The Pierce's

Aubrey's Pet Show

2011-11-22T08:44:00.001-08:00

Aubrey is turning 3 on Thanksgiving this year! I can't believe it! So I decided to have a family birthday party before all the hub bub of the holidays started. I asked Aubrey, "What do you want the theme of your birthday party to be?" and she said, "Pet Shop!" Which in Aubrey language means littlest pet shop. So I went with it and looked around online for some ideas... Did you know the littlest pet shop is one of the most used birthday parties? Lucky for me, there was a lot of ideas to go off of, but I went with this one. Pet show Birthday Party!!! So we made the invite...

All the kids were asked to bring their favorite stuffed animal so they could be in the pet show. I also got a party in a box from walmart with all the pet shop paraphernalia. So cool!!!

This is Aubreys glorific littlest petshop party!

I made little stations for their pets to get ready for the show!! This is the Salon Area.

Wellness check area. You have to make sure your pet is in good health!!

The animals needed to rest and get their strength up!

Make sure they are fed in the kitchen area. I found some graham cracker scooby snacks that were in the shape of doggy bones! So cute!

Then if they forgot to get something for them at the store, don't worry, we have a store here!

Then we had the Pet Show!!!

First up, This is Pirdey, she is 17 years old, and she is a female! Jamaica said the special thing about her is that she loves her. Thank you Pirdey!

Next up is Clint's grinch. He was a little shy to present his animal, but his mommy helped out. Grinch is one year old and he is a female. hehe

Next up is Gracie with her pet Penny. Penny is 0 months old, she is a newborn. Very fragile! and she is a female! Thank you Penny!

Next up is Aubrey with her pet Unicorn. She is 3 and she is a female. She is special because Aubrey loves her.

Then here is Trey with his pet turtle named Frog. He is 3 years old and he is a female. haha

Trey said she is adopted, which is pretty adorable!! Thank you Frog!

Next up is Silas with his pet Bark Bark. He is 1 year old and his is a male! (finally a boy!)

Silas got a little bit of stage fright! He wanted his mommy!!

And the winner is.......... Oh wait, the judges couldn't decide. I will consult the rule book!!!!

We then read "Biscuit wins a Prize" by Alyssa Capucilli and Jamaica helped me by holding up a sign when everyone was supposed to woof!

In the end everyone won #1 Friend!!!! Everyone is a winner at this party! (bet u didn't see that coming)

Here is the award on Unicorn's neck! What a great friend just like Biscuit!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Can you tell the girls are really wanting to blow those candle out! haha

L.J. being as cute as ever!!!

PRESENTS!!!!

She got littlest pet shop toys!!

More pet shop toys!!!

She got the movie tangled from her Grandma and Grandpa Pierce. She was watched it about 50 times since!! She loves it! She got sick the day after her birthday so it has been good for her to have this movie to watch and help her feel better!

She also got a Rapunzil barbie and Grandma and Pa Leland!!

and whats this...

Another Rapunzil doll!! From Jamaica and Gracie!! Yeah!!

All in all, Aubrey had an awesome time at her party! Thanks everyone for the support!! We love you all!! She is now a princess and loving every second of it!!

Fall Fishing trip, 2011

2011-11-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just found my camera! I am so excited because I thought I lost all these wonderful pics from our fall family fishing trip. It was so fun!!! Here it is!!
I guess I haven't been on here in a while bc I can't figure out blogger, well here are the pics anyway! :)

Note the cute picture of Aubrey with her first fishing license!!

First day in primary!!!

2011-11-13T16:35:00.001-08:00

In our ward they try to make the transition into primary a little easier by bringing the new sun beams in gradually. Today they went into primary just for singing time and then next month they will go for singing and sharing time. I was a little too excited about it today... I snapped a couple of shots really quick of aubs in the little chairs. (am I the only one that does this?) I was pretty excited but next week I won't be going in there. I was too much of a distraction for her... He he! Ahhhh! My little girl is growing up!

Don't fail me Repunzel!!

2011-11-12T05:58:00.001-08:00

I saw on pinterest recently where u can write a letter to ur favorite Disney character and they will send u back a picture signed with a little note. Well, Aubrey loves Repunzel right now so since I know she was recently sworn in as an official disney princess (sad I know this) we should get one back from her, just like any other character. Either way, we had a ton of fun writing and sending it. Aubrey even wanted to send one to Repunzels mom and tinker bell. So I guess this activity was a success!

Our new best friend!!

2011-11-05T10:21:00.001-07:00

Okay so this puppet friend was used at Aubrey's first birthday and we found it yesterday, so I put it on and suddenly Aubrey would do everything it said. She wants to show the puppet how to go potty on the toilette, brush her teeth, and share her stuff. She even helped it unload and load the dishwasher and (get this one) she tool a nap with it!!!!!! This thing was sent from heaven! It is her new best friend ( and mine too!)

Crashing at the Westwoods!

2011-07-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

The last week and a half have been so exciting!! I feel like we have been in the car so much! The van handled smashingly! Love traveling in that thing. The kids did amazing! All in all, it was an awesome vacation. So first on our trip was making a quick stop at the Westwoods. We made it to their house at about 3:00am!!! We were all very tired, but still stayed up and talked for a bit. The next morning I got to see sweet Adam. The first thing he said to me was, "When is Aubrey going to wake up?" haha! They were both very excited to see each other!

We played with this cool rocket thing! That is, until I got it stuck on the roof... oops!

Ethan was reading up on his white water rafting techniques.

I think the kids were getting tired because it was so hot out! I think that say was forecasted to be over 90 degrees!

This is Adam's pose he likes to do for the camera.

He also wanted to help me take some pictures.

We had so much fun seeing our friends again! We miss them so much and are so excited for their new little baby girl! What an amazing family!!

New Family Ride!

2011-06-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

So here it is! Our new boat! Well, it is old in years but new to us! We are so excited about it! I remember going out on my Dad's boat as a kid! We had a blast. Just cruising along on the river with the wind in your hair! Best feeling in the world!

Yeah, we were all smiles! Aubs was so excited! She was jumping up and down!

Here is her maiden voyage! If you have ever been to Meldrum Bar you will appreciate how high the water is. U can't even see the bar! It's completely covered in water!

Yeah, she looks mighty fine in that water! We are thinking about naming her the Aubrey Mae!

Of course my dad wouldn't miss this boat ride. I think he was almost as excited as Ryan.

We went really close to the submarine at OMSI. Aubrey was fascinated by it.

We drove all the way down to Portland! This is an awesome view!

Aubs can't forget her food!

Ryan let Aubrey drive the boat. It was so funny. We kept going around in circles. When he would try and help her steer she would push his hand away and say, "No Daddy, I drive!"

