Gerstner Life

Pre-Halloween

2011-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Clay and I went to a surprise birthday party and it was a dress up party (right before Halloween). We are pretty lame when it comes to costumes, but we tried to have fun with it. I stole Beckham's pirate gear from his Halloween costume and I had bought a pack of mustaches from the dollar store. We were so worried we would be the only ones dressed up but everyone else went ALL out. Halloween party pictures are coming up!

A New Day...

2011-10-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

This picture is just crazy...of course it's the picture they took to show up in our ward directory. Let me just tell you a little story. I was just called as RS secretary and felt it was important to start going again after having the baby. I don't think Cash is even a month old here. This picture was right after the three hour block. Beck was brought to me by the nursery and he was sitting on my lap the last few minutes of RS. He had some sort of allergic reaction to the sweater I was wearing. His whole face was breaking out in hives and his nose and eyes starting running like crazy. Beck was flipping out that his shoes were on of all things. Cash was screaming because he was hungry. I had Cash during the meetings because Clay was teaching Elders Quorum. We were asked to take this picture and Eva insisted that she hold Cash and of course I wouldn't let her because they wanted us to stand in the picture and Cash was already screaming...needless to say when the lady taking the picture said she wasn't sure if we would like the picture I didn't care one bit. I wanted that picture taken and us out of there! I don't need to mention that Clay isn't even looking at the camera and I am still swollen from the baby. Oh well, at least this is evidence that we go to church...

Eva's first day of preschool.

Another family picture fail. At least we try...

I am just sick that I haven't been blogging. We try and do so much as a little family and I am not recording any of it. Well, it's a new day. I am going to be much better and blog about our little adventures as a family.

Catch up, Christmas Morning, 2010

2011-03-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning 2010

Just remember I am eight months pregnant in this video. This is right before Clay surprised me with our new house!

Catch up, Christmas Eve, 2010

2011-03-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is always the best. We are lucky enough to be able to spend it with both of our families. We went to Clay's parents house first. These are a few pictures from the nativity the kids acted out. Then we went to my mom's house where it is always a blast. We went to our home afterward so Santa could come. It was a beautiful Christmas.

Eva singing "I Know He Lives" in her costume

Eva as "Mary"

Shepard Beckham

Presents ready for Christmas morning

Stockings hung with care

Catch up, Clay's Birthday, Dec. 2010

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

Clay is such a hard worker and does so much for our family I wanted to make his birthday really special this year. His birthday was on a Sunday, so we made a weekend long celebration. Saturday morning I made a birthday breakfast feast and invited some friends from the ward. We watched a few home videos honoring Clay. It was a blast. Then that night we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Always a treat. Sunday morning we gave him gifts, new belts and ties. Then I surprised him at church in his primary class with a dessert tray from Kneaders full of eclairs (his favorite dessert). It was so much fun to spoil him and I wish I had more pictures from that weekend. These are just a few from the breakfast I made.

The menu was scrambled eggs, ham, Einstein bagels, cream cheese, fruit and yogurt parfaits, homemade raspberry rolls and cinnamon twists, oranges, orange juice, chocolate milk, milk, and Magelby's rolls. Delicious!

Beck and Easton

2011-03-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Beck has made a very good friend. These pictures were from back in October. My girlfriend had just had her second child, so we jumped at the chance to watch her first for some fun! This is Beckham and Easton at the Bean Museum at BYU. They had so much fun running around looking at all the animals.

Roaming around

Best Buddies

Catch up, Eva's first haircut, Oct. 2010

2011-03-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Eva also got her very first haircut right before Beck. It was definitely time. She was recently potty trained and her hair was so long that it was close to going in the toilet when she went potty. She was so excited to get her haircut and had a smile on her face the entire time.

So excited.

Her long locks

About to make the first snip

I had them cut off a pony tale for me to keep. You may think it's strange, but this was her baby hair.

Catch up, Beckham's official first haircut, Nov. 2010

2011-03-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

I cried after his haircut because it made him look like such a big boy. I found myself getting more upset with him after certain things because he wasn't a baby anymore. I know it was time, especially looking back at these pictures, but he did have the most beautiful hair.

Beck doesn't know what is about to happen.

Look at those golden locks!

Sad boy...

Calmed down

After the haircut (I kept a little lock)

Finished product

Catch up....Halloween

2011-03-03T09:34:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how behind I am in the blogging world. Our life has been absolutely crazy the last few months with a move and new baby. Anyway, I am going to post a bunch of things we have been doing lately. So here is a quick catch up.
Halloween was super fun this year. Eva was a "ballerina princess" and Beck was an M&M.

Eva at her cousin Ethan's birthday party in Wyoming.

M&M Beck

She loved the horse in the front yard.

Ethan and Eva. Eva LOVES him!

To Eva...From Santa

2010-12-01T08:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/-D6zGGkEu4641ErkEaXtxA

Family

2010-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Beck always poses like this for the camera...

We were at a little party tonight and it is very rare where everyone in our family looks presentable and a child hasn't spilled food or gotten into a puddle or mud pile. Anyway we snapped a few pictures and it's a good thing we did because Beck did find the one mud pile on the side of the house tucked away from sight and was rolling around in it laughing. Anyway, here you go...mind you, I am five months pregnant and already bloated. Please keep that in mind...

