the atkinson family.

17 months.

2012-01-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

for the past few months this child has been trying to break into nursery at church.

today was her lucky day.

they told her she could sneak in a month early.

she went in pretty good.

[i think i struggled more than she did.]

are those pigtails not the cutest thing EVER?

she even got to make a cute necklace.

and i hear she had some yummy snacks.

we are so lucky to have such a great ward!

last week ellie turned 17 months..

she is just growin' up!

this month she...

-learned to love the potty.
[she sits on it forever. and ever.]
[then gets off and pees in her tent. ha ha] [ps. this was her idea not mine.]
-loves to ride her trike to the mailbox.
-yells at our dog rubie to "sit!!"
-jumps on the bed.
-starts the dishwasher.
-gets the milk out of the fridge.
-and she loves to play with her friends.

she sure is a pleasure.

ha ha

TA-DA!!

2012-01-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

i know you've all been waiting to finally

see this bad boy....

the dream SALON!

that just so happens to be in my basement. :)

it is so beautiful.

my dad built it.

and darren did the painting and the flooring.

these pictures do not really show of the paint. it is cute.
come check it out for yourself!

i am officially open for business!

haircuts....13.
kids haircuts....10.
neck trim/bang trim....5.
all over color....starting at 35.
highlights....starting at 45.
brow wax....10.
lip wax...5.

on another note...
look how cute the rest of the basement turned out!

darrens man cave!

home to all his fishing supplies, & our gym equipment!

it is wonderful to have it all finished.
huge thank you to my cute dad & darling husband for doing such good work!
& to everyone that kept coming to me to do their hair even though we had to work in a construction zone!

2012-01-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

tuesday ellie got to spend the day with one of her favorite people...

Kennedy!

it was a pleasure having kennedy around,

she was wonderful entertainment for ellie!

kennedy kept saying she was going to potty train ellie.

[it didn't work. we should have her come back for lesson 2]

they were so good,

that darren said he would take us to

chuck e. cheese

to celebrate!

this was ellie's favorite game, it barked, and she thought it was pretty neat!

kennedy's favorite was skee ball. she was very good!

later Chuck E. Cheese himself hosted a dance party and kennedy thought it was the best.

she kept saying "i shake my booooty."

ha. who taught her that...? kristin?

our lunch date really did the trick,

both kiddos were exhausted!

stay tuned for a very exciting post..

christmas.

2011-12-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

christmas eve

this year was our year to spend christmas

eve with the atkinson crew.

we all met at jolynn's house to eat

& open gifts.

when we were finished with dinner,

we had a surprise visitor stop in.

SANTA!

little ellie wasn't too fond of the claus.

st. nick told us that grandpa atkinson asked him if he could make a special stop to our party.

we thought it was pretty cool that grandpa and santa were buds.

later we got to open our gifts.

it was madness.

tis' the season.

christmas morning

ellie must have been on the good list this year,

because she got everything she asked for..

and then some!

it was so magical to watch her get so excited about everything she got.

it took us a while to get her out of the car.

she would unwrap a present then say "open it?"

it was so cute.

she was a spoiled little girl.
[darren and i were spoiled big people too]

after we opened gifts, we went with my parents to their sacrament meeting. it was nice, especially because we had grandma and grandpa there to entertain miss ellie.

the rest of our day was wonderful too.

[too wonderful for pictures apparently, because i didn't take anymore. bad mom award?]

we went to my aunt's house for her yummy christmas breakfast, then we got to go to megan's house and see if santa stopped there. he did. then we went back to my parents house. santa stopped there too!

later than night we went to my grandma shurtliff's and then to my grandma connie's for some delicious dinner.

it was such a good day.

[i forgot to mention that ellie was sick for the festivities. and she still had a ball!]

happy new year!

lights.

2011-12-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

last weekend our family ventured out to

the ogden city christmas lights

with my parents, megan & garret.

we started the night with some lee's mongolian.

[which is divine. if you haven't had it, i suggest you do.]

then we made our way to the park.

ellie loves christmas lights.

the whole evening was full of her

"wowing"

and we were pleasantly surprised to see ellie's

name was on santa's good list :)

please notice the length of my hair. :)

it was such a fun night!

we are happy we have such a fun family!

2011-12-12T14:02:00.002-07:00

last week my mother brought this cute dress over.

my grandma connie made it

for my mom, and aunt

when they were ellie's age.

i was so happy that it fit her.

she looked so cute and festive sunday.

thank you grandma for letting us borrow it!

it was so magical. :)

ellie is almost 16 months old.

she is such a fun little kid.

she loves to...

-dance.

-eat cookies.

-take bubble baths.

-snuggle in mom & dad's bed.

-play with any sort of animal.

-do hair.

-play with her friends.

-and talk. sometimes she just won't stop.

she is the best.

thanksgiving.

2011-11-28T12:19:00.002-07:00

happy thanksgiving!

[here are a few of our photos. i didn't even get one of darren and i. or much of anyone else besides ellie and kennedy. dumb dumb.]

we had such a good thanksgiving this year!

we were invited to dinner at grandma connie's house.

it was wonderful.

[you haven't lived until you've had a grandma connie thanksgiving!]

i cannot believe how big ellie is getting.

so big she can even put olives on her fingers!

my mother made these darlings treats!

after dinner the girls got to color,

ellie loves to color.

and loves grandma, and kennedy.

she was in heaven.

this is my favorite photo. when i was little, and went to my grandma greats house
she would get out her poker chips and we would play with them for hours.
i almost shed a tear when my grandma got out
my grandma greats poker chips for ellie to play with.
silly, but so so sweet.

these next pictures are my favorite too.

ellie and kennedy have gotten their photos taken together a few times.

and every time it is a project.

they will not sit still.

they won't smile at the same time.

and they try to escape.

and after many attempts,

we finally get one

kind of decent one. ha ha.

one of my favorite traditions on thanksgiving is getting our thanksgiving gifts from my parents.

they give us things to help make the holidays sweet.

they are so good at spoiling us.

and lastly, we finished off our thanksgiving traditions by going black friday shopping.

we didn't go at a crazy hour, we waited until 7.

i think i liked it better than ever, because everyone else was already done and in bed!

can't wait until next year!

our halloween.

2011-11-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

happy halloween!

our halloween weekend started out at our ward's trunk or treat.

i really struggled at finding ellie a costume.

but i'm so glad we finally decided on the caveman!

ellie was so grumpy at the trunk or treat.

until someone gave her a sucker.

she cheered right up.

the sim's halloween bash

sunday evening the atkinson crew gathered at the sims house

for jodi's annual halloween party.

everyone was so good at dressing up!

and all the children were adorable!

the talbots

the atkinsons

i wish i got a picture of everyones costumes,

but...

jason and charlotte brought their new little pups,

and we all got side tracked the rest of the night.

it was such a fun evening!

with lots of delicious treats

bailey the fairy princess

i had to add this. ellie is deathly afraid of our vacuum.
so i was impressed when she spent her evening with this toy!

shurtliff halloween party

every year my mother throws a wonderful halloween party!

this year was so much fun!

just half of the crew.

our favorite trick or treaters :)

i wanted to put pictures up of all her scary food.
but that would be picture overload.
these are scabs. by far the sickest thing ever.
[its just jerky]

i wish i had better pictures of everyone's costumes..

use your imagination i suppose...

we all had such a fun weekend!

st. george

2011-10-12T22:00:00.000-06:00

this last weekend my grandma connie took

our family to st. george.

we got to stay in this beautiful house.

it even had a pool & a trampoline.

after dinner the first day my grandma took us all to go see

the little mermaid

at tuachan. it was SO magical.

the next day we went on an adventure.

we wanted to go to the farmers market,

and eventually we found it.

best buds.

we also ended up at a chili cook-off.

which was a treat. i've always wanted to attend one,

it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. but i'm glad to check it off the "to-do" list.

after the cook-off we stumbled upon

"a taste of dixie" where we got to eat this curly thing...

later that day a few of us decided to take a dip in the pool.

ellie is such a fish. she would swim all day if we would let her.

that night we all went out to dinner and then everyone went to see grease at tuachan.

while darren and i got to watch ellie and kennedy.

the next day the crew went to zions.

i have never been before, and i thought it was a real treat!

most of the crew went on a small hike while me and grandma connie sat and people watched, and watched the crazy squirrels. they were not scared of us humans. one jumped onto an old mans lap, it was bizarre.

me and grandma even saw this.

thank goodness my camera has such good zoom.

i hate spiders.

after we were done at the park we stopped at a little restaurant named oscars.

it was divine. if your in the area i suggest you stop by.

you will not be disappointed.

we had such a fun trip.

we are so lucky to have such a fun grandma that spoils us.

thank you grandma, you really are the best!

