Christmas Day 2009

On Christmas morning we woke up to Payton taking her first fall out of her big girl bed and hitting her head on the dial to the vent on the floor. Poor thing. She wouldn't go back to sleep so around 6AM we let her wake Addi up to unwrap presents. Addi got her beloved Nintendo DS from Les and I and the big doll house she had been wanting from Santa along with many other things like a snuggie and Hannah Montana bedding and curtains. Payton got a Fur Real Friends Kitty, a Preschool Tinkerbell Scooter and Tinkerbell bedding and curtains for her newly redone room. I was lucky enough for Santa to bring me an external flash for my camera! I promise the pictures on this blog will be better from now on because of that! I also got a cupcake cookbook from Les, a Hannah Montana CD from Addi (LOL) and new towels from Payton. Les got a new tool set, a saw from my parents and a larger deep fat fryer that he had been wanting from his mom. Looking back at all this and realizing that this list is just a small portion of the gift list all I have to say is.........WE ARE SPOILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a great time with both of our families and at our own home with the girls over the long holiday weekend. We managed to break this year's gingerbread house and had to get another set to replace the roof. Les and I were laughing so hard that we couldn't even try to fix it. We made yummy sugar cookies for Santa and took candles to Quinn's gravesite on Christmas Eve. So many great memories have been had. I would be very optimistic if I said that 2010 could be any better!

Ward Party

Addi was asked to be the donkey for the nativity scene at the ward party. So silly, but she loved it.

Addi on "Cowboy Santa's" lap. Payton loved Santa this year, but would not sit on his lap.

Batty Xmas Party

Just a few of my favorite pictures from this years Batty family Christmas Party we had at my parent's church building. We had good food and a lot of fun. It was so good to see everyone!

Dance Program

Addi had her Christmas dance program last Thursday. We had fun watching her even though it was really short. Payton is getting impatient waiting until she is big enough to go to dance. She was copying the moves the girls made. We let her dance around once everyone was gone. I love being their mom!

Turning 2

Payton turned two on Monday. We had a party for her and for my nephew Weston on Sunday. This is the Elmo cake I made (by myself-I was so proud). She was so cute and excited to have a birthday party. Les and I bought her a big girl bed and dresser for her room. I am amazed at how well she has slept in the new bed. I think she likes to have the extra room cause this morning we found her with her legs completely off the bed, but she was sleeping awfully deep. Seems like a year ago that Addi went through this.

Hawaii Photos

Hawaii

Les and I spent the last 8 days in Hawaii with our good friends Dave and Heidi. It was fun, beautiful and very relaxing. We spent a ton of time in Lahaina where we stayed. We later found out that Lahaina means relentless sun which made sense since it was the one place where wind was not common. We took some risky roads to breathtaking views of the sunrise over Haleakala Crater and waterfalls just off the Road to Hana. Another day we took an ATV ride up the mountain through the red dirt where we slid down waterslides into a pond. I will never forget the snorkling. Les and I hadn't noticed how far out we were when the wind started and the waves picked up. We turned to head back, but as I went to adjust my goggles they broke in my hand. With salt water in my contacts and up my nose and waves pushing us out to sea Heidi willed me back to shore promising french fries and cheeseburgers. We tried a couple more times taking a boat ride to my favorite snorkle spot of the trip named turtle town. We got to snorkle just above these huge, interesting sea turtles which was really neat. We also tried riding the waves in on body boards where we were introduced to the "power flush" as Les called it. This is where the wave sucks you in shoving salt water and sand through your nose and out your mouth and sometimes the other was around. Of course we spent an evening at The Old Lahaina Luau and another enjoying a dinner cruise. There was shopping, a mani/pedi trip for Heidi and I and much, much more. We could hear the girls shrieking with joy as we walked up to the door at Diane's today to pick them up. I must have hugged and kisses them a thousand times today

------photos to come

Heidi and Dave,
We appreciate the friendship and jokes shared. Thanks for embarking on this adventure with us. We will be laughing about this for years to come.
Mom, Jose Ann and Diane,
Thanks for caring for our girls while we were gone so that we could have this experience.

-A couple more things to share..... Les and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on the Nov 14th. Les turned 28 yesterday and we were blessed with a healthy new nephew Thomas Jay (T.J.) yesterday as well. Congrats Jen and Brandon!

