Thoman Family

There's A First Time For Everything...

2012-02-25T14:30:00.004-07:00

January went by so slow and February goes by so fast that I kinda wish that I had a little more of February left. But I know Spring is close by and I can't wait! This month has been full of firsts for our family. Wade is now in Nursery and absolutely HATES it with a passion. He will walk all the way to the door and as soon as you open it he stands there and starts to cry. Being the Mom that I am I either just push him through the door and walk away or have someone else take him so maybe it won't be so bad on him leaving mom. If I wasn't in Primary and had to conduct or do sharing time I might have a little more sympathy but if he doesn't go into Nursery then he distracts the kids and plays on the piano so into the Nursery he goes. He has gotten better but I always pick him up crying. Spencer on the other hand is a more sympathetic dad and thinks if he hates it that much then one parent should stay in with him for a little bit. So, the Sunday's Spencer isn't working he goes into Nursery with Wade.

We took a little vacation to Thermopolis for Spencer's birthday (to bad I forgot my camera again!). Wade LOVED Thermopolis this time. When I take him swimming in Big Piney he stands on the step the entire time and when I make him walk around the kiddie pool he cries. But, in Thermopolis you would have thought he was a professional swimmer. He walked all over the kiddie pool, kicked all over the big pool, and even got to go down the slide with dad. The slide was by far his favorite part. Spencer would let the water build up and Wade would try and push him down so they could go (apparently he doesn't have much patience). We were only going to spend a night up there and we drove all the way back to Shoshoni just for Spencer to say lets go again. That was a first for our family to extend a vacation! We had so much fun though. Wade even fell asleep in his little floaty for a nice 45 minute nap (that's definitely a first!).

Wade discovered there are certain foods that are perfect for little boy's fingers! He's a big fruit fan and when I gave him some raspberries the other day he ate them all until he realized they fit on his finger.

Showing mom his new talent!

MMM...he loves his fruit!

Another first was I let him stay the night at Aunt Nadelle's all by himself (I know kinda hard to believe with this paranoid mom sometimes). Nadelle was swimming up in Pinedale when I told her I had to take Mom to Salt Lake for a Dr.'s appointment. She instantly said she would take Wade for the night. I was a little (and really only a little) nervous to have her take him for the night since I have had him every night for 18 months! I knew he'd be taken care of just was hoping he wouldn't make him self sick. He did awesome! He cried when I shut the car door but Nadelle said by the time they pulled out he was laughing. He played so hard with her girls that I put him to bed the next day at 7:30 and he slept silently through the night until 7:30 the next morning! Her girls loved having him over, Nadelle loved spending time with him, and I loved not having to take him in and out of the car and worry about a nap. I'm thinking there might be more and more sleep overs in the future!!!

And another first that happened this month was Wade fell asleep on the floor! I was paying bills when I thought Wade was being a little to quiet for watching a movie. I turned around and found him sleeping on the floor at 11:30 in the morning. I thought "oh man he must be getting sick" But NOPE...he apparently was just tired. I think he's turning more into his dad where he can fall asleep pretty much anywhere! I did pick him up and put him in his crib and he slept for another couple hours.

I loved this month though and know that there will be many many more firsts in the next couple months and years!

January 2012

2012-01-31T09:26:00.010-07:00

I am not a big fan of January...it just seems like it is one of the longest months! This January is no different than any other one either. But, with it being long we still have managed to do some things around here to keep us busy. So, here's a list of our January happenings.

1. Wade got his first taste of a good winter storm! For almost the entire month we didn't have any snow on our front yard. One day it finally snowed and it was a very heavy wet snow that has still covered our grass! We decided after being cooped up in the house all day we'd take Wade out in his new winter clothes and let him play.
His first step in the snow were a failure (doesn't help that his boots are a little big for him). He had a hard time getting up and wanting to go on.

After his fall he found out that snow actually tastes pretty good and wanted to just stand and eat snow all night.

We have a dog kennel in the back yard and Wade loved going in and out of it.

Finally giving up after a long walk in those boots!

Thank Heaven for Dads who are willing to help out poor tired little boys!

2. We tiled our front entry way because we got new carpet!!!

Before shot of the front door and old carpet!

We knew there was wood floor underneath and wondered what kind of shape it was it. It was actually in really good shape and we thought about leaving it. However, our house is old, our floors would have been cold, and we have a certain little boy who sometimes runs to fast and bangs his head all to often so we decided to go with the carpet! Sure glad we did!

The finished product! It looks so good and it so comfy. We all love it especially Wade. He uses the new entry as a stage and performs daily on it and loves to lay/roll all over the carpet now.

3. We've been having some very lazy days this month!

4. It FINALLY happened...Wade fell asleep while eating! Everyone has pictures of their kids falling asleep in funny places and I never thought I'd get one with Wade. Earlier that day he went out with his dad to help dig water holes then they were going to feed the cows but someone forgot to grab/send the diaper bag so they had to come home early because the make shift diaper wasn't cutting it :( When he came home I took him swimming with some friends. Right in the middle of his lunch he fell asleep not only with a half eaten lunch but a long noodle coming out of his mouth! Probably the only time I'll ever catch him sleeping in his high chair!

5. Wade keeps finding new seats to sit in and usually they're in a pan of mine. He sits in pots, frying pans, baking sheets, anything but the couch usually.

6. Wade found out how stickers work! He stuck them all over his legs and for some reason loved to stick them under his chin!

Needless to say there's no more stickers in his sticker book.

Happy New Year...

2012-01-10T13:57:00.004-07:00

When we were younger we would call our grandparents on Christmas morning tell them what we got and said Merry Christmas then went out to the car to go surprise them! Well this year it was Mom's turn to be surprised. Shelby had been planning on coming up to surprise Mom for over a month. We all knew and we all almost gave it away a billion times! We couldn't wait for the day to get here not just for the surprise but so we didn't have to make up stories anymore!

I convinced Mom to take half a day off of work on Friday and told her Spencer, Wade and I would come and spend the weekend with them. Rustie and Rowdy told her that they were coming since Rustie had a 3 day weekend and they didn't have much to do. Shelby called me right before they were getting into town to make sure we were home. Dad was pacing and I thought for sure one of us was going to give it away! I started a conversation (which now I can't remember) to keep Mom away from the windows. Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch when someone knocked on the door. Mom looked out the door window with this look of confusion then realized it really was Shelby and her family! We all figured she knew because of little things she said but she said she had no idea! I think this picture proves that she had no idea!
I think Mom had the best Christmas with seeing or talking to all of her kids and grand kids.

It didn't take Wade long to warm up to his cousins. Wish they lived closer so he could spend some time at their house :)

Wade also liked playing by himself as long as he had my grandma's old grease tin and the tin full of buttons. Those two "toys" entertained him for hours!

Starring at Santa's helpers out the window! Seems like this is a Christmas tradition around Grandma's house!

Grandpa took all the grand kids to see his semi. Poor Shawn fell asleep so he missed out. Wade loved every minute in that thing. There were so many things for him to touch and a large steering wheel to drive. He didn't even jump when Grandpa honked the horn!

For a kid that likes buttons...this was heaven!

I think everyone had fun seeing Grandpa's semi. Chase was a little disappointed that he didn't get to go inside every single one but he still had fun. Shelby, Rustie, and I talked about playing in Dad's semi when we were younger and if it was warmer that day I think Chase and Karlie would have loved to play in the semi longer. It was very cold that day so we didn't stay out there to long but we all had fun playing in the semi.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-10T12:31:00.004-07:00

We had a fast and exciting Christmas this year. We went to La Barge for Christmas Eve. We were able to see lots of family and eat good food! Wade got spoiled by all his grandparents and loved opening all the presents he got! (Note: Most of the pictures are out of order on this post).
Wade loves his building blocks. We find them everywhere!

We went to Spencer's Aunt Toni's house that evening. Toni always has a great party planned and this year all Spencer's siblings were able to be there! We had a fun time visiting with all the relatives.

Christmas morning we opened all our gifts from Santa. Wade loved ripping the paper off the present but wasn't as interested in the presents until he saw the candy in the stockings! We had a farewell to go to for our friend Tyler and then we headed down to Kemmerer so we could visit with the rest of the family and talk to Kellie! Wade and Spencer were exhausted by the time we got there. I didn't mind that they were sleeping since it left me more available time to talk to Kellie!

Wade loved tearing the paper apart and after every rip this was his reaction!

This was our 3rd Christmas together and our first Christmas tree. We decided this year to get a real one and instead of pine we got a cedar! It was pretty unique but next time I'm pretty sure it will either be fake or a pine. By the end of the month it started smelling and the day after Christmas it was the first thing to come down! I loved having a tree and Wade did awesome staying out of it too!

We had a great time with all the family we saw and were able to talk too!

So Long...

2011-12-06T14:20:00.003-07:00

Over the past year we've had some people tell us that Wade is to old for a pacifier and some people tell us that Wade can have a pacifier as long as he wants (or as long as mom and dad can stand it). Wade had his pacifier a lot when he was only a few months old. I heard that pacifiers help reduce the risk of SIDS until around 6 months or so, being the paranoid mom that I was...I pushed the pacifier. After we moved to Big Piney we limited (or tried to limit) his pacifier to only naps and in the car. We decided that we probably should get rid of it and my goal was by Christmas. Spencer wanted it done earlier but I told him we could do it before we went to Tennessee and Wade could throw a fit in the car and on the plane or we could wait until after. We decided to wait until after!

Wade would wake up in the middle of the night and cry for it. We'd get up, find it, and he'd go back to sleep. The other morning we decided that it was time to get rid of it once and for all. I knew that there was no going back and I was a little worried about how it would go. I read in an article that if you snip the end, they still want it but it looses that appeal to them quickly. I noticed Wade's already had a slit in it (how long it had been there I have no idea!). So I decided right then that I was going to cut it!
I probably took more off than they suggested but I had to cut it lower than the slit. The first nap I handed him his pacifier. He instantly put it in his mouth and instantly took it out. He probably did this about 3 times before he just lost interest and finally fell asleep with out it!!! The next nap I wasn't so lucky. He screamed and screamed until I took him out of his crib! I told myself that if he wasn't going to at least try to take a nap then he can just wear himself out! By that night he was so tired he didn't even cry when we put him to bed.

The next morning when I went to get him out of his crib, the pacifier was on the opposite end of the bed (which was not Wade's style!). I let him have the pacifier in his crib one more day and the next day I threw it away!

We've gone over a week without it and Wades is doing awesome! Danna told me that it's harder on the parents than it is on the child to break it. I'd say she's right. I think Wade was ready to loose it and probably could have lost it a long time ago. I really thought he'd cry way more than he has. He's had a few naps where it takes him a minute longer to fall asleep (he's a lot like Kellie that when his head hits the pillow he's out!) but night time is wonderful! He has been going to bed early and sleeping for about 12 hours without waking up!

Will our next kid have a pacifier? Maybe but hopefully it will be gone after 6 months! Now onto working on drinking out of a cup better!

Little Ghost...

2011-12-06T14:04:00.006-07:00

My friend and I did a scarf trade while at one of the many craft fairs we did this year. Wade absolutely LOVES this scarf and loves to be a little ghost in it. We've played "ghost" so much that we have started to hide the scarf and some how he finds it and comes running to us to put it on his head!
He walks around the front room in circles wearing the scarf.

He finally pulls it off and comes running to us for more!

Maybe he should have been a ghost for Halloween!

He wasn't as fond of the scarf with it around his neck but he humored Spencer and I with it on for a little while.

Showing off his favorite movie!

Our Vacation...

2011-11-20T14:28:00.013-07:00

Oh how I love Tennessee!!! We were able to go to Spencer's mission in Tennessee this fall and see the areas he served in and meet the people that he came to know and love. Unfortunately we were a week late for the full color of fall but we still were able to see some leaves on the trees! I have to warn you though we were complete tourists on this trip and took almost 300 pictures. I didn't post all 300 pictures but there is an overload of pictures. We had a great trip and can't wait to go back again soon!
One thing that Spencer loved about Tennessee and Kentucky were all the old barns. He said he wanted to take a picture of a different barn every week and send it to his grandma. He knew she'd appreciate it but he said he ran out of time and wasn't able to do it. We saw a ton of old barns and should have taken more pictures but at least we have pictures of some of them.

Wade was the best little boy on this trip! He never cried, was perfect on the planes, took naps wherever we went, and fell asleep easily, probably because we wore him out! We were so worried he'd be cranky but he was so good that he really deserves a puppy or something that big (to bad his parents really aren't getting him a puppy but we'll probably get him something!). He loved all the leaves and whenever he was outside he either had a leaf in his hand or was stomping through them.