13 months.

2011-10-12T21:13:00.001-06:00

ellie with our pumpkins from grandma shurtliff & uncle steven.

i can't believe how old she looks.
and how old she is.

ellie is such a fun kid.
she spends her day...

talking. she has 1 volume. l o u d.

running.

dancing. [you've got to see it. you'll die.]

getting into the cupboards. [i installed locks yesterday. you should have seen me and ellie trying to work darren's power tools.]

reading books.
growling at things.

watching mickey mouse.

&giving lots of hugs and kisses.

what a sweetheart.

chuck e. cheese.

2011-10-12T21:07:00.000-06:00

ellie and i have a fun little life.

darren does too.

but elle and i have such fun friends.

friends that like to go to lunch.

and this time, we got to go to

chuck e. cheese.

check out that pizza mustache!

we had so much fun!

ellie loved playing with ann & zanna.

and of coarse her grandma sharon.

we had so much fun!

darren was sad he missed out so

i'm sure we'll be spending some time there this winter!

the zoo.

2011-10-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

we continued to celebrate my dads birthday

by going to the zoo!

he has wanted to take ellie for a long time.

i am so glad that we finally all got to go!

ellie loves animals.

she loves to growl.

and loves to look at them.

we can't wait to go back!

dads birthday.

2011-10-12T20:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Dad!!

september 19.

my mom threw my dad quite the birthday bash.

my dad has always loved

coca-cola for as long as i can remember

so he has a coke party.

it was pretty fancy.

we had all of my dads favorite foods.

we all loved it.

especially ellie.

and kennedy.

it was such a wonderful party.

and it was great to celebrate such a wonderful dad.

and grandpa.

ellie loves him so much.

2011-10-12T20:37:00.000-06:00

last month we took ellie to the park

to feed the ducks.

we brought a few slices of bread...

we were very unprepared.

we had every bird in syracuse at our feet.

ellie loved it.

it freaked me out.

and dj was too busy searching for fish.

ha ha

i tried to teach ellie how to feed the things,

she would raise her hand to toss it,

then stick it in her mouth..

smart girl.

i suggest you all take a minute to feed the ducks..

ellie's 1st birthday party.

2011-08-22T11:55:00.002-06:00

well... it happened...

ellie is one!

i still don't believe it.

little ellie had the best birthday party ever!

we had a little carnival for her at our house.

my mother made ellie that cute balloon arch. ellie is still "ooohing and ahhing" over it.
:)

we had the best treats ever. i wish it could be her birthday every single day.
candy. hot dogs. nachos. cotton candy. popcorn. candy. candy. candy.

the carnival festivities

we had a duck pond. ellie just wanted to swim with the ducks.

we had a photo booth.

the fish game.

kids stood behind a line and tried to throw balls into jars with fish.
and they got a little fish in some soap. that i should have taken a photo of...

spill the cans game.

clothespin drop.

when we were getting ready to open gifts a tornado decided it wanted to come to the party.

so we had to hurry and move inside.

all 50 of us... yikes.

our friend kim made ellie's cake.

and my friend emily made us some delightful cupcakes.

ellie thought it was so funny. she would eat some and then let out her little chuckle.

and then we got to open her mountain of gifts.

ellie is one ~~spoiled~~ loved little girl.

this was dj's favorite. [he just doesn't know it yet.]

on sunday my mom had us over for ellie's birthday dinner.

since the wind ruined our fun party we decided we needed to put the photo booth props to good use.

happy 1st birthday little girl!

we love you so much!

and can't wait to see what this next year brings!

thank you everyone who helped out.
& everyone who came!

little sweetie.

2011-08-16T15:59:00.000-06:00

birthday countdown: 4 days.

i cannot wait for the big day.

2011-08-15T11:46:00.000-06:00

we get to take our 12 month picture on saturday.
sad sad day.

2011-08-12T16:50:00.001-06:00

she can walk!!

& she's adorable.
thank you stacia for taking such cute pictures!

more to come..

sweetest baby ever?

2011-08-09T10:24:00.001-06:00

ellie was having a rough night last night.
[that is NOT the sweet part.]
we are trying to break the habit of bringing her into our bed..

i made a little blanket bed on her bedroom floor,
we snuggled,
& i tickled her arm.
her eyes were getting so sleepy.
so i pretended i was asleep,
hoping that she was follow the example.

she didn't.

but she did tickle my arm.
then tucked me in.
& she also tried to stick her binky in my mouth.
[that would be the sweet part..]

then when she was sure i was fast asleep...
she crawled as fast as she could to our bed!
and cried "da-daaa" until she got to come up.

i think i stayed in her room chuckling for a good 5 minutes.

how did she get so smart?

swimmin.

2011-08-03T10:18:00.000-06:00

a few weeks ago ellie had her bff kennedy

come over for a dip in

her new swimmin pool.

they both were little fishes.

i love when these 2 gals get together.

they are going to be

trouble.

last week we got to go swim at grandma great's pool!

we were having too much fun swimming to take photos.

but i did manage to snag this picture of

ellie's cool new do....

yay!!

and off the subject of swimming,

darren has been playing softball all summer long.

it is so fun to watch.

i'm sad the season is over...

kind of.

happy summer!

11 months.

2011-07-20T11:19:00.002-06:00

11 months.

holy smokes.

she gets nervous when i take these pictures because she thinks it's nap time.

curse that dang nap time.

how crazy that this little lady has been around 11 whole months.

i think it's even crazier to think that in 1 month we will have a one year old.

yikes.

ellie's favorite things to do this month are:

-crawl up and down the stairs.

-take her first steps. [sad]

-swim with kennedy.

-use her spoon by herself.

-give hugs & say 'aaah'

-she also learned to quack with Elmo

& to say 'whaaat?'

-she even graduated to a big girl car seat.

sad sad day.

she is wonderful.

*friends and family be sure to mark your calendar..

august 20.

ellies birthday extravaganza.
i promise you won't want to miss it.

2011-07-11T10:02:00.002-06:00

look what i found....

are they not thee cutest brothers?

Darren & Ryan went on a little fishing trip a few weeks ago.

and caught these monsters.

this could be my favorite photo ever. i asked darren what the outcome was..
he said it wasn't good.
yikes.

2011-07-11T09:55:00.002-06:00

i wasn't going to blog about something so personal.

but darren asked me to, so we can have this in our family book.

so.. here it goes.

July 6th was a rollercoaster of emotions for us Atkinsons.

That was the day that we laid our sweet

dad/father in law to rest.

We had the funeral services in West Point.

Darren, Amy & Jason got to speak.

They all did so good.

Jodi sang DeMont's favorite song

"How Great Thou Art"

[She was amazing, for all you that don't know she has the most beautiful voice]

Later that day we traveled to Francis.

When we got there 2 Marines were standing at his graveside.

It was so neat. I have never been to a funeral with military honors.

It was very special. & i will never forget it.