Sunset...(Sigh)

Crazy Driver!!

The whole family on the river. (Just the way Ryan likes it!)

Rising Stars!

2011-06-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Jamaica gets on photobooth without me knowing. ha ha! I love it!

Rookie and Rocky

2011-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

So we have decided that Ethan and L.J's nicknames should be Rookie and Rocky. The reason for that is simply because Phillip loves to play baseball and Ryan loves to rockclimb. So naturally those nicknames were born. Here is a video of RnR together. Someday these post are going to be titled Rookie and Rocky strikes again! Just you wait. I am sure these boys are going to get into trouble together sooner or later.

They already have guilty faces!

What would you chose?

2011-06-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

if you were doing a big group family picture, which color scheme would you chose?

Choice 1

Choice 2

Choice 3

Katie's Graduation and a Big Suprise!!

2011-06-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Pasco this weekend and had a great time! Ryan's Sister Katie Graduated from Pasco High School. We are so proud of her and the person she has become! She is amazing! A lot of the family came to celebrate as well!

Aubrey even had her Bulldog there to cheer on the Pasco BULLDOGS!!

Grandma & pa Pierce came all the way from Utah for the occasion!

Blake's glasses are so cool in this picture! He is too!

You can't see Burt but Angie, Tyler Ranae and Matt are there! Ranae and Matt drove down in our car with us!

Here they come walking onto the field! 2011 Pasco Seniors!!

I was getting so excited, taking pictures of Katie coming to sit down and in the back of my I hear Ryan's Aunt Angie getting really excited saying, "Oh my Gosh!" Then someone runs into me crowd surfing over the family. Suddenly I see Rachelle's Face!!! She wasn't supposed to get back from BYU Hawaii until June 15th but she came home early and surprised everyone! Even her parents!! Best surprise ever!

This is the first time Aaron & Rachelle have seen each other in 4 years!

Katie after the ceremony! She was so happy.

Katie asked her dad ahead of time is he was going to cry. He said he didn't think so, he has been through this 5 times already. Well he didn't cry... until they came down the hill onto the field! ha ha!!

Grandma & pa Pierce

Grandma & Pa Tidwell

Proud Parents!

Here is the surprise part!

There is everyone!!

Congrats again Katie! I'm surprised you could hold yourself up with all those cool lays around your neck!

This is the 4 generation "Jack" picture!! I was so excited to get this picture!! Ethan is asleep in it bit I think it still turned out great! I am so excited that my little guy can take after these wonderful men!

WADT

2011-05-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

So I have been trying to think of an acronym for posts about funny things aubrey has said or done, so that I can remember them and tell them to her later. Well this is what I came up with W. A. D. T. What Aubrey did today. I am sure I will have to change it later because it will need to include Ethan too. But for now I will go with WADT. So here it goes:

What Aubrey Did Today: (well actually two days ago)
Aubrey and I were singing Old McDonald together (which we do all the time) and I sang, "Old McDonald had a farm, ei ei ow, and on that farm he had a ___________" (Aubs fills in the blank) "Picture!" I turn to her and say, "What does a picture sound like?" And she reply's "Cheese!!" That is my photography savy little princess!!

Ethan's 2 Months Old!

2011-03-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

There he is! My little 2 month old! (Well actually 2 1/2) It seems like he has been in our family a lot longer than that! I love this little guy so much! He has already brought so much to our family! He also just had his 2 month appt! So here are his stats:
                                                   Height: 24.5in long (50%)
                                                   Weight: 12lbs 4.5oz (47.7%)
                                                   Head: 16.5in (82.3%)

Yep, he is still keeping the Pierce family head size alive! Although Aubs was always in the upper 90's, 80 is still pretty good! haha!

Aubs sure loves this little guy!

Here is the newest member of our family! Yep I know I said I would never get one... but here it is! We got a van. And I love it!! It even has a remote that opens the doors for me! I keep looking out our front window at it, because I can't believe we bought it! As Cassi would say, "Welcome to the Minnie Van Mama Club!"

I am a Child of God

2011-03-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember me posting this video of Aubrey singing "I am a child of God" when she was really little. Well here she is again but a little older!

Aaron is home from his mission!

2011-03-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

We were able to go to Pasco this weekend to see Ryan's brother Aaron give his mission homecoming talk. He served in the Ogden Utah Mission. We are so proud of him! That sunday was also Ryan's Dad Brent's first Sunday in his ward as the New Bishop! It was wonderful to be apart of!

Here are some pics to reminisce!

This is right before Aaron left on his mission. Aubrey was only a few months old.

This is when Rachelle met Aubrey for the first time right after she got home from her mission.

And this is Stephen right after his mission.

Now Aaron is home!!

Snow Day

2011-03-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

This last week we had a snow day here in Portland. And for anyone who has lived here knows, this shuts down everything. haha! Which makes snow day's very special here! So we had a big breakfast with eggs, hash browns and hot chocolate. It felt like a holiday. It was Great!

Here is Aubrey's reaction to the snow. We got her up that morning, told her there was a surprise and showed her the outside! She freaked!! I was very happy about her reaction!

We even built a little snowman! He recieved a lot of hugs and kisses from a certain little toddler!

And she received them back.

Yep We are proud of our little snowman friend.

Here is Aubrey's first reaction to the Snow.

Awesome Weekend: Monday

2011-02-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to Uncle Jason. He moved to Utah on Monday to work, go to school, and be closer to his beau. We are really excited for him and his new adventures! We love him a lot though so he will be missed. Especially by Ryan, he is losing his Disc Golfing Buddy.

We took the kids to the children's museum. Didn't get a lot of pics of the kids in the inside. Cassi and I were too busy chasing after them and making sure the babies were okay. The kids had a ton of fun though!

This picture is a miracle.

Jamaica did want to leave, Aubs was exhausted and Gracie was still going strong!

This sums up how Aubrey was during the whole trip. Run!!!!

Awesome Weekend: Saturday & Sunday

2011-02-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

We blessed our baby boy!

His Dad gave him the most beautiful blessing. It was a neat experience having it at our home. The spirit was so strong. I started crying right when we sang the first song, "I am a Child of God." I am pretty sure that song was chosen because everyone knew it, but I thought it was perfect for the occasion.

These are all the men that were involved in the blessing.

I am so proud of all our priesthood holders!

Grandma Tidwell put Aubrey to bed and read her a book. I think one day Aubrey is going to cherish this picture. I think it is so sweet!

On Sunday, Ryan's cousin Tyler got the priesthood! We drove down there after church but didn't make it in time. We still got to spend the evening with the family though!

