URBAN LEGENDS

First bike

2011-08-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Even though Blake's birthday isn't until October we wanted to go ahead and get him his birthday bike now while the weather is nice and he can enjoy it. He was so excited and wanted to help daddy build it. He helped out the whole time (slowly daddy's progress) but being very patient. He could not be more excited about his new bike and his new helmet that Auntie Laura got for him. He loves to wear it and he loves to "ride" around the backyard. I think this was a great purchase and should last us a while! Happy early Birthday Blake.

Summer Fun

2011-08-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

We had such a busy summer and such a fun summer. We spent most of the time in the water, trying to stay cool. We went swimming at Papas' pool, lots of times with friends. We also went to the park and played in the water there. It is fun to get out and enjoy the water...and Blake sure loves it. He is really getting to be a great swimmer too. He can make it all the way from one side of the pool to the other!

Abducted by Aliens on the 4th of July

2011-07-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Obviously all our pictures aren't on here but I think you can see that we had a great time....lots of laughs, lots of adventures, and most of all, lots of driving! We drove from Vegas to Albuquerque, NM, then to Roswell, NM, to Carlsbad, NV, back to Albuquerque, NM, and then back to Vegas.... crazy!!!!

Here is a snapshot of our trip:

Hanging out at the KOA halfway between Roswell and Carlsbad

They had a fun, free firetruck ride which Blake LOVED... It was a pretty cool old truck.

Storytime with Uncle Brian...of course! Brian makes up some pretty crazy stories though.

Swimming with Aunt Cindy

We did make it to the Carlsbad Caverns and they were pretty awesome. We went late in the afternoon...took the elevators down and HIKED OUT!!! Not a very good idea but the only feasible one at the time. We were able to stay and see the bats come out at dusk.

Blake hitching a ride on daddy's back... what a way to go!

Even with getting to ride the whole way up and down he was exhausted that night!

The whole reason for the trip was the 4th of July and of course that means fireworks... YES we kept Blake up to see the fireworks...and NO he was not impressed. Maybe next year.

Again it was a fun trip and we love to be able to make these great memories and share times with great friends. We know Blake won't remember these yet but we have pictures to share and
great stories to tell him and soon enough he will start to remember!

Grandma Holly and Papa Mike Visit

2011-06-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

It's always fun when Grandma Holly and Papa Mike come to visit... This trip was nothing different. We were able to spend time together of course but we did a few extra special things too.

We took a trip to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay... and Blake was in heaven. He loved to see all of the fish and tried to scare them all.

He tried to get the sting rays...but he is still a little bit too short... Maybe next time.

No visit from Grandma Holly is complete without story time. Blake loved to have Grandma read book, after book, after book. Papa Mike even got in on the action every once in the while.

Saturday morning we headed down to the lake so we could enjoy the jet skis and the great weather. We all had a great time. Blake enjoyed the water and throwing rocks into the water!

It was a great weekend....that once again went by too fast!

Step Right Up

2011-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ringling Bros. Circus came to town... so we decided to take Blake (and his cousins, Morgan and McKenna) to see the Circus. It's not like our house isn't a circus everyday but this one has a few more animals!

We weren't totally sure what to expect and weren't sure what Blake was going to think of the whole thing but he did a great job and really enjoyed the experience. He paid attention, pretty much stayed in a seat the whole time and loved watching all of the excitement going on. Couldn't ask for much more from an 18 month old at his first circus!

Tickets in hand and ready for the show to start!!!

Opening session... all the performers, animals and lots to see.

The big group of us at the show... Aranne, Blake, Papa, Morgan, Uncle Robert and McKenna. This was also Blake's favorite part about the circus... getting to sit and eat popcorn the whole time! He LOVES popcorn.

The elephants doing their thing.

Having some of dad's juice. (I swear it is juice. It looks like soda but it is NOT!)

After the show... we were lucky and found this crazy hat on our way out... too fun!

Everyone again... Uncle Robert, McKenna, Blake, Morgan, Papa and Aranne

The Great Outdoors

2011-06-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

We decided to be brave and head out on our very first family camping trip. We weren't sure how things were going to go and how Blake would respond so we kept it simple and close. We packed up a few things and headed down to Boulder Beach at Lake Mead. The weather is already getting a little bit warm but we thought it would be okay, especially for just one night.

Blake was very excited to be there. I don't think had had any idea what was really going on but he was excited to just be outside and run around. He was also excited to try and "help" daddy with whatever he was doing. It didn't take Blake very long to get really, really dirty. It looked like he had been camping for a week and we had only been there an hour!

After setting up camp it was time for lunch and boy did he eat good. Being outside and playing definitely works up the appetite, and somehow food always seems to taste better when you are camping anyways.

He loved to just play in the dirt, pick up rocks and then dump it out and do it all over again. Lots of time was spent doing this. He also enjoyed feeding the birds with the popcorn we brought along. Some went to the birds and some went in his mouth!

When it was time to get the fire going Blake was there to give his dad a hand.

And then the two boys sat back and looked at what they had accomplished. This was one of our biggest worries but Blake did really well with the fire. He stayed far away and we didn't end up with any injuries!

He and I cooked our hot dog dinner on the fire he had made.... and later

We made Smore's too. He was pretty excited about that treat.

After keeping him up WAAAY past his bedtime (hoping this would help him fall asleep in the tent and stay asleep - which worked) he was up early in the morning with the birds. Here he is with his "oh so happy daddy".

This is the face of a successful first camping trip.

And this is the face of one too... and very tired face... We were ready to head home! But we will do it again soon for sure.

Learning to swim

2011-06-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of crazy weather summer has finally gotten here and looks like it is going to stay. With that being said it means Blake got to start his swim lessons today.

We talked with a few people and heard that Ella was a great swim teacher. She also happens to be the aunt of a good friend of ours... so we decided it was a good choice!

We are not sure what we are really expecting Blake to learn being that he is only 18 months old...and can't really talk to us and tell us what he is understanding...but we want to just get him a little more sure of himself in the water and mostly teach him some safety things.

After his first lesson (which Papa got to be at since he didn't have to work today) Ella thinks he will be able to swim across the pool by the end of the summer. I am not sure that I believe her or not but we will see how he does. He definitely loves the water and is not afraid of it but he is still so little.

He did well listening to her today but he still needs to get to know her a little better and understand what she is wanting him to do. I am sure it will get better (fingers crossed).

Lunch Buffet

2011-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know about other moms out there but sometimes I just don't know what to give Blake for lunch... or I feel like I am giving him the same thing over and over and over again. I know that I get sick of eating the same thing everyday so I feel like he must too.

Well... I was "blog surfing" which I occasionally do and I ran across a page where I saw this!

Introducing the LUNCH BUFFET...

I just put a little bit of a lot of different things into the cupcake pan and he LOVED it! I was so excited. It was a little tricky to try to come up with all of the different items but it worked out.

This has become a fun lunch that we have every once in a while. We shared it with Papa out in the yard once and he thought it was fun too. It is just a fun way to enjoy lunch and something different than just the same peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or bologna and cheese that fills up the rest of our week!

Big shoes to fill

2011-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

So Blake has had an obsession with shoes lately... ALL SHOES! It doesn't matter if they are his, moms or dads he wants to try to put them on. He also doesn't ever want to take his off. And this is hard for me as the person who hardly ever wears shoes and when I say shoes I am speaking of flip-flops!

One night he found Dan's shoes and was determined to get them on his little feet. Well.... he was successful.

He looked so cute standing there is size 12 shoes with his tiny body.... It is strange to think that one day he will probably end up wearing shoes that big. My little baby, my little boy is going to grow into the shoes. Hopefully he will take his time and not let it happen too soon.

Our Nursery Boy

2011-05-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

He technically missed his first official day in nursery because we were in CA (not a very good record so far...ooops!) but he was all ready to go on Sunday, May 15th. We had waited and waited for him to turn 18 months and be able to go into nursery and not have to be bored to death with us in our classes....or all of us just wander the halls during church... but as the day approach he became more and more attached and we weren't sure how it was going to go.

But he had his frog name tag in hand... and we were ready to give it a try!

This is his "after" shot showing off his necklace that he had made during class!!!

He did a great job! We were so proud of him. He went right in... and had no problems. We don't know if the leaders are telling us the truth or not but for now we will take it. They said he did great. I was able to sneak a peak and it was pretty darn cute if I do say so myself... He was sitting at the tiny table eating his fruit snacks and just looking up at Sister Virden give her lesson... So precious...

For now we will just keep our fingers crossed that the weeks to follow go just as smooth. Yeah for nursery!

Disney Date

2011-05-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Photo Overload...

We went to Disneyland and there were a TON of us. I thought it was going to be a disaster... with kid and adult meltdowns... long lines... arguments over what rides we were going on... and just pretty much the "happiest place on earth" coming to life... but we had a great time. The kids were awesome. We had a few issues with diapers, and needing new clothes for a certain little boy, and it was super HOT but overall it was a great day and we did a bunch of stuff and made it onto a ton of rides. SUCCESS!

Blake, mommy and Minnie

Lori, Jordyn, Minnie, Brad and Kaitlyn

Blake and Jordyn....two peas in a pod. They were so fun to watch during the day and became such great friends.

Blake and mommy on the "merry-go-round" at California Adventure

Auntie Laura and Jordyn on the "merry-go-round"

One tired little boy....one of those kids who falls asleep at Disneyland...you always wonder how that can happen!!!

Blake hitchin' a ride with Al

Blake in his Mickey Mouse shirt.... ready for a full day at Disney

Blake doing some coloring while some other are waiting in a line

Auntie Boo (Carey) on Dumbo with Jordyn

Time spent with family

2011-05-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

For the first week of May Blake and I had the opportunity to spend a week with Auntie Laura and get to know some of our relatives just a bit better and hang out with them in CA. It was so much fun and we loved getting away for a bit and I think it was fun for Auntie Laura to have us there so she could get a chance to hang out with Blake too!

Our family from Canada were coming into town so they could go to Disney (and who would want to miss that chance) and we thought it would be fun to see them especially since we hadn't met their little girls and they hadn't met Blake either... It seemed like a win-win situation.

It was so much fun. The kids had so much fun hanging out together. Disney was a blast (HOT, but fun...photos to follow)...and we had a great BBQ, and just a wonderful week thanks to a great hostess.

