Our Happy Family of 4

Kasey Visits!!

2012-02-06T14:15:00.002-07:00

It's been over 4 years since I've been able to see one of my closest friends, Kasey!! The last time we saw each other I was 7 months pregnant with Connor... and Kasey was walking down the aisle to marry her husband, Matt. It was so nice to have Kasey, Matt, and sweet Hope stay with us for a few days!

Christmas Morning...

2012-01-31T13:58:00.002-07:00

Christmas Eve we were invited to a family's home for a white elephant gift exchange, dinner, and nativity program. Connor was Joseph...and did a great job!

I think she was a little excited!

Leading up to Christmas...

2012-01-31T13:55:00.001-07:00

I love the look of sheer concentration of all here!

Anadarko did a fun Christmas party for the kids this year and Connor got a sweet Spiderman paint job!
These Sugar Cookies were amazing! And the kids had fun making them too!
We've finally reached the year that Connor isn't afraid to sit on Santa's lap. : )

Date Night...

2012-01-31T13:51:00.002-07:00

The theme for Andarko's Christmas Party this year was "Rat Pack Era." I had to ask a friend what that meant and she said, "like Dick Tracy." So here's what we came up with! We had a really fun night of good food, great friends, and fun entertainment.

Our friends, Bevan and Jaley, whom we also coordinated with. ; )
These three entertainers sounded just like, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin.

CONNOR's SURGERY

2012-01-31T10:27:00.003-07:00

Did we feel like bad parents or what when the dentist told us Connor had 8 cavities....and would need to be put under with anesthesia to take care of them? Luckily we also found out it could also be just that he genetically has soft teeth...I'll think the latter. ; )

Before being rolled off to surgery the Dr. gave Connor some "juice" that would help relax him...and boy did it! He was the goofiest, silliest, and happiest little boy. We laughed a lot.

Here's my baby coming out of surgery...our little angel.

First Hair CUT

2012-01-31T10:22:00.002-07:00

DURING: not so sure what to think ; )

BEFORE: love those curls
AFTER: our sweet little lady

They LOVE H O R S E S !!!!

2012-01-31T10:18:00.002-07:00

Over Thanksgiving the boys took the kids out on the horses for a ride.....they had fun!

A Bumble Bee, A SWAT, and 2 Nerds

2012-01-31T10:15:00.001-07:00

Fun Outings!

2012-01-31T10:08:00.002-07:00

Soon after moving to Denver some friends said we HAD to visit the "White Fence Farm for a very fun experience." It's a family-style restaurant with good country fried chicken. The kids had a great time watching the ducks, playing on the playground, and checking out the fountains.

She looks like such a little Cowgirl!
We also fit in the Chatfield Corn Maze....and thankfully made it out....NOT thanks to my directional skills. ; )
Sweet little pig-tails...miss them!
Riding the train at the Denver Zoo!

They LOVE the SNOW!

2012-01-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

T W O !!!

2011-11-12T12:19:00.004-07:00

Our Abigail turned 2 yesterday and we had a fun party with Uncle Darrin, Aunt Emily, and Addilyn! Abby has turned into quite a little talker these days and loves to sing songs...she knows her ABC's, I'm a Child of God, and occasionally will make a few up on her own! She's always running wherever she needs to go...we think she'll be quite the runner! She still has her sweet personality, but has definitely gotten a little more feisty. We love her!

Family Pictures

2011-10-14T14:11:00.003-06:00

Paris

2011-10-06T16:05:00.001-06:00

Because I'm so tired of looking at our new table, but still don't have enough time to post all our vacation pictures. This is Mac and I in Paris, France!

Our Table...

2011-08-28T15:47:00.002-06:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Wow, this little project quickly turned into a BIG project! We are so excited that it's finished and IN our house!! I bought the table off craigslist and could not be more happy with the final product. Mac and his brother, Darrin, put so much time into this...we are ALL happy it's DONE!!

Steamboat Springs, CO

2011-08-26T12:29:00.005-06:00

A couple weeks ago we met Grandma and Grandpa Burton and Coy at a campground near Steamboat Springs! We had a great weekend eating, hiking, laughing, and strolling on main street in Steamboat. This was Abby's first time camping and she loved it! As always, Connor was an angel camping.

Pirate Birthday Party

2011-08-22T14:01:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite little boy TODAY!!! We celebrated Connor's 4th birthday on Friday and took him and some friends to Chuck E Cheese's. He loved it! Abby freaked out when "the big mouse" tried to say hi to her, so I think it's safe to say she won't be having her 2nd birthday at Chuck E Cheese's this year. We all had a great time though, but most importantly the birthday boy did too! Connor is growing up so fast and starting pre-school in a couple of weeks. I can't believe in a year from now, he'll be starting kindergarten. We love him so much and he adds so much FUN to our family!

Connor's Train Ride!

2011-08-22T13:55:00.002-06:00

Since we celebrated Connor's birthday at Chuck E Cheese's we thought it'd be fun to ride the train downtown to have lunch with Mac on his real birthday! I have to say the train in the middle of the day brings great "people-watching." Luckily, we made it back safe and sound.

Brigham City Utah

2011-08-03T14:24:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we hopped into our little Corolla and drove almost 9 hours to see my parents in their new home and new town! We had a great time playing, shopping, eating, building (mostly just Mac) and just enjoying each other's company. The kids did so so well on that long drive and we were VERY thankful for that!

This is my parents' front yard view!
Grandma and Grandpa had lots of fun things for the kids to do.

Can't wait for another visit Mom and Dad!!