Awesome Weekend: Friday

2011-02-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

First off, Ryan's brother Aaron got home from his mission the day before. He served in the Odgen Utah Mission. This is also the first time Ryan's Dad, brother Aaron and Sister Katie have ever met Ethan.

Then we had Ranae's wedding. They gave Aubrey her own special bouquet. You can only image how important she felt. She took it everywhere with her. Whenever she saw Renae she would say, "Nay!" It was adorable!

What can I say, She loves her grandpa!

Helping Grandpa with the music.

These are the amazing ice sculptures Bert made for his daughter's wedding. Aubrey knocked them over and broke one of the wing tips. Luckily it was after the reception was over.

Aubs doing the Chicken Dance!

Daddy's Little Fishing Buddy!

2011-01-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

The two men in my life!

This is going to be exciting! I can tell!

Had to add the Chub!

Aubrey/Ethan

2011-01-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

Aubrey

Ethan

Can you believe how much they look alike?

Introducing...

2011-01-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

Ethan Jack Pierce

Born Monday, January 17, 2011 at 5:30am

9lbs 3oz 21inches long

So here is the story...

8:45am on Jan 16th I started contractions. They were about 1hr apart and not very consistent. I was still in denial that this kid was ever going to come anyway. They lasted like this until about 3:00. Until then Ryan detracted me in between having contractions by playing games like Settlers of Catan, Connect Four and Monkeys in a Barrel. It really helped to keep my mind off things and was actually a really fun morning. Nice and relaxing with my family.

About 3:00- My contractions were getting really close together so I called my parents and told then. I was also super hungry so Ryan was making me a pizza. I told my parents to send Jason and Ashley over to watch Aubs just in case. I called them back 2 min later to tell them my contractions were 2 min apart so my Dad told me I better call Labor and Delivery before I eat pizza. (I did get a few bites before going in to the hospital.)

3:30 we checked in and my contractions where so close I was afraid I wouldn't get an epidural. But when I got there they said I was dilated to a 4 and since my contractions were so close together they were going to let me stay.

I was pretty determined to go as far as I could without the epidural because I didn't want my labor to slow down like it did with Aubrey. I was pretty proud of myself that I made it to 6cm before receiving my epidural. They game me the epidural and then right after that my water broke. I was dilated to 7cm in about 5hrs. Way faster than with Aubrey!

They took a picture of me in the middle of a contraction. Nice, huh?

I think by about 3:00am I was dilated to a 10 and fully effaced. They kept asking me over and over, if you feel you need to push let us know. I waited and waited and never felt the urge. The doctor checked and told me his head just wasn't coming down, and that I had an infection (just like with Aubrey). She said his head was also facing the wrong direction. That is when they said I might have to consider having another c-section. The weirdest thing of this whole experience is that the doctor that did my c-section last time was in labor and delivery. (Huge blessing) All the doctors and nurses left the room for Ryan and I to make a decision. We prayed about it and decided that since my body went through so much trauma the last time with Aubrey, we should start out life with this baby better. Then hopefully nursing would work out better, and I would be less exhausted for recovery.

We told them to go ahead with the c-section at that point (not without a LOT of tears) I felt very defeated and felt that I went through all that work for nothing. It was a very hard lesson for me to learn.

The C-section

The whole c-section took a lot longer than it was supposed to. I remember a lot of pulling and tugging, which was very uncomfortable. I also shook most of the time which they thought might be because of pain anxiety(which I have never had before) Once they finally took Ethan out he didn't make a sound. I was looking to Ryan for some answers that he didn't have. I started freaking out when they took out the oxygen pump to get him to start breathing. Finally I heard him cry. That was really scary. They gave him to Ryan really soon after that, and he brought Ethan to my head.

They then began to get me put back together. After it was all over the doctor said I had a ton of scar tissue from the last c-section. It took a lot longer because they had to fix a lot of the scar tissue.

This time it was very important to me to see him have his feat stamped and his first bath. All that good stuff. I was there for it, and got to hold him before all that as well, which was really special.

In the end he was too big to get through the birth canal, just like Aubs. We made the right decision doing the c-section again. I am also glad I tried the normal delivery as well. I needed to feel like I tried! I also found how strong I could be through contractions, which made me a stronger person. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I am glad I learned it. Ethan is really healthy and so am I. He is beautiful and I can't believe how much I love him. Nursing has been going great and he is such a great baby!

First family pic!

Isn't he SO CUTE!!

Scared of Boys

2011-01-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

So the cutest thing happened tonight. Ryan wanted to stop by Dick's Sporting Goods to get Jiggs for fishing. Well of course the place is decked out in Oregon State stuff because of the big game on Monday. Right when you walk in the doors they have a HUGE blowup football player in tackle position with knuckles on the floor. Aubrey kept saying, "Hi Boy" to him. Well being the mom I am, I wanted to get a picture of her with it on my phone so I could send it to Jason, my bro that LOVES the Oregon Ducks. Aubrey was so freaked out when she got near it. Even when Ryan was holding her. The rest of the way home she said, "Scared of Boy!" over and over. Well we got home, put her in p.j.s and read scriptures. We knelt down to pray and I have been trying to get her to say some of the prayer at night. She so sweetly said to Heavenly Father, "Scared of Boy." It was actually really sweet but extremely funny at the same time!

PS. On the way home Ryan told her he didn't object to her being afraid of boys. He told her she should just stay away from them.

Here is the pic from my phone

Aub's First Haircut!

2011-01-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted Aubrey to get a haircut. Some of the reasons being, first Ryan's sister Rachelle was in town before heading back to BYU Hawaii, and I though it would be really special if she did it! Second, I never put Aubrey's hair down because everyone (mostly Ryan) says it looks like a Mullet because it is so uneven... Thus, we cut her hair. I was really nervous at first and thought I might even cry. But now that the deed is done I LOVE IT!! Aubrey sat so still for Rachelle, and even did a little boogie afterward. We will see how it looks on her today when she wakes up with Bed head! haha.

BEFORE

AFTER

It was hard to get a close up Smile. haha! So these were the best two.

Then I decided to put red highlights into my hair for some fun!

While we did that, Aubs and Grandma decorated cookies!

Here is the end result. It made my hair look a lot richer I think. Not a drastic change, but fun none-the-less!

Here is the Boogie I was talking about Earlier. I have to add that the big bag Aubs pulls out of Rachelle's suitcase is full of fruit snacks. She knows where the goodies are at!

Aub's Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho! Santa Came to town!

2010-12-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

Just a little preface for this post. (and because this is like my Journal so I want to remember as much as possible) On Christmas Eve we slept at my parents house to wake with them Christmas morning. It was so fun for them to see Aubrey open her gifts and get excited about Santa. Well the night before Aubrey slept maybe an hour or so. I attribute it to Ashley repeating a million times to her, "Guess who is coming tomorrow... SANTA!!!" Or maybe it was all the chocolate my grandma Leland gave her the night before. Well with the two combined, I got NO SLEEP! Finally 7:30 rolled around and I got this little wired, overexcited girl out of bed. This is her "excited to get my stalking" face.

