Learn To Laugh

Mario Kart Birthday

2012-02-08T21:04:00.009-07:00

So, my baby had another birthday. Trey turned 5 on January 8th and waited all year to have a Mario Kart birthday party. Not just plain Mario...Mario Kart. I've done alot of parties but this was one of my favorites. The theme was so much fun! I had so many ideas swirling around in my head and dangit I couldn't do all of them. For the invitations I made Pit Passes. So much work but so fun and SO cute. Trey of course was the crew chief.

I seriously could've decorated forever and could've spent so much money. Mario Kart has so many characters and colors, not to mention race cars which Trey loves. I did what I could for as inexpensive as I could and it turned out cute. Here's a few pics.

For the games we had a Yoshi egg race and played Mario Kart Bingo.

Nash watching the excitement.

We couldn't have survived the craziness without our sweet helper Bailee.Trey got so many gifts! With Christmas being 2 weeks before...what on earth can one boy do with so many new things all at once?! Yet with all the toys, what was he most excited about? Oh yeah, the gobstoppers!

Trey covering his eyes waiting for his new bike.

After the mounds of gifts were opened we had cupcakes and ice cream. Chocolate of course. I made the cupcakes into the mushroom characters from the game.

I sent the friends home with question mark goodie bags. When they played Bingo the kids had chances to earn chocolate gold coins to add to their bags.

Trey's actual birthday was on a Sunday. My handsome boy trying out his new bike before church.

After church he did one of his favorite things. Watching football with daddy. Could there be a better birthday?

Damon had tons and tons of transformers as a kid and we gave them to Trey as another gift. Who's having the most fun? Tough to tell.

The gift Bailee and Nash picked out for him ended being one of his favorites.

That night we had one more party at Damon's parents house. I told Trey that with all his presents there could be no way he could ever be bored again. His response: "Oh I will, mom!" And he actually has. Crazy.

So here he is. At the end of his birthday all ready to go to bed. My 5 year old. How the time flies! Isn't he so handsome!

And even though he's 5 and such a big boy now, he's not too old to snuggle up with bunny and teddy, want to be tucked in, and still has to have kisses from mom and dad before he can fall asleep. Soak it up while I can.

How can I begin to describe how much I love this boy and how grateful I am to have him in our life? Here's some of the things that I treasure about my Trey:

No one can give a compliment like him. Or a hug. He is always so concerned about making me feel good. "Mommy, are you happy?" "Mommy, you look so pretty." "You're the best mommy in the world." Hope I'm deserving of his sweetness.
How he has little secrets about how he can make Nash so happy. He has sworn me to secrecy so enough said.
How much he loves football. How the living room is his football field. I had no idea how much I would love having boys. I'll be in the kitchen cooking, doing or dishes or whatever, and the time flies by cause I can watch Trey out of the corner of my eye taking down the Utah Utes or Patriots, or whoever he's playing against that day.
Everywhere I go... "Oh so your Trey's mom? I hear about Trey all the time." "That's Trey? So and so talks about him all the time!" "So who are you? Oh so you're Trey's mom!" Trey is just such a fun kids to be around. His days are booked from the start of the week with friends planning on playing with him. Then there's the kids who show up at the door crying cause Trey's already got a friend over and they only want to play with him. This is almost every day. And my kid is already telling me stories about girls that won't leave him alone. Ok, so just bear with the bragging. I love how he has so many great friends. I'm a proud mom and unbelievably blessed.
The kid makes me laugh. And laugh. And everyone else laugh. You can always tell when Trey's nearby cause there's laughter all around.
I ask Trey a couple times a year if he still likes his hair and offer to have it cut short. Just to make sure the cut is still what he wants. Last time I asked he said "no, because I just want to look like me." Love that he's happy being Trey.
I could go on forever. The fact is that I love my Trey man. Happy Birthday, buddy. So blessed to have you as my son!

New Years Eve

2012-02-08T20:41:00.002-07:00

We had a super duper FUN New Year's Eve! We had friends over for hours of food, games, and celebrating. As the night got later, all the kids got more and more hyper. (Especially my kids.) Ok, the adults got a little hyper too. But it was a blast!

And the highlight of the night!

Happy 2012 everyone!

Christmas 2011

2012-02-04T19:47:00.012-07:00

Crazy for Christmas!

So, another Christmas has come and gone. The season seemed to fly by way too fast. I just wanted to soak up the Christmas Spirit without being too crazy busy. I asked the kids what their favorite things about Christmas are; what comes to mind when they picture Christmas and the things they can't do without: Hot chocolate. Fireplace. Christmas family home evenings. Service jar. Christmas music. Putting up the Christmas decorations. I decided that these things were to come first and veto anything else that may stand in the way. Neighborhood gifts were store bought and simple. We skipped Christmas parties that were on hectic days. We said no to people. Every year I say I won't do a Christmas project and not one year...NOT ONE...have I followed my own advice. My project was a little stressful but other than that the Christmas season was slower-paced than normal. More special than ever. The days weren't packed quite as full. And it was Nash's first Christmas. So perfect.

To start the Christmas season Bailee had the PERFECT ballet Christmas recital. It was held during her regular class hour and they showed the parents just one dance and then technique they were working on. Genius teacher.

Bailee performed with the 4th graders at the annual Christmas school sing. So cute!
Now here's an example of what I wanted to see this Christmas season. Moments like this...my boys sitting on the couch after getting home from Bailee's Christmas sing, Trey reading to his baby brother, Nash completely enthralled. Taking time to enjoy each other.

For Christmas eve we went to Damon's parents house for the family party. Lots of laughs, singing, and of course presents.

The nativity. Nash was not being very cooperative and didn't seem to want to be baby Jesus.

Hooray for new Christmas pajamas!

And hooray for PRESENTS!

Celebrating Jesus' birthday!

Ready for bed!

And the morning finally came. The kids checking to see if Santa ate his treats.

Oldest to youngest. Bailee had asked for Monster High stuff and Monster High stuff she most definitely received...and a ton of other loot.

Here's the big project I was began working on only a few weeks before Christmas. I began Bailee's baby book right after she was born, slowly added to it for a few years, and then never finished. I thought I only had the finishing touches left but I was wrong. I worked on it every night until a couple days before Christmas when it was finally finished. I added alot to it, including letters from her daddy and me. She was so excited when she saw it and couldn't put it down. So worth the work!

Trey made things a little more difficult for Santa. He changed his mind daily about what he wanted. However, he always kept going back to asking for a hot wheels race track. Trey raked in the toys this Christmas!

As soon as the Christmas season begins the kids start working on their chore charts to earn money to buy gifts for each other. The kids work incredibly hard on this and put alot of thought into the gifts. It's amazing how much more involved they are in the gift buying when they work for several weeks to earn to money. When they watch each other open their gifts it's priceless.

Damon pulled down all his old toys from his parents attic a couple months before Christmas. The bed of our truck was full of toys. Completely full! We decided to give Trey most of them for Christmas. Damon was like a little kid...so dang excited to see Trey play with all his G. I. Joes, cars, jets, etc, etc, etc. I pulled out the video camera to catch Trey's reaction and it was a blast. We don't have a digital camcorder but when I transfer it to a DVD I'll have to post it. I obviously couldn't wrap all the toys so I wrapped this note and put it under the tree.

Merry Christmas to our boy! It’s time for you to find your toy.

Up the stairs and down the hall. A few steps past the bathroom stall.

Through your door and past your bed. Now listen, Trey, to what I’ve said.

Open your closet and you will find a gift that will just blow your mind.

From mom and dad we give our lad this gift that once belonged to dad.

We hope you enjoy it, we really do. Because let’s face it; we love you!

Now go get your gift…run as fast as you can.

Merry merry Christmas to our precious Trey man!

After we read it to him he ran screaming up the stairs, opened his closet doors, paused, then fell to the floor pretending to faint. Priceless!

Nash just quietly observed the whole day. So many toys, so many helping hands. So much fun.
Remember this picture from last year? The stuff Santa left to tell the kids that we were going to have a baby? Wow...how time flies!

Nash's favorite new toy.

Some of Nash's loot.

Tired boy.

Of course a chunk of the day had to be spent playing all the new electronic games. Duh!