Lori and baby Kaitlyn (who started walking for real at Auntie Laura's house)

Blake getting some love from Auntie Laura

Jordyn trying to stay cool....but her red cheeks say otherwise!

Blake watering up

Jeri (with her crutches), Al and Kaitlyn

Grandma Jeri and Kaitlyn

Men at Work

2011-04-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Dan had a few things he was trying to do around the house one evening and Blake wanted to HELP! He loves to help his daddy and be involved in whatever Dan is doing. Dan thinks it is fun too that Blake is now at the age where he can be of "some" help with some projects... this one might not have been just that project but Blake thought he was helping for sure.

This made me only slightly worried when he decided to climb the ladder and had no fear... makes me think of possible trips to the ER that may be in our future. Fingers crossed they aren't any time soon.

This is him helping daddy with the vacuum. He is doing a great job holding it down in case it gets away.

Clark County Fair

2011-04-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Clark County Fair

The Clark County Fair and Rodeo has become a tradition for us. It is the smallest little fair but it so much fun. It is a place that Blake can run around and you don't have to really be worried about him because he almost can't get lost! The fair has a bunch of great food, a great kids area with stuff for them to do, some carnival rides of course, and then the animals!

This year Auntie Laura came to town so she could go to the fair with us and Uncle Robert happened to be off of work so he was with us too. We headed out early Friday morning to beat the "crowds" and spent the day wandering around the fairgrounds. Everyone had a great day....It was a little cold and windy but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves.

Blake's first pony ride

Hanging out with daddy

Checking out the animals

Uncle Robert, Grandpa and Auntie Laura

Waterboy

2011-03-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa's pool is still too cold to go in, but the hose works just fine for Blake. This kid LOVES water! He loves to run in, loves to play in it, loves to try to eat it; it is so fun to just watch him enjoy himself.

It was hot and Grandpa didn't have to work so we decided to spend the afternoon hanging out in the backyard playing with the hose and in the water. Blake was in heaven!

Outdoor Toys

2011-03-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so nice and we have been spending so much time outside but we have also realized that there really isn't that much to do in our own backyard.... Well, daddy sure fixed that!

We took a trip to Toys R Us this afternoon and Blake now has a backyard full of things that will keep him busy. He already had the playset that he got for his birthday (but truth be told he is sort of outgrowing it already) but not he has a basketball hoop and a sand/water box. He will be able to play outside for hours and hours for the whole summer!

Good to be Green

2011-03-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

We decided to head to Downtown Henderson for their St. Patrick's Day parade. It was the first time we had gone to any of their parades and Blake's first real parade ever! It is fun that we live in a city that puts on events like this and gives you a "small town" feeling.

Blake had fun and liked watching all of the floats, cars and horses go by. It was much hotter than we would have liked but that is what you expect in the desert.

We look forward to many more parades for all the holidays in the future.

Lazy Sunday

2011-03-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

After church..where Blake and daddy wore their matching ties... we pretty much just spent the day outside playing..or reading..or napping...we had a pretty lazy Sunday. It was nice.

All dressed up and ready for church.

Playing with daddy on the slide.

Grandma, daddy and Blake reading.

Blake reading the newspaper at the table.

Grandma reading her book outside... and trying to soak up the sun a bit too.

Out on the town

2011-03-12T22:54:00.001-08:00

Saturday night we were able to get some tickets to a Beetles tribute show. We took the chance to have some "grown-up" time and went for dinner and a show.

The show was actually pretty good and it was songs that ALL of us knew which was nice.

We were home in time to pick Blake up from my mom and dad's house and go to sleep... It had been a long day for all of us!

Lunch with ducks

2011-03-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

After all the train riding we had worked up an appetite so we decided to head just a few minutes down to the road and enjoy some lunch by the lake...and with a few ducks and fish!

My dad had brought home some popcorn from the theater so we had plenty of popcorn to feed the ducks and fish and thought it would be a nice way to relax and enjoy the afternoon...and keep Blake entertained as well.

A mid-throw shot of daddy feeding some of the hungry fish

Our lakeside table at the restaurant. We were all hungry and the food was good...

Checking out the ducks and fish

A train ride

2011-03-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Holly came down for their annual March visit (Mike has a work conference that he attends which means a visit with us!) We hadn't seen them since Christmas so we were really excited and Blake was excited to show and tell them all the new things he could do.

Our first outing was out to Boulder City on Saturday to go and ride the Nevada State Railroad. Blake was probably the most excited about this but we all thought it would be fun and the weather was perfect.

All Aboard!!

Blake paid close attention when we were boarding and noticed he needed to give the man his ticket...so when he found an extra ticket he was DETERMINED to give it to the man. Pretty dang smart and adorable to watch.

Ready to ride the rails.

A boy and his daddy....

a GREAT visit

2011-02-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

Great Grandma Petersen

Great Grandpa Petersen

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen were able to join us for a night on their way down to stay in Arizona for some time... and on their way back home! It was so nice to spend some time with them, even though it was short. It is also nice to see Blake start to recognize them and remember them. We love to have these opportunities for him and for us as well.

We just spent the time chatting away and telling stories. It is great to get together and hope to be able to do it more often...and again soon! Blake is blessed and such a lucky boy to have such wonderful Great Grandparents who love him so much.

Big Bear or bust

2011-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

We were able to get away for the weekend and enjoy some time with our friends from CA...Marvin and Maria and their daughter Arianna. We were bummed when we arrived in Big Bear to find NO SNOW...but we still had a great time. Dan tried his legs at skiing for the first time and enjoyed it. He was sore but had fun.

Blake was sick for most of the trip unfortunately but that didn't stop him from running and playing with Arianna.

Bang that drum

2011-02-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember a group called "Recycled Percussion"...they were on the show America's Got Talent last season. Well...they now have a Vegas show! We didn't actually know who they were but we took a chance and decided it would be fun to go out and celebrate our friend Brian's birthday and see the show and grab some dinner.

It was a a great show. Very interactive and a lot of fun. But don't go if you have a headache...or don't like loud noises!

Brian with his pot lid

Aranne and her cowbell

Dan and his pot lid

Cindy and her colander

We had a lot of fun...made a lot of noise...and celebrated Brian's birthday in style!

Music Time

2011-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

Blake started his first music class with Musikidz today! He had a great time and I am so glad. We really needed something to get us out of the house and get him mixed with other kids and this was perfect.

It is a class that is offered through the City of Henderson and is once a week and for 45 minutes.....so it is perfect for him. It is a "mom and me" class and so much fun. They were able to play with a drum today, and rhythm sticks. They marched, and jumped, and ran. They chased the bubbles and played with musical balls and a parachute. It was a great class and I can't wait for next week to see what he gets to do then.

End of class bubble time.

Dancing with scarfs

Blake and his rhythm sticks

Springs Preserve

2011-01-22T21:27:00.000-08:00

We decided to head out to the Springs Preserve since they were running a special and adults could get in for the kid's price! SCORE. It was still a little cool but not too bad. Blake had a great time running around and checking out all the cool desert animals and playing with all the hands-on stuff. He is still a little young, but he found plenty he could do.

Dan and Blake checking out some lizards.

Blake taking a ride on a turtle (I have a picture of me doing the same thing somewhere)

Blake building with these huge foam pieces...it was all fun and games until he took a spill!

Mommy and Blake on board the train

Blake catching a ride on daddy's shoulders back to the car (if you look closely you can see the pain in Dan's eyes as Blake is pulling his hair!)

Attack of the birds

2011-01-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Al decided he wanted to take Blake to the park to feed the birds and the fish....

We loaded up the car with popcorn (tons of popcorn that he gets from the movie theater) and headed to Sunset Park. Blake was so excited about the birds. There were TONS of them. I kept trying to get him to just feed the fish and the ducks that were in the water but all that he wanted to do was feed the birds and chase after them. He had a great time and Grandpa loved every minute of it too.

Just call him BUZZ

2011-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Blake got these cute jammies from Uncle Nate and Aunt Katie... It is so fun to watch him run around as Buzz Lightyear. We know he has no idea who that even is but we also know this is just a preview of things to come... soon he will be pretending that he is Batman, or Superman, or Buzz....or whoever the newest, coolest superhero is.

Thoughts on the New Year

2011-01-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

First off I still can't believe it is 2011...

What do I want from this New Year? What do I hope it brings for me and my family? What do I hope to accomplish during the year? What do I want to change about myself this year? These are the questions I ask myself at the beginning of every year.... I love the New Year because I feel like it gives me a chance to start over and reconnect. I have a lot of big goals for 2011 and a lot of small ones too.

* I hope to find the time to reconnect with my creative side. I miss working on projects and using my hands. If I can find a way to sell them/earn some extra cash that would be great. But my main goal is to just get busy making things again. I miss that.

* Try to figure out this whole coupon thing. I am not very good at it and want to be. I see and hear about how people save tons and I have not yet been able to do that. I want to!

* Save, Save, Save... Most of you know we want to adopt again and this is our year to SAVE in order to begin the process again. We hope to be putting papers in this year and want to have money saved towards the adoption costs.

* Get moving! Now this doesn't always mean lose weight but that would be a great outcome. I just want to feel like I have more energy. I want to run and jump and play more with Blake and not feel so worn out after doing so.

Again... there are tons more little things I hope to do but these are the BIG ones on my list this year. I hope to be successful with these goals and see progress. That is the thing that keeps me going. Wish me luck and to all a wonderful 2011!

2010 in a glance

2011-01-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Wow... I can't believe 2010 has come and gone. It has been a really great year for us. Of course we have had our struggles just like everyone else but we have also had some really amazing times too. This year we were able to enjoy things as a family of three!

January - The Cox family came to town and we took family pictures which now included Blake! Other than that we just continued to settle into family life.

February - We celebrated our 8 year anniversary. Dan took a little trip to Utah and went hiking with his friend Brian.

March - We had a few visitors this month. Auntie Laura came to visit for a weekend, and Grandma Holly and Grandpa Mike were down for a week.

April - We celebrated Easter at home and were joined by Robert, Lisa and the girls. We also had a Families Supporting Adoption Education Conference.