There were so many fun things to see out there! We loved this little tower. It was at a State Park that we went to and had some significant meaning but once again I can't remember what.

Can I just tell you I LOVE this family! I'm not saying this because they might read my blog but because they are awesome. This is the Stuarts. Spencer met them on his mission and they truly consider him part of the family. We stayed with them for most of the trip. Their kids were so excited that he was coming out and couldn't wait to meet Wade. Corey and Mandy are some of the hardest working people I know. They taught me so much in just the few short days that we were there! Their kids are some of the nicest kids too. Can you believe that Ethan is only 12!!! They said he hangs out with 17 year olds (probably because he is mature enough to be 17) and he is awesome on the guitar! Alora and Gretchin were so fun too. They loved playing with Wade and telling us all about life! We'll definitely have to keep in touch with them!

We spent a lot of time outside. Mandy and Corey took us to Stone Door to hike around one Saturday. It was so pretty and Wade loved it when we put him in all these leaves to play in.

I loved this hike. It was so pretty! I wish we could have seen it in full color but maybe one day I'll convince Spencer to go back out in October so we don't miss the leaves!

This is Stone Door. You can either look out on the cliffs that are above or walk down below.

The stairs down to the bottom! They weren't to bad but they were a little skinny for me!

Spencer was at the top when he took this picture! Mandy and Alora are half way down!

Ethan thought it would be cool to take a nap on the tree but it didn't last to long!

Wade did not want his picture taken he wanted to play on the rocks and stairs with the big kids.

Climbing up the stairs wasn't to bad either. But someone and I won't mention names (not me) did get a little winded...and I'm not the one that has been hunting all fall.

Yep we were definitely in the South!

Spencer, Wade, and I went to another State Park. I can't remember the name of it but it was gorgeous!

This is hard to see but this was a small waterfall coming down off the rocks.

I would love to see Tennessee in the Spring. I don't know if they get a lot of run off like we do but I bet this is still a pretty place to go.

These waterfalls fascinated both Spencer and I. They weren't at the top of the hill but coming so fast out of the middle of the rocks. They were gorgeous!

It would have been so pretty in the fall!

They have a quilt tour in Tennessee. We didn't find out about it until we read about it in the airport on the way home. But they have old barns and historic buildings with a quilt piece painted on it. You can get a map and follow the quilt squares around and see more old barns and historical places. Next time I think we'll do it.

This picture is kind of out of place but this car was built by one of Spencer's friends in McMinnville. If I remember right he designed this car himself and did all the work on it. The side mirrors are from a jet ski and the headlights are from Minni coops. I think this picture would be better if we weren't in it but Spencer's friend said that a girl always has to be in the picture with a car.

We loved our trip and had so much fun! Spencer loved being back too. We traveled all over and even were able to go up to Bowling Green, Kentucky where he served. He got to see so many people since it was Stake Conference and had served in 2 areas on that Stake. It was fun meeting everyone and seeing the areas that Spencer served in. I know he was a great missionary! It was also fun to be in the South. I think I probably gained 10 pounds while I was down there (not literally) but we did have some good food! We had these green beans that I told Spencer he should have tried. Wade and I loved them! We found out later they were canned with pig lard...hmmm no wonder why they were so good and I felt so heavy haha.

It was also neat to see the home of country music. Mandy heard on the radio that some country singer was making a video and said if anyone was interested in being in to wear their camo and bring their ATV. We went through that town before they started filming and saw the tour bus and everyone all decked out...to bad we left our camo at home :(

We had an awesome vacation and can't wait to go back!

Nashville Temple

2011-11-20T14:21:00.002-07:00

We were able to see the Nashville Temple. It's small but very pretty.
The temple was closed for cleaning and opening up the day we flew out or we would have tried and gone to a session.

I didn't know this but the Nashville Temple (like a lot of temples probably) had a lot of opposition when it was built. They put a lot of stipulations on how high it could be and how big it could be. It's actually built in Franklin. Franklin is a wealthy community and there is a very wealthy high school that is right next to it (I mean these kids are driving cars that most guys only dream about wealthy)!

Spencer said that while he was on his mission the temple had been egged and some missionaries and church members went and cleaned it off. He said he happens frequently. The garden that Wade is walking around use to be a water fountain. The church replaced it because people put soap in the fountain and damaged it. I just was surprised and sad by what people would do to someones place of worship.

North Cut Cove

2011-11-20T14:11:00.004-07:00

This the the North Cut Cove LDS Church built in 1909. I can't remember the entire story but it is one of the oldest LDS churches in Tennessee. There's a picture of this church on Temple Square. They dedicated the church house to the Southern Pioneers. I told Mandy that I never thought about there being Southern Pioneers because we hear so much about the Utah Pioneers. It was pretty neat thinking about the pioneers in the south and now having been down there I definitely have a great love and respect for them.

Sorry the pictures are out of order. They don't have services have anymore but they do have a lot of youth conferences here. There's also a cemetery behind the church house where people can still be buried. I think the oldest grave we saw was 1886.

Nashville, Tennessee

2011-11-20T13:40:00.006-07:00

On our way back from Kentucky we decided to go downtown Nashville. I told Spencer that was the only thing I wanted to do since I am a fan of country music. We didn't really have much of a plan or really any places we had to see but we plugged in music row in our GPS and decided to be brave and go down town!
This is what everyone calls the Batman building. It says AT&T on top but everyone in Tennessee knows it as the Batman building!

Can I just tell you that Nashville was by far the worst city I have EVER in my life drove in! I have driven in some big cities and been OK for the most part but Nashville was so hard that I seriously thought about turning around and going somewhere else! Didn't help that we ran into one the largest parades of the nation on Veterans Day! So I took a picture of this sign. This is a one way, one lane street! I know that there's 3 rows of cars right here but it really is ONE lane! Then the signs...where do you go?!?! And when there's one lane what is the point of the middle sign?!?! There's one intersection that is a 4 way stop with the stop lights being at a diagonal and you don't know which one is yours until you're practically right under it! Next time though I'll be a pro!

More of Nashville!

It's kind of hard to see but you can see the CMT building and a studio to the left (I know bad picture).

The Columbia River which was gorgeous and the Tennessee Titans football stadium!

Spencer's laughing at the guy that just walked past him talking to himself. I can't remember what he was talking about but it made us both a little worried!

Country Music Hall of Fame. We went into the gift shop but didn't have time to go tour the building. The architecture of this building is really cool. The windows represent piano keys, the cylindrical shape represents the water towers and grains silo in rural areas, there's a tower which I couldn't get represents a radio tower, from over head the building resembles the shape of a bass clef, and the curb and entrance symbolize the "front porch" origins of country music. It really is a cool building.

Spencer loved this saying inside the museum.

There are a ton of honky tonks and bars where people have become famous in Nashville. This picture is for Kellie since she use to love the song Cadillac Ranch by Chris Ledoux!

Can you tell I'm so thrilled to be standing by Elvis! I thought Elvis was really only big in Memphis but apparently he was big in Nashville too! Lots of Elvis manikins around that city!

Every bar has someone singing in it and I'm sure they're trying to become famous. Even the airport has a stage for performers. When we first flew in the guy singing will probably become famous when we left...not so much! Spencer took this picture and went into the bar to hear someone sing. I was walking down the street window shopping and turned around to talk to him and he was gone! Never thought I'd be looking for my husband in a bar ;)

Friends...

2011-11-18T14:15:00.005-07:00

We were able to visit a lot of people that Spencer was close with on his mission. It was fun visiting with them and getting to know people who touched his life. We tried to get pictures of everyone that we visited but for some reason or another we didn't get to take one of everyone. Sunday was Stake Conference for some of the wards Spencer covered for the longest time of his mission so he was able to see a lot more people than he expected.
Alex was an investigator who Spencer was able to baptize. He's from China and going to school in Bowling Green. Spencer was so excited to see him. He thought he had gone back to China so it was a nice surprise when he found out he was still in town.

The Scott's: Cole, Chad, Kylie, and Rhonda. Chad was the ward missionary leader when Spencer was in Bowling Green. They love Spencer. Kylie was nice enough to make a welcome sign and put it on the mail box so we would know where to go. Cole was nice enough to give Wade one of his play cell phones (which in Cole's words was one that he "absolutely loved" but his mom made him give it to him anyways). Rhonda told me she cried when she found out Spencer was getting married and Chad had to say that eventually it would have happened! She didn't expect it so soon and felt like Spencer was like a son to them. We loved hanging out with their family and wished that we had more time in Bowling Green.

Samantha Mullins has led a very different life than I ever dreamed. But the Lord knows what we can and can't handle. She was also a lady who Spencer was able to baptize. She is a sweet girl. This will probably be our only time to see her and her son Trent. They're getting ready to move to Michigan. We almost missed seeing them but found out she was in the same town as we were so we lucked out and I got to meet her.

The Winchel's live on top of the mountain in McMinnville. They were so excited that Spencer was there. Tim couldn't wait to let Spencer shoot his gun. He wanted to take him hunting that night but we didn't have much time and Spencer knew he'd probably kill one and then we really wouldn't have a lot of time...about an hour later Tim called Spencer and sure enough he killed a deer.

We met Kathy for lunch in Franklin. She was an investigator and was eventually baptized.

Carla King is such a sweetheart! She thinks the world of Spencer. She was like the missionary mom when he was out there. He spent his first Thanksgiving with her and her family. She loved seeing him again and wants us to move out there so bad. We told her to come to Wyoming but like everyone else she said it was to cold!

Little Chef

2011-11-03T17:07:00.006-06:00

Wade has become a little chef! He loves to play with my pots and all my cooking utensils too. Sometimes it drives Spencer crazy because he thinks he should be playing with toys but me I think he's just developing his imagination. One day I was cooking and Wade kept reaching for the pan. I finally gave him a pot and he played with it for over an hour. Now every time we go to Grandma's or a friends he usually spots their spatulas and wants to play with them!
Grandma was nicer than mom and gave him her entire jar of spatulas. When we got home, Wade thought he needed all of them and I had to unpack the car so he got my jar. Oh and he's shirtless because he can now take off his shirts (that to me drives me crazy!).

The joys of cooking (and being a mom)!

I had an idea to put some Nerds in the pan so he could stir it around. Apparently my idea and his idea were NOT the same. He immediately took them out and left them on the floor. I guess he was cooking something a lot cooler than Nerds!

The terrible 2's kicked in a little early this day. I had to go somewhere and got Wade ready and the entire time he glared at me and just wanted to sit on the couch! So what do I do? Take a picture! Oh how I love my little boy!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-03T10:52:00.007-06:00

This year we celebrated Halloween a lot in our family. Last week Spencer went hunting again so Wade and I went to hang out in Kemmerer for a few days. The night we got there, the wards were doing a trunk or treat so we dressed Wade up for the FREEZING cold weather and went to see Grandma and Grandpa. I however forgot my camera but Wade loved he. Someone gave him a Blow Pop sucker and he was happy as can be. He didn't care how cold it was just as long as he had his sucker.
This was the only picture I had of him before he got in the tub. Got to love purple suckers and dye your mouth black!

On Saturday we went over to Farson for their community Halloween party. They had a dinner and dance in their new community center. It was fun to see old friends and hang out with the Jones family again. I once again was a slacker and didn't take any pictures. Aunt Nadelle did but I don't know if Spencer was to proud of his Fat Elvis costume so I better not put it on. (Yes I really did get him to dress up and he probably would have won best costume if he hadn't left the dance early). Wade loved the running around that night too. He was run away and then turn around to make sure mom was in sight, laugh, and run some more. We were all surprised at how he would take off by himself!

We were going to have Wade be a puppy this year since that's his favorite thing right now. We couldn't agree on one so we decided to go with a raccoon instead. I tried so hard to paint his nose black but he didn't want any part of that!

This is Wade's little friend (girlfriend) Hailey! Isn't she cute! We love playing with Hailey and she loves Wade (I'm afraid we might have to watch these 2 as they get older ;). Her mom and I took the kids around to the businesses. I think we mostly went around for our husbands more for the kids...they kinda indulged themselves in the candy afterwords!

Our friend Cristina put on a trunk or treat at the fairgrounds this year. It was the first year they did it for the community and it was a hit! There were about 30 cars and lots of kids! They all seemed to love it! Notice Wade has a sucker again!

Here's our trunk! I forgot to clean out the trunk before we left but it still worked out!

Wade loved Halloween and figured out how to grab 3-4 pieces of candy in one hand when someone would let him! But his favorite part was still the sucker (at least we were able to get rid of the candy before Wade noticed!)

Girls Weekend...

