Wright Family

Happy 1 Year!

2011-08-24T18:46:00.009-06:00

The last year has gone so fast it all seems like a blur! I can't believe Ed is walking all over and climbing on top of everything. His favorite place to be is on top of the kitchen table or in the bathroom sink. Both of which he gets to all by himself. The kid is CRAZY! But we love every ounce of his craziness...

When we were in WA for Jared's family reunion we were able to stay with Scott and Marianne for a couple nights. She took some fun shots of Ed which I haven't posted or printed either. I absolutely love how these turned out...

New Pics of the kids

2011-08-24T18:18:00.009-06:00

Well kind of new. In June, Bryn did some new cute photos of the kids. I haven't taken the time to post or print them so here they are.

Lily's Lip

2011-02-10T19:58:00.006-07:00

This cute little thing was at Macy's house performing for Bryn and Kurt when she tripped and fell into the edge of their couch. She put her teeth right through her lip. When Bryn called and told me that she thought Lily would need stitches and I was sure she was right because that is Lily's luck!

Luckily it was during office hours so we didn't have to take her to the ER again and they told us that because it was on the lip it would heal quickly and where her tooth came out under her lip was small enough she wouldn't need stiches there either. Yeah for Lily, an easy trip to the doctor for once. Jared and I just have to laugh and say "We love that little girl".

Ed is EVERYWHERE

2011-02-10T19:49:00.005-07:00

Ed went from sitting up to army crawling in a matter of days. I can't keep track of him and he is into everything! I thought I would have a little more time of a baby that just sat on the floor and played with the toys that I gave him but that came and went in a flash.

Lewis' 1st Shiner

2011-02-10T19:35:00.003-07:00

Lewis was jumping on the girls bed last week, fell off and hit his cheek on the dresser and came upstairs with this... It was instantly bruised and swollen and the next morning he couldn't open his eye. He got attention everywhere we went. It is almost gone now but there is still a big bump on his cheek that is a little disturbing.

I Can't Believe She's 7

2011-02-10T15:11:00.004-07:00

7 of my favorite things about Mal

1.Great Big Sister

2. Always keeps us on our toes

3. Loves to do "Girl Stuff"

4. She is so Happy

5. Her Smile makes me smile

6. She is a great student

7. She loves to sing at the top of her lungs in the shower

**did i mention she is beautiful**

We had so much fun with her this year on her birthday. Jared and I took her out to dinner all by herself. She wanted to go to Chili's for their baby back ribs. It was so fun to spend some time with just her. I know that she doesn't get the attention that she always deserves so it was fun to be able to give her a little 2 on 1 time and she loved it!
I can't believe how fast she has grown up. I keep thinking we are in for a wild ride with this kid and it is going to be fun! She wants so bad to be good and I can tell that she is trying to make good decision. I am so proud of her.

We love you Mal!

Kiddos

2011-02-01T13:10:00.006-07:00

So I am a lot behind on the blog but I can't get any pictures, other than the above, to upload right now. Here is a cute one of the kids from Christmas.

Ed

2010-11-09T17:28:00.006-07:00

New pictures of Ed for family and friends who haven't seen his chubby cheeks in a while... He is such a good natured little (actually there is not a thing little about him) guy. I fall more in love with him each day. He has his 4 month appointment next week. I can't believe it's been 4 months already. I think time goes by faster with each kid and it's harder to stop and enjoy the moments. He smiles almost every time he is talked to, unless he is getting his picture taken, he loves to talk to anyone that will listen, loves to watch his brother and sisters and when they talk to him. He is by far the worst eater of any of my kids. You wouldn't guess it by the size of him but trying to get him to just take a bottle seems like an impossible task.

I love these two pictures of him. He has a very serious look sometimes, its seems to me that he is deep in thought a lot.

Love this happy guy more than words can express!

He is already wearing a size 2 shoe; seems a little big for a 4 month old
We are so happy to have Ed in our family, he has brought so much joy...

Rocky Mouth Falls

2010-09-17T15:31:00.000-06:00

Monday night for FHE Jared and I decided to take the kids on a small hike that was close to home. Jared had heard about this short little hike to a waterfall so we headed to Sandy. The kids had a blast.

Ed and I headed back before we got to the waterfall and the caves but Jared wanted to make sure that there was a picture of us before we left.

Lily and Lewis were a little apprehensive about the caves. Jared said that Lewis really wanted to be brave but was just having a hard time doing it.

Jared said that Lily wouldn't let go of his hand and he had to carry her down the mountain because she wouldn't walk...she loves to hand on her Dad whenever he is around.

Jared is such a great Dad he is always looking for fun ways to make ''memories'' with for his kids.

Ed

2010-08-17T09:11:00.007-06:00

Ed is such a good little guy. He is so mellow and cries only when he needs to eat or have his diaper changed. He has made the transistion to 4 kids a little easier on me. He still sleeps a lot so it has made 4 not seem so bad.
After he was born I was reading a comment on my sister-in-laws blog written by Jared's mom and learned something new about Jared, and why he might have been so happy with me suggesting Ed for our baby's name. Since Jared was about 10 his mom has been receiving mail for an Ed Wright. Everytime Jared signed up for something he used the name Ed Wright (Blockbuster card, credit cards, junk mail, etc.) When I was talking to Jared's mom on the phone after Ed was born she said she loved his name and now she had a face to put with the name Ed Wright because she had been receiving mail for him for years. SO I guess without realizing it Ed was named after his dad.
These pictures were taken by my good friend Bryn They turned out so good, I had a hard time choosing which ones to post, there were so many I loved.

Ed Denney Wright

2010-07-19T16:57:00.006-06:00

Ed Denney Wright

July 15, 2010

9 lbs 3 oz

21 inches

Ed was born last Thursday and life has been a little crazy since. He is such a mellow little guy and so fun to have around. He has two little mommies that can't hold him enough and a older brother that is not quite sure what to think but likes to give him hugs and kisses. I keep wondering how I am going to take care of four kids by myself when Jared goes back to work but ready or not, it's going to happen.

4 kids sure seems like a lot more when they are your own!
Two big sisters that couldn't be more excited to have Ed home from the hospital. Mallory made him a little card that said "Welcome Home Baby Ed" It was so cute, decorated with little boy baby stickers and she was so excited to give it to him...

The Story of our lives . . .

A HUGE thanks to my mom who took my kids for 3 days and made sure that they were well taken care of and very loved. It makes everything a little bit easier knowing your other kids are watched over. I couldn't be more grateful for such a great mom.

A week of craziness...

2010-05-30T13:18:00.007-06:00

...and no pictures to show for it. I was so excited to sit down and blog today because we have had so many fun and crazy things happen in the last 7 days and found that 98% of my pictures had been deleted from my camera. Needless to say the girls won't be taking pictures with my camera anymore...at least not for a few years.

Last Saturday the girls had their dance recital and both did a great job. It was so fun to watch them and see what they had learned. Lily even won the "Dancer of the Year" award and got a trophy. Luckily we have a video of the dance so all the memories were not lost...

Monday was Lily's last day of 3 year old preschool and I had a really cute picture of her with her teacher. She has grown up so much this last year and has absolutely loved her teacher and being able to go to school like Mal.

On Tuesday both the girls had their last soccer game. They have both loved soccer this season. I think Mallory is finally understanding the concept and loves to play. Lily loved the season because her daddy was the coach. She loved being able to jump in the truck with him and go to practice, just her and her daddy! Jared is so good with the kids and it is fun to watch him, he is a very patient man! Lewis also loved soccer season but for a different reason. He is a lot faster then his 7 month pregnant mom and he loved to run from me!

We also took Lewis to the doctor on Tuesday because he was running a really high fever and his pinkie toe on the right foot was red and swollen. The doctor said he had a ear infection and an infection in his toe that would need an antibiotic.

Wednesday we took Lewis back to the doctor because his fever was still at 102.7 and his pinkie toe was now turning a lovely color of purple/black and he was starting to get a rash up his right leg. He wouldn't walk on it and held it in the air saying "owie toe". Jared stayed home to take him to the doctor and called me and said I have good and bad news. His ear infection is gone, I took him the our Chiropractor as soon as I found out he had an ear infection he has done wonders for Lewis and his ear infections!, but we are headed to the hospital for his toe. They lanced his toe and sent the stuff in for a culture to find out what the deal was. When we got to the hospital they started prepping him for an IV. Once he was ready for the IV it took 1 1/2 hours, 4 different veins, 5 nurses, and the anesthesiologist to finally get the IV in. He was ticked and I have to say it is really hard to watch your 17 month old being held down, screaming like I have never heard him for 1 1/2 hours. From that point on any time a nurse would walk in the room he would get really angry. We were there for 3 days and found out it was a staph infection. We have no idea how he got it and are really glad the worst is over. Here is a picture of the toe today. He has lost his toenail already and it looks a million times better.

Friday Mallory graduated from Kindergarten. She was so excited to finally be a 1st grader. She was all smiles the whole day. I Love the excitement this girl has for life. I hope she always stays that way!

Sorry just a lot of writing and not enough pictures, maybe I'll learn the download my pictures more often.

Lily Turns 4

2010-04-16T20:37:00.015-06:00

Lily has been waiting for this day for so long. The first things she says to me as she comes running into my room is "Mom I am finally 4" She was so excited all day and wanted me to make sure I told everyone that today she turned 4.

She has been planning her birthday party at Chuck E Cheese since January so we couldn't disappoint. Lily with three of her good friends

(Macy, Afton, Lily, and Bree)She was also sure that it needed to be a TinkerBell Party, luckily all you need is a TinkerBell cake and the party is complete.

Everyone waiting as patiently as they can for Jared to divide the tokens

After the party all Lily wanted to do was play at Nana and Bompa's house so we spent the rest of the day there playing the in backyard.

The best smile I could get from Mal. She is such a goof ball.

Blue after he ate is first handful of sand.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T10:33:00.010-06:00

This is the Sunday before Easter. While I was doing Mal's hair Lewis grabbed the hot curling iron and burned his hand really bad. He screamed for 2 hours, I wish I was exaggerating! The only thing that helped was when he realized that the cold water made it feel better until then it was complete torture. This was the best picture we could get before church so I guess it will have to do.

They love to tilt their heads and say "cheese"!

Blurry but the only one of him not crying. Definitely not a happy day for Blue!

