Mike & Melanie Keller

my first helicopter ride

2012-01-16T09:04:00.003-07:00

At UVRMC before being transferred to PCMC

at PCMC in the ICU.

That toy you can see at the bottom of the picture is a new favorite.

To watch your child being strapped onto a gurney and loaded into a medical helicopter is a surreal experience. As I watched it take-off, all I could think was, that is my baby up there. Please, please let him be OK. He is afraid of loud noises, and has stranger anxiety. I am sure he was experiencing both. I knew the Life flight crew would take great care of him, but still felt a little helpless to see my little guy like that.

Cole continued to get worse at Utah Valley and was eventually Life flighted up here to Primary Children's on Friday. After a day in the ICU, he had made some great progress and was able to be transferred to the floor. He continues to make slow, but steady progress. We treat one thing and seem to get that under control and then another something comes up that is a bit of a setback. I guess that is always the way it is.

He is resting well...finally. I am very busy. I stare at him, stare at my computer, stare at my book, stare at the parking garage(my view), stare at the room across the hall, etc...you get the point!! It actually has not been bad. It had given me a lot of time to reflect on the last 14 months with King Cole. As I look out the window, there is finally snow coming down. I think it is a good sign!

Mike and I have been blessed with amazing families and friends. Thank you for all of the well wishes, offers of help and especially prayers.

a mask a day

2012-01-11T13:06:00.003-07:00

King Cole is back in the hospital.

A real bummer.

We were doing so well too.

Oh, well here we are.

I took him for a walk today around the unit and had to mask him up because of his cough. He is too cute in his mask.

He developed a dry cough that morphed into a very productive and

dangerous cough for him.

After treating him at home for a couple days, he was

not doing any better and was

laboring so much to breath.

I took him in to the clinic on Sunday and ran some tests.

Sunday night was rough, and I had a hard time keeping his sats above 88.

I took him in to the doc on Monday morning and after

we talked, it was determined that the best place for him was the hospital.

Since being here, he has had all of the same issues I was battling at home. He is on even more medications and has a double ear infection.

Needless to say, the little guy has been a champ.

He has been poked, and prodded, and sucked out more times than I can

tell you.

He seems to be feeling a bit better today..day 3 in hospital...and I am

hopeful that we can go home tomorrow or Friday.

He is such an amazing baby who has the sweetest way about him.

I know that all moms probably think and say this about their babies,

but King Cole is a dream.

As terrible as it is to have a baby so sick, it has been fun for me to climb up in his crib and just spend time with him. I had him Skype last night with Gavin, and he had the biggest smile on his face and was cooing. It was nice to see him have a positive reaction after having a tough couple of days.

hugs and kisses my sweet King!

Discovery

2011-12-30T13:09:00.003-07:00

As a mother I want my kids to explore, and discover all the

amazing things this planet has to offer. I hope they get the chance to travel.

(I think with Mike and I as their parents, this should not be a problem!)

I hope they are able to see and enjoy different cultures,

and toys and rocks and sticks, and everything else out there.

I have not ever, at any time, wished for my children to discover

and LOVE to play with tampons. However, Gavin has discovered them

and will not let this one go. He thinks it is just the right size.

He can hold it, chew it, and best of all, crawl with it in his mouth.

I am not sure if I should be proud that he made a toy out of nothing,

or horrified at what he made a toy out of.

He was very pleased to show me his new toy!

I tried to take the "toy" away.

How could I deny this face?

I let him play with it until he lost interest....the love of a mother!!

Christmas made me tired...

2011-12-30T12:59:00.002-07:00

This christmas we read lots and lots of christmas stories.

Gavin loves when you make all the sounds of the animals, etc.

Cole likes the books that have music.

I was cleaning the house and went into the kitchen to load something in the dishwasher and this is what I returned to...

My sleeping, exhausted, little candy canes!!

(the view when I left for the kitchen)

King Cole with Aunt Jen

(he likes her!)

Overall, we had a great holiday season.

We had fun with friends and family, and loved our time together as a foursome.

We look forward to many, many Christmases in the future.

Making sugar cookies, and neighbor treats, and all the other fun things of Christmas was fun, but will be so much better when the boys can participate!

I will post more actual Christmas pictures tomorrow, but for now...

We hope you had a fun filled holiday like we did.

wishing you a Merry Christmas from Keller Kingdom!

2011-12-20T19:30:00.003-07:00

We are excited to celebrate our first Christmas outside the confines of the hospital!

We look forward to the start of great traditions and incorporating

Gavin + Cole into the ones Mike and I have already begun.

Tomorrow King Cole goes to Primary Children's for surgery.

We are hoping it goes really well and he recovers quickly.

We love our little Colerbear and hate to see him in the hospital.

Even when its only a day or two!

He continues to make all sorts of progress.

He has an infectious laugh and smile.

He likes to play with his toys and has started to eat baby food.

Bananas are his favorite!

Gavin the Great continues to crawl and walk around everything.

He puts everything in his mouth and thinks he is very funny.

He likes to chew on furniture, or anything else.

He does not seem to have a very discerning palate!

He loves to laugh and smile and always makes me laugh.

He loves to play with his dad, and looks forward to his return everyday!

To all of our friends, family, acquaintances and blog stalkers out there..

Merry Christmas

from our family to yours!!

Birthday/Halloween weekend

2011-11-01T20:43:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was a bit crazy

at our house.

We started off on Thursday by wishing King Cole + Gavin the Great

a Happy Birthday.

Mike was out of town, so the boys and I went to Nana + Papa's house.

Mike and I had planned a party for the boys on Sunday,

so I was busy planning for that.

I spent friday and saturday cooking and baking.

My sister Stacey(the REAL baker) came over and

we got to work.

We made a pumpkin cake for the birthday cake,

ghost and pumpkin cake pops, caramel snickers popcorn,

and caramel apples.

And that was just on friday!!

Our caramel apples

I really wanted the boys to be in costume for their party. After all, it was the night before Halloween. My mom made them the cutest clown costumes for their party.

The ghost pops

the pumpkin cake

King COle in his clown costume. He was so handsome.

Aunt Stacey holding the boys at their birthday "spook"tacular.

We had family and friends over for dinner and treats. It was a lot of fun,

and we hope the boys felt loved.

The next day was Halloween and the boys were ready to hit the streets!!

We went to visit a few neighbors and called it a night. Seeing as neither Gavin nor Cole eat candy, it made trick-or-treating a quick endeavor.

Gavin the Great as "Tigger the Tiger"

King COLE was "Puff the Magic Dragon"

All in all, it was a busy, great, fun filled weekend.

We spent time with family and close friends and best of all,

celebrated our amazing little rulers!!

we are ONE

2011-10-28T09:24:00.002-06:00

Today my babies are ONE.

When I think back on all that has happened over the past

year, it seems amazing that we are all here.

Delivering 12 weeks early was a surprise for all of us.

The ups and downs, the laughter and tears have all been worth it to have these little kings

as a part of our family.

Mike & I feel blessed everyday to be their parents and we would not trade

any of our experiences over the past year.

After all, they have made us a stronger family and given us a perspective that

allows us to just enjoy them.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to King COLE and GAVIN the Great!

This is a favorite picture of King Cole. He looks so serious.

King Cole on a happier note.

Gavin the Great

He is always willing to be photographed!

Gavin loves to interact with Cole. Cole, not sure he loves his interaction with Gavin!

Most of the time the interaction consists of Gavin pulling at Cole's oxygen, g-tube, helmet, or poking his eyes! Gavin just wants to play!!

Gavin the Great with a finger close to his mouth, or in his mouth, is a staple around here. Teething is well underway.

In TWO days...

2011-10-25T13:17:00.002-06:00

I can hardly believe that in two days my babies will be ONE.

It does not seem possible!

