The Shu Cru

Kade's First Haircut

2011-07-13T20:55:00.002-06:00

Kade had about 5 long hairs on top of his head and a sweet mullet, so I had to give him a haircut the other night. I just had to post this picture because it's too cute!

Brother and Sister

2011-07-13T20:44:00.003-06:00

There is nothing I love more than watching Liv love her brother. She wants to include him in everything she does. I mean, sure, she wants to put her feet on his face, hug too tight, and just torment him sometimes, but she really loves him! And Kade really loves his sister. He lights up when he sees her in the morning and loves snuggling her in mom and dad's bed. What a rewarding sight to watch your kids love one another!

Liv and Kade in her car seat box. She really thought he would enjoy being in there because she did!

She couldn't wait to put Kade in the fort she built. They were both in heaven!

Liv really wanted to share her books and toys with Kade. She also made sure he looked cute by putting her clip in his hair! So funny!

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy!

2011-07-13T20:22:00.005-06:00

I love summer! Here are some pics of the fun things we've been doing now that the weather is warm!

Kade and Dad enjoying the Steel Day's fireworks. Kade absolutely loved it. He sat like this the whole time and didn't make a peep!

Liv snuggling Matt while watching the fireworks. This poor inflatable couch was flat by the time the fireworks were over! How uncomfortable do these 3 look?

Liv's first ride on the Magic Carpet at the carni. She looked like she might cry at first, then laughed the rest of the time. This was her favorite ride, by far! She made Greg take her back to ride it with her! What a brave girl!

Greg and Liv 4-wheeling at Bear River Lodge! They had such a blast!

Liv tubing down the creek in Cedar Hills! She played in this creek for hours with her cousins. So fun!

Tubing with Carson and Ellie

Kade taking a nap while his cousins played in the creek. I wish I could fall asleep anywhere like this little guy!

Liv and Zoe at Aunt Marsh's end of school year party

Liv & Zoe Doing Flips Off The Couch

2011-07-13T18:35:00.002-06:00

Need I say more?

Liv's Dance

2011-05-29T13:14:00.002-06:00

I know we already posted a video of Liv's dance recital, but here's a few cute pics.

Day Out With Thomas

2011-05-29T12:58:00.004-06:00

On Friday night our little family and our friends, the James', went to Day out with Thomas in Heber. Olivia thought it was the greatest thing ever. She just loved it! We rode Thomas (the Heber Creeper), played mini golf, got Thomas tattoos, played with Thomas train sets, and got pictures taken with Sir Topham Hat and Thomas. It was so fun to watch what a great time she was having. I just love being a mom and watching my kids have fun and seeing them happy. There's nothing better!

Hangin' with Thomas! Notice Liv is in costume as Jake! Haha.

Liv and her little friend, Maddie riding Thomas!

They didn't want to get too close to Sir Topham Hat. Can you blame them?

How cute are these two buddies?

Ahoy!

2011-05-29T12:47:00.002-06:00

Olivia is obsessed with the show "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" on the Disney channel right now. She wants to watch it every morning. Well, Jake wears a bandanna around his head, so Olivia has been wearing one for almost a week now and will not take it off. She sleeps in it, wears it to the store, and even wanted to wear it to church (I had to put my foot down there and tell her it wasn't reverent to wear bandannas to church, to which she agreed). If I call her Olivia she says, "No mom. I'm Jake". So, needless to say, I and everyone else has been calling her Jake since last Tuesday. It's quite hilarious! She even wants Kade to be a pirate!

My two pirates! Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Liv Singing Flower Gleam & Glow From Tangled

2011-05-28T20:03:00.001-06:00

This might be one of the funnies things that Liv sings to us. Thought you might enjoy!

You can watch this video on YouTube by clicking here.

Liv's Second Dance Concert

2011-05-19T16:48:00.002-06:00

You can watch the whole thing with a bigger view over on YouTube by clicking here

Lots of Pictures

2011-05-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

My sister Alex is in New Jersey for the summer (no, she's not guest starring on Jersey Shore! Ha) and she told me I needed to keep my blog updated and post lots of pictures, so these are for you Al! Love ya!

Any time Liv is laying by Kade and I turn my back, this is what happens

Captain Jack Sparrow at the Disney store

Provo River Resort

Look how huge this guy is getting! Oh, I could just eat him up! He's the best baby! Here he is cheesin' it!

Little Brother

2011-04-30T17:48:00.003-06:00

We are so dang happy to have Kade home with us. He's been home for two weeks now, and we just can't get enough of him. He's such a good baby. It feels like he's always been part of our family. Liv is the sweetest big sister ever. She loves to snuggle him and is always making sure he's got his binky. I just love seeing her interact with him. It's precious.
Since Kade was born, I finally feel like myself again. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders. It's no secret that the past nine months have been extremely difficult and anxiety ridden, but seeing this precious little man in the delivery room made it all worth it.
Having Kade home has made me think of Harper. It has really made me realize all of the wonderful things I missed experiencing with her. The precious cries, the sleepless nights, snuggling, looking into his eyes. I cherish every moment.
Though Kade has most certainly not replaced my little Harper, the pain has been eased a bit by holding this sweet baby in my arms.
I'm so grateful for my two wonderful children at home and my baby girl in Heaven watching over our family.
Here's some pics of life at home with my little stud. I think he's quite darling, but hey, I'm the mom!

This picture is my favorite! Liv dressed brother as Harry Potter!

Baby Kade Is Here!

2011-04-08T20:03:00.000-06:00

It's no secret that this has been the most stressful pregnancy ever for Kelsey! After losing Harper a year ago, there was always that thought in the back of our minds that we could lose this little guy as well.

Obviously, we didn't lose him, but he came four weeks early and is currently in the NICU getting some help breathing.

Here are some picts...

Family Vacation - Snowbird 2011

2011-01-22T16:30:00.001-07:00

Each year during the third week in January we head up to Snowbird for a family vacation. While there we swim, ski, and spend many hours of lounging around the condo.

Greg and Liv went skiing a few times and she is getting really good. Here is a video of her and Greg on Chickadee. This year she started skiing along side Greg instead of being in between his legs.

Here is a video of Liv skiing all by herself on the bunny hill. She is an animal!

Here are some pictures of our trip as well.

This is Liv and Maddie snuggling in bed watching Monsters Inc.

As you can see, Liv is pretty excited to head out skiing for the first time this season.

Liv and Greg posing for a pict before heading out in the rain to ski.

Liv and Greg riding the "magic carpet" to the top of the bunny hill.

Liv skiing all by herself on the bunny hill.

Liv and Greg riding the lift to the top of Chickadee.

Liv and Greg after their first run of the day.

Liv's First Dance Concert

2010-12-14T21:20:00.007-07:00

Tonight was Olivia's first dance concert. She actually did really well considering she was very distracted during class the last few weeks and didn't really participate much during practice time.

As you can see, about half way through she spotted her dad and just started pointing at him.

It was so fun! We love our Livvy so much!