I think she is slobbering over her dads gift in this picture. Don't worry babe! You have enough of your own!

This is her baby doll from her mom and dad! I am hoping it will be her little baby once we have our new little baby! In the process of opening this gift however she was leaning over the big box and ripped a big one. All of us started cracking up so hard we were crying. (I am laughing typing about it) She ran out of the room so embarrassed that it was hard to get her back in the room to finish opening the presents. I have never seen her embarrassed before, but we couldn't help it. It was so funny!

It is also a tradition to go to my Granma Johnson's house for dinner on Christmas. As a kid I always looked forward to this because I don't see my family on that side very often, so it was like a family reunion every year! Aubrey got to meet my cousin Rachael's kids! They loved her! Revin (her little boy) followed Aubs around everywhere. And Aubrey didn't seem to mind! She looks mad in this picture, but she was actually really happy. (don't let the mask fool you!)

Here is Rachael and I. We grew up together as kids! I need to write down someday all the fun advetures and memories we had! Like fighting over barbies in our sleep, camping in my grandma's RV! It was so much fun to see her this Christmas!

Well Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your Christmas wonderful and that we all remember the reason for the season. The birth of our Savior!

Christmas Eve at Grandma Leland's House

2010-12-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

Grandma got Aubs's a shopping cart!! She loves it by the way! I am debating trying to take it to the grocery store to see if it would entertain her. It would probably end up being a VERY long grocery trip though.

This is by far the best picture of Christmas!! haha!! Makes me laugh everytime I see it!

Dad and Jason decided they needed to wrestle! It was so funny!

This is Ryan laughing at them. I am sure he is thinking in his head, they haven't seen nothin! You gotta see me and my brother's wrestle!

Attempting to take a pic with Grandma and Aubs. Not the easiest thing in the world.

Then Aubrey decided she needs to wrestle with papa too!

2nd attempt...

Oh sure! She will take a picture with her Aunt Ashley, but not her MOM!!!

Christmas Eve P.J's from Ryan's mom.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Family Tradition Stolen

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

First off, we got our Christmas tree. This was actually two weeks ago, but I wanted to document it none-the-less. It was so much fun! A guy my dad has done work for had a tree farm and he gave all the trees to us for free! It was such a blessing. We all had so much fun running around the tree farm picking out a tree for our homes!

Here is our family tree! Everyone in the family said they saw it first, but I am pretty sure I saw it first.

Ashley really wanted to take a picture with me...

It was so funny watching Aubs walk around with an umbrella. From above it looked like a floating umbrella with boots on. It was so cute!

Ryan keep telling me not to tell Aubrey that worms are gross. He wants her to like them for fishing. Ewwwww, I can't stand them, but I want her to love it too and not be a wimp like her mom.

Here is our beautiful tree! Notice all the ornaments on the top and a few on the bottom. That's how it goes when you have a two year old in your house. At least it hasn't fallen on her... yet. No presents under the tree either. Otherwise you would see a picture with her surrounded by unwrapped presents. I'm not going to risk it! haha

This is Aubs at our ward party. She just looked so cute I had to add a picture. And below she is with her friend Trey. Right after this hug they fell over and Trey hit his head on the wall. Sometimes Aubs gets a little too into her hugs!

Finally, Here is the tradition that was stolen! Every year Ryan's family paints ornaments for their christmas tree. Well, we decided to try it out in the Leland Family as well, and it was really fun!! Needless to say, when my family gets together, we laugh A LOT.

Jason decided Aubrey needed to wear a garbage bag when she painted. He was inspired!

L.J. helped by looking cute and playing hard!

This was very intense at moments. We were all trying to gain favor with our mother! We wanted her to think ours was the best. In the end she said, "I love all of yours just the same." Sure! You know you liked mine best mom!!

Here they are!! They turned out so cute!! We had such a fun night together! I love my family!

One hip family!

2010-12-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

Totally want to make this!!

2010-12-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

So cute right?! She made them for her daughter too!! They are called cozy button wraps, and I want to make one for when I am not prego anymore!! SO CUTE!!! They are found here: i am momma, hear me roar!

Let me know what you think!!

Aubrey's 2 Years Old!!!

2010-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

She went from this...

To this...

(1 year old Birthday Party)

To this!!! Our Big 2 Year Old!!

Can't forget the attitude! This girls got plenty to go around!

And there she goes! All done mommy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Aubrey!!

Love, Daddy & Mommy

What every mother wants... but doesn't want...

2010-11-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

is to hold your child and hope they stop growing! Not in the literal sense, like wanting to stunt their growth, but in the "She's growing up to fast!!!" sense. Today I was reading a book at the table while Aubrey was eating her lunch and then I looked up at her. She looked so much older! It made me want to stop everything I am doing and just stare at her so I wouldn't miss out on her baby stage.

She is turning two in a week and a half! Where did the time go? I am so torn because part of me wishes I could stop time and keep her little forever. Then another part of me is SO excited for the future and the things she will do. I guess in the whole spectrum of things I am just grateful to be her mom. To, right now, hear her want her mommy when she gets out of bed to cuddle. To sing "wheels on the bus" with her in the car. To dance to music with her, monkey, and Elmo. I love being a mom! It's really hard most of the time, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Did I mention she is going to be TWO?!? Love you Aubs!

(She doesn't actually wear glasses if you were wondering. She just found mine and wanted to wear them. Then she wanted one of my necklaces as well. haha)

I wanted to add this picture in as well because I thought it was cute. Aubrey wanted to brush her teeth with her dad. She also had to stand like he did. So cute!!!

Landmarks

2010-11-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Aubrey had some pretty awesome landmarks happen in her life. And since this blog is like my Journal of my family I have to post this! First off, she went poopy on the toilette!! Well, it was kind of a fluke thing, but she has never done it before so I am still excited. (Weird the things we get excited about when we become parents)

I got her out of the bath, dried her off and then let her hang out nacky for a bit bc she has a rash so I wanted it to dry out a little. Well she squatted down and before I knew it she was pooping on the ground! I was like, "NO Aubrey!!! You need to do that on the toilette! So I picked her up and put her on the toilette and she continued to do her business. Then when I got her off the toilette and put her in a diaper she went again!!! haha Anyway, my little girl is growing up and I am not sure I am ready for it. Good thing she still has her cute baby cheeks, otherwise I might be a little depressed.

