Our Crazy Lovin' Life

I love to see the Temple!!

2009-03-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

WOW...right! I am finally posting something new!! So just a brief update on our crazy life here in the big town of Orangeville...This week has been a really good week for us! I have realized that I own my kids more credit than what I often give them! On Wednesday we went to the Draper Temple openhouse! That's right...I may actually have surpassed the insanity state...I took them (all 3) by myself!! It was great!! They were incredibly good while we were there, and what a neat experience for them to be able to see where Aunt Jasha and Gary are getting married! Though Tayvi was a bit upset when she realized that she didn't actually get to see them get married there that day... :( But all in all...a successful trip!! We are so blessed...that's all...just blessed!! Here are a few pics (from my phone - hence the super good quality!) of our day at the temple!! ENJOY!!

Like Mother...Like Daughter!!

2009-01-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was quite an adventurous day for Tayvi...

She frequently climbs on the cupboards,

Jumps around on the furniture, and does all

kinds of tricks around the house!

Well, who knew that it would be a time that

she wasn't doing any of those things

that this would happen...

OUCH!!

She was getting down from a bar stool...
and slid back too fast...
and went right to the floor,
smacking her chin on the stool on her way down!

We made a little trip to the clinic...

Where Tayvi was really brave!!

She got two numbing shots in her chin...

and only cried on the second one!

Then she got two stitches!

She wouldn't let me hold her hands,

she jerked them away and put them under

her back! I think I had a harder time with

it than she did!! Not fun at all!!

**for those of you who haven't seen my head,

it is covered with scars! The most stitches

I got at one time was 25! Logan says I

have a Harry Potter scar! Too bad I don't have

his magic too!!

My Baby is Growing Up!!

2009-01-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Conley was 14 months!And Mom decided that it was time...
For her to let him grow up...a little :)

Conley's First Haircut!!

Isn't he handsome!!

He's such a sweet little guy...
Love you Con-Bon!

Holiday Fun!!

2009-01-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Time was great!

We had the whole family together!!

This is the "Tayvi Pose" in our

Traditional Family Pajama Picture!!

Logan with his super cool new skateboard!

Now we just have to wait for the snow to melt to test it out!

Tayvi got a Baby Alive that really goes potty!

She was so excited about her "Pee Baby"

Conley thought it would be best if he had

clean teeth before we headed down to open gifts!!

Grandpa Todd is a huge Packers fan!!

For Christmas he thought it would be great to

get the kids all geared up!! Don't they look great! :)

And What is Christmas break without a little

SNOW FUN!! Here are Logan and Grandpa pulling

the sled! And the lucky riders are...

...Tayvi and Mom!! We had so much fun!

I know, I know...I look amazing my snow gear!

You should've seen the moon boots...someday I'll get a picture

of those! :)

Logan got a turn to ride too! He had a great time flying

across the snow! The tracks all over made for some good air time!

Well, there's a brief glimps of our Holiday! All-in-all

we had a great time! Hope everyone else did too!!

And here's to a GREAT NEW YEAR!!

...Remember...

2008-12-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Family

"Be near me, Lord Jesus.

I ask Thee to stay,

close by me forever,

and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children,

in Thy tender care,

and fit us for Heaven,

to live with Thee there."

Today was our choir program in church,

and I am always amazed at how strong

the spirit is when we are singing songs about

our Savior. I am so thankful for this

time of year...to Remember the birth and LIFE

of Jesus Christ, our Savior!

I am thankful to my sweet kids!

They always humor me and let me take a gazillion

pictures of them! This was this morning

in their new Christmas clothes!

Logan is so handsome! He is so thoughtful

and loving! I am thankful for his concern

for me! He is truely an amazing boy!Tayvi is the fire in my life!

She is a constant ball of energy to

which there is no end...and I LOVE IT
Conley is growing up!

It makes me sad to see my baby so big!

He is always so happy and

is always willing to give me loves!
*******
Merry Christmas!!

All Aboard!!

2008-12-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

"Well, are you coming..."
The little boy replied, "Where?"
"Why, to the North Pole of course. This is the
POLAR EXPRESS!!"

That's right, we got to go on the Polar Express!
My kids were sooo excited!
Of course, so was I!
Me, Tayvi, Jasha, Logan,
Grandma Nadene and Conley
The kids thought it was great that they got to wear their jammies,
just like on the movie!!

Our Sweet Ride...

I loved being able to have this experience with my kids!

They get so excited over every little detail!

Just getting to ride on a real train was a thrill!!
The kids got to meet Mrs. Clause!
She came aboard and gave everyone her
special cookie recipe!
As she was coming aboard the train,
Tayvi looked over at us and said,
"Oh, she's so cute!"
Then as she came towards us,
Tayvi said to her,
"Hey, where's your honey?"
She's so cute!