2011-10-25T07:13:00.007-06:00

Mom and I decided to have a girls weekend over in Laramie since both of our husbands went hunting. We had so much fun visiting Rustie, Sage, and Rowdy. We went to Fort Collins shopping, saw Melissa's new baby Ella, went to church, and just enjoyed each others company.
Sage is so dang cute and she was really good to have her cousin love on her and maybe change her routine a little ;)

On our way home from Fort Collins we saw 3 big horn sheep right off the road. So, we decided to look like tourists and took some pictures. It was cool and odd to see sheep right off the side of the road.

Wade wasn't loving church and luckily it was Stake Conference so we only had 2 hours instead of 3. We went in a room where we could hear the speaker and let Wade run around. This is his new trick that he is doing more and more and maybe one day I'll push him over to do a summer salt.

Wade was so concerened when Sage disappeared under the blanket to eat. He tried finding her and loved helping Aunt Rustie when she was all done.

On our way to Laramie Wade was mad that he had to sit in his car seat. He made himself throw up after he ate something so we stripped him down, cleaned out the seat as best we could, put him back in it and then had to wash it when we got to town. Our friends Roby and Kaylee who are from Big Piney go to school in Laramie and they let us use our washer and dryer. We were excited to see them. They both love Wade and Roby was excited to watch a movie with him.

Wade was a tired little boy! (He should have been though...he woke up at 1 in the morning and wouldn't go back to sleep until 4). Our ride home wasn't as bad as the way there! We loved hanging out in Laramie and can't wait to see the Nelson family over the holidays!

More Dirt Work...

2011-10-25T06:50:00.006-06:00

We did some more dirt work the other day and once again I couldn't keep Wade away from the backhoe. He LOVES that thing! I thought I'd show you a closer up shot of his face so you can see his excitement!

He laughed and squealed the entire time!

He was trying so hard to move the bucket. Luckily dad helped him out a little and you should have seen the excitement!

Private...

2011-10-10T15:47:00.003-06:00

So the time has come when I'm going private on my blog. I have wanted to for awhile but I have never decided to do it until now. If you want to continue to "follow" my blog send me your email and I'll add you so you can continue to watch our family grow!

Oh Snow...

2011-10-07T10:47:00.011-06:00

I just posted on how nice our fall has been and today I woke up to snow!!! Sad day!!! I really don't mind snow in December, January, and February but when I thought about having snow for the next 7 months I thought how sad it was and that if we had it 2 months longer (which we usually do) that's as along as having a baby (no not announcing anything there...but I do think I'd rather have 9 months of being pregnant than 9 months of snow!!). Anyways off my little soap box. Wade slept in and started the day with a lazy morning.
This is how he spent half the morning. He loves the movie Despicable Me and I could tell he was tired this morning. So I put on a movie for him and tried to get him dressed but this is as far as I got. Yesterday he was on a sugar high or something. He was bouncing off the walls all day and hardly slept...he must have felt the change in the air!

I decided since it was the first snow and Wade was to young last year to "enjoy" it, that I'd take him out for awhile and at least have some excitement with the white stuff!

He loved the crunch sound under his shoes but was on a mission to find the puppy that you can see over his head! He loves that dog and that dog is mean so I tried to get his attention on other things.

He walked over to my car and put his hands on the snow. He wasn't quite sure about that cold feeling.

Showing mom what he found and hoping she'd get it off fast!

His path through the yard.

He loved being outside until he fell. He wasn't about to put his hands down to help him up. He really didn't mind the snow and I even gave him a taste of it. He likes cold things and I thought for sure he'd keep eating it but he didn't (guess that's a good thing). He was pretty sad when we came inside but after a couple of falls his hands were a little red. I think I need to be more prepared for winter such as coat, boots, gloves..you know the works!!

Working with Dad

2011-10-05T10:44:00.010-06:00

(This picture should have been my last picture but I accidentally deleted it so it will make sense at the end. But I do love this picture and I LOVE the grin on Wade's face! :)

We've been working on the outside of the house this time. We have two tall cottonwood trees that have probably been here since the house was built. They're in pretty bad shape but I hate to see trees being cut down in Wyoming! These trees were great this summer with the shade but since quite a few limbs were broken we decided it was time to at least trim them up. Besides I did get to enjoy their pretty yellow leaves (even if they are all gone now from the wind!)
Side note: Spencer had no idea I was taking pictures and was NOT trying to look like a lumber jack in this picture!

Our massive tree project!

Wade heard the saw going and the backhoe running and had to know what was going on! He watched his dad for quite awhile in awe!

Wade's friend Jeremiah has been at our house during the day for a couple weeks while his babysitter had a baby! They both thought the trees coming down were awesome!

Wade wanted so bad to go out and help Spencer. His face says it all!

He finally gave up and started looking at a book but would NOT let me close the door!

Our yard looked like we lived in the forest at the end of the day.

Wade finally got his wish and was able to go help dad. He LOVES the backhoe and loves to drive it too! Spencer use to say that Wade wouldn't ever want anything to do with him but now that he's older and Wade sees all these fun things like riding horses, riding mules, driving backhoes, herding cows, etc...he LOVES being with his Dad and would much rather being doing what his dad is doing than having to be in the house with Mom!

I love fall...

2011-10-05T10:12:00.007-06:00

We have had the most beautiful fall this year and I am loving it! We went for a ride up in the mountains the other day and it was the perfect day. Not only was the weather warm, the trees were beautiful, and Wade didn't scream at all in his car seat!
We let him touch the water and then we couldn't keep him out of it!

Spencer got his hair wet in the cold water and Wade was more concerned about the sun in his eyes than the temperature of the water.

He was a little upset when his dad told him he could play in the water anymore!

I had this brilliant idea to play in the river! It was a little to cold but it was still fun. I even let Wade put his feet in. He thought dunking his head was better than putting his feet in.

Yes he really is drinking the water off his fingers.

Before we left we let him play inside the truck. We had a hard time getting him to come to me so I could put him in his car seat!

LONG. . .

2011-09-21T12:54:00.004-06:00

There have been so many things that have been going on lately that the one thing they all have in common with is the word LONG!!! Some of the things that I've been thinking about or have been going on is ....

Summer was not LONG enough
Should I grow my hair LONG?
It's been a LONG time since I've posted anything
I don't have LONG to get ready for this craft fair I'm working on
We have a LONG time before we go to Tennessee
This week has been so LONG
and I'm sure the list could be LONGer but you get the drift!

I think the one thing though that has stood out to me was how LONG yesterday was! Let me back up first and tell you about Monday. I'm starting to watch a little boy for a few weeks and I was tending him Monday. So far he's been great and Wade loves to play with him. Jeremiah however doesn't like him so much (must be the age). He tolerates him though! Anyways I was babysitting and the day was very LONG for some reason. Spencer had the day off and went and helped his dad work cows. I was ready for him to be home that night since I needed help with some projects and we haven't seen each other much in the past week.

Well I get a call from him about 7:00 saying he needed his foreman's number. He then told me that he was charged by a bull and broke 3 teeth. I called our amazing dentist, told them what was going on, and asked if Spencer could be seen on Tuesday. They were so great they said they could see him that night but we decided to go down Tuesday morning.

Wade and I met Spencer up at Blaine's and spent the night. Oh my how that night was LONG. We all stayed in the same bed (Wade rarely sleeps with us and there's a reason for it). Spencer had about half the bed, Wade had the other half of the bed, and I had about 1/16th of the bed! Spencer and I got up at 4:45 in the morning to make the trip to Salt Lake.

We got there and found out just how lucky Spencer was. So, here's the story of the bull: Spencer was in the chute and closed the gate. He had a rod in his hand and was prodding the bulls into the trailer. Well the younger bull turned around and zeroed in on him. He had about a 20 yard run on Spencer. He hit him in the chest, knocked him down (and under the bull), flipped him over, knocked his glasses off, and then the bull jumped the gate and ran off. Spencer's glasses were bent a little, he had a few cuts on his hands, a scrape behind his ear, and 3 broken teeth. When the dentist took x-rays they found that he had broken 4 of them and that luckily enough they didn't brake into the nerve! How lucky is that?!?

Spencer spent the next 4 hours in with the dentist. His eye tooth was split right up by the root and it looked like a loose tooth but the rest were just broken in spots. The dentist thinks that the post hit him in the mouth or a rock and that's what did the damage. He has to go and get crowns on his teeth but after leaving the dentist office you wouldn't even know he has a few fake teeth.

Spencer is not happy that he has fake teeth and that his glasses were bent. I am just happy that he didn't get hurt worse than that! He told the dentist that he knows a guy up in Idaho who was killed in that same situation and that's what went through his head! Our dentist said how he couldn't believe how calm both of us were on the phone. He said his wife freaks out when there is a mouse in the house and we act like it's not a big deal that he got hit by the bull. But after Spencer talked about how bad it could have been I realized how lucky I am.

All day long I thought about what could have happened and how worse it could have been. Ever since I've had Wade life has been so precious to me. I think about what if I got in a car wreck or what if Spencer didn't make it home one day, or what if Wade doesn't wake up. (I don't stress about this stuff all the time just think about how precious life is).

We don't have a LONG time here on Earth and I'm thankful for every day and everything that my Father in Heaven has given to me. I know that someone was watching out for Spencer that day and I just pray that we have a LONG and happy life together. I know that there's going to be rough times, crazy times, and fun times and I'm so grateful for the family I have and the knowledge that I have knowing that we are an eternal family and that we will always be together.

Spencer is doing really well though and if you were to see him you would really have no idea he was hit in the mouth and broke some teeth! If I would have thought I would have taken pictures but really what wants to see broken teeth on a blog?!? (and sorry this post is LONG...just had a few thoughts go through my mind lately).

Baby Sage

2011-08-05T11:17:00.008-06:00

Rustie and Rowdy became parents on July 27 to little baby Sage. She weighed 4lbs 15 oz (4 oz bigger than Wade). She is the sweetest little baby! Shelby and her kids and Wade and I all went over to see her. I was a lot more at ease with this little girl than I was my own (guess that's what happens when you already have had the practice haha). She is so cute and seems to be such a good little baby. Shelby with baby Sage. I was so glad that Shelby was able to see Sage and also come to all the family events we had in July.

The cousins were very interested in her.

She is so tiny but so precious!

Chase wanted to hold Sage and both Karlie and Chase were very sad they couldn't see her the next morning. Congratulations Rustie and Rowdy...you'll make wonderful parents!

Wade Turns 1

2011-08-05T10:37:00.009-06:00

Happy Birthday Wade! I can't believe that my baby is 1. We all have grown so much in the past year. It's exciting but sad at the same time to watch Wade grow. He has such a cute personality and is one of the busiest little movers! He hasn't quite mastered the skill of walking on his own but can definitely move along the furniture fast! He's no longer on a bottle and eats quite the variety of food. He's such a joy to have and we love him more and more each day.

We had a birthday party for him with all his cousins (minus Sage who was born 2 days before). We thought we'd have a little water party, eat, and open presents. It was a fun day and I hope all the kids enjoyed it...they seemed to! We blew up a kiddie pool for the party and Wade loved it! When I put it on the front room floor he crawled in and out and all around the inside laughing the entire time. Oh the simple things in life! However when we put the water in it, Wade wasn't to impressed. I filled it up early in the morning so that it would have time to warm up. I think it was the same temperature at 5 as it was at 8 in the morning. None of the kids were a fan until I put the warm water in it.

He did however like the sprinkler! The kids were all enjoying the water but I think their favorite thing was getting Spencer wet!

What's a party without cake? or cupcakes for this party! We let Wade go at it with his cupcake but he wasn't quite sure about it.

Wasn't quite sure of it until he got 3 on his plate...then it was the coolest thing in the world!

Even Shawn enjoyed the cupcakes!

Wade got lots of gifts from his family! He loves them all and thinks he's a pretty big boy with this bike!

All the cousins LOVED opening up the gifts!

Playing with the new toys!

Telling Dad all about his birthday!

We also had a sleep over with all the girl cousins. They all were excited to stay. We brought out the mattress, gave each girl one of Spencer's shirts to sleep in, ate chicken nuggets, and had a very hard time falling asleep! It was quite the adventure that night!

Family Vacation

2011-07-26T18:15:00.003-06:00

We've decided awhile ago that our entire family needed to get together and go on a vacation. So, we decided that we would go up to Island Park like we use to and rent a cabin. Only we didn't expect Kellie to go on a mission and Rustie to be expecting a baby. Unfortunately Kellie and Rustie couldn't come so it ended up being Grandma and Grandpa, Shelby's family, and my family. We still had a fun time and it was just nice to be up where we love.