We are having a baby...

2010-10-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

So we went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. I am just a little late updating. We are having another ... BOY! We are into the Chinese zodiac calendar and this baby will be a rabbit. If he is 10 days early then he will be a tiger, but I have never delivered early so pretty sure he will be a rabbit. We took the kids with us the ultrasound thinking it would be fun for them. Eva had her heart set on having a sister and when the technician announced it was a boy you would have thought someone had died. Eva cried and cried at the office and throughout the day saying, "I just wanted a sister." She is now used to the idea and so are we. We were certain we were having a girl as well, but we are excited to have two little boys causing trouble and making messes. We feel grateful and blessed to be having another healthy child.

Parent Teacher Conference and Pumpkins...

2010-10-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Waiting to see Eva's teacher

Still working on the one handed picture taking

Picking Pumpkins

Can't believe we are going to be a family of 5!

I can't believe that it is October already. Time is flying by. Eva had her first parent teacher conference this evening. It is surreal that I am now attending these for my own children instead of being on the other side of the table giving them. Her teacher only had amazing things to say about her. Miss Mallory (Eva's teacher) said she always tries to give the student something to improve on but she couldn't think of one thing for Eva. She gave her a kindergarten assessment and she knew everything on the assessment already! We still have two years until kindergarten so I better start some things at home to challenge her. There wasn't an item she didn't pass off. As Eva's reward we went and picked out pumpkins. It was really fun, but we kept on getting in trouble because Beck would pick them up and throw them. He is a true boy these days; very mischievous. Our kids are doing great and we couldn't be more proud of them.

Beckham's First Haircut

2010-09-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Before...

During...

After (devouring a sucker)

Summer...

2010-09-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Resting

Beck loved eating the sand, seaweed, anything he could put in his mouth

We have had an amazing summer packed full of fun things. I feel so blessed to have a family I want to be with and a husband who is so much fun! I haven't blogged all summer but here is a list of the few things we have done.

California a couple of times, going to the beach
Lots of parties in the backyard (we have had the best time just in our backyard)
Roasting marshmallows
Kangaroo zoo
Swimming and more swimming (Eva is a pro now)
Four wheeling
Blue grass music festival in Wyoming (I know, totally random, but so much fun)
Park City arts festival
Family reunions
Camping (this was only once and it was a family reunion. if you know us we aren't campers)
Gymnastics for Eva
Shopping
Hiking (only a couple of times)
Thanksgiving point
Eating out (too much)
Fireworks
Real soccer games
Lots of library time
Going to movies
Parades

There is so much more, but I can't remember everything at this moment. But it has been a great summer. I am excited for what the Fall will bring.

First Day of School...

2010-09-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

No my belly isn't fat (well, maybe a little), I am just pregnant. Yes, this is an announcement.

We made a big breakfast and my mom, Jenna, and Chuck happened to be in town so they joined us. I made homemade cinnamon rolls, raspberry rolls, eggs, bacon, and juice. Needless to say Clay and I woke up at the crack of dawn to have everything ready, but it was totally worth it.

Beck scowling at the camera.

Today is Eva's first day of school. It isn't the school I initially signed her up for last spring. I had to cancel that preschool at the beginning of August because she wasn't potty trained yet. As you know now from our last post Miss Eva is officially potty trained. It was too late to put her in the preschool I signed up for at first. I was really sad about this but an even better opportunity arose just a few days ago. My dear friend gave me a registration form from the school her child is going to. It is in an elementary school and is actually a preschool for special needs. They needed a few "role model" children for the classroom. So I went as soon as I found this out and got her in to the last available spot. What an amazing experience for our Eva. She is going to grow so much as a person helping and being in this environment. We couldn't be prouder of her. Clay actually got a little teary eyed and emotional dropping her off. That's just the kind of dad he is. We pick her up in a couple of hours and I can't wait to hear all about her first day. We love Eva!

Hold the phones...Eva is potty trained!

2010-09-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Our Big Girl Eva

So I never thought this day would come. I have bribed, asked, threatened, done everything possible to get this girl potty trained for a while now and nothing seemed to work. She just kept telling, "No, now put my diaper on me." Well, a couple of weeks ago after her gymnastics class she came to me with a pair of her underwear and said, "Put these on me, I am potty trained now." I hesitantly put them on her thinking I would be cleaning up a huge mess before long. To my surprise she IS POTTY TRAINED. She has been now for two and a half weeks and only one accident. She even wakes up dry in the morning. I know, too much information, but you have no idea how excited we are for her. Clay went on a rampage every month when I would go buy diapers for two children. I went to Costco the other day to buy diapers for Beck and I couldn't believe how cheap the bill was. We are so proud of our little Eva. She is amazing!

Sew Sara

2010-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

My cousin Sara is the most talented seamstress. She made these adorable shirts for my kids birthdays which they wore at their party. She creates amazing items and can do custom orders. Here is her website if you would like to browse and buy anything...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewSara

Have fun and thanks Sara!

What Comes Before Part-B?

