WE ARE MARSHALL

Gwen

2011-10-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Brand New Sweetness

2011-10-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

On September 28th at 1:06 a.m. this little beauty came into the world. Introducing Gwen Renee Marshall. She was 6 lbs and 20.5 inches long. She is my lightest and longest baby. I love her with everything I am made of. Couldn't be happier! This Grandma drove all the way up here to meet Gwen and then stayed with us for 5 days. Just love her so much and grateful she is my mom.

These 3 are wrapped around my heart. Couldn't imagine life without them.

Just so, so, very sweet!

Jam Packed!

2011-07-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

The kids and I made the long trip down to Idaho Falls to celebrate many things. The first of which was the homecoming of my brother Preston. He had been serving for 2 years in the Rio De Janeiro mission, and he came home on June 29th. We were all excited to see him again. My mom and dad were the first to greet him at the gate. Then June. She was excited, but she kept referring to him as the guy we picked up at the airport!

Preston thought Rose and grown up quite a bit, which she has - she will be 16 soon!

In the coming days we got to play with lots of cousins. On Friday night all of the Bergesons came out to Rocky Top to visit. June and Ryana were brave and jumped from the haystack to the trampoline. It was fun to see all the kids playing together.

July 2nd is my sister-in-law Kathryn's birthday and we celebrated by going on a hike to Jenny Lake which is over in Wyoming right underneath the Grand Tetons. We took all of our kids so it was an adventure for sure. We saw Hidden Falls, and hiked all the way to Inspiration Point. Here is Jack and Preston looking out over the lake at the top of our hike. Jack kept saying that he was "climbing a mountain" and that he wanted to "keep going."

July 3rd was a very busy day for us. Most importantly it was my Jack's 2nd birthday! This little man is the sweetest, smartest, and most handsome boy I have ever met! He is funny, full of energy, and all boy. Here he is with his cupcakes and some of his birthday presents that he just had to put on.

Jack is my "monkey in the middle." He will be smack dab in the middle of two sisters. Good thing he knows how to hold his own. I love him endlessly and I am blessed to be his mama.

After opening presents and eating birthday cupcakes it was off to church, and then things really heated up. My mom and dad hosted a missionary fireside at their house where Preston and Jared talked about their missions. We had homemade "Cafe Rio" for dinner, lots of tasty deserts, and then got to listen to these recently returned missionaries. They both did a great job and both loved their missions. There were 130 people that came out to celebrate their homecoming!

The next day was the 4th of July, which is always fun! We started out the day with the 2nd annual "Showdown at Sundown." It is a 5K that my dad started last year that we hold out to Rocky Top. I was the champion last year, but since this year Happy Cakes is slowing me down I just walked the course. That is until the last 50 yards, and then me and Rex (Kathryn's dad)raced to the finish line!

Next stop was the Smiths for their amazing pizza oven lunch. They have their very own pizza oven in their backyard! Here is my mom and Krissy making the pizza's. These two kept at it for about 4 hours! All of the pizzas were delicious.

While at the Smiths the kids cooled off by jumping on the tramp with ice poured onto it. We had lots of family and friends there so we had fun visiting and playing all afternoon.

Of course the fireworks were the grand finally to the day! June was a little nervous at first, but then loved them. We had been lighting off our own fireworks for the past few nights and she had been singing "baby your a firework" every time one went off. Now that song will forever remind me of this weekend. My Jack slept in my arms right through the firework show - I think he was scared of them.

It was a whirlwind of a vacation, but we loved it. Our family is amazing and I love spending time with them. We like visiting them so much we are going again at the end of this month!

Dancing and Camping

2011-06-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

June has been in dance since we moved up here in January and she had her first dance recital on the 17th and 18th. She has loved it and dancing on the big stage in front of her family and friends was a thrill for her. Grandma, Grandpa, and Rose drove all the way up here just to see her, and both nights I was glowing with pride to see my little girl perform. She is a beauty and becoming a good dancer!

I turned 27 and I am now officially in my late twenties! I got to celebrate 3 days in a row and felt very spoiled. Here I am - 27 and 6 months pregnant.

Sean had some time off so we ventured out for our first camping trip. It was just a night stay, but it was a lot of fun. Sean and the kids fished, we went for a hike, and had tasty camp food. We are looking forward to going again.

Still Alive

2011-06-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

Since my last post much has happened. Too much to blog about everything, but I will try to post some more about the important stuff. Here is a very quick update.

After a few rough months of early pregnancy I feel much better and I am happy to report that we are having another baby GIRL in late September/early October. I am enjoying our new house, yard, and a few new "toys" - this piano being one of them (don't worry, it is no longer blue:)

Sorry this picture is sideways, but this little beauty just turned 4. I love this girl with everything I'm made of. June loves to play with her new friends here - especially the neighbors, she is a great big sister and is looking forward to "Happy Cakes" arrival in the Fall, she is in dance and likes to wear her dance clothes, she is very independent, she is the boss, she hates to get her hair brushed, she is a Sunbeam and loves her class, she wears skirts everyday, she is sassy, she rides her bike fast, she still loves to snuggle with mom, and she loves to sing. She has been my joy since before she was born and my life is wonderful because of her.

I just love this picture of my two kids. They really are the best of friends and that makes me so happy. My Jack will be two next month and he is my sweet boy. He can say everything and anything and is so very smart. His little grin melts me and I am head over heels in love with him.

Sean is happy to be working up in the North and not in the hot desert. He is glad to be living in a house again and to have a big yard to take care of. He recently refinished the above blue piano for me, and it is beautiful. I love him and I am lucky to have such a hard working and talented husband. Here he is with his twin brother and our newest niece Vera on her blessing day.

Five Years!

2010-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

Five years ago today Sean and I got married. It remains one of the greatest days of my life. How blessed I am to be with Sean for not only this life, but forever. Five years seems to have gone by quickly, but much has happened - two children, two college degrees, several jobs (mostly for Sean), a new career, and a new state just to list a few. More new things are on the horizon for our little family and I look forward to seeing how the next 5 years (and many more) turn out.

Happy Birthday Grandma

2010-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet grandma, love you!

Already December

2010-12-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Our time is growing short down here in sunny AZ and it is going to be hard to give up this perfect weather. Today it was in the 80's so we went swimming - its December and we are still swimming - I LOVE it!!! Even though it feels like summer, we are still feeling the holiday spirit around here. Our house is decorated, we have a live tree that smells wonderful, the outside lights are pretty, and most importantly, June is excited about everything Christmas. It is so much fun to experience this time of year with a three year old, she makes it magic. We watched the Polar Express last night and I think she was captivated by it!!! She knows all about Santa and wants to be on the good list. Every toy commercial that comes on she asks me, "can we get that from Santa?" My Jack still doesn't really know what is going on, but he is having a good time anyway.

I don't really have any relevant photos, but here are some of the family pics we had taken back in November :)

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween is for sure one of my favorite holidays. Just the Fall atmosphere, pumpkins, treats, dressing up - it's all fun. We didn't even have to worry about the weather this year and having to bundle our kids up. It was just lovely here in Yuma. June chose to be Tinkerbell this year and came to that conclusion months ago and stuck with it. I was all for it. She already had a cute Tinkerbell skirt and wings that my parents had given her. I decided to make her some "bally" shoes to go with it. I just bought some shoes at Target and then spayed them with adhesive and covered them with green glitter after that. Then I hot glued the fuzz ball on top. I thought they turned out pretty fancy! June was quite taken with her shoes. Here she is just looking at them and loving them:)

We started out the Halloween fun by going to a Halloween/B-day party for a friend. It was so much fun. We constructed and decorated haunted houses, ate yummy food, and the kids had a scavenger hunt. I just love the friends I have made while here in Yuma. I am going to miss them when we have to move in January. Below is Sean building our house with the girls.

This is June and Nick playing outside in their costumes. June loves all of the friends she has here too.

My Jack man dressed up as Jack Skellington. For his costume I painted the black stripes on his jacket. It was a long precess, but it turned out good.

Here is our finished haunted house.

We waited until the 30th to buy pumpkins and it wasn't such a bright idea on our part. We were lucky to find two little ones for the kids and two white ones for me and Sean. June is a crazy girl and liked to eat the pumpkin seeds.

Here is the finished product: an owl, wolf, and two faces.

Our ward put on a trunk-or-treat that was a lot of fun and tons of people came to participate.

Here are my little trick-or-treaters!

When we lite our pumpkins that night Jack was very fascinated by them. Jack-o-lanters are pretty to look at!

On actual Halloween we got invited over to another friends house for dinner and trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We had a good time there as well! I think we are set for candy until at least Valentines Day:) June wore were Belle dress this time around. It was a fun Halloween and now we are looking forward to some more holiday celebrating in the near future

San Diego

2010-11-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Sean didn't get to go on our family vacation to Disneyland, and he felt a bit left out so we planned another mini-vacation to San Diego with just the four of us. We stayed at a pretty nice hotel that was right on the bay across from Coronado Island. This was the view from our room. We went to the beach the first day that we got there. June loved picking up sea shells and putting them in her bucket.

I love the ocean at sunset, it just looks so pretty. Here I am with June and Jack.

We spent that evening in downtown San Diego. We hopped on one of those "bike cart" things and the girl who was pedaling took us on a tour. She dropped us off at a good seafood restaurant that was right on the water. I am not a huge seafood fan, but I liked the fish I ordered. The next day we went to Seaworld. I had not been since I was 11, so really it was like seeing it again for the first time. The kids liked seeing the animals and June was braver than she was at Disneyland with the characters. She loved meeting Elmo and Zoe.

They had a great new dolphin show called Blue Horizons that was very good. It had accrobates and divers, plus the dolphins and a few whales. Of course we went and saw the Shamu show, Believe. It was a fun trip and I'm glad Sean got to join us on this vacation :)

Disneyland 2010

2010-10-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Every 5 years my family plans a trip to Disneyland, and this year it was our first time visiting the park in October. It was a great time of year to go - not too hot, the crowds weren't as bad as in the Summer, and the park was decked out in Halloween decorations. June, Jack, and I drove over to Anaheim and met my mom, dad, Rose, Stuart, and Kathryn. Sean couldn't get off of work and Preston is serving his mission, so we didn't have everybody there. Those of us that were there had an amazing time and made lots of memories together. I just love Disneyland and think it truly is "the happiest place on Earth." I hope to be able to bring my sweet family back several times in the years to come.

This trip was extra special because we celebrated Roses 15th birthday as well. She got to wear a birthday button and all of the Disneyland workers told her happy birthday whenever they saw it. It was also my two kids very first time. They were both very good vacationers for being so young. June had her moments of being afraid of some of the rides and of the characters, but for the most part she had a fantastic time. Her is my girl going on one of her favorite rides - the Teacups! My mom and dad on the Mark Twain River Boat enjoying a caramel apple.

June crying when it came time to meet the princess's at the Fantasy Faire (she liked them from a distance, but they were just too scary for her up close).

Jack loving the slide at Goofy's backyard playground in ToonTown.

Stuart and Kathryn with June in front of the castle.

At the Pixar Parade I got the kids some balloons that they both loved.

Me and my kids sporting our new Disneyland shirts in front of Thunder Mountain.

On Tom Sawyer Island.

We love Disneyland and can't wait to go back again!

When September Comes

2010-09-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

September usually means the end of Summer and the start of cooler weather. My family is experiencing an endless Summer. It's still very hot in Yuma and I am loving it (I am determined to swim in my pool every day I can until I have to move). I must admit I am missing my "Idaho Fall" but I am very much enjoying where I am now. Sean celebrated his 27th birthday this past week, and he was even lucky enough to have it land on his day off. We didn't do anything too spectacular - mostly we just spent time together. Here he is with the Broncos tickets I gave him. My favorite thing about birthdays in our family is that I get to make a cake. Sean went with the "chocolate covered strawberry theme." I made a strawberry cake with real strawberries in it and put chocolate frosting on the top. It was very simple compared to his past birthday requests. It turned out good, so I was happy. I love Sean and I am so happy to be married to him. He takes such good care of me and we have fun together every day.