We had a busy but relaxing week too. We shopped in West Yellowstone, went into the Park, floated the river (which I have no pictures of :( and just hung out. I loved being up there and I was especially happy to have a cabin when the rain came and the bugs came out too!
Chase, Shawn, and Spencer found a worm. If you took just below Spencer's boot you can see it. The kids didn't want to pick it up and go fishing with it but Wade sure wasn't afraid to pick it up and I'm sure he was thinking it would be a good snack!

We went to the Park the day before we saw the moose at our cabin. We didn't see anything in the Park so this was a treat to see actually 2 moose by our cabin.

Hanging out in Yellowstone!

This buffalo was right off the side of the road which was a blessing so the kids could see them. Chase was with us when we saw this one and wanted to pet it and feed it. We saw a lot in Hayden Valley which Chase was also very excited about (maybe because we let him get out of his car seat there too).

I love family vacations. It was so much fun hanging out with Shelby's kids and family. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be with Wade but it was still worth it.

Porter Park

2011-07-26T16:39:00.004-06:00

Rexburg Idaho has a park that is just right for kids! They have a carousel and a little water park that apparently is well used. I wish we had a park like that! We were able to meet Maryann, her daughter Emily, Spring, Grandpa at the park and visit with them for awhile. It was fun hanging out at Porter Park and seeing family.
Wade wasn't quite sure what to think of the carousel but at least he got on it right?! Wade absolutely loved the water park. Not only did they have water but little kids everywhere!

I wish I was young again!

Trying to drink the water.

He wasn't sure about the tall water spouts. I do think he would have loved it if he could walk.

Shawn, Chase, and Karlie also got to play in the water (just not sure if Chase actually got in).

Emily and Aunt Maryann hanging out with Wade.

Roasting Marshmallows

2011-07-26T16:18:00.007-06:00

The last night we were on vacation we roasted marshmallows. Grandpa bought the biggest marshmallows he could find too. I think everyone enjoyed them!
We found out how much Wade loves bubbles!

Waiting for the marshmallows to turn brown! Yep Shelby stole a bite of Chase's marshmallow!
We had a few marshmallows that wouldn't cook (they might have been a little to high above the coals) but Grandpa helped out and showed them how it was done!

Tasting the marshmallow.

Mmmm love those gooey treats! Even Wade got his first taste of a toasted marshmallow (no surprises that he liked it too).
I LOVE this picture...shows how much the kids loved them.

It was a great end to a fun vacation.

Babysitting

2011-07-26T16:04:00.002-06:00

I don't think you can really call it babysitting when you watch your niece and nephews. Shelby and Eric stayed up in Yellowstone for a couple of days since they are celebrating their 10 year anniversary! I was the lucky one who got to watch the kids while they were gone. Grandma had to go back to work and helped me in the evenings but I truly was lucky to get to watch them. I love those kids and every chance I get to see them, I take it! So, when my Mom asked me if I could help her out I didn't even think twice. We didn't do anything to exciting but play all day and change a few diapers ;) but I had a blast and hopefully they did too.
I love this little boy. He was so cute and so fun. He has the funnest imagination.

Karlie was such a big help throughout the day. I can't believe she's turning 7 this year. I also couldn't believe how much of a difference a year in kindergarten could make. She is so grown up and it's so funny to hear her say "k so this is funny".

I was a little nervous to watch Shawn because he does love his parents but he was great. He just followed us around and was the perfect kid to watch. He wasn't quite sure about Wade or "Wave" as Chase called him all week but Wade loved him!

I took this picture just for Aunt Kellie. Kellie always played the game splat and that's the game the kids wanted to play. Wish you were here to play it with them Kellie!

First Hair Cut

2011-07-25T11:44:00.003-06:00

When Wade was first born he didn't have any hair on top of his head. So, for the past year I've let his hair grow and haven't cut it but one strand that was very long. I told myself I wasn't going to cut it until he was close to 1. The other day I decided to cut it.
Before I took the clippers to it.

After the cut!! I couldn't believe how much it changed his appearance. It was kinda sad since he didn't look like a little baby anymore! But, I can't believe how much it's already started to grow back.

Nerds

2011-07-25T11:30:00.007-06:00

The other night Spencer left a box of candy on the floor. Any guesses to who found the box?!
Didn't take Wade long to figure out that he could shake all the nerds out.

Didn't take him long to figure out why Dad likes them either! He was pretty upset when we cleaned them up. Spencer told me I was teaching him to eat off the floor because he was eating them while I was cleaning them up...but I think if it's on the floor and can fit in his mouth, Wade's going to eat it! (besides I'm not the one who left the box on the floor ;)

Family Pictures

2011-07-20T13:09:00.003-06:00

We were able to go to Bountiful for Michael's wedding. It was such a nice day and the couple looked beautiful together. We can't wait to get to know Millie better. She seems like a fun girl and perfect for Michael. While we were there we had a few pictures taken of the three of us.
Wade isn't laughing or really smiling in this picture...he was so tired that he was about to cry!

Hanging out with more cousins. Liam and Gavin love Wade and hopefully one day Wade will love them just as much!

This one Wade was actually giving his cheese grin but, we'll take it.

Two Boys in a Tub

2011-07-20T12:56:00.002-06:00

Wade got to hang out with his cousin Brant when we went to Michael's wedding. The older kids went swimming and it was just a little to cold to let these little ones go.
They were to cute not to take pictures of. It was fun to watch them and you definitely can tell who has older siblings. Whenever one stood up the other one had to try it as well.

Wade loves kids especially ones that will pay any sort of attention to him.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T16:58:00.009-06:00

I love, love, love the 4th of July. I remember growing up and watching fireworks outside the Aggie stadium playing on the grass with curlers in my hair because I was in the parade the next day. On the 4th we would always either be in the parade or hang out at Uncle Dick's house and watch the parade from his front yard. We always had tons of fun and loved when Uncle Kevin came by with the fire trucks (which usually led to some sort of water fight). After we would go down to the town square where the festivities are and then go back to Dick's or Grandpa's for a family picnic. I LOVED it!!!

When we moved to Wyoming, the 4th wasn't celebrated like it was down in Utah. We usually still went to Utah but as we got older we started staying in Wyoming. I've spent the 4th in a few different places since then Hawaii, Virginia, Laramie and sad to say nothing compared to the Utah's parade. I just don't think it's the 4th without a parade and I always wished Kemmerer would do more than fireworks (although they have had good shows).

This year we found out that Big Piney does a ton of things for the 4th. It starts the day before with a 5K run (which I will be in next year!) and a Little Buckaroo Rodeo. On the 4th they have a free breakfast, a parade (YAY), a free community BBQ, a ranch rodeo, a street dance, and fireworks.
Dad and Mom came up this year for the 4th. We went to the parade and the BBQ. We were going to go to the rodeo but it started to rain and none of us really wanted to sit outside in the rain. Check those 3 out sporting the red, white, and blue.

The parade route is so close to my house that I probably could have sat on my front porch and watched it. Wade loved the parade and was so happy through it all. He wasn't quite sure about the fire engine though...they were a little loud but he did come away with a TON of candy and it wasn't because he was cute, they just throw a ton of candy!

What's a parade without horses?! These girls are actually our friends from church (to bad I'm bad at taking pictures of their faces!). Spencer said it was funny how they're all into that. But, their mom is from Hyrum and knows what the 4th is all about!

Wade sat on Grandpa's lap pretty much the entire time! Having something to play with had nothing to do with it though ;)

So you might not be able to tell but that's Mark Mackey on that tractor! We were sitting right by the Mackey's and I was able to see and visit for just a little bit with their daughter I grew up with and think I was in some parade's together with her.

I love colorful floats especially red white and blue ones. I was pretty impressed with this small town parade and the pride they show for their country. We do live in an amazing country. I know there's uncertainties and some crazy things going on with our government but I am thankful for those who have fought for our freedom and for those who still believe in America!

Before and After

2011-06-28T18:51:00.007-06:00

We've been working on our little rental that we are living in. We live in Spencer's Great Grandma's house and it definitely can show its age. When we first moved in the kitchen had 2 layers of carpet on it. We were gone one weekend and came back to a horrible smell that was coming from that carpet. I got sick of it one day so I tore the carpet out. Underneath was 2 layers of tile too. We decided that we needed to do something to it so we asked Matt if he would help us tile the floor.

Matt and Spencer did the rest of the work and it definitely was work!

Here's the after picture of the floor. I love it and it makes it feel so much more cleaner and new...now we just need to paint the kitchen to go with the floor.

I've never been a fan of the paint or the wallpaper. It just was to dark for such a small front room. Spencer said we were living in a dungeon and a lot of the time it felt like we were.

Our kitchen is small so we put the table in the front room. I decided after we textured and painted the walls that I didn't want to table in here and decided we are a small family so we can have a small kitchen too!

Mom came up and helped me texture and paint and I'm so glad she did. Our front room looks so good with the new paint. It feels like we're in a brand new room!

Our carpet is the original (GROSS) wool carpet. We're thinking if we're here long enough that we'll get rid of that. Wade can crawl on it but he didn't like it at first. We bought a rug (that's a different story) and Wade loves crawling on it now and it makes Mom feel a lot better about playing on the floor with him.

Summer Days

2011-06-28T18:12:00.007-06:00

Summer always go by so fast and this year it is going faster. So, I thought I'd give a little preview of what we've (or rather Wade) has been up to!

Wade has his first horse ride the other day. He loved it and was sad that Dad had to go work cows and couldn't take Wade with him.

I'm thinking my little boy will want a horse one day of his own.

Aunt Rustie had a baby shower the other day. Mom and I helped decorate and plan the games. Rustie got a lot of cute baby clothes...can't wait to see them on that little girl!

Frankie and Jenny hosted the party and made all the yummy food. Frankie made these cute little donuts which were so good! (sorry my camera didn't work very well so you can't see the cute colors).

Wade is crawling all over the place and loves walking across furniture. He's getting more brave in taking steps with people but most of all would rather crawl. I have a feeling it's really not going to take too long before everything will be pulled off the shelves though ;)

Wade has also cut his upper 2 teeth and can I say that it is MISERABLE for mom and son! I'm so glad they've come through and can't wait for him to be happy again!

Family Reunion

2011-06-28T17:56:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we went up La Barge Creek to have a family reunion with Spencer's family. It's been a long time since they've all been together. Spencer said he can't even remember the last time they were all together. Jake is the one that called everyone and got it arranged. It turned out to be quite a nice evening.
Mack, Spencer, Blaine, Nancy, Jake, and Nadelle

Not the best family picture yet but at least we finally have one.

The siblings!

Wade wanted so bad to play with Haley and Taci and had fun when they were at our house. When we went up the Creek Wade was a little cranky and wasn't excited about picture taking at all! Brenner, Lilly, Haley, Wade, and Taci.

Grandpa Blaine has quite the imagination and all the little kids love to play with him. One day Wade will have fun with Grandpa but for today he just wants to play with his whiskers!

Bear Hunt 2011

2011-06-10T06:22:00.005-06:00

Spencer has been dying to go hunt for bears this spring. He bought a license a couple weeks ago but only had been out once. We went for a drive (now I kinda think it was more of a "lets see if I can find a place to hunt" drive) the other day and Spencer just knew that this one area would have a bear in it. He was right!

He left our house with Kenny Porter around 5 that night. They hiked into the area and waited in the cold for a long time. Finally 2 bears came in and Spencer was able to get a shot on this one. They didn't get back to the house until midnight. I was getting a little nervous because I thought for sure they'd be home a lot earlier. When I did get a hold of Spencer he told me he killed a bear and that he lost the camera, his binoculars (that we just bought and he thought he had lost them once before), and his hunting knife! I was not happy about the last three things. Spencer was pretty worried about losing the camera and I was pretty worried about him losing the binoculars. He went up yesterday and found one of the 3...any guesses to what he found? I thought for sure he would say the knife but he found the camera! NOW he just has to get up there and find the binoculars (can you tell I'm still not very happy that they're lost!). Note: Wade isn't crying in this picture...he's giving his cheesy grin again.

Our friends Ronny and Chelise came over to help Spencer skin it. They thought it was pretty cool. Ronny is an avid hunter like Spencer and he's anxiously awaiting the time he can get his residency. I have a feeling that this fall more bears might be hunted by these 2.