2010-05-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big party for the kids. It was a beautiful day (a little wind now and then) and we had a great turn out, though Ashley is disappointed that possibly less than 100 people showed up. We served a nice lunch of pulled pork sandwiches, grapes, strawberries, chips, a relish tray, propel, chocolate milk, and of course, the cookie bar. The kids had a great time on the swings, in the playhouse and digging in my fresh laid mulch. Which caused me no small amount of discomfort to watch people walk over it. I'm such an old man.

My baby is 1...

2010-04-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my baby boy is one year old today. He is such a delightful person in our family and we feel so lucky to have him. We couldn't love him more. We went to McDonalds for his birthday breakfast and are going to make a tradition of it because we went to eat there the morning before he was born. McDonalds breakfast at 9:30 am, hospital at 10:30 am, and Beck born at 5 pm. It was an amazing day and I feel so lucky to have had so much family with me to share it with.

Beckham on his birthday morning

I am one today!

This video is of Beck opening his present at McDonalds. You can see the excitement in his face when he opens it. It's pretty cute. One of Eva's favorite movies is Toy Story so she was just as excited that Beck got "Zurk" for his birthday. Enjoy-

Random Video

2010-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a random video we shot yesterday evening. Beck and Eva are becoming fast friends. I wanted you to see how blond, long, and curly Becks hair is getting.

Finally...

2010-02-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

Angel Eva for our Christmas Nativity

Christmas Morning

Golfer Beckham; he loves this little club

Watching TV with mom and dad in bed

I know, I know, we are terrible bloggers. I don't have a great excuse, but I am making a goal to be better. We have had a wonderful couple months and hope this year will keep getting better. Here are a few pictures of our cute kids. Beck and Eva are learning to play so well together and they absolutely adore each other. It is so much fun to watch. Beck's personality is coming out. He laughs constantly, loves to play with blocks, and bugs his sister consistantly. Eva is getter bigger and more mature everyday. I love our little family!

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-01-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

This is Eva reading, "Where the Wild Things Are." It is her favorite book and she has memorized every word. She loves to read and this was her Christmas Eve talent this year. Enjoy...

To Eva, Love Santa...

2009-12-16T21:28:00.001-08:00

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/d0dffaed10fa4b5ae42a2178ed956a26

RSL...MLS CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!!

2009-11-23T10:28:00.001-08:00

Watch this...

2009-11-06T18:25:00.001-08:00

You will not believe this. Make sure you watch the entire segment.

Beckham is six months!

2009-11-06T16:07:00.002-08:00

I can't believe that Beckham is already six months, but at the same time I think, "It's only been six months!" He had his pediatrician check up and he is healthy and right on track. He is 18 lbs 10 oz (70th percentile), 27.5 inches long (83rd percentile), and his head size is in the 69th percentile. We were lucky enough to be the first appointment of the day and our doctor's office received one shipment of the flu and H1N1 vaccines. So both Eva and Beck have been immunized. Yeah!!!
I have been feeding Beck the baby pureed vegetables, but the doctor gave me the go ahead to feed him new things like crackers, fruits, juice, etc. . . Well, he had his first graham cracker and I think he is in love. He hasn't been a huge fan of eating, he only really loves his bottles, but he liked having crackers. It's always fun to introduce new foods to babies, so I am going to have fun with this. We love you Beckham!

Even More Pics...

2009-10-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Eva's finished house

More Halloween Pictures...

2009-10-31T12:27:00.001-07:00

Chili and Toppings

Corn Bread and more food

Ghost Sucker and Boo Cookies

Cute Decorations

Haunted Houses

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to decorate Haunted Houses

Oscar and Cookie

I never was a real fan of Halloween in the past, but it is pretty fun with kids. Clay and I decided to have a little Halloween party at our house and invited a bunch of people from our ward. We worked really hard preparing for the party and I always panic right before thinking no one is going to come. To my surprise nearly everyone came and it was such a blast. We served chili, cornbread, chips, salsa, fruit, red velvet cake, and I made "haunted houses" for all the kids to decorate. Everyone came, ate, and stayed. It really was so much fun. Eva dressed up as Cookie Monster, her favorite character and Beck dressed as Oscar the Grouch. I even joined in wearing some Halloween pj's (thank you Rachel). They couldn't have been any cuter. I love my family so much and look forward to making many more memories. Here are a few pictures from my party. Enjoy...

Five Months. . .

2009-09-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Five Months Old. Sept. 30, 2009. Beckham and Eva. She can be a little rough sometimes.

Our little Beckham turns five months today. I can't believe that he has already been in our family for so long. It really only feels like he has been around for a couple months. He is such a pleasant and good baby. He has been sleeping through the night since five days old and last night he slept from 7 pm to 8 am without a peep. He is always happy and goes with the flow. The only time he gets upset is when he is by himself on the floor and can't see anyone. When you enter the room when he is crying he immediately stops and smiles. I guess he is going to be our social boy. He can flip himself around pretty quickly these days, but is still trying to figure out how to crawl. If he sees something he wants he lifts up his arms and legs balancing on his tummy (superman pose) thinking that is how you get around.