I decided that they needed an advent calendar to count down their birthday each October.

With their birthday being so close to Halloween, I set out to make them something fun.

This is my final result...

There is a little witch that is attached and moves from pocket to pocket.

I made it rather large so I could put little dollar store items and treats in the pockets in future years. For now it is just me moving the witch each day!

my shirt says it all...

2011-10-11T12:39:00.005-06:00

I have two little teeth on the bottom of my mouth. Now, I am getting

one or two on the top. I am feeling a little sad,

and at times grumpy.

I have not been sleeping as well as I'd like, but am feeling

much better now that my mom gave me some Tylenol.

I have so much to explore now that I am a champion crawler!

I have to learn the lay

of the land so I can teach Cole all I know.

Cole + I hope you are having a great October.

We are getting excited to celebrate

our birthday and Halloween.

Last year we were a little busy growing and learning

to live outside our mommy's tummy to celebrate Halloween.

This year we will make

up for lost time!

The BIG Apple

2011-10-03T09:44:00.007-06:00

Mike and I got a bit of cabin fever and decided to take a trip.

We settled on New York City. I was excited to return to the city I love and lived in for several years and Mike loves New York was was happy about any excuse to visit.

After a lot of phone calls, emails, and research, I figured out how to get Cole's medical equipment to New York. The people at our home-care company were AWESOME!!

After all was settled, I packed the boys and off the four of us went.

We took the redeye out and the boys slept really well. We were a little apprehensive, but it all went well in the end. Once we arrived to he muggy heat, we went straight to the hotel for a nap. We had tickets for the Yankee's later that day and wanted to be well rested.

I dressed the boys up in their Yankee colors and off we went. THe game was a lot of fun and Gavin made the jumbo-tron!! All of the people around us loved the little guys.

Gavin the Great LOVED being out and about and looking around.

Time Square was crazy as always, but he seemed to thrive and love every minute.

King Cole was indifferent! We ate at lots of yummy restaurants, toured the MET, rode the subway, walked the park, enjoyed FAO Schwartz with the boys, saw the World Trade Center, and got the boys AC/DC t-shirts. I mean what little boys life is complete without AC/DC?!

The entire trip was great. We had fun from beginning to end and couldn't believe how great the little rulers were. I suppose when you are sired by parents who LOVE to travel at least a small part of that gets passed on...I am hoping the same hold true for a LOVE of college football!

Hello from the KING

2011-09-20T17:25:00.005-06:00

King Cole says "hello"

and hopes you all have a great day.

He has a new little cousin Savannah, and she is very cute.

He is going on an airplane on Saturday.

He has his Halloween costume all picked out.

He is excited for his birthday and Halloween, and hopes the end of October comes fast.

No teeth yet, but he can roll to both of his sides!

He can giggle and laugh with the best of them.

Gavin the Great rode his very first roller coaster...Puff at Lagoon.

His has two new teeth.

He can now crawl across the carpet.

He has enough hair for a mohawk.

And, he dittos the things on King Cole's list.

10 months

2011-08-30T14:22:00.004-06:00

King Cole continues to be a bright spot in my day. He is the sweetest baby you can imagine. He wants to be cuddled and talked to. He loves to sing action songs and read stories. He has learned to roll onto his sides and squack at his toys--and Gavin. His helmet has really helped his head shape and he should get it off soon. Cole loves to be outside and is happy to be in his stroller for hours. He likes his bath time, playing with the duckies and singing song, but hats putting his helmet back on.

His G-Tube is his primary means of eating, but we are starting to introduce foods. King Cole has the longest eyelashes you have ever seen and I could just stare at him all day. He giggles in his sleep, and likes to wear rattles on his wrists. He is laid back and easy going. He is learning how to get our attention and will snuggle right in when you pick him up. King Cole is tender, sweet, amazing baby. I can't imagine life without him.

Gavin the Great is a HAM!! He is always ready to smile and laugh. He is very social and loves to be the center of quiet attention. He cries if it gets too loud around him. He loves to play with his toes and is determined to get them into his mouth. He loves his swing and can scoot backwards in a sort of army crawl. He is ALWAYS happy when outside. He loves to take walks and to float in the pool. Gavin is a tender little guy. He will cry if Cole cries and watched him intently to make sure he is ok. He loves to snuggle and burrow when he is tired and eats his bottles like a champ. He tolerates food, but still has not shown much interest. He prefers a bottle and a hug to the highchair and food. Nummy and snuggie are still his favorites. He rolls all over the place now and can be found under furniture or playing in a corner. Gavin is so much fun and his laugh and smile are infectious. He is most always happy, except the past few days. He has two new teeth coming on the bottom so he is a little sad a t times and drools up a storm. Bath time and playing with Cole on the floor are favorites. He is such a fun, happy blessing in our lives.

two little monkeys...

2011-08-30T14:14:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting to get the boys a swing/jumper for awhile.

When Mike suggested it as well, I dove in and found the perfect one.

We have a unique set of circumstances with one baby who loves to sit and swing and jump and another who is still learning to do these things.

After reading hundreds of comments and reviews on different products, I found the perfect one for both wee ones. It has all of the fun with a little safety and head support built in. We LOVE this swing, and the boys do too!

The swing is hung from one of the rafters in our bedroom. The boys can swing and jump to their hearts content and never run into anything. (ie. a doorway)

9 months

2011-08-05T12:11:00.003-06:00

Nine months ago, King Cole showed his cute little face, and we have never looked back. He is the cuddliest baby I have ever been around. He loves his swing, his toys and most of all, rides in the stroller. He loves to be outside and watch all of the things going on. He likes to be in the bath and has a new love of the swimming pool. He has an infectious giggle and loves to suck on his hands. He doesn't like having a pacifer, but will take his hands any day. He continues to be weened off his oxygen and is doing great. His helmet has made a big difference and his cute little head is getting rounder and rounder. He loves to snuggle with dad and be read to. He is very observant and doesn't miss a beat.

Gavin the Great is a bundle of energy and smiles. He has learned to roll around and can no longer be contained! He likes to scoot backwards and frequently gets himself caught under some piece of furniture. Gavin LOVES books and story time. He likes to hold the book himself, which usually makes it hard to actually read the book, but what are you going to do? He loves the outside and gets very excited flapping his arms when I place him in his stroller. He continues to love his nummy and his snuggie and can't go to sleep without them. He gets very excited when daddy comes home, and knows it is time to play. He loves the pool and his floatie. Gavin is almost always happy and smiling. He loves to nap and is a great sleeper. He likes to touch King Cole and seems to be quite fascinated by him and all the things there are to touch on his head. He is a constant bundle of fun and cuddles.

Cape Cod anyone?

2011-08-03T16:16:00.003-06:00

What you see happened just the other day.

I was up and showered before I even fed the babies their first bottle.

After their morning nap, they were bathed, dressed and voila'....drumroll...

we were all dressed alike.

The sad thing is, it was by accident. In fact, I did not even

notice until later in the afternoon.

We took the picture on the red chair to make it look more festive, and 4th of July-ish!

From the boys and me...welcome to our Cape Cod!

I like to read

2011-07-21T15:23:00.003-06:00

Gavin the Great has discovered that he loves books.

He has always loved to be read to, but now he likes to hold the book himself.

He is still learning, but gets very excited if I let him turn the pages.

Put on your armor

2011-07-06T16:33:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, King Cole spent quite a bit of time living in the NICU. During this time, he developed a rather flat head. I attribute it to the fact that he was on a vent for so many, many weeks, and did a spell up at the local children's hospital. Anyway, due to this rather flat spot and the fact that we have been taught since we were little children to put on the armor of God, we combined the two and got King Cole some body armor.