Halloween Is Almost Here - The Shuey's Are Carvin' Pumpkins

2010-10-20T20:34:00.000-06:00

We just got done carving pumpkins and Liv had so much fun! She loved watching, but not so much helping as you can see in the second photo of her.

Best Friends

2010-07-15T11:29:00.000-06:00

This picture is my favorite! Liv went over to Amy's while Amy was bathing Ella and Liv just wanted to jump in! These two are best friends! It's so fun having such great neighbors!

Our Beautiful Yard

2010-07-01T20:28:00.000-06:00

We finally finished our yard last week. It has been so nice having a backyard and being able to send Liv out to jump during the day. We had so much help from all of our friends and family members, we appreciate them so much!

Grief

2010-04-06T19:30:00.002-06:00

I have been reading a lot of blogs written by moms who have experienced the loss of their baby. It is comforting to know that the pain will lessen (though not go away) over time. I wanted to record my feelings and in the future, maybe help another mother or family who experiences the loss of their angel.
After the birth of Harper, we were able to hold her and spend time with her in the hospital. What sacred times these were. I will never forget the way her little legs looked just like her big sister, or how soft her hair was, or her cute little nose. I will also never forget how I was flooded with sadness as I looked at her and realized that I wouldn't see her open her eyes, or grasp my finger. I wouldn't be able, in this life, be able to give her a bath, comfort her in the night, learn her sweet personality, or see her play with her sister. I cannot even describe how painful these revelations were. As I left the hospital, I couldn't believe that she wasn't coming with me. I hated more than anything to leave her there.
After leaving the hospital, we began making funeral arrangements. As a mother, there is nothing more painful than planning to bury your child. We decided to go through the Warenski Funeral Home. Greg and I went up on Thursday, March 11th to finalize plans. As I walked into the room with all the caskets and looked at the tiny boxes that were going to be my baby's resting place, I was flooded with emotion. I couldn't believe that instead of being in a warm, soft crib, my baby would be "sleeping" in a small plastic box. We picked a beautiful white casket for our sweet girl and left, leaving her in the care of the mortician.
The viewing and funeral were beautiful. Close family was able to come see our pride and joy and say goodbye to her before the graveside service. At the service, Greg conducted. We had my dad, Doug, say a few words and Greg's mom, Cindy, read a beautiful poem. All of Harper's cousins and Olivia then sang, "I Am a Child of God". Greg's brother, Brian, then dedicated her grave. It was the most emotional and beautiful service for the most beautiful baby. There were so many friends and family members there to support us, and we were so grateful to have them there.
As the weeks since burying our Harper have passed, I have been consumed by emotion. I am grateful that time has passed, making the wounds less "fresh", but I also hate that time is passing because it means it has been that much longer since I have felt Harper kick or held her in my arms. My heart aches constantly and as you can imagine, I have not felt like myself at all. I feel cheated that I don't get to hold, smell, touch, kiss, and cuddle my Harper. I know that I will get to raise her in the Millennium, but I want her NOW. I think about her constantly, but have to go on and try my best to make life feel "normal" for Olivia. She deserves her mom's love and attention, and I'm grateful that I get to give it to her. She has truly kept me going. I don't know what I would do without her happy, sweet spirit. She is my Angel here on Earth. I love her so much and feel blessed to be her mom.
As I try to heal, I am so thankful for my knowledge of the Gospel. I know that the Lord has a plan for Harper and for our family. This knowledge has given me great comfort in this time. I cannot wait to see Harper again. What a wonderful day it will be.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that "those who die in infancy are too pure and lovely to live in the corruption on Earth. Even as we mourn their present loss to us, we have reason to rejoice because they have been delivered from evil."

Our Little Angel

2010-03-13T09:08:00.002-07:00

This week has definitely been the most difficult and trying week of my life. On Monday night as I layed in bed, I realized that I hadn't felt Harper move all day. I decided to go in to the hospital just for reassurance. I was sure that they would hear her heartbeat and send me home.
When we got to the hospital, the nurses tried for about 30 minutes to find her heartbeat and they couldn't hear anything. They then did an ultrasound to see what was going on. After the ultrasound, the nurses came in and told me that my little angel was dead. I cannot even describe the pain that I felt at this time. My whole world had been turned upside down. My plans and dreams for my Harper had been taken from me in a matter of moments.
Throughout this experience, Greg and I have been so blessed to have the love and support of our families. I don't know what I would do without my mom, my sisters, and all of those who have helped us through this hard time. Thanks to all of you.
I also feel so blessed to have knowledge of the gospel, and to know that my precious baby is now with her Father in Heaven. I know that she was too perfect to live on this earth. I also know that I will see her again. This brings such great comfort to me and my family. I can't wait to meet her one day, and be able to raise her. Until then, my heart will ache to hold her in my arms. I love my little Haper so much.

Thoughts on Pregnancy

2010-01-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

I really don't want to be a complainer, but since this blog is basically my journal, I feel like I need to document my feelings about pregnancy. I'll start with my negative feelings so that I can end on a positive note...
Things I struggle with about pregnancy:
-fat face
-when I can't put on my own shoes
-feeling exhausted and uncomfortable all the time
-aches all over your body
-feeling unattractive no matter what you do
-not being able to walk up the stairs without getting winded
-not sleeping well
-finding it difficult to paint your toes or shave your legs.

Things I love about pregnancy:
-knowing I'm carrying some seriously precious cargo
-feeling my sweet baby move
-having Liv want to talk to her little sister
-being able to eat a little more (I know you should still be watching what you eat, but come on. It's nice to not have to worry about it quite so much for nine months.)
-people are always a little more polite to pregnant women (holding doors, giving up seats, etc.)
-having a legitimate excuse to rest more
-watching in amazement as my body changes to accommodate my little passenger

It truly is such a blessing to be pregnant and to experience the miracle of bringing a baby into the world. I'm so grateful to be a woman, what an amazing calling. I'm also very grateful for my sweet husband who is willing to get me as many glasses of water and popsicles as my little heart desires, and who is so helpful with Olivia and other things around the house. It really makes pregnancy easier. I can't wait to welcome our little girl in 10 more weeks.

Liv is 2!

2010-01-12T16:18:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday to my baby girl! Where has time gone? These last 2 years have been such a blast. I love having Olivia in our home. She makes life more fun. Here are some of the things I love about my little girl...
-She is so smart and talks like crazy! I love hearing what she has to say. Everything that comes out of her mouth makes me laugh.
-She is full of energy. I swear she has more energy in her little finger than I have in my whole body!
-She loves to snuggle in bed and watch t.v. I cherish every moment that I get to lay by my little lady. When I get uncomfortable and need to roll over, she always says, "Mom, nuggle me!" It's so adorable.
-I love that she is constantly jumping. When she gets excited, she just hops all over the place. It is so spastic and darling.
-She loves to nakie dance! Every time I change her diaper or her clothes, she rolls over as fast as she can and tells me, "Me wanna nakie dance." Then she boogies like crazy, naked. It's so funny to watch her with her tiny legs and little bum.
-She loves to talk about the Temple. She is obsessed with Angel Moroni. She also likes to tell me that she is going to marry a boy in the Temple. It is so precious.
I am so grateful to be that crazy little girls mom. She had made life even more wonderful. I feel so blessed that I get to spend everyday with her. Happy Birthday to my little Olivia. I love you more than you will ever know! Here's to another wonderful year watching you grow.

