kimmarksawyer

Setting up our first Christmas Tree

2012-02-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

When we lived in our apartment we never bought a Christmas tree because we were never in town for Christmas. Plus there were always a ton of Christmas trees in the building. This year was a very special year for us. This was our first year putting up our own Christmas tree and letting Sawyer decorate it. He loved every minute of it! It was so much fun watching him place all the ornaments in their perfect spot. He is definitely going to be a particular boy!!!

I made him stop for just a minute so I could take a picture. He wasn't very happy about it!

Once he got a little closer to being done, he was all smiles. He did such a great job!

Once the tree was decorated we turned off the lights and lit up the tree. We read stories with Sawyer under the tree lights. What a great memory!

Here is the tree in the the day light without the lights. I think it turned out pretty good. I guess it will get better every year!!!

I can't tell you how excited we were to finally have a house that feels like a home for the holidays! Yeah for houses!!!

Our first snow of the season

2012-02-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

We had our first small winter storm in our new house. It was wonderful!! Sawyer couldn't wait to go outside and play in the snow in OUR yard. It's so fun watching how excited he gets over all the small things that we seem to take for granted as we get older. It wasn't much snow but enough that we could throw a couple snow balls and play outside for a while.

Sawyer was all smiles as he made his first snowball. Doesn't he look adorable!!!

I must say, the snow didn't last long but the memory will last a lifetime. Thank you Sawyer for reminding us how important all the simple things are. We love you!

Calling all Super heroes

2012-02-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

We went down to SLC for our Wednesday visit and Sawyer ended up coming home with a Super hero bank from Aunt Beatle. She bought it for him in New York as a special gift. He couldn't have been happier. Thanks Beatle and Jason for thinking of Sawyer while you enjoyed the city. We sure loved having Hudson! Hill also bought some super hero costumes for Davis that the boys got to play dress up in. They were in Super hero heaven!! It's so funny to watch them transform, they really believe they are super heroes. I love it!!!! These 3 boys are so much fun to watch play together. 3 best buddies I hope stay best buddies forever. Davis, Sawyer and Jr.

Miranda and Todd

2012-02-01T08:54:00.001-08:00

Miranda and Todd came up to visit over the Thanksgiving weekend. We haven't spent much time with them lately so we were really excited when then decided to come up. The kids always love the gym so we spent most of our time there. Keaghan and Erin built this nice sitting station out of foam. It was the perfect thrown!!!

There is Keaghan "King of the Hill"!!
Miranda and Todd all smiles as the kids played. What a perfect couple.
The kids hard at play
Still playing! Everyone was getting along and having so much fun playing together.
Landen is so silly! He loves playing in the foam pit and trying to hide. Sawyer and Landen love playing together.
All thumbs up for these 3 boys!
Kianoa and Erin. She is such a sweet big sister to all the kids. She has a mother instinct that I'm sure adds calm to the family.
Kianoa is ready to swing!!!!
Everyone seemed to have a great time playing at the gym. We also spent some time at the hotel swimming and just hanging out. We always love it when Miranda and Todd bring the family up to play. We love you all so much and hope you will come up again soon!!!

Hudson came to visit

2012-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving Hillary and Jason decided to take Davis to New York to celebrate the start of the holiday season in the big city. Since the weather back east is so cold and unpredictable, they decided to leave Hudson with us. We couldn't have been more thrilled! We love this little guy so much! Here we are on the airplane headed up to Pocatello. I'm not sure how I managed getting two sleeping kids on and off the plane but this is how he spent the flight. Sound asleep in my lap. So sweet!!! Mark and Husdon have always had a great bond. As soon as Hudson sees Mark, he gets a big grin on his face. If Mark doesn't pick him up, Hudson's feelings are definitely hurt. As you can see from this picture, Hudson snuggles right into Mark.
I love it! This is exactly what Sawyer used to do when he was that same age. Bright light!!!! Good morning sunshines!!!!
Sawyer loved every minute that Hudson was at our house. He would wake up ready to play, help feed him, get him dressed, make sure he didn't get any toys that were to small etc. He is going to be such a great big brother. As for Hudson, I know he missed his family but we sure loved having him.
I couldn't get a good picture of him in these silly glasses but he looked hilarious!
A little blurry but such an adorable boy! I just can't get enough of this sweet boy!!
We decided to make him this bed in between our bed and the wall so he would feel safe. He loved it!!! It was set up perfect! He slept almost every night without waking up. Doesn't he look precious!!!!
As we waited in the airport to fly Hudson home, Sawyer decided to tell him about all the pictures on the wall. Sawyer was in deep thought as Hudson was more interested in his bottle!
Sawyer and Hudson crawling around the airport. Sawyer was trying help him get around the airport so he could see everything. I really loved watching the two of them play.
Hudson pulled himself up on the chair in the airport. I think that is one of the first times he had done that. He pulled himself up and was trying to walk around the chairs. It was priceless!
We must have worn him out or maybe he was just getting rested because he new we were headed back to SLC to see mom, dad and Davis. All I know is this little guy has a personality that is contagious. He is happy, smiling all the time, loving, and so much fun to be around. We are so glad they asked us to watch him while they enjoyed the big city!

What a fantastic week we had with Hudson. We are more than happy to have the kids stay at our house anytime. Sawyer, thanks for being so nice to Hudson and helping take care of him. Hudson you are a sweet boy who makes everyone smile. Hill and Jason please send either of the kids up anytime. We love you all!!

Brady's blessing

2012-01-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sawyer and I headed to Cleveland for a few days to see our newest cousin/nephew Brady. We were so excited to finally see him in person, get to hold him, feed him, play with him and do all the fun things aunts and cousins get to do. We had so much fun playing and spending time with the entire family. We headed out not only to see Brady but to be apart of his baby blessing. It's such an important time to have support and love from family. We were so glad we could be there. Here is this beautiful little boy!

Brady Nicholas Sorensen Sawyer has recently been really interested in babies. He really can't wait to have his own baby brother or sister but for now cousins will have to do. He was so good with him. He was super soft and loved everything about him. I loved watching his gentle side come out. He is going to be a great big brother one day.
What better place to be than with Papa in the rocking chair.
Pucker up those handsome lips! You are to cute Brady!!!
All warm an cozy in grandma's arms. Precious!
I love this little guy! He is so sweet and lovable! Brady I hope you know how much your Aunt Kimmy loves you!
Sawyer and Heidi love to play together. They went missing for a minute but when we found them in Mitchell's room, they were in the corner playing with this wig. It was hilarious! Other than this one picture, everytime someone would look at them the wig would come right off. They must have been embarrassed. Such cute kids!
While in Cleveland we were lucky enough to go watch Ali in a gymnastics meet. She is turning out to be a fantastic gymnast. I love watching her and hearing about all the fun things she is learning. She did AWESOME!!!!
On the way to the meet. She didn't even seem nervous.
Papa told Sawyer a couple stories while we waited for Ali's turn to compete. As you can see he is really into the story. I wonder if he was hearing the story about the marshmallow man!!!
Caroline and Brady!

Listening intently to Papa's story. I love it!!

Ali ended up placing on all events and in the all round. She is truly a fantastic gymnast. I hope she continues to stay with it and love it!!!!
Ali and Caroline being silly girls like always! They had everyone laughing in their dress ups!!
The boys before the blessing. Mitchell, Brandon, Brady and Sawyer. How handsome!!!

Brandon has always been so good to Sawyer. You can see how much Sawyer really loves Brady and Brandon. Thanks for being so good to him!!!

All the grand kids that where able to make it to the blessing. Ali, Caroline, Sawyer, Heidi, Kennedy, Brady and Mitch.

After a wonderful blessing and great visit to Cleveland, it was time to head home. Haley and Brandon thank you for letting us be a part of such a wonderful occasion. We love you all so much and are so excited for Brady to be a part of such a wonderful family. He is so blessed to have such wonderful parents and siblings to love and cherish him. Congratulations!!!!

At the airport Sawyer found the kids zone! Good thing because we were stuck for a few hours. The perks of flying standby!!!

3,2,1 BLASTOFF!!!!! He loved this rocket!
The two of us having fun together. I love you so much Sawyer!!!

We had such a great time in Cleveland. Hopefully we can go back to visit early this summer. It's one of our favorite trips, so its definitely a must.

Happy Birthday

2012-01-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Katie and I!!! I can't believe we are 32!!!! SCARY!!!! Holli and Hillary decided we needed two cakes this year. We had this get together on one of our Wednesday visits. It's always nice when everyone can get together, even if it's just for 30 minutes in between driving carpools and taking care of kids. Love you all!

November 4, 2011

2011-12-21T16:39:00.001-08:00

Yep!!!! We finally did it!!! WE GOT MARRIED!!!!! After dating for 5 years, we decided it was time to tie the knot and we couldn't be happier. We got married on Nov. 4, 2011 in Kauai on the beach. It was perfect! We decided to have a small wedding with just my mom, dad and Jan, Hillary, Jason, Davis, Sawyer, Mark and me. The week leading up to the wedding was awesome! We all played on the beach together, laughed at the kids, went for walks, most important enjoyed each others company. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the night before the wedding. We all sat out on lawn chairs talking and laughing for a couple hours on the beach. It was the perfect way to spend the night before the wedding. My dad was making us all laugh with his excitement about phone technology. He was finding all sorts of videos for us to watch. It was hilarious! Mark also proposed that night. I know it sounds weird that we were already in Hawaii the night before our wedding and he still hadn't proposed but it was perfect. He took me over to where the wedding was going to take place. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, in this same spot the next day. It was very romantic! Then we parted our ways, boys in one room, girls in the other so we didn't see each other before the wedding.

The day of the wedding, I had Jan come to our room so we could all enjoy the process together. Hillary did my hair and make up. I can't thank her enough for being such an important part of the wedding. She really is one of my best friends. The wedding wouldn't have been the same without her. Mom and Jan helped with the kids making sure they weren't getting dirty before the wedding.

Jan thank you so much for helping with the kids. I hope you know how much I love you and appreciate all you have done and continue to do for our family. You have such a wonderful spirit and warm heart. I'm so glad you made it to the wedding. It means so much to all of us!

Dad stopped by to see how I was feeling before the wedding. I wasn't nervous at all, just super excited. If you look at his feet you will notice he is wearing socks with flip flops. If you ever need a laugh, just ask my dad. He always has something up his sleeve!

With help from both grandmas, Sawyer was ready and patiently waiting for the wedding.

Mom and Hillary just before the wedding.

Me and Hillary just before the wedding.

Now the wedding starts. I have posted a ton of pictures so you can all see the process. I will comment here and there but for the most part, it tells it's own story. What I do want everyone to know is how happy we are to finally be married. I love Mark so much! He is such a wonderful dad and makes both Sawyer and I feel so special. He definitely has a way of making me feel loved and appreciated. Mark, I hope you know how much I truly do love you and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

ENJOY!!!

I'm so glad my dad was there to walk me down the isle. This was such a special moment for me. I don't know what I would have done without him there. I love you dad!

We had a Hawaii minister do the service. He was fantastic!

My boys!

My dad gave me away!

What a perfect picture of Davis!

Sawyer was getting a little tired. You can watch him get more and more tired. It's hilarious!

The wedding party!

Getting a little more tired! But looking adorable!

There is something about this picture that I love. It is one of my favorites!

There he goes. To tired to stand, Davis was doing the same thing on the other side. Nap time I suppose. How precious!!!

Finally a drink!

The happy couple!

Having some fun in the sand.

Jason, Hillary and Davis where also such an important part of the wedding. We are so blessed to have such a great friendship and connection with their family. We hope you know how much we love you guys and thank you for all you do for our family.

Fishing time!

Dad and Jan, you both have made us feel so loved. We can't thank you enough!

This is everyone at the wedding! It was perfect!

Grandparents and grandkids.

Love it!!!

Best buddies!

My handsome boy!

Davis is so photogenic.

I love this one of my dad and I.

My favorite of my mom and I.

My favorite of Jan and I.

Everyone's favorite picture of the boys!

Being silly!

We headed to the bar for a toast!

Cheers to a perfect day and perfect wedding!

We hope you enjoyed the pictures of our wedding. We had such a wonderful day! I am so excited and happy to be married. I must say it feels way different than just living together. We are so excited to see what the next chapter of our lives has in store. Hopefully another little one will come soon. To everyone who made our wedding so special, we can't thank you enough! You all traveled a long way to join us on this speical day. It definitely wouldn't have been the same if anyone of you weren't there. We love you all so much! Thank you all!!!