May - We took a weekend trip to CA to watch Morgan and McKenna play a baseball game. I was able to celebrate and enjoy my 1st Mother's Day. We had our 6th and final post placement visit with our caseworker, and we also had a meeting with our lawyer for finalization of Blake's adoption.

June - Dan and I both helped out with Girls Camp for a few days. Auntie Laura visited for a weekend trip. Dan celebrated Father's Day.

July - We went to South Dakota/Mt. Rushmore for the 4th of July. We had all our family and friends here for Blake's finalization,sealing and blessing. Our friends Marvin and Maria came to celebrate Dan's 30th b-day. Blake and I went to Utah for the Stampin' Up convention.

August - We enjoyed the end of summer and stayed at home and relaxed!

September - Grandma Holly and Grandpa Mike came for a final summer visit. Blake and I went to visit friends for a weekend in CA. Auntie Laura came for her final summer visit.

October - We made a trip to AZ so the girls could go to Time Out for Women. We celebrated Blake's first Halloween and dressed as a farm family... Farmer, cowgirl and cow!

November - Blake turned 1 year old! Took a trip to Park City for a little time away. I had my 30th b-day. Grandma Holly and Grandpa Mike came to spend Thanksgiving with us.

December - Marvin and Maria were here for a weekend. We went to CA to celebrate Christmas with friends. We took Blake to Disneyland for his birthday - and mine too! Spent Christmas in AZ with the entire Urbancic family. Auntie Laura, Robert, Lisa and the girls were all here to ring in the New Year.

Christmas 2010 - AZ style

2010-12-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

If anyone knows me...or my father-in-law...we take a lot of pictures. So I made a slideshow to help show what a great Christmas we had.

We spent Christmas this year with the entire Urbancic side of the family. Unfortunately Dan's dad had just undergone a pretty big surgery and wasn't able to travel anywhere and we all decided it was time to get together and spend our Christmas together in AZ. Steve and Amy (who had just moved to ID)were very excited to get out of the snow and come back to some warmer weather. It was wonderful to all be together and enjoy the family (as big and loud as we are getting!) There were 10 adults, 4 kids, 3 dogs, and two babies in bellies! It was quite a bunch.

We enjoyed our traditional (but less tradition this year) Christmas eve dinner and reading of the Christmas story. Things just don't seem quite as spiritual when you have three little boys running through Luke 2. We also enjoyed Christmas morning which seemed to go by in a flash...no longer did we do things in an orderly fashion. It all sort of went by in a blink of an eye and you opened something when it came your way.

I say all of this jokingly... Christmas is so much more enjoyable with the laughter and sounds of children in the house. There may be occasional arguments over certain toys and we might not all get along all of the time but the memories that are being made and the times that we spend together and starting to become very and far between and we cherish the times that we do have. We are so thankful that we were able to spend Christmas as a whole group and we love each other so much. It was a great time and the adults loved the evenings and naps when the kids were quiet and we could catch up on life too. Thanks mom and dad for hosting us all and letting us come and run through your house. We enjoyed it so much. Merry Christmas.

Bye-Bye Fro

2010-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

We agreed the time had come to cut off some of those curls... Now everyone LOVES Blake's curls and can't seem to get enough of them but come on... look at this picture! The kid has a fro! It was definitely time. So this is the BEFORE shot.....

Here he is being such a good boy and sitting so nice for Jenny. Again we weren't sure what to expect from him but he was awesome and just sat there and let her do her thing.

Here he is... looking all grown-up with a little boy hair cut! It was amazing to see the actual amount of hair that Jenny cut off. There was hair all over the floor...crazy. The kid really did need the hair cut. He wanted to finish it off himself and comb his own hair (something he does daily with mommy's brush)

It was sad to see his curls go... but we are sure they will be back soon.

A day at Disney

2010-12-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

We decided that since my dad has "connections" at Disneyland and we love Disneyland at Christmastime it would be fun to go for Blake's 1st birthday and my 30th. It was me, Dan, Blake and Auntie Laura. We weren't sure what to expect but Blake did a great job. He had a lot of fun, even though he wasn't quite sure what was going on.

We were able to get on a bunch of rides... Dumbo, the carousel, Alice in Wonderland, and a bunch of the rides at California Adventure. Since we were there on a Monday the lines weren't really too bad (for Disneyland) and California Adventure was nearly empty! The weather was great too. Blake started with a long-sleeve T-shirt and pants on but very quickly ended up in a brand new Disney T-shirt because it was warm.

We were even able to see some of the characters and Blake did okay. He loves stuffed animals so at this age I figure he still thinks they are big teddy bears and isn't too scared - YET!

We had a great day and it made our drive home nice and quiet because Blake was so exhausted from all the excitement that he slept the entire way!!! We hope to be able to take him back again soon. I grew up at Disneyland practically and have many good memories there and hope to be able to take Blake as often as we can... while we still have such great "connections"!

CA Christmas

2010-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

For the past 9 years we have always gone to California and done a "California Christmas" party with our friends and family who are still there. This year we decided to keep it small and just had a small group of us get together for some dinner, presents and then we headed to see Santa! We found out about a great park out in Irvine and does a wonderful display and puts on a Christmas train that takes you to "the North Pole" to see Santa. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it (I think all of the adults did too).

It is always so nice to go and visit our friends and family in California and enjoy the holidays with them. It was really nice this year and do something just for the kids and have Blake with us and have him be able to get in on the activities. I think next year he will REALLY enjoy Christmas (oh no!)

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2010-12-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

I decided I wanted a break this year and was not going to do handmade cards for Christmas...plus we had this cute little boy that we could show off...so we headed out to get some pictures done that we could put on a card. Deciding that was the easy part... having an active 1-year-old participate in the photos...not so easy.

Our good friend Jenny was great and worked well with Blake...even when we picked one of the coldest days yet to go out and get the pictures done. But we were quickly running out of time and really had no choice.

We think we got a ton of great shots and love how the card turned out... hope those who got one did too!!! Merry Christmas!

Happy Turkey Day

2010-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Holly from Arizona decided to come and join us for Thanksgiving this year. It is so nice to have visitors and extra nice not to have to travel for the holidays!! We love to spend time with family, especially the ones we don't get to see as often.

It was kinda cold so we made sure to bundle up whenever we went out and about.

We went shopping (gotta catch some of those Black Friday deals), the boys went to the movies while the girls did the cooking on Thanksgiving, we made sure to visit the conservatory at the Bellagio to see the beautiful flowers and we also made a trip to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory to see all of the lights.

We had a great visit but most importantly we were reminded of all the blessings that we have and all of the things that we really are thankful for. We have such a great family, and amazing friends. We are thankful for the Gospel that is in our lives. We are thankful for the health that we experience and the jobs and home that we are blessed to have.

Birthday Boy

2010-11-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Boy....

The theme of the party was "B"...we had B everything... Balloons, Bundt cakes, and a "B" buffett complete with bugles, Baby Ruth, brownie bites, bubble gum, blow pops....

These are the "birthday bundt cakes"...instead of cupcakes. This was a great idea at the start until I was at home (with the help of Auntie Laura) making all of these on Friday...

Present time!!

Blake's yummy cake made by our great friend Sue.

Our way of saying thanks to all those who came to the "bash"... Bubbles from Blake

We had a great day and most importantly it was a way to spend time with family and friends and really just think about the past year. WOW! We can't believe that a year has come and gone already. A year ago we honestly didn't know when we were ever going to get that call....and then we heard that a little one had been born and they wanted to hurry and get that baby connected with LDS Family Services... Well thank goodness they did because four days later that little baby was in our arms. The amazing miracle of adoption. And then a year later he is a walking, mumbling, ball of energy and we could not be more excited and happy to have him as our ONE YEAR OLD!

One year stats:
walking since 10 months
says - mama, dada, ball, nite-nite, bye-bye, barks (for doggie), blows kisses, waves goodbye
27.5 lbs, 31 in
pacifier only for naps and bedtime

Trick or Treat....

2010-10-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

The whole country family... Farmer...cowgirl...and cow!!

The cutest cow you've ever seen....MOOOO!

The cow in his barn!

He didn't quite get the whole trick or treat thing but he did catch on that things were being placed in his bucket and he watched to see what was happening with that whole concept.... I am sure he was just wondering what in the world is this all about and what is going on???

The farmer and his very tired cow after a looong night!!!

Happy Halloween to everyone and we can't wait to start planning for next year already.... Oh wait I guess we need to get through a certain little man's first birthday that happens next Saturday!!!!

Our little pumpkin

2010-10-25T09:44:00.001-07:00

On Saturday afternoon we decided to head to the pumpkin patch for just a little bit. It was fun and Blake liked the pumpkins. He was actually in shock for a bit. He was just wondering around looking at all of the bright orange pumpkins and probably just wondering what the heck they were.

Then he got a little more adventurous and he should have stopped while he was ahead. He decided that he wanted to choose a pumpkin... and if you know Blake he doesn't choose the tiny ones that are in his hands and that are easy to pick up... NO! He decides to go for the big ones that are a challenge. Well... this one was sort of a draw. Blake won because he was able to pick the pumpkin up... but the pumpkin won because on the way to the ground the stem got Blake right under the eye and left him with a nice little reminder that he should pick on someone his own size!

Needless to say our journey at the pumpkin patch ended a little sooner than expected...

(Of course Blake cried for a minute or so but that was all... we really do have a tough little man on our hands!!)

"Time Out"...for Family

2010-10-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

The boys putting Grandma Holly to work

Steve pushing the firetruck all around the backyard..

Preston and Blake playing on Grandma and Grandpa's fun outdoor toys together

This past weekend we went to AZ to spend some time with family and for the girls to have a little...TIME OUT!

The girls were able to attend a church event called "Time Out For Women" with speakers, musical guests, shopping, food... it was great. None of us had ever been and we all had such a great time we already have it on the schedule for next year. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for next year. I enjoyed the time with the girls, the time to actually listen to the speakers (it gets harder and harder with Blake running around) and the chance to just enjoy some time away from everyday life!!!

The boys were great and they agreed to watch the kiddos while us girls were away. The did more "manly" stuff like fix windows, mow the lawn, etc. I think they liked that better! They had a chance to get away on Saturday night for a movie though...it wasn't all hard work!

