Our Family

Parker's Baptism

2010-07-12T21:30:00.002-06:00

Parker Ryan Smith

Baptized on July 3, 2010

in the Green Horn Creek

in Rye Colorado.

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2010-06-08T05:33:00.000-06:00

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Schools Out For Summer!

2010-05-30T07:31:00.007-06:00

Helping shuck corn at a picnic for Chauncy, Emily and Chloes birthday.

Parker helped me watch a friends little boy for a few hours. He did such a good job! They were two peas in a pod!

Parker's first baseball game. They tied 3 to 3!

How many kids can fit into one toy house? We went and has a bbq and helped Shauna and Chauncy with their yard work. My dad was there helping with his wood chipper so we went to go see him too!

Preston loves to help Grandad! Grandad gives good prizes!

Parker and his cousin Chloe both lost the same tooth. Chloe is 2 years younger! I love their matching teeth and freckles!

Parker's PLP about George Washington. I wish I had a better picture of him dressed up! He did such a great job!

The boys got out of school on May 25 at 11:00, by about 3:00 they were board! This might be a long summer! The both did a great job this school year and are moving up in grade. I can't believe I have a 5th grader and a 3rd grader! I can remember being in those grades. It really makes me wish I could keep them little for a while longer, time seems to be going so fast. In just a few short years I will be watching them graduate and leave on missions!

We have had some summer fun. Parker got to go on a trip to Idaho Springs for a couple of nights with a friend and had a ton of fun. While he was gone I took Preston to Elitches for some fun. We were a little disappointed because some of the smaller rides he wanted to go on were not running. You gotta work your way up to the big ones! So we only rode a few rides and watched a show. Oh well, we have a season pass we got for Christmas so we will be back!

Tooth Trouble

2010-05-24T20:09:00.003-06:00

My boys have a book called Tooth Trouble about a little boy who is the last one in his class of 2nd graders to lose a tooth. Lately the title of the book has played some truth in my life! I have had my own Tooth Trouble, the only problem is I don't want to lose my teeth! Over the past few years I have gotten quite a few root canals on my molars, the problem is that all but one of them have still had problems. Problems like oops we missed a canal, or hmmmm this root is cracked, or did you know you have a cyst on the end of you root? About a year ago I decided I was tired of all the problems and made a plan with my dentist to get it all fixed so I would be fee and clear of my teeth. I have had a ton of work done and several teeth had to be pulled. Well on the last visit I say " Yeah......this is the last thing and we are done! Except for the implants I am going to get!" my dentist cheers with me and then takes some x-rays. A few minutes go by and he comes back in hanging his head and says" ummmmm.........I am not sure what is going on but you have some more problems with your teeth." I am thinking I have only a minor problem and then he tells me that he is not sure how but the tooth that we were just going to fix the filling in now needs a root canal. Not only does it need a root canal .......he can't do it so I need to go to a endodontist......and pay the big bucks! Well, before I could get an appointment with the other DR. I had already made an appointment to get a consultation for implants. While at that appointment they took a 360 degree x-ray of my teeth. And guess what? They found even more problems! I had a cyst on a tooth that had already had a root canal and now I needed to get that removed, and I still had one wisdom tooth that was completely sideways and impacted and pushing on the roots of the tooth in front of it and causing decay on the roots and I needed to just have both teeth pulled. The appointment was 45 min away in Boulder and I seriously cried all the way home! If you haven't ever had any of this kind of stuff done it is super expensive and insurance is a joke! The words they used for my teeth were " you need to get these taken care of as soon as possible........you are sitting on a land mine."

I know by now you are thinking..........She should brush her teeth better! Well I am the best brusher and flosser and rinser I know! I even use prescription tooth paste! No one can tell me why these things are happening other than that I should never have any drinks with acid in them, and always rinse with water after drinking anything but water.

Back to the story. I made an appointment with an endodontist I had never been to. I have been to several but have been scared out of my mind because of the roughness and speed at which they have done things. So I prayed hard to find a good one, I really prayed and prayed. It just so happened that my insurance only had one Dr. they accepted in my town, less than a mile from my house. I was so nervous! I walked in and looked around, it was nothing fancy at all, but it was nice and I had a good feeling. Then I met the most wonderful Dr. He is an older man who took the time to listen to me and chat with me so I would be comfortable. I explained that I could only afford to do one of the two necessary things that needed done. ( I really couldn't afford to do any!) He then almost made me cry when he said we will do the cyst first, but if your other tooth starts hurting call me.....we will figure it out. When I asked about how to pay he told me that he would send me a bill and as long I sent him something every month we would be fine. What a blessing. Some people would say I am lucky but I know that this man was a blessing in my life. The procedure was kind of scary because they had to go in through the side of my gums to get the cyst. He was very good and had I gone to someone else I am not sure I could have handled the procedure.

Fast forward a week. My wisdom tooth and the tooth in front of it start killing me! The awesome Dr. only does root surgeries so he can't help on this one. I make the appointment to have the teeth pulled and when I get there the Dr. tells me that I am crazy if he thinks that I can handle this while just numb. I tell him that I can't afford to be put asleep and somehow he figured it out so I wouldn't be charged more! I have never been put asleep for anything! I was so scared I would pee or something while I was out! Let me tell you, that is the only way to get major work done on your mouth! I went to sleep and when I woke up no teeth! The first day I was awesome and thought it was smooth sailing! WRONG! It has been 4 days and I am in pain! The kind of pain that needs the good meds! If I miss or am a little late taking the pain meds I pay for it! Oh and I still have the stitches from the first procedure on the same side of my mouth but on top! So there you go that is my Tooth Trouble!

I am back!

2010-05-12T20:34:00.013-06:00

I havn't been blogging because our computer has been so slow.........now we have more RAM and its much better.........so I am back!
First I want everybody t know that Parker is doing awesome in school this year. He is a top reader in his class and does awesome at everything else. He has a soft kind heart and always watches out for others. We love you Parker and are so proud of you.
As for the catch up.........enjoy the pictures.

Drying his paint job on his derby car.

Working on pine wood derby cars

Birthday boys

Preston's # 10 cake

He guessed every gift right!

Opening Birthday gifts...........I can't believe he is 10

Star Student

Dying Eggs

Dad even dyed a few

A day at the park

nice catch Ryan

Helping Grandma make deviled eggs! Preston loves to cook

Mom's babies..............baby garden that is!

Preston's birthday sleep over
div> Parker was Juliet in a play! Cute hair........Mom had a little fun fixing it!

Preston was in a Battle of the Books competition and Mom was the coach. He and hos team read 15 books and competed by answering questions about the books. We read and practiced for months. Our team name "The Brainiac Worms"

Watching the race

Dad at the race

Parker got first and Preston got 3rd! Wooohoooo

Smith Family Cars. We worked very hard on our cars.