Next was Santa!! As you can see, Conley is not a
big fan!! Poor guy! :)
The other two loved him!! They thought
it was the neatest thing that they all
got to have a "Christmas Bell!"

Here's Logan with his special bell!
He went up with the rest of the kids to sing
a Christmas song while they rang their new bells!

Can't you just see the wonder in her eyes!
(and the cookie on her face!) I love it!!

Conley was trying to decide if he liked his bell or not...
He loved the cookies and hot cocoa though!!We had such a fun night together!!
Thanks Jasha and Mom for coming with us!
And thanks to my kids who make Christmas so much
more!! I'm so thankful for them and
their excitement for everything!
I LOVE YOU LOGAN, TAYVI, and CONLEY!!!

**P.S. my new photography site is up and running!!

Check it out by clicking here: http://www.blinkphotodesign.com/ **

Oh Christmas Tree!!

2008-12-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

The magic of Christmas is in the air...

Twinkle lights...and messy hair!!

Bright blue eyes filled with wonder...

Something to put the presents under!

A time for cutting ribbons and strings...

She loves to cut most anything!

Such a fun, exciting night...

Remembering Christ as we see the Lights!

Wrap the ribbon 'round the tree...

Stopping to take a picture for me!

Enjoying all the time together...

A memory made, and cherished FOREVER!!

May the true spirit of Christmas be in our hearts as we

remember Our Savior and the Life he lived for Us All!!

Merry Christmas!

HaPPy BiRTHDaY LoGaN!!

2008-11-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

Logan Douglas Stilson

Today my Logan turned 6!! Time goes by too quickly! It feels like yesterday that I was looking at him for the first time thinking...WOW!! I'm a mom, and this is MY SON!!

Logan is so handsome! He is always ready with a smile or some kind of AWESOME pose!

Here are a few things that Logan loves, and things he did while he was 5... Logan loves to wrestle...anytime, anywhere! He is always wrestling around with Tayvi and his friends!

Logan also Loves Basketball!! This is a love he shares with his dad! He definitely has the genes for it!

This year Logan had his first surgery...check out those HUGE tonsils!!

In February Logan got his tonsils out...

Here they are...gross! :)
Logan is so tough! He recovered amazingly fast, and didn't have any problems at all!
He is so brave!!

Logan loves gymnastics!! This year he has learned to do a back handspring all by himself!
He is so strong!!

Logan LOVES school!! He is so smart! He is reading very well, and can't get enough of it! He is constantly asking me how to spell words, and loves reading on his own!

Logan also loves soccer! He had a fun time playing with his friends this year!

Quite a year of being 5...now here's to being 6!! I'm sure this year will be filled with all kinds of adventures and other great things!! Logan...I am so proud to be your mom!! You are a great example to everyone around you, especially your little brother and sister! You are a great friend, and are so talented!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Peace out!

**HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY KAMERON**

In Everything...Give Thanks!!

2008-11-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Okay...so I missed a few days of my own tag! Lame :) But to finish it up, I am thankful for life! You know, I never fully understood how people could say that they are thankful for everything, including their trials and hardships. I think I'm begining to understand it...I truely am grateful for everything in my life! If I didn't have trials, and didn't have hard things to face in life, I would not be the person I am today, and would not have the testimonyof my Savior like I do! I will be forever grateful to have a greater understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power that it holds for each of us! Not only for those times that we need to be forgiven, but for our times of heartache and pain as well. I am thankful for the knowledge that I have to know that, and to have the freedom in this world to be able to live according to that knowledge! We are so blessed to have so many freedoms in this country! I am thankful for all of the other single moms (or who were at one point) for all of their encouraging words and advice! (especially Kelly...you're amazing and I am forever indebted to you!) I am thankful for my three wonderful, energetic kids!! Life would be so empty without them! They are my LIFE!!!! I am thankful for parents and siblings who are always there for me, and who are sooooooo supportive of everything I do! I have the BEST family EVER!!! I am just thankful for my life...I really have a great life!!

Today...

2008-11-24T21:54:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for HEALTH!! I know I shouldn't even say it, because once I do it will jinx us, but oh well!! Every one in our home is healthy right now, and I am so grateful for that!! I hate when we all start getting little colds, and flu bugs! Truthfully, I am extremely lucky to be one of those people who rarely get sick, which is awesome...but even worse than getting sick is having one of your kids get sick! So here's to a Healthy Holiday Season!!! Hopefully we can keep the bugs away! :)

MMmmm!!

2008-11-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

FOOD... today I am thankful for food!! Seriously, when you think about it, we are so blessed to have so many choices of things to eat! You go to the grocery store, and have soooo many different options of things you can buy to eat!! I love all different kinds of foods, and am really grateful to be able to enjoy so much! :)

In case anyone wonders where they can get this fabulous meal... It's at the country club in Price, and was prepared by the FaBuLouS chef, R.P.!!

