Webelos Hike

I am lucky enough (haha) to be a Webelos leader in our ward! In order for the boys to earn their Arrow of Light award, they have to go on a hike with the troop. We decided to make it a family hike. One of our nephews, Alex, is in my group. We brought him, along with his brother Kaden. So, that happened to be last Saturday...the most freezing day of the year! I knew it was going to be cold so I got Keegan all bundled up with lots of layers. Apparently, by the looks of her nose, it wasn't enough! We borrowed this backpack from another scout leader. Keegan did great. She just kicked back the entire time. Partly because she couldn't move and the other part because she was frozen, I'm sure! Her poor little lip was quivering the entire hike up.




We got to the top and everyone had a snack. I packed them in my backpack. Then, we looked out with binoculars and took pictures by the sign. I knew that Keegan was frozen so I gave up my sweatshirt. I just took it off and put it around her and put the hood over her head to keep her warm. I was so cold the on the hike down but I would rather be cold than have her cold.






Apparently, it worked. Kevin said that she slept the entire hike down. When we got to the bottom, I found her in total chill mode, sleeping in the backpack!



We totally lucked out. Literally, 2 minutes after we got into the car, it started pouring! Thank you for not raining on our hike!

Loves and Hates about our house...

One thing I love about our house is the citrus trees we have in the backyard. We have a lemon, orange, and grapefruit tree. The fruit is so close to being ready. There are quite a few lemons that are ready and quite a few oranges that are ready. The grapefruits...you have to search to find one ready to eat but they are up there! On Saturday morning, Kevin went out and picked a few oranges and juiced them for breakfast. It was yummy!



Keegan is a fan of the lemon tree! There is a branch that hangs just at the right height for her to pull the lemons off and hit them. It's hard to get after her for doing it when she gets so excited about hitting lemons! She also likes to eat them! As for me, I will stick to the fresh squeezed lemonade!





One thing I HATE about our house, is our cabinets!! They look so old and cheap to me! I have been talking about re-doing them since we bought the house.




After almost 2 years of bugging Kevin, we did it! Kevin has vacation time from 2009 (crazy right) that he has to use up by the end of the year. So, he took the entire week of Thanksgiving off to do the cabinets. We sanded, primed, painted, and glazed. It was so much work!! Clearly, we have a ton of large cabinets! We decided to go with an off-white cream color with a black glaze. Then, sometime this month, we are going to do the island black. The hardest part was having Keegan "help". Nap time was a very productive time for us. We even gave her a sucker to keep her happy! She NEVER gets sugar!!





She wanted to be out there helping so badly! We would put her in the house and she would just sit by the door watching, crying, yelling "DAD!"...anything to get us to let her out! We were really bad parents for 2 days! Then, Gami (my mom) came to the rescue! Levi had doctors appointments up here and so my mom was nice enough to take Keegan with them on Wednesday. Then, she took Keegan to Safford with her. My mom and dad just love her to pieces so it was nice to know she was in good hands while we finished up. She got to work on the dirt bikes with Grandpa!



After 3 days of non-stop work, late nights, and tired bodies, we headed to Safford at 2:30 in the morning on Thursday...arriving at 5:00 am. This is definitely not the finished product! We still have molding to add to the sides and bottom, handles to all drawers and cabinets, the island needs to be done black, and granite countertops. I have to admit, at first, I HATED it. But, it has grown on me a little. Once we get it all done, I am sure it will look great. Thanks to a wonderful husband that loves me enough to go through all this hard work :)





P.S. After getting there at 5:00 am, I made it in time to run the last quarter of the Pima Turkey Trot with my mom! I pushed Keegan in the stroller and Kevin waited at the finish line! Tori did awesome! She got 6th in her division without any training!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Can you believe we have gone from this

to this?!


Hard to believe! Keegan enjoyed Halloween much more this year than she did last year. My aunt was kind enough to give us this adorable duck costume! Keegan loved it! From the minute we got it, she wanted to wear it all the time! She learned how to say "duck" and "QUACK!" When people asked her what she was going to be for Halloween, she would say "DUCK!"

My sister Tasia came up for a few Halloween parties up here. She got to help me get Keegan all dressed up! We let her be a duck while we went to the mall and the grocery store. Everyone was commenting on how cute she looked!



Later that night, we went with my sister-in-law Bethanie and her 2 boys trick-or-treating. They loved it! We just pulled Keegan in the wagon and walked up our neighborhood streets. She loved to "waddle" up and stick her little hand in the candy bowl. Unfortunately for Keegan, we are mean parents and she doesn't get to eat candy! She ended up with maybe 5 pieces or so. She also loves to kiss EVERYTHING ... pumpkins included!!



For weeks, down the street, a family has been setting up a "haunted maze" in their front yard. It is UNREAL!! It was definitely impressive. There were a lot of kids and adults screaming and freaking out! Keegan, on the other hand, was mesmerized! She loved all the music and flashing lights!




