when she needs to relieve herself. So I stopped what I was doing and took Millie outside. Meanwhile, Kelli opens the door and Carson goes outside. It is freezing cold and Carson is running outside in his pajamas and into the street. At the same time, Millie is going diarrhea again. When Millie is finished, I run over to get Carson. Then at the same time, another dog is outside and Millie is going crazy. I have her on a leash and she is pulling me and wrapping around me while I am trying to pick up Carson. Finally I manage to get everyone inside. Once I get inside, Kelli starts crying and wondering why I haven't got her food yet. That pushed me over the edge. I just lost it right then and I yelled and said, "What do you think I have been trying to do this morning?" Then I yelled, " I am fed up with you! I am fed up with Carson! And I am fed up with Millie!" Then I left everyone and went up the stairs to cool off. After a few minutes, I went back downstairs, apologized to Kelli and finished getting her food. Talk about a morning. That morning pretty much topped them all. I probably sound like a horrible mom for yelling at my kids.

Anyway, a couple of days later, I had to take Millie to the Vet again, because some lumps were forming around her incision. The Vet told me that one of her stitches had ripped and her intestines were poking though hence the lumps around her incision. Then it turned out later that it was an allergic reaction instead which caused swelling and blood pooling around her incision. Good thing it wasn't as bad, but it gave me an understanding for all the diarrhea she had the past couple of days. How awful. Now things are going better with Millie and hopefully she will get better.

Happy Birthday Kelli!

2011-11-15T19:14:00.005-07:00

I can't believe I have a 5 year old! Kelli has been so excited for her birthday party ever since her last birthday party last year. This year she wanted a pirate party. We ordered pirate hats that the kids could decorate, pirate patches, treasure boxes with fake gold coins, chocolate gold coins and skull rings. I also bought beaded necklaces, and ring pops to go inside the treasure boxes. I made pirate hooks and a pirate ship cake.

When the guests arrived, they decorated their pirate hats and put on their eye patches. We played pin the treasure chest on the map and then they got their pirate hooks.

Then we had a treasure hunt around the house and they found all their individual treasure chests. They seemed to think they were so cool. After that, another thing I bought were pirate sticker scenes. They sat down and decorated their pirate scenes. After that, we ate cake and ice cream. Then opened presents. Here is the lovely cake.

Happy Birthday Kelli! I sure love you. I can't believe that your 5! Time sure flies.

October Fun

2011-11-03T18:56:00.009-06:00

During the 1st part of October, Chris and I, along with our dog Millie went chucker hunting with my dad, brother and nephew. We had success and Millie did a pretty good job for her 1st hunt. Plus we found some deer antlers.

Kelli had a hay day at preschool. She got to dress up. The parents came and the kids sang Halloween songs to them. It was sure cute.

Kelli with her preschool teacher.

Over Halloween weekend, we carved our pumpkin.

Then the highly anticipated day came. Kelli was so excited for Halloween and trick-or-treating.

When the afternoon came, she started complaining about her tummy hurting. Then by dinner time she was throwing up. I was feeling so bad for her. I could remember times when I was little and I was stuck home on the couch with a throw up bowl on Halloween. It was horrible. Well Kelli threw up a few times. I knew she wanted to go trick-or-treating so badly. I asked her how she was feeling and if she still wanted to go. After a bunch of debating, she said that she still wanted to go. I said to her that we could try a couple of houses and see how she was doing. I thought for sure that she wouldn't make it for very long. After we went to a few houses, Kelli started acting like she was feeling better and before long, she was running from house to house and beaming with excitement. I was thrilled she got better so quickly.

My little trick-or-treaters.

Kelli was Rapunzel and Carson was Scooby Doo. Carson also loved the whole trick-or-treating thing. He would run right up to the door and participate with the knocking. He would get so excited about the candy. Carson would pick out his piece of candy and run away with it. I couldn't believe the excitement in that kid that night.

Checking out their loot.

September

2011-09-29T11:38:00.014-06:00

September has been a super busy month. At the beginning, I took a trip up the mountains with my dad. It was absolutely gorgeous up there. There were tons of wild flowers. I took some pictures.

For some reason this writing is showing up blue and I can't figure out how to fix it. Anyway, over Labor Day weekend, my parents invited the whole side of my family down to Grover, Utah. We drove down there and stayed in some cabins. We had a hay day going on hikes, fishing, riding in the paddle boats and just hanging out.

Some of us hiked into Blind Lake on the Boulder Mountain and fished. Kelli had so much fun with all the boulders that were all over the place.

Blind Lake

Picture out behind the cabins.

Kelli is now back in her 2nd year of preschool. She absolutely loves it.

And last but not least, I would like to introduce you to our newest member of our family. Meet our new puppy Millie!

We got Millie when she was 9 weeks old. She is now 11 weeks old. She is a Wire Haired Pointing Griffin and is known to be an excellent hunting dog, family dog and house dog. So far those qualities prove to be true.

Happy Birthday Carson!

2011-08-01T09:21:00.010-06:00

Today is actually Carson's 1st birthday. We celebrated a little early. Chris made the awesome videos. He did an awesome job. I could never do anything like that. My computer skills are minimal. The video has more of Carson's birthday celebration pictures and some video clips, so enjoy. I can't believe Carson is a year now. Man time flies. Just a little more information on what he is up to....

Carson is starting to walk. He can take 5 to 7 steps by himself. Pretty soon he will be full on walking. He has 8 teeth and eats real food like a champ. There is practically nothing he won't eat. He sleeps well, going to bed at 8:00 and waking up around 6:30/7:00. Carson loves his monkey blanket and won't go to bed without it. He still loves, loves, loves taking baths and hates it when I take him out. If Kelli is taking a bath, Carson will try his absolute hardest to get in with her. He totally hates it when his daddy says "No." He gets so offended and cries his eyes out.

Carson had a hay day when we celebrated his birthday. I gave him a big piece of cake and a slab of ice cream. He downed both of them and grinned with excitement the entire time he ate them. He sucked away on the slab of ice cream. It was hilarious. After he was finished, he got so mad. So we cheered him up with a bath.

Well, Carson, I can't believe you are a year now. I just love you to death and I have had a blast the past year watching you grow! Happy birthday big boy!

Happy 1st Year Carson!

2011-07-30T21:12:00.003-06:00

So Kelli wanted one as well so here you go Kelli!

The Past Month

2011-07-25T10:39:00.017-06:00

I have been extremely busy the past month. I apologize because I haven't been on anyone's blog to see how you all are doing, nor have I posted for a long time, so here is a little update.

On the weekend of June 25th, my husband and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary. We had the opportunity to stay at his parent's cabin. My in-laws bought a cabin recently which has been awesome for us and the rest of the family. Here is the beautiful cabin.

We spent the weekend, fly fishing, riding four wheelers and enjoying all the wildlife.

A day doesn't go by where you don't see a deer hanging out by the cabin. One of the mornings, we pulled up to the cabin and there was a deer sleeping right under the deck.

The next weekend, July 4th, we went to Gunnison to enjoy the celebration. Kelli and her cousin ready for the parade and the candy.

Carson enjoying the parade from his stroller.

Look who came to the small town of Gunnison.

After the July 4th festivities, we went up the mountains, had a picnic and went fishing. It was a blast!

The next weekend, I went back down to Gunnison to hang out with my parents and my brother and his wife and kids. On one of the days my brother and I took Kelli and his 2 older kids and we went rock climbing. Kelli climbed for the first time and she quite enjoyed it.

And she learned how to come down the right way.

Also, during the month of July, Kelli has been involved in swimming lessons. She has absolutely loved it! She is my little fish. Kelli can now move for about 10 feet through the water with her face in the water. I am quite impressed with how long she can hold her breath. She can float on her back and belly all by herself. She just loves to swim. It's a very good thing.

Kelli looks deep in thought in this picture.

Carson has figured out how fun it is to open cupboards and how neat everything is inside. I am considering buying baby proof stuff.

Birthday Present

2011-06-07T14:16:00.006-06:00

This post has taken me a long time. My birthday was about a month ago and I just love what I got so I had to post it!

This stroller has been great. I love to go running and it is hard to go when you only have a single stroller and 2 kids. Another thing that is great about this stroller is that it converts into a bike trailer.

Don't they look so cute together.

9 Months

2011-05-02T11:10:00.006-06:00

I can't believe it is 9 months since my baby was born! I feel like I am counting the months wrong. Time sure flies. Yesterday was Carson's 9 month birthday. A lot has changed since 6 months.

Carson has just started crawling. He can do the knee to hand crawling movement about 5 to 10 times. Now I have to keep an eye on him constantly because he goes for everything. I am glad that he isn't as quick as Kelli was because he would almost be walking now and that is too much for me to think about right now.

Carson now has 4 front teeth and 2 bottom teeth. For a while he looked like a vampire because just the 2 side teeth were in and not the front 2. But now the front 2 are through so he no longer looks like a vampire. I am amazed at how much teeth he has which kind of presents a problem, because he grinds his teeth. This next picture makes me a little sad.

You're probably wondering why it makes me sad. We had to move the crib mattress down. There were a few times I went into his room to get him out of his crib after he woke up and he was sitting up. I was worried that he would be able to pull himself over the railings, so for safety reasons, the mattress went down.

Carson is now a good sleeper, thanks to the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." It has been a life saver for me. Carson now sleeps all through the night. He goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up at 6:30.

I am still Carson's favorite person. He can only handle 10 minutes tops on the ground playing by himself, then he needs me to hold him. Oh well, I know that when he gets older, he won't be like that anymore.

Carson loves to eat. He will eat anything I put in his mouth as long as it is not baby food. I guess he just likes more texture and something to chew up.

I just love you to death Carson. You are so much fun and I am grateful every day to have you in my life.

Disneyland

2011-04-29T08:21:00.010-06:00

It has taken me quite a while to put this post up. At the beginning of March we took Kelli and Carson to Disneyland. Kelli had a blast. It's always great to see your children's faces light up with excitement. A week before our trip, Kelli are Carson were sick with a stomach bug. So I get the stomach bug while we were in Disneyland. I'm just glad I wasn't throwing up and that Kelli and Carson weren't sick while we were there. But other than me not feeling well, it was fun.

