Mom of 2 Great Boys!

New Blog

2010-11-21T23:14:00.001-07:00

I have finally created a new blog. Hopefully I will keep it a little better updated than I did the last one. Please check it out if you have time.

http://jeffandcharitywardleigh.blogspot.com

Cayden's cuteness!

2009-10-27T15:15:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't blogged forever and there is a lot to catch up on. I am going to try and catch up in the next couple of weeks, but I had to share this cute story about Cayden so I wouldn't forget.

Last night Cayden started pushing my shirt up and rubbing the belly panel of my maternity pants. I think he just liked the feel of it, but as he was rubbing I told him his baby brother was in there. He then started to tap on my belly saying baby over and over again. Then he gave my belly kisses. It was such a sweet moment that I want to be able to share with him someday.

Happy Birthday Cayden

2009-06-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

My little boy is turning one today. It just seems like not that long ago that he was coming into our lives. We love everything about him so much. He is our pride and joy. It has been so exciting to see him grow and learn everyday. He really is the greatest blessing we have.

Grocery Savings

2009-05-18T20:45:00.003-06:00

I admit it, I am addicted to couponing. I love finding a deal and seeing how much money I can save. I have recently learned from some friends of mine additional ways to save money and it is great. Here are a few of my deals the first week. This was all at Albertson's.

Deal # 1
4 cups Kraft Easy Mac and Cheese
1 bottle Kraft BBQ Sauce
4 bottles Tree Top Apple Juice
2 boxes Kraft Bagelfuls

Total Spent - $4.91 (including tax(
Total Saved - $26.14

Deal # 2
2 cups Kraft Easy Mac and Cheese
1 loaf of Sara Lee Bread
5 bottles Tree Top Apple Juice
1 box South Beach Cereal Bars
I bag Apples

Total Spent - $12.00 (including tax)
Total Saved - $26.54

Deal #3 -
5 cups Kraft Easy Mac and Cheese
2 boxes Kellog Corn Pops Cereal
2 boxes Kraft Bagelfuls

Total Spent - $3.20 (including tax)
Total Saved - $19.83

I love to see the savings. It is so amazing and look how much I was able to get for under $20.00!!!!!

Happy Birthday Chris!

2009-05-18T20:43:00.003-06:00

Happy 30th birthday to Chris. He is an amazing father and husband and we are so grateful for him. We hope he had a great day.

Job Interview

2009-05-18T20:40:00.001-06:00

I have a job interview on Wednesday in Oakley. It is so ironic that I am going to interview for a job in the place my mom grew up. I never in a million years dreamed I would be applying for a job there, but I am pretty excited about the opportunity. There are two positions open. One is fourth grade and one is second grade. I think either of those would be fine. Wish me luck that things will work out, so that we can move to Burley and not have Chris gone so much!

Shoshone Falls

2009-05-18T20:27:00.003-06:00

We went to Shoshone Falls with our good friends Susan, Laura, and Caitlynn. The falls were beautiful, but the weather was a little cold. I think these are about the best I have ever seen the falls. Here are some pictures.

Easter

2009-05-18T20:07:00.003-06:00

We had a great Easter. Cayden didn't quite understand what was going on, but he seemed to have a fun time. The Easter Bunny brought him some little toy cars and some candy. We hunted eggs at Uncle Travis and Aunt Staci's house. When Granny was helping Cayden open his eggs, he wouldn't eat the candy unless it was chocolate! What a little stinker. Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Easter Bunny Visit

2009-04-15T13:44:00.003-06:00

New Job

2009-04-08T17:49:00.004-06:00

Chris interviewed for a job at McCain's (formerly Ore-Ida) in Burley last week. He got a call yesterday and was offered the job. He is so excited and starts training on the 21st of April.

Haircuts

2009-04-08T17:46:00.002-06:00

Cayden got his 2nd haircut at 9 months old. I can't believe how long the top of his hair was. He got it cut at 5 months old and I really didn't think it had grown so much. I also got a new hair style, so see what you think!

9 month pictures

2009-04-08T17:42:00.001-06:00

I tried to take some 9 month pictures of Cayden, but they didn't turn out like I was hoping. I wanted some cute pictures in an old fashioned bath tub and some in a basket with Easter eggs around him. He would not sit in either thing for me. I didn't get what I was hoping for, but here are a few cute ones. (I am actually taking him to get pictures on Friday)

The one picture he did sit for, he wasn't looking at the camera.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-04-08T17:39:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated for awhile, so this is the first of many posts to come. Here are a few of our St. Patrick's Day pictures. It was during spring break and Cayden and I were at Travis and Staci's house. The kids had a great time with Cayden.

Fab Five

2009-03-29T15:04:00.001-06:00

Fab Five!!!

OK! So this is how this works...The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you. My choice made especially for you. Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:~
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. what I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime this year.
4. You have no clue what it will be... Could be lint from my dryer :D) Who knows? Not you, that's for sure. ;-)
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
6. I will send it anywhere! It doesn't matter where you live!
The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.
The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!
Oh! And be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it

Grandma Tolman

2009-03-24T18:08:00.002-06:00

I have really been struggling lately with the loss of my wonderful Grandma Tolman. I know it has been a year since she passed away, but I have just been thinking about her a lot lately. There are days I just want to call her up and talk to her or even go and see her. There have been many times when Cayden does stuff that I think I should call and tell her all about the new things he is doing. I was so looking forward to grandma meeting Cayden and have really been struggling with that aspect of it. I think selfishly I wanted to have at least one of my grandparents around when I had children of my own. The loss of her last year was so unexpected, that I very selfishly wanted her to be around when Cayden was born. I know that he got to spend time with her before he came here, but I still am really missing her right now. I know that she was up taking care of all of the little ones that were waiting to come last year around this time and that is a very comforting feeling to know that Cayden was taken care of by his great grandparents before he came here. This is my little tribute to my dear grandma Tolman who I love and miss so much. I think about her often and am truly thankful for my relationship with her. I am also so thankful for the family that I have because of her. They are wonderful and I love them all so much. I decided that since today was the one year anniversary since she passed away, that it was time for me to write about my feelings. I love this picture of grandma and want to share it with everyone.

FIRST TOOTH

2009-03-12T20:57:00.003-06:00

Cayden's first tooth popped through today. I am sure that he is so relieved. He has had an ear infection and breathing problems, so I am sure that the tooth just made things worse for him. Hopefully in the next few days he will really start to feel better after being on medicine and especially since his tooth came in.

Climbing the Stairs!

2009-03-12T20:55:00.002-06:00

We are officially in trouble. Cayden started to climb the stairs today. He only got up two of them, but I am sure he will be up more before too long. I can't believe how much he is growing. He is all over the place and loves to play with his toys. He is also becoming very independent, which I don't like at all. He is pulling himself up and he is almost ready to start walking. It is amazing that he seems to learn so much everyday.