Christmas this year was on a Sunday. I enjoy having church on Christmas but was not looking forward to being there by 9am. The kids opened up their new church clothes after seeing what Santa left, then we saved the rest for later in the day. As I sat there in Sacrament meeting I thought how nice it would be to have church every Christmas. The Spirit was so strong all day.

The kids all dressed up for Jesus' birthday.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Christmas Card Pics

2011-12-04T22:09:00.007-07:00

Here's some random pictures I took for this years Christmas card. Just thought I would share the cuteness.

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-04T20:16:00.004-07:00

So, this year I was super excited about my Christmas card idea. After it was done I ordered one from Walmart to make sure it looked ok before I ordered the rest. The colors didn't look good, they cut the card crooked, and after 2 days of trying to upload the cards on their site to edit them, I finally went in to try and do it in the store. They were completely unwilling to help and told me to check the site in a couple weeks. Stupid Walmart. Had I known that would happen I would've used pictures from a previous photo shoot instead of doing an entire new one. Waste of time. I'm so done using Walmart photo center. I gave up on my Christmas card idea and did another one. It still ended up darling. Next year I'll just try to keep things as simple as possible. Here's the finished product and Christmas letter.

Here's the Christmas card I worked forever on but Walmart apparently could only print ONE.
No denying it though...cute family!

DAMON AND ORA

Wow, what an amazing year…a year where we’ve been reminded once again of our overflowing blessings! Damon and I celebrate our wedding anniversary on December 18^th. 12 years! Time is flying by! Damon is loving his job at Zenger Folkman and I am loving being home chasing the kids around all day. Our lives are busy busy busy but we love it. I feel we are blessed beyond my wildest dreams. We thought we had the world with our 2 kids, yet didn’t know it could be even greater…baby # 3 to make everything even more perfect. We welcomed Nash McKay into our family on August 22^ndand he is amazing! He weighed 6 lbs 1 oz and was 18 inches long. Perfect. I love how he fits perfectly into our family. I love how Damon can make him laugh so hard. How he nuzzles his head under my chin and holds onto my hair. How Bailee can comfort him better than even his parents. How he can watch Trey play cars forever. It’s all amazing. I could go on forever, but don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll just let the kids do that for me.

BAILEE

My name is Bailee. I’m in 4^th grade and I am 9 1/2 years old! My favorite color is pink. I like holding my baby brother. I also like to ride bikes with Trey. I love to play with Monster High. I like to jump off swings and jump rope. I like to hang out with friends. I love school. I dance and do tumbling. I have the same ballet teacher that my mom had when she was a little girl. What I love about Christmas is going downstairs in the morning and opening up my presents and then hanging out with my family.

TREY

I love Nash. It’s about to be next Christmas. I love my hot wheels and I love my puzzles and I love my mommy. I love my daddy and he tickles me. I love my sister. I love playing with friends. I love doing centers in preschool. I am 4 years old and I am almost 5. My favorite thing to play is video games and football. I love setting up the Christmas tree and putting on the balls. This is my last words. (Translation. “I’m done with this, mom."

NASH

Hey! My name is Nash. AKA Nashy, Nashy Poo, or Nasher Smasher. Since I’m new around here my mom has to write this for me. Things have been pretty awesome, I have to admit. I am what you would call the center of attention. Yeah, I’m spoiled to death. I love to be held but I’m making things a little too easy on my parents because of how much I love my swing. Oh yeah, and my crib. I’ll sleep up to 13 hours at night, sometimes waking up for a bottle, sometimes not. I thought my mom needed a little reminder last night who was the boss around here, so I made her get up twice. Just had to shake things up a bit. My brother and sister ore pretty great. They fight over me, play toys with me, sing me songs, even dance around the room just to keep me smiling. We’ll see how long they can keep this up. It’s pretty sweet. My favorite thing in the world (other than ice cream on my binky), is snuggling. I know I’m supposed to be a man and all, but seriously, snuggling is the best. Ahhhh, life is just plain good.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, the Argyle family

www.learntolaughargyle.blogspot.com

Thankful Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T15:32:00.006-07:00

My thankful list:

* Damon. I'm thankful that after 12 years of marriage we still love each other and want to spend eternity together. He makes me laugh every day and never takes anything too seriously. Don't think I could spend my life with someone who was super serious.
* Bailee. My princess. I'm so thankful for her. Heavenly Father knew I couldn't survive this life without having a daughter. I love how she's so much fun, such a hard worker, and so concerned about those around her. My sweetie.
* Trey. My buddy. He is my little shadow...always wanting to be next to me and complimenting me every second. I love how he is 100% boy and attracts friends like flies. He is so easy to get along with, and other than his wanting to wrestle everyone in sight, never causes a problem.
* Nash. My sweet baby. I am so completely and totally smitten by my little baby boy. I love how he is so content. Just chill. I love how big his mouth gets when he's happy. Can't imagine our life without him.
* Damon's job. So many people don't have jobs and I'm so grateful for Damon's. Not only is it a job, but it's a job that he loves. He's with good people all day and is appreciated for all his hard work. When it comes to his job, Damon gives 110%. I love that about him. It has taken 4 employees to take over his job at Ogio!
* Being a stay at home mom. I consider this one of the greatest blessings in my life. I'm also grateful I worked for a while when Bailee was younger so I can appreciate being home even more. I can't imagine not being there for Bailee when she struggles with her homework. Not being there for Trey when the crowd of friends form at the door wanting to play. Missing his sweet compliments throughout the day. I can't imagine missing one second of Nash. I hate how fast time is flying, but I love each of the baby phases and am so excited to see every one of them. I have no judgements whatsoever to mothers who work. I'm just grateful .
*The gospel. I would have nothing without this greatest blessing. Even when I question things, I still know I can't doubt it's truth. There are many situations in my life where my testimony has been strengthened. I'm grateful for the atonement, the power of prayer, the prophet, the scriptures, etc, etc, etc...and all that is part of the gospel.
* Mari. I'm grateful for and love all my siblings. Laura, Autumn, Mari, and John...Damon's siblings too. But Mari and I have a unique relationship. The girl has seriously done so much for me. Listened to my chit-chatting every day on the phone, done many sewing projects for my family and friends, done many photography projects for me, babysat for me, etc, etc. There is no one that knows me more than Damon, but there is no one that understands me better than her. I've tried to do some projects on my own, but seriously, it always sucks in comparison.
*Friends. I've been blessed with some amazing friends in my life. Each one entering my life at the perfect time. Some I've kept in touch with and some not. But here are the relationships that really stand out in my mind as ones handed to me by Christ himself EXACTLY when I needed them. Seriously. Katie Hyde, Todd Piquet, Heidi Smith, Annie Draper, Amanda Riggs, Jalaire Terry, and Cari Greer.
* Our country. Sometimes I wonder what on earth makes me deserve to be here, in a free country, in the gospel, with the family I've been given...when others don't have any of those things. Without our country I may not have our home, our freedom, our education, modern medicine, the amazing men and women who serve our country, etc. This may come as quite a shock to some of you, but had I not gotten married, I think I may have joined the army. (I've told Damon that but he doesn't believe me.) Yes, I know that I love being super girly, clean, indoors away from the cold, I have anxiety, and hate anything violent...but. But I also love feeling like a have a purpose, I love being physically challenged, I love knowing I can make a difference, etc. When John joined the guard I was so proud and slightly jealous. That's not the role for me in my life, but I am really grateful to those who serve our country.
*Health. All 5 of us are healthy. For how long this will last, I don't know. I see so many people with serious health issues and it's heartbreaking. Life is so fragile and I'm thankful we're all here. Health and happiness. That's all you can really ever ask for, right?
*Trials. Not that I like them, but I am thankful for them. Without them my thankful list wouldn't mean nearly as much to me.

I am grateful for many many more things but those are the ones I wanted to mention. I am so blessed!

This year for Thanksgiving we spent the day at Damon's parents house. Stuffing our faces, playing games, and (ahhhhh) being lazy. Good day.

Nash getting just a tad bit of attention.

And then Nash getting just a tad bit overwhelmed.

Turkey coma.

