It Just Keeps Getting Better...

Surprise, Surprise!!

2010-07-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T30cr3QeZtY

Something Cute

2010-04-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Two or three weeks ago Aunt Jan and Uncle took Tigi to see the new movie "How to Train Your Dragon." Tigi LOVED it! She loved it so much in fact that now, we've had this discussion everyday:

Tigi: Mommy, I want a REAL black dragon.
Me: Well, if you can find one, you can keep it.
Tigi: You help me look for one downstairs?
Me: I think if one was in our house you'd already know it.
Tigi: Mommy, can you take me to the pet store to buy a black dragon?
Me: I don't think they sell those there.
Tigi: YES, they do!

I love how everything at her age is real. She can say something is make believe or "just pretend", but I don't think she quite understands that part just yet. :)

2010 - Here's to a New Decade

2010-02-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

I know it's February. I also know that I completely slacked off on the posting of anything at all over the holidays. We did plenty; I promise there was no lack of activities. Summing it up in a few words...Devin's 80's Birthday was fun, Thanksgiving was wonderful in New Harmony, Christmas was perfect in Las Vegas and Cancun was absolutely fabulous over New Years (minus the flying there and back).

The kidlets are great.

Tigi is a 12 year old trapped in the body of a 3 year old. She tries to interrupt every conversation with a 1/2 mile radius by asking who/what are you talking about and why? It is genetic, apparently and I'm sorry to have passed off such a trait to her. I'm especially sorry it blossomed at such a young age. :)

When she's not trying to get the downlow on your convo, she's busy being the boss of anyone and everything (namely Alex and Fisher). But if you ask her if she's the boss, she'll dutifully tell you she's not, just mama and papa. I'm glad we've got the answer down, I just wish the understanding would sink in.:)

She's hilarious in her pre-teen answers like "even if you put that up there, I can still reach it and I'll get it when you're not looking" or the timeless "Mama, you're a crazy driver" or something about my "crazy hair." She's already asked me for her first car (not a toy car, a real car like mommy's) and when can I teach her how to drive so that she can drive herself to Grandma Zeke's or Gma Jerri & Gpa Garth's houses to see their horses.

Every now and again we get a glimpse of her 3 year old self with conversations like this:
Devin: What's that song you're singing?
Tigi: It's Backyardigans, The Knights of Right.
Devin: Oh...Are they called The Knights of Right because they always choose the right?
Tigi: Yeah. But.....sometimes they choose left too.
:)

Current Tigi Favorites: Speaking to you in her robot voice, changing into atleast 10 outfits a day, loving Alex (sometimes still a little too much), watching her shows (Backyardigans are the fav), singing songs she composes on the fly and, of course, playing with friends, going to dance and preschool.

Just a note, after three years of adoring and gobbling them up, Tigi has now decided she disdains peas. Apparently they are too closely related to green beans (which have gagged her since 6 months) for her liking.

Alex is a growing boy (albeit, slowly). I'm proud to say that he's out of the single digit percentiles and is now approx. 17% for height and weight (30" and 22lbs) at 15 months. He's still a little fella, but he can definitely keep up with his sister. They play so well together now (with the exception of when Tigi starts wrestling...22lbs versus 40lbs is never going to turn out well). She drives him in her Barbie Mustang and plays soccer with him. They dance, jump on the tramp and chase each other in circles like wild children. I love it!!

He definitely knows what he does and doesn't like and will tell you so by nodding yes or no. He's a junkfood magnet! Other favs include yogart, milk and cheese. (Let's hope he never becomes lactose intolerant). He's still not a superb napper and decided his second nap was unnecessary at the wise old age of 14 months. So, some days we run on a one hour nap. It's lovely.

He's still a momma's boy and will make it known to anyone who dares to physically come between us (including Devin or Tigi). He's creeping into the tantrum phase, but for the most part is a pretty happy dude. He doesn't really say much yet, just Mama, Dada, OwId (Outside), Ohoh (Uh oh) and oof oof for Fisher.

Current Alex Favs: Playing outside on the park or riding his harley, attempting to play fetch with Fisher, sitting on my lap, anything with buttons (the fax machine and laptop provide the most choices), picking your nose for you, and last, but definitely not least...playing in Devin's truck. Alex could spend hours just standing in the driver's seat moving all the controls and steering wheel. :) He doesn't love tv like Tigi always has, but he does enjoy an occasional "Signing Time."

The craziest part about 2010 is knowing that in 10 years, Devin will be 40, Tigi will officially be a teenager at 13, Alex will be in the 5th grade and 11 yrs old!! It makes me want to stop time for a bit and enjoy us as we are right now. :) Where will you be in 10 years?

Meet Fisher Baldwin

2009-12-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

He's tall, loves long walks and good snuggle. :) And he's our puppy!!! I was really wanting to get a puppy this year, but really didn't want to pay for one. So about a month ago I stopped looking.

Then just yesterday a guy we know from work sent me an email wanting to know if we knew anyone who'd take him in. A family had purchased him and sent him to be trained as a service dog for their child with cerebral palsy, but he's too hyper. (They obviously need mellow dogs). So he's already had quite a bit of training, which makes him a great package to me!

A few Fisher facts:

- He's a 10 month old Silver Lab.

- He NEVER barks inside and rarely outside.

- He loves to lick Alex and Tigi's faces, which they definitely don't like!

- He loves for you to through the ball or stick for him, but has a hard time remembering to bring it back. :)

- He's kennel trained and sleeps without a peep all night until you let him out in the morning. Awesome!

- He's already over 70lbs and is two inches taller than Alex.

- Alex was totally afraid of him at first, but is slowly getting used to him. I wouldn't go as fas as saying that he likes him yet.

- Tigi LOVES him!

Alex's Big Day

2009-11-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Alex's 1st birthday was on 10/24 and we had all the fam and friends over to celebrate. It was a bit of crazy day for me with Super Saturday and all, but never fear, Cafe Rio catering came to the rescue! And it was oh so delicious!

Alex didn't want to touch his cake (even though it was a scrumptious "orange crush" flavor). He gave the frosting a couple licks and that was that. No smashing of the smash cake at this Cookie Monster bash.

More news on "Everything Alex"...

1. He's a HUGE yogart lover!! You have to be careful with letting him see the jar, because if he sees it out, he wants it NOW. No negotiations.

2. He's the cutest little walker. I just love that little diaper bum.

3. He's growing, but still in the 5th percentile (29in and 19lbs). He'd have to grow 2 inches and gain 4 pounds just to hit the 50th percentile.

4. He's a great communicator. Signing, he can tell me eat, more, drink, paci, milk, night night, diaper and bath. He's also a pro at shaking his head yes and no. He's definitely a big tease too.

5. He's FINALLY a normal sleeper!!! For about the last couple months, his schedule has become very regular. He sleeps 8p-7a and takes two 1 1/2 hr naps. Of course then we go and have to deal with time change, it always messes everything up.

6. He's super helpful, just ask him. He'll be the first one to help you clear out the cabinets, the drawers, the recycle bin, the dishwasher or my work files. You don't even have to ask him to do it, he's that helpful.

7. He's such a MAMA's boy! He always has been, but as he gets older, he can express what he wants so much better, and most of the time what he wants is "Mamamamama."

I love it because he so lovable and snuggily!! He loves to give AND receive lots of hugs and kisses. :)
8. He's smart. (Isn't that what every mom says?) But he's smart in a way very different than Tigi was. He's very motivated by cause and effect. He likes the remote, because it changes the tv (much to our displeasure), he likes toys and electronics with buttons and lights and music. In comparison, Tigi likes to tinker with tools and things, but Alex wants to know how things work (just like his papa). It really amazes me how different girls and boys are, innately.

9. A couple more things he loves: pacies, animals (specifically puppies, kitties and cows), music (he's got the beat, just like Tigi), his big sister (he follows her everywhere and loves it if she'll play with him), Goldfish crackers, bananas and his little lullaby sea horse in his crib.

Happy birthday little man!!

Baby Gap Casting Call

2009-10-25T20:26:00.001-07:00

WE WANT TO WIN!!! Who wouldn't want to win a trip to the Bahamas?! Or atleast a Gap gift card. :)

Here is Tigi's voting link:

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/dmbaldwin1/245021291/

Here is Alex's voting link:

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/dmbaldwin1/745021017/

Here are the rules: You will have to do a quick registration, then you can vote once a day, EVERDAY until the deadline on November 17th.

Thanks for your support!!

Photo Session!!

2009-10-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

I had some photos taken of the kids on Thursday and here are a couple sneek peeks. Advance warning...they are absolutely adorable!
http://brittanyrulisphoto.com/?p=75

Oh How The Time Does Fly...

2009-10-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

when you're having fun. So much has happened since I last posted about San Diego. Life is busy, but always good. Here are a couple highlights:

-We went to Aspen Grove with Dev's fam in the end of August to round out our whirlwind summer of nonstop vacationing. It was fun and the all day babysitting/kids camp was AWESOME! The food was good too.

-Tigi started dance at Bunker Dance and loves her little friends Lauren and Macie! I just love going to watch her!

-On Alex's 10 month bday, we finally saw his first tooth. He's an excellent crawler and had been walking along the couch for a couple months, but still no walking yet. He also learned how to walk UP the slide on the park during this month, courtesy of Tigi Rose. He's definitely a climber!

His 10th month also brought with it a taste of Alex's attitude when it comes to food. As a complete 180 to his sister who would eat nothing BUT the food I made for her, Alex decided he no longer liked my homemade baby food and would only ingest the store-bought Gerber variety. After he got that across, he's also informed us that it's not so much that he's a picky-eater (per se), but that he wants to eat what he wants, when he wants it and it's up to you to figure out what that might be. Good times.

-On Alex's 11 month bday, he first climbed out of his crib and fell on the floor (note to self...we need a crib tent), then took his first 5 steps, and then we saw his second tooth. It was a very eventful day. We also took his measurements this month and he came in at 18lbs. and 27". As it turns out, he's kind of shrimpy, he's in the less than 3rd percentile, if I'm reading the chart right. That must be a grandpa Jeff trait. It's hard to believe that after Tigi (who from birth was always greater than 95%), I would have such a shorty. Hmmmm, that must be why all of his 12-18month clothes look humongous on him. Mystery solved.

Of course, he most certainly did have a chunky phase but after a bout with the stomach flu/virus thing right before Aspen Grove (otherwise known as 5 fun filled days of vomiting and diaherrea), he did unfortunately dropped a couple pounds. But no worries, he's very healthy and we certainly NEVER miss a meal at our house. :) The sheer love of food and screaming just wouldn't allow it.

-Tigi's also started preschool! Such a big girl! And I am incredibly ashamed to say that I did not get a picture of her on her first day, but she loves it nonetheless. Her teacher is fabulous and I've been amazed at her ability to learn her letters these last couple of months. Her wit, at times, is to die for (I think, of course). She is certainly a mini-Morgan running around calling people "dude" and saying how Aunt Jan "freaked out" and rationalizing every little detail of her day in all of her "for that I can do" this/that and the other thing.

Her lastest thing it to ask me to turn down the radio while we're in the car. She said it again today, so I told her "Tigi, did you know that when I drive all by myself in the car, I LOVE to listen to the radio really loud?!" Her answer, stated very matter-of-factly, "Well, I don't." There you have it, straight from the mouth of an independent, strong willed 3 year old chica. I love her to pieces. She also makes me crazy like never before, but such is life.