The end product.! For 2 people who weren't quite sure what they were doing, it didn't take them to long to skin it. It's actually bigger than I thought it was and it really does have a pretty coat. Spencer wants to send it off to the taxidermy and then put it on the wall. I think that we might have to make a compromise and say it doesn't go to the taxidermist or get put on a wall until those binoculars are found! ;)

Say Cheese

2011-06-03T10:27:00.007-06:00

(I know it probably seems like I am obsessed with blogging lately but I'm really note. We went 4 months without really good Internet and now that we have Internet I'm just trying to catch up with all my posts that I wanted.) Wade loves food. It doesn't matter what it is he'll eat it. Yesterday I was giving him spaghettio's and he wouldn't eat it from the spoon so I tried to drain the noodles as best as I could and let him eat off his plate (however I was lazy and didn't want to take the shirt off so I just put the bib on. Note to self: next time just strip him down!). He loved feeding himself as usual! Wade also took a big fall yesterday. He thought he could stand without holding on to anything. Poor little guy pulled himself up on the chair and fell right into the desk. If you look above his left eye there is a print of the desk on his forehead. He cried for a little bit but for the most part he did pretty good. He likes to try and stand by himself all the time...now if he could just figure out the balancing act of it!

For the past month Wade has had what we call his "cheesy grin". I have tried so hard to get it on camera but it usually turns out fuzzy. He kept pulling this grin every time I looked at him and I finally got it! Most of the time both eyes are either shut or open but you get the idea! I think this is one of the funniest things he does and it always gets all of us laughing!

Wade is now crawling on his knees! He discovered the kitchen yesterday (most days he was only interested with the things on the front room floor). Now he loves going in the kitchen and playing with the rugs or the drawers.

Wade likes to dance to music and this is one of his favorite toys. He doesn't know how to put the magnets back in the toy but he knows how to take them out!

Aunt Rustie's Visit

2011-06-03T10:17:00.004-06:00

Aunt Rustie came to visit over the weekend. Wade loves all his aunts but he laughs so hard with Rustie! I told her I was going to get some pictures of her being pregnant (to bad I didn't get any good ones)!

It was fun hanging out with her in Jackson. It was so nice to do nothing but look in the shops and talk. We don't get to see her to often but we love when we do. It's crazy to think that the next time we see her she'll probably have little baby girl in her arms...can't wait to be an aunt again!

Wade and I finally got a picture together (those are few and far between). He was so good that day...he's not really crying in that picture it was just really bright outside. Look at all that green grass...oh spring how I wish you would come to Big Piney and STAY!!!

9 to 10

2011-05-24T21:22:00.004-06:00

I've been a little slow over the past couple months with blogging about Wade's updates. I was going to do something at 9 months and the next thing I know he's 5 days away from being 10 months! So here's some things about Wade that show how much he's grown in the last little while. Wade LOVES remotes and cell phones. He knows which one changes the channel and that's the one he wants. He knows which one is the "real" one and doesn't really want to mess with the one that nobody wants anymore!

At his 9 month appointment he weighed 17lbs and was 26 inches long. The doctor said he looked good and to give him more finger food. So far his favorite are oatmeal pancakes, mandarin oranges, and feta cheese (of course not all together). He still loves fruit and pretty much any vegetable. Sometimes his food ends up around his diapers but for the most part he's pretty good at getting it in his mouth. Spencer thinks I'm crazy for letting him getting so messy but when I'm the one that cleans it up...he can't complain!

Wade started army crawling about a month ago. What really helped him was when the Sims' granddaughter who is 3 sat in front of him and kept saying "come here Wade". Wade loves little kids and little animals so he was more than willing to try his hardest to get to her! He's figured out that he can pull up on things and yesterday he found the DVD player. Needless to say the door came back on the entertainment center that day!

Wade likes hanging out in his towel after bath time (and yes that's his toothbrush he's sucking on). He thinks it's pretty fun to just sit and hang out before the pajamas come his way.

Wade had an explosion in his diaper tonight. I didn't want everything to get everywhere so I stripped him down before I had a diaper around me. I went to go get a diaper and walked around the corner to find a naked little boy trying to get the circle that comes up on the TV. Looks like Wade is on the move and it won't be long before this house really needs to be baby proof...I have a feeling he'll be into everything!

Thermopolis

2011-05-23T10:28:00.006-06:00

Spencer's family has always gone to Thermopolis for family vacations and he was shocked to think that I never went swimming there. He has asked me for the past 2 years to go but we just never made it. So, on Thursday night we decided that Friday we would leave for Thermopolis and have a little family vacation! Spencer got home at 2:20, the car was already packed and ready, and we left at 2:30.

We got there around 7 and decided that we would go swimming to see if Wade would maybe crash for the night....WRONG! He hated the pool the first night. He was so tired so we decided to go back to the hotel. I thought he would crash again....WRONG! He decided to stay up for the next 2 hours and then finally fall asleep and take up the entire bed (sounds like Aunt Kellie).

The next morning after Wade's nap we went to the pools. It was so much fun. The smell did remind me of Yellowstone but once you were there long enough you didn't even smell it anymore. Wade loved the pool the next day too. He wasn't a fan of his floaty unless he was in the kiddy pool. When he was in the kiddy pool he'd just float where ever he wanted to go and smile most of the time.

Hanging out with Dad.

Relaxing in the pool!

We definitely will be taking more family vacations to Thermopolis!

Aunt Nadelle

2011-05-20T13:07:00.005-06:00

I am so blessed to be a part of such and awesome family. When Spencer and I were first married I was a little nervous to have a sister in law. I always said I was going to marry a man with brothers so that way I didn't have to try and fit in with his sister(s). Lucky for me I only had to try and fit in with one of them!

I have known Nadelle as long as I have known Spencer and sad to say I was intimidated by Nadelle (sorry Nadelle it was true). However since I've gotten to know her more, I have no idea why I ever was intimidated by her. She is one the neatest people I know. She is one of the most hardworking, nicest, caring, and friendliest people you'll meet. She takes great pride in her family and wants the best for each one. She loves her brothers and wants them to lead happy lives. She is an awesome wife to Justin and an amazing mother to Neale, Parker, Taci, and Haley!

Nadelle has done so much for me over the past 2 years. She has always been willing to help me with whatever I need and is always there when I need to talk. Not only has she generously given me a ton of baby things but she has also helped me out so much with Wade. We love visiting with her and are sad that we don't live 5 miles away anymore. I now consider her one of my sisters and love when we get a chance to just hang out for awhile!
Wade loves his Aunt Nadelle.

Wade really loves hanging out with Farson and is always so excited to see the Jones family!

Calving

2011-05-20T12:49:00.006-06:00

During the past few months we went to the Harrower Place on the weekends to help Blaine calve...well really to hang out and it was fun for Spencer if one did happen to have a calf! Wade thought it was pretty cool to see all the babies but to bad spring is never going to get to Wyoming and we had to stay inside most of the time!
We even convinced Aunt Nadelle, Taci, and Haley to come and visit one weekend. It was so much fun hanging out with them. Nadelle's girls are such little ranch hands! Taci and Haley were all set to feed LB (little boy) the bum calf.

One weekend while we were there Baline had to pull a calf. I've never seen that before so we decided to go to the barn and watch. Wade had a smile on his face the ENTIRE time...I however did not. I thought it was interesting but so glad I wasn't a cow or a calf and that my pregnancies are way different!

Little Cowboy

2011-05-08T09:49:00.004-06:00

We went and hung out with Nadelle and her kids the other day. Taci has a cute little cowboy hat so we put it on Wade to see what he'd look like as a little cowboy...pretty cute!

(Aunt Rustie this picture reminds me of you and spilled milk ;)

Teething

2011-05-05T12:50:00.006-06:00

After 6 months of everyone asking if Wade is teething we are proud to say that Wade cut 2 teeth! He started drooling from his chin to belly button one day and wouldn't let me touch his gums. After a week I finally got my finger in there to see and sure enough there it was with the other one coming the next day. It wasn't as bad as I thought teething would be and Wade didn't seem much different just a little more clingy! I bought a toothbrush awhile ago and have let Wade play with it.
This picture is kinda blurry but He decided to not use it as a toothbrush but stick his tongue where my finger should go!You can't really see his toothbrush that well but this is how he usually plays anymore!

Sunday

2011-03-15T15:59:00.003-06:00

Shelby let me borrow a bunch of clothes when I had Wade and I just found this hat...to bad it's kinda small for him! Anyways I put it on him and thought he looked like a cute old man. Spencer however didn't think he was as cute as I did but I'll let you be the judge!
(I probably wouldn't take him out in public like this just because he does look like a little old man but it's still cute for a picture!)

Winter Fun

2011-03-14T18:27:00.007-06:00

Wade loves being outside. Steve came to plow out our driveway so we thought we'd let Wade hang outside while it was somewhat nice!

Even though he loves being outside he also always looks very serious while outside (note the above pic with a smile was a fluke!!)

Hanging out in the tree.

First ride on a 4-wheeler! And no his facial expressions never changed!

So so serious in his cute little hat.

Grandma Nancy with the serious boy!

Grandpa's

2011-03-07T07:59:00.004-07:00

I've been trying forever to get a generation picture and I finally got one! We've been up to Spencer's dads a lot but I either forget my camera or forget to take the picture but this time I remembered!
Spencer thought it would be funny to have them line up in a row: shortest to tallest. It actually turned out pretty cute!

The Thoman boys: Grandpa Blaine, Great Grandpa Virgil, Wade, and Spencer.

When Wade was first born Blaine wouldn't hold him because he was to tiny. Now that Wade's growing Blaine wants him as much as Wade will let him!

I think it's always a neat when you can get generation pictures. Hopefully Wade will get to know his Great Grandpa and enjoy all the stories that Spencer also enjoys hearing!

Smiles

2011-03-05T08:34:00.004-07:00

Winter is always so hard and long for me. It seems like it is never ending sometimes. I usually hate the month of January but this year it flew by...it was February that was a long one and it's the shortest month of the year! I'm so glad that month is over and only 2 weeks til I can say it is officially spring, although it won't look like it for another 2 months!

We moved into a house that is a little smaller than our last one (not that I'm not thankful for a place to live) but it's hard having your stuff all unorganized! We've been trying to figure out where we want to be..LaBarge or Big Piney...still haven't decided! I found out I have a lot of dental work that needs to be done and it's not going to be cheap! I will admit the first part of the month I was a BEAR (I think it's cause I wasn't organized, I've been sick for 2 months, and I also didn't want to leave Farson). Wade has had a couple of bad weeks but I think that's our fault too. He was sick and still is sick but I think he was use to a mom who was relaxed instead of uptight! But with everything that went on last month I've been able to catch some of his cute smiles on camera! I've waited a long time to get some of his smiles captured but he's giving them more frequently and I thought I'd share!

Wade has been trying so hard to sit up in his swing. He finally had the strength to pull himself up and sit up for quite awhile. Also his new favorite toy is a toothbrush (hopefully that will lead to good hygiene). Aunt Nadelle had an extra one at her house and Wade latched on to it and LOVES it! I love this outfit on him and didn't even have to work hard for a smile!

One day I'll capture his laugh on film and put it on here!

It may have been a rough month and I may have had my moments but when he smiles...it makes everything worth it!

Where Did It Go

2011-02-01T15:15:00.008-07:00

How did we go from this....
To this 6 month old boy....

I know I keep saying this but I can't believe how fast time goes by since I have had Wade. I truly think this has been the fastest 6 months of my life. He weighs 14lbs 2oz and is 26 inches long! He's still in the 5-10% of everything but the Dr. says it's normal going off 5 months and he's also very advanced for a 5 month old.

He's turned into a fun little guy. He loves to scream and giggle. He still has his fussy moments but not like he use to.

When he is fussy we either have to put him in the tub or let him roll around naked. There's just something about taking off that diaper that he lives for! Spencer thinks I'm crazy for letting him go naked but he really does good without going anywhere on the floor (but I don't leave it off too long).

He hasn't quite mastered the skill of rolling from his back to his tummy but he does like to roll on his side to see things and to sleep.

I love these bibs that Nadelle gave him for Christmas. One thing is for sure...Wade will be so happy when he can finally sit up on his own. He wants to sit up and look around all the time. We can put him in his swing or nap nanny but he always tries to lift his body up so he can see, thank goodness for bumbo chairs!

Wade use to be really good and sleeping in the night. He usually woke up twice. Unfortunately he was sick a couple weeks ago and ever since then our "nice nights" have gone out the window. He's better in the day than at night! He now wants to wake up every 2 hours, either to eat or just to cry. But we've managed and everyone says it will get better...here's definitely to hoping!!!

He's also started to become interested in the world around him. Whatever is in his reach he's grabbing for it! Grandpa had his pager and Wade was very interested in the noise and vibration! He also likes to suck on blankets and socks. I can only imagine how fast the next 6 months will go and what he'll be doing in that short time.

