The Cannons

my model husband and last christmas party

2012-01-07T21:27:00.003-07:00

Pictures from a few Christmas get togethers.....

Ironman Christmas party. All these studly men did the ironman last year and are doing it again this year. Miss Dawn Petitt put on quite a party! I loved hearing all the funny things/ habits about our husbands. Kind of think differently of a few of these guys :) I'm already excited for May for these guys!

Ugly sweater party with tay's highschool/ rugby friends. Truly some of the funniest sweaters I have ever seen!!!

My husband the model

My friend Debbie models and needed a man runner so my cute hubby did it. He's a natural :)

Expectations

2011-12-26T22:02:00.002-07:00

CHRISTMAS DAY 2011

The kids were really cute....at first. As a mom you can have expectations and it can be disappointing when they aren't met. Overall the kiddos were great, but they definitely had their moments and weren't as happy with a lot of presents. Next year I am going to simplify! I think less is more...especially this age :) Mckaylee woke up before Stockton so I didn't have presents out. Once Stock woke up I had tay play with the kids downstairs while I set up the presents. I luckily had put together most of them the night before (Tay was sick so he didn't help). They were super excited when they came up but I think they just wanted to play with their toys they saw because they got a little over stimulated and started fighting over everything. For about 45 minutes they were both pretty dramatic and then we attempted church and they were happy but were so hyper and couldn't sit still so we didn't stay very long. We then went to Tay' dad's and they finally were totally happy and the rest of the day was great. We went to my mom's for dinner. There are now 14 grandchildren so it is crazy! The kids have so much fun though and we barely see them while we are there. Even though it's so loud and crazy, it's also pretty dang relaxing for us because we can chill for a minute. It's also fun to have Kristin and her girls in town. I love being with family! That is why I love Christmas time!

Christmas morning opening presents

It's nearly impossible to get a picture of all four of us looking at the camera

Grandpa Brent and Grandma Pam

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Cannon family Christmas Eve party

2011-12-26T21:43:00.005-07:00

CANNON FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY

CHRISTMAS EVE

Family party #2. This is one of my favorite party's....we get to wear PJ's, eat lots of dessert, and open funny white elephant presents. We did the party at Paul and Lezlie's and I was a little worried because their house is nice and my kids are tornados but they did really good and were really happy the whole night. The funnest part is the white elephant presents...some highlights were a the little leg lamp, handy panties, hilarious underwear, cat books, collage of Tay, etc. We just laugh the whole time :)

the girls

the boys

this boy doesn't like to eat but you give him whipped cream and he will have it all over his face in a matter of seconds.

Tay's grandparents....Hal and Jane...does it get any sweeter?

Hilarious white elephant presents!

Love this picture of Grandma Jane with Lucy and Savannah

the beginning of family parties

2011-12-26T21:14:00.003-07:00

TATE FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY

On friday the 23rd Tay's mom Eileen had us all up for her Christmas party. It was really nice. We just had yummy yummy food (eileen is an amazing cook), kids played and ran around, we did a nativity scene with the reading in Luke, exchanged kids among kids, grandma and grandpa gave kiddos gifts, and then we bathed and had dessert. It was just so fun to hang out with all the other neices and nephews and to see the out of towners...Teddy and Scott, Brock and Jenny and Kelley and Alison. Love having everyone around. I love this time of year for this reason. We are so blessed with such amazing family!

The kiddos love the choo choo train that goes around the Christmas tree

So I think the kids were a little over stimulated...Mckaylee wanted everything from the other kids. She thought all of their presents should be hers :)

This vacuum caused so much drama! We didn't have batteries for it and they kept saying "fix it" "broken" and they both fought over it.

1st family party down....2 more to go :-)

love the holidays!

2011-12-17T22:43:00.002-07:00

I love Christmas time! I know my kids are still very young and probably aren't going to remember anything we do with them, but it is so fun taking them to fun holiday activities. They are at such a fun age right now. They will be 2 1/2 in february and I LOVE this stage. Don't get me wrong they can be super naughty and tantruming toddlers, but for the most party they say and do the cutest things. I love their dancing, and running around chasing each other, and their constant desire to repeat as many words as possible. Mckaylee especially is quite the little talker. Love these two!

Our Ward Christmas party....

ZOO LIGHTS

Kids loved this! We weren't there for super long because it was cold but it was such a fun for them to see

Cotton Candy...our sugar boy

Neighborhood progressive dinner

2011-12-17T22:26:00.002-07:00

DAYBREAK CHRISTMAS PARTY

At the beginning of the month we had a little get together with some of our close friends in our neighborhood. We decided to do a progressive dinner. It was really fun. We started at Brittany's house for appetizers, then went to Keila's for dinner, and Megan's for dessert and games. It was yummy food and the games were hilarious!

Visit to Santa

2011-12-11T15:17:00.002-07:00

I love Lifetime Fitness! It seriously is the best gym in the world. Their daycare is not a typical daycare. They have separate areas for different age kids, they have computers, a huge playground indoor and outdoor, a basketball court, place to watch movies, crafts, etc. I don't feel guilty leaving my kids there and they love it! Yesterday the gym put on a little santa clause breakfast. It was really fun...aside from the santa part :) They had kneaders french toast breakfast, cookie/ tree decorating, ornament making, elves reading kids books, santa paws (giant dog), dancing, and of course Santa. The kiddos had a blast! Mckaylee was mortified of Santa which was interesting b/c she loves the blow up santa's and reading books but as soon as he was a live old man she wasn't diggin it.

Kinley and Easton Harryman were so dang cute with our kids and played with them the entire time. I love that family! One of my favorite parts of the morning was watching Stockton dance. They taught kids dance routines and then they would perform. Stockton seriously would try to do what they were doing. I couldn't stop laughing! Boy loves to dance :) only the masculine kind of course :)

Obviously not too happy but Stockton didn't care. He was just happy to be eating his marshmallows. Still aren't quite warmed up to Santa Clause. Maybe next year

O Christmas lights

2011-12-04T15:12:00.002-07:00

What would Christmas be without going downtown to temple square and checking out the lights. This was our first time taking the kiddos. It made it easier going with the Smiths because they helped chase down our kids the entire time. They actually had a lot of fun until the camera came out. They hate pictures! They loved seeing the animals in the nativity scenes and "baby Jesus". It is so fun doing these Christmas activities with our kids. I may hate winter but I love Christmas time!!!!

Lots and lots of food

2011-11-29T21:47:00.005-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2011!!!!

We started off at 7:00am. got the kids ready and headed to the gym. Mckaylee insisted on Mac N cheese for breakfast so we allowed :) Once we got to the gym I shut the door at the day care and the kids always come up to the half door after it closes and give me a kiss. Well Mckaylee tripped right before she got to the door and totally smacked her head into the door :( She instantly had a huge goose egg and bump on her head. She is a tough little girl and after I consoled her for like 15 minutes and we put on a movie. Tay and I did a cycle class which is nice on Thanksgiving...especially since I can’t run still. After the gym we came home and just hung out until noon so we could put the kids down earlier.

Thanksgiving dinner at Cregg and Crystals was our first stop at 2. It was so fun to be with everyone. Crystal made it such a beautiful setting. She set the kids their special table and bought coloring books and crayons. Stockton was honory at first and we didn’t quite know what to do with him but once Tay put him in time out he seemed to buck up. He just gets stuck on certain things that he wants and if you don’t give it to him he freaks out. He wanted my diet coke and whatever else so he was mad. Once his mood turned around everything was great. Mckaylee was a dream and ate a ton. Stockton filled up on whipped cream. His face was covered. I love just chatting with Paul and Lezlie, Grey and Erica, Bones and Paula, Cregg and Crystal, and Grandma jane and Hal. We ate a ton and had a good time for a few hours and then headed onto dinner number 2.

We headed to my moms. I saved some room but ended up eating too much at the my moms. It was a special night at my moms. We started off with an idea I got off of TV to roll up what you are grateful for in rolls and then guess what everyone put. We then had our number 2 dinner. In between dinner and dessert we all took 5 minutes to say what we are thankful for this last year. It was so neat to kind of get deeper with my family. I read this poem...

In the course of our busy days, how often do we focus on the minor annoyances and ignore the blessings that grace our lives? I often find myself worrying about tomorrow or stewing over yesterday, instead of living in the present and seeking evidence of God’s love for me. I wish you all a moment today when you can count your blessing and bask in His love for you.

Thank You, God for dirty dishes

For they mean we are well fed

Thank You, for mortgage payments and rent notices,

For they mean we have a roof over our heads.

Thank You for the seemingly endless pile of laundry,

For it means we are clothed and warm.

Thank You for scuff marks and crayon marks and smelly tennis shoes,

For they mean our children are healthy and active.

Thank You for loud TV and busy telephones,

For they mean our kids are safe at home,

Thank You for notes from school,

For they mean our children have teachers who care.

Thank You God for speeding tickets,

For they mean our police officers are vigilantly protecting us.

Thank You for chaotic Sunday dinners

For it means we are surrounded by many loved ones

Thank You for morning traffic jams,

For that means we have jobs to go to.

Thank You for doctor’s waiting rooms and deductibles and co-pays,

For they mean we have access to health care.

Thank You for screaming toddlers

For it means I was blessed with God’s precious angels in my life

Thank You God for his snoring

For it means he is safe beside me.

Thanks You for little disappointments,

For they mean You are teaching us patience.

Thank You God for ordinary days, when the only battles are fought over remote control, spray bottles, and toys, when the biggest accident is a spilled drink, when an illness can be relieved with a Kleenex and a cough drop, when the bloodshed can be contained with a Band-Aid, when the biggest disaster is a toddler’s mess, when a crisis is solved with a huge. Thank You for Your many graces in our everyday lives.

8 desserts later we ended the night. I think Thanksgiving could be one of my favorite holidays! hanging and eating with family...doesn't get any better.

Breaking Dawn

2011-11-18T22:47:00.003-07:00

Catching up.... so I have been doing the collages of pictures for my blog so that when I make a blog book every year it would be easier but I have now tried to do it and the pictures are super pixilated so I am so bummed! Oh well what do you do...

I had to post these pictures of Mckaylee because she is obsessed with glasses. She will wear them into the daycare at the gym and not take them off for awhile. I still laugh looking at these pictures.

Yay for Kylee having a baby girl! It was a fun celebration! So excited for you!

BREAKING DAWN PREMIERE

So I loved all the Twilight series books and I have also really loved going to the movies. I fully admit they are pretty cheesy and the acting is sometimes pretty bad but I still always love going to these movies. Especially with a fun group of girls! Thanks to Stacie Manning (who had a baby not even 24 hours after this) we had a great night. We went to the movie at 4:30, then dinner after, and then a "reception" at the movie theatre for VIP guests. They had different room decked out like a true wedding reception with a band, actor/ actress dressed as bella, decorated beautifully and yummy treats for us and another room was the "bachelorette" party room and they had more treats and mocktails and makeovers, etc. We didn't stay for very long but it was really fun to see the whole extravaganza.

Mandy- (Suzy's exchange student), Suzy, me, and Stacie

Jodi, Camille, Sunny, Annie

dinner at Zupa's..

These pictures are part of the reception/ after party

I'm already looking forward to July!!!!

"more"...aka "trick or treat"

2011-11-02T12:54:00.001-06:00

HALLOWEEN 2011

Halloween was so so so so much fun this year! Last year Kaylee and Stock had just barely learned to walk but we thought they would still like it but it wasn't the best idea...well this year THEY LOVED IT! We started out with a trunk or treat party at our ward a few days before halloween. They had activities for the kids, a little parade, dinner, and then trunk or treating. Stockton was hilarious and acting like he owned the place while strutting around holding up his bucket and saying "more" instead of "trick or treat". Mckaylee loved it as well but we couldn't even keep up with Stockton. Of course they were so hyper that night because of all the sugar. It's funny how you feel proud and happy as a parent to watch your kids learn the holiday traditions and love them!

Halloween night was better than I expected! The weather was unbelievable! Long sleeve shirts were all that was needed. Grandma Eileen came out and trick or treated with us for a little bit. We were some of the first trick or treaters out but I think we started the trend because many kids came out right after. DAYBREAK HAD SO MANY KIDS! It is such an amazing neighborhood to live in. I feel so blessed and things like Halloween make me realize that I am lucky. We were out for and hour and a half and they would've kept going but we decided to go over to the Smiths big BBQ/ halloween party. Smiths know how to host....they barbaque'd hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc for anyone and everyone!

I loved seeing my kids laugh and run around happily all night....I guess it was mostly due to all sugar. Let's face it they are like their mommy...they love candy! Happy Halloween :)

Halloweenie activity

2011-10-22T22:44:00.002-06:00

Gardner Village 2011

I have taken my kiddos to GV every year and this year by far was the best. Grandma Mumsy (aka Eileen) came with us and made us laugh the whole time. The loved the witches, froggies (witches but look like frogs to them), duckies, pumpkins, and all the funny people dressed up...and the weather was perfect! I LOVE FALL...except I know what is coming around the corner. Please stay warm forever!!!!

BYE BYE KIDDOS...HELLO BEACH!

2011-10-20T21:08:00.003-06:00

LAGUNA BEACH OCTOBER 2011

FIRST GIRLS TRIP AWAY FROM MY KIDDOS EVER!!!!

I have left my kids for a night with girls but never more than that. All I can say was that it was needed. I love my kids more than words can explain but I think every mom needs to get away and turn off "mommy mode". It's funny how the most stressful situations become the most relaxing without kids. Like....going to restaurants with two todders = not fun....going to restaurant with friends = good times! flying is a little break to read, shopping is enjoyable, etc. We stayed at a gorgeous beach house in laguna beach thanks to Kim! we were beyond LUCKY with the weather! It was upper 70's to mid 80's the 4 days we were there. Never a cloud in the sky (until the morning we left).

Kylee West, Kim Smith, Megan Whitney and I left super early on friday morning and got home on Monday night. While there we got mani/ pedicures, took naps, hung out at the beach everyday, went out to eat, shopped like crazy (and for many hours :) ), went to a movie, got treats, chatted at night (thanks meg for the tickles...that doesn't sound good), went running, watched sunsets, etc. It was so fun and I love these girls!