Every King should have armor, right? King Cole is no exception. He looks dashing in his new helmet and has even decorated it with a "Y". Depending on when you see him, you may also see some other stickers that were added by his cousin princess Halle.

I am not sure when the sword will come, but a shield should definitely be next as Gavin the Great has taken great interest in this new helmet and can't stop touching it!

Eight months ago...

2011-06-28T09:39:00.003-06:00

Eight months ago Kingdom Keller was born and Gavin the Great and I (King Cole) were made its rulers. We have tried hard these past months to share the load of giggles, diaper changes, crying, doctors appointments, smiles, coo's, baths, blowouts, bottles and much more.

I have discovered this past month that I LOVE to smile and giggle. Since my g-tube surgery I have felt a lot better and have wanted to show it to everyone in my kingdom. I still love to cuddle and be outside. I had my first trip to the swimming pool this month. I liked it very much. I am hoping my mom will take me again soon. As I have her pale, almost translucent skin color, I have to have loads and loads of sunscreen applied to my body. This is my least favorite part of swimming!

I have discovered that my tongue is a pretty fun toy and I like to suck on my fingers and pucker my lips. I am happiest when I am looking around at all the neat things around me. I have even learned to squack when I want to be put down. I am starting to be weened from my oxygen. My mom is hoping that I can get rid of it in the next while. I have a whole head full of hair that started off blonde and continues to get darker. Overall , I am a very laid back kinda guy.

This is us with mom. She digs us.

Gavin the Great was so excited to turn 8 months. I am not sure what all the fuss was about, but he seemed happy to celebrate.

Gavin is much more social than I am. He LOVES to be the center of attention, be held, played with, tickled, kissed, etc... He likes to be outside too. He took to swimming very quickly and likes to be in water. He has recently discovered his toes and likes to hold onto them. He has learned to roll from his back to his sides, but has not made it to his tummy just yet. He likes to stand-up on laps and see what is going on around him.

Gavin is a sleeper--just like mom. He is much better at it than I am. He takes two long naps and a third catnap during the day and sleeps about 12 hours at night. He laughs and smiles all day long, and I have a lot of fun playing with him. He also likes to sing and coo and make all sorts of noises. I am not always sure what he is saying, but it sounds pretty cool.

Gavin started out with tons of dark hair, and now he is a bit of a chrome dome and it is coming back in a lot lighter than before. He did manage to get dads olive skin. He also got his feet and hands from dad!

Mom says we are the cutest little guys she has ever seen. We just smile and giggle at her. We have all sort of fun and prefer to be together. Even though Gavin has taken to pulling my oxygen tubing off my face, I would rather be with him than anyone else. Dad calls us "Colerbear" and "Gavinater". I think that makes us sound super cool. We look forward to 6pm everyday because that is when dad is home to play with us.

We will be back next month to tell you about our latest tricks and travails. Until then, thanks for visiting Kingdom Keller. This is King Cole and Gavin the Great signing off.

Father's Day

2011-06-28T09:24:00.002-06:00

Our first Father's Day together, and the boys wanted to make it memorable!!

Gavin the Great + King Cole painstakingly picked out a gift for their dad.

They got him a bike trailer so he could pull them along behind his bike.

Apparently, the little guys need helmets to ride in it so Gavin the Great is modeling his.

He was quite happy to wear his helmet and is waiting patiently for dad the put his new trailer together!

It would be easy to list a hundred great things about Mike as a dad--he is attentive, fun, involved, caring...He is a great dad who LOVES

his family and lets us know it. I could keep going, but he would be embarrassed. I will finish my little tribute by saying that G + C have the BEST dad around.

So, Mike--Happy Father's Day.

xoxo

favorite friends

2011-06-10T09:33:00.003-06:00

King Cole has three of the greatest friends in the world. Savannah, Cole and Ava made him a get well video when they found out he was in the hospital.

They are the cutest, sweetest, kindest kids around. We love them. We'd adopt them if they didn't already have amazing parents (Aunt Jen + Uncle Ryan)!!

We miss seeing them like crazy, but are so excited they will be here in a couple of weeks.

Not my favorite past time

2011-06-09T13:40:00.003-06:00

I LOVE football, Mike LOVES basketball, so we dressed the boys

in baseball uniforms.

My favorite is Gavin the Great eating King Cole's oxygen tubing. Who says we don't give our babies fun toys!

7 months and counting

2011-06-09T10:32:00.003-06:00

Seven months has gone by very fast. This post is about 10 days late, but I have been busy!

King Cole:

13 lbs 12 ozs

23.5 inches long

40.9cm head circumference

King Cole is not on the charts yet, but is growing really well and does get onto the bottom end of the charts for his corrected age.

King Cole is showing more of his personality lately. He has figured out how to get attention and get picked up...make noise!! Gavin was a good teacher. He continues to do well with his G-tube and takes about a third of his feedings orally. He is very ticklish and loves to make squealing noises. He is moving around more and more and likes to suck on his hand.

He is not rolling yet, but is very good at getting from his side to his back. He likes to sit back and observe everyone around him and reserves his cute smiles for those he knows. He loves to be cuddled and sung to and take walks in BOB.

While holding him he will look up at you with his big blue eyes and you melt. He does not cry very often. In fact, Mike has never heard him cry(except at birth).

It is that much more traumatizing for me when he does cry. It is such a sad sound.

King Cole is a huge blessing in our lives and we are grateful everyday that we have been blessed to know and love him. He continues to progress and make new milestones and Mike and I are just along for the ride.

King Cole is amazing and we feel blessed to have been entrusted with his care.

Gavin the Great:

16lbs 8ozs

26.25 inches long (10%)

43.2cm head circumference

Gavin the Great is in fact great! He is so much fun. He smiles and makes noise for anyone who will listen. He LOVES to be held and has learned to manipulate Mike into holding him! Gavin the Great is very social and likes to be apart of the action. He wants to look around and have people talk to him. He can roll from his tummy to his back, and loves to sit in his Bumbo. He likes to ride in BOB and cuddle with his us.

Gavin the Great is a great brother to King Cole. If King Cole cries, Gavin cries. He is a sensitive little guy. When they play on the floor together it is not uncommon to see Gavin the Great holding King Cole's hand and jabbering at him.

Gavin the Great loves bath time and always wakes with a huge smile on his face. He is a champion sleeper and awesome eater.

If Mike is home, he thinks it is play time.

Gavin the Great had brought so much laughter into our house. He loves to be tickled and play. He lOVES his nummy and snuggie, and we never leave home without them.

We can not imagine what life was like before these two little guys came into our lives. We love them more each day and are so blessed to be their parents.

memorial day

2011-06-01T12:49:00.003-06:00

I am not completely sure exactly what you are supposed to do on Memorial Day. We do not have any relatives buried here, we don't have any immediate family in the military (although we are extremely grateful for the men and women that choose to serve to protect our freedoms) and no real traditions for the day. In light of this, we decided to attend a bbq at my parents. King Cole was a cuddle bug all day being passed from one person to the next, and Gavin the Great was social as always. He loves to be in the center of all the action.

hand-me-downs

2011-06-01T12:43:00.003-06:00

This is a picture of Gavin in my pajamas from when I was a baby.

I'd say they have held up pretty well!!

He has almost outgrown them and that makes me sad.

A baby of leisure

2011-05-28T09:13:00.001-06:00

Where is my remote control and my beverage?

I'm out

2011-05-27T12:45:00.003-06:00

While I(cole) was in the hospital getting my g-tube

my mom and gavin were at home doing this...

I am not sure what "this" is exactly, but it looks like

more fun than being in the hospital.

This is me after my surgery. Initially, I felt pretty great, but then I developed an infection at my surgical site and was feverish and uncomfortable for a few days.

The up side of being in the hospital for 5 days you ask????