And last but not least. Thanks to the Ipad, we survived Black Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Vacation at Park City

2011-11-15T21:25:00.016-07:00

We decided to take a little vacation to Park City for a few days with our friends, the Greer's. A little hectic, a little crazy, a lot of kids, and a whole lot of fun! Mari and her kids also joined us for a day. We got a hotel suite and crammed us all in there. In total...5 adults and 10 kids. Damon and I slept in the living room so the kids could have the master bedroom. Seriously, it was the best idea of the trip. With that many kids we needed some separation for the sake of our sanity.

First thing the kids did when getting to their room? Why, Spongebob of course! What else? Chillin' on the bed in front of the TV.

We woke up bright and early the next morning to catch the bobsled race. The weather was beautiful! The storms were supposed to come the next couple days and did they ever! We did all our outside activities on the warm day then stayed indoors the next day while watching the snow pile up through the windows.
It's incredible how fast these bobsleds go. Just taking a picture was a challenge. The kids loved it...as did the adults. Here's a couple pics that actually worked.

Bailee and Kyle.

Trey man.

After the bobsled race we spent some time at Olympic Park, then at the outlets where we met up with Mari and her kids.

Driving out of Olympic Park we saw the German bobsled team. I had Damon pull over so I could hop out and take their picture. There were a couple other ladies doing the same thing and the team wanted us to climb in the sled for the pics. Pretty cool.

Later that day we took the bus to main street to do some window shopping and to go out to eat. The kids loved the bus! Here they are yelling for the bus to come. Love how excited the kids are!

We took the trolley on main street. Another very exciting thing for the kids.

Dinner was a zoo! There were no other kids around and then we walk in the restaurant with 10! The waiter was not that pleased. We ordered 6 pizzas! It ended up feeding us the rest of the trip though.
Cari taking desperate measures to keep the kids out of the road.

The rest of the evening we hung out, played games, ate treats, and laughed hysterically!

Damon sneaking a pic of Bill on the treadmill the next morning.

Thank goodness for lazy days, am I right? Definitely an important part of any vacation.

The kids anxiously waiting to go swimming.

Grizzly and baldy.

We ended the trip with more games, more goodies, and watching the BYU football game. Thanks for sharing an awesome weekend with us, Greer's and Farr's!

Halloween!!!

2011-11-14T21:06:00.026-07:00

What a fun Halloween! Bailee was Draculaura, a Monster High Doll, and Trey and Nash were Ninjas.

Here's some pics I snapped while the kids were watching Sponge bob and anxiously waiting for trick-or-treating to start.

Our Halloween festivities began with a party at Damon's work. I forgot to put my camera battery in so no pics. Big bummer since I decorated Damon's office to be a giant spider web. Even with a giant noisy spider that dropped down as you walked in, a huge egg sack with baby spiders crawling out, and a bug game to feed the giant spider. So sad that I don't have pics. After the work party we rushed to our annual Halloween friend party. Our last minute costumes were Barbie and Ken. As usual, the party was a blast! Everyone goes all out with the costumes, food, and games. We always go home practically sick with laughing so hard all night.

On Halloween morning just before heading out for school.

Catching a quick glimpse of Bailee during the costume parade at school.

Trey found some buddies in the hallway.

Nash patiently waiting to see his sis.

We began the trick-or-treating at Doug Smith. There was a much longer line this year than last. Thank goodness for the firetruck to keep Trey busy.

Already exhausted.

After the dealership we trick-or-treated down main street then headed to the church parking lot for trunk-or-treating.

After trunk-or-treating we met up with some friends and headed for the streets. To get more candy that is.
Just...can't...contain...the...excitement.

We stopped by Damon's parents house to show off the kids, eat some sloppy joes, and step in from the cold for a minute.
Trey showing off his swords.

Next (yes, there's more) we met up with some friends for donuts and apple cider. Such a fun, exhausting, beautiful day. And to end it all...we have enough candy to put in the deep freeze to last us the whole year.

Needless to say, the kids slept in the next day and were very late for school. I thought we all needed it!

We Love FALL!

2011-11-06T20:47:00.009-07:00

Nash and I joined Trey and his class on their field trip to the pumpkin patch. The weather was amazing. Surprisingly warm but with all the smells and colors of fall. We walked through the corn maze, played on the playground, picked out pumpkins, and enjoyed spending time with each other and with friends.

My handsome buddy.

My boys with their matching Batman shirts. Nash got his as a baby gift and Trey found his at Target and flipped out. So excited to match his bro.

For a little Halloween fun I invited over a couple friends, Amanda and Cari, and my sis along with their kids. We had a day full of fun activities. Amanda made a cake walk and a spooky drink, Cari made Hostess cupcake spiders, Mari made graveyard pudding cups, and I made mummy cookies. Bailee and her cousin had a sleepover the previous night and spent hours on decorations. After filling the kids full of sweets we sent them downstairs to watch a Halloween movie while us moms enjoyed a little visiting time. Perfect day, really.

On October 30th I turned 31. Gasp. Can't believe it. I have to say, I really dread my birthdays. Life is flying by. Just don't feel ready to grow up I guess. There always seems to be a sense of disappointment with the day too. Maybe I just need to change my attitude. Anyway, this birthday was different. There were so many people who called, stopped by the house, and did things to make me feel awesome. My kids spent an hour or so secretly blowing up balloons and writing sweet messages and drawing pictures on them. Then they spread them all over the living room. We spent the day before at Planet Play having lunch and playing with the kids and then went to the mall for some shopping. Mari, Amanda, and Cari and their families came over for a soup dinner....my fave. Nothing better than spending a birthday with people I love. Cari even surprised me with some new clothes and one of my favorite desserts. I know things like this shouldn't determine whether or not I have a good b-day, but it really really meant alot. I think it was a time where I needed it, but didn't know it till they were all there. Good day. And thank you Heavenly Father for giving me a warm sunny day. Another great gift.

When the apple crisp melts the candles...just use matches!

My sweet Bailee made me my beautiful headband!

Thanks everyone for a great day! I love you all! Getting older isn't quite so bad if you have such great people to share life with.

Football

2011-11-04T15:01:00.008-06:00

I thought I would put Trey in Itty Bitty Ball one last time before he turned 5. The kid seriously loves football. He tucks Damon's football under his arm and runs circles around the living room couch. Not to mention the tackling. He was very disappointed that he couldn't tackle yet. Trey has alot of speed and only had his flag grabbed once or twice in the 2 weeks. He was so proud. I love having boys!!!

General Conference Weekend

2011-11-04T13:58:00.003-06:00

Conference weekend is the weekend to build FORTS at our house. Bailee and Trey even built one for Nash. They lived in the them for 2 days...even slept in them. So fun. The kids started doing this last year after they learned about King Benjamin in primary and how the people pitched their tents and listened to the prophet. We played games and ate treats, enjoyed the time together, and loved listening to the conference messages.

The boys playing in Trey's fort.

Nash's Blessing Pics

2011-11-04T13:38:00.015-06:00

What can I say? Precious.

Nash's Blessing Day

2011-11-04T12:03:00.007-06:00

Nash was blessed by his dad on September 11, 2011. Just 3 weeks old and SO precious. I got a newborn church shirt and it didn't fit the little guy at all. I also got him a white vest that didn't fit him at all. I practically took out 1/2 the fabric to make his outfit work. Luckily I found a pair of shorts for him the day before. Stressful! It all came together perfectly though. Even down to the boys matching ties. So cute!

Trying on his shirt.

The whole day ended up being wonderful. Beautiful weather...tons of family and friends. Such a special day for Nash and our family.

Nash and his daddy.

Nash and mommy.

Mom with all her babies.

...and dad with the babies. Yep, they'll always be our babies.

Proud parents.

The Argyle clan.

Congrats, little buddy!

Amazing Weekend

2011-11-04T11:24:00.007-06:00

We had quite the Labor Day weekend! Jam-packed with family fun. Damon turned 34, (holy smokes) my niece got baptized, and John was able to come home from the Guard for a couple days. We spent Sunday at my parents house to spend time with family while John was here and played played played!

John holding Nash for the first time.

Adorable grandparents! Grandma and grandpa Garretson and grandma Joy.

Poor grandma got spit up on all night, not normal for Nash, but thank goodness grandma was such a good sport!

Halle, Dawson, and Kenya. Cutest thing ever...if you look closely at Halle's leg she wrote, "be a good helper :)".

Good times! Miss you, John!

