the adventures of Us

LaNd that I LoVe!

2011-08-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Independence Day!

It was so nice to have all the festivities right outside our door!
Supposedly hundreds of thousands of people come here to celebrate!
There were booths and activities all day!

Uncle Jordan playing with Gracy and Marshal

Marshal plugging his ears.

The best thing was being able to walk home after everything was said and done.

We didn't have to deal with all the traffic and waiting forever!

JeRsey sHoRE

2011-08-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

We love living on the beach!

This summer we are in New Jersey, same place, same apartments as three years ago.

This is a great place! The apartments are above a bunch of shops and restaurants.

There is always stuff going on and family activities sponsored by the apartments.

One of my favorite things is they also have a Golds Gym!

It is so nice to be able to walk right down to the gym!

Gracy Mae

Maddy

Utah Valley Marathon

2011-08-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

June 11, 20011

I ran my third marathon.

Each marathon I improve by a couple minutes:

St. George UT 2004 3:47

Mesa Falls ID 2010 3:45

Utah Valley UT 2011 3:42

Boston TBA 3:40

If I keep up the momentum and shave a couple minutes off my next,

I will qualify for Boston, yay!

N ichole was my running partner.

We first started running together in Puerto Rico 2006.

It was great having a good running partner for the long runs!

Rick, Cindee, Justin and the kids came to cheer me on,

Thanks guys!

RoPe sWiNG

2010-10-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is by Island Park up by my parents cabin. This is the biggest rope swing ever!
This is Justin

This is Josh

This is what ensued when we didn't catch the rope.
This is Josh on Justin, not getting the rope.

This is Justin throwing another rope,still not getting the rope.

This is Josh propelling another rope, still not getting the rope.

This is Justin propelling the rope, thus getting the rope.
Yeah!

26.2

2010-10-03T08:30:00.001-07:00

Over the summer I trained for a marathon.
I had to shorten my training schedule because I signed up for a marathon that was earlier than anticipated. When I started increasing my miles too fast I got some aches and pains. My knees hurt and I tore something in my leg. I had to ice everyday. Icing helped a lot and by the end of training I no longer needed to ice and my knees felt good.

Here is where my ankle swelled and bruised because I tore something.

Sodium chloride.
Tennessee is very hot and humid! I would be completely drenched after my long or hard workouts. For some of my long runs I would wake up at 4 am to be done before it got too hot.
After my long runs Marshal would like to lick me because of how salty I got.

Josh got me this nifty super cool water belt. It held 40 oz of water and I would drink it all on one run and then drink a full nalgene (32 oz) when I got home.

The shoes that carried me through it all.

All the rolling hills were good for my calves.

I loved running in TN! It was so beautiful and peaceful. There were rolling hills of farmland. I miss running there!

I trained hard.
I was hoping to get under 3:30.
Didn't happen.
At the start I heard that people usually go 10-20 minutes slower on this course because half the marathon was on gravel. There was also a three mile hill at mile18. I thought it wouldn't apply to me. I was a little over confident and thought I would be fine. I also wanted to be the first girl in, I ended up being the fourth. I did great the first half and was in 1-2 position with average pace 7:45, but then I started slowing down. My butt got kicked! My time was 3:45.

My nice blood blister.

There's always next year.

wE aRe FaMilY

2010-10-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

Tennessee had beautiful barns and we wanted to get some family photos before we left.
So here they are.

faRmeRs maRket

2010-08-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

We have LOVED the farmers market here!

The produce is so fresh and yummy and the kids

just devour the goods!

Another perk.
There is a group of Amish/Mennonite people that make these freshly homemade doughnuts. When you step out of the car at the FM their aroma calls!

Gracy and I were walking Maddy home from school the other day and Gracy said, "We go to the farmers market to buy doughnuts." They are going to be very disappointed when we go to the FM back home in UT.

Marshals FaVoRitE!
He doesn't mess around!

LaKe WatauGa

2010-08-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

We went boating on Lake Watauga with the family and Justin.

Marhsal is trying to decide if he is ready

to depart with his sandy peach.

He didn't like his sandy peach,

nor does he like sandy cheeks.

Our boat was gutless!

Justin

Josh

Maddy even made it up...barely.

Justin's backflip

Josh's backflip

Captian and his mate

Seriously?!