Gun Salute by the Vets

After the ceremony all the Grandkids got red, white and blue flowers to put on Grandpas casket. They all love Grandpa so much. It was the sweetest thing.

I am so grateful that this great man got to be apart of my life, and that I am apart of his family. It was such a good day to celebrate his life, his military service, service in the church & service in his family. We were lucky enough to be surrounded by both our families, it is a day we will never forget.

After the luncheon we went to the Atkinson Property. DeMont spent lots of hours here working on a lake, and he hoped to someday build a summer home. During the summer you could find him almost every weekend puttin around on his tractor, spittin sunflower seeds, & trying to keep those pesky deer away from his freshly planted trees.

Some of the family gathered here and spit a few seeds, and talked about funny things that happened here.

It will always be a special place to come.

when we were driving home i said to darren

"now is the time to sink or swim."

we are going to swim :)

2011-07-03T16:05:00.001-06:00

Leonard "DeMont" Atkinson

January 28, 1947 - July 1, 2011

WEST POINT - Leonard DeMont Atkinson, 64, passed away peacefully surrounded by his beloved family on July 1, 2011, after a long battle with cancer.

DeMont was born January 28, 1947, in Coalville, Utah, to Leonard and Doris (Prescott) Atkinson. He was raised in Francis, Utah, with three sisters; Hazel (Wade) Curry, Linda (Ted) Muir and Myra (Jaren) Housel, and one brother; LaVell (Sheila) Atkinson.

He graduated from South Summit High School after which he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and was sent to the Vietnam conflict where he served with many valiant comrades and friends. DeMont was a recipient of the Purple Heart.

DeMont was married on August 30, 1968 to JoLynn Edmunds and was later solemnized in the Ogden Temple.

DeMont retired from the Utah Pipe Trades. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of which he loved dearly and had many wonderful callings.

DeMont was preceded in death by his parents; Leonard and Doris Atkinson, and a granddaughter; Brooke Amber Kelly.

He is survived by his loving wife; JoLynn, and six children; Jason (Charlotte) Atkinson, Ryan (Mindy) Atkinson, Jodi (Chad) Sims; Amy (Quinn) Talbot, Amber (Gregory) Kelly, Darren (Keri) Atkinson, and 23 beautiful grandchildren, of which he was so proud, and loved dearly.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at 11:00 a.m., at the West Point 10th Ward, 2800 West 300 North, West Point. Family and friends may call on Tuesday, July 5, 2011, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., at Myers Roy Mortuary, 5865 South 1900 West, Roy, Utah, and on Wednesday, from 9:45 -10:45 a.m., prior to services at the church. Interment in the Kamas Francis Cemetery at 2:30 p.m., where military honors will be accorded. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.myers-mortuary.com.

Darren's dad passed away early Friday morning at his home. All of our family was able to be there, and spend his last day with him. We love him so much, and already miss him terribly. He was a wonderful example to many people. He had so many lessons to teach and he taught one of the best in his final hours.

A few posts back I mentioned that DeMont told us he was "living paycheck to paycheck" [every month he beat the cancer he got more money from his pension, for his sweet wife.] When we went over Thursday, Darren asked "Why are you holding on?" [He was in lots of pain, and couldn't speak.] I leaned over to Dj and said "It's the 31st." We both knew that he was holding on to get his blondie one more pension check. Later when all the siblings were around we ask, "Dad, are you waiting to until the 1st to get another check for mom?" He then grinned and let us know that was exactly what he was doing.

How sweet is he? So selfless, and so loving, even though he was is so much pain he held on just long enough for his eternal sweetheart.

Friday was a very special day, one that I will never forget.

It was great to be surrounded by family, and share memories

& watch DeMont's stories and testimony.

While we are so sad, we know that he is having a wonderful reunion with his parents, grandbaby, and our loving Savior. DeMont was one to share his testimony any chance he got, and we are so grateful.

We love you
& Miss you

10 months

2011-06-27T12:48:00.001-06:00

ellie is

10 months!

yikes.

she refused to sit still unless she had some fruit loops.

ellie is quite the little girl.

this month she has learned to share.

[to the best of her abilities. ha ha]

she has also learned to swim!

we also got to swim at grandma great's pool,

pictures next time.

ellie is a little fish.

she surprised us all when she learned to stick her tongue out.

[i'm not sure if this was a good thing to teach her?]

but she sure is cute!

some of ellie's favorite things to do this month are:

eat.

crawl. way fast. ha ha.

stand up by herself.

brush her 6 teeth.

pet rubie.

& explore.

happy 10 month birthday little sweetie!

syracuse days

2011-06-27T12:34:00.000-06:00

last saturday darren took

ellie and i to go see the

syracuse parade!

it was so fun!

ellie loved the flag.

and cried when the sirens went by.

poor baby

her favorite part was by far the treats.

this girl loves food.

[surprising huh?]

we had nerds everywhere.

and tootsie roll sticky that covered everything.

and we got to see Ver on his tractor!

yay!

so glad darren skipped out on fishing to take us!

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000-06:00

every month the atkinson's have a

family birthday bash!

this month we decided to go

enjoy the sunshine

at west point park.

is he not the cutest boy ever? he was mighty determined to get that water!

dj took ellie down the slide.

she loved it.

then i tried to swing with her.

and she hated it.

what a weirdo.

the party ended with some yummy peanut butter bars.

they were good.

can't you tell?

happy birthday & happy summer!

thor's birthday bash

2011-06-20T20:45:00.001-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday

Mr. Thor!

thor is megan & garret's "puppy".

he turned one.

and my mother threw him a

birthday bash!

it was so fun to have the family together,

and the dogs loved it too!

rubie slept extremely well that night. :)

we had yummy hot dogs

& the dogs shared a cute doggie birthday cake!

ellie even was dressed for such an occasion!

after we ate it was time to open presents.

my parents found thor this neat pack.

[now dj thinks rubie needs one too]

he was quite spoiled for a dog.

i am so glad i have such a fun mom

that is willing to host such a funny event!

2011-06-20T20:45:00.000-06:00

Happy 1st Father's Day

Darren!

darren is the best daddy. my favorite part of the day is when he comes home to me and ellie. she gets so excited, and she can't smile big enough. they are best buds, and she loves him so much. i am so lucky to be married to such a sweet boy. we are so thankful for all that he does for us, and that he works so hard so we can have such a fun life. dj, you are the greatest!

happy fathers day to my dad! he is one of my very favorite people, he is such a good example to me and my little family. it has been so fun to see him with ellie, she loves going to grandpa and grandmas house! i am so thankful that i got him to be my dad. i love him so much and my heart is so full that i get to be his daughter. he is too good to me, and i love him so much!

and happy fathers day to darrens dad! it has been quite the year, and we are so lucky that we got to spend another fathers day with him. i am so thankful that demont raised such a wonderful son. and i am grateful that they welcomed me into their family. i love hearing all of his funny stories, darren is just like him.

i love all you fathers!

happy fathers day!

miss west point.

2011-06-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

yay for bailey!

we went to see bailey in miss west point last week.

i was nervous to take ellie.

she can barely make it through sacrament,

i thought it would be impossible for her to sit quiet for 2 hours.

but..

she loved watching all the pretty girls.

good job bailey!

we love you and think you are wonderful!

i told dj we were in trouble because ellie loved the pageant so much.

he said no.

he doesn't want us to end up on toddlers and tiaras.

cupcake.

2011-05-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

it was my mom's birthday last week.

happy birthday. :)

we went to sweet tooth fairy.

and ellie got her first cupcake.

and ate it all by herself.

kind of.

poor high chair.

after the feast things ended with a

bubble bath.

and then she tried to find more cake.

needless to say, i can't wait until her own

birthday festivities!!

9 months.

2011-05-22T16:57:00.000-06:00

little ellie is 9 MONTHS!

so old.

we went to visit the doc..