Fall

2009-10-21T18:37:00.004-06:00

I have just been loving fall this year. I think it's because Olivia has been able to get into the festivities and enjoy the season as well. We have been having so much fun. We have gone to Hee Haws, Pumpkinland, the zoo (I know, that's not necessarily a fall activity), carved pumpkins, and even supported Doug coach the Alta Hawks in their game against American Fork. I have also been lighting pumpkin candles like crazy. What can I say? I love this time of year!

Riding the pony at Hee Haws. She thought this was the best thing ever!

Petting the animals at Hee Haws.

Loving the bunnies at Pumpkinland.

The Giant Pumpkin House at Pumpkinland.

The cute baby elephant at the zoo.

On the carousel with dad. She thought the gorilla behind her was trying to get her and she kept turning around and yelling at it! So funny.

Greg (he's such a gomer) carving his pumpkin.

The finished product! It's Belle from Beauty and the Beast. How awesome is that!?

Our Newest Edition

2009-10-14T19:51:00.003-06:00

This is the newest edition to our family. Her name is Honey. She was a total impulse buy... We couldn't say no to Liv, she was so cute with her.

St. George with Myken and the Girls

2009-09-28T11:07:00.004-06:00

This last weekend Olivia and I got to go down to St. George with my sister Myken and her two girls Ellie and Zoe. It was such a fun trip. We were able to relax as well as swim, go to the dollar store (the kids love it!), go to TJ Maxx, ride scooters, watch movies, take the kids to Fiesta Fun, and eat way too much. We had such a good time. Liv has so much fun with Ellie and Zoe and I just love spending time with Myken. She is such a wonderful sister and friend. We shared many laughs and good times. I'm already missing her. I feel so blessed to have 3 amazing sisters that I am so close with.
While I was gone sweet Greg was a little bored, bless his heart. He was kind enough to clean the whole house. What a great thing to come home to. Thanks Greggy.

At the dollar store the girls tried on these hideous masks! Olivia thought it was so hilarious. She was walking around scaring Myken and the girls. So funny.

Snuggling and watching a movie

Mini Golfing at Fiesta fun

Baby Numero Dos

2009-08-20T08:18:00.002-06:00

Because Kelsey is so lame and doesn't update our blog very often, I will take two seconds and throw down a little update.

We are officially expecting another baby. Kelsey didn't want to tell anyone yet, but she couldn't keep her mouth closed and told all of her sisters and her mother.

Liv is so excited to have a new baby in the house. She has informed us that she wants a Boy with a wiener.

We will keep you all updated with the pregnancy! We are so excited!

4th Anniversary

2009-08-05T17:24:00.003-06:00

Four years ago on August 6, 2005, Greg and I were married! Let me say, it has gone by so dang fast! What a wild ride. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but it has been wonderful! Not to get all cheesy and sappy, but I love my husband so much. He is such and amazing husband, father, provider, and person. I am so lucky to have him. So, Happy anniversary to us! Wohoo!

Hello Again

2009-07-11T14:45:00.008-06:00

Freak, it's been a long time. I have been feeling too lazy to update. Well, I was looking at older posts and it made me realize how nice it is to have everything written down like a journal, so I'm back on the blog wagon.
Life has been sooo good and a little crazy. Greg got a new job at SEO.com, which he loves. It is such a relief to have him in a nice, stable job with insurance. It is such a blessing.
We have moved out of our apartment into Greg's mom's old house and have begun building a home in Lehi, which we will hopefully be moving into in November. We are so excited to finally have our own place. We are not excited, however, about a mortgage. Oh well, I guess it kinda comes with the territory of owning a home.
Liv is now 1 1/2 and couldn't be more fun. She is my best little buddy. I laugh at her all day and just love spending time with her. She has started talking more and more, but her favorite word continues to be "No". A few of her new words are: Happy, Buds, Ni Night, Nice, Mommy, Dadee, Bum Bob (Sponge Bob), Mi Mouse (Mickey Mouse), Mimi (Mini Mouse), Poo Poo, Pee Pee, and PEEESE (please), just to name a few. She's even started putting some words together like, "Dadee no me" (Greg told her not to ride a yard stick naked) and "Down me" (when she wants to get out of her high chair). She is also a dancing machine. Every time she hears music, she can't help but dance. Her favorite song, however, is "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas, which I can't stand to listen to, but every time we get in the car she says "boom boom" and I can't resist those big eyes, so I turn it on and she rocks out.
Well, that's it for us right now, but hopefully I won't be lazy anymore and I'll stay up to date. Here's some pics of what we've been up to:

Disneyland March

Hangin' in St. George April

Hurrican 1/2 marathon April

Good Things Utah with the Holmstead girls

Taylor Swift with Alex and Alyson

Best Buds! Liv and Zoe

Alpine Slide May

It's been awhile!

2009-02-17T16:31:00.003-07:00

Here are some random pics of what we've been up to...

Just loving the tub! This picture kills me. Liv looks drunk!

This girls will climb on anything! My life consists of making sure that this maniac doesn't get hurt!Helping dad shovel the walks. I can't wait for it to warm up cause Liv loves being outside so much!

These two are best buddies!
This one is for you Goldie. Here's my long hair. Don't mind if it is coming out tomorrow. I'm the worst. I only lasted a month.
Playing with Zoe at the Lehi pool. She loved this place.
Look at that face! She couldn't be happier!

My Crazy Sister

2009-02-02T09:46:00.001-07:00

This is my crazy sister and her friends dancing to Rihanna. It's too bad YouTube cut out the music!

Liv Turns 1!

2009-01-14T20:57:00.003-07:00

Our little Olivia turned 1 on Monday! I can't believe that it's already been a year! It has been such an amazing year. Olivia is the most fun, sweet, smart, and funny little girl. I have had so much fun spending every day with her. She keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing every day.
On Monday, we had a little party for Olivia. We had all of my brother's and sister's, my parents, and Greg's parents. It was so fun. Olivia didn't quite know what to do with all of the attention on her. She looked like a deer in the headlights most of the night. She didn't dig into her presents or the cake like I thought she would, but it was still entertaining watching her try to figure things out.

Getting help from her cousins opening presents.

Trying to figure out what she's supposed to do with the cake!

Digging in!

Congrats Greg!