FRieNDS...THe FLoWeRS iN LiFe'S GaRDeN!!

2008-11-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for friends!! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends! The best part is that some of my best friends are also my family! I'm thankful for those friends who I can call in the middle of the night when I'm having a "moment," who I can laugh with, who support me in my (sometimes silly) hobbies, who notice when I'm down and do something nice just because they care, but mostly who like me for the person I am. Who know that I'm far from perfect, and yet love me anyway!! Thanks to all of my friends...I'm grateful for you! :)

Also, I just have to say...we had a girls night tonight and went to see Twilight!! I loved it! Not as good as the book, but nothing campares to what our minds can create...just thought I'd throw that tid-bit out there. Thanks to Rachel, Tiffanie, Jessie, Jaime, Amanda and Karleen for a great time!!

So MuCH To Be GRaTeFuL FoR!!

2008-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

I've just decided that I am going to try to post something new...well...more often than I have been!! LOL! Really, I started this blog to have for myself, you know, to remember things I would otherwise forget. Well, I haven't been too diligent, so here's to a new start! Today I was playing with the kids on the living room floor, and Tayvi was going to throw something away. I said, "Tayvi, you are such a big girl for throwing that away. I'm so proud of you!" To which to replied, "Clap for me mom!" (I did) :) So many times I get caught up in worrying about the things my kids do that they shouldn't, and forget to compliment them on the things they do well! My kids are the best!! I am truely blessed to be their mom, and to have the chance to be with them every day!! (mostly) Doug leaving has been a big adjustment for them, but they are amazing, and seem to be dealing with it all pretty well. One day Tayvi walked in on me crying and asked if I was sad because dad doesn't live here anymore. After I told her yes, she thought for a second and looked up at me and said, "But you're happy now, because I live here!!" It was the cutest thing EVER!! Like I said, they amaze me!

Also, since it's the season of THANKSGIVING...the kids and I are "growing" a thankful tree! We started about two weeks ago for FHE. Every few days we add a new "leaf" to our tree. It is growing and really makes us stop to think about all of the many blessings we have in our life!

Here are some of the things we are thankful for: Family, Gospel of Jesus Christ, friends, school, Logan, Papa(grandpa), Ma(grandma), Tayvi, birthdays, Conley, cookies, doors to play with (that is one of Conley's absolute favorite things to play with...he can't get enough of opening and closing)!! mom, church, prayer, dad, heart&body, Kayleigh(Tayvi's BF), snuggly things, dancing

I will post another picture of our tree next week so you can see how big it gets! :)

We have so many things to be grateful for!! I am thankful for life!! So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving...I am starting a Thankful tag! Here's how it goes...every day for a week, you have to post something that you're thankful for and why! Then...comment on 3 of your family or friends' blogs that you're thankful for them and leave the tag with them! I tag everyone because we all need to remember how blessed we are, and how much we have to be thankful for!! :)

Happy Birthday Conley!!

2008-11-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

When it all began...

November 12, 2007 (grandpa Majors' b-day!)

Conley Todd Stilson

8 lb. 4 oz.

20 in.

(notice the tongue)

I remember holding Conley in the hospital and thinking what a sweet spirit he is! He is such a cuddly little guy!! I loved that he would just snuggle right into my neck and let me hold him...Heavenly Father knew that I needed him!!

I'm not one of those moms who looks good after having a baby,

but I had to put this one on anyway! :)

Meeting his brother and sister...they couldn't wait to get him here! Tayvi is so motherly!! I am still having to remind her that she is not the mom! LOL!!

Conley and I getting ready to go home...

The "1st Birthday" Cake for my little Cookie Monster!!

I would have loved to put on a picture of him going at the cake, but he didn't! He got a handful (notice the next pic) but hated having it on his hands, so he looked at it for a while, and started to eat some of his ham instead! Funny boy!!

Party with my family!!

Loving on the bear from aunt Jasha! He loves "snugggly" things!

November 12, 2008

Conley Todd Stilson

1 year old

That's right...he still has that tongue sticking out!! He always has it hanging out of his mouth! He's such a cutie!!
Check out his HUGE sucker! What better way to celebrate?!
It's all over his clothes too! :)

He is just so handsome!! How about that mowhawk!! It stands about 5 inches tall, but I just can't bring myself to cut his hair...I want to keep him little as long as I can! :)
Maybe we'll move to neverland!

Happy Birthday Conley Boy!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Cinderella, Snow White, Monkey, Incredible Hulk

We had a ton of fun dressing up, and the kids had a great time going from

house to house! They have a LOAD of treats!!

Spooky Spiders!!

Slithering Snake Sandwhiches!!
Yummy bowls of worms in dirt...MMmmm!!