Again...it was a great weekend with a little girl time, a little boy time and a lot of family time which was perfect.

An early B-day gift

2010-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Blake spent Saturday afternoon building Blake's new fort! The weather has turned and it is now nice enough to spend some time outside and Blake definitely wants to do that. Right now all he does is push around our furniture so we decided he needed something a little more fun to do than that.

We headed to Toys R Us and picked up his birthday present a little early so he could enjoy it for as long as possible...because we all know that soon enough it will be too cold to go outside and play (we are never happy here in the desert!)

He seems to love it and we are surprise (well not really) at how quickly he has learned to climb UP the slide and also how to maneuver the climbing wall... That's our BOY!

A call for help

2010-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

A fellow adoption mom is putting out the call for help and while I am going to answer it... I am passing the call along to any and all who are still reading my blog and asking for you help too!

"Have you ever wondered how it would feel as a parent to be unable to provide the necessities for your children? What if you didn't know the next time you or your child would be able to bathe with soap? What if your children had to wear worn out, too small clothes to school because you didn't have the money for new ones? What if one small simple toy on Christmas morning would mean the world to your child but you just couldn't afford it?

I know we may not think about it much but there are so many families out there struggling with these very issues, especially now in this economy. This holiday season, I would like to ask you to help me make a difference in the life of a child.

My Aunt is the vice president for PJ's Forgotten Children, an organization in Salt Lake that does Christmas for children whose families are affected by mental illness in some way and are really struggling. Many are in homeless shelters.

"P.J.’s was established as an independent, nonprofit organization in memory of Patrick John Smith, who died while suffering a severe mental illness.

The term “forgotten” refers to those children who are often overlooked because many of their parents are suffering mental illness as well, and are less likely to seek traditional means of help for themselves and their families."

PJ's is a wonderful organization, 100% volunteer and non-profit. The families that receive help from PJ's each year are all submitted to them by mental heath professionals so we know they legitimately need help! I am teaming up with my friend Christine from We are all Mothers to ask for donations for PJ's Forgotten Children. She is participating in honor of her baby son Conner that she lost almost 8 years ago.

I was able to volunteer at PJ's last year putting Christmas bags together for the kids. Each child has a paper that states the child's needs and what kind of toys they like. I was so humbled as I read the request of these sweet children. "my own socks", "a coloring book", "a stuffed animal", "shampoo", "a warm coat" ... They have so little, and we all have so much.

The organization receives donations throughout the year but the number of children they are helping keeps growing (they provided Christmas for well over 1,000 kids last year) they need more help!

I have talked to my aunt and these are the things they are really in need of this year...
*Shampoo/Conditioner
*Deodorant
*Warm Gloves/Warm Coats, all sizes
*Warm Clothing for Boys & Girls 1 year to 18 years, any size
*Socks/Underwear/Warm Sleepwear
*TOYS: Baby Dolls, Barbies, Lego's, Lincoln Logs, Transformer, Bakugan, Littlest Pet Shop, Stuffed Animals
*Games for all ages
*Teen Books for Boys & Girls
*Art Supplies
*Ball (Sports of all kinds)
Of course monetary donations are accepted as well.

They ask that items be new or new condition, they don't need to be in the box or have tags as long as they are in like new shape.

If you want to donate and live in Las Vegas, please drop your item/s off at my house so you don't have to pay for shipping.
1834 Capilano Lane
North Las Vegas Nv 89031

If you live in Logandale you can drop your item/s off at my inlaws (assuming everyone knows where they live since it's Logandale)

If you live anywhere else please mail the donated items directly to my aunt.
Jo Caldwell
7817 LaBarranca Ct.
Cottonwood Heights UT
84121

We ask that all donations be delivered/mailed by November 3rd so the volunteers at PJ's will have plenty of time to get all the children's bags together.

Please email me if you have any questions meka.duane@gmail.com. Thanks for your help!"

And remember: A hundred years from now, it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove...but the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child!

End of summer

2010-09-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Although I am sure we have a few more HOT days left before summer is "officially" over... we don't have many more weekends left open that we can take the time to head out to the lake so we took the time this weekend to get out there one last time. Plus...Auntie Laura was in town so we thought it might be a fun activity for the weekend.

Blake had a great time because he is now walking and really able to enjoy the water on his own and he sure did.

Can't wait until next year when he will start swim lessons and really get a feel for the water and what swimming is really all about!

Weekend with Friends

2010-09-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

My dad was heading to CA so Blake and I decided to tag along and we spent the weekend with an old friend of mine and her new (adorable) little baby girl Madison. It was nice to just sit and talk and watch the little ones try to play together. Maddie is only 4 months old and Blake being nearly 11 is just a little too big but he sure wanted to see what she was doing and make sure she was alright... too cute!

It was a great weekend and we hope they will come and visit us sometime soon.

For time and all eternity

2010-07-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from the day at the temple.... What an experience! Words are really just too hard to find to express the feelings and emotions that were felt that day. After years of waiting for a little one to join our family.. then having to wait the months to finally know that he is truly ours FOREVER it was amazing. It was also so great to have all of our friends and family with us to show their love and support. We have had such amazing people with us through this journey and are so thankful for that.

Families are forever and we now have one of our own.

A Forever Family (Part 2)

2010-07-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Mike trying out the kayak

Blake and daddy...Blake was such a good sport with his life jacket.

Too bad Preston is too little to drive...he sure looks ready to go?!

Friday morning..early morning...whoever was in town decided to take advantage of the lake and go out for some jet skiing. We also had borrowed some kayaks from our neighbors so there were lots of activities to partake of while at the lake. It was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. I think we could have spent a lot more time there but with two little ones, other things on the agenda that day, and all of us trying not to get sunburnt before family pictures we had to only spend a few hours out in the HOT Vegas sun! But we made the most of the time out at the lake for sure.

Grandpa better hold on with Nate in the driver's seat....

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen...Grandpa just returning from a trip around the lake!

Grandma Holly and Preston with his flag...very important

The Urbancic family...Holly, Mike B. Amy, Nate, Dan and Mike A

Blake's first trip to the lake

A Forever Family (Part 1)

2010-07-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be a long post (it was a looong weekend)! The family and festivities all started on Wednesday when Gma and Gpa Urbancic arrived. It was nice for them to arrive early to spend some one-on-one time with Blake before everyone else arrived. With that being said...the rest of the family began to arrive on Thursday, and Friday. We had a house full! But what a great occasion. After 2.5 years of waiting... 8 months of being "watched", finalization at court, the time had finally arrived that we were going to be sealed in the temple as a forever family and then Dan was going to be able to give Blake a father's blessing!!!

Grandma Holly and Blake checking each other out....

Uncle Nate and Aunt Katie trying to steal Blake's toy.... HELP!!!

A big family dinner at Applebee's with Dan, Katie, Nate, Holly, Mike (the photographer), Grandma P, Grandma P, Aranne and Blake...right before we went to pick up Mike from the airport

A little bit of the mess that four little ones can make in just a short amount of time....(oldest to youngest...Ellie, Benjamin, Preston and Blake)

America the Beautiful

2010-07-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Not in any particular order obviously...

We had another great 4th of July... this year we decided to head to South Dakota and visit Mt. Rushmore! Where we get these ideas I don't know but they are good ones and tons of fun.

We packed up, jumped on a plane, joined our friends Brian and Cindy and the rest is history. We had a blast exploring South Dakota and the things it had to offer. We were able to do quite a lot in the few days we were there and we had beautiful weather to enjoy as well (not like to 115 we left in Vegas!)

We explored the Rushmore Caves, saw Mt. Rushmore itself, took a train ride, saw some dinosaur remains, went to Wall Drug of course...and we watched a great firework show... with a bunch of other things thrown in between.

Another state, monument, national park, all checked off our top-do list!!!

Play ball

2010-05-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to CA to watch Morgan and McKenna (my brother's girls) play baseball. We also had some friends join us for the game too. Morgan and McKenna had a pretty big cheering section! This is their first year playing and they both really enjoy it and are pretty good.

Blake didn't really like the game too much. He got nervous every time the crowd would cheer but he did like spending time with his cousins.

What a fish

2010-04-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

The weather finally warmed up enough for us to get out and see what Blake thought of Grandma and Grandpa's pool. We honestly didn't know what to expect but we were sure pleased with the results....

We had purchased this cute pool float, complete with moveable sun-shade and all. Blake had on his "little swimmers" and his Hawaiian-print swim trunks and he was ready for the pool. He definitely looked like an island native in his outfit...too cute. But now the real test; would he scream as soon as he touched the water? Would he love it and end up a future water polo star?

We headed outside and slowly eased him into the water and....nothing. He didn't cry. He didn't laugh. Nothing. So after a few minutes of getting use to the water we put him into the float and all was well. He hung out in there for the rest of the afternoon and was so content. He loosened up a bit and started to play with his toys, he even didn't mind when he got a little water in his face. It looks like we are going to have a summer filled with time in the pool and a happy little boy. This is good news. We have a little fish on our hands and we couldn't be more excited about it!

Me and my BUMBO

2010-04-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

Blake has been practicing sitting up and using his BUMBO. He likes to be able to see what is going on and still play with his toys. He is doing a pretty good job and this keeps him entertained for a LITTLE while. He loses interest after he throws all of his toys onto the floor but ..... mom just has to pick them back up and put them back onto the tray and start over again.

We have a BUMBO at grandma and grandpa's house and he likes to sit up on the counter and watch grandpa cook and that is fun!

We had tried the BUMBO a few months ago and he didn't seem to like it very much... probably because his legs are a little "thick" and they got stuck when you tried to get him out of it but he is better now. He still gets stuck but he doesn't seem to worry as much and seems to know that he is ok.

Sending Smiles

2010-04-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a great new site called "Sending Smiles". This is a great way to find a way to help others and bring a smile to someone else. These great ladies are connected to the blogging community and do their best to try to let others know of ways that they can help out. It is awesome that we can all log onto the one site and do what we can to help those in need. Thanks to these great ladies for doing what they are and for all those who help!

Log on and check it out and see what you can do too!!!

SENDING SMILES

Starting to warm up

2010-03-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

It is so nice that the weather has finally decided to warm up and let us go outside. It feels like we have been stuck inside forever. Blake loves to be outside and just look around and take in his new surroundings. We can't wait until it gets even warmer and we can spend the evenings outside and also expose him to the joys of the pool! Summer will bring lots of new things and it is just around the corner.