Beautiful sunsets... This beach (Aliso Creek) with grass was 2 miles away from us.

shopping without kids is actually enjoyable! The beach pic is the beach our place was on. It was called Thousands Steps Beach. You literally walk down a ton of steps to get to the beach. Poor pregnant Kylee...she was such a trooper!

Ok so here's where the fun began :) and ended :) jk.... So we were all ex-cheerleaders and we were on a pretty private beach so we decided to break out our old cheer moves. it was hilarious! We were having a great time until....

We decided to do a stunt. BAD IDEA! I fell straight on my tailbone and literally couldn't move after. it hurt so so so bad but I thought I was ok 30 minutes later. It really didn't give me too much trouble until I tried running on it. While running it hurt but I've run through injuries and have been ok. When I got home and stopped my body literally ceased up and I couldn't move. Since then I have had constant pain. I can't do anything with impact. Carrying my kids and even walking hurts my back. I just hope this isn't a long term pain. Megan and Kim felt so bad but really it was just as much my fault and anyone's. It was very memorable and we all laughed but STUPID!!!!!! Hopefully it's better soon

Shopping...need I say more

The last day we went to Newport beach and walked around. Man does that place bring back so many memories (between living with my friends, traveling with family and friends, senior trip and so many other amazing trips). We were all ready to come home to our kids. Tay was going to be out of town (since September he's been to Texas, Sun Valley, St. George (for the marathon), Texas, me in Laguna, and then Idaho with his boss. I was so sad I wasn't going to see him, but seeing Stockton and Mckaylee were so cute. Mckaylee did her little dance with her arms up kind of jumping up and down and Stockton ran to me and right past me and giggled. Love those two kiddos.

Family Pics with toddlers = super fun

2011-10-15T21:09:00.003-06:00

FAMILY PICTURES 2011

In September we took family pictures and all I can say is...it was a nightmare! Twin toddlers + husband who hates pictures = DISATER! Anytime we tried to hold them or place them or even when the camera came out they cried or ran away. I mean honestly i wasn't expecting them to sit still and look cute but I thought we could sneak in a few smiles with treats or just holding them but it was super hard! I was just sad because they really are such smiley and happy kids so I just wanted to capture their cute personalities. With that being said, my sister in law Jenny did an amazing job! I really wasn't expecting to get any good pictures but she did better than I could've thought was possible. There still aren't very many of the 4 of us with them happy, but she some good individual ones.

We had to do two different days because the first set is a little more pixilated than is good for printing. To get Taylor to do pics again was pretty much impossible (I love you babe!) so we made it quick and painless. Daybreak is a great place to take pictures! Sorry there are so many....

Fall is in the air...

2011-10-13T20:40:00.002-06:00

The Pumpkin Patch

Ok so I am a little depressed that summer is over but I do LOVE fall! One of my favorite things is doing the fun outdoor fall activities like picking pumpkins. There is the cutest pumpkin patch by my house that we had a blast at! I loved watching them pick up pumpkins and try to carry them around. The best was watching Mckaylee try to pull the big wagon. Loved being with Grandma Eileen!

HAPPY FALL!

Yay for St. George Marathon 2011

2011-10-02T18:10:00.004-06:00

ST. GEORGE MARATHON

October 1, 2011

What a fun race and 24 hour getaway! Really one of the funnest races I have done. I think I loved it because I was doing it with my hubby and my great running buddies that I have trained all summer with. We had so much just laughing and playing the night before (and of course didn't get enough sleep...except cute Keila who was smart enough to go to bed at a decent time. The rest of us stayed up eating more and more and more and more and doing other stuff :) ) We also all got our PR's for either that race or overall. I have some amazing runner friends! (and some were not there for this race and were greatly missed).

Debbie Tebbs, Keila Lewis, Staci Taylor, Cody Haycock, Taylor and I went down together.

Beginning and end of race with my girls

Finish line pictures. The finish line was so much fun after. We were there for quite a while just hanging out, getting ice massages, and chatting with all the peeps we knew. There were so many fun people that ran the race this year! Congrats to all my cute friends that did it!

I love my husband and he did so great!!! He did his PR for St. George and he felt great which is huge because he usually gets sick during races or he is in so much pain. (he did have some butt pain after hence the ice pack in his bum picture). I am so proud of him. I wish that we would've been able to run together at some point :( but it was so fun to just know we were both there for each other. I took a picture of my arms after because my motivation was my kiddo's. I kept looking at my arms throughout the race.

(This is boring for everyone to read....I just doing it for journaling)

The race: This was my 11th marathon. I started in the Elite coral. Usually I am cold at the beginning and have to wear gloves and or extra top for the first few miles but I wasn't even kind of cold. That made me a little worried for the entire race because running in heat is super hard. I started out with a few friends but instantly we split off. I usually run with people or talk to people but when you run up in the front people are all business. I was ok because I had music but it was different for me not to have run a long side of someone and chatted :) As I passed people or people passed me there were a few exchanges of words. I felt really good for the beginning of the race. I stayed around a 6:20- 6:40 pace for the first 7 miles until I hit the hills. Veyo actually felt harder than last year but I think it's because I started out so much faster. I slowed down on the hills and after the hills at about mile 13 until about mile 23 I kept my pace between 6:30 and 7:20. Mile 23-26 were super hard for me! It was hot, my legs were cramping and I was tired! I grabbed everything people were handing out. I took popsicles, wet towels, ice bags, bananas, oranges, etc. (I gu'd at miles 7, 15, 19, and 23) I just had to keep my head full of optimistic thoughts at the end. I stayed between a 6:50 and 7:50 the last three miles but it was difficult! I just have to tell myself "it's just half of your normal run" "it's just 10, 6, 3, etc..miles. Once I hit mile 16 I can start mentally feeling like "ok I'm nearing the end". My legs started cramping at mile 19. I wish I would've taken the salt tablets I had but I didn't want to bother getting them out of my pack. I don't like to stop because I have a hard to starting back up so through every water station I would slow down but keep running and grab 2 cups of water. I would either drink them or drink one and pour one on my body or head. I listened to music the first 23 miles and then I kind of listened off and on because I like to hear the crowd and my headphones kind of fell off and wouldn't go back in. My watch went out at mile 24 so that was hard for me! I just had to listen to my body. If it was cooler than I think I would've been less exhausted but the heat was totally getting to me. Once I rounded that last corner on mile 25 I was able to pick up my pace and semi sprint in. Best feeling in the world is crossing that finish line! Honestly it is indescribable! I waited right across the finish line to see my friends. When Debbie finished we both started crying...happy crying! then shortly after Tay finished and we just hugged! We are so happy for each other. He was so sweet about my time and I was so happy for his time. We were all on such a high! THE RUNNER'S HIGH!!! I guess I ended on a high note because that's it for me for awhile. It's now time to go for round 2/3 :) Who knows how long it will take us to get pregnant but we are going to start trying soon. I'm so happy!!!!!

There were some incredible runners at this race! It really help motivate you watching some of these runners. Being in the marathon environment is just something that is hard to explain. It's such an addiction of mine! I love the race environment! There's something about all the people excitement, doing something you love, challenging your body both mentally and physically, enjoying scenery, meeting new people that share same interests, seeing all the amazing spectators and volunteers that come out to support, seeing the pay off from training, and doing something hard and fun with those you love. My running buddies know more about me than a lot of people because I see them 2-3 times a week and we just chat for 45 min to 3 hours (long run days). I also love sharing this passion with my husband! We can talk about our training, our injuries, help each other out, support each other on runs, etc. It brings us together. When we go on vacation we love just running together. It's hard with small kids to do that at home so it's such a treat when we are able to. I love my husband and he is such an amazing athlete and motivated person!

There was a little bet going on better people about who would win between Tay and I. There were split opinions. It was hilarious to see the comments and predictions! Well I honestly can say I wish we could've finished together but I beat him :)

Keri: 3:02:51 (PR by almost 7 minutes)

165th out of 5700 runners

27th out of 2, 543 women

5th out of 282 girls in division

Taylor: 3:09:02 (PR in St. George marathon)

259 out of 5700 runners

220 out of 3,157 men

16th out of 205 guys in division

Here are some random cute pictures of our kids. The PJ picture was when we were in St. George and my parents were watching them. We missed them so much!!! The top right is them at wheeler farm egging on the goats and the bottom right is them having races in the garage. They get their strollers and say "ready, set, gooooo!" and they run straight into the garage. It's hilarious! Man I love my kiddos!

True Joy

2011-09-20T22:56:00.003-06:00

This picture makes me happy...true joy!

Every summer sunday we would go on a walk to the lake and our kids would immediately want to strip down naked and run into the water.

Mckaylee loves wearing mommy and daddy's shoes and glasses.

Cutest little Ute fans...

(how bout them Utes vs. BYU...slaughtered them!!! What a game!)

why does summer have to end...

2011-09-19T21:26:00.002-06:00

Suncrest half marathon....

Tay decided to do a half marathon for his St. George Marathon preparation. He of course wanted to do a hard course so he chose Suncrest. It was honestly one of the hardest courses I have ever seen. He took 3rd overall! He loves hills :) Way to go lovey! The kids had a blast at this race. It was a very well organized smaller half marathon.

My baby girl fell on the sidewalk on labor day and mutilated her face. She was so brave. I'm afraid it's going to be a scar.

Labor day BBQ

We had some of good friends in Daybreak over for a BBQ on Labor Day. We hadn't gotten together in such a long time so it was fun to just chill and eat really yummy food! It was fun to watch the kiddos run around together. I'm so going to miss summer!

boating and jungle jims

2011-09-11T21:04:00.003-06:00

Boating trip with friends at Rockport. It was during nap time for our kiddos so you can imagine what they did....I loved having them fall asleep in my arms because that NEVER happens! It was a precious moment as a mom. I love sleeping babies (especially mine). Tay got out and surfed but we mostly were along for the ride. When he got in the water and when he crashed Mckaylee and Stockton both cried. It was so funny! They love their daddy!

Jungle Jims- I bought a pass on citydeals and realized on August 20th that it expired on August 31st. I was so bummed so I decided to make it a day out with my highschool friends. I invited all their little kids and we had a little playdate. My sister Kim and Suzy came as well and i'm so glad they did because Dawson helped with my kiddos so much! Mckaylee is beyond fearless and LOVED the scary fast rides. She is a dare devil. Stockton still had a lot of fun but he definitely is a little more apprehensive :) I'm glad he has Mckaylee though because I think she pushes him to do more than he normally would.

Hobblecreek Half Marathon 2011

2011-09-10T21:50:00.003-06:00

HOBBLECREEK HALF MARATHON 2011

What a fun race! I have been told for years that I should do the hobblecreek half marathon. It has been deemed as the fastest half in utah. This year I decided to sign up for it. It was such a fun pretty course! I went up with my close buddies Suzy, Whitney, Debbie and Jessica. The whole morning (from 3am- 12pm) was a blast with these girls!

Right before the race....

I took 2nd in my division and 38th overall. My finishing time was 1:25:12. It was my PR half marathon! I honestly couldn't have done it with Jessica or Debbie though. We pushed each other! I don't think I would have run the first half as fast as I did if it wasn't for these girls. I didn't wear my running watch so I wanted to stay by them and it so helped! We ran the first 7 miles together and then Jess and I kind of pulled ahead of Debbie and we ran the next 4 miles or so together. We didn't really separate until the last couple of miles and I finished less than a minute ahead of her. Debbie has been injured a lot of the summer and came out to this race and killed it! Suzy is pregnant and still ran in an amazing time and Whitney ran for the fun of it with Suzy. They came across the finish line like they hadn't even ran. Such awesome girls :)

(before the race)

10 year reunion and my girls

2011-08-28T14:00:00.002-06:00

I love my girlfriends! I really have such amazing friends! Below are some pics of the people I love.... top left corner is my old neighborhood girls (sugarhouse)...we had a baby shower for Nikki Stokoe at Happy Sumo, top right is some of my gym buddy's...we did a boot camp at Herriman high one day (of course my kids didn't last very long and wanted to be held most of the time but it was still fun!), bottom left (me and Suzy Q- love her!) and right are from girls camp with the other YW leaders...such a fun camp up at Lava Hot Springs!

10 YEAR HIGHSCHOOL REUNION!!!!!!

We had our 10 year reunion at Olympus High School because they are tearing down our school and rebuilding it. It was so fun to go with Tay because we didn't have to entertain each other (definite benefit of marrying your highschool sweetheart). We had such a great time hanging out with our buddies and catching up with people we haven't seen in a long time. I was kind of happy to have it over because I had to help with the organization (especially the raffle prizes). I loved highschool so it's fun for me to go back and re-live some good times. Too bad Tay and I didn't go makeout in the hallway or something :)

The not so happiest place on earth....

2011-08-28T13:13:00.003-06:00

CALIFORNIA!!!!

In the middle of August we heading on our first big family vacation! It was bitter sweet. We had some great moments and we had some crazy not so great moments. The first part of the vacation was kind of a nightmare and then it got better. We started off at the "HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH" and it was definitely NOT the happiest place on earth for our family.

Disneyland was probably not the best idea. I had this vision of my two kids in the “happiest place on earth” and just loving it. But really putting two tired toddlers with no nap in a hot crowded place and asking them to wait in line is not a good idea. (and two tired parents that slept 3 hours the night before because of bad traffic). They actually really liked the rides but it was all the waiting and walking around in between that was a nightmare. Stockton literally wanted to be held by Taylor THE ENTIRE time and Mckaylee wanted to push a stroller rather than ride the rides. She would tantrum everytime we had to take the stroller away. Taylor was probably in one of the worst moods he has been in awhile. There were moments of goodness like the dumbo ride, it’s a small world, the carousel, and toy story ride, but they probably would have been happier just going to the pool and playground (and it would have been MUCH cheaper). Needless to say we left around 3:30pm. I think we will wait until they are 5 before we go again.

