The Mauss Family

Believe. Hope. Endure.

2011-11-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Justin and I were blessed to be called to be a Ma and Pa on Trek this summer. The theme was "Believe. Hope. Endure." It was such an awesome, life-changing experience. One of our favorite parts about the whole Trek experience was actually preparing to go. We read so many fascinating stories that really increased our own faith. The Trek theme focused on the Martin and Willie Handcart companies and also the rescue companies that were sent to get the stranded pioneers.  The Bailey family came across the plains in the Martin Handcart Company, and I was able to read many stories about them. It was humbling to read about all they went through to get to Zion. I also gained a greater sense of pride about my heritage.

We left for Martin's Cove on July 26, and we arrived home on July 29. It seemed like a long time to be away from Jackson, Bowen, and Alivia. But they were in good hands with Grandma Bailey! We arrived at Martin's Cove and did a little 6 mile hike around Martin's Cove and even crossed the Sweetwater River. Martin's Cove was beautiful. We had a really spiritual devotional there. Our Stake President gave a blessing over the youth of the Stake that was very powerful. Then, we were able to go and sit for awhile in Martin's Cove.  I tried to picture the Martin Company seeking refuge there--starving, freezing, waiting out the storm, and praying for help.  We then walked down and had another devotional by the banks of the Sweetwater River. This is where a great rescue effort occured by young men who were part of the rescue party.  When the Martin Company reached the Sweetwater River, they shrank back. They couldn't imagine having to cross another frozen river in the physical and mental condition they were in. When these young rescuers saw this, they literally carried the pioneers across, and helped pull their handcarts and their belongings across the frozen river. We were able to participate in a silent crossing of the Sweetwater River.

Day 2 was a bit trickier! We pulled and pushed our handcarts for 15 miles. It was really fun to be with the youth in our ward, especially those in our family. They are amazing people.  We were definitely tired when we got to camp. But, we still set up camp and had family devotionals that were fun.

Day 3 was hard. We were already tired from the day before and from camping out 2 nights before. We had another 15 mile walk as well.  We had quite a few "water crossings," and the Women's Pull was this day as well.  Our family definitely got quieter towards the end, which was good. It was a humbling time. We just kept reflecting on how the pioneers walked at least this much every day, but they were freezing and starving. They literally had no food. We had sunshine and lots of snacks.  This experience was really faith building, and it was evident it had an affect on everyone.

We were able to camp right by Rock Creek Hollow and view the little cemetery there. This is where 15 people were buried from the Willie Handcart company. On the final night, we ended with one of the most powerful testimony meetings I have ever been a part of. I am amazed at the strength of the youth today. We left Trek with a stronger resolve to be like our pioneer ancestors--strong, faithful, enduring.

Martin's Cove

The Boys

The Boys in our group: Dillon, Alex, Jared, Justin (Nic not pictured)

The Girls

Me, Mikaela, Kaitlin, Whitney

The Mauss Family!

Look! No Training Wheels

2011-11-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

On July 22, I went out to run some Saturday morning errands. When I pulled into the circle, what did I see? Bowen riding a "big boy bike!" No training wheels! Justin took off the training wheels, and Bowen took right off on the first try. He was obviously ready! This is one accomplishment that brings big smiles to everyone's face, don't you think?! He, of course, was addicted to riding the rest of the week.

Summertime=Paradetime

2011-11-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Aren't parades a little strange? We line-up along the street and wait for floats, politicians, baseball teams, and local businesses to come by and throw us candy. Strange or not, Jackson and Bowen enjoyed two fun parades this summer: Draper Days Parade, and Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Parade!

Family Fun at Draper Days Parade. Draper Days is in the middle of July, so it was a little toasty, but I wasn't complaining!

Jackson and Bowen anxiously waited for their treats, while Alivia wasn't too happy about her Firehouse Subs hat. Alivia wasn't too sure about this parade stuff. It was loud and hot, and even the candy didn't make it better for her. Maybe next year!

We went to the Spanish Fork July 24th parade, just like I did every year growing up. We missed Grandma Hanson so much. It was so strange to not go back to her house after the parade for a yummy lunch and visit with her. But we did gather for a great lunch at a park and played with cousins from the Hanson-side of the family. Each time one of these major traditions comes along, I realize how much I miss and love my Grams.