Crafting for a cause

2010-03-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine Shaela (from Yellow Umbrella Designs) told me about a great cause and I totally wanted to help. She told me of a great opportunity to donate cards that was being hosted by Taylored Expressions.

I designed the cards and the rallied some of the ladies that attend card class at my mom's house and they helped me get all of the cards together. We worked and got the cards together and then sent them on their way. It was wonderful to share my creative juices and also know it was for a good cause. Thanks Shaela for sharing the event with me.

so LUCKY...

2010-03-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Blake with his St. Patrick's Day bib thanks to Jen... So cute (looking so tired too!)

Blake in his St. Patrick's Day "Green"!

Blake getting kisses from mommy..

This year we had a ton of think that we had to remember how LUCKY we are. We are LUCKY to have Blake in our lives. We are LUCKY to have the Gospel in our lives. We are LUCKY to have such great family, who love us.... Things are great right now and we are just LUCKY that we get to sit back and remember that!!!

Blake 4 Months

2010-03-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun trying to get Blake's 4 month picture I had to share some of the shots...

Blake at 4 months:
* Weighed in at 17.3lbs and was 25.5in long. Growing like a weed!
* Teething and biting on anything he can get ahold of...his hands, your hands, his toys...
* Loves to stand and play in his exersaucer.
* Loves to smile and laugh at mommy and daddy (and we love it too)
* Sleeps from about 8pm until about 6-6:30am
* Started eating solid foods and is eating 6oz of formula at a time
* Loves to ride in the stroller and be outside

We still can't believe how fast he is growing and all of the things that he is doing and learning each day. It is so amazing to be parents. Each day is a new challenge and a new experience but we are thankful for the chance that we have to learn and grow with him.

Cereal anyone???

2010-03-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

Blake had been watching us eat for weeks now and was just ready to have something else besides just formula. We decided that we would give rice cereal a try and boy did he think that was a good idea. He took right to it and loved every last bite. We didn't quite have the right consistency yet but we are working on that but he loved it anyways and did great with the spoon.

After his appointment next week we will probably be heading for some more solids.

Zion or bust

2010-03-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

After a long time of waiting... this trip was suppose to happen the weekend we were placed with Blake... Dan and his friend Brian finally headed out for a weekend camping trip. They were suppose to go to Death Valley but because they knew it was going to rain for sure, they decided to head to Zion. They didn't have much better weather there... it rained for about 5-6 hours straight on Saturday night... and it was really cold... but they got their trip in and had a great time hiking and taking pictures.

This was a well deserved trip for Dan... he was been working really hard, long hours and days so it was great for him to be able to get away, enjoy the outdoors and spend some time with his new hobby of photography!

Why so Sad???

2010-02-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

We were just hanging out and playing... Hoping to make Blake laugh, but I guess we had the opposite affect.

Now... don't think we are horrible parents because we kept doing it! And don't listen to my voice on here... I hate myself on camera!

The dreaded day

2010-02-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

So... the day finally came for me to go to Jury Duty... NO! I had been dreading this day for about a month since I got the summons in the paper. Is it just me or does everyone's stomach sink just a bit when they see that red, white and blue paper in their mailbox?

The biggest worry for me now was the idea of what I was going to do with Blake?! I got a summons for a Wednesday.... Hello?! Wednesday?! If it had been a Friday my dad could have watched him for him but not on Wednesday.

So Tuesday night I call in and they tell me I have to report... but not until noon. That was the only positive thing. So Wednesday I wake up, get ready and Blake is spending the day with mom (while she attempts to get some work done, hoping that I don't really have to be there until 5:00 like they say). I find my way downtown, park, walk what seems like 10 miles to the actual courthouse, sign-in and begin the waiting process...... and wait, and wait, and wait. They finally call a few people. They then say that they are not going to need EVERYONE (good news) and begin to release people... and they release a few more. We are left with a room of about 25 people, which I am sitting in and continue sitting in until 4:45pm!

Needless to say... it was a LONG, BORING day wherein I accomplished nothing. I LOVE JURY DUTY! But I am done for at least 18 months and I fulfilled by civic duty... just not quite with a smile.

A day full of LOVE

2010-02-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Of course this little guy is the reason there is SO much LOVE in our house right now and we spent the day celebrating him! He got all dressed up in his red vest (thanks cousin Preston) and went to church and then we came home and just played and laughed and cuddled together... what more could we have asked for!

It was a perfect day.... completely filled with LOVE!

On another note... I do want to say that I have the best Valentine ever... Dan is the best husband and dad that I could have ever hoped for. He works so hard for us and loves us both so much. He does so many things for us and I am a pretty luck girl!

Great.....Grandma and Grandpa

2010-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Blake (and us) had a chance to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Petersen for a little while as they were on their way down to spend some time in a little bit warmer climate. They live in Utah but were getting a little tired of all of the snow so decided they were going to go and visit their children (Dan's mom and dad) in Arizona for a bit!

This was a great chance for us to spend the evening with them and for them to have some time with Blake and finally get to meet him. It is always fun for him to meet new people but this one was even more special as he was filling the gap of generations....

Three Months Old

2010-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

Feb. 6, 2010....15.6lbs (at home?)

Three months already... I can't believe how fast the time is going...even though everyone told me it would. We are halfway through the six months that we have to wait until everything is final with the adoption and that is exciting. We had your third visit with the social worker and all checked out...Yeah! You are growing bigger everyday it seems and just getting more and more cute. I can hardly stand it.

* You definitely have the sleeping through the night down and we thank you for that!

* You are eating 5oz every 3 hours...(healthy eater for sure)

* You are wearing 3mo or 3-6 months clothes... You have outgrown all of the newborn and 0-3 month stuff

* You are wearing size 1-2 diapers

* You love to smile and we love to try to make you smile (no laughing yet though!)

* You have had your first night in a hotel (Sedona) and saw your first snow (Williams, AZ)

* You love to "talk" all the time and have tons to say

We will see what the next month brings us..

Eight years later

2010-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Feb. 2, 2002

We were married in the Los Angeles Temple eight years ago today! Time goes by so fast and life sure gives you some surprises. We never knew what we were in store for but we are so thankful for the things that have come our way and the experiences and events we have been able to share so far in our lives together.

It is so great to be able to enjoy each day with your best friend and really get to know each other. We are blessed to have been able to grow with each other and have such special times as just the two of us.....

We now embark on a new journey as a family and are excited about that. We never thought that it would take us almost 8 years of marriage before we were here but we are sure it was perfect timing and are excited about the future. Here is to 888 more wonderful years together....

Our family now... Feb. 2, 2010

2010-02-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

On our way home from Arizona we decided that we would spend the night in Sedona and then come through Williams on our way back home. This would be our little way of celebrating our anniversary and just being able to get away alone for a little bit. It was a great plan and we had a wonderful evening in Sedona and time on the way home. Blake does such a great job in the car and we hope that he continues to like the car so that we can take car trips with him for years to come!

Our Hotel... The Kokopelli Inn

Blake (giving mom and evil eye) and Mommy waiting for dad to get the "perfect sunset shot"

GOT IT!!

Walking around Sedona...doing some shopping

First Snow... Williams, AZ

AZ: Meeting MORE Family

2010-02-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

We found out that Maile and the kids were going to be at mom and dad's house for a visit and we hadn't seen them in what seemed like forever, and of course she hadn't had a chance to meet Blake yet, so it seemed perfect that we would make a trip to cover all our bases.

The weekend turned out almost perfect.... Mike wasn't able to come with Maile for the visit and Steve had another commitment down in Tucson so he didn't come up with Amy either.... Other than that, everyone was all together and it was a blast. It was also great to have all of the little cousins together for the first time. We are pretty sure grandma and grandpa were in Heaven!

Oldest grandchild...Ellie (Mike & Maile's daughter)

Oldest grandson ... Benjamin (Mike and Maile's son)

Preston...(Steve and Amy's son)

Newest grandchild...Blake (Dan and Aranne's son) (with Aunt Katie!)

Sleep Tight

2010-01-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Out little guy is such a great sleeper... When he turned two months old (Jan. 6th) we decided we would put him in his crib in the other room and give it a try. He had just a few nights of waking up once still but since then it has been full night sleeps!

I wasn't sure how long he was really sleeping so last week I kept a log and really wanted to see how long he was sleeping... was I shocked!

MONDAY: 1/18 - 9:30 - 6:30.. a bottle.. then back from 7 - 8:30
TUESDAY:1/19 - 9:45 - 7:20... a bottle... then back from 8:05 - 9:00
WEDNESDAY:1/20 - 10:00 - 6:00...a bottle...then back from 7:20 - 9:30
THURSDAY:1/21 - 9:45 - 6:30... a bottle... then back from 7:15 - 7:45
FRIDAY:1/22 - 10:30 - 7:30... no return sleep (daddy got up with him and got him too excited!)

SATURDAY: 1/23 - 10:30 - 6:30 ...a bottle...then back from 7:00 - 8:30
SUNDAY: 1/24 - 10:00 - 8:30...had to get up for church at 9:00!

We are so blessed to have this little guy in our lives and so blessed that at only 2-2 2/1 months old he is doing so well and mostly on his own... He is great during the day too... Sleeps some, plays some.... The best part is that because he sleeps so good I love to get him up in the mornings! He is happy, and smiles and it is the best time of the day! Lets hope that continues....

I Pledge....

2010-01-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

Did you see the Oprah Show today? What an eye opening show. Now.. I know that most people, if we are being honest, are guilty of talking or texting while we are driving from place to place. I know that I am one of those people. I am usually good about not texting, but talking I am for sure guilty of. Well... I am taking Oprah's challenge and deciding today that I will no longer be doing so in the car while driving.

I was shocked at some of the stories on her show today. It was sad, scary, and just plain unbelievable some of the things that were pointed out on the show. Mostly, it is the fact that it is all preventable and I hope to be able to do my part. I hope that others will follow along.

Read about Distracted Driving from Oprah HERE and please take the No Phone Zone Challenge and help save lives!