18.7 pounds. 47% :)

26 inches. 10%

she's short and fluffy. :)

this month...

we went to the park

which she h a t e d.

she got 2 gigantic teeth.

now she's got 4.

she finally got

pigtails.

and we are in the process of

switching to a sippy cup.

[too soon? yes. doctors orders? yes.]

such an adventure!

naughty.

2011-05-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

the past 2 days ellie has decided that she is going to be a naughty girl.

yesterday, i sat her in her carseat to take a little nap.

she escaped.

and climbed onto the dvd player.

later that day,

she decided to try to walk with the assistance

of her car seat.

and after that,

play with all the wii games.

she also tries so hard to reach our brick fire place.

unfortunately i was too busy rescuing her to take a photo.

heaven help us.

and after viewing this photo

i realize that we need to paint!

ha ha.

just our random happenings..

2011-05-09T17:20:00.002-06:00

ellie has a few new tricks we'd like to share..

this would be her paddy cakin.

[she can't clap quite yet, so she flaps her arms. ha.]

but, she is pretty dang good at

throwin' it in the air!

she has also been enjoying some sunny days.

the few and far between.

and finally.

the last few nights ellie has tried to escape her crib,

last night she looked like she just might break out

so we figured today was the day to lower it.

sad sad day.

now her crib looks more like a prison cell.

& now when she's in it she just stands up

bites the side, and chuckles.

at least she has a sense of humor about it all :)

8 months

2011-04-30T11:10:00.002-06:00

remember when ellie would

sit so good when i took her

picture?

times have changed...

oh well,

i guess she has better things to do!

yumm.

*this post is tardy.

she's been 8 months since april 20th.
the very day her cousin
tyler sims arrived.
yay!

2011-04-28T22:04:00.001-06:00

i CANNOT wait until the royal wedding.

seriously.

i'm not being sarcastic here.

only a few more hours...

but, i know their wedding will never be as

wonderful

as ours.

i love you mr. atkinson.

& congrats to the new prince & princess!

[how cute is that?]

easter

2011-04-24T22:35:00.002-06:00

happy easter!

doesn't she look like a little pretty?

so precious, i made her wear that all day.

we had such a fun day.

this year darren and i got to host the easter shin-dig.

we started off by having the annual egg hunt.

this year was pretty mild compared to past years.

[it was so fun to play easter bunny &

watch everyone find the goooods.]

i love this picture.

i love him.

darren helped hide the eggs,

& ended up finding like 3. ha.

ellie found an egg.

she had so much fun playing.

and watching.

and eating.

we finished by having a yummy dinner.

it was a perfect day.

funny story- i'm sure you probably won't think this is funny,

but we want to remember this. so there.

later that night we went to visit darrens parents.

we got to talking to darrens dad.

he said. "i'm living paycheck to paycheck."

we were confused.

then he explained that every month he lives

he gets more checks.

hence, "living paycheck to paycheck"

he is funny.

we're hoping he'll be around for lots more paychecks. :)

darrens adventures.

2011-04-16T13:14:00.003-06:00

the other day darren was reading our blog

and made the comment that

it had become a shrine to ellie.

[can you blame me?]

so i took dj's camera and now i will show you

all what he did this winter..

dj spent many days catching lots of fish.

he has become quite the fisherman.

he even won a contest at the sportsmens expo

for the best fly fishing cast!

woooo!

darren spends lots of his time working with the boy scouts.

they are working on a hiking merit badge,

so darren and rubie went to test a few of them out.

rubie is such a trooper for going.

heaven knows i'm not a hiker.

i owe ya one rubes.

i love you dj.

you are thee greatest.

ellie loves you too.

[ha. did you all seriously think i could make a post and not put a picture of ellie?]

happy weekend!

we are currently taking applications for sponsors

of our lives, so darren can stay home with me and ellie.

any takers?

cheeeese.

2011-04-16T12:51:00.000-06:00

this is what ellie does when she sees the camera now...
photogenic right? ha ha

ha. at least now she has some new teeth to show off.

baby taylor.

2011-04-14T18:07:00.000-06:00

i never got to announce when this little sweetie joined our family!
this is baby taylor!
ellie is thrilled to have another cousin!

& she's got 2 more on the way! :)

i've got oodles to blog about.

i just lazy.

maybe this weekend.

7 months.

2011-03-29T15:32:00.002-06:00

little ellie is 7 months now.

[well she's been 7 months for almost 2 weeks now. ha.]

she is working on giving up the army crawl,
has found her knees instead.
she also found 2 teeth,
her first cold,
her first piggy tail,
& found her sunglasses when we were taking her pictures...

she has so many tricks.

but our favorite is her laugh!
[my close second is her babble. she always says baba. & now mama.]
i know she doesn't know what she sayin.
but crap. i'll take it anyway.

happy 7 month birthday little girl!

week 1.

2011-03-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

she makes me happy.

don't mind that she has 3 wrists.

we had a very good week.

my first week as a real life stay at home mom.

it was bliss.

yummy food.

clean house.

clean laundry.

loads of new adventures.

and a new at home salon

& bathroom.

[almost.]

photos coming soon.

Life is good.

also. darren is aerating lawns next week.

if you are in need call/text him/leave a memo.

speak now or forever hold you peace.

2011-03-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

happy st. patrick's day!!

2011-02-26T20:49:00.001-07:00

how appropriate.

ps. big changes coming our way...
stay tuned.

6 whole months.

2011-02-24T17:40:00.001-07:00

happy half birthday to my little lady!!

she is getting so big & so talented. :)

she has been sitting up for a while now,

and is trying to crawl.

and her latest trick is to wave bye bye.

or hello, which ever you prefer.

we had such a fun week celebrating..

we had a half birthday party on the 20th.

she got some fun summer clothes that she picked out at carters.

seriously. my mom and i took her shopping,

and she looked like she was in heaven.

we are in trouble.

we also got to go see the doctor.

she weighs 15 pounds. 25th percentile.

and is 27 inches long. 11th percentile.

i guess she really is a little lady.

HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY SWEET ELLIE!

2011-02-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

pretty sure it should be illegal to be this cute.

happy valentines day!

summer.

2011-02-01T14:04:00.004-07:00

dear summer,

please join us.

we are ready.

in other news, this little girl is mobile!

she can roll anywhere she needs to be!!

guess we had better baby proof....

5 months.

2011-01-22T18:47:00.004-07:00

so big.

& so fun.

family photos.

2011-01-22T18:23:00.008-07:00

we had pictures done a while ago.
a long while ago.
[couldn't post them. it woulda ruined the surprise christmas morning.]

morgan patterson took my family's photo's in october.
ellie was still so little tiny.
she did a fabulous job. :)

in november darren's parents got the gang together for some sweet photos too.

we have such a beautiful family it is just insane.

we are so grateful for them.

and the time we get to spend with them.

the past week i have realized what a sweet blessing families really are. i came from the best family, married into the best family, now we have the best little family ever.

so lucky we know we can be together forever.

22.

2011-01-22T18:00:00.008-07:00

happy birthday to...

ME!

It happened.

I always thought when people said

"when you get older birthdays just feel like another day." they were lame.

i am now lame.

and here is darren & my attempt to make me not so lame...

i made a decision to have a theme for birthdays this year..

this years theme...

"these are a few of my favorite things.."

it was so much fun!

darren got me these huge pizzas..

they could have ate my ellie.

for dessert darren made these chocolate bowls..
this may have been thee best birthday dessert ever.
kennedy thought so.

i was rather spoiled again.

& it was a magical birthday!

i was so happy i got to spend it with

"a few of my favorite things. :)"

precious.
cant wait to see what this year brings...

2011-01-01T15:02:00.003-07:00

we got a new niece!

meet ellie's best friend Lily :)

precious

a very merry christmas.