Once we left anaheim and got to Newport, Tay said the trip really began. The resort in Newport was beautiful! There was a playground and basketball and mini golf right outside the place and pools were all around. We stayed at the Marriot hotel in a great room for us. The kids had their own area and Tay and I were in the bedroom. The kids didn’t sleep the best but they weren’t horrible. We usually would wake up between 6:30 and 7:30 and stick the kids in the jogging stroller and go for a 6 mile run then come back and get ready and go to my parents Marriot. We just swam, relaxed by the pool (during nap time), watched movies, play at the playground, went to fashion island, the Irvine Spectrum to shop, huntington beach (with Kelly and Alison Tate), corona del mar, etc. Stockton was scared of the waves and Mckaylee wasn’t in love with the water as much as we thought she would be, but they loved playing in the sand so the beach was still fun. We really had a great trip. The drive was so long and we got stuck in such bad traffic both ways but considering Stockton and Mckaylee did great! We only had a few moments of close to meltdowns. I had to go sit in the back a few times but really we were super impressed with how amazing they were. WE DEFINITELY NEEDED A VACATION FROM OUR VACATION THOUGH...going anywhere with two toddlers is tiring. Love them, but we do anything that makes them as happy as possible. We also had a few rough moments on the trip when the kids were in bad moods.

My cute parents are so amazing! They really are the most helpful kind people out there! My mom just babysits almost the entire time...between my sister Kristin's baby, sister Kim's toddler Evan, and my kids my mom is super busy and she LOVES it. She wouldn't do anything else. I really have never met anyone more selfless when it comes to helping with her kids. I love her! The picture below is of Stockton, Mckaylee and Evan sitting at dinner with my mom. They all wanted to sit by "grandma Pam". So dang cute!!

I love the beach!!!!!!

Beautiful Midway

2011-08-25T21:36:00.002-06:00

Tay's mom lives up in Midway and it is GORGEOUS!!

Love Midway almost as much as I love my babies bums :)

HAPPY 2 YEARS!!!!!

2011-08-15T22:35:00.002-06:00

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY

STOCKTON & MCKAYLEE!!!!!

Stockton and Mckaylees 2 year birthday party wasvon Wednesday July 27th. It was super fun! Of course I said I wasn’t going to go way out and I kind of did. Not as much as last year but more than Taylor wanted :) We had a ton people show up. We are blessed with so many good friends. A bunch of my highschool friends came, a bunch of my daybreak friends came, and some old neighbors, and family. Suzy Smith helped me a ton to get ready for the party. I was so grateful for her and my father in law Cregg. We had a good time and the kids were loving it. I rented a giant double waterslide with a wading pool at the bottom and then just had water toys to play with. Our house is the perfect set up being on the park. We just grilled hot dogs, had cupcakes, salad, chips, fruit, drinks, etc. I did a water theme so the cupcakes were all blue frosting with fishies on them and then we had blue jello with swedish fish in them like little aquariums. (I didn't take any pictures and I am so sad! but I promise It was cute). Stockton and Mac played in the water for quite a bit then we bathed them and ate cupcakes but then they just wanted to be naked so when most of the party had left we let them rome around naked while we cleaned up. This was their favorite part...they love being naked :)

Happy birthday to my beautiful babies!

I can't believe you guys are two! It has been the best and hardest two years of my life!

(Mckaylee loves hot dogs and sausages so I love this picture)

I have so many great friends!

Daddy was the master griller the whole time.

Stockton dove right into the cupcake. Mckaylee wanted to eat the candle more than the cupcake. This is my favorite thing to watch!

The after party was the best....naked babies running around happily eating candy and cake :) (Including Matt Smith-aside from the naked part)

Lake Powell

2011-08-15T21:00:00.003-06:00

LAKE POWELL TRIP -

MINUS KIDS!!

Tay and I headed down to Powell at the beginning of August with his mom and step dad, sister Teddy and husband Scott, brother Joe and his friend Kallie, and brother Matthew. We had such an amazing time!! It was a short but sweet. We left Thursday morning (which was really hard to leave the kids. Let's just say I have a really cute and sensitive husband and a few tears were shed) and we came back saturday night. We drove down with Teddy and Scott which was a treat because they live away and I miss them!!!! We got there in good time and got right on the lake and went on the camp site search. We found a great camp and from there on out we just chilled, water-skied, hiked, cliff jumped, swam, ate, roasted marshmallows, read, swam some more and had great conversation! It was just so nice to I guess be selfish. I didn't have to think about what I needed to do, what my kids need, etc....I just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I loved being with my hubby sleeping under the stars and just acting like we were just married. Tay was hilarious the whole time. He rolled up his shorts, stuck out his belly, and make the funniest/ ugliest face probably 50% of the time. He made us all laugh the whole time. It was also so great to just talk to the girls. I love hiking with Tay's mom and I loved having Teddy around. I'm grateful for family members back home that took care of my angels while Tay and I were able to get away for a little bit. Lake Powell is one of my favorite places/ vacations ever!

Summer is flying by....

2011-07-31T21:01:00.003-06:00

I LOVE summer! It is amazing how happy my little kiddos are when we are outside. "Outside" is one of the most popular words in my kids vocabulary. We went to Seven Peaks with my family with my sister Kristin was in town. They were in heaven! Mckaylee mostly pushed a stroller around but we lasted for over 4 hours and that is amazing considering there was no nap! It was fun to be with my sisters too :)

We love DAYBREAK!!! We love the lake! We go up there quite a bit. We aren't suppose to swim but we haven't gotten in trouble yet with my kids getting in. They go in very far but they still love it. Mckaylee loves belly flopping and sitting on her bum and putting her head in the water. and of course they would rather do it NAKED :)

We also love daybreak because we live by our family! Tay's dad and mother in law Crystal are so fun to be by. They are so cute with their grandkids. I feel so blessed to have them so close by. They are the reason we moved to daybreak and I love them for that!

24TH OF JULY!!!!

The Smiths...the hostess of the mostess

We had such a fun time on the 24th. Mckaylee loves hot dogs and sausages and you can see that below. She ate off of everyone's plate. It was so hilarious. The fireworks were unbelievable. I wouldn't surprised if Matt spent over $1000 on fireworks. You can see the garbage can below of the fireworks we had done. Stockton kept saying "yea" "ooohh" "aahhh" and clapping. You would think they would be so scared but they LOVE it! Thank you Matt and Suzy!!!!

Deseret News Marathon 2011

2011-07-30T22:44:00.002-06:00

Deseret News Marathon

July 25, 2011

This was my 10th marathon...yes I am crazy! I told myself when I did my first marathon that I wanted to do 10 marathons in my lifetime so I guess I am done now :) I don't know what it is about running races but I love it! This race was one of my hardest races because of the downhill at the beginning of the race. This race ran down big mountain and up east canyon then down emigration, across wasatch blvd, across foothill, down by south temple and ended up at liberty park. My legs were already cramping and shot by the time I hit Ruth's diner coming downhill. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the rest of the race without having my legs lock up. Marathons become so mental. You get to the point where your body is done and your mind has to keep you going. I didn't train very much for this race so I had to be extra mentally strong. There weren't very many spectators along the course and you are only running through the parade route for maybe 1/4 mile so you have to rely a lot on your music and the people running around you and taking in the beautiful scenery. I had great supporters at the finish line. My amazing running girls were there because most of them had done the 10k, my adorable kids, husband, dad, sister and neices were there and my great neighborhood friends were there too. It helps so much knowing you have so much support waiting for you. I love the adrenaline from running. I was so tired when I finished and my legs were SO DONE but it still hurts so good :) (oh and it's almost been a week and I'm still sore! This has been my hardest recovery!)

 4th over women, 26th overall, 1st in age group of 25-29, finishing time: 3:12:49.3

(I was one person off from getting prize money)

4th of July weekend and Summer Fun

2011-07-19T22:14:00.006-06:00

This summer has been so much fun! I can't even tell you how much happier my kiddos are being outside. Water is beyond an obsession with Stock and Mac so we spend as much time as we can with it.

I mean really does it get any cuter than this?!?! Stockton and Mckaylee fight A TON! I would even say they don't like each other but I caught this happening the other day and it truly melted my heart! I am so glad I was able to capture the moment because it was definitely a happy mommy moment!

I had to take a picture of this...my cute wonderful dad "strapped" Mckaylee in her carseat. This picture was taken at the holiday oil gas station by my house. I heard Mckaylee laughing and I turned around and she was completely out of her carseat standing against the front seat. I drove all the way from SLC (a 30 min drive) with her not buckled in. Naughty grandpa!

My sister Kristin is in town for the month of July with her adorable little girls. We have hung out with them a ton. Below is a picture with them. (sorry for all the random pics clumped together).

I also went to volunteer with my friend Laci at the extreme home makeover. What a cool and fun this for daybreak. I heart daybreak :)

The firetruck was a proud mommy moment of locking Stockton in the car at costco. Luckily the car was running because it was a hot day. Stockton had a toy and his drink and he was as happy as can be. The firemen were there in a matter of 5 minutes! I can't even really tell you how it happened but all I know is I swear the doors were unlocked and then all of sudden they were locked. Thank you tax dollars for going to something good. Mckaylee was happy because she had her ice cream and got to see the firetruck.

We have been to the zoo quite a bit this summer. Mckaylee is obsessed with animals and Stockton is obsessed with water so we will be standing in front of like the monkey outdoor cage and Mckaylee with be making monkey sounds and saying "money" (that's what she calls them) and Stockton will be saying "water, water, water". Funny kid.

"icey" (ice cream) is a must whenever my kids see other kids with it so we get it often :)

The fourth of July!!!!

The actual 4th was very fun. We did our own thing. We went to parade in holladay with my dad and sister and then we went to the pool in the afternoon (even though it was kind of cold) and then at night we went to the coolest firework show at the Smiths house. The kiddos LOVED LOVED LOVED it! They kept saying "more"! I thought they would be scared too death but they were in in heaven. Thank you Matt for entertaining my children.

Cannon Family Victor trip

This is such a fun trip that we used to do every 4th of July. Tay and I haven't been up in a few years because of being prego or having crazy kiddos. This year we decided we would try it out. There were 20 of us in a 4 bedroom house. Really if our kids were older or more used to different environments it would have been fine but the first morning they woke up just after 5:00 and don't want to go back to sleep so we are waking everyone else up along with us so we went on a long drive and shopping at the grocery store to waste time. That day tay was able to go golfing and my amazing sister in law Jenny took my kids for a few hours while I went running and showered and relaxed. At night we took the kids on a golf cart ride and hit golf balls and did a BBQ. That night Stockton woke up at 12 and didn't go back to bed til 4. We couldn't let him cry because we had like 10 people right outside our door we were affecting so we kept him in our bed as he happily PLAYED and would NOT go to sleep. I laid in her pack n play 2 times for like 45 minutes trying to get him to go back to bed but it wasn't going to happen. He finally fell asleep but then Mckaylee was up for the day at like 6:30 so Tay and I were exhausted. We decided to still do the run up the pass. Cregg and Crystal (Tay's dad and step mom) took our kids and we went and ran 11 miles uphill in the heat with the wind in our face and then 5 miles downhill to the next down named Wilson. It is such a hard tiring run! I stopped and walked a lot towards the top of the pass. We also didn't have enough water so we took the chance and drank from a spring coming out of the mountain. I'm so glad we did it but it sucked! It's gorgeous and worth it after.

Once we got back from the run Tay made the decision that we should leave. It just wasn't worth the not sleeping and feeling like we were bugging everyone there (even though seriously everyone was so nice about it!) We just felt like we were on egg shells so we came home a few days early. We still had such a great time and I absolutely LOVE tay's family. I wish we could've stayed a little longer and enjoyed the famous Victor parade but we had a great time at home as well. Hopefully next time will be better :) One kid is ok to deal with but 2 sleep deprived toddlers is not fun at all...

Victor is still one of my favorite trips! I really hope Stockton and Mckaylee get used to sleeping in the same room with us someday :)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

My running crew

2011-07-18T22:14:00.002-06:00

The crazies...

Below are a few pictures with some of the people we run/ workout with. I love these people and share a lot with them because your running buddies know everything about you. The men in the picture are some guys that did the ironman and we run with them a few times a month too. Thanks for the good (and early) times!

THE REAL BEASTIE BOYS- THE RAGNAR RELAY

2011-07-05T20:53:00.002-06:00

THE REAL BEASTIE BOYS

RAGNAR RELAY 2011

This was my 4th year doing Ragnar Relay and was by far the craziest funniest year I have done. I didn't know half of the team but by the first night (before we even started the race) we all acted like we have known each other forever. Our team was "The Real Beastie Boys" and we didn't break character the entire time. My team member names:

Brain Wagner a.k.a. B-Dawg

Stockton Smith a.k.a. Money Stox

Matt Smith a.k.a. M.C. P-Nuss

Jaxson Smith a.k.a. Kracker Jax

Joel Templeton a.k.a. J-Diesel

Cregg Cannon a.k.a. Slim C. Sniper

Kristy Hafen a.k.a. 5 Cent

Annie Wagner a.k.a. Cool A. Shady

Suzy Smith a.k.a. Foxxy B-otch

Keri Cannon a.k.a. M.C. 36 DD

Fawntell Mogle a.k.a. Blazin' Pimpette

Crystal Martucci a.k.a. Cheetah Girl

We danced between all 36 exchanges. We had beastie boys music blasting from the top of the awesome real boombox on top of our car or out of our boombox we carried with us to each exchange. Even when it was in the middle of the night we still danced and jammed out. I was so sick of beastie boy music by about saturday morning. It was so fun to do it with my father in law and the smiths (their 2 boys did it with us...so amazing!) and their friends. We weren't the fastest team but we had so much fun!

My cute family came and saw us in Heber. And yes that is my father in law above wearing a bra. He was Hilarious!

I literally didn't sleep AT ALL the entire time. We started at 9:30a.m. on Friday morning and didn't finish until 4:00p.m. on saturday. I was actually fine the entire time until the very end when we were waiting for our last runner to come in. I was super tired at that point!