When are they going to design a better crotch stap? Yikes!

The island

Island hiking

Want s'more?

2010-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

We took the family into the wild to make some smores.

Justin and Dave came along too.
seesters

We forgot a knife, so we had to improvise.

If you haven't tried smores with Nutella instead of

chocolate then your missing out! Yum!

sharing is caring

2010-08-13T18:15:00.001-07:00

July FuiTy-FuiSt

2010-08-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Maddy turned 7!!!

It doesn't seem like too long ago that Maddy stood out among all the other Puerto Rican babies in the nursery. She fliped my world around and helped me to put my life into perspective.

She has been such a fun little girl!

Maddy has taught me to hold onto what is important and to not sweat the small stuff. Maddy has always been talkitive and outgoing.

She loves to talk!

I think being so outgoing also makes her smart. She learns a lot from the people she talks to and remembers, everything! Maddy loves to learn!!! I could sit with Maddy for hours and hours teaching her. She has a thurst! When she was still one, right before her second birthday, she knew all her states (minus the little ones, that were too small to have thier own puzzle piece).

I thought it was normal.

All my kids were going to know their states before age two.

Hasen't been the case.

At one year she also knew all her letters. When she was two she knew all her body parts in english and spanish, all the main bones and muscles. She also learned how to write all the letters and the sounds they made. She was reading by age three.

Then she became a big sister.

I was sad because I knew Maddy wouldn't have me all to herself. We spent a lot of time together, and I knew we would miss that. She embraced being a big sister and loves to teach the younger kids. She is such a big help to me and strives to do her best at everything she does.

I love being her mom, she is going to do great things!

xoxo

We had some people over from the office for

dinner and cupcakes and icecream.

Maddy looks forward to the time when she can have a party

with kids her age, but she has been a good sport

(for the most part).
Gracy Ron Macy Maddy Dave Heidi Justin Teal Marshal

It is a tradition to make Navajo tacos for Maddy's birthday.

Yummy!

We got sparkler candles that re-light after you blow them out.
Marshal got a kick out of all the people singing!
Maddy's sporting the new sunglasses
uncle Justin gave to her.
My little pet shop thing

H 2 O

2010-08-13T09:22:00.002-07:00

Here is yet another beautiful stream in TN.

This one had many little waterfalls we hiked along.

Since Marshal got potty trained he no longer has

his diaper to hold up his pants. He is always sagging.

Gracy Marshal Mom

The kids and daddy swam across the water hole to see the

waterfall. The water was too cold for mom,

so I stayed andtook pictures.

Here is a tree growing out over a rock cliff.

Gracy getting in touch with the roots

Some other JB must have visited too.

...uNtiL the DawN

2010-08-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Marshal LOVES tractors.

When I flew from UT to TN accompanied by my three

little ones I got them each something new to keep them

occupied on the plane. Marshal got this tractor.

He had to sleep with it.Marshal made the adjustment to a big bed.

But sometimes he missed his old bed.

He found a pillowcase to snuggle in.

Sunday naps are the best!

I feel bad.
I got mad at Marshal for bugging Gracy
while she was sleeping.
Then I found that he was just sharing some of his gum.
Then I gave Him lots of kisses.

Even the toys get put to bed.

The girls snuggle up in thier king bed.

Gracy is done with naps.

Kinda.

iCy

2010-08-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

The kids are excited to to cool off in the river! Maddy

Marshal LOVES uncle Justin!
I make lunch for Justin and his friend Dave a few days a week
and Marshal looks forward to seeing the guys.
When Marshal hears the door open he goes running
to meet up with Justin. On days that Justin doesn't show up
for lunch Marshal askes where Justin and Dave are (like 20x).

Justin also likes to hassle the kids.

Here is Marsh trying to getthe ice out of his pants

that Justin put in.

It'll be pay back time when Justin has kids!

Gracy and her castle

sPLuNk

2010-08-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

We visited some cool caves in the area.

There was an underground river

that flowed throught the cave.

After the caves we returned home to make a
CooKie MonStER
for the crew. They are da bes!!
They consist of: Cookies fresh from the oven,
topped with icecream, strawberries/bananas, and hot fudge.
To die for!

eL PaRQue

2010-08-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tennesse has some beautiful parks.

Everything is so green!