Halloween Party at school

2011-11-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

This year was so much fun with Sawyer and Halloween. He was really excited about dressing up, playing with friends, trick or treating and checking out all the other kids' costumes. Thanks to Aunt Holli for getting him this Spiderman Costume. Sawyer loves to wear it with the mask. I took this picture just before we left to pre-school for the Halloween party!

Here are the kids from Sawyer's pre-school. We love doing this co-op pre-school. The parents are great, and the kids get along. Rachel is wonder woman, Brecklyn is Bat woman, Sawyer is Spiderman, Xander is Ninja and Tati is Tinkerbell.

All the kids made their own bats out of their hands. It was such a great craft idea. You should try it!

Here are the BATS! I love them!

Rachel and Brecklyn!

Sawyer and Xander being silly.
They made pumpkins out of paper bags and colored faces on them.
We carved pumpkins! Rachelle was the teacher that day, she also dressed up.
I love this picture. All the kids look so happy! They had so much fun carving pumpkins and playing games.
The class with Miss Rachelle.
Crab walk races! I used to love doing this. It brings back so many memories.
Red light, green light is always a hit!
The kids had so much fun at the Halloween party! Thanks Rachelle for hosting the party!

Saturday we headed over to the ward "trunk or treat" with our friends Tiffany and Paul, Xander's parents. Sawyer webbed us as we left.

The kids sat in the back of the car passing out candy, or should I say eating candy! Sawyer had so much candy from one "trunk or treat." It was crazy!

Sawyer and Xander have become such good friends. They play so well together and both have such funny personalities.

We had such a great Halloween this year. Sawyer loved hanging out with his friends and playing for pretty much the entire weekend. Thanks everyone for playing! I can't wait to see what Sawyer decides to be next year!!!

Let the party begin

2011-11-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of owning your own gym is having a birthday party there. Sawyer has had all of his birthday parties at the gym and everyone loves it. This year there must have been around 30 kids. It was crazy! Sawyer gets so excited when people come to play with him, so this was really a treat. He had friends from school, gym class, church and cousins. It was awesome! I love watching all the kids run around laughing, jumping, playing tag and all round just being kids. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us. You all are such a big part of our life and we love the friendships we have.

Sawyer and Davis found some cute girls to play with, Devory and Taylor. They are friends from the gym. Jamie and Miya are their moms and my friends. We all workout together.

The zip line is always a big hit. The kids love to go over and over again! Landing in the pit makes the ride even better!

Brecklyn and Rachel are friends from school. They loved the foam pit.

Tati, Ella, Holli and Christopher are all waiting in line for the zip line.

Silly girls!

Sawyer wanted a pirate party with a dinosaur cake. Interesting combination but its what he wanted and what he got. The kids all had a hat and horns to blow. Every parents dream! The kids loved it!

Davis, Rykel and Sawyer making as much noise as possible!

Grandma helped with the cake. It was perfect! Sawyer picked it out and couldn't wait to eat the head off. All the kids gathered around to sing happy birthday!

Rachel helped Sawyer open some presents. She gave him a pirate puzzle that fit perfect with the party theme.

Sawyer loved the Dinosaur book aunt Holli sent up.

The gifts just kept on coming. I must say it was extreme. Christopher sat on his moms lap the entire time. Sawyer loves playing with Christopher.

Devory and Sawyer opening up another gift.

Brooke and Bailey came up with grandma and Beatle. They loved the ramps and the trampolines. Thanks you to for coming to play. It wouldn't have been the same without you!

A few of the parents helping with the kids on the smaller ramp.

Xander is one of Sawyer's best friends. They play at the gym and are in the same pre school class. I'm friends with his mom Tiffany. She is a sweetheart and so is Xander. Thanks for being such friends to both of us.

Uncle Jason, Sawyer and Davis going down the ramp. Davis was a little nervous this time. But when he went down once, we couldn't get him to stop.

Sawyer being a goof! This art bucket is AWESOME! Rykel gave this to him.

After the party at the gym we headed up to the hotel to go swimming.

How adorable is this picture of Hudson and Hillary? I love it!

Brooke and Bailey took Davis and Sawyer swimming. We had so much fun watching them play and hanging out for the weekend.

Brooke is one beautiful girl! Love you sweetie!!!

Ready....Set....Yell.....Jump!!!! Davis is hilarious!!!!

Play time with cousin Brooke!

Bailey and Brooke are both such beautiful girls. They seemed to have a great time playing with the boys, in the pool and the gym.

Cheeze!!!!

4 dorks but sure funny ones!

Best buddies!!!

Well what do you think? A pretty awesome 4 year old birthday party. Thanks to everyone who came to play. Sawyer had so much fun and hopefully you all did too. Grandma, Hillary, Jason, Bailey, Brooke, Davis and Hudson, thank you all for driving up to Pocatello and spending the weekend with us. We love you all!

Sawyer I hope your 4Th birthday was a blast! We love you!!!!

My little guy is 4

2011-11-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little guy is already 4! It's crazy how fast they grow up! Sawyer is such an amazing boy! He is super smart, has the funniest personality, athletic and the sweetest boy ever. I can't imagine what my life would be like without him. Sawyer, I want you to know how much your mom and dad love you! You are such a precious boy! Every morning when you walk into our room and ask if it's morning yet, snuggle into me and tell me you love me warms my heart. Your sweet spirit is so special. I can only hope as you grow older you continue to show your tender side. You truly are a special boy with many amazing gifts. We love you so much! Thank you for bringing so much happiness and love to our family.

HAPPY4TH BIRTHDAY SAWYER!!!!

He is so excited to be 4. Now all he can talk about is how on his next birthday he will be 5, then 6, then 7 etc. . . He is hilarious!

He gets so excited when he gets mail. We were outside and the mailman walked up to us with a package for Sawyer. He had the biggest smile ever! It was a birthday present from Papa and grandma Jan.

He was so excited to open the presents.

He read the card and found money inside. He couldn't wait to put it into his piggy bank.

One of his favorite things to do is read books with us. As you can see by his smile, this book was a hit!

His very own light! He wanted to use this for trick or treating!

Papa and grandma Jan thank you so much for the wonderful birthday gifts. If you could have watched him receive the package and open the gifts, you would have been pleased. He loves you both so much! We can't thank you enough for being so good to him.

On Wednesday while we were in SLC, the kids wanted to make Sawyer a birthday cake. He loves playing with his cousins and was so happy that they wanted to make him a cake. Thanks Heidi and Grace for baking the cake. Jr and Sawyer blew out the candles together.

Here's the party! I wasn't allowed to be at the party since I had pneumonia and was contagious. Heidi took the pictures for me.

Aunt Gerry stopped by to give Sawyer a present. She gave him what is now one of his favorite sweat outfits. It's super warm and soft he tells me.

Thank you Gerry for coming over and celebrating Sawyer's birthday. He loves the gifts, and loves you so much!

Sawyer's actual birthday was on Monday October 10. Grandma Taunnie flew up to celebrate his birthday on the actual day. Sawyer gets so excited when grandma comes up to visit. He loves it when people come up to his house to play, especially grandma.

Isn't this a great picture! He was so happy to see her!!! He sure loves his grandma!

We went to work then headed home to open presents and have cake and ice cream. Grandma gave him the yellow truck. You can see it has been a hit ever since he got it!

Nothing better than spiderman basketball!

New batman jammies! He is loving super heroes right now if you haven't figured that out.

A new tool set. He loves the hat (although it's a little small) and the tool belt.

He has been asking for a violin or guitar for about 3 months.

He loves to serenade us with made up songs. I guess it's time to put him in guitar lessons.

We bought him a red velvet cake that was fabulous! He loved every bight! I love how he is looking at the candles. All 4 of them!

Yummy! I guess he likes red velvet!

This is my favorite picture of Sawyer and my mom. Mom looks beautiful and Sawyer is so happy to be in her arms. It's a perfect picture.

It just doesn't get any better than ending your birthday with a sleepover with your grandma.

What an awesome birthday! Sawyer, you are such a lucky boy to have so many people love you and care about you. Grandma thank you so much for coming up and spending one on one time with Sawyer. He loves you so much! It means so much to all of us that you would come spend the day in Idaho for his birthday. Sawyer, we love you and hope you always know that. You make every day a better day and bring smiles to the faces of all those around you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!!!!!

Zach and Devon's wedding

2011-11-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy month with Jake's wedding in Hawaii, Sawyer starting pre-school, then we headed to California for another wedding. Mark's little sister, Lori, son got married in Paso Robles at a vineyard. I must say between Jake's wedding and this one, I have been to two of the most beautiful weddings ever. We were in wine country back in the hills. The view was spectacular! I had never been anywhere like it before. What a perfect spot for a wedding. Aside from the wedding, this was the first time in about 5 years that Mark's family has all been together. It was a family reunion at the same time.

Here is Lori as she walked down the isle. She is a beautiful woman! She is so sweet, funny and has a great personality.

Zach and Devon during the ceremony. If you look close, you can see the hanging chandelier. I loved it!

Look how beautiful her dress is! The train was long, and the dress fit her perfect. They hugged passionately as there union became one.

The bride and groom! Mr and Mrs Brown.

Sawyer found plenty to do at the wedding. There were only two children allowed to come to the wedding, Sawyer and Zach's nephew. Sawyer found this stick that he carried everywhere!

Sawyer was very curious about the fireplace. I love how the white stands out with all the green behind it.

Isn't this beautiful! The hills went on as far as you could see. Perfect rows, with huge oak trees all around.

Daddy and Sawyer enjoying the view. Aren't they adorable! I think so!

My precious boys!

I can't get over how handsome he is. He melts my heart! The beauty behind him just adds a special touch.

The wedding party table with the view behind. It was breath taking.

The first dance. Devon's dad sang their favorite song while the newlyweds danced.

Lori and Zach.

Sawyer with his sticks! He seems to find a stick almost everywhere he goes.

Such a sweet boy! Just waiting patiently for us to head out.

We had such a great time at the wedding. We spent the evening eating, dancing and catching up with the family. Lori we want you to know how much we love you! You have always made me feel so loved. I can't thank you enough. I know how much Mark loves you and feels so close to you. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of this beautiful wedding. Zach and Devon, we wish you the best in your new journey as husband and wife. You two make a perfect couple!

Sawyer's first day of pre school

2011-10-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! Sawyer has started pre-school!!!! Yes I said PRE-SCHOOL!!!! You always hear people say they grow up so fast. Well, I'm now one of those people! I can't believe how fast he has grown up. He wants to pick out his own clothes, put on his shoes, brush his hair, it's crazy. It makes me so sad to see him grow up so fast, but so excited to see what he has in store for us. He is such a smart, talented, funny, and sweet boy. I know he is going to follow in the footsteps of his dad and brothers and leave a mark everywhere he goes. From friends, to school, to sports, to family and love. He is such a sweet boy. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us. We love you Sawyer! Congratulations on starting pre-school!!!

He started off the morning with a healthy breakfast, apples, oatmeal and yogurt. Delicious! He will definitely have energy to get him through his first day!

He was so excited to go to school. He loves to wear his back pack!

What a goof!

This was taken on picture day! Isn't he adorable! I was so excited for him to have his first school pictures. I love looking back at my old pictures. Hopefully when he gets older he won't ask me why I made him wear that shirt. I love the shirt he has on. Jake bought it for him in Hawaii!

Apparently he was nervous to take the school picture. He was all smiles before we left but would have nothing to do with it at the important time. Isn't that how it usually works!

Sawyer, Rachel, Tatti, Brecklyn and Xander. These are all the kids in the class. It's a perfect group of kids. They all get along, the parents all get along, it's the perfect pre-school group. I couldn't be happier.

Well Tatti, Xander and Brecklyn look adorable! It appears like Sawyer is making a fish face. Classic!

For the single shots, he still wouldn't lighten up. He's usually pretty good about smiling for the camera. This was definitely not his best day. That's OK! He is still my handsome boy!!! Every picture is a good one to me!

It looks like he almost let the smile out! He is such a goofball!

Sawyer, I want you know how much your mom and dad love you! You have been such an amazing addition to our family! I can't believe you have already started pre-school! You are such a smart, caring, loving, funny, passionate and sensitive little boy. I hope you continue to grow into the amazing boy we know you are. We love you so much! Have fun in your first year of PRE-SCHOOL!!!!