Well, I got to spend 24/7 with this guy. I like to call him dad. He stayed

with me the entire time I was in the hospital. He even slept

on a bed that did not look very comfortable.

My grandma Keller came to visit me. Grandpa came too, but my mom

did not get a picture.

My aunt Stacey, Aunt Mandy, Uncle Jeff and baby K all came too!

I am glad to be back home in my own crib with gavin and my mom & dad.

My surgery went well and I seem to be doing well with my new tube.

I am able to breathe easier, and sat much better without the NG-tube.

Thanks everyone for calling to check on me.

XOXO, cole

Gavin's first Sunday

2011-05-17T20:52:00.003-06:00

Gavin was very excited for his first outing to church.

He looked so handsome in his shirt and tie.

my jammies are better than yours

2011-05-17T20:46:00.001-06:00

How cute is King Cole in his hospital jammies?

I could eat him up!

King Cole has surgery tomorrow

2011-05-16T10:28:00.002-06:00

King Cole is making the drive to Primary Children's tomorrow to have a G-tube inserted into his tummy. He has been getting by with an NG-tube, but the doctor's feel that he would be better served to have the NG removed and the G-tube inserted. He will have the surgery in the morning and then will have to stay in the hospital for a day or two.

I have attached a video of King Cole. This is the first time I got him smiling and giggling. It just happened a couple weeks ago. It turns out that Cole is VERY ticklish.

6 months have passed

2011-04-26T10:51:00.003-06:00

King Cole

Gavin the Great

It hardly seems possible that King Cole and Gavin the Great are 6 months old. There are moments where they seem to be five, and others when I still feel pregnant.

They have been so much fun and a welcome addition to our little family. I can't imagine life without them.

Gavin is so happy, and loves to smile and chat with anyone around. He is very social and wants attention from everyone who enters his line of sight. He loves to explore with his hands and is always in perpetual motion. He only cries when he is really hungry or ready for his rest. He loves to cuddle, watch bright lights, read stories, be carried around(facing out), and play in his swing.

Cole is more quiet and observant. He has started to make more noise and wiggles around when he wants to be heard. He is content being held and cuddled all the time. He cries about once a month when I change his NG-tube. He has discovered his hands and loves to pull at his feeding and oxygen tubes. He loves bath time and is starting to smile. He is content laying on the floor playing and being batted in the face by Gavin.

Mike and I are very lucky to have such amazing little guys ruling our kingdom.

car seat comfort

2011-04-18T14:46:00.003-06:00

on our way to the pediatrician...

cole

gavin

(he actually pulls his hat or his snuggie,

whichever he has, over his eyes to sleep)

All bundled up

2011-04-18T14:39:00.003-06:00

cole

gavin

cole

you may think I am a bit paranoid, but when I first brought cole

home I was worried they would be cold in the night. because cole sleeps with a

cool-air humidifier I was worried that the cold air would blow on him

and make him cold. so, I bundled him. I could not very well just bundle cole, gavin needed to be bundled too. after all, they were sleeping right next to each other, it made perfect sense that gavin might get cold too! this is what they looked light every night before bed. needless to say, I have grown out of my paranoia and they are allowed to sleep without beenies.

birthday boy

2011-03-27T12:04:00.003-06:00

This guy here just had a birthday.

The boys and I (mostly me) put together a card of

40 favorite things about him.

We debated and debated (again, mostly me) whether

it should be all serious, all funny, or somewhere

in between. We decided on the later.

In the interest of time and the fact that I currently have

a baby crying in his crib, we will just tell you all

that gavin + cole + I think he is amazing. We feel

lucky and blessed to be in his family.

He is always looking out for us, supporting us,

and spending all his free time with us.

Happy Birthday babe!

love,

gavin the great + king cole + mellybelle

babies + blessings + a birthday

2011-03-26T15:34:00.006-06:00

mike + gavin

sugar cookies for my boys

our first family photo since both gavin + cole came home

we blessed the boys on our wedding anniversary

delightful delectibles by staceylace

I really wanted to do something fun for Mike's birthday, but was having all sorts of scheduling conflicts. He was going to be in Tokyo for his actual birthday and none of the other weekends worked because of other conflicts. I decided that I would mix the blessing of gavin + cole with mike's birthday party. He would know that we were having people over for the blessing, so he would not be suspicious when we decided to celebrate his birthday at the same time.

The blessings went really well and it was a lot of fun to have our families together. We had yummy food, and mini treats for all to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who participated in an amazing day.

SWAGGER

2011-03-26T15:14:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I got a call from Mike. He was in Tokyo, I was in Utah. He said that I needed a new car and I was getting a MINIVAN. I admit that I was horrified and tried my best to persuade him that I did not in fact need or want a minivan. I pulled out all the stops and used every emotional argument I could come up with. Most of them were a load of crap, but I was determined to touch on every reason for not needing a van. I hung up the phone feeling defeated and a little bugged that I was getting a new car, but did not get a choice in the matter. Oh wait, I did get a choice...I could pick between the Honda or the Toyota.

A few days later Mike came back here from Japan and arranged the purchase of my new ride. Mike was scheduled to leave a couple days later to return to Tokyo so the new car would be delivered to the house. I had resigned myself at this point and knew there was no getting out of it...I was a minivan mom. I felt a little crushed and sad that I would have to give Big Precious to Mike and name a new car.

Two nights before Mike was leaving for Tokyo we went out to celebrate our anniversary. We went to Salt Lake and had dinner and Mike had arranged for me to get a massage at the Grand America. As a side note, it was amazing. I highly recommend it. Anyway, back to the story...Mike shows up at the hotel after my massage in my sparkly white new swagger wagon. She has that new car smell, and gleam. There are buttons for everything. In fact, I am pretty sure you could drive her without any hands just a couple fingers. The doors open and close themselves, the seats recline into flat beds, there is a camera for backing(this feature makes me a little nervous!). It is crazy what designers have come up with. Yes, I chose the Toyota, and have since become a proud owner. I am a minivan mom--at least for the time being!

Protection

2011-03-16T20:35:00.001-06:00

I can't help myself...this is soooo funny!

4 month STATS

2011-03-06T12:57:00.005-07:00

4 MONTH STATS

February 27, 2011

gavin cole

10 pounds 5 ounces 8 pounds 1 ounce

21 inches long 19.5 inches long

gavin and cole are loving being back together.

these past two weeks have been a lot of fun.

the boys love to cuddle, play, smile, read stories, and swing.

mike and I feel very blessed to have them back together after almost

four months with at least one in the hospital.

gavin is growing like a weed,

and cole seems to be thriving now that he is home.

Gavin's first photo shoot

2011-02-20T15:03:00.003-07:00

These are some photos that I took a few weeks ago of Gavin.
I thought I would share with all of you just how cute he is!

He continues to do well at home and has finally broken the 10 pound mark.
He has started smiling a lot and still makes all sorts of noises.

He loves to cuddle, play & read stories. He is my cuddle bug.

King Cole's new throne

2011-02-19T20:44:00.004-07:00

Today is the day that Mike and I have been waiting for for almost 4 months. Our Cole was released from the hospital. We are thrilled to have him home and are excited, nervous, & ready for him to be home,and for us to start the next phase of our lives.

I arrived at the hospital to see this cute, smiling face ready to go home. He as such a sweet disposition. He will smile at me and look at me with those big eyes and I just melt.

King Cole is a real charmer.

We packed up his luxurious throne...

and put on his travel outfit...

(Is he not the cutest giraffe you have ever seen?)

and paraded through the NICU saying goodbye to some favorite friends,

We drove past this on our way to Cole's new throne

Cole arrived at home to see this. Stacey and Josh put their craft skills to

work and made this cute sign.

a man of leisure, just chillin' out on the couch.

And now I am multi-tasking!