Eva is turning into quite the little girl. She is no longer our baby. She is always wanting to learn new things and asks questions constantly. She also thinks she is a little comedian, always trying to get a laugh out of people. She says funny things like, "Are you kidding me Chuck," and "Clay, just calm down". We went to California last month and we were watching the news about all the wildfires there. She was so worried about the fire. Then Jenna (my sister) made a CD and the first song was, "We Didn't Start the Fire." She loved the song and pretty much had it memorized the first time she heard it. She kept insisting she hadn't started the fire, but Jenna had. I don't know where she gets this stuff. She loves movies and is always asking to watch them. We don't have many Disney movies so it's a treat to go up to Janae's house and watch them. Janae is Eva's grandma, but Eva insists that she isn't. She says, "Janae's not my grandma, she's my best friend!"
Moving on. . .we are happy, busy, and have a great life.

Eva knows all her ABC's!

Laughing Beckham

2009-08-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I had Beckham belly laughing for ten minutes straight as I was changing him before bedtime. I don't know why I didn't think to grab the camera until the end. So he isn't laughing as hard as he was when I finally pulled out the camera, but I still think he's pretty cute in it.

Long awaited. . .

2009-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July, Beck and Eva

All the cousins, (except Ollie)

Hanging out on the trampoline

Big Boy Beck

Handsome Beckham

Life has been pretty crazy the past couple of months, but fun at the same time. Beck is now three months old and the most pleasant baby to be around. He is a great addition to our family. Eva is funny, but tests the limits everyday. Clay is working hard building his business and I am trying to keep the house clean and get back in shape. More to come. . .

Happy Birthday to me. . .yesterday!

2009-06-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am a little late posting this. My mom and brother made this great video for my birthday. I think this was my best birthday yet. I felt completely loved and spoiled. It was an awesome day!

Kelly Clarkson

2009-06-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Clay bought me Kelly Clarkson tickets for Mothers Day. The concert was a lot of fun. Kelly is a great performer and singer. She sounds awesome live. We ended up taking our niece Sophie and her cousin Ellie. Chuck was able to buy a last minute ticket outside the stadium. It was a little rainy and chilly, but overall very comfortable. I loved sitting on the grass and listening to the live music. I had to take video of the last song she sang, "My Life Would Suck Without You." Eva says this is "our song" and always wants to listen to it. She knows every word and sings it all the time.

A Magician named G.O.B.

2009-06-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard, I recently performed a magic show at a friend's Arrested Development themed birthday party. Below is said magic show...please to enjoy.

Curly. . .

2009-06-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

My mom has had this awful wig forever. We have pictures of my older brother as a small child dancing around in it. It is the funniest thing. My mom got it out the other day and we had to have a little photo shoot. I can't wait for Becks hair to grow out a little more. Clay doesn't look to amused with his picture being taken. I need to give credit to my lovely sister in law Rachel for taking all these great pictures.

Summer Time

2009-06-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

It's summer time which means it is time to swim! We bought Eva a new swimsuit a couple of weeks ago and she has been begging to use it. She finally was able to put it on and go swimming because of her kind and patient Uncle Chuck. A big thank you to him for taking Eva. I can't wait to start swimming myself. I have my six week check up next week and will be able to start living an active life again. I can't wait to start working out and getting this baby weight off.

BECK!~

2009-05-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Beck had his two week check up today and Eva went along to have her two year check up and get a shot in her bottom. Beck weighed in at 8 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches. That is some good improvement, the doctor gave him a clean bill of health and will see him in four more weeks. Eva is at about 35 inches tall and just over 30 pounds. The doctor told us to put her on skim milk as she is a little heavy for her height, or so he says. I know a lot of you want to see more Beck photos so here they are. It's tough to get action shots so they're mostly close ups. He is a cute boy and already sleeps 6-8 hours at a time at night. We love it!

Party Time!

2009-05-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

The Saturday following Eva's birthday, May 09, we had a nice little party for her in our backyard. We had other motives as I made my brother Cannon and my dad help me put together the swing set we bought for Eva a few weeks back. In attendance were Pat and Howard, Cannon, Amy, Sophie, Abby and Nick, Margie and Gary, Janae and Ashley, Beck and Clay. Later Shellee and Grandpa Anderson stopped by too. We had a great time as the weather was perfect and I grilled some burgers and hot dogs and we had a nice simple lunch. Enjoy some pictures.

Typical Eva. . .

2009-05-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Came across this photo recently. . .

Eva is 2!

2009-05-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our cute Eva is 2 years old today! More to come. . .
Eva's birthday started off with pancakes in bed with Ashley (knee pictured) and Beck (light blue log)Later that day she got to ride her new bike (that she had been almost begging for)
And finally it ended with one more sleepy picture.

Introductions

2009-05-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Continued once more. . .

2009-03-21T17:19:00.001-07:00

Why can't I fit?

Supermodel Eva in Janae's heels

Still mad at mommy. . .

Continued. . .

2009-03-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Crocodile Tears

I promise I'm not doing anything naughty. . .

I love Sophie

Happy Eva

Busy Cooking

Way too long. . .

2009-03-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Firewoman Eva (the binki is going away soon. . .I promise)

Eat this. . .