Preston's awesome bacon car "Pigs Do FLY"

Parker's pine wood derby car "Skittles"

Melanie's pine wood derby car "Her She"

Zoo day with cousins

Parker's class had pony tail and mohawk day so Parker came up with the "Ponyhawk"

Parker's number 8 dirt bike track cake......just what he ordered!

Parker's 8th Birthday

Playing with his new Castle

Cool bridge we found

Jumping down the stairs at Red Rocks

On the stage

Parker at his concert

Hiking at Red Rocks

The boys before their school music concert

Preston at his school concert

Parker's first sleep over for hid birthday

Ryan decided to climb to the top of Missy and Eric's Windmill

Parker and Olivia shooting BB guns!

Static Hair!

Finally lost his tooth!

The awesome Mother's Day card the boys made me! My favorite kind of card to get.

Prestons Report Card

2009-11-17T09:24:00.003-07:00

I couldn't ask for better sons! Preston and I went to his 1st trimester parent teacher conference last night and we both left so happy. Last year on his CSAP test he tested excellent on 2 out of the 3 areas they tested on! He is also reading at at 6th grade 7th month reading comprehension level. He also received a national Percentile Rank of 90. This score is an above average range and means Preston scored better than 90% of students nationally in the same grade. He also loves math and his math teacher said that it comes so naturally for him (He defiantly got that from Ryan!). But the best part of the whole experience was learning his teachers thoughts about him "I count on him to be a leader, and to help those around him. When others are making poor choices he will stand up for what is right. Preston sets an example both academically and socially daily." I am so proud of you Preston! I am glad you are smart but it fills my heart with such joy to know that you stand up for what is right!

Parkes Partent Teachers are in a couple of days.

Summer Recap!

2009-08-27T05:33:00.002-06:00

I didn't do a very good job this summer of updating what we did so here it goes.

Right after school got out we left to go on a little trip to Utah to attend my sister Amanda and her Husband Anthony's sealing. We stayed at my sister Stacy's house and had a lot of fun with everyone. We went to a copper mine, we visited This is the place monument, we toured the conference center, we went to Temple square, and had a lot of fun and the many picnics with the family. We even enjoyed our ride to and from Utah playing fun game and trying to find all 50 stated license plates...we came close but missed a few.

A few days after we got home Preston had cub scout day camp and since I am the leader Ryan and I got to go with him. Parker had a great time spending the night with Aunt Shauna and Uncle Chauncy and their girls. Preston got to do a lot of fun thing at camp. He made ice cream, played with sling shots and paint balls, played with a cool water rocket (so cool we came home and made one), shot arrows, carved soap, made a picture frame, painted his face like an Indian, and much more! It was a fun time!

On the 13, 14, and 15th of June Preston and Parker spent some special time with Grandma and Grandad. They took them camping up to Red Feather Lakes. They had so much fun and just love to be with Grandma and Grandad!

The very next weekend we went camping up at Turkey Track for Fathers Day with my sister Missy and her family and my parents. It was a good time but a bit rainy, we always love camping!

We also spent A LOT of time at Parker's baseball games and the batting cages. Parker was a Hurricane this year and did very well His team sticks together and they have an amazing group of coaches. Preston is Parker's biggest fan and cheers him on the whole game! He is going to try to play next year. Who knew that Ryan would have boys that like baseball!

For the Fourth of July we went camping again with my family. There were 53 of us up there and that was not even half of everybody! We went to the Fire works at a lake in a small town near by and had so much fun! We rode 4 wheelers, took, walks and went on some bike rides. Always fun!

We got passes for Elitch Gardens a local amusement park in Denver (like a six flags) the boys and I made it a mission to go every week so we would get our money worth and we did! Parker went on a big coaster for the first time and Preston went on one with a loop (He said he would never do it again!) We had so mu fun playing in the water and riding rides!

Our Wednesday morning were usually spent at the Summer movies for a dollar! We always found fun friend to hang out with there!

We got to have a cousin come and stay with us for a week and they had soooooooo much fun!

The week before school started we had family from Texas come visit! We got to see Emily and her kids and Angela and her family stayed with us for a few days. We had so much fun. We went to Emilys hotel and went swimming and had lunch with them. And when Angela and her family came up we went up the Pouder canyon and played in the river for a while then went up to Red Feather lakes to go fishing and cook out. The fishing turned into catchin crawdads! Everyone had so much fun. The next day we spent enjoying the beauty of Rocky National Mountain Park. And we even had time for some girl shopping! It was so much fun to have visitors.

After they left the school rush was on! And here we are back in School! My camera is being crazy so I will post pics later!

First Day of School

2009-08-20T08:18:00.003-06:00

Back to School! Preston is a big bad 4th grader this year and Perker is an awesome 2nd grader! What great kids I have! Good Luck Boys!

My boys are off to school. I have been dreading this day for a while. We have had so much fun together this summer and I will miss having my boys and their sweet little hugs and fun games we played during the day.

Boys WILL be Boys!

2009-07-27T16:37:00.002-06:00

No Words needed!

The Bear

2009-06-28T22:41:00.002-06:00

I keep telling my self that I will get on and update on all the many things we have been up to and I will but not this time. I want to make sure I blog about our last camping trip so I don't forget. For Fathers Day weekend we went up to Turkey Track to spend some time having fun in the mountains with family. While eating lunch one day I looked up and realized a bear was close to the barn...the problem Parker had just gone outside! As soon as I screamed bear Parker heard and also saw the bear he quickly ran in and the bear didn't notice him to much. We went out to scare the bear but it was not to scared of the screaming so we had to get out the old trusty .45 and shoot 3 times before it was scared away. We even wrote a cute song about the experience!

April Recap

2009-05-08T08:13:00.012-06:00

WOW! April was busy! We started off celebrating Preston's 9th birthday and Ryan's 31st. Preston was thrilled to get a .22 for his birthday! He was also excited about bringing in his April fools/birthday treat to school. We made fake sushi out of yummy treats. He had a lot of fun tricking his class. Preston had a science birthday and we made him a cake that looked like a beaker. Parker wanted the same cake because he loved it so much!

Easter was a great time! I really love Easter and its reason. The boys had fun coloring Easter eggs, they didn't even spill the dye this year, Ryan on the other hand did! They both got very creative dying eggs. On Easter we all went to sacrament meeting and came home to have Easter Dinner. We had a FULL house. My Parents came and my sisters Shauna and Missy and their family's came and Missy's Brother in law and family came. It was cold but the kids still all had fun with an Easter egg hunt!

We gave my Dad his birthday gift on Easter as well. Ryan made a frame for the picture we got him. The painting is from an artist that lived in the Rye area for a while and painted an awesome picture of my grandma "Mom"s house called "Warm Welcome".