It is so great to have Cole finally home. We loved our friends at Utah Valley,

but home is so much better. Hopefully they will come visit us and then we can

have the best of both worlds!

Now all we need is daddy.

A Few Pictures of Gavin

2011-02-18T16:31:00.004-07:00

Mel sent me these pictures of Gavin earlier this week. Kids change too quickly at this age. I have only been gone a week, and he already looks more grown up. I have a little over a week left on this trip, but I can't wait to get home. Skype is great, howevver, being there trumps anything technology can offer. The weekends in Tokyo last forever when I am here by myself!

Today is the day

2011-02-18T09:27:00.001-07:00

Today is the day King Cole gets to come home!! I am on my way to the hospital now...pictures to come.

2011-02-14T15:28:00.003-07:00

King Cole blows you all a kiss and wishes you a very
Happy Valentines's Day
from our family to yours!

My Valentine

2011-02-13T21:57:00.006-07:00

My VALENTINE, see picture below, surprised me with an amazing gift.

He got me this...

To replace this antique...

To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I thought he got me something from Williams Sonoma. I am not sure what the final straw was for Mike. I mean my relic does weight 15 pounds, burns your legs after a few minutes, is virus prone, freezes frequently, and is slower than winter in Alaska, but she has mostly been a champ over the past ten years. So this Valentine's Day I bid her adieu. She has lived a full life, but has now been replaced by a sleek, fast, lightweight, AWESOME machine.

I could not ask for a better valentine. I am not just saying that because he got me an amazing gift. I am the luckiest girl in the world to be able to spend the rest of my days with someone so great.

King Cole

2011-02-12T15:13:00.004-07:00

How cute is he?? I just want to eat him up.

This little prince is Cole. He is our quiet bundle of love. He loves his swing at the NICU and likes to see what is happening around him. I thought this picture was cute and captures that he has the same eyes as his dad and brother.

I call him King Cole because he has seniority at the NICU. It is a sad day when you realize your child has been there the longest. We are hoping he will be home soon, but will miss all of his amazing friends... Pam, Val, Jennie, Melissa, Carolyn, Pat, Christina & Caytee--the greatest nurses and friends around--Allison(there are not words to describe how amazing she has been to us and our boys), Jenny & Brenda--the NNP extraordinaries--Reggie, Steve, Ryan & Mark--all amazing men who see to it that Cole can breathe--Annie the baby whisperer, and many other doctors, nurses, RT's and secretary/techs who have played with, loved, and cared for our little guy. We have loved these men and women and feel very blessed to call them friends. (If I have left anyone off, it was inadvertent.)

(the picture was taken on a cell phone so its not the greatest quality.)

Gavin's Homecoming

2011-02-02T13:36:00.003-07:00

When Gavin came home from the hospital, my sisters went all out and made him a sign and organized all of his things. In appreciation of all their hard work, I thought I would show you all the AMAZING sign they made.

Mike's eyes

2011-02-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Does he look worried to you?

3 months old...

2011-01-27T19:22:00.004-07:00

Three months ago today I gave birth to these two cuties. It has been an emotional roller coaster from the start. I guess it is a good thing I like rides. Both boys have had ups and downs, but are doing well as of today. Gavin is home and Cole continues to do well in the NICU. We are hoping he will be home by his 4 month birthday.

GAVIN: 8lbs, 9ozs, 20" long

COLE: 5lbs, 15ozs, 17.5" long

"Gavin the Great" is home

2011-01-24T19:49:00.002-07:00

After 11 weeks and 2 days, Gavin is home. He started out at 2lbs, 13ozs and is now 8.5 lbs.

Gavin is a great baby. He is happy and only cries when he is hungry and the milk is not coming fast enough. He is curious and can't get enough of all the things around him. He has his dads eyes and olive skin and my dimple. When he smiles you can't help but squeeze him. He loves to snuggle, be swaddled watch his mobile and be held. He coos and snorts and makes every other baby noise you can imagine. I don't remember him being a noisy baby in the hospital, but has come into his own and will not be stifled.

Supervised Visitation

2010-12-29T19:03:00.002-07:00

Gavin and Cole are now allowed "supervised visitation." It sounds like they are inmates, but they seem to love being together.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours...

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

Mike, Cole, Melanie & Gavin

October 27, 2010

2010-12-06T15:39:00.003-07:00

Just a few days after I arrived back in Utah from Tokyo, these two handsome guys were born...12 weeks early. I will post more about the experience and their progress soon. In the mean time, meet Gavin and Cole.

COLE

(Ignore the ken barbie. We use it as a frame of reference for his growth.)

GAVIN

Note: these pictures represent the boys at 6 weeks old.

Chistmas Boutique

2010-10-14T21:28:00.001-06:00

This is a Christmas boutique that Liz and I are doing. We would love to see you there! We have some adorable new Christmas designs to unveil. Come and check us out.

Japan Convention 2010

2010-10-13T01:52:00.003-06:00

Mike and I spent the first weekend in October in Yokohama for the NuSkin Japan Convention. It was the first time I had been to an actual market convention. Mike spent most of the weekend in a tux, which pleased him very much!! I didn't mind so much, because I thought he looked cute.

The convention was a lot of talks by the management and some top distributors trying to get the other distributors excited about the coming year, some new products & the Force 4 Good charity. I found the entire affair very interesting. from my perspective it went really well, was well attended(about 13,000), and the distributors seemed to be having a great time.

My favorite parts of the weekend were:

1. I loved when we would walk somewhere people would come up to Mike and Ryan to take pictures with them. You would have thought they were rock stars! I wished I had gotten pictures of it.

2. When they were honoring the new top distributors, they would walk down the stage in these elaborate evening gowns. I am always a sucker to see what fun dresses people wear.

3. It was also Ryan's birthday during the convention so his kids came and were able to go onto the stage with him.

4. Jen and I had fun hanging out, eating pizza, and searching for a birthday cake for Ryan.

5. We found a great 100 yen shop! And, I bought a broom!

6. They had more than one TV channel in English. They had 2!!

All in all, it was a good weekend and I had fun seeing Mike in his work environment.

My first few weeks in Tokyo

2010-09-26T22:33:00.004-06:00

My first few weeks here in Tokyo have been filled with new sites, sounds, smells, and friends. We have been to Disneyland, Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine, Costco, IKEA, Omotesando, the Indian festival, and TAC to name a few. We also purchased Keiko out Japanese GPS(not to worry, she speaks English). She was a bit of a mess at first, but I think we have figured her out now. We have spent quite a bit of time with our friends the Napierski's and are so grateful they are here. We always have a blast with them and their three kids. We have gone on lots of walks to explore the city and have enjoyed our "pimp wagon." That is what I call our car. It was purchased from a colleague of Mike's that was returning to the states. It is a Toyota mini-van/wagon that looks like someone barfed blue confetti onto all of the upholstery. It is a fiesta wagon. I'll post pictures of her soon so you can all enjoy her.

This is my new favorite purchase. Happi robes. They are sorter versions of kimono's and way less fancy, but still super cool!

This is the main street in the HaraJuku where all of the girls dress in Little BoPeep/Gothic looking dresses with huge bows in their hair. It is quite a site. It makes for amazing people watching!! Gwen Steffani loves the unique style of these girls. That should tell you something! I particularly love the name of this street.

This is the view as we walk down our street. If you keep walking straight ahead about 3/4 of a mile you will run into the Tokyo Temple. We love the area we live in. There are tons of restaurants, shops and interesting things to see.

This is one of my all time favorites in Tokyo. This is a little store in our neighborhood that sells these little wedding dresses for your teddy bear. They are completely fabulous and don't worry because they cost more than an actual wedding dress in the states. The one I am standing in front of goes for more than $650 depending on the exchange rate. Let me know if you want to place an order!!

