Sid, Melanie and Avery

Love Story meets Viva la Vida

2009-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sid and I went to see Jon Schmidt last night. I had never even heard of him before - to you pianists scoffing right now, I am sorry but its true - until last week when Sid played this for me:

Its great that he is so talented and yet we were able to see him in Tooele in the back of an old family owned music store. Totally humble. The concert consisted of us requesting songs. He played Billy Joel for Sid and even played with his feet for some kids in the audience. Loved it! And if you ever have a chance, I really recommend it!

**Thank you Lisa for watching Avery! She had a blast and CANNOT stop talking about the carmel apple :)

my BIG baby

2009-09-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Avery and I got to watch Vander, the newest addition to the Buckingham's. Avery and I had so much fun. He was such a good baby and did well being away from mom for the first time. I had dug out her old papisan chair for him to sleep in and Avery was a little mother makng sure he had his binky, blanket and even some of her toys to make him feel comfortable.

Well, I walked in on Avery reminiscing after lunch today with the music and vibrations soothing her afternoon rest. I was explaining to her that when she was a baby she used this chair all the time and started digging through pictures to show her. She thought about this for a while, then ran to sit in the chair and started gabbering about taking a picture...I didn't realize what the fuss was all about until I asked her, 'you want me to take your picture in the chair?' her eyes lit up and she gave me a big ole smile....so here you go! A before and after of our big baby...I can't believe how fast she is growing.

Craft Hope

2009-09-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

I found out about Craft Hope on one of my favorite blogs I follow. Craft hope accepts handmade donations to share with those less fortunate. The current project benefits the little heroes preschool burn camp in Sacramento, CA.

Avery LOVED these little guys and was a little confused as she watched me tape up the box and leave her 'babies' at the post office, but once I showed her all the other monkeys on the Craft Hope site, explained that they are going to live with other monkeys she seemed OK with it.

Sid who?

2009-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Avery and I are going through husband/daddy withdrawls this past week. He's been so busy at work we are starting to forget what he looks like!

Last week he had to fix our gate that Ollie managed to wiggle out of, (she didn't get very far, just ran right around to the front door and cried to be let in) then he took off for Cedar to take advantage of his dad's shop to wrap up some projects he's been working on for the office. Since he came home Monday night, we haven't really seen him. I don't know how he's doing it. He got home at 10 last night and was gone before we were up this morning.

Thank you Sid for all your hard work!! We love you and miss you!!

Meet Olive

2009-09-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

Well...we added another to the Nixon family a few weeks ago. We had been talking for a while about getting a dog. We visited every shelter we could find in the Salt Lake Valley, and found a 2 year old Beagle that Sid fell in love with. She did really good with all of us and seemed like a really calm dog for a shelter dog. We didn't realize until we were going to start the adoption paperwork that she had issues with her previous foster family. We couldn't chance it.

Sid was crushed. On the way home I ran to the store for some grocery's and saw a lady arms full of little Beagle pups. Well, sort of. She breeds Beagles and her neighbors Mini Australian Shepherd got to her. I called Sid and told him to come quick. I played with all of them...they were all adorable, but one kept coming to me and I was partial her too. When Sid got there, he went to the same one. It wasn't even a question at that point.

She's been a good pup so far. No chewing, digging...yet. I am crossing my fingers that she will just skip all of that. We found a trainer that works with Search and Rescue dogs and is POST (Peace Officer Standards & Training) certified that we start training with tonight.

Avery has a pretty interesting relationship with Ollie. She loves her, but I think she loves even more that she has someone to boss around. Everytime they play she is tattling on her or trying to scold her for some unknown reason only to Avery. We are starting to think that there's just as much training involved with a two year old than the puppy. Any tips appreciated!

G O M E Z

2009-08-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

After 10+ years of following Gomez, they are still as great as ever!

We hung out after the show and visited with a couple of the band members - who were VERY down to earth and chatted about everything from vacations, honeymoons and -of all things- a little bit of guitar building. It was really neat to see that they are just normal people and truly love their fans.

They were on Conan Monday week check them out here and they are off to Lolapalooza for this weekends' show.

Paul "Blackie" Blackburn - Bass/Guitar

Ben Ottewell - Vocals/Guitar

Congrats Denny

2009-08-04T21:17:00.001-07:00

I have to brag about my little brother. He graduated on Thursday from the National Polytechnic College of Science in Marine Technology to be an underwater welder. He was one of 15 in his class and made the deans list. We couldn't be more proud!

Way to go Denny! We love you!!

It's hot!

2009-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here in Utah - it's finally summer, and it's HOT! We were so used to cooler temps all June so now that it's 100 degrees outside, it feels much hotter than that.

Avery has had fun in her little pool and Sid's even jumped in with her to cool off. I found some random pictures that I haven't blogged yet and thought I would share.

Happy Summer! Avie and Jessie at Uncle Mont's. She didn't ride the 4 wheeler,
was content just sitting on it in the yard.

Cammie and I attenpted to find the Mysterious Kanarra Falls while I was in Cedar. We hiked for about 4 hours and all we found was a little stream and LOTS of frogs. We still had fun.

Now what's wrong with this picture?

Aw.....

At the Utah Arts Festival they have a whole section of the park dedicated to toddlers!

Avery and I have been SLAVING away at my humble vegetable garden. It's not doing as well as I'd hoped, but I for sure we will get some pumpkins, squash, peppers and tomatoes. I don't know about the other stuff. I will keep you posted.

Giddy up!

2009-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

We spent last Sunday with Sid's Uncle Mont and Aunt Terri in Mt Green. It is so beautiful up there. Sid and I decided that we want to live there...until we timed the commute to Salt Lake which took us about 45 min at night with no traffic. Oh well, I guess we will just have to visit often :)

While we were there, Mont brought out a pony for Avery to ride and I am proud to say is was a success. She loves horses, but from a distance, so I wasn't sure how she would react. I took a ton of pictures and none are of her smiling - riding a pony is hard work!

Mini Vacation

2009-07-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sid had a couple days off of work so we took advantage of the time off and headed to Cedar for the 4th. We had a great time with our families and Avery was super happy to be the center of attention.

Earlier in the week, Naomi (Sid's mom) had back surgery, so I decided to stay through the week and help where I could. I didn't feel very productive while I was there felt more like a vacation for me - mainly we played with Avery and helped Annie with her wedding plans (Check out her wedding website, it's super cute.) http://www.ewedding.com/sites/AnnieAndMikey/

In the evenings I was able to spend time with Cammie and my ma. All in all we missed Sid, but we did have a good time while we were away. :)

We love you guys and miss you all ready! See you soon.

2009 Music at the Mill

2009-07-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

We pulled it off again! This year we had some set backs, like POURING DOWN RAIN!! But we still had a great time and listed to some awesome music.

One band that we didn't get a single picture of was "Blue-Ize" Sid and I found them last year when we went to dinner at a little restaurant up immigration canyon. They were the entertainment, and we stayed well after dinner just to listen. We were honored that they came to support our Academy. We hope to hear from them again!

The local paper drew in a little of a crowd, but mainly it was followers of our students that made it happen. Sid wanted me to post the article, but they have removed it from their site...so here's the best I could do...

We did our best to cram into the pavilion to stay out of the rain...

Paul Arnold is a good friend of Tony - Sid's brother - While he was here for the X96 BASH in May, Sid discovered that he is an amazing performer! We were so lucky to have him as a guest performer.

Thanks Paul!

One of our students won the guitar! Congrats Caleb.

Hunter Casey was one of our students that we promoted this year.

Thanks everyone for another great year with the Academy!

rain, rain...GO AWAY!

2009-06-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

It has just about rained every single day this month...it was OK the first two weeks or so, but now we are ready for summer! Poor Avery is cooped up in the house and driving me a little crazy.

We had the Clarke family reunion last weekend. (Sid's grandfathers mothers side of the family) It was a little chilly, but we still had a good time catching up. Sid's aunts and uncles were able to come visit us at home for a while before going over to the picnic and Avery just loved that! She really took to Abby and Travis (Sid's cousins) and was asking about them all week.

The only nice thing about this weather is that I have been able to do some sewing that I haven't had time for. I decided to make some gifts for birthdays coming up, and I really like how they turned out! I will have to post some pictures after they get to the birthday girls so I don't ruin a surprise :)

Avery and Great Grandpa Forsyth

Avery LOVED Abby and Travis. She couldn't stop asking about them all week. I think they loved her too...