Next came Parker's Birthday. His party was a few days before his real birthday and since it was cold outside we had to move the party indoors! It was insane! Parker loved his science cake! Gabriela was with us that weekend and did all of the decorating! She is such a sweet kid!

Parker with his new birthday bike!

We took milk and donuts to Parker's class for his treat! He would have been happy if we would have just brought the milk!

AND The WINNERS ARE!

PRESTON and PARKER!

We had so much fun with the Pine Wood Derby this year! Preston won 1st place in the scout category and Parker won 1st in the open class category! They were so excited since last year their cars barely made it down the track!

Mom's Car

Parker's Car

Preston's Car

Ryan's Car

I was able to go on two field trips with the boys in April! I forgot my camera for Preston's sorry!

I went to the Denver Zoo with Parker's class, it was a great day.

Last weekend we had Gabriela up for a visit and we took Preston to shoot his .22 for the first time. We all had a ton of fun!

While Gabriela was here she bought the boys each a fish. Parker's died yesterday and he was so sad! He made a little head stone that says The fish Koy and buried his fish and put a flower on the grave. Poor kid!

Sad Boy!!

Happy Birthday Parker!

2009-04-24T08:51:00.000-06:00

Happy 7th Birthday Parker! We love you so much and you have brought so much joy into our lives with your bright smile and your funny wiggly ways! You are a blessing to have in this family. I remember the day you were born, for some reason your heart rate kept dropping and Mommy and Daddy were very scared, Mommy kept asking Heavenly Father to please bring you into this world safely and her prayers were answered. You were such a skinny little chicken when your were born but you loved to eat! You are always been a bright little star and are always kind and loving to the people around you. It has been such a joy watching you grow and change and now you are 7! This is a very important year for you, this year you will prepare for your baptism when you turn 8. We love you so much and you are our "Son Shine"

Birthday Boys!

2009-04-01T13:01:00.002-06:00

Ryan

Well he finally caught up to me for now! I love him so much! He is my strength. I can not imagine life without him. He is a wonderful loving and caring husband and father, and would do almost anything for us! I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated husband. We have been through so many ups and downs together and grow stronger together as we face our trials. Ryan goes along with all the things I make him do (because if you really know Ryan he is a hermit at heart!). How did I get so lucky? He makes me laugh, and is really patient will all the teasing I do. What a great friend! He doesn't mind sharing his birthday with his Sister and Son. I love you Ryan! Happy Birthday!

Preston

I am so happy to have you for a son! You have brought so much joy into our lives. I can't believe that you are 9 today! I remember when you were born and how blessed I felt to be given you and still I feel that way today. You were born at 10:07 am April 1st , 2000 and today around that time I found my self in tears remembering the joy and happiness I felt when you were born. I know that you were meant to be in our family! You are such a sweet boy who goes out of his way to bring joy into others lives. I know that you have struggled and I am so proud of you for trying your hardest to overcome your fear and anxiety. I am so proud that you go to church with me and are a good example to your brother and your friends. You are my "Son" Shine! I love you!

Love, Mom

Spring Break and Snow Day!

2009-03-27T10:12:00.014-06:00

Enjoying the Parade

Watching the Nuggets.

On the court!

Ryan was the excited kid at this event!

Stretching for the game!

Waiting to be put in!

Pre game stretching!

Ryan being crazy and Preston is trying hard to ignor him!

In the tunnell after the game!

Whew we pulled out a win!

Sleeping at the Pepsi Center

Early morning!

Breakfast!

Geochaching!

sideways! yay!

Neice Chloe being suprised by the bear!

Ye Haw!

riding bikes!

Are we there! Yep!

Look at all thoes belt loops!

Great job Preston!

Proud boy at the blue and gold dinner!

getting awards! who knew I would ever be a cub scout leader!

The Blizzard!

We had school by the way!

The day after! Snow Day!

I love Colorado!

We got 12" of snow

Snow Angles

Our dog is burried in the snow

Ryans truck after traveling for 3 hours in a blizzard!

This seems to be the busiest time of year for our family for some reason! Maybe its because everyones birthdays fall with in 40 days! Whew not to count Easter and extended family birthdays. So we have been busy! I'll start with Spring Break. Our spring break was last week and it was busy! We started off by going to a Laser Tag birthday party on Friday, the boys had a great time! The nest day we went to Ft. Collins and met my sister Shauna and her family for some fun at the St. Patrick's day parade. We had a great spot near the beginning of the parade and all the kids got tons of stuff. We all had fun screaming for beads! After the parade the boys and I went looking at bike shops for fun. (Ryan was sick that morning) we found one that was having a special customer appreciation picnic and enjoyed smoked brisket sandwiches and chips for lunch. We got home and began to pack for our Overnight at the Pepsi Center after a Denver Nuggets game. This was a program though Cub Scouts. For $17 each we got to go to a game, got free hot dog and soda, then we got to go shoot hoops with the same balls the nuggets warm up with on the court, they gave everyone a head band. Then we went up to the club level and laid our stuff out for the sleep over. I was lucky enough to get a couch to sleep on. They fed us a snack and then turned on Horton Hears a Who on the jumbo tron. We ate snack and had a great time. I think the boys enjoyed going around the whole stadium and trying every seat! We tried to sleep but the lights never go off so it was bright and the cleaning crew in the stadium was loud. In the morning we got up and passed on the juice and bagels and went to Gunther Tuttys for breakfast. We will defiantly be doing that again!

The next couple of days we spent at home playing and having fun. Then on Wednesday we went down to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (It was a free day!) We meet my sister Shauna and her family down there and explored the whole thing from top to bottom. It was a great time. We left there and spent the night at my sister Missy's house and made pizza. In the morning we left to go see Grandma and Grandad. We meet my Mom in Pueblo after I tended to some vending machines. We went glow miniature golfing and then met my Dad and went to see a movie. After the movie we got pizza and ate it at Gammys and hung out for a while. On Sat. we went to Boyd lake in Loveland. We rode our bikes and fished for a while but the most fun was geocaching. We all had a great time finding the prizes. We were all worn out by the end of the day!

Now to the blizzard. Yesterday it snowed 12". And I couldn't be more happy! Today is a snow Day!

Enjoy the pics!

Keep going down to view some videos! Who knows why they are so far down!

Busy!

2009-02-08T18:21:00.003-07:00

Making "Cup Cakes" Parkers Puppy Valentine Box

Amy and Grandad

Bowling

Self pic!

Playing in the snow.