Other events happening in our family is that we're moving! This will be our 5th move in the past year and a half! Spencer got a new job in Big Piney. We're excited for the new position but if you can believe this neither one of us want to move from Farson (but then again whenever we move we don't want to go). We're going to move into his mom's rental for a little while and then maybe look into buying something...yeah for something more permanent!!! We're moving this weekend so if anyone isn't doing anything, just let us know ;)

She's So California...

2011-01-10T11:39:00.007-07:00

Kellie spoke in church on Sunday since she leaves for the MTC on Wednesday (I don't know if I should put a smile or a frown here)! We're gonna miss her like crazy but we know she'll be a great missionary and this is what she is suppose to do right now!

Kellie did a really good job on her talk. She said awesome a few times and Spencer said when she gets home she won't say awesome...I said no she'll say "totally awesome" since she's going to California!

Kellie asked Jill and Kenzi to do the musical number. They were so good. Spencer said it deserved a standing ovation cause it was flawless!

I think the boys in my family are really trying to make Wade ware hats!

Wade had a fun weekend hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's! Aunt Rustie made him laugh more than anyone. He laughs every time she's around! Oh and just so you know I don't always put Wade in pants that go up to his armpits! I just didn't have any others that fit yesterday!

I'm hoping that the weather is good and I can go with Mom and Dad to take Kellie to the MTC! If not...I hope you have a successful mission Kellie! You'll be an "awesome" missionary. You are such a great example to us and we love you and can't wait to hear about everything going on in California!

Baby Mum Mum

2011-01-06T09:31:00.006-07:00

Justin and Nadelle bought Wade some Baby Mum Mum's for Christmas. We opened them up that night and I tried giving one to Wade. He wasn't that interested and I didn't want it to go to waste so I ate it...it's actually not bad. Kinda tastes like the rice cakes you can get in the store. I made Kellie try one when she was here and she said it wasn't that bad but pretty bland.

The other day I was eating some crackers and I was holding Wade. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that every time the cracker went to my mouth Wade had his mouth open and trying to get my cracker in his mouth. So, I figured I'd try the Mum Mum's again. He gobbled it up so fast I had to get another package for him immediately...he LOVES them!

He does pretty good holding on to them but when he lets go or it's gone...he freaks out!

He usually gets so excited over them and his mouth moves faster than anything I've seen ;)

All done and not to messy! Nadelle said I'd like them better than the cookies cause they don't leave to big of a mess...I think she's right!

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-02T10:44:00.006-07:00

These pictures do not do the frost justice! When we came home from Christmas Farson had a very heavy frost on everything it was beautiful (but cold)!

Wade and I stay inside quite a bit now! I took this picture and laughed when I saw Wade's face! He is either getting bored with me or thinks I'm a nut!

The frost on the icicles hanging from our front door.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T10:11:00.006-07:00

Okay so my posts are a little out of order but I couldn't find my camera. We spent Christmas this year in La Barge and a little bit in Kemmerer. We left Thursday to go snowmaching and lets just say I'm not good AT ALL and Spencer is! Hopefully I'll get better at it. We went to Kemmerer Christmas Eve day to hang out with the Peavler's! We had a good visit and dinner and Spencer still comments on the prime rib Mom made. That night we went to La Barge to have a party with Spencer's Aunt Toni and her family...they know how to party! Christmas day was spent with the Thoman's. We had a nice dinner and lots of family and friends were there. Unfortunately I left my camera home so you just get to see pictures of Wade this time ;)

We probably are bad parents cause we gave Wade a little taste of lemon juice (Spencer's idea) and this was his reaction. There was no pucker or anything so I guess he takes after his Mom in liking lemon juice.

This was my only Christmas picture I have. My front room looks like a bomb went off. We both were spoiled but Wade was definitely spoiled all around! Can you find Wade in that mess?! (and yes I did clean up my front room before I took this picture...I forgot I didn't have any pictures of Christmas).

Wade doesn't really like being on his tummy unless he can lay on his pillow.

Everyone says these bumbo chairs are awesome and I agree but lately Wade has decided that he likes to sit in his like this. It doesn't matter if I fix him he still manages to move to this position.

Trying to become more mobile!

Wade has loved this bear since he got it from Nadelle. It laughs and usually he smiles. This morning I found him hugging it and of course sucking on his nose!

Welcome 2011

2011-01-01T11:47:00.002-07:00

I cant believe that 2010 is over! It was actually a really good one so I thought I'd recap the year...
January ~ Spencer started working for Badger
February~ Spencer leased on with Valley Water
March~ I started a blog
April~ Found out we were having a boy
May ~ Spent Memorial Day in the cold Wyoming wind
June~ Went to Yellowstone with the Peavler side
July~ Wade Ryan Thoman was born, moved to Farson
August~ Went to Denver to buy another semi with a 3 week old baby ;)
September ~ Celebrated our 1 year anniversary
October ~ Flew to Texas so Wade could meet his other cousins
November ~ Wade becomes less serious and started to giggle (Aunt Kellie gets her mission call)
December ~ Had Christmas with family and Wade rolled over Christmas day!!!

It really was a good year and we hope that this year is a good year for us and all those around us.

Silent Night

2010-12-15T14:13:00.003-07:00

I bet most of you are thinking that I actually got a "silent night" for Christmas and that Wade slept all the way through the night....wrong! This silent night actually has a couple of different meanings for me this year. Wade has actually done better at sleeping through the night. I think this past week he has had at least 4 days where he has slept for 5 hours if not a little longer....YAY!!! The other nights he got a little cold and it woke him up. I read that premature babies don't sleep for long stretches of time until 17 weeks after their due date not their birth date. So, I counted it up and that 17 weeks would be next week! And I also read that sleeping through the night in baby terms is sleeping for 6 hour stretches so we're not too far behind!

The other meaning is the song. I went to Utah with my mom to do some Christmas shopping and came home in a snow storm. It wasn't as bad as some of the storms I've driven in but ever since I've had a baby...I've become a baby and really didn't want to drive home in it but I did! We got half way home and Wade started crying and I had already lost his pacifier and wasn't about to stop to find it. So, I started singing Christmas songs that came on the radio but pretty soon the Christmas songs became the stupid Christmas songs. I turned off the radio and started singing Silent Night and Wade would quiet down. If I sang a different Christmas song he'd start waking up. So this year our favorite Christmas song has been Silent Night! (and hopefully soon we'll have more silent nights to come!)

Dad's Hat

2010-12-15T14:01:00.006-07:00

I'm thinking that my son will be a hat wearer! Spencer likes to put his hats on him and Wade doesn't seem to mind it...for the most part!

Bath Time

2010-12-15T13:33:00.006-07:00

Wade still LOVES his baths!He can be fussy and will instantly calm down when he hears the water turn on. He usually stays calm, kicks the water all around, chew on his hands, and smile while he's in the tub. It's when he gets out and he has to get dressed that he starts to become fussy again!
Yep the water's running and he's anxiously awaiting the bath time!

Dad's trying to get Wade to smile but he's not interested in it, he just wants his bath.

Soaking in the tub!

I usually spike his hair to see how long it's getting. He's got quite a bit up top and it's pretty long but not quite time for a hair cut just yet!

All soaped up and still chewing on those hands.

Trying to get warm after being in the warm tub.

Spencer wants to take him to Thermopolis soon to soak in the hot pools...I think he'd LOVE it!

Our Entertainment

2010-12-06T13:31:00.005-07:00

Look at that cute smile!!! I love that he's smiling more and starting to be happier!

Wade has discovered the mirror and his teething book (although he has no teeth). He loves to look at himself in the mirror.

2010-11-29T08:54:00.002-07:00

I'm trying to make my family picture not be so big....any suggestions? Oh and don't worry you'll be getting a family picture soon!!!

Rice Cereal and Ice Cream

2010-11-21T19:49:00.005-07:00

Wade is starting to eat rice cereal. It's only been a couple days but he's slowly getting the hang of it.

We had Taci and Haley over the other day and Uncle Spencer spoiled them with ice cream!

I think the girls had a better meal than Wade did but I'm sure his Dad will spoil him soon enough with ice cream.

Somehow Spencer convinced them that it would be fun to do the dishes and for some reason they believed him.

Lookin' good Haley!!!

4 Months

2010-11-21T19:39:00.004-07:00

Wade went in for his 4 month check up. The Dr said he's doing great and lookin' good! He weighs 11lbs 15oz and is 23 1/2" long. Because he was a preemie was was in the 5-10 percentile in all measurements but since they really view him as 3 months and not 4...they said he's doing great! I still can't believe how fast the months have gone. Even though he has been a fussy baby I have LOVED being a Mom to this little guy.

Texas Again

2010-11-21T19:31:00.002-07:00

We had such a good time in Texas. Thanks Aunt Shelby for letting us come. We can't wait for the next trip!

Can you believe these cousins are 6 months apart?

I found this last picture of Chase taking a picture of himself. Not to bad for a little man!

Fort Worth Zoo

2010-11-21T19:03:00.008-07:00

I LOVE this picture. We're going to miss Aunt Kellie but we'll have TONS of fun when she gets back!

I haven't been to a zoo for along time. It was so fun and it wasn't even to busy. They had a lot of animals and we even went on a train ride.

Shawn was patiently waiting for the train!

What would a Texas zoo be without a longhorn?

I thought this was some exotic bird...and it is but it is also considered an eagle (but I don't know where it's from).

Wade had a lot of fun at the zoo ;)

Happy Halloween

2010-11-21T18:47:00.003-07:00

So I'm a little late on this post but better late than never!! This year we did a theme of Scooby Doo (it was all Karlie and Shelby's idea). Shelby was way creative in the costumes but I think my favorite was the mystery machine stroller!

Checking out the LOOT!!! They really did get a TON of candy but every time I asked Chase for a piece of candy he was more than willing to share!

Doesn't Karlie make a perfect Scooby Doo!!!

Wade had a variety of costumes these year. During the day he was a cute little pumpkin, during the block party he was a Scooby Snack but he was too cold to get to join in on all the fun, and Halloween night we decided to stay home and pass out candy so he was dressed in a cute outfit that Aunt Rustie gave him.

Dallas Arboretum

2010-11-11T16:02:00.011-07:00

We went to the Dallas Arboretum before we went to the block party. It was such a nice day. I would love to go during the spring when all the tulips are out.

Shawn has the cutest personality in the world.

Wade looked so cute in the Halloween outfit that Grandma Nancy sent. Everyone commented on what a cute little pumpkin he was.

Hopefully one day I can get a few pictures with this little guy smiling...but for now he'll just look so serious.

Whenever I have been around Shelby's kids and water they have to at least touch it if not play in it.

( I have a lot more pictures on my camera but for some reason my computer isn't reading it so more pictures are coming)

Mr. Photographer

2010-11-08T08:03:00.005-07:00

Every time I would get my camera Chase would say "I just need to take a picture" so I let him take a few here and there and then I would see what he took. Made me laugh to see what he saw at the level of a 2 1/2 year old.

Karlie has taken pictures before with my camera and I always get pictures of her feet. Chase was close at getting his feet...must be a genetic thing!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-08T07:41:00.008-07:00

There is a pumpkin patch not to far from the airport that we went to. There was so much to do and see. I might have to take Wade down there again when he's a little older so he can appreciate it more.

It's not the easiest thing to get all three of these kids in a picture and apparently Karlie thought Shawn needed help smiling.

Shawn reminds me of Bashful on Snow White. Every time you say his name he smiles and turns his head. He is such a fun little boy.

Chase has some serious tracktor business to take care of.

Wade was pretty good throughout the trip. I think he was crying here because it was very warm when we got to Texas and he was getting hungry.

Meeting Cousins

2010-11-08T07:23:00.007-07:00

Wade and I were able to go to Texas over Halloween. We had so much fun! Shelby picked us up from the airport and Wade finally got to meet the rest of his cousins. Wade was an awesome traveler in the planes. He slept the entire time both ways and was also good in the airports. However, when we got in the car Wade was not amused. Shawn felt so bad for Wade that he too started to cry and eventually made himself sick and threw up all over himself.

Thank goodness for Aunt Kellie!!! She was the "back seat mom." Kellie not only had to entertain Karlie and Chase but had to help with the crying cousins.

Karlie's top tooth is very loose and we were hoping she would lose it while we were there but no luck. I can't believe that she is losing teeth already and going to be 6 in a few weeks.

Chase is one of the funniest boys you could meet. He loved Wade and can't wait to finally tackle him when he's a little older!

Random

2010-10-09T17:44:00.007-06:00

Wade can hold his head up a little stronger now. We thought we'd see how the chair worked for him...so far so good. He usually sits on the counter and watches Mom make dinner...he doesn't last the entire time but maybe one day he will.

