The Preston Family!

Kids Pictures

2010-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

We got the kids pictures taken awhile ago, I am just way behind on posting them. We went to a local studio this time which I am normally against -but the price was right so I decided to try it. They turned out pretty good for a "say cheese" and "smile" approach, but next time I will opt for the usual outdoor photo session with the candid shots. The kids did a good job and Steele was happy as ever. Looking at these photos reminds me how big my kids are getting. I hate it!!!

Halloween

2010-12-02T09:46:00.001-08:00

Halloween was great this year. Steele was Superman, Owen was Darth Vator and Ava was a cat. They had a great time trick or treating with their friends while I passed out candy.

We got the drill out this year for the pumpkins. Owen loved it and did a great job. No injuries sustained. Whew!!

Ava and her friend Abby asked me if they could put makeup on one day. Of course I said yes, they always put on makeup, and when they came out, little did I know they were mini makeup artists for Zombie Land. I dont know whats creepier, the fact that they did this all by themselves and they did a pretty good job, or the creepy vampire teeth they talked in for hours like they were born with them!

Pumpkin patch

2010-12-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Here is our yearly trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids love to come here and it is really fun. They picked their pumpkins, ran themselves ragged, mission accomplished!

Steele Man

2010-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Steele is now 7 months and I cant believe how fast the time is flying by. I HATE it!!! Its going to fast and I want my babies to stay tiny and never grow up! He is the sweetest soul I have ever known. He always brightens my day with his gorgeous smile and perfect personality. The loves of his life are our pets Ozzie and Mika. He cant get enough of them.

Doughnut Falls

2010-12-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

Right before the weather took a turn we decided to hike up to Doughnut Falls. It was about a 2 mile hike and the kids did so well. Steele man loved it and didn't make a peep. Just the usual smile.

Owens 5th Birthday!

2010-12-02T09:17:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe my Owie is 5 years old. He is such a great kid and I love him so much. We just had a chill birthday for him this year. He had his batman cake he wanted and a bounce house we kept for a few days where the kids practically spent all their time. It was great. We love you Owen!!

Owens First Day of School!

2010-09-14T21:14:00.001-07:00

Owen had his first day of preshool and he was so excited. I think he was more excited to wear his Batman Lego shirt more than anything. (Thanks Mom) He is going to a new school and only knows 2 other boys so I thought he would be a little nervous. He did so great and was super brave. He loved it so much and asks every day when he gets to go to school next. He is only gone for a few hours 3 days a week, but I sure miss him when he's gone. I have just been so used to having him around all the time when Ava's in school that its different with Owen gone. But now I get to have a few hours alone with Steele and I am loving it!

Ava's First Day of 2nd Grade!!

2010-09-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Ava is in 2nd grade! She was so excited and so nervous for the first day. She didn't know alot of people in her class so she was scared about meeting new friends.

She was excited to wear her scratch and sniff Popsicle shirt and sparkly shoes though. She also was excited to start eating hot lunch again. She loves hot lunch as long as its not an Egg roll or Pork Riblet (whatever that is). I love her so much and miss her a ton while she is gone at school. Her class got a new pet bunny they named Lucy so she looks forward going everyday to see Lucy!

Here are her shoes she made me take a picture of. I think they are her favorite shoes ever.

Some of her good friends at the buss stop.

Now I only know the girls on each side of Ava in this picture. The ones on the right just kind of jumped in at the last minute!

Summer

2010-09-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I am beyond behind in the blogging world. This summer came and went so fast, I can't believe it. With new baby Steele here, we have been so busy and the last few months have really flown by. Here are just some random photos of what we were up to this summer.

I just noticed some of these are duplicates. I goofed up somewhere!

Steele's Newborn Photos

2010-05-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

We just got baby Steele's newborn pictures back and they are sooo sweet! This nearly 3 hour photo session stressed me out, made me sweat bullets, and made me realize I would never have the patience to photograph newborns. It took about 30 minutes per pose and we had to wait until the baby was calmed down in the certain position and would mold like putty, and then snap away! They are so worth it though and I love them! I know this phase doesn't last long so at least I have some fun photos to remember this new newborn stage!

Ok, I'm not going to lie. This shot was very interesting to Ty and I and we are still not sure about this "crochet cocoon"!

2010-05-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

We're Back!!

And our new baby finally has a name!

Steele Bentley Preston

Born on May 3 2010

7 lbs 13 oz

19 1/4 in

It is kind of weird calling the baby a name now. We have been calling him baby for a week because we were to indecisive to pick out his name. Ty really liked this name so we just decided to go for it. He is AMAZING!! His long eyelashes are to die for! He has yet to cry uncontrollably, just squeaks here and there. He sleeps great in the night. He is so sweet and we are just SO in love with him. I just want to hold him and stare at him all day long, but then I remember I have other kids to take care of so I get my selfish time with him after Ava and Owen are asleep. Ava and Owen are so good with him. They love him so much and want to help out all the time. Number 3 is so much easier than I thought. It makes me rethink my decision about having a 4th! (Just kidding Ty) Really though, I love newborns so much I just wish I could stop time for awhile and just stand still in this phase. I have been soaking up every minute of it and I am just loving it. We are so glad he is here now and just love him so much!

Ava turns 7!!!