Gutting the pumpkins...on our kitchen floor! :)
Conley totally "got into" carving pumpkins!!

The Finished products!! The kids had a great time...Logan did his all by himself! This Hulk truely is incredible!! Definitely the doll of the ball!! She sure is beautiful!!
Our little monkey! He is just too fun!!

Eight Things

2008-10-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Eight things I'm passionate about:
1. Logan
2. Tayvi
3. Conley
4. Photography
5. Dance
6. The gospel
7. Family
8. LIFE!

Eight words or phrases I use all the time:
1. Seriously?!
2. I'm not kidding!
3. If you don't stop that...
4. Do you understand me?
5. Mommy Loves You
6. ONE, TWO, ...
7. I'm going crazy!!
8. Be careful!

Eight things I want to do before I die:
1. Own a house! :)
2. Raise my children
3. Meet the Prophet
4. Visit every continent
5. Take my kids to Disney Land
6. Write a song
7. Learn to play the guitar
8. Watch the sun rise on the beach

Eight things I currently want or need:
1. A new bed
2. A time out! :)
3. A vacation
4. A magic wand
5. Sleep
6. No clutter!!
7. A house...my own! :)
8. My own yard

Eight Places I want to visit:
1. Europ
2. Hawaii
3. Egypt-the pyramids!
4. Australia (I want to see a kangaroo)
5. Arches
6. Japan
7. Alaska
8. Zions

Eight Favorite Restaurants:
1. Red Lobster
2. Tucanos
3. Olive Garden
4. Apple Bee's
5. R Pizza
6.
7.
8.

Eight TV show I watch:
1. The Office!!!
2. Biggest Loser
3. So you think you can dance
4. Sesame Street :)
5. Dora the explorer
6. Word girl
7. Super Why
8. Mostly I watch my kids' shows!

Eight People I tag:
1. Lindsey
2. Lindsay
3. Leslie
4. Jana(Mills&Miller)
5. Bridi
6. Nicky
7. Tammy
8. Chanel

TiMe To PLaY CaTCH uP!!

2008-10-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, here it goes...I have missed so much the last little while! October is always a crazy month! We have so many birthdays this month!! A Big "belated" HaPPy BiRTHDaY to Doug and Jasha on October 11!! Jasha's big 21st birthday was quite the occasion!! :) Us girls took a little trip to VEGAS!! We had a great time!! Here are Jasha and I having a "roaring" good time! :)

We stayed at the MGM...went to see "The Price is Right"...as well as "LOVE" Both were awesome, though we would have enjoyed The Price is Right more if we would have been called up!! Maybe next time! It was just great to enjoy spending the weekend together! Jasha is the best sister anyone could ever have! She has always been such a great example to me, and continues to do so! Thanks Jasha for being there for me...always! I Love You!
Doug said that he had a good birthday...though the kids may have enjoyed it more than he did!!

He took them to McDonald's and just had a great time spending time together! Doug is a great dad, and nobody thinks that more than Logan, Tayvi, and Conley!! They sure do love their dad!!

Happy Birthday Doug!

That is not the end, oh no it is not...there are more Birthday's that I haven't forgot!! :) (I'm working on my rhyming skills!! LOL!) October 15th was my Uncle Mike's birthday, so Happy Birthday Uncle Mike!!

A GReaT BiG HaPPy 1st BiRTHDaY to my Benny Boy!!

We got to enjoy Bennett's first birthday with him on October 17th! He had a great time smashing up his {SO YUMMY} birthday cake!! We Love You Bennett!!

And to sum up the birthday tributes...to one of the most amazing women I will ever know...Grandma Elda!! Happy Birthday yesterday!! My grandma is seriously one of the most unbelievable people I have ever known...I am forever grateful for the example of strength that she is to me! Happy Birthday Grandma!! I Love You!!
********

Here is my fabulous soccer player, Logan!! He just finished up his soccer season, and he had a great time! Though he did tell me that he's glad that it's finally over! :) I just love watching my kids learn how to do new things, and am grateful that they have the opportunity to be involved!

Here is Logan with his cousin Sydney! They are such great friends, and had a blast being able to play on the same soccer team!

Here is Tayvi with her cousins BrinLee and Angelina on our girls weekend this past week!!

Every year all of the girls on the Hinkins side get together for a dinner

at Red Lobster, swimming at the hotel, and a day of shopping!! It's so great to have such a great family! I LOVE YOU ALL!! And to Bridi, Shannah, Christy and their girls...we missed you guys this weekend!!

Well, that's the news for the...month!! Hopefully I can stay a little more on top of things! We'll see...lol!!

HaPPy BiRTHDaY DaD!!