Just So You Know...

2011-10-23T21:40:00.002-06:00

Just to inform you...my laptop is getting slower by the day. Has been for a while. It takes a very very long time to upload pics. It's practically impossible to complete a post in one sitting. So, until it either gets fixed or I get a new one, I'll still be doing this catching up thing. Sigh.

School Starts!

2011-10-23T16:16:00.009-06:00

Since I was induced the day before school started, I figured Bailee would be missing the start of the school year. Damon finally reminded me that he was quite capable of getting her to and from school. Didn't quite think of that since it's always what I do. So after my first night in the hospital, Bailee started 4th grade. I knew she was really stressed about doing her own hair (yet wouldn't let Damon touch it.) Damon and Trey took her to meet her teacher then headed to the hospital after. Of course I was staring at the clock all morning. Ok, Bailee is awake now and trying to do her hair. Ok, they should be driving to the school now. Hope she's on time. Hope she likes her teacher. Wish I could be there. Hope she's not sad right now...cause I am. Feeling so guilty.
Although it broke my heart a little not being there, everyone survived...even Bailee.

A couple weeks later Trey started his second year of preschool. He has the same teacher as last year; my friend Jessica Lindley. She does an amazing job and Trey adores her. Here's my handsome bud.

Good luck kids! Love you!!!

Kids Photo Shoot

2011-10-01T20:28:00.012-06:00

I did a photo shoot of the kids not long after Nash's individual pics. Things weren't as smooth sailing this time around, but Mari helped me edit some for my wall so it all ended up ok. The kids are in this strange smile phase for pictures. I'm sure every parent knows what I'm talking about. They try so hard for the perfect smile that it ends up being the worst of smiles. Yeah, both of the older kids. Then Nash was crying most of the time. Then there's the closing eyes. Also, Bailee wanted to wear mascara. I let her since she wore it for her dance pics and they ended up great. I fixed a clump and her eyes watered the rest of the time. But, like I said, thanks to Mari's editing skills, my faves look perfect in my entryway.

Here's some of my faves before editing. Beautiful kids, right?

Photo Shoot

2011-09-13T15:54:00.008-06:00

When Nash was 1 week old I did his first photo shoot. I put him in the sunshine and the little guy was in heaven! As soon as I would take him out of the sun he'd wake up and fuss. Not surprising I guess, considering he loves to be warm and snuggled in his blankets.
So peaceful.

Bailee assisted with the whole process. Sounds a little overwhelming but she was incredible. She held him perfectly in whatever position I needed.
Nash was just over 5 1/2 lbs when I took these pictures. Now my baby is about a pound heavier already! So small still...but I just don't want time to go by so quickly.
He's so perfect.

Here's some of my favorites.

Introducing...

2011-08-25T17:17:00.006-06:00

Nash McKay Argyle

Our baby boy entered our lives on Monday, August 22ND 2011 at 11:51 AM.
First glimpse of the world.

A little after 6 AM on Monday morning the hospital called telling us to be at there by 7 so I could be induced. The kids were having a sleepover at Mari's house which ended up being perfect. I wasn't sleeping anyway, so I was quite relieved to get the process going.

Ready and waiting.

Eyes glued to the monitor.

A few hours after getting my pitocin, Nash was ready to come. The doctor had just stepped out to get his lunch. The nurses told me to not cough or laugh and I was practically not breathing trying to keep the baby in for the doctor to deliver him. However, Nash had other plans. The nurses ended up delivering him and, thank goodness, did a great job.

6 lbs 1 oz (almost) and 18 inches long. Small for being 39 weeks. I was a little nervous when they told me his weight but he is healthy, and as long as he stays that way then I am happy.

Perfect moment.

First feeding.

Getting to know daddy.

Another perfect moment. Introducing Bailee and Trey to their new brother.

Couldn't be a perfect moment without a little goofiness.

Big sis. She is so in love with Nashy.

Big bro. My two little guys.

The second most exciting thing about chilling at the hospital. Dad's Ipad.

Bailee was at school and Trey was at a friends house when we took Nash home from the hospital. Just the 3 of us.

First outfit. Muscles courtesy of dad shirt.

First day at home.

What can I say to describe right now? Not quite sure. I just want time to stand still for a while. I don't want to do anything but hold Nash all day. I'm afraid that if I set him down time will fly faster and he'll start growing up. I'm afraid that if I blink I'll miss something. I wonder how I could be deserving of another one of Heavenly Father's children. I love how my life is what I've always envisioned. Husband that I love, daughter and 2 sons. I love that Bailee never gets tired of looking at Nash. I love that even the littlest squeal out of Nash sends Trey running to assist. I love that Nash and I can stare at each other. Like he's thinking, "that's who's voice I've been hearing all this time." I love that Damon is so involved in the whole process. Diapers, feedings, snuggles.
Love you so much, Nash. Welcome to our world!

Last Pregnancy Post (Hopefully)

2011-08-10T16:04:00.003-06:00

As you can plainly see, I am ready to POP! As I'm sitting here typing...Nash is bouncing in my belly with his hiccups, Trey's playing with friends, Damon's at work, and Bailee is vacuuming. And we're all beyond excited to meet the newest member of our family.
Here's what's been going on this last and FINAL trimester. Because I was spotting and have a history of dilating early, the doc became a little nervous about the baby coming too early and put me on moderate bedrest. I was still running 2-4 miles until at 7 1/2 months the doctor made me stop. Of course this "taking it easy" news I got while packing for our week long camping trip. Damon and the kids have been working hard and I tried to tone it down. Practically impossible, but as you can see, Nash is still safe and sound in my ever growing belly. I've had to limit the yard work this summer, which has been frustrating. I've had to accept it not being perfect. That's OK, there's going to be many summers ahead. Being 9 months pregnant in August hasn't been the easiest thing in the world. I know that there's alot worse things to endure then the last month of pregnancy in August, but seriously...endure is the key word. Popsicles all day long helps me survive.
All complaining aside, this has been the easiest pregnancy of the 3. (The last month doesn't really count.) Not much nausea or heartburn. Nashy is sure active though. I swear this kid never sleeps. Hope he's so exhausted from all the kicking that when he comes out he'll be the best sleeper EVER! I love that the one and only comfortable position I can find is on my side with my head on Damon's lap. I love that Bailee and Trey talk to my belly all the time and won't let me leave their room at night until they've had a full conversation with the baby. I love that he'll be here SOON! You know the nesting phase of pregnancy? The endless cleaning phase? Well, Bailee has it as bad as me! The girl won't even play with friends! All she wants to do is clean to get ready for the baby. Hence, the vacuuming that she's doing right now. It's sweet.

We're so excited to meet you, Nash! Can't wait to hold you, kiss, you, introduce you to your siblings, snuggle you, etc, etc, etc. Love you so much already!

Camping

2011-08-08T18:26:00.005-06:00

Camping for a week during the 3rd trimester...what can I say? Fun, a tiny bit relaxing, and of course exhausting. We went to Palisades State Park. One of our favorite places. Even though it was a ton of work, nothing beats spending time with the fam and our friends.

Damon playing with his remote control boat.

Before we left, the forecast showed 90's all week. As is always our luck, the first day was sunny and the day we packed up was sunny. Not so much in between. Such strong windstorms we ended up in the trailer alot of the time. However, with the little sun we got we had a blast at the lake.

Since I was 7 1/2 months pregnant, I had planned on being in this position the entire trip. Laying in the sun eating popsicles. Not moving a muscle unless absolutely necessary. I was very disappointed by the lack of use my lounge chair got.

Damon and Trey after 4 wheeling. Trey apparently didn't get enough sleep the night before.

...however, he was very excited about finding this "treasure."

Damon and Micah went golfing every morning and once decided to take Bailee. She had a blast spending time with her dad on the course.

While Bailee and Damon were off golfing, the rest of us went to the playground.

I get this pic every camping trip! Kids stuck inside the trailer because of a storm...watching movies.

Whenever the sky cleared we jumped at the chance to play.
Playing frisbee.

And football.

My sister and her kids joined us for a little while and of course they got rained out of their tent. At least we were able to enjoy s'mores before the storm hit.