I was runner 10. I ran a easy 4 miles run at like 5:00pm on friday night, a 10 mile run at like 3:00a.m and then I ran the ragnar portion of the race at like 1:00pm and it was hard but fun. I love a good challenge :) I guess i took 3rd out of all the girls that ran the ragnar portion of the race (it's 4 miles uphill on guardsmens pass) I didn't even know they were timing us but they timed this leg for everyone.

Because our team was super crazy (and annoying) the whole time the Dessert News paper had a half page picture of us the next day in the paper. We also had 5 pictures online. It was pretty funny! Thanks to my team who went ALL OUT on this race. It was the most memorable, sleepless 2 days of my life. Say hi to your mom :)

Daybreak Tri

2011-06-29T23:08:00.004-06:00

DAYBREAK OLYMPIC TRIATHLON

June 11, 2011

My amazing husband just randomly decided to do the triathlon in our neighborhood. It was such a cool race to watch. Not only was it awesome because it was so close, but it made me realize how pretty of a place Daybreak is. I love this place! It was also the greatest spectating race ever! I just had my jogging stroller and we ran around and got to see Tay beginning the swim, while he swam, coming out of the water, going into transition, coming back from the bike ride, (we played at the park waiting for that), and 2x on the run. Best spectating race ever and the kiddos did great...and of course Tay did amazing! He took 12th out of everyone and 4th in his age division!!!! This event attracts pro athletes because the course is so great. He seriously did amazing! His final time was 2 hours and 14 minutes. He really a true athlete!!! Way to go babe!!!

Obsessed much...

2011-06-09T21:36:00.003-06:00

Obsessed much...with the outdoors.

Our weather still isn't what I consider "nice" or "summer" but we have been able to play outside. I wish we could hit up the pool but we make due.

Mckaylee looks great in the diaper with her winter jacket and Stockton's flip flops. The two of them had a messy fun time with the water dripping from our plants. Speaking of mess we get super sticky and messy at costco with ice cream. I mostly get it because I end up eating most of it along with my own. I have a separate stomach for ice cream. I could eat endless amounts and not be full. Lastly, ring around the rosie's is Stockton and Mckaylee's FAV thing to do. They always come up to me and say "ashes" and grab my hand. They could do it over and over and over and still immediately get up and say "ashes". Too cute

Ok this is my favorite thing....Stockton recently has an obsession with our new blendtec blender. I think he sees me use it every morning and he wants to be like mommy. So one day he set it up and I started watching. He set up the base, set the blender on top, put the carrot in, put the lid on, and started screaming. I thought he was hurt and then I saw his face...he was smiling with he was screaming and then he puts his hands up and says "all done" and then takes the lid off and "drinks his drink". I realized he imitating the sound of the loud blender with his scream. I couldn't get enough of this all day.

Right now Stock and Mac are in an animal phase. We watch animal movies all day long. Up in midway last week Grandma Eileen took us to an amazing house that has pigs, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, etc and they just roam free and they came right up to us. Kiddos were in heaven.

wheeler farm was a fun filled animal afternoon. So fun to go places with daddy

One of the funnest parts about summer is the BBQ's and roasting smore's. We had a great Sunday night hanging out in Cregg and Crystals backyard. The Smiths joined us for a little family fun night. We had such a fun night. Stockton seriously doesn't eat but he sure loved licking the chocolate off the graham crackers. I get excited over anything he eats. I would coat everything in chocolate if I knew he would eat it.

And that's why we love summer (even though it still doesn't feel warm enough to be summer)

NAP TIME IS THE BEST

2011-05-29T20:56:00.003-06:00

NAP TIME IS MY FAVORITE TIME...

Not because my kiddos are asleep but because my favorite thing right now is putting them to sleep.... When I sing them to sleep I either cry or laugh almost everytime. I cry because I'm happy and I laugh because they are so cute. I say "it's time for nigh nigh" and all three of us walk into Mckaylee's room. Mckaylee puckers her lips the entire time waiting for me to finish and say "ok give me a kiss". She puts her lips right in my face and just stares until I'm done. Then I put her in her crib and immediately she says "ba ba" and she goes right to sleep. Then Stockton waves goodbye to Mckaylee. Stockton grabs his blankie, dede (his animal blankie), and his bottle. He refuses to let me carry him downstairs so he carries his items and slides down the stairs as he turns around and smiles and giggles at me every 2-3 steps. We walk into his room, turn on the fan, and then he lets me pick him up and I sing him a song. He trys to sing along with me and he nuzzles his head into my shoulder and face and then he gives me a slobbery kiss and I put him in his crib and he smiles until I leave the room (then he usually cries for 30 seconds and then goes to sleep). It truly is one of my favorite parts of being a mom.

Stockton

OGDEN MARATHON 2011

2011-05-23T21:49:00.002-06:00

Ogden Marathon 2011

I randomly ran the Ogden marathon on May 21, 2011. I ran under someone else's name so I purposely ran it slower and kind of went to just enjoy the scenic view. I got the time that I was shooting for (3:25) but honestly it was harder than I imaged it would be. Considering I have faster marathons, I really think I was just as tired at the end of this one. It might have been due to the fact I ran the SLC one 5 weeks ago and the Thanksgiving Point 1/2 a few weeks ago and I only got 1 1/2 hours of sleep the night before (went to bed at 11:30 and was woken up at 12:15 to Mckaylee throwing up...she threw up 4x in 2 hours. It was so sad. We had to change her PJ's 3x and bed sheets 3x. then I had to be up at 3:30 to head up to the race...I was SO TIRED!!!) I need a break I think :)

With that said, I seriously love the Ogden marathon. The whole atmosphere was so exciting! I meant so many fun people and a lot of people were unreal athletes! I'm so glad I did it and I had a great time!

My amazing friend Marci and I hung out at top and ran the first 5 miles together. She has run 40+ marathons. She's unreal!

Tay is such an amazing supporter, husband, and daddy! It's not easy to get those kids ready and push them around a race, but he does it! I love him!

This is my running friend Amber. She's incredible!

Love my kiddo's!!!! Thanks for putting up with mommy and daddy and their random saturday events :)

IRONMAN

2011-05-17T22:02:00.003-06:00

ST. GEORGE FORD

IRONMAN

MAY 7, 2011

WOW...What an amazing experience/ vacation! My animal of a husband did an ironman a couple weekends ago. He decided on a whim last summer that he was going to do an ironman. He had never clipped in a bike and barely swam and decided that he might as well go big or go home. Well that he did. He is seriously amazing! He didn't get to train as much as he would've wanted to, but still trained a ton! Between my random things going on at night and tay's training, we hardly got to hang out together. I personally was ok with it though because I kind of understand wanting to train for something and putting in the time. We both understand each other. The coolest part about this whole experience is that Tay got to do this with his dad. It was beyond neat to watch a father and son do such an amazing feat. I could go on forever about the whole weekend but pictures say more than words...

2 days before the race we went to the check in point and got all numbered up and bought some ironman gear.

The day before we had to go take all of Tay's stuff to the 2 transition areas. We thought it would be a 5 minute trip but it was an all day thing! We went to sandhollow and hung out with some of our friends that are doing it. It was neat to just see everything and how bit of an event it was prior to it starting! Also a huge shout out to all of friends who did it and especially the wives (my friends)...we deserve a medal for all the training and for even spectating that day. Let's just say it was not easy with Mckaylee and Stockton.

We had a great little pool at our place and Mckaylee was obsessed with it! She could've swam all day! She was hilarious...jumping in and out and going under for hours on end. Stockton was ok getting in the pool but was much more hesitant (not shocking at all). It was just so nice to be warm!

The night before Cregg and Tay did a little devotional. It was so neat. Cregg opened his journaling log of his training and they thanked the wives and family members for all the support. My amazingly sweet husband told me how grateful he was for me and how much he loved me. Of course there was not a dry face in the room. it was so emotional hearing these amazing guys talk about their journey. It was also so great being with all of Tay's family. Teddy and Scott flew all the way from Omaha to come see the event! It was the biggest treat having them there. I just love having them around and their little girl Janey is so adorable and such a good baby! I can't wait for Scotty to be done with school!!! It's not the same without them. Tay's grandparents also came. It was so fun having them around. Then we had Crystal, Cregg, Eileen, Monty, Matthew, and Joe. Now that's Family support!!!!!

THE SWIM.... 2.4 MILES.

I didn't get to see it in person because I had to watch my kiddos and spectators had to take a bus at 5:30a.m. and were stuck out there until 11 a.m. and I knew that was not possible with 2 toddlers. I luckily have great friends that took pictures!!

Taylor killed it on the swim! He did way better than anyone expected! He seriously is an athlete.... He was up with the pro's (not as fast as them but pretty dang close)

My camera busted during the race :( I only got one bike picture. I ran with the kiddos to mile 6 of the bike. It was 1 mile away from our condo. It was kind of funny because I was tired from my 2 mile up/ downhill run while my husband was doing 70x that! 140.6 miles to be exact.

He again killed it on the bike! We kept watching his pace that was registered online and he was doing faster that we all thought he would. I kept missing him at all the points. it was beyond frustrating! Spectating is a hard sport :)

Then came the run....my husbands strong point! It was 93 degrees when he started the run. It was even hot for us spectators! Um, well today running wasn't his best sport. He got super sick. I felt so bad for him. He had major stomach pain/ cramps and had to walk 10 miles of the marathon. That is so unlike Tay. I got emotional when I saw him because I knew he was so frustrated. It wasn't until mile 20 that he felt better. He was able to run the last 6 miles. He still finished in an awesome time. I'm so proud of him!

This was us spectating....

Best moment of the day....seeing my husband approach the finish line. I found a spot to sneak in and I got the best kiss! I love my friend Jenna for catching the moment on camera!!!

CONGRATS TO MY AMAZING HUSBAND!!!!!

Not many people can do what he has now done!

I love you and am so beyond proud!!!!!

After Tay finished I went and put the kiddos down to bed and got a babysitter and came back to watch Tay's dad finish. He is the most in shape dad I know and he trained better than anyone I know. what a stud!!! He finished in close to 16 hours. His bike chain even broke and he still did great!

CONGRATS TO MY HUSBAND, MY FATHER IN LAW, AND THE OTHER PEOPLE I KNEW THAT DID IT!

We had such a fun trip! The kids did great and had so much fun. The ironman day was long for them and they still did good considering. They place we stayed was super nice and we had our own suite but the kiddos had to sleep in the same closet and they still did great considering!

I don't know when Taylor will do another ironman, but I know he will. He was less sore than I am after I run a race. He really is superhuman.

I LOVE YOU BABE!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST HUSBAND, DADDY, AND NOW IRONMAN I KNOW!!!

HAPPY EASTER 2011

2011-04-30T21:36:00.004-06:00

HAPPY EASTER 2011!!!

This year easter was so much more fun than last year because Stockton and Mckaylee kind of understood it. Ok so they didn't get that you put a bunch of eggs in a basket but they did get that those bright colored eggs had a treat in them so they would pick them up open them eat a few pieces of candy, drop the egg and then go find another one. Too bad it wasn't that warm but it still was a decent day and the kids had a great time. We just spent most of our day home and at Grandpa Cregg and Grandma Crystals house. Let's just say I think all they had that day was sugar, but I guess that's what easter is about. Oh and I probably ate more of their candy then they did. If you guys know me you know that I am sugaraholic. I could eat sugar all day long! (but I have to have healthy food to balance all the crap I eat). I am even more excited for next year!!!

My goal is life is to get these two cute ones to BOTH smile at the camera at the SAME time. It's next to impossible!! I still try...alot!

Easter egg hung in grandparents back yard...yummy candy

We have such a cute family! (I'm talking grandma's, cousins, etc)

MOM OF TWINS.... :)

2011-04-19T20:50:00.003-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY MARATHON 2011

April 16, 2011

I ran my 8th marathon this last Saturday. I had no idea what was going to happen on this day. I started the race 15 min later because we got stuck on Trax and I had to go to the bathroom before. I hate starting late because you have to weave in and out of people. On foothill I had to just run on the median (like the curb) in the middle of the road because I was getting stuck behind everyone. The half marathoners and the marathoners all start together and don't totally split off until about mile 7. It was much better once we split off because it opened up a bit. From then on I just ran my heart out. My cute hubby and kiddos was at mile 11 in Holladay, mile 17 on 500 east, and at the end. It's amazing how great it is to see your loved ones. I thought I would see more people I knew a long the way because I lived close to the first half of the marathon. The weather was perfect. Not too hot or cold. It started to rain a little but it wasn't bad. My cute friend Marci met me at mile 23 and ran state street with me. That was the worst part! It's this straight uphill at the very end. It was so nice to have her run with me for a couple miles. Once I got up that hill it was the best feeling. I was able to pick up the pace knowing I was almost home free. I came in with the time saying 3:20 but I knew I had started way late and my watch said 3:09. I was tired but felt decently good after. It wasn't til I was talking to a few girls that I realized I might have had the best time. We waited around for over an hour until the posted the results and my cute friends Marci and Suzy ran over to the board and started screaming...."You won!". We were all dying! The 2 girls that had thought they had won were not happy. I genuinely felt really bad because that would have been so disappointing. It was the most surreal feeling. I just won a marathon (for the females). I never imagined that would EVER happen and I know it will never happen again.

My dad stayed down there with my friends Suzy and Matt and Marci. Tay took the kiddos home because they were done. We waited around for the awards ceremony. Oh my goodness it was the most anticlimactic awards ceremony ever!!! I received 2 medals. One for taking first in my division and one for taking first overall. The funny thing about it was it was the exact same medal you get when you finish. It didn't say first place on the medal and the ribbon didn't even say first place so I now have 3 of the exact same medals. In other marathons that are smaller than this one they give the winners cash or trips or prizes but we got NOTHING. It's almost humorous. There are 11,000 participants that pay $60-$100 to enter and they still give nothing. Its crazy. Oh well I honestly would've been happy with a plaque or SLC sweatshirt or something.