The Big S.D.!

2009-08-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Don't you love this picture?! Looks just about right.

San Diegoooooooooo! We just spent the weekend there and it was wonderful! Driving home Tigi told me (in a dazed half awake state) "Mommy, I want to go back to California. It was so fun!" I couldn't agree more. :)

We went with our friends Trisha and Josh Waldron and we couldn't have asked for better traveling buddies! Tigi and Macie got along great (with very, very minimal fighting) and Alex and Ty just liked to follow each other around.

Here's Alex "attacking" Ty. You see the wet spot on Ty's shorts, yeah...that's from Alex's mouth. I don't really know why, but he just loved to wrestle him. Boys will be boys I guess.

Friday was spent at Sea World. Tigi, being the animal lover that she is, thought all the sea animals were fun. Macie did too.

Here we are waiting in the windless hot, HOT sun for the Shamu show to start. Thankfully the wind did pickup later, as in after we were done at the show and not in the direct sun constantly. Of course.

Those "trainers" were more like stunt men!

I had this great idea for Devin to hold up the fish before he fed it to the sea lion so I could take a quick pic....

And BAM!! In flew the little bird who swiped the fish right out of his hand! Apparently they are familiar in the ways of the unsuspecting tourists. Poor sea lion.

So even with how great all the animals were, this was Tigi's favorite attraction...Elmo's Flying Fish.

Here's Alex wondering why little brothers seem to always get the "short end of the stick."

Totally spent after a long, hard day of play. :)

Saturday was beach day and La Jolla was our beach of choice!

Showin off the floaties!

Alex didn't super love the sand his first beach trip, but he was a pretty good sport about it.

And he definitely LOVED the water! (Even if it did chill him to the bone). :) Such a little fish he is.

Macie and Tigi were just the cutest to watch them play on the beach! They ran and ran and ran! Running up to the waves and back to the beach, throwing mud into the ocean, chasing each other around, it was adorable!

Thanks again to the Waldrons for letting us come with you!

Frehner Reunion

2009-08-10T14:25:00.001-07:00

Lots of fun in the New Harmony sun! Here's a couple shots of our weekend with around 150 relatives...

My Grandpa was the youngest of 9 kids and this is our family (with a couple missing).
You just can't ever get them both looking at the same time! But aren't Alex's tennies adorable!
My honey bunny.Off for the trails.Once we got up here, Tigi told me "Mom...we are TOTALLY riding horses right now!" I love her vocabulary!

I just thought this was the cutest pasture! There were sunflowers everywhere, the weather was perfect and the view of Kolob just can't be beat.
The studs hangin out at the OK corral.Alex's first horseback ride! Tigi ridin like a big girl. The little horses are her fav. :)

Thanks Aunt Jan and Grandma & Grandpa for all your hard work!!

My Little Techies

2009-08-10T14:01:00.001-07:00

Mix Master A.B. in the house y'all!

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but Alex is a FANATIC for anything with buttons...remotes, cell phones, the dvd player, the stereo, you name, he's gotta have his little hands on it.

So you're tellin me that this is NOT mine?!

3 years old and she can navigate pbskids.org like a pro. Curious George is her current favorite game collection.

Mama Mia

2009-07-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

I was just so happy that I had to share the excitement - today, Alex called me Mama! And he was saying it to me as he crawled to me, so I know it wasn't a fluke.

Just another warm fuzzy mommy moment. :)

I also forgot to post that Alex started crawling a week ago today and I have a fun little video that I'll put up later. (Hopefully)

Creation of Cousins

2009-07-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have to think that "cousins" were created for the lasting joy and entertainment of our children. Atleast I know that for Antigone, cousins are the next best thing to candy. :) She definitely loved all of them at Cousins Camp this year!

This is Tigi's buddy Maddy. She helped her and played with her (and carried her) the whole time! She's awesome!

So here's how we passed the time...

With some horse drawn carriage rides,

a solo "family presentation" for Morgan, since Tigi appears to get stage fright EVERY year,

some delicious food (and super cute hair)...

playing with girl cousins,

and boy cousins,

a long ride (nap) up the Penzcour (sp?)(perfect for a bunch of moms and kids),

there was some horseback riding,

and gun fights...

"chillaxin" in the shade by the pool,

and last but certainly not least...lots and lots of loves!

Extra special thanks to Jenny and Diane for making everything fun and taste great too! Of course we couldn't have such a wonderful time without Gma Jerri and Gpa Garth! Thanks for all you do for us!

Gma Jerri and "the Moms."

The Progression

2009-06-21T21:13:00.001-07:00

A favorite new pastime. This is how it starts...

Then we get a little bit of drool running...

Then we finish in full on, no holds bar, raspberry mania!!!

And by the way, isn't this the funniest picture you've ever seen?! Alex's face is soooo chubby and with his cheeks all puffed out and the double chin and no neck...it's the best!

This only gets better when you're sitting in Relief Society during a good/emotional lesson and in comes the motorboat in the back row. Luckily a pacifier will still quiet the situation...for now. :)

This is the papa we love!

2009-06-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tigi loves you for the rides on you shoulders and how you let her work with you and the tools. Alex loves you for all your good raspberry noises and rolling around on the floor. I love you for all the hard work you do for our family and for the hunka hunka burning love that you are. :)

Thanks babe for being a wonderful dad!

We also celebrated over at Devin's dad's and attempted to take a couple of pictures. Know I know they'll never work out, but you can always hope that someday we'll get a good one. :)
You notice, only my kids were crying. Up until then, mine were the happy ones! Oh brother!

I also want to give a little shout out to my own dad. He helped me become the person I am today and he taught Dev and I how to support ourselves in a career that we love. He was funny and loving and knew how to take life's challenges in stride. I still miss him.

Love you dad.

Cute, but stubborn.

2009-06-08T21:26:00.001-07:00

Where does she get such attributes from? Her Dad, I sure of it. :)

I put Tigi to bed the other night...around 7:30 or so. We'd gone through the whole read 3 books, go to the bathroom, say prayers, go to bed, get back out of bed, get a drink of water routine, she even told me that she wanted to change her jamies, I thought it was another ploy to delay the inevitable, so of course I told her no.

This is what I found on my way up to bed...

When I last saw her she wasn't in her "super kid" pjs, she was in pink princess jamies (which she had dressed herself in), no eye mask, and in her bed.

I guess I should be glad that I didn't know she was awake, it saved me from saying "get back in your bed" a good 5 or 6 times. Silly girl.

Saddle'um Up, Move'um Out!

2009-05-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

We've been to New Harmony a couple times this month and loved it! (Of course...when don't we love it?!)

First was the cattle branding. I missed almost all of it on account of Tig or Alex or both, but Dev had a good time bulldoggin.

What a stud! Alex & Auntie HeatherThis isn't the best picture, but I just wanted to show Tigi's "girlies." All the girl cousins are why she really LOVES to go to New Harmony. They take her everywhere with them! It's nice for us too. :)I thought this was too cute because Tigi always makes Grandpa Garth work for her affection, but Alex just loves him! He'd go to him all the time without any fuss. :)

We like to start um young. If we start now, I'm sure he'll be a pro by the time he's 16...or maybe he'll just tell me that. :)

There was lots of horseback riding (and a little bit of rodeoing too, poor Debbie and Carly).

Tigi was so big sitting all by herself.Here we are waiting our turn for the horsies.

I love this pic. Thanks Uncle!

Just a couple a cowboys...Alex and Uncle Lloyd.

You can never go to NH without eating LOTS and LOTS of delicious food! I think it's what we do best. :) Alex playin at the park.There's alway time for swimming on a hot day!

This was our attempt at a family picture. We might not all be looking in the right direction...but at least everyone is smiling!My beautiful Tigi girl.

This awesome machine is the latest and greatest toy in NH. It's a sweet ride so far as Austrian war machines go. But it definitely is good for loadin up a bunch of people for "wilderness excursions." :) We stopped in to give my dad some flowers on Memorial Day weekend and spent a little time at the cemetery. I still can't believe it's already been 3 years since he passed. Amazing how time flies.Doesn't Kolob (the mountains behind us) look just a movie backdrop?!

Uncle Lloyd took us on a 4 hour 4-wheeler ride Sunday afternoon up Bumble Mountain. Hea, Tigi and I were in a gator by ourselves that unfortunately couldn't make it up the steep elevations. Instead of Flintstoneing it, Dill and Andolynn were kind enough to let us hitch a ride in the back of theirs. Dang John Deeres.

This picture is overlooking Harmony Valley. Isn't it adorable?! Just cute field after field. Hammin it up at the top of the mountain. Do you notice that Tigi is missing?

That's right, she slept through half the ride in the back of the gator (and I promise...Dillon was not a very cautious driver).:) What can I say...when a girl needs her sleep, she can't be bothered.

PAAAARTTAAAAY!

2009-05-21T21:33:00.001-07:00

Festive Decor.

Tuesday was Tigi's Birthday...the day that she's been waiting for since the day after Christmas. :) (Now she can't wait for Christmas to come again). It was a great day, she even took a 3 hour nap! We had fam and friends over for dinner and she couldn't have had more fun.

Aunt Jan made Tigi this AMAZING Tinkerbell cake! It was adorable. Thanks for all the hard work! Blackberry is one of my favs!

This is her "I'm so excited!" face. (It's a little forced...I know)

All the friends! Grandie gave Tigi this "park" for her big day (it's AWESOME) and it took Dev (with help from his dad) over 50hrs to put it together! I love you Dev! And I'm glad your so VERY skilled in the constructing (and deconstructing) category. :)

If you look closely, you can see that Cody's helping Tigi blow out her candles. :) I'm sure he's just practicing for his big bday that's just around the corner!

Tigi LOVES her cousin Jenna. In fact a day, scratch that, three hours do not go by (everyday) without Tigi telling me that she wants to go to Jenna and Cody's house, or that she wants to stay the night at their house, or for them to come to our house...the list goes on and on. After I explain that they are not available she'll move onto other friends..Pill and Wammie (isn't that so cute!) or Revyn.

Happy birthday to my little honey bunny girl!! I love you!

7 Fun Filled Years Later...

2009-05-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

So our 7th Anniversary was 2 weeks ago, but I still wanted to post these cute pictures for memory's sake.

Devin surprised me (even though he really wanted to tell me, but I just wouldn't let him...neither of us can keep a secret from the other very well) with 2 wonderful nights AWAY from the kids at the fabulous Mirage! It was soooo much fun!Dev's actually pointing directly to our room.
The Penthouse!

That was so very spacious...

We spent our time playing "tourist"

and cruised up and down the strip. We went shopping and even laid out by the pool. (And no sunburns to speak of!) Go spf50!

Ate delicious food (a favorite pasttime of mine).

And last (but certainly not least) we watched the fountains at the Bellagio and went and saw THE BEATLES...LOVE show. I absolutely LOVED it! So entertaining and fun. Really kewl venue too.

So THANK YOU to my wonderful hubby who planned such a great time for the two of us. :) Extra special thanks to Kaymee and Aunt Jan for watching the kidlets for us! Love you girlies (as Tigi likes to say). :)

So Big!

2009-05-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

My little baby Alex is growing up so quickly! In a week and a half he'll be 7 months old! Some quick 6 month stats on our rockstar...he sits up all the time and just today started crawling backwards! The backwards scoot is a feat in itself because he HATES any sort of tummy time. The only thing he'll stay on his tummy for is to play with his train.