2008-10-09T21:35:00.001-07:00

So I have been a HuGe SLaCKeR this last month!! But...Tuesday was my dad's birthday, and I just wanted to do a big shout out to the most incredible man ever!! I am so grateful for my dad! He has always been the one to remind me that I'm strong enough to do anything! He has always been there for me when I needed him...even it's the middle of the night and I just need to talk. He has always been so supportive of me in all that I do...dance, track, family, photography...he lets me know that I'm important to him! I don't think he ever missed a dance performance of mine...and that's a lot of performances!! Anyway, He's the BeST DaD eVeR!! I LOVE YOU DAD!!

Cabin Fever...can you feel the heat?!

2008-09-10T20:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend we got to go to Grandpa's cabins! We love being in the mountains! It's just so nice to get away from everything! Early Saturday morning, Grandpa, Uncle Jed, and Aunt Sarin took Logan, Tayvi, and Conley out for a little hike. They got to go and call elk in! They loved it! Conley's favorite thing to do lately is his "uk" call! He's pretty impressive for a 10 month old! Logan and Tayvi thought it was great too. They especially loved getting to use all the fancy schmancy calls that Grandpa and Jed had!

Logan loves to find all sorts of creatures!! Here he is with his water sceeter!! He also caught quite a few mormon crickets (Crokets as he called them)...

Tayvi just loves to be doing something!! Here she is roasting a marshmellow!! I think more of them ended up in the fire pit than in her belly! They love to watch as the marshmellows grow!

What's camping without "Cousin" Zeus!! The kids always look forward to seeing Zeus when Jed and Sarin come! They do sometimes wonder when Jed and Sarin are going to have a Human Baby though!! LOL! They're so cute!

Here are Logan and Zeus having a little Tug-O-War!

aLL GRoWN uP!!

2008-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

My Beautiful Pre-School Princess!!
It's funny how you wake up one morning and realize how many tomorrows you let go by without "doing that tomorrow! Well, Last week Tayvi started PRe-SCHooL!! Here I am now finally posting about it! :) She loves it! Miss Sandra is The World's BEST teacher...ever! Logan had her for two years, and now it's Tayvi's turn!

Here they are together playing with the doll house!

What's that? You can't find your cookie? Me...eat it...no! Hehehe!!

One thing about it, Conley is putting his new teeth to good use!

Isn't he the cutest CooKie MoNSTeR ever!!

ouR LuCK!

2008-09-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Logan had his first day of KiNDeRGaRTeN on August 22! That morning before I took him to school, I noticed that his head (between his eyes) was a bit swollen. WeiRD! So, I continued to watch, and it continued to swell. By the time I left him and school, I was a little concerned - to say the least. But, I remembered about a year ago when my nephew had the same thing happen to him. It was all froma bug bite, and it just so happened that Logan had a bug bite on his forehead. By the next morning, the swelling had moved from his forehead to his eyelids, and by Sunday it was below his eyes. We're glad that's over!! But besides the swollen head, Logan loved his FiRST DaY of SCHooL!!

Logan loves to ride his bike to school! I had to run to keep up...okay so I didn't really keep up, but I gave it a good effort!!

Here is Logan after school with his classmates!

Well, as some of you may know, Tayvi has a little problem with passing out. She passes out sometimes when she gets really upset or hurt, especially when she's overly tired! Well, the other day, she was sad that Kodi and Jasa were leaving. She was standing by their car crying, so I looked out to see what was going on. That was when I saw her tip her head back (trying to get some air), so I ran for her, but didn't make to her until she had kissed the black top of the parking lot! She got a cut above her lip, and knocked her teeth pretty hard...notice the litttle chip on her left side! YuCK...not fun! A pretty crazy week! Like I've said before...NeVeR a DuLL MoMeNT at our house!!

All I can say is OUCH!!

I don't have a picture of this yet, but Conley now has TWo NeW TeeTH!! He is just growing up way too fast...

LOGAN...

2008-08-16T16:49:00.001-07:00

What can I say... Logan is the best!! He is such a strength to me! He is always taking good care of his mom, his sister and has little brother! We are all thankful for him! He is such a good boy! He loves life, and lives it everyday to the fullest...he wears me out!! Here he is with a butterfly he found at Grandma's! Isn't it beautiful!
Hide Race Baby!! That's right! For anyone who doesn't know what the hide race is... the rider has a rope with the hide tied on and races to the other end of the arena where their partner is waiting by a barrel to "jump" onto the hide. Our little neighborhood was inspired!! We now have weekly hide race "practices!!" The kids each get their turn to ride around the yard on the saucer! I don't let my kids "jump" on, but they love to ride!!
We love our fun group of neighborhood kids!! We had a big sleepover and watched a movie outside after our little BBQ!! We never have a dull moment in our little apartments! It's great for the kids to always have each other! Logan, you're such a great friend! You have so many great qualities, and sucha strong testimony!! Always hold on to that!!
Logan...Mommy Loves You!!

TAYVI...