Interviewed

2009-03-04T21:05:00.003-07:00

My friend, Jessica, was 'interviewed' on her blog and she interviewed me by emailing some questions for me to answer on my blog. This isn't an ordinary tag but is fun for anyone who wants to play along. This way you are answering more unique for you questions rather than the generic. Here are the questions she asked me:

1.You recently had a birthday (the big 3-0). Can you tell the most memorable birthday? That's tough. I don't really have one birthday that sticks out in my mind. I remember when I turned 8 I was so excited because I got to get baptized. I got baptized in Rigby with my Armstrong family present and I got confirmed in our ward in Nampa, with my Tolman family. It was a really special time in my life. Other than that, I don't really have one birthday that sticks out in my life.

2.Share a time in your life when you received service from someone else?

About a year and a half ago, my mom had just had surgery in Boise. I was with her at my grandma's house and Chris was home by himself. The previous couple of years had been pretty rough for our family, so we were all kind of at the end of our rope. I was sleeping on the couch and at about 2:00 AM my phone rang. I was a little paniced, because it was the middle of the night. It was Chris and he was having a panic attack (we didn't know that at the time). He was really worried, because he couldn't breathe very well and he didn't know what to do. He was home by himself and I was 2 hours away. I tried to go in and quietly wake up my dad, but my mom woke up as well. There first thought was call your home teachers. I hesitated a little bit, because it was 2:00 AM. I decided I didn't have any other choice, so I called them. I was very grateful at this time to have such a good relationship with our home teachers and their families. They both willing got up and went to our house. They gave Chris a blessing and then they went with him to the hospital. I am so grateful for these two men in our lives. I know this wasn't exactly an act of service toward me, but it was toward our family and I am so grateful for the home teaching program in our church.

3.You are a new mom. Can you share with us one of your greatest joys in being a parent? My greatest joy is watching him grow and learn. I love to see all of the new things he does and the things he learns everyday. He is truly amazing in my eyes. I love to hear him laugh. It is so contagious for anybody who hears him. I also love to just sit and cuddle him. There are so many things that bring me joy every day.

4.You and Chris have been married for almost 10 years. Tell us how you met and how he proposed to you.

Chris and I met at Shopko. We both worked there in high school and one of the girls we worked with set us up. We dated for about 1 1/2 years before he proposed. He got down on one knee and proposed to me when we were in his bedroom. It wasn't really the most romantic proposal, but it was the way he chose to do it.

5.What is your biggest dream for the future?

My biggest dream for the future is to have a happy, loving family, that is strong in the gospel. I am hoping to have more children and I would love to grow up and see all of them married in the temple and active in church.

If you are interested in having me give you a few interview questions for you to answer on your blog, let me know, follow the instructions and I’ll be in touch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Leave me a comment in this post saying; “Interview me” (please include your email address as well-if I don’t have it).
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions of my choosing.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include these instructions and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions each.

Cayden's first swimming experience

2009-02-26T20:42:00.004-07:00

This is Cayden's first swimming experience. His cousin Tristan came and went with us and we had a ball. The babies weren't sure about the water at first, but the ended up loving it. They stayed in the pool for about 1 1/2 hours. Both Liz and I were totally shocked that they enjoyed it so much.

This is Cayden with his Uncle Travis. This was his second time swimming last week and he didn't enjoy this as much as the first time. I think the late hour had something to do with that.

Cayden

2009-02-26T20:20:00.007-07:00

Cayden is officially crawling all over. He is also pulling himself up and gets into anything that he wants. He just smiles up like he knows he is just such a big boy. He is so much fun at this stage and we are loving it. Here are a few of his recent pictures that I just love. Some show some of his firsts and others I just think are really cute!

Cayden with his first sucker. He had a death grip on that thing and loved it!

Cayden in his granny's glasses. He loved the glasses and looking around in them. He would start laughing and smile if we even held them up to his face.

Cayden with his spiky hair right out of the bath tub.

Cayden eating his first dilly bar. He loved it.

Cayden starting to crawl.

Cayden with his blue lips from the fun dip.

Do you think he likes it? Look at how wide open his mouth is.

Baby Neils

2009-02-26T20:10:00.002-07:00

Neils joined our family on February 15th, 2009. He was 6 lbs. 1 oz and 19 inches long. He sure is a cutie and his dad is so proud of him. Here are a few pictures of the new little guy.

Snow Day

2009-02-04T08:59:00.002-07:00

The phone rang at 6:20 this morning and I started to panic. I was sure that something was wrong with somebody and I didn't really want to have to deal with anything like that. I saw that it was my friend Cindy calling and was really concerned. When I answered I got the message that we didn't have school today. I didn't quite believe her at first, because there is nothing outside of our house to indicate that there would be a snow day. I guess the snow is blowing and drifting north of town. I appreciate the day off, but I still can't believe that my roads are so clear and we don't have school.

Job Loss

2009-02-04T08:58:00.003-07:00

Well the economy really started to hit home with us last Thursday when Chris lost his full-time job. We were in shock at first, but still grateful for the part-time job Chris has. Chris has been busy searching for a job and has already had one interview. If you know of anybody hiring, please let us know!

Cayden

2009-02-04T08:53:00.003-07:00

I hardly know where to start since I haven't updated for awhile. Cayden is growing up so much it is making me sad, but it is also very exciting and fun at the same time. Here is a list of some of the things he has recently started doing. He just turned 7 months and it seems like he is doing so much.

1. He has recently started saying ma ma and da da. (and he knows what it means)
2. He is moving all over the place. He hasn't quite got crawling down yet, but he is still all over the place. Once he starts crawling look out.
3. He goes to the crawling position and then tries to stand up. He gets both feet on the floor and both hands and has his but sticking up in the air.
4. He can go from laying down to sitting up. I discovered this when I went to get him out of his crib yesterday and he was sitting and not laying. I guess it is time to lower the crib mattress.
5. He is starting to pull himself up. I reached down to wash him in the bath tub and he grabbed my arms and stood up. I was shocked and he was laughing.

We love Cayden so much and are so thankful he came into our lives. He is such a blessing to us.

Cayden and Katelynn

2009-01-26T20:43:00.004-07:00

Here are some pictures of Cayden and his great friend Katelynn. She is 3 months older than he is, but they are just about the same size.

Cayden and Susan

2009-01-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

Cayden and I went to visit our dear friend Susan last weekend. We had such a good visit and Cayden had so much fun with his "auntie" Susan. Look at how cute they are together.

Happy 50th Birthday

2009-01-26T20:28:00.002-07:00

Happy 50th birthday to my mother-in-law Debbie. We hope she has a great day. We had a surprise party for her last Saturday that was lots of fun. Here are a few pictures of that day.

Happy Birthday Susan

2009-01-19T08:18:00.002-07:00

This is a day late, but I want to wish my dear friend Susan a happy 30th birthday. She is such a great friend and we love her tons. Cayden and I had a great weekend with her. We wish she lived closer, so that we could see her more.

School Carnival

2009-01-16T12:41:00.002-07:00

For anybody that lives in Jerome, we are having our school carnival tonight at Horizon. It is going to be lots of fun! We are having a hotdog dinner, dilly bars, cotton candy, and like 20 different games. If you need cheap entertainment for your children, this is the place to be!