Every year we go to Payson Lakes with Damon's family. This year, considering being 3 weeks away from having a baby, I decided I would be much happier at home. Damon took the kids himself and slept in the truck tent. I was nervous sending Trey without me, considering he fears nothing. But good news...he came home in one piece. Barely.

Damon took this pic just in case I was missing the disgusting bathrooms.

Uncle Tim took the kids on a super cool treasure hunt. The kids found some serious loot.

Bailee and Laityn decided to dig a hole to find gold. Unfortunately, they did not.

However, they did find just a little dirt.

Swimming at the lake.

Not really sure about this pic. Crazy boy.

Although they had a blast and all came home alive, Trey got some serious boo boo's.

Ready for a BATH!

I was pretty excited to have the weekend to myself to finish baby projects. Not only did I get alot done, but my amazing friends kidnapped me and spoiled me to death. My sis, Mari, and my friends, Cari and Amanda, surprised me and took me to lunch, out for a pedicure, and then Mari and I did some shopping and enjoyed some time together. Great weekend for everyone!

Summer Fun

2011-08-07T15:38:00.022-06:00

Due to me being in my last trimester, we haven't done a whole lot this summer. However, we've still had fun. Here's some things we've enjoyed together:

First off, Damon got a new tie for Father's Day. :)

For Lehi Roundup Days, we spent some time with friends at the parades and did other city activities throughout the week.

My friend Jessica, who is Trey's preschool teacher, was in charge of building the ward float this year. It seems everything she touches ends up just perfect. Our ward won first place!

Damon's parade ritual. Breakfast burrito then someone falling asleep on his lap.

For the 4Th of July we spent the morning at Trafalga then had fun hanging out with friends the rest of the day.

Damon was in firework heaven this year with the huge aerial fireworks he could buy. I have to be pretty strict with him with the amount he can spend between the 4Th and 24Th. I won't lie though, we had some pretty amazing firework shows.

Damon and his friend, along with Bailee and her friend, spent a Saturday at Lagoon. Us wives, both being pregnant, decided to stay home and take the boys to Lehi's foam day. We had never been before and what a blast! We enjoyed a picnic, blow up toys, the boutique, and most important...FOAM!

The firemen spraying the foam into the park.

...and finally, time to get in.

Trey wanted Nash to have some foam too. Yes, that big round thing on the bottom of the pic is my baby belly.

Getting sprayed off.

I loved spending the day with my little buddy! On our way home we picked up ice cream, some dinner, and then went home and watched a movie together. Great day!

My Baby Girl Turns 9

2011-08-05T16:29:00.007-06:00

On June 13th my little girl decided to grow up once again. We got her a new outfit, slippers, and a Nintendo DS. Here's some pictures of our birthday girl before we headed out to eat for her b-day dinner. I know everyone thinks their daughters are the prettiest, but seriously, look at this sweet face. Gorgeous!

Ready to open presents at grandma's.

Brit and Bailee sharing the b-day spotlight.

I told Bailee that her 8Th birthday would be her last big friends party. This year I told her she could choose 5 friends for a sleepover. Trey slept over at his cousins house so Bailee could have plenty of girl time without any disturbances. And that's exactly what happened. The girls had pizza, chocolate pie and ice cream, manicures, games, movies, and a little sleep. All on their own, Bailee's friends made a treasure hunt for her with sweet little notes around the house. Love how my girl has people in her life that make her feel special.

I must confess. After finding out that we were having a boy I felt that I've had to grieve a little... for the fact that my baby girl is growing out of her baby girl stage so quickly. That I'll never have it again. I've loved every moment of having a daughter. Sure there's ALOT of drama and tears that come with having a girl, but there's nothing like it either. Everything from painting fingernails together to people saying we look alike. Bailee is halfway to adulthood. I don't have many regrets with the time that's past. Just things like rushing through goodnight tuck-in's a little too fast, not using my video camera enough, not stealing enough kisses, etc. Things like that. Mostly I can't let myself regret not enjoying the NOW enough and embrace everything about it...along with our future.
Love you Bailee Boo, and I am so excited for all the time we still have together, even if it means I'm getting older in the meantime.

7 Months Pregnant

2011-08-05T16:22:00.003-06:00

Bailee decided to do a little photo shoot of my belly for me. After about a million pictures here's the couple I kept. Just getting a little too puffy for pics.

School Is Ovah!

2011-08-05T15:41:00.020-06:00

To end the 2010-2011 school year with bang Trey's preschool had a week packed full of fun. First we went to the Hogle Zoo. Trey and his buddy, Ryan, hung out together the whole time.

The next day we went to Texas Roadhouse for the COOLEST field trip ever. When we arrived the employees handed the kids sidewalk chalk and let them go to town. After that the kids had a peanut throwing contest then a tour of the kitchen. The tour guide is a super fun guy who just happens to own the restaurant and does free field trips to show his support to schools. He had the kids all crazy, screaming and chanting "TEXAS ROADHOUSE" at the top of their lungs. Then we were all fed lunch, and the kids were given yo-yo's and coupons for free kids meals next time they come. Seriously, the best field trip ever. As you can imagine, it is now Trey's favorite restaurant. Oh yeah, and you've never seen a place so trashed! Wow!

Trey has a preschool graduation with lots of adorable singing. Trey loves his preschool songs and belted them out at the top of his lungs.

Bailee's school ended with the annual dance festival and field day.
Trey and I ever so patiently waiting.

The school had a drawing at the end of the day and all Bailee could talk about all day was how badly she wanted to win the hula hoop. What do you know, but she actually came home with it...and a pretty bad sunburn too.

My LIttle Dancer

2011-08-05T14:18:00.012-06:00

Before the last school year Bailee auditioned for a competition team at Jazz-N-Place dance studio. She made the team and started off the dance season with a photo shoot. Here she is in makeup heaven. Little diva.

After the photo shoot we snuck over to the neighbors garden and took some pics.

Now that the dance season has come to an end, the competitions began. Bailee and I had some serious bonding time. Loved it!!! Before we left for the weekend to a competition in Logan, the boys got a little bored waiting for us to leave.

The girls KILLED at the first competition. They took first place and took home a trophy bigger than me.

The last pep talk before going on stage for the second competition. They ended up winning first place again. This competition was huge! A judge was there from So You Think You Can Dance. So fun!

We spent the weekend with some friends in Logan, then stopped and spent some time on the temple grounds.

This year we are putting her in a ballet studio, so we'll just have to see how it goes. Love having a daughter who loves to dance just like her mom did!

Easter!

2011-05-11T17:38:00.000-06:00

Because Easter was a little later than normal we had several opportunities to have some Easter fun. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we kicked off the Easter season with an Easter egg hunt with my brother before he left for basic training. Next, Bailee gave us an Easter Family Home Evening lesson she had prepared herself. That was one of the highlights of the whole season. Hearing her testimony through the lesson. Proud mom.

Here you can see our next fun family activity. Easter egg monsters. The one problem...trying to convince the kids that the eggs were to eat, not new toys.

I baked some spring cookies with the help of my niece, Tyler.

The day before Easter we had an Easter egg hunt at Damon's parents house. The kids were just a tiny bit excited.

Trey said he needed binoculars to help him find the eggs easier.

Brit found his loot in the food storage room. Smart guy.

Dumping out the candy to separate.

We braved the freezing cold (at the end of April I might add) for our egg toss.

My kids are going through this face-pulling stage. It's practically impossible to take a pic of them without the crazy faces. As long as I can snag a couple normal ones, I really don't mind too much. It just shows their happiness/goofiness.

Easter morning. The kids waiting in the hall outside of their rooms for their dad. Couldn't handle waiting to see the mess the Easter Bunny left.

Bailee likes the Easter Bunny to hide her basket really well. She found it hiding in the dryer.

Trey was very concerned that his Easter basket would be hidden. Much to his relief, it was in plain sight along with some things for Nash. All 3 kids got monkey jammies. Lucky Easter Bunny...finding matching things for the kiddos.

Mom and Dad's less exciting baskets.

New Easter clothes. I love this part of Easter Sunday! I'm not gonna lie though, it was difficult taking pics of the kids with their face-pulling and the sugar high they were on.
Good thing those kids are so unbelievably cute!

Handsome as ever!

Beautiful girl!

More craziness. It's amazing that I got any normal pics at all.

Can't live without these 3!!!