I wish we had a few more nice days so he could wear this outfit more.

Wade was really fussy one day. I put him down and when I came back his foot was like this. How he got it over the tray I'll never know.

One day we took advantage of the nice weather and relaxed outside all afternoon.

Check out those thighs!!! I can't tough my middle finger and thumb together around his legs.

The leaves in our front yard were so bright and yellow...then the winds came ;)

Wade's Blessing

2010-09-27T08:18:00.016-06:00

We finally were able to bless Wade on Sunday. We had to bless him in Kemmerer because the Farson church house is under construction. It was such a beautiful blessing and day. Spencer gave an awesome blessing (although when he sat down he said "that was tough"). We had a great time visiting with all the family and friends that were there.

I loved his Tux.

Margie made the tux and Mom made the blanket.

We finally have a nice family picture!

Margie and I were busy taking pictures and Spencer was telling us to quit because Wade was starting to fill a diaper (We should have listened to Spencer;)

Aunt Denise told us to get a picture with our boys...I thought she thought that Kellie's boy was Michael...haha but she meant Wade!!

(I don't know how I never get a picture of Wade and Nadelle but hopefully one day I will!!!)

10 things about Wade

2010-09-24T07:14:00.004-06:00

10 thing Wade wants to share with you:

1. I am 2 months old!!!

2. I weigh 9lbs 5oz and am 21 inches long (I'm catching up to my big cousin Shawn fast!!)

3. I hate waking up from any type of nap...I'll scream until I finally come to.

4. I LOVE my baths and the sound of running water.

5. I recognize my mom and dad's voices and turn my head to see where they are.

6. I have one cry that will make my Mom come running to me and I use it often so she knows that I've had enough of whatever it is!!

7. I can travel almost anywhere, but once I get there I usually like to eat all the time or cry and have people feel sorry for me ;)

8. I'm starting to "talk" more.

9. I can lift my head for a long time and push up on my hands.

10. I love my Gripe Water!!!

10 things Mom & Dad are finding out about Wade:

1. Time seems to fly with Wade around.

2. He grows so fast it's hard to keep up with him.

3. Mom has become less paranoid and has learned what most of his cries are about.

4. We get excited when he sleeps for long stretches (especially at night and in the car).

5. We're starting to figure out his "routine" and know when to hit the road so he will sleep while we're traveling.

6. We found that when we put the swaddle blanket on at night he sleeps for longer stretches.

7. If Mom was consistent with the Gripe Water at first she wouldn't have had such a long first month and a half with him. That stuff is amazing!!!

8. He's definitely helping us get our money out of all the diapers we've bought!

9. Mom tells Dad that Wade is still too little to do all the things he wants to do with him.

10. We still think he's the cutest thing in our family!

Our Little Pal

2010-09-20T15:03:00.005-06:00

I can't tell if that might be a dimple or not? IF he has them, they're not deep like his dads.

He's a pretty somber little boy. He likes to just look around and take everything in...that is when he's not crying.

(He's filling out quite nicely)

Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

2010-09-20T14:43:00.007-06:00

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. It seems like we just got married. Our first year has been full of life changes, we've moved quite a few times, had a couple new jobs, been on some vacations, bought 2 semis, and the biggest change was having a baby. But, with all these changes, we have grown closer together and we're still convinced we married the right person.

Wade even got to celebrate it with us. (I think next year might be a little different...we think we'll get someone to babysit)

We took a ride up to Pinedale and then over towards Big Piney. I really just wanted to be in the mountains somewhere.

This is close to where Spencer hunts. The above picture is Lander Peak.

It was a great day. Wade was good, the weather was nice, and we got a flat tire! I got out of the truck by the lake a heard the air...notice how bald the tire is?! Thankfully Spencer saved the day haha! Flat tire and all we had a nice day. Happy Anniversary!!

Brittany's Wedding

2010-09-05T12:37:00.021-06:00

Brittany got married at Snow Basin on Saturday. It was such a nice day and a beautiful setting. Mom said the wedding was really nice (Wade and I missed the wedding cause someone got hungry).

Their friend married them. Her sisters were her bridesmaids. Their three girls were the flower girls all dressed in white, they were so cute.

It was fun to see them all together.

Mom and I didn't recognize Nick. I saw Jaden and thought it was a little Nicholas and then saw who he was sitting by and there was Nick! He's changed a little bit but still not much.

I told Mom we needed to get a picture of Wade and I...not to bad of a picture (finally).

You had to ride the Gondala up the mountain to the wedding. Here is Wade's first ride.

Grandpa taking pictures with his ipod. We all thought it was pretty cool to ride the Gondala.

Apparently we all looked like tourists this day. Grandma did really good for being afraid of heights!!

The top of the mountain where the wedding was held at 8,000 feet.

We all agreed that we like snow resorts...especially when there is NO snow!!!

Looking at the resort.

The lodge that was unbelievable!!

This is the bathroom that was also unbelievable.

Mom said she felt like a hick from the sticks...but with a bathroom like this who wouldn't.

The stalls!! (p.s. Dad said his was just as fancy). We were so amazed at this lodge and we only took pictures of the bathroom haha! Dad said that he couldn't afford to have his girls married here...I said "well it's good we get married in the temples then since that's the closest thing to this."

One Month Old

2010-09-05T12:16:00.007-06:00

I can't believe he is already over a month old! He is growing so fast and is no longer in preemie clothes...YAY!! Although the newborn size is still pretty big at least he can finally wear all these cute baby clothes we have been given...it's also fun to see him wear his cousins Chase and Shawn's clothes. (Yep Shelby that is your pajama set...a little bit big for him but he'll grow into it).

Grandpa and Wade telling stories to one another.

Everyone tells me that Spencer always just took everything in when he was a baby and a toddler. I wonder if Wade will be the same way?!

One month comparison with the horse. Looks like he's grown a little ;) I have a Doctor's appointment next week so we'll see how big he actually is. Last visit he was 5lbs 10oz but I know he's grown since then.

We watched Taci and Haley one morning. They LOVE "Baby Wade" and have to hold him or feed him whenever they see him. I still feed Wade with a bottle every once in awhile just in case I have to leave him somewhere. This morning Spencer had them help him feed Wade (notice all their hands on the bottle!). They were so cute, every time Spencer kissed him they each had to take their turn kissing him. They love their new little cousin!

Home Sweet Home in Farson

2010-08-28T16:08:00.010-06:00

I'm finally posting pictures of our house. Farson is pretty sandy so my lawn isn't that great (and we haven't mowed it so that might have something to do with it). We have a nice back yard too!

Our front room with the nice wood stove right in the middle (I don't know why they did that). This isn't how the furniture will be but I'm just waiting for my couch.

Dining room with a card table for a table...oh the joys of being newly married.

My kitchen which really has more room than it looks. I have more counter space than I did at the Harrower Ranch.

This poor tomato plant did so well at Mom's and now it's probably going to die.

Wade's room that he will sleep in one day.

Our office/spare room that will be organized soon I hope.

Our room! I took this the day my dryer died and I was washing the comforter :(

Our New (Business) Pride and Joy

2010-08-22T17:02:00.006-06:00

Last week Spencer, Wade, and I went to Denver and this is what we came home with! Spencer's rear end on his white semi went out on him which put him out of work for a couple days. If the semi is broken then we're out of work until it gets fixed...since it was about 6 days he had off, he decided he can't keep being out of work like this. So, on a whim (literally) we went to Denver! Spencer had been looking at semis on-line and decided to check them out in person.

We left Wednesday night and stayed with Kellie. Wade slept the entire way to Laramie which we were thankful for. That night however he didn't sleep that good. We got up early that morning and left for Denver. We went to 5 or 6 different dealers and ended up buying the one that Spencer had his eye on a 2006 Kenworth. We were able to get it for a pretty good price too. We ended up staying another night in Denver because the semi wasn't quite ready to leave the lot. I don't understand that...you want to sell a semi so get it ready so someone can drive it off the lot that day and not have to waste time! Oh well at least it was fixed right and we won't be out of work. We ended up leaving Denver later than expected. I was so tired from that night that Wade and I ended up staying in Laramie again which was good because Spencer didn't get home until 1am and he HAD to work the next day.

Kellie and Rustie were headed to Kemmerer to go to Grandpa's birthday party. I had Rustie ride with me. I was so glad she did. We had to stop in Rawlins to feed Wade. We were there almost an hour and a half. I think he was over being in his car seat. I practically kicked Rustie out of my car in Rock Springs so Kellie could get to her Dr. appointment on time and I could make it to Farson before Wade woke up. But I was so thankful that she was with me as long as she was and it was fun to visit and catch up!! Thanks Rustie and Kellie for ALL your help!!!!

The inside of the semi...probably the cleanest it will be!

The dash in a semi always reminds me of being little in Dad's semi!

3 Weeks Old...

2010-08-22T16:56:00.004-06:00

This is the only picture of Wade that I see myself in. Everyone else sees Spencer!

My little man is growing up!

Growing Fast...

2010-08-16T17:17:00.009-06:00

Wade's hand compared to Spencer's!

Cute father and son picture!

Wade LOVES baths!

He loves bathing underneath the faucet.

Blaine and Ellie came to visit. Blaine loved holding Wade.

This is a nightly ritual at our house!

One long week...

2010-08-05T16:22:00.015-06:00

I've been trying to get this post done for awhile. I'm sure some of this will be a repeat but I wanted to get it down before I forgot it all! On July 26 I went in for my weekly Dr. appointment since they were watching me for pre-eclampsia. Turns out I had it. Dr. Starr wanted to admit me because my blood pressure was so high and my swelling was more than it should be. He told me that I would think that being admitted would be the dumbest thing but it needed to be done. I tried to convince him to let me stay at mom's but he told me no.

Spencer had just got done working nights so he stayed in Farson to sleep and then go to his chiropractor appointment in the afternoon. When I found out I was going to be admitted I called Spencer and told him what was going on and by 11 I was admitted to the hospital. The nurses started giving me steroid shots to help Wade's lungs develop a little more since they were planning on inducing me on the 28.

I was in the Kemmerer hospital until Tuesday night. Mom had just brought Spencer and I dinner and was playing cards with us when I started to feel awful. The nurses came in and Dr. Starr was called. They talked to St. Mark's hospital in Salt Lake and decided that I should be taken down there to deliver. So they loaded me up in the ambulance and we were on our way. Can I just tell you that it was NOT my favorite ride. Spencer said he wanted to choke the driver who would go anywhere between 40-70 on the highway. Mom said it looked like a scary drive as she was traveling behind us. I know most of you know this but I think the reason why I hated it the most was because of the stupid catheter!! I will forever complain about that one!!!

We got down to Salt Lake around midnight. I met with more nurses and Dr.'s that night than I can remember. They decided to induce me for my safety and Wade's. Unfortunately my body didn't take to any of the medicine they gave me. I had only dilated to a 1 maybe a 11/2 if I was lucky. Wednesday night they gave me some morphine to take the edge off. Thursday all I wanted to do was sleep all day. By Thursday night my body still didn't do anything so they decided to take him by c-section. Dr. Sloan came and told us what they had planned. By 6 p.m. I was prepped and ready for delivery.

Spencer stayed out in the hall and got his scrubs on while they gave me the spinal shot and put the screen over me. I was laying there looking at the ceiling when I felt someone grab my hand and start rubbing it. I thought it was the Dr. and couldn't figure out why some idiot would do that to me I was just fine...then I realized it was Spencer and figured it was OK.

By 7:18 Wade was born. When they showed him to me he looked bigger than I thought. He had and still has a set of lungs on him!! I told Spencer before we went in that I didn't care what happened to me I just wanted him to stay with Wade. He listened very well and was with him the entire time. When they were getting Wade all cleaned up the nurses asked if we had any names. Spencer said we were deciding between Quinn or Wade. The nurse said "open your eyes if you want to be Quinn (no reaction)..now open your eyes if you want to be Wade" and of course he opened his eyes (and no that is not why we picked the name). It was pretty funny and made everyone laugh.

They took me back to my room and about 10 minutes later Kellie, Nadelle, and Nancy all showed up. They stayed with us for quite awhile. Kellie ended up staying in our room with us too which was nice to have someone with me when Spencer went to check on Wade while he was in the nursery.