Sibling Love

2011-08-03T14:21:00.001-06:00

I just love this picture! When they're older and fighting with each other I just will share this with them, so they can see how cute they are together!!! (I'm sure they're really going to love that) ; )

4th of July...a little late

2011-08-03T14:12:00.003-06:00

We had a great 4th of July filled with family, friends (Emily's sister Megan and her family), yummy food, train rides, splash park, and FIREWORKS!! It was definitely past the kids' bed times, but very worth it!

Cousins

2011-08-03T13:48:00.003-06:00

Can I just say I love having family close by!! Darrin and Emily live here in Denver now and the rest of Mac's family is just a short day drive away. I love to see my kids interact with their sweet cousins and aunts and uncles. I never had cousins my age for one and they didn't live close either. Connor is especially missing his boy cousins (Justin, Ty, Coleman & Caden) in Germany... he's a little outnumbered here. I know he'll have lots of time with them as he gets older though. But, he's a great protector to have around these cute little girls... well most of the time. ; )

Going for a walk to the park with Uncle Jared and Colton and little Gracie.

We'll see how long they'll both be able to fit together!
All 4 grandkids playing at Grandma's house.
I think they're getting a little tired of this pose we do every time they're together.
I just know these three little girls are going to grow up having so much fun together.

The DENVER ZOO

2011-07-08T12:43:00.002-06:00

Emily and I took the kids to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and they had a great time! Connor's favorites were the giraffes and elephants. Connor loved the carousel, but Abby was more thrilled to get OFF! She was my little monkey attached and did not let go the whole time.

Big Weekend!

2011-06-05T07:53:00.002-06:00

This week we took Connor's training wheels off and after a short 3 days of practicing Connor can now ride his bike on his own! He loves going faster and I'm excited to be able to start running beside him while strolling Abby.

18 M O N T H S !!!

2011-05-20T19:01:00.005-06:00

Abby is 18 months and feeling less and less like our little baby and more like our "big girl." She is still signing a lot, but is starting to use her words such as, "bye, hi, more, wow, more, baby, tickle tickle, hot, nigh nigh (night), thank you, bite, no no, and amen." She still LOVES "Baby Signing Time," but now is really into "Tangled." She loves the music. She still loves to have our dance parties and shakes her cute little tush...so cute. Recently we have learned how sensitive this little girl is. When we tell her "NO" and sit her down on the couch her little lip quivers first then her eyes fill with tears and THEN it comes....sobbing!!! We can already tell she has her mom's personality...I was the same way as a child. We love her to pieces.

"Pump It Up"

2011-05-11T13:39:00.002-06:00

We woke up to lots and lots of RAIN this morning and had fun plans to meet friends at the park. The kids and I were bummed out, so we visited this bouncy house in Littleton called, "Pump It Up!" The kids loved it and I even had fun going on all the different slides with Abby. It definitely MADE our rainy day!

a DAY at the P A R K

2011-05-05T12:19:00.002-06:00

Easter Egg Hunt and Fire Truck Rides

2011-05-05T12:09:00.002-06:00

The morning was a little bit chillier than we expected, so Connor got to wear mom's coat!

Connor loved riding in the fire truck with his dad!

Coloring Eggs

2011-04-28T13:28:00.002-06:00

We gave Abby one egg to see how long it would take her to break it open and we were surprised she did it in the first 5 seconds!

Easter Morning

2011-04-28T13:23:00.001-06:00

It's getting more and more difficult getting those two to pose for a picture together.
Abby loved finding all the candy in her eggs!

Children's Museum with the Wildings

2011-04-25T15:23:00.002-06:00

We had such a wonderful visit from our friends Nikki, Chris, Rooks, and Reese! We were able to go to the park, Chuck E Cheese, church, the Children's Museum, see The Movie Rio, and play at our house for almost a week! My kids definitely went through some withdrawals not having their little friends and I too had an adjustment after my friend, Nikki, left. We had a great time and hope they'll come back for another visit!

Uncle Seth Visits....

2011-04-25T15:18:00.002-06:00

The kids and I had a great day with Uncle Seth visiting the Denver Aquarium and meeting Mac for lunch downtown! We miss you Uncle Seth!!!

5 years...and birthday!

2011-04-25T15:10:00.002-06:00

Mac and I celebrated 5 years of bliss by going indoor skydiving! Highly recommend.

For my birthday Mac took me outlet shopping with the kids. He also invited 2 families over for ice-cream cake....and he pulled it off as a surprise! I was shocked at how well he did...I had no idea...luckily he made sure I was dressed and presentable. ; ) It was a GREAT weekend!

General Conference, visit to Utah, and forts

2011-04-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

One more...

2011-04-13T15:17:00.002-06:00

So I know I'm totally due for some posts with pictures in them, but I have to share one more hilarious conversation with Connor....

Background: Connor loves "Go, Diego, Go!" On one episode they were talking about flamingos and

Connor said to me, "Mom, we have flamingos huh?"

M- "Uh, no honey. We don't."

C- "Yes mom! We eat them!"

M- (very confused) "No honey."

He leaves it alone for a while. Then the next day we have the same conversation and he is getting more and MORE frustrated with me. I felt so bad for not understanding him because I knew he was really confused. We had looked at all the pictures of flamingos and talked about how we don't eat them and so on. It was still not registering. F I N A L L Y .....I caught on and said, "Do you mean we eat MANGOS?"

C- "Yes! That's what I said!"

I laughed So hard! I hope you get a giggle or two. : )

Conversations with Connor...

2011-03-31T12:49:00.002-06:00

I know I have been a horrible blogger these days, but to my defense we have a lot going on. Well, it's really just the stress of house hunting, but it does sort of consume all of my free time these days. I did want to share some funny conversations I've had with Connor these past few weeks though....