The Curious Case of Eva Button

Concert Pianist

Sorry about the long silence. I have started back to work in the mornings which has kept me busy and tired. I only have a few more weeks of work, then it's back to being a stay at home mom. I thought I had better post these adorable pictures of Eva that my sister in law Rachel took while she was here in Utah with her daughter Sophie. We had a really fun time together. Only five more weeks before Beck is born so it was good for Eva to see me holding another baby. She hated me holding someone else, but she'll just have to get used to it. . .

Family Time

2009-02-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

Eva trying on Mom's new boots

Where's my belly button

Dancing on Granddaddy's shoes

Family time

We have had a wonderful Saturday! We went to a party this evening and since we all were ready decided to take a quick family picture. We haven't posted one in a while, so here it is. . .

More NYC pics. . .

2009-02-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

Jenna and her Crif dog

Waiting for Wicked to start

Hanging out where there are free refills

New York City

2009-02-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Sightseeing

Friends Zack and Brenda

Eating at the Burger Joint

Deep Fried Hot Dogs here we come!

Clay's deep fried BLT hot dog

Clay and I were very fortunate to spend a week in the big apple. We arrived late Wednesday night and left at the crack of dawn the following Tuesday. We had an amazing time. Last time we came to the city we had Eva with us; which was great; but a stroller around New York is tough. Janae watched Eva for us, so it truly was a vacation. We felt completely spoiled. We stayed with Jenna and Chuck in their apartment which is in the best location. We were only a block away from Time Square and all the action.
The first day we went to a taping of the Daily Show. We had VIP seats thanks to Jenna. Afterward we were able to tour the studio and offices. Pretty cool! The next day we met up with our friends Zack and Brenda. We went to a place called the burger joint. It's hidden in this fancy hotel, no signs for it, nothing. It was delicious. We hung out with them for a while and looked at sights and went up to a revolving restaurant to see the city. That night we hung out at Qudoba where there were free refills with Jenna and Chuck. Clay must have drunk a gallon of Coke.
On Saturday we stood in line to win the lottery tickets for Wicked! There was a huge group of people wanting to win them, but we actually won them! We couldn't believe how lucky we were. We paid $25 to see the most sought after show and sat in the second row. The show was unbelievable. I got emotional throughout it. Later that night (Valentines Day) Jenna showed us around the the village where we ended up at Five Guys burgers and again drunk a gallon of coke. On Sunday we went to church, met up with friends again for a few hours, then made dinner for Jenna and Chuck.
On Monday we woke up late then decided to tour around the east village. There were so many cool little shops. Then we ran into a candy store called Economy Candy. They had such fun candy at a very affordable price. It was really fun to look around and buy a few things. Then we went to this place where they serve deep fried hot dogs. Clay got the BLT hot dog. It was wrapped in bacon then deep fried covered in lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard. It was delicious. I know, crazy. We had an amazing time in New York. It was just what we needed before baby number two comes in a short two months. This wouldn't have been possible without Janae, Jenna, and Chuck. Thanks again!

A Few More. . .

2009-01-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve

Our Family

Ashley and Clay

A Warm New Year. . .

2009-01-15T11:28:00.001-08:00

Sleeping in Denver

Thai Cousins

Sea Life Park

I love my Aunt Rachel

Swimming Buddy

This year we were able to spend a very relaxing week in Hawaii for the new year. The weather was gorgeous the entire time. 80 degrees felt pretty awesome compared to the frozen wasteland we're used too. We spent time swimming, eating, going to the beach, eating, going to a sea life park, eating, shopping, spending time with family, and eating. I don't have many pictures of myself because my hair was a frizz ball the entire time, (I don't do well in humidity) and being in and out of the pool so much, make up was non existent this trip. Besides all that, it was a wonderful vacation. We feel extremely lucky to have gone. The warm weather must have put Eva in a coma. She slept about 18 hours a day there which was great because we were able to party a lot without having to worry about her.
Our plane trip to Hawaii wasn't so luxurious. We flew to Denver where we supposed to have an hour layover and then continue non-stop to Honolulu. Well, it turned into a seven hour layover because they were servicing the plane. Seven hours in the Denver airport with a one and a half year old is crazy. She thankfully fell asleep for about an hour, but all of us had about had it when we had finally arrived in Honolulu. Thankfully Jenna was flying with us. She was our life saver. Eva only fell asleep in her arms on the plane. Jenna and Eva definitely have a connection. The trip home was a piece of cake compared to that. Enjoy the few pictures. . .

Christmas

2009-01-12T15:59:00.001-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posts in the last month! Once my family came into town it was a whirlwind of events. Christmas was very successful this year. My family's annual Christmas Eve program was the best yet. We had everything from a dance contest, to a knight who would eat anything you wanted her to, to a deal or no deal game show. Clay, Eva, and I spent Christmas morning together at our house. Eva gave us the best gift yet by sleeping in until 10:30 that morning. Clay and I were able to get ready before she even woke up! We gave each other our gifts which included a kitchen play set for Eva. Then we were off to Christmas with my family, eating breakfast and opening gifts. Afterward we went and spent time with Clay's family eating once again and enjoying a leisurely afternoon. We took a video but no pictures that morning which Clay will have to post soon.

We're having a . . .