Jake and Carolyn's Wedding

2011-10-08T10:25:00.001-07:00

Jake and Carolyn decided to have a small wedding in Maui at the end of August. We are all so excited for them to get married. Jake has choosen such a wonderful life long partner. You can see how much they love each other and how genuine their love is for each other. We were so glad to be a part of this wonderful celebration. This was such a beautiful wedding. Their closest friends and family were all there and that's just what they wanted. Congratulations to you both! We are so excited for you and love you both very much.

Josh was having a heart to heart with his little brother before the wedding. It's always nice to have the support of your brothers and sisters before the wedding. Josh is one of Jake's best friends also, so it only seemed fitting that they have one last talk before the ceremony.

Mark and I just before the wedding. Since we work in our sweats, it isn't very often that we get dressed up. I'm sure if any of our gymnasts get on the blog they wont believe what they see!

I love this picture of Jake, Stevie and Sawyer. Jake is just enjoying the beautiful view. Sawyer found a new friend, Stevie. They sat together for a good 20 minutes just hanging out.

Isn't this an awesome picture! I love it!

Here comes the beautiful bride! She looked georgious!

So in love! Congratulations!!!

How sweet is Carolyn to help Jake with his butanier. She really is such a sweet girl.

A little walk along the beach just after the ceremony.

This is the perfect picture of Carlolyn. She looks so content in Jakes arms. She looks beautiful and in love.

Nothing like romance on the rocks!

Isn't this a unique shot of the wedding. I thought it was really original and a great shot.

The wedding party.

I didn't know this picture was being taken but i'm so glad it was. Sawyer looks so precious. He loves his big brother so much and had such a great time at the wedding.

After the wedding we all headed over to a Luau. It was so much fun! Ariel took Sawyer to explore the sights around the Luau. She is such a great big sister and was so good to Sawyer on this trip. (she always is) These two love to play together, you can definitely tell in this picture.

Josh and Sawyer looking at the sunset. Sawyer had to stand just like Josh. He is so funny!

The bride and groom just as the sun went down.

Jake and Carolyn we are so excited for you two! We can't wait to see what the future has in store for you both. We are so glad we were able to be apart of such a special day. You are both such wonderful people, and so many people love you and look up to you. Please continue to allow your love to grow and enjoy your time together. Congratulations!!!! We love you both! Carolyn welcome to the Lee family!

Off to Maui

2011-09-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

We have been promising Ariel that we would take her to Hawaii for her birthday one year. Well this year her birthday wish came true. I have never seen someone so excited to go to Hawaii. The minute she stepped off the plane she was in heaven!

Here Mark and Ariel take a seat while we wait for the hotel shuttle.

Let the fun begin!!!

Just one of the beautiful sights you will see as you walk the beaches of Maui!

One thing I love about Hawaii is the time change. I know that sounds weird but you wake up so early there. It's warm outside, everyone seems to be exercising on the beach. It's perfect! Sawyer also woke up bright and early ready to play in the sand.

This was our first morning walk on the beach. We took a long walk every morning enjoying every minute of it.

Sawyer and I in the sand outside our hotel. Look in the background and how beautiful the mountain looks with the fog.

Sawyer found the checker board as soon as we got back from our walk. He would pick up all the pieces, stack them one on top of the other on the matching color. He is so funny!

We had a fabulous breakfast with tons of fresh fruit. There is nothing better than fruit from Hawaii! Then we headed over to the pool area. I had to buy Mark and Sawyer both hats but Sawyer didn't want his hat, he wanted daddy's hat. We had to take pictures in opposite hats before Sawyer would wear his own hat. Silly boy!

What a smile he has today! Adorable!

We headed out to the beach for a fun filled day in the sand. Sawyer was all smiles as we headed out.

Jake and Sawyer get along really well. They have had a wonderful connection since Sawyer was born. Jake let Sawyer bury him in the sand. Sawyer thought it was so fun!

What a great big brother Jake is. Sawyer had so much fun playing with him all day. Thanks Jake for being so good to Sawyer. He loves you so much!

Still playing in the sand. He actually kept his hat on. I couldn't believe it!

We both had such a great time playing in the water, watching Sawyer play in the sand, and of course the warm weather. It was perfect!

Mark and Ariel getting ready to go in the waves.

Josh and Ariel doing standing back flips on the beach.

How beautiful is this picture? The sunsets in Maui are like nothing I have ever seen before. They are breath taking.

An evening stroll on the beach.

How handsome!

Gerimo, Mark, Sawyer, Ariel and Jake.

Up again bright and early for our walk. This was one of my favorite parts of our trip. Waking up to a nice long, warm walk. Sawyer found all sorts of ways to wear his new sunglasses. If they weren't on his face they were around his waist. It was hilarious!

Off for a stroll.

I love how happy both Mark and Sawyer look in this picture. Their smiles make me smile!

Nothing better than a "chin-back ride".

Sawyer would gather flowers for me everyday. He would tell us how beautiful they were. He really is such a sweet heart. He is the most precious boy!

I loved all my beautiful bouquets.

This is one of my favorites. The way the sun is hitting his face is perfect, and the flower in his hand is beautiful. I just can't get enough of this little guy!

Daddy lifting him up to reach the perfect flower. Keep reaching . . . you almost have it!!!!

He is so happy about his flowers. The best part is this hand full is all brown.

While on our walk, we found a bunch of hammocks hanging from the trees. So relaxing.

I could have swung with Sawyer all day. It was so peaceful.

Ariel and Sawyer relaxing together. She is such a sweet big sister. Sawyer is a lucky boy!

Walking to dinner.

Mark, Ariel, Jake and Sawyer just before dinner. What a good looking family!

Sawyer wouldn't leave Jake's side. He wanted to do everything Jake did.

After dinner we headed over to the Hula show at the hotel. Caroline, Stephanie and Gerimo

Arz and Sawyer. Yes she had all the boys after her. She is one beautiful girl!

On our next morning walk, Sawyer found a stick. He would pretend to fish with it. He also had some friends he made up that were with him. They each had their own sticks. It was a great day for Sawyer and his imaginary friends to fish.

Sawyer was so excited about the stick. He kept it for the majority of the trip.

In this shot he was having a full conversation with his imaginary friends. Making sure they were being safe around the rocks.

We headed down to these rocks because every morning there are turtles swimming in the water. We must have just missed them because we didn't see any. Oh well!

Right when we got back to the hotel from our walk, Jake called and asked us to go to the shops with him. He bought Sawyer the most adorable sweatshirt from Quicksilver. Thank you!

Mark and Jake stood in front of the whale bones and explaind them to Sawyer. It was such a wonderful morning watching Mark and two of his sons bond together.

Sawyer leading the way to dinner.

Once again he had to be right next to Jake. I'm so glad that these to have such a stong bond. I know Sawyer is going to look up to him in so many ways. (he already does)

Jake's fiance Caroline with her friends Stephanie and Kim.

Sawyer took this picture of Mark and I. We were so suprised when it actully turned out pretty good. Thanks Sawyer!

The rainbow in this picture immediatly had me singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' not the Judy Garland version, the Hawaiian version.

We had such a fabulious trip. It was so much fun having Mark's kids there and watching them all interact and play for the week. The reason we went to Maui was for Jake's wedding. That will be the next post. We wanted to have a post just of the wedding and let Jake and Caroline know how special they are to us. It was an amazing wedding. You will all love the pictures.

As for our family trip, I can't wait to go back to Hawaii. We are so glad Ariel was able to come with us and hopefully she enjoyed her vacation.

Soccer Camp

2011-09-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

My niece Brooke and one of her friends decided they wanted to teach a soccer camp this summer for little kids. Brooke is an awesome soccer player herself and she is super good with kids. I decided on our Wednesday visits to SLC, I would have Sawyer go to the camp. It was so much for all the kids. Brooke and her friend did such a great job.

Sawyer had a blast and loved being able to play soccer with his cousins.

Playing a game

On the last day of camp, Brooke decided to surprise the kids with a 5 minute run through the sprinklers. Of course they had a blast! Good thinking Brooke!

Here Sawyer is practicing dribbling the ball from one end of the grass to the other. He did a great job! I was impressed!

All the kids getting lined up for another skill demonstration.

I love how this picture turned out. All of the kids seem so interested in what Brooke was saying. She did such a great job with the kids.

Here is the group shot on the last day. Pretty good turn out for their first time teaching a soccer camp.

Thanks Brooke for inviting Sawyer to be a part of your camp. He had so much fun! He loves you and can't wait to go to camp next year!

24th of July weekend

2011-09-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

We did the same thing this 24Th of July that we have done for the last 4 years. We always go with Jennifer, Chris and the girls to the parade. Sawyer loves playing with the girls and they are all such sweethearts. We always have such a great time time together.

Sawyer loves his mommy and was giving me kisses all morning. It warms my heart!

Watching the parade with such focus. Sawyer has loved parades ever since he was born. I think its awesome! The Christmas parade here is awesome! All the floats are covered in lights. I can't wait for Sawyer to watch that one, since he liked this one so much.

Here is Eva, I think she is Sawyer's secret girlfriend!

Emma, Sawyer and Ella all smiles like usual. They always have such a great time together. It's so nice to have such great friends.

So we started out celebrating in Pocatello on Saturday morning. Then Sawyer and I flew to SLC for the parade on Monday morning. We spent the evening at Hillary and Jason's watching fireworks with the neighbor friends. It was a blast! Look at the adorable faces looking at the fireworks. They make me smile!

Nothing is the same without a Popsicle! Gracie, Ella, Sawyer and Davis.

Monday morning we woke up and headed to the Days of 47 parade. This is something we have done since I was a little girl. We always sit in the same spot, die of heat, and love every minute. We are lucky to have Norma (a family friend) who's house is right on the parade route. Every year she saves our spot.

This parade is usually about 2 hours and the kids love it!

Most of the kids' favorite part of the the parade was the motorcycle police. They are super loud and have every light on.

Grace loves to play with Hudson. Aren't they both adorable!

This was all the kids' favorite float. The choo choo train! It says "I think I can." It was really well done. I loved it!

Here is Aunt Gerry and Hudson in the shade.

Aunt Gerry and Norma. These too are the ones who make it possible for us to go to the parade each year.

Last of all, a great picture of Sawyer watching the parade go by. I can never get enough of this little guy. I love him so much!

We definitely kept the celebration going all weekend long. I love it when holidays last more than one day and we are able to be a part of many different activities. I love our family tradition we started in Pocatello. I hope the Schrade's will keep the tradition alive with us. As for the parade in SLC, it's one of my memories from my childhood that I love. Or maybe it's Chuck-A-Rama that I love since we always have lunch there after the parade. I will say watching Sawyer and the other kids makes it all ten times more exciting. I'm definitely ready for another little onel!

Out on the lake

2011-09-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

One thing Mark and I have always loved to do is boat. I love being out on the water, it's so relaxing and beautiful. It's the perfect friends and family activity. Since we don't currently have a boat, we were super excited when our friends invited us out for the day. Sawyer's first time on a boat was 2 years ago on Josh's boat. He loved it the first time and seemed even more excited the second time. Probably because he actually got to ride in the "death biscuit." I have way to many horrible memories about the "death biscuit," I have no desire to ride it again. Tristan and Scotti were more than happy to take Sawyer out for his first time.

Of course Sawyer's ride was mellow and he loved every minute. It was so much fun watching him out on the water. I actually felt a little nervous for him. What if he fell off and didn't know what to do? Of course everything was fine. It's just the mom in me wanting my boy to be safe.

Tristan had to make this ride a little more exciting so he decided to bounce around. He was hanging onto the side. The look on Sawyer's face at first was a little nervous but eventually he thought it was funny.

Sawyer was such a big boy! He loved being out on the water just like his mom and dad. I can't wait until we have a boat of our own.

These are our friends Jim and Jenny Orgill. Their daughter Lydia is one of our team girls. We always have a great time with these two. Thank you both for letting us join you out on the lake.

This is Lydia. She was cold so she was sitting with the heater. I love this picture of her.

Sawyer just looking around taking it all in. What an awesome boy!

Jenny has found a new sport she loves. Surfing off the back of the boat. I have never tried it but it looks so fun! I'm definitely going to try next time!

I love to wake board so that's what I decided to do. It's been a long time since I've wake boarded but it was just as fun as I remembered it being.