Once the "ceremony" was over we went home and reality hits. I am a mom to twins that need me because my wonderful husband needs to go train for his ironman. Later that night I got 2 facebook messages...one from Salt Lake Tribune and one from Channel 2 news....both wanting me to call them ASAP. The tribune guy had to rewrite the story 3 times because they kept getting the winner wrong. Here's the article:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/51639977-77/marathon-lake-salt-ndambuki.html.csp?page=2#disqus_thread

The Channel 2 news guy Brian Mullahy told me they were sending a camera crew to my house and wanted to get an interview for the 10:00pm news. They got here at 9 and by 10 they had put together the segment. It was so weird to watch because we thought it would be a 2 second blip but they made it the top story...what? So crazy! I guess they hardly ever have locals win the race so the fact it was a south jordan mother of twins was I guess kind of cool. If you missed the segment here it is:

http://connect2utah.com/search-fulltext?nxd_id=141667

I definitely was on Cloud 9 the entire day and on Sunday opening up the front page of the page and front page of the sports....but then again reality hits and I haven't slept since then because Mckaylee was up all night saturday throwing up, Taylor was throwing up all Sunday afternoon/ night, and Stockton was up all night last night throwing up. My poor sick family!

I do have to say THANK YOU to everyone out there for all your kind words and compliments! Honestly I have been overwhelmed by generosity from SO many different people. It's amazing what social networking/ media does. I am so grateful for all the amazing people in my life. I'm especially thankful for my kiddos and husband!!!! Here are a few pictures:

Before the race down at the trax station. Suzy, Jenny, Diane, Tibett, and Dawn did the half marathon. They all did great! I love my running buddies! 3 of our running buddies were in Boston getting ready for the marathon. We sure missed them!

Marci, Suzy, and Katie all stayed with me and were so supportive!!! Marci and Suzy I think were more excited than me. I couldn't ask for better friends! I truly consider these two girls some of my bestest friends! Thanks for being so dang awesome! Love you!

Family is the best! My adorable dad hung out with me the entire time. Such a good dad! Then there's my amazing husband and kids. They didn't stay til the ceremony because they were exhausted but they followed me along the way and there was nothing better than that! To see my cute little girl with chocolate milk all over and Stockton point at me kept me going!

I'm flipping off the Tribune guy :) ha ha jk If you look close you can see our tattoos on our legs with 26.2 Matt Smith did the marathon and cute suzy bought us all tat's.

I have never seen a good picture of my running but it's all about the memories so I figured I better post them. It was my PR marathon of 3:09:07!

Vegas Baby Vegas

2011-04-02T20:29:00.003-06:00

VEGAS BABY VEGAS

Tay and I headed down to Vegas March 26th with our friends Suzy and Matt Smith. We down for Tay, Matt, and Tay's dad to do a half ironman called "The showdown at sundown". We knew the trip was going to fun within the first few minutes of laughing in the car. It was the fastest car ride down to Vegas I have had. Overall the trip was very fun and very eventful.

Suzy and I maybe had matching outfits :) We also maybe went to Cheesecake factory every night for dinner.

The weather wasn't the best the day of the race. They cancelled the swim portion because the water had white caps and it was too cold. Tay and Matt still decided to get in (with a few other guys) just to get an idea of an open water swim and the transition. Tay's dad and best buddy Evan also did the race. It was a really really hard bike ride with a head wind the entire time and not enough water. Let's just say it was a reality check and a great trainer for the actual ironman.

Tay took 33rd out of 200 people. 40% of the people didn't even finish. Tay's dad did finish and is such a stud!

Tay got really sick after he finished but after some water, food, and a warm car he was rejuvenated. I'm so proud of him! He said he hit a wall at 11 miles and it was definitely as hard as a marathon. It was 56 miles on the bike and 13.1 miles of run. I truly can't even imagine what the full ironman is going to be like.

During the race suzy and I had an eventful day....we got rear ended by a another car and were with the cops for 1 1/2 hours, then went to lulu, then took our time at lunch and realized that we should get back to the race. We headed the wrong direction towards California because I was busy on the phone with a locksmith because my cute friend accidentally locked my house when she left after watching my kids. then we got a phone call saying Tay was like 10 min away from being done and we were like 20 minutes away and then Matt called Suzy and said he wasn't going to do the run. We had quite the stressful/ panic moments. We ended up making it on time to see Tay finish. We then waited for a couple more hours for Cregg to finish. It was such a neat experience.

Sunday we went for a run, shopping, out to eat, and to Cirque de Solei, "LOVE" the beatles show. It was so awesome! Such amazing choreography and creativity. So glad we went!

Tay forgot to put on sunscreen...oops!

Such a fun trip! We had such a great time with the Smiths! I laughed the entire weekend. It was the first time away from the kids for more than one night. They were very well taken care of between my friend Marci, my sister Kim, and my mother in law, Eileen. Much thanks to them for watching my angels! I missed them so much!!!!

Looking forward to May 7th....the full ironman!

Saying goodbye to my babies...

2011-03-30T21:31:00.001-06:00

I LOVE THESE TWO!

tubes and friends.... making life better!

2011-03-20T13:40:00.002-06:00

STOCKTON GOT TUBES

This is going to be a random post...My little guy finally got tubes. On friday (March 18th) we were finally able to go in for surgery and get Stockton's ear infections under control. He has had chronic ear infections since November. I'm hoping that he will now be happier (which he has been so great this week), eat more, and his speak will hopefully pick up. He doesn't say much. Mckaylee is behind as well but she says way more than Stock does. She says...baby, baba, more, up, open, dog, duck, ball, nana (for banana and grandma/pa), no, bosy (for boston), mama, dada, sos (for Stockton), and she signs all done, more, and shoes. Stock says..dog, baba, mama, dada, nana, and that's about it. I know a lot of 1 year olds are saying more than my kiddos, but they will eventually catch up.

Stockton did amazing with the surgery. While we were waiting he just played with all the toys and sat with me. He had no idea what was coming for him. The doctors gave him a calming medicine that helped a ton because he is usually a total mama's boy and when the anathesiologist took him away he just gave me a kiss and went away. I literally called my mom and taylor and when I was on the phone they came in to say he was done. It was the quickest thing ever. Of course I still cried but I didn't have much time to think about it before they came and got me. The worst part was after he was super groggy and screaming so I just held him for 45 minutes or so. Once he drank apple juice he totally perked up. He was starving! He still of course didn't eat much but he drank a ton. We were in and out of the hospital within 2 hrs and 45 min. It was really quick. I was so nervous going in, but now I'm so glad we did it! How hopefully he will feel so much better. On the way home he was liken a drunkard. I took a video of him. It was seriously funny. He kept spitting and making fart sounds and then he would laugh at himself. He had drool coming down his face. It was comical. Cute little guy is so tough!!

This is him playing before

Ok I think this pictures explains itself...let's just say we had so much fun and I love these girls!! These are my running/ working out buddy's. Whitney, Rosie, Keila, Liz, Dawn, Debbie, and me. Girls, I've been practicing the swag, dirty frog, and madonna. :)

We've been beiberized. Ok so I like Justin Beiber and I think his music is good, but I truly fell in love with him at his movie. What a talented kid!!! A few of my gals from Daybreak took me for my b-day. By the end we were up and dancing like we were in the concert. It was so much fun! I had a smile on my face the entire movie.

I just had to post this picture. Stock is obsessed with brooms, dust pans, dusters, etc. He wouldn't let go of this one and walked all the way down to the park with it. Too funny

My two favorite boys....

My highschool friends and I went to Cheesecake Factory for my birthday dinner. It is amazing how we seriously could talk ALL night long. We never ever run out of things to say! I had so much fun! You can't tell in this picture but 4 of the girls are pregnant and are due within 2 months of each other. I'm so lucky to have such great friends!

Speaking of friends...here are some of my running buddys. Honestly I think your running partners know the most about you because we see each other 2-3x a week and just chat. Especially on the long runs. this picture was after our crazy Suncrest run. We run up the south side of Suncrest (about 3.8 miles uphill) and back down. We've done it now 3 times. It is such a fun and hard workout. The hardest thing is waking up at 4:30 a.m. :) Luckily I only do that once a week at the most and only when I'm training. Glad I have such awesome friends to do it with me!

Happy 28th birthday lovey!

2011-03-05T22:19:00.003-07:00

HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY LOVE!!!!

Can this picture be any sweeter?!? Taylor is the most loving, kind hearted dad! He loves and adores his kids more than I ever imagined he could. The letter at the end of this post is really for journaling purposes so totally skip it. With that said, I really really am the luckiest girl in the world to have Taylor as a husband and the father to my kids! I love him so much!!

Tay was out of town until the night of his birthday so it was pretty low key. I just made him his favorite dessert and dinner. We did the cake with the kids and then ate dinner when the kiddos went to bed.

I made a couscous dish, a giant salad, shredded pork, and a orange poppyseed cake. It was yummy

Stockton loves coloring and loves dad :)

Mckaylee and Stockton LOVE their daddy!!!!LOVEY-

HAPPY HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY!!!

I really cannot believe that we are 28 years old. Where did all of our time go?!? It is crazy to think that we are parents of 19 month old twins...and the cutest twins for that matter. We have been through so much in our life but by far being a parent has been the hardest, most rewarding thing I feel like we have ever done in our marriage. Like we discussed this last weekend I feel like there was no transition when we got married. We knew each other so well that I just felt like I finally got to live with my best friend . It is crazy to think how much we have grown together as a couple. I know we loved each other so much when we made our covenants in the temple almost 6 years ago, but I can honestly say that my love for you has grown more than I ever imagined it could ever grow. Watching you grow to be the man you are is the most amazing thing for me. You started out as a just off the home missionary, to a college student, to a man with his first “real” job, to a true provider for his wife and two little children. It is the best feeling in this world to know I can stay home with Stockton and Mckaylee and just be a mom. I don’t have to worry about whether or not we can provide for our kids.

We are so lucky in our lives. I am so blessed to have you as my eternal companion. I can honestly say that you are the most loving, sincere, husband and dad in this entire world. Watching you be a daddy is the most rewarding site in this world. My love for you grows watching you interact and love our kids. This winter has been rough with our sick kids. Being in the hospital with RSV was truly one of the biggest trials we have had as a family, but there was a lot of good that came from it. Seeing how emotional you were watching your kids in pain, or being happy in their cute little hospital gowns, was truly so touching. Your really love your kids so much and it shows. I don’t think either of us have cried that much ever! I hated seeing our kids so sick and in pain and not being able to understand what was going on. And not coming home to a complete family was beyond empty. We all need each other. When you travel I know the kids miss you! They love you so much! They are lucky to have you as their daddy! I am so lucky to have you as my husband! Let’s hope that we have a healthier summer and that tubes in Stockton’s ears will help him. I’m ready for a healthy bout :)

I know it’s weird to think about breaking up our little family by possibly adding another child or more children and honestly I am scared even thinking about it, but I know you have so much love to give and you will be an amazing dad to one child, two children and more if we are blessed with them. I love our little family. I truly feel complete but know we can add more to our situation. I feel so incredibly blessed to be on this earth at this time with you. I am so happy to be with you and only you! I can truly say that I would spend every minute of every day with you and be the happiest person ever. I love that we share our passions and hobbies with one another. I feel like we can relate to each other in a deeper level because of it. I’m so proud of your aspiration to do an ironman. I don’t know if you realize what a true feat this is. You are working so hard! It is so fun to watch you work so hard and have such an amazing goal in mind. I know I always make fun of you for watching all the ironman videos, but it so great to know that when you put your mind to something you really go for it. I can’t wait to watch you in action. You are a natural athlete and you are going to rock it!

I love you so much! I love you more than I ever thought I could. You are my true companion and eternal partner. Thank you for being the best daddy and husband in this entire world!

I hope you have a very very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

LOVE, YOUR WIFEY

PS. STOCKTON AND MCKAYLEE AND BOSTON ALL WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO!!!

Winter blues...we beat them by getting out!

2011-02-25T20:28:00.002-07:00

It has been awhile! A few things to catch up on....

Valentines Day. This year we split it up between a few nights. We went to a movie over the weekend and then on V-day night we went out to dinner with Tay's highschool friends (Zac and Kylee West, Jake and Kacey Anderson, and Jimmy and Rosie McDermott). We were in a great company but the restaurant was the worst service ever! We had reservations and didn't get seated til 30 minutes after, it took them 30 min to take our drink order, 15 more to get our dinner order, There were only 2 cooks (it was a japanese steakhouse restaurant) and then I never got my food until we got our checks and everyone was already totally done. I ordered sushi and we kept asking and I never got it til we left. To make matters worse they didn't give us any break on the meal. Not even a free drink. I was so angry because I hate spending a lot of money at nice restaurants and then to have bad service leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Luckily I got to have a good rest of the night with my hubby. I still had a good vday and Tay wrote me the sweetest note ever!

Oh the messes they make....they are into everything right now! They are also getting good at getting lids off so I turned my back to do dishes and when I turned around there was rice everywhere! Luckily I had just steam mopped the floor so it was ok they were eating off it!

Mckaylee loves putting on grandpa's glasses

Stockton, stockton, stockton...this whole winter he has basically been sick. Since November he has had 4 ear infections and has been a very unhappy child. I hate to say this, but he has truly been the devil. There were days upon days where I literally couldn't set him down unless I wanted to hear screaming. it was really hard because I have another child to take care of let's just say I listened to crying more than I ever thought I ever would have to. My saving grace was that he still napped and slept 12 straight hours at night. Once I put him to bed at 7 I would just crash and mentally prepare myself for the next day. Tay was out of town and with his boss a lot during the weeks and my beloved Mom has been in AZ for months now so I was basically on my own. Finally with this last ear infection the doc said we need to do tubes. We go in next week for the consult with the ENT, but this last antibiotic has helped and ton and he has been so so so great this week! He actually is eating now. This whole winter he really would go days without really eating anything but his bottle. He is already so little so it scares me! He also has periodically been throwing up. At least every other week randomly he will vomit. We got him tested for celiac because we think something is going on with his little tummy. With that being said we are just hoping that his acid reflux had come back enough to make him vomit and his ear infections caused him to not want to eat so the tubes will hopefully fix most things!