2008-12-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

Many of you may not know, but I am now twenty weeks pregnant. Clay, Eva, and I went in for our ultrasound on Wednesday morning to see of the baby was healthy and what the gender is. Clay and I were excited to find if our baby was healthy, but we got emotional when we found out we are having a baby BOY! Clay is pumped. This pregnancy is much different than the first because we've been through this all before. But now that we know we are having a boy, it has changed Clay's and my excitement level. I took a couple of pictures with Eva in her pig costume (because she was born in the year of the pig) with a stuffed ox (this baby will be born in the year of the ox). She has had an attitude problem the past couple of weeks so they didn't turn out too great, but still enjoy.

Nursery

2008-11-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

All ready for nursery!

Eva is officially 18 months old which means . . . . .drumroll . . . .she is in nursery. Clay and I are so excited she is finally able to go. We both have demanding callings, so it was getting extremely hard to have her with us, although Clay had her most of the time. We took her in nursery yesterday and left her alone the entire time. We debated whether or not we should stay with her but opted not to. We would peek in the window occasionally to see how she was doing. She was playing well with the other kids and during the lesson and snack she sat in her own chair and followed along with everything. When it was time to pick her up we peeked in the window before hand. She was laying on a little piece of carpet while the other children were playing around her. She was exhausted. When we went in we asked the teachers how she did, they said she did great. She never cried and fell asleep for about twenty minutes. Did I mention she did all this without her binki. We are extremely proud of our smart Eva. Thank heaven for nursery.

Contest

2008-11-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

I entered Eva's picture in a photo contest for smiles at the Select Health dental website. Follow this link and vote ( you can do it once a day from each computer) and be sure to tell your friends, family members, neighbors, etc.

http://www.protecttoothy.com/smileContest/photoDetails.aspx?photoID=397

Halloween Part II

2008-11-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Piggy

Amy, Nick, and Eva

Clay pulling the kids around

Social piggy, talking on the phone

Eva's Pig Noise

All of our pictures and video didn't fit in the last post, so here they are!

Halloween

2008-11-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Wrestling Ebby

Our Little Piggy

Trick or Treat

Closing my eyes again

Happy Halloween

Eva LOVED Halloween. She had a really busy day. She first came to my office for our office lunch (which was terrible) and then went with Ash to hang out with Nick and Abby while Amy was with Sophie's class. After I got home from work we made the rounds and visited Grandma & Grandpa Anderson, Janae (where she was wrestling Ebby the dog in her costume), Pat & Howard, and then to Cannon & Amy's to go trick or treating. Luckily I got to pull Eva & Nick in a wagon because we were out for almost two hours. Eva loved to go up to the doors and would hold out her bag, but she didn't really get that she had to knock and would just stand on the porch waiting. When she would get one piece of candy she would stand their waiting for more. We kept reminding her only one piece at each house. She laughed almost the whole time in the wagon cause she kept trying to poke Nick in his bunny costume; he wouldn't wear his Lion outfit. Enjoy all the pics, even though she closes here eyes in almost every photo, and the video, which was shot sideways and wouldn't let us make any changes. The video is of her snorting like a pig. All day when we would ask her to say pig, she would snort instead.

Pumpkin Time

2008-10-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Eva sitting on our porch

Loving her little pumpkin

Seeing Double

I haven't ever really been that into Halloween. I have a few decorations here and there and got Eva an adorable costume. However, I do love pumpkins and Eva shares that love. She gets extremely excited whenever she sees pumpkins. We had a lot of fun the other night picking pumpkins as a family. Now she loves to sit on the front porch playing with the pumpkins and running around with her little one. I'm surprised the little pumpkin hasn't exploded yet, she's dropped it plenty of times.

Up and Running

2008-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

So, our new computer finally showed up today which means that Ashley will be taking back her post as lead blog contributor. I am sorry to those who have come to embrace the new direction that this blog was taking, folk rock and soccer, but the rest of you will be happy to see more pictures of Eva, who is cuter every day. There are also always new stories of hijinks that she gets herself into as well. Hopefully Ash will update soon, if not, I will have to find some more random videos to post. I don't think you all can take much more of it...

RSL at RTS

2008-10-08T14:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry, you get another Clay post. We are waiting to get our new computer, our replacement just died :(, so it's all me. Ash and I are getting pumped for our midweek excitement. An event that has been in the making for four years (not as dramatic as Neil...at least in that sense). We have tickets to the first game in Real Salt Lake's new Rio Tinto Stadium, thanks TDA! We are pumped to see them secure a crucial three points in ESPN2's weekly primetime MLS matchup this Thursday, October 9th. Be sure to check it out, 8 pm mst. Here's a little stadium pub to get you excited...we are. One point of interest about the stadium...no bleachers, just chairs!

Real Salt Lake Stadium Commercial from Shawn Francis on Vimeo.

Neil Effing Diamond

2008-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's as if the stars have lined up for an event 26 years in the making. On the night of December 19th (my b-day) Ashley and I will be enjoying the musical stylings of the greatest singer songwriter in the history of all worlds! Neil (effing) Diamond. It's like Bob Wiley said: "There are two types of people in this world: those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't..." I, personally, LOVE him. Jealous!