He's eating peas, sweet potatoes, corn and bananas. He still doesn't have any teeth yet, but we're pretty sure his upper right fang will be the first to come in. (A boy after a Twilight lover's heart). :) Spitting up is still a fact of life and seems to get worse with colds, which he has had two of in the last two months. Ugh. Currently we are healthy.

Naptime is still not Mommy's friend, but his short 30-60 minute bursts get us through the day. He's one AMAZINGLY happy little boy for how little he sleeps during the day. My favorite part of Alex right now is how he puts both hands on my face or neck and stays like that (but watch out for that kung fu grip!). It's like a comfort thing I think. He's still super snuggly and lovey and he's got a smile that melts my heart. My handsome little man.

When he turned 6 months, we had a fun little 1/2 birthday party to celebrate. (I'll use any excuse to have a get together. :) He even got a great little boat with sea animals, which is more fun out of the water than in currently. :)

Alex giggling. It's the best.

Garthie, Tigi and Ashley. Crazy kids.

First taste of ice cream....

First rejection of ice cream. Don't worry, I won't let him off the hook that easy. :)

A Hoppy Day!

2009-04-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Some Pre-Easter Activities...

Easter was a good day, full of good weather! Finally!

Grandie Cheryl joined us for lunch and a little egg hunting. She also brought some fun gifts!Yeah for bouncy houses!

Then we had dinner at Grama & Grandpa Baldwin's & some more egg hunting!

Crazy kids.

The Easter bunny brought us a bike trailer. Dev was such a trooper and took us for a ride today when he got home from work...work boots and all!

Tigi had been dying to go for a ride, but, as it turns out, she didn't like it as much as she (or I) had thought she would. But Alex loved it so much it put him right to sleep. :)

Life In Review

2009-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

So...let me tell ya, the last couple of weeks have just been SUPER enjoyable (with a large dose of sarcasm).

Alex, my favorite little boy in the whole world, should be the poster child for RSV.

One happy boy, full of congestion.
(Don't mind the cheesy smirk on my face). The nebulizer was only a one day thing. I felt that hot steamy showers had the exact same effect (without the annoying mask).

It took two LONG weeks to get over, but luckily he's finally better now. I have one rather large complaint though. I feel it was a COMPLETE waste of my time to go to the doctor, have them test for RSV and then find out that there's nothing to really do about it but quarintine him, use a humidifier and wait it out. I should have just kept my $300 and kept on doing what I was already doing. Oh brother.

Of course the week before Alex gets sick is when I decide that we are going to do potty training (again). So through out all of his needing to be held all of the time, I was cleaning up accidents ALL over the house. Tigi was completely adverse to pooping on the toilet. I offered her a diaper to poop in, but to no avail, she kept pooping in the panties. Then the magically day came when she ran into to tell me, "I DID IT MOM!!! I POOPED IN THE TOILET!"

This was her special prize. Unfortunately, she hasn't pooped in the toilet since and the pony was taken away a day or two later for that reason. Pinkie Pie is still waiting atop the fridge for another magical day.

Does anyone have ANY good suggestions?!

The Cutest Kids I Know

2009-03-25T15:40:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to do this.

2009-03-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

I finally got all of Tigi's baby pictures onto this computer and I wanted to show a little comparison of Tigi and Alex baby pictures. I love that my kids look alike!

1 Week Old. (Tigi's just a little more plump) :)

4 Months Old.

Maybe I shouldn't have....

2009-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Alex with crazy mad scientist hair...(eating cereal)

Alex the "little man" with spikes.

I have to say...I'm feelin a bit of haircut remorse. He's still very cute, I mean handsome, but I do miss all that crazy hair. :)

This is just a good example of the funny expressions I see daily. Stay tuned, more expressions coming soon.

Pay It Forward!

2009-03-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

I got this from my friend's blog: Pay It Forward thing, so I'm in!!! Anyway, the 1st 3 people that will leave a comment on our blog will receive a surprise from us during this year. When and what will be a suprise! The only catch is... you have to post this on YOUR blog then leave a comment on ours. FUN HUH!!!

Soooooo yeah...

2009-02-25T20:53:00.001-08:00

Well, we're moved. Not entirely unpacked, but thanks to Dev and gracious family members, we're mostly. So here's how it went down...we moved Valentine's day (and so many, many thanks to those who helped!) and I came down with the flu Sunday night. Ugh! So much to do and absolutely NO desire to do it. Apparently I got a super duper version because it lasted ALL week. And the stubborn girl I am, do I go to the doctor...no, no, no. I "know" I'll get better soon. So here we are now, a week and a half later, and I still can't get rid of this cough, neither can Tigi (because, of course, I shared my cooties with her; Alex said no thanks). I finally broke down and got a Zpack tonight, hopefully it'll do the trick.

A couple good things have come from this week:
~We got a renter in our house. Yippee for not having 2 mortgages!!
~Devin proved what a good unpacker he is (as I wasn't doing it and it made him crazy not knowing where things are). Speaking of which...we still can't find that can opener. Hmmm.
~Alex is quite the roller these days and had his first nibble of cereal today! He's just growing amazingly fast it seems.
~Turns out, I LOVE spaciousness! Especially in our office. :)

Before I Forget It...

2009-02-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

It's been said that your first child and second child are almost always opposites. So I've been wanting to note a similarities and differences between Tigi & Alex.

Differences first...

Antigone:
1. Super easy baby. Very "by the book" as Grama Kim would say, just like her Daddy. Slept through the night by 10 weeks.
2. Great little sidekick. She was happy to go anywhere for any amount of time in the car (until around 15 months).
3. Happy, happy girl.
4. Could sit and watch tv with Dev like from the day she was born. Alex usually needs to walk around. He's not much for relaxin on the couch just yet.

Alex:
1. At 16 weeks old, he's still workin on the whole sleeping through the night issue. He's tricked me a couple times, thinking that he was finally committed to a good night's sleep, but not quite. He finally doesn't need to eat at night anymore, but his body is just stuck on that 3am wakeup call. He'll chat for about 15 minutes and then go back to sleep.
2. Fickle is a good word for him. So long as everything in the day goes perfect, he's a great baby, very happy, cooing and bubbles without end. But man, get one of those off days and he can (and has) cried all day long. That makes for an incredibly LONG day.
3. Projectile spitup. Glad that stage is over with. I do have to admit, I don't think it was entirely his little tummy's fault, but either way it was not my idea of a good time. Whoever invented Mylacon gets a gold star from me!
4. Hands down, he's a champion nurser. Bonus...if a bottle is the meal of choice, he'll scarf that too!

Similarities...
1. Both super lovey dovey babies. Tigi still is today.
2. Both NEED their naps and schedule to stay happy.
3. Their smiles give my heart warm fuzzies.
4. They love each other so much. Tigi smothers him and he takes her abuse cooing and smiling.
5. They're both "mama's babies" rather than daddy's. More warm fuzzies. :)

One Heavenly Week!

2009-02-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

Ah...Lake Tahoe. Deliciously fresh air, beautiful weather and enough runs to keep you skiing for 3 days without getting bored. It was wonderful! We went with my Mom, cousin Robert and his fiancee Nikki. Thanks Mom for watching the kiddies (and everything else you did for us) while we had a bit of outdoor fun. :)

The California Side of Lake Tahoe. Most of the towns only had a population of 230!
Skiing was a big hit with Miss Tigone Rose! She LOVED it. At 2 1/2 she mastered the conveyor belts and hit the bunny hill running. :) Granted we never let her go and I seriously doubt she could have done it by herself, but the fact that she enjoyed it had me totally stoked.
This picture is awesome because about 35 seconds later they both bit it HARD. And by hard I mean, Tigi's skiis got twisted under Dev, he hurt his knee and totally rolled over Tigi. She sported a scratched nose and a small goose egg on her forehead as a battlewound.

But did she quit?! Absolutely not! Up the chair we went again. :)
What cracked me up was how much she loved the chairlift! In my memory of early skihood, I was always afraid of falling off, or the chair detaching from the cable, or getting dragged by the chair if I couldn't get on fast enough. But not Tigi. Imaginary monsters scare her like mad, but sailing through the air 25 feet above ground, she's cool as a cucumber. :)
Thumbs up to the Blacks and Double Blacks! (Devin's saying yeah right after his little mishap on the bunny hill.) :)
Note to self...don't waste your time with Heavenly's tubing or kiddie sledding area. As with the food there, they are overpriced and not that great. Tigi did a test run, liked it. I went and paid for her and she wouldn't go again. Of COURSE. But atleast Alex and my Mom got to come out to the slopes for a bit. :) (He wasn't really a fan of the brightness outside.)
My handsome little man in his first "whiteout." Lucky for us, it only started snowing this morning, as we were leaving. The timing couldn't have been better. Did I mention that we were skiing in fifty degree weather?! LOVE it.

A Good Start To A New Year...

2009-01-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

So far January's been pretty good to us. Here's a quick run down of our exciting events...

1. Alex: - started sleeping through the night. Yippee!

- smiles like crazy ALL the time and has finally stopped spitting up at every meal. Thank goodness!

- had his first haircut and will already be 3 months next week!

Antigone: - is finally being softer with Alex and doesn't try to make him dance all the time any more (I wasn't sure how much more those poor little arms could take).

- really tries to be a "big helper" and tells me when she is. :)

- gives the best hugs and kisses...and often uses them as excuses to come out of her room when she's not supposed to.

For Us: works been good, especially for January and we're moving! That's right, were moving closer to civilization and are totally stoked about more space and some nice breathing room. If you anyone who's interested, we'll be renting our house out. I'll post more details about it later.

Christmas Recap

2009-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

So Christmas was wonderful. Tigi was highly entertaining with her "oh my gosh!" exclamation upon opening EVERY gift. She loved all gifts big and small, from her slinky to her Butterscotch horse, she was one happy little girl.

Ponies, ponies and more ponies!!

Alex slept through most of his first Christmas, but that's to be expected. :)

But this is the CUTEST picture of his smilely little face. His hair's so crazy.
Then we spent a relaxing week in New Harmony. Thanks Grandpa Garth & Grandma Jerri!

The snow was incredible there. "They say" it was more than the area had seen in 50 years! Lucky for us, most of the days were warm and wind free. Perfect for snow play.:)

One funny tidbit to remember about this Christmas...Tigi wouldn't consent to celebrating just Jesus' birthday on Christmas, she insisted (daily) that it was her birthday too. And now that Christmas has past, she still says everyday is her birthday and that she wants her pony cake. :)

The Christmas Cuties.

2008-12-23T15:08:00.001-08:00

Since I didn't get Christmas pictures this year or even get around to Christmas cards, here are my cuties wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Snow Day!

2008-12-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went up to Mt. Charleston for some good old fashion wintery fun. The snow was perfect, light and fluffy, just how I like it, and it was a beautiful day to play in it too! Thanks to Rachel & Ben and their families for inviting us, we always love to visit with them!

Look at his tail! Such a studly duo.

Kisses for my little eskimo baby.

The Sled Crew.

Me finishing the hill just after I bit it hard. See, I'm still smiling, what a trooper.

Tigi was a little nervous on her first run...but she did open her eyes on the way down. :)

She sledded like a pro solo.

My mischevious snow princess. :)

Will I Ever Get Them Back?!

