I've got more for you to laugh at ; )

Okay so I love that my mom keeps so many pictures on her computer. These are a few more oldies but goodies:

Aren't I adorable? My favorite part is the bangs that are curled to the middle of my forehead.
There are so many pictures of my older three sisters together. I think they are all adorable. I guess by the time I came along my mom didn't have enough timeto make 4 girls cooperate for a picture. Leslie is also hamming it up for the camera - even now!These animals look like they are being tortured. This is another example of the photos that I love, but wasn't born yet. I guess I have a little resentment in me huh?
This is one of my favorite pictures of my mom and dad. Please notice my dad's long, wavy hair to match the pink ruffles of his shirt! You got to love the 70's.


Now I have a few family pictures through the years. I think that my favorite over time is my dad. He is just a hott mess. There is no other way to put it. In most of these pictures I am too young to be ugly - too bad I can't say the same for the rest of my family. But it's my blog, if they want to find cute pictures they can post them on their blog ;)

Yes Leslie is being a retard again and Jennie has just learned how to make her bangs simply beautiful!
This one really is unfortunate. The worst part is my mom's permed hair - ugh!

We even got some aunts and uncles in this one. Please make sure you find Leslie - she is the girl with the boy haircut on the left. She refused to let my mom do her hair, so my mom cut her hair off. She is one sexy beast!
This is my Grandma and Grandpa Sutton's wedding photo. I love this pictures. It seems crazy that one day my grandkids will look at my wedding photos and think "man this picture is old" as I do when I look at this picture.

Needless to say, I love old pictures!

Wedding Video Photos

So I know that the pictures are really small (if you click on the image it should enlarge it), but these are all of the photos that were in our wedding video. Once again I was at my mom's going through them and thought it would be fun to post them!

PS - I used a new program to make the collage so I didn't sit there piecing each picture together. I simply selected the folder with the pictures and this is what was created. I DO have a lifej - I promise!

Dad & the Pinewood Derby

Tuesday was my nephew's first Pinewood Derby. I am going to talk more about him later, but first you have to see the picture of my dad. He is over cub scouts in his ward and was the announcer of the evening. My cousin races cars so he borrowed one of his racing suits. How hott is my dad?! Okay so back to Zach. First we will start with the car. Rob, Zach's dad, spent WAY too many hours working on this car. They were both set on coming in first. I have to give them some credit though. The car was pretty cool. Here are a couple pictures of Sabotage (the car's name):

Amy helped Zach put all of the vinyl on the car. He was very insistent the number 2 should be on the back of the car. His reasoning?

He wanted to make sure that everyone else knew what place they would be coming in. I died laughing listening to him. The best part is that he was not kidding. He was dead serious! Our family is definitely not competitive at all.

Well the big day came and I don't think Zach's smile could have been any bigger. It was so cute to see all of the little boys dressed in their scout uniforms. Here are a couple of pictures of everyone waiting for the races to begin. Don't the little boys look like they are at a candy store?

Vance loved the races. He just watched everything very intently. He was so distracted he wouldn't even look at the camera in the picture below. I'm sure he was taking it all in so that one day he can have the fastest car. There sure is a lot I have to learn about little boys. I'm sure that Chad will be just another one of the dads spending way too much time on a little car one day. So many fun things to look forward too!

Zach ended up 2nd overall which he was pretty pleased with. Way to go buddy!

Cheap Entertainment

Sometimes it really is the little things in life. The other night we were at my parent's house when Chad came up with a new game to play with Vance. Vance lays on his blanket while Chad pulls him around the house. Colton decided he thought it looked pretty fun so he got on the blanket too. The only way Vance would voluntarily go on the blanket was if we threw it across the room. He would hurry to and start sucking his thumb (as he always does - it is my favorite little quirk about him). Chad would have to start the "ride" before Vance decided to stop sucking his thumb.

I love watching Chad and Vance interact. Sometimes I just have to sit back and think about how blessed I am to have these two wonderful boys in my life!!!

Oh the Good Ol' Days

So I was at my mom's house just browsing the computer and I found some classic family photos. These don't really need any explanations. Hopefully you'll get a couple of laughs...