I finally got the perfect shot.

I'm so grateful for my life. I'm the luckiest girl in the world for what the Lord has blessed me with. Nothing could have been a better reminder of the Savior's atonement than being able to spend this Easter Sunday with my little family. Without his sacrifice I would have NOTHING, which also means I wouldn't be able to feel the love that I feel for my little ones and my eternal companion. I'm asked so little in return.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter and were able to feel the Spirit of the day as I did!

IT'S A......

2011-04-17T21:12:00.008-06:00

...well, isn't it obvious?!

In case you're blind, our little baby is a BOY!

On Tuesday we had another ultrasound to verify the sex of the baby, and most important, to make sure he's okay. Each thing the tech checked ended up being perfect, and of course we couldn't help but be relieved and extremely grateful throughout the ultrasound. Bailee was a little sad that it was a boy, but having the 16 week ultrasound prepared her quite a bit and she did much better this time. Yesterday Bailee said, "mom, I'm excited now that the baby is a boy. It's okay that I'm not gonna have a sister." I'm so proud of her and happy that she is excited to be the big sis of another brother. Trey of course is thrilled that it's a boy. He's even excited that he gets to share his things!

Baby's profile.

Baby's lips. Mouth wide open.

Baby's healthy spine.

Baby's face.

Sweet baby boy!
One last thing........we'll be naming our little guy Nash. Little Nashy. Not quite sure about the middle name yet. We're so excited about the name. I can picture the baby with the name and can't imagine anything different.

Proudest Sister in the World

2011-04-17T20:16:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday my baby brother left for boot camp. OK, so he's obviously not a baby anymore, but I can't help but be a little protective of him. He returned home from his mission in October, 2009 and moved in with us shorty after. He only lived with us for about 6 months, but in that short time we really got to know each other for the first time. John and Trey became the best of buddies and even after he moved out, he made a huge effort to spend the night on Thursdays so he could spend Friday with Trey. What young adult does that for their 4 year old nephew? Not many would, and Trey is going to miss John so much. I don't think Trey really understands just how long his uncle will be away. John has been very motivated in trying to discover his career path since he got home. He made the huge commitment of joining the National Guard and is focusing on intelligence. After basic training for two months, he'll be studying intelligence for 5 months and then Arabic intelligence for 18 months. It will be 2-3 months before we can do much communicating, but eventually we can visit him and he can come home for Christmas. I seriously can't express how proud I am of him.
Last Sunday our family had a going away party for him with a massive Easter candy hunt for the kids. John changed into his uniform for pictures and we loaded all his pockets full of candy and watched the kids attack him. Unfortunately I can't post any pics of him in his uniform and can't post any other info about what he's doing in the Guard than I already have. I'm gonna frame one of the pictures of Trey and John and put it on his dresser. The poor kid asks about John every day.
Well, I know this is just a big brag-fest about my bro, but I really am proud of him. I will miss him so much. The late night laughs Damon and I had with him, the selfless help he did for me, all his advice-seeking (it made me feel smart), and the time he put into playing with our kids. I'm totally sad that he's not gonna be able to see our baby till it's a little older, but as Damon keeps telling me, I know I'll survive. Barely.
Love you, John!

Throughout Our Week

2011-04-03T20:42:00.015-06:00

This week we saw a glimpse of SPRING! Everyone and everything just seems a little brighter now that we've seen the sun peek out again. After enjoying a little shopping last Saturday I came home to Damon playing outside with the kids and giving Bailee some golf tips. I love watching Damon interact with the kids. It means the world to them.

Monday was the start of my 18th week. The baby has definitely been growing! I still can't believe how blessed I am to be feeling well enough to enjoy this time like I have. Bailee had a blast taking my profile pictures. As much as I would like the time to pass, I kinda want time to stop as well. I love this experience.
Loving the baby belly!

Thursday through Saturday were the warmest days so far. The kids spent every available minute outside with the swarm of neighborhood kids. All day Friday I spent doing yard work. I've missed yard work so much! My brother spent the night on Thursday and ended up doing yard work with me. It was fun spending the day with him, enjoying the chatting, the gardening, and of course the sun.

During the past several months the 3rd graders at Bailee's school participated in RAD kids, a self defense program. To finish the program , the kids with 100% attendance went to the school on Friday evening to show off their skills to their parents. Bailee has loved RAD kids and talks about it at home constantly.
Bailee waiting for her turn.

My boys just watching the show.

Bailee making some sweet hits.

You go girl!

Saturday and Sunday were set aside for general conference. In church we talked about King Benjamin preaching on a tower and the people pitching their tents to listen. Bailee and Trey put up their tents in the living room in front of the TV to listen to our prophet. We watched all 4 sessions together; listening, playing conference games, and eating munchies. Saturday we enjoyed a BBQ and some bad mitten between sessions. Unfortunately, we woke up to a couple inches of snow this morning and had to forget about playing outside. Other than the snow, what an amazing weekend. Perfect family time, and we got to listen to our prophet speak.
Precious.

Last exciting news before we begin a new week. Today Damon was resting his hand on my tummy hoping to feel a kick, and he actually felt one. We were pretty excited. Love sharing this with him. And only 1 more week until my next ultrasound.

Then the shopping begins!

Being PREGGERS!

2011-03-21T20:09:00.008-06:00

I've been preggers for 17 weeks now. Last week I had my 16 week appointment. Very exciting! I asked my doc if he would be kind enough to do an extra ultrasound so I could find out the sex of the baby early. So much shopping to do! He said yes...hee hee! Once again, very exciting. Damon and I have both been thinking this baby is a girl, and the doc agreed that it is in fact a girl. Well, he agreed for a few minutes. And then the baby moved around a little and gave us a different view. Then he said, "actually, I see something there...it may be a boy." So, it's probably a boy, but could still in fact be a girl. 16 weeks is pretty early to do an ultrasound and boys and girls look pretty much the same in that area that early. So...the ultrasound didn't help much but it's still amazing to see that tiny little baby moving around. Poor Bailee cried until bedtime because she wants a sister so badly. I actually haven't cared if it's a girl or boy, but much to my own surprise, I was slightly disappointed. However, the next day I was over my disappointment and became very excited about the thought of having a little boy. I'm seriously so excited about it! So, now that I'm psyched for a boy it could end up being a girl, and then I'll have to adjust again. Really though, I'll be beyond happy whoever this little sweetie is that Heavenly Father has sent to us.

Maybe Girl

Maybe Boy

So, I can't say I'm one that enjoys pregnancy...until now. Sure there's still unpleasant things and I know it's just going to get harder, but my other pregnancies were so miserable that I'm sooooo grateful that I'm having this experience. No morning sickness. It's seriously amazing. It's not fair that every mother can't have a pregnancy like this. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself, but I am really really grateful.
Pregnancy brain is in full force. Some examples. I told a waitress that Bailee was under 6. Then I changed my mind and said she was 9. Neither are true. I really wasn't trying to lie about her age. I saw an add in a magazine with a picture of a clump of dirt and thought it was a brownie. Mmm...brownies. A few weeks ago I left my clients wax on for 2 days, then I took the wax out before waiting for it to cool and spilled it everywhere. It took me an entire morning to clean it, then I went upstairs, mixed Trey his instant carnation breakfast (for lunch), and spilled it...of course all of it went down the crack between the stove and counter. Things like this are constant. I'm worse than a toddler.
Foods I'm craving: FRUIT! Particularly oranges and peaches. The other night I wanted an orange so bad I searched the house desperately looking for anything orange flavored. I found an orange tootsie pop. Not quite the same thing. Also, anything tomatoey. Even pizza, which is strange for me. BBQ sauce, marinara sauce. I'm getting hungry with just the thought. Oh yes, and sandwiches. My food cravings with Bailee were donuts and sandwiches. Food cravings with Trey? Just food in general. Particularly ice cream once I could stomach dairy.
Food aversions: MINT! I can't see it, think about it, taste it, and especially can't smell it without getting nauseous. Food aversions with Bailee were golden puff's cereal and dairy. Food aversion with Trey. Anything tomatoey. Dairy too.
The most enjoyable thing so far started 2 weeks ago. The baby's first kicks. At least the ones that I can feel. Now I can occasionally feel the baby turn. Actually, as I type this I can feel he or she moving around. I keep thinking this is the last time I'll feel a little one inside me so I keep on reminding myself to enjoy the heck out of it, especially before the kicks start to hurt. I try to stop whatever I'm doing when I feel the baby move so I don't miss a second. Granted, it's getting to be more and more frequent so it's not always possible. Just loving it!