2010-12-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

us atkinsons sure had a magical christmas.

it just may have been thee best christmas ever.

we started off by celebrating at grandma great's house on christmas eve.

it was great. & the food was delicious!

ellie got to play with one of her best friends kennedy.

and get loved on by everyone.

Christmas Day

ellie knew exactly what to do with her presents.
and the wrapping paper...
eat it.

she was such a good girl this year.
she was so spoiled by everyone.
*
her father must have been on santa's good list too.
because he found these under the tree....
the real present wouldn't fit.

i [keri] got loads of fun things too!
we got a camcorder. boots. games. pictures. gift cards. & thee coolest ribbon holder ever.
[my dad & mom made it for me. it is thee best invention ever. our computer room was getting taken over by ribbons for my bows. now it is just a magical little workshop. :)]
**
we were so so spoiled. if we wrote every fun thing we got you all would want to move in... so i won't.

we have been planning on giving ellie real food on christmas morning.
she loved it!
and i think that she just may be the first 4 month old to feed herself.

later that day we made our rounds to my family.
first we had breakfast at my aunt & uncles house.

then we went to my parents to see if santa visited them..
he did.
& ellie got to play with my mothers little people set.
she loves to eat the tree.

our next event was the atkinson family christmas party.
*
we had lots of fun!
all the kids were so excited that it was finally christmas...
it was insane!!
we ate dinner and then we opened presents from grandma & grandpa
& from brothers & sisters.
ellie really enjoyed the candy canes.

ellie loved to snuggle her grandpa.
we were so happy that he was feeling good enough to come watch all the christmas festivities.
miss ellie had a long first christmas.

but she already can't wait until the next one!

hope you all had a very fun day too!
&&
Happy New Year!!

4 months.

2010-12-29T10:17:00.002-07:00

visiting santa.

2010-12-17T09:27:00.005-07:00

ellie loves santa.

[her shirt says so. but i think her face says

"if i could run, i would."]

but. she loves her candy cane even more. :]

st. nick kept saying she wanted a puppy & a cap gun. he's crazy. all she wants for christmas is some rice cereal. :]

naughty.

2010-12-04T10:53:00.001-07:00

Ellie snuck down stairs to her trees this morning.

Don't worry. We caught her.

Then she gave us this look....
and we just had to let her expirence some christmas a little early!

Merry Christmas!!

xoxo- Ellie

best friends.

2010-11-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

ellie made a new friend this weekend.

ellie + tenley = bffs.

too bad she lives in arizona. booo!

we also had family pictures in the snow.
i cannot wait to get them back.

3 months.

2010-11-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 3 Month Birthday To Miss Ellie!

she has discovered lots of new tricks in the last month..

putting everything in her mouth is her favorite.

but...

flashing peace signs.

[& occasionally a middle finger]

come in a close second.

i thought the holidays were fun before.

elle is making them 10 times better.

stay tuned.

& Happy Thanksgiving!!

christmas is coming...

2010-11-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

is that not thee most magical christmas clock ever?

i'm not one to skip over thanksgiving.

but. this clock makes it very tempting.

& the most magical thing happened at the mall today.
we were walking and i spotted a bald man with a serious kris kringle beard & he was wearing a christmas tie.
i thought to myself "gee isn't it a bit early to break out the christmas ties?"
scroogie. i know.
anywho. next thing i know is he's checking out little elle and asking if she's been a good little girl.
it really was santa.

he gave her a little candy cane,
and she held on to it all day.

it really is the most wonderful time of the year!

happy birthday

2010-11-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

mr. atkinson had a birthday!

november 12.

elle couldn't wait to get the party going. :]

on sunday we had a family party.

& ellie got to taste a chip.

she said she really enjoyed it.

we had yummy sandwiches that emily dawn inspired me to make.

thank you dear.

[also, isn't it time to post another recipe?]
i hope so.

darren got spoiled by everyone.

t h a n k y o u.

kennedy loved playing with dj's new shoes.

we ended the night by watching amazing race.

everyone loves amazing race apparently.

even ellie.

happy birthday mr. atkinson.

you are thee best.

jordyn's shower,

2010-11-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

these 2 love birds are getting married this weekend.

so us girls had to celebrate!

we had a shower for jordyn last weekend.

it was so fun.

thank you martha stewart for teaching me to decorate for such a shin dig.

can't wait for the wedding festivities!

halloween.

2010-11-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

oh dear.

we are so tardy with this post.

what else is new.?

Ellie's 1st Halloween

we took little elle to her first trunk or treat.

she loved looking at all thee primary kids dressed up!

she was quite spooky herself!

the rest of her evening was filled with soup, games & one mean diaper. :)

Saturday Halloween

on saturday halloween we went to grandma sharons for her annual halloween party!
it was so fun!
& very delicious.

i wish i got pictures of everyones cute costumes.
[my mom was a hippie. my dad was himself. megan was a police officer. garret was an inmate. & darren and i were ellie's vampires. grandma, karen, colton, & jordan also dressed up as themselves. spooooky]

Sunday Halloween

we went to grandma & grandpa atkinsons house
for the atkinson birthday party/halloween bash.

we thought everyone was dressing up.
[thought being the key word.]
so we were in a panic when little ellie spit up all over her bat costume.

but we pulled it off by all dressing up as soccer players.
ah. she is so cute.
so is her father.

stay tuned for our next two weeks.
they will be very eventful.

Happy Birthday Mr. Atkinson!

on another note. i have noticed 2 things this week.

1. if ellie starts crying in public, some stranger always says, "oh she's hungry." get real. she's crying because you are quite frightful with that mug of yours. oh & she just ate.

2. when a dog sniffs someone, & other people are around the person being sniffed always says, "oh he must smell my dog." [which i believe we are all guilty at one point or another.] i don't think so. he's smelling you.

anyways. i'm just trying to change the world one dog sniff at a time.

have a good day! :)

2010-10-30T10:20:00.001-06:00

happy halloween!!

she waaaants, to driiiiink, your miiiiilk.

bahahaha.

[pretend that is an evil laugh.]

stay tuned for ellie's first halloween. :]

ellie.

2010-10-23T22:51:00.000-06:00

look what ellie found...

her personality!!

she is f u n !

she is so happy!

soooo happy!

and sometimes a little crazy.

and just looking like a real person now a days.

[don't judge my crazy face, and gross hoodie.]

she is photogenic.

but a little shy.

and sometimes has a belly ache.

[also don't judge these dramatic photos. we've been tryin to take pictures of her bows for my esty shop. coming soon. stay tuned.]

she is so brave when her momma leaves her.

[i did 2 days at the salon this week. not so sure how i felt about it. actually i know how i felt about it. big mistake. shoulda listened to my dear husband.]

and she just loves being 2 months old.

bahaha.

we'll try that photo shoot again tomorrow.

during her happy time. :)

we love miss ellie.

ps. i posted 3 times today. record.

pss. ellie is getting 3 new atkinson cousins soon.

amy is having a girl.

amber is having a girl.

& jodi is having a mystery baby for the time being. :)

10-10-10

2010-10-23T22:40:00.000-06:00

ellie's blessing was on 10/10/10

it was so great. darren is wonderful.

so is ellie.

& our family.

4 generations.

so glad aunt dianne could come from i d a h o!

ellie's great grammies.

kennedy giving ellie some lovin.

grandma sharon. & grandpa lew.

grandma atkinson. & the girls.

by the end of the day ellie was really enjoying herself.

can't you tell?

[i felt the same way kiddo.]

thanks to everyone for your help with thee event!

especially my mother who planned a delightful brunch for everyone!

ellie's arrival.

2010-10-23T18:01:00.000-06:00

i wasn't sure if i really wanted to blog about ellie's arrival.

but. last night i was thinking, i am forgetting lots about that nutty day.

so. here it is.

august 19 we went to see dr. davis. in hopes that he would have some fabulous news that ellie was just going to slip out right then and there. but it didn't happen.

i was only dilated to a one. [yes mom. i said it. dilated.]