Love is in the air

I have been kind of sick of my background lately, so I decided to change it up. I've been feeling a little more romantic than usual. This background is pretty fitting don't you think?!

It's Happening

You know all of those dreaded things your parents did that you swear you will never do?

• Sayings you hate
• Rules they enforced
• Clothes they wore
• Outdated music they listed to

and the reason for this post - the nasty food they ate.

Well the other day I ate one of the things that for some reason I NEVER thought I would eat. It's not even disgusting, but I always thought it was so gross how much of these things my parents could eat. They would eat them plain. All by themselves. Nothing to make it taste any better but a little salt and pepper. Nothing to mask the nastiness. What is it you ask?

Just a few sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper (the soybeans are my own addition). I was at my parents trying really hard to eat healthy so I decided to go for some vegetables. For some reason I have never loved tomatoes but I was starving and they weren't fattening. As I sliced them up and began eating them I had visions of my mom and dad eating tomatoes throughout my childhood. I know it's not disgusting, but I always thought it was gross. Oh well, worse things could happen right?

Blank

The title of this post is "Blank" because as you read on you will see how you can't really find the words to describe this event in my sister's life.

Today I am overcome with emotions. My sister, Amy, has just found out that her baby will not make it. She is 20 weeks along in her pregnancy and was finally going to have her little girl after 3 boys. My heart literally aches for her. She is obviously going through a very hard time and would rather not explain the situation over and over again so this is my way of helping her.

The baby is suffering from a chromosome disorder and will not make it. If you would like to do something for her you can post a comment on her blog (davidandamymathewson.blogspot.com.).

I know that at this time Amy and David need a little space to find their way through these difficult trials, but I would be more than happy to relay any messages you might have.

I would also like to take this time to admire my sister. She has really had a run of bad luck. Amy's health has declined. David lost his job. And now this. Yet somehow, she gets out of bed everyday. She finds the courage and motivation to smile and share her lovely spirit with those around her. She teaches young children to love music as she does. She is the kind of mom that I hope to become. If there was anyway that I could take away her pain, both physical and emotional, even for I second I would. I hope that she knows what an example she is to me and how much I have to learn from her.

My thoughts and prayers are with her at this time as I hope yours will be too.

I Joined the Gym

So I joined the gym on Monday. I have decided that 2009 is the year to get my life under control and my weight falls under that umbrella. This might be pathetic but one of my main motivations was the daycare. With Chad going to school at night, I find myself home alone more than I would like to. Plus I was not made to be a single mom and I need my husband's help for at least a little bit each day. So basically joining the gym was a win-win situation. Not only am I improving my health, but I am doing it all by myself without any little people around. YES - all by myself!!!

So far so good. I have gone to the gym everyday since I joined, and Vance is doing fine in the daycare. I like to go to the classes which are about an hour long. Then I have been doing something on my own for about 15 minutes. Then I get 45 minutes to get ready by myself. It does kind of stink not getting ready in your own bathroom, but I get to get ready without continuously having to remove Vance from the bathroom - a worthy trade off.

Well, I am really trying hard to keep up the good habits. If anyone is a member of LVAC or wants to become one, give me a call, text, comment or whatever works for you! It's always easier to go to the gym when someone else is counting on you being there.

Oh My Lovely Son

So the past couple of days Vance has been ROTTEN! He normally is such a good baby - busy, but good. I don't know what his problem is. He just keeps crying and crying and crying and crying. I think you get my drift. I have tried orajel (maybe he's teething), Tylenol (maybe he's sick), playing with him more than usual (maybe he's bored), and nothing is working. It isn't a bratty cry, but more of a whiny cry. I REALLY hope that this is not his new groove and we are just having a couple of bad days.

Well, it has been quite a challenge to work with him behaving like that. Yesterday I had to call it quits for a little bit and do my best to pacify him before his afternoon nap. So this is what we did for 15 minutes:

He loved the copy machine so we made copies of his hands and feet, and for just 15 minutes I got to play with old happy Vance. Hopefully he comes back to stay soon!!!