Friendly Visit

2010-01-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we were able to spend some time with our friends Josh, Kirsten and their new baby Jett (who is four months old). They use to live here in Vegas but now live in UT and just came down for a visit. It was great to see them and to be able to meet their new little guy and have them meet ours... too fun.

We had great whether so we decided to take the boys down to Town Square and hang out in the sun... especially since UT is so cold right now.

We all had a great visit and we are sure that these two boys will have lots of fun getting to know each other and end up in plenty of trouble together in the future!

Two Months Old!!

2010-01-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

Two months old

Jan. 6, 2010

I can't believe you are two months old today! We took you to the doctor today and you got your first set of shots. Lets just say you were not excited, but you were a good boy and cried for only a little bit. The doctor said you were healthy and to "keep feeding him"... he said you were going to grow up big and strong and not to worry that you are in the 90% for your weight right now! He also said that when you were lying on the table you looked more like a 3-4 month old, not a 2 month old. That's my boy, taking after his daddy and going to be big and strong!

In the last month you have changed and grown so much. It is amazing to watch and see all of the things that you are learning and all of the things that you are able to do. You are so much more alert and so strong too.

* You are eating 4-5oz every 3-4 hours (as your daddy would say "it takes a lot of food to stay this fat")
* You have outgrown the newborn diapers (Dec. 23rd) and are now wearing size 1
* You have outgrown most of the newborn clothes and are wearing either 0-3 months or just plain 3 months. Some of the 3 months are still a little big, but that is okay.
* You are sleeping a lot longer with only once a night feeding.
* You like to swing now and you also like to play in your play mat and can focus on the toys that hang.
* You just started smiling FOR REAL now and that melts our hearts!

What a year...Saying goodbye to 2009!

2010-01-04T14:43:00.001-08:00

We have had some challenges during the past year (haven't we ALL) but we have also had some really great times. We weren't sure what the year would hold for us. We were hopeful that at some point during the year we would get "the call" but as the months passed... it was harder and harder to stay positive. BUT... we did the things we wanted to do... and tried to have a good attitude.. and then with only a month left in the year that call finally came. Here is a look back at what we will remember about 2009!

JANUARY: Still recovering from my knee surgery that I had on Christmas Eve 2008! Also traveled to AZ for the blessing of our newest nephew Preston!

FEBRUARY: Took a trip to Joshua Tree National Forest... Saw just as many trees on the way there as we did in the actual park!

MARCH: Dan was put into the Elder's Quorum at church and is still enjoying and thriving at his calling.

APRIL: Went to Yosemite... Stayed the first night in a placed called "The Yosemite Bug"...worst place we have ever stayed... Switched hotels and the rest of the trip was great!

MAY: Went to Monterey Bay for Memorial Day weekend... so did a bunch of other people. It was freezing and we were not quite ready for that since it was already 100 degrees here in Vegas. We had great seafood and paid for it...that is for sure!

JUNE: Dan and Brian decided they wanted to hike the Grand Canyon. They said it smelled like wet dog and there was poo all over the place... Said it was great and asked if I wanted to go next time?!! What?

JULY:Girls Camp was finally here. I had been planning, and planning and planning. It was worth it though. I had a great week and tons of fun. Hope the girls did too.

AUGUST: We decided it was time to get some new photos taken of just the two of us (after all it had been 7 years)... Karma decided to play a joke and we used these pictures for new adoption pass along cards which arrived the day we got the call regarding Blake!

SEPTEMBER:Our big trip was finally here... We headed overseas to England, Paris and Germany. This was a great trip and we have so many great memories from it. Really once in a lifetime.

Germany

Windsor

OCTOBER: We made the drive down to California again to go to Knott's Scary Farm.. This has become a tradition and is so much fun. Scares me out of my mind..but so much fun.

NOVEMBER: Besides the obvious of spending Thanksgiving with our family in AZ and my 29th birthday the biggest thing that happened in November was of course the arrival of our son Blake. We had been waiting for him for so long and are so glad he made his debut!

DECEMBER: Of course Christmas and spending it with Mike, Holly and my mom and dad as well as one extended family... but we also celebrated Blake's one month birthday too... These are all big things you know!

We don't know what the future holds or what 2010 will bring us but we are grateful for our families and our friends and for the love and support that they continually offer to us. We are so blessed to have each other, the Gospel in our lives and to be able to support ourselves in this unsure time. We look forward to the future and hope it brings us as much joy as we have been able to have in the past!

Busy with family...Ringing in the New Year

2010-01-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

(Blake all dressed up and ready to face the cold...too cute I just have to say!)

We have had a busy few weeks... We have had visitors (none of which really came to see us. They all come to see the little man now!), we also had Christmas and New Years! It has been fun, but also exhausting... We are looking forward to a break, but honestly we won't get one for a little bit... We have guests again this coming weekend... and the weekend after that!!! Oh, the excitement of a new baby!

(Giving daddy some kisses... okay maybe daddy is just taking them)

We spent New Year's at mom and dad's house along with everyone else that was in town for the week... My brother Robert and sister-in-law Lisa.. the girls Morgan and McKenna... My aunt Laura and her brother, Uncle Curt... It was a great night filled with food, some Wii action, and the girls were able to sneak in some scrapbooking too! Everyone.. including Blake who happened to wake up due to some crazy little girls... made it to midnight!

(Happy New Year...We look forward to a great 2010 and lots of new adventures!)

(These are the two girls (my brother's... Morgan who is 8, and McKenna who is 5) while we were taking family pictures... We needed this net earlier in the week!)

(Daddy and Blake taking a rest during family pictures... those to come as soon as we get them... Can't wait.)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

Blake's visit with Santa... this was taken a few weeks ago

Christmas morning... his outfit says " Mommy and Daddy's favorite gift is ME"

We had such a great Christmas.... we were able to be joined by Dan's mom and dad; Mike and Holly. We had a great Christmas Eve dinner and night with just the 5 of us... and then Christmas day we went over to my parent's house and enjoyed Christmas as a larger extended family. Of course the shirt was true and our most precious gift, besides the Saviour, is the blessing of having Blake join our family. It really will be hard to top this Christmas. It is amazing to have him in our home we can't wait for the future when he gets to enjoy the excitment of Christmas.

We are blessed with amazing parents and family and we are thankful that this year we were able to spend Christmas with both of our families all at the same time. This Christmas it was all about a baby... Baby Blake...and hopefully Baby Jesus!

Painting Party

2009-12-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

We finally decided to paint Blake's room! We have had his furniture for a while now so that was nice, and we actually had his bedding too but we never got around to actually painting the room. Well Blake is here now and we decided it might be nice to actually decorate the room and make him feel welcome here in our home.

I had the idea in my mind and knew what I wanted the room to look like but you never quite know what it is going to look like for sure.... I think it came out pretty close to the picture in my mind. We wanted to have some design/fun on the walls but wanted it to be easy to do so...that is where the circles came into play.

We still have a few things left to do... window valances, cushions on the rocking chair, a few pictures on the walls...but overall it is complete and we like it and actually feel like Blake likes it too. He looks around the room when we are in there and stares at the red circles on the walls...

Trying out tummy time

2009-12-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

Tummy time is not really your favorite time of day but your are getting a little better at it and enjoying it more and more every time. You are getting stronger and stronger and gaining much more control of your head.. You don't get the concept of rolling over yet..but that will come for sure. You do like your toys, especially the ones that make noise and sing to you and you are learning to follow them and watch them. Either way, you are too cute and fun to just lay with and watch.

One Month Blake!

2009-12-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Dec. 6, 2009

One Month Old

Where has the time gone?! We can't believe that you are already a month old... You are growing and changing so much and we love you more each day... if that is even possible. It is so wonderful having you in our home and we can't be more happy that you have joined our family, especially during this time. You have pretty much met everyone now... It has been a busy month! We went to AZ to meet the Urbancic family for Thanksgiving, and just got back from CA where you met the Cox side of the family. There are still a few more family members that you need to meet and of course you need to go to Utah where you have tons of people waiting to se you.. but that will all happen with time.

We want to remember what you are doing right now so....

* You are still not sleeping through the night and while we love you to pieces we are counting the days until that starts to happen!

* We are watching your eyelashes grow... Mom noticed it first and then they just started to keep growin and growing and now they are long and beautiful... the girls will all be jealous!

* You don't really like your baths, but you are getting better.

* You have outgrown your bassinette and are now sleeping in your "pack 'n play", but still in our room.

* We had the first home visit with your social worker and all is well there. YEAH! 5 more to go.

* You are eating about 4oz. every 3-4 hours... and definitely growing.

* At your one month check up you weighed 9.4lbs and were 21.5in long... way to go, big man!

Over all...mommy and daddy.. and a ton of other people love you and we are all glad you are FINALLY here!

California Christmas 2009

2009-12-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas party in California with family and friends once again this year. This is a great tradition and so much fun to get together at least once a year with people that we don't get to see since we have moved over to Las Vegas. This year of course was a little extra special because we were bringing a new member of the family and everyone was excited to meet Blake. This was also the first time that my brother Robert, sister-in-law Lisa and the girls; Morgan and McKenna all had a chance to meet Blake as well.

Ward Shower

2009-12-01T22:34:00.000-08:00

Two special ladies in the ward were so kind to throw a "welcome party" for Blake and it was great. So many people came out to say hello and shower us with gifts for our new little bundle of joy... It was a great night and we could feel the love that our ward has for us and for Blake... Blake is definitely the ward's baby and we love it!

We are soooo Thankful

2009-11-29T23:12:00.000-08:00

We were able to travel to AZ to spend Thanksgiving with most of Dan's family this year. We had a great time. This year our hearts are overflowing with gratitude... Times have been tough in our family but with the blessing of Blake things seem to be a little easier and we know it will all work out. He is just such a joy and we are all so thankful to have him in our lives and in our family.

We are also thankful for each other, the Gospel in our lives, our health, and everyday things that we are able to enjoy. Our lives really are wonderful!

Shower time

2009-11-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

The ladies at my mom's card class wanted to help welcome Blake to the family by throwing a small shower... They were very sweet. We had cake and opened presents (after we made cards of course), on Friday night. It was fun and they were so fun to watch too. We passed around the gifts and they just oohed and aahed over Blake. He is one loved little boy!