[everyone else: don't you think that is so odd when people ask "are you dilated?" seriously.. do you even know what that means!? yikes. that's none ya business. ha ha. i guess none your business until now.]

anyways dr davis said that meant nothing really, and ellie could be joining us anytime!

and boy was he right.

we left the dr. office and a few hours later i started having contractions about every five minutes. i thought that i was crazy so i just sat on the floor and wished i was dead for a few hours, while dj took a nap. [i remember that i hated that he was sleeping and i wasn't. booo!] anyways i woke him up with my odd sounds, and filled him in on what was going on. he said lets go to the hospital crazy! and i said. hmmmm i don't think so. [i just really didn't want to get sent home. that sounded more miserable than dying on our living room floor.] finally dj said, "maybe they will give you some pain meds!?" and i jumped in the car.

it was the lonnnnngest ride of my life.

we got to the hospital at about 5 ish. [prime time visiting hours at thee hospital.] we were walking in and i was having contractions every 3 minutes. or so i thought. and all the visitors were just staring at me like i was a monster. it was fabulous.

[i think they should consider putting in a secret entry way for women in labor.]

once we made to to l&d i got hooked up to all the silly machines, [still dying. & still thinking i was getting sent home at this point.] the nurse said i was having contractions every minute, dilated to a five & i wasn't going anywhere. [i think i would have totally been okay with getting sent home after i realized there was really no turning back at that point. ha ha]

after that the ball really got rolling. i was seriously planning on delivering with no pain meds. [get real.] that idea lasted about 5 minutes into the whole deal. epidurals are heaven sent. it was the best feeling ever! [i wish i could get one everyday!]

i progressed very quickly until i relaxed once i had that miracle juice.

then they gave me a squirt of pitocin, ellie went nuts. and i dilated from an 8 to a 10 in about 30 seconds.

i pushed for 1 hour. [which went by rather quickly.]

and then...

bam.

when we were at the doc earlier that day. he said she was just a little baby.

maybe 7 pounds max.

boy, was his guess off.

little elle was 8 pounds. 1 ounce.

20 1/2 inches long.

& came at 1:13 am. august 20th.

ellie had an accident in my belly, so the nurses had to clean out her lungs.

so i didn't get to see her for a minute or two.

but darren did. so cute.

[i cried more than her.]

our parents waited almost the whole time i was in labor for little elle to arrive.

& jodi was working that night. :)

[i love this picture.]

while i was getting situated little ellie got her first bath, and it looks like she enjoyed it.

[she hates the bath now. double hates.]

i was so exhausted after the whole show. [ it was about 3 am once i got in my recovery room.]

i just wanted something to eat sooooo bad. so i had a turkey sandwich. [which i believe was also a gift from the gods!] i was so hungry. but so sleepy. i kept falling asleep when i was eating my sandwich.

[it was lovely to wake up with a sandwich in my hand though. i wish that could happen everyday too!!!]

the next day we had lots of visitors.

which i loved.

but i was SO ready to go home.

so after some arguing with the hospital..

i went home at 2 am. :)

[jodi decorated my room. :) she is the breast. ha ha]

little elle was so excited to leave that joint too!
and then...

we really were parents.
yikes.

2010-10-08T17:34:00.000-06:00

happy halloweeeeen!!

xoxo- ellie

2 years.

2010-10-05T12:38:00.000-06:00

happy anniversary..

dj has put up with me for 2 whole years.

and we have a child.

who woulda thought..

speaking of thinking..

this is ellie thinking she'd like to see some fish

on our anniversary adventure.

so dj took us to strawberry reservoir

to see the salmon spawn.

darren loved seeing the fish.

ellie thought we were nuts.

this year we stayed at the condo in midway.

[lots better than last year at the milkhouse in midway. ha ha]

we got to go to cascade springs again too!

[if you have never been there, i suggest that you do..

the people watching is better than lagoooooon.]

i made dj have another photo shoot.

whata sport.

he's loving every minute of it.
2010.

2009.

we were so happy to have our little lady to join us this year.

ellie loved all of our crazy adventures.

the rest of our weekend included-

shopping.

eating.

sleeping.

family pictures.

& lots of football.

ellie loves watching hours, & hours of football.

just like her momma.
ha ha who are we kidding.

i'll let her tell you how she really feels bout it...

happy anniversary dear.

i love you.

big girl.

2010-09-25T13:40:00.000-06:00

5 weeks.

& so big.

week 4.

2010-09-17T18:48:00.000-06:00

i really got carried away with our week 4 photo shoot.

can you blame me?

Ah! I have thee cutest child e v e r!

seriously, how can you not just love her!?

week 3.

2010-09-11T13:44:00.000-06:00

little elle had a very busy 3rd week of life.

[honestly, could she be any cuter?]

she started the week off by attending grandma great's birthday bash!

ellie loves grandma great!

happy birthday!!

the next day was the day that mr. atkinson had been telling her about since she was born..

the byu season opener.

and to answer your question, if elle is going to be a ute or a cougar...

ellie is remaining neutral until she can make a good choice.

[but, she does look rather fabulous in red :)]

she lasted about 5 minutes into the game.

then she began to snore. loudly.

precious.

so, darren gets snoring surround sound these days.

me on one side. ellie on the other.

defiantly not our faults we wound up with some deviated septums. :)

the next day we got to go to...

m i d w a y !

for ellie's first slumber party

at grandma & grandpa atkinsons new condo.

we got to go fishing at a cute park.

[this picture is precious. it appears as if dj is teaching little rhett some of his fishing skills, but in all reality, he is just wiping fish water on his shirt. what a nice uncle. :)]

but, even with fish juice on his shirt,

rhett caught this fish!

[and he feels the same way i do about fish. they are much neater in the water...

where they belong.]

elle loved her stroller, and she even got to feel what it's like to be freezing cold!

i think darren and i secretly wanted in her stroller, so we could cuddle up in her blankets!

let's clarify, ellie stayed nice and toasty.

but watched mom & dad freeze.

i think ellie's favorite part of the sleepover was all the lovin & snugglin'

she did so good at her first slumber party!
she's very excited to go again!

ellie's week also included getting babysat for the first time ever!
by grandma sharon & grandpa lew
while mom went to watch dad's softball game.

ellie loved it!!
mom on the other hand,
wasn't sure what to do with herself. :)

little sweet pea is growing like a weed,
& can't wait to see what week 4 of life is like.
-

and.

our blog really is going private.

when i get a minute. :)

2010-09-03T12:40:00.000-06:00

dear father time...

slow your roll...

2010-08-27T16:17:00.000-06:00

time flies when you're having fun...

little precious.

Going Private.

2010-08-24T02:46:00.000-06:00

our blog is going private.

motherhood has made me lose my braveness. :)

please leave your email.

the big change will happen in a week. :)

Finally...

2010-08-11T17:26:00.001-06:00

i will finally share what i've been hiding for sometime now....

Ellie has the most precious nursery E V E R.

Months ago my dad put up that cute bead board & and built that shelf.
He is so handy.
We are so grateful, it seriously is so pretty.
These pictures do no justice.
I believe his words were
anything for my grandbaby.
precious
-
And Darren was his helper
&
the painter.
I am so grateful.
& also sorry he had to listen to me nag him for so long while this project was under construction.
-
and so grateful for my mother & father who bought ellie her crib.
it is so pretty.

But, this... this is my doing. ha ha
Just kidding. kind of.
Ellie got spoiled from baby showers.
The other side of the closet looks exactly like that side.
p i n k!
&
very adorable.

& this is what dj likes to call "the baby changer station."
So cute.

Anyways.
Her room is precious.
& I'm sure she is too.
I would now just like to meet her..

anytime now sweet pea....