I will miss the jungle when we return to Utah! Gracy Mae
Madisen

Mom and Dad

documentation

2010-08-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

July 12th we moved from Knoxville to Johnson City.

The rest of the crew moved into extended stays. Shortly

after most of the other wives went home.

Josh and I rented a cute little two bedroom home

(no thank you to five people in an extended stay!)

Marshal wanted to document our life in our new little house.

He has since learned to turn the camera around.

doWn by tHe riVeR

2010-08-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

We went and floated a river near Knoxville. The Fam

Gracy Heidi Maddy Josh Marshal

She had a blast

We found an old vine hanging down that we all swung on.

Maddy and her cousin Sam

Let FreeDom riNg

2010-07-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

We spent July 4th in Knoxville this year.

We went to a B-B-Q and enjoyed the fireworks

over the "lake." There are lots of "lakes"

here where the river widens up.

We made cute cookies.

The crew.

Maddy is entertaining, as always.

My sweet little girls.

Watching the fireworks.

daNciNg QueeN

2010-07-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

Maddy put much time and effort in getting things just so.

She got all dressed up, inclucing the hair slicked back.

Getting Marshal ready required a little more

patients and prodding.

But finally they were ready to show us thier moves.

beRRy gOOd

2010-07-27T13:08:00.001-07:00

There are so many gardens and farms in TN.

We found a fruit and berry farm where you

can pick your own berries.

We went earlier this summer and picked

strawberries, this time we loaded up on

blueberries and blackberries. I think we got a two for one deal because

Marshal ate half the berries before we paid.

It was a super hot day so Gracy is trying

to find some shade to rest in.

Our spoils.

We made some yummy blackberry shakes when we got home.

Moo

2010-07-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Mayfield Dairy isn't far from where we are staying,

so we took a little visit with one of the other wives, Macy.

The Before.

Somehow Marshal's icecream got on Gracy's arm.

Chocolate was the favorite.

The After.

10-a-C

2010-07-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

For summer sales we are in Tennessee this year.
We love it, it is so green and beautiful here!

There are rolling green hills and lots of streams and rivers everywhere.

My parents came to visit for a weekend and we went swimming.

Marshal LOVES uncle Justin!

Gracy and her Daddy

On the way home we stopped at a vegetable stand.

The farmer showed us his beautiful garden.

Marshal and Gracy watching out for the hound dog.

While the Cats away...

2010-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

While Josh was away in Tennessee getting the summer sales

going again the kids and I stayed home so Maddy could finish up

1st grade.

Utah had a freezing cold spring so we kept ourselves

entertained indoors most of the time.

Michaels has these awesome little boxed sets that are only $1

and they come with everything you need.

Here are the kids working on thier projects.

Marshal made a tractor, Gracy made and helicopter, and Maddy a sail boat
Another thing that kept us busy were the
Articles of Faith.
Maddy and I made a goal to pass them off before we left for the summer.
Maddy did awesome and memorized them all in three weeks.
The Bishop said she was the youngest to pass them off.
She was so excited.

Maddy did a walk-a-thon to raise money for her school.
Thanks to Josh and his team she got an award for raising the most

money in her school!!

Maddy also got an academic achievement award.
She is such a smarty pants!

After Maddy's school got out we spent a week at the cabin.
And it rained, the whole time!
Here is Grandpa Bill with Gracy.

The kids in the hot tub with Grandma Tammy

Marshal never passes up an opportunity to be naked.

The girls loved all the worms the rain brought out.

"Wormy"

wHaT a gOOd DaD!

2010-07-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

The day before Josh left for Tennessee he hiked with Maddy up to Battle Creek Falls and they both repelled off a couple times. We love being able to walk up this canyon from our house!

all set

We love that our kids think it is normal to go climbing and repelling, they have no fear and just think it is a fun thing to do. Even little Gracy, who is not the most daring, enjoys climbing high.

The Chair

2010-07-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here is my awesome chair I found at the DI for $15

Here are some photos in progress

Ta Da

Happy Everything

2010-07-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary and my birthday are both at the end of April. Josh left for Tennessee April 19th so we celebrated a little early this year. My mom was in town so we were able to get away for an overnighter. Thanks mom! Josh and I have been married for eight years now! Josh planned the whole schebang, so next year it will be my turn to plan our anniversary. First we went rock climbing for a bit.