6 Month Check-up

2009-01-10T08:35:00.002-07:00

The statistics are in and Cayden is still right at the top of the growth chart in weight and length. He weighs 21 lbs. 4 oz. He is 28 inches long. He is growing like a weed. It amazes me at everything that he can do. I am sure that before too long he will be crawling. He is such a cutie and he loves to be around people. He also loves it when we are in the store and people stop to talk to him and tell him how cute he is. He always smiles and makes people really like him. He is truly the best thing that has happened to our family.

2008 in a nutshell!!

2008-12-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

This has been a great year for our family. The highlight of our year came on June 29th, when Cayden entered the world. After 8 years of waiting we were finally able to start our family. He has been such a joy and a blessing in our lives. We love him so much and can’t imagine our lives without him.
Chris is currently working two jobs. He works for P & T Touch-up, fixing rock chips on cars, and he also works a few nights a week at Domino’s Pizza. He is adjusting to fatherhood nicely. He is a wonderful father and a great husband. We love to have him home with us and cherish all of the time we have together.
I am in my fourth year as a kindergarten teacher. Motherhood has been the greatest blessing that has come in my life. I took a little time adjusting to working full-time and having a baby, but life is going good right now. I spend as much time as I can with Cayden and Chris. My life is going great and I love it.
Cayden is growing well. He is 6 months old and continues to grow and learn everyday. He has started sitting up and rolling over and we love to play with him. He truly is the center of attention at our house. Even Lacie, the dog, thinks the world of Cayden. He truly is life’s greatest blessing for our family.
This year has had its ups and downs, but it truly has been a great year. We are so thankful for our family and friends. We are also so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are thankful for our eternal family and the people that touch our lives everyday.

6 month pictures

2008-12-29T21:09:00.002-07:00

Here are some of Cayden’s 6 month pictures. I took them myself, but I think I got quite a few cute ones. I had a hard time choosing which ones to post.

Cayden is 6 months old!

2008-12-29T21:03:00.002-07:00

I can’t believe Cayden in 6 months old today. It just seems like yesterday when he was so little. He has gone being so little, to such a big boy. He can sit up by himself, roll over, hold his own bottle, and he loves to play with his toes. We love him so much. Here are a few pictures of him when he was born and now. These show all of the things he can do.

Cayden 10 days old. Look at how he has changed below.

Four-Wheeling

2008-12-29T20:59:00.002-07:00

The snow we have had has been great. It has been great weather for sledding and four wheeling, especially, when you combine the two of them together. We spent quite a bit of time pulling the tube behind the four wheeler. It was a ton of fun. Here are a few pictures of the adventure.

Christmas

2008-12-29T20:51:00.002-07:00

We had a great Christmas. We spent it at my mom and dad's house in Burley. Cayden had a great time with his mom, dad, Granny, Papa, and Uncle Zachy. Those are the people who were there on Christmas morning. It was a lot of fun, except that mom kept falling asleep while we were opening presents. (I love you mom!) She is going to kill me for telling people that. Travis's family came over later in the morning and stayed for the day. Cayden had a lot of fun with his cousins. He loves them so much and has so much fun with them.

Cayden and Daddy

2008-12-29T20:38:00.002-07:00

Cayden loves his daddy. They have so much fun together. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Cayden and Isaac

2008-12-29T20:30:00.003-07:00

Cayden loves his cousin Isaac. He loves to have Isaac play with him and love on him. Last Tuesday, Isaac and Cayden had a little sleepover at Granny's house. These are a few pictures from the morning after.

Family Pictures

2008-12-29T20:22:00.002-07:00

Here are a few of our family pictures. My cousin Jessica took them in November, it is just taking me awhile to get them posted.

Cayden's new friend

2008-12-21T21:48:00.002-07:00

Cayden has a new best friend. He loves Lacie and Lacie loves Cayden. When we first get up in the morning, Lacie will jump up and down on me until I let her see Cayden. It's just like she wants to make sure he is okay. She does the same thing when we get home. She has to check on Cayden to make sure he is here. It is so cute to see them together. Lacie is so patient and loving with Cayden. He can pull her hair, kick her, and hit her as much and as had as he wants and she won't even growl. He also grabs her head and trys to eat her. Sometimes I think Lacie is too loving to Cayden, because she loves to give him kisses. It is her favorite thing to do and Cayden just laughs and laughs. Here are a few pictures of Cayden and his best friend.

South Hill Lights

2008-12-21T21:43:00.002-07:00

We went and saw the lights in the south hills with my mom and dad, and Travis's family. We chose to go last Sunday night, the 14th. It seems like we picked one of the coldest nights so far this winter. It was really cold, but we had a great time. The camel was sick, so that was a bummer, but other than that we had lots of fun. Here are a few photos from the evening.

Santa Visit

2008-12-21T21:38:00.003-07:00

It seems like it has been forever since I posted, so you will be getting quite a few today. Cayden had his first visit with Santa. He actually did really well. He didn't cry and seemed to kind of enjoy himself. The picture I am posting is of his second Santa visit. I am being lazy and didn't want to scan the first Santa visit photo. This visit took place at King's in Burley. He got one picture with his cousins Emma, Abby, and Isaac.

Cayden's First Haircut

2008-12-02T17:48:00.007-07:00

Cayden had his first haircut today. It was a very sad thing for me to have happen, because it just means he is growing up so fast, but since his hair was hanging in his eyes it had to be done. He is still such a cutie with a great smile, but he now looks more like a big boy than a little baby. Enjoy the before, during, and after pictures. Thanks to our friend Keli who took time to do the haircut. We really appreciate it and think it looks great.

The Before picture!

Getting ready for the big moment!

He cried almost the whole time. Here is a during the haircut picture.

This is right before he got the top cut. Look at how long it is.

Look how cute it turned out!

Last picture! Look at all the hair! :(

Thanksgiving # 2

2008-11-30T20:16:00.003-07:00

We had Thanksgiving number 2 today at my mom's house. Zach, Travis, Staci, Emma, Abby, Isaac, mom, dad, Chris, Cayden, and I were there. We had a great dinner and a fun visit. Cayden loves to see his cousins and they were all so impressed to see him roll over. It was way fun. Cayden and I spent a couple of days in Burley and had a great time with Granny, Papa, and Uncle Zach. Here are a couple of pictures from that visit.

Cayden loves sitting in the bean bag chairs at Granny's house.

Cayden was so tired he fell asleep in his Johnny Jumper.

Thanksgiving # 1

2008-11-30T20:02:00.006-07:00

We had our first Thankgiving dinner on Thanksgiving in Nampa. We had it with Chris's parents, Heather, her boyfriend Lyle, and us. It was a small group, but we had a great time. We went down on Wednesday night and stayed until Thursday evening. While we were there, Cayden also got to meet his great-grandma Williams for the first time. That was a lot of fun. We got to visit Aunt Rayo and cousin Riley, Grandma and Grandpa Anglin, and we even saw Aunt Carol for a little bit. On the way home we stopped at the hotel and visted with Tara for a little bit. We had a great visit. Here are a few of the pictures from our day.