2008-12-28T18:37:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to give a "shout out" to Greg for graduating from UVU this month. He was worked so hard and is finally done! I want to let him know how proud I am of him! What a great accomplishment! Good job Greg! I love you so much!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T17:31:00.004-07:00

We had the most fun Christmas ever this year. It started on Christmas eve at our traditional Berry family party! This year, Doug decided that each family had to do a performance of a Christmas song. Let me just say that I was dreading this! I do not like to get in front of people and make a fool out of myself. However, it was one of the most fun things about the party. It provided for some good laughs!
We also were all supposed to e-mail Doug something about ourselves that no one else would know. He read them aloud and we all had to guess who it was. It was a riot. I learned some things about my family members that were both shocking and hilarious. It was such a fun party. I look forward to it every year.
Christmas morning was so fun. I loved seeing Olivia get all excited about her new toys. We gave her a little kitchenette and she loved it. She had to play with it for about 20 minutes before she was ready to move on to her other things.
The day after Christmas, all of my brothers and sisters and mom and Doug all went up and stayed the night in Salt Lake. We swam, hung out, played games, and just enjoyed each other's company! It was such a fun thing to do.
Well, now Christmas is over, and I'm a little sad to see it end. It is one of my favorite times of year. There's always next year, right?

Performing our Christmas Eve songs!

Opening her present from Gaga (Grandma). My mom gave her this little hamster and here she is snuggling it! She loves it!

Christmas morning enjoying her kitchen! So fun!

Enjoying the Holidays

2008-12-20T09:34:00.005-07:00

Olivia has been loving this time of year. She has been so excited to experience all of the fun new things that happen during the winter. It has been so fun for Greg and I to experience them with her.

Sledding with her cousins! She doesn't quite know what to think of the snow!

Olivia and Payton

Helping put up the Tree! She couldn't be more proud of herself!

Ibby Loves Santa!!!

2008-12-12T20:23:00.002-07:00

Tonight... Olivia met Santa! As you can clearly see from the photo, she was more than thrilled! Greg's mom had a ward Christmas party at her house tonight and we thought that Ibby would love to sit on Santa's lap... We were mistaken, guess that was poor judgment on our part.

New Favorite Commercial

2008-12-10T14:48:00.001-07:00

I think this might be my new favorite commercial! For some reason, every time I see it I can't stop laughing, which is sad because it's quite stupid.

Anyways, enjoy!

Twinners!

2008-11-13T19:12:00.002-07:00

I was so excited when it finally got cold enough for me to bust this bad boy out! Now, when I say "bad boy" I'm referring to this sweet one piece pj suit! It was a gift last year for Christmas and I just love it! It might not be attractive, but it's so cozy, and how awesome is it that I can be twinners with my 10 month old daughter! Ha Ha. Anyways, eat your hearts out!

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to Greg

2008-11-05T18:16:00.005-07:00

On Halloween, we went up to Marsh's for chili and trick-or-treating. We didn't end up taking Olivia out because it was raining, but we still had a blast! Olivia loved wearing her costume. She thought it was so funny, especially when she would catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror! It was so funny and so fun to experience her first Halloween. She was the cutest poodle I've ever seen.

Also on Sunday, was Greg's 25th birthday! He got Guitar Hero World Tour from his mom, and he has had the time of his life playing it. Even Olivia has gotten in on the action! She loves to sit and pound on the drums with dad! Happy Birthday Greg! We love you!

Havin Fun In The Sun!

2008-10-25T11:52:00.006-06:00

While all of our friends were freezing their bums off last week, we were playing in St. George! It was Greg's final fall break at UVU so we thought that we needed to do something fun, rather than having Greg work full time on those days.

The ride down as one of the most enjoyable that we have ever made. We took the Jeep (despite high gas prices) so we would have more room and someone could be in the back with Olivia. We hooked up a TV and DVD player and Ibby watched movies and played with one of us the whole time. Ibby watched Peter Pan and The Lion King on the way down and loved them to death. She just laughed and sung to all of the music on the movies. It was hilarious.

St. George was beautiful. When we arrived on Wednesday afternoon is was 83 degrees and sunny! Much warmer than the 43 degrees that we had left 4 hours earlier. We were exited and ready to party! The fun began around 11:30 than night when Alex, McCall, Allison, Myken, Ellie, and Zoe arrived. Mom and Doug arrived the next day.

During the six days we were there, we did a lot of fun things, but mostly hung out and relaxed! We went shopping (of course), swam, captured a toad (named Frogger) and made him our house pet, ate out a lot (Wendys, Cafe Rio, Pizza Factory, Chillis, and Paulas), made many visits to to the Dollar Store (our new favorite store for buying worthless, but fun stuff), many visits to Nelsons Frozen Custard, and hiked around the narrows.

While there, we learned a few things about some of the members of our family that we didn't know before. We learned that Zoe is so excited now that she has someone smaller than her to boss around (Olivia). She was calling out orders non stop mostly telling Ibby to stop doing something or to tell her no. She would say, "NO Wibbies!" it was very cute.

We were originally going to come home Sunday night but decided to stay one more night and come home Monday afternoon. It was a great decision and we had a lot of fun that night and the next morning. As you can probably tell, we had an awesome trip! One that will be remembered for a long time.

Here we are at The Narrows. It was fun to just walk around and enjoy the nice weather.

Zoe and Ellie with Frogger!

Oh Boy! Just relaxing and being lazy.

Thriller!

2008-10-13T12:20:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, Greg surprised me with tickets to go see Odyssey Dance Theater's Thriller! I was so excited! I've wanted to see this for a long time, and I couldn't wait.
So, that night we went to Cafe Rio (my absolute fave), and then headed to the show. This year, they came to the old provo library, so we didn't head up to Salt Lake.
Here's my review of the show:
Though it was fun, it was odd! I was hoping that they would do lots of cool dances, but they didn't. They acted things out instead. There were only like 2 or 3 cool dances. I was kinda disappointed. Overall, Greg and I decided that it wasn't worth the $, so I wouldn't recommend checking it out! Go see a movie instead.
However, it was very sweet of Greg to get tickets and be willing to sit through a dance show. Though the show wasn't that great, we had a fun and much needed date night.

The Alpine Loop

2008-10-05T18:52:00.003-06:00

Our little family took a drive over the loop on Friday night. It is so gorgeous up in the canyon right now! It was so nice to get out and walk around and enjoy the nice weather and the colored leaves. I just love this time of year!

Some New Pictures

2008-10-05T18:45:00.003-06:00

Our hike to Stuart Falls. Olivia loved it! She was so happy to be out! She talked and laughed with everyone that we passed on the trail. it was so cute!

Sweet girl fell asleep right at the end of the hike, so we had to take her out of the Baby Bjorn and carry her because her head was bobbing!
Just a funny picture of Olivia's favorite new thing to do. She loved to crawl to the oven and get the dish towel. She could sit and play with it for hours. What a kook!

Tagged!