Avery loves to smell flowers, weeds too. She's not picky.

Towards the end of the day everyone was a little wet and cold. Avery was well taken care of when we could get her to sit still long enough.

Travis caught a few grasshoppers and shared with Avery. I don't think it lived too long after this.

Avery and Great Grandma/Grandpa Forsyth.

Avery's favorite spot.

Catching up

2009-06-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I didn't know we were so popular! I have had several friends and family ask why I haven't been updating our Blog as I have in the past. We truly have been quite busy.

Since I last posted, Little Miss Avery had a birthday! We had a great time. She loved all the friends and family and especially blowing out the candles. I can't believe my baby is two!

Memorial Day weekend we made the trek to Cedar City for Cameron's HS Graduation. We had a blast visiting with family from California and watching the kids run and play. On the way home we had the opportunity to visit Holden, Utah and see Sid's grandma/grandpa Nixon's graves. We have stopped there several times to drop off flowers, but we actually ran into Sid's great Aunt Betty and she filled us in on all kinds of family history.

We also attended the annual x96 BASH. It was a lot different this year, but I knew a lot more of the bands, which was nice. Cammie and his entourage also came up that weekend for a different concert, so everyone was cozy camping out in our basement. I think Sid counted 10 people at one time, (not including us). It was fun.

Sid and I started our own little business when we moved here just about two years ago - The Stansbury Park Guitar Academy - and we have had lots of success with it. We started with 10 students and now have an upwards of 60 give or take and a second instructor that we hired on 6 months ago. We never thought it would grow to what it is. A couple months ago we were notified that our rent we were paying to the local Club House in our neighborhood felt it wasn't enough and told us we had three months to get out or pay three times the rental fee we were currently paying (Which is 20% of profit). Through lots of meetings and several pleas from students and parents, the board disregarded our requests and stood by their decision. Since then we have had two other facilities that we thought we could make work, both of which had fallen through. We were all but sure our little business was going to be no more...BUT! I am happy to say that as of a week ago we have a space and we are back in business! What a relief! Sid and I have sacrificed a lot for this business and we were sick thinking that some self proclaimed "board members" could take that away from us! From the looks of it, it will be a much better suited space for us anyways, so I think it will work out for the better.

Other than that, we have just been busy with all the normal stuff - cars acting up, never ending sprinkler fixes, Avery with her back to back stomach flu that lasted almost three weeks, home repairs, and all those little things that seem to gobble up your day...I have said it before, but SERIOUSLY I will be better at keeping up. If anything to avoid the onslaught of demands to do better from all of you that love us so much! :)

Here are some random pics from the last couple months.

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Our little talker

2009-03-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

In literally the last month Avery has really taken off with talking. We were starting to get worried when she wasn't really communicating with us, but now she is doing great! I ran out of time on my camera, but she says a lot more too! Her favorite is "no, no!" and "dog". Every animal that isn't a bird or a cat is a dog. Even when we see cows she will "moo" but then point and say "it's dog" and anytime we even walk past the bathroom, she runs for her stool and says "teeth" so she can brush. It's so fun to hear her chatter. I love her little voice

Time flies when you're having fun!

2009-02-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Life has just flown by these past months. I can't believe November was the last time I posted.
There's too much to cover - so here's a few pictures to sum it up! Hope everyone is well. And I promise to do better at keeping up!

Avery was so fun this year at Christmas...She didn't really know what was going on, but tore right into all her presents.

Sid was pretty proud of this one. All ready grooming her to be a snow boarder.

Her new thing is walking around in my shoes. I think it's the cutest thing ever.

We had the chance to see Brad wrestle this year. He did awesome! Made it to state and he's only a sophomore! Avery loved running around and copying the cheer leaders.

What a baby!

2008-11-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

So this week has all ready been a long one and it's only Tuesday!
Avery has been so good with everything going on...and I am so thankful for her. A couple of friends are helping me out with her this week while I'm in training, and she has just gone right along with it. Today when I went to get her from Kim's she didn't even look excited to see me. (ouch) I thought about her all day wondering what she was doing, bragged about her to all my new coworkers and it seems she didn't even notice I wasn't there. Hm.
But. On the flip side, I am very greatful for a child that is so easy going. I hope it stays this way!

Thanks Kim and Angie!! Couldn't have done this without you!

Elections and Christmas Carols

2008-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Avery and I have been bopping around the house listening to Christmas Music the past couple days. Usually I am seriously annoyed about Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but I think kids change all of that.
Avery LOVES to dance. Never on command mind you, but she really does love it - especially when no one is looking.

After staying up until all hours of the night last night watching all the hustle bustle of the election, I thought that I must say something about the turn out last night - if anything, for my Bush loving friend Angie :)

Sid and I watched last night, not knowing what to expect. I had been so sick of all the back and forth the past months, (I absolutely HATE that kind of behavior) that I have kind of tuned out everyone else's opinion and made up my mind on my own. I can't say that I wasn't slightly disappointed - I mean a woman in the white house?! But at the same time, I also couldn't ignore the sense of accomplishment - vicariously of course - of what last night means for a lot of people in this country.
Who knows - she could be your president some day!!

2008-11-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

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S O L D

2008-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our days of juggling two houses has finally come to an end. What a relief! Although we are VERY thankful that the house finally sold in the market that it did - it is a bittersweet feeling.

When Sid called to tell me that everything went through as it should and it was done - and then he followed that with "it's a little sad that we don't have that connection with Boise anymore" at first I thought he was crazy - but I have to agree. Boise was a really special place for us. And looking back on the short three years that we were there (all the while, wishing we could be closer to family here in Utah) we did a lot of neat things, met some people that have touched our lives forever, and we will miss it. Here's just a few things that we will miss about Boise:

Floating the Boise River.

Ok, so some of you have heard some crazy stories about us floating the river - stories that include cannon balls, boats capsizing, losing shoes, and having to run about a mile barefoot on hot pavement in 100+ weather. But it was all worth it.

BSU Football:

When Sid and I were first married, we rented a house just a block down from BSU. We were too poor to have cable TV and instead hooked up our bunny ears and watched the fuzzy games while we listened to the crowd cheer just a block down the street. We were hooked. And rightly so! Boise has an amazing football team and we loved all the blue and orange during those fall months. And who could forget the Fiesta Bowl? What a game!!

McCall Idaho

Sid's position in Boise was a lot different than it is here for work. He used to spend a lot of time traveling to different cities on sales calls. One trip that he made frequently was to McCall, Idaho. It was just a quick hour or so drive from home and it was beautiful. Sepeate from work - we would drive up once in a while for dinner or to walk around or watch a hockey game from the street. It seems like everytime we did go there it was fall/winter time. I think what I liked most was the drive there and back. Unbelieveable scenery.

Idaho City

Another little town that we would visit on weekends was Idaho City. We loved all the antique shops and history there. And the Cemetery is pretty interesting too...Seems like everyone that visited us in Boise made a trip to Idaho City! This is Sid's grandpa posing with one of the ladies he met along the way.

Shoshone Falls

Outside of Twin Falls, ID is one of the most amazing sites to be seen. It's so unexpected, because anyone who has seen the Twin Falls area, knows it's pretty flat and desolate looking...Sid, Beth and I made the drive to see what all the hype was about. It was so cool! If you are ever going through, it really is worth the stop and not far from the freeway.

Boise Parks & Green belts

I don't think it will be possible for Sid and I to not compare ANY parks to those in Boise. Then again, it's hard for us to not compare lots of things to that in Boise. This is the park that was behind our house and down the bend a little. We miss it so much! And we miss all our friends there. We hope to see you all soon - don't forget us!

Yes - it's true...I am a twilight fan

2008-10-13T21:55:00.001-07:00

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October?

2008-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it's October all ready. Lots has happened in the past month, and don't think I can cover everything...but here are a couple things.

We went to Cedar the week after Labor Day to check out the Nixon's new boat. The weather was great, and Tony is so close to mastering his flip. I think I have 5-7 videos of him falling on his face like that...but he is relentless.