2008-12-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

My brain cells, folks, are diminishing by the day. They say it's been proven that giving birth shrinks the size of your brain. Well, I don't know if it's the act of giving birth or the combination of a lack of sleep and everything that happens thereafter, but I am definitely suffering from some brain loss.

Just for the sake of journaling, I'd like to document a few things that have gone by the wayside since Alex was born.

1. Not just one, but TWO bills have been completely forgotten about. Luckily, my creditors are kind hearted and excused my absentmindedness without jacking up my interest rates.

2. I forgot to bid on job, a sizeable job at that. When did I remember that I'd forgotten? Two days later...and only after Devin asked me about it.

3. I forget to get babysitters all the time, even though I know I'll need them weeks in advance. And then I've booked two people to babysit on the same night! Seriously.

4. Knowing that I was going to an outdoor mall, on a chilly day, I forgot a jacket for Tigi and a stroller for Alex. Thankfully, Tigi didn't feel like running off, and we were in and out pretty quick.

5. The other night Alex woke up at 5am. I kept giving him his pacifier because I knew I'd just fed him, but he wouldn't take it. Flustered about his unusual hunger, I thought about it for a minute. He really should have been hungry, I hadn't feed him in hours, I just thought I had because I thought I had just gone back to sleep. :)

There have been several more noteable incidents, but I've forgot them...of course. :)

Santa Was A Success!

2008-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

Yeah for no tears this year!

Antigone was all excited to see Santa this year. She knew that she could ask him for what she really wanted for Christmas...a pony. Yes...another pony. :) We met Misti and Madison down at Town Square (who's santa was fabulous by the way) and the second she saw Santa, she turned mute. She wouldn't even look at him. Then finally after a few minutes (and some coaxing) she softened up and sat on his lap. I think it helped that Alex was next to her. She's pretty attached to him these days. :) In the end, she even told santa (in a whisper voice) that she'd like a pony for Christmas. :) So cute.

Attitude...it must be genetic.

2008-11-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

Alex...The Actor - Et tu Brute?So at 3 weeks old Alex is already showing off his sassy little personality. I took him to Kiddie Kandids for his newborn pictures last week and, to put it mildly, he didn't really cooperate very well. We did get a couple funny ones though. :)

I just can't get enough of that hair! What a stud!

It's the perfect face for Tigi to say "Whatcha doin little buddy, huh, whatcha doin?" This is the attitude picture. It just screams "Foo...what'ch you talkin bout Willis?!" Or "Seriously Mom, are you seriously making me do this?"

Nothin sassy here...he's just got the cutest little feet. :)

So do you guys have any other good captions for these pics?

One Heavenly Hallow's Eve...

2008-11-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

You know how it is sometimes when you don't realize how much you enjoy something until you get to experience it again...well how about a good night's sleep. Baby Alex is one week old now and decided last night that he's ready to sleep like the big boys. With exception of his first night home, he typically only gets up two to three times a night to eat and goes right back to bed. It's wonderful that he doesn't stay awake, just eats and sleeps. Well, last night after a fun evening of watching Tigi trick or treat with her friends Bailee and Reagan, Alex went to bed at 9p, only woke up at 2:30a and I woke him up at 7:30a to eat! It was simply amazing! That's right, I got 9.5, count them...9.5 full hours of sleep last night! What a good little boy to be so nice to his mama. :) With exception of his occasional projectile spitting up, I'm tempted to say he's as perfect a baby as Tigone was (and he's a pro-nurser). :)

On the Tigi front, she thoroughly enjoyed Halloween. She was a "pumpkin witch," which she loved to tell me over and over. She also told me how cute she was. :) Trick or treating was everything I'd hyped it up to be and we even had a few "really, really scary" houses to top off the night. Once around our neighborhood was just enough to satisfy her Halloween desires, of course, that was until this morning when she declared that she wanted to go trick or treating again. It's just so hard for a toddler that fun holidays only come once a year! :) Papa and Alex hanging at Grandma's house for some pumpkin carving.

So how's Antigone handling "big sisterhood" you might be wondering? Like a champ! Actually, probably more like a leech. She loves Alex and always wants to hold him or sit by him...or pat his head...or back if I'm burping him. She's definitely very, VERY lovey with him right now. :) Anytime someone comes over to see him, she asks them where they are taking her baby brother. :) If he starts crying, she'll run to him and say "It's ok brother, I know, I know" over and over. She also likes to climb up next to him and say "What doin baby brother, huh? What doin little buddy?" It's all very cute, if not a bit annoying after a while, but in the end I very glad she loves him rather than hates him. :)

Baby Brother Has Arrived!

2008-10-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Alexander Jeffrey Baldwin was born on Friday, October 24, 2008 at 9:14am. He weighs 6 lbs. 12 oz. Both baby and mother are doing great. We will be going home sometime today (Saturday). Check out that full head of hair! Getting cleaned up and enjoying the heat lamp... Our bundle of joy... Mommy and Big Sister smiling for the camera :) Tig just wants to touch him and touch him :)

Ummm....Apple Pie

2008-10-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

This, my friends, is the most delectable little apple pie I've ever made!

(Granted it's like the 2nd apple pie I've ever made, but that's neither here nor there).

Tonight's enrichment was all about making a snacky apple pie and I have to say, I think mine came out really well. :) And who doesn't love it was you do something new and it comes out good?!

These last couple months of the pregnancy, coupled with the start of fall, have REALLY brought on the cravings for any and all "baked apple delicacies." I've always been a lover of cobblers, crisps and pies, but I can't really say that I've ever craved them quite like this. I like to think of it as a "baby Alex bonus." I would much rather crave baked desserts over pickles and hot dogs or the many other things that women get roped into eating under the influence of pregnancy cravings. :) Wouldn't you agree?!

Sometimes...She Makes Me Crazy.

2008-10-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Typically, I'd have to say that Tigone is a really well behaved child. She's pretty good out in public, she listens and obeys my requests and usually says her pleases and thank yous. But there are those days, like Tuesday, where things like this just don't stop...

Not 1, but 2 perfectly good rolls of toilet paper soaking up all the water in the toilet. Lovely.

Granted, I know my old dollhouse is not really "toddler-friendly," but seriously, I think she has now broken every piece of furniture that was left in it.

I think Tigger's head speaks for itself.

Now if you looked at this face, would you have thought any of these things had been going on? You have to hand it to her, she can definitely be sneaky. :)

28 IS Great!

2008-10-04T15:23:00.001-07:00

So my 28th big one has come and gone and we had a fun evening full of deliciousness to help celebrate. Thanks to the fam and friends that could make it!

In a small review of my life, I'd definitely say I've got a really good one. I have a husband who loves me and who's perfect for me in everyway. We're both stubborn and proud and like to get our way, but it seems like each of us knows when to back off and let the other lead. I love my Tigi and can't wait to have baby Alex join us. We have a house that is our own. Our business has done good it's first year and our finances are pretty well in check. I love both Dev's family and my own for all they do for us. Aunt Jan is a lifesaver on an almost weekly basis and Tigi loves her days with Grama Kim. I'm so very thankful to have my mom in my life again and it makes me happy how much she loves Tigone. I miss my dad often, but it's not unbearable. I'm positive that I'll see him again someday and I have faith that he watches over me. I'd like to think he'd be proud of me and the choices I've made. I'm grateful for my testimony and the knowledge the gospel gives me to make it through the rough patches. Overall, life is good and I love it. I wouldn't trade mine for anybody's and I look forward to what this next year will bring. :)

Baby Alex's Shower

2008-09-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister in law Kaymee threw a super cute shower for Baby Alex this week. Thanks to her and Kim and Misti for all their hard work! And the food was delicious. :) I have to say...baby brother is going to be one well dressed kid (which is always a goal of mine). :) He got so many cute clothes, even some camo stuff and little demolition pjs for Dev's liking too. :)

Thanks to everybody that came!

So This Is Nesting...

2008-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

If feathers were pinned to my body, it couldn't be any more true. I have entered the "nesting" phase of pregnancy. The crazy thing is, this didn't happen to me last time. Not really one bit. But right now, my thoughts are consumed with things like, food storage, obsessively trying to potty train Tigi (which isn't working), getting everything ready for her room (so baby brother can have a place of his own), cooking, ironing, and oh cleaning, lots and lots of cleaning. I would never call myself a messy person, but in no way is cleaning ever something I enjoy doing, and yet currently, it seems I just can't stop. You know, wipe up a little spot here or there on the floor and pretty soon I've completely cleaned the entire kitchen floor with a washcloth. For a visual, think 8 months pregnant, lovely hair that hasn't been done all day, on hands and knees vivaciously scrubbing the floor. It's madness I tell you.

It's not really like these are bad qualities to let run my life...but I have to tell ya, it's kind of weird. I've even started paying attention to prices of meat at the grocery store, clipping coupons, and actually knowing when something is a good deal. Devin laughs (heartily) at me for this last thing especially, but it makes me feel good knowing that I'm getting more for your money. Don't you agree?

Did any of you have any funny "nesting" obsessions? (Or am I the crazy one here?)

Grandpa turns 73!

2008-09-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time in New Harmony last weekend celebrating my grandpa's 73rd birthday. Here's some of our memories.

What's that?!

2008-09-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Let me set the stage for you...We are in New Harmony, visiting my grandparents. It's about 6:15am. Tigi has woken up and climbed in bed with us (between us). I'm laying facing her, trying to sleep.

Tigone: Gasp. "Mommy! What is that?!"
Me: It's completely silent. "I don't hear anything."
Tigone: "What is it? What is that?!"
Me: "I don't know Tigi."
Tigone: "Is that Baby Brother talking?!"

And then I busted up laughing. :) Keep in mind folks, baby brother doesn't have his debut for two more months. :) It does make me wonder though, why would she even think of that?

Proud Domestic Moment.

2008-08-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

So I just have to share with everybody my super domestic-ness of late. In an effort to build up our food storage I went and bought pears from Vons on an amazing sale and then canned them! That's right ladies and gents...I now know how to can fruit! I have to say, it was kind of satisfying to think that I did it myself. :) A lady in my ward showed me how to do it, I borrowed all the canning goods from Aunt Jan and away I went into the wee hours of Saturday night (ok, it was only till 10p, but that's pretty late for me, especially standing for like 7 hours straight!). Peaches are coming up next! Let me know if you want to come over and learn. :)

Antigone, it seems, has been growing leaps and bounds intellectually. Her speech continues to grow rapidly and she's even picking up Spanish words now (mostly from Diego) and knows how to use them in context! Her memory is really something else. She remembers directions (as in how to get somewhere) better than a certain 16yr old cousin I have. :) She's also immersed herself in imaginary play with "Mommy Pony," "Orange and Purple Baby Ponies," "Baby" (with a burp cloth for a blanket), and three "Little Baby Ponies." These are the best toys in Tigi's life right now. They sleep, bathe, eat and travel with us, wherever we go...they go. :) On the flip side of that, when one of them goes missing, the world as we know it is coming to an end until the beloved is recovered.
The pic's a little fuzzy, but you can see all seven of our must have "buddies."

Other happenings in Tig's life...we've put away her high chair (which she cried about this morning) and she's been promoted to a big girl bed (really just her crib without the front railing) and has now slept four out of seven days without rolling out. :) She loves to make "tea" and serve it to us. :) Oh and one other super fun toddler trait...Tig now loves to sing songs! And not just "Life Is A Highway" anymore, she's really branched out to other songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "ABCs," "Twinkle, Twinkle," "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam," and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." I don't even have to encourage her, she just sings them at will these days. Sometimes she even makes up songs about what she's doing (cooking in her kitchen, sweeping, jumping, playing cars...). It's so cute to see her imagination at work!