2008-09-28T18:49:00.004-06:00

I AM...
*I am....sitting on the couch with Greg counting down until Desperate Housewives starts! (Embarrassing, I know!)
*I think....Olivia's getting another tooth!
*I know....my breath stinks right now (cause Greg just kindly informed me. How sad)
*I want....to move into a house soon!
*I have....The funniest little girl ever!
*I miss.....Sleeping in. This a luxury you don't have once you have a child.
*I fear....we're going to live in "little mexico" forever.
*I feel...Hungry! I started Weight Watchers AGAIN about a week ago! (Hopefully I can last longer this time than I have in the past)
*I hear....The High School Musical cast singing a commercial on T.V.
*I crave....Cafe Rio pork salad. It's my new addiction.
*I cry....about everything. I'm such an emotional basketcase!
*I search...for sales and promo codes on the internet all the time lately.
*I wonder....if we will be able to afford a house when Greg graduates. (can you tell that this is about all I think about lately?)
*I regret....not traveling before we had Olivia. (Same as Myken)
*I wish....I lived in American Fork. I want to be closer to my family.
*I love....having such a close family. I have so many good memories of family.
*I care....way too much about what people think. I need to get over that fast.
*I always....talk too much. Sometimes I think Greg gets sick of hearing me, but bless his heart he would never tell me that. He just listens and responds like a good husband should.
*I worry....about the trials Olivia will have to face as she gets older. I can't imagine what things will be like in High School by the time she's that old.
*I am not....excited about going grocery shopping tomorrow.
*I remember....all of the fun times Lacey and I had in High School. We were inseparable, and we had a blast!
*I believe....that it's important to be a good example to Olivia. I want to teach her to be a good person.
*I sing....Jonas Brothers nonstop. How sad and embarrassing. Don't think less of me!
*I am not always....right, though I would like to be.
*I argue....with Greg about going to bed so early. He wants to turn in at like 9, and I'm ready to party!
*I write....reminders for myself on the calender. I wish I could say something more interesting.
*I lose....sleep when Olivia's getting a tooth. She wakes up in the middle of the night cause her mouth hurts!
*I listen....to music all the time. I love music!
*I don't understand....how we are going to live forever. That seems like a REALLY long time.
*I can usually be found....at home, or at Nordstrom. I love that place. Don't worry, I'm not usually buying things, but I like to go in there and look around. A girl can dream, right?
*I need....exercise more. I need to be more positive about myself.
*I forget....everything. I'm quite forgetful.
*I am happy....being a mom. I love it. I'm also happy when I'm with my family.

I tag Lace, Goldie, and McCall

Mini Golf

2008-08-30T20:46:00.003-06:00

Last night, Greg and I went mini golfing at Boondocks with Lacey and Tyson. It was a serious competition. Greg talked me up at dinner, so I was feeling pretty confident, but I bombed. Tyson won with a 10 pt. lead with Greg, Lacey, and I tying for second. Obviously, the three of us need to work on or mini golfing skills before our next competition. I'm comin' for ya Tys!

One Last Horrah!

2008-08-30T09:12:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday night (or should I say Sunday morning), while we were kickin it with the Beans (Lacey and Tyson), at about 1am, we decided that we were going to go to Park City on Sunday afternoon and stay the night! Greg said he needed one last horrah before school started. We booked the Mountain Side Marriott resort and headed up Sunday after church.
Greg, Olivia, and I went to main street and shopped and then headed to the outlets. Olivia was so good and hilarious. She was working it with everyone that walked by. She would laugh and scream to get their attention.
Lacey and Tyson came up at about 5 pm and we met them at a yummy mexican restaurant. We then went swimming, played games, talked, and laughed for hours. Lacey and Tyson headed home later that night, and Greg, Ibby, and I slept over!
We had such a blast! It is so fun hanging out with Lacey and Tys. We have so many laughs! I am so excited for them to get married! They are the best!

When we were in Gap, I was trying on a sweater, when Greg walked up and told me to turn around. This is what we saw! Our sweet Ibby was either trying to escape, or checking out the world! Hilarious!

Here we are eating dinner with the Beans!

Pineview

2008-08-20T08:58:00.003-06:00

This last weekend, the WHOLE Holmstead crew went to Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Canyon. We had so much fun! We jet skied, tubed, wakeboarded, ATE, and just hung out with the fam!
The first night, the power went off at around 5:30 and was out the rest of the night. It was a little inconvenient, but we still managed to have fun. We hung by the pool til it was too dark, then just hung out with the cousins, talked, and played cards.
The next day was our day at the lake. We had so much fun. Even Olivia got to go on the jet ski. Her face was quite concerned the whole time. We had to keep stoping to make sure she was still breathing (she always holds her breath when the wind is in her face)!
Myken, Greg, and I did the tube, and I still have bruises to prove it. It was a rough ride, and my swim bottoms will agree. I almost lost them countless times. That would've been just a little embarasing. When Myken drove, she was determined to get Greg off, and the nerd wouldn't let go of the dang tube! It was so funny. I was a little sore the next day, but it was still a blast.
Later, Greg and I decided to take the jet ski out and wakeboard. Unfortunately, the rope got sucked into the engine. Count on us to be the idiots to do that. We had to swim the jet ski to shore and cut the rope out. Don't worry, the jet ski still worked (thank heavens)!
We had so much fun! I always love our yearly getaways with the Holmsteads. We make so many fun memories.
I didn't do so well with getting pics, but here's what I got:

Kickin it in the hot tub with the kids! Olivia loved it! (Don't worry, it wasn't very hot)

Matt and Easton napping. Matt might be Olivia's favorite uncle now because when I would put her down for a nap, Matt would sneak in and rescue her if she was crying. He would either snuggle her until she fell asleep, or take her outside to play!

Greg's disgusting mustache that he grew for the trip. Thank heaven's it's gone now!

Family Pics

2008-08-10T14:32:00.001-06:00

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Almost 7 Months And Crawling!!!

2008-08-03T18:27:00.004-06:00

We cannot believe that our little Ibby is crawling! She has been so close for so long and she finally figured it out about three days ago and now our house is no longer safe!

This is also a new skill that Ibby has acquired over the last week. Now that she can pull herself up in her crib, she won't nap! It is a constant battle and one that is rarely won by the parents.

Summer Time!

2008-07-27T17:09:00.005-06:00

I haven't posted any pics for a long time. I guess you could say I've been a little lazy. Here's some pictures of what we've been up to lately...

Uncle Bri put all of Grandma Shuey's beany babies in Olivia"s pack 'n play. She was in heaven!

For the 4th of July Me, Greg, Ibbs, Myken, and her kids went to Chili's, then went to Marsh's to watch fireworks. Olivia was mesmerized by the fireworks. She sang and talked the whole time she watched them.

Here's Olivia meeting Aunt Lacey's dog, Ziggy. She loved it, and Ziggy loved her. He wanted to climb all over her and eat her pony tail. It was hilarious!

Greg and I took Olivia up to Bridal Veil Falls. She loves being outside and hearing water. She just stares at it and sings!

For the 24th, Greg, Olivia, and I went and spent the whole day at Myken's! We did the big water slide, swam in the pool, and did a BBQ. It was a fun day! Greg didn't want to leave. Myken may have thought that we were gonna move right in her house! Good times!

Greg loves the water slide. He's like a little boy! He looks a little too big for it though!