I don't know how to get this picture turned around and there are a couple more that are like this one, so if anyone knows how to turn them around, let me know.

This ride would not have worked for me. I probably would have puked if I went on it, but Kelli thought it was super cool.

And of course it is always wonderful to see Mickey Mouse at Disneyland.

Chillin with their new toys. I just loved this picture.

We also went to California Adventure. Kelli was tall enough to go on the Tower of Terror. So we took her on it. She hated every minute of it. I don't blame her. Now we joke around with her and ask Kelli what her favorite ride was. She always responds with Thunder Mountain Railroad and Peter Pan. Then we ask her, "Why not the Tower of Terror, that was my most favorite ride?" She shakes her head no, but I find her sometimes building big towers with her legos and calling it the Tower of Terror. Kelli says that when she is bigger, she will go on the Tower of Terror again. I guess we will see. Hopefully we didn't ruin her excitement for the thrilling rides.

Daddy Daughter Ski Day

2011-04-15T09:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, was one of the funnest days of the year so far because I got to go skiing with my dad to Alta. We have been keeping this a tradition every year except last year because I was pregnant with Carson. I don't think we could have picked a better ski day. It snowed all morning on us and the night before so we had about 18 new inches of fresh powder to ski in. By the afternoon, the clouds went away and it was a beautiful sunny day.

Thanks to my mom and a wonderful sister-in-law for watching my children and my dad for taking me skiing with you.

Stake Conference

2011-03-21T13:53:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to go to my parents house for their stake conference. My dad has been the stake president for the last 9 years. It was time for him to be released. My whole side of the family came. It turned out that Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles was the visiting authority. On Sunday, we were sitting in the front. When Elder Nelson was speaking, he had all the primary children stand up and sing, "I Am a Child of God." Well Kelli loves "I Am a Child of God," so she sang her heart out. While she was singing, Kelli kept waving at Elder Nelson. After the song was over, Elder Nelson motioned for Kelli to come up on the stand. I would think that any other child would be scared to go up there, but not Kelli. She went right up there and Elder Nelson picked her up and gave her a big hug. After Kelli went back down, Elder Nelson said, "That's President Anderson's granddaughter. She and I have been eying each other the whole time." I thought how awesome that was for Kelli to get that opportunity and of course I had to record it. It's not very often that you get to hug an apostle.

Another incredible thing happened. Back in 2005, I did a study abroad in Nauvoo through BYU. One of my leaders/floor parents/teachers, were the Pinegars. Sister Pinegar had been the general primary president. Brother Pinegar had been the MTC president and a mission president. You can tell that they are an amazing couple. They were wonderful teachers, speakers, an incredible example and great friends. Well now they are the Manti Temple president and matron. And because Manti is so close to my home town, they also spoke at the Stake Conference. It was a treat to also hear them speak again and I got to talk to them for a little bit after wards. I just love those kinds of experiences in life.

It was also wonderful to be with my whole side of the family and be able to see my dad as the Stake President one more time. I have always looked up to my dad and have known him to be an amazing person. My mom and dad are right behind Elder Nelson in the picture below.

Winter of 2011

2011-02-28T14:10:00.003-07:00

This year we have gotten so much snow. Our front yard is north facing, so the snow just keeps piling up. Last week, I built an awesome snow tunnel for Kelli, but then over the weekend, we got dumped on again and the snow tunnel was ruined. It was a sweet snow tunnel. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it. My husband is the scout leader in our ward. They are trying to plan their winter camp out. I keep joking with him to just have it in our front yard.

Anyway, here is a great picture of Kelli out front with our mountain of snow.

Look Who Got Her Ears Pierced!

2011-02-14T13:49:00.004-07:00

Kelli has been asking me for a while if she could get her ears pierced. Finally I decided to let her. I warned her over and over that it hurts. I also told her that I needed to put medicine on her ears every day and that she needed to let me twist her earrings around. She told me not to worry and that she would be brave.

Last weekend Chris and I took her to the mall to get her ears pierced. She didn't back down once or show any signs that she was scared. Kelli picked out the earrings she wanted and sat down in the chair. When the ladies pierced her ears, she cried a little bit, but when they held up the mirror for her to see, she lit up. Kelli has been so excited about her earrings and has been wonderful in letting me put medicine on her ears and twisting her earrings. And I also have to say that they look so cute on her.

6 Months

2011-02-04T16:02:00.005-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 6 months old now. Carson is growing so fast. He is super long. Just a couple of days ago he finally decided that rolling over is something he is interested in. He is already starting to sit up on his own. That happened at about 5 1/2 months. Carson got his 2 bottom teeth in. The 1st one came in when we were in Hawaii. Yeah he was a pain for a couple of days The 2nd one came in when we got home. Talk about wonderful timing.

Carson used to be the best sleeper. The 1st 3 months of his life were wonderful to me. He slept through the night. Now he wakes up whenever he wants. Sometimes he will sleep through the night. Most of the time he wakes up 1 to 3 times during the night. I have tried everything to get him back to his schedule when he was a newborn. I've let him cry it out several times. I've just fed him. I've held him and rocked him back to sleep, but he still feels like he can wake up whenever he wants. Hopefully it will get better when I start him on cereal. He has his 6 month appointment in a few days and I'm sure his pediatrician will give him the ok to start on cereal. Yikes! I can't believe how fast he is growing.

As of right now, Carson does not have a schedule. I think he is transitioning from 3 naps a day to 2. I don't really ever know when he is going to take a nap, nor do I know how long he will sleep. It can vary from 30 minutes to 2 hours. He is just full of surprises. One thing for sure is that he loves to smile and laugh. It is so cute and he screams when he is excited. He loves to get his clothes changed, his diaper changed and loves to take baths. His most favorite toy is his binky. His 2nd favorite toy is his sock and his 3rd favorite toy is his new toothbrush I just bought him. His favorite person is his mommy. Lucky me.

Carson, you are so much fun. I just love you to pieces!

Here is a little video of him sitting up at 5 1/2 months.

Family Pictures

2011-01-22T15:39:00.007-07:00

When we were in Hawaii, Chris' mom hired a photographer to take family pictures. The photographer did a great job. It's not very often that you can get professional family pictures taken in Hawaii.

Hawaii

2011-01-08T14:31:00.006-07:00

The day after Christmas, we had the wonderful opportunity of taking a trip to Hawaii. Chris' parents took their whole family. The plane ride there was long, but our kids did really well. Coming from freezing cold Utah and stepping outside into perfect 80 degree weather was wonderful. It was great being able to wear shorts, t-shirts and flip flops.

Our hotel was on Waikiki beach. It was absolutely beautiful. We a few times playing in the ocean and building sand castles. We also went snorkeling, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and took a hike to a waterfall. We also visited the north shore and watched surfers on like 40 foot waves.

Carson chilling on the beach.

Hanging out on the north shore.

The Polynesian Cultural Center.

I just loved getting pictures of Carson in his stroller.

Cool boat.
Cool statue.
Hang Loose.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. This was so much fun because the fish were so bright and colorful and we got to swim with a sea turtle.

Kelli and her cousin Porter
Just chillin'.
Beautiful scenery.

Hiking to the waterfall. The hike was a lot of fun and also treacherous because there was a ton of mud which was the most slippery mud I have ever been on. We were constantly slipping and sliding the whole hike.
More beautiful scenery. The mountains in Hawaii are incredible.The waterfall. This picture didn't turn out like I thought it would. The waterfall was a lot prettier than it looks in the picture.

Kelli on the beach.
And I just loved this picture of Carson with his grandma.
We flew back home the night of the 3rd and got back home the morning of the 4th. We were exhausted, but the trip was well worth it. We came from beautiful beaches, spectacular mountains and wonderful weather to freezing weather and 2 feet of new snow at our home. One extreme to the next. Thanks again Kory and Darlene for such a wonderful trip! We had such a great time!

Oil Painting

2010-12-20T16:00:00.005-07:00

I started this oil painting a few years ago. It has been a tough painting and so I have slacked. There have been days where I have been so frustrated with it, but I feel that I have pulled through and got it to where I am satisfied with it. I painted this picture from a photograph that was taken on the day of our wedding. As you can probably tell that it was a beautiful morning that day. Soon I will get it framed and hung up in our house.

2010-12-20T16:00:00.001-07:00

Look What I Inherited!

2010-12-13T09:23:00.003-07:00

This piano was my grandma's when my mom was a little girl. My grandma gave it to my mom probably before I was born. Just last month, I inherited it. My dad loaded it into his truck with some help from some strong men and brought it up to my house. Then he unloaded it with some help from some more strong men which included my husband, brother and brother-in-law. What a ton of work. This piano is a beast, but I love it in my home. It is great being able to play the piano again even though I am not very good. Kelli sure loves it too. This month has been especially fun because I have been able to play Christmas songs.

My Little Princess is 4!

2010-11-15T14:02:00.013-07:00

On Saturday, Kelli turned 4! I can't believe how fast time flies. She is growing up so fast. Well, this year she wanted to have a princess party. The last time she had a party, she was 2 years old so we figured it would be a good idea to throw her a party. She has been so excited for the last month that it has driven me insane. She keeps asking me how many sleeps until her birthday. If the answer was more than one, she would get all upset.

Finally the big day came which I had worked hard preparing for, for the last week. Since the party theme was a princess party, I thought it would be a cute idea to draw a frog and play "kiss the frog." Instead of "pin the tail on the donkey," it would be "kiss the frog." So I drew a frog and a bunch of lips. We blind folded them, spun them around and had them stick their paper lips on the frog. This is Prince Naveen from "The Princess and the Frog."

Here is how our home looked before the party started. Not that great of a picture, but you get the idea. Once the guests arrived, they put on princess skirts, crowns and jewelry. They looked so cute.

To add to the party theme, Kelli wanted a pink castle cake. I am not a cake maker, decorator, or stacker. So I did the best I could. It took me all day to make, because Carson was very upset. Probably because I wasn't paying very much attention to him. I would have decorated the cake more, but I was tired of decorating and making frosting. Which brings up another thought. I have never made frosting before. I know, kind of lame. I was impressed when I made it, because it tasted really good. Kelli loved watching me put the food coloring into the frosting and watching it turn colors. Here is my masterpiece.