My kids are always the bright spot in my day, and I just can't imagine life without either of them. June has a new ballerina swimming suit that she adores - she even wanted to wear it to bed the first night we got it. She loves preschool, swimming, nursery, playing with Jack, singing, filling water balloons, watching Dora and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and getting packages from Grandma, Grandpa, and Rose in the mail. She is so much like me it is a little scary when it comes to the way she thinks and acts. She is beautiful and makes her mama proud!

My Jack is finally getting teeth (he is almost 15 months old)!!!! He loves to play with his sister. Reading stories are still one of his favorite things to do. He says uh-oh now. He is smart and figures out things pretty quick. He loves to eat Mac-n-Cheese, bananas, raspberry's, string cheese, and any treat his mom and dad are eating. He hates church because while I'm playing the piano in primary I can't hold him. There always seems to be a bruise on his head - when the poor boy falls his head always seems to hit first (I promise I don't beat him). My baby boy is turning into a little boy and it breaks my heart a tiny bit. I love my Jackie Man - he has his mama wrapped around his finger.

Vegas!

2010-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a girls trip up to Vegas with some friends. We went to the Michael Buble concert at the MGM Grand. The show was spectacular!!! It really was amazing. The girls I went with were so fun and we had some good times. Here we are in front of the Bellagio. At the concert in front of a life-size poster!

Doing a little gambling(just because we wanted to pull the big handle)!

The concert

Preschool

2010-08-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

I can hardly stand it that my baby girl is old enough to go to Preschool!!!

She had a wonderful first two days and is excited to go back for more!

Company

2010-08-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sean's parents made the long journey from Idaho to come and visit us. Sean hadn't seen them since April, so he was excited to see them. I was just happy that I got to play hostess again and have guests stay at my house. We swam a lot in the pool and the kids loved having grandma and grandpa to play with. One day we took them on a tour of the area and showed them where Sean works. We also visited the Yuma State Prison which is a State Park now. My favorite activity was going to the Cardinals preseason game over in Glendale. The stadium is so cool and I just love football, so I was in heaven. We got great tickets on the 3rd row in the corner of the end zone. The game was pretty exciting for just a preseason game, and our row even won a contest where we all got $20 gift certificates to a motor sports store. We were able to get on the "jumbo-tron" too. I'm pretty sure that was just because our kids are so cute though. It was fun to have Kim and Julie with us and to spend a few days with them. Hopefully they can come down again before we leave in January.

These pictures are all mixed up and I don't know why, but here is the outside of the stadium. Here June is helping me make breakfast for grandma and grandpa one morning.

This is at the prison

June and Jack behind bars. I swear they are innocent!

Me and the kids after the game as we were leaving the stadium.

Adorable

2010-07-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Took the kids to get their picture taken today. I must say, my kids are adorable! We didn't get any good ones of the two of them together, but individually it was hard for me to choose. Here are a few.

So Much To Celebrate

2010-07-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot to celebrate in our family the last few days. My brothers "Newlywed Celebration" took place on July 2nd and it was a fabulous event. Ever since my kids and I got to Idaho we have been preparing for this party. It took place out at my mom and dad's house, and everything looked great outside and in. We are blessed to have extremely talented family members who helped make the event the success it was - from the food prep, and cake making, to the decorations and flowers. There was tasty pulled pork sandwiches, spinach and shrimp salads, root beer, lemonade, and cupcakes to eat. A program with singing, a silly poem for the newlyweds, remarks from all of the wedding party, and a firework show to cap the evening off. It was a great party to say the least.

Here is the dessert table

My Dad giving Stuart and Kathryn a gift.

It just so happened to be Kathryn's 20th birthday as well, so there was a birthday cake and presents just for her. (my cousins Kate and Sarah made this cake!)

These are the tables getting set up on the lawn. The center pieces were created by my Aunt Jill and they were made out of watermelon, all kids of fruit, and flowers. Very creative and cute!

Here is my skinny mama setting up the buffet. It all looked so pretty.

On Saturday morning we put on the first "Showdown at Sundown." It was a biathelon - 3.2 mile run, and a 12.5 mile bike. It was a fun thing to do instead of going to the parade (which is a little boring). The participants were my mom and dad, Rose, June, Jack, Kathryn's parents Rex and Pam, and her brother Andrew. I was the only one who chose to do both the run and the bike parts of the race and here I am at the finish line!

Andrew is a track star and would have beat me at the run part of the race, but he took a wrong turn on the course. Here we both are hoisting our major award.

This is all of the participants except my dad who was taking the picture.

After the race we headed over to the Smith's for the annual 4th of July BBQ. This year Curtis built a pizza oven (look in the background of the pic) so we had fresh baked pizza! It was very delicious.

This is Krissy and her sister making the pizza's. So fun.

After that we headed up to the Valley for my cousin Isabella's baptisms. It was the perfect little baptism, and I'm just sorry I didn't take any pictures. Then is was back to Idaho Falls to get ready for the fireworks. We walked from my dad's office to our usual spot. Watching all of the crazy people around the greenbelt was interesting and entertaining. The fireworks were phenomenal as always. Both my kids were enthralled - especially Jack - and that is pretty impressive for a one year old.

Sunday was the actual 4th of July, but all of the festivities were the day prior. Except for my little boys 1st birthday. Jack's actual birthday is the 3rd, but I didn't think he would mind if we celebrated a day later. Jack has brought me nothing but joy since he came into this world. I remember being on such an adrenalin high when he was born. I was just so excited to get him here. He is my man and I love him endlessly. He says mom-mom-mom, da-da-da, ball, and no-no. He is working on walking - he will take several steps before he falls. He loves to read books, climb on anything, and play with his sister. He loves his mom the best and that just makes my heart melt. He got a dump truck for his birthday and we put his birthday cake in the bed of the truck. It was a chocolate cake decorated with chocolate frosting and crushed up oreo's so it looked like he had a load of dirt in the truck! Here he is blowing out the candle with June.

Rose, June, me, and the birthday boy with all his presents

Happy Birthday Jack Man!!!

26

2010-06-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

I turned 26 today. I really loved being 25, but I think I'm going to like 26 just as much. Here's to being one year older and wiser too! Thanks to all of my family and friends who wished me happy birthday, it made my day.

I just can't leave out my kids, so here they are playing together on the step stool. Jack loves to climb up on top of it, and June doesn't like to miss out on the fun.

June giving her best brother a love!

What a Wonderful Weekend!

2010-06-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

On June 4th my brother Stuart got married!!!! It was such a great day and I was thrilled to be a part of it. It really was a beautiful wedding. Kathryn and her mom had everything planned out and all of the details were incredible. I mean, who doesn't love Shirley temples served to you with a cotton candy stick in them!

The wedding took place in Los Angeles and the reception was in Camarillo (Kathryn's home town). My kids and I arrived on Wednesday and got to meet all of Kathryn's family that evening over at her house. All of the Henderson's were so inviting and nice and we all felt very welcome. On Thursday there was a pre-wedding barbecue at the Henderson's. Lots of our extended family were able to come to that and it was fun to see them again. Friday was the wedding and it was just a beautiful day all around. Here are Stuart and Kathryn coming out of the LA temple. Don't they look happy!

Rose and I were 2 of 8 bridesmaids. We got to wear pretty pink dresses and pink shoes to match. I just love this pic of us - too bad we are missing our brother Preston.

Sean luckily got to be there too!!! He was a groomsman and looked very dashing in his tux.

June's dress was adorable. She and Kathryn's cute niece Ella wore matching dresses, ballerina slippers, and flower halos. They looked pretty sweet.

I made Jack a pink tie for the wedding. Here my handsome men are at the reception.

The reception was very elegant. We got to sit up at the head table with the bride and groom.

It was an amazing party and one of the best parts was the dancing at the end. So many people came out to the dance floor to have a good time. My cousins, aunts, parents, friends, and I really cut a rug!!!! June wouldn't stay with the babysitter, so she even got in on all of the fun. It was just a lovely event and I was just so happy for my brother. I love him so much and I am glad Kathryn is now part of our family!

The day after the wedding we went to the beach in Malibu. We had a good time. Here is Rose and me. I just hate that you can totally tell she is taller than me!

This was just a good shot of June and Rose. It was such a fun trip to California!

Happy Birthday June

2010-05-16T23:29:00.001-07:00

My June is three years old!!!! I can hardly stand it that my girl is getting so old. My mom use to tell me that she was going to put a rock on my head so I would stop growing - now I want to say that to June. She is such a big girl, and my best helper. She learns so quickly and I am impressed with the stuff she knows everyday. Here are a few things about June right now:

She loves to watch movies/cartoons (mickey mouse clubhouse, Dora, Thomas the Train, Princess and the Frog, Mermaid, Tinkerbell, etc.)
She has a new love for library books and she still loves all of her own story books.
Everyday she wakes up wanting to go swimming, and could stay in the "hot pool" all day.
She has a great imagination and loves to pretend. I love to just sit back and listen to her talk to her toys and dolls.
She loves her brother and calls him Jackie. Although, sometimes she is a little rough with him.
Every night she wants me to snuggle with her in her bed and we sing princess songs together.
She loves her Dora jammies
She hates getting her hair brushed, let alone letting me do anything with it.
She is kind of sassy and bossy (but that just comes with being the oldest!)
The girl loves hot dogs and broccoli
She is very social and loves to go play with her friends
She is her mom's best buddie

Here are a few pics from our birthday celebration. This is first thing in the morning looking over all her presents. Sean had to go into work at noon, so we had a little breakfast birthday party with him. June even got to open a few presents before daddy left. Here she is with her new bubbles!

Later that day we had to run to Walmart and I let her play on the toys there. She always wants to do this, but usually I don't want to, but on her birthday she got her way.

We went to the ward playdate and brought cupcakes for all of the kids. June loves playing at the playground with the kids.

After the park June helped me make her birthday cake. She loved to lick the spatula, but got pretty messy while doing it.

Since one of June's favorite foods in hot dogs, that is what we had for dinner. Brett grilled them outside for us, and we ate out on the patio, so it was very pleasant.

For her birthday cake this year I made 6 mini 3-tiered cakes. It was my first time using the pan, so they didn't turn out exactly how I pictured them in my head, but they were still cute. Here June is blowing out her candle.

The next night we had another birthday cake because Sean wasn't there on her actual birthday. It was just a normal chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, so nothing fancy there.

I am so blessed to have this little angel in my life. She brings me joy each day and it is incredible how much I love her. Happy 3rd birthday to my beautiful June!!!

Visitors!

2010-05-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sean's twin brother and his wife Margaret came down and spent a few days with us in Yuma. I was so excited to have somebody coming to stay at our house. When you live in a place where your whole family lives nobody ever comes to stay, but now that we live about 1000 miles away I think we will have a few more house guests. We had a great time with them and we want them to come back soon. We spent a lot of time in the pool out back. We even made up a great version of pool baseball. Sean didn't have a lot of time off of work, but when he did we went to Famous Dave's and had some delicious barbecue. One of the days that they were here we headed over to San Diego. We stopped at the temple only to be a little bit disappointed because it was all covered in scaffolding (they were power washing and painting it). This was the only part of the temple that wasn't covered up. It is such a beautiful temple, but it looked a little funny to us.

We also went to an aquarium that was just off the coast - I think it was called Birch's Aquarium. They had lots of pretty fish to look at and some interactive things as well. Jack thought the fish were pretty mesmerising

June got to touch a starfish with the help of Aunt Margaret.

There were some sharks there too. Not as big as this one we are in here, but cool non the less.

After the aquarium we headed over to the beach. Thanks to Margaret's GPS we were able to find a great spot. Here are my two beach babies just enjoying the sand.

This is me headed out to play in the waves. The waves on this beach were pretty big. We saw quite a few surfers out in the water. I just love having waves crash over me and trying to catch them and ride them into the shore.

June once again loved the sand, and this time she even had rocks to play on.

I didn't put Jack in the water this time (he got too cold last time) but he was content to just sit there and watch all of the action.

After playing in the waves I was pretty covered in sand. My hair was a mess. If you look closely you can see it caked to my hair. I have washed it several times now, and I can still feel sand on my scalp.

It was wonderful to have Brett and Margaret to play with, and I was so happy they came out of there way to be with us. Hopefully they were just the first of many visitors that come our way.