Standing in Line at the Post Office (Lots of bystanders):

C-"Mom, look at that lady's BIG belly!" (As the poor lady walks out the door)

M-"You remember when mommy had a big belly like that huh? I was carrying Abby in my tummy."

C- "So does she have a baby in her tummy?"

M- "Yep!"

About 30 seconds past

C- "But, did she swallow it?" (So serious)

The whole line of people giggle

M- "No."

C- "Then how did it get there?"

M- "Let's ask dad about that tonight."

Whole line of people murmur "Yeah, that's right, ask dad!"

One night for Family Home Evening Mac was teaching Connor about the priesthood and how Jesus layed his hands upon the 12 disciples to give them each the priesthood. And went on about the line of authority etc.

After a minute or so Connor comes back to Mac and says, "Jesus must have had a lot of hands!"

This little boy is cracking us up without even trying these days and I'm so glad he has a great sense of humor and can laugh with us....we love him!

Catching Up...

2011-03-02T14:17:00.004-07:00

It's been 9 days since we stepped foot into our new home here in Denver! I've been really bad at taking pictures, but thought I should still give an update on how we're adjusting. Connor and Abby are loving it here. The first day I took Connor on a bike ride around the neighborhood and he said, "Mom, is it summer here?" Seriously we haven't seen grass in so long and I kept telling him all winter he can't ride his bike until summer comes. Smart kid. We've loved being able to get outside again (without heavy coats!) We've already checked out our local library and the kids can't wait to go to story time again. Here there are story times 4 days during the week and at 3 different times...it's great! We've got our passes to the rec centers and Connor loved the day care area as well as the kiddie pool! On Saturday we drove downtown to Mac's office and Connor and him got to ride the train back home while Abby and I drove to the train station to pick them up. Connor keeps asking to ride the train again...I think we'll ride down one of these days and meet Mac for lunch or something!

Connor is really into his letters and most of our car rides go like this:

Connor: "Mom, what does tree start with?"..."what does car start with?" etc.

He's getting really good at it and can figure out a lot of words on his own.

Abigail's favorite book is "The Very Busy Spider" and will bring it to me at least 10 times a day. She loves hearing the animal sounds and I know she's going to start repeating them back to me very soon.

Mac is doing well at work, it's always an adjustment doing something new. He's smart though and I know he'll do well. On Sunday we were invited for dinner by a family in the ward, which was great to start to get to know people. I was pretty excited to be invited to a card exchange party/dinner last week. It was a great opportunity to meet some really fun ladies and have a girls' night out! We're comfortable in our rental home, but very EXCITED to start looking for our permanent home. This week the kids have been fighting really bad colds, so I am ready for them to feel better so we can get out of this house and enjoy our beautiful surroundings!

Dinosaur Museum

2011-02-15T11:02:00.002-07:00

My friend, Nikki, and I, decided to take the kids to the Dinosaur Museum last week and they had a blast. Connor and Abby are going to miss their little friends, Rooks and Reece. Not to mention how much I'm going to miss hanging out with Nikki. We've had so many fun play dates together.

We're M O V I N G!

2011-02-15T10:57:00.002-07:00

This is our last week here in Vernal...we're off to Denver, CO! This is our 6 month rental home in Highlands Ranch. We're really going to miss our family and friends here, but we're also excited to land somewhere more permanently. So for all of you who want to come visit...you have a free hotel with us!

INSPIRED

2011-01-24T14:25:00.002-07:00

Today I was able to get outside and RUN!! It was pretty close to perfect, the near miss was due to the fact I was running around the Rec Center, so I could use the childcare services. It really wasn't bad though... it felt like running at a track. Just me, my new running mix, and my thoughts for 30 minutes! It really was perfect. I haven't been running regularly for a while and when I have gone running it's been on a treadmill. When we lived in Austin, my sister-in-law Emily, and I, would run outside all the time and I loved it! I forgot how much better it is to be outside in the fresh air....the time goes by faster, the scenery is nice, and it's a better workout. I finished feeling a higher self-esteem, motivated, and healthy...what a great way to start my day!

Cousins

2011-01-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

It's not easy getting 4 little kids to look at one camera!
They're already playing nice! Abby had so much fun seeing/playing with her cousins, Addilyn and Grace over Christmas.

Ivie Christmas Party

2011-01-11T15:33:00.004-07:00

The games this year were from "Minute to Win It" and everyone had a lot of fun! Mac even got into it!
Abby trying to help Addi open her present.
Connor holding Aunt Emily's hair for her during one of the games. (And then helping her eat the yummy m&m game pieces)
Connor was such a stud playing this game. His nose was covered in vaseline and he had to pick up as many pom poms with his nose and then transfer them to another plate. He was so cute!
Abby getting some play time with her Uncle Darrin!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T14:40:00.005-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Abby and Addi playing in the snow together!
Abby looking cute in her pigtails!
Connor, Abigail, and Addilyn sledding! (Abby & Addi's first time!)

We love having family around during the holidays and we've taken full advantage. Connor woke up this morning saying, "We're going to Grandma's house today, huh!?!" Surprisingly I had to say we were staying home today. It feels like we've been living over there...Connor loves all the attention he gets from uncles and aunts and Abby loves playing with her cousins! 2 days before Christmas Abby got tubes put in her ears, which made her a very happy little girl for Christmas! She's had multiple ear infections and it was time! We spent Christmas Eve in our home as a family and enjoyed acting out Christ's birth with the kids...Connor was Joseph, I was Mary, Mac was the donkey, and Abby-well next year she'll have a bigger role in the story. She enjoyed holding Jesus (her baby). Christmas morning came bright and early and the kids were so excited to see that Santa visited our house. Favorite presents: Abby-kitchen and baby stroller; Connor-nerf gun! Then we headed to Talmage to celebrate with the rest of the family, enjoying Christmas breakfast at Lynn and Cheryl's, then opening more presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The whole family was together on Sunday and it was really nice to play games and just chat!