After the kids played "kiss the frog," they started to decorate wands. I found the cutest glitter foam paper stuff and some glittery foam stickers. Then I bought some wooden dowels and cut them into equal pieces. I cut the foam paper into hearts or diamonds. Once the kids decorated their hearts or diamonds, I wrapped ribbon around the dowels and glued on their heart or diamond. They looked pretty awesome. This kind of gives you and idea of what they looked like.

After the wand making, it was time to sing happy birthday and eat cake and ice cream.

Then open up presents.

So, one of the gifts that Chris and I gave Kelli was a pillow pet. Have any of you seen them advertised. Kelli has been wanting one since she first saw them advertised on tv which was several months ago. Kelli was pretty excited when she got the bumblebee from us. Then at her party, one of her friends gave her the unicorn. They seem to be the top gift this year. When Chris and I were at the store picking out her birthday gifts, there were 3 other kids that flipped out when they saw us carrying around. They would shout to their mom that they wanted one and then they would start singing the song. It was pretty crazy.

Thanks to all of you who gave Kelli such wonderful gifts and brought your kids to her party. She had a blast and enjoyed having her friends there.

The whole bunch squeezed tightly on the couch. I just love this picture!

3 Months Old

2010-11-05T11:56:00.004-06:00

I can't believe how fast time flies. Carson is already 3 months old. He turned 3 months on the 1st of this month. It makes me sad how I already put away all his 0-3 month clothes and how the 3-6 month clothes fit him so well. My little boy is growing up so fast.

Carson has now found his thumb which I can't keep out of his mouth. He is such a mamma's boy. He loves when I hold him which is probably his favorite thing. Carson constantly stares at me. I'll turn my head for a few seconds and look back at him and he is still staring at me. Then I smile at him which he immediately responds to by smiling back. And he has a smile that makes me melt. He also has a cry that is the saddest cry I have ever heard. He is a healthy baby which I am so grateful for and he is an awesome sleeper. Carson sleeps from about 9:30 pm to 6:00 am without waking up, but he eats every 2 hours during the day and he's a cat napper, but he won't go to sleep unless his mommy is holding him. But I don't mind, because I know he won't be a little baby for long. I am just so grateful to have him in my life.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T07:50:00.004-06:00

This is my first Halloween taking 2 kids trick-or-treating. I dressed up Carson as well and carried him around while Kelli joyfully ran from house to house ringing doorbells. She loved it and she got loaded with candy. Here are my cute trick-or-treaters.

Kelli always tries to be funny with every picture I take of her.

We also carved a pumpkin. This year Kelli seemed to really enjoy it. Last year she watched Dora while Chris and I carved the pumpkins. I asked her what she wanted me to carve into the pumpkin and she told me that she wanted a spider.

Skirts

2010-10-08T10:14:00.004-06:00

My husband was out of town this week on a business trip, so my mom came to my house to hang out. My mom and I decided to make skirts. It was such a blast. We even had enough fabric for Kelli. She was pretty excited. Here is the finishing touch.

Carson's Baby Blessing

2010-09-27T15:00:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Carson's Baby blessing. My whole family came and most of Chris' family was there as well. It was such a blast and a wonderful day! I am so grateful for family!

For some reason I couldn't turn this picture around

First smile caught on camera.

Our family.

My Little Preschooler

2010-09-27T14:53:00.004-06:00

Kelli is in preschool and I just can't believe it. I remember when she was born, I thought it will be a long time before she goes to school. Yeah right. Time flies by so fast. Now I can't believe I'm a mom with a kid in school. Kelli absolutely loves preschool. She started school at the 1st part of September, but it has taken me a while to get this post up.

She loves her princess backpack.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-12T15:29:00.010-06:00

I have been a little slow with putting up more posts. Over Labor Day weekend, we went camping with Chris' side of the family. His mom's family has a huge family reunion each year on Labor Day weekend. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE. Picture a huge meadow with trailers and tents parked around the whole thing. It is such a fun reunion. They always have a huge horseshoe tournament which is always so much fun to play in. There is a raffle for the kids and adults, yummy food, games, fishing and so much more.

I didn't get very many pictures but this one is super cute. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law had a baby boy 1 week after Carson was born. I loved how both of their eyes were opened. This is a picture of Chris mom with her 4 grand kids.

After a fun weekend, my family and I went to my parents home. Chris loves trail cams and so we went up the mountains to check the trail cam pictures. I took some pictures along the way.

Kelli, the Big Sister

2010-08-29T17:21:00.007-06:00

First I have to ask, "Where's Carson?" Kelli loves taking care of her little brother. I put Carson on the floor while I got ready for the day. Kelli entertained him the whole time while she carefully placed all her stuffed animals around him. I just died laughing. I thought this was pretty cute.

2 Weeks

2010-08-16T16:20:00.007-06:00

I have been trying to update my blog for the past 3 days and I keep having trouble with the internet. It makes me really upset. Carson turned 2 weeks old on Sunday. I can't believe it. He is growing like a weed because he is an eating machine. I took him to his 2 week appointment yesterday and he is now 8 lbs. He was 7 lbs 5 oz when he was born. I'm glad he is growing because I know he is healthy, but is makes me sad at the same time. I love the newborn stage. Carson is such a cuddler. I could just sit and hold him all day if it was possible. Here are some pictures I took throughout the past 2 weeks.

I just love this picture of him. Chris actually got him to smile, but of course I missed the shot.

Kelli loves her little brother. She is so good with him.

My grandma came to visit. It was wonderful to see her. She is my last grandparent on my side of the family.

Here are some other pictures I took of Carson.

Welcome Carson Todd Judd

2010-08-03T16:02:00.007-06:00

Over the weekend, our son came into the world. He was born Sunday morning August 1st at 2:22 am. He weighed 7 lbs, 5 oz and 21 in long. Everything went well and Carson is doing very well. We are so excited and we feel so blessed to have him in our lives.

Our Family

My Favorite Guys

Hangin Out at Home

Update

2010-07-24T14:58:00.002-06:00

I haven't really had a whole lot to post lately. I am 39 weeks pregnant and wishing that this little guy would get here. Everything is going well. Some days I feel like sleeping the whole day while other days I feel like going for a run. Sometimes I actually do run, hoping that it will speed up the process of him getting here. Of course I don't run far because it's quite uncomfortable, but the feeling of running is great. On Thursday, I felt like I had a ton of energy. After teaching yoga in the morning and shopping at the grocery store, Kelli and I washed our car and cleaned it out. We spent several hours cleaning the car. Kelli enjoyed spraying off the car while I soaped it off or spraying me as well. We scrubbed the dirty floor mats and got everything on the inside nice and clean. I just love having a clean car and Kelli does an amazing job helping me clean.

Kelli is a blast. I love the age she is at. She can spend hours playing with her toys. She has such an imagination. Lately she has been obsessed with telling me stories of when she was a little girl. It makes me laugh. She'll say to me, "Mom, when I was a little girl.....this and this happened." She'll go off on some big story and spend several minutes talking about it.

Well, Happy 24th of July to everyone! I love that I can live in Utah and celebrate this holiday. Utah is beautiful and I am very grateful that the pioneers came here and established a wonderful place to live.

Happy Birthday Chris!

2010-07-12T12:46:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend, we celebrated Chris' birthday. He turned 27! For his birthday cake, he wanted me to make peach cobbler. It is amazing peach cobbler. It tastes so good. Friday was his birthday, so we went out to eat that night. Unfortunately we spent a lot of our time over the weekend preparing talks because we got asked to speak in church on Sunday. But it was still a great weekend. I just love celebrating birthdays.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-05T15:43:00.010-06:00

The 4th of July weekend was a lot of fun. I got to see my whole family. It was great! Everyone gathered in the wonderful town of Gunnison for a weekend of festivities. On the 3rd, we went to the parade. All the cousins had a blast gathering as much candy as they could, waving at the people on the floats trying to persuade them for more candy, and loving the pageant girls dressed up like princesses.

Then they enjoyed the carnival and especially the train ride.

After the carnival and parade, we all went to Yuba for an afternoon of boating and hanging out on the beach.

Thanks everyone for such a fun weekend. It was great to see all of you.

5 Years!

2010-06-27T13:37:00.004-06:00

Friday was mine and Christopher's 5th year anniversary. I can't believe it has been 5 years. Time sure flies. We spent our anniversary shopping at REI and Sportsman's Warehouse. It was a blast! We got each other rain jackets and hiking socks. After wards, we went out to eat and got milk shakes. I just love shakes! It was so much fun to hang out just the 2 of us. I just love that I have been able to spend 5 years with Chris and I look forward to many more years together. Happy Anniversary!

Week 2 of Swimming Lessons

2010-06-14T14:54:00.005-06:00

Last week I put a post up of Kelli's first day of swimming lessons. Well, I would have to say now that I have a little fish. She is loving swimming lessons. Each day last week was one step better and today, it was like everything clicked and now she is doing great. She can put her head under the water all by herself and blow bubbles. The whole time she is in the water, she has a big grin on her face. When the teacher asks, "Who wants to go first?" Kelli is the first to raise her hand. I am so glad that she likes it now. Here are a few pictures of her today at swimming lessons.

Look at What I Made!

2010-06-14T14:49:00.003-06:00

Some of you might be thinking "That's great Ash. What is it?" Some of you might know exactly what it is. It's a nursing cover. Also known as a "hooter hider." The fabric isn't super cute, but I didn't want to spend a ton of money to make it, because it's just a nursing cover.

I was so proud of myself, that I made one. I am seeing them online for $20 to $30 and I made mine for $8! Plus all I have heard is great things about them. I sure wish I had a nursing cover when Kelli was a baby.

33 weeks

2010-06-09T08:40:00.004-06:00

Well, I am 33 weeks pregnant and I feel huge. I think 9 months is a long time, but then I also think how fast it has flown by. Everything is going well so far. I am still able to teach my yoga and cycle classes which I feel is wonderful. I always feel a lot better after I exercise. I am definitely grateful that everything has gone well. I think of all the complications that can go on with being pregnant and I feel very blessed. Some of you may know what I am referring to with my car accident I was in 11 years ago and I am just so thankful I can be a mom and that I haven't had any complications. That my life was spared and I have the opportunity to enjoy many of the wonderful things in life.