2009-12-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ava turned 7 and we can hardly believe it! Where does all the time go? All she wanted for her birthday breakfast was an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds! It was so awesome because Ty just ran out and got breakfast for all of us, so I didn't have to cook anything!

One of Ava's favorite present was her first sewing machine! It is really tiny, but it works pretty well actually. She has been wanting to learn how to sew like her grandma, so we thought we would try this little machine out first to make sure she liked it, then she could upgrade to a bigger one. Its perfect for her right now and she loves it so much!

It is a tradition for Ava to go to Wingers every year for her birthday. She just loves the asphalt pie so much, she pretty much eats all of it. I think I got 1 bite!

I had to throw in a picture of Owen so you know he is still in our family!

Reflections Winner!

2009-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

I am about 1 1/2 months late posting this, but....Ava won 2nd place in the literature category in Reflections this year! We were so proud of her because we kind of forgot about it and made her write a quick poem the night before. She works pretty well under pressure and it payed off! I am such a good mom and didn't make a copy of her poem, so I don't have it to share with you. She moved on to District and so they kept her original draft. As soon as I get it back, I will post it on here. It is really cute. She got a journal and some notepads, along with a certificate for her win, and she was very pleased!

Ava's friend Abby won also, and I think she also created hers last minute. I'm thinking procrastination is the way to go!

Thanks for coming Nanny!

October

2009-11-04T10:28:00.001-08:00

We love October! It is one of our favorite months. I think the kids like Halloween better than Christmas. Every year we go to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins out, (and sit on the tractors and pretend to drive them) we love this!

Then the kids pound in the Potato Head Halloween decor into the pumpkins while we hollow out the rest of the pumpkins.

Ava and Owen carved their pumpkins totally on their own this year. Ava did not want us to help her at all. She did a great job and was very proud!

Owen had a very interesting technique this year. He had to wear his Spiderman beanie and look through his "noculars", and stab the dog out of the pumpkin. I was very nervous and glad he didn't cut himself. He also carved his all by himself and turned out pretty cute!

Here are all the finished pumpkins we did. The kids thought they were so awesome!

Ty and I went to the best Halloween party ever!! We had so much fun and dressed up like punk rock people at the last minute. My sister and her family had the swine flu so she lent us these costumes and they were great. Ty really got into his. He came home, found some copper in the garage and made some earrings and nose rings out of it along with a bead from Ava's jewelry making kit. We had a great time!

And finally, the funnest part of all. The kiddos! Ava was batgirl and Owen was a Power Ranger. He wouldn't wear his mask (as usual) but agreed to hold it up to his face for the picture. They had so much fun dressing up and loved trick- or- treating! ( I made them save the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for me, so I loved it too)!

Yes, I am Prego!!

2009-10-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

If you didn't notice the baby ticker to the side, I have decided to come out with our big news that we are pregnant!! I cant suck in the pot belly anymore, so this is why. We are really excited about this, a summer baby in May! The kids are happy and cant wait. This will be a great addition to our little family.

2009-10-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I NEVER have music on here but lately I am obsessed with Michael Buble. I listen to him while I am getting ready, cleaning, whatever! Love him. I had to put him on here for now.

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY OWEN!

2009-10-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

It was Owens birthday and he got just what he wanted. All the grandparents (thank you) and us pitched in and bought him a four wheeler. Our neighbors have one and he hitched rides from them all summer. He proudly gave his own rides on the princess car and never complained about riding around in a pink and purple car covered with princesses. We decided it was time he get a manly ride! He was very excited and rides on it all the time. I cant believe he is already 4!! I am just sad he isn't three because I loved when he would say, "I'm free years old".

Owen had his first friend party this year and had the people from Scails and Tails come out with some cool reptiles. It was so much fun and the kids had a blast!

I loved all the the concentration faces (tongues out) and how excited the kids were!

IN-N-OUT is coming, to town!!

2009-09-17T21:41:00.001-07:00

I am so excited when I saw the new IN-N-OUT almost done in Draper. It is supposed to be finished late summer, which should be now, right! The one in Jordan Landing is not quite far along as the Draper one, but at least we have 2 options. Ty and I have been obsessed with this place forever and hope that we will still appreciate it, now that its at our disposal. When we get our burgers, we always order it "animal style". Somebody asked me what that was and so I decided I would post their "not so secret" options to those who have been out of the loop! If you ever need someone to meet you there for lunch, or grab some fresh cut potatoe fries, I'm your girl!

Owens First Day of School!

2009-09-09T14:21:00.001-07:00

Owen had his first day of preschool today. He was not nervous at all. He was excited and his only complaint was at how mad he was he had to walk 1/2 of a block to school! He was a little bit disapointed because he had in his mind he was going to ride the bus this year. We broke the news that it would be 2 more years before that would happen and then he was ok. He did really well and his teacher said what a great listener he was. I was so proud of our little man!

"If I Only Had Today"

2009-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago, my friend Kelly went to the funeral of little 6 year old Sadie. She was telling me about this song that was read at the funeral called If I Only Had Today and how amazing it was. LDS singer Hilary Weeks wrote this song and sang it to Sadie in her home 1 day before she passed away. I had never heard of Hilary Weeks before and normally dont listen to spirtual music around the house. But, I downloaded this song from itunes and fell in love with it. It is so beautiful and moving. Listening to this has really inspired me to be a better mom and not to sweat the small stuff, like making sure my house is spotless all the time! These kids grow up so fast and I dont want to miss a minute of it.