The three kids wanted a ride on the "death biscuit". The weather was stormy so it made their ride a good one. I must say it is so much fun watching people get bounced around and roll off the biscuit. I'm just glad it was them not me!

Mark and Sawyer just hanging out. What a great way to do some father son bonding.

Precious boy! Jenny thank you so much for being so good to Sawyer.

And then the storm hit. We new it was coming but just didn't want to leave. Eventually we were forced off the water. The rain drops were huge and looked so beautiful as they bounced off the water.

What a wonderful day we had out on the lake. Jim and Jenny thank you for having our family join you. We always have such a great time together. Thank you for your wonderful friendship! We look forward to our next outing together.

Happy Birthday Grandma

2011-09-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Mom, I want you to know how much I love you! You are such an amazing mother. I look up to you in so many ways. Thank you so much for all you do for us. I don't think I tell you enough how much I love you and how much you mean to me and Sawyer. We hope you had a wonderful birthday! We were so excited that we were able to celebrate with you! We love you!!!!

Another blurry picture, but these crazy kids wanted to take a picture with their sunglasses on for grandma!

Party time at Holli's house. All the grand kids came over to swim while the adults spent time with mom on her special day. As you can see the kids were having a great time!

Sawyer loved wearing the floaties. This was new for him. Usually I just get in the water with him but he wanted to swim like Davis. He is getting so brave!

Big smiles from Davis!

She blew out all the candles. I hope she made a good wish!

The kids were taking turns swimming under the fountain. Holli's pool is a kids heaven for swimming. Thank you Holli for having us all over.

Busy, busy, busy kids. I'm pretty sure they will all sleep well tonight!

I love this picture of Grandma and the kids. You can sense how much they all love their grandma. Not to mention, I think it's a good picture of her.

I was visiting with Aunt Gerry and Hudson! They were wearing matching outfits.

Hudson is soooo cute! I can't believe how big he is getting. Davis has been so excited to have a little brother. Sawyer keeps asking me when he gets to have a baby brother! lol.

Mom, we hope you had a wonderful birthday and know how much we all love you. You are so important to all of us. We are so lucky to have a mother/grandma who is so caring, loving, and giving. You have so many wonderful qualities that hopefully I am learning and passing on to my family. We love you so much and hope you had a happy birthday!

4th of July 2011

2011-09-23T19:18:00.001-07:00

Our first 4Th of July in our new house. Sawyer was super excited when he saw the flag in our yard.

Every year we sit in the same place on the parade route. Sawyer isn't looking to happy here but he was waiting for his friends to show up. You can see that he has his candy bag ready!!!

Mommy and Sawyer waiting for the parade. I love you buddy!

Daddy and Sawyer making a paper airplane.

The girls arrived just in time for the parade. It was a little chilly out as you can see by the look on their faces.

The the beautiful girls that Sawyer always loves to play with. Ella, Eva and Emma.

All the kids waving as the parade goes by. They sure do look COLD!!!

I had to work at the airport from 5:00pm to midnight so we decided to watch the fire works from out here. Sawyer always loves coming to the airport when he gets to go in the back room. He loves to play on the e-cart and the Kabota. Vrumm Vrumm!!!

Headed out to see the fireworks off the in the distance. Sawyer thought it was awesome especially since he could pretend to drive!

Thanks to Kiana and her great idea of going down past the AV Center we were able to see fireworks from all around town. Doesn't everyone look so happy! Kiana is such a sweet heart! I love it when we get to work together.

After work, as we headed home to go to bed, some of our new neighbors called and invited us over for the neighborhood firework show. We were really surprised that the festivities were still going. We stopped by and enjoyed watching fireworks with all our new friends and neighbors.

This is one of our team girls, Tessa and a couple of her friends watching the show!

Thank you neighbors for having us over. We had a blast!!!

We had so much fun this 4Th of July. We always love spending time with our friends watching the parade. Sawyer loves the Schrade girls. We definitely made the best of working and celebrating at the same time. I love it when Mark and Sawyer come out and visit while I'm working. Kiana is so much fun to work with and be around. She always has us laughing! Thanks Kiana for being such a great friend. I hope you know how much your friendship means to me. We finished the night with new friends and getting to know the neighbors. It was a great day all around. Thanks everyone for celebrating our independence with us!

Papa and Grandma Jan

2011-09-23T18:56:00.001-07:00

I was really excited to get the phone call from my dad asking if he and Jan could come up and see our new place. It really isn't very often that family comes up to visit. I love it when my dad comes up to visit because it's the only time Sawyer gets one on one time with Papa and grandma Jan. I must say it was a blast for all of us! Mark had some work to do at the gym, so Sawyer and I spent the entire day shopping and playing with Papa and grandma. Mark and I met my dad for breakfast then brought them over to the house. Once we got to the house, Sawyer wouldn't leave papa's side. He was his little side kick for the entire day. Sawyer even changed his shoes so he could match papa. It was hilarious!

Sawyer jumped into papa's lap and was telling him stories, reading words for him, and loving his special time with papa.

Grandma Jan, Sawyer and Papa testing out all the sofas at the furniture store.

Dad and Jan, I want you to know how much we appreciate you coming up to see our new place. I don't think you understand how much it truly does mean to us. Jan, you were such a huge help picking out the couches and all the accessories to match. I really felt like we had a real bonding moment. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Dad, I also want you to know how much it means to me that you came up. This entire day meant so much to all of us. I know how much Sawyer loves you and loved being able to spend the entire day with you. I wish we could get together more often. Watching Sawyer look up to you and want to do everything you were doing was heart warming. I loved every minute!

We love you both so much and hope you know how much we appreciate all you have done and continue to do for us.

We love you both!!!

Beatle came to visit

2011-09-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

We are always so excited when people come to visit. Hillary and my mom came up to help us get moved into the house. Sawyer gets so excited when his cousins come up to his house. We just wish they could come up more often.

We always take the kids to the gym to play. Sawyer and Davis love playing together on the tramps and in the foam. They make up funny games and laugh non-stop. It is always so much fun watching the kids run and play. Here they are playing in the foam. You can barely see Davis. He is almost buried.

This one is blurry but you can see how much fun they are having. Davis has red cheeks and a super cute smile. We love you Davis!

We headed over to the hotel for swimming time! Of course this is always a highlight for anyone staying at a hotel. The hotel they stayed at has the perfect pool for kids because they can jump off the side and it's just deep enough that they go under but can stand up and their head isn't covered. Davis is such a dare devil and was teaching Sawyer how to jump and swim to the side. What a great friend.

They decided to use the noodles as horns. It was a good thing we were the only ones in the pool at the time. The music was a little hard on the ears. But they were having so much fun and look adorable.

What cute boys! I love watching these two play. They really are the best of friends!

Sawyer being a goofball. I think he was making fart noises with his arms. I have no idea where he learned that.

I'm not sure why my pictures are always blurry but I still have to post them. I just think these two are so adorable! You can just see in their faces how much fun they are having together. It brings me so much joy to see them both so happy playing.
Thanks Hillary and Grandma for coming up to play and help us get into the new house. We hope you will come up again soon. We love you!!!

Time to Catch up

2011-09-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well, as you have noticed not much blogging has been done over the summer. We didn't do much but we did buy a house. We moved into a fantastic area up by the university. We have an enormous back yard, a beautiful garden (with something blooming all the time), and great neighbors. It's the perfect area for our family. We love it!!! We did buy a house that needs some major remodeling. We started construction the week after we moved in.

Sawyer had one week with his very own backyard. He was so happy! We are super lucky because we also have a park across the street. Sawyer is loving his play time outside.

Well here is the front of the house. It won't look like this for long. We have great visions of it's potential.

Here is the front room that connects to the kitchen. It's hard to see but it's a pretty good size.

The front room has the perfect window for a Christmas Tree! I will admit it was one of the first things I loved about this house. It also has two wood burning fireplaces we love.

We also really liked the kitchen. I was so happy that it wasn't the first thing we would have to remodel. We love the red and black.

The very first thing we did to the house was fix the hard wood floors. They were in horrible condition. We are so happy with the way they turned out.

Once the floors were done, it was time to start moving in. My dad and Jan came up to to see the house and helped me pick out furniture for the front room. Holli gave us some drapes so we needed to find something to tie it all together. Dad and Jan, we can't thank you enough for all your help. We couldn't have done it without you. Most important thing about the day was Sawyer and I spent the entire day with Papa and grandma. It was a blast! We love you so much! Jan, I don't think you know how much you truly helped me. Thank you!

I bet most of you didn't know that we only had showers at our apartment. I must say you all take your tubs for granted! Sawyer and I both were so excited to have a bathtub. He will stay in it until his hands wrinkle. He loves it! Silly boy!!!

Sawyer is super excited about his new room. He is really into super heros. Aunt Holli bought him this awesome spider man to put on his will. It matches his sheets. I'm pretty sure this is his favorite room in the house.

How cute is his bed!!!! He loves all the pillows and loves having his big boy bed!

While the inside of the house is coming together quit nice, the outside is another story. This is one of the huge holes in the back yard. I took this picture from the kitchen door. This will eventually be our pool table room. It's enormous! You can see a door on the right hand side. This door takes you into the theater room. When this section is done, it will be the first of three major projects. It's going to be awesome when it's all done. I can't wait!Our backyard is huge! As you can see the cement truck fits easily. I must say it's not the most beautiful backyard. But it will be when it's complete.

Then mountain of dirt in the back is one thing I can't wait to get rid of.

everyday we have a new coat of dust inside the house when we get home from work. It's starting to drive me crazy! Patience is one thing I'm pretty good at and it's a good thing.

Well, as you can see Sawyer is loving his new house. He tells us all the time how much he loves his new house and new bed room. This was the best move we could have made for our little family.

I will continue to post updates as the construction continues on our new house. We are so excited for the final product. We have some very exciting additions to come.

Back to Italy

2011-06-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we headed back to our favorite place, Italy! I would move there in a second. We started our journey with a red eye flight to JFK, arrived around 6:00am, dropped off our bags and jumped on the subway to spend the day in Central Park. We did this same thing last year and it works out perfect. Sawyer spends the day playing at the park then sleeps the majority of the flight to Venice. We love it!!!

Here is Sawyer with all of his toys on the flight to JFK. He is such a good flier. Good thing because we like to vacation. Especially far away!

Tired boy in the JFK terminal. We were waiting for the bag storage to open so we didn't have to take bags into town.

Waiting for the subway. Sawyer was really excited to get on the subway. He was watching closely!

This is one fast subway! I just love how excited Sawyer gets when it arrives. At the park. This is our favorite park to visit. Everything about it is amazing. It is beautiful, huge, clean, and best of all is the playground and carousel. Sawyer was super excited when he found out they sold spiderman pops. Isn't he adorable?Swinging time! He loves to swing high! It was a perfect day for the park.

We waited in line to take a picture in Strawberry fields. I'm glad we waited. We love this picture.

We arrived in Venice and decide to ride the water taxi into town. We didn't do this the last time we were here. It was really fun! Next time we want to get the private boat that goes fast and is more open. This ride was great even though it was enclosed.

How adorable is this little boy? This has to be one of my favorite pictures of him.Riding the water taxi through the main canal of Venice. Isn't it breath taking. It is absolutely breath taking in person.Daddy and Sawyer standing on the bridge. Starting our trip in Venice is always great. It is so beautiful! It definitely gets your Italian vibe going.Sawyer and I enjoying the sunny weather. It was beautiful!We didn't stay long in Venice. We decided to get on the train and head to our favorite place, Florence. It's about a two hour train ride and we all love every minute. Sawyer watching a movie on the train.We have become friends with the manger of the "Hotel Paris". We stayed here last year and loved it. It was just as awesome this time. The ceilings are vaulted, the decor is exactly what I imagine when I think of an Italian hotel. Sawyer in front of the window. This is a square right by the hotel. It's a really fun place to go hang out and watch the locals. It's really funny because it seems like 'make out point.' Funny right!