Cayden with his cousin Riley.

3 Generation picture! Cayden, Chris, and Great-Grandma Williams

Cayden with Great-Grandma Williams

Cayden with Great-Grandpa Anglin

Cayden with Great-Grandma Anglin

Cayden and Aunt Rayo.

Cayden and mommy on Thanksgiving day.

Cayden and daddy on Thanksgiving day.

Cayden on Thanksgiving day

State Football

2008-11-30T19:49:00.002-07:00

Jerome played in the state football this year. My dad and I went down to the game and had a great time. We watched Eagle and Highland play before the Jerome vs. Hillcrest game. Jerome did great for the first 2 1/2 to 3 quarters. It was back and forth touch-downs and was a pretty exciting game. The middle of the third quarter their defense got tired and Hillcrest started to move ahead. The final score ended up being 55 - 35. Jerome lost, but we had a great time. We didn't get back to Burley until about 1:00 in the morning. Thanks to my mom for watching Cayden. Dad and I had a great daddy/daughter night.

Cayden rolls over

2008-11-28T22:29:00.001-07:00

I have so much to blog about, but only time for this quick one. Cayden rolled over for the first time today. He was laying on his back on the floor and I went to help my dad with something. When I came back in the room he was on his tummy. The first time he rolled over and the dog is the only one who was with him in the room. :) He did roll over quite a few more times today, so I at least got to see him do that. I can't believe he is growing so fast.

Job Interview

2008-11-14T23:22:00.002-07:00

Chris had a second interview with Dot Foods in Burley. It would be a great job opportunity for him if he gets it. They have benefits (which is a huge plus) and room for advancement. Chris enjoys his job now, but there are no benefits and no room for advancement. If he gets this job we will be moving to Burley in December. I will commute for the rest of the school year, but it is something that will benefit our family in the long run. We will live in the basement of my parents house for a few months. I am excited, because it will mean Chris will quit working two jobs and he will get to be home with Cayden and I more. I am so thankful for a husband who does work hard for our family. I couldn't ask for somebody better.

Volleyball

2008-11-14T23:17:00.002-07:00

I haven't played "real" volleyball in like 10 years until my first practice for my city league team. That's right, I joined a city league team and after our first practice yesterday and our game tonight, I don't think I will be able to move in the morning. I had so much fun, but I have realized how out of shape I am and that I really need to work hard to get into shape. Wish me luck as I take on this new endeavor in my life. I am very excited to be playing and can't wait until our next game.

3 month pictures

2008-11-06T21:57:00.002-07:00

Here are Cayden's 3 month pictures. I think they turned out great. We love having him in our family and can't imagine life without him. He has been such a great blessing to us.

Tag!

2008-11-06T17:49:00.002-07:00

For this tag, you are supposed to open the 4th folder in the "my pictures" and post the 4th picture in the folder and then explain it.

This is a picture of me at my baby shower in Jerome. This is n June 28th. I was two weeks from my due date and ready to have my baby. Little did I know that in less than 24 hours I would be at the hospital in labor. At least I made it through the shower.:)

I tag Mistie, Sarah, Fontanna, Jessica, and Camilla! Have fun!

10 day pictures

2008-11-06T17:45:00.003-07:00

I was looking at some of my pictures and found these. My cousin Jessica took them. I can't believe how little he was and how fast the time has gone

.

Cayden's first slide!

2008-11-04T20:25:00.003-07:00

We went to the park last Saturday with Chris's mom and Aunt Carol. We were onlyu there a brief amount of time, but we got a family picture by the slide. I also took Cayden down the slide with me. His face is pretty funny in the picture. I can't tell if he is enjoying the ride or wishing he wasn't on it. We had a great time and got some really cute pictures.

Halloween

2008-11-04T19:57:00.003-07:00

We had a pretty quiet Halloween. Chris's mom and his Aunt Carol came to visit for the weekend. We dressed Cayden up in his pumpkin suit long enough to take him to the church for a picture and to do a couple of pictures on our own. We stopped at our friend Cindy's house while we were out and then came home. We got very few trick or treaters, so we just watched a movie and hung out. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Gas Prices

2008-11-03T21:52:00.001-07:00

I am so excited that gas is going down. I filled up the van today and it was only $65.00. It has been costing $100.00 or more to fill the van lately. I think the most I paid was $110.00. Today it was almost half of that. I totally hope they keep lowering. It is a very exciting day in our house.

New Site for ordering pictures!

2008-10-29T07:59:00.002-06:00

My cousin sent this new site to me and it is great. I haven't personally ordered pictures, but they have and they are really impressed with the prints. (They take professional pictures, so they must be good.) If you sign up from the link below, I earn free prints for referrals and you can also earn free prints. I think up to 1200and also a ton of other free gift items. It was almost overwhelming. Check out the link.
http://www.artscow.com/?Ref=466734

Pumpkin Patch # 2

2008-10-27T20:34:00.002-06:00

We went to the pumpkin patch in Jerome tonight as a family. We had a great time and picked out a few pumpkins. Being the week of Halloween, the pickings were slim, but we found some that we will enjoy. Chris had a great time carrying Cayden and picking out pumpkins. Halloween really is his holiday and he loves to have fun with it.

Granny Visit

2008-10-27T20:21:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday Cayden and I went to Granny's for a surprise visit. I decided that since my mom would be in Alaska for Halloween, that we would go and trick or treat early. We had a great visit and I got some cute pictures of Cayden in his Pumpkin costume. Here are a couple of pictures from that visit. This is a sneak peek of his Halloween pictures.

Sophie Coleen Ward

2008-10-23T20:54:00.003-06:00

Sophie Coleen Ward was born at about 4:00 today. Mom and baby are both doing great. She is 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 inches long. We are so excited for them. It did make me wonder how it would be to have a baby that is so little. Cayden weighed 2 lbs. more than Sofie when he was born. We are so excited for the addtion to the Ward family!

William's Family

2008-10-15T20:02:00.004-06:00

We had the opportunity to go and spend the day with Chris's family last weekend. We had a great time visiting and seeing the whole family. We got some great pictures that I want to post. Cayden was able to meet his only living great-grandpa. It was really neat to see him and get some pictures. He also got to see one of his great-grandmas. It was kind of hard for me, because it really made me miss my grandma. I have been thinking about her a lot lately and I just wish I had a picture of her with Cayden. I know that she got to enjoy him in heaven, and it is just wishful thinking. We had a great time while we were there. The main reason we went is so that we could see Chris's brother Danny and his wife Tara. They are moving this weekend to California, so who knows when we will see them again. Here are some pictures of the day.

Cayden with his great-grandpa Anglin.

Cayden with all of the great-grandkids on the Anglin side.

Cayden with his great-grandma Anglin.

The whole William's Clan

Cayden's grandpa Williams who is going on about three hours of sleep. He is going to kill me for posting this picture, but I just couldn't help it!