So basically, other than the yelling, screaming and negativity ("No Mommy I Can'ts") that comes along with toddlerhood, it's a really fun time. :)

Lovin SoCal

2008-08-11T21:10:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to Southern Cali to enjoy the "cooler" weather and spend a few days having fun in the sun! Since I'm pretty sure it'll be our last road trip until after the baby's born, we made sure to pack in plenty of fun activities.

First we went to Disneyland and oh boy did Tigone love it! She's not fabulous right now with taking pictures, so she looks mad or annoyed in most of them, but she really did have a great time. :)

We spent the next couple days at Huntington Beach. The kiddies went crazy playing in the sand, building castles and jumping over the waves. Tig did much better this year than last (when she was entirely afraid of the ocean and hated sand) and I was so thankful for that! I think her favorite activity was running down the beach (and not stopping till you caught up with her). Little stinker.

A lot of Dev's extended family came to the beach on Friday and the fellas played a couple "heart-bounding" rounds of volleyball. It was the "Over twenty-eights" versus the "Under twenty-eights." It's kind of sad to think that Devin's now on the "old guys" team, but I guess that would have to happen eventually, right?! :) At times the "spiritedness" of the game got to be a little much for the "old guys", as did the BURNING hot sand they played in. But I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time.

And this is why we love summer, it's the best time for vacations!

Memories

2008-07-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

It's so fun to remember things about other people, and also read other's memories as well. Feel free to participate, or don't.

1. Add a comment on my blog. Leave at least one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.
It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

More Fun Than Any One Toddler Should Have...

2008-07-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

So our July has been jam packed with good stuff. We had a fun "small town 4th of July" in Richfield with the Albrights. Tigi just loves baby Madison! It makes me happy to think that she'll love being a big sister. We just have to work on the idea that babies just can't jump up and run around with her. :)

After one day back at home, we headed for Utah again, our very first New Harmony Cousin's Camp! Such a fabulous idea! It's all the moms and kids (most of them ranging from ages 1-12) getting together to spend a few days full of crafts and games and, of course, good food! There were 22 kids in all and Tigi just ate them up. With all the "Tigi come play with me" and "Tigger let me hold you," she had a fantastic time. It was more attention than I think she could ever hope for. :) Thank you so much to all the other moms and Grandma Jerri and Grandpa Garth for such fun time. We can't wait until next year!

Getting Around To It

2008-06-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

So I've finally downloaded all of our pictures from a trip we took to Utah over Father's Day weekend. We had a fabulous time riding rhinos (thanks to the Albrights and Pruets!), playing by the stream, relaxing and eating lots of food. :)

Here's a bit of us enjoying "The Great Outdoors" (and no, there weren't any bear encounters).

So proud of my Tigi, she even touched a fish! (she's not a fan of odd textures)
And don't even think of asking them to get out...
The cavalary.
Is a trip ever complete without one of these?!
Bustin the trails.
Jenna loves it and Tigi's praying for safety. Our first ride out she kept her little hands clamped together just like this the entire time! Poor thing. :)

Our little fam. :)
Happy Father's Day to the best Papa in the World!

Thanks to Grama Kim and Grandpa Clayton for the great weekend!

Evening Out the Numbers.

2008-05-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well boys and girls, the facts are in and the fun news is...we are having a BOY! Yipee! Yeah for fun trains, planes, dinosaurs and monster trucks. :) Devin's excited to not be out numbered any more (and to not be that way permanently). The ultrasound scan showed that he seems to be perfectly healthy, growing right on schedule (with a slightly bigger head, but you have to put all those brains somewhere!), and the placenta and fluid and everything else look fabulous. Thank goodness. Here are a couple snapshots of Tigi's "baby bruder."

Sweet babe.

Things That I Love...

2008-05-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

So, as trying as Antigone may be at times, she is by far more fun now than she's ever been. (It seems like I always think that). She says the most hilarious things that crack us up all the time. She's becoming sneaky and a tad bit manipulative. If mom says no, just ask dad (not that he ever gives in either), but she's trying to work the system, that's for certain. There are a few things about her at age 2 that I'd like to remember, just because I think they are cute and describe her little personality, so here goes:
- Tigone loves her Sunday dresses. In fact she would wear them every single day of the week, if I'd only let her. She settles for just wearing regular "non-church" dresses the rest of the week. Such a sacrifice.
- Church is one of her favorite places to go (next to Aunt Jan's house). She kept repeating "I want more church, I want more church" as we left the building last Sunday. The repetition gets a little old. I keep telling myself we should really treasure it more because in a few years, I'm positive those won't be the words coming out of her mouth. :)
- Tigi loves make up. Everyday she wants to put it on while I do. She also loves trimming and painting her toenails.
- Purses are a necessary item, especially when she needs to carry her little plastic horsie around, as she talks on her cell phone of course (calling Jenna and Cody and asking them "what doin?")
- Tig has this burning need to hear the Cars theme song ""Life is a Highway" EVERY time we get in the car. Atleast two times. And no, it doesn't matter how many other times she's already heard it that day.
- She doesn't always remember to say please when she's asking for something, actually it's probably more the exception than the rule, BUT she does almost always tell me "tank too" (thank you) when I give her something that she wanted. So cute.
- She'll always tell me "bless you" when I sneeze...or cough. :)
- Tigi is TERRIFIED of bugs right now. Flies, rolly pollies, you name it, she doesn't like it. Devin's trying to teach her to shew them away, but they freak her out, often to the point of tears. Poor thing.
- Last on this list for today is this...even with what a girly girl my Tigone is, she stills loves hiking and climbing, cars and trucks, and 4 wheelers and rhinos! Such a balanced girl we're raising. :)

A Great Day For Celebrating!

2008-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this was actually last week, but hey, atleast it's not a month late like the last one. :)

So my little baby Tigi has turned Two years old! It seems like the time has gone by so fast and then on the other hand it's like she's been with us forever! We had a fun birthday party and Aunt Jan made a very special "My little pony cake" that Tigone just loved. Thanks Aunt Jan!

It was also Devin's special day because UNLV has finally stopped coming up with ridiculous reasons to hold him back and let him graduate!! Hallelujah!

I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to have Devin home EVERY night of the week! After 6 years of weekend marriage we are finally able to do stuff together during the week! It's the best. :)

So here's some pictures of our fun celebration...

Of course there was swimming! It's Tigi's fav!

And a super fun "Pony-ata" (Tig renamed the My Little Pony pinata, I guess my version was too lengthy)

Here I am proving to Dillon (on the right) that I'm still taller than him (even if it is only by a hair, it still counts)! And Garthie just can't resist jumping into a picture.

I told Dillon that if he doesn't stop making that face, it's going to stick like that. I've heard it really happens...

This is the best picture the three of us have taken yet! (I'm just thankful Tigi finally stopped crying. Afternoon parties are rough on a little girl's naptime!)

So thanks to everyone one that came and for all the wonderful gifts! Tigi and Devin love them all. :)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2008-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

And that's a good thing! It never hurts to have a lot of work on your hands (especially for us). But we have done lots of fun/silly stuff in the last month too! Here's a little photo journal to help elaborate.

Things Tigi does while I work at the computer (with my back to her)...

Please note the shredded paper and scattered toys...this is a resting period. :)
Sunglasses, t-shirt and high heels are the only thing a girl needs.

The daily climbing on places where she shouldn't be (i.e. the desks, the book cases, tables, boxes...you name it, she's climbed it).

Some ballerina climbing time. This is Tigi saying cheese (with her hands by her face), but refusing to look away from "Go, Diego, Go."

So, I did take a hint from all of Antigone's climbing and enrolled her in a little tumbing class. She loves it, but definitely needs more practice on learning how to take turns. :)

During our trip to New Harmony...

"She's ready, she needs one. Definitely by Christmas, if not sooner." Those are Devin's words as he taught our not quite two year old daughter how to ride a 4-wheeler. "She can do it all by herself" he says "I was barely even holding on." (Is that suppose to make me feel better?) Well, Dev's wish came true one week later as my little brother Dillon brought over my little 50 from when I was a young pup (although not quite as young as Tigi).
And here it is with me posing in all my cheesiness (waiting to get plowed by my cousin), way back in the day. :)

And last, but certainly not least, my lil missionary bro came home last night!! We were all so excited to see him. He got quite a warm welcome.

(The Brother Stacy thing is an inside joke).
Such a party girl!

One Girl's fight against a giant...

2008-04-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

So take that you price gouging fuel companies! This girl's taking a stand. I have had enough of your $3.60/gal for premium fuel nonsense and have traded in my gas guzzler for...that's right...a hybrid. My 34 miles to the gallon won't have a huge impact in the land of never ending profits (otherwise known as the ridiculously lucrative fuel industry), but lets just take a quick glance at the numbers of all this, shall we? Previously, I fueled up every 4 days with premium at approx. $80 a pop. Now, I'm back to the good ole 87 octane AND I shouldn't need to fill up for 12, that's right folks, atleast 12 days, at a meager $55/tank! That's a savings of $463 big ones per month, not to mention a whopping $5,550/yr! Talk about chump change, I should put that into a savings account and maybe then we could buy a Rhino. :) Oh, just think of the possibilities.

The downside to all of this is that Dev's truck, which we are so very grateful to have back, takes diesel at a loving $4.10/gal. Gag me. Well, you win some, and you lose some more I guess.

So the truth of the matter...

2008-04-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's the real story on the new babe...yes, it's been verified, I am prego and yes, there's only one little body in there. Good thing. I've decided to make the move and switch OB's because Volker's office just isn't cutting it anymore. He is a great doctor, but in the end, I think he has about 500 too many patients. So now we are moving on to Swainston. I was very happy with our visit today and the super SHORT wait before we were seen. Love that! And the office is quite possibly the nicest "doctors office" I ever been in. So, bonuses all around. Thanks to Misti and Steve for the referral!

So stats on the baby: I'm really only 9 weeks (not 12), which I kind of knew, and the due date is now 11/2/08. Quite possibly a Halloween baby, or born on my lil brother Chris' birthday or maybe near cousin Jenna's bday!

For those inquiring minds, thankfully no, I haven't been sick at all. I just eat a lot of food. :) I'm hoping that means that all my pregnancies will be a cake walk (you can always hope).

Here's a little snapshot of the cutest 9 week old ever!

Let's All Think Blue...

2008-03-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I'd been waiting to do the blog announcement until I knew my real due date (not just me guessing), but since my doc rescheduled me AGAIN for the third time, I can't wait any more! We're having a baby!! Devin's for sure it's a boy, he says it's "what he ordered." (But he also said that with Antigone and we all know how that turned out). I'm super excited. I just love little babies and can't wait to have my very own again. Boy or girl? Of course either would be perfect, but we'd like a boy to change things up a bit. Tigi...well, I'm been working on her trying to say "big sister," but all that comes out is "siter." So there's still some work to do there, but I think she'll love a new baby. :)

Good Easter Fun.

2008-03-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Easter, along with all other holidays, are great fun. We love them. For Tigone, coloring, finding and breaking the easter eggs were the best part of this Easter celebration. :) We had lots of fun with family and got a few good pics too!

(You should be able to click on the pic to enlarge it)

Hallelujah!