2008-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, sweet Tayvi Rae!! She is truely my "sunshine on a cloudy day"!! She is a Fiery, energetic little girl!! She is always on the go, and never wants to stop! The only time I can keep up with her is at night...when she's sleeping! Here she is on her bike...she loves to ride!

T.J. is our favorite neighborhood horse!! Our WONDEFUL friends, the Cologies, are always so willing to let the kids go for rides! Tayvi is such an animal lover! She can't see a horse, puppy, kitty, snake, lizard, horney toad....or anything else that moves without wanting to pet it, hold it, or love on it in some way!! I love her shy little smile in the pic!

SOOO much PeRSoNaLiTy!! Never a dull moment with this little girl! Here she is with her friends at our neighborhood BBQ! She is definitely entertaining!!

Here she is with her Cousin and Friend Angelina
Tayvi Rae... Mommy Loves You!!!

CONLEY...

2008-08-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Conley is now 9 months old!! He is such a sweet little guy, and so FULL OF LIFE! He is my little "Einstein"...

He is very much mobile now with his own version of the "army crawl!" He can definitely get where he wants to go, which is where ever the kids are...he loves his brother and sister! He is growing up too fast...he won't let me feed him anymore. If I put a piece of food in his mouth, he will spit it out, pick it up, and do it on his own!

But, as always, he is always so happy!! I am so thankful for my sweet little angel! He is truely the "calm" in my life! Always ready to give loves and hugs! Conley...Mommy Loves You!!

Summer Lovin'

2008-08-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have been preping myself lately for summer to come to an end. I'm not quite sure that I'm ready for things to change :( Logan will start Kindergarten in 10 days...that's right, my baby boy is off and joining the world on a learning adventure! Tayvi is also going to be going to school, however, her's doesn't start until September (Much to her dismay). She would head off with Logan if she could. She loves to be everywhere he is. Well, in hte name of summer...we went on a mini vacation this past week to Provo. Thursday I took Logan and Tayvi school shopping with my mom...Thanks Mom for your help trapesing the kids around all day!! And thanks Dad for bringing Conley up with you! I am so lucky to have great parents...did I ever mention that?! Well, Thursday night the kids and I stayed at a hotel with some GREAT friends...

Dannette, Bryan, Chandler, and Ruby. They met us there from New Mexico and we had an AWESOME day at Seven-Peaks water park on Friday!! The kids had a great time playing in the pool, going on the BIG slides, and playing in the pull-string showers!! Even Conley went on the big slides! It's so much fun to watch your kids do things for the first time...watching the kids come shooting off of the slides into the pool was the best! There's nothing like an ear-to-ear WET grin! Thanks to great friends for helping all day with the kids...even I got to go on a few of the slides! Needless to say, we had a blast!

In fact, the kids woke up Saturday asking to go again that day! LOL! My kids are just the BEST!! I couldn't ask for better kids...calmer maybe, but really what fun would that be... They make my CRAZY LIFE worth it all!

Check it out!

2008-08-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I decided to start my photography blog...it's Stison Photography and there's a link on the side there --> Check it out and tell me what you think! :) If anyone is looking for someone to do their pictures, for whatever, let me know!

It's been awhile...

2008-08-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have had my blog on time-out for a few months almost, and I've decided it's time to catch up! :) Well, these past few months have been a bit (extremely) crazy for us! Despite all of the craziness, however, we have still managed to find a little time to have a lot of fun! For the fourth of July, we went to the Stadium of Fire, where I took a group of girls up to perform. The kids were excited to see Miley Cirus, but a bit dissapointed that they didn't know her songs (we love Hannah Montana songs at our house:) The next day, I took the kids to Cedar City for the week to stay with Jed, Sarin

and Jasha! We had a great time! We went swimming, did some fire works, went to St.George, laid sod (that's right...sod! and it was fun!!), we all got our hair done...Thanks Aunt Sarin!! And Tayvi got a manicure! Not to mention all the fun time spent with "Cousin Zeus," Jed's dog. :) It was a great break away from "real life" and much needed! I even got to take a nap while we were there, so it was well worth the trip! :) A few weeks ago, we spent the weekend with my family up at the cabins. We went riding four-wheelers, took family pictures (all cordinated thanks to Mom), played in the little "river" and just had a fun time.

Life goes by so fast doesn't it! Only a few more weeks and my little Logan boy will be starting kindergarten! He can't wait, but I'm having a hard time believing that I'm old enough to have a kid in school! Isn't it funny where life gets you? For those of you checking in on how things are "really" going, we are still in the "unexpected" stage of our life, but we are doing good :) I have so many people who are so wonderful to me! Thanks to all of you who have given me books to read, food to "put some meat on," and for all of the many prayers, and much love! I am forever grateful to a Heavenly Father who knows me, and has a plan for me...even if I don't know what that plan consists of! I know that he will be with me in all that I need to endure! How do people live without that knowledge! I know I couldn't!!!