Ledgemere Campground

2011-11-12T22:34:00.003-07:00

I LOVE our new tradition of tinfoil dinners at Ledgemere Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We started doing this last year, and continued the tradition this summer. We got a late start coming to Ledgemere because of the colder Spring, so we tried to pack it all in during July and August!

First campfire of the season! In attendance: Jake and Tey and kids, Brad and Jenn and kids, Us, and Grandpa Dan! We always try to get this campfire spot because the kids can climb around the dirt hill and the climbing rocks.

Our little climbers!

Cute buddies. Looks like Alivia and Hayes didn't miss out on the S'mores with those chocoately faces.

Bowen is the best marshmallow toaster! He's better than the adults too. Look at that toasted perfection!

Our last campfire dinner was a "good-bye" dinner for Joanna and Chris. We've loved having them join us for these campfires too! This event was in August, the day before they were moving Chris to Oregon to start Law School. We will miss them!

I just noticed something in these pictures of Alivia. She is crying in the first picture, and then happy in the next picture. What could be the cause of the happiness? Yep, looks like a carbonated beverage.

Zoo Time

2011-11-12T22:16:00.001-07:00

What summer would be complete without a visit to the Hogle Zoo? Our favorite animals to see are the elephants, the giraffes, and the gorillas. Teylor is always nice to get us in for free with her Membership discount. And cousins make the zoo so much funner!

We always stop for a little carousel ride on our way to see the giraffes. Alivia had so much fun this year. She was just a baby last year, so it was fun to watch her get excited about the animals and the rides.

Check out Bowen's gorilla face!

The Hogle Zoo Train

I'm sure we'll end up back at the zoo this year, but the first visit of the season is always the funnest!

State Am Golf Tournament

2011-11-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

He did it! Justin made the cut this year to play in the State Am Golf Tournament! We were so proud of him. This year, it was held at Soldier Hollow in Heber on July 5 and 6. On the final day, he (being the cute dad that he is) wanted the boys to come and walk the course with him. He ended up not playing as well as he would have liked, but he definitely had fun doing it. There was no doubt about that. We enjoyed being a part of his big day. Congratulations, Justy Boy!

Summertime Visit with the Bryans

2011-11-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

After the Bailey Family Reunion, Alison and her family usually stay for an extra week in Utah and play! They stay with us, which makes it all the more fun. It's like a sleepover for a week! This year, we were able to celebrate Keaton's birthday while they were visiting. He had a Dinosaur Birthday Party, complete with a dinosaur egg hunt!

Birthday gathering in the back yard. The eggs have been found!

Looking for those darn dinosaur eggs!

Here's the big 5 year old! Bowen loves Keaton! We just recently framed some pictures to hang in Bowen's room, and this is one of the pictures he chose to have hanging in his room. Cute Cousins!

Bailey Family Reunion

2011-11-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

My parents hosted the Bailey Family Reunion this year in Heber, Utah. It is such a fun tradition! We usually go the last weekend in June, and this year was no exception. My mom works so hard each year for this weekend, and it definitely pays off. We love every minute! Here are a few memories of our weekend with family that we love.

Minute To Win It!

My mom had a series of games based on the TV game show "Minute to Win it." It was hilarious! The game for Alivia's age group was to take 3 cookies to their teammate without eating them. Well, you can guess that Alivia didn't win. She immediately veered off course and began to eat her cookie.

This was the game for the adults. We had to get an Oreo cookie from our forehead to our mouth. My cookie got hung up just about here. Attractive, I know.

Jackson and Bowen had to suck M&M's with a straw and put them in a cup. It was such a fun morning! My mom works hard to keep us entertained!

Family Home Evening and Potato Derby

My mom prepared a Family Home Evening about everyone working together in a family. She used potatoes for her examples. The cousins were great helpers! Then, we went into the garage of the cabin for a surprise! A Potato Derby!

We made pine wood derby cars out of potatoes, and then raced them. The ultimate prize would be a potato trophy and of course, bragging rights. Let's just say, our family struggled a little bit.

Everyone showing off their cars!

Cutest winner around!!

Bowen resting after the big Potato Derby. I thought this picture was so cute of him!