Second Landmark! She said a sentence! My mom is so patient with Aubrey. She reads to her so much. Some of her favorite books include, "Three little bears," "Millie Moo," and "Monkey's jumping on the bed." So yesterday while they were reading the monkey book Aubrey said, "No more monkey jumping bed!" So cute!! This one I got on Video! Take a look:

Fantasy Trail/Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

First we went to a haunted trail out in Oregon City for a double date with Erin and Neil. It was so much fun!! I went here as a kid. It is built for kids to go around the trail so it isn't very scary. But it was a fun way to get in the holiday spirit. If you want to check it out online here is the link, Fantasy Trail.

This is the pirate ship that has a maze you can go through to get to the suspension bridge.

The jail has a tunnel inside that brings you out to the crazy house.

Aubrey and Grandma Leland carving a pumpkin together

I was coaching aubs the whole way. She loved getting her hands dirty!

It's a bat!!

Now we carve with Daddy!!

Aubrey even drew on her pumpkin.

I am very serious about my pumpkin carving!

Ryan's pumpkin is always so creative. We even had one for the baby. Now whenever we leave our house Aubrey has to study the pumpkins... or sit on each of them. haha It's really cute!

Reunion at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

So the thing that is so wonderful about our pumpkin patch trip was that our family from Utah was able to come with us. We did the same trip two years prior so it was fun to do it all over again. Here is a picture with David. I think over the years he really missed that popcorn, so in 2010 he is a lot happier to see it.

Pumpkin Patch with Family!

2010-10-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Love this Poem

2010-10-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I am getting ready for the value lesson I am teaching in Young Women's on Sunday, and I came across this cute poem. I just thought it was ironic, and fun! (My lesson is on Individual Worth)

Be Yourself
Anonymous
Ever since I was a little kid, I didn't want to be me.
I wanted to be Angie Bray and Angie Bray didn't
even like me. I walked like she walked; I talked like she talked;
and I signed up for the same high school as she signed up for.

Which was when Angie changed. She began to hang around
Stephanie Bates. She walked like Stephanie Bates, she talked
like Stephanie. She mixed me up! I began to walk like Angie
Bray walking and talking like Stephanie Bates.

And then it dawned on me that Stephanie Bates walked
and talked like Marissa Murdock. Marissa Murdock walked
and talked like Alyssa Peterson.

So here I am walking and talking like Angie Bray's imitation of
Stephanie Bates version of Marissa Murdock trying to
walk and talk like Alyssa Peterson. And who do you think
Alyssa Peterson is always walking and talking like? Of all people,
Megan Williams. Megan Williams is the little pest
who walks and talks like me!!

Jason, The Bee Exterminator!

2010-10-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

We have this huge beehive in our backyard, so my brother decided to make it his personal mission to get rid of it!

These bees sure got a round house kick to the face, literally!! Pretty Hilarious!

This is his Bee Suit! Very reliable I must say!

Bryan's Wedding/ Utah trip

2010-10-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

This trip and me had a love/hate relationship. I absolutely LOVED being with my family, going to my cousin's wedding, and being apart of this wonderful time! The hate part was being pregnant, with a two year old, sick, and without a husband. I might have shed a tear once, but I still think it was all worth it! The first day consisted of getting things together for the reception. I helped my cousin Kelsey with the flowers/boutineers for the wedding. It was so much fun!! I learned a ton from her.

The kids were a little neglected that day. They were troopers though! Little Lou followed Aubs around a lot. He is so adorable!

Aubs matched the reception. The colors were grey and yellow. I didn't even do it on purpose. I just liked the dress! haha

Bean and Daniel were playing with their daddy's cell phones. Aubs just sat there curious.

Jordan did an amazing job on the reception. She even looks amazing in this light. Even though she was exausted.

There are no pics of me helping Kels with the flowers. But I didn't just sit around. I did help!

This true love IS a big deal. YEAH Bryan and Dylan!! You guys are an awesome couple!! We love you!!

I loved hanging out with my family in Utah! The reception was beautiful and playing afterwards was a blast!

Cousins!!

This is a childhood memory that I love! The peppermint place!! I used to ask to go to this place everytime I was in Utah! And here we meet again!

They make these really cool sugar figures. Their bodies are gum balls. This was the perfect way to end the vacation!!

Learned a new fabric flower!!

2010-09-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun figuring out things to make for aubs and my hair. Here is a new flower I found on a blog. This blog is so cool!! It is called The Story of a Princess and her Hair! If Aubrey's hair was long enough for some of these hairstyles I would do them. Some are a little over the top, but I love that she tells you how to do all the hairstyles. Check them out!!

As for the hair rosettes, here click here for the tutorial.

Here are a few pics of the ones I made.

This one I put on a headband for my hair.

Then I made a clip for Aubs with the same fabric. I had some strips left over.

This is SO EASY!! All you need is:
                      -Some fabric you like (or something laying around)
                      -A glue gun
                      -Some felt for the bottom
                      -A clip or headband to put it on.
                      -Then watch the video on that blog to see how to make it!

FHE Playing in the park

2010-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Aubs takes care of her prego mom. I was tired from all the playing. She looks like she is wondering when we are going to go again.

Aubrey showing off her Rock Climbing Skills. What I failed to get on video was Ryan's face. He was beaming while watching his little girl climb! It was awesome!

Aubrey seemed so confused about where Ryan was. It was so cute!

Always learning and growing!

2010-09-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Apples to Canning

2010-09-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Aubs with her ducky!

Grandma helped pick apples. Aubs tried to help but most of the ones she put in the basket were kind of moldy... She is such a good helper though!

Look at all these apple!!

They were so yummy!

Then Erin and I canned them!!

The kids loved them!! Yummmmmy!!

New Photoshoot of our little Aubs!

2010-09-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is her mischievous face! What is she up to?!

She can also be giving!

Those are apples from my grandma's apple tree! We had so many apples today! I got 3 bag fulls. I guess I am going to be canning tomorrow!!

This is the one I am making wallets out of for the fam!! She has such a cute smile but I can't seem to get it very often. This was a one-in-a-million shot!

Pudding on the Rice

2010-09-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

First I wanted to show how I made Aubs some leggings. I learned this from my friend Ashley's website: MakeitandLoveit.blogspot.com. So many awesome ideas that I can't stop wanting to do all of them!!

Now I want to talk about this awesome Restaurant we went to in Portland for a date night! It is called Pudding on the Rice. I got a groupon for it, and thought it would be a fun place to check out! Ryan and I both got dessert crepes! Aubs was a little upset bc it was past her bedtime...

This is the guy that made out crepes. He used this cool stick tool to spin the batter around to smooth it over the skillet!

Here is Aubs posing by one of the little men painted on the wall! She loved them!!

