ONE FINE DAY

Friends

2010-10-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, Maya decided that she wanted to have a friend photoshoot after school. I LOVE that she comes up with random things to do every once in a while. We took Abbie, Josh and of course, little bro Bridger.

Bridger trying to keep up!

Sunday Chitter Chatter

2010-10-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Convo with Maya at dinner tonight:

K: What did you learn about in church today?
M: What to do and not to do on Sunday.
K: What is that?
M: We can go to birthday parties, visit an elderly person, watch a movie with our family, we can't shop on Sunday's and we can't watch sports on Sunday.
K: Yes. Maybe we should tell dad that.
M: Mom when I was in class today, and they were talking about the things that we can and can't do on Sunday's I was imagining Jesus sitting on the couch with a bright halo around his head watching sports.
K: Jesus dosen't watch sports La-La
M: I know, I was just imagining it.
K: Who does that sound like
M: Dad

She is on to you Scoots.

Bridge

2010-09-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Bridger had his 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago and here are the stats:

20 pounds

48 cms in head circumference

33 inches in height

AWESOME! He is in the 1st percentile for weight, so basically the doctor told us that 99 out of 100 children are larger then he is. Maybe if he would be sedimentary for like two seconds, he would chunk up a bit. I know it works for me.

Christmas 2010

2010-01-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a blast! (Thanks mom and dad for letting us crash at your place for 10 days)! Bridgey's first Christmas brought him alot of toy balls of every shape and size and a few toys that he can push around. Once he opened the balls, it was all over. He didn't really care much about anything else.

Maya's Christmas brought her a Nintendo DS, a pink Snuggie, a birthstone necklace, some clothes and shoes, lots of new pjs, a Fancy Nancy doll and books from Grandma and Grandpa Aller, clothes, paint accessories for her art projects, a doll, and lip gloss from Grandma and Grandpa Zoo.

Scott's Christmas brought him a FLIP-coolest thing in the world- and a Blue Ray disc player. I got a CRICUT, shoes, and new pots and pans...which I love. All and all it was a great simple Christmas. We loved seeing friends and family, playing games every night, sleeping in the basement, where you don't know if it is morning or night, and enjoying every minute of shutting our brains off and having a great time.

More pictures to come......

New Year's Resolution....

2010-01-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

To start blogging again, so here we go!

Maya 5 years old....

Bridger 11 months

My two little munchkins....

Beautiful Boy

2009-06-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Bridger is now 4 months old and I wanted to post a few updated pictures of him that I took about a month ago. He is the sweetest little guy. I have a really hard time not wanting to kiss his face off every day. He has the most beautiful eyes and smile. Maya adores him and she is such a great helper. She is going to be his second mother that is for sure.
Bridgey smiles all of the time, especially when someone is giving him some attention. He giggles when he is being tickled. He is REALLY ticklish. He only really cries when he is tired or hungry. He is a good eater and a really good sleeper, especially at night. He truly is another love of my life and I think I am the luckiest lady alive.

He's Here!

2009-06-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

I know, I know....this is a little on the late side but I have a few minutes today and so I am catching up on my blogging.

Bridger Scott Drake
January 27, 2009

6 lbs 12 ozs
19 inches

My Angel Baby Girl

2009-03-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

My Dear Sweet Maya,

For my 28th birthday, your daddy surprised me and took me to do an early ultrasound to find out if you were a boy or a girl. When we found out you were a girl, we were so excited. We couldn't believe that we could be so lucky.
Now even 5 years later, every morning when you wake up and I see your beautiful little face, I feel so much gratitude to my Heavenly Father for giving me the most precious and wonderful gift, being your mother. You have so many qualities that I love and adore. You are so giving, you are sweet, you are loving, you are sensitive, you are creative, you are happy, you are a wonderful helper, you are sympathetic, you are cautious, you are honest, you are affectionate, you are strong, you are smart, you are funny, you are lovely, but most importantly, you are my precious little girl, I love you and I am so proud of you.

Happy Birthday my dear sweet little lovebug. I love you with all of my heart.

Love,

Your Mom

Maya's Christmas Pictures

2009-01-06T12:54:00.001-08:00

I got ambitious and took Maya's Christmas pictures one afternoon. It was snowing and I was still in my pajamas from the night before. She was quite the model and I was on the freezing cold ground trying to get some cute snapshots of my little girl. We had a blast. She was a great sport and I love the way they turned out. I hope that you all had a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We love all of you and are so grateful that you are in our lives!

Ridin' with Grandma

2008-11-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

Grandma took Maya for a spin on the 4-wheeler. Maya looks like Darth Vador with her pink helmet. Thanks Grandma for weathering the cold to appease her!! We love you!!