Well the past 2 weeks have been busy. We had a baby blessing, school projects, multiple Doctor appointments, house painting and more. My sister Melissa (twin) and her family blessed their new baby Ty on Feb 1st. We had a lot of fun visiting family and hanging out. My sister Stacy and her family came from Utah for the blessing so we all decided to go bowling the night before. The girls had a lane the boys had a lane and the kids had a lane. It was just a ton of fun. We convinced the little girls that if they danced while the ball was SLOWLY rolling down it would knock down more pins. They had great moves. Preston and Parker took it serious and really tried to beat each other. They had so much fun, but the best part of the night besides just hanging out was when my Mom threw the ball behind her. Her face was the best! The nest day was the blessing. Eric did a great job. Then we watch the Super Bowl with Eric's brother and sister and their families. She has great brother and sister in laws they feel like they are related to me. My kids think that they are related.

Preston and Parker have both been working hard on their PLP (personal learning projects). The school they go to are very big on learning being a responsibility of each student so they give them a PLP or 2 the older you get each trimester. They love to get a chance to really study something that they are interested in. They work on their project all trimester and then present what they learned and all the work they did. Preston chose to compare Colorado to Michigan and to be able to do 20 math facts in 1 min. He has been working hard and we are glad to say he is ready for his presentation on Wed. Parker chose to do his on the solar system and learn fact about each planet. In 1st grade they are not as big but the kids work just as hard. They are both really good at finding books with the info they need and finding info on the computer (with Moms supervision). Parker also had to make a valentine box for school. He has been worried about making a good one because some kids really go all out on it. He came up with a great idea to make it look like a dog was holding his box. He did most of the work himself and had Mom help him draw the dog and cut some of the hard parts out. It turned out so cute. He wanted it to sleep with him!

Preston and Parker have also had Dr. appointments. They both went to the dentist and then Parker had a wart on the bottom of his foot frozen. He screamed at the top of his lungs and the Dr. felt so bad that he opened the bottle of liquid nitrogen and showed them some cool tricks.

I have been painting every room in the house in hopes that it will help sell it. I will post pics of it later. Ryan is so busy with work and we feel so blessed that business is going ok. We pray that we are making the right choices and that things will continue to go well.

We also had fun making some "Cup Cakes" . We got the recipe from my friends blog, it was fun and yummy!

Well that's about all I can think of for now. Enjoy the pics.

Whew!

2009-01-27T16:01:00.002-07:00

Well I am glad that my talk is past, but also feel blessed that I had to give a talk last Sunday. I got to church and guess what? The whole first half of my talk was missing. And if you know me you know that I am not good at just winging it! Well I did wing a bit of it and I hope that it went well. I tried not to cry but guess what? I did! Oh well!

Stuff

2009-01-23T08:40:00.006-07:00

Well it has been a while since we last posted so we will catch you up. life is back to normal a bit now and things have slowed down some. We are back in the swing of things as far as school and work go. We have been working really hard on the house in hopes that it will sell so we can live closer to Ryan's work. It is an all day job to keep the house in show shape every day! So if you know anyone looking for a house in Greeley let them know about our home! We really havn't done anything to exciting since the holidays just the norm....so here are a few pics of random stuff for you to enjoy!

Opening Christmas pjs.

Grandma reading The Night Before Christmas.

The Nativity

Grandma and some of the grandkids.

Visit to Santa. (Preston thinks he is way to big!)

Uncle Ryan teaching Carley how to play video games!

Big sister Olivia looking at her new baby brother Ty!

Video Games with cousins!

Making cookies and a christmas train with cousins.

Preston holding baby Ty.

Parker holding baby Ty.

Opening some gifts early!

Our Christmas tree decorated mostly by Preston and Parker.

Thaksgiving, Christmas and New Years

2009-01-03T19:09:00.005-07:00

Well its been a while since we updated. Thanksgiving was great, we were able to spend it with my twin sister and her in laws ( who feel much more like family to me than my sisters in laws) it was great and yummy and fun! The day after Thanksgiving we flew out to Florida for our 10 day vacation. We spent 7 days at Disney World and thanks to Ryan we saw everything and some things twice! We were lucky enough for Ryan's Dad and his brother Andy to spend a few days at Disney with us. We were also down there with all of my family except for Missy and Eric and Carley. Missy was due with baby Ty and couldn't make it. We had fun sharing a condo with Stacy, Kurt and Amy. It was so much fun getting to know Amy and plying with her and fixing her first pig tail! I miss her so so much! We had fun watching the other nieces faces when they would ride rides or see something exciting and it was fun to watch my parents have fun as well. The trip was not without its bumpbs though. Some people got stomach flu and bad colds but we survived. After Disney World we drove to Kennedy Space center and toured the facilities. It was amazing but not worth the $52 it cost to get in.
We returned home Dec 8th and 10 days later Baby Ty was born. My awesome sister let me be there for the birth and to every ones surprise she needed a C- section and the Dr. let me go in with her husband and watch. It was not how I expected to see Ty be born but was very exciting none the less. I came home for a few days and then we all packed up and headed to Missy's house to help her with the girls and the house. We stayed until Christmas and had a great time. For Christmas my Mom and Dad and Shauna and Chauncy and their girls also came down. We had a great Christmas eve and the kinda acted out the Nativity while Eric read the Christmas Story and the kids opened up their Christmas P.Js. The next morning everyone woke up to Preston and Parker chanting "We got a Wii". We opened presents and played and played. One of the boys favorite thing of the day was when Daddy and Eric pulled them behind the 4 wheelers on their new sleds. We ate a yummy dinner of Prime Rib roast (Thanks Dad) and all the stuff that goes with it and them yummy home made pies (Thanks Mom). We came home the day after Christmas and rested and cleaned the house. On the 29th we went back down to Missy's house to get her girls to stay with us for a few days. We are not equipped for girls at our house.....they both asked about 500 times where the dolls were! We took them swimming and had a great time. We took them home on Wed and picked up Gabriela the same day. She spent New Years with us and we had a lot of fun playing a Wii tournament and spending New Years Eve with our awesome neighbors! We also had a fun time playing a grocery store game! Well that's about it! Thanks to everyone for the awesome Christmas Gifts!

Baby Ty

2008-12-19T18:26:00.002-07:00

Thankful

2008-11-26T21:16:00.002-07:00

It's that time of year that really makes you think about all that we have and what we are thankful for. I am thankful for this time of year because it does make you stop and reflect on your life and the things you are so grateful for. I am thankful for the health my family is blessed with, the warm hugs and kisses, for my understanding husband, for the atonment, for cub scouts, for my Mom who is my #1 inspiration, My Dad who is so gentle and kind, family dinners, Sisters, quilting, neices and nephews, sister in laws, hot showers, great friends, Gammys recipes, my mountain, good books, good t.v. shows, telephones, cell phones, fun days at home with my boys, time alone with Ryan, watching my boys have fun, my country. The list could go on and on!

Mom-preneur Shop-a-thon

2008-11-24T06:53:00.003-07:00

Hey check out the Mom-preneur Shop-a-thon Giveaway look for the button on my side bar to get there. Also go to www.Tip Junkie.com. They are the sponser for this great event.