Girls Night!!

Leslie, Me, Rushelle, Amber, Katie, & Krista

Last night we had a much needed girls night (I will explain in another post why I needed this night out so bad)! Krista put it all together and it was a blast. It was Krista, Amber, Katie, Rushelle, Leslie, and me. We started off the night by going to Sammy's for dinner. Amber had a coupon for 50% off our entire bill so dinner was nice and cheap. Leslie and I tried their pita and hummus - DELICIOUS!

After dinner we decided we weren't ready to go home so we went to Ross and Marshalls for some shopping. We managed not to do too much damage. But after shopping we still weren't ready to go home, so we went to Golden Spoon for a little dessert.

It was so nice to just laugh with the girls. Some friends I feel like you have to put on a little bit of a show to fit in, but not with these girls. It was relaxed and easy. We laughed the whole night. Nobody else will get these but for Katie, Rushelle, & Krista these were my favorite jokes of the night:

Really Genevieve for a girls name Katie?

Leslie's family compound

Me & Krista are the dirty girls

Nasty low-fat brownies at Golden Spoon

Katie's plain eating habits

Leslie's not-pregnant belly

My Wonderfully Romantic Husband

So my husband is just the best ever! On Friday morning, he sent me a text that said I needed to be ready by 7:00 pm. I didn't know what he had planned but I was excited all day. Then at 6:30 he left to go drop off Vance at the babysitters (that he arranged all by himself!). When he got back home, he rang the doorbell and greeted me with flowers. Not just any flowers, but beautiful roses! I have always been a sucker for flowers. Then he picked me up and took me to Townsquare. Of course I had to stop by Mac and get a few things. Then we just wandered through the shops while we talked, cuddled, and laughed. It felt how it did when we first started dating and everything was new and exciting.
Chad had made reservations for dinner at Brio. It is a tuscan grill at Townsquare and I had been dying to try it. The food was delicious! He told me to go all out - and we did! We started dinner with a bruschetta sampler. It wasn't just tomatoes and bread. It was the best that I ever had! It was shrimp, sausage, steak, and roasted pepper (two of each kind). YUUMMMMM! They also served free bread that was really good.

After appetizers we had our salads. Chad had a wedge salad and I had a chopped salad. The amount of dressing was perfect - not too dry, but not too wet! We were pretty much full before dinner came out but we managed to find room.

Chad had two 4-oz filets that were served on top of fried tomatoes and drizzled with hollandaise sauce. I had a chicken breast that was filled with fontina cheese and I don't remember what else. Both of our dishes came with a side of mashed potatoes and asparagus. I was so full, but it was worth it! We were so excited to eat the food I forgot to take the picture until half way through.
We will definitely be going back. It is a little too expensive to get everything but I would be pleased with just the bruschetta sampler ($15) and a salad ($5). I wouldn't mind trying a few of the pastas which would make dinner cheaper as well.

Thank you to my amazing husband for making that extra effort to rekindle the romance!

Waldron Family Pictures

Chad's family did pictures on Christmas Eve and I just got the disk. They used the same photographer that my family used for our pictures. I think that turned out pretty good! My favorites are the one of Rand and Vance and the one of all the girls.

My Second House of Worship...

TARGET!!!

So I always love Target, but today is different. They were having a big sale in their shoe, baby, and toy departments which are basically my favorite departments in the store anyway. Jennie, Amy, my mom, and I loaded up the car and headed to the store.

I got the most adorable little Converse sparkly shoes for a baby girl. I also got a dress and some leggings that go with it. The best part? The whole outfit (including shoes) cost me $8. Yeah, that's right only $8! So consequently I had to buy 5 of each piece for future baby shower gifts (because 2 or 3 just wouldn't be enough right?).

I also was able to buy birthday presents for all of nieces and nephews for the entire year. Now they can get really cool presents for the amount that I normally spend!

I also got myself a few pairs of shoes. I have decided (much to my husband's dismay) that a girl really can never have too many shoes! Plus, no matter what size pants you are...your shoes always fit.