Our little dare-devil going head first!
Abby was pretty expressionless on her first sledding adventure, but I think she liked it!

He just has to have his tie over his vest!

Lately...

2010-12-17T15:52:00.002-07:00

Our family has been bombarded with sickness the past few weeks, but we did manage to get outside and go to our newly renovated neighborhood park on one of our warmer days! Here's Abby all bundled up in her new snow suit. She loved it... except when she'd fall down....she couldn't get up on her own (too cute!) Her favorite thing at the park are the swings!

Connor kept saying, "let's go on the tater-totter!" Did I say how much I love this little boy?!?
And here's a snapshot of our sick little boy down with the stomach flu. He was the first to get it and then passed it along to the rest of us. Mac was the worst and spent a few hours at the ER. They couldn't believe how dehydrated he was...4 liters=1 gallon of fluids put in him. He was sick. Thankfully, we're all feeling tons better and just in time for the fun stuff!

Abby's O N E ! ! ! ! !

2010-11-13T10:32:00.006-07:00

Our baby girl is 1!! I can't believe it. Abby is still our oh so sweet little girl. Some of her favorite things are DANCING, baths, going to the park (on nice days), ice-cream, stealing Connor's toys and running as fast as she can the other way, tickles by daddy, and playing with all our shoes. She's sayng "No, nononono" a lot now. As soon as she touches the TV she'll turn around and mumble "nonononono." It's so cute and she knows how cute she is! Just this week she has gotten about 3 teeth, so she's really being a trooper because I know it hurts. She's growing and now weighs 20 lbs and stands 30 1/4" tall! We love her and can't imagine our family without her.

Abby's Birthday Party!

2010-11-12T17:10:00.005-07:00

Abby turned 1 yesterday!! We celebrated with family, Grandma & Grandpa Burton, Uncle Coy, Aunt Jill, cousin Grace, and of course the four of us. It was such a fun night watching the kids play together, eating, more eating, and great socializing. Abby was a great hostess and shared all her new toys with everyone! : )

Connor was really sweet to Grace.
Abby and Grace had such a fun time playing together!

Not sure what she's thinking here.

Yum!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T10:11:00.005-06:00

Mac and I dressed up as zombies...if you look close enough you can see Abby is stabbing Mac with a Knife!! ; )
Cutest little ladybug ever!

Connor (the frog) and his friend, Rooks (The Bumblebee-Transformers) trick or treating!

This year has made me a fan of Halloween...we had such a fun time! We started the evening off with trick-or-treating with friends, then headed home for Connor's favorite part (handing candy out), and then we headed to Roosevelt for a Halloween party! They had fun games for the kids and even the adults too, great food, wonderful company, costumes, and an awesome Haunted House! I've always been a scaredy cat when it comes to haunted houses, but even Mac said his heart was racing. Really great night, kids were up WAY past their bed times, ate WAY too much candy, but WAY worth it!

Family Pictures

2010-10-21T13:52:00.002-06:00

A week ago we took some family pictures with a very talented photographer, Mindy Smith! She just sent me these two pictures and I can't wait to see the rest! It was a perfect cloudy day for picture-taking and the kids seemed to have fun! I love seeing the two of them together laughing!!

More from Kansas

2010-10-08T16:41:00.001-06:00

I love this picture of Abby at the camp fire.
Truck loaded up with the piano and ALL my sister's house plants. Thanks Sheila!

Mac trying to shoot Jim's bow.
Loved cheering Justin on at his game!

Almost 11 Months!

2010-10-07T13:51:00.002-06:00

Abigail is 4 days shy of being 11 months! It's hard to believe next month we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday! For the past 2 weeks Abby has started walking...she first could only take 3-4 steps at a time, but now it's up to 7 or so steps. I can't believe how fast she's moving already. She says, mama, dada, and her newest word is "Hi!" It's the cutest thing because whenever she hears me say hello on the phone, she'll turn and wave her arm and say it in the cutest, sweetest little voice. I love it! I think her favorite time of the day though is when she hears the front door open and in comes daddy. She starts smiling, giggling, stomping her little feet and flailing those cute little arms until daddy scoops her up into his arms. I think she may already becoming a daddy's girl.

Yes...she finally has enough hair for me to put it up in a little "Pebbles" do!
Love those little legs.
Showing off her waving skills!
Abby loves helping in the laundry room!

Our Trip to K A N S A S!

2010-10-07T13:41:00.002-06:00

You should be able to tell that we Really do LOVE seeing family since we drove 14 hours to visit my sister's family in Haysville, Kansas last week! It was great to visit with them and say our goodbyes since they'll be moving to Germany next month! We were able to catch one of Justin's Varsity Football games as well and had a great time cheering him on! We also brought back my mom's piano to store at our house while they're gone...thanks Jim, Justin, and Ty for helping load it up for us! I've already been playing it a ton.

GO Justin! #68

I absolutely loved roasting marshmellows on this fire pit! There's something so fun about sitting around a fire on a brisk evening enjoying each other's company!