A New Mom

2010-06-07T16:33:00.003-06:00

All last week, I didn't wear any makeup. I have skin issues when I am pregnant and I break out with zits all over my chin. I hate it. When I wear makeup, it makes it worse. Well last week was especially bad, so I decided to give my skin a break and not wear any makeup for the week. So when Saturday came, I decided to put some makeup on because my chin was zit free. After I was done putting on makeup, Kelli came up to me to ask for something. Right when she looked at me, her eyes lit up, she climbed on my lap, stared with wonder into my eyes, and exclaimed, "Mom look at your eyes!" I asked, "What about my eyes?" Kelli exclaimed back, "They look beautiful!" I started laughing and chuckled back, "Why thank you Kelli." Then Kelli said, "You're a new mom!" I guess it's amazing what a little bit of makeup can do.

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-07T16:18:00.005-06:00

Today was Kelli's first day of swimming lessons. I guess it went ok. I thought she would do better because she loves to swim. There were only 3 other kids in her class. Anyway, the teacher took the kids over to the edge of the pool and had them sit there with their feet in the water. She talked to them for a little bit and then had them get in. Kelli would not stay in the water. She kept getting out and sat there watching the other kids. Then she would get back in. She kept getting in and out. Sometimes she would just sit there with a pout on her face. She did try a little bit with the teacher, so I guess that's better then nothing. Finally when class was almost over, she broke down and start crying. I kept thinking the whole time that it is good she isn't crying, until she started to cry. I guess crying at the end is better that crying the whole time. When we got in the car to head home, Kelli kept saying in amongst the tears, "I will never swim, " and "My legs are too short." I am just hoping that the next 2 weeks will get better and that she will want to learn how to swim. Wish me luck.

I took a couple of pictures when class started. I thought she looked so cute in her little swim suit and goggles.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T18:37:00.012-06:00

For Memorial Day weekend, we took a break from work and church callings and went down to Gunnison. We packed up Thursday night and headed down. On Friday, my dad and Chris did their dedicated hunter hours while my mom, Kelli and I got food and the camping gear ready. When my dad and Chris got back, we loaded the truck and headed up the mountains. Kelli was so excited to see her cousins. She played and played with them all day Friday. By the time we started heading up the mountains, she was out. It was a good thing because we were able to set up the whole camp while she slept. Here she is taking a snooze in our tent.

That night, Kelli and her cousins had a blast. Look at what cute little girls they are.

We enjoyed an incredible meal of tin foil dinners. They were the best tin foil dinners I have ever had. They cooked perfectly and they tasted so good. We also roasted marshmallows and made smores which is one of my favorite things to do.

After wards, we headed over to a lake that was close by our camping spot and fly fished a little. Chris caught several fish and had the girls reel in the fish. They had a blast.

The next day, we made an awesome breakfast which consisted of french toast, eggs, bacon and hot chocolate. Then we headed back to the lake and did some more fly fishing. For some reason, fly fishing worked the best which was a good thing, because fly fishing is my favorite kind of fishing.

The weather was great this year. That was the one thing that worried us the most especially with how the weather has been lately and because last year it rained the whole time. It was a great trip and wonderful to see family and hang out with everyone.

Glider and Ottoman

2010-05-17T10:45:00.004-06:00

I have been excited about a new glider rocker and ottoman I got. It was on ksl classifieds and I got it for $50. The ottoman had some stains on the fabric and the foam in it was losing its fluffiness. So I took the fabric off and replaced the foam. I washed the fabric in the washing machine. It came out completely clean. Then I put the fabric back on and now the ottoman looks brand new. The glider is in great condition. It glides smoothly and the wood is really nice. Chris and I tightened up some loose screws on the glider and now the whole thing is like brand new. Here is a picture. I think it will work out great!

I feel like we have to start all over again with this baby, because a lot of the stuff we had when Kelli was a baby, we borrowed or it was old and not something I wanted to keep, like our last glider and ottoman. Kelli's crib was recalled, so that is another thing we are looking into getting, but it is fun to look and find good deals.

My Little Sunbeam

2010-05-11T09:13:00.002-06:00

I think that one of the greatest things about being a mom is seeing your child go up on the stand on Mother's Day and sing Mother's Day songs. It was the cutest thing. When it was time for the primary to go up on the stand and sing, Kelli went right up. She stopped once and looked back at me to make sure she was doing the right thing, then she walked right up there and sang and came right back down when she was done. Such a big girl. I can't believe how fast they grow up.

So Excited!

2010-05-03T15:21:00.002-06:00

I am so excited, I just had to share this bit of news. It really isn't all that great to those of you who are reading, but to me, I am just bursting with joy! Last week, I went to my doctor's appointment. I had to take the glucose test. I was not looking forward to this, because when I was pregnant with Kelli, I had to go back to do the 3 hour test. Then it turned out that I was borderline gestational diabetes. This has been one of my biggest concerns throughout this pregnancy. I just made the phone call to my doctor's office and my test results came back great! I am so excited about it. Also, tomorrow, I am 28 weeks along, so that means I start my 3rd trimester. I can't believe how fast time flies. Before I know it, I am going to be a mother of 2. It's crazy to think about, but exciting at the same time.

Sewing and Shopping

2010-04-26T09:07:00.005-06:00

At the beginning of last week, Chris had to go to Florida on a business trip. He stayed in Florida all week, so my mom came up and stayed with me. It was a blast. We went shopping and entire day and spent a whole day sewing, we ate out, we got ice cream, we watched movies(one was New Moon), and made our favorite casserole dish with our favorite jello salad. It was a blast.

One of the things we started sewing was burp cloths for my baby boy. They are quite fun to make and they are very easy. Here is a picture of them. We made 2 of each.

Chris' grandma is also making a baby quilt for his crib. She gave me some scraps and I turned it into a decorative pillow for the crib (trust me, I know you shouldn't have pillows by babies. It's just for decoration). Here is a picture. Also, my mom and I started making a brown dust ruffle to match the quilt.

Week 25

2010-04-14T11:55:00.004-06:00

I feel like my belly has already grown a ton since week 20. I have been feeling great and everything has gone well so far. Kelli wanted to get in on this picture. She loves to get her picture taken.

This next picture was taken a few days ago. Kelli got out bunch of jewelry and bows and put them in her hair. She is sure a funny girl and I love having her in my life. She makes me laugh every day.

The Impact FHE Can Have On Children

2010-03-24T09:46:00.002-06:00

On Monday night, we sat down together as a family and had family home evening. Kelli loves family home evening. We have a picture book of all the famous gospel paintings. This is how we have family home evening with Kelli. Right now we have been going through the Book of Mormon pictures. We were on the picture of Samuel the Lamanite. (You know the one of him on the tower and the Nephites were shooting arrows at him.) Well, we were telling Kelli the story of Samuel the Lamanite. After we were finished, Kelli wanted to say the prayer. In her prayer, she said, "please bless that no bad guys will come and shoot us." It's amazing how little things like a simple story can have such an impact on little kids.

Ultrasound

2010-03-16T20:22:00.003-06:00

Here is a little profile picture of our baby boy. It's a little blurry. Ultrasounds are amazing. I am totally amazed how they can put an object up to your belly and you can see what is inside you.

It's A Boy!!!!

2010-03-13T13:32:00.003-07:00

I probably should have mentioned this sooner. Yes, I am pregnant and I am having a boy! My due date is July 27th and I am 20 weeks along. Just thought I would finally get the word out to those of you who didn't know. Everything is going well.

Here is a lovely picture of my lovely belly starting to stick out.

Yoga Classes

2010-03-01T11:43:00.006-07:00

I am starting to teach yoga at a different location in the Salt Lake Valley. I think it is a great deal, so I thought I would let all of you know.

The place that I am teaching at is called Far East Fitness. It is located at 3440 E Bengal Blvd (about 7800 South), in Salt Lake City. Most yoga classes are 12 dollars, but the cost at Far East is 10 dollars a class. If you buy a punch card for 10 yoga classes, it only costs 75 dollars. Also, your first class is free.

I teach a regular yoga class on Saturday mornings at 9:00. I will be starting a Prenatal and Postpartum yoga class on March 15th. The class will be held every Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM. Also, child care is provided. It's 3 dollars for 1 child and 2.50 for more than one child.

The prenatal and postpartum class is designed to relieve the aches and pains associated with pregnancy and will also help with morning sickness and early labor pains. The postpartum part is designed to help mother's bodies heal after child birth and to help get you back into shape.

Personally, I think this is a wonderful opportunity. I know many of you are mothers, and/or mothers to be. If you are interested, come and join my yoga classes. Also, I might start up another yoga class on Thursdays at 1:00 PM. If I can get a decent number, I will start that up as well. And remember, your first class is free, so if you would like to join, I would absolutely love it.

More Baby Fish

2010-02-18T07:50:00.002-07:00

Two posts ago, I talked about Kelli's fish and how they had babies, and how they were getting bigger, and how they are super cute. Anyway, I had been noticing lately that the female fish was looking pretty fat. I thought, either she is eating a lot, or she is pregnant again. Sure enough, that fish WAS pregnant. She had her babies yesterday. Can you believe that! I have the most reproductive fish on the planet! So if anyone is interested in having some cute, black, tropical fish, let me know. I already have some takers for the first baby fish, but I am sure that these other baby fish will live and grow up as well. And I am sure that we will just keep on getting more and more baby fish.

Ski Trip

2010-02-17T09:00:00.021-07:00

Every year, my side of the family goes on a ski trip. That is what we did last weekend. We all drove up to Powder Mountain. My parents rented a house for 3 nights. It was a blast. A lot of us spent Saturday and Monday skiing. The little kids spent a lot of time in the hot tub, sledding, watching movies, and just playing together.

On Saturday afternoon, Chris and I decided to try and teach Kelli how to ski. We rented some skis which were so cute, because they were so tiny, and put Kelli in them. She had been talking for a while that she wanted to learn how to ski. We tried it out for a little while and she did ok. Kelli skiing didn't last long before she said she was done. We would have tried a little more, but it snowed most of the time we were there, which isn't the greatest for kids if you want to try and teach them how to ski. But is sure is great for the adults. We love the powder! Here is a picture of Kelli all ready to go skiing.

On Saturday evening, I got this really cute picture of Kelli with all her cousins that are close to her age. They were goofing around on the couch, and I got these awesome pictures.