Boating at Huntington Reservoir!

2008-06-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Monday night we had a great time at the Lake!! We went with the Jensen family on their AWESOME boat!! :) Tayvi and Conley just enjoyed sitting safely in the boat, while Logan braved the cold water! Doug and Logan got out first, and had a great run at it! Logan didn't want to go under the water, but Dad thought it would be more fun if he did, so over they went!! *Note the video* Then Doug and I went...I am in no shape to even be wearing a swimming suit, let a lone put it on here, but it's a cute picture! We had a great time, despite the large amounts of water that I swallowed, and even more that went up my nose! Doug got even braver as the night went on and we got some great video of him "showing off" a bit! :) Isn't he the BEST!! The kid's thought it was great to watch him performing on the water! They thought it was pretty hillarious when anyone crashed, but even better with Dad! Conley is just a little trooper! He's just so content to BE! He was in his car seat the entire time, and just enjoyed the wind blowing through his hair, and in his face. When the boat stopped he would get a little fussy, but as soon as we were going again, he was as happy as could be! What a great way to spend a warm summer night!! I LOVE SUMMER!!!

Mixed Emotions...Going Home

2008-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see we had some mixed feeling about going home! Our vacation was fabulous, but it's true that "There's no place like home!!" Tayvi was funny...I was putting her in her seat and she was pulling her sad face about having to leave. I said "let's take a picture to remember how sad you were to leave." So I got out the camera, held it up, and immediately Tayvi put on her best smile! I took the picture and of course she wanted to see it. When I showed her, she said, "Ugh, Mom I'm sad. Take another one." So hence the "sad face" picture! Logan was ready to come home and play with friends, and Conley is always smiling!! We are truely so blessed to have such sweet kids! There are days when I really have to talk myslf into feeling that way, LOL, but we really are so blessed!!

The Beach...

2008-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, of course the day that we choose to go to the beach was nice and windy! But...we still had a great time! Especially Doug! He helped Logan build a sand castle, find oodles of (live) sand dollars, which are now dead and in my kitchen! :o) Tayvi and Logan both got the experience the joy of being burried in the sand, and I got to sit back, relax, and watch it all! **Notice my HOTTIE HUBBIE in the first pic!! Oh yeah! :o) I didn't get as many pictures as I'd have liked. I was nervous about the sand blowing into the camera and ruining it! I ruined a really great camera that way before. A few highlights...Doug got to see a stingray swim right past him in the water, Logan and Tayvi got to experience boogie boarding for the first time, and even Conley got to dip his toes in the ocean! Isn't it amazing how blessed we are to have such a beautiful place to live. Our Heavenly Father truely does love us! You can see it even in the simplest of things! We are so grateful for the simple joys in life!

This is just a fun little thing we did one day after Lego Land...Strawberry Fields Forever!! Literally! You could not see past the fields! We filled our buckets to the brim, and after a few days of packing them around, we dumped the strawberry jam out in Mesquite on our way back home! But it was definitely a fun, and new experience!

Lego Land!! We LOVED It!!

2008-06-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday and Monday of our vacation we went to Lego Land! It was absolutely awesome! You could not believe how detailed everything was! The animals were life size, and moved! They had an enormous dragon that was probably 10 feet tall! The fish in the ponds were made of legos! We saw Mount Rushmore, the New York sky line, the Las Vegas Strip, the White House, and so many other fun exhibits! Not to mention Indiana Jones! While we were there, Logan got to be a part of one of their shows, where he was able to demonstrate his artistic skills by drawing some hyrogliphics! He was nervous, but did an outstanding job!! One of our favorite things at Lego Land was the musical instruments that plaed and made water dance when you "jumped" on the circles in front of them! We spent quite a bit of time doing this! We just had a really great time!

Tayvi and Logan both loved driving the cars! They both got their Lego Land Driver's Liscense! Conley was just content to look at everything! He was just so great! Doug and I just enjoyed watching the kids experience everything! They are just so fun to watch!

First Stop...Sea World

2008-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

My kids love love love Sea World!! It rained pretty much all day the day that we went, but they didn't care...They were way too excited about all of the fun things to see! We got to have breakfast with the Sesame Street characters and that was so fun! The kids thought it was great to see them and dance and get pictures with them. There was a 4D movie of the characters(Yes, 4D. They actually spray water on you and air bursts around, etc.), and Conley loved that! I held my 3D glasses on him and he sat with them on the whold time. It was fun to watch Logan and Tayvi reach for objects as they POPPED out from the screen! Logan was really excited to see the flamingos. (Funny, I couldn't get Doug away from them 6 years ago when we went there on our Honeymoon!!) Like Father, Like Son! :) Tayvi loved getting splashed! That's the one thing she tells eveyone about it. She'll say, "we saw the animals, and we got SPLASHED!" I just enjoyed seeing all of the excitement in their eyes! I love being a MOM!!!