Coloring Easter Eggs with Mia and Abby. They had fun but I think almost every egg was dropped on the ground before we were done.

Lewis was ticked that he didn't get to help!
Easter morning all Lewis cared about was the "ball". He kept saying it over and over!

Dave, Julie, and family got to spend Spring break with us. We had a lot of fun having them here. The girls loved always having someone to play with.
Patiently waiting for the Easter egg Hunt at Lee and Tricia's to start! Lewis just loved being outside and the dum dum suckers were definitely a bonus

Happy 7th

2010-03-27T20:33:00.006-06:00

Today Jared and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. The time has gone by so quickly and so much has happened in 7 years.

Last night our good friends, the Swensens, took the kids so we could have a relaxing night and morning. A Huge THANKS to them, it was so nice to not worry about anything but enjoying Jared.

Today we were going to let the kids spend some time with their cousins but on the way to their house it was obvious the kids just needed to be at home for downtime. So we turned the car around and decided to watched Princess and the Frog together and then all took a nap. After our naps we decided to take the kids for a hike up Ensign Peak. It was so nice to get out and enjoy the awesome weather we were having today! Here are a few of the pictures from the hike. There is no where Lewis would rather be than outside with his dad. He was beaming the entire way!

Jared and the kids at the beginning of the hike. I love being the photographer! I definately don't need to document how I look when pregnant.

Jared, Lewis and Mal at the top of Ensign Peak. Lily and I turned around half way up and waited at the bottom for our hikers to return.

{Mallory}

2009-09-13T22:44:00.007-06:00

Mallory has been having a great time lately. Starting Kindergarten and soccer have been plenty to keep this girl busy.

Her kindergarten teacher is Mrs. Rigamoto and she has loved her. Every day she comes home from school excited about a new song, an art project, and chasing boys at recess. The other morning I was doing her hair and she said, "Mom I found the boy that I am going to marry." A little caught off guard I asked what his name was and if I should meet this boy since they were going to get married. She said, "His name is Cooper and you don't need to meet him yet because he doesn't know we are getting married yet." I asked her if he was cute and she told me that he was the cutest boy in class.... I was picking her up from school, as we were walking she told me she needed to whisper something to me, she whispered as she pointing ahead of us, "Mom that's the boy I was telling you about, but don't say anything, it has to be our secret.

On the first day of school I got to spend the 1st 30 minutes in Mallory's class helping her with a craft, watching her sing and dance, doing her 1st assignment. I was having more fun than her I think, she kept asking me if it was time for me to leave yet. This girl is definitely ready for the school experience. This year for soccer Mallory has lots and lots of friends on her team. We still are not sure if Mallory is loving soccer but we love to go to the games and watch her play.

{Lily}

2009-09-13T22:25:00.004-06:00

My little Lily has had two huge 'Firsts' this last month.

When we got back from our vacation from Washington she found out that her friend Afton started riding her bike without training wheels. So, she was bound and determined to do it to. She begged and begged to have her training wheels taken off so finally Jared took them off for her and off she went. She needed a little help getting started but soon she was doing that by herself. She is one determined little girl. Once she puts her mind to something she doesn't stop until she gets what she wants or accomplishes what she started.

She also started preschool. This was a long awaited day. She has been asking to start school since Mallory started last fall. She has been so excited and I was nervous enough for both of us. I don't know why I worry about Lily more than Mallory when she is away from me but I do. I soon found out that I had nothing to be nervous about and she did just fine without me.

Lily and Mrs. Forsyth

Lily and Macy, it always helps to have one of your bff's in your class

Lily before her 1st day of class, don't mind the mustard on her chin, don't worry I got it off before she went to class!

{Lewis}

2009-09-13T21:36:00.006-06:00

Lewis has grown so much in the last two weeks. He just turned 9 months on the 11th. He has started sitting up by himself, crawling, pulling himself up, getting into every drawer that is low enough for him to open and pulling everything out, talking and laughing constantly, not to mention grown at least an inch in height, at least it seems like it, he is getting to be a pretty big boy.

Jared was so proud of him. We took him to his first ever high school football game and couldn't have been happier for the entire time. He would even put both arms above his head when the crowd would cheer, may have been coincidence, but it was pretty cute to see him get into it with the crowd. Jared even told me that Lewis may be ready to go to a BYU football game by the time he is 4. We'll see, Jared doesn't like to miss a play and a 4 year old my be a little bit of a distraction.

Absolutely loves bath time...

Lewis loves to eat tomatoes fresh out of the Garden

Cutest Girls Ever!

2009-08-27T21:31:00.005-06:00

Bryn, Kristin and I went to Park City to do a little shopping and ended up with the same dress for all of our girls. So of course you need pictures, right? These girls have been the best of friends since Lily turned 1. They seriously drive each other crazy but they can't get enough of each other. Could there be a more perfect group for a co-op. 6 girls, 3 of them just started kindergarten and 3 - 3 year olds.....I have had so much fun watching this group of friends grow up together...hope there are many more years of fun. THANKS BRYN for the awesome pictures!

Battlecreek Falls

2009-08-27T13:20:00.007-06:00

A couple of days ago Jared and I took the kids to Battlecreek Falls in Pleasant Grove. It was a short 1/2 mile hike up and the kids loved every second of it. On the way down Jared decided to jump in the pool of water at the bottom with the girls. They did not have their swimming suits and thought it was so cool that they could get in with their shoes and socks on. The water was freezing cold but they didn't mind a bit. All day they kept talking about getting in the water with their clothes on. After that Jared caught a butterfly and let Mallory hold it. She surprises me sometimes!

Jared and I have decided that we need to do more things like this with the kids. We have so much fun and the kids are awesome when we do fun things as a family.

LeMoNaDe StAnD

2009-08-27T13:05:00.004-06:00

Mallory has been begging me all summer to do a lemonade stand. I told her that when we got back from Washington I would let her do one, with the slight hope that she would forget. I should know my daughter by now and know there is no way she is going to let me forget something as important as a LeMoNaDe StAnD. I went to get Lewis's hair cut in the morning and brought Katelyn home with us to help with the stand. They had a blast!

Katelyn and Mal out by the mailbox trying to get people to stop

Our first Customer

Ruth was nice and bought two cookies and two lemonades from the girls...they were SO excited.

Trip to Washington

2009-08-18T13:07:00.017-06:00

We had such a blast on our family vacation this year. We were able to go for 9 days to Washington state to visit lots of family... We left Friday night when Jared got off work and drove through the night. I am a horrible night driver. I will fall asleep at the wheel within 15 minutes of driving, no matter how much sleep I have had. ( I only know because of our last attempt to drive thorough the night somewhere). So Jared had to drive the entire way. I really feel bad that I can't help but for the safety of our family we decided that I wouldn't even try this time.
We stopped at a rest stop just before bedtime to let the kids run I tried to take some pictures but realized my battery was dead and I left the extra battery and the charger at home. I was so bummed... Luckily Grandpa Wright had a charger that worked with my battery so I was back in business. (Sorry, no pictures until Monday)

Saturday morning we got to Scott and Marianne's around 8:00 AM. They made us an awesome waffle breakfast and sent Jared and I to bed. They took the kids to the park and let us catch up on a little sleep. After we woke up Marianne and I went and did a little shopping, by the time we got home I was so sick I could barely stand up without getting really dizzy. I had the chills and had to go and lay back down. Jared, Scott, and Marianne took the kids to a lake and let the kids play around, I forgot their swimsuits (who goes on vacation without swimsuits?) so they just played around the lake and had a blast. By the time they got home I was feeling a lot better.

The next day (Sunday) we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Dickson/ Wright's. Little did we know what they had in store for us...we had a week full of fun things to do!

As soon as we got there Lily and Mallory wanted to go and see the chickens and the cows. There are both pretty timid around animals so they weren't so sure they liked the idea of Grandpa letting the chickens out of the coop to run around. Grandma and Grandpa assured them that the chickens were more afraid of them they were of the chickens. They seemed a little more comfortable around them until the next day.... I had just gotten back from the grocery store when I heard Mallory high pitched scream of horror, she was running towards me with a chicken hot on her trail, she was scared to death. I know it's horrible, but I was laughing so hard I was crying. She starting yelling at me "I thought you said they wouldn't chase me." Then she stomped off and said "I am going in the house." You could bet that if the chickens were out of the coop Mallory was inside from that point on.

Monday we went on a hike to the ice caves in the mountains past Verlot. It was so much fun, the girls loved the hike (about 2 miles round trip) and the ice caves were so fun to see. Lewis was in a backpack we borrowed for Jared's cousin, and loved every second of it. He was so tired he fell asleep but woke up with the biggest grin on his face.

Tuesday we went to a little beach right across from Downtown Seattle. Jared's cousin Janice and her husband Matt went scuba diving for sea creatures. They brought them up and put them in a large tub so we could see them up close and touch them, if we wanted. Thanks Janice and Matt for taking time to do that for us!!! Thanks Grandma for making sure there were seashells there for the girls to find, definitely one of the highlights.

Wednesday we took a ferry to the San Juan islands. The girls absolutely loved being on the ferry, out on the deck by the water.

Thursday we went to Darrington which is a logging town in WA. If Jared would have had the opportunity he would have loved to go to WA and log for a summer so he loved this. Then we went on the Deception Pass. It was so beautiful. Then we went to fort Casey. The girls thought it was named after me. It was an old military fort built pre WWI. It was fun for the girls to run and play in. They were even able to hide with Grandma and scare us. Grandma took the girls out to a field right in front of the fort and they went on a "bear hunt." We saw lots of bunnies and deer. DarringtonDeception Pass Fort Casey

Sadly, Friday it was time to leave Grandma and Grandpa. We had such a fun week that went by all too quickly. Grandma had a new surprise for the girls every day and they loved going to watch cartoons with Grandma and Grandpa every morning when they woke up and every night before they went to bed. Thank you for helping us create such fun memories! Friday night and Saturday we spent with Scott and Marianne again. Friday night Marianne and I went to the mall so I could go to H&M, Marianne's favorite store in Seattle, I had to see what it was all about. Cute, cute stuff. Can I just say the shopping in WA in crazy, huge malls everywhere. It may be better for our budget that we live in UT. Thanks Marianne for showing me the shopping scene.