Anyway, just wanted to share the words with you.

...But if there were no more tomorrows
If I knew that I could not stay
I know how I’d spend every moment
If I only had today

I’d hold you and listen
And I’d let the dishes sit in the sink
I’d tell you I love you over and over
And for once I’d just let the phone ring
Then I’d remind you of forever
And how our love would never change
If I only had today

I’d wake up before the sun did
And I’d watch as you quietly sleep
I’d pray for time to move slowly
Knowing the moment won’t keep

All the gifts that Heaven has given
Every blessing that’s come my way
Wouldn’t mean anything without you
So if I only had today

I’d hold you and listen
I’d memorize every detail of your face
I’d tell you I love you over and over
I wouldn’t let excuses get in the way
Then I’d remind you of forever
And how our love would never change
If I only had today

There’s no time like the present
Life doesn’t come with any guarantees
The sun will set and time won’t wait
So while I have today

I’ll hold you and listen
I’ll let the dishes sit in the sink
I’ll tell you I love you over and over
For once I’ll just let the phone ring
And I’ll remind you of forever
And how our love will never change
Because I have today

First Day of 1st Grade!!!

2009-08-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

Ava had her first day of 1st grade today! She was so excited and suprisingly got up at 7:00 am when her alarm rang. I dont think she has ever been up that early before! The early part is going to be a big adjustment for the both of us. I kept asking her if she was nervous and she kept telling me she was excited to see all her friends, ride the bus with them, and eat hot lunch at school. I was the only nervous one I think. Just having her gone ALL day is freaking me out a little. We found out yesterday that the first day of school was "wear something red" day, so she didn't get to wear the outfit she had planned, but we figured it out. I am so proud of her and cant wait to hear how her day was!

A Blast From the Past

2009-08-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

I came across this photo of Ty from High School and couldn't resist to post it! He's rockin the mullet!

Lots of Fun!

2009-07-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

I know we haven't updated the blog in quite awhile, but here is a sampler of what we have been up to!

A Recap of "Angels Sing in Heaven"

2009-07-29T21:38:00.001-07:00

We came across this old posting from 2007 and had to put in on here again. Ava had us set up the video camera in her room and leave so she could record a song she had been working on. We forgot how funny this was and just came across it tonight. Ava is still pretty proud of the work she did on her Angels Sing in Heaven song years ago and it has inspired her to work on some new material!

Catching up

2009-06-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

It seems like we have been really busy this last month but have escaped the indoors a few times despite this crazy weather. We have been going to the Daybreak beach area quite a bit. The kids love it!

Ava and our neighboor Taylor ride their Razors together practically ALL day long!

Baseball was so crazy this year because of constant rescheduling of the games due to rain. Ava had a good time and loved playing. (I think she just cared about the snack and drink at the end of the game, and seeing her good friends Abby and Kaydie).

San Diego!!

2009-05-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

Our trip to San Diego was soo much fun!! I would love to live there someday. The weather is perfection, food is amazing and the beaches there are beautiful. The kids had a great time and cried when we had to leave. I cried too!

At the beach, Ty found all these tiny crabs hiding under these rocks. He decided he wanted to try and find some bigger crabs so he went searching and climbing around the rocks and slipped and fell pretty bad. He landed on his tail bone which he think he may have broke, and cut his leg up pretty good. He posed and made me take pictures so everyone could see his almost fatal wound!

Legoland was truly my favorite amusement park ever! The park was huge, way bigger than I thought. We spent about 7 hours there and barely made it around the entire park. We never waited for a ride more than 1 or 2 minutes. The rides were really fun and they had a few really big roller coasters at the end that Ava, Ty and I rode. All the little characters and decorations on the rides are made of the tiny legos. They even had a full size Volvo SUV made out of legos. It took them 6 minths to build it. It was soo neat! We had a great time and will definetly be going back.

This is miniture land. They make all these towns out of legos. All of the hotels, building and scenery are made out of legos.

We took a picture of this one for you dad. Its the Nascar race and all the trailers and people are made out of legos. It was so neat.

Ava is at the driving school here which she passed and got a little fake drivers license.

Tooth #2

2009-05-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ava had a bottom tooth that has been loose for about a month. Today in the car her seatbelt caught on her tooth somehow and ripped it out. There was a little bit of blood which sent Ava bolistic. She was shaking and could not get ahold of herself for quite some time. After the bleeding stopped which took about 1 minute (seemed about 1 hour to Ava), she noticed she was going to be ok and we were not going to need to take her in to the hospital. Now she has her two bottom teeth gone and she looks too grown up. I just hope the toothfairy has some cash on her!!

Star Student of the Month!

2009-04-19T11:31:00.001-07:00

Last week Ava's teacher called to let us know that Ava was selected to be the Star Student of the Month! The Star Student is selected from each class every month who has demonstrated special qualities. Ava was chosen for her honesty. We were really proud of her and she was excited she recieved a dolphin pin and some free kids meals at local restaurants. Good job Ava!

A Visit from the Tooothfairy!

2009-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Ava was playing at a friends house. I guess she was drinking a glass of water and her tooth fell out. We have been waiting for this tooth to fall out for almost 2 months! Ava was so excited. She came home and wrote a letter to the tooth fairy, and put her tooth under her pillow so she could have everything ready for the fairy! It was really cute. Now she looks so big to us with her missing tooth!