Ever Expanding

2010-09-26T22:23:00.003-06:00

At 20 Weeks
My belly is ever expanding. Some people carry and sort of spread out so they never really look very pregnant. Well, I am not one of those people. I carry right in front. It looks like I attached a basketball to my stomach that continues to inflate each day. Once my body decided to start showing it did so with gusto. It has been fun to feel them move more and more. They are very active and kick me a lot!

At 25 Weeks

Jack Johnson

2010-09-26T22:16:00.002-06:00

Before Mike and I moved over to Tokyo he bought tickets with our best friends to Jack Johnson. It was so much fun. We ate at the Red Iguana before heading to the concert. The food was yummy and gave me my fill of Mexican before heading to Japan.

The concert venue was great, seats were awesome and the music was incredible. It was a fun date night for us and made it even better to have Dan and Reb there too.

Come visit the Swiss

2010-08-31T08:25:00.002-06:00

Swiss Days is this weekend!!! Friday and Saturday 8am-8pm. Come and visit Liz and me at our booth. We are excited, nervous and ready to sell our wares. We hope everyone likes them.

2010-07-20T17:41:00.002-06:00

2010-07-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

to be continued.....

The Craziness Continues..

2010-05-10T17:16:00.007-06:00

Starting June 1st,

while I am HERE:

preparing for THIS:

But once its over, I'll get on THIS:

and live HERE for the next three years.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

This year Valentine's Day happened to fall on the week that my family spends down in Arizona. It also happened to be President's Day, which meant that Mike was off work and could come to Arizona with me for a few days. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. I was very sad when he had to leave on Monday, but it opened up my schedule to shopping. (While Mike would go shopping if I asked him, I find it is more painful for me than him because I know he is soooo bored. He is a great sport about it though.) Anyway, back to shopping...the rest of the week was filled with one store after another and the occasional break to play with my cute nieces, eat yummy food, and visit my bff Marisa.

NOTE: If you like to eat, and are going to a new place, the triple D's (diners, dives, and drive-ins) has the best recommendations around. Every place we tried that they suggested was awesome.

Maui with Dan & Reb

2010-01-14T09:36:00.003-07:00

The first week of December Mike, Dan, Rebekah and I were off to Maui. It was a welcome break from the cold of home and a relaxing way to kick-off the holidays. We stayed at The Grand Wailea Resort and it couldn't have been more perfect.

Sweater Soiree' 2009

2009-12-30T09:52:00.003-07:00

Some FAVORITES from the annual Sweater Soiree'!!

What I have REALLY been up to

2009-11-05T16:47:00.004-07:00

I have been asked umpteenth times what I have been doing lately by friends. In an effort to not have to talk about myself I usually respond with "just hanging out." Well, the truth is I have been super duper busy designing, sewing, cutting, etc...

My sister and I have started a new company. It is called Bailey Baby Design. We design and hand make all our wares. It has been a fun and challenging endeavor. We both love to sew and craft and have finally found an outlet for that desire. I have to admit, it is a pretty great job. And, way way way way different than anything I have done in the past.

Check us out if you are in the market or need a unique gift.

www.baileybabydesign.com

Lagoon Day

2009-09-21T14:17:00.001-06:00

Lagoon Day...oh what fun! We rode and spun until we all felt a bit sick.

Thanks NuSkin

EaStErN EuRoPeAn VaCaTiOn!

2009-05-18T15:50:00.006-06:00

Mike and I got back a week ago from an eastern European extravaganza. We started our trip by staying a night in New York. It was so much fun to be back in the city and walking around. The weather was perfect and I was so excited to be there. We(Mike) had cheesecake at Carnegie Deli, we ate lunch at Patsy's(my fav!) and walked all over midtown and the upper west side. It made me miss the city.

The next day, we were off to Budapest. What an amazing city. We were staying in the castle district and had an amazing view of the Parliament building. Budapest has, until fairly recently, been under communist rule and that was evident in the way the city looked. There were all of the old historic buildings and churches and the newer communist era buildings that look more like government housing projects surrounding them. We visited churches, museums, cafes, a Jewish cemetery and the Jewish ghetto used during WWII.

After a few days, we drove up to Vienna. Vienna is more like Paris in terms of how it looks. I loved all the old buildings and castles. We toured the summer and winter palaces of the Hapsburgs and they lived it up. These places were amazing. I loved the grounds of the summer palace. There were trails where you could walk or run for miles. Vienna had a lot of neat museums and FANTASTIC strudel and croissants. I don't even like croissants that much, but these were unbelievable. I could eat ten a day. We even took part in a Milk protest. Apparently the farmers want more money for milk. They were handing it out with yougart and Mike was in heaven. Mike also enjoyed talking in his German accent, and talked frequently about Puten Schnitzel(sp?), which is some kind of Turkey something.

The next stop was Salzburg. Holy Cow, that is a beautiful city. We went on the Sound of Music tour, where they take you to the different places where they filmed and tell you about the real story of Maria and the Captain. We even got to sing along to some tunes from the movie. This was definitely Mikes favorite part!! I was actually a little worried that he would hate it and be cursing me for making him go, but I think he enjoyed the scenery and was glad there was only minimal sing along time.

Once we left beautiful Salzburg, we drove to Cesky Krumlov an old castle town in the Czech Republic. It is this old castle built on top of a hill and the smaller homes that surround the main castle building, but still within the castle grounds. It was very quaint and there was lots to see. We only spent an afternoon here as we were excited to get to Prague.

I have been wanting to go to Prague forever. The old town takes your breath away. They have buildings there built hundreds of years before America was even discovered. There is this cathedral inside the old Prague castle that might be the most spectacular church I've ever seen. It looks a little like Notre Dame, but not as clean. I loved walking around the city and across the many bridges.

This was an amazing trip. We had a great time and would not have been able to do it all if not for Yasmine (our GPS). I named her. She was apart of the family by the end of our trip and I was sorry to return her to the car rental people.

Happy Mother's Day.

2009-05-12T16:05:00.002-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to both our moms. They are the greatest and we LOVE them.

Let It SNOW, Let It SNOW, Let IT SNOW

2009-04-17T10:56:00.003-06:00

What is not to like about APRIL 16th in Utah? I mean really, can you top this?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!

2009-03-22T12:50:00.000-06:00

Today is the day Mike turns 25! Not really, but I have decided that once you pass 35, you get to chose what age you want to be. Now that Mike is only 25 I guess that makes me a bit of a cougar!!

OnE YeAr LaTeR!!!

2009-03-13T14:33:00.005-06:00

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Mike and I got married. Time has flown by. I feel incredibly grateful to be married to him and couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, cheerleader or partner in crime than Mike. What can I say, he's the BEST! If I actually drank, I would toast to a great start and many more amazing years to come!

Goosie takes to THE hill

2009-02-06T21:28:00.003-07:00

Today I took Josh skiing. We had a great time, and he was awesome. He didn't even fall the 2nd half of the day. He is really starting to understand how to shift his weight without crossing his ski tips. It snowed the entire time, but we had a blast.

I LOVE this Kid...

2009-02-05T17:02:00.002-07:00

I have had this video on my computer for a couple of years, and I watch it regularly. I find it so funny. In fact, every time I watch it I laugh. I admit that I think the boy might be the cutest kid ever! Mike even shares my love for this video as he has taken to quoting it at the most random moments. I have been waiting patiently for a video that I would enjoy more than this one, but to no avail. Turn up your volume, and enjoy.

P.S. don't feel bad if you have to watch it more than once. It is addicting.

SCENTSYRIFFIC

2009-01-14T16:34:00.003-07:00

Scentsy...need I say more?

Well, if you are like me and had never heard of scentsy before this post then let me fill you in. They are these little holder things that you can melt wax cubes on top of. When the cubes melt they emit a delightful aroma. Basically, they are a fancy smelly candle.