Saturday we went to Pikes Market. It was so fun to go downtown Seattle, it is definitely a different world than what I live in but so fun to visit. The flowers they had for sale at the market are amazing! $10 for the biggest most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen. After the market we went to a pier by the aquarium and had lunch at a little sandwich shop. There was a band playing so the kids ate their lunch and danced to the music. What a fun afternoon and the weather could not have been more perfect. On the way back to Scott's we stopped at my Uncle Dave's and Aunt Diane's house for a short but sweet visit and the girls even walked away with a little bear as a treasure.

Early Sunday morning it was time for the vacation to end. Even after 9 days we were not quite ready for it to end. We had such a great time and were ready for more. But we had to get back to reality. Thanks to everyone who made our vacation the best!

6 Months

2009-06-25T16:11:00.002-06:00

6 Months

27"

19 lbs

Loves to: Laugh at Mal and Lil, be tickled, be with his dad when he gets home from work, be outside, cuddle with mom, and play with balls, and eat.

Is: sweet, happy, growing like a weed, a jabber box, a great sleeper, a good eater.

Lewis is definitely my own little piece of heaven.

Swim Lessons

2009-06-25T15:01:00.003-06:00

The girls started swim lessons again last week. This is something they have been looking forward to since they ended last summer. After they ended last summer they asked me when they could go to swimming lessons again and I said "Next summer." Since then their question has been, "is it summer yet?" It is so much fun watching them do something they enjoy so much.Waiting on the step for her turn to swim...Off she goes....Mallory doing her own little thing...

I couldn't get there classes at the same time. Lily thought it was pretty neat that she had the same teacher as Mal.

Lewis just being his happy self.

Have I mentioned that I couldn't have asked for a better baby?

New Pictures of the Kiddos

2009-04-23T12:32:00.007-06:00

Lewis

3 month pictures

Tried to get a shot of the 3 kids in their Easter clothes, Lily didn't want to have anything to do with it so we will try again another day!

A good friend of mine, Bryn, is just starting to do a little photography and suprised me with the pictures below. I dropped the girls off one morning in their PJ's, she did their hair, dressed them in tutu's and took these cute pictures. Thanks Bryn!

Lily's Birthday

2009-04-10T16:09:00.007-06:00

I can't believe my little girl is 3 today. She has definitely been through a lot in her little life. We are so lucky to have her be part of our family. She has the cutest little laugh and when she wants to she gives us all a laugh. She will melt your heart when she is being our sweet little Lily. And will drive you crazy with her determination and "I'll do what I want" attitutude. We love everything about her. She loves to be with Mallory and wants to do everything Mallory does.

Helping make her birthday cake, she loves to lick the spatula when we are done making the batter. Lily with her Nana and Bompa, she was so excited when they came to see her for her birthday. Opening one of many presents. This girl was definitely spoiled this year by friends and family. All Lily wanted to do was go to the park with her friends from Co-op. It was our turn this week to watch the kids and it worked out perfect to have friends go to the park with her.
Raegan, Macy, Max, Afton, Mal, Kenlie, Lily, JackToo bad it started raining so we had to run for cover.

As soon as she blew out her candles she said "Now I am 3" It was the magical moment.

Macy eating the birthday cake. I just love this girl!

Conference Weekend at the Cabin

2009-04-04T15:50:00.003-06:00

Conference Weekend is one I always look forward to. My family goes up to the cabin to watch conference and relax. I think the watching conference part is getting harder as the kids get older because it takes a little more to keep them quiet and entertained but it is still a relaxing weekend.

Jordynn and Lewis, just one of the many pictures we have of the two of them together.

Scott, doing what he loves to do!
Mallory and Lily coloring Easter Eggs

Jared and the Girls playing in the snow.

Jared took the girls outside barefoot and made them run back inside. Lily wanted to do it again, Mallory was mad her dad would make her run in the cold snow.

Three Little Princesses

2009-03-25T21:18:00.002-06:00

It doesn't seem too long ago that I was posting pictures just like this of Mallory, Kenlie, and Raegan. Now it is Lily, Macy, and Afton's turn. Lily is now going through the dress up phase. It is fun to watch the little ones grow up and become friends just like their older sisters.

Lily's Surgery

2009-03-24T14:13:00.002-06:00

Today Lily had two pieces of glass removed from her foot. The glass is from the car accident we were in a little over two years ago. She is such a trooper when it comes to things like this. She has had more than her fair share of trips to Primary Children's Hospital and Jared and I are both hoping that today is the last for a long time.
Lily went into surgery about 8:30 and she was done about 9:15. It seemed like a really long time until I heard another doctor saying that one of their patients would be out in about 5 hours. I was feeling pretty lucky. When the administrator was taking me to see Lily after the surgery I walked out of the room and saw her with the nurse holding her at the end of the hall. When I got to her she had been crying so hard she was gasping for air. I guess she had come out of the anesthetic pretty quickly and started screaming and crying, ripped her IV out and just wanted her mom. I felt so bad that I wasn't there before she woke up. After I got there she did really well and we were only in recovery for about 20 minutes after they brought Jared back to us. She has done really well this afternoon and is taking a nap now.

Lily before surgery, she was having a great time with the toys before she realized that we wouldn't be going with her. Handing her over to the anesthesiologistwas really hard for me.

Lily after the surgery showing off her orange leg and bandages. She has a couple stitches in her right foot.

This jar has the piece of glass that they took out of her foot. It was a pretty good size piece of glass, I am really suprised it took two years for it to begin bugging her.

3 months

2009-03-11T14:55:00.001-06:00

Lewis is 3 months old today and is the best baby a mom could ask for. He goes to bed at 9:00 and doesn't wake up until around 7:30. He is so happy and quick to give a smile to anyone who wants to talk to him. He rarely cries and if he does it is because he is tired or poopy. He has the cutest little giggle. My favorite time of the day is in the morning when I go to get him . He gets so excited to see me. He starts gabbering and smiles the biggest smile. I am really enjoying him and feel like the time is going by too quickly.

1st Haircut

2009-02-27T14:09:00.006-07:00

It is true, Lewis has had his first haircut already. Jared couldn't take the hair over his ears any longer. So for our date Friday night we went to 9 to 9 Barber shop and he had his 1st hair cut. He now looks more like a little man than a newborn.Pretty shaggy. A couple before shots...Lewis sat on Jared's lap during the cut....

He did okay through most of it but he definitely didn't love the process.

He does look pretty handsome...maybe it was worth a few tears.

8 Weeks, ALREADY!!!!

2009-02-10T13:53:00.027-07:00

I forget how fast time flies and how fast newborns change. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing Lewis home from the hospital. I wanted to do a quick update of the last eight weeks and hopefully I will be able to keep it updated.

8 Weeks

7 Weeks

6 Weeks

He started to smile and talk to me already.

5 Weeks

I had to throw this one in. This a very common occurance, Lily loves to climb up the crib to talk and sing to Lewis.

4 Weeks

3 Weeks

2 Weeks

1 Week
One morning I got out of the shower and Mallory had climbed into Lewis's crib because he was crying. I was mad at first, but of course I had to take a picture cause it was kind of cute.

Lewis's Baby Blessing

2009-02-07T13:30:00.003-07:00

Today we were able to bless Lewis. We decided to do the blessing on Saturday so Scott and I could both bless our babies on the same day. Jared gave Lewis such a sweet blessing. There really is such a sweet spirit about our little guy and I felt the spirit so strong as he was blessing him. (At the risk of sounding clique) I really am so blessed to have the priesthood in our home. I definitely consider it to be one of the Lords tender mercies in my life. After the blessings we had a family dinner at the church. We have such great family support from both of our families. It was such a great day!
Lewis and Jordynn were born 4 days apart and it has been so fun to have 2 little ones around. My mom likes to call them her twins, even though they don't look anything alike.

Our new little addition

2008-12-22T16:21:00.009-07:00

Lewis David Wright
December 11, 2008

5:53 PM

8 lbs

20 1/2 inches

Yes he is over a week old before any pictures are posted of our cute little guy, 3 kids can keep a girl really busy. Lewis was named after my Grandpa Merrill and was actually born on my grandpa's birthday. He has been such a great baby and I love having a newborn around the house. He brings such a special spirit to our home. The girls are now adjusting to having a new little one around. To my surprise Mallory was the one who had the harder time adjusting. She is doing great now and loves, loves, loves to help me with whatever she can when it comes to her little brother. Both of the girls love to hold him. Lily doesn't like to hear him cry so she is really quick to let me know if he needs me.

Jared and Lewis watching the first of many BYU games together, too bad the first one couldn't have been a win.

Girls New Bedroom

2008-10-24T13:52:00.003-06:00

We FINALLY finished the girls bedroom. They have been so excited for bunk beds and thier new pink room. Here is the pictures I promised some of you. The lighting is bad so its hard to see all of the hard work Jared put in with the molding, new base boards and shelving he put on the wall. We also refinished the bunk bed, I am really happy with how everything turned out. Now we just need to get the walls decorated. The girls love to show off their new room.

It's my weed!

2008-10-24T13:49:00.002-06:00

The other day Mallory came in the house with this. . .

And says to Jared and I "Look it's my weed." I hope that is the only time I have a conversation with Mallory about her "WEED".

Gardner Village Witches

2008-10-14T17:59:00.003-06:00

I have decided that fall is my favorite time of the year. I love when the weather starts to cool off. On Monday for FHE we went with my family to Gardner Village to see the witches and the weather was very cold, but we still had a great time. It has been a tradition since Amy and I had kids. Usually just the mom's go with the kids but this year the dad's joined us, it was fun to have them there.

Scotty and Lil feeding the ducks

Lily, Mallory, Logan, and Rylyn (We missed you Tanner, Brynlee, and Kade)

Mallory has been scared to death of this witch every year and at first she was this year and then she warmed right up.

Pumpkin Pickin'

2008-10-10T07:52:00.006-06:00

Monday while we were out running errands we drove by a pumpkin patch and from that point on it was all Mallory could talk about. She wanted to go and pick her own pumpkin. So for FHE we went to a great pumpkin patch in So. Jordan. They have a corn maze, small but great for the little kids, tractors for the kids to play on, and tons of pumpkins to choose from. The girls loaded and unloaded our wheelbarrow a number of times before they found their perfect pumpkins. They had so much fun running through the field looking for the best pumpkin they could find.