What a fun Halloween with our nephews and little duck!

Winter Grass and my new "MOM" ride

A couple months ago, my dad started bugging me saying that I need to get a bigger vehicle. Keegan loves her wagon and toys and it was hard to fit everything in the car when we would go down to Safford. Primarily because Kevin has so much crap he has to take for riding dirt bikes but that's besides the point! He kind of had us sold on a GMC Acadia but I could not get over the van look. I was not willing to give up my car, that I love!, for a van looking vehicle...not going to happen!! So, we decided to wait until we found a really good looking Acadia that had everything we wanted. Then, out of nowhere, my dad called and said he had a new Yukon Denali. I have ALWAYS wanted a Yukon!! We decided to make a trip to Safford to check it out. After going back and forth, lots of tears, and me being a baby, we came home with our new ride!




I sound like such a brat saying this but at first, I did not like the Denali. I had buyers remorse big time!! All I wanted to do was get my car back. I had the Altima for about 2 1/2 years... the longest I have ever owned a vehicle!! It was so hard going from a little cool car to my "MOM" ride. However, I am not appreciating it. It is much easier to load groceries, get Keegan in and out, LOVE the DVD player for her, and it has come in handy a few times where we can fit everyone in our vehicle and don't have to take 2 cars when we go out to eat with friends and family! The worst part about it...GAS!!!


Last week, we planted our winter grass!! I begged Kevin to do it in the backyard too because Keegan loves to play outside. He said no :( So, we only did it in the front yard. Keegan and I helped. We mowed the grass really short, raked the now dirt after mowing so short, spread this grey stuff on it, spread the seed, and Kevin took care of the cow poop! While we were planing, Keegan followed us everywhere. She is quite the helper! She loved putting the work gloves on! Now, Keegan and I always have to go out and make sure it is staying moist. Can't wait for it to start germinating!

Family Pictures

A few weeks ago, I got an email from an old friend that I haven't talked to for a long time! We were in the same singles ward and had a few friends in common. The email said that the young women in her ward were doing a fund raiser trying to get money saved up for girls camp next year. They had a few professional photographers that were going to do 30 minute sessions for $20 and you get a CD of your pictures. $20 for family pictures!!! WE ARE IN!!!

What a nightmare it turned out to be with a 1 year old!! Newborn pictures were definitely a lot easier!! Everything they wanted us to do, she hates!! Hold hands, touch the water but not play in it, stay in the same area in the grass, walk slowly on railroad tracks, etc. Luckily, we got a few good shots out of the mess! For 20 bucks, not bad!

Trip to Glamis...NOT Buttercup or Gordon's Well

People who don't know us very well probably think that we have a really weird family. Kevin went with my parents (yes, just Kevin) to Glamis for the weekend. Some people may find this strange that I didn't go with them. However, Kevin and my parents, my Dad especially, have a great relationship. They are good friends! For that, I am so thankful!! The night before they left, Kevin was out in the garage getting his bike ready, putting his paddle tire on, etc. Keegan was such a good helper. She kept sticking the screw driver in the bike.




Kevin and my parents each brought their own air mattresses with them and just slept on the trailer. My dad and Kevin both went flat not even half way through the night and froze the entire time. My mom, on the other hand, was nice and cozy on her aired up mattress. When they got home late Saturday night, they were full of stories. They had a great good time. Kevin and my dad mounted this Go-Pro camera onto their chest plates so we had to watch their videos and hear about how fast they went, etc. They had a good time and are planning anther trip in the next few weeks.

Pima Boys Camp Out

Over Conference Weekend, we went camping with "The Pima Boys"! Believe it or not, it was the first time that Kevin and I have ever camped together!! (Besides in our backyard, of course!) We had so much fun! We went to Cedar Springs. We slept in a tent, sat around the campfire, ate a ton of delicious food, and enjoyed GREAT company! Jason, of course, comes so prepared with everything and cooks the best food! They even brought a little table for the kids to eat at. Keegan loved it! All the kids sat around and ate their breakfast. When they were all finished and had scattered, she was still at that little table clearing all of their plates after she ate all of her food!





We went on a few "rides". Some people rode in side by sides and others rode on 4-wheelers. We borrowed my cousin, Joel's Ranger. It worked out perfect! We put Keegan's car seat and Casey's (Nick and Sara's little boy) car seat in there and cruised right along with everyone! There is something about it that puts the babies right to sleep! I always am on the lookout for wildlife. We saw a few animals! On our drive out there, we saw a HUGE raccoon! Kevin saw a big acudamunda (not sure on spelling). Nick saw a lot of animal tracks by the water. It was just a lot of fun. Keegan loved it, Kevin and I both had a good time. We can't wait to do it again!!