I got one of these fancy candles for Christmas. Once it was taken out of its box Mike found a new friend. If I didn't know him better, I would think that he talked to the candle for the amount of time he spends with it. Everyday, he picks the scent he wants to smell and takes care of everything. On Saturday I came home and he had moved the Scentsy from the kitchen(its home) up to our bedroom. He was just lying on the couch watching football and smelling his special candle.

Christmas in London, New Years in Paris

2009-01-05T09:42:00.002-07:00

Mike surprised me Christmas morning with a trip to London and Paris. We left a few hours later, and were off on our adventure. We toured all over both cities and had a great time. The weather was beautiful in London and it rained in Paris. Go figure!

We went to two plays, toured the Tower of London, ate great food, saw Notre Dame, enjoyed the Louvre, the Eifel Tower and all of the amazing architecture. It was a fantastic trip.

Christmas Eve @ the Stohltons

2009-01-05T09:18:00.002-07:00

The Sweater Soiree

2008-12-24T13:19:00.008-07:00

The 2nd annual Sweater Soiree was today!! We had a great time having some friends over for Christmas Eve brunch. There was great food, awesome prizes!!, good conversation, and amazing sweaters. Here is a quick look at some of our favorites! There was tough competition this year, as Glen and Molly were on their A game. I think it was the matching green turtleneck that put them over the edge. My sister stacey also was in top form. She even had light bulb earings, that blinked! We hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and we hope to see you in the new year.

The "Blue Balls" are gone...

2008-11-29T10:34:00.005-07:00

For me, the close of Thanksgiving brings the excitement and anticipation of Christmas. With the excitement comes the holiday music and decorations, and abundance of snack foods covering every counter in the house. For Mike the close of Thanksgiving marks the arrival of the "Blue Balls." These are not just ordinary blue balls, they are "special." Last year, when Mike and I were merely dating he insisted that we decorate his tree with blue balls. As I was not yet the lady of the house, I had to reluctantly agree. After all, it was his house, his tree, his decorations, etc,...

So we decorated Mikes tree with blue balls...I know what you are thinking, "single guy, decorating with blue balls," but whatever. Mike wanted them. This year, nine months into marriage, I was allowed to veto the use of the blue balls. I know that Mike will miss them terribly, and we will all miss the conversations we have had at their expense, but alas, they are gone. I am not sure what this holiday season will bring sans the blue balls...to be continued...

P.S. The "Blue Balls" are ornaments!!!

The look of an AnGeL...

2008-11-19T14:01:00.002-07:00

Isn't she cute?!!! Well, now imagine that cute little face, and body, covered from head to toe in pooh. You read right...pooh. Mike and I are babysitting Emery while her family is in Orlando for the week. I put Emery down for her nap and she was tired so I started to do other things figuring she would go right to sleep. About 40 minutes after I put her down I could hear her yelling "Melmel, Melmel." I went to see what the problem was. The room was dark but had the most overpowering smell of dirty diaper. I picker her up, without turning the light on, and went to clean her up. When we got into the bathroom she had this perplexed look on her face. She kept saying "yuckie." It took a minute for it all to register. I looked down at her hands, face, clothes, stomach, etc. and they were all covered in yellow pooh.

Fifteen minutes later she was bathed, clean and in new clothes. It was a little nasty, but bearable. I took her back to her room to put her in bed and when I turned on the light I SAW IT!!! Pooh everywhere. She had smeared it all over the walls of her crib, on the foot board of the guest bed, chunks on her clean clothes (also on the bed). The bedspread, blankets, rug. It was literally everywhere. After 45 minutes of scouring I was able to put her down in a bed that has been sanitized, in a room that smells of residual pooh, Clorox, and Febreeze.

After this experience I am grateful for a few things. First, Mike was at work. He would have spent the entire time dry heaving and telling me he would never touch anything again. Second, Clorox wipes are awesome. They are so easy to use and smell like clean! Third, Mike was at work. And finally, I am grateful Emery is so stinkin cute. It was all I could do not to bust up laughing when she kept pointing to spots and saying, "ewwww, kaka's." (a word she learned from her mother, not me.)

RePoSsEsSeD

2008-11-06T17:10:00.005-07:00

What can actually be repossessed? It is a very interesting question, one that I can not say I have ever given much thought to. Well, that is until last night. Mike and I went to the Utah Jazz game and we were in the elevator going to dinner(we had such amazing tickets that dinner was included!!) Anyway, while standing in the elevator, three women who were dressed like 18 year olds, but were actually closer to 40 got in the elevator. I assumed the usual elevator stance--look at the ground, or anywhere but at someone. Avoid eye contact at all costs stance--you all know the one. While in this stance one of the women said, and I quote, "I called my lawyer today and asked her if my boobs could be repossessed?" I was not sure I had heard correctly but when Mike started poking me and asking if she just asked her lawyer about her boobs I knew I had not been mistaken. Seriously, what has this world come to that one would even be worried about such a thing? Go JAZZ!!

ORANGE you glad you're not wearing Yellow/ORANGE CRUSH wins CHAMPIONSHIP!

2008-10-28T09:34:00.004-06:00

HOW CAN YOU NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THAT STANCE?

Some say that your GLORY DAYS are in high school. That however is not true of Mike and his friends. They RAN, bumped, HIT, threw, caught, and OUTPLAYED teams to win the flag FOOTBALL championship. To make the win even more impressive, they remind themselves, as they are laying on the couch in a state of soreness and pain, that the guys they beat were more than ten years younger than them, and in PEAK physical form! It was a GREAT day, and on behalf of the wives who watched our HUSBANDS create new GLORY days...CONGRATULATIONS guys!!

Professional Babysitters

2008-10-09T16:47:00.003-06:00

Mike and I have just completed another week of babysitting. This past week we had Craig and Annalees three kids. We had so much fun. They are great kids with lots of energy and spunk.

Cooking Class in Thailand and Weekend in Vietnam

2008-09-28T19:11:00.003-06:00

On my last business trip to Asia, I had meetings in Hong Kong and Bangkok. This was my third trip to Hong Kong and sencond to Bangkok this year so I wasn't looking forward to spending a long weekend in either city. Instead, and as luck would have it, I was able to add on a Hanoi leg for only a $14 increase in my ticket. I had never been so I thought it would be a good chance to check it out. A couple of workmates, who were also going to Bangkok, flew out of Seoul right after their mettings ended and met me in Hanoi.

Hanoi was crazy. Whoever has the biggest car with the loudest horn wins, every time, and I am still trying to find out how many scooters get smashed every day in that city. We went to Halong Bay and on the way, our tour guide told us that Hanoi has 3 million scooters, and they all seem to be carrying one thing or another (the city only has 7 million people). Anyway, our driver drove in the oncoming traffic lane for most of the trip to Halong Bay. At first we were a bit stressed by the fact that he was honking at the oncoming cars like they were in his way. However, after about 40 minutes of this, we just kicked back and figured that he knew what he was doing. We had a few close calls though.

At the end of our meetings in Bangkok, we went to Thai cooking school at a restaurant called the Blue Elephant, located in Bangkok. It was a lot of fun. It would have been better if Mel was with me.

End of year weight loss challenge

2008-09-28T18:59:00.002-06:00

So Mel and I were chatting the other night, and I brought up the fact that I have gained too much weight since last October. I committed to her that I am going to get back to the weight I was at the end of last summer. I checked in at 174 pounds last October. Since then, I have put on 25 pounds. So, I have some work ahead of me. By December 31, my goal is to be back at 174 pounds. This should be a lot of fun because I am a sucker for dessert, and with the holidays approaching, this will be a really good test of willpower.