2008-03-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our truck, once lost, now is found! We are soooooo glad that our pickup was recovered AND not really in bad shape at all. The thieves punched out the key lock on the driver door, busted the ignition and sliced the steering column, but other than that, the truck's in good shape. Thank goodness! They also took the four wheeler (but left the key, genuises, I know), the engine batteries, the brake controller, and Tigi's car seat. But the brand new tires are still there! Thank you so much to my Mom and everybody at Ewing for helping us put it back together!

So a couple notes for all the rest of you unsuspecting daily drivers (and parkers)...theives can get into your car in about 20 seconds and most of the time bypass any alarm you may have. Apparently the only real way to keep your vehicle in the spot where you left it is to get a so called "kill switch." It's a button or thin key-type mechanism that once removed basically immobilizes your car. Our blue Chevy truck used to have one, but this one didn't. But keep your eyes open when you park your car somewhere for any people looking around or out of place. Alot of thieves wait and watch for vehicles to come in, watch you go inside and bounce.

It's all madness I think, wouldn't it be nice if people just bought their own stuff the old fashioned way rather than stealing. I couldn't even leave Star Nursery without going back inside to pay for a $1.50 basil plant that the cashier missed! I guess my Jimminy Cricket chirps louder than some people's. :)

Toddler Heaven

2008-03-16T16:09:00.001-07:00

There's a little place I know that I'd like to refer to as heaven on earth. My grandparents ranch in New Harmony, UT is absolutely fabulous for anyone looking to relax and get away from our big city (and car stealing) life. But Grandma Jerri has been working ever so diligently to make this adult haven into...dunt da dun - Toddler Heaven (well...really just "kid heaven", but we're gonna shape this for Tigi)! Tigone just couldn't get enough of this place this weekend. There's a super "cottage in the woods" (2 story, kid size play house, full of all the necessities for any good house play), tons of animals to touch and feed, and an amazing park, the kind that we used to have when we were kids (before the parents starting suing everyone and they took out all the good toys), fully equipped with a TALL curvy slide, airplane teeder todder (sp?), climbing circle, baby and big kid swings, benches, sand box, trampoline, zipline, tree house and more! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for building such a wonderful place and letting us come and enjoy it!

Silly Tests

2008-03-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

No, we still haven't found our truck yet, but on the lighter side of things, here is another funny test that I saw on another blog. I'm not sure if I'm just a really easy to figure out kind of person, but it seems like whenever I do these "tests" I don't think they are too far off base.

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

So what color are you?

The Worst Friday Ever...

2008-03-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

Let me just tell you upfront what this post SHOULD have been about. It should have been filled with pictures and sassy tidbits about going to the sand dunes, how silly Tig was, and possibly a sunburn or two. But instead I am going to tell you how everything went wrong on what typically is my favorite day of the week.

So after we were finished with lunch at Macaroni Grill, we went outside to find that our truck had been STOLEN from the parking lot! Not just the truck, but the 4 wheeler in the back, the six new tires just put on it on Thursday, a camera, the garage door opener, some financial papers, and the new brake controller just installed that morning (since we were going to the sand dunes and all). It's a pretty shocking experience, I have to tell you. We called the cops, but could really tell them too much because we didn't know the license plate or the VIN and all of the purchase documents on the truck were still in it. Ugh.

Speed ahead 4 hours later. A police officer finally shows up at our house to fill out a report and he leaves just a short hour and 15 minutes later (note the HEAVY sarcasm on the "short"). We had decided that we weren't going to let the theives totally ruin our great weekend, so we'd borrowed my uncle's truck, found a new hitch (since the other one was of course stolen with our truck), and were started off to the sand dunes.

Speed ahead another hour. Finally after getting McDonald's and the bbq from Dev's dad, we were actually leaving town. Cruising down the highway thinking that everything was going to be alright, one of the tires blows out on the trailer! You should have seen my face (I wish I could have seen my face). Dev gets out and looks for the stuff to change the tire. But with our luck, we should have known that there wouldn't have been a tire iron to change the tire with. And, of course, the was NO cell reception where we stopped since we'd gone down the other side of the hump to Pahrump. What's next you ask..how about crawling along the highway all the way back to Blue Diamond and Rainbow, then waiting there some 25 minutes for help to arrive, then another 1/2 hour, at least, to change the tire, then start back home again. Oh but wait, I wasn't going to leave the trailer in front of our house, since the theives knew where we lived and had the keys to the trailer. So we had to drop it back at my uncle's, take out the stuff that we needed for the night and then went home.

I don't think there has ever been another single day in my life were so many things went wrong. Actually I'm pretty sure of it. The blessing in all of this is that we weren't hurt and that noone has broken into our house this weekend. :) Obviously we were NOT supposed to make it to the sand dunes this weekend, so maybe there was a greater vision in all of this, but the details definitely bite.

So if you see a crewcab silver Chevy dually with Baldwin Development on the side driving down the road, call the cops! That's our truck! The jerks.

Get it while the gettins good...

2008-02-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

So we just HAVE to take advantage of this super great weather (before it turns from 70-115 in no time flat) Southern Nevada has to offer and spent last Saturday at the Valley of Fire. Awesome place. I haven't been there for about ten years and honestly, the place, the hieroglyphics (sp?), the lunch spots, they were all still there. But seriously, we had a fabulous time and Tigger (who still hates to get her hands dirty) was quite the little climber.

Oh ya, does anyone know of another slide show website because I've noticed that when I use slide.com, it makes my pictures lose a lot of clarity. Suggestions?

It's that time of year again...

2008-02-18T10:34:00.001-08:00

That's right ladies and gents...it's Tax Time again! I know all of you are just burning with enthusiasm to sit down and do the monotonous 10 key work that we all know and love! Well, if you want to pass on doing your taxes yourself this year and don't already have a super great accountant, let me know and I can do them for a very reasonable price. $75 for single filers, $100 for joint filers; if you have a small business or special circumstances, let me know and we'll discuss other pricing.

Don't forget April 15th is the magical date!! (I'm a nerd, I know)

This is why we LOVE Vegas...

2008-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

There aren't too many places in the world where you can go skiing, or to the lake, or to the sand dunes in the same day. But Vegas has the luxury of all three in close proximity. So last Saturday, in our 70 degree weather on February 9th, that's right FEBRUARY, we went off to the sand dunes! The weather was awesome, almost hot even, and we loved every minute of it!

Thanks to Aunt Jan & Uncle Lloyd for letting us use the rhino! Tigger had a blast!

You should have seen the other guy!

2008-02-12T21:04:00.001-08:00

Poor, poor Tigger. Her first black eye. There was a little mishap at the local Burger King and the bench got the best of her. No stitches though, thank goodness!

This picture's silly, but it shows her battle wounds a little better.

Aww to be working again!

2008-02-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

So we've be working on a couple jobs now and the tons of paper work that goes with them and I have to say...It's good to be working again. :) I tend to think that I take after my hard working parents and LOVE what I do. I also think Dev likes it too...I mean really, who wouldn't like to tear stuff up for a living?! :) So here are a few pics of our busy-ness of late.Just like the first day of school all over again, uncle Lloyd wanted a pic before I drove off for a busy day of work. :) Such a cute uncle I have.
Dev showing off his HUGE muscles as he takes on the 7 Up building.
Dominos anyone?

Down for the count.

And that's why we love what we do. :)

Apparently I need to read this book...

2008-01-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

So I took this quiz (thanks to Nicole), but unlike her, I kind of think it's a lot like me. After a series of silly questions with answer choices that didn't always apply, it told me that:

"You are Emma Woodhouse of Emma! You like being the queen of your social circle (small and provincial as it may be), and feel it's your duty to help those less influential than you. You often meddle in the affairs of others, though you do it with a pure heart. You are often deluded in your flights of fancy, but your good intentions and creative spirit make you someone anyone could like."

Thank goodness for that creative spirit, huh?! Perhaps I should take a breather from all my "queen bee-ness" and read "Emma." :) So who are you like?

Take the Quiz here!

Belated Christmas Pics...

2008-01-25T22:36:00.001-08:00

Do all 19 month olds know how to count?

2008-01-13T20:34:00.001-08:00

So, I've been a little lazy in the posting department, but all well. We had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. Tig LOVED all the toys and books, not so much did she care for the clothes (even though I very enthusiastically helped her open them), but she made Christmas the best! In my life, my Dad was always the one who I felt really went out of the way to make Christmas special (he was after all, still a big kid sometimes). :) So he's left a void in our lives that needed to be filled and I think that this Christmas, Tig did it for us. We really enjoyed ourselves and loved visiting with all the family.

Yeah for Christmas!!!

Christmas was doubly more special in that we spent part of the day with my Mom and her side of the family, most of whom I haven't seen in over six years! It's cute to watch my Mom with Tig; she watches her very intently and follows her around to see what she's getting into. :) I'd say she's getting pretty attached, and how could you not?! Have you met Antigone Rose? I mean really. :)

Out first 3 Generation Picture. Awwww.

After Christmas came some REALLY fabulous news! We got our first job for our brand new little company! Hooray! We are definitely seeing the blessings coming down as all the pieces and parts are being put into place. To date, we have two jobs and hopefully a couple more on the way!

We spent New Years in New Harmony and I'll post pics later, but it was lots of good (cold) fun too!

So, now onto this counting thing. Lately, as we go up and down the stairs in our house, I'll count them out loud to help Tig learn her numbers. So the other day, I'm counting along and I say "five", Tig says "six", I say "seven", she says "eight"!! I was amazed! Keeping in mind, I've only been counting the stairs for a week or two and all she's really said before was "one" and "two". Then yesterday, apparently she likes the even numbers, she said six, eight, and ten in order, while Devin was counting with her! I'm sure that's the accountant coming out in her. :) It must be. I told Devin, I'll really be impressed when she gets her numbers in english and spanish down.:) Sometimes I think toddlers are way smarter than we give them credit for!

Just Another Reason to LOVE Christmas!

2007-12-18T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Magical Forest! A place of magical lights, great hot chocolate and funnel cakes, and for Tig, the best rides on earth! Antigone absolutely loved the carousel. She even loved it more than the train, which surprised me. She was even choo chooing all night, and tried to follow the little train every time we passed it, but in the end...the carousel was all that mattered. :) We had a good time and got some silly pictures out of it too!

Our crew, minus Devin (the designated photographer). My sister Heather and lil bro Garth came to play with us and so did the lucky twins that Hea just happened to be babysitting. Funny sidenote, as we were taking pictures, one of the twins said, "no...I don't want to do that because I don't want to look stupid." I laughed and said "ha, we look like that all of the time! It's makes it more fun that way." :)
Our knight in shining armor (but note to self, don't touch him...he's not very stable.) Oops.
Watch Out the twins are driving!!
I love my little baby Garthie. :)
Frosty, Tig and her silly uncle Garth.
Tig checking out her fearless (and rose studded) steed.
Tig LOVING the rose studded steed. :)

Tig NOT loving Santa. Nope, not one bit.
Auntie Heather and Tigi running loose on the caboose.

Tig's Favorite Words

2007-12-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

Antigone has become quite the jabber jaw lately. She'll mimick most anything that I say. I'm sure in a year or two we won't appreciate her chattiness as much, but for right now...I love it!