Mommy and Sawyer in the square. Great times!!!Sawyer getting ready to eat pizza and drinking his favorite Italian juice with his green glasses he had to buy in NYC.Walking through the streets of Florence. We are so lucky to have such a great traveler. Sawyer is the best!I love this picture. You can just feel how content both Mark and Sawyer are. With the Arno river to look at, who wouldn't be content. I love you two!This was taken in the Plaza square. We went into the Ufizzie Museum which is just around the corner.Silly boy! He loves to play in the narrow streets. Aren't they amazing!Of course we had to find the carousel we found last year. It was easy to find and Sawyer loved it just as much. He didn't want to ride a horse this time, just sat in the chair . He is so funny!After a couple days in Florence, we headed to Rome. How great is this picture. First things first, Sawyer looks adorable! Second, look at all the places you can go by train from Florence. This is our kind of travel. Sawyer poses for the camera. One of these times we want to throw something sticky at the board. Where ever it sticks will be the place we go. Doesn't that sound fun!!! We made it to Rome!!!! This trip was much more low key than our first trip. We only had a few museums we wanted to see. Other than that we just talked to a lot of locals and found beautiful sights that we didn't have on the agenda. It was amazing! Sawyer got a little tired but that wasn't going to stop us from getting this picture. St. Peter's Basilica behind us.Sawyer taking it all in!Sawyer pokking his head out to see what's down the street. Across the street you can see the Vatican Museum.The Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. Gorgeous!We found the most amazing park! It was really similar to Central Park but bigger. We found a little cafe and decided to sit down for a drink. How beautiful is this picture. Mark and Sawyer look fantastic and the background is beautiful!Sawyer loved looking out from the bridges. Isn't that a sweet picture!Mommy and Sawyer in the Park. I love you buddy!!!This picture was taken from the park. The Colosseum is at the very left behind the tree. But I love that you can see the city. Mark, sorry I cut you in half. I still love you!Precious boy!This was taken at Popolo Square

We spent about an hour just playing in this square. It was amazing! The green in the background is the park. Mark and Sawyer.Looking down at the square. He really does just take everything in. Great picture of daddy and Sawyer.We found another carousal in the park. Sawyer loved that this one he could drive a truck! BEEP! BEEP!!We had one major museum to go. The Vatican Museum. If you haven't been, it needs to be on your bucket list. What a breath taking experience. Every room was prestine, and a detailed as you can imagine. I would go back in a heartbeat.

We loved the park so much! Sawyer is sitting on a ledge, behind you can see the Vatican. What a great picture of Sawyer.

This is at the Vatican Museum in the courtyard. Sawyer loved everything about it. He is just an amazing boy. Very smart and so much fun!

This is a stain glass chair in the Vatican. I thought is was beautiful. It was one of those art pieces that catches your eye and you can't seem to get enough. It was truly amazing.

What a spectacular place! From the moment you walk in your eye is captured. The art is everywhere. The ceiling, the walls, the floors, out the window, through the halls, everywhere. It is AMAZING!!!!

My pictures really don't do it justice. This was a ceiling in one room. They are all this detailed.

There are five rooms that Raphael did. They all tell a story. The pictures are a little blury but man these rooms are awesome!

Can you imagine having this on your ceiling! Whow!!!

Another painting part of the ceiling that I loved.

This is another room that Rapheal did. It is The School of Athens.

This is what you see on the floor. My pictures aren't great but you get the idea. Beauty everwhere.

The gold statue is Hercules. It was huge! This entire room was full of Greek Gods.

Another beautiful picture on the ceiling.

These statues lined one of the hallways. It is amazing how much art is in one museum.

This statue was beautiful. It really catches your eye when you look at the faces on the children.

Sawyer was fasinated with the art. He sat on the floor and traced this lady. He was so funny. He looked at it like hidden pictures. He would find things all over the place. Dogs, swords, snakes, angels, horses, you name it, he found it. He loved it!

The beauty in a room is captured the second you walk in. Long narrow rooms that never allow you to lose interest. Sawyer playing on the floor. Silly boy!

This reminded me of the golden plates. It was so beautiful. I stared at it for about five minutes. It was one of those moments I just couldn't get enough of.

Look at that ceiling, all the way down the hall. This is how the entire musuem is. BEAUTIFUL!!!

One thing after another that is so spactacular! I can't express enough how amazing this place is. You must see it yourself.

I wish you could take pictures in the Sistine Chapel but it isn't allowed. That is a moment I will never forget. The beauty in the room, the feeling it has is undescribable. Definilty somewhere you could sit and contimplate for hours.

This is another story on the ceiling. It was awesome!

The next chapter I suppose.

I'm sorry for showing so many of these pictures but we spent five hours here. It was an unforgetable day.

This was in one of the Rapheal rooms. Sawyer was so great! He found something to do in every room.

Beauty!!!

After the Museum we headed ovet to St. Peter's Bacilica to see the Pieta. Sawyer loves to get "chin back rides."

How cute is this little guy. He was really exited to play in the water fountain.

This makes your eyes well when you see it. It has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of art ever made. The detail and life is undescribable.

Another shot. I know my pictures aren't great but it's the best I could do.

When we headed out of the Bacilica, I noticed a camera crew across the way. We decided to head over and see what it was all about. It was the Today Show! Exciting right! We were standing right in front, next to the fence. We were really excited to see Matt Lawer and Al Rocker.

Sawyer was all smiles when he meet the Arch Bishop of New York. How cute is this picture. What an amazing experience.The Arch Bishop of New York was really nice. He held Sawyer and took pictures with us. He was genuine and personable. It was truely and honor meeting him.

I must say the more we go to Italy the more I fall in love with it. The first time we were there we did all the tourist things, and were on the go from early moring until night. This trip was way different. We did go to some museums, and saw some sights but for the most part we just hung out. We met a ton of locals everywhere we went. We became great friends with the Hotel Manager in Florence. The entire trip was great. We found an amazing park, great food and met the Arch Bishop of New York. Two thing that were funny, while in Florence we were walking down the steet and we saw "the Situation" from Jersey shore. Girls were screaming! It was hilarious. Then when we were watcing them film the Today show one of the photographers started taking pictures of Sawyer. He looked at us and said " what a beautiful boy!" It was funny. We had such a great family vacation. I can't wait to go again next year. We have decided to make this a yearly trip. Anyone is welcome to join us!!!

Friends at the gym

2011-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Sabrina has a daughter just older than Sawyer. Her name is Kylee. Sabrina decided to have Kylee's birthday party at the gym. I love it when friends use the gym for family parties. It's always nice when your friends enjoy playing at the gym and the kids love it! Mark and I spent the afternoon playing with the kids and enjoying the company of Sabrina and Dylan.
Kylee is in the purple shirt looking straight up at the camera. Happy Birthday Kylee!

She had a Tangled birthday cake. It was adorable! Perfect sense. The gift Sawyer picked for her was a Tangled doll.

Dylan and Sabrina.

Sabrina, thank you for having Ky's birthday party at the gym. We loved hanging out with you and your family. Hopefully you all had a great time.

Big brother Josh

2011-06-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

I know I say it all the time, but we love it when family comes up to visit. Sawyer especially loves it when his big brother Josh comes up. When Josh is here, Sawyer wants to do everything Josh does. I love it! I love watching their interaction. All of Sawyer's brothers and sisters are so good to him. Thank you all for being the best family to Sawyer.
Mark, Sawyer and Josh at the gym. What a great picture of the boys together.

Sawyer loves to play with Josh. He also loves it when Josh snuggles him when he's tired.

Josh has a dog named Aries. What a beautiful dog! Sawyer loves playing with Aries. They play ball, Sawyer gives him hot dogs for snacks, and best of all, Aries is gentle with Sawyer.

I love the smiles on both Mark and Sawyer's face. Aries is giving Sawyer a kiss, Sawyer thinks it tickles and thinks it's really funny. I love this picture!

Well what can I say but family is the best! Josh, thank you so much for coming up for the weekend. Sawyer loves you so much! Thank you for being so good to him.

Kenzie and Hendrick

2011-04-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

McKenzie had a friend in town from Germany for a few days. The two of them decided to drive up to Pocatello and play at the gym for a couple hours. We were so excited for them to come up. Hendrick is such a nice boy and we always love Kenzie. She is such a sweetheart!

Don't you think she looks adorable with her helmet. Hendrick liked it! Here she is getting on the skies. The last time she was here, she dropped the ramp with the board. This time she tried the skis.I think she looks adorable. What a beautiful girl! Hendrick played around on the boards while Kenzie used the skis.
Here she is learning the basics on the skis from our expert Keith. Of course she picked it up easily. She is already an outstanding skier.

I can't believe my oldest niece is already in collage. Crazy! How cute are these two!

Kenzie, thank you so much for coming up to visit. You mean so much to me and I love you so much. Please know you are always welcome to come up. We are so excited for your first drops off the ramp. Your AWESOME!

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

We headed down to California for a wedding announcement party for Lori's son Zach. Lori is Mark's sister. Our visit was short and sweet. We were able to visit with family we don't see very often. It was a great time. The party was Saturday. Sunday was Easter. Sawyer was wondering if the Easter bunny knew he was in California. When we woke up, grandma called to let Sawyer know the bunny had left a basket for him at her house. We decide to fly to her house so he could see what the bunny left.

Mark and Sawyer on the plane. It didn't take long for Sawyer to find his basket. With Jr helping him look, it only took a minute. These two boys knew exactly where to look!

He is very determined to get the basket out so he could see what was in it.

He was really excited about this carrot toy. The top flies off and spins around the room. He calls it a helicopter.

He got the book 'Where The Wild Things Are!' We love books!Don't you love his Hawaiian shirt. I think he looks adorable. Sawyer and I with his new favorite bunny. He named him Jack.
Grandma and Sawyer. We love you grandma!

Playing outside with Jr. This is always one of his favorite parts of coming to SLC, playing with Jr and all the other cousins.
Happy Easter to everyone. We hope you all did something spiritual and enjoyed spending the day with your families.

Hollywood Connection

2011-04-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sawyer and I were in SLC for a couple of days and while we were there, the cousins went to Hollywood Connection. Heidi had promised Grace she would take her over spring break so we all decided to go. We all love rides and watching the kids get so excited about everything they are doing. What a great way to spend the day.

Sawyer and Davis giving loves.

Sawyer getting ready to hit the ball at mini golf. He had a great swing this day and was hitting the ball across the course. Luckily he didn't hit anyone with the ball.

The kids climbing on the lava. This is one of their favorite holes to play.

How sweet is Jr!

Everyone was ready for this picture. I love the poses from the girls.

All eyes on the game. Our future golfers.

Katie, Olivia, Sawyer, Davis and myself on the roller coaster. I love it!

On the carousel. A favorite for all the kids.

Riding on the magic school bus. WEEEEEEE!

We spent about 6 hours playing, riding rides, rollerskating and eating pizza. What a blast we had! Thanks Grace for the great idea.

Miranda's kids came to visit

2011-04-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

We were so excited when Miranda called and asked if we would watch the kids for a couple days. She had her tonsils out and needed some rest after the surgery. Of course we wanted to have our grandchildren! Sawyer was so excited to have the kids up to play. We all had a great time! Here we are at lunch. Kainoah, Sawyer, Keaghan and Landen.We went to Outer limits to play some games in the arcade. I walked the kids through the 'glow in the dark' mini golf. I guess I should have known that they would want to play once they saw how awesome it is. They ran down to the gym and asked Mark if we could have pizza for dinner and play mini golf. It was their lucky day, he said yes!I will say this glow in the dark golf is pretty awesome. The animals are HUGE! There's a gorilla, dinosaurs, sharks, mermaids, alligators and much more. This one is hard to see the kids but Keaghan and Landen are under the dinosaur and Kainoah and Sawyer have their arms around each other.All of them under the Dino. Pretty amazing art work!After dinner we headed home for showers and a sleep over. Here they are all lined up watching a movie. If I remember correct they chose The Grinch. It's one of our favorites. How precious are these kids.Well I have been the lucky grandma that has taken all of these kids on their first flights. We were all so excited especially Kainoah. I was a little nervous, you just never know what to expect. Landen just had tubes put in his ears, so I thought flying would bother him. I was wrong, he was perfect. Kainoah loved every minute. She and Sawyer laughed for most of the flight. It was really bumpy! As you can see, they are all smiles.Sawyer and Kainoah being silly!
Keaghan looked out the window for most of the flight. He really is such a sweet boy. Thank Keaghan for all your help with the little ones.

Landen sat on my lap for take off and landing. Look at those blue eyes! Adorable!

3...2...1... blastoff. That is what Kainoah and Sawyer said, then they held their hands up like on a roller coaster.