Contest and Cool info!

2008-11-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

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Hey Check this out! Announcing the Mom-preneur Shop-a-thon Giveaway!! They are giving away two items each for the 12 days of Junkie! Make sure you check out www.tipjunkie.blogspot.com

WooHoo!

2008-11-11T20:38:00.002-07:00

I just got back from grocery shopping with coupons and spent only $86.00 on full cart of food including some food storage items. My bill was supposed to be $174.14, but I used coupons! It felt awesome to see it go down by half!

Kids Crack me up!

2008-11-05T19:15:00.003-07:00

Apparently my kids are fans of John McCain because when they woke up this morning and wanted to know who won the election and I told them Obama, Parker started to cry a little bit and Preston threw his hands in the air and said "Well there go the taxes!" It was so funny. I had to bite my lip to keep me from laughing. And then we had a long talk about how he will probably be a good president and that we should support him because he is going to be our president. It is funny the things they pick up on. It also reminded me of my friend Erika and I arguing between Ducacus and Bush way back when we were in elementary school. Do you remember that Erika?

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T15:24:00.005-06:00

We had a great Halloween! The kids had school party's and then we went to the Family fun plex to a carnival for a while and then we went to our ward trunk or treat and then went with our neighbors trick or treating! It was a very rare year weather wise , it was about 50 so we stayed out until 9:00 and the kids had a ball! By the end of the day we were all so tired! Here are some pictures of the day. Preston was Dr. Frankenstein and Parker was Igor, and I was the Wendy's girl but no pictures sorry!

Its Fall!

2008-10-29T12:33:00.005-06:00

I have deffinatly been a bit of a slacker on the blog these days, It just seems so hard to sit down and write sometimes. We had a great summer and have had a good start to school. Parker just finished up flag football and Preston and Parker just started basketball. I have been busy with scouts and a craft show and quilting plus all the other Mom duties. Ryan has been busy with work and a good sport about driving everyday. Well I am taking a small break from the leaves to post some pics of our recent family picture session. (Thanks Denise) As you can see it was difficult to get everyone good at one time!

Happy Anniversary! #11!

2008-10-25T20:54:00.003-06:00

Well today it has been 11 years since Ryan and I were sealed in the Denver Temple. Today's weather was as opposite as it could get from 11 years ago. Today we were outside wearing short sleeves and had the windows down in the car. 11 years ago it was the blizzard of the century and we had only a couple of people even make it to our sealing, we got snowed in because the highways were all closed down because of the snow. Even though it was not a beautiful weather day it was the most beautiful day of my life! I am so grateful for Ryan and all he does for me and our family! I love you with all of my heart Ryan! Happy Anniversary!

My Boys

2008-09-29T12:44:00.003-06:00

There are defiantly no dolls or barbies at my house! Growing up I never imagined having sons or even what it would be like but I wouldn't change it for the world. Last weekend we borrowed some four wheelers from my sister and her in laws and took the boys on a long ride on some really fun trails. Along the way I was thinking that I never would have dreamed of this being my life and how much I love my boys (Ryan included). So I am copying my sister Stacy a bit and I am going to tell you some reasons I love my Boys.

Ryan

- He is willing to get up at 4:30 am and drive 80 miles each way to provide for his family.
- He supports me in my activities
- He will let me tease and tease him
-He warms me up when I am cold
- I love watching him play with Preston and Parker
- He has a tender way about him (most of the time)
- He suprises me
- I love the way he hugs me every morning
- He has stuck by me for almost 11 years now
These are just a few

Preston

He loves to help me cook
He is tender hearted
He cares about other people
I love to watch him teach Parker new things.
He is a great singer and will sing his heart out with me
He is a warm cuddler ( minus his feet and hands that scratch when he is asleep)
He loves the mountains and would never leave if he didn't have to
I can always count on a nice back or shoulder rub when I need one.
He is thoughtful and understanding
He loves to recite movie lines with his Dad and brother.
He has a great since of humor
I love his cute smile
his cute little ears
These are just the tip of the ice burg

Parker

He is a goof ball
He is a #1 cuddler
The way he says things
He is willing to try just about anything
I love the way he idolizes Preston
He will do just about anything Preston will do
He LOVES milk\
He LOVES LOVES sweets
His blond curls and blue eyes
His love of puppies
He is so kind
I love his little nose
I love to hear him try to tell a story
I love his clammy hands
Again just the beginning

Update!

2008-09-01T17:52:00.002-06:00

Well as you can tell we have slacked in the blog department for a while. Ryan tried his hand at the blog and I thought he did such a good job he should always be our main blogger. So we had a little stand off going and I guess he won because here I am blogging. We had a busy fun summer. Parker played baseball and his team won second place, he was super excited and so were we! Preston helped out a lot and was the unoffical assistant coach. The boys also spent a lot of the summer playing in our yard with friends and swimming. We enjoyed celebrating Ryan's Grandma Jan 80th birthday party. We had so much fun visiting with and seeing all of the family. We all enjoyed a trip to Eliches with our neighbors. Gabriela came and spent a week with us and we went on a cub scout picnic to the dairy. We enjoyed our cousin Austin who came and spent a week with us. We went camping and fishing. Melanie won 2 1st and a 2nd place on her quilts in the Colorado State Fair. Ryan is still driving 80 miles each way for work, but has discovered audio books make a great drive. Gabriela joined us for our annual camping trip on labor day weekend. That sums up the fun for our summer! The boys started school a couple of weeks ago and I am still trying to cope with an empty house. It just feels wrong! They are doing well so far in school and that makes a big difference. I think if they hated it I would have a harder time. Well I am having trouble loading my pictures so I will add them later!

Launching Preston's Rocket!

2008-05-24T20:53:00.005-06:00

The boys at the park getting ready for launch.

They find a nice spot to setup.

It just needs a few final things before we're go for launch.

Parker watches as Preston connects the wires to the rocket!

Just about ready!

Preston & Daddy get ready to push the launch buttons!

Launch Attempt # 1

Launch Attempt # 2

Preston shows off his succesful rocket!

Parker's 1st Baseball Game!

2008-05-24T13:25:00.006-06:00

Out at the ball field to watch Parker play his first game.

Just arrived at the ball field and ready to go!

Organizing the dugout can be a challenge with 12 rowdy six year olds.

Parker's field assignment: 1st base. He was a bit nervous about it.

Ready for his first at bat. He's got a few butterflies.

Gettin' loose before his walk to the plate.

That's strike one.
He connected for a base hit on the next pitch.

On first and waiting to run.

Made it to Second. Ready to run.

Out at third, that's no fun.

On the bench after being thrown out at third. Smiling but not liking it.