Some of her Tiggyisms:
Mommy...oooooo, wooooow, coooool (anytime she sees something that excites her)
Ismas Yights (Christmas Lights, typically followed by a ooooo, wow, cool)
Uh-Oh Mommy, NO, NO, NO, NO (usually directed at some random object like Goldfish crackers)
Papa urk (I tell her that Devin's at work...all the time...now she tells me) :)
Gacar and Cars ("Madagascar" and "Cars" -her two favorite flicks, followed closely by a strong neighing sound which means the horse movie "Spirit"). Mine is the only child I know that will sit (or stand reeeeeaaaally close to it) and watch a full one and an half to two hour movie, without leaving it or getting up to play with toys. Seriously, she won't move. Should I be amazed at her attention span and ability to focus, or fear that she's destined to grow up to be a couch potato?
And drum roll please for my personal favorite.....Hellooooooooooooo, MOMMY, hellooooooo (her notification system to let me know she's awake), it cracks me up everytime.

Tag You're It Lila, Misti, Lindsay & Wendy (and Heather if you'll do it)!

2007-12-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Kaymee:)
This Tag is about my MAN!
What is his name? Devin Lee Baldwin
How long have you been married? 5 1/2years!! But together over 10 (8 - less the mission)! That's crazy!
How long did you date? 3 years with a mission in the middle
How old is he? Just barely hit that 28th year and still could pass for a teenager. I'm sure he'll be grateful for that youthful appearance when he's 40. :)
Who eats more? Dev, by far! Although you'd never guess he ingested over 4,000 calories each day!
Who said I love you first? Umm, i'm gonna have to say Devin, but I don't actually remember (is that a bad thing?)
Who is taller? Devin, it's great because I never ever have to worry about shoes being too tall. :)
Who sings better? Hmm...lalalala...hmmm...I'd probably say we're about even, both pretty standard.
Who is smarter? HELLO?! Who's the one filling out this form, of course I'm going to pick me! If Dev was filling it out, he'd say him, that's how we mesh, both competitive spirits. :)
Whose temper is worse? Usually me, but he can surprise me every great once in a while.
Who does the laundry? Is this really a question? What guys do all of their families laundry? Unheard of.
Who does the dishes? Cook, cleaner, maid, you name, I signed up for it.:)
Who pays the bills? Me, I'm the accountant here. I'd probably have a nervouse break down if I wasn't "in the know" and "in control" of our funds. Isn't everybody a little OCD in some aspect of their lives?
Who mows the lawn? Lately, Devin's dad, but now we have our lawn mower back, so unfortunately for Dev, he'll have to start that back up again.:)
Who cooks dinner? Are frozen dinners considered cooking?:)
Who drives when you are together? Devin. This is the one aspect of our lives that I would change, but he'd never let me. :} Ugh.
Who is more stubborn? That's an excellent question. We are both stubborn, but who is worse...I'm going to have to vote for Devin because if it's something he's willing to argue about, he's not very good at backing down. Keeping in mind such events are far and few between.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me, and not Devin for the reason mentioned above.:)
Whose parents do you see the most? It used to be waaaayy more of my family, but now we probably see Dev's more.
Who proposed? Devin, of course!!
Who has more friends? Me, but they are all married and Dev gets along with all of their husbands, so it works out great!
Who has more siblings? Me, but just by one extra.
Who wears the pants in the family? Umm, me, but if Devin wants something I bend pretty easily. I'm definitely the "mean" parent though. I think we all saw that coming.:)

Turkeys, Lights and Gingerbread Oh My...

2007-12-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, yes I've been slacking in the posting department, but I've finally found the time to update so here goes. It seems like November went by at whirl wind speed. Before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving. We got to spend it up in New Harmony with my grandparents and family. Of course (as is necessary for any trip we take), Antigone was sick up until the night before we left. But we made the best of it, atleast she took good naps during the day. :)

It was absolutely FREEZING while we were there, I'm talkin 7-14 degrees in the morning freezing. Terrible, terrible temperatures for a place in southern Utah, but what can ya do. There were lots of great activites like horseback riding, petting the goats and cows and horses, 4-wheeling and Rhino riding, going on horse drawn wagon rides, and playing in the treehouse with swings galore.

BUT as I mentioned before, Tigi wasn't feelin great, so we missed out on most of them. :( (I have a pouty face right now). Maybe next trip I tell myself (or maybe when she's 5 and doesn't get sick every three days anymore). On the plus side, we did get to celebrate Dev's b-day (which was on Thanksgiving) with a fabulous looking ("looking" because of course, I didn't taste it) huge chocolate cake. He said it was fabulous though. :)

My little dancing queen! She's got the rythm.

And now that Thanksgiving is over, let the fun begin!!! Today the Christmas lights went up and most of the decorations are on display in the house. I love Tig's reaction to all the new (to her) things. Oooooo....wooow, she says to just about every little trinket in her view. We also had Dev's family over tonight for the traditional Gingerbread House Fest. Good times, good frosting and of course, good looking houses. :) Tig loves candy these days, so we'll see how long it takes her to find a way up onto the table to attack my festive creation.

The three amigos. :)

Ooooohhhh, but wait...I did want to quickly mention a great new find I was introduced to in St. George...a nifty little store...TaiPan Trading. Loved it! Thanks to Grandma Jerri for the shopping excursion! It's kind of a cross between Pier One and Cost Plus, but without the Asian feel. All the little things that just complete your home decor. I'd highly recommend a looksy if your in the area.:)

We LOVE Parties, right?!

2007-11-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

Ready to decorate for Christmas?! Well, it's time for another Sticky Sayings party (vinyl lettering), joined together this time with Lia Sophia Jewelry (for all your holiday and everyday jewelry needs). It's going to be at my house on Wednesday, Nov. 7th from 6-8pm. Everyone's welcome to come and bring a friend! Call me if you need directions.

This is my favorite so far, and you can't see it very well in the invite, so I thought I'd post up here. :) Don't you love the holidays?!

Look out World, here we come!

2007-11-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we got our contractor's license!!! So now if you ever have any demolition needs or want to build a pool, give us a call!

Happy Halloween Charlie Brown!

2007-11-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about the fall is that it is the beginning of all the fun holidays thereafter, Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, well, maybe not Veteran's Day, but you get the idea. And I also really enjoy watching the special holiday movies that come on, like Happy Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas Charlie Brown and Rudolph, Frosty, Grinch and many, many more. As cheesy and lacking in the special effects department as they may be, those movies make me happy. You know, bringing back all the warm fuzzies of childhood and stuff.:)

So, in honor of the Great Pumpkin, we took Tig trick or treating and she did absolutely fabulous...for about 10 houses, then she was done. Her little pumpkin bucket was getting pretty heavy, but she never wanted anyone else to carry. Perhaps she was proud of her treasures and didn't want to risk the chance of them being taken away permanently.:)

A few good things we learned from this Halloween holiday, Tig LOVES candy corns and tootsie rolls (and apparently the wrappers too), she HATES pumpkin guts and Almond Joys (they make her gag instantly just by touching them, they don't even have to be anywhere near her mouth), and if you put the costume on a child enough times, she'll learn to like it.:)

Here are some good ones from all of our festivities...

Ummm...candy...ummmm.
I'll take this "deer in the headlights look" picture as a great one. Is seems to be as good as they get sometimes.
Uncle Garth (under the sheet), Scary Cousin Ashley and a "frightened" Tigger.:)
Getting a picture of all three of these cousins is quite a chore.
Why have tricks, when I can make you treats...mmmmm, yummy.
Happy Halloween!

Why I love to be Tigone's Mami

2007-10-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've been thinkin a lot lately that I need to write down some of great moments that happen in our day to day lives that make me appreciate being a mom and being Tig's mom. So, I have a couple pics to demonstrate...
Tig went to her first day of "toddler school" two weeks ago. She looked so grow up in her little school girl outfit! I LOVE dressing her up in cute new(ish) outfits.:)
Ahhh....my little prima ballerina, can't you just see her saying, plie...revele...plie...revele. :)

And then there is her sassiness. Look at this face, does she look like she's joking? :) Our days are always "brightened up" with some form of Tig sass. Those are probably more of my genes than Devin's coming out in her.
I love Tig's independence, her "I'm big, so let me do whatever I want" attitude. Even when that attitude gets her into trouble, like falling down the stairs because she had to walk down straight, rather than on her tummy.
I love the fact that she looks as much like me as I look like my own mom, not too much. We all have the hair, the eyes and the fair skin, but that's about it, everything else is a mixture between the milkman and the postman.:)

Oh, but wait, I did forget one thing...these chunker thighs...these have Morgan written all over them.:)

Awww, thanks guys!

2007-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

I just have to tell you...I feel so loved to know that people are demanding my updates! I figure it's either because I'm so clever and witty that you can't wait for new commentaries, or you are so bored of everyone else's blogs too and knew that I would succumb to peer pressure faster than most. I'm sure it's much more the former than the latter! :)

So, to answer inquiring minds, yes, I actually have been busy lately. In fact I've been putting together a presentation on discrimination and sexual harassment (yawn, I know) that I just gave today. Hooray that it's done! I think it went pretty well and I'm a little more knowledgeable for research's sake. And knowing that I'm a self-admitted "huge procrastinator" I wouldn't allow any blogging until I had finished my presentation completely...that of course didn't happen until this morning. But it got done and that's what matters most.:)

Aside from the hours spent in Powerpoint, we took a brief (and I mean very brief) rendevous up to SLC to see the Sunday morning session of Conference live and in person. It was great with the minor detail of Devin and Steve never got into the Conference Center after waiting two hours in the standby line in freezing temps (gotta love that Utah climate), even though Misti and I had seats ready and waiting for them. Ugh. So they got to cozy up together in the Tabernacle on the hard, I mean "antique and newly refurbished" benches. Misti and I are wondering if they aren't spending a little too much time together lately... (just teasing, love ya babe).

But I really did enjoy seeing Conference in person. It's humbling when everyone in this giant hall are just chatty chatting away and all of a sudden everthing goes silent...in walks the cute little 97 year old Prophet happily waving his cane at each person he passes. It's one of those moments in life when you think to yourself (despite Devin's speeding ticket and the snowstorm we drove through to get here) I'm glad we took the time out to do this. It was special.

On the way home we cruised Spanish Fork Canyon, beautiful place and as Misti put it, would be a great place to live...if it wasn't in Utah.:) She can say such kinds of things since she's at risk of being deported back there. But that's another story in itself.:)

So at any rate we had a great time, ate lots of delicious food (little push for "Adolph's" in Park City, it's fabulous!), spent three nights (the longest ever) without Antigone and she didn't even blink when I walked into Jan's house on Monday morning to pick her up! I was a little distraught, I have to admit. I thought for sure she'd come running at me full force the second I opened the door, but no, nothing. Aunt Jan's is, apparently, just as good as being at home. That's a good thing...I guess. Sniffle Sniffle.

For your viewing pleasure...

Spanish Fork Canyon (it was freezing, that's why I resemble Rudolph in the nose department)

I wanted a pic of the two of us so that I could also put one of from way back in the day (8th grade) when we became friends. But to my amazement (even as the photobug I've always been) I don't have ANY pictures of Misti and I together, seriously none. But...I did find this little gem from Girl's Camp 1995! CimaRRON ward whoop whoop. Hahha.