They have so much fun together. We spent the rest of the evening play Band Hero. It was a blast. Kelli has a really nice cousin who was willing to help her out with the drums.

After Band Hero, grandpa got all the grand kids together for a little story time. I don't know if any of you have heard of the story, "The Monster at the End of This Book?" My brothers and I loved it when we were all kids. My dad read this story to his grand daughters and boy did they love it too.

This next one is my favorite because they are all screaming.

On Sunday, we took pictures and also took the kids sledding right out behind the house where we were staying. Here is grandma and grandpa with all their grand children.

Our Family.
Sledding was a blast for the kids. All the guys built a louge in the back yard. The kids would fly down it and they loved it. It was pretty funny to watch.

Then, on Sunday night, all the kids put together a talent show. Some sang songs, some danced, others did tricks. It was pretty cute. They all opened up the program by singing Twinkle Twinkle Little star and doing actions with the song. This next picture is a little blurry.

Then Kelli sang I Am a Child of God for her talent. She did a really good job.

And for the grand finale of the talent show, the kids put on glow sticks and danced to Beyonce, Single Ladies. It was hilarious! Here are a few pictures of what it looked like. Kelli is the one with the red head.

Thanks everyone for such a fun trip. Thanks for all the yummy food and for a great time. It was wonderful to see all of you. Thanks especially to mom and dad for making it happen and for taking us skiing.

Kelli's fish

2010-02-11T11:14:00.005-07:00

Kelli has some fish. She has 2 black fish, 2 orange colored fish and one algae fish. Back on Christmas eve, the 2 black fish had babies. These fish have live births. I was cleaning out the fish tank and I noticed a black floating thing. I thought, "that's gross, I better get rid of that." I looked closer and it was a baby fish. Chris and I noticed that one of the fish was having babies. And they were so tiny. I thought for sure they wouldn't make it. Usually the bigger fish will eat the baby fish. Anyway, there were 5 baby fish. It turns out that 4 of them are alive and getting big. One didn't make it. But it has been a lot of fun watching them grow. They have been living under the rocks for most of their life, now they swim around with all the other fish.

You can kind of see the baby fish in these pictures. It was kind of hard to get a good enough picture.

My Jean Quilt

2010-02-02T14:49:00.007-07:00

Some of you may know that I started this project a long time ago. Probably a little less than a year ago. I got all of the jeans cut out and sewed it all together pretty fast. When it came time to find flannel, that was when the quilt got put on hold. It was just too expensive to buy flannel at the time. Plus if there was something on sale, it was cheap flannel that didn't even look like it could be something to put on a jean quilt. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I got some flannel and batting and put it all together.

Chris' grandma helped me out a ton. Last Saturday, we got out her quilting frames, put the quilt on and got the whole thing tied in one day. I spent yesterday and today adding on the binding and sewing the quilt together. I am so glad it is done. It has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. Now I have a nice camping/mountain or picnic quilt that will hopefully last a long time. Thanks again Joan for all your help.

Here are a few pictures. Kelli wanted to get in some of them too.

I even took a little nap today, to try out the warmth and comfort of it, and I definitely was not disappointed. The flannel is the softest flannel I have ever felt and it was sure warm.

Random

2010-01-16T13:59:00.002-07:00

I know I need to post again, but I just don't have a whole lot going on. We had a tragedy on my side of the family. One of my aunts passed away (my mom's brother's wife). We have been really close with her and her family throughout the years, so it makes it very difficult and really sad. She was one of the most wonderful and kindest person I know. Always giving and making everyone around her feel good. We are sure going to miss her. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family.

On another side note, something that is more uplifting and kind of funny. You would probably have to be here to think this is really funny, because I don't know if I can convey in words how funny it was. Chris and I watch our neighbors little girl on weekday nights. She is 2 years old. Just a few nights ago, Kelli got into trouble because she wasn't listening to her mom and dad. So Chris and I put her in time out. She gets so upset when she is in time out. She cries and throws fits. In the middle of all the crying and fit throwing, she yells out, "I need to go potty!" I told her she could go potty, but she needed to go back in time out after she was done. So I took her to the potty and her little friend followed us. Kelli sits on the toilet to use the potty. She is still crying and very upset. Her little friend notices this and starts saying in the sweetest voice, "I'm sorry Kelli." Kelli immediately responds in amongst all the tears and sobbing, she yells out, "No! You don't need to say your sorry! I need to say I'm sorry!" It was pretty funny. But then again, you had to be there.

Christmas Weekend

2009-12-29T12:37:00.009-07:00

After we finished opening presents on Christmas morning, and spending time with Kelli and her new toys, we took off to my parent's home. Some of my brothers and their families were there. On Saturday, we took the kids sledding. It was a blast.

Kelli got a face full of snow on this run with her dad. She also likes to eat snow like crazy. She has some fleece gloves that eventually soak up the snow, so pretty soon, she was crying from the snow in the face and cold hands. So we fixed that problem in a hurry and she was happy again.

After we were done sledding, we took the kids to the movie, "The Princess and the Frog." It's a cute movie. And it was actually rated G! It seems that animated movies aren't rated G any more.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-29T12:21:00.008-07:00

Christmas morning is getting more fun since Chris and I have been married. Kelli sure makes it a ton of fun. I loved seeing her face light up at the sight of all her Christmas presents. Here are pictures of Kelli on Christmas morning.

Our First Big Snow Storm

2009-12-15T09:48:00.008-07:00

These next pictures that you will see may surprise you. We got a ton of snow over the weekend. Because of all the snow, I decided to take Kelli outside to play in it. This is the first picture. The snow is piled up to the same height as Kelli.

This next picture is the front of our house.

I decided to build a snow cave with all the snow we have in front of our house. Well it was more like a snow tunnel. I figured Kelli would have more fun with that. Here are some more pictures of the finished snow tunnel.

I built the snow tunnel right where Kelli is standing in the first pictures and then it came out in about the middle of all the snow (close to the tree).

The Anderson Christmas Party

2009-12-15T09:07:00.006-07:00

On Saturday, we attended the Anderson Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun. We met at my brother Greg's home. When we first got there, we played some games for the little kids. I made a pin the nose on the Rudolph. In this next picture, all the red spots are noses.

Next we played a game called Santa Santa. Someone stands in the middle of a circle of people blind folded. That person has a pillow in their hands. They have to find someone in the circle and sit on their lap, on the pillow. The person that is blind folded says, "Santa Santa." Then the other person has to say "Ho Ho Ho" and disguise their voice. The person who is blind folded gets to guess who it is. It is such a funny game. Next, all the adults went to Rodizio Grill while all the kids stayed at the house and played together.

After we got back, we built ginger bread houses. We teamed up as families. We named mine Chris and Kelli's house Hurricane Katrina Christmas because ours wouldn't stay up. Too bad I don't have a picture of it.

Next we played Pinata. That was sure fun to watch all the kids take a whack at the Christmas tree pinata. Luckily nobody got hurt, but there were a few close ones. Some kids just couldn't resist when the candy would come out of the tree.

Kelli taking a whack at the tree.

After the pinata game, all the cousins exchanged gifts. Kelli got a Guess Who game, Anderson Edition. It was pretty cool. Instead of all the guess who pictures, it had all the Anderson family pictures on it. Thanks Kaitlyn and Megan. Kelli has been having a lot of fun with it. And thanks everyone for such a fun party. It was great to see all of you!

Here Comes Santa Clause!

2009-12-06T17:24:00.004-07:00

Last night, Santa Clause came to our community. Chris, Kelli, and I got all bundled up and walked to our community center. There were a bunch of kids that played instruments. They did really well. There was also some yummy finger foods and hot chocolate. Then Santa came. I was so impressed when I saw him. I almost felt like a little kid all over again when you see Santa Clause enter the room. Probably because I was so amazed with how much he looked like Santa. What do you think of these pictures of him?

Kelli did pretty well this year. Last year was a disaster. She was very scared and cried the whole time. This year she did not cry at all, but she hardly said a word to Santa when she sat on his lap. The whole time we waited in line, she kept saying to me, "I want to sit on Santa's lap." I thought she would go off on all the things she wanted for Christmas, but she was a little too shy. Maybe next year will be even better.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-02T09:08:00.003-07:00

On Monday night for Family Home Evening, we decided to decorate for Christmas. It was a lot of fun. Kelli was so excited. She couldn't wait for her dad to come home so that we could start decorating. By the time Chris got home, she had all the decorations out of the box. We don't have very many decorations and our Christmas tree is small, but it works for right now.

Oh What Do You Do On Thanksgiving Morning?....

2009-11-29T15:58:00.006-07:00

You Run A 5K!

Yep, that is what we did on Thanksgiving morning. Chris' parents and his brother flew out from Texas for Thanksgiving. We got some of the family together to run a 5K. It was such a blast. We ran it in Draper. The route started out by the outlet malls, then finished in practically the same spot. There were over 3600 runners. It was insane. It took a while at the beginning to actually start running, because it was so packed.

And here is the lovely bunch ready to start the race.

Here is Kelli and me after we finished the race. Kelli was such a trooper. She stayed calm and happy the whole time in her stroller. Probably because she was so entertained watching all the people running beside us.

The Greatest Day Ever!

2009-11-18T12:11:00.002-07:00

You are probably thinking that I just had the "greatest day ever" by the title of this post. Probably the day that I got married and the day that Kelli was born were the greatest days ever. This is about Kelli's prayers lately. I have been trying to get her to tell Heavenly Father what she is thankful for. Lately she has been telling Heavenly Father, in her prayers, "Thankyou for the greatest day ever." I think it is the cutest thing. How sweet and humble can you get? I am touched every time she says that. It helps me want to make the best out of my days and keep looking for the positive. Then maybe every day can be the "greatest day ever."

Happy Birthday Kelli

2009-11-15T15:12:00.015-07:00

Kelli is now 3 years old. She just turned 3 on Friday. I can't believe she is 3. Time sure flies. She is growing up so fast. Last year we threw her a birthday party. It was so much fun for her because she had so many little friends that lived around her when we were at the University Student Housing. This year is a little bit different, so we decided to have just a family birthday. I really enjoyed it. It is really fun to throw your child a birthday party, but at the same time it is sure nice not having to plan a big birthday party.