Ryan got a White Chocolate, Strawberry, & Whipped Cream Crepe while I got a Nutella, Banana, and Whipped Cream Crepe. I thought Aubs would go crazy over these, but she didn't even want a bite. Toddlers go through the weirdest stages...

This is us extremely stuffed! They were huge!!

Aubs getting some exercise, even though it was us who needed it!

All-in-all, it was a fun date night. I think next time Ryan and I might take the max out there. It stops almost a block away from the restaurant. Such a cute place!

Annual Pierce Fishing Trip: 2010

2010-09-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Forgot to mention I am still pregnant. We found out its a boy! I am pretty sure this is me at about 20 weeks. So excited, but I am in full on getting ready mode and I have a little while to worry about it! haha

This is how Aubs feels about the baby. That smile is code for: I am going to eat him!

Now on to the fishing trip! Aubs spent a few days with her grandma. She wasn't there the whole fishing trip bc she went to Hawaii to see Rochelle. I told her I didn't feel bad for her whatsoever. She had an awesome time!

This is the first fish I caught of the year! Aubs touched it! YUCK!!

We camped two weekends. It was really fun, but not easy when you have a toddler. This was our first experience sleeping without a crib. She did pretty well. She did awesome at night.

All weekend she said, "Tyler, Tyler!" She loved hanging out with Tyler and eating candy out of her grandpa's booty box. He sugar detox afterward was pretty intense! (haha jk!)

This is my favorite pic of the trip! I love my little family!

There she goes, touching another fish!

These are the huge tin foil dinners I made. I forced Ryan's dad to eat one. They were HUGE!! I also made soup ahead of time and put then in jars. That worked really good to just heat up and eat really fast.

This is Ryan's 30 pounder! He was so proud!

Thats my man! Bringing home the bacon. Well in this case fish! Next year we will have little Jack with us! I think Ryan is pretty excited to have his little boy fishing with him. I am bumbed I didn't take any pics of Ryan's Grandma and pa Pierce. Aubs was obsessed with Grandma Pierce. One day she came down to our house to see it and to take us to lunch. We had so much fun!!

Toddler Bed Time!!!

2010-09-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Cutest face ever... right? Well I think so anyway! Well on Sept 11 we set up Aubs toddler bed. (Thanks Phillip and Cassi for the Hand-me-down) It is wonderful! I am just being a crazy mom trying to get everything ready for the newcomer. I guess I still have 4 months, but I am glad I did this first. Aubs is owning her toddler bed! We didn't even expect to start her in it, but she was just so excited about it, we let her sleep in it. The first night I was on edge and I heard a crash! I ran in her room thinking, SHE FELL OFF THE BED!!! Well she was on the ground by the door. So she must have gotten up and tripped. Since then she has been great, even during naps! I am so proud of our little girl! And yet I am a little sad to see her grow up so fast. I am trying to enjoy every moment before I have two to keep track of.

This is her YES pose! I love it!

I wanted to add a video of her in the bed. I think video's make it more real. She wanted to play in the bed that whole day!

Willamette Park Biking/ Farmer's market

2010-08-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Okay so this picture has nothing to do with either of the two trips, I just think its cute!!

This is Aubs new Cheeser smile! She does this every time you say, "Aubrey, SMILE!!" So cute!

This is the park I used to go to as a kid with my grandparents! When I walked by this spot so many memories came into my mind! It was such a fun thing to do with my baby. My grandma told me it is also the park I learned to ride a bike!

Daddy, so proud of his little biker!!

We also went to the farmers market when my cuz Reagan came into town! So much fun. My favorite part was the bread. I got an Italian bread and Regs got blue cheese and onion bread.

It just worked out perfect that Ryan was in the background of this pic! haha

New Baby Alert!

2010-07-18T16:06:00.001-07:00

I posted this picture on Facebook, but I thought I should post here as well just in case someone didn't see it. We are expecting our second baby! Aubrey would only pose for this pic if her monkey was in it as well, so if you are wondering, Aubs is the big sister, not the monkey. We are very excited!! The due date is January 17th. So I am almost 14 weeks. Wish us luck! And if anyone has advice about room sharing, I need it! I want the two kids to share a room so Ryan still has an office to work from home with his job. I will post a pic of me soon with my little tummy!

This is me having fun again!!

2010-07-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

I told you guys this was a career move for me to focus on having fun with my pictures!! Thank also to Caryn Esplin who was an amazing professor of mine at school. She helps me get out of my box/ comfort zone, and see what I can really do... CHANGE THINGS UP!! Here are some before and after pics so you can see for yourself!

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Re-roofing!

2010-07-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

So, as you can see, our house looks like it is dilapidated... but it really isn't! Don't worry. We are just re-roofing! We have the old shingles all over our yard and gutters hanging about, but once it is all finish (I can't wait!!) It is going to be beautiful! These are the before pictures and I can't wait to get the after pics up!! Hopefully soon we can paint as well. I have the colors picked out, now to get the husband on board! He is working so hard with the roof!! My Dad and Brother Phillip have come almost every day to help get this done. Our ward came and helped us strip it as well. We are very blessed to have such great family around us! We will definitely sleep soundly this winter when it starts to rain!!

Haven't posted lately

2010-07-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

So I have been up since 5:30 this morning thinking..... You know when you wake up really early and you lay in bed worrying. Well that is what I have been doing. I have come to two conclusions and I am going to write them down on my blog... bc I need to vent? I don't know... So I think I all together want to get rid of my facebook. It is kind of driving me crazy right now. I thought other things were stressing me out like not having time for things, but really I think I spend too much time on that web server.

I admit, I love how I can keep in touch with people on it. It is a great way to send all my YW updates on activities, keep in touch with friends, and show people pics. But I don't like it when people I see everyday know so much about me, I don't have anything to say when I see them. I love showing these things to my family & friends that I don't see much. But I am kind of sick of the whole minotiny of it all. So I want to take a break! I just have to wait until my stupid phone is fixed so people can actually get a hold of me... technology!!

Then comes to my photography... I love taking pictures... as a hobby! Don't get me wrong. I have been SO BLESSED to have started a business, but when I have my daughter pulling at my leg crying because she wants her mom to stop editing pictures and take care of her... its a red flag to me when I am thinking in my head, I would rather play with you too! So I think I am going to take a break from the business. Just take pictures for fun again. Just create and explore! I feel I need this as a career move! I am trying to be the best mom in the world, while trying to be the best photographer in the world. Those are two hard things to do and frankly, the mom part is way more important to me!

Sorry everyone! I really needed that venting. It probably made no sense to anyone else... but it made me feel better.

Practice

2010-02-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Before and After

2010-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

We finally finished a room... well, for the most part... haha

The Kitchen!