VACATION!!

2008-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

We just recently went on vacation to San Diego and had an absolute BLAST!! These are pics of the kids on the way there! They were troopers! We drove, and weren't quite sure how the kids would do being in the car so long, but it wasn't bad! We got to Barstow our first night around 2:30 a.m. and the kids slept most of the way...of course there were a few potty breaks along the way!

May 20th...What a Day!!

2008-06-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

WOW!! Tayvi Rae turned three! She was so sweet that morning while opening gifts! She was just excited about everything! She loved having her friends over for her "Do do Dora" party! Notice the cups that she and Logan decorated themselves! There was not one thing "Dora" to be found for parties! We had a ball with her friends making crowns, and even though the sprinklers came on in the middle of the party...(can you believe that) they all had a great time! Another fun thing for Tayvi is that she shares her birthday with her "Tappin'" Grandma, LaRae. She just loves that! Later that evening our Logan boy graduated from Pre-School! He has had the best year at Miss Sandra's Pre-School! He was pretty upset (as you can see). It's a good thing he has a little sister who will go comfort him in the middle of his graduation! :) Despite the sadness he felt about leaving Sandra, he is very excited to be going to Kindergarten in the fall! He asks quite often how many more days until he can go! Well, Conley didn't want to be left out that day, so he decided that it would be a good day to start sitting up on his own. He sits for awhile, and then topples over, but he's getting the hang of it! Well, it was quite the day! We all had a fun time being a part of all these "milestones." Life is GREAT!!

WOW!! 6 MONTHS!

2008-05-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how time goes by so quickly! It seems like a few short days ago that I was bringing Logan home from the hospital, and now Conley is already SIX months old! I can't believe it! Here's a short little clip of him rolling over the other day. He has just recently decided that maybe it's okay to be on his belly! He's so fun to just sit and watch. He has so much personality in his little body! He has such a sweet little spirit! Just so loving and cuddly! I love that he is a snuggler! Neither of the other two would snuggle when they were little, but Conley loves to snuggle with Mom!! And Mom's just need that!

Life keeps on "Rollin"

2008-05-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our gymnastics show and state meet last week, and the kids both did a great job! Logan has so much fun! He is awesome at his "break dancing" moves! Notice his totally awesome head spin! That's right, and he makes it all the way around! :) Also, notice his new favorite hair-style... the mowhawk! He loves it! He has a few friends who have it, and it's just the coolest thing ever! Both Logan and Tayvi did a great job at the state meet! Logan took 3 firsts, and Tayvi took a third and fourth place in her two events! I was so proud! They both competed with the kids older than them, so it was pretty exciting! They were just exciting to have new trophies to show their friends and family! Oh to be a child again!

Dancing Queen!!

2008-05-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Our little Dancing queen...what a beautie! I love watching Tayvi dance! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by! Tayvi has had so much fun dancing and doing gymnastics with her friends. She is always dancing...in the car, in the store, at Tappin' Grandma's! :) If there's music, she's dancing! if there's not music, she's singing, and dancing to that! She loves to dance, and I Love That! She's also great at creating her own dance "props"!! Like the pic shows, Tayvi did the finale with a roll of smiley stickers that she grabbed on her way onto the stage! One of which found it's way to her cute little lips! What a creative girl! :) The show was great, and that just added a little more to make it a great "Remember When" moment!!

On The Farm!!

2008-05-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Logan recently took a field trip to the farms around town with his pre-school class! He had a great time! He got to sit on a mule, a shetlan pony, and best of all...he got to milk a GOAT! He was so proud! He was the only one that could actually get the milk to come out, and when he did, he was the star! All the other kids wanted him to show them how. :) He issuch a great kid! It's hard to believe that he's going to be going to school this fall! Am I really that old? It has been so fun to watch him grow and learn! He is so smart!

EASTER FUN

2008-03-31T21:56:00.001-07:00

Well, Easter weekend was a great one, and we all came back covered from head to toe in sand! We loved it! We went down to the sand dunes at Musentouchit...well I think that's how it's spelled :) My kids had a ball! We especially enjoyed being able to spend time with family!

2008-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess we've decided to join the blogging world! Hopefully this will be a great way to keep in touch with everyone. Just a tid bit to catch every one up on the Stilson Family...
We are now Five Strong!! Logan is now 5, Tayvi Rae will be 3 in May, and Conley is now 4 1/2 months! We are living in Orangeville and are hoping that we will soon be starting a new chapter in our lives...building a home! It's been quite a long road to get to this point, but we are more than ready to begin!! The kids need space to play and just be kids. It gets hard to live in two rooms all day. This winter seemed to last FOREVER!! We are sooo grateful for the sun shine!!