Owie!

2009-03-11T19:51:00.001-07:00

Owen and Ava just love our cute little neighbor Taylor!

Here are some random photos of what Owie has been up to. Someitmes I look at this blog and notice I accidently post more pics of Ava. I'm a bad mom!

Anyway, Owen has been so funny lately. He just cracks us up. He begged us to put him in swimming lessons but he backed out at the last minute. He dresses up like a superhero with his undies and Ava's old tee-ball socks and thinks he rules the world. And the latest old school activity he's into is pillow sack racing with Ava down the hallway. He has the best imagination and we love him so much!

Rock Climbing Machine!

2009-03-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

We gave Ava like 4 choices of different after school activities like dance, cheerleading, rock climbing and tumbling. She didn't even have to think about it, she knew she wanted to climb. She started a few weeks ago and is doing amazing. I cant even climb up as high as she can. Her teacher said she is doing fantastic and she has now learned to tie a figure eight follow through (whatever that is). Anyway, we are proud of our brave little girl!

Ava's night at the Jazz game!

2009-03-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Ava's grandma invited her to go to the Jazz game this last weekend. Little did Ava know, she got to go to the fancy VIP dinner and sit on the third row. She was sooo excited! Grandma even got her an awesome pink Korver jersey (which she has been wearing every day since). She loved the game but mostly loved the dancers and cheerleaders!

Catching Up!

2009-02-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

It has been quite awhile since I made my last post. I feel like we have been crazy busy these last couple of months, but when I went to download a bunch of pics to put on here, I hardly had any. I guess I forgot to take pictures the last 2 months.
Anyway, we are all healthy and for the most part happy. Ava cut her hair again and is going to lose her bottom tooth any day now. Owen is still a maniac and is in trouble ALL the time!

Snow Day

2008-12-21T21:29:00.001-08:00

The kids have been begging us to take them sledding. So on Saturday after Ty got home from work, they got in their snow clothes and went sledding. They were so excited. They met up with our friends and had a ton of fun!

Ava's Birthday!

2008-12-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

Ava turned 6 last week and decided she wanted to go bowling for her birthday. It was the kids first time bowling and we had such a great time. Ava and Owen were great bowlers and cant wait to go back! We cant believe how fast Ava is growing up. The time is going too fast and it makes me sad :(

Superhero modeling shots!

2008-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

While looking through some of our pictures on our camera, we came across some lost modeling shots taken a few months back. We were trying to get Owen to put on his Halloween costume but he didn't want to. So Ava thought it would be a good ideal to put on the costume to show him how cool it was. She was instantly transformed into a super-hero model and couldn't stop posing. I think there were some excellent action shots captured that day!

"TOP THAT"

2008-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

I posted this for my sisters, my brother and for you Matt. Its been awhile since we reminisced this one!

OK, if you have never had the privileged of watching Teen Witch back in the 80's, you really missed out. This was like my all time favorite movie. I have watched it about a million times and recruited quite a bit of my family members, even Tyler. I still have this rap memorized. The other day, Ty told me to "top that" and it brought back alot of memories, so I had to share the video with you.
No one will ever "top that". Don't even try!

New Family Photos!

2008-11-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

My mom gave a photo session with this photographer for our Christmas present this year. We always get the kids pictures taken every year, but Ty and I never want to be in the them. We always want to loose 15 more lbs, or get a new wardrobe, but I figured we might as well get it over with since the weight loss and the new wardrobe wont be happening anytime soon.

Besides the fact we had to drive to Ogden to get these done, Owen was so scared of the photographer he was crying his head off the whole time, I was sweating bullets and trying to keep calm, but they turned out pretty great. I am pretty excited about them. I was just hoping for a few good ones to use for our Christmas cards, and we definitely got some. Yeah!!! They are over with and I never want to do that again!

Crazy Looking Blog!

2008-11-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I know all these crazy patterns are pretty overwhelming! They are driving me crazy! I am trying to change some things on our blog and it is so late that I can't remember how to do it. I will try to fix it tomorrow.

A Thousand Spendid Suns

2008-11-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, I had to document my first read since...college! I have only tried to read a few books, but never get into them. I LOVED this book!!
It is a story about true friendship, love, sacrifice and oppression. What I especially like about this book is that it is written through a woman's perspective, her emotions, sacrifice and fears. I'm a pretty smart girl, I like to tell myself, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around the middle east. This book, though fiction, helped me get a grip of major events in the last 30 years of Afghanistan. The author has painted an honest picture of Afghan life, life altering circumstances and a country destroyed by war. I would strongly suggest to read this book if you haven't.

Halloween Costumes

2008-10-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

I think Ava thinks this is a modeling shoot!

Ok, we finally got Owen to wear his complete costume for the first time. This was a really big deal! He hates costumes and this is the first year we were able to coax him into taking a picture with his costume on. He is Batman and Ava is a snow angel without the halo. She wont wear that. She keeps telling everyone she is an ice princess, but I'm not sure why. Anyway, we have a party everyday this week and before they get burnt out of dressing up, I thought I should snap some photos in case this is the only time I get to.

Ava's School Picture

2008-10-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ava just got her new school photos back today. She is so excited and wanted me to put this on our blog so all the family can see it. I was skeptical about school pictures with the bright blue background looking cute, but these turned out super cute!