Before:

After:

Comparison Time!

2010-01-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Aubrey Fishing with her Dad.

Ryan Fishing with his Dad!

Garbage Man Came!

2009-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is probably the second time the garbage man had come but this time it was late enough for us to be out of bed. Aubrey and her dad were so excited. They sat there watching the garbage man the whole time. Well, long enough for me to get the camera and take a picture. They were so captivated they didn't even pay attention to the camera... and for Aubrey that is amazing!

Most recent projects:
Ryan's mom gave me a bunch of fabric and so I had this idea for a dress I wanted to make Aubrey... So I made it yesterday morning.

And here it is. Very warm and comfy. I just took one of her other dresses and made a pattern with it. It was really fun, but now I have a mess to clean up in the other room. She will probably only fit in it for a couple more days (made it too small). But I have a bunch more fabric so maybe I will come up with a different kind of dress. We shall see.....

This is the other project. I LOVE THIS! I went to a girls night the other night and they taught us this craft. I made the flower at the girls night and they the birthday shirt a few days later. Thank you Amber and Maren! I love learning new and easy craft projects. And to my friends, don't be surprised if you get something like this for gifts for your kids, haha! When I do this again I will try and remember to post how to make these. So easy and fun!

Our Little Lamb!

2009-11-01T06:59:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween!! Hope everyone had a great one!

HOUSE PICS!!

2009-10-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here it is! Our little humble abode! Yes it does look like a pumpkin with green trim and orange paint but I was willing to look past that at it's inner beauty (with the promise from Ryan that we would paint it in the spring). No really we are very excited about our new little house and making it our own. It is a lot of work, but we are excited for the challenge.

This is our living room. Luckily I have my mom. She cleaned the carpets for me. She is so great!

Here is the dining room right by the kitchen. This has been Aubrey's stake-out-point. She has been so good through all of this!

Hallway, Yes we have a hallway!

This is Ryan's office. Finally when he works from home he will have a little peace and quiet to work in. Hopefully.

This is our retro 60's bathroom. Yes the toilet is even brown. I am sure this was hip back when...
Like I said we are excited for the challenges and making this place our own.

More retro...

Our bedroom

This is Aubrey's bedroom. It came with that awesome shelf on the wall. I think her room is one of the coolest. Can't wait until I get my decorating hands on it!

She has a great mirror for admiring her cute little face in a ballerina outfit.

WORK IN PROGRESS..... Okay this is the kitchen that I have been slaving over, not to mention my mother as well. We have painted the walls and are still working on the cupboards. We are also putting tile up and getting appliances very soon. This will probably be the first one you see as a before and after once we are done.

More kitchen

This is the mudroom for the washer and dryer. More retro flooring, but I love this room!

Place for the washer and dryer. Still in the mudroom.

This is one of the best rooms in the house. The family room in the back. It is big with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. The kitchen opens up to this room with a bar. This will be where most of the entertaining will be. Fun fun!

And this is what sold us on the house. The backyard is a forest. It is awesome!

Shed #1
Shed #2. Ryan loves that!

Patio

Awesome fire pit. Which we will be using for a mutual activity someday, I just know it!

This is the adorable face that looks back at me while I am wigging out trying to get everything done in this house. She is such a trooper. Ryan is working so hard and is loving every minute of it. The other day he was telling me how much he loves to do yard work in his own yard. haha! We are so excited to have a house. WEEKEND PROJECTS FOR LIFE! YEAH!

We finally have a crawler!

2009-10-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

So you might be thinking to yourself, she just started crawling at 10 months. I know I have been thinking it too. I have tried so hard to get his girl to crawl. I have given her plenty of tummy time, tons of trying to get her to come after a toy. But she just wanted to do it on her own time. The time has officially come and I am so excited. I actually find myself lucky. I have had a lot of time with Aubrey not being mobile. Now I know she is going to get into everything, but for 10 months she hasn't. Well bring it on little girl! I am just so excited for all the things she is learning.

Oh yeah and I haven't mentioned this yet on our blog. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! I will post pictures very soon.

I Recovered Something!

2009-09-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

So I am really excited about this. We got this rocking chair at a garage sale for $15.00 when I was pregnant with Aubrey. When we got it the pads on the chair were blue, which would have worked for a boy, but not for a girl. Joann's was having a really good sale on their Home Decor fabric so I broke down and got some and here is the result. The pictures doesn't do it justice. Since I was taking pictures anyway I decided to do a little photoshoot of Aubs. She is 9 months now! AHHH!

Pierce Family Annual Fishing Trip!

2009-09-09T10:47:00.001-07:00

So here we are again. The annual Pierce Family Fishing trip. A lot of you already know about this trip but I will explain anyway. For two weeks in the fall Ryan's Dad come to Rainier, OR to catch the Fall Chinook on the Columbia. We met him on his second week and was there from Thursday to Monday. We camp out on an island and fish for Salmon while the tide is running, and then fish for squa fish when it isn't. So really all we do is Eat, Sleep, and FISH! It is so much fun and very relaxing.

Aubrey did great while we were fishing on the boat. She did cry very much except for if she was hungry. She actually slept a lot. It was great! She feel asleep with her life jacket holding her head up! haha!

We were also able to hang out with Great Grandma & pa Pierce! Grandma made us two dinners after long days of fishing. They were wonderful company!

Aubrey loved being with her Great-Grandma Pierce. She cuddled up to her and played with her. I must say Grandma Pierce loved it too!

This was the relaxing part I was talking about!

Our friend T.J. was able to come and catch a Salmon of his own.

Aubrey with her Grandma and pa!

She liked to drive the boat!

I have been told there is a picture of Ryan with his Dad when he was little holding a fishing Rod. I can't wait to get the picture so I can put them side by side. When I get it I will post it!

Three Generations!

Aubrey was pretty excited to go camping. One night it started raining and storming and Aubs couldn't sleep so I took her out of her pack n'play and snuggled up with her in my sleeping bag. We didn't sleep very well that night. It rained for the next few nights so Aubs and I slept and Ryan's Aunt and Uncles, which was close by.

Aubrey's 9 months Yesterday

2009-08-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

Aubrey
Weight: 20 lbs 5 ounces (77%)
Height: 28 3/4 in (87%)
Head: 18.27 in (97%)

Daddy feeding Aubrey

2009-08-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

The funny thing is, after this happened Ryan gave her a bath and then put her to bed. He forgot, however, to comb her hair before putting her to bed so when she woke up she had an affro. Daddy was on a roll that day! haha!

Monster!!! AAHHHH!

2009-08-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Aubrey likes to help Daddy when he works from home. haha

Monster! AHHH!