Good Times . . .

2008-09-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Eva as a cowgirl

We have had a very fun month already. Eva's little friend Stella turned one and there was a big cowgirl party. Eva had the cutest cowgirl hat to wear, but refused and threw a big fit. We did manage for her to wear a little bandanna around her neck. Then the other morning Eva and I were playing outside, she saw her cowgirl hat in the garage and wore it all morning while pushing her stroller around outside. She is always surprising us. I have learned that kids never do what you want them to do when you want them to do it. I'll snap a picture of her wearing it soon.

Celebrating Nick's 28th Birthday

Crazy Eva

2008-09-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Eva on top of the world
Eva has let all of this blog fame get to her
Mcdonald's ice cream can cause a zen like state

So I (Clay) took Eva to the playground last week to get her out of the house. She loves playgrounds, doesn't mind the woodchips or dirty swings at all. The first thing she does is climb to the highest point on the playground while I look up (nervously). She proceeded to go up and down the tallest slide by herself four or five more times. This girl has no fear....except horses.

And we're back...

2008-08-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Pony Rides, Eva was terrified.

24th of July Parade. Covered Wagon made by Clay's mom.

Really bad picture of Eva eating her first sucker.

Our little Beauty Queen

So, we have taken a three month vacation from our blog. Big deal! Most of it is due to the fact that our computer gave up after four good years and we just got a replacement. So, we will post more information later, but Ash wanted me to put up these pics to hold you all over.

Happy Birthday Dad

2008-06-05T23:26:00.001-07:00

Don't send a lame eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

Eva's One Year Old

2008-05-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

What a great memory we have of Eva's First Birthday. We had great people, great food, and a beautiful day. The months of planning really payed off. We will have to scan the invitation we sent out and post it because it is one to remember. We really lucked out with the weather. It was in the mid 60's with a slight breeze. There was a pink pig pinata which the children loved. The food was amazing, lettuce, flour tortillas, refried beans, mexican rice, lime chicken, corn, homemade mexican ranch, cheese, homemade salsa, nacho cheese, nacho trays, chips, watermelon, churros, the works!! The candy table was adorable with celophane bags with pig stickers all over them and pig artifacts collected all through the year because Eva is our little piggy. The candy was all pastel colors including, peanut m&m's, plain m&m's, sour watermelons, taffy, frosted animal cookies, crunch eggs, and white chocolate kisses. The day was absolutely perfect. A big thank you to Uncle Tyler and Aunt Rachel for the Fiesta music. It was a hit. People were dancing all through the evening. Clay was such a trooper helping without any complaining. He barbecued all the chicken and people were raving about it. Also, a big thanks to Janae for all her help. Couldn't have done it without her. What a great day! Thanks everyone.

We're Back

2008-05-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

So it has been a very long time since our last post. May just passed us by and we didn't post anything. Eva had her first birthday complete with an epic party. We spent a week in NYC and Boston for Jenna's and Cam's graduations. We will post pictures and video of the party and trip with complete details. Stay tuned.

Eva's Messes

2008-04-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

Eva making another mess, pulling all her wipes out of the container.

I have finally come to terms that my house will never be clean again. Eva is a mess maker. I am now used to the fact she pulls all her toys out of every bin everyday, pulls her wipes out, empties our dresser, and so on. While growing up my mother would look at all of us and ask, "Why can't I have anything nice?" I sympathize with her and now understand. But these next two stories threw me for a loop. Just to warn you, they are intense.
A few weeks ago I was giving Eva a bath and she started to play. I was putting some laundry in, folding clothes, cleaning up downstairs, etc. . . Our downstairs is small enough I can hear or see Eva well and I don't worry doing a few chores while she is playing in the bath. After a while I went in to get Eva out. Well, she had pooped in the tub and it was EVERYWHERE!!! It was so gross. It was smeared all over the tub. I got Eva out and had to contain her in a secluded spot. I drained the tub, scrubbed it, threw up, and did I mention all her bath toys were in with her. I filled the tub again, bathed Eva, got her dressed, and washed all her toys. By the time this fiasco was over it had taken me all morning to get everything cleaned up.
Just yesterday I had given Eva a bath and put her down for a nap so I could get ready. I had a morning dentist appointment to go to. I got out of the shower and heard Eva crying. I knew she had a stinky diaper because she had only been asleep about twenty minutes and she HATES sleepy in stinky diapers. I know that as soon as I change her she'll go back to sleep. I walk in her room and she is standing in her crib with no diaper on screaming. She had taken off her diaper, thrown it out of her crib, and poop was everywhere in the crib. She was so upset. She got the mess on her feet and was walking around her crib disgusted. There were Eva poopprints all over. She just thought she could change her own diaper. She discovers something new everyday. It took a while to clean her up and the crib. I was late to my dentist appointment.
Children are wonderful, but they are a mess. . .

Nike Football

2008-04-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

I Heart SNL

2008-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Gang 2002-2003

2008-04-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

The other day at lunch I recalled making a video in college for my elementary education computer class. It was a 7 am class in Logan, Utah, winter semester. Thinking about waking up that early to march across campus in the bitter cold makes me cringe. I thought my face would fall off that semester. I came across the video today looking for another cd. I laughed when I found it and laughed even harder when I watched it. You Logan friends will appreciate this. ENJOY!