Then horse back riding.

Then we went and checked into our hotel and got ready for dinner.
We went to Cucina Toscana for dinner. Yummy!!
I would highly recommend this restaurant! It is one of our new favs
and it is also reasonably priced.
After dinner we walked around the hotel to check it out.
Our bed time mints.

Unfortunately Josh got sick and was up throwing up all night.
This is Josh sitting at the table, which he only did for two min...
then was back at the pot. Poor guy.
I was left to eat all this food by myself...and I did.
Soooo good! I just sat there for a full hour and ate my heart out.

After breakfast we went and got a full body massage. What a great birthday/anniversary.
Thanks babe! We have had some great years together and have been on some exciting adventures. I am so happy that we actually go out and live our life together and don't hold back. Oh ,and Josh also got me signed up to take a re-upholstery class! What an awesome husband. So I found this awesome chair at the DI for $15 and was going to store it in the garage with my 'pile of stuff to someday work on'. Josh found this class and signed me up, now it will go in Maddy's room! Seriously, how awesome is Josh for looking that up and signing me up! Thanks again!

I hAve hEaRd yOuR cAll

2010-07-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

Every spring Moab calls us back to enjoy its wealth of outdoor fun. We love to go jeeping, hiking, biking, and my favorite, climbing. We have done it every year for about six years now and look forward to many more. My parents and siblings have also made it a tradition along with Josh's parents (who opted out this year to go on a cruise).

Atta Girl.
Maddy cruised up this climb so she could have bragging rights
over the teenage girl to her right.
Maddy also let the other girl know that a six year old beat her.

The girls found their own little "house" to keep them busy
while the rest of us climbed.

Here's Josh leading a killer climb.

Then I get to top rope that killer climb.
Which I guess makes it not so killer.

Keeping the Peace.
Maddy is in time out, the boys are making sure she stays there.

Grandpa and Gracy

Roasting mallows.

Our campfire entertainment. Josh changed Jack Johnson's song
'Mother, mother ocean,' to 'Mother, mother Moab', and
we now have our tribute song to Moab.

The kids formed their own group about 20 feet from all the adults.

Little Gracy and her big hot dog

We try to find a different hike to do every Moab trip.
We missed Rick this year, he usually comes up with an awesome hike.
We fared well though and hiked up a little stream.

Sunny dayz.
Maddy would not open her eyes for the picture.
So I said, "one, two, three, open them big!!"
...and she listened.
Posing with a lizard she caught all by herself.

Gracy has her lizard tucked away.

The Crew.

Hand stand contest.
I won.

Hot+water=naked boys.

The last day we played at a park.

Grandpa Kevin and the kids.
Marshal's always ready with the, "Cheeeeese."

There were a lot of dandelions at the park.

Spring Break April 2010

2010-06-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

For Maddy's spring break we headed to California to spend the week with Robyn and Carleton. It was an extremely cold and wet spring in Utah and it felt so nice to feel the sun. Rob and Carleton always have fun plans for us and we got to see and do some fun things.

Here we are in Irvine Park.
Family pictures with the little ones always
turn out awesome.

The kids love to ride horses!

It appears all aboard are super excited to ride the bike boat.
Settle down kids.

Another perk of CA is climbing...on the beach.

The view from the top.

Gracy has skills.

This is Maddy climbing to the top.
She has always been fearless and loves to show off.

Here we are at an outdoor mall.
The 5-kid stroller

How did Rob and I get so lucky?
The guys told us they even managed a high five...
...while catching a wave on their totally cool boogies.

Josh and Carleton did their first triathlon!
It was a mountain triathlon, so they swam in a lake and
than mountain biked and ran on forest trails.
Here is Carleton.

Joshua.

Gracy and Annie waiting for their Dads.

We had a great time! One night a friend of Rob and Carleton's watched all the kids so we could have some grown up time. On our drive home I asked the kids what their favorite part of the trip was. Without a moments hesitation Maddy said, "When Carol babysat us!!" She did an awesome job, they had a garden theme and were doing activities all night and were tucked in bed when we got home. Good times.

Easter in July

2010-06-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind.......

The kids and I decorated Easter eggs
while Josh was away doing a sales trip.

Here is Gracy's tired little face, early Easter morn.