A Camping Adventure

2008-09-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago my Dad, my brother in law Morgan, his twin Matt, and I journeyed to one of my favorite camping destinations of all time. Unfortunatelly, I am not at liberty to divulge the location or name of this secret and holy location. All I can say is that it is somewhere in the remote Wyoming backcountry. Reaching this special place is not an easy task and there are many dangerous obstacles that one must overcome on this great adventure. The first step is to load all of you gear into your canoes. Next you canoe across the first lake. You then drag your canoes up a river which takes you to the next lake. Finally, after successfully canoeing across the second lake, you have arrived at your destination. Did I mention that while you are doing this you must also endure freezing glacier water, unpredictable weather conditions and don't forget the maneating, ferocious Grizzly bears. It is not a camping trip for the weak of heart! Although we faced many dangers along the way, we were able to have a fun and memorable trip.

Ozzie and Gabby

2008-09-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

We dog sat the Collards dog Gabby a couple weeks ago and forgot to post these pictures. Gabby was at our house for 4 days and we had a such a great time with her. We were very sad when she had to go home, but Ozzie was the saddest of all. She and Ozzie played and ran around together and became best buds! Ozzie has been begging us to have her come back for a playdate!

Owen, the crazy man!

2008-09-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Owen we have taken this last week. He has really been a wild man lately and has been hanging out with his new best friends Taylor and Skyler who live next door. Owen spends his days driving Ava's princess car around and racing Taylor on his 4 wheeler.

Kindergarten Fun Run!

2008-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ava had her 2 mile fun run at school last week. As we were getting ready to leave in the morning, we found Ava preparing herself physically and mentally for her 2 mile challenge!

Here are some of Ava's friends from school that she ran/walked with. Most of their names are a mystery because Ava said she couldn't remember any of their names even though she really does know who they are. Everyone did great and successfully made it to the finish line.

An Exciting Weekend

2008-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Tom and Kristi went out of town and we were lucky enough to watch Lincoln and baby Hazel while they were gone. We had a great weekend with many adventures and activities to keep us busy and having fun. Everything went perfectly except for a few minor altercations between the two young hooligans.

The neighbors four wheeler was a great source of entertainment. Owen was still fine tuning his steering abilities when he took Lincoln for a ride down the street. Lincoln was definitely not impressed with Owens driving skills.

Baby Hazel was so much fun to have around. She spent the weekend smiling, laughing and army crawling around the house. She was not very excited about Ozzie dog at first but she grew to like him and eventually she would play with him and crawl around on him.

Ava was a natural at baby sitting. She loved to feed baby Hazel and was always willing to help out.

Slumber parties were held nightly and the participants were well behaved for the most part.

The kids had a ball at the playground/water park we took them to one day.

Monkey Girl

The famous duo, Batman and Whiteman

After, the kids took a moment to ponder and reflect the excitement and joy that was experienced that day at the park .

The End of an Era

2008-08-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Most of the people that know me have probably heard me say more than once, "I need to get a new truck." Well folks the long awaited day has finally arrived. The truck gods have smiled upon me and have granted me my long awaited wish. You don't know how weird and exciting it is for me to go into the garage and see a new Dodge sitting there. It is going to take some time to get used to but I think I can handle that. Some of you may ask, "Where is the old faithful red truck?" Well I am happy to say that the red truck hasn't quite given up the ghost, and after 195,000 miles is now finally recieving the long awaited rest that it deserves.

Camping!

2008-08-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

We went camping this last weekend with out friends the Gunter's. We had such a great time. It was so nice to get out and relax for the weekend. The kids had a fun time and didn't want to come home. The days were nice and the nights were very cold. To the surprise of Charise, we were not eaten by bears!

Owen was the fishing machine. He was always the first to get down to the water and the last to reel his fishing pole in. Owen was pretty sad because the first lake we went to "had no fishies." But he redeemed himself at his secret fishing hole later that day where he caught 3 fish!

Ava liked fishing and even hooked a few fish, but when she reeled in the fish close enough to see it she would drop the pole and run. She enjoyed making mud pies in the sand and relaxing on the shore.

Ozzie may have had the most fun of all. He was in heaven running on the trails through the forest and playing with the kids. He even had his first swimming lesson and did so great. After his first swim, he was constantly in the water swimming and jumping in the lakes and splashing through the river while Ty fished.

Lagoon Pictures

2008-08-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of weeks since my last posting. Nothing new has really been going on with us. We did take the kids to Lagoon last week which was so much fun. I think Ty and I liked it a little more than the kids!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2008-08-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

Today was Ava's first day of kindergarten. She had been ready to go all morning and kept asking us when it was time to go to school. She was sooo excited!

Here are her new school shoes she had been waiting to wear. She asked me to take a picture of them because they were her favorite part of her outfit.

Here is Ava when I dropped her off at school. She was a little bit nervous when we pulled up, but when she saw her friends, she calmed right down.

Ava got to ride the bus home which was her favorite part about the day. She said she got to sit with her friends Kaydie and Averie and thought she was so cool because she didn't have to wear a seat belt!

Ava's new accessories!