Time Out For Women

A good friend of mine invited me to A Time Out For Women in Logan and I am SO HAPPY that I went. With the past year being as crazy as it has been - between having a baby, leaving great friends to move to a new place, having a home still in Boise, adjusting to being a SAHM, adjusting to Utah again :), and the list goes on...it's been quite the stressful past year. This was just what I needed. The speakers were amazing, and I felt more than once that they were speaking just to me. I took my camera with all the intentions of snapping a ton of pics, but this is all I walked away with (oh and a picture of Kim taking a picture). Mary Ellen Edmunds is in the picture with us. She was one of the many great speakers we heard that day. She is hilarious. Anyone that can go to this conference, LDS or not, I strongly recommend.

And did I mention my "hot" friends that invited me along and made me feel right at home...Kim #1, Kim #2, and Tracey - thanks for the great weekend!

And of course. Thanks to Sid for babysitting pretty much all weekend so that I could take this much needed break.

Sids dad called us a couple weeks back and asked us if we could babysit their newest addition to the family for about a week. It was an interesting week! Avery had an different relationship with him than I expected. Pretty much, love-hate. She loved him when he was outside on the other side of the sliding glass door...but anytime he was around her, he was so excited he would jump and try to lick her face - which she wasn't too happy about. Our neighbors don't miss his nightly routine of howling (they told us so :) but we did have fun with him and were glad to help! (I stole this pic from Annie's blog - thanks Annie!)

Sid, Tony, Brad, Shane, Annie and I went to the BASH last weekend. It was CRAZY! The boys ran and got all the free stuff while Annie, Sid and I people watched. We saw some interesting things...and heard some interesting music, but it was still a blast. (thanks for babysitting Angie!!)

Check out Sid's perma sunglasses. And that's with 70 SPF!

So! I think that's pretty much the highlights of the past month. Avery is growing and changing daily it seems this past month. She understands so much more. Her newest tricks are spinning in circles, knuckles and folding her arms (being reverent). She is so much fun. Heres a few pictures recapping the month.

The Gall of this woman!

2008-09-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies (I know it's only chicks that check out blogs) this is a posting from Sid. Allow me to catch you up on our past few weeks. Melanie thought she was dying and went to the doctor 2 weeks ago with Avery on her hip complaining of heartburn. The doc in a box freaked out and sent her to the ER where she called me at work to let me know she was dying. After they admitted her she decided that Avery was hungry and she didn't like being at the depressing hospital and left. I left work when I realized she wasn't just faking being sick and got a call from the ER asking for her to please come back for tests. When we got there the dumb tards almost sent us home again until they decided to take her pulse. After finally running test that confirmed her denial of being a drug addict they began to worry. (Her heart rate was like 140) The next day they disposed of her Gallbladder through 4 little holes in her belly. So I cleaned and took care of my girls all by myself with some slight assistance from my mother and mother-in law. Thanks Grannies! I am happy to say she pulled through with nothing more than a new allergy to Trading table chicken strips.

In the coarse of this episode of Grey's Anatomy episode Avery spent a fun filled day at work with me. It was casual Friday so we let her just play on the forklift and answer the phones for me.
Oh yeah, the nurses in post op thought I was cute and made me a root beer float while Melanie hallucinated as a bad side effect to her dillaudin pain reliever.

Forget Lagoon who wants a forklift ride, eh?

I 'm surprised my mouse survived! She composed and sent a few interesting emails.

We tallied Avery at aprox. 2 1/2 board feet.

The smallest bunk in the whole place.

Fact: the truck behind her can legally haul 2,182 Averys

She has the belly for the job! Honestly she is the smartest truck driver I have met. Her vocabulary and social skills are far more advanced than the majority of drivers out there. She also has nearly double the average of teeth (8). She smells a lot better even though she had a messy diaper at the time. Her downside, not figuring out how to "go" in Gatorade bottles, beware of the trucker bomb.

A memo for the janitorial service

"knotty" girl

Mom at end of day making her clean and girly again.

Aloha!

2008-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to California last week to help out with Stacy's kids so that she and Chris could getaway for a few days. While we were there, Lauren (my cousin) had her 5th birthday party and man can she throw a party! It was a Hawaiian themed party. We found the cutest outfit for Avery, she loved the grass skirt the best. It was a lot of fun. Avery decided to make walking "official" literally days before we got there, so it was fun to see her running with the other little ones.

Avery and Jaime in their matching grass skirts.
Happy birthday Lauren! We miss you all ready!

It seemed like I took a million pictures of the girls playing while we were there, and this one is by far the best! We stuck them in the truck just for a picture and Avery grabbed onto the steering wheel right away and Leah stood up and started waving her sippy around! Stace, I think we have trouble.

Den took Cam and I to an Angels game the last night we were there. He's living in CA now and going to school in Long Beach. It was probably the most fun I have had at a baseball game that I can remember! Probably because we won! Believe it or not, in all the games that I have been to in my life - I cannot remember a game that I have been to where our team has won! Cam and I got some shirts super cheap and we had awesome seats, one of the home runs landed right in the stands about 20 feet from us.

Arg! Can't Sleep

2008-07-29T23:38:00.001-07:00

I am having problems sleeping the past few nights. I think I am a little anxious that our house might actually sell! That's right - we got an offer on it about a week and a half ago and last we heard from our realtor is that it's looking pretty good. I am pretty excited to finally sell the house and get on with life with ONE mortgage payment a month, ONE power bill, ONE water bill, (you get the drift) and thus the sleepless nights.

I was just catching up on reading friends Blogs and I love this little game that Annie did on hers...I usually don't post stuff like this, but it seems interesting enough...Annie explains it well - so - in her words:
Feel free to join in the fun. Here's the rules:For each question, look up the answer in a Google Image search. Then choose your favorite image from the first page of results only. You get some fun and often CRYPTIC answers. If you need clarification on any of them leave a comment.

My Age:

A Place I'd Like To Travel:

My favorite place:

My favorite subject:

My favorite food:

My favorite Animal:

My Favorite Color:

The town where I was born:

The town I live in now:

A past pet:

A past love:

My best friends NickName:

My First Name:

My maiden name:

My last name:

A bad habit I have:

My First job:

My grandmothers name:

My college degree:

What I am doing now:

Cutie!

2008-07-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

It's a RARE thing to see Avery in a hat with out trying to rip it off her head. It's an even rarer thing to see Avery sitting still for me and allowing me to take pictures!

This was just a boring day -- nothing special, but for some reason she let me take some pictures of her and she was in an exceptional mood. That is reason enough for me to post these.

Utah Lake

2008-07-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

You'd think that almost a week on a house boat would be enough for us, especially considering we brought the stomach flu home with us, but it wasn't...Yesterday we spent the day at Utah Lake boating.

Since Angie has moved to Utah, I am learning that a lot of my friends from my singles ward in CA have moved to Utah! Chelsea and her husband Josh live in Provo about a mile from the lake. Josh took us out for the day. I had never been to Utah Lake before, we always drive past it, but never go on it. I have heard some crazy stories about the murky waters...but it was actually quite nice. A little odd - but nice all the same.

Avery is the best sport! She loved it.
So, one of the weird things about Utah Lake - well weird to me anyways, is that the deepest part of the lake is only 9 feet! So, most of the time you can touch bottom.

So, this was the point in the day where Angie felt the need to drive in circles for minuets on end...Did I mention that we had the stomach flu earlier on??

And, yes. I am a victim of peer pressure. I couldn't be the only one that didn't go out on the tube. I am kind of weird about things like this. Not weird, just a wimp. But, they talked me into it and I will admit it was fun.

You can tell that Avery is glad to be home and on solid ground. I think we will try to be homebodies for a while and catch up on real life...

Lake Powell

2008-07-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's official! Avery is a water baby! We made our way to Lake Powell for our annual trip with Sid's family last week. I was kind of worried about how it would go and had to psyche myself up for it in the days that led up to it - but she did really well. She loved being the center of attention and loved that we got to play in the water so much. This year was unlike any other that I have spent there, but it was also the most fun.
When we got to the house boat the battery was dead so we stayed on the buoy the first night. We all got a little bored, so the boys decided that we were all going to use the raft and paddle onto the house boats that had slides that weren't occupied. The boys were hilarious. Annie was laughing uncontrollable and I was laughing at her until our sides hurt.

When we got the House Boat going we found a pretty cool spot to park. We had it pretty much to ourselves - my only complaint was the fish. For some reason we had some attacking Blue Gills. That's right - I was attacked by a Blue Gill! It was only a little cut on my foot - but enough to draw blood! Ew!!