An Afternoon at the Park

We played our traditional game of Capture the Flag again this year. Jackson (in the red shirt) ran his little heart out. He was all over the field! It is so funny to watch the adults during this game. They get so competitive. I think in the end, my dad only got tackled once by Mark, and Alison probably ran a 5 minute mile.

The game was a little too competitive for me and Bowen, so we enjoyed watching from the sidelines with Alivia.

Alpine Coaster

If our family reunion is anywhere near Park City, we always trek in for a ride down the mountain on the Alpine Coaster. This year, Bowen was tall enough to ride with us!

Waiting for our turn at the Coaster.

Campfire Fun

My mom always finds the funnest cabins. This one had a great campfire spot. We had just returned from a natural hot spring and decided to end the night with some S'mores.

Bailey Family

June 2011

I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great family. I learn so much from my brothers and sisters. This is such a great time for us to get caught up and let our kids enjoy playing with each other. The reunion is definitely a highlight of our summer. Even through the winter, Jackson and Bowen will talk about the next "Family Reunion." We love you, Bailey's!!

Our T-ball Boy

2011-08-29T20:29:00.001-06:00

Bowen played another session of T-ball at the beginning of the summer, and again, loved every minute of it! This time, Justin coached his team! Bowen loves to hit the ball, which he calls "smashing" the ball. We had a fun little team this season with Walker, Luke, Avery Smith, and Ellie Mauss playing too! When we gave him the option to play T-ball or soccer this Fall, he chose T-ball. So he and Luke are going to go at it again!

Thirsty Girl

2011-08-25T14:46:00.002-06:00

This girl loves her beverages! There is at least one point in the day that I catch her on the cupboard trying to get my drink, or trying to climb to the front of the car to sip on my drink there. We don't even like to travel with Alivia because she insists on having everyone's drink for her own! (This picture is in Park City in June when we went for a little lunch at Baja Cantina).

Today was no different, except this time she got a taste of something she has never had before. We were at Barnes and Noble in the kids section, and she found someone's Starbucks cup. Before I saw what she was doing, she had spilled it on her chin and all down the front of her in an attempt to have a taste! She had the funniest look on her face. I was completely mortified! First of all, she had her mouth on someone else's cup. And second, she didn't smell very good for the rest of our errands. Luckily, she must not have tasted too much because she is now napping peacefully in her bed. No jitters to report!

August 27, 2011

Love These Guys...

2011-08-24T21:10:00.001-06:00

Summertime in Park City ** June 2011

RAGNAR 2011

2011-08-24T21:02:00.003-06:00

"I'd Rather Be Drinking a Diet Coke"

I'm proud to say that I ran in the Ragnar Relay race this year in June with Justin, and I had a great time! We had awesome friends as teammates, which made all the difference. I was runner 7, which is the first runner in Van 2. Each of my legs was 4 miles, which fit my running ability just right. Top that off with having Justin there to help me along the way, and it was a great 2 days. A little bit of Lortab for the tendonitis in my ankle didn't hurt either!

Gotta love our shirts!

Justin and his boy friends! Matt, Bryce, and Justin were great entertainment in our Van.

Justin is an amazing runner. It was fun seeing him in action---and in an extra medium reflector vest!

Bryce and Mer with Justin in front of our "Van" decorated with our name and all.

Van 2!! Us, The Hopkin's, and The Strong's

Megan, Teylor, and Becca ran on a team together too. We ran into them at Snow Basin and had a chance to chat for a bit. Great work, Team!

See you next year, Ragnar!

Good-bye First Grade!

2011-08-24T20:42:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Bruner was Jackson's first grade English teacher. She was his favorite teacher! We will miss her, but we were glad to hear that she is going to teach 3rd grade English as part of the French Immersion Program. We'll see her again in a couple of years!

Madame Labelle was such a great French teacher. It was always so fun to help in her classroom and watch the kids as she spoke all French to them. It was amazing!

And what's the last day of school without our friends?! Ashton is a great friend, and we had fun spending time with him as we celebrated the new summer!

Yankee

2011-07-13T10:02:00.000-06:00

Jackson played his first season of machine pitch baseball this Spring. He did such a great job! He was on the Yankees with some of the boys he played with last year. In the outfield, he either played "pitcher" or first base.