Marshal was content with his big ball of chocolate.
(I'm content too when I have one of those Lindt chocolates)
yummy

Marshal's putting out the vibe in his new outfit
Grandma Tammy got him.

This was our view Easter morning.

AmaziNg GraCe

2010-03-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

I finally completely finished decorating one room in my house...only like 17 more to go. I did little Gracy's room first. I painted the walls a limey green and painted stripes of different sheens, it is very subtle, but I like it.

Here is Gracy in our nightly reading chair

These are paintings I did
they match the fabric from the reading chair

Here is a birdhouse I found at Home Again
I spray painted it red

Here is a caterpillar Gracy drew
I had the frame made for super cheap and painted it

These are little things that I made
this one is mostly just beads

They hang in the entrance to her room

I got this table for $5 at the DI and painted it

Vinyl lettering I had done at a kiosk at the mall
it is above her closet doors

The rest are just photos of my sweetie
she is so beautiful!

10 lbs. LateR

2010-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

We have been to Cancun four times now, but this time it was a whole new experience because we left the kids with Grandma Tammy. We love traveling as a family and usually pack the kids along with us on our adventures. It has been four years since Josh and I have taken a trip alone. Some of the things we enjoyed were; staying up late, sleeping in, lounging, having someone else prepare meals and snacks and midnight snacks and brunches, soaking in the sun, and the freedom to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. We stayed at an all inclusive resort so we ate whenever we were hungry, and also at times when we weren't hungry, it was great. Thanks so much to my mom for taking the kids for the week!!!

The crew eating at the sushi restaurant

Justin and Brandog, gulp...gulp....ahhh

Josh and a nasty dead fish that was in the boat

Josh looking buff and tough with the shark he wrestled

Sunset off Isla Mujueres

Chitzen Itza

The observatory...
with Mr. Plum, and the candlestick

The cinote

Ek Balam

Scary little room with a teeny entrance...

...that I climbed into

Outside our resort

That's my baby

Feliz Navidad

2010-01-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Josh, Maddy, and I were able to go to Mexico the week before Christmas to visit an area Josh served in during his mission. We went to Obregon and stayed with the sweetest family who welcomed us in and fed us tons of the most yummy Mexican food! Thanks to my parents who took care of Gracy and Marshal so we could get away!

Here is a fruit stand on the side of the highway

so pretty

Maddy immediately became good buddies with these kids.
They chased each other around and had a great time,
even though they spoke a different language.
This picture was taken behind the house we stayed at.

When Josh served his mission he was able to baptize everyone in the photo except one brother and the father of this family. On our visit Josh had the special opportunity to baptize the father of the Huerta family. What a blessing to see the progression of this family. They are truely an amazing family!

While in Mexico we had the opportunity to give food and supplies to 30 different families in need. Here are the boxes all ready to distribute.

This experience, I will never forget.
I have seen things like this on TV, but it was surreal to experience the poverty and need of the people. The area we were in had no running water and no electricity in the small houses. We drove to this poor area and Josh delivered one box to a lady outside doing her laundry. As Josh was walking back to the car people came, running. They formed a huge line, in which we could only make a very small dent in. The food was gone fast. Later, Maddy told me she saw a lady crying as she was walking away, she was not able to get any food.

Maddy had candy canes to hand out to the other children.

After unloading two car loads to the first area we decided to visit people Arturo (one of the guys Josh baptized on his mission) knew were in need. Here is a cute little lady, you can see her little shack house in the background.
"I found Osama Bin Ladin"
-Arturo's idea for this photo caption :)

After handing food out to several families we drove back to the first area so Maddy could give the remaining candy canes to the kids.
She had them all ready.

This kid could be a poster child for Feed the Children.
He was just having an off moment, I saw his mom pulling him down the road toward us, as he was protesting. His little sad face has more to do with his mood at that moment than it has to do with wanting food or candy.

Here are just a few photos of the area, so you can see some of the houses. They look like they were just made of whatever the family could find.

We delivered food to this lady, she actually moved into this abandoned complex.

We learned a lot from this experience and have it fine tuned for next time we are able to do this: More candy for the kids, and keep to the essentials (rice, beans, flour, lard), this way we would be able to feed more families. We loved helping these families and seeing their need and gratitude. It helped us to put our own lives in perspective and appreciate how blessed we are to live where we live and have the comforts we enjoy.
When Grandpa Kevin asked Maddy what she learned from this experience she said,
"A little Spanish." ...So there you have it.