Avery had a blast hanging out with everyone and I am proud to say - didn't get burnt at all! That was my biggest concern...She fought us on wearing her hat, but eventually gave up. She spent most of her time sleeping on all the life jackets on the boat.

Avery helping Drive the boat. She's so serious.

Avery's First ride on the Tube with Sid.

Brad, Tony and Sid in their suits with their "goggles"...long story...ask Sid.

It was a great trip. Thanks Steve and Naomi!

Angie's Married!

2008-07-27T14:04:00.001-07:00

One of my best friends dropped the big one on me about a month ago.

I hadn't talked to her in months and then when I do, she tells me that she just moved to Utah (WHAT?) and on top of that she is engaged. Now - you are thinking, wow, that's a little crazy...but it gets better. Not only is she getting married, but she is getting married in THREE WEEKS! So, needless to say, Sid and I jumped in to help where we could, since her family is all in California.

Sid threw an impromptu Bachelor party for Derrick - inviting all people Derrick had never met in his life mind you - and I did my best at a Bridal Shower. We had a really good time helping Angie with what we could. It was fun to be in Wedding mode again.

They were married on July 15th at the Salt Lake Temple. Andrea babysat for us in the morning during the sealing (THANKS ANDREA!) and the reception was held at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Angie was beautiful, Derrick was proud and it was a prefect day.

Congrats Angie and Derrick!!

Music at the Mill

2008-07-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

We did it!! The concert was June 27th and it was a huge success. All the kids did an awesome job and the bands were a hit too! Sid and I couldn't have been happier with the turn out. We missed some of the students that couldn't make it because of family reunions, camping trips and vacations - but most of his kids were able to be there and we all had a great time.
Sid's family and my mom and Cammie came to help out too. We seriously couldn't have done it without them!
We made the Tooele Transcript and even Fox 13 news! We can't take all the credit though. Much of our crowd and media attention was due to the fact that Kodi and the Chillbodies made it to the concert and played a set. What an amazing person Kodi is. We felt really honored to have him at our concert and to share with all of us his talents.

This is the guitar that Sid built and donated to be raffled off. He did a really great job.

One of his students, Ethan Hunt won the guitar! He was so excited. We were pretty happy that it went to one of the students of the Academy.

Chad Gourley was one of the performers of the night. He was a hit!

Sid and one of his classes. The setting was perfect at Benson Grist Mill. There was an amphitheater where we could all sit and see everyone playing.

"The Untitled" is a band that formed while taking classes from Sid. They did an amazing job!

We needed all the help we could get watching Miss Avery. Between my mom, Cam and Annie, she was well taken care of. She even had a good time!

Sid chatting with Kodi Lee before he went on.

Kodi was truly an amazing person to meet. We were so happy to have him and to meet his wonderful family.

Steve selling t-shirts and raffle tickets. You can see my mom and Annie selling concessions just behind him.

All in all it was a huge success. We are so thankful to EVERYONE that helped and made it what it was. THANK YOU!!

Aunt Annie

2008-07-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sid's sister Annie came to town last week and Avery and I got to hang out with her for a few days. We had a really great visit. We went to the Zoo and the highlight for Avery was by far the Carousel that Annie took her on. She LOVED it!

Avery loves Annie, and I think the feeling is mutual!

We love you Annie!!

Bicknell, Utah

2008-06-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am a little slow on my posts these days. It seems like this summer is just flying right by us!
We took a trip to Bicknell, Utah the weekend of Fathers Day. Sid and I are helping his grandparents install hardwood flooring and we were planning on making it a working weekend - but found out from the manufacturer that we needed the flooring to climatize for a few days before we install it. So, we got a fishing weekend out of it instead.
Sid and I got some fishing polls for Christmas and figured we'd start since we have the lake here in Stansbury within walking distance...and with our hectic schedule, we haven't gotten the chance to go yet. Sid's grandparents took us down to Lower Bowns. It's on Boulder Mountain. I hadn't been there before, but it was really beautiful. I wish I'd have taken more pictures - next time I guess.
Sid was the star of the show (as always - right?) and he caught his limit + 1! He threw one back though, none of us were as lucky.
Avery loved it too. She got to play in the water (which was surprisingly warm) and was sandy from head to toe. I was shocked at how much she loved the water! She would have gotten right in had we not stopped her!

Avery is very observant these days...seems she mimics all that we do. I am not sure she knows what she is doing most the time...she just knows that she wants to do whatever it is that we are doing.
The water and sand were a little odd to her at first, but it didn't take long before she was COVERED in it. I was sad that I hadn't brought more play clothes for her, luckily they cleaned up as good as new!

Sid and one of his many prize fish.

Ewww...This is why I was ok with not catching one. Luckily Sid's grandma has a stronger stomach for these types of things...

Our little family

2008-06-20T21:31:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago Sid and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary! It's amazing to me all that we have been through and accomplished in this short time. It seems like just yesterday we were returning from our honeymoon to Boise - a new city to us - with no friends, no idea where anything was, and thinking - what do we do now? Looking back, those days were so easy and exciting starting our very own life together as a family.

Now here we are 4 years later. Though things are tough now with a house that won't sell in Boise, a leaking foundation here in Utah, scraping by on one income, and wondering how it all just "works out" each month, there is no doubt in my mind that I will look back in another 4 years and think that we had it easy now. There is no way that I can try to compare the times as newlyweds when Sid and I could do the simple things like sleep in on a Saturday, go to concerts, weekend getaways or a midnight movie to the joy and happiness that Avery brings to our lives each day...I think it's safe to say it's just getting better year after year. I am so blessed to have the life I do and the opportunity to have sweet Avery and Sid who takes care of us.

Thanks Sid for all you do for us and our little family! I love you!! Happy Anniversary!

First Family Vacay - Avery's birthday - and everything else

2008-06-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Whew! Well, seems like May just flew by us! We had a great month, between Avery's birthday, my birthday, Mothers day and our very first family vacation, it feels like we just ran a marathon that lasted all month long!

Avery has cut two more teeth - her top ones - and unfortunately, this started on the day of her birthday party. She was pretty cranky the whole time, but she still didn't pass the cake up. She gobbled the whole thing and was even kind enough to share a little with me and Sid. She got lots of love and attention and we all had a great time. Regardless of her being a little moody, it couldn't have been better really.

Then we left about a week later for our trip to Monterey, CA. It was beautiful, relaxing and fun filled. We spent the first day with a dear friend that I met while I was helping out for Hurricane Katrina/Rita in Louisiana for Red Cross. He is such a great person, and I am so thrilled that we were able to reconnect and spend some time together, meet each others families, and catch up. Thanks for everything Jim!!

While in CA, the weather wasn't as warm as we'd hoped, but I think it was better that way. I am so paranoid about Avery getting sun burnt that I would have been a wreck the whole time had it been hot. Everyday we were out all day seeing the sights. Looking back, it's pretty amazing Avery did as well as she did. We visited Hurst Castle, Monterey Aquarium, Carmel by the Sea, Santa Cruz and even fit San Francisco in too! Avery did great on the plane - flirted with anyone who would make eye contact and chattered and giggled the whole time. It was great. But good to be home too.

While we hung out with Jim, he took us to this really neat Redwood hike/walk.

After breakfast in Capitola.

Sid and Avery at one of the overlooks at Hurst Castle. Notice the one sock?

We rented a paddle boat for about an hour and peddled around. We didn't account for it being Avery's nap time though. It doesn't help that Sid is making fun! I would cry too! Mean dad.

Grandma Norma

2008-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

My mom has helped so much this past year with me adjusting to be a mom. From the frantic calls about a fever, rash, cough etc. To the excited calls of pride about new teeth, new tricks and just to brag about any new thing Avery has picked up. Sometimes its more odd to me to think that my mom is a grandma than the fact that I am a mom.

I know Mothers Day is past, but I just wanted to say 'Thanks Mom' for being there and sharing all your knowhow. We love you!

*And for all of you who hassle me about not being in any of the pictures...this is where I learn it from! She wouldn't look at the camera!!

Happy Birthday Avery!

2008-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe she's one! Yesterday was her Birthday and as the day went on Sid and I just kept thinking back to that day and how we are so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy little girl. She is getting so big so fast, and it's such a joy for us to watch her grow. It's amazing to think of how much we have grown too!
We are going to have the official party next week to celebrate her birthday with family but decided to have some fun just the three of us last weekend. We took her to This Is The Place - Heritage Park. We all had a lot of fun. I think she enjoyed the baby chicks the most. We've taken her to Cal Ranch a few times to see the baby ducks and chicks, but she isn't allowed to hold them there - so she was pretty excited that she got to pet them this time. She even got to play with the baby lambs and goats. It was a really good day.