Crazy 8 Tag

2008-10-13T23:23:00.003-06:00

8 TV shows I love to watch:

1- Biggest Loser
2- ER
3- Survivor
4- CSI
5- Law and Order
6- America's Got Talent
7-
8-

8 things that happened yesterday:

1- Family pictures with Chris's family.
2- Cayden met his Great-grandpa
3- Cousin pictures
4- Dinner with Danny and Tara
5- Visit with Zach's family
6- Rode in the car for a couple of hours
7- Talked to my sister
8- fed the baby

8 Favorite Places to eat
I love to eat out!
1- Jonny Carino's!
2- Chili's
3- Cafe Ole
4- Olive Garden
5- Red Robin
6- Quizno's
7- Subway
8- Sizzler

8 Things I'm looking forward too
1- Staying home with Cayden tomorrow
2- Cleaning house
3- Reading
4- Chris having a night off
5- Friday night football game (weather permitting)
6- Possible move
7- Losing weight
8- Cayden's first Halloween

8 Things on my wish list
1- Get out of debt
2- More kids
3- Move to a house
4- a cleaner house
5- time for myself
6- to stay home with Cayden
7- lose weight
8- Happily ever after for everyone!

8People I TAG
Mistie
Kara
Fontanna
Jessica
Sarah
Teralyn
Camilla
Any one who wants to play!

Why???

2008-10-13T15:35:00.002-06:00

Do you ever wonder why things happen in our lives. Today is Dakotah's birthday (some of you know him as Taylor.) He is three years old. Dakotah was a week old when he came to us in foster care. He was such a sweet baby and we grew to love him so much. At one point we thought we were going to be making him a permanent part of our family. Due to some things that happened in our lives, that ended up not happening. I sometimes wonder if the things that happened, had not happened, if he would have become a part of our family? Did the problems that came to us make it so that we would be less heart broken six months later when he went to another family for good? These are just some of the things I have been thinking about lately. We really felt like he was going to be with us, and then things were said and we lost him. Did the free agency of another person make it so that the end result we wanted was changed or do you think it was Heavenly Father's plan all along for him to go somewhere else? I know I cannot dwell on the past, today is just a day that brings up somethings from the past and some feelings that go with it. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us and I know that we are very blessed. We have Cayden in our lives and he is the most important person to us right now. I just often wonder why things happen the way they do.

SNOW

2008-10-11T08:49:00.001-06:00

It is currently snowing here in Jerome, Idaho. Isn't it a little too early for snow?I am definitely not ready for it.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-07T09:45:00.003-06:00

Saturday after conference mom and I decided to go to the pumpkin patch in Oakley. We took Emma, Abby, Isaac, and Cayden with us. On the way to Oakley we were caught in a tremendous down pour of rain. I have not seen it rain like that in such a long time. We were really worried that we would not be able to go, because of the rain. When we were about 5 miles out of Oakley it started to clear up and when we got into Oakley it was great weather. We went to the pumpkin patch and had a great time. We were the only ones there, so the kids got all of the attention. We went on a hayride, through a haunted house, and did many other activities. We had a wonderful day and Cayden got his very first pumpkin. Cayden has so much fun with his cousins. They absolutely adore him and love him.

Football games!

2008-10-07T09:39:00.006-06:00

On the 26th of September I got to take Cayden to his first Varsity football game. We went to Burley and watched Jerome and Burley play. The main reason we went was to watch my cousin Jared play. He played an awesome game, scoring the only Burley touchdown. It was lots of fun and for the most part Cayden did really well.

September 27th, Cayden went to his first soccer game. We went and watched his cousin Emma play. She did great and we had a good time. I actually think Cayden slept through most of the game, but we had a good time anyway.

On October 3rd, we went and watched Jared play again. This time it was Burley vs. Woodriver. It was a lot cooler on this night, so notice how differently Cayden is dressed in his pictures from both games. Cayden did not do so well this game and we only lasted until half-time. It was still a lot of fun to watch Jared play his last home game for Burley. It was Senior night and I got a few good pictures for him. It has been so much fun taking Cayden to these events. I can't wait to take him to his first basketball game. I know it will be so much fun!

Time Out For Women

2008-09-28T21:33:00.003-06:00

On September 12th and 13th, I had the privilege of attending Time Out For Women with some of my family. I left Cayden for two nights with his day and I had a weekend with the girls. We had a wonderful time. We went to Logan on Thursday night and stayed until Saturday. Most of the day Friday we spent hanging out and playing games. The actual event started on Friday night at 6:30. The first half of Friday night was kind of boring, but the second half was a lot better. When we got back to the hotel on Friday night we played games with everyone until about midnight. Then we went to our own rooms to go to bed. In our room we stayed up talking until about 2:00. We had to be up and ready to leave by about 8:00 the next morning. We were sure tired, but it was well worth it. We had a wonderful time. The whole event on Saturday was great. We heard a lot of great talks and were able to be uplifted spiritually, as well as emotionally. I know we all had a great time and came away with a lot of knowledge and "food for thought." One thing that I really took from it was that I need to forgive those who have offended me in any way. If I can't let go and forgive, then I am the one suffering, not them. This is something that has been really difficult for me lately. I have really been thinking about all of the things that have happened in our lives the last 2 1/2 years and I am having a really hard time forgiving those who have hurt our family. Hearing the different examples from the speakers really made me think about what I need to do to come to peace with this in my own life. This is our second Time Out For Women event and I can't wait until we go next year. We are hoping for more cousins to come, because we always have a wonderful time. The people who came this year were Aunt Ruth, Shirlene, Brenda (Dallin) , Aunt Rosemary, Janiece, Kristine (Logan), Deanna, Mom, my dearest friend Susan, and I. Magaly came with us on Friday night. Ange came and hung out with us for most of the day on Friday. We had so much fun and I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful family. I truly am blessed to have such a great family in my life.

Susan Webster, Mom, me

The group on Saturday!

Kids say the darndest things!

2008-09-22T14:57:00.003-06:00

I have two things I want to post here. One is a little old, but I keep forgetting to post it. It always amazes me what some of the kids think about and say at school, as well as some of the things my nieces and nephews say.

1. We had an assembly at the beginning of the school year to talk about all of the school rules. We have a high population of Hispanic students, so we translated the assembly so that the rules would be clear for everyone. After the first translation, one of my little girl's who only speaks English said, "I didn't understand that." It was very cute and gave us all a good laugh.

2. Abby turned 6 last Wednesday. When I was there the weekend before her birthday, she invited me to come to her party. Later that same evening, Staci told me that Abby wasn't sure she wanted me to come to her party, because she didn't want everyone to hold Cayden and pay attention to him. I thought that was such a thoughtful thing for a 6 year old to think about. The next morning Abby came and talked to me and expressed her feelings. She told me she didn't want everybody to hold Cayden if I cam to her party. I asked her if I shoud just stay home and she said, "no." I asked her what the solution should be and she said that nobody should get to hold Cayden during the party. I agreed to that. The party was this past Saturday and I actually missed most of it due to being at the temple with a good friend who was taking her endowments out. When I did get there the kids were having fun and Abby actually wanted one of her friends to hold Cayden.

I love to hear all of the things these little children think about and express. It amazes me everyday to hear what they are thinking.