Party Hardy

2010-01-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

Maddy always misses out on having birthday parties because her birthday is in July, when we are off doing the summer sales thing. We decided to have a Christmas party this year for her. The kids made gingerbread houses, watched the Grinch (well sorta watched it), and had a dance party.

Marshal had a birthday in December, and is now 2!

Josh, Maddy, and I were in Mexico during for Marshals actual birthday so Grandpa Kevin made him some birthday brownies.

Nutcracker

2010-01-03T17:56:00.001-08:00

The girls practiced for the Nutcracker in their dance class and performed November 30th. They were so cute to watch and they loved being in it with all the other little girls.

Maddy-in her element-front and center.

Watching a movie backstage, waiting to go on

Gracy's little helper, she was so sweet to her and Gracy just ate it up.

Marshal was in awe and was a great spectator, cheering on his sisters.

HaLLoWeeN

2009-11-01T18:23:00.001-08:00

For Halloween this year Maddy was a snow princess, Gracy was a witch that cackled, and Marshal was a dinosaur.

Haunted House

2009-10-30T20:45:00.001-07:00

This year I wanted to decorate for Halloween. I haven't decorated for holidays in the past partly because of time and partly because I had nowhere to store stuff. This year I don't have a little baby and I have storage space, so I had no excuse.

Josh and I went for a hike and I loved these branches,

they are all twisted and look scary.

I made the wreath out of red roses that I spray painted black

Gracy's birthday decorations

Birthday Girl

2009-10-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

A week before Gracy's birthday party we went to a neighborhood get together since we had all just recently moved into this subdevision. Halfway through the party Gracy whispered in my ear, "Mom, I'm done with my birthday party." She thought the neighborhood party was for her and apparently wasen't too impressed.

Gracy turned three on Octobe 12th and we had Josh's family over for some cake and ice cream. My mom was also in town for the week.

Little pumpkin party favors I made

with orange tissue paper and floral tape

Gracy's embarrassed face

Cabin Fever

2009-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we got to go to my parents cabin in Island park. It was beautiful with the changing leaves! Unfortunately Maddy got really sick and was in bed for 3 days straight.

proud papa

proud poser

H2O

2009-10-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

We feel so lucky to live at the base of the mountains by a beautiful canyon. Josh and I love to bike and run through the hills and we all love to hike up the canyon to Battle Creek Falls.

You're killin' me Smalls

2009-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Smores.

Josh took me on a fun date.

We went on a hike and then made tin foil dinners.

We had so much fun that we took the whole family the next week.

The canyon was beautiful with all the changing leaves.

Peace and Quiet

2009-10-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

I should have known better. I was working on a project while I thought Gracy and Marshal were playing so well together, they weren't even making a peep. Wait a minute...they must be up to something. Yup. Gracy found the jack pot of paint in Maddy's closet. Good times. Good thing it was washable and cleaned up easily. Not so much like the nail polish Gracy used to paint her and Marshal's toes a couple weeks after the paint incident.

And ThiS

2009-10-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

Maddy did start first grade this year and she loves it! She is a great student and loves to learn and loves to teach Gracy and Marshal too.

Maddy's first day of school

And Grandpa Kevin came for a short visit,

and bought the kids some ice cream from the ice cream truck.

And Maddy and Gracy also started dance class.

Gracy goes to ballet.

Maddy goes to hip hop

Gracy loves to watch Maddy dance.

Jam Packed

2009-10-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Rob and Carleton came to visit the week after Havasupai, it was fun to have them with us and we got out and did a lot of fun stuff.

Peach Days. Every year we go up to Brigham for the annual peach days celebration. This year we made shirts to run in, apparently I was the only ready for our group picture.

Marshal, gitten jiggy

Lagoon

Seven Peaks

Uncle Justin, holden down the fort.

Sweet little Annie

The State Fair

Havasupai

2009-10-25T14:39:00.001-07:00

A trip to Havasupai has always been something we have wanted to do. If it is not one thing then it is another that prevents us from traveling, taking three youngsters also presented challenges, but we did it! All of Heidi's family came and Robyn also brought her two little ones. The kids had so much fun together and kept busy amongst themselves. Maddy hiked on her own and only had to be carried for about 3 miles, what a little soldier!