Avery petting a baby chick. She was so excited and didn't really know what to do at first. So she just screamed and yelled excitedly. Directly behind where we were standing is a pen with peacocks in them. When we were looking at them and trying to show Avery they were all sleeping. Well, it didn't take too much of Avery's screaming before the whole pen was awake and squawking and making all kinds of noise!

She wasn't really into the lambs until out time was up. They we couldn't get to her go!

While we were on the Train Ride around the 'city' we were involved in a train robbery! Luckily the Sheriff was on the train and shot the bad guys, saved the loot and we were all safe.

Sid especially liked the wood shop. Of course.

I don't have many pictures of Avery and I. Sid insisted on this one - even though Avery had just about had enough and we couldn't really get her to cooperate.

I don't think this one needs an explanation :)

A Birthday wouldn't be complete without cake and ice cream!

Tag - I'm it!

2008-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, about a month ago Kim - my newest gym buddy- tagged me! (I am so sorry that it took me this long Kim!!) And, yes you read right I am finally getting up and doing something about the baby weight that didn't magically fall off after Avery. I have been trying to go to the 5:30am class (cardio) about three times a week and then attending the 9:00pm class (either pilates or Yoga). So far so good!!
Anyhow...I am new to this blogging thing too - so bear with me!

10 YEARS AGO:

I was a Junior in High School! Seriously? Wow, it's strange to look at Cameron now - who is a Junior and think that's where I was...I think I was still working at Shoney's - I don't think we have those anymore. It's kind of like a JB's... I was working there as the "Salad Bar Attendant" and loved it. My fondest memory of working there, was using cellophane to shrink wrap a co-workers car! It was a great first job. It was the first year that Canyon View High School was open and we were BITTER rivals with Cedar High School. Seems every chance we got we were ditching school to sneak into the Cedar High parking lot and soaping cars...yes, soaping cars in BROAD DAYLIGHT! We loved to prank each other. The worst were the sporting events though...they were pretty intense...but somehow we managed to take State for Basketball - which is pretty amazing for a brand new school. A big group of us drove up to UVSC in Provo to attend the games. We had such a good time and I can still remember the sense of pride as we won State and EVERYONE ran to the center court to celebrate. As much as it was a tough year, we were pretty united.
I will always remember Prom when I won Best Dress and I can't forget my first car I got that summer...my Raspberry colored Chevy Cavalier. I loved that car!

*And although it's only been NINE years since I met Sid, I thought it was worth mentioning here...it and add some fun pics.
Nine years. Whew! I can't believe we have been together that long - and then at the same time, it seems like I have always known him. We have experienced some really special times together and some hard times too. I know that he doesn't believe that people are meant to be together, but how can we NOT be meant for each other! We fit so perfect together.

Christmas 1999
This is one of the first pictures of us as a couple.

August 2002. When Sid was on his mission I moved back to CA. When Angie heard that he was flying home and I wasn't going to be there for it...she just couldn't let that happen! So she drove me to St George after she got out of school, and we made it to the airport an hour before his plane landed! It was so exciting...I think Sid is actually taller than Denny in this picture! And check out Cammie's Sponge Bob shirt!! What a dork.

April 2004
Red Butte Gardens, right after we were engaged

June 2004 This is one of my favorite wedding pictures of us.

June 2004. Burley Falls. We literally fell upon this spot on our honeymoon. We stopped at this little taco stand for a bite and saw all these signs for waterfall. We didn't see it on the map, but instead followed the signs and found it with no problems! It was amazing! We felt like true explorers and we were so proud of ourselves.

April 2006 - Shoshone Falls, Idaho

February 2007 - Seven months preg-o!

Christmas 2007 I can't believe it's almost been 10 years!

FIVE PLACES I HAVE BEEN

1-Rosarito, Mexico: Labor Day trip with my mom, brothers and I. 2-San Fransisco via Salt Lake: For our honey moon, Sid and I were going to go to San Fran. But we were married on a Sat and our flight wasn't until Monday afternoon...we got a wild hair and decided to make it a road trip! I know...we are crazy. But, it ended up being the most amazing trip! We stopped in Reno, Tahoe, San Fran, Napa, a little town in Oregon-Lake Point I think, and then ended up in Boise a week later to a house full of boxes. Sid still had the next day off, so we went to the Zoo and explored Boise a little more before real life began. 3-Lake Powell: We make the annual trek to Lake Powell for the Nixon House Boat trip every year. Last year we missed it because Avery was just born, but we have been preparing her by taking her to the pool to get used to the water...I think she will LOVE it. 4-Vancouver, B.C: Sid had a week long meeting in Vancouver, so we decided to fly me in on the last day and make a little vacation to celebrate our anniversary. It was one of the most stressful trips of my life! I needed my Birth Certificate to travel outside of the US, and so I tried to expedite a copy from Vital Records in San Bernardino...well, needless to say it didn't come in time! So, I had to have them UPS the certificate to Sid and then fly into Seattle. It actually was better this way though, cause I hadn't been to Seattle before. We rented a car and made our way to Vancouver. It was beautiful. 5- Walla Walla Washington: So, as you can tell - Sid and I are a little spontaneous. Well, for New Years one year, we decided to get out of town and jumped in the car with a map and made our way to Walla Walla, Washington. We stayed at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and ate at this cool restaurant that is inside an old train...then watched the ball drop in the hotel room.

(1) Denny and I standing outside the resort we stayed at in Mexico.

(1) While we were in Mexico, we rode horses on the beach right at sunset. It was beautiful. But the real reason I include this one, is because of Denny acting as if he is going to "lasso" something/one. I love it.

(3-Lake Powell) Anyone who knows the Nixon family, knows that Lake Powell is a sacred place and it's traveled to no matter what every summer! This picture is from the summer of '06. We found out we were preg-o right after this trip and are planning on returning with Avery this summer.
The boys think of some sort of theme each year. '06 it was Sombrero Hats, and as the "Three Amigo's" they wake boarded all at once. It was pretty hilarious. (It's Sid, Brad and Todd in the water. Tony was on his mission.)

(4-Vancouver BC) We were aimlessly driving one afternoon and fell upon Lighthouse Park. It was BEAUTIFUL!

Another angle of the lighthouse at Lighthouse Park, Vancouver B.C. Can you believe I took this photo? I was pretty proud of myself - looks like a post card.

(4 -Vancouver BC) Anyone who has the opportunity to go Capilano Bridge to must go! We were there for hours exploring the tree top bridges and all the wildlife. It was a lot of fun. I am a little weird about heights too - so it was challenging trusting the old bridges, and it didn't help that Sid would do what he could to get them to sway back and forth! As you can see in the picture though - he made some good friends along the way...

FIVE THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST:
Only five?? I have so much to do!!
1-Lose the baby weight!! Spring is here and summer around the corner and I am pretty anxious about losing the trusty old bulky sweaters I hide behind!! 2-Sell our house in Boise. Yes, it's still on the market. 3-Go to Manchester England to see where Sid served his mission. He talks about his mission with such joy - that I would LOVE to see where he lived for two years! 4-Temple work for my dad. 5-Be the "perfect" mother and wife. :) It's an endless "to do".

I ENJOY..............Our little family, rain in the summer, a good book, traveling, laughing till I cry, being with friends and family, "ah-ha" moments, tears of joy, seeing old friends, hugs from my mom, when I actually get to shower before 2 in the afternoon, a clean house, bargain hunting, fresh paint, new flip flops, collapsing into bed after chasing Avery all day, seeing Sid come home from work and catching up, sleeping in, hearing my favorite song on the radio, Summer changing to Fall, Winter changing to Spring, freshly cut grass, Avery's snuggles, pedicures (I really need one right now!), chap stick/lip gloss - I will take either one, roller coasters, gardening (not good at it though, I KILL everything I touch), and really anything that involves spending time with Sid and Avery.