Check out Zoe's soggy diaper! She looked like a little wadling duck when she walked!Olivia lounging in the pool! She loved this tube!It's been a fun summer so far! It's been nice having Greg out of school for a minute. I can't wait til December when he's finished! We've been having so much fun with Olivia. She gets more fun and funny every day! Not to sound cheesy, but, being a mom really is the greatest job ever!

The Regulators - It All Began In 2001

2008-07-26T12:29:00.004-06:00

In the year of 2001 the Regulators were born. Today, the legend lives on!

The sad thing is, this is how our jerseys fit back in the day.

Ibby loves the new addition to her wardrobe. It actually almost fits her.

The Regulators were the best intramural basketball team to every grace the basketball courts of Orem High School. Our team consisted of some of my best friends. Jeff Carn, Jesse Ward, Greg Williams, Spencer Blackwell, Golden Thomas, Brandon Egbert, Wayne Farnsworth, Aaron Eaquinto, and Ryan Arthur.

Our coaching staff consisted of Jeff Maughan, Alex Coombs, Jeff Cowley, Andy Evans, Mike Morgan, and a bunch of other dudes who coached when they felt like it.

We should have been champs in 2001, owning the best winning record in the entire school. We were sadfully dismissed early in the playoffs. However, in 02, we had our revenge taking the championship in front of the entire school.

I wish the best to all my brethren in whatever they may be doing today!

The Regulators will forever live on in my heart!

Why So Serious?

2008-07-18T10:19:00.005-06:00

Last night we went to see Batman! It was hands down the best movie we have ever seen. I won't go into too much detail because I would hate to spoil it for those who are still going to see it.

Heath Ledgers performance as the Joker was the best part of the whole movie. He was down right amazing and sucked you right into his character and craziness! Christian Bale as always was great as the Dark Knight. Every minute of this movie was jam packed with action and left you on the edge of your seat.

I'm done before I say too much... Just go see it if you haven't yet or if you aren't planning on seeing it till it comes out on video. I hear that IMAX is the way to watch it, so try for that if you can.

Our Latest and Greatest Adventure

2008-07-17T08:20:00.002-06:00

Since Kels is getting lazy with the blog, I thought I would jump on this morning and let everyone know what we have been up to.

We have spent the last week on a little adventure over to Doug and Lori's house to watch over our dear Alex while her parents were on their cruise. This was an unplanned and very unexpected trip, but it couldn't have been more fun!

During our adventures, we found that we had some friends to hang out with. Our first night, we stayed up till about 2am chillin with Alex, a few of her friends, Lacey, and Bean. Bean and I mostly stayed out side playing crazy golf throwing the balls over the hedges from the upper backyard to the lower backyard. It was quite challenging, but very fun!

A few nights ago, Goldie, Chase, and the Jaxter came over to visit and hang out. It has been awhile since we have hung out with them and it was so fun! Orem to Highland is a long drive so we don't get together that often and since we were in AF, it was time to PARTY!

I think we were also visited by Myken, Ellie, and Zoe almost every day which was awesome! We love those two little girls, even though Zoe can be down right mean to you sometimes. It was fun, we had a lot of good laughs, and we painted a lot of fingernails!

The best part of our little adventure was how much Olivia loved being surrounded by so many people who love her and smother her with attention. She started this cute little growl that she does whenever she sees Alex. I think that Alex and Olivia really bonded over the last week. As always, she loves all the attention that Ellie and Zoe gave her.

We are having a really fun summer, which is exactly what I need before going into my last semester of school this fall. It's been so great to spend so much time with my two girls and I love them so much!

Hello San Diego...

2008-06-21T19:44:00.005-06:00

We just got back from a fabulous vacation to Solana Beach, California with my family. We had so much fun and made so many awesome memories. We stayed in a beach house that was right by the beach. We went to Sea World, Legoland, The San Diego County Fair, hung by the pool, and played on the beach. We also ate everything that we could get our hands on. A frequent comment that was heard during the vacation was, "I'm ill". This was after about every meal because we all ate way too much. But it's vacation. What do you expect?

Olivia and I with the Sea Lions

Alex and I, enough said.Olivia and Ellie. How funny is Ibby's face?

Greg, Olivia, and I at the Shamu Rocks show. Olivia loved the lights and the music. She just sang and laughed the whole time. It was so cute.
Matt wanted to sit on the front row at the Shamu show, so he brought a garbage bag and headed down while we all sat far away from where we could get wet. This picture is my favorite because he didn't know I was taking it, and he looks like the hulk as he rips his garbage bag off after the show.
Alex and I playing some mad volleyball on the beach. Good times.

This is mini land at Legoland. It's so cute. They have created all of these cool places completely out of legos. There's Las Vegas, New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco, just to name a few. Here's the girls. Mom, me, Alex, Myken, and Ellie in front of New York.
Alex and I in front of the MGM Grand in Fabulous Las Vegas.

Greg, Olivia and I on the lego camel

Here I am boogie boarding at Mission Beach. Alex made fun of my face in this picture. She said, "It's not like your cheesing it just for the picture. This is what your face looked like every time you caught a wave. You are so excited and pleased with yourself for catching a wave."

This is the hole that Greg worked so hard to dig while we were at the beach. He's still sore from digging it. Here he is with Ellie basking in his hard work.

Our little family at the beach

This is our dinner! I have never had lobster and was shocked when I saw it. It looks like it could crawl right off the plate.

Myken and I trying to balance out our eating with some P90X. We're working our butts off!

Little Easton!

2008-06-14T15:24:00.003-06:00

On Monday, my sister Marshelle had her 4th baby. He is the cutest little boy. He weighed 9 lbs. and was 18 inches long. He's a chubby little thing. He is such a blessing. We were so worried that he was going to have heart surgery right after he was born, but after much fasting and prayer he was born healthy and strong. He doesn't need any surgery. He is perfectly normal. He is such a testament of the power of fasting and prayer. What a miracle.

Easton and his proud uncle, Greg

How cute is this little guy?

While Marsh was at the Hospital, delivering Easton, Greg and I were able to watch her kids. Ellie and Zoe came too. We had so much fun. We played baseball, crazy golf, skateboarded, watched Tarzan, and jumped on the tramp. It was a fun, but exhausting day. I have a new respect for mothers with more than one child. It is a lot of work. I thought Olivia was a handful.

Cute cousins hanging out at Marsh's house!

OUCH!!!

2008-06-01T20:53:00.002-06:00

This just in...

I can no longer do a back handspring on the ground without causing some serious bodily harm to myself. I was at my mom's tonight and thought that I would display my mad skills by doing some tumbling moves on the grass. Greg warned that I haven't stretched out in years and was no longer as limber as I used to be but I wanted to prove him wrong! So, I whipped out a roundoff back handspring and caused some serious pain to my elbow. But, I landed it and still have my pride, although I had to ice my elbow the rest of the night.

Alex said she was gonna blog about it to make fun of me, but I beat her to it!