Friday Nadelle, Nancy, and Kellie were there. Spencer was a great dad. He got up in the middle of the night to check on him and feed him and change is diaper. I was still so out of it. Friday was the longest day of my life cause all I did was sleep but only for about 15 minutes and then I would wake up and think that this day was never going to end. Wade was with us for most of the day but was being taken care of by everyone else cause I had no energy. The nurses were getting on me for not breast feeding as fast as I should have but I would just like them to have to go through what I went through, have a nurse who messed with my catheter and IV like she did, have carpal tunnel in your hands so you can't really feel the softness of your baby, and be so exhausted you couldn't function, and then see who can breast feed that fast!!

Later that night I was taken to recovery. Mom and Dad got there just in time to see Wade for a little bit. However when they came back on Saturday we found out he had to go to the NICU. He had troubles breathing and couldn't maintain his body temperature. I was able to finally walk to the nursery, but after finding out that he had to go to NICU it was a long walk back to my room (and it was literally right across the hall from me).

Wade was in the NICU until Tuesday. Saturday it was so hard for me to see him in there. He had a little IV in his hand and I could only imagine how bad it hurt since I knew how bad mine hurt. But he was a strong little guy and past all his tests so fast.

This (once again) is not my favorite picture of me. But I was so happy when the nurses said we could be discharged. I almost RAN upstairs to get Spencer so we could go home. I didn't think we would get to leave until later in the afternoon but we were out the hospital door before 11.

One of the tests he had to pass was his car seat test. They sat him in the car seat for 2 hours to make sure his breathing was good in the car seat. When we first put him in there I thought we were going to have to get a new one since he was so tiny in such a big chair. We left Salt Lake and went to Kemmerer. Mom and Dad were anxiously waiting to see us.

We finally made it home to Farson. Apparently my boys are really tired!! Spencer and Wade slept that way for quite awhile too.

We took Wade on a tour of the house and his room. We don't really put him in his crib...it's just too big for such a little boy.

This was taken a couple days after he was home. He still looks the same but he's growing so fast!!

Because he was so small I wanted to compare him to something. My friend told me to compare him to money since everyone knows the average size of money.

I wish I knew how to rotate this picture but I also wanted one with this little horse. Spencer's Aunt gave us this horse and I figured I would take some throughout the months to compare him to size.

Wade Ryan Thoman

2010-07-31T19:12:00.008-06:00

The newest member of our family is finally here! I thought I'd send some pictures so that Karlie will still think he's cute and want to see him (hopefully soon too). There's more to the story but that will soon be coming.

A couple of proud aunts. I have some more pictures of "proud" relatives but haven't downloaded them yet.

Spencer making sure everything is going the way it needs to. He's been an AWESOME Dad!!

Not my favorite picture of me but I'm glad we have one of the three of us. This was taken about 1/2 hour after he was born (luckily I don't look that swollen anymore!!!!)

I think he looks more like Spencer too.

One of his first pictures taken!

34 Weeks and Counting DOWN!!!

2010-07-17T10:36:00.006-06:00

I took these pictures of myself. I could have had Spencer do it but I was afraid he would make me look bigger than I am so this is what you get. I forgot to have Rustie take them for me yesterday!

Here's a picture of my feet at 10 in the morning. It usually looks the same when I get up but towards the end of the day and especially if I have been on my feet all day they are a lot bigger!

I took a picture of mine and Karlie's feet when I painted our nails for my wedding. Hopefully one day my feet will be skinny like that again. I use to make fun of Karlie's little fat baby feet so maybe having big feet like mine is my pay back for a little while! (Sorry Karlie I won't make fun of fat feet anymore).

We see on Monday what the Dr. says about having him early. Hopefully I'll get a few more pictures taken of myself before I have him. (and maybe I'll include my face too)

Update

2010-06-25T12:39:00.003-06:00

I am 31 1/2 weeks pregnant! I forgot to have a picture taken of me on our vacation but I'll get one soon and update the blog. So far everything is going pretty good. My carpal tunnel has moved to both hands and that's annoying! My feet have started to swell really bad. When Spencer says I have kankles and he means it and is trying hard not to be rude...you know you're swollen! Most of the swelling comes if I walk, so at night I usually have to elevate my feet and put ice on them.

But the biggest news is we're moving to Farson. We found a rental and the rent is really cheap. I'm not to excited to move to Farson but at least I have a place for our baby and Spencer will be home every night! So at least there are a few positive things to look forward too. We have a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house. It has a lot of trees around it too so it won't be so bad. I'll post pictures of the house and my belly when I get some!

Yellowstone

2010-06-25T12:31:00.005-06:00

Can you see the bear?

The Wyoming tourists!

I think calf elk are so cute!

The Saturday of our vacation we went into Yellowstone. We drove the upper loop of the park. We were lucky to see a lot of wildlife. We saw a bear, cow elk and calves, a head of a wolf, deer, antelope, buffalo, and I'm sure other things but can't remember. It always makes me laugh that we get so excited to see the wildlife in Yellowstone although we see most of them year round!

Our Little Vacation

2010-06-25T11:50:00.006-06:00

I was so glad we didn't have little kids with us. The stairs were so steep. That is my foot and my heal is literally to the back of the step with more of my foot hanging over the edge than on the step!

Kellie's room

Mom & Dad's room

Our little kitchen...Literally a stove and sink!

The front room /Spencer & I's room!

The dining room (yes that is the fridge in the corner). The fireplace where the birds lived and talked to us ALL night long!

We went up to Island Park with Mom, Dad, and Kellie. We had a fun time but we realized that Spencer does not do to well in the car for to long AND he really likes to pick on Kellie like he is her brother! There were times when I really thought that they were brother and sister. HINT: if Spencer is picking on you, the way to get him to stop is act like you don't care...no reaction, no more being picked on!

Friday night we went to the dinner theatre. It was a pretty funny. We also went down to the river and saw a TON of white fish (I'm not exactly sure if that's their name). But they were by the bridge from the highway. It was crazy to see them all! Dad said they were spawning. You should have seen all the fishermen who would not give up! I'm pretty sure none of them had any luck!

Memorial Day

2010-06-25T11:31:00.003-06:00

Mom, Dad, and Kellie came up for Memorial Day. We had a little picnic outside. Dad chose the spot for the fire. Notice how Mom's finger is pointing to the hole it's in and all the manure that's around it!! It was a fun day even though it was cold and windy...guess that's what you get the first part of spring in Wyoming!

Spring Has Sprung!!

2010-05-28T09:22:00.008-06:00

(Maybe next time I'll actually look happy in my pictures)

I love Temple Square (especially in the spring). Kellie had a date yesterday so Mom and I walked around Temple Square after we dropped Kellie off. The flowers were so pretty and it was so nice to actually feel warmth from the sun! Everything was in bloom and smelled so good! I took a couple pictures to remind me that spring is coming. It's slowly coming to Wyoming and today is one of the first days where it's warm and blue sky should be here all day long! However the pictures of Salt Lake is not what Wyoming looks like but maybe in the next week we'll kinda catch up.

On another note...other things are springing out (like my belly). I told Mom she could take a picture of me (now I'm wishing I hadn't). BUT becuase only a few people know of this blog I'll post my 27 week picture up for you to see that I am starting to show. I know I'm not as big as most people but I also know that to me these pictures make me look huge! Anyways enjoy the pictures of the spring flowers!

Thoman Trucking, LLC

2010-04-26T12:26:00.004-06:00

I figured since I was updating our lives I would show you a picture of Spencer's semi! He's pretty proud of it (I think more because he is busy working than owning a semi...but I think there is a little pride that he owns one).

Our new home

2010-04-26T11:57:00.007-06:00

This is looking out the front door. Apparently I was still doing laundry since we're pulling electricity from the shop!!

The mudroom that is a lot cleaner now...notice the window open (I was doing laundry).

There is a toilet and shower in here but I thought this would be good enough.

You can't see the entire room but there's a side wall where all our clothes hang and another window.

Taken by the heater looking towards the mudroom and bedroom door.

The outside of our house (and yes it really looks that small from the outside)

I'm finally posting the pictures of our new house! I took these pictures when our house was a little messy but it doesn't normally look so cluttered. The dryer is finally cleaned off now and the bedroom is a little more organized but I took these pictures before I forgot.

Our little house in Idaho

2010-04-26T11:47:00.002-06:00

Our front room

The door into our bedroom

The kitchen

Our house in Gooding

The day we moved :(

I thought I'd post the pictures of our first house. It was a cute 2 bedroom house. I would have had other pictures (and better pictures) of the other rooms but I took these the day we moved and the floor was all wet and this was the last thing I did before we left. I wish we could have just moved that house over here cause it is perfect for a newly married couple!

Living the simple life...

2010-04-17T15:24:00.002-06:00

Recently we moved to the Harrower Ranch (I forgot my camera but pictures will soon be coming). Blaine was nice enough to let us stay there until we can finally find/afford a place where Spencer can be home every night and we won't have to do this travel back and forth. Spencer and I and two of the young men from our ward moved us all in one day (really it was more like 3 hours with a little cleaning and packing and all). Mom was nice enough to take a Saturday and help me clean our little house. It only took us 3 hours to move in but it took mom and I 7 hours to clean it...guess that's what happens when only men lived there before and it's been sitting all winter.

Anyways we have 4 rooms...a mudroom, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom!! It is small but it's actually better than it seems. There's more room in it than you would expect. A couple years ago Spencer's cousins restored it to its old wood and put tile in it so it's kinda country/modern. The real story I wanted to tell you today was about our washing machine!

Our house has very few electrical outlets. To run our washer we have to unhook the stove and fridge, pull the extension cord that they were plugged into to the other side of the stove, pull the washing machine out (oh ya and the stove too), stretch the cords so you can plug them in and then turn off most of the lights so we don't blow a fuse! All I have to say is thank goodness for a gas stove so we can still cook. Our dryer doesn't have a vent that goes outside so we have to open the window and stick the vent out so the dryer air doesn't come into our mudroom and the house! I wish I would have had my camera last night because it was too funny when Spencer was washing his cover-alls.

BUT we do have a solution to our washer...we are going to be getting some extension cords and run them from the bunk house so we pull electricity from somewhere else!! Are you laughing yet? I am!! I think the thing that helps me through this is that I know that it is short time..how short I don't know..but short time and it is nice to have a place of our own. But I also remember Terri telling Camille when she had a small apartment to enjoy this time because one day you will have a larger house and you will wish for the small house and the simple life again!

The Story of Us

2010-03-25T18:51:00.004-06:00

I know that most people know "our" story but for those who don't it's always good to know how it all happened. (It might be long)

Spencer and I have known each other for probably close to 15 years. I can remember the first time I met him (He can't but I don't hold it against him). When I was in young womens we did a program called a Time to Love in our stake. We were able to travel around the area and one of those just happened to be LaBarge, Wyoming. After the program we stopped at the Thoman residence because they were related Margie Vickery (our driver). That is where I met Spencer and his family. If I only knew then what I know now!

Since I was good friends with Michelle we spent a little bit of time with the Thoman family. Spencer was always a fun person to be around. He had a good sense of humor and his dimples really do melt people's hearts. I remember the day that Spencer was talking to me about "thinking" of going on a mission. The next thing I knew he had a call to Nashville, Tennessee.

Last year I was living in Kemmerer hoping to find a job. I was ready to move to Texas but wanted to go to Spencer's homecoming before I left. Spencer spoke in church and everyone could tell that he had grown so much while on his mission. I didn't leave for Texas because of other things that I wanted to do before I left. The next thing I knew I got a job in Shoshone, ID working for the BLM. Since I was hoping to use my degree I took the job. The next thing I knew after that I had a date...with Spencer.

Our first date was suppose to be branding cows but the weather changed that. Instead we went to the Moondance diner and then came back to Kemmerer so he could speak in stake conference. A couple weeks later we ended up going on our origianl date and went branding. After that we spent the rest of the summer dating and getting to know each other better and before we knew it we were engaged.

We were married in the Salt Lake City temple on September 3, 2009. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day. Not only did I truly marry my best friend in the right place, but we had our family and friends there, the weather was great, AND I was able to shake hands with a general authority Jeffrey R. Holland. His words of wisdom to us was that Wyoming would never be the same!

It's What You Do

2010-03-25T18:29:00.002-06:00

Why start a blog when I could just write everything down in a journal or scrapbook? The answer: I don't do either!! So, after talking to my sister, going through old journal entries, and also finding old baby books that my mom was able to put together I figured I should probably do something so I don't forget all the wonderful memories and experiences that have happened in my life. Hopefully these entries will be better than my journal entries where it seemed like all I could write about was how "fun" everything seemed to be.

Since I haven't had a journal for a few years and I think Spencer only wrote in his during his mission and we're starting our little family very soon, I figured that this is the best way to keep updated on our lives and also have a personal record of the things that go on. Besides in today's world isn't this what you do?