Jason, this one is for you!

2008-11-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

My parent's are FINALLY in their house! I promised Jason I would post some picts, so here they are. I only got upstairs, becasuse down was too dark still during construction. I will take more while we are up there for Thanksgiving.

Our Very Own Fancy Nancy

2008-11-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Ok...it has taken me forever to get these cute picts uploaded to my blog. Maya was Fancy Nancy for Halloween. For those of you who don't know who Fancy Nancy is, you must go out and buy at least one of the books. They are super cute and fun to read! The transformation of Maya into Fancy Nancy was quite the experience. It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be because she already has some crazy curly hair. I LOVED this costume, and most importantly, so did she.

A Day at the Fire Station

2008-10-14T09:35:00.001-07:00

We went on a field trip for Maya's preschool to the Mapleton Fire Station the other day. Fireman Darryl told us that if we were on fire, we needed to stop, drop, and roll, and if we were in a building that was on fire, we needed to get out and stay out- said while patting our hands on our knees- get out, stay out, get out, stay out.
All of the children got a turn trying on the fire suits, including the boots and hat. After they all had a turn trying on the uniform, he took us for a ride in the fire engine around the block. He blew the horn and sounded the siren. The kids LOVE it and because they were SO good, they each got their very own fire hat.

The Year's First's

2008-10-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

So while Maya is at preschool, I thought I would post a few entries-I am a little behind. My little

shadow and best girlfriend, Maya, has started school, dance, soccer, and music class this year. Needless to say we have been quite busy running her around to all of her activities, but she loves each and every one of them and I love to watch her engage with others, grow, and develop.

It is amazing to see how much she has grown. I can't believe that she will be five in a few short months.

First day of school. The color of the day was red.

Leaping over Starvin' MarvinStarting Ballet

Playing Soccer

M.I.A

2008-10-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness. Where has the time gone? I can't believe that we are already starting a new year! I am sorry about being MIA for the last several months. I have been getting to know my toilet, garbage cans, sinks, plants out front, sides of roads, and anywhere else you may imagine that one could throw up. YES....the day has finally come and our little girl is going to be a big sister. I am now 24 weeks and we are having a boy. We are not exactly sure what to do, but I have faith that we will figure it out. He is an active and healthy little guy, and we are excited to have him here- I am not a HUGE fan of being pregnant. :)

The Need for More Entertainment+Brief Insanity=

2008-07-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our Little Lola

Our little puppy has been sick ever since we got her. She has had pneumonia (yes- dogs can have pneumonia-who knew?), a cough, and something else that I forgot the name of. But- she is very sweet, has lots of energy, and we love her.

Long Lost Friends

2008-06-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of Facebook-mainly because I don't have the time to figure out how to use it. Anyway, I had to create an account because I had been invited by one of my old girl friends to view her Facebook. Creating this account has been a great thing because people that I have not seen or spoken to for years are resurfacing and we are able to talk and have friendships again.

My friend Lisa, who I graduated college with, was one of my dear friends. Her sense of humor, boldness, and energy was contagious and I absolutely loved being around her. Well her husband went to Med School and I lost track of her. But thanks to Facebook, I have had a chance to talk to her a couple of times on the phone-which has been a delight.

So I am talking to her a couple of weeks ago, and asked her if she still ran. Her response was priceless-"Yes, but then I have to take a month off or so and eat a pan of brownies because I don't want to get too skinny or get too hot for others around". LOL. Well thanks to you Lisa, you said brownies and I couldn't get that out of my head so I had to make homemade oreos. They were YUMMY!! I had to give most of them away, because I would have eaten most of them. Lisa, can't wait to see you this summer!!

My Parent's Palace Continued...

2008-06-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I went up to see the fam again recently and stayed for a while. I got some updated picts of the house. It is going to be super sweet when it is done. Once again I can't format, so the first picture is the back, second is fireplace in main living space, 3rd finished front, and 4th is the 9 ft doors. They are so majestic.

The Most Painful Night of My Life

2008-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Katelin- you know I love you but your graduation was PAINFUL!! First of all they had 13 validictorians. That is right, I said 13-and they all spoke. The orchestra and choir did a LONG performance. Every time you thought it was over-guess what it wasn't! What a night. We got there at 7:00 and didn't leave until 9:45. Mind you we had to try to entertain Maya. I got some picts so here they are...

Prom...Remember When.