When Chris got home from work, we had Kelli's birthday dinner. We ate chicken fingers, mac and cheese, peas, peaches and chocolate milk. Kelli's favorite. After dinner we opened up her birthday presents. Thanks so much to my parents and Chris' parents for the wonderful gifts. Kelli sure loves them. Chris and I gave Kelli a kitchen. She sure has had a fun time playing with it. She makes us all kinds of food. After we opened presents and spent quite a while putting together Kelli's kitchen, we got out brownies and ice cream and sang her happy birthday.

The next day, Saturday, was the Utah/TCU football game. We didn't have the channel, so we asked Chris grandparents if we could watch the game at their home. I made Kelli a birthday cake and Chris' siblings and their spouses joined us at the home. We watched Utah get slaughtered the 1st half of the game. Then we lit candles and sang happy birthday again, ate cake and ice cream and opened more presents during half time. Thanks to Chris' grandparents and brother and sister-in-law for the nice presents to Kelli. She sure enjoys them. Then we watched the Utes get slaughtered again the 2nd half. We still had a good time.

This next picture is Kelli on her birthday with her new kitchen.

Happy birthday!

Kelli's birthday cake. It's not the most fancy, but she liked it.

Just a little history. Happy Birthday last year!

I don't have a picture of Kelli on her birthday 2 years ago. Her 1st birthday is on our lap top and it is broken....

So happy birthday 3 years ago!

Kelli's favorite things:

Having mommy hold her hand or carry her when Kelli is going up or down the stairs.
Drinking chocolate milk.
Reading bed time stories. She usually likes to sneak in more than 1.
Watching Scooby Doo or Care Bears (that will change soon, she goes through phases.)
Greeting daddy at the door when he comes home from work.
Giving loves and kisses to mommy and daddy.
Running around the island in our kitchen.
Taking baths in mommy and daddy's big tub.
Wearing dresses.
Making mommy a birthday cake out of dish towels and hot pads.
Playing with cousins.
Jumping off mommy and daddy's bed and having mommy catch her.
Playing in mommy's spice rack while mommy cooks dinner.
The pink blanket.
Singing Book of Mormon stories, I'm a Child of God, and I Love to See the Temple.
Making cookies or brownies.
Eating snow.....

And so much more.

Thanks Kelli for all the fun memories. Mommy and Daddy sure love you and are extremely grateful to have you in our lives.

Project

2009-11-06T08:38:00.005-07:00

I had a project that I was working on over the past month. I got 2 night stands from Chris' grandparents. They got them from a friend and they didn't want them anymore, so they were kind to let us have them. I had a great idea. I thought that I should strip off all the paint and repaint them. Sometimes it's fun to have a big project to work on. I wish I had a before picture. They were a cream color and the metal between the drawers was gold. They also did not have any handles on them. They were quite the piece of work. They had a veneer on the top that was difficult to get off. After many hours of sanding, I primed, then painted, which also took several hours as well. After the paint was dry, Chris and I added the handles. Thanks to my dad for his expertise in paint. His advice was sure helpful. And here is the finished product.

And here is how it looks all together.

Crash Landing

2009-11-04T12:34:00.002-07:00

Just a couple of days ago, Chris, Kelli and I were in mine and Chris' room. Kelli really likes to jump off of our bed and have me catch her. I was standing a few feet from the bed and carrying on a conversation with Chris. In the meantime, Kelli climbs on the bed. I was not even looking at her. My attention was focused at my husband. All of the sudden, I feel this body slam into me and then a big thud on the ground. Kelli was on the ground crying and looking at me like I was a terrible person. I felt really bad. We just kept telling her, "What a good jump!" It really was a good jump, I just was not one bit prepared or warned that Kelli was going to jump at me.

My Little Pirate Princess

2009-11-02T09:05:00.003-07:00

Kelli had the choice between a princess costume or a pirate princess costume and she chose to be a pirate princess. (They were 2 of the cheaper costumes at Wal-Mart). I guess why be a princess when you can be a pirate and a princess at the same time!? That was what the title of the costume was on the package. So here is a picture of my little pirate princess.

She was sure excited about trick-or-treating. Every door we went to, as soon as the person opened the door, Kelli would yell, "trick-or-treat!" Then she would tell them "thank you" when they gave her candy. When we left the house, every time she would say to me, "That person was really nice to me."

Funny Things

2009-10-30T09:58:00.002-06:00

Kelli is in a new phase where she "shushes" me a lot. Whenever I tell her not to do something, she quickly cuts me off by saying, "Shhhh." Little stinker. I try not to laugh because I don't think it is a great thing for her to do.

Last night, I was laying on the floor with Kelli and we were watching 101 Dalmatians on her little DVD player. I was laying pretty close to my bedroom door. She decides that she wants to get up and go get something in her room. When she goes to the door, she says to me, "Mom, why are you in the way?" Chris just busts up laughing and I just looked at her (also laughing) and said, "Oh, I am so sorry. Let me get out of the way." It is sure funny with some of the things kids say.

Hair

2009-10-28T12:11:00.003-06:00

Kelli and I got some new things done to our hair. Kelli got her hair cut to just below her shoulders. For those of you who have seen Kelli recently, she had really long hair, so you might be able to tell. It was getting stringy and needed a cut. Chris and I asked her if she wanted it short and she said she did. Her hair really isn't cut short, but I thought for the 1st major cut, that it would be good to cut it at her shoulders. Kelli did a great job. She sat really still and seemed to enjoy it. That sure made me happy.

As for me, I dyed my hair. Well, my sister-in-law did it. My hair is actually a lot lighter than it looks now. I am a new fan of the hair dye we used. It is called Natural Instincts. The color washes out after 28 washes, so you don't have to worry about the roots showing when your hair starts to grow out or about getting your hair color back. So if any of you are wanting to dye your hair, but are worried about how it will look, use this hair dye. If you don't like it, wash your hair a lot.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-27T10:25:00.006-06:00

For Family Home Evening last night, we carved pumpkins. I bought 2 pumpkins at the grocery store and brought them home. At first, Kelli was really interested in what was going on. She has never seen or participated in pumpkin carving.

Then after a while, of her dropping pumpkin tops on the floor, making big messes, and Chris and I getting after her, she decided it wasn't fun anymore, so she watched Dora on her little DVD player right by us.

Chris and I went to work carving the faces while Kelli watched Dora. When we finished, Kelli was all of the sudden interested and totally amazed at what we did. Here is the finishing touch.

Oooooooooo! Spooooky!

Kelli thought this was the coolest thing. She was very excited about it.

Happy Halloween!

More Deer Hunting

2009-10-22T09:19:00.003-06:00

It has been a while since I last posted. I don't have any excuses. It seems like we have been going going going every day, so it's not like I don't have any thing to post about. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures for this post.

Last weekend as some of you know, was the rifle deer hunt. Chris is a dedicated hunter and I got a tag, so we both got to hunt. Chris' dad and brother flew out to Utah to hunt with us as well. We got to hunt up 12 mile canyon where I grew up. Chris, his dad, and brother took off on Friday to find a camp spot and to get ready for the opening day. I stayed behind so I could teach my yoga and spinning classes. Chris' mom also came, so I got to spend some time with her. We got to go shopping with her and Chris' sister which was so much fun.

On Saturday, I got up and taught my classes. I left Kelli with my mother-in-law and drove down to Gunnison. My brother Wade, invited me to stop off for some rock climbing in Maple Canyon. So I met him and his family at Maple Canyon and we got to do some rock climbing. It was so much fun. I haven't rock climbed in such a long time, especially with my brother. He and I used to rock climb a lot together.

After we were done rock climbing, we stopped off at the famous Fat Jacks in Ephraim and ate some pizza and cheese sticks. It now has a different name, but it will always be known as Fat Jacks.

Saturday night, I spent some time with my mom. We bought some ice cream and watched a chick flick. That was a blast.

The next morning, on Sunday, Chris and his dad and brother came down the mountain for church. After church, I took off with them and headed up the mountain. We got to hunt on Monday and Tuesday. My dad also hunted with us. It was so much fun. We stayed in a warm camp trailer and ate wonderful food. None of us got a deer, but it was still a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed hiking off through the trees by myself. The mountains are so peaceful.

So this is what we have been doing lately. If we weren't deer hunting, we were getting ready for the deer hunt. Thanks to Chris' parents and my parents for all the help and good times.

Deer Hunt

2009-09-28T15:58:00.008-06:00

I love the fact that my husband loves to hunt. It helps so that we can take a break from our every day lives and enjoy being together and also enjoying the mountains together. This past weekend, we went down to Gunnison for the muzzle loader hunt. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. The weather was wonderful and the mountains were beautiful. I got to see most of my family which is always wonderful.

This was a spot where we sat down and relaxed a little bit.

Chris and I were hiking out on this point and the scenery was spectacular, so we stopped and took some pictures.

This next picture didn't turn out like I hoped. There is an awesome black line at the bottom of the picture from my camera bag. So sorry about that. My dad, me, Chris, my nephew Seth, and my brother Derek are in this picture.

Again, another picture of the pretty mountains.

Random Weekend

2009-09-03T14:08:00.010-06:00

Last weekend was a little random. My brother Greg and his wife Megan invited us to go water skiing last Friday night. Just Kelli and I went with their family. It was so much fun. I sat in the raft with Kelli and her cousin Katelyn. Kelli was a little scared, so I sat her on my lap. You can barely see Katelyn's head sticking out above the raft.

Here is a picture of Kelli and Katelyn. They are such cute girls.

After a while of playing on the raft and jumping in the water a thousand times, Greg asked me if I would like to water ski. I said, "sure!" I couldn't pass up something like that.

Thanks so much Greg and Megan. That was such a blast. Kelli and I had a great time.

That Friday night, when Kelli and I got home, we got a call from my brother Wade. He invited us down to help out with his sprinkler system the next day. We thought it would be a great idea to head down to Gunnison and help out with the sprinkler system and then do some fishing after wards. So the next morning, after I taught my yoga class, we headed down to Gunnison. Chris did the hard part, working with my dad and brothers on the sprinkler system, while I hung out with my mom and visited my Grandma and cousins. Hey, I offered to help, but my dad told me no. After several hours, my dad and Chris quit working on the sprinklers and I headed up with them in the mountains. My mom was very kind to watch Kelli for me.