Does anyone else want to join me in this year-end challenge? Regardless of how much you want to lose, you are welcome to jump on board. This way, instead of putting down a new year's resolution to lose weight, we can resolve to maintain our new weights. Good stuff!

NATERTRON STRIKES...

2008-09-25T15:59:00.003-06:00

I went over to my moms house today to get some vegetables from the garden. When I was leaving she said, "Have you read Nathans poem yet?" I told her I had not. She proceeded to read it to me and I thought it was very cute. When I yelled downstairs to Nate to tell him how great it was, I also asked him if I could put it on the blog. He agreed and here it is...

Megatron wanted to rule the world.
But Optimus Prime said "NO".
Megatron tried to get the cube
But Sam wouldn't let go.

There was a big war-fight
between the bad and the good at this time.
And Megatron was starting to win
until Brawl and Blackout died and the fight
went to Optimus Prime.

Sam put the cube in Megatron's chest.
And Megatron choked to death.
"You left me no choice brother"
Megatron said, and breathed his very last breath.

How great is that. I included a favorite picture of Nate. He is the best!!

Fall is in the air/ Nutella Pancakes

2008-09-23T20:34:00.006-06:00

Mel and I went for a drive on the Alpine Loop on Sunday afternoon, and fall is definitely in the air. It was the first time in two weeks that we weren't otherwise occupied with our insta-family.

Mel summed it up best in her last post when she said "Mothers Rock." It was fun to jump into a 5-kid family for a few weeks. Saturday mornings were great because I was on breakfast duty. We made buttermilk apple pancakes. We had a lot of fun with topping options: butter, whipped cream, Nutella, maple syrup, and jam. The Nutella was a hit. By the second week, the kids were making Nutella pancake sandwiches. They liked them so much that they actually weren't too disappointed when we ran out of whipped cream. Go figure. I don't know how healthy it was, but the 4 boys ate 30 pancakes for breakfast, and they weren't small pancakes. I don't think they were hungry for lunch either day. All in all, we had a good time.

MOTHERS ROCK!!!

2008-09-18T16:31:00.000-06:00

Mike and I just finished being thrown into the fire. We babysat my cousins five children while they went on a trip around the world...for two weeks! It was an interesting experience. I learned a lot about bugs; four of the kids are boys. I learned that I know how to rescusitate a child; the 9 month old swallowed a lego. I learned that you can do laundry while talking on the phone and holding a crying child. Dino chicken nuggets are a Godsend; there are never too many stories at bedtime, and pink and purple anything are icky. They apparently are GIRL colors.

It was an action packed two weeks and we had a great time. They are amazing kids who we grew to love. The experiences I had gave me a new appreciation for how hard motherhood is. I don't think I appreciated how big a commitment it really is until I felt that relief at night when all five were tucked in and safe. For all of you mothers out there, my hat is off to you. You are doing an amazing thing and I appreciate your efforts.

O' Canada, O' Canada

2008-09-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

Mike and I went to canada this past week with his brother and sister in law. What a great time we had. Canada is absolutely beautiful. The fist night we stayed in Calgary and then were off running into the rockies. We stayed up in Jasper for most of the time and came down outside of Banff for the last of our trip.

I could not believe how amazing the mountains are. They are the biggest things I have ever seen. I have lived in the Wasatch mountains for most of my life, but I was unprepared for the majesty of the Canadian Rockies.

We hiked to the top of a mountain and you could see other mountians for 360 degrees. It was beautiful and totally worth the sweat, and blisters!! No, there were no blisters, but it was a bit of a vertial climb. Lake Louise was another favorite and had a fun hike up to the six glaciers and tea house. I think my favorite part was the color of the water. I am not sure how to describe it, but it was spectacular. Mike loved saying 'eh?' at the end of every sentence and anywhere else in the middle of a thought he could put it. Endearing at first, then not so much!!

I CAN SO DO THAT!!!!

2008-09-05T13:12:00.002-06:00

If you have ever harbored delusions of grandeur in sports then you have to watch this clip. As the Olympics have ended and we have all returned to normal life--off the couch--we have gotten back into our old routines and the feelings that once stirred us to run that marathon, or swim 20 laps, or tumble our way to GOLD are now supressed deep down under our extra layers of warmth, aka FAT. Well, this video will make you want to get moving and show the world the kind of athlete you are in your dreams...well, maybe not, but it is amazing. I think it just made me more depressed about all the things I have no hope of ever being able to do!!!

Philly 08'

2008-08-11T15:17:00.003-06:00

Mike went out of town for a couple of weeks so I decided to go to Philadelphia with my mom and visit my sister Liz. We went to the Amish country, including "Blue Ball" and "Intercourse;" The Barnes musum, Reading Market, and all over the downtown area. I loved walking around the city. There are so many old churches and interesting buildings.

Tuachan

2008-08-11T14:59:00.002-06:00

Mike and I went down to St. george with my parents and my sister Stacey. We went to two plays at Tuachan--The Sound of Music and Les Miserables. They were amazing. We especially loved Les Miserables. It was as good as when I saw it on Broadway. The atmosphere is amazing at Tuachan. It is set back in the red rocks and is completely surrounded by mountains.

While in St. George, on one of our In-n-Out Burger runs, we saw this police car on top of this rock. You may be asking yourself why this particular car is on top of the rock? I do't actually have an answer, but I can tell you that another car had pulled into the spot behind the police car. Apparently the policeman was in a hurry.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

It's 5K time...My sisters and I decided that we wanted to run the Freedom 5K in Provo. We recruited our husbands, Joshua, and friends. We all had so much fun that we are planning to run the 10K next year. Anyone who wants to come and join is welcome!

2008-06-23T16:28:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks before Mike and I got married, we went to San Francisco to visit his parents who are serving as Mission Presidents. We also went down to Monterey and I showed Mike the house I was born in. The best part of the trip came when Mike and I were sitting in the car, overlooking the ocean, waiting for my parents to finish taking pictures of the beach. Well, Mike and I were sitting in the rental with the sunroof open when a bird decided to pooh through the sunroof and onto Mike's chest. I was hyperventilating I was laughing so hard. Mike was pretty disgusted but that did not keep me from laughing all the way home. This picture was taken right before the "accident."

2008-06-23T13:30:00.004-06:00

Mike and I went to Idaho for a family reunion. I got the grand tour of Sugar City and saw the home of "The Diggers." We had a great time with Mike's family and feel like we ate for three days straight. We watched the air show in the back yard of Mike's parents, saw Mesa Falls, fed some fish, had dutch oven cooking, and spent a lot of time hanging out.

I have not been in the family very long so it was fun for me to spend more time with Mike's siblings and get to know them better. I also loved playing with his nieces and nephews. They are all adorable. Whitney, the oldest neice, is going to be a tall like Mandy and me!!! I am thrilled there will be another footer in the family. Braeden, the oldest boy, makes me smile. He has the most beautiful eyes and agreeable personality. I have to admit that I also love his weak stomach. He hurls at just about everything. Personally, I find it funny, but I am not the one cleaning it up. Ella, Craig & Annalee's youngest--pictured above, is the cutest little thing. You just want to hug her she is so cute. Elizabeth is the little girl hiding in the picture and she is a doll. She is serious and smart and reminds me of an adult. She loves to be with her dad, which I find endearing. Lathan, the youngest nephew, is solid. He has the sames eyes as Braeden and the more reserved personality of Elizabeth. I do appreciate that he lets me hold him and he never cries. I think he is starting to like me!!

2008-06-17T15:44:00.001-06:00

Mike and I went island hopping in Hawaii for our honeymoon. We went sailing, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, flying and swimming. We had so much fun.

2008-06-17T15:02:00.000-06:00

March 13, 2008...What an amazing day!! We were married in the Salt Lake City Temple and had our reception at a family friends home in Provo. We appreciate all of your good wishes and participation in our fantastic day.