September

2010-10-07T13:26:00.002-06:00

Jill and Grace came out for a quick visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house while Uncle Darrin was visiting and you can see the girls had a fun time together. I do need to have a little pep talk with Abigail next visit though and remind her in order to make friends with other little girls there can be NO hitting with or without toys. Abby really wasn't trying to be mean, but she does have a problem flailing her arms, so watch out if you're in her midst! I think Grace forgave her though!

This is Connor's first day of pre-school! He did so well and he loves his "Teacher." He has 6 girls in his class along with 4 other boys. He tells me he colored, painted, glued, read stories, and played with Cameron almost every time I pick him up! He's growing way too fast!
They love their Uncle Darrin!
Playing with Grandma in the play house!

T E N M O N T H S !

2010-09-13T13:50:00.002-06:00

Abby is already 10 months old! She has become such a busy busy girl too!! No more sitting in our laps at church playing or reading a book. She is now wiggling, giggling, growling, and Moving! We are seeing more and more of Connor in her due to her increased activity level and we love it! She is starting to balance standing up not only on the floor but also on daddy's hands!! Yes, I know it's a little scary. I guess it's a daddy-daughter thing! We love her!!

Grandma Burgan visits!

2010-09-13T13:36:00.002-06:00

We loved having my mom come visit us!!! It went way too fast though. We had a great time going to the park, shopping, relaxing, and doing lots of little projects and crafts! We all can't wait when Grandma and Grandpa Burgan live closer!

Connor Boy

2010-09-13T13:22:00.002-06:00

Today was Connor's first day attending pre-school. I have to admit I think I was more nervous than he was. No tears were shed and he was all smiles! I can't believe how big my little boy is becoming...speaking of which here are his 3 year stats: 40 1/2" (97%) and 33.6lbs (70%)

Uncle Jared and Aunt Jill gave Connor a new scooter for his birthday and here he is riding it!

Zoo Party

2010-08-30T16:21:00.003-06:00

We went out to Salt Lake City and celebrated Connor's birthday at the Hogle Zoo with family! We enjoyed a wonderful picnic made by Grandma Dian, cupcakes, cookies, and of course the ANIMALS!! Connor loved everything about his special day! We loved having Uncle Jared, Aunt Jill, Grace, and Grandma & Grandpa Burton there to celebrate with us!

Connor turns 3!

2010-08-30T16:13:00.003-06:00

Connor had a very fun (crocodile) birthday party this year and invited all his best friends to come celebrate with us! They had such a fun time playing on the water slide, eating pizza, cupcakes, blowing bubbles, and lots of laughter!

Nine Months

2010-08-30T15:39:00.004-06:00

I can't believe our little Abby girl is already 9 months! What a cutie-pie she is! Her newest milestones are: fully crawling, pulling herself up onto furniture, starting to take a few steps holding onto the furniture, says "mama and dada" at the appropriate times, and loves eating just about anything.

Her likes are bath time, dancing, playing with Connor, reading, drives in the car, eating, and of course hanging out with her family.

Abby's 9 month stats:

28 1/2 " (75%)

18 lb 2 oz (31%)

Head 44 cm (45%)

Seattle!

2010-08-30T15:25:00.002-06:00

Beginning of August Abby and I were able to visit Hannah, Jonathan, and Avery in Seattle for a few days. There were definitely some bonding moments between the girls as well as bonding moments for us big girls! We had such a great time visiting, shopping, eating amazing food, and lounging. Thanks so much to Hannah and Jonathan for having us!

Steele was able to make the drive from Portland to see us as well! He met Abby for the first time and it was great to catch up!
Here we are at Pike's Market!

Where to begin...

2010-07-25T17:04:00.002-06:00

We had such a fun time having my sister and her family visiting from Kansas! We had a jam-packed week full of making so many fun memories. We played at the park, rode horses, went to the Rodeo, went rafting, Lagoon, Temple Square, and visited with friends and family. The time always goes by way too fast when you're having fun, but this time it REALLY did go by too fast. We laughed so much and I loved seeing all the cousins playing together. It really made me want my kids to have cousins and aunts and uncles close by while growing up! Family is so IMPORTANT! The bitter sweet part of all of this is that we got to have such an amazing trip together right before they leave for Germany for 4 years. We're really going to miss you guys and we HOPE to come and see you! You're so much fun!

Dino Triathlon

2010-07-25T16:57:00.002-06:00

In June Mac and I completed our 2nd triathlon! We were really excited to do the Dino Tri here in Vernal. We had a blast doing it! Mac decided to do the Olympic, while I was content at doing the Sprint again. He did so awesome....I was inspired...maybe someday I'll do the olympic.

Mac just finished swimming a mile!
I just finished 1/2 mile swim.

The bike ride had to be our favorite part...so beautiful!

4th of July Weekend!

2010-07-06T14:35:00.002-06:00

On Saturday Mac took Connor up to Diamond Mtn. to help move cows and this is how Connor looked that night. Sunday evening we took the kids to a friends' house for a BBQ and watched the fireworks from their back yard. We had a great view and the evening was filled with lots of fun, excellent food, and laughter. It was Connor's first time seeing fireworks because last year he couldn't last past 8pm.
We rode our bikes down to Main St. for the Vernal Parade on Monday and the kids had a great time. I was surprised Abby didn't get scared with all the loud noises.

Denver

2010-07-06T14:14:00.004-06:00

Last week Mac had to go to Denver for work, so we made it a mini family vacation. It actually turned out to be so fun! Usually it's hard while Mac is at work because I don't know my way around Denver, so we typically would hang around downtown mostly. This time I was armed with a GPS and man was that NICE!!