Halloween 2009

Abby Cadabby

Addi got to wear her costume to dance class today. This is us trying it out a couple days ago. I will post Elmo later.

Tunnel Slide

Just some fun pictures from this afternoon. I had to trust Addi with my camera, but she took a pretty good photo of me for a 4 year old.

Chalk Is For Outside

I caught Payton in the act. It was one of those moments where I just let her keep doing it so that I could get the camera. I got all the chalk off, but the magic eraser also took off some of the paint. OOPS!

Finished Backyard!

We are done with the backyard. Well......for this year anyways. Addi is becoming quite the popular girl on the block with this new playground. The neighbor boys are even "in love" with her. Oh boy.....she isn't even in school yet.

The last two weeks

This is what we have been up to the last two weeks.....

We had Taylor and Weston sleep over.

Payton's evil eye she gives when she wants something and doesn't get it.

Payson Onion Days Parade

My cousin Becca-Miss Payson

Backyard

So we have finished the shed and the playground. As you can tell from the photos we are creating a flower garden on the side of the shed. We are then doing gravel in front of the shed (the grass is dead in front of it since Les moved the sprinklers and we need to get rid of the grass for the gravel anyways). We also need to do the bark around the playground and get the play sand for inside the sandbox part. I am so excited. We are actually making progress.

We are going to HAWAII !!!!

So I just got home from work where I won a $100 gift card and then I won an all expenses paid trip for 4 to HAWAII. Les wouldn't even believe me! Once he got over being stunned he said he may want to leave the kids here..:( I am not so sure about that, but we will see. I am just so freakin excited right now! Remember my last post when I said that we have been pretty lucky lately?!? It just keeps coming!

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

New Job and Home Projects

I haven't posted for quite a while which is quite unusual for me. I have been working long hours helping to implement a new computer system at work and our little family has had a lot of projects going on.

As of Monday I have started a new position at Provo Craft. I am now in the finance department taking care of pricing and controling the inventory as it promises to orders. I am loving it so far and am so ready for the change and challenge it will bring.

Les finally got the shed he has been talking about for a year and a half. We spent a couple days painting the exterior and it looks great. He had to change around the sprinkling system where it went so that took a while too. We are now in the process of constructing a flower bed on the west side of the shed which is turning out quite nicely. Next we have to gravel from the patio to the shed and construct a ramp so that he can use it.

I bought the girls one of those play sets that pretty much has everything a kid would want/need. We have yet to put it up, but hopefully soon. It has a tunnel slide, rock wall, 2 slides, glider, top fort, sandbox, stools and even flower boxes on the windows of the fort. They are really excited for it. Until yesterday there was a big willow tree that hung over our fence into our yard that would have given a lot of shade for the play set, but the wind storm split it in half and it has been cut down. Total bummer!

We registered Addison for dance class for this next year yesterday. She is really excited to continue to dance. She does a great job!

We have been really happy with the way everything is turning out this last month. Not to be pessimistic, but I am just waiting for it to all come crashing down the way things do when life is just too good.

A day 13 years in the making

Remember a while back when I posted about finding my cousin Marlin from Australia on facebook? Well, his mom, dad and two sisters are in Utah and I was able to spend 6 hours with them today. I haven't seen them in 13 years and hadn't met Gabby at all since she is 9. It was amazing to see the family gather to see them and the tears and emotion that came with it all come out as they walked in the door. I love to hear their stories about Australia and the things they have there and what the family has been through the past 13 years. Couldn't have had a better day (unless Marlin Jr. could have come). I will be seeing him here as well. Date to be determined, but hopefully it will be a more permanant stay.

Bubbles

I take the girls to the library on Mondays. Addi is doing this summer reading program they have where she has to read a certain amount a week (or have me read to her) and she gets a small prize when she turns in her reading log. Today she got bubbles in a container shaped like a guitar. She followed Payton around blowing bubbles for her. What a good big sister!

July 4th

Just a few photos from the 4th of July. Les was able to spend the entire day with us and boy was it wonderful! The dress Payton is wearing is one I made for Addi for a baby contest when she was 15 months old. So cute! We watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks later that night with my brother, Brandon and his little fam.

G.G's 80th Birthday Party

Family and friends gathered for Les' grandma's 80th birthday today in Eureka. We had such a good time catching up with everyone. The kids just adore her! It took place at Eureka Gold which is a gorgeous, old historical building.