Hot Dog! Rubie is ONE!

2010-06-28T10:43:00.001-06:00

That is correct friends..

Rubie is ONE!

Last Saturday my mother threw Rubie a big birthday bash!

& Invited all of Rubies best friends.

Rubie & the other dogs were so so spoiled.

Rubes got her very own doggie birthday cake.

[yes folks, my mother tracked down a cake lady for dogs.]

SO Cute!!

Rubie thought that she had died and gone to doggie heaven.

Oh, yes. Us humans got fed too!
We had gigantic hot dogs
& some yummy cupcakes.
Kj really enjoyed it.

After all the treats, Rubie got to open her birthday gifts.
With a little help from Dj, & his thumbs.
She was SO spoiled. & got all of her favorite things,
chew toys, bones, balls & milkbones.

And I guess I need to start a scrapbook for her now.
She got so many funny cards.
This was one of her favorites...

Who knew there were so many things out there for dog birthdays...

Rubie loved her party hat!

But that didn't last too long.

Little Rubie had such a good birthday!

Thanks to everyone that came!

& Thanks to my sweet mother for being such a great party host!

This year Rubie had so many great accomplishments...

-learned to fly down a flight of stairs. [and only get injured once]

-learned to swim in her pool, & the Jensen Pond.

-learned to jump in the back of the truck.

-learned to eat people food.

-also learned to eat: pinic tables. patio chairs. phone lines. Internet cable. air condition cables & direct Tv lines.

We sure love our little lady :)

minute to win it.

2010-04-19T17:39:00.002-06:00

We had the 1st bbq of the season, and it was so wonderful.

i love food.

We had a bbq to get everyone to our house, because we have been dying to have a "minute to win it" game night.

We knew that food would get them here.

I really hope that you all know about minute to win it.

It is the best game show e v e r.

If you haven't watched it, please tune in asap. :)

We started off game night by playing,

stack attack.

you stack all the cups.

then take em down in one minute.

This is karen, & her "whoops".

Our next game was Johnny Applestacks.
Did you know it really is possible to stack 5 apples on top each other.?
Whoever thought this up is... awesome.

We played one that you had to blow up a balloon then
blow off the cups using the air in the balloon.
t r i c k y.

And Colton even attempted the candy elevator.

For the final round we played
tipsy.

and this was nearly impossible.

you have to make a can of soda stand on it's side.

It was probably a mistake using mountain dew.

our house was full of burps & i'm sure everyone was was wired when they got home..

darren was the only one who managed to complete this level.

i think he had all winter to practice or something.:)

Oh, we also played defying gravity.

you have to keep 3 balloons in the air for 1 minute.

but no one could do it. so..

Darren, Kristin & Megan

Were the winners!!

Yay for bbqs!

& minute to win it!

& cute kennedy!!

&& yay for....

Ellie Kae!!!

thats right folks.

our he was a she this whole time.

this is ellie at 20 weeks.

time is flying.

M E X I C O

2010-03-24T10:06:00.001-06:00

Yay for M E X I C O !

finally.

We were having too much fun to take lots of pictures.

and now i am regretting.

We started our adventure by going to the doctor the morning we left.

and our little baby was being difficult,

so he still is remaining a he, until we go back next week.

A few hours later we were in the car [boo to road trips.] & heading to Las Vegas!

The Talbot's were staying there, and invited us to stay the night at their condo.

:) it was wonderful to take a break from driving.

The next day we arrived in San Diego.
[And thank goodness for a gps. seriously. i think we would still be lost if we didn't have one.]
Day One

The first 2 days of our cruise we were at sea, we were a wee bit worried how we would be feeling, but dj and i got our sea legs quickly, and had so much fun!

We even saw some whales and dolphins off our balcony!

this is dj climbing the wall. they don't let pregnant people participate. boo!

he also made some friends and played in the dodge ball tournament, and won a medal!
Puerto Vallarta

MAZATLAN

darren said that i got to pick what we did in the first two ports, so i just wanted to explore.
well, explore and shop.
we did lots of shopping & even rode a mexican bus scary.
darren loved being back in mexico.
it was precious.

CABO

when we got to cabo, darren said he got to choose what we would be doing that day..
& he rented a fishin boat, and we went fishin!
[i really didn't think i wanted to be a fisherman, i was so so frightened.]
The boat that we got had the 2 nicest fishermen on it, but as soon as they found out darren spoke spanish, they just spoke spanish to him. and i had to sit there like a fool.
until a had a fish on my line, and then they would yell, "Cherry, you gotta fish"
ha ha.

I think this was the highlight of the trip for dj.
he was so so happy.
but then...
HE got sick.
not me.
but it all ended well. :)

We really did catch lots of fish, and they actually were large.
I am glad that we did it.
And glad we don't ever have to do it again.
At the end of our adventure the guides asked if we wanted to keep the fish, but we couldn't take them on the ship with us so we had to leave them on the fish boat.
so, i'm pretty positive we paid them 400 bones to go and catch fish for them to sell at the fish market.
sneaky.

my favorite thing we did on our trip was eat dinner!
we had such a fun table, and our waiters were so cute!
i miss them all.
[notice my fabulous sunburn. & fat face. soooo flattering.]

this is my favorite thing ever..
i had to share it with my bloggin friends.
our little bugga will be so cute in it. :)

it was such a good trip,
but everyone knows our favorite part of vacations is...
COMING HOME!!

so grateful for our sweet home. families. & puppy.
i love utah!!

1st Comes Love. Then Comes Marriage...

2010-02-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

S U R P R I S E ! ! !

Meet our sweet pea.

He'll be arriving August 22.

Yes, Only 6 short months away.

*These pictures aren't very recent.

I thought it was time to spill the beans to my bloggin' buds.

Secret is out!!

**Dr. Said he was 70 Percent sure baby is a boy. so we'll call him a him for the time being.

Megan & Garret's Wedding.

2010-01-31T15:50:00.001-07:00

Megan & Garret were married

January 22, 2010
In the Bountiful Temple.

It was such a fabulous event,

When Megan & Garret announced they were getting married in January

we all knew that January 22 would be a blizzard.

Well, it decided to only be a frigid cold day & some serious wind when we were at the temple.

[Megan is not a fan of the cute wedding capes, but she followed her better judgement (my mother) and bought one anyways.] And I hope she was grateful, because she would have frozen her little nienies off. I was hoping she would be brave and ditch the thing during pictures so i could cuddle in the fur.

Didn't happen.

And I am pretty positive I look like a lion in all her pictures

[sexy windy hair. ]

these pictures really do no justice to show how bitter it was.

I suppose that we needed a snow storm to show that.

& thank goodness that didn't happen until after the reception. :)

After the freezin day at the temple, we all went to Mimi's to get heated up.

I think that Megan & Garret should have a wedding luncheon more often.

Even though it was quite eventful

.... Kristin. :)

I would love to point out that beautiful ceiling,

And I am just loving all those D. snowflakes that I got the honor of hanging up.

[with the help of sweet Ann.]

Who I will also give a shout out too!

Ann, you are so wonderful! & I am so thankful that I got to spend the day with you, & share our thoughts. :)

I think that the best part of any party is the cake.

And I was lucky enough that the day after the wedding Megan & Garret went on their honeymoon, leaving me with a whole H of a lot of cake.

I'm also thinking they should have more weddings with more cake. ?

And Finally, it isn't a party unless Sweet Little Kj it there! :)

Ps. When I loaded all these pictures on the computer, I spotted this sweet photo of my Dj. & a Fishy.

I think he is sad that spring is on his way & he will once again have to go to work.

Shoot. ha ha

So Boring.

2010-01-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Friends.

I really have a very exciting life.. I Swear.

I just lost the cord get my pictures on this bad boy.

We have been getting ready for the wedding...