What a great time we all had. We had the kids for four days and it was wonderful. The kids were great! Sawyer loved having people at his house that he could play with all day. Mark and I love having company. Anyone is welcome to come stay with us anytime. Thank you Miranda for letting us take your kids. Hopefully you feel better soon! Love you all!

Portland

2011-04-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Since we had to leave Paris early, we decide to head to Portland to visit with some friends. Dave, Jamie, Asyia and Caden. Caden and Sawyer have so much fun together. He likes playing with Sawyer because it's like having a little brother. Sawyer followed him around all day. They made crepe's for breakfast together, played with toys and just really enjoyed each other. Thanks Caden for being so good to Sawyer.We went and watched the NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships while we were there. Dave is also a gymnastics coach so we all had a great time. It was also really fun because Mark's other friend John is a coach for Oregon State Gymnastics. OSU actually won the meet. Great job!!!Sawyer was running out of energy by the end of the meet. Maybe all the travel was catching up with him. Sweet boy!This is Jamie and Sawyer. What an amazing mom and friend. Sawyer has so much fun with her. She is hilarious! Sawyer was laughing at her most of the day. She is one woman I am glad to know. Thank you Jamie for making our family feel so welcome.

What a fun weekend with friends! Dave and Jamie thank you so much for being such great friends. We always have such a great time when we visit. Hopefully another visit is coming soon!

Paris 2011

2011-04-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well we did it again! We decided to take a last minute trip and this time we chose Paris. Spring time in Paris, what could be better?! The flights were open, so after the state gymnastics meet we jumped on a flight for a quick trip. If you ever wonder how Sawyer handles flying, he is amazing! He loves every minute. With all the flights he has taken he has never been a problem (knock on wood). This is what our row looked like for most of the flight. As you can see, he sets up all the animals, cars, trains, planes and any toy he has managed to fit in his bag and lays them out across the tables. It's really funny! What a trooper! Once we landed in Paris, we found ourselves a hotel and headed out to the shuttle. Sawyer slept really well on the flight and was wide awake ready to take in a country.

Once at the hotel, we showered and got ready for the day. I guess the jet lag caught up with him. As I was getting our "to go bag" ready, Sawyer was waiting patiently by the door. This is how he ended up. One tired boy!It wasn't long before he was wide awake enjoying the subway. He loves all transportation I suppose. He looks out the window and takes it all in. Here daddy and Sawyer are enjoying the ride.Our first stop was Notra Dome. What a beautiful Cathedral! It's always amazing to see such magnificent architecture. Even Sawyer loved it!I know this is a horrible picture but I'm not a photographer. This was the entrance into the Cathedral. It is stunning!All the stain glass windows are spectacular! Here you can see the Rose Window.It rained almost the entire time we were there. We didn't mind it at all. It actually added to the experience. We stopped into a cafe for a bite to eat.We spent most of the first day just walking around the city taking it all in. There is so much to see and do it's almost overwhelming. Here's a new family photo. Pretty cute I think!At the Louve. Another amazing place to see although we didn't go in until day two. This is a good picture of Mark and most of the the museum. Sawyer playing in the puddles in front of the Louve.I love how he just walks around with no worries. He really does love seeing new places and venturing out. He is one amazing boy! He really wanted to play in the fountain like all kids do.Another beautiful picture of Mark and the Louve.Here is the Arch just on the other side of the Louve. The gardens are just on the other side.Mommy and Sawyer walking under the Arch.The gardens are really dark but you can see the Eiffel Tower in the background.I love this picture. I think it is breathtaking. I find it fascinating how different countries are from one another. We have such a small perspective on what's out there. We are lucky to travel as much as we do. Sawyer all smiles! Isn't he adorable!Not the best shot but the Eiffel Town at night time was spectacular! The Eiffel TowerSawyer is taking the lead as he takes us under the Tower. He really loved it, we all did!Just across the street from the Eiffel Tower was a carousel. Sawyer was so excited! We seem to find a carousel on most of our trips. It's almost become a must. Sawyer loves them, and we love watching him."Hi mommy and daddy!"This makes me laugh! Sawyer's eyes are as wide as they can go. Funny boy!The next day we headed back to the Louve to go inside. Both Mark and I love museums and couldn't wait to go inside. Here Sawyer and I take a photo where most people have there hand up pretending to hold the diamond. I didn't know that until after the picture.Mark and Sawyer in front of the Mona Lisa. This is a beautiful piece of art. The Mona Lisa.

Not everything can be serious at the museum, right?!

This sculpture, I believe, is the original "girls next door!" Where is the pool?

Here is the "first coped a feel."The original "moon!"Mark and the "skull." How scary is that. The best part is that I took about five pictures of this and people kept appearing in the background.

Me and Sawyer taking our last picture in what is one of the most amazing museums.After the Louve, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower. We really wanted to go to the top. Sawyer thought the elevator to the top was awesome! He just stood up next to the window and watched as we got higher and higher. Apparently he isn't afraid of heights!Sawyer on the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was cold but amazing.A view from above. I never realized how big this city was. Beautiful!This is one of my favorite pictures from this trip. Both Mark and Sawyer have such big grins. You can almost feel how much fun they are having. I love these two guys!And back to the carousel we go. We couldn't walk by without letting Sawyer ride it again. He was so excited to ride the train while on the carousel. Look at that smile! On the train headed back to the hotel. What an amazing day we had.

We had such an amazing day. We were sad when we figured out the flights had filled up for the weekend and we had to leave the next morning. We were only there two days but two of the best days. We had so much fun spending time together as a family, seeing new sights and continuing our random travels around the world. I can only hope Sawyer will remember some of the exciting places he traveled as a little boy.

Hudson Paul Reid

2011-04-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

A new addition to the Reid family. Hudson Paul Reid was born on March 15, 2011 weighing in at 8lbs 1oz. He's a big boy!!! Both baby and mom are healthy and doing great! He is such an adorable little guy! Pictures don't do him justice. Davis has been so excited to be a big brother. Now that Hudson is here, Davis is living up to his job as big brother and loving it! I love this little guy! Hudson, your adorable!Jason and Hudson spend some time together while Hudson's breathing steadies. Mommy, Daddy and Davis talking about their new baby Hudson. All the boys! If you look, you can see a small smile from Hudson.

Grandpa Brent with his newest grand baby. What a perfect picture of both.The boys at home enjoying their time together. They all look so content. It's always exciting when there's a new baby. We are so glad that mommy and baby are both doing so well. Hill is getting back to normal faster than she thought and loving having baby number 2. Hudson is sleeping great and loves his tubbies. Davis loves to play with Hudson and is always concerned when he cries. What a great big brother. Jason is loving having two boys and taking great care of the fam. We love you guys and are so excited for you!

Play dates are the Best!

2011-03-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love play dates?! I love getting together with friends I don't see often, letting our kids play and catching up on life. Last week I was lucky enough to have a play date with Kirra Seeley. She has 4 beautiful children but one is a little older than Sawyer. His name is Max. These two really get along and play so well together. It's always comforting when the children of your friends get along. It makes everything seem so natural and your the friendship lasting.

Here are Sawyer and Max playing hide. Well Sawyer is playing, Max is just looking handsome as always. This is Sarah and Kate. Sarah is such a sweet girl and a great older sister. All of the kids played so well together. Sarah was so funny. She did a couple crafts, showed me her amazing art work, then decided it was quiet time. She laid on the couch and enjoyed Skooby Doo while the boys played behind her. She never complained that they were to loud, she just enjoyed her time. To cute!

What silly boys! It was a task trying to get a good picture of them. I will say they were pretty much non stop talking and playing. Just what I love.

Thanks Kirra for getting together with us. Sawyer keeps asking when he gets to play with Max again. I definitely think we need to make it a monthly get together. I love catching up and watching our kids play and interact so well. You truly are an amazing mom and I look up to you so much. I can't thank you enough for sharing this wonderful friendship. It means so much to me. Thank you!

Disneyland 2011

2011-02-28T11:14:00.001-08:00

Yea for Disneyland! We decided last minute to take a day trip to Disneyland. It has been such a long cold winter, we decided it was time to spend some time in the sun. We knew Sawyer would love Disneyland but we wanted a buddy to go with him. We asked Hillary and Jason if we could take Davis with us. After explaining our plans and and insuring that we would take good care of him, they said we could take him. Yea!!! We were all so excited! When we arrived at the SLC airport to pick up Davis, the boys were SOOO excited. What can I say but these two boys are hilarious! They love playing together and get along so well. Thanks Hill and Jason for letting us take him.

Here are Jason, Davis, Sawyer and Hillary just before we headed through security. How sweet do these boys look. I'm sure Hillary and Jason were sad to let Davis leave but no tears were shed. Hill just had to walk away before we walked through security.

Getting ready for the big trip!

Big hugs! They were so excited to see each other.This was Davis' second time flying. He was so good! Both boys were great the entire time. As you can see they were happy to be on their way to Disneyland!Me with the boys. They just make me smile.Davis was really excited to take off. He kept asking me "are we flying yet?" As soon as we were in the air they had their hands up. They kept them up for a couple minutes. It was so funny! Their first ride I suppose.When we arrived at the hotel, the boys were ready for bed. They had tubbies and climbed right into bed. What sweet boys!

In the morning they woke up asking if it was time to go to Disneyland. We got them ready, headed to breakfast then headed for Disneyland. Aren't they adorable!Walking into Disneyland. Sawyer was looking back making sure I was still there. Always looking out for his mommy.Mark and the boys all ready for a fun filled day at Disneyland.Me with the boys. I think I was more excited to be at Disneyland than the boys.The boys were really excited when they saw their first Castle. I know I keep saying this but they are so hilarious! They look so precious!Both boys love Merry-go-rounds. Once they saw it they wanted to go on it first. So we headed right over and to our surprise there was no line. They were ready for the rides, that's for sure!Sawyer all ready to go!What a cute picture. I love Davis' grin. They loved it!Dumbo was a favorite for both boys. Davis chose the yellow one and Sawyer was right behind us in the blue one.I love this picture. They both look so happy. Here are the boys in line for Peter Pan. A favorite for all of us. I must say we had so many people ask us how old our boys are. Everyone thought they were twins which was fine with me. I loved it! They are two handsome, well behaved boys. Plus I want twins.We all love Mary Poppins! Sawyer loves the movie and sings the songs. Davis has never seen the movie. To our surprise, right when this picture was taken, Sawyer turned around and ran the other direction and Davis walked right over and shook their hands. So funny!On the jungle ride. The boys thought this one was awesome! They loved seeing all the animals in the jungle and the water. They were totally into it!Pirates of the Caribbean. I will say this wasn't their favorite. They both had a hold of our hands and were squeezing so tight. They survived but didn't want to go again.Lunch time. Davis was loving the chicken! They both worked up an appetite walking around the park.Enjoying their time eating.We headed to small world which we knew they would love. They were staring at the Castle in awe. They thought it was pretty cool.Taking it all in.Smiles all around. Watching them on this ride was priceless. They both were so intrigued with everything going on around them. They would look from side to side and tell us everything they were seeing. It was awesome! Outside the ride and capturing the moment.
Davis was so tired that he fell to sleep on Mark's shoulder. Davis typically will only sleep where it's nice and quiet. Not today. Mark was just as comforting as his bed. How adorable!

The rest didn't last long. As soon as I said "there is Mickey Mouse," Davis woke right up. It was like magic words. Completely asleep to wide awake. He really wanted to see Mickey! We waited in line so the boys could give Mickey a hug and get a picture but once it was their turn they wouldn't even get close. They only wanted to see him from a distance.

Oh well! Maybe next time.

Now Pluto was a different story. They both wanted to give him five and take a picture. Yea for Pluto!!! After seeing the characters they couldn't hold out any longer. We rented two strollers and the boys fell right to sleep. Davis sound asleep with his guys.
Sawyer sound asleep next to Davis. They are both so precious!
After naps, we played in Adventure Land for a while. They rode some rides in the Bugs area and were hoping to see Mickey Mouse Club House on stage but they weren't showing. Bummer! Oh well, the rides were great and so is this picture. They boys held hands most of the day. It was the easiest way to keep track of them. They were fine with it, I should say they loved it. People walking by us would comment on how cute they were. A couple people actually said "you have to get a picture" of them. They definitely caught everyone's attention.

Best buddies!