I just love fishing in the mountains where I grew up. It is so relaxing up there. We brought our fly rods and fished a little beaver pong. Here are a few pictures of our little adventure. We caught lots of fish. It was so much fun.

Chris fishing.

My dad fishing.

Pretty scenery.

Me and my dad.

Me and my good lookin' husband.

After we were done fishing, we decided to put up Chris' trail cam. He recently bought it and we thought we would try it out. With just a little bit of sun light left, we hiked up a hill and found a spot where we felt lots of animals came through and we set it up. In a few weeks, we will check it out and see if the trail cam got any pictures of deer or other wildlife.

Kelli Has Bangs

2009-08-27T12:55:00.003-06:00

Today, I was thinking, Kelli would probably look cute with bangs. She has a bunch of new hair that always comes out any time I do her hair. Then her hair looks like a terrible mess half way through the day. I thought that maybe bangs would help that. I was so nervous cutting her bangs. I probably examined her hair for a half an hour before I finally started to cut. I was worried that I would do a terrible job or that I would miss her hair all in one length.

Here is the finishing touch. I actually quite like it.

When I finished cutting her hair, I started to get ready and I let her sit on our bathroom counter top. She kept looking in the mirror. Then she said to me, "Thanks for cutting me bangs."

Sorry and It's Just Fine

2009-08-25T12:09:00.004-06:00

Kelli is in this funny new phase where she apologizes for everything and almost everything is just fine. Sometimes I get after Kelli and I tell her not to do something, she will say, "I'm sorry mommy." Sometimes when she is in big trouble and I put her in time out, she will sit in the corner crying and yelling, "I'm just sorry mommy!" She repeats it over and over. It's kind of sad. I just want to immediately take her out of time out and tell her it's ok, but it probably won't teach her anything.

Also, a lot of times Kelli will run up to something she is not supposed to play with or do something she knows she is not supposed to do. I tell her not to play with that and she says back to me, "It's just fine." Then I say, trying not to laugh, "It's not just fine. We shouldn't play with that." She will just repeat back, "It's just fine."

In a way, she taught me a lesson that sometimes it really is "just fine." I feel that a lot of times in my life I get really worked up and stressed or worried. I just need to sit back, breathe, and say to myself, "It's just fine." Anyway, that is my random thought for the day.

Hiking Day

2009-08-17T12:04:00.013-06:00

On last Thursday, I decided to go on a little hike. I practically live in the mountains, and there are a lot of trails around here. I put Kelli in the kid carrying pack, packed some food and water, and headed off over the hills. We hiked for a ways, and climbed the top of a hill. Once we got to the top, the scenery was spectacular. I could see the Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley from where I was standing along with the huge mountains surrounding us. The skies were also gorgeous with all the big, puffy clouds. Here are some pictures of our little adventure.

Here is a picture of Kelli and me with the mountains behind us.

Here is a picture of Kelli and me with Utah Valley behind us.

Mount Timpanogos in the background.

Utah Valley.

The Salt Lake Valley.

Once we got to the top of the hill, we sat down together and ate our lunch which consisted of cold pizza, grapes and applesauce. It was quite good. Food always tastes better when your hiking or camping.

Here are just a few other pictures.

Trip to Texas

2009-08-03T10:58:00.029-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to Houston, Texas. Chris' parents, Kory and Darlene just moved there and invited us to come out. We flew out on the 24th and loved every minute there. The day after we got there, we went to cirque du soleil. For those of you who have never heard of that, it is kind of like the circus, but with acrobat stuff. It was amazing. Cameras are not allowed, so unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures. I couldn't believe some of the things they would do, like catching each other with their feet and doing flips from one pole to another and balancing on top of each other. It is hard to believe that a human being can do such things.

We also spent a lot of time in Kory and Darlene's pool. We played in the pool almost every day, especially because Kelli loves to swim.

Kory took us fishing. We went out into the Gulf. It was such a beautiful day. We saw some dolphins, and some sharks swimming around on the surface of the water. We also saw a big sea turtle that came up to the surface. We caught several fish, like a King Mackerel and a bunch of sea trout. Chris had a huge fish on his line, but it broke it off. Here is a picture of Chris hanging out in the back of the boat.I think we had a King Mackerel on the line right here. I think this one got off the line right when we got it to the boat, so I didn't get a picture of it.

Chris caught a shark in this picture. It isn't super big, but it's a shark.

On another day, Kory and Darlene took us boating. There is a lake not too far from where they live, so we drove to that lake and had some fun. Here is a picture of Kelli in the boat. She really liked riding in the boat.

We got to do some water skiing, slalem, wake boarding and tubing.

Chris water skiing.

Here is a picture of Chris, Kelli and me on the tube. Kelli kept saying that she wanted to ski, so this was the best thing we could do for her. As soon as we were out in the water on the tube, she started to whine and wanted to get back in the boat.

On the day before we left, we went to the zoo. The Houston Zoo is a nice zoo. The day was very hot and humid. We were practically wet by the time we left. Here is a picture of Kelli and her daddy at the zoo.

Just the guys.

This next picture was kind of cool because the tube that Kelli and Matthew are in goes through an aquarium.

I just love clown fish. Kelli loved this too, because it's Nemo and Dori.

Here is Kelli with her grandma and grandpa Judd. The giraffes were right next to the window. They are a lot bigger than I thought.

Here is Kelli and me in front of a baby elephant.

Kelli asked me to take a picture of her in front of the iguana, I believe.

We also did some other things like hang out at the mall, went out to eat, went to the Harry Potter movie and relaxed. Thanks Kory and Darlene for such a fun trip. We sure enjoyed it!

Ghosts

2009-07-15T09:55:00.005-06:00

So last night was quite the night trying to get Kelli ready for bed. It took Chris and me over an hour to get her to sleep because there was a ghost in her drawers. Kelli was very upset and crying about it. She really believed there was a ghost in her drawer. We tried everything we could think of to acting out a puppet show with her stuffed animals telling her that they needed her to help them to get to sleep, to getting out a picture of Jesus, to telling Kelli that it is just her and Jesus and that Jesus is here to make her feel better, to singing primary songs, to saying a prayer, to having Kelli check out her drawers to see if there was a ghost, to have her growl at the ghost, to turning a night light on, to just telling her that there are no ghosts, to pretending that the ghost's name was George and saying to George, "get out of here." Finally, I just didn't know what to do anymore. Kelli just kept saying that there was a ghost in her drawer, so I finally decided that I was going to take Kelli's drawers out of her room. That made her even more upset and she told me that she would go to sleep. And she finally did. I have no idea where she got the ghost thing from. Do any of you have suggestions on what to do to get your kids to not be scared at night, just in case the "taking the drawers out of Kelli's room idea" doesn't work next time?

Late Post for the 4th of July

2009-07-15T09:35:00.008-06:00

This has taken me quite a while to get this post up. We have moved into our new town house. It is sure nice to be here, but it sure has been a lot of work. When we get things picked up a little more, I will post some pictures of our new place.

On the night of the 3rd, we went to the Real Salt Lake game. That was sure a lot of fun. After wards, there was a firework show. Kelli did not like the fireworks at first. Then she started to enjoy them when we got her to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while the fire works shot up into the sky. The next day, on the 4th, we spent the day cleaning our new home. That evening, we went to a parade. Kelli sure enjoyed that. After the parade, we bought some fireworks, went to Chris' grandparents home and lit our fireworks. Finally, I had my camera with me so I could take some pictures. So here you go.

Here is a picture of Chris getting Kelli's sparkler lit.

Kelli enjoying her sparkler.

Family with sparklers.

Kelli with her great grandparents.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-01T14:19:00.004-06:00

Last Thursday was our anniversary! Chris and I have been married for 4 years! For Christmas last year, my parents gave us a certificate to stay at the Zermatt in Midway, which we could use anytime throughout the year. After I taught my classes on Saturday morning, my parents came up to watch Kelli so Chris and I could take off. We ate at the Olive Garden for lunch, then we drove up to Park City and spent some time in the outlet stores. Then we drove to the Zermatt and checked in. After that, we drove over to the Provo river, got on our awesome looking waders and fly fished. It was so much fun. I sure love to fly fish. It was a bummer that we didn't catch anything, which is unusual, because at least Chris can catch a fish. I had a strike, but that was about it. If anything, it is the best to just be in the outdoors. It is so relaxing. I just love to be in the outdoors. If there was ever a crisis, I probably wouldn't mind it, because I could just camp every day, and fly fish and hike around. Maybe it wouldn't be that great if something like that happened, but it is just fun to get away and recreate. I packed my camera to take some pictures, but I ended up leaving it in our hotel room, so I didn't get any pictures taken. Thanks mom and dad for the certificate and watching Kelli. We sure appreciated it.

It's Official

2009-06-26T08:40:00.004-06:00

It's now official. Kelli is potty trained! Horray! I love the fact that I don't have to buy diapers. She has been great for the last couple weeks. I still put her in pull ups at night when she goes to bed, but during the day, she wears her underwear. I can't believe how fast Kelli is growing up. Time sure flies. I thought when I was potty training her, that it would never end. Then all of the sudden it clicked. Here is Kelli happy that she has underwear.

A Day at Grandma B's

2009-06-25T12:09:00.005-06:00

On Monday, Chris' mom Darlene, my sister in law April, Chris' brother Matthew, April's baby Porter, Kelli, and I all went to Darlene's mom's house in Price. (I hope that all made sense) We call her Grandma B. It was so much fun to be there. Grandma B is so much fun. I love to hear the stories she tells of her growing up and raising all her kids. She has a neat swing set that is made out of railroad ties. So we spent a little time playing on the swings. Here is a picture of Darlene, Porter, Kelli and me on the swings.

Here is a picture of April, Porter, Kelli and me on the swings.

I love this picture of Grandma B with 2 of her great grand kids.

I just love family. I am so grateful to have such wonderful families on both sides. I have an awesome family on my side and I married into another awesome family! I just love it and I feel very lucky!

Kortney's Wedding

2009-06-24T15:40:00.009-06:00

Chris' sister got married on the 20th. It was sure wonderful. Her now husband, Jason is awesome! We are so excited for them. Here is the bride and groom. They were married in the Draper temple which is absolutely beautiful.