I enjoy-my baby! Isn't she adorable??? (October 2007)

THREE BAD HABITS

1- Diet Coke 2- Diet Coke 3- Diet Coke
I have been doing to good at cutting back! I am allowing myself one a week...but it's been rough!
I guess drinking Diet Coke is more like an addiction than a habit, so here are my "real" bad habits:

1-Low self esteem. I don't know if that's a habit or not. But I am working on accepting compliments more and thinking higher of myself. Being a mom now, it's been easy for me to think of all the things I do wrong... I know it drives Sid crazy. 2-'Losing' my shoes. So, this is a big debate in our house. I have a TERRIBLE habit of taking my shoes off in different parts of the house and then forgetting about them. Especially on Sunday after church. I usually go to our room to change and kick off my dress shoes, hurry and change and then take care of Avery and get her all settled. Usually she is tired and needs a nap when we get home, so shes cranky and I just want to hurry and get her situated...so I forget...then I remember at 7am the next morning when I hear Sid muttering under his breath when he steps on the heal of one as he stumbles to the shower...again, it drives Sid nuts-o. 3-Losing my Keys. Ok. So, this one even annoys the crap out of me! I know it's a problem, but I just can't fix it! It's gotten worse now that Avery has come along. I am so scatterbrained now! **I just thought of another one - sticking my debit card in my back pocket and then forgetting about it. Typically when I get gas, cause it's easier to just grab it and go...Sid especially hates that one!
I am seeing a pattern here...

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME
This was a tough one, because how do I know what you may or may not know?? Sid helped me on this one. I will omit the ones that I didn't think were all that true :) So here is Sid's list of 5 things you may not know about me:
1-I was a madrigal. Yes. I know. It's lame, but I loved it and even made it to All State Choir my Senior year in HS and sang in the old Tabernacle with all the schools in Utah. 2-I have never been in primary. Since I am a convert I never got the chance to be in Primary. I don't know any of the songs...we'll I know a couple, but not many, and am TERRIFIED that I may get a calling to be in primary someday - cause I don't really know how it all works. 3-I am a HUGE bookworm. I always have a book that I am reading. It doesn't matter what it is. I can read anything. But I am always reading something, and have this thing about finishing a book. Even if it's terrible, I have to finish it to the end! 4-Sid says I have a temper - but I like to think I am just passionate :) 5-I used to work for a Mortuary and I really enjoyed it. I felt like I really made a difference a lot of the time for people when they really needed it, and it was a rewarding feeling. The people I worked with there were also some of the most kind.

FIVE JOBS I HAVE HAD
1-Top Spot...cashier. 2-Sport Chalet-shoe department 3-Claremont Juice Co-I like sharing this one, cause I only worked there for one day. It was CRAZY! I couldn't deal with the health freaks demanding their wheat grass and organic carrot smoothies and I quit! 4-SCI- I worked for SCI in CA and then later transferred to UT. I started by just filing part time in the evenings while I went to school, then later worked the Deeds desk, A/P, and lastly Markers. 5-American Red Cross. Both Disaster Services as the State Volunteer Coordinator and Blood Services as an Accounting Specialist.

I now tag - Anyone who hasn't been tagged yet!! I know this has made it's rounds so - if you haven't been tagged yet - you are now it!

Friday night at the Senior Center

2008-04-26T23:26:00.001-07:00

Last week, while Sid was paying his weekly visit to his local guitar shop, a man stopped him and complemented him on his music. They started talking and before you know it the guy was inviting Sid to play in his band!
They call themselves "exit 99" and play mostly classic rock. They happened to be playing at the Senior Center for a fundraiser to help the local homeless Friday night and invited us to come check them out.
I think out of all of us Avery had the best time! She made friends quickly and filled her dance card just as fast.

Guitar building and the Spoken Word - An entry from Sid

2008-04-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

What a pleasant weekend! We were able to listen to every conference talk as we worked dilligently on our Axes. It is cool that we got to all take a part in the production of each of our Guitars. We ditched our first attempt at making necks and employed another technique that also called for a couple of jigs which we built. Our necks are built of European Beech that came from Germany. To my knowledge we are the first to use this type of wood on necks but so far it is working out really good. We also made our own design which is our take on the classic Gibson Les Paul style. Bradly whittedly called it " The more Ira" which is a word play on our Grandpa's name Paul Ira Nixon. Get it instead of Les Paul ... More Ira? Well done Bradley! We will probably shorten it to the MI model but still geniuse. We made all of our templates for this design and even cut out a couple of bodies. Brad's is a Jatoba or Brazillian Cherry face and Tony's is Figured Walnut. Still to come is Todd's which is the most peculiar piece of Rustic Cherry I have ever seen and mine which I am experimenting with an Arglye design of Jatoba and Anegre. All of our backs are Sapelle which is an African wood a lot like Mahogany and smells real nice when cut. The Anegre smelt horrible though! Much thanks goes to Dad (Steve) for his expert advise and willingness to let us destroy his shop and tools (sorry about the sander!). And also getting in his way on other projects like Denises China hutch (I swear it is square don't worry!) We apreciate all your help too!
It really was a great weekend. It is really cool that we all enjoy doing something together that we were brought up with. We look forward to our next shop weekend and hope that Todd will be able to join us this time.

I'm a loser.

2008-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, that sounds harsh - but it's true. I entered my work (explosion box) into the Close to My Heart 2008 Winter contest and didn't win.

Although I didn't win, I was still really happy with my work, and this project is super easy and one that you can complete in just a few hours. My theme was "Like Daddy Like Daughter" because as everyone knows, Avery looks just like her dad - and she's pretty goofy like him too. Every page has a picture on one side and journaling on the other side with a total of 8 pictures. Let me know if you'd like directions!

Oh well, better luck next time I guess. Check out who did win here.

My newest addiction

2008-04-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

In the past month or so I have become "reacquainted" with my sewing machine. Well, perhaps reacquainted isn't the right word to use since I have NEVER been able to do anything on my sewing machine, which leads to me getting discouraged and putting it away. I don't know why - but, lately I have had this desire to use it as much as I can! And have had the diligence to stick a project through to the end.
I found a site that I LOVE and find myself checking frequently for ideas and found this super cute pattern for baby shoes. The first pair didn't turn out quite as I imagined, but the second time around, I think I got it...I am still building a relationship with my machine, so, this is a HUGE success for me!
I have also made some burp cloths, a rag quilt and am currently working on the sock/glove animals! Seriously, check out this blogger (Homemade By Jill) - she is amazing!

There are a couple people that need to start having babies so that I can try out her diaper cake! I won't mention any names - but Avery really does need some cousins :)

Good Friends

2008-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Becca and I met when I was about 13 - I think. She and I lived on the same street in Cedar City. We had so much fun! I remember her family was always running in different directions and always having fun. I specifically remember the countless hours of 'speed' Becca and I would play on my porch in the summer...usually till it was dark outside! And in the summer her mom would make homemade Root Beer! We became close friends, and then she moved back to California when we were Sophmores. She was one of the most kind people to me as a new convert and I was devistated when she moved away. We kept in touch with mail and email, but have really only gotten to see each other a few times since we have both moved all over the place in the past 10+ years. Yet, regardless of where we are and how long it's been since we saw each other last, we always seem to pick right up where we left off.

She and James are currently living in Pocatello, but James is hopeful for work in Utah. (Some of Becca's family and James' family live here) They came to Utah for some time with family over Easter and for some job hunting. While she was here - although they were SWAMPED with other obligations, they still made time to come see our house and spend some time with us. I hadn't met Kaitlyn yet and she just turned two!

We had a great time. We took the girls to the lake to feed the ducks and then went to lunch. It was so great to see her - and to see her pregnant. She is due in June and they are having a boy and naming him Dylan. Congrats Becca and James! We love you!!!

Avery and Kaitlyn playing

The boys and their girls contemplating how they could lure the ducks onto land. (it didn't happen :))

Happy Easter!

2008-03-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Averys first Easter!

My mom, brothers and Den's girlfriend came and stayed with us. Avery got all kinds of stuff from the Easter bunny and the "Grand Easter Bunnies". She got easter dresses from both my mom and Naomi. One was too little one too big! (I will post pictures of her in the other dress when she fits a little better!) She loved all the toys and especially all the attention.

Sid's family decided to come up too - they spent most of their time with Denise and Todd, but we did get to see them on Friday night. Enough time for Avery to go swimming with Sid, Tony and Brad.

By Sunday - somehow we still hadn't dyed eggs. So we broke out the dye and got to work. Avery ended up getting a little crazy with the blue dye. She was on Denny's lap and pulled the cup right on to her lap. It went through her jammies and even dyed her leg.