Blake came away with some great stuff and now he doesn't have to wear the same clothes every day... He is going to be looking good!

Happy, Happy Birthday

2009-11-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

This year my birthday pretty much just came and went with all the excitement of our new arrival but I didn't mind... I was actually okay with no one really noticing that I had turned "29"... Dan did bring home roses and they were beautiful.

It was a great day though I was able to spend it with my two favorite boys and that was the most important thing. I had a fabulous day and I felt loved! Happy Birthday to me!

The WHOLE story

2009-11-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

I know people have been waiting to hear the WHOLE story about Blake but honestly there really isn't a lot of story to tell... We had exactly 26 hours to get ourselves ready! Yeah... pretty scary right?!

So... there is a little bit of background so here we go.

Most of you know we have been waiting for a while now on this crazy journey of adoption but how long... We had a few meetings and things with LDS Family Services but we were "officially" an approved couple since 9/20/07... yeah, it had been a long wait. We honestly didn't really have a lot of things happen during the two years. Some people have "close calls", some people have contact with multiple birth mothers, some have failed placements, we didn't have any of the above. I am actually glad that we didn't. I know that the waiting was hard but I am not sure that I would have been able to handle a failed placement or thinking that each time I was contacted by a birth mother that "this time it was going to happen". So I liked the idea that "no news was good news', even though two years of silence was awfully hard to take.

So... fast forward and here we are on Saturday, November 7th. I am at Super Saturday at the church and Dan is at a service project with church as well. Dan's elder's quorum president gets a call from his wife who happens to be a nurse in the NICU. She is asking us for our caseworkers phone number. Some might see this as a total sign, but she has done this before and nothing has happened. We have also known of other babies that have been born before and nothing has happened. And, after being around for two years we don't really expect much. Not that we had lost hope... but we just didn't think that every time we heard of a baby automatically assumed it was OUR baby! So... Dan gave her the number and that was all.

Sunday was our big adoption/foster care fireside. We headed to the chapel and our caseworker Brad was there. We held the fireside and everything was very normal. We did speak with him and did mention the little baby that was born on "Saturday". We were just checking to make sure he had made contact and that everything was okay. He said he had contacted the social worker at the hospital and he even showed us a picture of a new little baby boy and said there was going to be a placement on Tuesday. But... he also said he was going to be leaving early in the morning to head to Kansas City. As he left the building he said he would "be in touch". None of this was out of the ordinary because after all we are the FSA Co-chairs and it is National Adoption Month and we are in touch with Brad a lot and we have another big activity on the 21st of the month.

So... I didn't sleep very well Sunday night because I just couldn't get this little guy out of my head. I didn't look at his picture that Brad tried to show us because I was too scared. I didn't want to see him and fall in love and then not get a call, but something kept me up all night thinking... "what if that is our son?"

Monday... Dan went to work as normal. I got up and started my day as normal. 11:00am came and everything changed. Rick Perry the agency director called. He started talking about the fireside the night before but I knew there had to be another reason he was calling. He then started talking about a little baby that was born on Friday. He then said that Brad had left word that they should call us and that this baby should be placed with our family if we so desired. WHAT? Could this really be happening? Rick is no longer working on the adoption side of things so really didn't have much more information. He honestly didn't even know if is was a boy or a girl and I didn't know if I was suppose to say... so I didn't! He said he would find out more information and have RoseMay call me back. She was the social worker who had talked with the birth mother.

We hung up... I of course called Dan and told him what had happened. A few minutes later RoseMay called me and gave me more information about the baby. She told me a little baby boy had been born on Friday and was already released from the hospital. She said he was healthy and just waiting for a family. She said she too didn't have a ton of information but did provide some additional help and answered questions for me. She told me we had to give her an decision by 2:00pm and if our answer was "yes" we would be picking him up at the LDS Family Services office the next day at 1:00pm.

I then called Dan back, relayed the info she had given me... and took only a few seconds to know this was to be our son. We called her back and made the arrangements to go and pick him up the very next day.

That night was a whirlwind. We had nothing. We had to go out and buy a few little things, but I didn't want to go overboard. I was still skeptical. I wanted to be sure I had that little guy in my arms before I told anyone and before I had too many things. I wanted to know this was real.

Tuesday, November 10th at 1:00pm we walked into the LDS Family Services office as Dan and Aranne and by 2:00pm we walked out a family of three! Adoption is amazing and the Lord has His hand in all steps. We are so excited and so thankful for our friends and family and their love and support for us over the past two years and especially right now. Our hearts are full!

Weekend Wrap-Up: A busy weekend

2009-11-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a lot different than last, that is for sure! Well... since the big news on Tuesday Auntie Laura decided she had to make a trip to Vegas to meet the newest member of the family. Robert, Lisa and the girls were going to come as well but a bug hit the family and so it was decided best that they not come this weekend. That was a bummer but we know we will see them soon and they will have a chance to meet Blake, besides... he isn't going anywhere!

So... we spent the weekend hanging out with Auntie Laura and getting to know Grandpa Al a little better too!

Blake also got his first rub down... not a real bath since we are still waiting for his cord to fall off (which did this morning actually!) He was a great sport. He a few loud screams but not too bad. He was also able to sport a great mohawk afterwards and that was awesome.

We also went and registered at Babies R' Us and picked up a car seat/stroller.. figured he probably needed one of those (we had borrowed the one we picked him up in).

Sunday was topped off with Blake's first Steeler's football game. We lost but that is okay... it was still a great family event.

On a side note... He is a great sleeper and eats good too. Again we are just so blessed to have him in our home and so excited to be Blake's parents. We know he won't always be glad we are his mom and dad... but he will just have to deal with it!

New Addition

2009-11-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

We had a new addition to our family today and we could not be more excited... We want to introduce everyone to our new son... Blake Aaron Urbancic... He was born on Friday, Nov. 6th at 9:11pm and weighed 7lbs 12oz and was 18.5in long...

We have been waiting a long time for him to join our family but could not be more excited about his arrival. We wanted to share a few pictures with you but will share the rest of his story in the days to come....

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

What a weekend.... I think I learned that things don't always go as planned!

Friday I was still not feeling great... Thursday was NOT a good day. I had a terrible migraine. I mean a really bad one. I ended up at my doctor's office to get a shot and I hadn't done that in a LONG time. So needless to say Friday I still wasn't feeling fantastic. I had a lot of things I wanted to get done and needed to get done...but people had other plans. It wasn't a bad thing really. We ended up going to a local high school football game and then out to dinner after. It was fun.

Saturday morning there was an adoption 5K charity run waaaay on the other side of town and I really wanted to go, BUT I was suppose to be helping out at our ward's Super Saturday. The run started at 9 and our activity started at 10... So you do the math?! I can't run that fast! I had to make a tough decision because I really wanted to do the run, but I had committed to helping a few weeks ago so I went to Super Saturday. The classes were great and then it came to my class (card making). I had all my cards ready to go but people's bellies were talking to them and many choose to have lunch instead of make cards so I ended up with a lot of cards not done when I got home. A little disappointing especially since I really wanted to be at that 5K run!

Then as it turns out when I get home my sweet hubby is outside digging in the dirt and tells me we have no water... just a nice leak instead. WHAT? We were suppose to do this, and this, and this... not have to fix a water leak all day! Oh well... Life goes on...

Sunday turned out great though. We were helping out with the FSA adoption and foster care fireside for the valley. We were nervous because we didn't know how many people to expect, what to expect from the speakers, or anything really. But the night was a success. Everything went off really well. The speakers were great. There was a great turnout and the night was just perfect.

Families Supporting Adoption

2009-11-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

A lot of people ask me now that I work completely from home.... "What do you do all day?", or "Are you bored?", or "How do you stay busy?".... well the biggest answer to all of these questions is usually FSA!

I am so excited that we started our adoption process at the time that we did, and got in with the group of couples that we did and have the idea to raise our hand and say that we would help out with that first activity, because that has helped us out in so many ways.

I spend a lot of time, probably a little too much, working on FSA projects, thinking of things we can do in the future, trying to make things run smoothly, organizing the activities, writing the blog over at www.nevadafsa.blogspot.com, planning the next meeting, you know... all of the behind the scenes kinda stuff.... and I LOVE IT! It keeps me involved, keeps me inspired, gives me hope, and reminds me of the miracles that happen through adoption, because of adoption and that will one day happen for us.

I really am grateful for the support network of Families SUPPORTING adoption and hope to continue to be a part of it for years to come (hopefully this means after we have been placed with a little one of our own!).

November has arrived

2009-11-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

November is here and it is for sure my favorite month... It is my birthday, Thanksgiving, the weather gets cooler and we get to pull out the sweatshirts, and most importantly it is National Adoption Month and we are able to bring adoption to the front of people's minds. I love this opportunity. I wish it came about more often!

"The 2009 National Adoption Month Theme

This years theme is "Answering the Call - You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent. There are thousands of teens in foster care who would love to put up with you."

This year's theme of adopting teens from foster care builds on the Ad Council's new public service announcement (PSA) campaign of the Children's Bureau, the Adoption Exchange Association, and The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids.

The main focus of National Adoption Month has been and continues to be foster care adoptions. There are approximately 129,000 children in foster care in the United States waiting for adoptive homes.

There is a strong need for adoptive families for older children, teens, children of color and sibling groups. The 2009 focus is more toward the African American community."
From About.com

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a great Halloween and enjoys the Trick or Treaters... My father-in-law sent me a cute story and I thought I would share it with you as you celebrate the day....

"A Halloween Tale

Bob and Betty Hill were vacationing in Europe, as it happens, near Transylvania. As they were driving along a rather deserted highway, it was late and raining very hard. Bob could barely see the road in front of the car. Suddenly the car skids out of control! Bob attempts to control the car, but to no avail! The car swerves and smashes into a tree.

Moments later, Bob shakes his head to clear the fog. Dazed, he looks over to see his wife unconscious, with her head bleeding! Despite the rain and unfamiliar countryside, Bob knows he has to get her to medical assistance. He carefully picks her up and begins trudging down the road. After a short while, he sees a light and heads towards it, which is coming from a large, old house.

He approaches the door and knocks. A minute passes. A small, hunched man opens the door. Bob immediately explains, "Hello, my name is Bob Hill, and this is my wife Betty. We've been in a terrible accident, and my wife has been seriously hurt. Can I please use your phone?"