2008-06-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to go Logan to see my little sister off to her last prom. Katelin came down here to find a dress. With the help of Jaynanne, Autumn, Sarah, Preston, myself, and Maya (oh and a roommate also), we found a lovely prom dress. I went up to do her hair and makeup. It was so fun. I enjoy dolling my little tomboy sister up every once in awhile. Her date was Scooter. His real name is Jason, but somewhere he picked up this name and it stuck. Here are the picts. Enjoy!!

My Parent's Palace

2008-06-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

My parents and my little sis moved to Logan, UT in August of last year. My sister has been living at my Aunt's, which has been amazing for her, and my parents have been living in my sweet grandma's attic. I thought the move would never happen, nor did I ever imagine that my dad would concede to building such a fabulous home. What I am most excited about is that we will all be able to be under one roof for holidays, we will all have our own space, and we will be able to enjoy the beauty of the views. I can't wait until it is completed! Good job Mom and Dad. Thanks for letting me be a part of such a great project. Here are some picts that I took a couple of weeks ago. The outside is now completely bricked, fireplaces are done, and the custom closets are being done as I am writing this post! Very exciting!! So I am kind of formatting illiterate, so the 1st pict is 3 of the 4 garages, 2nd is the front of the house, 3rd is the pantry and kitchen, and 4th is the living room, kitchen space.

Happy Birthday Boo and Felish!

2008-05-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Felicia and Beck! Thank you for being such amazing friends. I love you and have/had a wonderful birthday!! PS- Beck, I need a picture of you!!

Happy 59th Dad!

2008-05-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have asked for a more kind, loving, and supportive dad. Thank you for being everything that you are. I love ya. Happy Birthday!

There is Fire in Here!

2008-04-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

The title is courtesy of Maya when we lit the candles. Happy Birthday to my sweet husband! Even though you are old, you continue to make me laugh, you have a great patience and love for myself and our sweet Maya, and I love your honesty and your strong personality. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and father. I love you.

Happy Birthday April Friends!

2008-04-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a little shout out to my little Sopey HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope that you have a wonderful day!!

Also Happy Birthday Wishes to Crease, Kimmy, Avery, Carson, and my sweet mom who celebrated her birthday on the 6th. We love you all! Happy Birthday!

Our Weekend Away

2008-04-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, I gave Scott a trip to Reno and tickets to see Frank Caliendo live. As the date was slowly approaching we still didn't have plane tickets, however we did have the hotel booked. I made the mistake of booking it on Priceline-a word to the wise, NEVER book anything on Priceline unless there is NO WAY ON THIS GREEN EARTH that you would be changing your plans. I say that because of what happened to us.
Scott got caught up here with work and could not leave. So we called Priceline to cancel our reservation, but were told that we could not. So basically, they were telling us that we had to eat the money. LAME. We actually worked it out though because one of Scott's friends from Sacramento was going to Reno, and took our hotel and just paid us- but the whole situation was irritating.
Due to the fact that we didn't go to Reno, we decided that we still needed to go out and do something, so while my in-laws were here in town, we took off for a couple of days and went to SLC. We stayed in a hotel-which I love- went to the Jazz game (which was really a lot of fun), went to the movies, ate good food, and saw Frank at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus (which was not available when I originally bought the tickets). He was awesome! He had us laughing until we were crying. What I love most about him is that he is also so clean. He did not swear one time, just made relentless fun of several people including Charles Barkley, President Bush, Bill Clinton, and John Madden. I would HIGHLY recommend this show. It was hilarious.
Thank you babes, Ron, and Sue for making our weekend away possible and a blast. It was rejuvenating.

Maya's 4th Birthday

2008-04-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I know that Maya's birthday was like 4 months ago, but I wanted to blog about it anyway. I took pictures of the preparations leading up to the big event. It was quite the production. First of all, Maya has been talking about her 4th birthday since the close of her 3rd birthday, so this event had a year of planning under its belt.
I asked Maya what type of party she wanted to have and of course she said a Princess Party. One day we will be more original, but until then, party on my little princess!! We had a blast planning it, making invitations, making place settings, etc. Of course I could not just have a small little get together with her little friends, play some games, have cake, and be done- NO not me! So as a alternative, I decided, with Maya's permission of course, that we would do a Princess Pamper Party.
For all of you who are like what-let me explain. So I found out about this salon that does parties where you can bring your little ones and they get their hair, nails, and makup done, all with their very own stylist. Maya and I agreed that it would be fun to bring her Royal Court to get pampered on her birthday. But before we went to the salon, they had to have a full stomach, so we went to Maya's favorite Pizza Place for lunch. We ate, opened presents, had cupcakes, then loaded up to go to the salon. I wanted to have a horse and carriage waiting to take them there, but I was informed by my sensible hubby that that idea was REALLY over the top.
What a fun day for our little princess. Thank you so much to Katelin, Jaynanne, Mom, Julie, and everyone else who helped with this day. We love you all so much!
We then came home and that night had yet another party for her with just our family. Grandma Kathy made one of her famous M&M cakes and we opened presents and enjoyed the company of Papa, Grandma, Dave, Sarah, and Preston. What a fun 4th birthday party. I promise next year is just going to be family :)