Sweet Alex

2008-05-22T16:23:00.004-06:00

This is a tribute to my sweet sister Alex. On Monday she was rollerblading and didn't see a big bump in the road. She proceeded to face plant and injured her arm. She went to the doctor's to find out that she had broken her elbow! She is now in a sling and struggles to do anything. It's quite funny! Here's to Alex and getting her back up on her rollerblades! Love ya Al!

Olivia's First Meal

2008-05-12T16:08:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, we fed Olivia cereal for the first time. It was so funny! She kept getting so mad because I couldn't get the cereal in her mouth fast enough. She would take a bite, move her tongue around like crazy, then start to whine while shoving either her hand or her arm in her mouth. It then got to the point that she started to bend over to lick the tray. Poor thing got her mom's appetite! It was pure entertainment!
Here was the sequence of events:

Our PROBLEM Child!?!?!?!

2008-05-09T11:59:00.003-06:00

Olivia has issues! Some of these issues are starting to show more and more over the last few weeks. We were hoping that we wouldn't have a problem child, but we do. Here are the two biggest things we have to deal with on a daily basis.

Irregular Sleeping

I swear that her sleeping couldn't be any more irregular for a 4 month old baby! On average she has been sleeping about 9.5-10 hours per night, with no interruptions. Most mornings, she sleeps in longer than I do. Kelsey has sure trained her well. She loves her bed so much. The other night, I was watching the Jazz game and Kelsey brought Olivia in to lay by me before she went to bed. As soon as she laid her down, she started crying. We took her right to bed, she stopped crying and was out within two minutes. Truly amazing!

Serious Attitude Problem

I have never seen a happier baby in the entire world. She will smile at anyone who will look at her. Her smile couldn't be cuter because it is so huge and she sticks her tongue out at the same time. Over the past week she has started to squeal when she smiles and gets excited. It is so freaking funny and cute!

All in all, Olivia is a really good girl. I couldn't have asked for a better baby. Hopefully she keeps things up and doesn't turn into a nightmare child. She is just so awesome!

St. George Take 2

2008-05-07T19:25:00.001-06:00

This last weekend we went to St. George with my mom, Doug, Alex, McCall, Myken and her fam, Nick, Suzy, Macie, Rex, and Mabel. We had so much fun. The weather was beautiful. We were able to hang out by the pool and I worked on my tan, although, my results weren't so promising. At least my legs don't glow anymore. Alex, McCall, and I had so much fun rollerblading. We went on the golf course trail and it was a riot. There were some steep hills to go up and cruise down. We were all out of control on the downhill stuff. We couldn't stop. I thought I was going down, but luckily I didn't. The same can't be said for McCall. I turned around and she was down and out. It was hilarious. The second day we were there, Greg, Alex, McCall, Olivia, and I went to Las Vegas to shop. I was so excited to go to H&M, and it didn't disappoint. They had the cutest stuff and the prices were amazing. It was so fun. Alex and McCall are a laugh a minute. Funny story, we were at the mall in Vegas, and we were all starving. There was no food court, so we ended up at the California Pizza Kitchen after determining that it was the least expensive restaurant there. We sat down and checked out the menu as our waiter brought us drinks. Come to find out that everything was more expensive than it is here. We would've rather spent money on clothes than food, so we all looked at each other and decided to take off. It was so embarrassing. I guess we weren't high class enough to be at that mall.
It was a nice relaxing trip. We had a blast, and it was so fun to be with my fam. It's always a good time with them.

Mario Kart'n It Up!!

2008-04-27T19:30:00.002-06:00

Greg has been counting down the days until Mario Kart Wii was released and today was the big day! Greg has been glued to the TV all day today, he even put the NBA Playoffs on hold for the day to take it all in. We got to play it together this evening and then Olivia woke up from her nap. So, we threw her on my lap and we kept playing. It is such a fun game and the new wheel that controls the karts was different at first, but is awesome! Greg needed this after a very long semester of school. The sad thing is, he starts summer semester on Tuesday, so Mario Kart will probably get less attention later this week.

Oh, and if you can't tell from the picture above... I GOT BANGS! (You'll only think this is funny if you have seen Legally Blonde)

Cute Girl!

2008-04-17T20:12:00.007-06:00

Today, Greg and I took Olivia to Wal-Mart (Lacey was quite concerned and disgusted that this was our place of choice!) to get her ears pierced. It might have been one of the saddest things ever. They wouldn't do both ears at the same time, so after the first one she cried just for a second. I think that she was more shocked than hurt. After the second one she cried for awhile, and it broke both of our hearts. Some old man just came up and watched while they did it, and looked so disgusted with us. Finally, I turned to him and said, "I promise we are not bad parents!" However, I don't think he agreed! She looks so dang cute though! She looks like a grown woman now!

Check out her pony! Keep in mind, she's only 3 months old!

This is random, but Greg was changing her diaper and put her little undies on her head and it looked so funny. It looks like she's wearing a shower cap!
This is Olivia's favorite position on the couch. She moves herself so that she can see the TV and is glued to it. The other night she was crying and being grumpy and my sweet husband picked her up, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, "If you are going to be grumpy, you will lose your TV privileges for the night." He acted like she was old enough to understand what he was saying! I died laughing, cuz I thought he was joking. Come to find out, he was dead serious, because 2 minutes later she was in her crib, ready for a nap!

Some Funny Pics!

2008-04-14T18:55:00.005-06:00

Lace, this one's for you! Aunt Lace made Liv these cute little booties. They looked so darling and funny on her, so I had to get a picture.

Greg was taking his ski racks off, so he put Ibby in her boppy and put her on the roof of his car (supervised, of course)! It was bright out, so we had to get her shades. She was so confused about what was covering her eyes. It was hilarious!

This one speaks for itself!

Olivia's Blessing

2008-04-14T18:31:00.001-06:00

Greg, Olivia, and I before her blessing.

Yesterday, Olivia was blessed. Greg gave a beautiful blessing, even though he was extremely nervous. After the blessing, we went over to my mom's house for a brunch. The Holmsteads and Greg's family were there. It was so fun to see everyone. It's wonderful to have so much support from friends and family. We are so lucky.
Olivia got to play with her buddy, Jax! They are so cute together. He is so smiley and such a talker, and Olivia is a mover and a shaker. They are just night and day. It was so fun to lay them next to each other and see there cute little personalities.

It was just a great day. I couldn't be happier with life! I have a beautiful, healthy baby, an incredible, sweet husband, and a supportive, loving family. I'm a lucky girl!Check these two out! They are the best!

New moms! Goldie and I with our adorable babies!

Olivia Has Been Tagged

2008-03-30T15:21:00.002-06:00

1. Olivia absolutely loves the tub as long as one of us is in with her! We know this because the screams bloody murder whenever we get her out. She just loves to lounge, kick her legs, sing, and on occasion poo while bathing.

2. Olivia won't take naps if Dad is home. She completely refuses to nap whenever Greg is in the house. She will occasionally lay down and attempt to nap as long as he is laying next to her, but it still usually doesn't happen.

3. Olivia loves watching TV, I think it has something to do with the bright flashing screen and different sounds. If you get in her way and she can't see the TV, she gets mad and turns her head away from you until you move.