2008-08-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Ever since Ava was a young girl, we would ask her when she would like to get her ears pierced. Her response was always, "when I am 20." But, then Ava saw baby Hazel's new earrings and has been dying to get her ears pierced too! She had been begging us for the last few days to pierce her ears but we didn't think when it came down to it, she would follow through. So yesterday, we showed up to Claire's and told her we were there to get her ears pierced. She hopped out of the car and went right in without hesitation. There were no tears or the blood curdling screams that we expected. She liked Hazel's white diamonds so much that she got the same ones to match!

A Bad Hair Day

2008-08-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago before Owens last haircut, Charise heard Owen crying for help. She went in and saw Ava and her friend pinning Owen down and styling his hair. They had hairspray and gel and were fluffing it up as much as they could. The end result was a bouffant like no other. You can tell by Owens face that he wasn't too happy!

Riding without training wheels!

2008-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

So Ava woke up last week and said, "I'm going to ride my bike without training wheels by the end of today." She practiced and practiced all day long until she got it down. She was so determined and really caught on fast. I was so proud of her. She has been cruising around the neighborhood ever since!!

That night she passed out on our bed from exhaustion and we noticed her legs were all bruised. We figured out it was from the pedals constantly hitting her shins while she was figuring out how to balance. The pictures don't really show the damage all that well, but she was pretty banged up!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2008-07-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

We got this website from my sister and thought it would be funny to try it. We did a few different pics of Ty and they all came back with different Backstreet Boys on it!! Ty loved that! Ok, whats up with Marc Almond?? Creepy!

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Blank family tree - Free family tree

Bottle Rocket Rocks!

2008-07-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is our new favorite movie. Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and their brother Andrew Wilson are in this. It came out in 1996. Owen actually wrote the story. Ty and I watched the other day and it took like 3 hours to watch. The movie is nothing short of hilarious. We were laughing so hard we had to pause it like a million times to re-group (mostly me) and then watch the scenes over and over again. Seriously, was I sleeping in 1996? How could I possibly have missed this? Love this one. Haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Makes me love the Wilson bro's even more!

Thanksgiving Point!

2008-07-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the childrens garden at Thanksgiving Point this morning. I love that place so much even though I sweat like a pig the whole time. My kids never want to leave. It was Ty's first visit today and I think he had a good time.

Here is the maze that looks pretty small from the outside, but it takes a little bit to go through. I started getting chlosterphobic half way through. I didn't think we would ever make it out!

Our Little Marine

2008-07-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, Ty went to work yesterday and Ava and I decided we wanted to shave Owens head. Ty told us we could never cut his hair really short but he really needed it for the summer. Ava talked to Owen about it and got him all pumped up. We took him out on the front porch and buzzed his head. Ava helped me shave it of course. I figured it was impossible to give him a bad haircut buzzing it. We had a feeling Ty would be mad at us when he got home, but I think he actually likes it. It does look really cute on him. He keeps calling him a marine and Owen thinks he looks pretty cool!

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend!

2008-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, it has been quite awhile since my last posting. This one is another video of Ava's last dance recital. A lot of people were gone to the reunion and couldn't make it, so this is for you! Ty is usually in charge of the video camera but he was also absent. I did the best I could but Ty is a much better videographer than I am. I sort of had a side view of Ava dancing. Oh well, you get the picture. Enjoy, and I will post some new pics up soon!

Pocketful of Sunshine!

2008-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ava's latest dance masterpiece of "Pocketful of Sunshine" (her new favorite song) is sure to start a national dance craze. This piece is choreographed and performed by Ava with a guest appearance by Owen. The production has received great reviews from critics and is probably going to be appearing on Broadway this upcoming month. She is very proud of this routine and wanted us to showcase the entire song, not just bits and pieces. It is a little lengthy!!

Grandpa's 80th surprise party!

2008-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, there are a ton of pictures on here, I know. These are for you dad. I just wanted you to see all the family folks and I wasn't sure what photos to leave out, so I put all of them on here!

Here is the shirt all the kids helped us make. Grandpa loved it so much, he wore it the entire day!

Here are all the family members waiting for Grandpa to arrive. They were so excited that I took all of their photos! The Langs love having their picture taken!

The kids were banished to the nursery room to entertain themselves!

The tire swing was fun as always!

Tom and Lincoln perfected their knife throwing skills at the Meadows.

Ava's preschool graduation

2008-05-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

Here is Ava with her best friend Kaydie.

Ava is announcing that she wants to be a dance teacher when she grow up!

Here she is with her diploma!

Tonight was Ava's preschool graduation. She sang lots of songs that I have never heard because she will never sing them to me. She kept telling me I could wait until graduation and hear them there. She was so darling and I am so proud of her. She got 100% on her evaluation from her teacher and I couldn't be happier!

What a dump!

2008-05-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, we lived in a pigstye for an entire day last weekend.. It started getting messy in the morning and continued throughout the day. Ty and I had been doing yard work literally all day long. We were picking out the weeds and grass from our flower beds which took hours. Planting new flowers and mowing the lawn (which takes Ty 2 hours anyway because the criss cross pattern in the grass has to be has to be cut to perfection). I didn't clean at all that day. We finally came inside, put the kids in the tub and then to bed and just when we thought we could go to bed we saw this.........
.