Etsy shop

2008-09-16T15:39:00.001-06:00

My friend Sarah has opened up her own Etsy shop. There is a link on my blog so that you can go and look. She has some super cute one of a kind items that I know you will love. I believe she even takes special orders if you are intersted.

Life Changing

2008-09-11T09:47:00.002-06:00

It is amazing to me how quickly a life can change. I just went into the school office and I saw a former student of mine. When I had him he was full of life. He is was such a smart kid and had so much potential. Like so many boys he caused a little trouble, but he was a fun student to have in class. When I just saw him he was in a wheelchair. I also don't think he realizes a lot of what is going on. I was told that he was hit by a car this summer. I guess it makes me realize how thankful I am for my life. I know that one second can make a difference in what happens. It is hard to think about things like that happening to anybody. I really am so thankful for my life and the people in my life. I hope we can all take a minute to appreciate the little things that could so quickly be gone in a minute.

2 months Old

2008-09-04T21:03:00.003-06:00

Cayden is two months old. I can't believe he is already as old as he is. It just seems like not long ago taht he was coming into the world. Tomorrow I have to take him for his two month checkup and his shots. I am not very excited about that at all, but I know he has to have them. He has been such a joy in our lives and we love him so much.

Labor day weekend

2008-09-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

Last weekend Cayden and I got to go to my Aunt Marty and Uncle Dennis's house with my parents and my brother Travis's family. We had a great time. On Saturday night my mom and older brother babysat Cayden while I went to the playmill in West Yellowstone. I got to see the play Hello Dolly. My cousin David played the lead role and it was great. It was so fun to see him perform. I am so tahnkful to my mom and brother for watching Cayden, because I know I enjoyed the show a lot better not having him there. It was so much fun to just visit with my family that we don't very often see.

Jason Aldean Concert

2008-09-04T20:53:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday night, my sister-in-law Staci and I went to teh Jason Aldean concert at the Twin Falls County Fair. Chris called me about noon that day to tell me that he had won front row tickets to the concert with fair admission included. He unfortunately had to work that night and could not go, so Staci and I got to have a girl's night out. We had a great time. We were only about 10 feet away from the stage. We could feel the vibrations from the speakers when we were sitting down. We had a great time and I am so glad thet Chris won the tickets. Thanks honey for a great night. Here are a couple of pictures from the concert.

Cayden's new friend!

2008-08-28T18:45:00.003-06:00

We went to visit my friend's Susan, Laura, and Laura's daughter Katelynn. Katelynn is only 5 months old, so we decided that her and Cayden would be good friends. It was amazing that Cayden is as big as she is and she is 3 months older! They were so cute together and seemed to have a lot of fun. Katelynn had the upper hand, because she is a little mobile and Cayden is stuck in one spot. She was so cute rolling over, trying to take Cayden's pacifier. She also loved his hair. I had put gel in it so that the curls would stay in, but he ended up just having a fro or really poofy hair. I think it still looked cute, but his dad didn't like it very well. Every so often Katelynn would take her hand and just run it through Cayden's hair. She never pulled it, she just rubbed. She also had a cute little hairbow on that fell off, so I decided to put it on Cayden. Chris was not happy, but I thought it was pretty funny. We got a lot of cute pictures, but I will only post a few on here.

Look at how cute they look!

Notice the hand in the hair. What do you think she is thinking? Perhaps she wants to know what kind of shampoo he uses. :)

Look at the grip on the shirt. She did not want to let him know. Little did she realize that he wouldn't have been able to go anywhere anyway.

He has just about had enough of Katelyn. In his mind he is probably thinking, "Wait until I can move and you are in trouble." Actually they had tons of fun and it was just about nap time.

He hates the bow as much as his dad, but look at how much fun we could have with his hair if we wanted to.

School Days!

2008-08-25T21:36:00.003-06:00

Today was the first day of school with the children. I have 18 in one class and 19 in one class. I think the year will go well, but I have quite a few talkers. When they aren't afraid to talk on the first day of school, you know it could be bad. I am so excited to help these little children start the beginning of their education. The one really hard things is teaching the children who don't speak hardly any English. I have four students in my PM class who are very limited on their English lanuage skills. I know it will be a challenge, but they are all so eager to learn that I hope they learn quickly.

Twin Falls Temple Dedication

2008-08-25T21:27:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were privelged to attend the dedication of the Twin Falls temple. It was such a neat experience. We attended the 9:00 session and it was amazing. I am so thankful for President Monson and his insight and wisdom. He is such a great man. It was so neat having him so close to our area. We were able to see the cornerstone presentation and that was awesome. President Monson called some of the little children up from the audience to participate. It was the neatest thing that could have happened for those little children. I am so excited to be able to attend the temple more often. It seems like it has been forever since Chris and I have been together and I can't wait to go. If you ever have the chance to be present at a temple dedication please make sure you can do it. It was awesome. I am so thankful for our living prophet and for the gospel in my life. It truly is a wonderful thing.

Youth Culture Celebration

2008-08-25T21:10:00.002-06:00

Saturday night we got to watch the Youth Culture Celebration. This is an event that they do the night before the dedication of a new temple. Every stake in our district got to participate. It was so neat to watch all of the youth in their performance. The theme of our celebration was "Living Water." Our young men and you women spent about four months working on their performances. We started practices the beginning of May and that is the only activity they have done on Wednesday nights between then and now. In all there were about 3,000 youth that participated. It was so neat to see their performance and to learn more about the history of our area. Seeing President Monson at their performance was also great. I was not one of the priveleged ones that got to see the actual performance live, but the live broadcast was great. I think that this is one event that helps the youth to feel more involved in the temple dedication process. I am glad that I was privelged to be a small part of it as one of the young women leader. One of the other neat things is that I also had 4 cousins who participated in the celebration, so it was fun on that level as well. To see pictures of the event you can go to
http://gallery.pictopia.com/magicvalley/ and click on the cultural celebration links.

I survived!

2008-08-23T22:20:00.001-06:00

Well, it's offical. I survived my first week back at work and it wasn't quite as hard as I thought it would be to leave Cayden. I think the reason for that is because I got to leave Cayden at home with his dad when I went to work on Monday morning. Since Chris goes to work about an hour later than me, he gets to be the one to take Cayden to the baby sitter. This was so helpful for me, especially emotionally. I know that if I would have had to take him myself I would have been a complete wreck. I am so thankful to my wonderful husband who can help out with that part of our life. Wish me luck as I get ready for my first day of school with the kiddos on Monday.

Cayden's first out of state vacation!

2008-08-14T09:01:00.004-06:00

Chris and I just celebrated our ninth anniversary. We took a family trip to Salt Lake last Saturday. We just went up for the day and stayed one night. We stayed at the Marriot in Sandy. (thanks to a great discount from Chris's brother) We had a great time as a family. We got to take Cayden swimming. I got some pictures of him in his suit, but not in the pool. I guess we will just have to take him another time soon so I can get some pictures. We were also able to visit temple square and see some friends and family. All in all we had a great time.