Butterfly Park

2007-10-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have to say, parks are so much cooler now than they were when I was little. Absent are the dangerous teeter totters and the spinning thing that you always tried to fling everyone off of. (Both of which I loved) Now there are giant bugs and flowers, brightly colored tunnels and multilevel steps, slides in every shape and size. I love it! So did Tigone of course, but do I really go to such parks for her enjoyment or mine? :) We were so glad that Tig's uncles Dillon and Garth and Cousin Ashley came and joined in our adventurous time. Love you guys (and girl)!

The Tigi crew...A-lee (aka Ashley), Dillon & Garth.

Lately...

2007-10-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Isn't fall great is Las Vegas?! I love going to the park and playing in the backyard without getting heatstroke! Tig and I have been real busy lately and here's a few snapshots for your viewing pleasure. :)

Tigone & Cody playing, but what cracks me up is how she's a bully to him when he comes to our house, and only at our house, not anywhere else. It's like she's marking her territory or something. Poor, poor Cody.

Tig & Jenna loved the Dolphins at the Mirage!

Trying to get a picture of these three all looking at me is impossible!

Tig's favorite animal is a lion. Once she saw them, she kept doing her "quiet" roar...over and over again.:)

...one day when I got out of the shower. Oh brother.

Such a busy body I have. :)

Some New Sticky Designs

2007-09-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, here are some new vinyl ideas. Feel free to email me if your interested.:)

With your own last name...unless you want mine.

I love decorating for the holidays!

7 Things that TOP my List for Making me nearly Insane,

2007-09-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Little shout out to Lila for this beauty of a list...:)

7. I would have to say, no offense babe, but sitting in the passenger seat while Devin is driving has got to go on this list. At times, I think I might have a coronary and die at the ripe old age of 26 because I can't stand how he'll follow someone sooooo closely, rather than getting in the other lane. Or how he'll wait till the last second to slam on the brakes when the people in front of him have been braking already for what seems like an eternity. Or somedays he'll drive like a bat out of you know where for ten minutes then pulls right up behind some slow poke, while all the people he just passed pass him. Ugh. He stresses me. Stress causes prematue aging. Devin's aging me.

6. When Antigone can't go 2 minutes without me holding her...all DAY long! Thankfully this doesn't happen all the time, but she does have her days.

5. The stupid algae that won't ever completely leave the corners of my pool! I scrub and I scrub and I scrub, but it never fails...let the pool alone for a week and it's back.

4. Bugs in my house and tomato worms in my garden. They creep me out and come back every year.

3. Having to restart my computer for the third time because it freezes before the login screen even comes up. So lame.

2. Going out to a "nice" (expensive) restaurant and the waiter is a jerk, your food is crappy and you still have to pay a couple benji's just to get out of the building!

1. Lila's number 1 was so perfect for me, I had to reuse it...People who drive slow in the fast lane! Especially when there is plenty of room to get over! Anybody that knows me knows that I'm always in a hurry (even if I don't have to be), so get out of the way! - THAT makes me crazy.

So let's hear from a few of my buds...anybody just want to vent about something? :)

A Day Without Labor...Ha!

2007-09-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend we went for a hike at Mt. Charleston. I've been dying to go and be "out in nature" for quite some time now and Devin finally agreed to go. Since we aren't pro hikers or anything, we don't own a backpack that your toddler goes in for hiking and such, so we ended up carrying her most of the way. I have to admit, I'm pretty weak sauce. When it was my turn to carry her, I'd make it about one switchback (we went to Mary Jane Falls, aka "switchback mania") and then put her down to walk.:) But luck for her, Devin pulled through and carried her most of the way. What a good dad!

Tig LOVED the waterfall!

Ummm...lunch. Nummie, nummie.

An Even Split

2007-08-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

So many people tell us who they think Antigone looks like. As for me, I've always thought she looks like Devin. He thinks she's starting to look more and more like me all the time. But I found this little face analyzer that's kind of fun. What do ya know? She's almost a dead even split.:)

Sticky Sayings

2007-08-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

So to occupy more of my time now that I'm at home 24-7, I started making vinyl stickers and little crafty things that go along with them. I have to say I rather enjoy making them too. (Which is surprising as I'm not so big on crafts.) But in addition to being a hobby, I'd like to try to sell a few and "possibly" make some money. :) So if any of ya are interested or even want to throw a little shindig at your house, I'd be happy to do it! Just call me or email me. Here are a few ideas for you to browse...

I also think I'm going to start a Monthly/Seasonal design that I'll email out. If you want to be on the list, just let me know. Happy Sticking!

SoCal

2007-08-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days this week at the beach in Southern California and had a fabulous time! Well, I should say, we mostly had a fabulous time. Tig is schedule girl. Mess up her schedule and you're gonna pay. So naps were far and few between and she took it out on us, just so we knew how she really felt about the situation. My crabby child is one who drops all sign language that she ever knew (our main mode of communication) and becomes clingy and whiny, complete with grunting and screaming for various things. It was real lovely at times. But overall, I enjoyed laying out on the beach, spending time with family and doing a little shopping here and there. Thanks goodness.

Huntington Beach, I loved the pier background.

Newport Beach Temple.

Some August Fun at Our House

2007-08-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Was there ever a child who loved vegetables as much as this one?

Tigone loves her Uncle Lloyd!

Faster Jordan Faster!

The Old Man and The Sea

2007-08-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Or should I say, the sea versus Old Man's stomach? Dev and the guys went on a fun fishing trip this last week and everything was great, except for when the Dramamine didn't really work. Lame. But after they got used to the rocking, everybody felt better.

Oh that master fisherman that my husband is, he caught the biggest one (with my arms opened as wide as the go)! No seriously though, he really did. We even got the pool of $400 that everybody put into to prove it. Tell you what, Heavenly Father blesses you when you need things the most, even if it is through a small wager. Here's the pic to prove it.

The 4s

2007-08-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm game for Wendy's challenge, here goes...

4 Jobs I've had:
1. Food Preparer/Dietician's Shadow at Mountain View Hospital
2. Lien Sales Clerk (for cars)
3. Demolition Estimator
4. Tig's Mom

4 Movies I can watch over and over:
1. Devin knows I hate to watch movies or tv shows over and over
2. Possibly...Just Married
3. Or...Fried Green Tomatoes
4. Signing Time (PBS rocks!)

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Las Vegas
2. Jean, NV
3. Provo
4. Comedero Grande, Irapuato, Mexico

4 Tv Shows I enjoy:
1. Signing Time
2. King of Queens (only if I've never seen that episode before)
3. Suze Orman (she's annoying, but smart)
4. Mad Money (again with the annoying, but smart)

4 Places I've Been on Vacation:
1. Central/Southern Europe
2. Guatemala
3. Costa Rica
4. Virgin Islands

4 Favorite Restaurants:
1. This should be '10' Favorites...Buccaneer Bay at Treasure Island (awwww souffle!)
2. Macayo's, I equally love Garduno's
3. Nine Steakhouse at the Palms
4. Flemings (did I mention I like steak?)

4 Websites I visit daily:
1. hotmail.com
2. ensignfcu.org (I'm obsessed with checking the balances on all my accounts, not just this one)
3. Shutterfly.com (maybe not daily, but very frequently, I've got a couple books going)
4. cnn.com

4 Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Sorrento, Italy
2. Somewhere with my Dad
3. Virgin Islands
4. A fabulous tropical beach with water that doesn't taste salty.:)

4 People I Think Will Do This:
1. Kaymee
2. Rachel
3. Amber
4. Do I have more than 3 friends????

14 Months Going On '15'

2007-07-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so just look at this picture. Can't you just envision in about 14 more years, the moment will look the same (Tig slamming her door) except she'll be yelling something like "it's not fair!" or the universal "you just don't understand!" or, a personal favorite, "I never get to do anything fun!"

More good things to look forward to. :)

Rock On With The Fire Works

2007-07-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Most young children shy away from loud objects. They cringe at the high pitched squeal and quick pops and blasts. The 4th of July typically is not a favorite holiday until they're a little older. But Tigone is a special bred, she comes from what I like to call the "rock on" generation. She totally dug the fireworks (accompanied by some very patriotic Lee Greenwood). She waved at them while rockin out to the tunes. (My child always has a beat going in her head, it just so happens there was music playing that night to dance along to.) She also gave them many sporatic claps of approval in spite of the obnoxious schrilling sounds and nasty smelling smoke that's left behind. It was a proud moment...my little Tig is a party girl.

Incisors, Cuspids, Premolars, Oh My...

2007-07-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a miracle. Tigone has decided to not go toothless the rest of her life and finally allowed more teeth to come in. (She's only had 2 bottoms for the last five months). Now we officially have seven teeth; believe you me, they came out fightin.

So, what is our next big step?! Brushing teeth! I have to say, I felt a little bad when I saw little Lauren Cairns, a full three months younger than Tig, brushing her teeth like a pro. After that, it was time to get down to business.

Well, round one went well, we'll have to see if she's still game tomorrow night. :)

A Tribute to a Good Woman

2007-07-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

Some of the best people in the world are grandmas, and one of my favorite people in the world was my Grandma Arlene. When I was young, she watched me almost every summer when she wasn't teaching school. I have great memories of baking, swimming (in those good ole above ground pools), laying on the concrete afterwards (cuz you can't go in the house wet), watching the Wizard of Oz over and over (and getting scared every time), and having her always ask me if I wanted her to pull my hair back (because she didn't like it in my face). My cousins and I played Oregon Trail and Number Munchers like it was going out of style (my grandma was in the only one in our family with a computer until the nineties). She was a fun grandma, she could always find something for us to do. I think I told her that I finished reading the blue book probably three times a day during one summer. The blue book was the old paperback Book of Mormon with Moroni on the cover, I was around 5 or 6 years old, pretty proficient reader at such a young age.

My grandma was faithful and served were the Lord asked her to. She wasn't a partial follower, one who picks and chooses the commandments she likes. She never faltered when it came to setting a good example for me. She always told me to tell the truth (even if I didn't want to) and she showed her love for me more than she stated it, but I knew it either way.

I hope that when I am crowned with the "grandma" title, I will do everything I can to be as good to them, as she was to me.

Quick Trip to New Harmony.

2007-06-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we made a quick trip (literally, just 24 hrs long) to New Harmony this last weekend. But we did get to stop in and say hi to the newest edition to the Deer Hollow Ranch. He was such a cutie!

A Girl After My Own Heart.

2007-06-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Of course I always expected that Antigone would ride horses. I also plan on horses of our own...someday. But Tig decided to get a jump on the process and fell in love with her new cowgirl boots! She totally digs them! They are a size too big, but I just decided to try them on her and she didn't want to take them off. I took them off her twice and both times she carried them back to me, with the look, you know the look I'm talking about.:)

I know she's in the buff, but it just completes the picture. :)

Pasta Anyone?

2007-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

You know she's a Frehner for her pure love of food!

Love Affair With Teddy Bears.

2007-06-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Antigone in recent months has developed an infatuation (sp?) with stuffed animals. First it began with her teddy and bunny, which made since, she's slept with them since she was born. But this love has evolved to include all plush toys in her sight. Doesn't matter if they are hers, if they're ugly, big or small. If she can give them a squeeze and pat them on the back, she loves them. :)

Family Pics

2007-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

So we participated again in annual family pics. I have to say, toddlers are not the funnest breed to take hour long pictures with. But Tig did alright and we did get a handfull of good ones.:)

Welcome!

2007-05-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I kind of posted things in reverse order, but I'll get the hang of this sooner or later. :) Welcome to our site & I hope you enjoy the pics! Here we are embarking on a cruise last February.