"I'm sorry," replied the hunchback, "but we don't have a phone. My master is a doctor; come in and I will get him!" Bob brings his wife in.

An older man comes down the stairs. "I'm afraid my assistant may have misled you. I am not a medical doctor; I am a scientist. However, it’s many miles to the nearest clinic, and I have had basic medical training. I will see what I can do. Igor, bring them down to the laboratory."

Igor picks up Betty and carries her downstairs, with Bob following closely behind. Igor places Betty on a table in the lab. Bob collapses from exhaustion and his own injuries, so Igor places Bob on an adjoining table.

After a brief examination, Igor's master looks worried. "Things are serious, Igor. Prepare a transfusion." Igor and his master work feverishly, but to no avail. Bob and Betty are no more.

The Hills' deaths upset Igor's master greatly. Wearily, he climbs the steps to his conservatory, which houses his grand organ. For it is here that he has always found solace. He begins to play, and a stirring, almost haunting melody fills the house.

Meanwhile, Igor is still in the lab tidying up. His eyes catch movement, and he notices the fingers on Betty's hand twitch, keeping time to the haunting music. Stunned, he watches as Bob's arm begins to rise, marking the beat! He is further amazed as Betty and Bob both sit up straight!

Unable to contain himself, he dashes up the stairs to the conservatory.

He bursts in and shouts to his master:

"Master, Master!

The Hills are alive,
with the sound of music !"

Knott's Scary Farm Weekend

2009-10-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much the best place to go for Halloween. I have been going here since I was in high school... They still do the same things and it still scares me! My heart pounds at just the thought of going but every year I decide I want to make the trip to California to go to Knott's Scary Farm and every year I have a blast!

I have learned that the more scared you ~~act~~ are the more the creatures/monsters come after you... so I try really hard to not scream! Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This year I was able to actually get some pictures with them.... I think it was because I was there with Cindy who just talked to them all and Brian who is 6'5" and they were scared of him....

Visiting our German Friends....

2009-10-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Karen and Aranne in Weisbaden at the ~~warm~~ Hot Springs that are just in the center of town....

Dan and Aranne in the old Downtown part of Frankfurt

The castle that we stopped at and took a tour of while in the Rhineland

The Mende family!! Philip, Karen, Emilie and Annemarie... This was on the ferry that we took across the river to the castle

Dan and Aranne in the beautiful Rhineland wine country

Overall we had a great time in Germany. We were able to spend time with Karen and her family (the girls were hilarious and so much fun). We were also able to have wonderful food. Karen cooked for us everyday! We were spoiled. We also saw the intimate city where they live of Weisbaden but were able to go into Frankfurt and see the sights there as well.

We had a great trip from start to finish. The time went by too fast of course and we didn't get to see everything, but we had wonderful weather, great time with friends we consider family and experiences that we will never forget. We hope to be able to go back again, and again and again!!!!

Less than 24 hours in Paris

2009-10-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

So with less than 24 hours in Paris... what were we going to do? Well... as soon as the train stopped we pretty much hit the ground running, that is what we did!

We had made a list of things that we wanted to try to see and knew we would only be able to see a few of them. Overall I think we did a pretty good job, considering the traffic (never complain about traffic unless you have been to Paris and seen what they deal with - CRAZY!), and the fact that we don't speak a lick of French and had no idea where we were going and started our 24 hours at 2pm!

We were able to spend some time in the Louvre Museum which was amazing but really should have been a few days itself! We walked about near the river Siene and saw the street vendors and enjoyed the beautiful weather we lucked out on that day. We headed to Notre Dame Cathedral and were greeted with some singers outside. We saw the Moulin Rouge, and when I say saw I only mean the outside! We walked through the park just on the outskirts of the Eiffel Tower and then had crepes and were able to be there just in time for them to turn on the lights and see it in all its glory. Really a sight to see in person.

It was a great day! Busy, but one we for sure won't forget and one that was worth the business of the train trip and the extra stop on our way to Germany.

A little bit of London..and MORE

2009-10-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

My first agenda in London was to go and see BIG BEN... of course! Everyone knows I am a huge Steelers fan and their quarterback is "Big Ben" so I had to see the real thing...

We also took a trip to Harrods and did a little shopping. That place is crazy. Five stories high and a complete city block. There are restaurants, a grocery store, any kind of clothes you could need, you can buy ANYTHING you can think of, at any price.

Dan and I also took a day and ventured out of the city a little bit to do a little more sightseeing. We jumped on a big red bus and went out to see Stonehenge, the ancient city of Bath, and also Salisbury. All three were beautiful and amazing.

Stonehenge - obviously

At the Roman Baths... thought to be healing but realized that the pool was lined with lead and was killing them! Oops!

The Salisbury Cathedral.... Simply breathtaking!

We had a great time in London. I had lots of "firsts" actually. First time on an Underground..or subway. First time on a tour group. First time seeing all of these sights of course. First time in a castle.

We left London and were headed for Paris...via Train (another first) and there were more firsts waiting for me there!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Sims

2009-10-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

The wedding was such a great day. The weather was perfect. Lina looked beautiful. Everything ran smooth. I don't think you could have asked for a better outcome.

It was the reason for our trip and what a great reason. It was so great to be there and to share in the day. It was also special for Lina that my dad was able to come and be a part in the wedding. My dad was able to walk her sister Hanna down the aisle when she was married and he was able to do that for her as well since their dad has passed away. This is a big honor for my dad but feel like we are family anyway.

It was a fun day and also fun to watch the English and Swedish traditions join together. Gary is a great guy and it is great to get to know him better. He just better treat our Lina right....

Europe.... Part I - Windsor

2009-10-01T06:54:00.001-07:00

(Windsor Castle)

Okay... So I am sure that everyone is going to get sick of seeing all our pictures from our trip to Europe but this is mostly for us and our families since they all want to see pictures and this is the easiest, fastest way to do so. I will try not to put too many pictures up, but just a few to give you a good idea of what we did and what we saw while we were away....

Our first stop was Windsor/Beaconsfield England... the site of the wedding we were there to attend. It was great. I loved it! The hotel was great. It actually was an old castle where they had filmed several Dracula movies and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cool, huh?! We had a chance to see the Windsor Castle, do a little shopping and just hang out at Gary and Lina's house for a bit. We were here from 9/17 when we arrived in England until the day after the wedding on 9/20/09.

(Windsor Castle)

(Oakley Court - Our hotel...where reception was held)

So You Think ELLEN Can Dance

2009-09-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

This was a great way to kick off the new Ellen season. I think she is great and I think she did an awesome job... Love SYTYCD, love Tabitha and Napoleon who choreographed the dance and love Ellen!

Labor Day Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Mike and Holly arrived late Friday night but that didn't stop us from waking up early Saturday morning and heading to the lake. We were at water's edge by 7:30am. It was a great day and the water and weather were very cooperative (much better than last time we took them out!).

We did have one strange experience though... We found a dog swimming out in the middle of the lake. We rescued him and took him back to the pier. It was crazy to see this dog just swimming, and swimming. We called it in but he did have tags so that was a good sign! Crazy thing to find in the middle of the lake though.

Relaxing the day away was niiiice!

Mike and Holly getting a few trips out on the skiis.

After cleaning up from time at the lake we went for a little bit of shopping and then some dinner at PF Changs. Then it was out to the big show. We were able to get tickets to take the parents to see Barry Manilow and they were very excited.

Us with our Manilow glow sticks... helps make the show more exciting I guess!

They enjoyed the show and that was the point.

Sunday we were able to relax a little bit. Went to church where I received a new calling. I am not officially in YW and am the Secretary. I am excited to work with the girls again. I enjoyed them so much at Camp and can't wait to see their smiling faces every week. After church we hung out at home and then had a BBQ with both sets of parents. What a great way to end a fun weekend. It was sad to see them have to leave on Monday but all good things have to come to an end I guess and we all had to return to real life... no fun!

B-Ball

2009-09-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate the last days of summer and the last game of the Las Vegas 51s season with a night out at the ballpark. It was a fun night and we had a good time... even better that the 51s actually won!

It was Brian, Cindy, Dan and Aranne.... Go 51s!

Weekend Wrap-Up... Calling all Race Fans

2009-08-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

We had another kind of relaxing weekend... Sort of strange for us, but we are not complaining.

Friday night Dan and his fellow Elder's Quorum buddies were in charge of a Ward Party... They choose to have a pinewood derby throw-down! It turned out to be a lot of fun and brought out tons of people. There was a lot of fun and there were races going all evening long. Good times!

Saturday we actually just relaxed in the morning and then hung out with some friends in the evening. Dan did some boxing and I did some scrapbooking. A pretty perfect afternoon, and then we all went out for dinner.

Sunday was Stake Conference and we headed over to mom and dad's for some BBQ to top it off!

Picture Perfect Weekend

2009-08-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend... We started off with a concert poolside at the Hard Rock on Friday night. We headed out and were able to join some friends and just relaxed and listened to some music. I will have to admit the best part was people watching. Concerts, pools, music, and alcohol sometimes bring out some crazy people... and it makes the best kind of people watching. Too FUN!

Saturday morning we headed to Lake Las Vegas for a fun photo shoot. Now... we have not had pictures taken for a LONG time. You just don't take pictures that often when it is just the two of you. A friend and fellow FSA member is building her business (Marissa d photography) and offered to take some pictures for us. It was really fun and we were able to get some cute pictures.

She is still working on the rest of the editing and such (she has her work cut out to help us look fabulous) but I am excited to have some updated pictures finally!

BUTTON?!

2009-08-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

So... while we were at the adoption convention and the week to follow I have made a new friend... an amazingly talented new friend who out of the kindness of her heart decided that she wanted to help us on our journey of adoption. She created this new "button" for us to use on our blog and for any of our friends to use as well.

I know I have already called in a huge favor before and asked anyone out there to please post about us or to put a little "snippet" about us on their sidebar but I am here again.... If you would be so kind and just "grab our button" and stick it on your blog that would be awesome! We really are trying to do all that we can to get our name out there and try to reach as many people as possible in hopes of finding our birthmom.

So... go on.... get grabbing!

Thanks for all of your support and thanks to Meka for this great button!