When he first got on base, Parker had no urgency and almost jogged from base to base. Seeing his disappointment with getting out, Daddy explained it was more like a race when you run around the bases. That changed the outcome of his next on base experience. He's never backed away from a race and he loves to run!

Parker's 2nd at bat, this time he's determined.

After safely running home and scoring his first run, Parker was all smiles!

Parker being interviewed after his incredible base running.

Good Game. Good Game. Good Game.

Great job Parker. 2 for 2 at bat with 1 run scored.

Our Mothers Day Weekend '08

2008-05-16T20:03:00.010-06:00

Look at this mornings haul.
After a break for lunch we got right back to the action!

Not a bad haul for our first morning.

You should have seen the one that got away!

Another big one. Can you believe the luck?

Parker loves to catch the big ones. He had the biggest of the whole trip!

The fishing was kind to Melanie on her special day. She couldn't stop catching 'em!

Preston & Parker holding antoher beautiful rainbow.

We stopped and played in the Cache le Poudre river on the way home.

Parker was geared up and ready to go!

Turns out though, he's such a fisherman,

he scooped one up out of the shallows with his bare hands.

Who needs all this fancy equipment?

The scenery was unimaginably beautiful!

The boys climbed on everything. What a blast!

A wonderful mother with her two special boys on Mothers Day.

Our fishing hole guest, this moose grazed in the shrubs while we fished!

Reading the local paper while we head to the next fishing hole. Way to go young Indie!

Just along for the ride and having fun.

Momma had to drive us everywhere. She gets carsick when Daddy drives.

No complaints from Daddy!

The place we stayed had an awesome fort. The boys loved it.

We had so much fun over mothers day weekend. We loaded up the van and headed up to the Roosevelt National forest for our annual mothers day camping trip. We arrived friday night with just enough time to get set up and moved in and then settle down for the night. Saturday was a bit cold and windy, so we stayed in and played games and hung out together. We took advantage of the poor weather and scouted out where we wanted to fish the following day. Our scouting payed off. We had one of the best fishing days ever on Sunday. We all took turns reeling in the big ones. It was great. We went back to the same spot Monday to try to replicate our success but didn't have the same luck. During our long afternoon of fishing we had a moose show up and graze in the bushes near us for a few hours. The boys eventually tired of fishing and started playing with a toy boat that we tied to a fishing line for them. That kept them busy for hours. It was a great trip. It was tough to pack up and head home on Monday evening. We took a long scenic drive through the mountains on our way home stopping a few times to play in the river and goof around. What a memorable weekend!

Its been too Long!

2008-04-27T19:34:00.007-06:00

Proud Mama!

Our big boy! Gettin' Baptized!

Granddad Howie doing the dunkin'!

Parker was out catching snakes after the baptism.

Dad sitting at the kids table.

The boys with their best friend. Cousin Elizabeth.

The boys got so red faced playing in the bounce houses.

What a birthday. Thanks Grandma & Granddad. We love you.

Parker's birthday party with friends.

Parker wanted a special cake for his party.

Mama made some really unique cupcakes. "Pupcakes"

Our happy family. Such a blessing.

Parker's Valentines day Party.
Who are all your cute little friends Parker?

The boys building themselves a wooden car.
A fun Saturday morning compliments of Home Depot.

What a handsome boy. He is a blessing to all who know him.

Daddy and Preston share a birthday.

They're April Fools Boys.

Just us boys fishing! No fish, but good times.

Preston's Valentines day party. Looks like a fun time!

Hey everybody! It has been way to long since I have updated. Partly because I couldn't remember my password! Well since Feb. a lot has gone on. Ryan turned 30 and Preston turned 8 and most recently Parker turned 6! April is so full of birthdays! On April 12th Preston had a great birthday party and on April 19th Preston was baptized. It was an awesome day and one we will all remember for a long time. After the baptism Grandma and Grandad rented a bounce town for the boys birthdays, it was a lot of fun! Thanks Grandma and Grandad! I still can't believe I have an 8 year old! Then on April 26th Parker had a fun party with about 15 5 and 6 year olds! Thanks Shauna and Chauncy for all the help with the partys. I have also been busy remodeling our half bath to get our house ready to sell. I ripped everything out and put in a tile floor and a new vanity and toilet. I have to say that I am quite proud of myself, I have never done anything like this before. I have also been busy fixing broken sprinkler lines. Not a fun job but I have enjoyed figuring it out for myself. Well enjoy the pics of the last few months.

Valentines Day!

2008-02-16T11:55:00.003-07:00

Well things have been busy for us since we last blogged! Both boys have been sick with a virus that is like stomach flu but can last up to 3 weeks YUCK! Ryan and I also been sick with bad colds. We are better now. For Valentines day I went to the school and took turns going to the boys class partys. Parker was a little embarresed to be getting valentines from girls. Prestons class had fun making coffee filter flowers, he gave them to me! When we got home we made heart shaped pizza for dinner and when Ryan got home he suprised us with valentine goodies. Parker had his last basketball game today and made 4 out of shots, he was so proud! After the game his coach gave him a certificate and a trophy. Here are a few pics from the past little while. Enjoy!

Weekend

2008-02-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

So Ryan has been having to work up in Aspen all last week and on Thursday he found out that he would have to be up there all weedend and most of next week. So about an hour before it was time to pick the boys up from school on Thursday he called and we decided that we should come up for the weekend. So I packed super fast and picked the boys up from school and we headed up the mountain. All was going well until a HUGE boulder fell off of the mountain right in front of me. It crashed and split into a million pieces and the car in the lane next to us but behind us hit a huge chunck. While driving up I kept noticing the falling rock signs and even thought to myself that it was wierd that I was noticing them. Right before it happened I heard someone say watch out! If I didn't tap on my brake right then the boulder would have landed right on top of us probably killing me and the boys. I am so thankful for the prompting to be able to tap on my brake and miss the boulder. Oh did I mention that it was dark!

Well the boys and I have had fun visitng Ryan up here. It has been very snowy the whole time but beautiful. We have been staying in Glenwood Springs about an hour south of Aspen. We drove up to Aspen yesterday and saw a huge heard of elk on the way there. Ryan got to point out what they were working on and he told us about what he was doing. He is working right by the slopes. It was fun to watch people coming down the mountain. We were supposed to go home about an hour ago but the weather is to bad for me to feel comfortable driving so we will try to go in the morning. It is supposed to get 3 feet of snow between today and tomorrow night! Hopefully we will make it home safe.

President Hinckley

2008-01-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

I can't help but to be a little sad today because of the passing of our dear prophet. I can remember the excitement and spirit so strong when he came and spoke in Denver in 1996. I think every conference I would tell my husband how he was so cute I just wanted to give him a big hug. But I think my favorite thing about President Hinckley was his humor, he made me feel like I was OK, like I did not have to be perfect to be in this church. I know that he will be missed but I can't help but to think of the happy reunion between him and his wife. I am sure they are still embracing.