Here we are playing at the park! Connor's favorite place was called "Fantastic Fun," a place with tons of kiddie rides and bouncy houses and slides. We spent 2 1/2 hours there and he still wasn't ready to go. The day we left we visited the Denver Train Museum up in Golden and had fun touring the old train cars...it was a little hot for us, so we headed to an early lunch at my favorite, "Panera Bread." Then off to the Denver Children's Museum, which Abigail loved just as much as Connor. They had a really cute little area for babies to explore. Connor loved the Bubble room, the grocery store, and learning how to cut with scissors...he went to

town on the paper he was supposed to be painting!

Fishing at the Lake

2010-07-06T14:04:00.002-06:00

While we were visiting in Talmage, we took a ride up to the lake near Grandma and Grandpa Burton's house. This was Connor's first fishing excursion, thanks to Uncle Colton for his cool "Cars" fishing pole. I was so surprised at how quickly Connor picked up on the mechanics of casting. By the end of the evening he was casting out 20 or so feet! No, we did not put a hook on the end for him, just a bobber. This was a good thing because he hit his head a few times and it would have been much worse if there was something sharp on the end! Every time he'd bring in some grass, he'd say, "I caught one!" It was a perfect evening for it and Abigail enjoyed the outdoors as well.

Connor loves being a part of the "Boys!"
Tired eyes by the end of the evening.

June updates...

2010-07-06T13:51:00.002-06:00

Abigail is almost 8 months now and and has been sitting up for a while now, but I just love taking new pictures of her sitting up...she looks like such a big girl! She's army crawling now and loves getting into Connor's toys, much to his dismay. Connor's learning to share, but mostly it's Abby who gives in when he throws her a different toy to play with. I love seeing the interaction between the two of them. This morning I awoke to giggling and found Connor in Abby's crib laying on his tummy right next to her....melted my heart.

Mac took Connor for a quick ride on a neighbor's motorcycle....both are looking pretty cute!

Fun at Grandma's house...

2010-06-16T13:58:00.003-06:00

While the men were hard at work, Jill and I, took our kids out to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a couple of days! We had a lot of fun just hanging out and letting the kids have some play time together. We visited the park for a picnic lunch before we left for home. Connor enjoyed his swing time!
Abby and Gracie enjoying some tummy time in the sun!
Abby loves her Aunt Jill!
I'm sure she'll learn to love reading rather than eating her books!

Abby is 7 months!

2010-06-12T15:34:00.004-06:00

I swear Abby smiles way more than it appears. When I get the camera out she just stares....still such a darling! Abby is much more active these days...rolling all over, still loving her jumper, and is eating lots! As you can see, she's also sitting up! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. She's still our little angel.

Red Fleet

2010-06-12T15:24:00.002-06:00

A couple of weekends ago we ventured up to Red Fleet to check out the water temps for our triathlon coming up. We had a picnic dinner, Mac fished a little, and Connor had fun throwing rocks! I think Connor scared all the fish away from dad. I rolled up his sweats thinking Connor would just stay knee deep in the water....Mac just laughed at me....as you can see Connor completely sat in the water and was drenched belly button down. Love boys...and he's ALL boy!

Abby is 6 months old!

2010-05-23T16:44:00.006-06:00

Abby turned 6 months a couple of weeks ago and had her 6 month check-up. Mac decided he should come since he missed the past couple appointments. I was grateful so he could share in the burden of seeing our daughter cry out in pain after the shots that were given. She did well, but again it broke my heart because she was all smiles and giggles right before the nurse pricked her with these shots and then her cries are so much worse. I know she's thinking, "What did I do to you?" Breaks my heart every time.

Abby is eating solids now and her favorites include carrots and squash (we think). She also just got her bottom two teeth to pop through today!

Here are her stats:

14 lbs 11 oz (20%)

26" (55%)

They call me, "Mommy."

2010-05-11T17:54:00.004-06:00

I've been feeling so thankful lately for my wonderful kids. They certainly fill my day with lots of laughter, love, entertainment, and adventure! Connor is so full of life, loves to be moving, learning, and asking lots of questions. He has such a sweet spirit and I just love it when he gives me the chance to just hold him in my lap and read to him his favorite books. He loves to read, but seems to already prefer to sit next to me, not in my lap. I can't believe how fast he's already growing up. There are days when I have to remind myself to try to enjoy the different stages because they pass so quickly. This cute little boy knows how to push his mommy's buttons already, but it just takes me looking into his bright blue eyes to smile and soon all the discontent, cries, screams, disappear. He's such a thoughtful kid and thinks of others all the time. Any time he sees someone hurt or crying he offers to "kiss it better." He's loving his new bike and has started pedaling by himself now and is loving it! I love him*

Wearing his rain boots, pj's, bike lock around the waist, and a tape measure....he's got style!

Love to be part of the big boys...and he's growing up to be such a big boy!

Our precious little Abigail is a dream. She's my angel. Her sweet spirit is exactly what we needed for our family and just the right time. I'm so grateful and privileged to call her my daughter. She has a very laid back personality and loves to watch everything and take it all in. She's 6 months now and rolls over when she wants to, but really is quite content to just hang out except if I put her on her tummy. Still not a huge fan of tummy time. Her favorite thing right now has to be her jumperoo! She loves to jump....20-40 mins a time! I think she's working on her hops for volleyball already! We are all in love with our Abby girl! Connor calls her Abby girl instead of Abigail...too cute! Both kids have bonding time together during our nightly and sometimes daily "dance parties!" Both kids just giggle the whole time to the music, their favorite is Carrie Underwood. We have a good time!*
She's all smiles and giggles these days.
Connor loves playing in the dirt with his excavators and dump trucks!