New Hair Do's

2008-10-01T14:03:00.002-06:00

Mallory has been asking me for months to call Carolyn, the girl who does our hair, so she could get her hair cut short. I kept putting it off because her hair was getting so long and I loved it. Well I gave in and made an appointment for today. Lily also had a couple inches cut off her hair. Here they are with short hair just like Mallory wanted. . . .

"The Samarian"

2008-09-28T14:11:00.002-06:00

Today Mallory came home from church with the above picture and was so excited to tell us the story about "The Samarian". This is how it went.... This guy laying down came all the way from California to Jesus town, and the the other guy helped him.

"Jesus town" where do they come up with these things. She has such a creative imagination.

BYU Vs. UCLA

2008-09-13T13:49:00.009-06:00

The morning of the UCLA game we woke up to this.....

Dave, Jared's brother went to a lot of effort and really confused anyone that Jared doesn't know well. Anyone that knows Jared knows what a huge BYU fan he is and knew that someone had done this to our house. People would drive by our house really slow to read the signs, it was pretty entertaining all morning long. Before the game began all the UCLA yellow and blue had to go. It has been so funny to hear the comments from people at church that don't know about his true obsession in life. They would make comments about how sad Jared must have been at the 59-0 loss to BYU. Thanks Dave for some great entertainment, it made the win just that much sweeter!!!

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2008-09-12T14:20:00.002-06:00

On their way to Washington State to take care of Grandma and Grandpa Dickson Jared's parents made a stop to visit us for a couple of days. We decided to take them to The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. Jared took the day off work and the weather was perfect. We really had a great time with them. Grandpa rented a motorized chair and Mallory and Lily had so much fun riding on his lap. Mallory even got to drive, which was a little scary for those in her way. About half way through the Gardens Dave insisted I take a turn and get off my feet. I felt really silly driving around on the chair but was grateful for the break.

We have an Olympian on our Hands!

2008-08-20T08:31:00.006-06:00

Saturday was Mallory's first soccer game and I think Jared was more excited for the game than she was. He is thrilled that she is taking a break from dance to play soccer. He has been working with her on the two rules of soccer:
1. No Hands
2. No Crying!!!
They have been practicing dribbling the ball and right before the game he taught her to take people out. She was convinced it was okay until her Nana told her it wasn't very nice. Now every time Jared tries to tell her it's okay in soccer she says, "But my Nana said it wasn't nice." (I think that him having a boy is going to be a really good thing).
In the warm ups before the game every time it was her turn to shoot a goal she would kick it in the net and then look to the sidelines and wait for the applause and praise. She really likes to be in front of people and "perform". Mallory did really good in her game until the end when she fell down and got kicked in the head. Then it was all over. A little boy from her primary class is on her team and after she got hurt he had his mom bring him over so he could make sure she was okay. It was so sweet. She is determined to score a goal, all week she has been talking about the other kids that scored a goal and she is going to do it at her next game.

Mallory and McKenlie after the game enjoying their post game treats.

Mallory Starts Preschool

2008-08-19T16:41:00.000-06:00

Her first day of school. Mallory and Lily just before we left for school.
On August 19 Mallory started preschool. (I know I am a little behind on the posts!) She is so excited and asks me everyday if she gets to go to school, she has been asking since last school year when it was her turn to go to school. Her teacher is Mrs. Steiner and she goes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. She has loved every minute of it. She has started bringing home books to read and gets so excited when she gets through a tough word or finishes a page. Lily loves to have Mallory read her stories. We definitely have had our moments of frustration when she can't get a specific word but for the most part she is in heaven. Mallory in her classroom

Mallory in her chair coloring her first school picture.

Look Mom I Can Swim!

2008-08-13T12:43:00.006-06:00

For the last 3 weeks the girls have been taking swimming lessons. They are taking lessons at the same private pool I took at when I was little. It is fun to go back to places I went when I was little and remember the fun times. They have absolutely loved every minute of it. When it is not a day we have lessons they beg to go swimming. It is amazing how much they can learn in 3 weeks. Both of them are going off the diving board and can swim short distances without help. I haven't seen Lily swim by herself but her teacher tells me that she can.
Mallory had a hard time staying on the step when it wasn't her turn to swim with her teacher so she spent at least one of her turns sitting on the side of the pool. It took her 2 weeks but she was successful at sitting on the step for her entire lesson. She was so proud of herself when her lessons were over she wanted to call her dad right away and tell him she sat on the step the whole time. She asked Jared "can we go in my room and talk about it but this time leave the door open and Lily could even come in too." Jared and Mal have spent a lot of time in her room talking about how it's important to listen and obey. She also wanted to call her Nana and everyone that she knew to tell them how good she did at swimming lessons. It was so fun to have her so excited about something good she did. I hope she can be that excited after her last lesson today.

The hardest part of swimming lessons for Lily was waiting for 1/2 hour for her lessons to start.

Practicing on the side of the pool

Mallory jumping off the diving board

Lily would always put her arms above her head like she was going to dive and then swing her arms back and jumpThe Big Jump

We're having a .....

2008-07-30T07:48:00.010-06:00

On Monday morning we went to have the ultrasound to find out if the baby was a boy or girl. We took the girls and Mallory was so excited to see a picture of her new baby. Everyday she talks to my belly and gives it kisses. It is so fun to see her get so excited to have this new little baby. It seems like it took them forever to check all of the parts to make sure it was okay and then finally we found out that we are having a BOY. Jared and I had both thought that this is what we were going to be having but I couldn't be 100% confident because I was sure Lily was a boy and was dead wrong.
SO the next question we have been asked is do we have a name picked out. The answer is Yes. This may surprise a lot of people since Jared and I haven't been able to agree on any names until this one. It is a very old fashion name but we definitely know this is what his name should be. About a month and a half ago while I was doing my hair this name came into my mind with the thought that this was was our baby should be named. I was sure that Jared was going to shoot it down the second I told him but his reaction was totally opposite. He said "Ya that is what it should be." I was very surprised that he was going for it but it has stuck so our baby will be named Lewis after my Grandpa Merrill. We are still not positive on the middle name but will probably use another grandpa's name. I guess there won't be anymore disagreements about boys names, at least not until next time. It has taken some time but the name has started to grow on me.
We are so excited to be having a boy. There are many reasons that a girl would have been easier but the more we talk about it the more excited we get to have this little boy come to our family. Jared is already talking about the future football games, how we are going to hang a "fathead" on the wall of his nursery. It is so fun to think about having a new baby.

Lily's riding her bike

2008-07-11T14:25:00.004-06:00

One day I was sitting out on the front porch with my mom and there goes Lily on Mal's little bike. I didn't even know she could get on by herself let alone peddle and go anywhere on it. I didn't know Jared had been teaching her the day before. Now everytime we go out in the garage she wants to go on a bike ride.

Another One On the Way!

2008-06-02T17:22:00.004-06:00

So here is my excuse for not blogging for the last two months. We are having a baby! I know I have a lot of catching up to do... SO stayed tuned.

Mal's Dance Recital

2008-06-02T17:19:00.008-06:00

Mallory's Dance recital was May 31, I know I am really slow at posting pictures. It is so fun to watch the little girls dance at this age. The dance recital is definitely my favorite part of the session. They danced to the song "Shake your tailfeathers. Mallory has enjoyed dance and everytime we drive by her dance studio she'll say, "There's my dance class. Mom when is it time for me to go again?" Lily has even started to point to it and say " There is Mal's dance class.

Lily practicing her moves for future classes.

Lily's independence

2008-06-02T17:19:00.005-06:00

Today I was doing Lily's hair and she was crying about something silly. I started to mimick her and she said to me "Mommy don't cry for me, I do it myself." She doesn't want help with anything anymore.

Getaway to Las Vegas

2008-05-20T15:55:00.004-06:00

Getting ready for the 1st game...

"The Team"

Waiting for our dinner reservatioins Saturday night.

Dave, Julie, Tera, Erick, Jared and Casi

The middle of May Jared and I went to Las Vegas without the girls. Dave, Jared's brother, asked him to play in a soccer tournament that he plays in every year. It was so much fun to get away, go watch a few soccer games (without chasing my kids around), enjoy being with family, and spending some time alone with Jared. We were able to stay in a great place, thanks to Dave, and really enjoy ourselves.

Trip to California

2008-05-07T17:07:00.004-06:00

The end of April we took the girls on a trip to California to visit Uncle Dave and Aunt Julie. Thanks to Dave for making the trip really affordable we were able to do it all. We spent two days at Disneyland and two days at California Adventure, a day at the beach, and a day at The Aquarium, not to mention the nights out while our kids were home with a sitter, time playing with cousins and time just relaxing. It was eight days packed full of fun.

The girls loved having breakfast with Minnie and meeting a lot of the characters and Lunch at Areils Grotto meeting all the princesses. I think Mallory was in shock when she first saw Areil, she didn't even smile for the pictures, at first she just stood there speechless, which doesn't happen very often.

Mal and Lil loved the teacup ride at Disneyland. They both got laughing so hard they could barely sit up straight in the tea cup.

I think Mallory could have spent another day at the beach. She is such a summer girl and loved everything about the beach. She had a lot of fun walking out into the ocean and then running from the tide that was coming in.

I wish I would have had a little notebook writing down all the cute things they said on this vacation. They really had a great time and still ask when we are going back to California.

Jared's Graduation

2008-04-25T22:42:00.005-06:00

Today it was official. Jared is done with school, at least for now. It was a good feeling of closure for both Jared and I .

Adam and Jared

Provo Tabernancle

Salt Lake Half Marathon

2008-04-20T08:39:00.005-06:00

So after 9 months of training the time was finally here to run the Salt Lake 1/2 Marathon. The Saturday before I had run 10 miles and it was a breeze and I thought 3 more miles, what's the big deal. I was really pumped to finally be able to say that I had run a 1/2 marathon. I had been training with Mandy Brown for the last 2 months before the race and at the last minute she decided to do the race also. Jared hadn't been training but had been planning on running the 1/2 so he decided if he just stuck with me he would be able to finish the race. I am stilll a little bitter that he didn't have to train and can just run 13.1 miles. I am glad that he could because it was fun having him there and being able to do this with him. The race went well and the best feeling was running the last little bit with a 100 people cheering and actually hearing your name. I saw Natalie and her family, and my mom and dad brought Mal and Lil to see us finish the race. To finally cross the finish line after 2 1/2 hours was such a great feeling of accomplishment. It was a great feeling to know that I set this goal and I had just accomplished it. I think as a mom I just go through the day to day without setting enough goals for myself. So it was great to finish this. As soon as we crossed the finish line and had picked up out medals I started to get tunnel vision and started seeing stars. I grabbed Jared arm and told him to catch me if I fainted. I don't remember ever feeling so sick. It was like my body went into shock. It was horrible. I was so confused as to why 3 more miles than I had done the week before would make me more sick. A few days after the race I found out that I was pregnant so maybe that had something to do with it.