Next, is a picture of Kelli and me. The weather was so cold. Luckily it wasn't raining.

This is Chris' cousin Aubrey and Kelli bundled up together.

After the temple, we went to Marie Calendars for the luncheon. The food was great. And of course we got pie after wards which was also great! Then we went to American Fork for the reception. The reception was beautiful. I wish I would have taken more pictures, so sorry. Here is Kelli. Before Kortney and Jason got married, all Kelli could talk about is how she wanted to be a princess with Kortney at the temple. She was so excited to put on a pretty dress and be a princess. Even to this day, I have a hard time getting her to wear regular clothes.

I feet bad that this picture of Kortney and Kelli is a little blurry. I really like this picture of these 2 princesses.

I had to get a picture of our family. So here it is.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-28T12:03:00.013-06:00

It's too bad that the weather was so nice for several weeks, then it gets rainy for Memorial Day weekend. Chris and I got together with his siblings and we went down to Gunnison so we could go camp up 12 mile. We invited my parents along with us. My dad helped us find a nice camp spot away from all the other campers and 4 wheelers. It was a great spot. We got to our camp spot Friday afternoon. It was raining when we set up camp and it continued to rain basically the whole time we were there. Despite the rain, Kelli loved being in the mountains.

She also loves her daddy.

And of course her grandpa.

We did get to do a little fishing. We hiked a little ways to a secluded pond that has some nice fish in it. Here is a bunch of us hanging out at the fishing pond.

Here is a picture of the pond behind Kelli and me. It's small, but is a fun place.

And now, here are the fish. Kelli loves it when someone catches a fish. Here is a picture of Kelli and her grandpa with his fish.

Here are some pictures of Kelli's daddy catching his fish.

Well, it was fun to get away from every day life and go camping. It would have been a better camping trip if it didn't rain on us the whole time. But we still had a good time. I'm sure glad that we had our spring bar tents. They are the best tents ever. Thanks mom and dad for helping us out. It was fun to have you along.

Locks of Love

2009-05-19T16:54:00.002-06:00

Today, I took my two, 11 inch braids from when I cut my hair and took them to the post office. I put them in an envelope and mailed them to Locks of Love. It was amazing to have these 2 braids that were almost a foot long and think that it used to be my hair. I was glad to donate my hair. I thought that maybe I will grow my hair out again some day and then chop it off again. It's kind of fun. But right now, I am enjoying the short hair. I encourage everyone to grow their hair out long and chop it off. Then donate to Locks of Love.

Even Shorter

2009-05-14T12:49:00.002-06:00

I got my hair cut even shorter. It is quite a change. My hair has never been this short before, but I love how it feels. My head feels like a feather with all that hair gone.

Chopped

2009-05-08T17:48:00.004-06:00

Well, I chopped my hair. I decided I wanted a change. I have been growing my hair out long for about 2 years. Here is a before picture.

My hair was getting nasty throughout the ends, so I decided I wanted a change. What do you think? Here is an after picture. Maybe I'm a little crazy. I think I might even go a little shorter.

Singing and Praying

2009-04-27T08:32:00.004-06:00

So Kelli has this new thing she does in sacrament meeting. When the prayer being said, she starts to say her own prayer. That is really funny, because everything is really quiet except for the other person giving the prayer and then there's Kelli saying her own prayer at the same time. Also, when we all start to sing a hymn, Kelli starts to sing I Am a Child of God. I guess you would have to be there to see it. It is pretty funny.

Happy Easter

2009-04-15T08:44:00.011-06:00

Easter was sure a lot of fun this year with Kelli. She got a doll house that a friend of mine was going to give to the DI. She asked if I wanted it, because her daughter doesn't play with it. I said sure, so now Kelli has a doll house and she loves it. We also set up an Easter egg hunt around our apartment, and she really liked that too. It was fun.

Then I got some pictures of Kelli in her new Easter dress. I got a little carried away, so sorry for the many pictures.

Budweiser Clydesdale Horses

2009-04-15T08:32:00.005-06:00

The Budweiser Clydesdale horses came to Smith's Market Place a couple of weeks ago. So Whitney and her daughter Jane and Kelli and I went to see them. The horses are huge and amazingly beautiful. Kelli and Jane sure liked them.

Day at the Zoo

2009-03-24T11:18:00.014-06:00

Last week on Wednesday, Kelli and I went with our friends Whitney and Jane to the zoo. The weather was great and there were a lot of animals out and about. Mine and Kelli's favorite animal was the tiger. It came right in front of the glass and sat in the water. That was pretty cool. Kelli sure enjoyed the animals a lot more this time than in times past. Kelli sure loves her friend Jane. They are such good buddies.

Kelli is so lucky to have a friend that shares her favorite treats.

Kelli also really liked the giraffes. They are pretty amazing creatures. And of course we couldn't leave without Kelli getting a chance to rock climb. Anytime there is something for her to climb on, she won't miss the opportunity.

Thanks so much Whit and Jane for inviting us to the zoo. We had a great time.

Yay for Spring and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T15:43:00.005-06:00

Today is such a warm day. Despite how much I love skiing, I am sure excited for Spring. I love wearing short sleeved shirts and flip flops. I took Kelli outside for a long time and let her play on the playground. Some of her friends were outside, so we got a picture of them as well.

This is a picture of Kelli with her friends Daniel and Liz.

Daddy Daughter Ski Day

2009-03-17T15:31:00.002-06:00

I was going to post this story last week, but I totally forgot. My mom and dad came up to Salt Lake last Monday. My mom watched Kelli while my dad and I went skiing at Alta. We picked the perfect ski day. I would have taken pictures of us, but you probably would not have been able to see us, it was snowing so hard. We would get on the chair lift and by the time we got up to the top, we had about a half inch of snow covering us. We skied in about 2 feet of powder for most of the day. It was incredible. We could not have asked for a better day. My dad and I were sure grateful for good gear. Thanks so much again mom and dad.

Where's Jesus?

2009-03-13T14:34:00.003-06:00

I just had to put this little story in my blog. It was the cutest thing. This afternoon, Kelli turns to me and out of the blue asks, "Where's Jesus?" I was kind of shocked when she asked me that. I had to take a moment to think about it. As I thought, I told Kelli that Jesus is with us all the time as long and we are nice and do good things. I'm not sure if that was the best description I could give her. It is so amazing what children come up with. I sure learn a lot from her.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-20T18:54:00.005-07:00

This post has definitely taken me a while. Valentine's Day was sure fun. The night before, we all went to the stake Valentine dinner. They served Cafe Rio. It was really good. Then, Chris, Kelli and I went out for ice cream. After that, we came home and got Kelli to bed. Then Chris and I sat down and watched a movie. On Valentine's Day morning, I made a yummy breakfast. Kelli loved playing with all the hearts I put on the floor. Chris and I gave her a light up bracelet and some M&Ms. Thanks Mom for the cute shirt you gave Kelli.

Chris got me some roses. They were so pretty. I had to take some pictures of them. You could almost watch the roses grow, they bloomed so fast.

Rocker Kelli

2009-02-09T16:40:00.006-07:00

Today, we decided to have a family guitar hero tournament. Chris played first, then I played. Then Kelli wanted to play. Chris would say it was his turn when his turn was up, and I would say that it was my turn when my turn came up. Pretty soon, Kelli was saying it was her turn. Chris and I figured she was right and that we should let her play. She loved it! Chris and I would try to play guitar hero while Kelli would push buttons with us. There were a few times when she almost made us get booed off the stage, but that didn't matter. She had a great time and she would get upset when it was Mommy's or Daddy's turn.

Kelli and Baby Porter

2009-01-25T21:03:00.007-07:00

Chris' brother Justin and his wife April, had a baby back on December 26, 2008. They named him Porter and he is super cute. We stopped by their apartment yesterday to see him again. Kelli really wanted to hold him. She is very excited to have another cousin. Justin and April were very trusting to let Kelli hold him. I was worried there for a bit, but Kelli did a great job. She sat very still.

Anderson Family Ski Trip

2009-01-25T19:41:00.009-07:00

Last weekend, which was Martin Luther King Jr weekend, my side of the family went on a ski trip to Powder Mountain. It was such a blast. It had been a while since we had seen snow. I was worried that the snow would be a little icy, but it was actually really good. We had a great time skiing.

We all spent some time playing games on the Wii, thanks to Megan and Greg. That was sure a blast. Kelli's favorite activity was swimming in the hot tub. Her favorite game in the hot tub was to get snow and throw it at Chris and I. Kelli also enjoyed the sledding. She is lucky to have such great cousins that will let her ride with them on the sled.

Another fun activity that was great to watch, was the kid's talent show. All the little cousins had to perform some kind of talent. Kelli and Addi did their talent together. They sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." It was sure cute.

These are all of Kelli's cousins. What a bunch of cute kids.

Kelli's First Snowman

2009-01-12T18:23:00.005-07:00

Last week, Kelli and I went outside and played in the snow. Kelli has been wanting to build a snowman for a while, so we decided to build one. The day was perfect. The temperature was so warm that I ended up taking off my coat and building the snowman in just a long sleeved shirt. The snow was also the best snowman building snow ever. It didn't take Kelli and I very long to build it.

In all the pictures of Kelli with the snowman, she has her eyes closed. Sorry about that. It was a bright day and Kelli squints a lot when she smiles.

Go Utes!!!

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T11:05:00.010-07:00

Christmas finally came. Kelli sure had a great Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we made tacos. Chris made some guacamole and salsa to go with the tacos. It was sure good. After wards, we made some chocolate chip cookies. That is one of Kelli's favorite things to do. When Kelli got up the next morning, she was very excited to open presents. Chris and I tried to read Luke 2 before we opened presents, but Kelli was too impatient, so we started.

I wanted to get a picture of Kelli in front of the tree before we let her open presents. She also wanted to take a picture too, so she got out her camera as well. Kelli's first present she chose to open was the biggest one, given to her by Grandpa and Grandma Judd ( Kory and Darlene). It is a 3 wheel Dora bike. Kelli sure loves it.

I took pictures of Kelli on her new bike and she kept wanting me to take more. So here are a few.

We all sure had a great Christmas. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful gifts. A special thanks to the Grandmas and Grandpas.