Stuffed Animals

2010-05-05T15:05:00.002-06:00

So, here's a little project I've been doing today...I think they turned out pretty cute! I hope Abby has fun with them! I found the tutorial here: (in case you want to try em out!)

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/04/stuffed-animal-part-ii.html

Calving!

2010-05-05T13:48:00.002-06:00

We love this time of year! Love to go help/play at Uncle Lynn's farm! Connor definitely got into character with the help of his Uncle Coy's bandana. Such a cute kid!*

Cousins

2010-05-05T13:32:00.002-06:00

Let the photo shoots begin! Aunt Jill bought all three cousins matching outfits for their first photo shoot together...thanks Jill! You can already see personalities coming out! I'm so excited to see them grow up together and become such good friends!
Abigail, Addilyn, and Grace!
Abby found her toes!
Addilyn was a good little ro-model for our Abby with tummy time!
And....we're done!

Auntie Em and Addilyn come Visit!

2010-05-05T13:19:00.003-06:00

Abby loved having a swing partner at the park...Connor is a little too big to fit in the swing with her!
Grandma Burton with her grandkids.
My kids love their Auntie Em!
Me with my sweet niece, Addilyn, and Connor.
Splish, Splash, we're taking a BATH!

Cousin Gracie's Baby Blessing

2010-04-13T09:44:00.002-06:00

Connor was going non-stop...couldn't get a good picture of him standing still. No surprise.
Connor wrestling with Uncle Colton.
Both little girls all bundled up ready to head off to church.
Grandma Burton holding Abigail at the luncheon.

Our Easter Weekend!

2010-04-13T09:29:00.003-06:00

Abby and Grandma at cousin Gracie's baby blessing.
When we got home from the Easter egg hunt we found Abby like this...too cute!
We had a fun time coloring eggs!
Connor was pretty excited waking up to find what the Easter Bunny had brought him. He's a fan of his "cool Diego bike!" Abby was excited for all her yummy food she'll be trying out in the next couple months!
After the Easter egg hunt Connor had to play on the playground! I can't believe how big he's getting!

Abby is 4 months old!

2010-03-22T15:55:00.002-06:00

Abby turned 4 months on March 11th! She is getting so big and showing so much personality!

Here are her stats:

24.5" (46%)

12lb 14oz (22%)

40.5cm Head (25%)

Abby's First Swim

2010-03-22T15:50:00.003-06:00

I just couldn't resist getting Abby into our friends' pool when they invited us over for a fun evening of swimming...she just looked SO cute in her new swimsuit! However, it was very short-lived! Abby did not like the water. We'll try again next time!

Abby's Blessing Dress Revisited

2010-03-22T15:43:00.004-06:00

So I've been meaning to re-post some new pictures of Abby in her blessing dress, since the day of her blessing she wasn't exactly cooperative (pooed all over her dress). : )

Our Sweet Connor

2010-03-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day

2010-03-07T21:56:00.001-07:00

Abby enjoying her new Bumbo!
Connor was really excited about his new games!
Abigail looking "not so happy" before church...but looking "Oh so Cute!"

Austin cont'd

2010-03-07T21:51:00.003-07:00

We think they are going to be good friends!

I was lucky enough to hold Abby while she was sleeping on the tractor ride.
Connor riding the poor little goat...and loving it!

Our Trip to Austin

2010-03-07T21:39:00.002-07:00

Of course we had to enjoy some good Texas B-B-Q at Rudy's!
Abigail with Aunt Emmie!
We went to a animal farm and Connor loved HAND-feeding all the animals.
Grandma Burton with two sweet grand daughters.
Abigail looking nice and cozy...

Abby's Blessing

2010-02-01T13:00:00.002-07:00

As you can see we had a beautiful baby girl blessed yesterday! She was an angel all day except you can tell by the first picture she was ready to get out of her dress! Luckily she didn't poo all over until all the pictures were taken! We had a wonderful day with family and friends and are grateful for those who traveled out to be with us. We missed Starr's parents, but we were thinking of them. Abigail is blossoming into such a sweet girl, she loves to be talked to and will give just about anyone one of her gorgeous smiles. Connor is such a proud older brother who loves his sister! We are now looking forward to travel to Austin this week for our little niece's baby blessing! We're so excited!

Abby is 2 months old!

2010-01-13T20:41:00.004-07:00

Abby's 2 month check up stats:

10 lbs. 4 oz

22.5" long

More Christmas pictures

2009-12-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

After opening up presents Christmas morning we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Burton's house! We had a wonderful Christmas breakfast with everyone and played lots of fun games and enjoyed everyone's company. Mac even got me outside to shoot Coy's new gun he got for Christmas. We just love being with family!

Christmas 2009!

2009-12-28T13:38:00.003-07:00

Mom and daughter dressed for church!
Connor loves tunnels and boy was he excited when Santa brought him tunnels!
I've always wanted to start the tradition to act out the birth of Christ story on Christmas Eve with our family and this year we started it! These are the wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus. Connor really got into character.
A little hard work outside building a fort with daddy! Connor loves being outdoors and never complains of being cold....unlike his mama! I love being out there too, but I do complain that my toes are froze!
Our first family picture taken with Abigail. We love her!

My boys

2009-12-15T13:47:00.002-07:00

I just thought these pictures were so cute! This is Connor before church on Sunday and after church heading outside with dad to shovel the snow in our driveway! Connor's favorite thing to do lately is to shovel!!