This Friday! [Thank gooooodness]

I am sick of dreaming wedding all night. I think I have worried more about Megan's wedding more than I worried about my own.

Hopefully this week will be a breeze. [HA]

But, I was TAGGED!

And you all know how i feel about being tagged! :)

-Any names your parents were thinking about that you would prefer?

They wanted to name me Andie.. I said No Thanks Mom & Dad.

-If you had to pick one outfit that you currently own to wear for the rest of your life, what would it consist of?

Jeans & Cozy Shirt.

-What do you think is going to happen to you after you die?

I'm a going to Heaven :)

-What TV show have you seen every episode of?

Biggest Loser. Ace Of Cakes. All The TLC must sees. & Secret Life. [Chaleese. It's nothing to really be ashamed of. We all watch it. No matter how nutty this season is.. :)]

-What movie can you quote every line to?

The Parent Trap.

-What bands have you seen in concert?

Rascal Flatts. Brad Paisley & Toby Keith..

-What bands would you like to see in concert?

Rascal Flatts, Journey & Kellie Pickler. :)

-If you had the money to retire anywhere in the world, where would you go?

West Point!!!!!!!! [Syracuse is just not cuttin it for me..]

-Is there a piece of jewelry or something similar that if you lost, you would feel naked?

My Wedding Ring.

-What is one thing [appearance-wise or other] you would change about yourself?

My Nose. :)

-One thing you would change about your best friend?

I wish I could see her more.

-Everyone remembers their first birthday party that involved friends.

It was at Kids Castle. The dinosaur stuck is tail in my cake. Boo!!

-If you could go back in time and change your first kiss, would you?

Yikes.

-How many times have you said “I love you” to someone of the opposite sex [romantically] and meant it?

All the time..

-How many times have you said it and not meant it?

All the time... Kidding..

-Which member of your family has the biggest influence on your life?

Darren.

-If you won a $1,000 shopping spree to one store, what store would you want it to be?

The Grocery Store!!!!

-Which is your favorite comic book movie [The Hulk, Spiderman, Ironman,etc]?

Yikes again. I guess the Hulk. Only because little Kennedy can make the cutest Hulk Face.

-What do you think this phrase means: “I am drearily bloodletting this bedwetting cosmonaut"..

I think it means I am wasting my time on this silly thing.

-If you could go back in time and relive one memory – relive it, not change it – what memory would it be?

Our Wedding. It was such a crazy day.

-How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?

Five?

-Who taught you?

My Dad. & The Neighbors Lava Rocks.. I Wasn't Makin That Mistake Twice...

-When you go to the movies, do you like to get candy or popcorn?

Both! Syracuse 6 has a great combo option! :)

-Describe the first real party you ever went to [i.e. first party with alcohol]?

So Awful. Seriously. I think my eyeballs were as big as beach balls when i walked in.

-Did/do you like high school? Why or why not?

I Did, But I would N E V E R go back.

-Do you have ONE best friend, who stands out among all the others, that’s been there for you seemingly forever?

I have more than just one!!

-Do you prefer the sound of electric, acoustic, or steel guitar?

I Really Don't Believe I Care.?

-Have you ever read the Bible – even just a little part of it?

Yes. Well Just To "Even Just a Little Part of It."

-Have you ever read the Koran?

Ha ha huh? The napping house is more my speed.

-What was the best pet you’ve ever had?

I had a hamster named Teddy. He was so precious.

-Out of all the states you’ve visited/lived in, which is your favorite?

U T A H is the Best!

-Do you enjoy jigsaw puzzles?

No Way!

-If you were allowed one murder without punishment, would you do it?

I would hope not.

-Where do you keep your wallet when you’re out and about?

Who wants to know.. You Snatcher.

-Have you ever seen a ghost?

No & I hope never to see one. Freaks me out.

-Did you have Beanie Babies as a kid?

Oh Boy, did I.

-Did you have tag protectors for their tags, or did you just rip the tags off?

We had protectors. How else could we make those big buck off of them? By the way. After spending all those dollars on them they live in a box in the basement. So dumb.

-Do you prefer stripes or polka dots?

Stripes.

-What’s the best Christmas present you ever received?

Hmm. Hard one.

-Which of your birthdays was the most memorable?

I Spent a Birthday in A power outage. I was so sad.

-Name one song you can play on an instrument – any instrument.

I can't even whistle.

-Who taught you to play that song?

No one. Maybe that is my problem.

-What’s your favorite kind of chips?

C H E E T O S!

-That you know of, do you have any famous ancestors?

Yes. So Famous.

-Did you ever beg your parents for a pony?

I wanted a horse. So i could be a rodeo queen.

-What’s the stupidest TV show on the air right now?

Little Miss Perfect. [I get SO angry That I love it So Much]

Well, That was Fun. Chaleese, Thank you for tagging me.

Sorry I was a party pooper and deleted half the questions.

& I tag... Kathryn. Alexa. Alysia & Jill.

overdue...

2009-11-30T15:00:00.001-07:00

october & november came and went.

and we don't have much to show. :)

except...

r u b i e !

she is getting so talented.

we have taught her how to do the dishes..

and how to fly?

heaven only knows how she ends up the places she does..

pure talent i guess. :)

not much happens in the life of dj & keri.

but we did get to go on a wee bit of a getaway a while ago..

the aspers were in town from arizona & invited us to go to...

wolf creek! :)

it really was a treat!

we even got to play some tennis.

[which was oddly embarrassing.]

i guess i've let my coordination go to pot in my old age.

above is megan. she was a great team mate of mine!

she even sacrificed her face once, while i'll was in la la land.

below...

how can i explain this and have you all not think that i a nutty....?

i can't.

i thought it would be clever to sit on these chairs.. because i thought "they are clear. they won't show up in the picture.."

didn't work.

[i wish i had a picture of the lady that was watching us while we took this. she obviously had no imagination. ha ha]

also, i would like to make it known,

i really don't look this awful in real life.

[i hope.]

while the boys were playing us girls were so bored.

so megan had a clever idea of getting our cameras and trying to find all the letters in our last names in our beautiful surroundings...

a t k i n s o n is kinda tricky.

you try finding some n's in nature..

[by the way that N is completely natural. i didn't pee in the snow.and/or use my finger.]

1 year...

2009-10-06T12:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary to us!

We have officially survived one year!

Darren started the day off right by having these roses delivered!

I was so impressed..

Also, he got me thee cutest green purse alive.

And he got a wii fit.

[which is really so funny, & kind of harsh.]

On our Anniversary we went to Midway & stayed at the Homestead..

I can't figure out if that was a good thing or not..

When we got there it looked like a pretty good setting for a really scary movie..

Then we got our room, which was this little thing...

the milk house.

[it was so funny, but so creepy!]

"Murder at The Milk House" just sounds like a great name for a spooky movie.

and that is all i thought, the whole time we stayed there. yikes!

You all should try it out, especially this time of year... scary!

Our weekend was very rainy and kind of snowy.. dang October.

But we did go to this really neat place called cascade springs..

and if you have never gone there i suggest you do!

& bring your camera!

i look a little rough in this picture. please excuse that.

also excuse darren's none smile.

i thought this would be such a fun place to take pictures, and so did the rest of midway. & their dogs! so pretty!!

i really wanted to pretend to be a professional here..
so i asked dj to pose.
this is what i got.

we were lucky enough to have the homestead scarecrow convention in town!
But due to the rain we didn't get to see them all.
but we did find this cool mowing guy!

it was really a fun little weekend!
but we did miss our sweet rubie...

and all of her tricks..
you just wait.

Rubie can sit.

Rubie can shake.
[and also high five]

and jump down a flight of stairs!!
hahaha
i love her.
she looks like a wolf. :)

yummy!

2009-09-25T17:18:00.000-06:00

how cute is she?

we found out kennedy loves ice cream! :)

i chuckle everytime i see this picture...