We probably had about 2 warm games the whole season! Bowen and Alivia were great fans through it all. Jackson played 3 baseball games a week, along with 1 soccer game each week! And they were all freezing! We love having little sports-lovers around. Next up, Jackson will take a break, and Bowen is starting T-ball with Justin as his coach!

Signs of Summer

2011-07-12T22:28:00.001-06:00

This is one of the first signs that warmer weather has finally arrived--Bowen in his swimsuit as his outfit fo the day. Yeah! I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I love summer days just spent playing in swimsuits!

Another yummy sign...our first strawberry! Jackson and Bowen are responsible for watering our strawberry plants everyday. Seeing this fruit has been very exciting, and we check for new growth everyday.

Another thing we do right when the weather turns nice is ride scooters and bikes on the Draper trail. Welcome Summer!

Toddler Alivia

2011-07-12T22:19:00.000-06:00

We definitely have a toddler at our house! You can tell by the bumps and bruises, and the tornado that goes through our house everyday! This poor injury occured when Alivia tipped over on a lawn chair onto the garage floor. A sad day, for sure!

This girl is a good eater, and an even better snacker! She has learned well from her brother, Bowen. And I love her signature pose for pictures--eyes pinched shut tight as we say cheese!

Summertime always brings a few extra messes, including muddy toes from walking through the flower garden, and popsicle stains on shirts!

I found this picture on my camera. Bowen is apparently the camera man. He was able to capture Alivia's signature pose again. But what I love the most is that they include her in their play. It's fun to watch all 3 of them want to be together!

What a bad habit, and it's even worse that her milk is sitting there untouched! This girl loves diet Coke. We actually don't like traveling with Alivia because she can see our drinks and will whine and whine unless we share. What have I started?!

Jackson is 7!

2011-07-12T22:01:00.001-06:00

Jackson turned 7, and boy, did we celebrate! He had a party with his little first grade "guy" friends at Boondocks. They had a lot of fun and were quite a crazy bunch!

It's not a surprise that Jackson chose a sports-themed cake. Right now, he is loving baseball because he is playing baseball.

This is one of the reasons Jackson wanted to have his birthday party with his friends at Boondocks---the tickets!

Jackson and his friends played laser tag and arcade games as part of the birthday fun. Bowen got in on the fun too, and had a great time hanging out with a crowd of rowdy boys!

Jackson then had a party with his cousins and neighborhood friends. (No, two birthday parties will probably not happen again.) We went to the movie, "Gnomeo and Juliet", and then had lunch and a scavenger hunt. Annie, Charlie, Cade, Mickelle, Nate Smith, and Will came to help us celebrate!

And the final celebration...Jackson's actual birthday with just his family! He chose McDonald's for his birthday breakfast. We also went to the Mayan for dinner. A lot of celebrating for a special boy!

7 year-old Jackson:

Loves sports--he is playing baseball and soccer right now. But he looks forward to summer golf and fall flag football.

Likes reading and going to school. His teachers told me his is a great first grader, but is also a typical boy first grader. He apparently can't sit still! He is doing well with his French too.

Favorite food: turkey and cheese sandwiches!
Favorite color: Blue (for BYU!)

Favorite movie: he loved seeing "Rio," and "Kung Fu Panda 2" in the theater.

He is such a nurturing older brother, and he is a good friend. We feel blessed to have him as a leader in our family. We love you Jacksie!

Mother's Day Fun

2011-05-28T15:27:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day is always a fun time, especially when you are the mom in the family! Bowen's preschool had a "Mother's Day Tea." There was a cute little singing program, and then they kids presented us with gifts. Part of the gift was a little questionaire that Bowen filled out about me. This is what he said:

My mom is "32" years old. ("not my dad's age")

She is "really tall" inches tall.

She weighs "forty hundred" pounds.

Her favorite food is "orange chicken." (Bowen's favorite food) :)

While I am at school, she "watches me."

The other funny thing about the Mother's Day Tea was the kids were supposed to be dressed in Sunday best. When we got there, some kids had suits on! I had to laugh because just getting Bowen in a shirt with a collar was tricky enough! I love that boy!

To celebrate with the Bailey family, we met a Brick Oven for a little Mother's Day dinner. Best place to celebrate if you ask me!