4. 2 1/2 months old and Olivia is already sleeping through the night. She sleeps around 8-9 hours each night! It is heaven!

5. Olivia is an acrobat! The week after we brought her home from the hospital, she was already rolling from her stomach to her back. She hates tummy time!

6. Poo is Olivia's middle name! I already mentioned that she poo's in the tub, but she always decides to relieve herself as soon as we take her diaper off and clean her bum. It is quite annoying!

7. Olivia loves the mall! A few times a week, when Greg gets home from school or work, he will take her to the mall while I take a nap. Olivia is so relaxed and usually gets her nap in while they take laps.

8. Olivia will suck on anything that she can get close to her mouth. She as previously sucked on Greg's nose, our chins, and has recently found her arm and hands. She goes to town and it is loud! We can hear her in the middle of the night over the baby monitor.

9. Olivia loves music! One day when she was so upset and wouldn't calm down we turned on Josh Groban and she immediately stopped crying and calmed down.

10. She loves her mom and misses her while she is away. One day I went shopping up at the Gateway for a few hours. Greg's mom tended Olivia and Greg went and picked her up after he got off work. Shortly after they came home she got really upset. When he called me to see when I was coming home he put the phone to Olivia's ear. She immediately stopped crying and we ok as soon as she heard her mommy's voice.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-27T11:02:00.003-06:00

Happy Easter everyone! We had a wonderful Easter. On Saturday, we all went to South Town Mall and got a picture taken with the Easter Bunny!
On Sunday, we had a get together at my mom's house with the family. We had our annual Easter Egg hunt. Greg found $10 in his egg, and I found $2 in mine. I know what you're thinking, WE'RE RICH! Greg then gambled his money away in a game of Deal Or No Deal for a chance at $100! He walked away with $3! He had fun playing though, and it was fun to watch.

Here's Greg, the big winner, opening his egg!

We then played a little golf game to see who could get closest to a target. We ended up leaving with $0, but it's ok cause that's what we came with. It was fun to be with the family and the weather was gorgeous!

Check out that form!

On a side note, Ellie got a bunny for Easter. The poor thing doesn't stand a chance. She drags it around by it's leash and catches it by it's ears. She doesn't think that she's being mean to it though, so it's kinda funny. She loves the little thing!

Here's Payton, Zoe, and Ellie with her bunny!

How funny is this picture of Olivia chillin' with the bunny!?

St. George

2008-03-18T17:55:00.004-06:00

Greg and Olivia heading to the Pool!Sexy Baby in her little bikini!

Me and Olivia in the pool! She doesn't look too excited to be swimming!

Dad and Olivia cleaning the house before we went home! She loves this thing, but she looks so uncomfortable!

Last Wednesday Greg, Olivia, and I headed down to St. George. We were joined on Thursday by Greg's 2 brothers and his cousin, Derek. On Friday, Greg's parent's arrived. We had so much fun. We shopped (Hello TJ Maxx!), ate (We love the Mongolian BBQ), played games (Apples to Apples), and relaxed! As we played Apples to Apples, sweet Greg thought the word was foamy, when in fact it was phony so he put down "Root Beer Floats" and was sure he had it won, until he learned the real word. We all had a good laugh about that.
We attempted to take Olivia swimming, but as you will be able to see from the picture, she was less than thrilled. It was pretty funny.
On our drive home, we were at a complete stop in Cedar City because of the snow and a bad wreck, but Olivia slept until we made it to Spanish Fork. She did awesome.
Yesterday, when Greg got home from work Olivia wouldn't look at him or play with him. When he would lay by her she would look the other way. We decided it was because she was mad at him for leaving her (after all, he was her buddy from Thursday to Sunday without ever leaving her side). Not to worry, later in the night she snuggled Greg in bed and would open her eyes just long enough to look at him to make sure he was still there and then smile. Her personality has gotten so dang funny!

Nothing New

2008-03-09T16:32:00.000-06:00

Since I have nothing new to post about I thought that I'd share something that I'm excited about. I just invested in proactiv! I know you'll all be thrilled as well to know that you won't have to look at my sad skin anymore! I'll keep you updated on my progress (not that you really care)!

Olivia and Her Little Buddy Jax

2008-02-27T13:57:00.003-07:00

Here are some cute pics of Liv and Jax. We put them next to each other, and I thought Olivia was going to poke his eye out. She just couldn't keep her hands to herself! It was funny to see these two next to each other because they are complete opposites (besides the fact that they're both adorable)!
On a completely different note, last night I thought it would be fun to put Olivia in the tub with me. She was loving it. She was just lounging and enjoying life. Suddenly, she thought it would be a good idea to do a major poo squirt. Luckily, Greg was home and was able to come to my rescue and pull her out of the tub so I could drain it and fill it with some clean water. It was a very traumatizing event for me. I just thought I might share it to get some sympathy (or just to give you guys a good laugh)!

Liv Meets Uncle Har!

2008-02-17T18:26:00.008-07:00

Today uncle Harley finally made it over with his girlfriend Megan to see Olivia. He was so excited. He has always loved babies! He held her for a long time and just couldn't believe how cute and tiny she was!

Bee Mine!

2008-02-15T18:05:00.006-07:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone! We had a great day. Myken brought Olivia a cute Valentines shirt over and she looked so cute in it! We had a little photo shoot with her, because she kept pulling the best faces and we couldn't stop taking pictures.
Greg and I went to Tucanos for dinner. We ate more meat than anyone should eat in a lifetime. After dinner we went to see Fool's Gold! It was a cute movie. We had a lot of fun, but we were both excited to get home to Olivia. It's funny, but we miss her even when we're only away a few hours! Priorities definitely change once you have a precious little girl!

Our Little Angel

2008-02-14T11:03:00.003-07:00

We got this picture taken of Olivia the last day she was in the hospital. I just love how sweet and innocent she looks. She's so precious

Greg goes back to work

2008-02-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today is Greg's last day off of work. He has to go back on Wednesday, and I'm just sick about it. It's been so nice to have him home with us. We've been so lucky to have him home for so long. He's been so helpful with Olivia and around the house. It's going to be a major adjustment taking care of the baby and everything around the house without him. Wish me luck!

Welcome Olivia!

2008-02-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Olivia Shuey was born on January 12, 2008 at 2:49 am (talk about a long night!) She was 7 lbs 2 oz. and was 19 inches long. She has the most hilarious dark hair! She was diagnosed with a pneumonia after she came out and ended up having to be in the NICU for 11 days. It was the longest 11 days ever. It was so hard for Greg and I to not bring her home when we left the hospital, but we visited her a lot. She came home on January 24th. We are so excited to have her home and have her in our little family. She is the best baby and has been so fun!

Olivia's Life at Home!

2008-02-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

Olivia meeting her cousins Maddie and Carson for the first time. They were so excited to finally meet her. Carson couldn't stop giggling. It was so cute!

Check out mini Greg!

How precious is this?

We thought it was pretty funny how tiny she looked in her car seat!