San Diego Trip

2010-05-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I really wanted to go on a little family vacation to San Diego, and because Sean loves me he agreed. It had been 15 years since I had been there, so I was excited to be going back. We took the kids to the zoo. It is a massive place with all kinds of cool animals. My favorites were the giraffes, elephants, and the polar bear. June liked the flamingos the best - she kept reminding me that they stand on one leg! It was a lot of fun and I think the kids liked it. Here is June standing on one leg with her favorite animals.

Our next stop was the beach. Really this was my main reason for wanting to go to San Diego. I love the ocean, and I have been longing to go back. It had been 8 years since I swam in "the big blue." It was Sean and the kids first experience with the ocean, and we had a great time. Here is my Jack relaxing on the sand.

Jack got pretty cold after being in the water and wanted to be held after that. I didn't mind - we just walked along the beach and found sand dollars.

June wasn't really interested in the water, but she loved the sand. She made sand castles, but her favorite thing was when dad made her into a mermaid. She LOVED it - I think she really thought she was a mermaid.

310 to Yuma

2010-05-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

Sean finished up at the Academy in New Mexico on April 7th and on April 8th he flew home to Idaho Falls. We got to spend one week together in Idaho. We spent the time visiting with family and friends and saying goodbye to our beloved Roberts II Ward. With the help of Kim and Lisa we were able to load our things from the storage unit into the moving truck and I packed up all our things that we had taken to my parents house. It was a very full moving truck to say the least. It was hard to say goodbye to our families, but we were excited for out new adventure.

On April 15th we pulled out of Idaho Falls and headed south. We stopped in Provo to visit my brother Stuart and Kathryn. It was Sean's first time meeting his new sister-in-law. Then we continued on down to St. George. We stayed at my Aunt Leslee's house and got to see my cousins Jarom and Kambria and both of their sweet families while we were there. After a little tire trouble with the moving truck we hit the road again the next day. It was all new territory for me from south of Las Vegas. Sean drove the moving truck the whole time, and I drove our car with the kids in the back. Both June and Jack were great travelers. I don't think I could have asked them to be any better. We pulled into Yuma around 7:30 pm and we all were so excited to be there! We explored the house (which is very lovely) and went to get a quick bit to eat. Then Sean and I unloaded the entire moving truck by ourselves. The truck had to be back the next morning, so it had to be done. Surprisingly it only took us 1 1/2 hours. It took us days to unpack all the boxes and to get things looking more like "home," but we are loving being here. The ward members have been very welcoming and nice and our neighborhood is great. The warm weather is the best part - swimming, long walks in the evening, breakfast on the patio, wearing shorts everyday - I am falling in love with Arizona.

Here are some pics of our trip. Sean and the kids ready to say goodbye to Idaho for awhile.
June and Jack right after we pulled into our new house!!!

My handsome man happy to be out of his car seat and able to move around.

Me, exhausted after unloading all of the boxes out of the moving truck.

The next day when we got to go for our first swim in our very own pool.

We Made It

2010-04-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hello from sunny Yuma, AZ. We have been here for almost two weeks now, and we are loving it!! The warm weather is so pleasant and we couldn't be happier with our house. We just got the internet hooked up yesterday so I am reconnecting with the world. I will update soon with what we have been doing, but for now here is a new family pic taken just before we left Idaho.

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! It has been so nice to just relax and enjoy Easter at home this year. We didn't even have to dress up and go to church because it was conference weekend. I think that both my kids had a good time. June loved finding eggs and her basket, and Jack just liked to suck on plastic eggs. We colored eggs on Saturday night, and then the rest of the fun happened Easter morning when we woke up. Sean missed out on yet another holiday, but this will be the last because he comes home on Thursday!

This first pic of Jack was taken the day before Easter while we were in Utah, but it was just too cute to leave out.
Here is Jack going after his first egg.

A few of these pics are out of order, but these are the delectable chocolate cupcakes we had for Easter dinner.

Rose and June coloring eggs.

Rose, June, and I with our Easter Feast.

Jack and June hunting for eggs.

June wouldn't hold still for a second for me to get a good picture, but here she is searching for eggs.

More of the egg hunt.

June's Easter basket was all BLUE because that is her most favorite color. The Easter bunny even sorted out all the blue m&m's, whopper eggs, and Reese's to give to her!! She also got the new Princess and the Frog DVD.

Jack would have just been happy with a plastic egg, but he got some handsome new clothes to go with his eggs. We had a wonderful Easter together!

Kathryn's Bridal Shower

2010-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

We had a bridal shower for Kathryn on April 2nd down in Utah at my cousin Kate's house. It was a lovely event thanks to my talented family members. I think Kathryn got some great gifts and got to meet lots of our side of the family. Our theme was "Remember your first everything" and all of the gifts corresponded (ex. first time baking a birthday cake together - cake platter and decorating kit). It was fun, and I enjoyed getting to know Kathryn better. Here she is trying on her new apron that Auntie Em made for her. This is some of the tasty food we had to eat.

Here are a few of the gifts before they got opened.

My mom, Kathryn's mom, Kathryn, me, and Rose

New Easter Clothes

2010-03-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

My mom bought us new Easter dresses to wear to church today, and I wanted to show Sean how great the kids looked. June loves the color blue, so of course her new dress had to be blue. She looks mighty cute in it I must say.

My dress was purple - I've never had a purple dress before. It was only the three of us when I was taking pics, and I don't know how to use the timer on the camera, so these are the only shots I could get with me in them.

I look like I am holding a fire ball, but its only the flash. I look a bit ridiculous, but oh well!

Jack wore his sweater vest for the first time, and looked dashing as always.

St. Patricks Day and Projects

2010-03-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

In less than three weeks Sean will be home and we will be moving to Yuma. I have so many projects that I want to get done before than. I feel like I have waited until the end to get everything done, but I guess I have always been a procrastinator. Anyway, I'm sure things will all get done before the move.

This little man in working on a "project" of his own. I am pretty sure that a bottom tooth will pop through any day now. He slobbers and sucks on his fists and lower lip all the time. I just can't believe how big he is getting. He has my heart wrapped around his finger for sure. (Just a fun side note - the shirt he is wearing in this pic was his daddy's) On Wednesday it was St. Patricks Day, and as usual we had our annual celebration. It was a delicious Irish Feast, and I took notes so I can do it all by myself next year up in northern Idaho!

This is one of my projects that is completed. It is for me to hang June's hair bows on. I bought a plain canvas, painted it, and then pinned the ribbons to it. I thought it turned out pretty dang cute!

Yet another project was to get June's picture taken in the famous green dress. It was my grandma JoAnn's and she has a cute picture of her in it when she was a little girl. All of the grand-daughters on the Rammell side have a picture in it, and now all of the great- grand-daughters will too. We needed to get this done before we move far away. I promised June she could get a new toy at TJ Maxx if she smiled pretty, so she was a good girl. What a sweetheart I have.

Engaged

2010-03-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

My dear brother Stuart is engaged to Kathryn! I couldn't be happier for these two. Congratulations to the both of you.

So Big

2010-02-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

Sean is missing his kids and has requested an update, so this is for our favorite Daddy. June is my big girl, and tells me so all the time. She likes me to list off all of her friends, to tell me who is a boy and who is a girl, and to sing "speckled frogs" with her. We are working on learning all of the ABC's, and she is very good at counting. Mostly she likes helping me take care of Jack.

You may think hell has frozen over Sean, but yes that is me sitting behind a sewing machine. We visited Grandma Moulton one day and she helped me learn how. I suppose now I have no excuse to not use my own sewing machine that I have had for several years now.

My Jack is learning new tricks left and right. He claps, waves (sometimes), crawls, and pulls himself up to things whenever possible. I feel like he too is turning into a big kid - my sweet baby boy is growing up. He is the cutest boy in the world and I love him absolutely to pieces.

Come Fly With Me

2010-02-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Past week has been a busy one for the Marshall's. Usually we are pretty laid back, but last week was very eventful. To start off, my dear brother Stuart brought his girlfriend Kathryn home to meet us. She was so sweet and I very much enjoyed being around her. Hopefully we will be seeing lots more of her in the future! Saturday morning my in-laws came and picked me and my kids up and we started on our journey down to visit Sean. We drove to SLC, and from there we flew to El Paso, TX. Upon arrival we rented a van and drove 3 hours north up to Artesia, NM. It was a huge travel day - especially for my little ones, but they were troopers and were exceptionally good. June loved the airplane ride, and told me we were flying just like Peter Pan. Last month I made this trip all by myself with Jack in arms. I was so grateful to have my in-laws to help me along the way this time. Sean was thrilled that we made it, and we were happy to see him again too. We stayed at a hotel in town and got to go swimming. It was my Jack's first time in the pool, and he absolutely loved it!

June just couldn't get enough of her Daddy. It had been 12 long weeks since they had seen each other, and it was so cute to watch them together. Usually she wants me to do everything for her, but once she was with Sean only he could help her.

On Sunday we had a little Super Bowl Party in the hotel room after church. It was fun, even though Peyton Manning lost.

On Monday Sean had to work all day, so we drove up to Roswell for a visit. Kim and Julie found out about a free Zoo, so we took the kids there. There was also a playground just outside the zoo, and June loved running around on it.

Tuesday was Sean's graduation day. I had never seen him in his uniform before, and I must admit - I like a man in a uniform! Jack was a bit of a pill during the ceremony, but we made it through.

There were 27 of them that graduated out of the 43 that started. I am so proud of Sean for accomplishing this goal.

Kim got to pin Sean's badge on him because he also works in law enforcement, which I thought was very nice.

After the ceremony was over we got to go down and take pictures. It was a great day, and now Sean is officially a Border Patrol Agent. He has to stay at the academy for another 8 weeks to learn Spanish, so sadly we had to leave him in Artesia. I'm sure April will come quickly and then we will get to be a normal family again. Until then the kids and I are happy living with grandma, grandpa, and Rose.

January

2010-01-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

I thought January would be the month that would drag by for me, but surprisingly it has gone by quickly. I visited Sean over the New Year holiday and got back on the 3rd, and since then I have just been with my kids. I am proud to report that June is potty trained!!! I am tickeled pink that she has it down now, and that I don't have to buy diapers for two kids. June continues to be my joy each day - yes she has her two year old moments, but she is so much fun to be around that I tend to forget about the rough spots.

Here are some of the highlights from our month. Here is June in her new Dora jammies (the fabulous wand came with them), she loves them and would wear them all day if I let her. Here she is the morning after lathering her hair up with the bum cream. I seriously washed it out (or so I thought) the night before, but this is what I woke up to. It took 5 long days and multiple tubs before her beautiful hair went back to normal. Two year olds are FUN.

In other news, my brother Preston turned 20. He is serving his mission in Brazil, but I made a cake for him anyways.

And here is my baby Jack up on all fours. He is so dang close to crawling. He gets up and starts rocking, but no forward motion just yet. I know it won't be too long before he takes off. He is as sweet as ever and he melts my heart with those big blue eyes.

Winter Fun

2010-01-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

While at the cabin we got to play out in the snow. There wasn't a ton of snow, but enough to go sledding and have some fun in. This is Sydney, Max, June, and Rose waiting for their turn on the sled. June had a good time being pulled in the sled, and going down the hill.

My brother Stuart and I went cross country skiing.

My cousin Kari invited us out to be pulled behind his horses on a sled. It was a beautiful clear day in Teton Valley, and it was so much fun.

The view was spectacular as well!

Christmas 2009 at the Cabin

2010-01-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

For Christmas this year we combined with the James Rammell family and stayed at a cabin up in Island Park. There were 22 of us in total, and we had a wonderful time celebrating together. You can just see the excitement on Junes face! She really enjoyed Christmas this year, and it was fun for me to watch her and experience the season from a two year olds point of view. There was a hot tub there, so June got to go swimming with some of her cousins. She loved it and wishes we had a pool all year round.

The kids acted out the nativity, and June was a wiseman - although she wanted to be a horse like at the Marshall party.

Santa did indeed fing us and brought lots of presents for everybody. June loved her Cinderella doll the most, and Jack really didn't care what he got - he was just happy to be part of the action.

He was a good sport the whole time. I just love this boy!!