The descent...

We made it

THe first day we lounged by Havasu falls

Justin's cool trick

Jordan's cool trick

Marshal's cool trick

Apollo and Marshal

The next day we hiked to Mooney falls (with all the kids) it was a little crazy,

but well worth the trecherous hike!

The trecherous hike

Maddy in her element...

(posing for the camera)

Raw Hide and Hot Rob

Boys and thier rocks

perfectly content

Nap times and bed times were quite challenging or just not very

existant as this picture very clearly illistrates. Poor guy, all tuckered out.

The last day we went and explored the caves

Over and out.

Thanks to the Big Chief (Heidi's dad) five people lucked out and got to take a helicopter ride out of the canyon (Kevin, Tammy, Robyn, Maddy, and Annie). Justin also lucked out because he didn't have to hike Maddy out :). What a fun trip, thanks to all who went and made it so fun!

BFF

2009-10-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Heidi and the kids were able to go visit another Aunt and Uncle, Susan and Steve. We love to visit there because: the conversation is always fun and uplifting, Heidi gets new ideas and motivation to decorate her own home, we feel taken care of, and the food is always delicious! The kids enjoyed picking all of Steve's beautiful roses and making wedding bouquets, Gracy loved having a friend her size and became instant BFFs with little Maddy.

A place like no other

2009-10-01T07:35:00.002-07:00

When Heidi and the kids returned home from Texas they had the opportunity to go to Brigham City to attend Grandpa Tanners 90th birthday celebration in their beautiful yard. They then headed to Auntie Norma Jeans and Kerry's house for a fun filled weekend in Grouse Creek. Josh stayed behind to finish the summer up in Amarillo, Heidi was excited to leave the cockroaches behind and return to her new home.

Tanner's pond

The WiNd UP

(for throwing fish food)

Photo shoot with my beautiful girls

Uncle Justin is always playing with the kids

TRaToR...mArshals favorite

gossip girls

My handsome brother, Justin

And yes, ladies, he is available

San Antonio

2009-09-27T19:38:00.002-07:00

We spent the last summer in San Antonio, it was fun to see the sights and explore the area. It was our hottest summer, much worse than Puerto Rico and FL. It was over 100* most days with 80% humidity-killer! The economy did affect summer sales, but overall it was still a successful summer.

The Alamo

We took a carriage ride around the Alamo to
see the sights of the down town area.

Passing the time away...

Marshall got heat rash from playing outside so we had to
get creative with indoor activities over the summer.

The girls waiting for their nails to dry

Making fathers day cards and apparently hoping to go to the pool

The kids all got Josh's beautiful long lashes
that I love to put mascara on!

July 4th

Gracy didnt' like the fireworks so much

Marshal tried to blow them out

Natural Bridge Caverns

I thought we would spend a nice cool day in the caves where
the temp stays around 68, but the humidity was crazy! We were all
soaking wet when we left, and it was a not so refreshing day in the caves.

It is tough to get a good family shot with all the little ones

Maddy Bailey Marshal Gracy

Panning for gold with uncle Dan

Grandma Tammy

The last week in TX Heidi's mom came to visit,
they saw all the sights and had a great time.

The Children's museum

We went around to six different missions

The Riverwalk

Maddy turns 6!!!

sWeetums

2009-07-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

After the Moab trip Rob and Mom came to visit and we took our usual trip to the Mill to do a little shopping. We also visited Thanksgiving point for thier annual tulip festival. April 2009.

Robyn and sweet little Annie

Maddy loves cats! She and Gracy ALWAYS pretend they're cats.

Today they were cats and Gracy kept saying, "my yittle knees hurt"

because she crawled around all day. What a tough life.

Apollo, what a sensitieve little guy

What a sWeetie

Grandma wouldn't let her pick the flowers

Mother mother Moab, I have heard your call...

2009-07-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

We take an annual Moab trip every April to get the families together and to get some playing time in before we head out for another summer of work. Moab has so much outdoors stuff to offer and we love exploring it and also returning to our favorite spots for climbing and jeeping. We cram a lot of stuff into those couple of days, we like to: hike, bike, four wheel, climb, jeep, run, eat, and after a long day of playing we enjoy the guitar songs by the fire. We have been taking this trip for about five years and always look forward to it.