8-1

2008-04-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

As you can see from recent score lines, indoor soccer is tough. At least for me playing defense. Last night we squared off against the "All Blacks" which is actually a team name for a New Zealand Rugby team. I don't know how many kiwis were on the team. We started off pressuring up top ok, but when it came time for me to mark the ball, I got burned, alot. They put up five goals pretty quick, but we held the line the rest of the half. Things started to get chippy in the second half as cards were being handed out. Joon got the first, then some little punk on the all blacks got the second. When the second card was awarded is when Coby and Pyfer combined for our only goal. It was a great set piece from the top and cpnverted nicely. We had some other chances, and I pushed a dude over, but was not carded, which was funny. Fitness continues to be our main area of concern, aside from me playing defense. Meisters are still searching for that illusive first win.

Five Favorite T.V. Shows From my Youth

2008-03-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

1. The A-Team
2. Saved by the Bell
3. Magnum P.I.
4. Full House
5. Mr. Belvedere

Coming in as Honorable Mentions:
Perfect Strangers, Alf, Silver Spoons, Murder She Wrote, and Airwolf

What time is it....The Todd Time

2008-03-31T12:54:00.001-07:00

This little gem is from an episode of "Scrubs" where the Todd is wearing a t-shirt that reads TheToddTime.com.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rj1EDNVQsgY

Go there now, thank me later.

10-3

2008-03-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Meisters F.C. indoor club has dropped it's second consecutive game. We did improve quite a bit from last week, though it doesn't seem like it. The addition of Pyfer proved to be key last night as he had a goal and an assist, not to mention the fits he gave the opposing defense/keeper. He also stepped on the keeper's face, which was kind of awesome. Ryan Hamblin opened his account with a sweet tap in that John Martin couldn't finish (John had trouble finishing anything). There were multiple injuries with Coby and Joon rolling ankles while Smitty popped a meniscus and is likely done for the season. Pour some propel on the curb for Smitty. I shifted back to central defense and after getting beat a few times managed to put a body on some guys and disrupt their flow quite a bit. J-Ro had another good performance in goal (get down!) stopping alot of 1 v 1's that I let by. Meisters F.C. look to pick up their first win on Tuesday. Be there.

Meisters Highlights 3/20/08

2008-03-26T10:38:00.001-07:00

Something to Think About . . .

2008-03-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Janae, Jenna, Eva, and I were sitting in Taco Bell the other afternoon. Eva needed a diaper change. While changing her we calculated how many dirty baby bottoms Janae has cleaned over her lifetime. 30,000 . . . what are we getting ourselves into?!

Meisters Des Universum FC

2008-03-21T08:25:00.001-07:00

So, last night marked the season opener for my new indoor soccer team, Meisters Des Universum FC (www.myspace.com/meistersdesuniversum). We had been playing futsal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futsal) at the peaks in provo since November, but we decided to take our game to the turf. It didn't go so well. We got beat 9-2 by a group of 30 something supermen that didn't get winded while we were subbing every 2-3 minutes. I wanted to black out and die. We did have some bright spots of possession and Coby maintained his top form notching two goals. I had a good chance but mis-hit the shot, it was unfortunate. I did however fall square on my arse trying to clear a ball out of the air. It was embarassing to say the least. I am trying to edit some video highlights to post as well, so stay tuned for those. The video showed that I run like a hunchback, a very slow and awkward hunchback. It was rough to watch. Our next game is Tuesday at 11.25 pm for those interested. Support us!

St. Patty's Day 2008

2008-03-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ashley and Clay

Nick, Ashley, Clay

Clay and I had a great time with our dear friends up in SLC at MacCools Pub. What a great made up holiday!

Crazy Hair

2008-03-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

There is a great story to go with this picture. We took out Eva's pig-tails to put her down for a nap. After several minutes of Eva's crying we went in to check on her and found her hair looking like this. When she saw us she started laughing, we put her binki in and she went right to sleep. I guess she really wanted us to see her hair.

Blue Steel

2008-03-11T19:48:00.001-07:00

Eva's Daily Brush with Death

2008-03-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Eva has officially achieved daredevil status. We are thinking of changing her middle name to "knievel" to reflect her personality. In the past week she has gotten her first black-eye--that will teach her to sass Janae, (Eva really fell on the edge of our day bed), almost fallen in the toilet (three times), eaten dog food, dove out of the bath tub, and almost fell face forward out of her stroller while dad carried her up the stairs. She has also shown her jealous side when she tried to push her little friend Stella's highchair down the stairs...while Stella was still strapped in the chair. Eva certainly is evolving into quite the little trouble-making munchkin. Ashley and I are sure enjoying all of her antics and she keeps us laughing daily. Our new favorite trick that she does is "mouth-farting" where she places her palm over her mouth and blows. It's nasty and funny all at the same time. She is getting so close to walking and cruises from couch to couch with ease. Her love of diet coke is growing stronger every day and Janae does nothing to discourage this. To sum it up, we love Eva and can't wait for all of you to see her again. Until then, enjoy the latest pics.