Marshall Holiday

2010-01-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Since we were going to be out of town over Christmas, the Marshall side of the family celebrated a couple days early. Santa even found time to come over and visit. June was scared of him, but all of the other kids (and some big kids too) had fun sitting on his lap and telling him what they wanted for Christmas. This is just a glimpse of the madness that ensued when the kids were able to open their presents. It was great to watch!

Here the grand kids are trying to be nice so grandpa Marshall can tell them something important. There are getting to be so many of them now - my Jack is #15, and sixteen is coming in May.

The kids, with lots of help from Aunt Amber, put on the Nativity. It was very sweet, and Jack got to be the star of the show - Baby Jesus. June got to choose what she wanted to be, and when I asked her she told me she wanted to be a horse. Her costume consisted of a brown towel and a Davey Crockett coon hat!

The shepherds and their noble steed.

It was a great party. The Marshall's are a fun group to be a part of, and we are very blessed to call them family.

50

2009-12-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my dad celebrated his 50th birthday. He is one of the finest men I know, and I love him dearly. Here he is as a baby, a five year old, in the 2nd grade, and as a senior in high school.

4 Years

2009-12-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

Four years ago today Sean and I got married. It was such a wonderful day, and I love thinking back on it. Although, we won't get to see each other for our anniversary we are looking forward to two weeks from today when I get to go visit him. I love you Sean.

New Things

2009-12-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Both of my kids have been trying new things lately. One of them has been more successful than the other, but I am confident that all will work out with my eldest child. Jack has become my little eater. He seriously loves food, and gets so excited about it that he wants to just dive into the bowl. Here my man is sitting up in the high chair and Grandma Moultons house. This one is out of order, but he looks so sweet in it that I will keep it here.

Trying peas for the first time. I think he looks good in green!

If I'm not going fast enough he will just grab the spoon like he wants to feed himself.

And here is my beautiful June. We are in the process of potty training, and it is not as easy as I had hoped it would be. Some days are good, and others not. She has the ability, but she just can't be bothered by going to the potty when she is doing something that is more fun. Perhaps I just need to be more persistent. I would gladly welcome any advice.

Thanksgiving 2009 in the Dixie Sunshine

2009-11-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2009 was quiet lovely for us Marshalls. We made a trip down to St. George to celebrate with the Rammell side of the family at my aunts house. The weather was wonderful down there, and the company was even better. We really did have a fabulous time - the only thing that would have made it better was if my husband could have been there.

These pictures are in reverse order, but that's OK. On our journey home we stopped in SLC to go see the lights at Temple Square. Little did we know that we happened on to the first lighting of the season. We were only there 5 minutes before all the beautiful lights came on. June loved it, and is telling me right now that she wants to go back.

This is my dad, his two sisters, and their mother - my Grandma JoAnn.

All the Rammell's that were able to make it. We are such a good looking family!!!

The girl cousins (minus two).

My mom preparing her famous rolls.

June, Augustus, and Ryana watching a movie together.

My Jack man being beautiful

The week before Thanksgiving we headed up into the mountains to get a Christmas tree. We found a good one. Too bad my dad only had a bunch of women to help him haul it down. He was missing all the men that usually come along.

And last of all my sweet princess girl getting ready to go for a ride in the sled. She loved it until her hands got cold.

November

2009-11-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

It seems like I blinked and November is almost over. We have been so busy moving and getting Sean ready for his new job that it seems like Thanksgiving has snuck up on us. We are all moved out of our house and me and the kids now call Rocky Top our home and Sean resides in New Mexico for the next few months. Here are some pictures that recap that last little bit.

I was trying to get June to smile, but Jack thought his mom was pretty funny. Isn't he such a handsome boy!! Halloween was fun, and we went out trick-or-treating three night in a row (Boo at the Zoo, Trick or Treat Street, and Trunk or Treat). Below are June and her cousin Sadie being princesses.

The whole family at Trick or Treat street.

Sean and my little JACK-o-lantern

June and our pretty pumpkins.

Making a snowman with Rose.

Learning how to make snow angles. Do notice the bags tied around her feet - we need to be making a trip to the store to find new snow boots.

While we were up in Spokane dropping Sean off, June and I got to go explore the area. This is in Couer de'alen at a restaurant called Paul Bunions - I just liked the giant sign.

June by the lake. It was very pretty there - I wish I could have gone out on a boat tour.

And last but not least - packing up and moving away from our first house. It was so sad to say goodbye. Sean and I have lived there since we have been married - I brought both my babies home to this house - There are so many memories. Needless to say I was a bit of a cry baby when we left.

Change

2009-11-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

On Monday Sean called me and said, "Guess who I just talked to." I said, "the Border Patrol" and he replied "yes."

We have been waiting for some time now for this call, but when it came we were still shocked. For one, Sean was told that he needs to report for orientation on the 16th of November (that's next week). Number two, we also were informed that it is mandatory dormitory style living and that families are not encouraged to move to the area. With that said, we had a big decision to make in one day (the Border Patrol guy gave Sean 24 hrs to give him an answer). I was excited and scared all at the same time. This is our life, and this decision will effect our family forever. We love where we live - all of our family is pretty much right here. We grew up here, and this is what we know and where we feel comfortable.

I think Sean and I both knew what our answer was going to be. We both thought about it all day and came to the same conclusion - we were taking the job! The days following have been a bit of a whirlwind. We now have to pack up and move. Sean will be moving down to New Mexico to the Border Patrol Training Academy, and me and my kids will be moving in with my parents until Sean is done with training in April (yes, that is a very long time to be separated from each other :( ). After training our next stop will be Yuma, AZ for about 10 months and then up to Northern Idaho!! We are excited about the places we will be stationed. It will be a huge change for us, but we look forward to the challenge. After all, this life isn't always about being comfortable - we are here to grow, learn, and become better people. We are taking a giant step forward into a place we have never been, but we have faith that this is the right move for us, and that good things will come out of this. Wish us luck!!!!

It's Autumn Time

2009-10-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Autumn is in full swing, and I often find myself singing, "It Autumn time, its Autumn time, the leaves are falling down" to my kids. June, Jack, and I are having a ball just hanging out together and enjoying the outside when the weather permits. When we are inside the house June loves to watch Disney movies - Cinderella is a favorite (that is what she is holding up in the pic) Jack keeps growing and gets more sweet by the day. Morning times are my favorite with him. He just has all sorts of things to tell me, and is always full of smiles.

June likes to do whatever I am doing. Here we are making bread together. Wearing our aprons is probably the best part of the whole thing!

I have also been doing some canning. My lovely sister in law Lisa helped me can this beets one snowing day a few weeks ago. I think they turned out quite beautiful.

Over Conference weekend we took a quick trip down to Utah. We stopped in to see Brett and Margaret in SLC, and then headed to Provo and Spanish Fork. My dear cousin Kate let us stay with her for a few days and we had a great time.

More recently I got the good old Jumping Jack out for my boy. He has only done it a few times, but I think he is catching on pretty quick. June loves to help him - even though I try to convince her to let him do it by himself. Here she is giving Jack a little push. He doesn't seem to mind her "helping" him - Jack loves when she is around.

My sister turned 14 last week. I just love her, and my kids do too. She is growing up so fast. I remember the day she was born, and being excited to tell my 6th grade class about her. We have been staying with her for the past couple of days while my mom and dad are away and she is one busy girl. There is something going on every day!!!

And last of all is a sweet shot of my angel girl. I go in and check on June every night before I go to bed, and this is how I found her a few nights ago. I say - why not wear your church shoes to bed, some occasions just call for fancy.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2009-09-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last week Sean turned 26. For some reason that sounds a lot older than 25 - good thing I am only 25!!! I made him a Transformers cake (yes that's right a Transformers cake for a 26 year old). I was a bit nervous to do it, but the cake turned out great. June loved to help her Daddy blow out all the candles and to help him open his presents.

My Jack man is as cute as ever and he is becoming so interactive. He loves when people get down and talk to him. He has been smiling for awhile now, but I finally caught one on camera. He also loves to blow bubbles and slobber.

I have tried him in his Bumbo a few times, but he's not quite strong enough to sit in it for long periods of time just yet. He does like it for the short time that he's in it though.

June impresses me with how gentle and loving she can be with Jack. She will sit down next to him and try to get him to stop crying, or just talk with him. It is so sweet to watch. How lucky I am to have her to help me.

Running the 5K

2009-09-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning my sister Rose and I ran in a 5K race. My dad is always looking for a new way to get involved in the community and he recently joined the board for the Snake River Animal Shelter and they are the ones who put on the race. It was called the "Mutt Strutt." Lots of people ran with their dogs, but neither of us have a dog so we just ran together. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad we did it. We made it in pretty good time too (30 minutes). My mom and her friend walked the 5K and pushed my two kids in the stroller. June and Jack probably think their mom is crazy for all of the things I take them too. They are pretty good troopers though.

Flounder

2009-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Remember Flounder from the Little Mermaid? Well, June has a Flounder that she just loves that came with her Ariel Barbie, and lately the two of them have gone everywhere with us - including on our daily walks. This past Friday we stopped at the bridge over the canal just down the road from our house (we do this every day so June can throw rocks in the water). June had Flounder and Mermaid lounging by the canal side when all of a sudden she turned to me with a distressed look on her face and pointed down the canal and said "Flounder!" Sure enough, Flounder was floating away. At first I thought he was gone for good, but June was truly upset about it. Plus, knowing my daughter, I knew that I would never hear the end of it. I could just see her throwing a "Flounder Fit" and I didn't want to deal with that. I decided to go in after the little fish. I ran down the canal bank until I was in front of Flounder, ripped off my shoes, and took the plunge. I swam out into the middle and grabbed the run-away fish and then swam back to shore. I did lose both of my socks in the water, but I got what I jumped in for, so I'm saying I came out victorious. June was excited to have her beloved Flounder back as well. I had to walk the rest of the way home sopping wet, but hey, my June bug was happy and that's all that matters. In other news, our garden is doing quite well. We have enjoyed harvesting all of the vegetables. June spotted this carrot and dug it out with a little help from me. It is the biggest carrot we have had this year. Oh, and I love that June's shoe's are on the wrong feet in this picture.

And Jack turned 2 months old back on the 3rd. He is so sweet, and the best boy ever. At his check-up he weighed 10 lbs 5 oz and was 21 1/2 in long. He is in the 25% for both.

How can you not love this boy???

Camping 2009

2009-08-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

I was brave and went up camping with my family last weekend. I was nervous about bringing my then 6 week old baby, but my good sister-in-laws convinced me that it would be alright. We ended up having a great time (especially the late nights around the campfire) and I'm so happy that I decided to go. My in-laws let us stay in their trailer with them so we didn't have to sleep in our tent. There was lots of 4-wheeler rides and June got dirty from head to toe. Below is most of the cousins just sitting on the 4-wheelers waiting for somebody to take them for a ride. Sean and I went on a ride and got so dusty. If you look closely you can see the dirt caked on our faces.

June had been crying about something (I think that the wrong person put her shoes on), but I couldn't resist taking a shot of the dirt and tear streaked face.

Jack was a champ and ended up sleeping most of the time. Here he is all bundled up ready to go home. The day we left it got pretty cold, so he needed his hat on.

Blessing Day

2009-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

We blessed Jack on Sunday August 9th. It wasn't fast Sunday, but it just worked out better for all of our family to have it then. Jack was an angel boy as always, and Sean did a great job giving the blessing. We were blessed that so many of our family members and friends were able to be there. I am grateful everyday that this baby boy is in my life. He is too sweet and words don't do justis to how much I love him. Being a mother to Jack and June brings me so much joy - they are my everything, and I couldn't ask for two better kids

We had lunch out to our house after the meeting. For August, it was a pretty cool day (only in the 70's), but we had a good time anyways. Everything turned out great thanks to all of my wonderful family members. I really did marry into an amazing family, plus nobody is quite like my own mother - she can do anything and everything. With their help it was a successful afternoon.

We are also in the process of potty training June. She loves to wear panties, and not just one pair, but all of them at the same time!!!!

And in other news, my Dad surprised me one day and brought out this double stroller!!!! My dad is the best - always watching out for me - I love him like crazy. I have been missing going on walks everyday since Jack has arrived, and now I can go out with both my kids. Jack looks terrified in this picture, like I have strapped him into a roller coaster ride. June loves that she has a friend to stroll with now.