Argyle Baby #3

2011-02-18T18:04:00.002-07:00

A week ago (week 12) we had our first ultrasound. Our first opportunity to see if there was in fact a living, breathing person developing inside of me. And here it is. Amazing.

The following info is quite personal and a glimpse into the beginning of all of this. The whole reason I do a blog is so I can keep a little journal/scrapbook for our family. So, for all others who read it, I guess you are coming along for the ride.

As soon as we found out Trey was a boy Damon and I were thrilled that our family was complete. Girl and boy. Perfect family, perfect house for a family of 4, perfect everything. I never once thought I could be the type of mom that could keep it all together with a large family. I'm talking about my sanity as I'm sure you figured. Nothing is more important to me than my family and I want to be the best mom I can be. Once Bailee and Trey were in our lives we were very content. However, after Trey was born I remember laying in the hospital bed when the impression/thought came to me that I would be doing this again. The previous night was incredibly difficult with the new baby and I was exhausted. After 2 difficult pregnancies, Bailee's fight for her life as a baby, not to mention just giving birth, I dismissed the thought as far away from me as possible. I know that people have way worse pregnancies than me, but they were still hard enough that it was a huge factor in us only having two kids. Over time the thought would return and I would dismiss it again. Eventually the feelings came more often and I felt strongly that I needed to tell Damon. I definitely didn't want to. These weren't baby hungry feelings I was having and I knew Damon was just as content as I was with our family. Not to mention I had two major concerns. First, that he would say not a chance in the world. What would I do then? I wasn't going to try and talk him into it. 2ND concern was that he would agree. After my cousins mission homecoming down south we had a 3 hour drive back home. We were talking and laughing at funny names we thought my sister should name her baby. Since we were talking about baby names I nervously mentioned what I had been feeling. Someone else was waiting to join our family. Damon said he hadn't felt the same thing, but he trusted what I felt. I didn't really know what to do and I was far from ready to be pregnant again. There is something that sticks out in my mind more than anything in that conversation. First of all, my faith isn't always as strong as it should be and sometimes I question my relationship with my Savior. Not always, but sometimes. I was doubting if whether or not the impression I had was real since Damon hadn't been feeling the same. Damon told me that there is was a definite reason why the Lord had been telling me and not him. That there was a reason why I had been impressed by things several times in our marriage but not him. He was seeing the Lord's trust in me and love for me. It's good that I have Damon around for when I can't see the things right in front of my face. Anyway, a problem did arise from all this. Damon said if it's gonna happen we should do it now. I was still in shock that he didn't freak out, and my thought was that this would be happening in a couple years. Because we felt so differently about the timing I didn't bring up our conversation again for a while. We eventually compromised. Running the marathon in June was important to me so we decided to start trying as soon as it was over. I was a little nervous that this little spirit, obviously wanting badly to come here, would come right away and I still didn't feel ready. However, after trying for a little while, I started getting more and more anxious and excited. Part of the reason why was seeing Damon's excitement. On December 18Th, our 11Th wedding anniversary, Damon begged me to take a pregnancy test. I was hesitant since it was still a little early but Damon thought it would be worth it just in case it was positive, and that would be the greatest anniversary gift ever. Well, I took the test and yes, it really was the greatest anniversary gift ever. Perfect anniversary, really. And perfect timing for a Christmas surprise.

So, back to the ultrasound. All 4 of us surrounded the monitor waiting to see the little life within me. Bailee just as eager as I was. Baby #1, 2 or 3, it's just as exciting each time. Just as unreal and miraculous. We saw the little heart beating away and we saw the baby move a little. I didn't want to stop staring at the screen. This little person has had such a strong presence in my life already. Either it picked us or just has to deal with us, who knows. Either way, we're all quickly falling in love with it. I'm so grateful that I had that impression 4 years ago. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father is patient and understanding, even through my doubting times. I'm so grateful that I will never be given up on.

Pregnancy so far. I believe that Heavenly Father knew that being pregnant again was a big test of faith for me. This pregnancy has been wonderful. I have a long ways to go and always have that pregnancy uck feeling, but no morning sickness. What? I don't know what pregnancy feels like without my face always over the toilet. I've been keeping a food journal and exercising 6 days a week to make sure I'm helping my body along with the process as much as possible. I think that has helped immensely since as soon as I eat poorly I get queasy. I love how I get to share this experience with the man I love. The type of man I pictured having a family with since I was little. I love how excited Trey is, and I absolutely LOVE how excited Bailee is. I keep thinking that this baby will wonder which one of us is the mom when it gets here. Bailee kisses my stomach several times a day, talks to it, and knows practically day to day facts about baby development and pregnancy facts. Example. "Mom, you're only in week 7 but your pregnancy amnesia shouldn't start until about week 12. I think you already have that." Seriously. How amazing will it be to have her around with a baby?! The next thing I am beyond anxious for? In 2 or 3 weeks when I can start feeling the baby. I just have to keep reminding myself to savor each moment. We'll only be at this exact stage of our lives once.

Happy Birthday Grandpa and Grandma!

2011-02-18T17:29:00.006-07:00

My grandpa and grandma Garretson both just turned 81. Bailee and I stopped by their house to give them gifts and to celebrate. I know I've said it over and over, but I really can't say it enough. I look up to my grandparents more than anyone. They inspire me to be better in every way. I strive to be like them especially with how much they love each other. I hope and pray that Damon and I stay as strong in our marriage as they have. They are SO crazy in love!

My beautiful grandma.

I don't know who gave grandpa this for his birthday, but whoever did is a genius. Look at how happy he is!

Happy Birthday, grandma and grandpa! Love you forever and I hope you have many more birthdays still to come.

Trey Turns 4!

2011-02-18T16:44:00.011-07:00

On January 8, my baby Trey man turned 4. To start the celebrating he had an Iron Man party with his friends. I love this age. The boys were so intense and so into their super hero talk/language or whatever it is. So fun.

Opening some gifts.

So, the little guy picked chocolate cupcakes for his party. Bailee and I made the cupcakes and he wouldn't touch them. Stinker. Iron Man doesn't like chocolate cupcakes I guess.

We had a little party for Trey one Sunday afternoon at grandma and papa Argyle's house.
Anxiously awaiting the gifts.

Ever so intently opening the gifts.

Trey chose mint brownies for his birthday dessert at the grandparents house. (This treat used to be his favorite.) Thinking we had a winner this time, I was greatly mistaken. He wouldn't touch them because of the mint.

On the morning of his birthday I asked Trey what he wanted for breakfast. Blue waffles. So I made him blue waffles and surprise surprise, he wouldn't eat them because they were blue.

Opening the rest of his gifts.

My sweet little guy.

I asked Trey if I could go buy him anything for his birthday treat. Anything in the world he would want. He was excited and said he wanted donuts. So I hopped in the car and bought some donuts. Blue is his favorite color and they just so happened to have donuts with blue frosting that day. Perfect, or so I thought. As you probably guessed, he wouldn't touch the doughnut because it was blue and not chocolate. Dang it! I just wanted to bake or buy or do anything he wanted so he could feel special and he just wasn't letting me! What's a mom to do? The way to Trey's heart is definitely not through his stomach. However, I wasn't paying enough attention to the real way to his heart.
Here's the clues he's been sending me for a long time:

He grabs my hand every time I walk past the counter when he's eating to give it a little squeeze and doesn't want to let go.
He doesn't care to watch cartoons unless there is a TV near where I'll be.
His two never-ending questions. "Are you proud?" "Are you happy?"
The expression on his face when he hears the garage open when Damon gets home from work.
The expression on his face when Bailee gets home from school.
When he does something kind for someone and says, "that's showing love."
His eyes start to well up because he misses someone he loves.