What a pig stye!!! I was so tired and exhausted from the day I just wanted to go to bed. We have hardly ever left a mess in the kitchen overnight so we decided to tackle it. Nobody ever believes me when I say my house is a mess. Especially my sisters and my mom. They always say, "I;m sure its not that bad" . Here is the proof! It was that bad. This was probably the worst my kitchen has EVER been. (I cant believe I am posting these pictures for you all to see!)

But after an hour of hard labor and Ty's help.......................................

We all went to sleep in peace!

Hoogle Zoo

2008-05-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have posted anything. I have just felt soo busy lately. This is the first time I have checked my email in like one week. Anyway, these are some photos we took at Hoogle Zoo a couple weeks ago when we went for Ava's field trip. Ty went with us and we had a great time. Owen talked about the elephants and alligators for days after this trip. Every time we pass a grated storm drain in a parking lot, he tells me alligators live down there!

Is this the new "Couch Man"?

2008-05-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

So we all know when Ryan was younger he was the original "couch man" with his dishtowel tied on his neck like a cape. He would jump off the couch yelling "couch man"! It seems that Owen could be taking over his title. He takes all the cushions off the couches (which I just love) and jumps all over them with rage! He doesn't have the cape yet. Just the undies on top of the diaper!

Surprise!!

2008-04-28T16:42:00.001-07:00

Sorry Kristi, this is the only photo I had of the blindfold coming off!!!

Kristi's surprise birthday party was very successfull. Lincoln was the first to shout out "happy birthday mommy!!" We had alot of fun and the so did the kids. They pretty much bounced the entire night! Then Ava helped me babysit Hazel while I bathed the kids!

Owen and Gwen

2008-04-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded these photos today. I totally forgot about these. We had our niece Gwen over a couple weeks ago and her and Owen were being so cute together. Its really not that often that Owen is showing any kind of affection to any of his cousins, except baby Hazel. This particular afternoon Owen kept hugging and kissing Gwen. It was soo cute!!

First T-Ball Game!

2008-04-09T09:57:00.001-07:00

It was the bottom of the ninth inning and there were two outs, the bases were loaded and the count was full. The Cubs were down a run and things were looking bad. Luckily the Big Slugger Ava was up to bat. The pitcher wound up and delivered a 100 mph fast ball. The crowd held their breath and the silence was broken by the crack of the bat. The ball sailed over the fence for a grand slam. Thanks to Ava the Cubs were victorious! Well it may not have been that dramatic but yesterday was Ava's first T-Ball game. She had a great time and did very well. For not having very much baseball experience, Ava is doing so good and is probably one of the best hitters on her team. She didn't even have to use the tee. When the game was on the line Ava came up with some great plays to save the game!

"The Kindest Cut of All"

2008-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ava has been begging me to get her hair cut really short for a long time now. We finally had our cousin Celeste cut it today! Ava also wanted to donate her hair to Pantene Lengths, which makes wigs out of cut ponytails for women and children who have lost their hair to cancer treatments. To donate your hair, you have to have at least 8 inches of hair to donate. It was alot of hair to cut off! I think I was more nervous than she was. The end result looks great, and she loves it soo much. We are so proud of her to want to do something for such a great cause!

Owen the mechanic!

2008-03-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

We found Owen working on his 4-wheeler today. He took the seat off and made sure that everything was working ok before his first ride of the season!

Easter!

2008-03-23T13:29:00.001-07:00

We decided to get the kids a little playhouse to go out back for the summer. It was their Easter present from us. On the box it said "Easy Adult Assembly", so I thought that meant we could have it put together in maybe an hour. I was sooo wrong. It took us (mostly Ty) about 2 nights, and 10 hours later! It was truly a nightmare. Thanks Ty!!!

Princess on Ice

2008-03-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

We took Ava to Princess on Ice and it was so much fun. Her favorite princess was Ariel, the Little Mermaid! She got to choose one toy from the show and she choose the Ariel Barbie!

We do love each other!

2008-03-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a rare and seet moment captured on our camera of Ava and Owen. They are usually hitting, sticking their tounges out, or telling on each other. We caught this moment and had to post it!

Crickethead and Cawkichuppi

2008-02-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

I found this picture last night of Ava's old dolls. I forgot how little she used to be. She named the dolls herself when she was 2. Crickethead and Cawkichuppi! What an imagination she had. I love looking at these older photos when the kids were younger. It reminds me how fast they really do grow up!

The two socks naked eater

2008-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ok. We were just looking at our blog and noticed we dont have alot of photos up of Owen! Heres some catching up. So last week Owen stripped down to nothing but a black and white sock on one foot and his spongebob bandaid on his forehead to eat his lunch. He has been doing that lately. He will coax Ava into taking his shirt off, and he will take care of the rest. He's just comfortable in his own skin!

Daddy Daughter Date!

2008-02-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

Saturday night was the big daddy daughter date night. It was held at a high school over here and the theme was High School Musical, which Ava was very excited about. Ty and Ava went with 3 other dads and their daughters. They first went to Iggys for some dinner and the girls had ice cream sundaes. Then they went to the dance and learned a dance from the movie and Ava danced her heart out for over an hour! They had alot of fun. When Ty came home he told me he was really sore from all the dancing. I guess he did alot of booty shakin himself!

Simply Irresistable!!

2008-02-09T14:23:00.002-08:00

2008-02-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ava had her dance recital last night. She danced very well despite the music turning off and on!! We are so proud of her.

Front Page News!