July has Come and Gone

2009-08-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that July is already over. It went by so quickly. It just seems like yesterday that I was pregnant and hoping that my baby would come soon. Now my Jack is four weeks old and August is here.

June is a swimming champ - all she needs are her pink floaters and there is no stopping her. She loves the water just like her mama.June and her Daddy get to spend a little bit more time together now that Jack is here. They have a good time together as you can see from the picture.

My brother Stuart turned 23 - I'd like to say that he is older than me, but I am in deed the big sister. The rest of my family was on a road trip to Nauvoo for Stuart's birthday so I got to make him a cake and celebrate with him. He is single and headed to BYU this fall - know any young, pretty, smart girls that are in Provo??

And then there is my handsome baby boy. He is growing so fast. He is such a good little guy and I love him so much. Hard to believe he will be a month old on the 3rd.

Tchau Elder Rammell

2009-07-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

My brother Preston left for the MTC in Brazil on Tuesday morning. It was a little sad to say goodbye for two years, but we are all so excited for him.

It is crazy to think that my Jack will be two years old when Preston gets back. I'm sure the two years will fly right by though.

My Jack

2009-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

My due date for Jack was July 15th, but I really wanted him to come sooner than that. Once July hit I was just ready to be done being pregnant. Not that my pregnancy was a bad one - it was a very good pregnancy - but I was just so ready for my body to be my own again. Also, I wanted my brother to meet him before he left on his mission. Anyway, on July 2nd all of my dreams came true. I was starting up the old lawn mower getting ready to mow the lawn when my water broke - hoooooray!!!! This was at 7:30 pm, and by 9:00 Sean and I were at the hospital (June was with Grandma Nae). My labor went quickly and pretty smooth (of course I had an epidural to help out). I pushed twice and at 12:45 am my Jack arrived. Below is Jack on the scale just after he was born. The happy mother with her darling boy!!

The whole family together for the first time.

June loves her brother and wants to play with him already.

June wants to feed Jack "real" food, but for some reason mom wont let her.

Jack has Arrived

2009-07-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful baby boy arrived early July 3rd at 12:45 am. He is just a little guy weighing in at 6 lbs 5 oz and only 18 1/2 in. long. His name is Jack Norman Marshall and we couldn't be more tickled that he is here. We love him to pieces and think he is the most handsome boy ever!! I will post more pictures later (having a little trouble with my camera). These are pictures that my mom took.

Happy Everything

2009-06-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to Sean. Don't you just love his new toy!!! He only wishes we could afford it. He did get some new sunglasses from the same store though.I turned 25 back on the 12th. It was my "silver anniversary" so all of my presents were wrapped in silver. My family was too generous; I got spoiled with all of my presents. A few weeks ago we made a quick trip down to Utah for my cousins wedding in SLC. We got to stay in a hotel for a night and June thought that was the best - especially the swimming part. She also liked all of the beautiful flowers outside the temple.

Almost Summer

2009-05-31T18:40:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so nice around here this last week. June and I have been loving playing outside in the sun. We haven't done anything too exciting, but I thought I'd post some pictures anyway. They all are of June - I am avoiding the camera. June and I played in the sprinkler for the first time this year. June thought it was great fun, especially when she figured out how to turn the water on so the sprinkler would go really high.

On Memorial Day we had a party out at the Marshall's. The kids had an obstacle course to run through that was pretty intense. They even had "army" bandannas to wear.

June didn't catch on to the whole "this is a competition" thing. She just ran to whatever part she wanted to play on. I was a little jealous that I couldn't compete. My big belly, and my penguin like speed were holding me back.

Out at our house we have 3 baby owls. They are getting big now, but this little guy is having trouble learning how to fly. He just hopes from place to place. I guess I got too close to him because he started to fluff up his feathers. This is just another reason why it is fun living out in the country - we get to see lots of cool animals.

June has also taking a liking to the ride on lawn mower (a girl after my own heart). She loves to pretend to drive, and sometimes she gets a ride from her daddy.

My TWO year old

2009-05-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that my baby is officially TWO!!! These past two years have gone by so quickly, and I still can't get enough of my angel. We had her party on Monday night, even though her actual birthday is the 12th. She got some pretty fabulous presents from all of her family, and I think she had a fun time. She loves these sunglasses, and she does look super sweet in them.

June got a little close to the candle, but she did blow it out. She is a pro at singing "Happy Birthday" and we always practice blowing out the candles when we get to the end of the song.

Aunt Amber gave her this little microphone and June sings her little heart out into it.

I just thought this last picture was cute. Grandma and Grandpa gave her a Tinker Bell outfit - wings and all, and June wanted to wear the wings one morning after she got out of the tub.

I love my June bug with everything I'm made of. She truly is my whole life right now, and I wouldn't spend my time any other way. She is so sweet and full of excitement. Sean and I are so blessed to have her as our own. Happy Birthday June!!!

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day. Two years ago I got the best Mothers Day present any girl could ever ask for. She is my joy!!!

Oh, and here is me at 7 months pregnant. We are getting so excited to get our boy here.

My Beautiful Mother

2009-04-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Mom's birthday today, and I am such a lucky girl to have her as my mom. She is so good at everything she does, and someday I hope to be more like her. I love you mom!!! The next birthday we celebrate in our family is my sweet baby girl. In May she will be TWO!!! Lately she has been acting so grown up and independent. It still amazes me how much I love her.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a great Easter for us kids out here in Idaho. June has loved all of the festivities, and all the candy she has been getting. These pictures are in reverse order, so we will start with Sunday. Here is me and my sweetheart in our Easter dresses that we wore to church. Sean got a new tie, but we needed someone to take the picture. June was a little dazed after having just woke up and being told to go find eggs and her basket. The only time she really got excited is when she found her Little Mermaid Barbie doll in her basket - it can go in the tub and her hair changes colors!!!

This is all of our baskets after the "Easter Bunny" visited during the night. I forgot to include our new softball bat in the picture, but that is what Sean and I got from the bunny.

On Saturday we had an Eggstrordinary Easter Egg Hunt out at our house with all of our cousins on the Marshall side. All 13 grand kids were there and they had 175 eggs to find. It was fun to see them all lined up and ready to go.

Sean and I helped June a little bit, but she was good about putting the eggs in her basket and then looking for more.

The party was a hoot - for the kids and the moms and dads. The weather worked out wonderfully, and it was just fun to be with everybody.

General Conference

2009-04-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love when General Conference time comes around. For one, I get the rare luxury of not having to get myself and June ready for 9 am church. For another, I get to listen to our dear prophet and other general authority leaders give talks that always leave me inspired to do better. We watched most of the sessions at our own house. I'd like to tell you that the picture below is of June diligently watching Conference, but I think she was tuned right in to Elmo at the time. For the Sunday afternoon session we headed out to my parents house. It was such a beautiful day after the meeting was over that we went outside to play for a bit. June loved to go high on the swing, and to jump on the tramp with Rose.

Sean got to shoot pop cans with the BB gun, and me and Sean defeated Rose and my dad in a round of Bocce Ball. It is so nice to enjoy the Spring weather. Just two days ago it snowed about 6 inches, so I was just grateful to be outside again. Hopefully we will have more days like today in the future, but we live in Idaho so anything is possible.

Spring is in the Air

2009-03-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

This is a little late in coming, but we had our annual St. Patrick's Day celebration on Tuesday. Some may call it a "B" holiday, but just because there isn't an ounce of Irish blood in the lot of us doesn't mean we can't have a little fun every 17th of March. My mom and Krissy made the delicious food - yes, corned beef can be delicious. Everything and everybody were decked out in green. The kids participated in the annual scavenger hunt for the pot of gold. June thinks she is a big kid so of course she was right in the thick of it. It was a pretty nice day too, so June also got to test out the trampoline with the kids. She did great, and loved being included as one of the big kids.

Spring has sprung in this part of the country, or at least it has been nice for a few days. Even though the temperature was only in the upper 60's to low 70's it felt like summer for us Idaho kids that have been wading through 30 degree weather for months on end now. I am closing in on being 6 months pregnant and I am definitely showing my growing boy off. I swear that a month ago I still looked somewhat normal, but it is amazing what 4 weeks can do. Y'all probably thought I was kidding when I said I would look like a planet by this summer, the proof is right in front of your eyes now!!!

When Sean was taking my picture June thought she needed to pose for one as well. This is usually the face I get when I ask her to smile. What a goofy girl!

Elder Rammell

2009-02-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

My brother Preston opened his mission call on the 27th at my mom and dad's house. He got it on Wednesday at his dorm at BYU, but he waited to open it until he came home. He has been called to serve in the Rio De Janeiro mission!!! We are all so excited and proud of him. He leaves for the MTC in Sao Paulo Brazil on July 15th - same day as my baby boy is due. Way to go Preston.

Oh BOY!!!!!

2009-02-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

There is a new little Marshall MAN on his way. I had my 20 weeks ultrasound today, and we are definitely getting a boy. Since the very beginning of this pregnancy I have felt like this one was a boy, and I was spot on. I am so excited for my little guy to get here - come on summer, hurry up and get here!!!

Valentines

2009-02-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

One of the great things we did this year for Valentines Day was to cook our own dinner. We did this once before and we found that it was much cheaper, and the food was just as good - if not better than at a restaurant. This years menu consisted of thick and juicy steaks, garlic cheese bread, green salad, red raspberry punch, and chocolate dipped strawberries. The food all turned out delectable. I also set a stunning Valentines table - conversation heart center pieces, candles, fancy dishes and goblets, pedestal platters, cloth napkins, you know, the works. I wanted to post a picture, but my computer is at the moment not letting me, so I will try again later.

The best part of Valentines Day was being with my two sweethearts. They are the loves of my life and in many ways they define who I am. I thought I would list just a few reasons why I love them so much.

June
She comes and snuggles with me in the morning.
Singing and dancing are two of her favorite things to do.
Her "cheeser" grin in classic.
Her hugs and kisses continue to melt my heart every time.
There is not a cuter girl out there.

Sean
He is a manly man.
Always is trying to make me laugh.
Loves me even when I look ROUGH
He is forever patient.
Is a great Daddy.
He is one good looking guy!

25 random facts

2009-02-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

My cousin Kambria had this on her blog, and I wanted to do it too.

25 Random Facts, Habits, or Goals about Me
1. I love spending time with my family.
2. Football is my passion.
3. June is my life.
4. I secretly want to be a dancer, although I have very little talent in this area.
5. My parents and siblings are the best ever created.
6. Most days I stay in my pajamas until at least lunch time.
7. I tend to be a neat freak, but I have been pretty lax in the cleaning area ever since I found out I was pregnant.
8. I want to train and compete in a triathlon.
9. This Summer I will be the size of a planet - lets not kid ourselves, we all know it's true.
10. I want to be just like my mom.
11. My baby girl is the most beautiful child ever.
12. I am competitive and love to win at anything I play.
13. Because of the above, I am a sore loser.
14. Swimming in a "kid sized" pool has always been a favorite Summer activity for me. One in which I will continue to do forever.
15. I have a pink cruiser bike and I love to ride it up and down my road.
16. I don't watch T.V. during the day. I decided it was an incredible waste of time.
17. Sewing is a skill I wish I possessed.
18. Sean is the best husband ever because he puts up with all of my nonsense.
19. I got straight A's in high school and through most of college.
20. I own a copy of Buns of Steel, and yes I do the work outs!!!
21. Becoming a mother is the best thing that ever happened to me.
22. Fruit snacks are delicious, and I love them.
23. My mom always did my hair growing up, and I never took the time to learn. Now my hair is mundanely straight and down all of the time.
24. My grandma JoAnn is the hippest grandma west of the Mississippi, and because of her I have some sweet looking shoes and jewelry.
25. I'm only 5 feet tall, and (when not pregnant) weigh around 105 lbs, but I am pretty sure I can take down anybody who comes my way.