Happenings!

2008-01-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

About a week ago Parker did his first PLP (Personal Learning Project) at school. Each student has two big goals to accomplish during each trimester, and they have about 2 months to complete the projects. Parker chose to do his on dirt bikes and make a poster about it. So during Christmas break we went to a dirt bike shop and learned all about them and then he came home and made a poster about what he learned. He got to do a presentation on what he learned to the class about a week ago, he was so so nervous that he forgot what to say. I was so proud to see him standing up there though. Preston is studying geography right now so he chose to do his PLP on china. He is making a power point about it, he also chose to learn more about fireworks and will make a book about them. His project is not due until late Feb.

On Tuesday we got to go see John and Angela's family at the airport for a few hours. The boys were excited to see their cousins from Texas. It was the first time we got to meet their youngest son. He is such a cute and happy baby. Even though it was a very short visit it was a great time! The boys thought we could just go to the airport and see them anytime and wondered why we don't do that more!

Preston had his Winter concert today. He looked so handsome! He did a great job. Sorry about the sideways pic. Now you can see his haircut!

Proud Mama!

2008-01-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, with the help of my awesome sister in law Angela I got up the guts to give Preston a hair cut. I have always been so nervous to do it, I didn't want to mess it up! We went to Walgreens and bought the cheapest clippers we could find. When we got home we buzzed away. The best part about all of it was that Preston had total confidence in me to do a good job. I didn't cut it very short just in case but I do have to say that I did a good job. With the 3 boys in my home that will save me about $45 a month! (I think I will still have someone cut my hair) :)I would post a picture but Preston won't let me take one for some reason!

Friday Fun!

2008-01-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided to start a new family tradition. The boys call it Friday Fun! We go to the local rec center and go swimming in the lazy river and ride the water slides. For some reason it has made the week go by so much nicer. The boys really love to go swimming there and I have a little fun to!

On another note. At the beginning of the new year Preston and Parker started their new primary classes. Parker was very upset that Preston moved on to senior primary. All was better when he got his new CTR ring later that day in primary. Preston is so excited to be in Senior Primary. I can't believe he is going to be 8 soon. He is excited about getting baptized and so am I! It really makes me reflect on the past 8 years. I am so grateful that my boys go to church with me! Some days are harder than others but I think that is normal!

Back to School!

2008-01-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

Preston and Parker started back to school on Thursday, so we are back in the flow of things. Preston didn't want to get up for school and gave me a very hard time about it, but Parker was very excited and kept asking all morning if he could go to school early. He was excited for Friday because he got to bring his Havoc Heli for show and tell. They only have one a year so it was very exciting for them.

Today I took the boys to Home Depot for the Kid Clinic. They were excited and got to build a castle treasure box. Home Depot and Lowes usually have one of these a month and they are free. We have done several and always have a ton of fun.

As for the new year, I am so thankful for what we have and have had the past year. We are blessed with a good job and Ryan works so hard for our family. I feel so blessed to have him as my eternal companion. We all look forward to trying to be a more organized family this year. I think that it is going to be a challenge for me and the boys mostly. But we are all going to make it happen. We hope your new year will be great as well.

Sledding!

2007-12-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

Gabriela came to visit for her Christmas with us this weekend and we decided to go sledding. It was a lot of fun!

2007-12-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

2007-12-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

More Pictures

2007-12-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

Pictures!

2007-12-28T08:38:00.001-07:00

The Big update!

2007-12-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well its been a long time since I have updated you all on our lives. School is going great for the boys! Parker loves kindergarden and Preston is doing awesome in 2nd grade.

Preston played flag football this fall and did really well. He loved the plays and the sneaks they did. Parker played soccer this fall and was a goal scoring machine! Both boys are now playing basketball, their games start in a couple of weeks.

Ryan started a new job in Oct. He is working for Total Welding in Littelton. The drive is long but it is worth it for the family. He really enjoys what he is doing and the people he works for.

I am just busy with the boys most of the time!

Over the past few months we have been privledged to have Gabriela come visit us. She is almost 12 now and really a beautiful girl. The boys love to have her come and visit.

Christmas was great and it even snowed on Christmas day!

Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing.

(Sorry It only uploaded one pic, I will figure it out tomorrow)

I know this is a short update, but I will try to update more often to fit everything in!

Back to School!!

2007-08-20T08:24:00.000-06:00

Preston and Parker have started back to school. Preston is in the second grade and has a new teacher this year named Mrs. Duran. He says that she is very nice and he is trying very hard in class. Preston sits next to his best Friend Andrew in class and thinks that it very cool. Parker is in afternoon kindergarten this year with Mrs. Riggs, he really likes his teacher and going to school. He is very excited about packing a snack everyday. He has made a friend named Aiden and they never get in trouble he says. Well here are some pictures of the first day of school.

Summer Camping & Fishing Trip.

2007-07-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

Fishing in the mountains:

Headin' down the road to go find a nice stream to fish.

Before we get too far along, nature called.

Parker let's it all hang out.

We're heading to the stream to go fishin'.

Preston is quite the fisherman. He loves to catch fish, but he's patient through the slow times too.

Parker loves fishing! He loves the outdoors and loves to hike these streams.

Daddy loves the beautiful scenery when we hike these little mountain streams. It's fun to catch fish but even more fun to soak up our surroundings.

Mom! Dad! Look! I got another one!

This is a great little fishing hole. Look Mom, we got another one. Is it a keeper Dad?

Look everybody, I got one!

Oops, I dropped it. I'll get it. It's floppin' around here in the grass.

It's dirty but I got it. Slippery little sucker!

We had to pick up the pace a bit after that afternoon downpour. The boys are drenched from head to toe.

This mountain stream has a few spots with tricky terrain, but for the most part, it's a nice little hike.

Another little obstacle but nothing our boys can't handle. They were born for this sort of thing.

Another fish in hand. Preston just can't stop catching them. This one looks like a keeper.

They found a great little fishing hole here. Parker got another one! Every fish Parker catches he thinks it's a keeper. He only catches big ones!

The boys love it out here!

Preston sits on a rock relaxing in the sun while he fishes.

Daddy & the boys found a cave up in the side of this canyon wall. They had to climb up to explore it.

Parker's ready to eat them all right now.

Melanie & Granddad Howie cross on a fallen log.

Shooting our guns:

Daddy shootin' his .300 Win Mag!

Momma shootin' her .270! She's pretty handy with her rifle.

Preston & Parker want a turn shooting but they opt for the .22 rather than the bigger guns.

Momma works with the Preston to setup the .22 while Parker checks out the target down range.

Daddy gives him a quick lesson in safety.

He's still just a bit small for this gun, but he get's it under control.

Preston looks to see how he did while Parker gets set up for his shot.