I'm just happy he has been so good this week. Stockton has the cutest, sweetest, funnest personality when he is happy. His little smile and laugh can make me happy at any moment! This picture was of him just laying on my lap not feeling good at all :(

We have gone some fun places to get us out in this yucky, cold winter weather! One morning we went to classic skating to the bounce house area. We were the only ones there and the kiddos had a blast!

I headed down to discovery gateway to meet my friend Brittany and her little girl and of course we went the one day that they closed early for a special event. Her mother in law used to volunteer at the church history museum and said there is a little kids section so we decided to check it out. It was kind of funny and little but the kids still had a good time.

On one of the warmer days we headed to the zoo with my friend Christy. Stockton and Mckaylee LOVE being outside. I don't think the weather bothers them at all! We had a great time and going in the afternoon was awesome because it really wasn't crowded at all.

Such a fun stage! Hope the winter ends soon, but we are keeping busy until it does :)

Time flies.....

2011-02-03T20:27:00.006-07:00

HAPPY 18 MONTHS!

Oh my goodness...I seriously can't believe how fast time has flown. My babies are growing up so fast :( This is a big milestone in a parents life...it's time for nursery! Taylor and I might actually get some spiritual enlightenment from church. I honestly haven't really been to a 3 hour block of church since before they were born. With 2 kiddos and now toddlers it is just nearly impossible. We sit outside in the foyer all through sacrament. Well now we can maybe get something out of church. I hope they do good!

Since Mckaylee and Stockton have been out of the hospital they have been so much fun and for the first time in their childhood they are actually enjoying playing and interacting with each other. They love hiding and playing peek a boo with each other. I love when I just hear giggling and I look behind me and they are running around the table hiding behind chairs. Some things they love right now:

-They love stomping/ dancing around

-They love peek a boo/ hiding

-Obsessed with water! Always want to be filling up cups and pouring them out or just playing in the water. They either want to stand in the sink or bathtub. Right now we sometimes take 2 baths a day because they are so happy in there.

-Mckaylee still loves food! They both are love avocado and raspberries and usually mac n' cheese. Other than that it is hit and miss what they will eat. They also love chocolate milk, dum dums, fruit snacks, red vines, and candy in general :)

-They love running around. Anywhere we go they do not want to sit still. We go places like the aquarium, Costco, discovery gateway, the gym daycare, mcdonalds, etc., but recently we have been a little more homebound because of their sickness. I am so afraid of them getting sick again. But this week we have been out more.

-They love terrorizing Boston. Boston mostly runs away but when he lets them attack him they hit him and Stockton grabs onto his ear.

-They love terrorizing each other. They bite each other (mostly Stockton bite Mckaylee and he pulls her hair) and they love hitting each other with toys. I swear I am a referee all day long.

-They love tearing apart my house. I mean seriously every cupboard, drawer, closet, shelf, etc gets taken apart everyday. During naptime all I do is clean up the mess from the morning.

-They like the shopping carts and kitchen. Stockton loves the broom, dustpan, and towels. He pretends to clean up like I do.

-They would play around outside all day long if they could. It's just SO cold right now! Can't wait for spring!

-They love being held. Stockton is going through a rough phase right now. He ALWAYS wants to be held! I feel bad for Mckaylee sometimes because she is better off being a little independent so I end up holding Stockton a lot! Especially after sleeping...he has to cuddle and relax because he is so grumpy! He gets very possessive if we hold Mckaylee. He stands at my feet with his arms up crying.

-They both say "uh" "uh"...and point to things and think we know exactly what they want. Frustrating because they can't talk yet. They need to learn to communicate.

-They hate getting dressed or having their diapers changed! They fight me so much everytime!

-They love their nursery time DVD

-They loves when Daddy comes home! It is so cute how they run to the door and both want him to hold them.

-They love playing with Bostons dog food.

-Mckaylee still loves her bottle, but not quite as much as she used to. She is getting better with sippy cups.

-They love mommy's drink! I have been getting lemonade a little more often so they can drink it or they both want my diet coke!

Our daily routine consists of:

Wake up between 6:45 and 7:45

Play around, eat breakfast

I either get ready for the gym or take a bath with the kiddos if I ran in the morning

Get the kids ready

Go to the gym daycare or play in our basement if we stay home

Eat lunch around 11:30

Nap at 12:00

Naps vary everyday but without fail one of them wakes up after an hour but the other one usually takes 1 1/2 hr- 2 hour nap. During the 1 hour I have alone I shower and get ready, make lunch, check my email, and clean up.

Kids wake up between 1 and 2:30.

Go somewhere...costco, mall, aquarium, mcdonalds, target...etc

Come home around 5ish, cook dinner

5:45 kids eat

6:00 bath

6:20 play around, read books, and get ready for bed

7:00 go to bed!

7:00- bedtime....relax! Watch TV, play on the computer, laundry, clean, etc.

Start all over again

I love my life and I love staying at home with my babies. They constantly make me laugh and smile all day (and get frustrated). I truly love being a mommy!!!!!

We went to the Sandy Aquarium today. They love it there!

Yesterday I decided to take a few pictures in the morning. Literally within 20 minutes they had: climbed up and down the stairs, play peek a boo behind the chair and pushed the chair around, played in the toilet (I caught them in the act), played on the bed with Boston, pulled apart my bathroom cupboard, and took a bath. Busy, busy, busy kids

I absolutely love this stage! So crazy and has it's definite hard aspects but they are so fun and so cute! I will post more about their 18 months after their doctor appt.

HAPPY 18 MONTHS STOCKTON AND MCKAYLEE!!!!!

Stockton's turn

2011-01-23T21:32:00.002-07:00

Stockton's turn....First visit to Primary Children's

While Mckaylee was in the hospital, Stockton started getting sick. He has honestly been sick off and on this whole winter. On Saturday and Sunday he threw up a few times and seemed to have a hard time breathing at night. On Mckaylee's last day in the hospital we kind of thought Stockton would join her, but he went to the doctor and was fine. The next day we took Mac in for a check up and Stockton was not doing good. We got to the doctor and he immediately fell asleep on my lap and his breathing was noticeably hard and he threw up all over Taylor. After evaluation the doctor said that we definitely needed to admit him to Primarys. Tay took Mac home and I headed back to the hospital. We hadn't even been gone from there for 24 hours and we were back. Stockton was really struggling on the way up. When we got there and once Taylor was able to meet up with us Stockton turned around and seemed super happy. The doctors didn't put him on oxygen or do anything but give him tylenol. We at first we wondering if we made a mistake by going up there again. My mom showed up (she left Arizona to help me) and Stockton was still pretty good. They all left and Stockton and I went to bed after they suctioned him once. During the night Stockton d-sated down to scary levels of 74% (below 90% is critical). I was so grateful we were at the hospital. The next day (Wednesday) Stockton was ok, but not great and Wednesday night was the worst night. The nurses were in about every hour because his levels were going so low and then they would go up and then we had to do multiple suctionings and a super abuterol treatment that they only do when things are pretty bad and he just wasnt doing that great and on top of that they didn't let us sleep all night. The next day we were both just tired and he slept on my lap for 4 hours and in the crib for 2 hours. Taylor came that night and gave me a break and Stockton actually did really good and didn't need much done. He had turned the corner. On Friday he was doing awesome and by the afternoon the nurses and doctors decided we were good enough to go home. Best news ever! I can't even tell you how amazing it was to be a family again! (That's the shortened version)

Sad little boy with daddy

Stockton is not much of an eater at all so we are truly grateful for every little bite he takes (even when he is healthy). He loves water and his bath so it was nice to have some normalcy for him with the bath.

Sometimes the only drink he would drink was mine (oops...I don't think diet coke is great for kids, but I let him sip it). Also look at the top corner picture...Stockton is obsessed with his little animal blankies. He has one in his mouth almost all the time. It made the nurses and doctors touching him so much better because he was much calmer if he had one of his animals. I also had to lay in his crib to get him to go to bed. The nurse said that was the first time she had seen the mom lay in the crib :)

Loved having a few days to just cuddle with my boy and have one on one time. It was weird though to go from one on one with Mckaylee to not seeing her at all for a few days. I was so torn. Do I go with the sick child or the sicker child. Such a moral dilemma as a mom. Story of the life of a twin mom.

So many good friends brought us toys. We wouldn't have survived without them. Thanks Kylee, Chelsea, and Jessica.

Dad can make things better

Stockton is obsessed with running water so to keep him entertained I would ask the nurses if we could undo his oxygen monitor so we could play for a minute in the bathroom. He could spend hours there. It's hilarious!

Saying Goodbye!!! It was so great to leave there knowing we would hopefully not be back ever!!

I love my family and am so happy to have us all together again!!!! It's our simple life that I just love. I couldn't be more blessed.

OUR FIRST VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL

2011-01-21T21:18:00.002-07:00

MCKAYLEES FIRST VISIT TO THE ER, FIRST TRIP ON AN AMBULANCE, AND FIRST STAY AT PRIMARY CHILDRENS...

Starting last week Mckaylee was really sick. She has technically been diagnosed with asthma and so when we went to the doctor he thought that she was just having a harder time because of the bad air. He gave her a steroid shot to hopefully keep her coughing, wheezing and sickness under control. She ended up throwing up in the doctors office. I kept thinking it had to be more, but all of her levels appeared to be fine on Wednesday. On thursday night after having a really hard day with her I put her to bed and from there on out she coughed and cried all night. I finally went and laid with her and realized her breathing was really super labored and her chest was working really hard to get a breath. I immediately called my mother in law because Taylor was out of town all week. She rushed over to take Stockton and Mac and I rushed to the Jordan Valley ER. When we got out of the car she vomited 4 times before we got into the hospital. They immediately assessed her and her oxygen levels were way below critical so they rushed us into a room and immediately hooked her up to Oxygen and put a mask with albuterol on her. Her levels when we got there were 84% and didn't go above 89% even with all the oxygen being put on her. After a few treatments and a steroid shot they determined she needed to go to Primary Childrens. They put us on an ambulance and we were on our way. I could go on forever with my emotions of this day, but it would be the longest post ever. Long story short we were in the ER at Primarys for 3 hours while they continued to get her oxygen under control and still had a hard time. Once we got into a room she finally got in the mid 90th percentile while on oxygen. I finally was able to relax a little bit. Taylor flew back in town a little early and she honestly perked up when she saw daddy. Mckaylee is daddy's little girl. From there on out Tay and I switched going up to the hospital and staying home with Stock. We had a lot of help from so many people. I will have a separate post of the help, but thanks everyone that helped and supported and said prayers.

Mckaylee struggled for a few days and wasn't improving at all. Because she has the asthma component they had a hard time really figuring out what she had. They knew she was RSV and bronchiolitis positive but she was struggling so they thought she could have had pneumonia or something else. They did a few chest xrays and checked her a ton. She was suctioned out every 3-4 hours for a 4 days and did the albuterol mask breathing treatment right after being suctioned. Finally on Monday morning she turned the corner and started acting a ton better and by Monday night we were able to go home!

Mckaylee was deemed "the hard patient" because toddlers are hard. She kicked and screamed and she is a strong girl. Both Taylor and I cried more than we ever had in the 15 years that we have known each other. It was definitely a bonding time for our little family and I truly loved being able to just cuddle and play with my little girl one on one for days but it was by far the hardest thing I've been through. To see your child suffer and so uncomfortable and be tormented by a million doctors and nurses and sit in the same room and not be able to move because they hooked up to oxygen cords, oxygen reader cords and an IV. It was so sad, but it is behind us now and she is a happy happy little girl. I could write so much more, but here are a few pics...

Jordan Valley's ER

The ambulance ride. She was so good the whole time. She didn't sleep but just sad there drinking her bottle

Primary's ER (she cuddled with me all day because we hadn't slept at all the night before) and Daddy arriving

Although she cried and screamed a lot she also was pretty dang good and smiled a little.

Elevator ride to get an X-ray and the X-ray to see if there was something more going on. Cutest patient ever.

Playing with daddy, watching a movie, and taking a bath (which she didn't love)

A little cuddle time. My favorite part about the stay at the hospital

The nurses were always impressed with her eating. She was still pretty good considering how sick she was. Girl loves her food and bottle!

Can you get a cuter little patient than this?!? We are so happy to have her home and back in our arms without all the cords. It's amazing how having a sick kid really makes you appreciate the simple things in life. Love you baby doll!!!!

STAYCATION

2011-01-17T20:57:00.006-07:00

STAYCATION

Between Christmas and New Years Tay had the entire week off. We had a great time! I can't even tell you how nice it was to have Taylor home for an entire week. I cherished the moments so much knowing that Taylor was going out of town basically the next 2 weeks. My kiddos love their daddy so they were so happy! We went so many places.

We went to Teddy's baby blessing

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GAME

We didn't know if it was going to be a total disaster, but Stockton and Mckaylee did great! We had to feed them a bunch of sugar to keep them entertained but we made it through the entire game. Stockton was actually intrigued the entire time. Mckaylee was ready to go, but we had so much fun!

The Living Planet Aquarium

Discovery Gateway...Stockton is obsessed with blocks and they both just love this place!

Lifetime Fitness pool...Stockton wouldn't get in and we didn't force him. It was quite hilarious! Mckaylee had a blast and is our little water girl.

Thanks for staying home daddy! We LOVED having you home. It was just as good as going on a vacation. I love my little family! It's amazing how much love I feel for them.

Yay for Staycations!

HIGHSCHOOL FRIENDS CHRISTMAS PARTY

2011-01-17T07:59:00.004-07:00

Highschool friends Christmas Party

This year we did it after Christmas because we have so many out of towners now. We had a blast! Yummy food, hilarious white elephants, good laughs, and it was just fun to be with everyone again. Thanks ash for being such a great host!