Cayden in his swimming suit. He is so cute!

Family picture at temple square.

Cayden and his daddy.

Cayden and his auntie Susan!

In true Tolman fashion!

2008-08-14T08:56:00.003-06:00

I had to post this picture, because I thought it was great. When Cayden and I were staying at mom's to help her after her surgery, mom and I played lots of games. Some of the time I would be holding Cayden, so this is Cayden playing his first card game. Notice his little hand holding the cards! I hope he likes games as he gets older.

Blessing Day

2008-08-13T22:46:00.002-06:00

Cayden was blessed on August 3rd, by his daddy. It was such a special day and I am so excited I got to be a part of it. We had a great weekend with Chris's parents, before Sunday even came. On Sunday we got up and got ready for church. Cayden looked so handsome in his blessing outfit. I couldn't believe I had such handsome boys with me that day. We were blessed to have many family members and friends come to share the day with us. These people stood in the Cayden's blessing circle. I am putting this list more for my memory than anything else. Chris, Papa Armstrong, Uncle Zach, Pat McMillen, Tupou Tuifua, Russ Nash (our hometeacher), Brad Thompson, Bishop Lott, and Bishop Prince. Cayden's Uncle Travis was supposed to be there as well, but they were late for church. Cayden's grandma and grandpa Williams came to the blessing. It was a huge step for them and I am so excited they were able to share in this very special day with us. After sacrament meeting was over, we went to one of the local parks and had a barbecue. It was a great time with lots of yummy food. I am so thankful for a husband who holds the priesthood, so that he was able to give our baby boy a name and a blessing.

Oh the pain!

2008-08-13T22:42:00.002-06:00

About 2 weeks ago or so, Cayden was laying on the floor and he started screaming. I was so scared that something was wrong, so I hurried to him just to find his hand wrapped tightly around his hair and he was pulling. I quickly unwrapped his fingers and the crying stopped almost instantly. It seemed to be a pattern over the next few days. It was happening quite often and it became actually funny to me, but I know it is so painful for him. The last time I caught him doing it, I decided to take a picture before I unwrapped his hair from his hands. Notice how his face is scrunched up and he is really crying.

Cradle Picture

2008-08-13T22:39:00.003-06:00

Here is a picture on my beautiful cradle that my Uncle Rulon made. I love it so much and Cayden enjoys sleeping in it. Because of where the cradle is in my room, this is the best picture I could get. Just know that the picture does not do the cradle any justice.

Cayden's first camping trip!

2008-07-27T18:50:00.002-06:00

This post will be without pictures, because they are on my computer and I am at my mom's. I will add them when I get home. Cayden had his first camping trip when he was 10 days old. We had our family reunion out at Nat Soo Pah and the original plan was to just go out for the day and come home, but he was doing so well and I didn't want to drive home, so we decided to stay. With the help of my mom and cousin, Deanna, we got a bed all ready and we stayed in a tent. He did so well, only waking up twice to eat. He slept half the night in his camping bassinet and half the night with myself and his cousin Abby in the bed. It was a great night.

One of the best parts of the first day was when I got to see my cradle. My Uncle Rulon made me the most beautiful cradle. I was so excited to see it and Cayden loves sleeping in it. It is so wonderful and I am so thankful that he took the time to make it for me. I will post pictures of it as well when I get home.

The next night we slept in a tent all by ourselves and he did really well again. I couldn't believe that he did so well for as young as he was. On Friday a bunch of people went to Oakley to do some sight seeing. I chose not to go, because I still wasn't up to doing so much riding and walking after having a baby 12 days before. There were only a handful of us left at the camp site, and after holding Cayden for about two hours I decided I would go lay down with him so I could nap as well. As soon as I laid down he decided to wake up. I fed him and changed him, thinking he would go right back to sleep, because I was so tired. He decided to stay awake and wanted attention. I found myself talking to him and going to sleep at the same time. Almost as soon as I quit talking and went to sleep I would feel his little hand on my face. It was almost like he knew I was trying to sleep and he just wanted me to talk to him. This happened three times in a row and then I finally handed him off to his Aunt Staci so that I could take and ever needed nap. I just thought it was so cute that he kept touching my face when he wanted my attention. By the time Friday night came around Cayden decided he was done camping, so at 10:00 Friday night we headed home. We had such a great time with all of our family and were so grateful for all of the help we received while we were there.

Cayden's pictures

2008-07-27T18:45:00.002-06:00

Here are some cute pictures of Cayden. Thanks to his Uncle Zach and Aunt Fontanna for such a cute outfit. He is so much fun to have in our lives and I just can't imagine life without him. He is such a blessing and such a great baby.

This is me!!!

2008-07-26T16:47:00.002-06:00

I have been tagged. I love knowing about other people, so here is a little about me.

How to play this game of tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
3 Joys
1. My family is my greatest joy. Cayden is so amazing and I can hardly believe that he is here. Cayden and Chris and the biggest joy in my life.
2. My job is another one of my joys. (Most of the time) I love teaching kindergarten and having and influence on my students.
3. Reading - I am trying to read as much as I can before school starts back up and I won't have any time.

3 Fears
1. Losing somebody I love!
2. Snakes - I absolutley hate them.
3. Going back to work and having somebody else babysit Cayden. I hate the thought of missing out on any part of his life and I worry that he won't get the same care I would give him.

3 Goals
1. Keep my house clean.
2. Exercise.
3. Keep the laundry caught up.

3 Current Obsessions/Collections
1. Twilight, I can't wait for the next book and the movie.
2. Reading
3. Getting caught up on my scrapbooking.

3 Random Surprising Facts
1. I have hayfever
2. I got in my first accident a month after I had my driver's license.
3. It took us nine years to start our family.

I tag:
1. Mistie
2. Kara
3. Deanna
4. Denise
5. Keli

Pictures

2008-07-16T22:49:00.001-06:00

Here are Cayden's first professional pictures. I love all of them. Thanks to my cousin Sarah who did such a great job. If you live in the Boise area and need pictures done, I can hook you up with her. She does a great job as you can see.

Birthday Wishes

2008-07-13T22:04:00.000-06:00

Happy 31st Birthday to Mistie!

2 weeks old

2008-07-13T17:22:00.004-06:00

This is when he is a day old!

Cayden is two weeks old today! I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like not too long ago that I just found out I was pregnant and now he is here. It has been such an amazing two weeks to have this miracle in our arms. I can't believe how much I love him and how much fun we have had as a family. It truly is an amazing experience.

Still not feeling well

2008-07-13T17:19:00.001-06:00

The last few days I have been feeling pretty crummy. My lower back and bottom have been hurting and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I really thought I should be feeling better by now. I finally shared with my mom and some of my cousins how I was feeling and they all said that I had the makings of a urinary tract infection. No wonder I am not feeling any better! I have never had one before and I can't believe how bad it hurts. It really hurts to sit for too long and also to stand for too long. Laying down seems to be my best solution. I did get an antibiotic, so hopefully by in the morning I will be feeling better.