Jared, me, and Mandy before the race.
Jared and I before the race.

We had just run by the girls and my mom and dad. They were as excited to see us as we were to see them.
Mallory likes to show her friends the medals Jared and I got and tell them that we won the race. It is so cute the way she loves to support us.

Mallory's Tag

2008-04-13T22:25:00.009-06:00

Mallory was tagged by Raegan! Rules: 7 random facts about her, then tag five others.

1. Mallory in a very social girl. Wherever we go she is asking kids their names and striking up conversations. She is a lot like her dad that way.

2. Mallory loves to draw, color, paint, or anything like it. She could sit for hours at the table and entertain herself this way.

3. Mallory has just learned to write her name, with very little encouragement or help from me or anyone else.

4. Mallory is such a sweet girl. She wants everyone to be happy. When she was in nursery I would always have other moms tell me how thankful they were for Mallory because she would take the kids that were crying or having a hard time and help them have fun in nursery.

5. Mallory has a love/hate relationship with animals, especially dogs and cats. When they are far away she talks about how much she loves them but once they get close to her she freaks out.

6. Mallory loves to be with her friends. Every day she asks me what friend is going to come over to play.

7. Mallory is 100% a daddy's girl. Her first question in the morning when she wakes up, even though the answer is mostly the same, is where's daddy? And going to sleep at night she has to have a hug and a kiss from her daddy. They have been best buds right from the start!

Mallory tags: Tanner, Gabby, Bailey, Hailey, Parley

Lily'sTag

2008-04-13T22:24:00.007-06:00

Lily was tagged by Macy! Rules: 7 random facts about her, then tag five others.

1. Lily almost always says "Thank you". If I fill her sippy, wipe her nose, put on her shoes, or any other random thing she will say "thank you mommy".

2. Lily is very good at making messes, but also like to help me clean.

3. Lily can't stand to have sticky hands. When she is eating I wipe her hands clean at least 3 times because she won't take another bite if her hands are sticky.

4. Lily loves to snuggle with her mom.

5. Lately, when Jared is leaving for work Lily will frantically run and get her shoes on because she wants to go with him and then we both stand at the front window and wave good-bye.

6. Lily can throw a fat lip out like nothing you have seen before. I think she has learned she can get what she wants from most anyone when the fat lip comes out.

7. Lily has the funniest personality. She is constantly saying things that crack us up!

Lily tags Brynlee, Corbin, TJ, Logan,, and Kade

Lily's TWO

2008-04-13T22:23:00.005-06:00

I can't believe that my baby is two years old. It seems as if time goes by too quickly. Lily has such a fun personality that she doesn't let too many people see until she is around them but once she is comfortable watch out!

She loves, loves, loves, her big sister. She follows Mallory around all day every day and when Mallory is gone to a friends or to dance Lily wanders around the house asking "Where's Mal?" Lily loves to be with the big kids and I think she really thinks she is just as big as they are and she can do everything they do which can be a problem but mostly it is just fun to watch.

Lily loves to have a drink of chocolate milk, her "pinky", and curl up on the couch to watch Max and Ruby.

Lily has a mind of her own and is not persuaded easily. Once her mind is made up there is no way to change it. Good in the future, really hard on Mom and Dad now.

Lily loves to cuddle. Most nights she will come into our bedroom and say "Mom, i lay by you?" How can i resist. So she lays with me for a few hours until I can't take the kicking or hitting anymore then I take her back to bed.

Lily loves to look at books. Daily I will find her on her bed with 10 books around her. She will just look up at me and smile and then go back to her book.

Lily had a fun birthday. She got to go to Build a Bear with Nana in the morning. She loved giving her new Bunny, Molly, a bath. She didn't want to get her dressed or do anything else she just wanted to bathe her and brush her hair. It was really cute to watch.

Then we had a fun family gathering at our house for her. We were so excited that Grandma Wright was in town so she was able to come over for cake and ice cream.

5 Years Already

2008-03-27T16:58:00.006-06:00

Time flies when you are having fun. I can't believe it has been 5 years already. As my dad would put it, we have done in lot of damage in 5 short years. It has been bar far the best 5 years of my life and only look forward to spending eternity with Jared. Thanks babe for all you do for your girls, especially me. I don't know where I would be without you!

Easter Fun

2008-03-26T17:54:00.007-06:00

So this had to of been my most favorite Easter so far. The monday before Easter we had a Family Home Evening about the resurrection and Mallory was so excited to learn about Jesus. I don't know how much of it she remembered or what she actually understood but it was so fun to watch her listen so intently to the story. Saturday before Easter we colored eggs. The girls loved it and I was trying not to stress about the coloring getting spilled all over the counters.

The one thing I loved the most was to see Mallory and Lily's personalities shine so bright Easter morning. We did a small Easter egg hunt and the Easter Bunny left baskets for both of the girls. The second Lily saw the little eggs laying all over the living room she started grabbing them as fast as she could. She didn't want to put any of the down so when she would try and pick one up five would fall out of her had and she would say "Oh shoot", or "Dang It". Jared and I were laughing so hard at her. She was bound and determined to pick up every egg before she put one in her basket. Mallory on the other hand couldn't care less about the candy, she was so excited to go through her basket and see what the "Easter Bunny" (still having a hard time telling my kids a big fluffy bunny comes into our house at night and leaves them a basket full of goodies) had brought her.

After church we went to my moms for an Easter dinner. There were Easter eggs hidden all over her house and once again Lily went nuts and Mallory would pick one up every once in a while. Thanks mom for the great dinner and the awesome Easter egg hunt and package for the girls.

Poor Baby Logan puts up with so much but the girls love this kid!

Look mom another egg!

At the end of the day Jared and I both said that it was the best holiday with the girls so far. I am sure they will just keep getting better and better.

Happy Birthday Jared!

2008-03-17T15:06:00.006-06:00

So today is Jared's birthday and he is the big "27". All he wanted to do for his birthday was work on the basement.

I have to be honest I was a little disappointed that he didn't want to go out to dinner or something fun but it was his birthday. I decided to write 27 things I love about Jared.

1. He is pretty dang HOT!

2. Sense of Humor

3. His Love for the Gospel

4. His Love for his little girls

5. The way he loves me

6. His smile

7. Drive to be the best at everything he does

8. The way he can make me laugh even when I am mad

9. The way he handles me when I am blowing things out of proportion

10. His willingness to serve no matter what

11. His desire to make everyone happy

12. His ability to make everyone feel comfortable around him

13. The way he strikes up conversations with strangers everywhere we go

14. His desire to provide well for his family

15. I still get excited when he walks in the door after being gone to work everyday

16. His willingness to remind me about what is really important in life

17. His acceptance of me no matter my weight, mood, haircut, he just love me for me

18.The love and respect he has for his family

19. His laugh

20. His smile

21. He gets along with everyone

22. He keeps me young

23.When choosing a job the biggest factor was if he was going to able to come home every night and be able to spend time with his family

24. His love for the Savior

25. His understanding of the scriptures

26. The way he tells stories, he always makes them a little more entertaining

27. His great example to me in so many things in our marriage

I love you Babe! Happy Birthday

Wright Family Easter Egg Hunt...

2008-03-17T14:48:00.000-06:00

After the 10K on Saturday we had a Easter Egg Hunt and lunch at our house for the part of Jared's family that could come. It is always so much fun to get together with them. We had a yummy lunch and then Connor helped me hide eggs around the house (I would have liked to have the hunt outside but it was a little too cold) for all the little kids. Mallory had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from my mom's and woke up just in time for the hunt. I was so glad she didn't miss out. I made a easter bucket filled with little easter treats for each of the kids and after wished that I had done one for everyone. All the cousins seemed to have fun running around the house looking for eggs filled with candy and I had fun watching all the excitement. We also sang Happy Birthday to Jared, I ran out of time to make the cupcakes I was planning so I put a candle in a cookie and called it good. Good thing he is easy to please.

Once everyone had gone home we had decided that we were going to see Erin's new home in Grantsville and were on our way when I started feeling really sick. I grabbed the bowl that was in the back seat and Jared turned the car around and we headed back home. I had caught whatever the girls have had over the past couple days and it was not fun. I spent the rest of the weekend in bed. I am crossing my fingers that Jared doesn't catch it so we can be done with this nasty bug.

Rex Lee Run

2008-03-17T14:31:00.000-06:00

On Saturday Jared and I did our 1st, of hopefully many, 10K's together. We only have about 4 weeks until the SL 1/2 marathon and I am so glad that we did a shorter run before the big day. It is definitely different running by yourself and running with a herd of people.
Big thanks to my parents for taking the girls the night before so we didn't have to worry about getting them going the morning of the race. Mallory got really sick after we dropped her off and was throwing up all night, SORRY mom. I glad she had her nanna if she couldn't have her mom. When we picked up the girls Mal came running, gave us a big hug and asked if we won the race. She was so excited that we got to run in a race.

We took a self portrait of ourselves before and after the run in the truck because I didn't want to have my camera with me for the entire run.

We look a little less tired in the before shot.

The two of us at my mom's house after the run.