What a party girl!

one of THOSE days

2008-03-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you are so tired you can just fall on your face and sleep for hours and hours? Avery sure did last week.

Since she has been mastering the crawling and cruising around furniture, she just seems to wear her self to exhaustion. Not to mention that we have been extremly busy and running here and there...either painting, or fixing a broken water heater, or to and from Guitar Lessons...it seems like it's non-stop for us.

Sid put her down for a nap and she ususally fusses alittle before she passes out, but not this day!! She rolled right onto her face and was fast asleep and stayed there in that same exact spot for her entire nap!

My question is - wheres the other sock??

Saturday in the City

2008-03-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

We ran into Penelope the Pig and Avery couldn't take her eyes off her - as you can see.

Saturday morning we drove into the City for the "Starving Artist" sale downtown. We bought some BEAUTIFUL paintings, went to lunch at Carlucci's Bakery and walked a little downtown. How it's changed! It's amazing to me that I used to live at the Gateway and to see all that has been added on to it and all the new shops. I am glad I don't live there anymore - I'd be broke!

When we bought the painting, we had no idea what it would have sparked in us. We came home and saw the canvas in our livingroom and it inspired us to paint! Needless to say, we still have some finishing touches to take care of - but once it's complete I will post some pictures.

Getting older....

2008-03-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

For Sid's birthday this year, I thought a night at the shooting range was just what he needed. I hadn't been before, but he has been a few times with Cameron and Todd. He is always ranting and raving about how "cool" it is, so we tried it out. I was actually surprised at how it was quite fun. But, I am not sure if it's the shooting that I enjoyed, or the fact that I got a higher score than he did.

Happy Birthday Sid!!

Bad Mom

2008-03-07T10:11:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I felt like the worst mother in the world.

I put Avery on our bed as I always do for her afternoon nap, and turned the monitor on. Then I went about my business. She will usually nap for about an hour or so then start to jabber and talk to let me know she's awake. By the time I get to her, she's usually sitting upright smiling and as happy as can be, rested and ready to play.

Yesterday was different. About 20 min after I lay her down I heard a loud THUD from upstairs and then her screaming on the top of her lungs. I ran upstairs and she had nose dived right off the side of our bed! Luckily she was OK other than the rug burn on the tip of her nose! Poor baby! As soon as I scooped her up, she stopped crying, but then I felt like I could cry.

10 months and two teeth later

2008-03-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Whew. 10 months. I never really understood when people would tell me to cherish Avery because it's all going to fly by until yesterday, when she hit 10 months old.
TEN MONTHS?!
Where have I been? It is amazing how she has changed not only our lives but so many others --and she's only getting started.

www.stansburyparkguitar.com

2008-03-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's official! We have our very own website. The father of one of Sid's students whipped this up for us. As you can see, it's still a work in progress, but hopefully this will get the word out about what Sid is doing in Stansbury Park...go ahead - take a look and let us know what you think!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2008-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, this Valentines Day was a first for us with little Avery...and it was one of the better ones. Since Sid and I don't really have any babysitters near by to sit on the big day, we thought we would just stay in and have a quiet night together...just the THREE of us. Actually, we kind of feel that going out on Valentines Day is a little overrated anyways - and who wants to deal with all the crowds. (One year we waited 2 HOURS for Red Lobster and since then we are a little hesitant of making plans on or near the holiday)
I woke up and as I walked past the computer room saw this:

waiting for me! What a great suprise!! Sid's still got it :) He left for me: flowers, purfume and cards. And for Avery: a card, balloon and stuffed animal that sings and flutters it's wings. He is so sweet. Every year he does something different and suprises me. And for some reason, I don't see it coming...

Anyhow. I made dinner and we ate (with Avery) by candelight. Which I might add she LOVED! Then watched Lost and went to bed early. (Sid had Strep throat earlier on in the week)

Sounds simple, but it really was one of the better ones.

RSV

2008-02-13T17:21:00.001-08:00

Friday (2/1) Avery woke up with a pretty thick cough in the middle of the night, but went right back to sleep. The next morning, she did the same. No runny nose, fever no signs whatsoever of illness. I heard that when babies are cutting teeth, they can sometimes develop a cough, and thought that's what it was. Then Saturday morning, I noticed that she was coughing more frequently and it scared both me and Sid. Luckily our Doctors office accepts walkins on Sat and Sun. We took her in and she giggled with the nurse...played with the paper on the bed...flirted with everyone she came in contact with. The Nurse thought that perhaps it was just a cold. I asked about RSV, since I have seen a lot of news about it on TV and how it's been really bad this year. She said that we could test her if we felt like she needed it, but that typically the symptoms are more that just a cough. She asked us to be patient because the test will take 15 min to show if it is positive or negative. (They just swab the nose).

Approx 2 min passed when she came back in to tell us that Little Avery tested positive. We were so scared. RSV is pretty serious in Utah and lots of children have been hospitalized for it.

So, we were told to take her home, watch her closely and that most likely it would get worse in the next 24 hours, and that we were to bring her back on Sunday.

I called my mom and she came up right away.

Sunday we took her in and she was much worse. The Doctor told us that we needed to get a nebulizer and to give her breathing treatments around the clock every 4-6 hours.

It's been a long couple weeks! We didn't go anywhere, see anyone, and just locked ourselves in for the week to make sure she healed. And I think it worked. She is back to normal for the most part and her cough is still there, but not as bad as before.

THANK YOU to all of your thoughts and prayers as we dealt with this...

My baby is growing up...

2008-02-13T17:00:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how fast time is going by us! It seems like just yesterday we found out that we were expecting and then making all the neccesary preperations for baby...now she is like a little kid! It's amazing how fast she is growing and how fast she is learning.

Some of the few things she's picked up:

1. Clap her hands

2. Wave bye-bye

3. High five (sort of)

4. Eskimo kisses (if she's in the mood)

5. CRAWL

6. Dance

Here are some of the latest pictues of Miss Avery at 9 months:

Wearing mommy's reading glasses

Like father like daughter...in her cap.

LOOK OUT! It's official! She's mobile!

Falling asleep in her highchair.

Just being her cutie self.

Blvd of Broken Dreams

2008-02-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sid has made some pretty good friends teaching guitar. One in particular is Tyler. Tyler is 11yrs old and LOVES Sid. It's neat because I can see that they have this special bond that they share because of their love for the guitar and making music.
For Tyler's b-day in January, his mom, Kareen, bought some recording time for him in a real studio! (Sid's dream) She invited Sid to attend and he loved it! They had a lot of fun.
From what I understand they recorded "Blvd of Broken Dreams" by Green Day. Sam is Tyler's 'brother from another mother' on the drums.

Needless to say, it was a great gift for them both.

Thanks Kareen!!

Tyler's Rockin' Birthday

2008-02-13T15:21:00.001-08:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This ones for you Aunt Penni!

2008-01-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

When Sid and I found out that we were expecting, only a few people knew at first. Well, before we even told our families and our parents, we told Penni and Steve.
Penni was so excited!! And as you may or may not know, Penni is the QUEEN of shopping! (Which is not hard to tell - I mean just look at her - you never see in the same outfit twice!) And by the time I was 2 months prego - she had gotten me a few things. Including this Hat. Steve thought it was the most silly thing to give a girl a blue hat. Which in turn started a discussion of the differences of Teal vs. Blue...

Long story short, I think it suits her just fine. And this is one of my favorite things she has...

We miss you Penni and Steve!!

The Duck Toybox

2007-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Sid and I knew that Avery - being the only grandchild on both sides of the family - would get spoiled this year, so we only bought her a few small things that we felt she could use. One thing we got her was a new bathtub that is an inflatable rubber ducky. It even Quacks! It's the cutest thing.
As we blew it up she was very curious. Trying to take it from me and pressing the beak to make it quack.
We got it all ready, took it in the tub, filled it with water...all the time she clapped her hands and squealed. Then, we plopped her in it and watched her have a complete melt down! It was really sad! She screamed and screamed. We double checked the water thinking somehow it was too hot, not that, we looked to see if there was something pinching her, not that either. All the while she screamed and screamed. Sid took her out of the bathroom to stop her from crying and I was baffled...Once we settled her down we walked her back in to the bathroom and as soon as she saw the duck she SCREAMED out. She was scared of it!
We put it in the laundry room and let it be.
The next week was rough. She would not get in the bath (her normal tub that she is growing out of). And usually she loves the bath time. Then we started to notice that anytime we would walk past the laundry room to her to her room, she was crank her neck to see the duck and start to squirm more and more the closer we got to the room.
So, one afternoon, I took the duck out and put it on the living room floor and sat her down in front of it. We sat there for 10 minutes before she reached out and squeezed the beak making it Quack! Then the duck was her new found best friend. She climbed in and out of him, chewed on him, played with him all afternoon, and the next afternoon too.
We still haven't been able to get her to take a bath in it, but we decided it holds her toys well and that's it's purpose for now.