Parker's ready, just pull the trigger.

Parker's big shot.

The boys eye the targets to determine their accuracy.

At the cabin & around the campfire:

Granddad Howie watches as Parker throws sticks into the fire.

Preston tries to warm up.

Melanie relaxes by the fire.

Ryan warms up by the fire swapping stories with the family.

The campfire is mesmerizing.

The boys are out almost instantly after the long day.

All the Wild things we saw:

A big buck, hiding in the trees.

A little buck not hiding at all.

A few wild turkeys meandering through the field.

A little black bear hiding in the trees.

Black bear footage!

Memorable Images:

Melanie likes to take pictures of the beauty around us. Here are a few she took on our fishing trip.

Our Texas Trip - Summer 2007

2007-06-27T08:15:00.008-06:00

Our Spontaneous Vacation

As we were sitting around the table eating lunch one day, trying to figure out how our schedule could accommodate a vacation, we came to the realization that it would have to be now or never. Literally! We finished lunch and went to packing. By dinner time we were on the road headed to Texas. Ryan has two sisters living there and we thought we could surprise them.

Our adventures along the way:

Mel & the boys at the state Line.

Ryan & the boys at the state line.

We watched an incredible lightning storm during our night drive through Texas.

Preston & Parker were excited to see an intersection in Texas, where both streets carried their names.

We spent a lot of time on the road and the boys were in urgent need of a bathroom break.

No Bathroom, No Problem! We're in the middle of nowhere, just go fellas!

But why is dad getting out? Oh no, he's got a camera!

Like always, Mom's behind the wheel. She gets carsick when Daddy drives.

We spent so much time in the car, the boys were getting stir crazy!

First stop: Austin, TX - To visit the Estradas

We drove to Austin first to visit John & Angela Estrada. We had fun swimming in their pool and playing with cousins. Their son Austin is an incredible swimmer. We enjoyed watching his swim meet. We also went to San Antonio and visited the Alamo and the River walk. The boys enjoyed the boat ride on the river. While we were there at the river walk mall, we enjoyed an Imax show with them as well. Before we left town, we found a river with a smooth rock bottom to play in. We enjoyed sharing father’s day with the Estradas.

Preston swimming under water in the Estrada's Pool.

Parker swimming under water in the Estrada's Pool.

Austin, Preston & Parker watching a movie together at the Estrada's house.

All the boys climbing on the toys at the park in Lakeway, TX.

Preston & Parker with cousin Austin after his swim meet. He won! Congratulations Austin.

The whole family worked together to make us a great father's day breakfast. Thanks gang!

We found an incredible swimming spot in Austin. This river had a smooth limestone bottom that kept the water clear. In some areas it got deep to form swimming holes. Preston jumped over a 10' waterfall to a deep pool below. We all had fun playing & swimming for hours.

Our day trip to San Antonio:

Our family in front of the Alamo.

Melanie & the boys at the Alamo.

Preston got a whistle and a stern look from security for sitting on the chains in line. He has such sensitive feelings, he took it very hard. He'll remember the Alamo for certain.

Preston & Parker on the tour boat at the San Antonio River Walk.

Stop 2: Roanoke, TX - To visit the Luna-Llanes Family

After we left Austin we headed north to Roanoke. It’s a nice little suburb of Fort Worth. We rolled in late to Emily and Roberto’s house and went right to bed so we could start early. All of Emily’s kids were surprised to awake to a house full of relatives. We all decided to head north to Oklahoma and spend the day swimming at Turner Falls. The water was perfect and we spent the day swimming, diving, sliding, catching crawdads and splashing Mama. All the cousins enjoyed hanging out together.

Turner Falls - Oklahoma

Dad convinced Preston that the crawdad was harmless so he would hold it, then gave him a little scare from behind.

Parker didn't mind holding the crawdad. (After he saw big brother do it)

Melanie was suited up and ready to swim but felt the water was a bit too chilly for her taste. She spent the day on shore chatting with Emily. She and Emily get along swimmingly.

Here's some fat guy going down the slide at Turner Falls. Oh wait, that's daddy!

On day two of our North Texas trip we went to Woodbine to visit where Daddy grew up. The place hasn’t changed much. Ryan was eager to show the boys around the woods he played in as a boy but after a few minutes of being eaten alive by bugs we decided to see the abridged version. We headed back to Emily's house to find something else to do. We found a Cabelas and we all spent some time walking through it together. We said our goodbyes to the Luna-Llanes family and headed out to get started on the road home.We drove through Gainesville and saw the zoo and park that Ryan remembered as a child. The boys enjoyed the fancy new play area the park recently installed.

Woodbine, TX

Our family in front of the house that Ryan grew up in.

Daddy had told the boys about peeing through the lattice onto the bushes beside the porch.

They had to give it a try.

This is the play equipment that Ryan's dad built (grandpa Jack) for them as kids. Now years later, our boys are swinging on it too.

Cabelas with the Cousins

All the cousins had fun looking at all the animal mounts at Cabelas in Ft. Worth, TX.

They all tested their aim at the shooting gallery in Cabelas.

At the Gainesville Park

We stopped by the park in Gainesville where Ryan came as a child.

Ryan & Melanie got in on the action at the Park.

Preston & Parker enjoying the new play equipment at the Gainesville Park.

Our journey home

On our travel home we stopped at Mount Capulin Volcano in New Mexico and walked the entire rim of that. It was enjoyable and a welcome break from the car.

Mt. Capulin Volcano

Melanie & the boys atop Mt. Capulin volcano in Capulin, New Mexico.

Ryan and the boys found a cool spot in the shade to rest as we climbed to the top of Mt. Capulin.

Again we find the boys needing to go when there's no toilet in site. Good thing they're not bashful.

At Grandma Jan's

We also enjoyed stopping by Ryan’s Grandma Jan’s house for a brief visit. She is looking healthy but lonely. She does have two big dogs that keep her company. They were very friendly and the boys enjoyed playing with them.

Parker gets a little embarrassed when Great Grandma Jan's dog gives him the once over sniff.

Preston enjoyed petting and playing with the dogs.

Here's the whole gang with Grandma Jan at her house. Mel and I enjoyed seeing her and the boys enjoyed meeting her.

Hey!

2007-05-22T09:19:00.000-06:00

Well the Smith family has been busy! School get out for the boys on May 24th and they are very excited abut that! They have been busy with field days and with piano lessons and friends. Ryan continues to be busy with his work and Melanie with the boys and her quilting. We were able to go camping over mothers day weekend in the Rosevelt National Forrest. It was a great time, we fished and fished. We probably caught 50 fish in all! We camped in out tent and had a great time. We are in the process of remodeling a bathroom and finally have a floor! Melanie is working on raising money for the Avon Walk on June 23rd and 24th, she will be walking with her Mom and sister Missy.