Jazz Game

2009-01-28T09:32:00.001-08:00

On January 27th we made a quick trip down to Utah to go to a Jazz game. I had gotten the tickets for Sean as an anniversary present last month. We left Idaho at around 11:30 AM leaving June with my Mom. It just so happened that my brother Preston's 19th birthday was that day too so we took down his birthday cake and presents. He goes to BYU in Provo so it worked out really well. We got to Provo at 3:30 PM and could only stay and chat at Auntie Em's for a little bit because we were on a tight schedule. We did get to stop and see my cousin's new baby boy Quinn who is so tiny and sweet. Then we were on the road again headed back to Salt Lake. We met up with Brett and Margaret and went to dinner at Macaroni Grill before the game started at 7:00 PM. It was really good food and we all got stuffed. Our tickets were extremely high up, but that was OK. It was our first Jazz game ever!!! The game was intense and we had a blast. The Jazz played the Spurs and it came down to the last minute. With twenty seconds to go the Jazz were only down by a basket, but sadly they did end up losing in the end. We had a great time though, so the final score didn't matter. We talked with Brett and Margaret for awhile back at their apartment and then left for home at around 10:30 PM. I drove back to Idaho and the roads were a dream until Malad. Then the snow started and it was blowing outside. I couldn't see the lines on the road most of the time so I just took it slow. We did make it safely back home at around 2:00 AM.

And what did my little June bug do while we were away? Played with Grandma and Rose!!! Which is one of her most favorite things to do.

Cat trip to Big Springs

2009-01-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we got to go on a Cat trip to Big Springs in Island Park. Our friends the Carson's invited my family to go with them. They had won this trip at the Scout auction, and we were just happy they wanted us to go with them. The Cat could hold about 15 people in it. It was a bumpy ride, but fun. June liked to walk in between me and my mom while it was moving.

This is what the Cat looks like. We got a few funny looks from the snowmobilers passing by because you don't usual see one of these on the trails.

It was a cold day, but very pretty. At Big Springs we got to see the huge fish swimming right off the bridge, and we even brought bread to feed the ducks that were there.

He's a Socoiologist

2009-01-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is a little late in coming, but I wanted to document Sean's graduation from BYU-Idaho. He graduated back on December 12, but what with the holidays and our baby news I neglected to post any pictures. I am so proud of him. He worked very hard to earn his degree, and I know it wasn't easy for him working full time, taking care of his family, and going to school.

There were 1,163 graduates that night - the most ever at a winter graduation. President Clark and Elder Uchtdorf gave wonderful remarks. Sean was only allotted 4 tickets so me, Kim and Julie (Sean's parents), and my Dad got to be there.

The diplomas (I mean diploma cases) were presented at a separate ceremony within the differing colleges. Sean got his degree in Sociology. Congratulations Sean, we love you!!!

And I just had to end with a picture of my girl. Without her my life would be so insanely boring. I was doing laundry and she jumped in the empty basket and called it her boat. I love her hair in this shot, this is what it looks like when I don't pin her down to do something with it.

I say Hello

2008-12-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

I don't know why you say goodbye - I say hello

Goodbye skinny jeans - Hello elastic waist jeans
Goodbye feeling great - Hello "I feel sick"
Goodbye composed emotions - Hello mood swings
Goodbye old life - Hello wonderful, exciting new life

Hello new baby Marshall sometime in July!!!

Merry Christmas To All

2008-12-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents house and it was great like always. All of my family was there, and it will be the last time for two years since my brother Preston will be leaving on his mission this Spring. We decorated and judged sugar cookies, played games, read the Christmas story in Luke and put on the pageant, and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas. Christmas morning was an early one for us. June decided to get up at 6 am, but everybody else didn't get up until around 8:00. June loved her presents and even kind of caught on to the whole "Santa" thing this year. Her favorite gift was her new baby doll, but she loved opening presents - even if they weren't hers.

This is her first sighting of her new baby!

Sean got this very stylish new hat, and as you can see he was thrilled with his new socks. He did get ski's, boots, and poles as well.

I was the most spoiled. Along with these lovely snow shoes, I got a new PINK Kitchen Aid and the coat I have been wanted for a year now.

June got a sled too, but I don't think she liked it very much. This is the face she had while we pulled her on it.

We got so much snow this year on Christmas day that we postponed our Marshall Christmas party until the day after. It was fun too. I am always glad I married into the family that I did. That family is constantly growing so before too long we are going to need a bigger room to hold us all.

Our Christmas was a great one, and I hope yours was the same.

An Anniversary Not to be Forgotten

2008-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

December 17th was my 3rd wedding anniversary and I am most positive that it will be embedded in my mind for quite some time.

Things were going as planned that day. Sean went to work, but was leaving by 5 pm. June and I had been playing at home all day, and I was planning on dropping her off at grandma's later that evening so Sean and I could go out. Then things took an unexpected turn. June was on the counter, which is one of her favorite places to be, and I was right there with her. June loves to climb and is not one bit afraid of heights. I turned my back for a few seconds and then next thing I knew there was a loud BANG. She had fallen off the counter and was laying face down on the floor. I immediately picked her up gently and assessed the damage. No broken bones, no blood, and she did not lose consciousness. I could tell she got the wind knocked out of her because it took her a few seconds to start crying. The next twenty minutes were spent trying to console a crying baby. I was a bit of a wreck because it was obviously my fault that she fell, and I hate when my baby gets hurt and I can't make it stop. Then June threw up all over me. Besides the initial shock (June has never thrown up before), I was even more concerned now. For those of you who know anything about head injuries you already know that vomiting is never a good sign. I called my mom who is a nurse, and whom I trust above pretty much anybody else. She told me to keep monitoring her - watch her pupils, don't let her fall asleep, keep trying to talk to her, and keep her alert- and that she would call back in a little bit. I felt a little better after that. I few minutes later June threw up again. This is when I really started to panic. My mom called back and when I told her what happened she said that we had better go to the emergency room just to be safe. I agreed.

Sean got home shortly after with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and I filled him in to all of the events that had take place. He gave June a Fathers Blessing and then we were off to Redicare, which is like an urgent care facility. We got in quickly and the P.A. looked June over. She seemed fine - eyes were normal, no blood in the ears, she was acting like her normal self - besides the big bruise that was forming on her head. The P.A. was still concerned about the vomiting because that can be a sign that there is serious brain damage, and he suggested June get a CT scan. We of course agreed, and headed over to the hospital.

Anybody who has ever had to go to the emergency room knows that it is never a pleasant experience. It wasn't too crowded that evening, but it still took forever to actually see the doctor, and then I think they forgot about us for a while because a nurse came in about an hour later and asked if June had got her CT scan yet. We said no and it wasn't too long after that that we got taken back to the machine. Having never experienced a CT scan myself I was nervous. This next part was pure torture for me and for June. They had to strap June down to the machine because you have to lie completely still. June was screaming bloody murder. How do you tell a 19 month little girl that it is going to be OK when she is strapped down and being moved into a tube with red lights while four people try to keep her head and body still. I am a pretty tough customer, but I couldn't help but cry as my little girl screamed my name and there was nothing I could do to help her.

After more waiting, the doctor told us that the CT scan came back normal and that there was no brain damage - thank Heaven!!! We got to go home then (after more waiting to be discharged). It was about 10:30 pm and we were all starving at this point. Not much was open, but Applebee's was so that is where we went. Not much of an anniversary dinner, but it was better than Denny's.

It was a very eventful 3rd anniversary, and I am just so happy that June is OK and that no serious damage occur ed. We are very blessed.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-05T14:26:00.001-08:00

The Holidays are finally here!!! We have so much to celebrate: Sean graduating, our 3rd anniversary, CHRISTMAS, and New Years. I love this time of year as I'm sure you all do. The only thing that could make it better this year is if it would snow!!! Sorry that these pictures are in reverse order from what I wanted, but oh well. These lovely flowers were presented to me by my sweet husband just this past Wednesday. I love when he does things like this (and it isn't even our anniversary yet). We set up the Christmas tree for family home evening and June just can't get enough of it. Just the other night she thought it felt funny to have the needles touch her little tummy - what a nut!!! She loves when we turn the lights on, and she enjoys taking off all the ornaments that she can reach.

Oh, this next picture is just a funny story. I was blow drying my hair out in the kitchen before church on Sunday because it was too humid after Sean got out of the shower (my hair does not do well in humidity). Anyway, I was blow drying away when I noticed that June was doing the same thing, just wi1th her bubble machine. This is just one of the many reasons I love her - she never fails to make me laugh in new creative ways.

Last Saturday we headed up into the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree. I have done this pretty much my whole life, and now I think I have gotten Sean hooked on it too. It is just fun to be up in the mountains and see how beautiful the world is all covered in snow. Sean hauled the tree down once we found one, and I carried June down until the very end when she wanted to help.

She thought she was so big being able to help Daddy.

Tag - I'm It

2008-11-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is for you Kelltie

5 years ago I was. . .
Living at the Ridge in Rexburg and attending BYU-Idaho. When I wasn't at the library (my second home) or in class (I think I had 20 credits), I was doing crazy things with my two best buddies Brittney and Kelltie. For example, taking all of my friends stuff in her room and hiding it in various places all over the apartment!

5 things on my to do list:
Get Christmas cards printed at Sam's
Have my mom help me sew a super hero cape
Get June to take a nap
Cook dinner
Go to mutual

5 snacks I enjoy:
Fruit snacks
My mom's cookies
licorice rope
ice cream
Twix

5 places I've lived:
Provo, UT
Evanston, WY
Phoenix, AZ
Idaho Falls, ID
Rexburg, ID

5 jobs I've had:
Souvenir girl at the I.F. Padres (minor league baseball)
Lawn mower for the City of Idaho Falls (my most favorite job)
Little league baseball Ump
Babysitter
Melaleuca R&D

5 things I'd do if I won the lottery:
Build a new house
Buy a new car
Go on vacation with my family
Buy land
Save and invest

Back to one child

2008-11-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of babysitting a family I know from my old home ward. The mom and dad got to go on a cruise, and I got to watch their 5 kids. It really was a lot of fun, and the kids were very good to me. The oldest was 14 and the youngest was 3, plus I had my own 18 month little angel with me. We went swimming, watched movies in their sweet theatre room, baked brownies and cakes, played and watched their basketball games, played Mario Kart Wii, built forts, did homework, and lots of other stuff in between. Below is two of the kids with their "decorated to the extreme" brownies. June and Max were home with me during the day while the other 4 went to school. We read lots of books together, watched cartoons, played outside, went to the library, and were the best of buds. The kids got along so good together, and June is really missing Max now that we are back home. I think my sweetheart needs a playmate other than her boring old mom.

It was fun to have 6 kids for eight days, but I don't think I am ready for that many children all of the time - hopefully quintuplets are not in my future!!!!!

Blast From the Past

2008-11-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

The above picture is of me and my mom when I was one year old, and the pictures below is of me and June. My mom made the costume for me, and twenty three years later my baby gets to wear it!!! I think that is pretty sweet. Oh, and doesn't my mom look great!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween to everyone!!! We had a great time celebrating this year. My little June was a dinosaur with pink spots. My mom made the costume for me when I was one year old, so it was sweet to have my little girl wear it too. June loved wearing her costume, and she looked so adorable in it. When we asked her what a dinosaur said she would respond with a ROAR, so I think she got into character very well.

Our ward had a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot on Halloween night. It was well attended and the kids had fun going from car to car to say trick or treat. I stayed by the car and handed kids the candy, and Sean took June around. I think she was a little overwhelmed with all of the kids, but she did manage to say trick-or-treat a few times when she came up to the trunks. Sean and I dressed up as well. Sean wore his grandpa's army jacket from WW2 (his grandpa was in the 101st Airborne), and I was his protective nurse.

The picture below was taken a few days before Halloween, but June wanted to wear her costume, and who could say no to this sweetheart.

On Wednesday we went to "Boo at the Zoo." It was a really big event that ran for 3 nights. We went on the first day thinking we would avoid the crowds, but there were tons of people there. June wasn't too interested in the animals, but she liked all of the Halloween decorations that they had put up.

On Monday night we carved pumpkins. June helped me pull the guts out and thought sucking on the pumpkin seeds was a great idea. Her pumpkin is the one with the big smile.

Family Pictures

2008-10-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

We had our family pictures taken recently, and I think they turned out pretty good. She took so many and it is hard to decide which ones I am going to get. These were some of my favorites.

I am most likely biased, but I have the most beautiful one year old in the world.