Back at the hotel, they were completely worn out. We put them in the tub and within minutes they were sound asleep. The day was so much fun! Both boys had a blast and were so easy. Sweet dreams of Disneyland!
What an AWESOME day at Disneyland! Hillary and Jason, thank you so much for letting us take Davis with us. It wouldn't have been the same without him. We loved every minute with these two together. They love each other so much and have so much fun together. We can't thank you enough and hope you will let us take him again soon. Next time we want to take Jr and Davis with us. Hopefully both their parents will let us take them. We love DISNEYLAND!!!

Arete Gymnastics Meet

2011-02-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

We are in the middle of our gymnastics competition season and I must say our girls are doing quite well. We had a meet in Lindon Utah and had a blast! Since my sisters and mom live in SLC along with Mark's kids, it worked out great. We were able to spend time with cousins and Miranda. When we arrived in SLC we headed to the hotel where the kids had a blast swimming. Here Jr and Sawyer smile for the camera. This was a major task. They were having so much fun playing. I was following them around the pool just waiting for them to hold still. They are so funny!!! Grace and Lily swam for about 2 and a half hours. I couldn't believe it! If you don't already know, Lily is my step sister Kristen's daughter. She is such a sweet girl. Grace and Lily play all the time and get along great. When the girls finally decided they were done swimming, I thought for sure they would be tired. I was wrong! Both of them were more wired than when they started swimming. Crazy! I wish had that kind of energy again!

Sawyer attempting to give Jr a hug. Jr wasn't really into it but that's OK. It's still precious.

No! He isn't choking him, just still trying to hug. How funny! Aren't they handsome!

After swimming we headed to SLC to visit Davis for a minute. We planned to go the U of U gymnastics meet with Hillary and Jason but Hill wasn't feeling up to it. (she is due to have baby Hudson in 2 weeks. Yea!) Davis and Sawyer were just happy to play!

We headed to dinner where the boys decided to pretend to be super heroes. It was hilarious! They would freeze every so often and change characters. Their favorites are of course Spider man and Batman.

Saturday morning was the competition. We headed to the gym for a full day of gymnastics. The level 4's and 5's competed first. Jeannie is our head pre-team coach. Her girls are so much fun to watch. They did a great job in this meet and are continuing to get better and better.
This picture is of all the girls level 4 and 5.

Here they are again but this time with me. Mark and I coach the level 5's and the optional girls. Our optional girls didn't have to compete until the afternoon so we will get a picture of them later.

All the girls did a great job! They all seemed much more confident and looked great. I must say it's pretty fun watching your athletes when they do well. Great job girls!

On Sunday, we got together with Miranda and went to lunch. It was a wonderful afternoon. We don't get to see Miranda very often so when we do, we enjoy every minute. Her youngest boy is Landen. He is adorable! Sawyer and Landen were both perfect at lunch. We decided to take the kids for ice cream just to spend a little more time together.

Who doesn't love an ice cream face!!!
What a great shot! These two really do get along so well. We need to let them play more often.

As for the competition, it couldn't have been better. (although we did have one girl get hurt on floor and couldn't finish the meet) We are so proud of all of you. Keep up the good work!

Heidi, Hillary, Jason and Grandma, thanks for coming to play at the hotel and going to dinner. Sawyer has been asking to play with his cousins. It was really nice having you come to the hotel.

Miranda, we love you so much and had so much fun on Sunday. Please come up anytime or we will bring Sawyer to you so he can play with your kiddos.

What a fantastic weekend. Thanks everyone!

Sawyer's first trip to San Francisco

2011-02-16T11:27:00.001-08:00

When working, there is always time for play. This time work (Skywest) had me attending a training class in San Francisco. What a perfect time to take Sawyer to a new city, not to mention one of our favorite cities. Here he is all smiles on the plane. He was excited to see this new city!!!

We checked into our hotel and immediately headed to the BART Station. We were so excited to take Sawyer down to Pier 39 so he could see the ocean, seal lions and ride the trolley. Sawyer and Daddy are ready to get on the BART. We got off the BART on Powell Street and headed to the trolley. Sawyer was so excited! It was a perfect day, sunny, about 70 degrees and not over crowded. If you look close, you can see the trolley behind Mark. What handsome boys!!!Here you can see the trolley workers turning it around. The best comment of the day was one from my twin Katie. I sent out a text message of this same picture. Her response was " did it break down or something?" How funny! It's just an original trolley, not broken.

Precious boy! He is so curious about everything. We love it!!!

I thought this gold pirate was pretty cool.

Once we were off the trolley, we just wanted to look at the views. We did the best we could at getting a family photo with some of the Golden Gate Bridge behind us. Pretty cute family shot I think!
Sawyer absolutely loved seeing the ocean. He was all up for going swimming. Imagine trying to convince a 3 year old he can't swim in the ocean. He was bummed but we made it up to him. Mommy and Sawyer!

As we walked to Pier 39, we stopped to get a picture of Alcatraz. I know Mark and Sawyer are just barley in the corner but it was the one picture we took as we walked.

Once we got to the pier, we stopped for dinner then headed to the end of the pier to look at the view and show Sawyer the sea lions. It was so beautiful! Mark is showing Sawyer where the sea lions are. We stood and watched them for about 20 minutes. Sawyer loved it! He loved watching them swim, make their noises and move from dock to dock. I also love how you can see San Francisco in the background. This was one of the most active sea lions. How sweet!

Here are a bunch of them just hanging out. I must say they were really loud.

Definitely not the best picture but here we are in front of the sea lions.
How sweet is this picture! Once again Sawyer is taking it all in and loving every minute.

Alcatraz!
I really like this picture of Sawyer and I. He was giving me the biggest love! It just warms my heart every time I look at this picture. I love you so much Sawyer!!!

Another picture in front of the sea lions. Daddy and Sawyer take the best pictures together.
The sun started to set and it made the most beautiful reflection on the Golden Gate Bridge. It looks like it has lights. What a beautiful picture! It was AMAZING!

My favorite picture of the entire trip is right here. You can just see the intense love and happiness in both Mark and Sawyer's face. Sawyer's grin makes me melt. This is by far my favorite!!!

What a fantastic trip we had. We only spent one day here and can't wait to go back. Sawyer loved everything about it! He definitely has a unique lifestyle and does many things that most kids never get to do. Sawyer, Mommy and Daddy love you so much. Thank you so much for being such an amazing boy!

First Gym meet 2011 Boise

2011-02-03T09:55:00.001-08:00

It's competition season again. Not only are the gymnasts excited but Sawyer couldn't wait. We headed to Boise in hopes of getting off to a good start. I must say the girls did a great job!

Sawyer was all smiles as we arrived in Boise. I think he looks so adorable!We arrived at the hotel on Thursday afternoon. The first thing we needed to do was let Sawyer go swimming. He had a great time! But what kid doesn't love to swim!The first meet was Friday morning. This was the level 7 meet. Tessa was our only gymnasts for this session. She did a great job! She took 6th place in the all round which is awesome for her first optional meet. Great job Tessa!

Here is Tessa with her little brother Spencer and Sawyer.Saturday morning we started the competition with level 4. Jeannie is the head level 4 coach, she does a great job. These little girls were so much fun to watch and seemed to have a blast! We were all so proud of them!
The next session was level 5. These girls really shined! Lydia and Maysi both took 2nd place in the all round for their age division. Jill took 4th all round and the list goes on. Congratulations girls! You all did a great job!

Here we have Jill, Kaylee, Isabella, Sawyer, Lydia, Brianna, and Maysi. Marianna also competed but had to leave before the photo was taken.

Great job girls! We are so proud of you! You all started off the season on such a good note. Keep it up!!!

Ariel came to visit

2011-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sawyer loves it when his brothers and sisters come to visit. Sawyer's big sister, Ariel came to town a few weeks ago. They played all weekend! Ariel played trains, trucks, pool and everything Sawyer asked her to play. It is so much fun to watch them together. They have such a great connection. They love each other so much! Thanks Ariel for being such a great big sister! How cute are these too! Choo Choo!!!

Big family hug!!!

Sawyer loves Ariel so much. You can see it in his smile.

Thanks Ariel for coming to visit. We all love you so much! Sawyer is so lucky to have such great big brothers and sisters. Please come visit anytime. WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T15:01:00.001-08:00

We always feel like Christmas is busy but this year it was really busy! We started out by visiting Grandma Connie and Grandpa Gill in St. George. It's always nice to spend a weekend away from the cold and with family. Sawyer loves his grandma Connie so much! He asks to go visit her all the time. Here they are in the St. George airport starting off the Holidays!!!While we were in St. George, we watched grandpa Gill sing in the choir. It's actually a smaller version of the Tabernacle Choir. It was a fantastic performance. A great way to feel the joys of the holidays.We flew back to Pocatello for a couple days and the team girls had their Christmas Party. They always love doing secret Santa, although it never stays a secret. Here they are with the Christmas socks from Evelyn. Merry Christmas girls!We headed off to Cleveland to spend Christmas with Haley, Brandon and the kids. We were really looking forward to getting out of town. We love visiting Haley and the family. We spent all day on Thursday Dec. 23 in the airport. We started our journey at 5:30am and arrived in Detroit around 11:00pm. At that point we had missed all connecting flights into Cleveland. We spent the night in a hotel. Haley and Ali drove to Detroit to pick us up in the morning. Most of you would think this to be a burden or horrible travel story but we loved it! Sawyer is a real trooper! He was a gem all day long. The hotel was amazing! It was connected to the airport and had a great rate. We love the adventure! It just adds to the holiday experience. Here, Mark and Sawyer stand in front of the hotel Christmas tree. The restaurant was closed and the hotel wouldn't let us into the bar for dinner so they brought dinner to us outside of the bar. They were awesome!Once we made it to Cleveland, we did some major shopping, played games, and enjoyed visiting with family. Ali and Sawyer decided to make Reindeer food for Santa's reindeer. Ali was able to find the actual recipe online. Crazy!The two of them spread the food all over the front and back yard. How fun is this! The best part of all was about 10 minutes after the food was out, a family of deer came through the yard. It was hilarious watching the kids stand to the window watching them eat the food. Of course Santa's reindeer would love it!!!As always on Christmas Eve, the kids get to open one gift. The Christmas jammies of course. Sawyer wanted to open more than one but he loved his jammies.How sweet are these two!
Sawyer loves his new jammies. He decided to wear the green jammies next to him for the night.

All the kids in their Christmas jammies. (sorry it's so dark)

I took this picture after Santa had arrived before the kids woke up. Isn't the tree beautiful!

Christmas morning!!!!! This Christmas was so much fun! Sawyer is just old enough to understand Santa. The only gift he asked for was a "truck". Santa wanted to get him a big truck but thought it would be hard to get home. I get so much joy out of watching the kids open their presents. Seeing them smile from ear to ear, tying to guess what the next present is and the excitement of the stocking. I know Christmas isn't all about presents but it sure is a fun addition to the Birth of Christ.

I love how sweet Sawyer looks in this picture. He sat like that for a couple minutes just watching Ali and Mitch open their presents. He sure does love those two.

Sawyer in action! Opening one of his many gifts.

All of the kids in the zone!

Ali was such a great helper with Sawyer. She helped him open the presents he couldn't get open. She was good to him for the entire trip as was Mitch. These two are the sweetest kids. Haley and Brandon have raised two amazing kids.

Another present.

The gifts just keep on coming!

Finally, Sawyer gets just what he asked for, "the truck"! It wasn't as big as Santa had hoped but Sawyer was so excited! He was so excited that Santa gave him the one thing he asked for. Thank you Santa!

How funny does he look here. This is the ultimate Christmas picture. One of my favorites!

What a great shot of everyone. Everyone had such a great time hanging out. It was way mellow and great company. We always love staying with Haley and Brandon.

Sawyer opened his Mobigo. He wasn't sure what it was but as soon as we took it out of the box, he was all over it.

He got more animals to build a big farm. If you look close,, you can see he is setting them up all in the same direction.

Haley's family gave Sawyer this Superman lunch box with superman DVDs inside. He takes it everywhere! He fills it up with his animals. It makes me laugh!

It was finally time to play with his truck. It's a remote control truck. Just what he wanted!

Once all the presents were opened and Christmas breakfast was over, we all decided it was time to play and exercise. Ali and Sawyer played the new art game on the Wii, while Haley took her turn on the treadmill.

Mitch and Mark played pool. They both love pool which makes for a great afternoon activity.

That was our Christmas in Cleveland. It was AWESOME! We had such a wonderful time. It was a quick trip but perfect. Thank you Haley and Brandon for spending the holiday with us. Your family is so warm and loving. We love you all so much! Thanks again!