After we all checked out, we giggled the whole way out while loading up the car with all of our bags. I mean between the four of us we literally packed my mom's Nissan Murano as much as it could handle. Then we spent the ride home rationalizing that it was okay that we spent way too much money because it was things we would have bought anyway, it really was a good deal, you just can't pass up deals like that, etc.

Oh what a wonderful night!!!

Vance & Dad's Favorite Trick

So I know that most dads are more daring with their kids than most moms. However, Chad takes it to a whole new level. This is his favorite trick though. You have to watch the video to really understand how strong my little boy's abs are! Chad starts out holding him facing outwards. He slowly starts leaning him forward. Vance automatically throws his head back and arches his back until he ends up in a horizontal position (reminding me of a mermaid on the front of a pirate ship). Then he can hold it for quite awhile before his muscles give out. Who knows where this amazing talent might lead ;)

Back to School for the Last Time!!!!!!!!!

I don't think that I could even put enough exclamation points at the end of that statement! I could not be more thrilled that this is my last semester before graduating with a finance degree this spring. I am taking 12 credits, but two of my classes are online so it shouldn't be too heavy of a load. I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel so I think this semester will be more enjoyable than past semesters. Wish me luck!

Also, Chad begins another 12 credit load semester. He will be graduating with his associates in business this spring. His original plan was to get a bachelors but we have decided we want to move out of state this summer. We want as many credits as possible to transfer so we thought it would be better for him to wrap up an associates before moving. Right now we are looking at mostly Texas, but still considering Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. Who knows what the future will hold for us, but we couldn't be more excited to see!

I just had to say it one more time - I am starting my last semester of college!!!!!!!!!!!

Cabin at Duck Creek

This past weekend we went up to my friend's parent's cabin up at Duck Creek. We went with Aaron, Chelsea, Miles, and Rachel. It seems like Chad and I are always packing and unpacking to go out of town. We weren't looking forward to preparing to go on this trip, but we had so much it made all of the work worth it. First off, the cabin was beautiful. It is Chelsea's parent's cabin. Seriously everything was gorgeous and we had plenty of space. I'm sure everyone else was grateful for that because they didn't have to listen to my baby boy wake up 4 times every night. Here are some pictures of the cabin:

Unbelievable right? So after we got over admiring the cabin, we settled in for some rock band. We all took turns with the drums and guitar. I have to say Miles definitely was the best of the evening. He was AMAZING on the drums. Chad probably won the prize for most enthusiastic performances though. Rachel was in charge of making sure the couch was nice and comfortable! We also played a little ping pong and Chad and I probably take the prize for best couple at ping pong (we aren't competitive at all ;)

When we woke up the next morning we made some breakfast and got ready to go snowmobiling. I had never gone before so I was really excited. Chelsea's parents had enough gear for all of us.

Don't we look like professionals? We dressed Vance up nice and warm and broke out the Baby Bjorn for the ride (this thing is great for extreme sports: fourwheeling, snowmobiling, etc.). He wasn't sure that he loved it at first, but once the ride began he had a good time. He even took a couple of naps while we were riding - it was actually kind of pathetic! In the picture below, all you can see of Vance is his head and feet. He stayed nice and warm while riding under Chad's jacket!

I can't believe how fast we could go (I later found out that I was riding the fastest one!). I got it up to 65 mph before I got scared and slowed down. We rode all weekend and had a blast. The boys and Chelsea got a little creative and decided they should go snowboarding behind the snowmobiles! They had so much fun and miraculously no one got hurt...too bad anyway.

After snowmobiling all day on Saturday, we needed a little rest so we played some games on Sunday. This is us playing one of my favorite games - Jungle Speed. It is so much fun!!! The Allred's need a little practice though even with Chelsea's vicious tactics ;) My favorite part of playing this game was Rachel's breathing patterns - we laughed at her every turn!

We had to drive through Zion due to the landslide on Cedar Mountain. I hadn't seen Zion in years. It made for a beautiful drive don't you think?!

Thank you so much Chelsea for coordinating the trip and to your parents for letting us use their cabin and snowmobiles!!!