Averys First Christmas

2007-12-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

This is by far one of my favorite pictures of Avery. She just looks so sweet! We used this as our christmas card this year...I can't tell you how many pictures I took before I got this one - it was a lot of work...but worth it!
See what I mean?
She did so good Christmas morning. I was a little afraid of how she would do, but she just jumped right in!
She picked up on the concept right away of opening presents...although, she wanted to eat the paper more than get to the gift inside. She is wearing a beanie that her uncle Brad made for her. She has one from uncle Tony too (he even made her monkey Mallory one to match)
"Oh Oh Oh" Merry Christmas!

"Aunt" Beth

2007-11-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, Beth was in town visiting some friends in Evanston and we arranged it so that she could come to SaltLake and spend the day with Avery and I.

It was great! We went to lunch, shopping and even for a walk around Stansbury Lake...

We miss you "Aunt" Beth!!

Chick-Or-Treat

2007-10-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sid and I debated on rather we should get Avery a costume or not this Halloween - seeing how she is only 6 months old!

Needless to say - I am so glad that we decided to dress her up...although, by the look on her face in some of these pics I am not so sure she is!

The Devil's Butt Crack

2007-10-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Since we couldn't have snow for Miss Lauren, we decided to head south to sunny St. George. It was a beautiful day! We hiked what Sid calls the devils butt crack (tasteful, I know) and took some pretty cool pictures. It has been years since I hiked this and I was pretty proud that I could squish through post baby...

Stace and Lauren at the trail head...behind you can see how narrow the trail is. You literally have to walk through sideways. Sid, Denny and I all got stuck a couple times.

Of course Lauren had no problems getting through!

We made it!! Me, Lauren and Cammie at the end of the trail. We had to climb up from where our feet are dangling.

Sid and Lauren posing after the hike.

Avery hung out and waited for me at the bottom.

4-Wheelin'

2007-10-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

Stacy, Lauren, Leah and my grandparents came to Cedar to visit my mom. So Sid, Avery and I went to see them too. It was a lot of fun. Lauren really wanted to see the snow - but it was too warm and all the snow that Cedar had gotten had allready melted. So, we had to think quick! Sid borrowed a 4-wheeler from his family and we took her on a short, but very fun ride. She LOVED it! She was screaming "woo-hoo" the whole time. Denny and I were on another 4-wheeler next to her to get some good action shots.
The best part is that Sid was sure to go slow for her, and she kept yelling "faster!!" Despite the sounds of the 4-wheelers, Den and I could hear her loud and clear.
I loved that she demanded to wear her sun glasses the whole time too. A girly girl through and through.

Sid, Lauren and Leah giving the 'rocker' sign.

Check out Sid's hair...and Lauren wanted to go faster! (Check out her snow boots)

Lauren smiling for the camera. They had just gone up and over the mound to the left of them. Den and I were too far behind to get shots of that one.

Another action shot. This is just behind my mom's house.

Campfire fix

2007-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Sid Avery and I went to Cedar to hang out with the boys while my mom went to have some much needed fun in Vegas with her girfriends. We planned on camping, but it poured down rain and was really cold. We were all bored and wishing we could have been camping, so when the rain stopped on Saturday night, we made the most of it and got our campfire fix by making Hobo dinners in my moms fire pit in the back yard.
Denny got the fire started and we were sure to keep Sid away (he is NOT a fire starter!) I was proud of the boys - they did all the work - from the shopping to cooking and even clean up! All the while Avery and I hung out in the warm house.
We even had smores! It was great.

Denny and Sid fishing out tin foil dinners from the fire pit.

Cammie and Sadie.

Den and Cam

So Happy

2007-10-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

Proof that Avery can be happy in the car!

Die Hard Scrappers!

2007-09-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, despite the down pour - We attended the scrapbook expo in Sandy. It was so cold and rainy out side ,but we were having fun shopping all the vendors and getting some good deals. Avery did really well all day and I think she had fun.
We may have a future scrapper on our hands!

We asked somone to take our picture for us, and did what we could to get Avery looking at the camera...She had another idea...

Top: Naomi (Sid's mom) holding Avery, me, bottom left: Denise and Annie on the right (both Sid's sisters).

We were about ready to leave at this point. We were there ALL DAY. Our feet hurt and we were tired...but it was worth it.
Avery FINALLY looks at the camera :)

Who knew toes could be so fun?

2007-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, Avery's new trick is to grab her toes and try to get them to her mouth. She LOVES it! You can tell she is so proud of herself. She has been perfecting her technique and is now a lot closer to her goal...

Home Sweet Home...at last

2007-09-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

So, we finally found a house and closed just a few weeks ago. The movers delivered all our stuff from Boise last week, and now we have the challenge of unpacking...not the most exciting thing to do, but it is a great feeling to have our things back.

We are so happy to be in a home that doesn't REQUIRE anything! We almost don't know what to do with ourselves. Seems like the past two years, we have been in remodel mode and now we can just have fun and make this house ours! Don't get me wrong, there are things that need to be done, but it's been a long time since we have had a fully functioning bathroom - and it feels good :)

We were able to get a few zucchini's and some cantaloupe out of the garden and there is a cherry tomato plant near the porch.

As hard as it is to leave our good friends we have made in Boise, I think we will really like Stansbury Park...We allready feel like we are home.

FIRE!!!

2007-08-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ever been woken up in the middle of the night to the screeching of a fire alarm? Annoying isn't it...well, once you discover that it's not due to the house burning down that is.
This week's lesson in life is: smoke detectors have a shelf life of 5 years. And apparently Denise and Todd's smoke detectors are 5 years old.

Here's what happened - We were all asleep one night when we woke up to the fire alarm going off. Once we all got up and determined everything was OK, we thought that it could have been triggered by the wild fires that were burning near Grantsville and went back to bed. About an hour or so later, we were awoken again from the fire alarm...this happened a couple more times through the night.

The next day Denise went and bought all new batteries, because someone told her that if the batteries are dying that it might go off and not chirp like it typically does. So, she changed all the batteries and it was hours before we heard anything...then as it got later and closer to us going to bed, they sounded again!

So, we decided to take them all down (because once the "bad" one went off they were triggering each other off) line them up and wait. Sure enough! We were able to find the culprit of our lost sleep and get some rest.

Might seem silly to write about - but we all found it pretty humorous at the time - or maybe it was the lack of sleep?

The Great "Smelly" Salt Lake

2007-08-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

I had never "been" to the actual Salt Lake, so we decided to take a detour on the way home one day and pulled off at the Great Salt Lake State Marina.

As much as it's neat that we have this huge body of water so close to us - it was really stinky and there were a lot of bugs.

I liked the sail boats in the marina though.

Dinner in the Mountains

2007-08-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Dispite the look on her face - Avery really did have fun!

Avery and her "Favorite Aunt" Denise (Aren't her shoes too cute?!)

Me, Sid and Avery - It was so beautiful and the weather was really nice. The picnic area that we claimed had a little stream and bridge leading to the main road. It was so quiet and peaceful, and dinner was great!

Todd and Sid collecting fuel for their fire. (Bella in the background)

California or Bust!

2007-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Avery took her first trip to California when she was only 3 months old! She was pretty fussy most of the time. Poor baby.
The Boys did really well with her and tried as much as they could to make her happy. Here are a few pics from our beach trip.

Left:Denny and Cameron at Balboa with Avery.

Bottom: We were bored the first night we got to the beach - so we got a little crazy with the plastic cereal bowls...Poor Avery

We Decided to take the Ferry Boat over to Balboa Island to shop...Avery slept most of the time.

Avery and I on the sand...

Family in CA

2007-08-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

I got to visit with all the family while we were in Cali. And got to meet Leah (Stacy's youngest) and Isabella (Anthony's first).