Gracy loves little Annie and still talkes about how sweet she is.

The kids are all tuckered out after a long hike to the arches.

Here is Josh repelling of an arch

What a man, this could be a Prana add!

Marshal, Apollo, and Maddy

Maddy and Gracy are listening to Eric tell a story

Maddy in front of a toilet bowl arch

The family, the arch the guys repelled off is in the background

Heidi and Marshal in a tunnel

Maddy, Gracy, Heidi, Marshal, Josh

The Fam

Marshal is always ready for marshmallows

Gracy doesn't like the narrows so much

Taking a little walk on the Slick Rock bike trail

Heidi always has to get out and watch when Josh drives

down the crazy stuff. Can you blame her?

But the kids are still strapped in the back :)

goiNg baNaNas

2009-06-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's so nice when the weather starts to warm and the springtime invites you into the out. We decided to take the kids to the zoo earlier this spring on St. Patrick's day. The kids ended up liking the play ground in the zoo better than the animals. It's funny how that happens. Like Disneyland or other overly priced outings, the kids usually find some dumb little cheap thing to excite them. I guess that's the joy of kids.

Heidi Gracy and Maddy

Gracy Mae

Marshal

Marhsal is a crazy man...seriously he has no fear!

"I see babies cry and I watch them grow"...

2009-03-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Heidi and Marshal went to visit her sister Robyn the past week in CA and see her new arrival, baby Annie. It was good to see Her and her family and see some of the sights in the area. We attempted to go climbing twice but one dry waterfall area wasn't so dry. We let the boys play in the water for a bit and went on a small hike, it felt nice to feel the sun. The boys were fun to watch playing and will be best buds in the years to come. It was nice to get out and do some runs with Carleton too, it was nice to take the boys in the double stroller because I felt like people would be impressed with me out running with "twins." Rob is a great mom and is always busy with different projects, I wish her the best adjusting to two.

Josh and the girls had fun while Heidi was away. Josh took them climbing at the climbing gym, hiking up the canyon, swimming, movies, and even made a little monkey and kitty at Build a Bear. They also enjoyed king crab, Olive Garden, and Cheesecake Factory. Gees, I'm sure they were sad to see mom come home. What a good dad Josh is! I'm so thankful for all he does with the kids and what a help he is for me!

Heidi and Marshal

The day of Annie's blessing, she looked so pretty!
We all had our hands full

I think Apollo was glad to see Marsh go because
Marshal kept attacking him with sloppy kisses.
Although it does appear Apollo enjoyed this one.

Little Buddies
The "dry" waterfall

wE tOOk the pLunge

2009-03-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

We finally decided to start a blog to share some of us with you. We also wanted to do something to help us remember all the fun times we have and all our travels. Our family loves to travel, in 2008 we visited... Cancun, Moab, Sedona, Jersey, NYC, D.C., California, Idaho, New Mexico, Belieze, and Cozumel. Since 2009 we have been back to Cancun, CA, and are looking forward to our annual Moab trip in April before spending the summer in San Antonio TX.

Josh and Heidi have been enjoying the "off season" from APX sales and keeping busy with the kids. Josh spends his free time climbing with Maddy, running up the canyon, and getting buff with P90X. Heidi has enjoyed decorating the new house, teaching the kids new tricks, and running on the mountain trails.

Maddy is finishing up her first year of kindergarten and loves the social scene it offers. Her teacher says "She's a smart kid, but we are working on her quiet voice" -good luck with that! Gracy is two and runs the show when her and Maddy play together. She loves dressing up and has to do everything "all by self." Marshal is still happy go lucky and brings a lot of smiles and joy to the house. He finally got his first two teeth and will be running around shortly.

Gracy on a wild jungle safari in Belize Feb 2008
"You better Belize it!"

Tulum in Mexico April 2008

Maddy and Albert Washington DC July 2008
Marshal in NYC July 2008

NJ coast -right outside our door April-Aug 2008

Maddy's big first day of kindergarten Aug 2008

Roasting mallows at the cabin Sept 2008
Hiking in Sedona Sept 2008

Snowmobiling in ID Dec 2008

Tide pools in CA Dec 2008

Climbing wall in our garage Jan 2009