Teenager

2008-10-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

My baby sister celebrated her 13th birthday yesterday. I can't believe she is a teenager now!!!! I remember the day she was born, and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. We went over last night for a family party, and Rose is going to have her friend party on Saturday. My sister is fast approaching the day when she will be taller than me. Although, as you can see in the picture, I still have her by a little bit. Rose is such a sweetheart, and the best sister I could ever ask for. I love her so much! I loved this shot of her celebrating after she blew out all of her candles.
June enjoyed licking her plate, and hamming it up for her audience. She loves it when all the attention is on her.
Happy Birthday my sweet Rose, we love you to pieces!!!!!!

Pony Tails At Last

2008-10-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

I know it isn't fancy, or even very good, but I put pony tails in June's hair!!!! It was a very exciting moment for me I must admit. I have been waiting for June's hair to get long enough and the time has finally arrived. My lovely and talented sister-in-law, Katie, showed me how to do it. The picture below is my first solo attempt. I am hoping to get more advanced in the future, but for now I am very proud of my new skill. On a totally different note, it has turned into winter here. It SNOWED quite a bit over the weekend. I had to get June's new coat out so she wouldn't freeze. She is my little pink Eskimo!
This next picture is pretty random, but I think it shows our true character. This is me and June "shadow dancing." The sun was setting and in a perfect spot to cast our shadows against the garage. I thought it looked cool.
And finally, we have 4 kitten's that live outside our house. I am not a cat person, but who doesn't like kittens? June adores these kitty's and likes to hold them like they are her babies. They are cute for now, but lets see how I feel when they grow up - - free cats anyone!!!!

Best Visiting Teacher Ever

2008-10-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

My visiting teachers name is Judy, and she is definitly the best visiting teacher I have ever had. Her methods are not conventional, but that just makes it all the more fun. I never know when she is going to show up at my door, but I am always glad to see her when she comes - and she comes faithfully every month. This past Tuesday I was vacuuming my living room when I looked up and saw her at my door. I of course stoped and let her in so we could chat. Judy always brings me something when she comes and this month it was a bag of apples. We got to talking though and she mentioned that she had two bags full of sliced apples in her car ready to be made into applesauce. She said I could have them if I wanted. I responded that I didn't know how to make applesauce. Judy then jumped into action and said, "well let me teach you right now!" I didn't think she was serious, but she was. The next hour was an adventure not to be forgotten. We boiled, mashed, and ground apples (Judy went home and got this cool gadget that did most of the work for us) plus we got to hunt in my scary basement for jars and lids. When we were all done I had 10 jars of applesauce all thanks to Judy. Now that's what I call visiting teaching!!!

Tag - I'm It

2008-10-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is for you Kelltie

5 years ago. . .
I was living at the Ridge up in Rexburg going to BYU-Idaho with my two best buddies. When I wasn't at the library (my second home), or in class (I think I had 20 credits) I was doing fun things like taking everything out of my friends room and hiding it in various places all over the house.

5 things on my to do list:
Get Christmas card pictures printed at Sams
Have my mom help me sew a super hero cape
Get June to take a nap
Cook dinner
Go to mutual

5 snacks I enjoy:
Fruit snacks
my mom's cookies
Twix
licorice rope
ice cream

5 places I'v lived:
Provo, UT
Evanston, WY
Phoenix, AZ
Idaho Falls, ID
Rexburg, ID

5 jobs I'v had:
Souvener girl for the I.F. Padres (minor league baseball)
City Park lawn mower (my most favorite job ever)
Little leage baseball Ump
Melaleuca R&D
Babysitter

5 things I'd do if I won the lottery:
Build a new house
Buy a new car
Go on vacation with my family
Buy land
Save and invest

If anybody wants to do this tag - feel free!

So Much

2008-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I last posted. Time just goes by so fast and before I know it the end of September is here. Back on September 14, Sean had his 25th birthday. It was more like a birthday weekend for him. We had a party with family on Friday night, but his actual birthday wasn't until Sunday so we just celebrated all three days. This is the cake that I made. This is Sean and Brett blowing out their candles. If you look closely Brett is eyeing Sean's candles!!!!
We went to the Riot Zone with my family and did some miniature golfing and rode the go carts. It was my mom's work party so everything was free - which makes it all the sweeter.
And of course I have to update you all on my little angel. She is really becoming my little girl and not my baby anymore. She loves to read books and she has this little chair that she sits in to read them. June can say so many things now - I love that she is talking. Her favorite word is mom and I am constantly hearing her sweet voice calling my name. She is a pro at all of her animal sounds too. I seriously have the best job ever!!!! I can't image spending my days anywhere else - June and I have fun all day long.
Oh, and I just wanted to show off June's killer tan line. She wore her Croc's all Summer long, and you can definitly tell where they covered her feet.
We also went to the BYU football game against Wyoming last weekend. My Uncle Shayne gave us his tickets!!!! It was a blow-out (44-0), but it was so much fun. Go Cougars!!! I also got to go to the musical CATS. I had never seen it before. It was different from any musical I had ever been to, but the dancing was spectacular. I know that I am forgetting some of the stuff we did, but this will have to do.

Change

2008-09-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

Things are changing quickly in my family. For most of the Summer my mom and dad had 3 kids at home, and I only live 15 minutes away. Now they are down to one kid at home, and they are begining to feel what it is going to be like to be empty nesters. My brother Stuart is up at BYU-Idaho living with his old friends from high school. This isn't the best picture of him, but I thought he looked cute with the bow on his head. My brother Preston is down in Provo at BYU. He is loving it, and I am a little jealous that he gets to go to all of the BYU football games.
Rose is in Junior High this year - I can't believe it!!! She is an Eagle Rocker now, watch out world. She is running for class office this week. Isn't she the cutest almost 13 year old you have ever seen.
I love my brothers and sisters so much, and it is fun to watch them grow up and move on to bigger and better things.

Fleeting Summer

2008-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is most definitly on its way out, and it is making me a little sad. I love everything about Summer, so it is always hard to watch it leave. Although, I do love Fall so I guess I don't have to be too sad. Fall for me means FOOTBALL - from grid-kid all the way up to the pros - I love it all.

Well, since it has been a while since I posted I better update you all to what we have been doing. A few weeks ago June and I went on our final camping trip for the year with Sean's side of the family. We had a good time as usual. I had done June's hair in a mowhawk before we left, and it stayed that way for the whole trip.
June pushed this bunny around everywhere. It was her little baby. The bunny got very dirty.
And so did June. She has some lovely black lips in this shot. Where is her mother?????
Rose, June, and I went to Rexburg one day and played at the Spray Park. I think Rose and I had more fun, but June had a good time too.
We also watched a lot of Olympic coverage for two weeks in August- all I can say is "Way to go Michael Phelps." I must admit, I once wished I could be in the Olympics, but I am ok with just watching them now. They are better athletes than I could ever be.

Some of my cousins came to town, and it was fun to see them. Nick, Kambria, baby Augustus, Brooke, and her new fiance Matt were all on their way back up to Law School and they spent the night at my parents. I love when they come. Some of my best childhood memories are with these cousins. Ryan, Savannah, and their sweet girl came about a week later. June and Ryannah are the same age, so it was fun to watch them interact - lets just say that June is not a very good sharer.

I also read Breaking Dawn, the last of the Twilight books. I love those vampire stories, and I am very much looking forward to the movie coming out later this year.

Oh, and I can't forget about softball - Sean and I have been playing all Summer, and we just started a Fall league that plays twice a week. It is a lot of fun, and I think I am getting my old form back - I hit a triple last game!!! Ok, I have probably bored you all with my life stories, but I felt like I had some catching up to do.

On Top of the World

2008-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Since last summer, my family has been planning on hiking Table Rock on 8-8-08, and on Friday we all accomplished our goal. Our company of hikers was as follows: my mom and dad, Rose, Preston, two of Preston's friends, Uncle James, Auntie Em, J.T., Max, Sean, and myself. Our little June bug spent the day with my Grandma JoAnn. We ranged in age from 9 years old to 52, and every last one of us made it to the top. Table Rock isn't an extremely hard hike, but it is long and there are parts that are a bit challenging. Teton Creek comes cascading down the mountain and you have to cross it about four times on the trail. I thought it was great fun walking across the logs and rocks in order to get across to safety.
Below is the group that I hiked with most of the day - we all wanted to go a little faster than our parents.
We reached the top at around noon, and we were all excited to be at the summit. The last bit of the hike, the actual "table", is the hardest part because you are up so high that there is very little oxygen and that makes going even 10 yards seem difficult. You just have to take it slow, and you will be alright.
Some of us ventured even further after we go to the top and went over to a spot called Inspiration Point. When you look over the edge it is a sheer drop off into the valley right at the foot of the Grand Tetons. It is a little scary, but a totally killer view - well worth the extra effort.
I'd like to tell you that I wasn't sore the next day because I am in such amazing shape, but that would be an outright lie. My legs definitely let me know that there are muscles that I should consider using more often. I'm happy and proud of all of us for making - we even got official Table Rock medals to prove to everyone that we did indeed come off conqueror

Green Thumb?

2008-08-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say, that our garden has been pretty successful this year. Last year it was a disaster - something about having a brand new baby distracted me from taking care of the garden. June loves the garden now, mostly eating the peas, but she helps me pull weeds too. It isn't very big, but we planted peas, two kinds of onions, carrots, radishes, pumpkins, watermelon, and some peppers. Our favorite are the peas and these first two pictures are of June picking her own peas.
I was picking some carrots the other day and to my surprise I pulled up a white carrot. Sean and I both tasted it, and it tasted just like a normal carrot, but we thought it was kinda bazaar so we took a picture.

These last two pictures are kind of random, but I liked them. The one above is of Sean and June licking the beaters after I was done making peanut butter bars. And the bottom one is of June sleeping in the car seat after a long day (I love that her arm is up like it is). She had been with grandma and grandpa while we went to Batman, and I guess she had played too hard with Rose. What a sweetheart!!

Update

2008-07-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty laid back the past couple of weeks around these parts. We did celebrate my brother Stuart's 22 birthday yesterday. He is now the double deuce - I can't believe he is that old!!! We shot the 22 gun in honor of his age just like we did when I turned 22. Sean, June, and I went up to Island Park over the weekend for the annual Tracy camp out. Most everybody else had gotten there earlier in the week, so we missed most of the fun activities, but we still had a good time visiting with family. On Saturday the three of us met up with some of our friends and went swimming up at the Island Park Reservoir. It was a hot day, and the water wasn't too cold, so we all had fun getting wet. My little June bug just loves the water and I think she would like me to just let go of her and let her swim, but I think I will wait a few years before I let her do that. Oh, I can't forget that Sean decided to have a handle bar mustache for a few days this weekend. I don't really like facial hair, but it did look pretty funny, and he got a lot of comments and weird looks from people. The mustache had to come off before church on Sunday though.
Most of the time it is just me and my sweet girl chillen out together, and I wouldn't have it any other way. She makes my world so happy, and everyday she does or discovers something new. Here is just a list of some of the fun things we do together: go for rides in the stroller, swim in our pool, blow bubbles, ride our bike, read stories, dance to music (Coldplay's Viva la Vida is our favorite song as of today), cook and bake, play with June's toys, and my favorite - give lovies (June gives the best hugs and kisses ever).

Mission Accomplished

2008-07-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

They made it!!! Stuart and Preston reached the top of the Grand Teton at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Way to go - I have the best brothers EVER.
Look at the muscles on Preston, what a man. This is Stuart on the Wyoming side of the Tetons

Climbing the Grand

2008-07-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

My two brothers are up in the Tetons climbing the Grand today. They left early Monday morning and they will summit on Tuesday morning. I may be a tad bit jealous that they are doing this without me, but it is great that the two of them are experiencing this together. They have always been best buds. So, if you are in the area look up to the Grand - use your imagination - and you will be able to see them. They said they would wave to me, so I will definitely be on the look out!!!!! Good luck Stuart and Preston.