Cousins

2009-12-15T13:36:00.002-07:00

What do you think? Who's who? This is Abigail's cousin, Addilyn! Emily and I thought it'd be cute to dress them in the same outfit even though they're miles apart right now. We've pretty much already decided they'll be best friends!! Addilyn was born Oct. 30th and Abigail was born Nov.11th, so they're less than 2 weeks apart. They're now just waiting for their other (best friend) cousin to be born in February!

Playing Together

2009-12-09T13:06:00.002-07:00

Connor loves playing with his baby sister, Abigail!! This morning I put Abby down to play on her little play mat and Connor was right there to help entertain his little sis! It melts my heart seeing how much he loves her! As for the tongue in your face picture...this is by far Abby's favorite pose for pictures...we have lots of tongue pictures!

The Nursery

2009-12-02T15:35:00.003-07:00

Thanks so much to my sister, Sheila, for making me all this really cute vinyl for Abby's room! I absolutely love it! These sweet embellishments really made the difference! If you're interested at looking at everything else she does visit her blog at asimpleimpression.blogspot.com or her website at asimpleimpression.com
These flowers turned out so cute and were so easy to apply.
I love this "Abigail" plaque!

For now it sits here looking pretty, but rarely used (at least at night still). I'm excited for the day when we put Abby down for the whole night in here!!! As for now she'll just have to make due with the pack n' play by our bed.

Our Growing Girl

2009-11-30T12:39:00.002-07:00

Last week we took Abigail to her 2 week check-up! Here are her stats:

Weight: 7lbs

Height: 20.5"

Head: 35cm

Abby is such a good baby! I know you're not supposed to compare your kids, but seriously she's much more laid back than Connor ever was. We always said Connor was a good baby too, but now we can see the difference. Connor could cry non-stop until we gave into his demands and he got his way, but Abby will cry for less than 5 minutes and give up and usually just go to sleep. And if she doesn't give up then we know she's really just that hungry! She's also been giving me longer sleep periods at night, which has been aMAZing!! We already can't imagine our family without her!

Photo Shoot cont'd

2009-11-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot

2009-11-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

I think we have a model on our hands!

Our sweet kids

2009-11-19T20:24:00.001-07:00

More Baby Abby!

2009-11-12T13:30:00.002-07:00

Daddy's little girl!

On our way home from the hospital!
Connor meeting his baby sister for the first time! He couldn't wait to hold her and he didn't want to put her down. He's already a great big brother!
After only one night in the hospital we are very happy to be back at home! We've been so lucky to have our family and friends here to help us out with everything that comes with having a baby. We couldn't have done it without all the help! Thank you! Abigail made it here 15 days early and we're so glad (especially me)! I labored at home Tuesday evening and went into the hospital at 2:45am Wednesday morning with contractions 5 minutes apart. By about 7ish I was already dilated 7-8 cm and just had to wait for the doctor to get there to break my water and start pushing. Once he arrived around 8 and broke my water things moved very quickly and after about 18 pushes Abigail was here (9:18am)! She's been a great eater as well as a great sleeper, which makes mommy and daddy very happy...we are definitely in LOVE!

Abigail is here!!!!!!!

2009-11-11T19:01:00.002-07:00

Weighing in at 6lb 9oz. Measuring 20 inches in length. With lots of strawberry blonde hair. It's our Abby girl.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T14:05:00.003-07:00

This year Mac carved the pumpkins without any help from me, not that he needed my help because they turned out better than last year!
Connor and Mac dressed alike as Air Force pilots this year. One of Connor's favorite things is airplanes. This was his first year going trick or treating around the neighborhood and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather. Connor loved the whole notion of getting free candy, but he equally enjoyed helping us answer the door for all the trick or treaters who came to our house! I don't think the problem will be how to hide the candy from Connor, but more importantly how to hide the candy from myself!

Connor's Heaven

2009-10-26T15:04:00.002-06:00

Connor has a Big Trucks board book that he has completely memorized. He will point out backhoes, dump trucks, tankers, mixers, excavovos (excavators), rollers, cranes, loaders, etc. while driving in the car. On Saturday morning while I went shopping Uncle Jared took Connor to the job site and let him drive a couple of his favorites! I wish I could have been there, but here are some pictures to see my little man at work!

35 weeks

2009-10-25T16:18:00.002-06:00

Mac knew I was in need of a little outing before baby Burton arrived, so this past weekend Mac took Connor and I on a little date to the city (SLC). We enjoyed staying at Uncle Jared and Aunt Jill's house and were even able to fit in a date night on Friday! We all went out to eat at one of my favorites, Olive Garden, and then Mac and I were off to the theater! We saw the musical "Curtains" and thoroughly enjoyed it, while Jared and Jill babysat Connor. Saturday I went shopping for Christmas gifts and the last odds and ends needed for our baby girl, while Jared took Mac and Connor to go play on some pretty fun equipment (rollers, dump trucks, excavators, etc). To say the least Connor was in heaven! We'll be posting pictures soon of this adventure. This is my 35 week preggo picture that we took just before going on our date! I think I'm growing at about the same rate as I did with Connor, so we'll see what happens these next few weeks!

Camping on Diamond!

2009-10-10T12:40:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we met Mac's family up on Diamond Mountain for some fishing and camping. Mac and Coy had a very successful fishing trip, catching up to 15 fish each! Connor loved being in the outdoors, going on hikes, looking for elk, and having Grandma read him bedtime stories. I forget how relaxing it can be to get out in the fresh air and enjoy each other's company without any distractions.

On a side note the Burton household has been busy getting ready for baby to arrive. I made her a crib bumper with my new sewing machine (with the help of a great friend), learned how to make hair bows, and organizing, organizing, and more organizing. By the time she arrives (Thanksgiving) we should be ready!