Family Reunion

2008-07-13T17:17:00.002-06:00

We just had the Tolman family reunion. It was out at Nat-Soo-Pah. We had a great time visiting and playing games. My orginal plan was to just go out for the day and then come home and sleep in my own bed. The first night there I decided to stay out there and see how Cayden did. He did great, so we ended up camping for two nights.
By the third night he was ready to come home. I feel like we did pretty good, considering the fact that Cayden was only 10 days old for his first camping trip. Thanks to all of the people who loved on Cayden and helped with him while we were there. It was greatly appreciated.

Baby Days

2008-07-05T12:15:00.003-06:00

Cayden is six days old now. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We are having so much fun with him in our lives and we love our little family. I do have to admit that I had no idea giving birth would leave my body feeling as sore as it still does. I walk funny and slow, but I am recovering. I am hoping that I feel well enough to attend most of the days at the family reunion next week. Cayden has had a few rough nights. It seems like one night he is up all night and the next just two or three times. I am so thankful to my husband who gets up with him most of the time. I am also so thankful for my mom who also gets up with him so that we can sleep. Mom came and stayed for three nights at our house and then we came to our house and will be here for 3 nights. I am trying to enjoy having all of the extra help before we are on our own next week. I do believe that we are so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

Cayden's First Pictures

2008-07-02T08:44:00.003-06:00

June 29th

2008-07-02T08:13:00.003-06:00

At about 6:45 AM I turned over in bed and felt a gush of fluid. I thought to myself, did my water just break or did I wet my pants? I got up and was still leaking fluid that I didn't think I should be leaking. I woke Chris up and told him that I thought my water had broke and we needed to go to the hospital. When we got to the hospital they checked my fluid and indeed my water had broke, however I was not feeling any contractions. The checked and I had dialated to a 3. I was very surprised, but so excited that this baby was coming. As the day progressed they hooked me up to potossum (SP) to start my contractions. They weren't too bad at first, but by the time I was dialated to a 5 I decided I was ready for my epideral. I told the nurse and she got the anetheseologist to come in. He was in there for about 45 minutes and after 3 attempts could not get an epideral in my back. He said that is the first time that he has never been able to do one. I was so sad, because the pain was getting much worse. A couple of hours after that experience, I decided to see if they could do and intrathecal (SP), which would at least help my pain for a coupld of hours. I thought that maybe it would last until he came, because I was dialated to almost an 8. It was such a wonderful feeling to not be able to feel any of the contractions. I actually took a nap for about 1 1/2 hours until I started feeling the contractions again. I told the nurse that the medicine was wearing off and she thought it was probably time for me to start pushing. That was around 6:00 PM. It had already been a very long day, but I was ready for Cayden to be here. I started pushing at about 6:15 and it was so hard. I honestly do not know why people choose to deliver natural if they could have an epideral and not feel anything. Chris and I had planned to be in the delivery room by ourselves, but it was not long before Chris called and had my mom come up from the waiting room. I just needed an extra support person. I felt like I was pushing and pushing and I was not making any progress. After about 1 1/2 hours I told the nurses that they needed to just numb me and take the baby c-section, because I didn't think I could push anymore. They all just kept telling me to keep going and I did, but I was hurting so bad. When the doctor came in he told me to do a couple of big pushes and then he would help me by using the little vaccum. I did what he asked and within a few minutes our beautiful baby boy was born at 8:20 PM. It was a long 13 1/2 hours of labor, but it was so well worth it.

Pregnancy update

2008-06-27T15:07:00.002-06:00

We went to the doctor today and my blood pressure was down a little bit. it was 138/80. I guess that is a good thing, however if it would have kept going up they would induce me. The non-stress test also looked really good, so things are going well as far as how the baby is doing. I am starting to get to the miserable stage, but i know that is just part of being pregnant and I wouldn't change it for the world. I did the 24-hour urine test and they also did some blood work. I will find out the results of those on Tuesday when I go back. If they do point to toxemia then they may induce me, but I am not counting on it at this point. They did check me and Cayden in 75% effaced, but I am not hardly dialated. My goal is to have the baby by the end of next week, so please pray that it works that way. That way my mom can come and help for a few days before she has her surgery. If you have any pointers on sending me into labor, let me know!!!!

Talking in church

2008-06-25T09:10:00.002-06:00

The bishop called at about 10:15 last night and asked if Chris and I could speak in church. I calmly said, "This Sunday?" He responded, "yes." I couldn't quite get over the shock of what to say. I told him we would be glad to unless we were at the hospital having a baby. He just laughed and asked if it was really that close. I told him that is was, but we would speak. I decided that the stress of preparing a talk and giving it will be what sends me into labor. I do need to wait until Saturday night, since I have a baby shower in Jerome on Saturday. Why do you think it is so hard for me to talk in church, but I can teach kids at school everyday? I just don't quite understand, but I get really nervous in front of adults more than kids. The funniest part of all of this is that the topic Chris has is "Charity". I told him he could at least start his talk with a good joke. I have to speak about faith, which I know is a pretty easy topic, but I just hate giving talks. If you have any great scripture references, stories, or talks we can refer to on either of these topics please let me know.

Still hanging in

2008-06-25T07:59:00.003-06:00

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday and nothing had really changed since last week. My blood pressure was 140/86, which is borderline, but not high enough to induce me. The fluid levels around the baby look really well and the non-stress test was also good. I have to say that I was a little disappointed to not be in the hospital having a baby this morning. I have to go back on Friday to have my blood pressure checked and to be hooked up to the non-stress test again. They also want me to do a 24 hour urine protein test. That means that from Thursday morning until Friday morning, every time I go to the bathroom I have to collect my urine in this nice big orange container. The doctor did tell me that they would probably induce me a week early, so that would be sometime the end of next week. I guess we just have to wait and play it by ear. I am going to the doctor twice a week now, instead of once a week.

Doctor appointment

2008-06-24T10:23:00.001-06:00

We have our doctor's appointment today. I am excited/nervous at the fact that I could be induced if my blood pressure is still high. I am so excited to meet Cayden and I am getting tired of being pregnant, so it would be such a blessing for him to come this week as long as he is healthy. Wish us luck as we go to the appointment. It is at four. You will either see an update on the appointment tomorrow, or I will be in the hospital having the baby and there will be no update.

Which Disney Princess are you?

2008-06-20T10:37:00.001-06:00

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

What Your Fridge Says About You

2008-06-20T10:33:00.000-06:00

What Your Fridge Says About You

You aren't greedy, but you don't really deprive yourself either. You strike a good balance with the stuff you buy.

You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver.

You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side.

You try to be responsible, but you don't always succeed. Your heart is in the right place though.

You are likely single - and a workaholic.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

What Flavor of Ice Cream are you?

2008-06-20T10:32:00.001-06:00

You Are Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

You just don't know when you've had enough (or too much)!

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Are you a cheapskate?

2008-06-20T10:30:00.000-06:00

You Are Not a Cheapskate

When it comes to money, you're very fair.

You're generous when you can be, and you never cheat anyone out of what they deserve.

If you have the money, you enjoy splurging. But you never overspend.

Are You a Cheapskate?