Geocaching:

2009-07-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

So I have been asked what Geocaching is and here is an explanation. (This is the activity we did on our family reunion)

"Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment." (Taken from http://www.geocaching.com/.)

In other words you use one of these:
To find a coordinate you get from the Geocaching website and look for boxes people have left all around the world, and even in your area. It is a really fun game. You take little objects with you so that when you find a box you can take an object out of it and then leave on for another person to find. Sometimes the boxes you find just have paper in them for people to log that they have been there. You can also get clues on the Geocaching website, how to find each cach. This is really something for all ages.

If anyone wants to go with us sometime to see how it works then let us know. (My directions are probably hard to understand.) Let me know if this is confusing...

Is Anyone out there?

2009-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was just wondering who reads my blog. I thought it might help me feel more inspired to post more often. I love you all for reading my blog. I just need some encouragement. Then I think I will have more fun postings. So give me a shout out if you read this. Thanks!

Love, Katie

Before & After

2009-07-24T16:35:00.001-07:00

I didn't tell anyone, but...

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But Aubrey is a Rock Star.... Hannah Montana that is!

Steven gets home, plus Tidwell Family Reunion!

2009-07-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Steven is home from his mission in Las Vegas, Nevada. He finally got to meet his first Niece. It was so fun. The Pierce family reunion was the same weekend.

We did so many fun things. This was when we went Geocaching in different groups. It was a race.

Aubrey wanted to work the GPS. She really does take after her daddy.

The Boys went fishing for over sized sturgeon. Ryan was a little over due for fishing. He was so excited!

The rest of us went garage saleing while the boys fished. We had a little white elephant gift exchange that night. It was fun to see what people found.

Aubrey did pretty well for the whole trip and everyone LOVED her!

We also went out to the river for boating. The weather was SO HOT while we were there. One of the days got over 100 degrees.

Yeah for Great-Grandpa & ma Tidwell!

Tidwell Family Reunion '09

Aubrey's First camping experience!

2009-06-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Okay so I haven't blogged in a while. Partly because it takes so long to put pictures up sometime... and you all know I love pictures. Also sometimes I get hooked on this stuff and I don't want to miss my child growing up so I don't post. I do, however, think blogging is kind of like a journal to me, so I should post to remember all this stuff... so enough rambling and here it goes.

We finally went camping with the Aub-inator! She did such a good job. She slept through the night so well. You can tell from the first picture that I rigged her up so she would be really warm. The problem was me... I kept waking up to make sure she was okay. She slept wonderfully though.

My sister Ashley and her friend Sophie came along. It was really fun having them.

Breanna brought little Roxy. She is so cute.

Ryan wouldn't look at the camera, he was too distracted by the slack line. haha!

Even Aubs went slack lining for her first time!!! She is so awesome!

We went shooting too! It was Ashley's first time!

Aubrey just sat and watched. I pluged her ears though. Don't worry.

Aubrey Meets her Aunt Rachelle & Video of her saying DA DA!

2009-05-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

New Photoshoot! Check it out!

2009-05-20T22:36:00.001-07:00

My cousin Bryan came this weekend so I thought her and Taylor would like to do a photoshoot for fun, and this is what we came up with... Check it out!

http://www.katiepiercephotography.blogspot.com/

Reach the Beach!

2009-05-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that my blog is private now. I feel like I have so much freedom and I don't have to worry about Weirdo's looking at my blog... okay so maybe some of you are still weirdos, but we love you! haha! This weekend was so much fun! Ryan and his mom rode their bike 50 miles to the beach. What an awesome accomplishment. We are so proud of them!

Ryan's dad, Katie, Aubrey and I drove down to meet them. I think Aubs Aunt Katie was pretty excited to hang out with her the whole way.

This was also Aubrey's first time to the beach. She wasn't too enthused, but i think she will love it when she gets a little older. It was a gorgeous day though!!

First time in the sand!!! Woo Hoo Aubrey!!!

Decided to go Private

2009-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! I have decided that I need to make this blog private. With my Photography blog I have been getting people looking at it that I don't know, which is fine, but I don't want people I don't know looking at my personal blog. I would love my friends and family to continue to look at my blog so please leave me your email address, and I will send you an invite to our blog. Or if you would like to email me instead my email is m2a2e2@gmail.com.

I am thinking of going private around May 17th. About the middle of the month. Thanks!!!

Happy Birthday My Love!

2009-04-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday

Ryan!

4.16.1983

26 Reason's why you are the BEST!
1. You love your family unconditionally.
2. You sacrifice so much time to help others
3. You hold & honor the Priesthood.
4. You cherish your friends
5. You have so many ambitions.
6. You love to get outdoors.
7. You can find the deal of the century in everything you buy.
8. You get me to read the scriptures every night with you.
9. You tell me you love me all the time.
10. You get up in the middle of the night with Aub all the time!
11. You help me around the house.
12. You love to talk to everyone around you, even strangers.
13. You went on a mission.
14. You are an Eagle Scout.
15. You think your daughter in a toot-opatamous.
16. You like to make me laugh.
17. You like to push my buttons when I am mad. (so that I will laugh)
18. You like to be neat and orderly.
19. You get the JOB DONE!
20. You would sacrifice a Saturday to help people out.
21. Everyone loves you because you are always yourself.
22. You never lie.
23. You want to be just like your Dad. (Who is also very cool)
24. You love to stay fit and active.
25. You love REI Garage Sales.
26. You love me no matter what!

This was probably the easiest list for me to write and I know I am going to think of so many other things through out this day. I love you and hope you have the best 26th birthday!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Rice Cereal

2009-04-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

I finally gave Aubrey rice cereal for the first time. She wasn't really responding to it much. She didn't understand something was going into her mouth. It was a fun experience none the less. I love this little girl. It is so much fun to see her grow.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! Saturday was a fun day filled with Easter Egg hunts, beautiful little girls, and family! Ryan went fishing with his Dad while I went Easter Egg hunting with Cassie, Jamaica, Gracie and Aubrey. We went to 3 different ones.

At this Easter Egg Hunt they had 10,000 eggs. They even had an Easter bunny and huge prizes like bikes. We didn't win any though, booo! haha

Jamaica dashed all around when they dropped the flags. She was on fire!!

Gracie was really smart and sat in one spot and picked up all the eggs around her. She got so many eggs this way.

Jamaica checking out her easter stash!

This was the freaky easter bunny. haha! We had a blast!! See the bikes behind us! I don't know how they can afford all that, but it was fun!

Wonderful Conference weekend

2009-04-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

And Heeeeeere's Aubrey Weighing in at.....

2009-03-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

4 Month Appointment

Weight: 14lbs 11oz (75 percentile)
Height: 25 1/4in (85 percentile)
Head: 17in. (95 percentile)