2008-02-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

We found out last night at Ava's ballet class that her studio would like to use her picture for the front page of the winter recital program!! Ava is soooo excited! She had to call everyone to tell them she was going to be on the cover of a "magazine"!!

2 Feet of Snow!!

2008-02-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor called us this morning to tell us that church had been cancelled. When we asked why, they asked if we had looked outside yet. When we looked out there, we couldn't believe it. Tons of snow! It took Ty about 2 1/2 hours to snow blow out driveway. The pictures dont seem to quite do it justice.

Ty made a snow cave out back for the kids to play in. They loved it! They played in it until they were too frozen.

A night with Lincoln and baby Hazel!

2008-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Tom and Kristi went out for a night of relaxation, but little did they know that it was Lincoln

who was receiving the real pampering! Lincoln's night started off with an upscale hair appointment with 2 personal assistants. All the employees were busy with his hair so he decided to paint his own fingernails. Lincoln's ended the night relaxing in the hot tub!

Hazel also had her own personal assistant. Ava was there to attend to any need she had. She was really good at making her laugh!

A night with tiny Morgan and Elle!

2008-01-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

This last Friday night was a wild night! Matt and Nicole dropped off the kids at our house and the next thing we knew we had a crazy party happening. We were banished to the back room while the kids took control of the house and made a carpet picnic in the living room. They watched back-to-back episodes of The Backyardigans, to get pumped up for Morgans birthday party the next morning. Unfortanetly Miles isnt in the picture because he was also banished from the party for being underage.

Zzzzzzzzz

2008-01-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I guess that Owen has been having too much fun here. We have been finding him asleep in some interesting places lately. The extreme conditions of our child labor camp may also have something to do with the little fellas fatigue. The gruelling hours our poor children spend on daily chores would wear out the best of us. The top two pics were taken just after Owen had completed his laundry duties. The last one was snapped just after his kitchen chores were done. Shhhh. Go to sleep Tiny Dancer.

2008-01-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here we are on Christmas morning opening our presents from Santa. I think everyone was very excited about the toys they got! Owen got his "mote" control helicopter and Ava got her Barbie cash register and Barbie along with a million other things!

Christmas Eve

2008-01-02T20:31:00.001-08:00

Here is Christmas Eve at our house! The kids are opening their pj's from the Christmas elf and getting some practice opening presents for the big day! Ava and Morgan wanted to dress up as Santa.

Angels sing in heaven...by Ava Preston

2007-12-23T22:10:00.001-08:00

Tonight, Ava wanted to record a song on the video camera in her room. She had us set the camera up (in her recording studio) and instructed everyone to leave the room while she was recording her new hit. Notice the vibrato effect that only comes from a true musical talent!!

Ava's 5th birthday party!

2007-12-15T21:37:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Ava's party. It was the funnest party! They had their hair, makeup and nails done. Then they got to strut their stuff down the runway. Ava had so much fun. She couldn't stop smiling the whole time (can you tell). She said this party was the funnest she had ever had!

Here are some random clips from Sweet and Sassy! Just wanted to give you a preview of how much fun all the girls had! Sorry, it's a little bit long. (Notice the funny faces tiny Morgan is pulling in the mirror)

Our new amazing photos!!

2007-12-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

The visit with Santa

2007-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here is some photos with Santa. Owen was very excited and ready to tell Santa he wanted a plane and remote until we actually approached him. His enthusiasm disappeared quickly!

Ava was actually really nervous to see Santa because she has been a little naughty lately and she thought Santa would tell her she was on the naughty list. We finally convinced her that he might give her a second chance, so she decided to go for it. She told him she wanted a Barbie cash register, a Barbie, and a princess kitchen! We'll see.....

A Snowy Morning!!

2007-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

We woke up to tons of snow the other day. The kids had to go right out and play!

2007-11-29T20:47:00.001-08:00

Awesome Graphics at pYzam.com

O Christmas Tree

2007-11-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight the kids got to decorate their own tree in Owens room. Ava was very proud of it. We couldn't get Owen to stay in the picture, but Ozzie stood in for him.

2007-11-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

Ozzie and Owen have found something that they both have in common!

Like father...like son

2007-11-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

Here is Tyler putting up the Christmas lights. Ty is training Owen to put the lights up so that next year he wont have to!

beach

2007-11-14T20:10:00.001-08:00

"We can do it" Part 2

2007-11-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

Here is "We can do it" Part 2, but this time in musical form!!

Ty the Gap Guy!

2007-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

A tragic mutilation

2007-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and scary Halloween night. The kids had just gotten over their sugar high and were finally asleep. Just then I heard a blood curdling scream and ran to see what had happened. I saw Charise standing in front of a horrible scene. One of Ava's favorite Barbies had been viciously and deliberately attacked and mutilated. I couldn't imagine who could be capable of such evil. Only a monster could eat off the hands of such a wonderful doll. I set off in search of the attacker with revenge in mind. Only then did I notice Ozzie chewing on the amputated hands. A cold chill went through me as we made eye contact. I will never forget that Halloween night and neither will "Stumpy" the Ballerina Barbie!!!

Ava's scripture for the day!!

2007-11-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Ava has taken over Tyler's scriptures. They are now hers, and she carts them around everywhere. This morning, she gave a sermon on "We can do it". Enjoy!!

Our Family

2007-11-02T10:21:00.001-07:00