Here are the picts:

Best Friends Forever

2008-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Maya and Lora are inseparable. They can play for hours without getting tired of each other. It is amazing. They are like sisters, and I am not exactly sure what we are going to do when she moves away at the end of the summer. They dress up, play Barbies, watch movies, help me cook, and with a little bribery, they are very good to help me clean up! We love you Lora, and will miss you desperately when you leave.

Disney Princess' On Ice

2008-03-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that I rarely watch TV, my sweet mother gave me the heads up that the Disney Princess' were coming to town. Naturally I jumped on that and got tickets for my little sis, for her birthday, my little munchkin, and of course myself. Maya and I made a chain for the countdown of when we would be going to SLC for the blessed event. When the day came, Maya was delightful. At 3:00pm the production began. We dressed her in her beautiful Cinderella dress (courtesy of the Peterson's) Cinderella shoes, and of course Cinderella jewlery. We did her hair up in a little updo with a beautiful headband and she was ready for her big night! We met Katelin and Papa at the Market Street Grill, what a great place, checked into our hotel, and went to the Energy Solutions Arena for the event of the year. We really did have great seats. It was amazingly impressive from start to finish. Maya (and Katelin) were in awe, it was a great production. I actually contemplated being a groupie.
After the production, we went with Julie's family to Leatherby's for some ice cream. Katelin and I shared a cookie sundae, which was quite large. I took Maya to the restroom, and when I returned, Katelin had another sundae that she polished off all to herself. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Thank you to Katelin, Maya, Jules, Debbie, and Hailey for making our girls night out so magical!!

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

I am completely into New Year's Resolutions. It gives me a little "roadmap" to the coming year. One of my Resolutions this year is to blog a little more. Maya loves to look at herself on the "puter" and loves me to read the words. It will be a great way to journal what is going on in our family.
Here are some of my other resolutions:

Read scriptures daily
Pray daily
Attend temple monthly
Enrich Maya's life by limiting TV time, taking her places, play games, and read more
Get rid of my Lady Lumps (thanks to Amber for the "wordage") by running again and working out
Train for and run Half Marathon
Go on weekly dates with my hubby
Make my bed daily
Get up by 6:30 am
Draft a will
Live each day like it is my last

Wish me luck- I am going to need it!!

Our Sweet Little Preston

2007-10-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

We got news today that my brother David's little baby boy is going to have surgery on Wednesday to fix his little heart so that he can get better and live a normal healthy life. We have been praying so hard for our little guy, and just know that our Heavenly Father is watching out for him and is blessing him every day.
I have so much peace and comfort knowing that he is at Primary Children's Hospital. The Doctors are so amazing there, and peace truly comes over me when I pray for the doctors and for our sweet Preston. I know that our little guy is supposed to be here to bless not only his parents lives, but also every one of us that have the opportunity to know him.
To David and Sarah, you two are amazing. I admire your strength and faith. You two are amazing and your example through this time in your life is something I will never forget. We love you and are praying for you and your sweet little boy.

First Day of School

2007-09-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

My little munchkin started her first day of school on September 4th. She was so excited! We were of course 10 minutes late because I got lost. :( The amazing thing is that I had been to Marlene's (Maya's teacher) a couple times before, so I don't know what happened.
Anyway, she had a great day and has been learning a ton every time she goes. She is learning her letters and sounds. She already knows A and B, both capitol and lower case, and has learned that they go ah and ba. Today she came home with a blue balloon and had a big "B" on it.
Maya also got to be the treat girl this Tuesday. She served "B" shaped rice krispie treats, bananas, and Capri Sun. We were supposed to go with the "B" theme, but "B" gets a little tricky when looking for beverages.
The best part of Maya bringing the treats was that she got to be the line leader. She was REALLY excited to do that. Oh- remember when life was that simple that one would be thrilled to be the line leader?