We flew back to SLC to stay with grandma Taunnie for a couple days. Sawyer didn't know there were presents for him at grandma's house. When she brought them out, he was so excited. Jr and Davis were both over so they helped him open his presents. What great helpers. Look at the excitement in Sawyer's face. It's perfect!

Grandma helping the boys with the big present. Thank you grandma. We love you!

OK. This has to be the cutest picture of the three boys. Every time I look at it, I smile. They all look so happy. They really are best buddies and this picture shows it.

Once we were done playing at grandma's, we headed over to Aunt Gerry's. Every year she decorates her house to the extreme. She has done this for as long as I can remember. Her house always looks amazing. Gerry always goes way overboard with gifts on Christmas but I will say Sawyer loved every minute.

He got a new beach towel with a pirate ship on it. He really loves his own towels, so this one was perfect.

Aunt Gerry and Sawyer playing with the tools Gerry gave him. This was his favorite gift. He immediately started to fix everything in the house. It was hilarious. Thank you Gerry for all the wonderful gifts. We appreciate it so much. We love you!

What a great Christmas we had this year. We definitely traveled a ton but that is what we like to do. We spent time with so many important people in our lives. Thank you to everyone who let us stay at your houses and allowed us to be a part of your tradiditons. You are all welcome to come stay with us anytime. Merry Christmas to all! We love you!!!

Emma's Baptism

2010-12-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

It was a special weekend at the Schrade's residence. Emma turned 8 and was getting Baptised. If you know Jennifer, you already know the girls looked perfect. Everything else went as smooth as you could hope for. I was so pleased when they invited our family to the baptism. I love this family so much and value their friendship more than they know. Thank you all so much for letting us be a part of this special occasion. Congratulations Emma for making such a good decision to be baptised.

Chris, Jennifer, Ella, Emma and Eva.

Sawyer and the girls. He definitely has it good!

What a great day! We went to lunch at Golden Corral after the Baptism. I love buffets! Emma was beaming and you could just see how excited she was to have been baptised. We love you Emma! Congratulations!

Sawyer's weekend with Beatle and Jason

2010-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Mark and I had to go to Boise for the weekend with a couple of staff members from the gym. We were all attending a compulsory routine clinic. We decide that we would have Hillary and Jason babysit since the boys always want to play. We didn't take many pictures of Boise but Hillary sent me some of the boys playing.

In this picture, the boys are making Witches Brew!

Sawyer loves the doggy towel! Thanks Davis for sharing!

Over the weekend SLC and Idaho had their first big snow storm. Thanks to Uncle Jason, the boys got to bundle up in snow clothes, build a snowman, and shovel walks. Looks like they all loved it! Thanks Jason!Silly boys in the tub! And of course the animals all lined up around the tub. I love it!

This is the one and only picture I have of Boise. Coach Kalani has a boyfriend that lives in Boise. He plays in a band so he was willing to bring over his guitar and play songs for us. He is awesome! We all really enjoyed the evening. Thanks you two!

We had a great time in Boise but missed our little guy so much. Thanks again Hillary and Jason for taking such good care of Sawyer. We know Sawyer had a great time. Hopefully Davis loved having his buddy over for a couple days. With the two of them together, I'm sure your hands were full. We can't thank you enough. It's our turn to watch Davis for a couple days. What do you say????

Happy Birthday Olivia

2010-12-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sawyer was invited to his cousin Olivia's birthday party at Hollywood Connection. We were excited because we hadn't been to visit for a while, plus we love parties. It was all cousins but one friend. Everyone loved it! Happy Birthday Livie!!!
Playing miniature golf for the first time.

Sawyer loves Merry-Go-Rounds, especially when he rides them with his friends. I love how he is looking up. What a curious boy!

Grace and Aunt Holli. Everybody loves Aunt Holli!

Olivia was really excited for the ice cream and presents. I love this picture of Gerry, Olivia and Mia.

Thanks to my good friend Jennifer, Sawyer was able to give Olivia her own ballet bag and shirt. Olivia loved it! Thanks Jennifer for making such a great gift.

Beep, Beep, Sawyer and Davis driving the bus.

Yummy! Ice Cream!!!

All the kids eating pizza!

Grace, Caroline and Brooke.

Silly boys, Sawyer and Jr.

Caroline takes a tumble while roller skating. It cracks me up because she has only skated with Rollerblades. Am I old or what!!!

What an awesome party! Happy Happy Birthday Olivia! Thank you so much for inviting Sawyer. You are such a sweet girl and we always love playing with you. Hopefully your new ballet bag will come in handy. Love you!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

We had a very nontraditional Thanksgiving this year. I worked at the airport in the morning from 5am to 1pm. Then we jumped on a plane and headed to St. George to be with Mark's mom. Being with family is such an important part of the Holidays. We always enjoy our time in St. George and we know grandma Connie loves visitors. We were delighted to spend the holiday with her and grandpa Gill.

Sawyer came to the airport to say hello. How AWESOME does Sawyer look in these ear muffs? He loved them!Here is grandma Connie with her baby in one hand(pandie the dog) and Sawyer. We love you so much grandma!!!Sawyer is having some smiling problems these days but he is still the cutest boy ever!!!!For those of you who know me well, know I don't like to shop. To all of our surprise, I decided to go shopping on "Black Friday". It turned out great! I went to the outlet mall and walked into " A Children's Place."They were having a 50% off sale, with an additional 10% if you got the card. I must say Holli would have been proud of me! Great clothes, and a great discount!!! Here is Sawyer in a robe we bought him for the Hot Pools.

We had such a great time in St. George. I forgot to mention that we didn't even eat TURKEY!!! We had Salmon for Thanksgiving dinner. Weird, I know but the important part is everyone could eat the meal and we enjoyed the company surrounding us. Thanks for having us Grandma Connie.

Disney on Ice

2010-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

I always get excited when children's shows come to town. It doesn't matter what it is, the circus, Disney on ice, or any other show, I love seeing all the happy kids. Smiles from ear to ear, uncontrollable excitement, and yelling out the names of the characters as they appear. I love it!! Just thinking about it makes me smile!

As you can see, Davis and Sawyer are all smiles as we walked to the Energy Solutions Arena. They were so excited! Hillary, Jason and Davis watching the show. As you can see Davis wouldn't take his eyes off the show. Both boys wouldn't take their eyes off the show. That's when you know it was a show!

Intermission. Don't we all end up buying the $10 bag of cotton candy or snow cone?! It's a must.As you can see the boys were in heaven! They seriously watched the entire show, never got antsy, and sat on the 2 row. It was great!Our family just before the show started. I'm not sure what kind of smile Sawyer has going but I know he was excited!Here comes the Crocodile from Peter Pan.
The ship with Captain Hook.

And of course Peter Pan, Wendy and the boys. They flew right over us. It was awesome!

Big hugs after a great show! It was way worth it!

I must say I would go back to the show in a minute. Watching Davis and Sawyer watch the show made it all worth while! Hillary and Jason thank you so much for coming with us. It wouldn't have been the same without you. We are so glad to have you guys in our lives. We love you so much!

We will miss you Aunt Karen

2010-12-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

Karen Robertson Bohn, age 75, died unexpectedly on Sunday, October 31, 2010. Karen, the oldest child of Irene Jessen and Loren Leon Robertson was born on April 11, 1935 in Moab, Utah. She attended school in Grand County except for a short time in California. She graduated from Grand County High School and went to Salt Lake City where she graduated from Henagar’s Business College. Karen married her devoted husband, Douglas on February 21, 1955 and from that moment on they were inseparable never doing something without the other. They later moved back to Moab settling in happily with family and friends.

Karen worked at Maverick for many years where she enjoyed meeting and visiting people. She was well known for her contagious laugh and great sense of humor. Even though she spoke her mind, she had a heart of gold, giving generously and rearranging her schedule to help family or friends. She was a fantastic cook and a meticulous seamstress. She also loved to make quilts especially for new babies. Curling up with a good book was her idea of pure pleasure. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints serving in many capacities. Her favorite being a cub scout leader which she held for twelve years. Karen’s greatest treasure was her family and grandchildren. Words cannot express how much we all will

miss her.

She is survived by her loving husband Douglas, her children, Kenneth Bohn (Brenda) of Las Vegas, NV, Jay Bohn of Moab, UT, and Stephanie Carattini (Paul) of Las Vegas, NV, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Her siblings Linda Harris (Dale) of Cedar City, UT, and Kent Robertson (Darlene) of Sunnyvale, CA, her sister-in-law Taunnie Soderberg of Salt Lake City and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Kristin House (Leroy).

Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the LDS Stake Center on Locust Lane. Friends may call from 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment will take place in Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Moab.

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Usually, I get dressed up and can't wait to see how everyone else dresses. This year was my year off. I didn't dress up but Sawyer had two costumes that he absolutely loved. We kept ourselves very busy for about two weeks with Halloween parties, and church functions. It was a blast! Thanks to all my friends who invited us to go with them. Our first Halloween party was at the Montessori School. We went with the Schrades (in case you forgot who they are it's Jennifer's family and one of my best friends). These kids always have the best time together. I think Sawyer and Eva might have a crush! I love it!

Here is the group of them, Ella, Eva, Sawyer and Emma. Sawyer is one lucky boy!!!Sawyer was showing off his cool candy bag from Aunt Holli. Thanks Holli for the costume! We love it!!!Scary teeth! Not there best look I don't think.After the party I headed back to the gym to finish up open gym. This is what Sawyer had on under his skeleton costume. He looked so adorable. The picture just doesn't do it justice. I love this little guy!The following day, Casey took Sawyer to her church trunk or treat and Halloween party. I was working and didn't have his costume, so she put this one together for me. Her entire family are real cowboys, so the costume was perfect! Sawyer wouldn't take it off. When she sent me the picture of him while I was at work, I couldn't believe how adorable he looked. Thank you so much Casey!Once I got to the party, I couldn't believe how awesome it was. They played games and got tickets as their item instead of candy. Once they were through playing games, they turned their tickets in for prizes. I thought it was a great idea.

Bodie, Tessa, and Sawyer.Look at that cute bumm! I can't turn it around. Sorry!On Halloween day, Emma had her birthday party at the gym. Jennifer went all out for this party. I don't think it could have been any better. Emma turned 8 and she wanted it to be perfect. I'm positive it's a birthday Emma will never forget.

Here are Sawyer and Eva eating their snacks. They played together all day!!!
Party time! Emma opening her presents.

After the party we headed outside for a trunk or treat. My little cowboys is making a crazy face but looks adorable.

A couple of the team girls. Maysi, Tessa, Delphenia, and Sawyer waiting for the trunk or treat to begin.
Sawyer and his friend Spencer. Or should I say Buzz!

The three cowboys!

After the trunk or treat,Sawyer made a pumpkin cookie for dad.

We headed to the mall for trick or treating after the trunk or treat. It was fun but very crowded. Sawyer was still going strong.

We met up with the Schrades at the mall then headed out for the traditional trick or treating outside, door to door. That is my favorite way to trick or treat. The best part of the night was watching Sawyer and Eva hold hands as they walked from door to door. So funny!!!

What a great Halloween. It lasted almost two weeks. Thanks to everyone who helped me with Sawyer's costumes. We loved them all. We truly appreciate all our friends who hung out with us and made this Halloween one we will always remember.

Our first trip to Portland

2010-11-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

We got home from Phoenix on Monday morning and Tuesday night we headed to Portland. You must think we are crazy! Honestly, no work was missed and what better way to spend a day off work than in a new state. One of our very good friends, Dave Hanncock called and asked us to come up and see his gym. Mark trained Dave to be a gymnastics coach and he has been very successful. Great job Dave! When we arrived, Jaime, Dave's wife and their two kids were already sleeping. Sawyer found a friend right when we walked in the door. I don't remember the dogs name but Sawyer loved this dog. Sawyer has had some bag experiences with dogs, so he usually doesn't get to close. He loved this dog! They had a sleep over on the couch for a while that I thought was adorable. Unlike my usual self, I didn't take any pictures on this trip. How dumb was that! It was our first time to Portland and no good photo. I'll definitely make up for it next time. We did have a great time with Dave and Jamie. We all get along so well and enjoy spending time together. Thanks for inviting us up and hopefully we will come again soon.

**kim**mark**sawyer**