Christmas Evening

2011-01-02T20:48:00.002-07:00

Christmas Day

After spending a great morning with just Tay and Mac and Stock, we had Tay's mom come down and visit us. It was so fun to have them over. The kids loved showing off their new toys to their Grandma Eileen and Grandpa Monty. We then headed up to my moms for her Christmas dinner. They had a blast the entire day!

As you can tell they love having family pictures taken :)

They love their new kitchen, vacuum, and shopping cart and other toys.

I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas this year. The kids were so happy the entire time and they loved their presents. Christmas is so much more fun and meaningful with kids. Even though they are still a little young to understand, they understood that under the wrapping paper was some fun toy for them to play with. I'm so grateful for my little family! I really couldn't be any happier than I am right now. I love being a mommy!!!!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas morning

2011-01-01T21:17:00.003-07:00

Christmas Morning 2010 - 2nd Christmas

It was such a great Christmas. For starters Stockton and Mckaylee were both healthy and happy and they loved their presents. The main present this year was their kitchen. They LOVE it! It has definitely been a hit! I spent 3 1/2 hrs putting it together a few nights before and they found it the day before Christmas because I didn't hide it very well behind the drapes :) They still had a few presents to open and it was still new to them so they played with it all morning.

Because my kiddos are still too young and don't wake up early on Christmas I was able to go on a short run with my friend Keila (because she doesn't have kids). Nothing like running with no one else around and seeing the lights on in the houses with kids that wake up to open presents. It was a cute site to see kids through windows so happily opening presents. I normally don't care about missing a day of working out, but it is also probably my last year of doing it so I figured why not. Plus I am always happier if I get to workout :) Tay was then able to bike for an hour in our basement. Then I made blueberry pancakes and we opened presents. We played with the presents for a bit and then decided to go hang out with Grandpa and Grandma Cannon (Cregg and Crystal).

We love our kitchen

I wanted cute pictures with the both of them and the only way that is possible is by bribery with candy. They love marshmallows so why not buy marshmallow suckers?!? I think that could've been their favorite present.

Our family

Grandma Crissy and Grandpa Cregg with Stockton and Mckaylee. (Joe, Spencer and Tyler in the picture below).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Christmas Eve - Cannon Family Party

2011-01-01T20:52:00.003-07:00

The Cannon Family Christmas Pajama Party- Christmas Eve

What a fun night! Well in between the Tate family party and the Cannon family party both Stockton and Mckaylee got sick again! December has been a nightmare with sickness! Just as soon as we thought they were better Mckaylee started grabbing her ear a lot so we took her and of course she has a bad ear infection and another virus so we put her on an antibiotic. The next day Stockton had a fever of 103 so we were back at the dr. Of course his double ear infection had gotten worse (after 7 days of antibiotics) so we had to a do a 2 round shot of a stronger antibiotic. That night he threw up 4x and we don't know why. Luckily we got his 2nd shot on Christmas Eve and he was a different boy. By Christmas Eve night both Stock and Mckaylee were all better and in the best moods! They lasted until 8:00p.m. without fussing and that's a lot for my kiddos.

The tradition at the Cannon family party is tamales, chips and dips, and peanut crochets (along with many other deserts) and we all wear our PJ's. We rotate houses each year. This year it was Grandma Jane's condo and Erica's condo. We started out eating and exchanging gifts in Janie's and then headed down to Erica's for dessert and the white elephant exchange...I laughed so hard!

Grandma Jane gave Stockton the Pinnochio and he wanted to play with it but it is a family heirloom so we couldn't let him touch it. We also got cute twin dolls from Lezlie, a Thomas the train phone, cute hats and gloves, etc.

The White Elephant Exchange

Some of the funny presents were....the 40H bra, the santa velvet boxers that Grandpa Hal put on, hairy legs barbie, BYU hate (they are all big U of U fans), toilet golf, sweat it out 80's shorts, etc. We were all laughing so hard!

Grandma Jane kneedle points Stockings and words cannot even describe the work, time, money and dedication that goes into these amazing pieces of art. She made Mckaylee's this year and it is beyond beautiful! It had to have taken the entire year to make. It makes me teary eyed thinking about it. It truly is the most amazing and cherished present that we receive. Grandma Crystal is making Stockton's and it will be ready by next year... I can't wait! Thank you so much Grandma Jane!

The Tate family Christmas party

2011-01-01T20:42:00.002-07:00

I have so many posts and pictures to put up so I decided to do lots of collages so that it is not overwhelming to look at...

The Tate Family Christmas Party (Tay's mom)

December 18, 2010

Tay's cute mom does her Christmas party the weekend before Christmas which really helps when you have 3 families to visit and none of them live close to each other. She also starts the party earlier because our kids go to bed at 7 and they become super grumpy if we keep them up too late.

We ate yummy food (hawaiian haystacks) and many many treats, the kids ran around like they owned the place, we did a present exchange between the kids, acted out the nativity scene while reading in Luke, did a book exchange among the adults, and just enjoyed the spirit of celebrating. When our kids are happy, it makes us happy. They both had been battling ear infections and flu's so we were just grateful to have them both feeling good and having a good time. We had a great time and Eileen's house is the perfect "gathering place".

Our first visit to Santa Clause

2010-12-28T21:28:00.003-07:00

Our first visit to Santa Clause and Santa Paws (the 150lb dog)

My cute dad came with me to an event at Lifetime Fitness because Tay had a ski day with some doctors. The kids did as expected....they hated it. Well Mckaylee just sat there very unsure of the scary man holding her and Stockton wailed the entire time. It's one of those things I feel like you just have to do. Ever kid needs a picture with Santa and we didn't do it last year. Although they didn't do good with Santa Clause, they did great with Santa Paws. They LOVE dogs and this dog just sat there while they petted him and climbed all over him. Boston does not allow that in our household...maybe one day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-20T21:26:00.002-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

We LOVE outside!!!

2010-12-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

I wish it was warm!!!

My kiddos are obsessed with playing outside. With it being winter it is a bit difficult but luckily it has been decently warm recently. They both like to run away from me and go in our alleyway behind our house. It scares me because someone could hit them, but for the most part we are safe back there. Stockton randomly found a shovel in the garage from his sand bucket and immediately started shoveling the snow. Someone has been watching dad :)

My crafty amazing friends-Gingerbread mansion making

2010-12-10T15:53:00.002-07:00

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

I have a friend that is so amazing at so many things. One of them being gingerbread houses. Each year she makes these elaborate mansion from scratch. She decided to make it a get together this year and we went over to our stake center and decorated our houses one saturday. I didn't have the time (or the patience) to make my own house from scratch so I went to Costco and bought their pre-made kit. Mine was by far the most ghetto but it was super fun just decorating, eating candy, having lunch, and just chatting and laughing while listening to Amy Grant Christmas. Well luckily I didn't spend much time or effort or money on my house because that night Taylor knocked it off the ledge 3 hours after I got home and I never took a picture of it. Here are some remnants of my gingerbread shack...

GINGERBREAD MANSIONS

Camille, me, Whitney, Stacie, Suzy and Stacie's friend were the ones that made the houses. Stacie's house is the AMAZING ONE pictured below that looks like a real mini house. It is all made from scratch and edibles. It took her literally til 3 am to make the gingerbread and then then next day from 10am to 10pm but it turned out amazing! I still can't believe people can do these things, but maybe next you will find me trying....maybe!

Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-12-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner this year up at Tay's moms house. We started off we a FREEZING cold run. I literally had icicles on my face and cheeks because it was 2 degrees. I didn't thaw out for at least an hour after. After Tay exercised we headed up to Heber. Of course Eileen had yummy food and the presentation was amazing. Our kids were super happy the entire time so that obviously made us happy. Thanks for the wonderful evening...

I'm so thankful for my family!!!!

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party

2010-12-10T15:32:00.002-07:00

Preston and Jaymn hosted a fun ugly sweater Christmas Party. Some people showed up with some great get ups. Thanks to my cute running buddy Suzy, we had matching sweater vests with awesome turtle necks under. We ate and chatted and then had a hilarious relay. You had to eat a donut off of a string with your spouse and your hands behind your back so it looked like we were making out. Then you had to roll a pool ball up one pant leg and down the other and then pop a balloon. It was so funny to watch all the couples...two guys didn't have their wives there and you can imagine how funny it was so watch 2 guys making out. (or looking like it). I love Christmas time for all the fun parties!

Husband...you look hot!!!

Stockton + Nail Polish Remover = not good combo

2010-11-21T21:00:00.003-07:00

Stockton Taylor Cannon.... you are too cute for your own good and too mischievous for your own good. Last week (on November 16th) we had quite the scare! I was getting ready in my bathroom with Stockton and Mckaylee playing in there with me. I was well aware they were playing in my cupboard and I left to get their clothes. I heard Mckaylee scream. She never screams..she cries but I thought Stockton had biten her or something had fallen on her. I ran in the bathroom and Stockton starts crying and gagging and I see that he is drinking the Nail Polish Remover. YEP MY SON DRANK NAIL POLISH REMOVER!!! Apparently he can screw off lids now. I have never panicked so much in my life! I grabbed Stockton and ran him into the sink and started chugging water down his throat. Luckily he immediately started vomiting profusely. In the meantime Mckaylee was wailing at my feet and then decided to run back into the bathroom so I have to leave Stockton in the sink where he could easily fall out and grab her before she gets a hold of the bottle too. I shut the door immediately locking Boston in there because I didn't have time to get him out so I had Boston wanting to break down the door, Mckaylee crying/ wailing at my feet, Stockton crying and me crying in hysterics. It was a high moment in my life :)

Big mistake on my part was I called taylor first. My first thought was to call my husband because I call him to talk about everything. All I could scream to him was "COME HOME, COME HOME, COME HOME, COME HOME..." He was talking back to me, but I couldn't hear him with all the chaos. I hung up and called 911 and they put me in touch with Poisen Control. I had calmed down a bit by then, but was still crying. The guy kept saying "Ma'am can you step away from the chaos because I can't hear you". Luckily Taylor called my mother in law and she came flying in to rescue me by taking care of Mckaylee. Poisen control then said "do you have ice cream or a popsicle?" and my response was "What the H is that going to do?". Well apparently nail polish remover isn't as toxic as I thought it was. I really thought we were going to end up in the emergency room. First off they make the taste so awful that almost no kid will take more than a sip and really all it does is it can make the kid act like they are drunk and it leaves a horrible taste in their mouth so they gag. That's why they say to get ice cream or something in their mouth so they can get rid of the taste.

I hung up with the guy after we felt like things were under control and then decided to take Stock to the doc just in case. He was acting very lethargic and I just wanted to make sure everything was ok. He laid on my lap most of the time until the doctor came to check him out and then that woke him up because he hates the doctor. After that and the rest of the day he was totally fine! SO GLAD YOU WERE OK BUDDY!!!

On another note, we got a seasons pass to the Sandy Aquarium and have loved going there. Here is a picture of their little buddies Sadie and Nixon. This same day Mckaylee started saying "ah oh". It is so funny and cute! I love you two! No more toxic chemicals for you guys!!

Happy 15 months

2010-11-10T20:32:00.002-07:00

Happy 15 months!!! (Last week) I just went to their doctor appointment today. I hate shots! They had 4 shots each today. Stockton HATES the doctor! He cries the entire time. Even when the doctor is looking at Mckaylee he still cries. Poor little guy. The appointment went good. They are both a little behind in things like verbally (they don't say 3-5 words yet...more like consonants and mostly "d" sounds), but are doing good. Our big problem is the bottles. Mckaylee is OBSESSED with her bottle. It is her binky and is the only thing that soothes her at night. I need to start taking it away and I'm worried. I hope she will still sleep good. They are both doing really good with sleep right now. They both go to sleep at 7:00 and wake up at or around 7:00. Recently we have been phasing from 2 naps to 1 naps and it has been difficult but they haven't wanted to take their 2nd nap so we have to do it. The last few days have been so much better than last week. They have both taken 1 two hour nap both days. (I know that is not that great to some people but Mckaylee is not a good napper and has been known to take 45 minute naps almost everyday so 2 hours sounds wonderful to me). Hopefully her sleep won't be ruined.

Size wise my kiddos are doing pretty good.

Stockton:

Weight- 19.4375 lbs (2nd%)

Height- 30.5 inches (30%)

Head- 18.1 inches (50%)

Mckaylee:

Weight-21.7 lbs (30%)

Height- 31 inches (70%)

Head- 18.1 inches (50%)

I love these two more than words can say. Being a mommy is honestly the most gratifying thing in the entire world. Life couldn't get any better.

LOVE YOU MUCHKINS!!

Family pictures

2010-11-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

I will bost more of these individually but for the time being here is a big collage of our family pictures from a few weeks ago. Thanks to my sister in Law Jenny for doing such a great job! Too bad our kids didn't last too long, but considering it was their bed time and they wouldn't take a 2nd nap they were as good as could be.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:19:00.005-06:00

I love Halloween. I wish I would've have been more festive this year, but I did dress up...kind of...for a party my friend Chelsea threw. It was a fun little party that was for our kids. There were a lot of cute little mommies there with their adorable kiddos. I saw a lot of my old sorority sisters and highschool friends. We had a great time and the Logan girls did are great party planners! I had to take a picture of Mckaylee...she was seriously entertained the entire time by other peoples food. She just went from plate to plate and ate whatever she could find. At one point she had 2 doughnuts in one hand and a cookie in another. That's my girl! I just wish my little boy would eat 1/4 as much as she does. Give her food and she is a happy girl :)

These are my highschool friends..Caroline, Marianne, me, Jess, and Chelsea. Love these girls

Halloween night we went over to our friend Mallory's house. She made pizza for everyone and yummy treats. Our kids weren't the happiest. We only lasted about an hour, went to one house to trick or treat and then went home. I wish they would have been happier, but they wouldn't take a second nap and they were ornery all day long! I guess next year they will understand a little better. We still had a good time and they looked adorable, but it wasn't their best day.

This depicts our night very well...they were not the happiest bug around :) Oh well we had a great halloween and hope that next year is even better!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2010!!!!