I could go on of course. He is such a sweet boy who lives to love and lives to be loved. The toys come 2ND. (Food dead last.) I'm so blessed to have him in my life!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-02-18T16:25:00.008-07:00

Our New Year's Crowd got cut in half this year because of people being sick, so we changed things a bit and headed over to the Greer's house. The kids played upstairs while us adults stayed downstairs to play games and make ourselves sick by laughing so hard. Not to mention eating a little too much. It was a blast!

Bailee getting ready for the countdown.

And Damon, well, just being Damon.

Midnight hug.

And midnight kiss. Wait for it, Bill...wait for it.

And there it is.

Best part of the night!

Holy smokes, I can't believe how fast 2010 flew by. Even more to look forward to this year.

Happy 2011!

Best Christmas Season Yet

2011-02-18T14:13:00.052-07:00

Yes. It really was the best Christmas yet. And the following picture is why.

Crazy how you pee on a stick and next thing you know your life has changed once again. :)
Details in a later post.

To start off the Christmas season we started the very long process of putting up our several trees. The kids are quite helpful as you can see.

The 3rd graders singing...with the prettiest girl in front.

Trey was getting a little bored waiting to see his sister sing.

Bailee and her dance team worked very hard to put together their jazz and dance pieces for the Christmas recital. Love the costumes, hair, makeup, and whole dance experience! Could these girls be any cuter?

My pretty little rag doll.

Bailee and her friend, Gracie.

Bailee is far right.

Front and center.

Every year my grandma and grandpa Garretson have a family Christmas party. The family has gotten so big only about half of us can make it each year, but we take who we can get.

Uncle Bill entertaining Trey and Drew with his bread stick man skills.

Cute grandma and grandpa took some time reading us stories of their past. Their lives have been so full and I look up to them so much.

Each Christmas Eve we have a party at Damon's parents house.

Our family.

Still in love 11 Christmases later.

The grand kids each take a turn putting on a little performance for each other. The kids sang a short but sweet, "Ha Ha Holiday."

So difficult to sit still through so much singing. Must get up and dance!

Pre-pajamas.

Ever so patiently waiting to open Christmas pajamas.

Post pajama pic. Bailee and I got matching ones while Damon and Trey got matching BYU pj's.

Gifts from grandma and papa.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

The long awaited Christmas morning. The kids making their way downstairs with the warm fuzzy jar. (Jesus' Christmas gift.)

A sneak peak before the kids got to the bottom of the stairs.

And there's the look we wait all year for. I love being a parent at Christmas.

Santa surprised both kids with a zu zu pet track. The picture doesn't do it justice. This thing is huge, and yes, very fun.

A remote control Iron Man. The one thing Trey was asking for.

Last year Bailee gave Trey this same gun for Christmas and it broke. They were both devastated and Bailee wanted to replace it this year. I made a sticker chart for the kids to earn money by doing chores. Fifty cents per chore with a fifteen dollar limit. The kids worked hard all season long. The chores were pretty big too. I'm excited to continue this tradition. Two reasons. It was SO nice to have all the extra help. But it was even nicer seeing how hard the kids worked for each other. Sacrificing precious play time to do chores. I was so proud of them!

Bailee's gift from Trey.

Trey got a new leapster explorer, games, Iron Man costume, clothes, candy, zu zu track, guns, cars, and more.

Bailee's #1 request for Santa was this globe. This thing is amazing. It tells you everything you could want to know about anywhere in the world. It's all current info updated by the internet. Sweet, right?! Not to mention educational. Bailee already knows geography better than I do. Not that that's saying much. She also got baking supplies, Moxie Girlz dolls, coloring stuff, junk food of course, clothes, my ipod loaded with new music, and more.

Our main gift to the kids this year was a PS3...

...and yes they enjoy it...

...as do Damon and uncle John.

Best Christmas gift.

Bailee has been asking nearly every day for a couple years for a baby sister. Actually, lets change asking to begging. She has been BEGGING. Well, Santa being the smarty-pants that he is, knew there was someone else to set out gifts for. He left a little pile of baby things to surprise the kids. I thought Bailee would be running around screaming with excitement. No. Just quiet and slightly confused. She thought Santa was surprising her with baby doll things, and she thought that was a little wierd considering how grown up she is. Then the pregnancy test on the table with the baby things. No, we do not give our 8 year old pregnancy tests to go with her dolls. Once the confusion was over then the excitement began. Love this Chrimstas!

The morning after Chrimstas I snapped some pics of the kids in their new Sunday clothes before running out the door for church.

Sunday night we had a Christmas/Sunday dinner at my parents house. Trey thought Iron Man needed to come.

Grandma Joy reading to the grankids. Love her!

Happy Birthday, Jesus! I am amazed by the blessings that keep pouring in inspite of my many imperfections. I know it all comes from Him.

Christmas Card Picture Session

2011-02-18T13:24:00.026-07:00

I got a new super nice camera just in time to take pictures for our Christmas card. Mari, my talented photographer sister, helped me figure out my camera and we drove the kids around Provo to find some good picture-taking spots. Sure, there was frustration like there always is while taking pictures, but over all it was really fun. After all, who wouldn't love snapping shots of the two most beautiful kids in the world?
Seriously.
And serious problem. Narrowing the pictures down to blog.
More serious problem. Narrowing the pictures down to two for our Christmas card.
Seriously once again.
Could...they...melt...my...heart...any...more?!

I was pleased with the pictures I had taken so far but it still wasn't exactly what I was picturing. We drove around a little more and then I spotted it. A box car covered in graffiti in the middle of a field with a random staircase next to it. What? Did the photography gods see what I was envisioning and place them there just for me? Could a girl be so lucky? Especially a girl with a camera in her hand and her two kids dressed to the max with cuteness. There was just enough daylight to capture some pictures and the kids LOVED the train. They keep begging me to go back.

Photo session is over. Kids running back to the car. Can't help but capture their superhuman cuteness while I tag along behind.

The Only Thing Snow Is Good For

2011-02-18T13:11:00.008-07:00

Just some fun in the snow. Always makes for great memories. Always makes for great pics.

And then there was a giant ice chunk with Trey headed straight for it. Ouch!
Good thing about that is I got got to snuggle up with him and Bunny next to the fire with some hot chocolate.

Thanksgiving in Vegas, Baby!

2011-02-18T11:39:00.023-07:00

This year we took a road trip down to Vegas for Thanksgiving to be with the cousins. Seeing everyone was a blast as usual. Stomach flu going around at the same time. Not so much fun.

We went to the famous Ethel M. Chocolate Factory. I was so greatly dissapointed when we got there and the factory was closed for the day. We got to tour the building but it was still a bummer.

Cactus gardens outside the factory.

Normally this room would be creating little pieces of heaven. So rude.

We can't make a trip to Vegas without stocking up on M&M's.

Halle and Bailee meeting up at the Belagio.

Damon and Tina were pretty excited about getting their crab legs. Trust me. Damon ate enough to last him until we go to Vegas again.

For Thanksgiving dinner we had it at a rec center by my cousins house. There was a stage there and the kids all got together and organized a performance. A very cute and VERY long performance. Trey started things off by singing I'm a Little Teapot.

And there are the "directors" trying to get Trey off the stage.

Drew and Trey came barcading through everyone else's performance. Couple of little monkeys.

So good to be with family.

The dinner was amazing. Everyone slaved away to make the meal perfect. Ok, not me so much. But I did enjoy the food.

While the adults cleaned up, the kids fought over Matt's broken skateboard.

Uncle Terry refused to let me take a picture of him. So, here you have it. My goofy uncle.

Unfortunately, the trip wasn't all that perfect. Memorable without a doubt. The stomach flu hit like a vengeance. My cousin, Tina, was a perfect hostess and let us stay at her house. After Thanksgiving dinner she had a slumber party with all the little girls sleeping on her living room floor. Tons of people were already sick so it was a bold move. The night ended up with Damon and Tina cleaning up puke from the girls getting hit with the bug in the night. I was in the bedroom holding a bucket for Bailee, while running to the bathroom myself. Luckily, Trey got all his puking in the night before. The next morning Kevin and Mari and us were headed for home. Kevin had the flu, and I still had it pretty bad as well. Mari followed us on the drive home and thank goodness she did. We got hit with a snow storm and it took us 10 very long hours to get through it to our home sweet home. Heavenly Father seriously blessed us to help us get home safely in that horrible storm and for preventing Damon from getting that darn flu. What a trip!