Extreme Camping

2008-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

The annual Marshall camp out was over the weekend, and we had such a great time. I will be the first one to admit it, but before I became a Marshall I wasn't much of a camper. The Marshall's have changed my way of thinking though. Camping is down right fun when you are with them. Our campsite was up near Spencer Idaho, and even though it was a little on the dusty side, it was a very scenic spot. We went on lots of 4-wheeler rides, tried out my nieces new dirt bike (which totally rocked), got into water fights (Sean and I have killer squirt guns so we were the King and Queen of the water wars), ate way to much camp food, stayed up late chatting after all the kids had gone to bed, fished, and competed in an obstacle course on the 4-wheeler where you had to balance a cup of water while riding. Needless to say, there was always something going on.

One of the new things we did this year was a skit night. Every family did one or two skits, and it was very entertaining. The picture above is of three of my sister-in-laws, my niece, and me (I'm in the middle) dancing to "Summer Time" from High School Musical 2. We could hardly breath in those pillow cases, but it was a blast. Sean and I did a "Cool and Creamy" skit where we sang and then covered each other with shaving cream. We got very messy, but the kids loved it.
My June was a good little camper. She got very dirty, and she loved every minute of it (until I tried to clean her up). I loved this shot of her in the wild flowers - my little pretty next to all of the little pretties out in the wild.

Independence Day 2008

2008-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. The summer heat, parades, good food, family,water fun, fireworks - what's not to like about it. This year was a particularly good one. We went to the parade in the morning. My mother and father-in-law were in the parade this year, so it was fun to see them pass by. My brother was also home for the fourth, and at the parade was when I got to see him for the first time. He is selling Comcast in Seattle, but he got to come home for the weekend. After the parade we headed over to our good friends the Smith's for their annual 4th of July Barbecue. The food was excellent, as it always is.

Later we went back home to get ready for our own party we were hosting at our house. It was with Sean's side of the family, and it was a swimming party. We had two pools set up. One was warm because it had been soaking up the sun for a few days, and the other one was pretty chilly because we had just filled it up. The kids liked the warm one the best and swam for hours.
We also set up some slip-n-slides and they turned out to be the hit of the party. I am pretty sure that us big kids had more fun on them than the actual kids. We flipped, twisted, flopped, skied, and splashed our way down - sometimes getting pretty grassy and muddy at the end.
We also barbecued up some hamburgers and hot dogs for everybody before we all headed over to the fireworks. Below is three of the hottest mama's you will ever find soaking up some sun.

The fireworks we spectacular like usual. They say it is the biggest firework display west of the Mississippi, but that could just be a rumor. We visited the Marshall side of the family at their usual spot and then headed over to where my family sits - which is so close to where they light the fireworks off that you actually get bits of firework debree that sometimes falls on you. June wasn't too sure about the big BOOM that the fireworks make, but after the first few she decided that they were very pretty and she liked to watch them.
After the big fireworks we went over the Sean's parents house and lite off more fireworks. I love a good sparkler, so I danced around the yard with a few of those. The kids loved picking fireworks and watching them go off. June was asleep by this time, so I didn't have to worry about her burning herself. We ended up staying and chatting with some of my brother and sister-in-laws until about 2:00 a.m. It was worth it because we got to laughing pretty hard, and I love when that happens. Altogether it was a great holiday.

Thank You Michael

2008-07-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

At the moment, Thriller is my most favorite CD to listen to. June and I have danced and sang our way though the house while cleaning these past two days, and it is all thanks to the King of Pop.

Another Good Weekend

2008-06-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Weekends are always good around here, and since it is Summer they are even better. I guess you could say that I got an early start to all the fun this week because I got to go to Brigadoon on Thursday night. It was a girl party with my mom, sister, Krissy, and Addy. June stayed with grandma Marshall and her daddy. I hadn't seen Brigadoon since I was 12, and I had forgotten most everything so it was good to see it again. My mom played Fiona (the leading lady) in high school and she still could remember all her lines and songs she sang. It was a great production - I do love a good musical. We also got to go out for a late dinner/dessert after the show - we know how to do "girls night" the right way!!! On Friday evening we went to the batting cages (a favorite for both Sean and me). Since we play on a team we need all the practice we can get. Afterwards we went out to Amber and Carlan's (my sister and brother-in-law) new house to help them unload some stuff. Craig and Joanie (another brother and sister-in-law) were also there to help and we all had pizza and played Ticket to Ride together after the work was done. If you are looking for a good game to play I would highly recommend this one. It is so much fun and it isn't too complicated. I have yet to actually win, but I am working on it.
On Saturday we did a ton of work around our house, and as a reward we went to the Chuckers game (a minor league baseball team in I.F.) that evening. My dad got season tickets and will let us use them whenever we want - I have such an amazing dad!! My mom and dad watched June for us while we were at the game. The Chuckers ended up losing, but it got to be a pretty intense game there at the end.

And as always I have to include something about my little angel. Earlier in the week I was in the process of getting her dressed and she was standing in front of the mirror with only her diaper on and she noticed her belly button. I was probably more excited than she was, but I told her what it was and now whenever I ask "where's your belly button" she will lift up her shirt and find it. It is so dang cute and she is so blasted smart that I can hardly stand it. This is most likely boring news to all of you blogger's out there, but to me this is exciting stuff!!

Utah Weekend

2008-06-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

We went down to Utah this weekend to have some fun. Not that Idaho isn't fun, because we love living here, but sometimes it is good to get away. We left Friday after Sean got done with school. My mom and dad let us borrow the "grandma car" to take down. It gets much better gas mileage than our two cars. We stopped at Brett and Margaret's for a late dinner. It was so nice of them to invite us over. Then it was down to Provo to stay at my Auntie Em's and Uncle James'. My sweet cousin Kate was there with her precious baby girl Arleigh who really is the cutest thing!!! I loved holding her, although June got very nervous when I did. She didn't want her mom holding another baby (I wonder what will happen when baby brother or sister comes along!!!!).

On Saturday we went to Lagoon with Brett (Sean's twin brother) and Margaret. We had a great time. I love roller coaster rides and I literally pranced from ride to ride. We went on Wicked first(shown below), it was brand new last year and I had never gone on it before. It was pretty intense and it ended up being one of my favorite rides. I also love Colossus (Sean and I went on it 4 times) and the Rocket: Re-entry (the other picture). We got to go on almost all of the good rides, but we didn't have time for Lagoon-a-beach, which is too bad because I love water slides as well. I ate way too many treats while I was there, but it was worth it - I will just work out harder this week.
My darling little June bug didn't come to Lagoon with us. She stayed in Provo with my Auntie Em and my sister Rose, who was already down there. I missed her terribly while we were apart (I know, I am such a pansy), but she was well taken care of, and she had more fun there than she would have done at Lagoon. We got back from Lagoon at around 8:30, and I think we were both happy to see each other again. Later that night we watched Transformers with my cousins because the night was still young and I was still on my sugar and caffeine rush. We headed back home on Sunday morning. It was a fun weekend and I am glad that we got to stay with my Auntie Em and Uncle James. I have always loved coming to their house - in fact I used to cry when I had to go home. They are too good to me and my family, I love them tons. Also, I just wanted to add some pictures of my girl (no post would be complete without one). The picture above is when we were filling up the pool and she stuck her head in a puddle of mud. The second one is just of her being sweet before bedtime.

Happy Fathers Day

2008-06-16T14:05:00.001-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to all of you dad's out there. I know that I am so lucky and blessed to have such an amazing dad and that I am married to an incredible man who is the best daddy to our little June bug. June and I gave Sean a cast iron skillet. He has been taking an outdoor cooking class and he really has become quite the chef.
We went out to my parents house for dinner on Fathers Day and we planted this blue spruce in their yard in honor of my Grandpa Moulton who passed away in January. My grandpa was a great father and grandpa and this will be a great tribute to him for many years to come.
This is June in the whole before we put the tree in. Isn't she just the cutest thing!!

My Grandpa George and Grandma JoAnn were out at the house as well, and this is the tree planted after all of us had a turn shoveling dirt in the hole.

24

2008-06-13T11:51:00.001-07:00

I turned 24 years old on June 12th. I can't believe I am in my mid-twenties already!!! Where has the time gone - I swear it wasn't too long ago that I turned 5 and got my own two wheeler bike, or 11 and celebrated my birthday at Disneyland. Every birthday is memorable to me, and this one was no different. This is my Dad holding me when I was just brand new.
Here I am turning two years old and looking hot in those blue shorts.
And this is me at 24. I feel so spoiled because I got such wonderful presents. Sean MADE me a picnic table. He is such a handy man and I just love it. Kim and Julie, Krissy, and my family also gave me some great gifts as well. One of my favorites was this Martha Stewart cake decorated kit from my mom and dad. I want to get good at decorating cakes!!
I had an ice cream cake and I was able to blow out all 24 candles, so hopefully my wish will come true. I had a fabulous birthday. Thanks to all of you who called or texted to wish me happy birthday - it means a lot to me.

Time to Mow

2008-06-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday June and I were outside playing and I looked over and June was crouching down in the grass and I could barely see her. It looked pretty cute so of course I ran in for the camera. Sadly, it has probably been over a month since we have mowed our lawn, and with all the moisture we have been getting, lets just say I may need a swather to get the grass under control.

Also, I finally got June a tooth brush so she can brush her adorable two bottom teeth. She loves it, and she knew just what to do when I gave it to her. She isn't too hip on tooth paste, so we just use water. I think she "brushed" for a good fifteen minutes this morning - those pearly whites are just shinning now!!!

Summer is Here!

2008-06-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

For me, after Memorial Day means that Summer is here - even if it really doesn't start until June 21st. We haven't got our pool up yet, but we have been riding bikes, going for walks in the stroller, and taking care of our garden. June just loves to be outside and so do I, so unless it is too windy that is where we like to be.

June continues to grow up too fast, even though I tell her to stay my baby. We had spaghetti the other night and she wanted to eat hers with a fork all by herself. Not a lot actually got to her mouth, but it was fun to watch her try. She also has been loving to wear pretty necklaces. I bought a whole bunch for a mother-daughter enrichment activity a while back and we got to keep all of the left overs so she has about 6 different colors to choose from.

Over the weekend we had a camp out in my in-laws back yard. Everybody brings their trailers and it kind of just kicks off the whole camping season. Sean was on another camp out with his outdoor cooking class, so he wasn't there, but June and I joined in on the fun.
One of June's cousins brought this power wheel and the kids loved it. June wasn't sure what to do, but she looked cute sitting in it.
We played some kick ball, and usually this isn't a dangerous sport, but for me it was. The adults had to hop from base to base and while I was hopping I hyper extended my lower back. I felt like such a wimp that I didn't really tell anybody how badly I was hurt. I thought for sure it would get better in a few hours, but I was badly mistaken. It only got worse and I was in so much pain that I called an on-call emergency chiropractor on Sunday and went in to see him that day. he took x-rays of my back and my spine was all out of line and my hips were totally off - one was way higher than the other. He worked me over, and I have two more appointments this week, so I am hoping to be feeling better soon. I hate being hurt more than about anything.
My sweet sister Rose came over today too help me since I am on the injured list. June loves her so much and I am forever grateful to have her in my life. Everybody should be so lucky as to have a Rose in their lives.

Also, I want to give a shout out to my dear cousin Kate. She had her precious baby Arleigh on June 1st. I love Kate so much and I am excited for both her and Andy to enjoy their new little girl.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Over the long weekend we had the opportunity to go up to Island Park with Sean's twin brother, his wife, and her family at their cabin on Henry's Lake. It was so nice of them to invite us and we were thrilled to come along. The weather was a little bit cold and rainy, but we had a good time non the less. June loved to sit on this little chair in the picture above. It was just her size and I think she thought she was pretty cool to be sitting up like a big girl.
Sean and Brett did some fishing off the dock, but didn't catch anything. They also tried several times to shoot a muskrat with a pellet gun. In this picture Sean is the lookout and Brett is the shooter. He must have been a pretty lucky muskrat because the guys were never able to get him.
We went through Yellowstone Park on Sunday. I had never been up to Mammoth so we went up north to visit that area of the park. I am so glad that we did because we saw a BEAR!!!!! I have always wanted to see a bear out in the wild and on that day my dream came true. It was a brown bear and we were smart enough to stay about 50 yards away from it. The batteries in our camera had just died before we saw the bear, so I have no proof, but I promise that I am telling the truth. It was pretty sweet.