Princess Wishes

2008-03-13T18:55:00.000-06:00

Mom and Mallory

As soon as tickets were available to buy for the Disney on Ice , Princess Wishes I got an email from Mandy asking if we wanted a girls night out with our little girls. What a fun idea! I decided not to tell Mallory about it until a couple days before the show. So, on Wednesday night I went with Mallory to Princess Wishes. She was so excited to go to the "Princess talent show", she wanted to wear her Cinderella dress, her long white gloves and she wanted big curls in her hair. She could hardly wait to go. Most of the fun came in the company we had. Mallory has so much fun with her friends and she was able to go with Kenlie, Kinley, and Kate. It was so fun to sit back and watch Mallory get so excited when a new princess would come out, she would dance to the songs and the expression on her face was priceless. The best was when Cinderella came out with her prince, her eyes were as big as possible with her hands over her mouth, she could hardly contain her excitement. Every once in awhile she would come over by me and give me a hug. One thing about Mallory is she is so easily entertained and most of the time so grateful for the things she is given. On the way home she was exhausted and so she was really emotional( Kristin made a good point that when it is time for Mallory to get married the best tip I could give to her husband would be when she gets a little cranky or emotional put her to bed. She is so much happier after a good sleep), but when we finally got home and I was changing her into her pajamas she said, "this was the funnest night ever." It was so fun to hear her say that, I think those are the kind of things you live for as a mom. I just want my kids to be happy and have a fun time growing up. I can hardly wait for all the fun mommy daughter nights I get to have in the future with both my girls.

Mallory

Kenlie Perry

Kinley Brown

Kate's cousin, Kenlie, Kate, Mallory, and Kinley

The happy Princesses

Growing up so fast...

2008-02-20T14:36:00.001-07:00

So, a couple weeks ago I wrote about how Lily had just graduated from the crib to a big girl bed and now she has decided that the diapers must go too. On Saturday I decided that we were going to try potty training. I didn't know if I was ready for what was coming but she kept talking about the potty and panties so I thought we would give it a try. It took a couple days of her running around commando under her dress but she got it. I had no idea she would catch on so fast. She even woke up last night to tell us she had to go potty. We have had two accidents since we started the process and it upset her both times. Mallory was a big help she would get so excited for Lily when she would go in the potty and Lily loved the attention from Mal. I hope all my kids are this easy to train....

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

The girls and I had a fun Valentines day making cookies and delivering them to some of their "Valentines".

Snow, Snow, Snow

2008-02-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Trying to warm up after the trip into the cabin...

Lily and Corbin had fun dressing themselves to go outside...

A couple weeks ago we took Erin and Bump up to my parents cabin for a quick weekend trip. We were planning on taking the smowmobiles but because of a few complications we were unable to get them up. I had never been to the cabin in the winter time without the snowmobiles so I had no idea what to expect. When we got to the parking lot I thought it looked like a lot more snow than I remember. Because we didn't have the sleds Jared, Bump and I decided to walk in and Erin would stay with the kids in a warm car until we could get the heat going in the cabin. I took the first step into the fresh snow and sunk to my waist. I turned to Jared and told him there was no way I was walking clear to the cabin in this!!! I turned to go back to the car, I was ready to head home. Jared told me there was no way we were driving home that night and to walk behind him and follow his tracks. It took us 10 minutes to walk 50 yards, we were all carrying as much as we could so there would be less trips back to the car. Oh, did I mention it was 3 degrees outside, it was so cold I could feel my nose hairs freeze, a very wierd sensation for me. Once we were all inside it was about 12:30 am and everyone was ready for bed. The next day we relaxed and took the kids out to play in the snow. The snow was so deep that the playing in the snow didn't last very long because they would sink as soon as the stepped off the trail that was made the night before. We had a great time and I am glad that we made the first trip into the cabin instead of turning around and heading home.

The One I Love the Most Tag

2008-02-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

His name: Jared Dickson Wright
How long have you been married?: 5 years in March
How long did you date?: Date? We were engaged after a week. I know, fast!
How old is he: 27
Who eats more? Jared
Who said "I love you" first? Jared
Who is taller? Jared, he is 5'8" and I am 5'6"
Who sings better? Unquestionable, Jared
Who is smarter? Jared, I hope my kids inherit his wisdom in so many things.
Whose temper is worse? I hate to admit this but it would be mine.
Who does the laundry? 99.9% of the time I do but if he can tell I need help he will do the laundry. He is very thoughtful!
Who does the dishes? Jared does the dishes most of the time. I do them when he is not around.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. Jared picked the left side because it was further from the door. The kids still go to his side of the bed in the middle of the night.
Who pays the bills? Jared. This just changed since he graduated. It is so nice to not have to worry about this anymore.
Who mows the lawn? For the most part Jared, I will do it if he is really busy and hasn't had time to.
Who cooks dinner? I do
Who drives when you are together? Jared. I fall asleep to easily in the car, especially on long trips or late at night.
Who is more stubborn? I definately am. Jared almost always gives in
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Jared. He even says sorry when I am wrong. He is such a peacemaker and just wants me to be happy.
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, his parents live in Nauvoo and its a little bit further away.
Who has more friends? Tough question... we both have friends... I am a little better at staying in contact with my friends.
Who has more siblings? Jared, he has 4 sisters and 3 brothers and I have 1 sister and 2 brothers. Who wears the pants in the family? I asked Jared who he thought wore the pants and he said I did. I told him that I thought he did and he said "then they are PINK pants". I think he feels a little out numbered but loves every second of it.

I loved doing this tag. It helped me remember how good I've got it!

Lily's Growing Up

2008-01-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

Lily has decided that staying in her crib is not something she wants to do (when she decides something it is really hard if not impossible to change her mind, this could be good for her when she grows up but right now I am having just a little bit of a hard time with it) she keeps throwing herself out of it. So because we can't keep her in her crib and it is a little dangerous to keep trying we decided to pull out the toddler bed and set it up for her in Mallory's room. As soon as we told her that she was going to sleep in a big girl bed she was so excited (it really is amazing to me how much she understands at such a young age). She wanted to be there with her daddy every step up the process. She kept looking at him saying "Daddy, my bed?" When he would say yes she would get the biggest grin on her face.

She has even been sleeping through the night again!!!! We went for about a month with her waking up at 2:00 or 2:30 and it was killing us. So Jared and I are a lot happier now that we are getting more sleep.

Right after her bed was made she jumped in!

She is actually sleeping in it, Yeah!!!

The morning after her first night in the bed she came to me and said, "I go potty in toilet." I am pretty sure I am not ready for that step in her life to be here. She thinks she is so big and should be able to do everything Mallory does already. She will even remind Jared to "buckle" when he doesn't have his seatbelt on in the car. The thing I love to hear her say the most is "I WUV you mommy." She will say it everytime I tell her I love her. She has so much personality and is saying just about everything. I rarely have to wonder what she is asking for.

Happy Birthday Mallory!

2008-01-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

This girl knows how to start the celebrating early and continue it as long as possible. Today was Mals Birthday and the celebrating started on Thursday with her Nana. She was able to spend the day with her. They went to Build-a Bear and Mallory was able to get "Lucy" her birthday bear who continuously sings Happy Birthday to her.

On Saturday she was able to have a Princess Birthday party with her best friends in the neighborhood. Mallory has such an imagination. During the Princess party she wanted to go to the ball so he had all her friends get in the carriage and her daddy had to be the coachman. (Good thing Jared is such a good sport, the fact that all his girls have him wrapped around our finger doesn't hurt either).

(McKinley Perry, Mallory, Raegan Swensen, Mckinley Brown, & Natalie Scivally)

Once they got to the ball they danced until the clock stuck midnight, at that point Mallory flips off her shoe and runs out of the room saying "I dropped my shoe, I dropped my shoe." All the other little princesses ran after her and Kinley Perry brought her shoe to her. Mal put her shoe back on and exclaimed "It FITS!" Where she comes us with some of the things she does, I don't know but she keeps us entertained. Maybe we should cut back on the Princess movies?

Today in primary they sang Happy Birthday to her, she was so excited. Then we went to her Nana's for her birthday dinner. When it was time for the birthday cake someone asked if she was ready to blow the candles out, she shouted yes, and Lily said, "No, it my birthday." I think Lily was tired of all the celebrating, she wanted to celebrate her for a little while.

By the end of the night I think she was done celebrating. She was so tired, the picture above was her having one of her hard moments. It's hard to believe that my little girl is 4 years old. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

"Mom we're having a concert!"

2008-01-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Early this morning both the girls woke up, and when I say early I mean like 4:30 early, it isn't completely unsual around our house but usually I can get them to go back to sleep well this morning they didn't want to go back to sleep. I was a little frustrated (maybe a lot frustrated) because it usually means a really hard rest of the day. Before Jared left for work I told him that we needed to have family prayer because I was going to need all the help I could get. So we did, he left, and this is how the rest of the morning went....

Mallory and Lily just played with each other for over 2 hours, not once did either of them come crying to me. They played with their dolls, I came out into the living room and they had put them down for a nap and covered them with blankets. Then they went into Mallory's room and gotten out her swimsuits. Mallory put one of hers on and brought me another one for Lily and said, "mommy will you put this on Lily, we need to get ready for our concert." I thought, what kind of concert is this girl going to??? (I'll tell you she is still wanting it to be summer. I have yet to convince her that it is winter time.) After I put the swimming suit on Lily I followed them just so I could enjoy the concert also. They got up on the couch and started dancing and singing. It was so fun to watch them together and they were getting along so well. After their concert I found them in Mallory's room and Mal was reading Lily a book and Lily would start giggling so hard as soon as Mal would turn the page and start talking again.

Mallory still has a pair of shorts on, they are shoved up inside her swimming suit.

I'll tell you what, little prayers work!!!!

I married a Rock Star? ? ?

2008-01-02T12:49:00.002-07:00

Who would have guessed I married a rock star? Not me! On new years eve Jared's inner rock star came out when the Rock Band game for the Xbox 360 was pulled out. All those years of 90's rock blarring from his radio paid off. He was impressive. It was fun to watch him have such a good time being the lead singer for a band. He keeps telling me that it isn't really singing and more just yelling but I say people make millions doing it... maybe... no, he says he'll keep his day job. Way to go Babe!

We had a really fun New Year's Eve with family and friends. Thanks Erin and Bump for a "ROCKIN' " Party.

Christmas

2008-01-02T12:49:00.001-07:00

All the anticipation for Christmas morning is now over and it is good to be back on a schedule but we had such a fun Christmas holiday.

Christmas eve we had the Denney family party. There was tons of food and fun. Scott read the nativity story, Jared was Joseph, Mal and Lily took turns being Mary, Lily wanted to hold the baby Jesus while sitting in the manger, and Eric was the donkey. Eric and Hanna entertained us with the story The Night Before Christmas. Then there was the traditional left, right, white elephant exchange.

We were all able to open our Christmas PJ's after the Christmas party. The girls were so excited to have the silky nightgowns Nana made for them

Christmas day was so nice and relaxing. My parents came over to watch the excitement of Christmas morning. Then we headed to their house for a late breakfast. We were able to spend some time with both of my Grandmas.