Manic Monday

2007-09-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding like the Bangles-today has truly been just another Manic Monday- wish it were Sunday. We have some people in our ward at church that needed some dinner and I decided that I wanted to go all out and make homemade chicken noodle soup and rolls. I don't know why I make my life so difficult sometimes!
I called Julie Sunday night ask her if she would lend her expertise for the soup. After taking the girls to dance and going for a nice 45 run/walk in beautiful Mapleton, we went shopping. We got 2 chickens, one for each of us to boil. Now I don't do whole chickens. I don't know why I think that it is totally gross, but I do. So I carefully picked it up and almost pretty much threw it into the pot, covered it, and let it simmer all day.
I then went to work on my rolls. While working on the rolls, we were having a little bit of a party here with Maya and friends. They were all doing great until our little Brooklyn fell down the stairs because she was trying to go down them with princess clickey shoes on. She cut her lip a little and bruised her cheek. I felt horrible and that is when we decided to take a break for a minute and watch a movie. Much better!!
I then went to Julie's to work on the homemade noodles. These are kind of a pain in the butt to make. They are so hard to roll out, but we did it and they tasted so delightful! We had to bone the chicken and strain the chicken stock to make sure all of it was clean. Then we added our chicken broth, bullion, and noodles. We let it cook for a while and then we were ready to deliver and eat some ourselves. Thanks Julie for letting me take up your whole day with this project! It was enjoyed by all!!

To My Little Maya

2007-09-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

I don't think that I will ever be able to put into words how much I love my little girl. We were getting ready to go to a birthday party that she was invited to by our Amanda and Sage (thanks ladies!) and she needed to get her purse so that she would be sure to fit it with the other big girls. I got one that matched her outfit and she was ready for action!!
We were driving in the car to the birthday party and I was telling her that she needed to make sure she was a good girl and to stay with Amanda and Sage. She was very concerned about what I was saying, and was asking me specifics like, can I stay close to the girl that they are having the party for? I said sure but just that she needed to be a good girl. I caught myself thinking how blessed we are to have a little munchkin who we can leave with anyone and know that she is going to be a little sweetheart while she is away. I shared with her how grateful that I was for her and how proud of her I was that she is always a good girl with other people. She said, "mommy I love you this much"-and she puts out her arms as far as they go-and then my heart melts. I love being a mom to my baby girl. She has enriched my life more then I could have ever imagined that a little person could. I couldn't ask for anything more. I love you Maya!!

Stampin' Friday

2007-09-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Julie is a distributer for Stampin' Up and she hosts Stamp-A-Stacks every 4 or 5 months. I finally got to attend one and it was a blast. I invited Jennifer and Paige and we had a ball visiting and stamping cards. Thanks Julie for all of your hard work. Here are the darling cards we made.

The Bumbo Baby Sitter

2007-09-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

So I purchased this little Bumbo Baby Sitter for a friend of mine that just had a baby. It is a great little contraption and I have to say very popular here in Utah. Everyone that has one says that they love it. You can use it when your child is about 3 months and can use it until they can't fit into it anymore. It is lightweight and portable. Pretty cool I think....

First Day of School

2007-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Today was my little baby's first day of school. I can't believe that she is old enough to go to school. She loved the first day. She feels so big and I am so excited for her to gain more independence and start to build her self confidence. Her teacher's, one of them being my dear friend Julie, are amazing and I feel so grateful to have her there. Thanks ladies!
I won't lie, I am really enjoying the 2 1/2 hours that I get to have all to myself. It has been great, and it really flies by!

Corn Anyone?

2007-08-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

So I got a little ambitious and purchased 10 dozen ears of corn to freeze. I don't think I was really thinking how much corn that really was for a family of three. Oh well, we have corn that will probably last us until next year.
I found the best way to put up corn. I have done it 2 different ways and this way buries the other way. This way consists of a bunt cake pan and an electric knife. You just put the ear of corn in the hole in the middle of the bunt pan and shave all of the kernels off with the electric knife. It went really fast-and now we are enjoying the fruits of our labor. :)

This Week in a Nutshell

2007-08-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

So I kind of think that I am the last one to get on the ball and start a blog. In the last two weeks, I have had quite a bit of exposure to different family and friends and I think....why not? It is a great way to journal life's day to day happenings.
Scott has been gone for about a week and just got home today. Maya is loving it because she has a new person to entertain her for awhile. I think that she gets sick of me, so it is nice for her to have a little variety. Thanks for coming home Scott!
We picked up my mom from Education Week on Friday. It is always a little depressing when that is over. I love it when my mom's friends come to town. I love the dynamics and corkiness of everyone when they are all together. So Sylvia, Jeneane, and Mom- thanks for making me smile. I am so grateful for each of them and for their willingness to always make us part of their family-even though they are not technically "family". Mom and Dad, thanks for being such great examples of the importance of friendship. I hope that I will follow your lead and have the blessing of great friendships also.
Jason was nice enough to come and see us this weekend. It is always good to see Jase. I love ya kid...we miss you guys.