Night time is our happy time

2010-10-25T20:39:00.002-06:00

They are officially both walking!!! Both Mckaylee and Stockton walk about 90-95% of the time. It is so stinking cute! I love watching them walk. Stockton looks like a penguin because he doesn't move his arms and he toddles around. Mckaylee looks like a soldier because her legs are very stiff and she falls forward a lot but catches herself and continues walking. They both went from a few steps to basically walking within a week. We were both shocked at how quickly it happened and that they both did it so close to each other. The time between bed time and baths is the best time because they are both so happy and playful! I don't think I could love these two anymore!!!

The cupboards are our favorite place to play

Hey mom I'm walking!

Love you!!!

Fall Fun

2010-10-17T20:45:00.004-06:00

OH how I am going to miss the warm weather! My kids are obsessed with outside right now. Their poor little bodies are always so dirty by the end of the day from scraping on the cement and playing in sand or dirt. As soon as I open our front door they cruise right on over. Here are few things we've been up to...

Our nightly walk on the park. This is their favorite.

My mom came back in town for 1 1/2 weeks so we got to play at her house. We picked up Mcdonalds a lot. Stock likes fries :)

We headed to wheeler farm one day with some friends from daybreak and their cute kiddos. It was a beautiful day!! My cute little cowgirl

Stock loves driving tractors

My cute little nephew Preston got baptized last week. It was such a fun thing to see him get baptized. This picture is my parents with all of their grandkids. Too fun!

We then hit up Gardners Village. That was a little interesting because it was so crowded and Mckaylee and Stockton did not want to stay in their stroller. We didn't last super long but it was so fun to see the cute decorations!

Birthday celebration for Abby, Brittany, and Megan! Happy Birthday girlies!

I took a picture of this because I had some of my highschool friends over for a halloween get together and Boston was sleeping like this and they thought it was so funny. I guess we just thought that was how dogs slept, but apparently it's not normal.

Sunday dinner up in Midway. I don't want this good weather to go away!

These two are just too fun right now! I'll post a video but they are both walking pretty good. They have the cutest walks!

St. George Marathon

2010-10-06T20:50:00.003-06:00

ST. GEORGE MARATHON 2010

Tay and I went down to St. George last week to do the marathon. It was Taylor's 13th marathon and my 7th. Tay found out 2 days before he was going to run it and of course he still did amazing (he never really trains). It was such a fun mini vacation. Our kids were great in the car and we had a great little place to stay (Thanks Meg!) so that made it easier with our kids. It was a really hot year to fun the marathon, but it was doable. Tay took off in the beginning and he was in my sight until mile 7 (right before the big hill part). I caught up to him at mile 24. We ran together for a mile and I thought he was going to finish before me, but he just stopped and I kept going. I was SO tired at this point, but I just kept telling myself that I could do 6 miles or 4 miles or 2 miles any day. It was the only thing to get me through. I finished 3:10:24 and Tay finished 3:11:44.

Distance	Marathon (26.2 miles)
Clock Time	3:11:00
Chip Time	3:10:24
Overall Place	268 / 5704
Gender Place	36 / 2463
Division Place	8 / 280
Age Grade	71.1%
Pace	7:16

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	3:12:23
Chip Time	3:11:44
Overall Place	283 / 5704
Gender Place	244 / 3241
Division Place	59 / 483
Age Grade	65.7%
Pace	7:20
Sext	3241
Divt	483

Tay run under another guy's name. He amazes me that he can go out and do a marathon and not really train. He runs consistently, but never long runs. I was so tired at the end of this race, but he helped me get through (even though I was mad at him encouraging me--b/c I was just pissed off at this point :) ). I was happy to get my PR! I think this will be it for marathons for a year or so.

We had drama after the race... My phone was broken (b/c I got too much sweat and water on it), Tay didn't have a phone, I lost Tay for 1 1/2 hours, our car wouldn't start and we had to find a ride home from a couple in our ward. Needless to say we only took a picture up top and then when we got home.

Before the race...

After the race with our cute kiddos

So happy to be done!

Thank you so much Grandma Crissy for watching our angels during the race! You are the cutest and best grandma ever! We love you so much! (and so do Mckaylee and Stockton)

The place we stayed at had this pond in back. Our kids loved feeding the swans

Our new favorite thing to do is to walk up and down the sidewalks with the walkers. Both Stockton and Mckaylee could go forever. It is hilarious!

They love walking together (but also try to get rid of the other one if they can)

Stockton took off when she let go. I love his face.

They are really getting to know each other so much more. They follow each other around everywhere in the house. I will randomly just hear them laughing at each other, feeding each other, playing in the dog food, rolling out the toilet paper, and fighting over the same toy. I love this age! They are definitely not easy right now, but they are so stinking cute and fun!

This week Mckaylee took her first steps (October 4, 2010) and Stockton took a few today (October 6, 2010). I could be wrong, but I think they will both be walking in the next month or so. I can't wait....or can I?!?!

Random end of summer pics

2010-09-26T20:37:00.004-06:00

End of Summer fun...

So these are all kind of random pic's, but it shows what we have been up to around the Cannon household.

Stockton and Mckaylee advanced to bigger carseats and turning around. They are so much happier in the car now. The only problem is it is really hard for them to fall asleep. Most of the time I don't want them to fall asleep but there have been times that I try to nap them and it is very difficult now. Oh well it is worth it! We changed them over labor day weekend.

This might look like a really weird picture, but it is our baby monitor. I took a picture to send to Tay because Mckaylee fell asleep sitting up in her crib with her head smashed against the crib bars. She had a really stuffy nose so I don't know if it was more comfortable for her. Regardless it was pretty funny. This last week we have all been sick. Mckaylee and I threw up and Stockton, Mckaylee and I have had bad colds. I think they are on the mend now, but sick kids are the worst!

We love spaghetti (but mommy hates cleaning it up so we don't have it much...mac n cheese isn't as staining)

Swings at the daybreak beach park. Mckaylee loves the swing and Stockton HATES it! He freaks out when you even put him in it.

FIRST TIME TO THE ZOO!!! A few weeks ago we went to the Zoo. They had a great time..but honestly their favorite part about it was the water ball feature at the entrance. They were entertained forever with it!

My kiddos don't walk yet, but they are OBSESSED with their walkers. They get so mad when they run into a wall in the house so we thought it would be fun to go on the sidewalk. They didn't want to stop.

This is the water feature at the zoo they loved!

Our good friend Nixon West turned 1! Happy Bday! His party was just at the park by our house. Our kids were so entertained by the balloons, gravel, and treats. (Go UTES...they are in their U of U t-shirts)

One of their favorite toys....the dog bowls with the water and dog food! It's the worst!

Tay has been out of town a lot in the last few weeks so my cute dad came over and helped me put my kids to bed one night. My dad is such a cute grandpa!

I love living on the park!

My kids are also both obsessed with outside. As soon as I open any door they zoom over there and get so mad when I shut it. Needless to say they spend a lot of time standing above the doors. Stockton has figured out how to get down the one step, but not anymore than that.

Gorgeous time of year! We went up to Heber last week for Sunday dinner and went on a little walk above the wasatch golf course. I love the fall leaves!

Such a random post, but it's our life :)

Labor Day Fun

2010-09-08T21:01:00.006-06:00

Victor Idaho - A little piece of Heaven on Earth!!!

Taylor and I were suppose to go to Arizona for a week over Labor Day for my nieces baptism and other nieces blessing, but they cancelled the events and we wanted to go somewhere so we called our Uncle that has a place in Victor (25 miles from Jackson Hole) to see if we could vaca there. Their place is absolutely gorgeous! It is one of favorite vacations. While up there Tay went on a few long bike rides with his dad (he is starting to train for an ironman...yep you heard me. He's crazy!) and they went golfing. Tay and I went running together a few times and the rest of the trip we hung out with Cregg and the kiddos. We went hiking, watched a lot of movies, cooked, went out, went hot tubbing, and hung out on the golf course. We had such a great time. To top it off the kids did really good in the car (that was our biggest fear). It was so fun to have Taylor with us everyday. Having him go back to work was really difficult. I love my little family!

Tay's first official ride on his new bike....2 (really hard uphill) rides down and many more to go!!!

Stockton got sick a few days before we left. He had a high fever for a few days and we had to put him on amoxicilyn. He has been really cuddly lately. Every morning he would wake up he would only be happy sitting on our lap with his animal blankie in his mouth. As much as I hate him being sick, I have really enjoyed cuddling with my boy (because normally he doesn't sit still). By the end of the trip he seemed much better.

We went on a little hike. At first it was great, but then the weather shifted and it got so cold and Stockton was miserable! He cried the entire way back (like 45 minutes). He eventually fell asleep. It was so sad

Stockton asleep on my back. Poor guy!

Golfing

I love this stroller! It has been the best purchase I have made. Although Mckaylee is sometimes not happy in the stroller for the most part is a peaceful time for me.

Stockton and Mckaylee follow each other all around everywhere now. It's pretty funny. They are little play buddies and enemies (they steal each others toys and get mad...Stockton is a big biter so I have to watch him carefully)

The house is right on the golf course so at night we would go sit out and watch Taylor hit balls. The kids liked the golf grass

We always get these ear wax cleaner things. It is pretty funny. It is a Victor tradition

Taylor and I went for the funnest/ pretty brutal run on Labor Day. We ran up Teton Pass (from Victor Idaho to Jackson Hole). It was an 18 mile run and the first 12 miles were uphill in the dark. These pictures were taken up at the top when the sun rose. It was 29 degrees so it was a bit chilly. On the way down we saw a moose and her 2 babies. It was scary because she was on the trail. We had to slide down part of the mountain to avoid the moose. It was such a pretty memorable run! I love that I can do this with my

husband!

We attempted the pool but it was a bit cold so we ended up in the hot tub.

We got to turn the kiddos around in their car-seats and I think it made the biggest difference. They did really great in the car! We left both nights at 5 and they watched videos and fell asleep around 8. We were so nervous about the drive, but they were great. It was such a fun trip! I love my little family! I couldn't ask for anything more....

Summer Lovin'

2010-08-31T19:56:00.007-06:00

It has been awhile since I have updated...The end of our summer has been so much fun! We have had BBQ's, play groups, a baby shower, and little get away to Eden. Sorry for the many pictures.

End of Summer BBQ at Kim and Blair Smiths house. I absolutely love my neighborhood! We have so much fun together and I truly consider these girls all such good friends. Thanks to Kim and Blair for finally planning the BBQ!

The girls

The boys

Kylee, Sarah, and I

Kim's baby shower. I'm so excited for Kim to have her baby.

Janell, Brittany, Sarah, me, and Abby

Eden Utah

This was such a fun weekend getaway. Megan and Nate Whitney invited us and 3 other couples to their house up in Eden, Utah (Ogden-Wolfcreek area). The house was super nice and was such a good set up for our kids. We had the whole basement to ourselves. The kids each had their own room and we had our own room. Our kids did great so it made it so much more fun for us. While there we just chilled, played games, laughed our heads off (thanks for the stories Meg), went on walks, guys golfed, went to the pool/ hot tub, went out to eat, had a little surprise b-day party for Kylee...

It was a much needed getaway and we had such a great time!!

Pool time

nap time

Tessa was so cute with Mckaylee

My cute family at the Wolf Creek restaurant

All the girls (Mckaylee, me, Kylee, Kim, Sarah, Meg, and Tessa)

Stockton was eating straight cinnamon honey butter (and then of course threw it all up- That boy doesn't eat very much and the few times he has eaten a lot it ends up coming back up)

The cute kiddos in the morning. They were really cute together

The daddy's on a walk (We were just trying to break Blair in with a girl)

We went and fed the elks carrots.

On the way home the kiddos konked out...too cute!!!

Thanksgiving Point Petting Zoo. We had a great time at the Animal Farm.

I love the Summer! I am so sad that it is coming to an end

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

2010-08-15T20:45:00.007-06:00

STOCKTON & MCKAYLEE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!

First off we had their 1 year appt so I wanted to record their stats... Stockton was 28.7" tall (20%) , 18lbs 1oz (2%), and his head was 17.9" (25%) and Mckaylee was 29.4" tall (60%), 19lbs 5oz (25%), and her head 18" (70%)

Although Mckaylee is still not crawling the doctor doesn't seem to be concerned. She has started to show more signs of crawling and she can stand really well. Stockton is just moving around like crazy. He isn't walking yet, but I just think it will be a matter of time.

Their birthday party was a blast! We had so much fun at it. Let me preface by saying that I got this idea from a friend of mine that is so super duper creative so I can't take all the credit.

Sorry for the millions of pictures...

birthday invitation

bug jars for all the kids that came

Opening presents

We just had family at the party because we didn't want the kids to be overwhelmed. In the picture you can see Great Grandma Jane and Great Grandpa Hal, Uncle Bones and Aunt Paula, Cousin Grey, Grandpa Brent, Aunt Nikki, Aunt Kim, and cousin Evan

Grandma Crystal and Mckaylee

The treat table

The food table... we just did Ants on the log, caterpillar cocoons, and healthy grub (fruits and veggies). In the background you can see a picture...well that was a video I made of the babies first year. It took forever, but I think it will be a precious memory for them to have.

You can't really see in this picture, but their shirts have the number 1 on them. They were shortly dirtied and ruined :)

The birthday cakes...they had a blast with these. This was my favorite part to watch because they don't quite know what is going on, but they know that whatever it is tastes good (note to self...don't use black frosting next time)

In the background you can see the blow up waterslide we had. This entertained the older cousins the whole time

I took away his wax candle and he was so mad. He got over it pretty quickly though

Love these two!!!

Can you be any cuter?!?

My friend Kylee stopped by to join in the waterslide fun. These 3 kids will probably be seeing a lot of each other :)

The boys...Bro John and Christian, Zac West, Carter, Tay, Cregg, Bones, Hal, Preston, Landan, Kaleb, and Brent. They decided to hit golf balls on the park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STOCKTON & MCKAYLEE!!!!! MOMMY & DADDY LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!