Mallory got her "just size table and just size chairs"

Mallory, Lily, and Baby Logan

The only thing that would have made this holiday any better was having Amy and her family there with us but we were able to talk to her on the web cam which was a lot of fun.

Snowy Days

2007-12-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last Night during the snow storm Jared took Mallory out with him while he shoveled the walks. She had so much fun making a snow man with her dad. Lily has been sick with just about everything the last two weeks and now she has two eye infections. She wasn't able to go out with them last night. She was so sad, she stood at the living room window and said "me too mommy, me too." After about 10 minutes Mallory came and started throwing snowballs at the window, Lily giggled every time Mal came near. I think after that Lily felt like she had been involved because she didn't stand at the window and watch anymore.

Dinner with the Girls

2007-12-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Monday night I was able to go to dinner with a few of my friends from college. It was so fun to see them. There were a few there that I hadn't seen or talked to for years. It is really nice to have good friends that you can just pick up where you left off and not feel like any time has passed. Thanks girls for a fun night!

Santa Came Knocking

2007-12-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

During the month of December, like a lot of parents, we tell our girls that Santa is watching them so they better be good. Jared's family has a really fun tradition of Santa knocking on the window to remind you he is watching, we started doing this with our girls last year. When Santa knocks then you run as fast as you can to see if you can catch him. If you catch him then he gives you a present. Well Mallory and Lily didn't catch him this year but as he was running away he dropped two presents in the snow. Jared carried Mallory outside and they got the presents. Both Mallory and Lily were so excited. Mallory got Clarice, the girl reindeer from build a bear, and Lily got the Leap Frog Letter Factory Magnet. When Mallory opened her present she squealed with excitement and Clarice hasn't left her side since. Mallory is even teaching Clarice to say her prays (it is so dang cute). Lily has also loved the Letter Factory she will sit in front of the fridge and play with it for quite a while. This has to be the funnest Christmas season for me that I can remember, I think I am more excited for Christmas morning than Mallory.

The Nutcracker

2007-12-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mallory had her dance recital last Saturday. It is so funny to watch 3& 4 year olds try and do the dance they have been learning for the last month. Sometimes they remember what they are suppose to be doing and if not they just do their own move. Mallory has really enjoyed dance and loves going and being with her friends.

Mallory's Letter to Santa

2007-12-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last night Mallory wanted to write a letter to Santa so Jared wrote exactly what she said:
Dear Santa,
I have tried really hard to be happy. I would like a princess Jasmine and a unicorn so it can be it's pet. And maybe an Aladdin so it can be it's Dad. I want a just size table with just size chairs. Maybe some soup so we can eat. I want Clarice so it can have a ride. Ha Huh. and I want a Santa too. I want all these things. I am going to be a princess. I am going to be good Santa.
Love,
Mallory

It is so fun to have kids around they seem to make everything so magical. By the way Mallory's list changes everytime she goes to the store. We happened to see a princess Jasmine at Smith's today when we were doing our grocery shopping.
About the pictures. Yes Mallory is wearing a sun dress with boots in the freezing cold as she is putting her letter in the mailbox. This girl is mourning the loss of Summer, yes even after 2 snow storms. Every day we have a fight about wearing long sleeves and how it isn't summer anymore. Is this normal????

"Mom, just love the Butterflies"

2007-12-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I was busy cleaning the house and Mallory found some funny looking butterfly clips that she wanted in her hair. I didn't want to take my rubber gloves off to put them in her hair so I told her that I didn't really like them. A few minutes later she came back with the clips in her hair, I gave her half a smile and she looked at me with the biggest grin and said, "Mom just love the Butterflies". I laughed out loud at the look on her face and the comment that followed. She has worn the clips all day and even made sure that her dance teacher noticed that she was wearing butterflies in her hair. On our way to dance she did something and I called her a turkey. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Mom I am not a turkey, I am a butterfly princess." Some days she seriously cracks me up. She comes up with the darndest things to say.

This Holiday Season

2007-12-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

I know I have been missing from the blogging world for a while now. I don't know what happens to the days and weeks but time has gone by so quickly. We have done so many fun things and I haven't taken the time to post about them.

We went with Erin and her kids to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. I was suprised how much Mallory liked riding the horses. I thought she would be scared of them but she loved it. Lily wasn't ready to try, maybe next year.

We had a really fun Thanksgiving Day with Jared's Family. It was so nice and relaxing. Then of course there was the BYU , Utah game which I opted out of going to because I really didn't feel like sitting in the freezing cold for 4 hours, so I very willingly gave my ticket up to Bump (I was glad to hear that Jared still had someone to hug in the very tense and exciting moments of the game). I was so glad that BYU won because that meant a happy husband for the rest of the Thanksgiving Weekend.

My mom had brought a gingerbread house down for the Mal and Lil to make while everyone watched the game. Mal had a blast putting the house together and Lil had a blast taking all the candy off the house and eating it. Thanks Nana for entertaining the little peeps.

Thanks to Lee and Tricia for getting our tree for us this year. Without you we still would not have a tree to decorate. It is a lot bigger than we normally get and looks great in our family room, you guys really know how to pick a perfect tree. It took us 3 days to get the tree strung with lights and decorated, I think we are still lacking in the decoration area but Jared said it is just fine the way it is, at least until next year. Mal was determined to have a little tree in her room, luckily Nana had an extra one and let her take it and decorate it. She loves it and can't wait to plug it in each night.

For Co-op Friday night we let all the kids, even the little one that were interested, frost and decorate sugar cookies. They had fun frosting but I think they had even more fun eating. Who knew sprinkles could make such a mess. I really is funny to me how watching these kids once or twice in a month you can grow to care about them so much.

Tuesday night was the Enrichment Christmas dinner. I can't tell you how much a awesome committee means to a leader. They are so great to just do everything that needs to be done. I know I can count on them. We had an awesome program and it was nice to sit and feel the spirit even if it was for just a few moments.

Last night I went to see Michael McLean's Forgotten Carols with Jared and my mom and dad. It was so refreshing to sit there for a couple of hours and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas. Since Thanksgiving I have been thinking about how blessed I am and about all of the things that I have to be grateful for, the list is endless, but at this time of the year I am most grateful for my little family and the love that we have for each other.

The other day I was driving with the girls and Mallory and I were talking about how Christmas is Jesus' birthday and how the wise men brought him gifts and she was so interested in the Christmas story. When we were almost to our stop she said to me "Mommy you are a genius." (It is amazing how being told by a 3 year old that you are a genius can make you feel so good) It is so fun to see her get so excited about Christmas, not only about Santa coming, the snow, the hot chocolate, and the tree, but also about the baby Jesus and his mommy Mary. Everyday she asks me if it is Christmas yet, I can't wait to be able to tell her it is and to see the excitement in her eyes.

There is so much to be excited about this year for Christmas, one of the biggest things is Jared's Graduation from school. He has been going since we were married almost five years ago. It has been such a sacrifice for us, one that I know has been well worth it. He has worked so hard to give us everything we have needed. I know that we have been blessed more than we will ever know during this time and may even look back and wonder how we made it through as we did. I have gained a testimony of many basic gospel principles we are taught in primary and consider myself very blessed to be in the situation were I am today.

Some of what I have written today may just be thoughts and feelings I have had so far this Christmas season more for myself than others that will read this. It has been good to take time to remember the reason for the season and hope that I can continually teach my girls this.

Jared got Tagged

2007-11-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have never blogged before so if you get bored with my post feel free to close out of our blog.

1. I am a football homer. Especially BYU football. It's my only true hobby. Casi supports me in it 100%. I love everything about football season.

2. I married above me. Casi is the greatest. I don't know how she puts up with me. She's so neat and classy and I am not. I'm glad I tricked her into marrying me.

3. I will graduate in 3 Weeks from BYU with a bachelors in Construction Management. Then I plan on building roads for Geneva Rock. Maybe, I'll go back and get an MBA. Maybe.

4. I talk too much. My teachers, fellow students, wife, and friends all know it. I'm just glad they put up with it because sometimes I can't just shut up.

5. When I got off my mission, my mom told me I should start some kind of diet. I thought she was crazy but now I have gained 30-40 lbs since then. I guess I'm getting fat, but at least I'm enjoying it.

6. I have to drive a truck. I feel like I am half naked without a truck. I can't throw stuff in the back, haul stuff, or even go off road. I would rather drive an 1983 rusted out S-10 pickup than a sweet sports car.

7. I can't wait to lose my hair. I have always planned on going bald and actually am looking forward to it. I constantly ask Casi to shave my head but she hates it. We made a deal that I can shave my head once a year and when I start to go bald I can keep it shaved.

TAGGED

2007-11-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Seven interesting facts about me is not an easy thing for me to come up with. I have been thinking and here goes it. . .

1. Jared is my very best friend! I don't think I have ever met someone that cares so much about me and my happiness. There are days that he can tell I just need him and he will stop what he is doing and just help me. The other day I was taking Lily to the doctor (it seems like we have been doing that a lot lately) and he was on his way to work from school. I was really worried about Lily and needed him there with me. Without me even asking he said he would meet me there. He will never know how much that meant to me but everything seemed a little better once he was there. I love our Friday nights, even if we are just at home hanging out, I love being able to spend that time with him.

2. I love Diet Coke! I especially love the first swallow when it actually burns a little on the way down. Call me crazy but I love the stuff.

3. I love to Shop! Target, Interior Elements, Nordstrom, Tai Pan, Gap, Baby Gap, Walmart, DSW, you name it I love it. Even if I don't have the money to spend I love to go and window shop. I love to be in the mall and just watch people. It is so interesting to me to watch all the different types of people that make the world go round.

4. I love MY GIRLS! They have brought more joy into my life than I thought possible while at the same time testing my patience and encouraging me to be a little more crabby than I have ever believed I could be. For the most part we have a lot of fun together and need to remember to enjoy them more. They are growing up so quickly.

5. I love getting together with Friends and Family! It is so fun to get together with old friends from college or friends from the neighborhood or family just to hang out. Food is usually involved, which may explain why I can't lose the weight that I want, it has been and I am pretty sure will be a life long battle for me. But at least we are having a good time!

6. I am and have always been painfully shy with new people, I was quite often mistaken for snobby. Once I get to know someone then I don't have any problems but it takes me longer than most to get to that point. Jared has really helped me in this area, more like pushed me out of this, Jared likes to joke around and often this brings attention to me. When we were first dating this was really hard for me because I was the one who in a crowd of people could sit and not say much but really have a good time. I soon learned that this was something I had to get use to and now it is a lot easier for me to talk to strangers. I am hoping the girls get Jared's ability to talk to anyone and be friends with everyone and not have to deal with the shy card.

7. I love to Exercise! It is such a release for me. I enjoy most anything, I recently learned that I even like to run. My sister-in-law, Tracy, asked me to train for a marathon and run it with her, I didn't get done with my training in time to run it with her but plan to do the Salt Lake Marathon in April.

I tag Erin, Tera, Hanna, Amy, Kim, Tracy and Jamie. Have fun, the rules are post seven interesting things about you, tag 7 more people and let those who you tagged know by commenting on their blog. I hope this is easier for you than it was for me.

Friday Co-op

2007-11-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Lily, Mallory, Macy, Jack, and Raegan. We missed you Kenlie and Afton!

Friday was our turn to watch the kids. We really had a lot of fun and the night seemeed to go by really quick. I guess that is easy for me to say since I just took the pictures, I didn't get down on the floor and play with the kids. We have a really fun bunch of kids and love to have them come, just not quite as much as we love the other 3 Friday nights off.

HALLOWEEN

2007-11-02T15:19:00.000-06:00

My Little princess and Cheerleader

For the first time since I have been a parent, Halloween was a nice relaxing day. Usually I try to do too much and see too many people so by the end of the day the girls are too tired to go Trick-or-Treating.
This year we went to our playgroup Halloween party. The girls got to wear their costume, make spiders out of pipe cleaner, eat cupcakes (Mal's favorite part, that girl loves her cake), and play with their friends.
The girls then had a great nap that made the rest of the day so much fun. When Jared got home from work Mallory was sooo ready to go trick-or-treating and I was sooo ready for her to go. This was the first year Jared hasn't had class on Halloween night since we had kids so it was fun for him to be here and be able to take the girls out. They went with the Duncan's and had a great time. Lily came home a little early because it was too cold for her but I knew she had a great time when she came in saying "TREATS. TREATS, TREATS!" She couldn't get her little hands on the candy fast enough. She carried her pumpkin basket around with her the rest of the night just happy to have as many treats as she possibly could handle. By 9:00 when it was time to go to bed she was on a sugar high. It just occured to me that may be the reason she didn't sleep well that night.

Trick or Treating with the Duncans

Carving Pumpkins

2007-10-31T14:03:00.000-06:00

Lily's 1st time feeling inside a pumpkin. I am not sure she loved the experience

Mal's diggin' right in

Jared and Mal designing her pumpkin face

I think Lily preferred the spoon with the really long handle to clean out her pumpkin

It took us a while to get around to carving the pumpkin but we finally did it last night. The girls had a lot of fun. Mal told Jared that she wanted to name her pumpkin "Jack O' Lantern" Jared told her that was a great idea and he is sure no one had ever thought of that before.

Pumpkins and Ghosts and WITCHES, Oh My

2007-10-31T13:04:00.000-06:00

Every year I take my girls to Gardener Village to see the witches. Mallory has always had fun looking at the witches from a distance but will not get close to them for a picture unless my mom, Marianne, Amy, or myself is in the picture with her. This year she made a huge leap forward. There is one particular witch sitting on a bench with her arm out so when the kids sit down it is like her arm is around them. Every year we go and sit by this witch and this year Mallory sat down next to her (after her 3 month old cousin Logan showed her it was okay) and had her picture taken all by herself. Lily is in the stage where she is not sure what to think of any stranger much less a witch with a green face and funny teeth. She wanted nothing to do with them. She was happy just walking around and holding her Nana's hand. There was a witch that had a cat and mouse running around under her dress and Mallory asked me "Mommy are you sure that cat is not real?" before she would even go near the witch for the picture. The girls were also able to feed the ducks and fish while we were there. I think this was Lily's favorite part. She kept asking for more bread to throw in the water. There was one thing missing this year from our annual trip to see the witches and that was Amy, Tanner and Bryn. We miss you guys! This is a fun tradition for me and the girls, one day they will love to go there with me to go in all the fun shops but for now we will enjoy the witches.

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-24T09:45:00.000-06:00

All day yesterday Mallory was asking if she could have a pumpkin so when Jared got home from school we decided to take the girls to a pumpkin patch and let them choose the pumpkin they wanted. Mallory was determined to find the perfect one and if there was a pumpkin I thought was great it still wasn't good enough. I think she just wanted to run through the pumpkin patch. Finally she found the one she wanted, it was one of the smallest ones there but it was her perfect pumpkin. Lily didn't really understand what was going on but she loved running after her sister. Jared picked a pumpkin for Lil' and one for himself (he had to have one to carve his annual BYU pumpkin). After we bought the pumpkins the girls weren't done running around so Jared to the pumpkins to the car and I stayed with the girls in the patch. We found some old tractors the girls wanted to sit on and there was a kids corn maze that the girls went through. I have began to realize that the more I let my girls just enjoy moments like these the more fun I have also. Most of the time I am so worried about getting the pumpkin, getting home to carve the pumpkin before it is time to get in the tub so the girls can get to bed on time, that I don't just enjoy the moment. We really had a fun time, we didn't get the pumpkins carved but now we have an activity for tonight. There are also some pictures of Lily helping me frost cookies we took to a few neighbors. (The one she frosted was just for her and she loved it.)

You Know It's Love

2007-10-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of the two of us before the game started.

There is nothing Jared enjoys more than BYU football, besides his family, of course. I have always enjoyed watching football and had gone to quite a few games before I met Jared but there is something about going to a game with Jared. He loves everything about the game, the weather (hot, cold, sunny, raining, snowing), the smell, the pregame warmups (yes, we are usually there to watch them), the kettle corn, standing the ENTIRE game in the student section, the players, their stats, the stats of the opponents you name it he loves it. He is like a little boy at Christmas. One of the rule of me going to the game with him is we stay for the entire game, no matter the score or the weather. So on Saturday when it was a blizzard and most of the people in the stadium left in the 3rd quarter you can bet I was there until the end of the 4th. There is nothing I love more than being with Jared and watching him have the time of his life. You know it's love when I don't even mind being in a freezing cold blizzard because of the guy I'm with .

This was towards the end of the 4th quarter.

Sunday Afternoon. . .

2007-10-16T12:42:00.000-06:00

Sunday after church and a much needed nap, Jared and I took the girls up American Fork Canyon and drove the Alpine Loop. It was so nice to spend the afternoon outside. Mallory loved the hikes (maybe she isn't as much like her mom as everyone thinks), and Lily loves to be outside, so the girls were in heaven. I think that by the end of the drive Lily was getting a little car sick but other than that it was a really great afternoon.

Day at the Park

2007-10-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

With winter quickly approaching we decided to take advantage of a nice fall morning at the park. The girls always have so much fun when we go.

Night at the Circus

2007-10-03T20:24:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday we were able to take the girls to the circus. Eric and Hanna offered us tickets so we took them up on their offer. It was so fun to see the girls faces when all the firework started going off and the clowns and animals started coming out on the floor. I never thought I would enjoy the circus but somehow kids make everything much more magical. Lily sat still on my lap for the first 15 minutes, eyes wide, huge smile, and clapping. This is huge, Lily doesn't sit still for one minute for anything. Mallory was so excited and wide eyed. She loved the circus, by the end she was getting tired, I asked her if she wanted to go home and she said, "No Mommy, I want to stay at the circus forever and ever".

During intermission we got popcorn and a drink and Lily wanted it all for herself. Usually she likes to share with Mal, but not tonight. To make sure no one else wanted any she took both her hands and dug them to the bottom of the tub, just like she was digging in the sandbox. I am sure she touched every piece of popcorn in the tub. Kids are so much fun

So I'm no Tiger!

2007-09-25T13:29:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I participated in my first golf tournament. It was actually the first time I had played 18 holes. Jared's brother Lee invited us to play in his company golf tournament. I am so grateful it was a scramble. It could have been a really long day. I was proud of myself once in a while when we were actually able to use my shot to play off of. I did decide that I need professional help and would like to take lessons so Jared and I can golf together more. It was a lot of fun being able to spend that much time with Jared. There are not too many moments like that lately. Thanks Lee for the fun day!

The Joys of Parenthood

2007-09-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday I was watching two of Mallory's friends, McKinnley and Raegan. They were downstairs playing with Mallory's Barbie house and Barbies. They were playing so good and I was getting so much done. Just a side note, our basement is unfinished, we have a huge area rug where some of the toys and Barbie house are.

Well, later that day, after Jared had come home from work we were outside working in the yard. Mallory ran inside yelling "I need to go potty". Jared followed her inside and she was headed back downstairs. He asked her what she was doing. She said, "Daddy I am going potty". Jared was a little surpised by this answer and said that she needed to do this upstairs. She said "But Daddy there is a potty downstairs". Instantly Jared knew that the girls had been using the potty that was not hooked up to the plumbing. He tried to explain to Mallory that the potty downstairs did not work and she had to go in the potty upstairs, ALWAYS.

After the Mallory and Lily had gone to bed Jared said to me, "Come on Case lets go take care the toilet filled with ****". I told him to have fun but I was not going to carry a toilet full of urine up the stairs. After much discussion I agreed to help him. We soaked up as much of the stuff as we could, but most if it was down in the "pee trap", who knew toilets had such a thing. Jared was sure that none would come out and we could just dump it outside.

As we were carrying the toilet upstairs the bowl was tipped up and when we leveled the toilet out the pee flushed out the bottom of the toilet. I was in shock and disgusted. I had pee all over my kitchen floor that I had just mopped earlier that day, all over my feet, the bottom of my pajamas, and Jared had it all over the bottom of his legs.
Little did I know that when I signed up to be a parent I would experience things like this. Good thing the joyful times out weigh the less joyful times.

With a lot of Encouragement.

2007-09-20T19:50:00.000-06:00

I finally did it. Amy will be so proud of me, I finished my blog! It has taken some, wait a lot, of encouragement from Amy but I did it. I have had a lot of fun reading everyones. It is fun to catch up on friends and family I don't see very often.