And last, but not least, my Mother's Day gift from my cute family! We LOVE our trampoline! Ours broke from last year, and I have been missing it all Spring. When I told Justin that I wanted a trampoline for Mother's Day, he thought it was a little silly. But he came through, and we are on it everyday!

More Easter Fun!

2011-05-01T15:26:00.000-06:00

In addition to a great Spring Break and Easter in St. George, we were able to spend some Easter fun with those we love the most!

We spent a few minutes with Grandma Bailey after she came home from a trip to Las Vegas. She added to our movie collection (Tangled) and our candy collection too!

Easter wouldn't be the same without our Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Mauss' house! The cousins all love to get together, and they always come home with a basket full of candy. The weather cleared just in time for the hunt to be outside!

Easter and Spring Break!

2011-05-01T15:11:00.000-06:00

This year, Spring Break and Easter were the same weekend. So, we loaded up the car and headed to St. George to escape Salt Lake's cold version of Spring. St. George was beautiful! We went swimming, had easter egg hunts, rode scooters, and just relaxed in the sunshine. Jackson and Bowen are still asking when we are going back. Okay, I'm asking Justin when we are going back too!

We started off the long trip with Alivia facing forward in her car seat for the first time! She giggled and giggled for the first little while. She has her own little movie in front of her that she thinks is so great.

Happiness turned to sadness later on that night when Alivia started with a fever! Poor girl. She had a rough first day, and then started to feel better.

One of the best things about Easter....coloring Easter eggs! And all the more fun in swimsuits!

While Daddy hit golf balls, we passed the time by riding scooters and drinking root beer. Bowen was in heaven!

Bowen wore his goggles all day after swimming for the first time since last summer!

We met Matt and Bree Strong at the pool for the afternoon. Jackson spent the entire time in the water. He loves diving for dive sticks. Alivia still wasn't feeling great, so she just played by the side of the pool. And Bowen enjoyed swimming and snack breaks.

The night before Easter, we had an Easter egg hunt at a park in St. George with a group of Justin's friends and their families. What a great group of kids! In attendance were: The Strong's, Bryce and Brad Hopkin and families, The Metcalf's, and The Pohlman's.

Alivia and Bowen were checking out their finds. Alivia was just happy to secure a box of Nerds.

We always have a fun Easter egg hunt on Easter morning. Daddy does a great job setting this up for the kids. Alivia enjoyed eating candy while the boys were on the hunt!

Our cuties on Easter morning! The Easter bunny is alwasy so good to us.

On our way out of St. George, we stopped to hike around some red rocks, and soak up just a little bit more sun.

Thanks for the fun time, St. George. See you in October!!

Sprinkles

2011-04-09T13:18:00.001-06:00

Bowen and I made sugar cookies for a little neighborhood lunch at my neighbor's house. I gave him four cookies to decorate while I jumped in the shower. When I got out and went and checked on him, this is what I found. He used the entire bottles of sprinkles on 4 cookies! But they were very neatly placed on each cookie. I couldn't help but smile and praise him for his great work. Needless to say, I told him he could have those cookies all to himself! For a kid with a big sweet tooth, I think he was in heaven.

Big Girl!

2011-04-09T13:11:00.000-06:00

I don't know where the time has gone! The past couple of weeks, Alivia has reached some pretty big milestones, and I think it is happening all too fast. 2 weeks ago, she just started taking steps at one of Bowen's soccer games. By the end of the weekend, she was up to about 11 steps. I'm so excited for her! She is very proud of herself and wears a big smile on her face as she toddles with straight legs around the room! I think Jackson and Bowen are equally excited for her. They get so excited and give her big hugs when she takes her big steps. (Side Note: everytime anyone pulls out a camera, Alivia blinks her eyes really tight. All you have to do is say "say cheese" and she will blink. I have to take a couple of pictures every time to try to avoid this crazy look!)

(See the crazy-blinking-eye look?!)

Alivia still loves to sit on my bathroom counter when I get ready. She just gets messier and messier though. Now she likes to play with all of Justin's bathroom gadgets.

(Again, the closed eyes...)

The other big milestone, besides taking steps, is NO MORE BOTTLES! I washed and put them away the other day with a heavy heart. She just can't be this big. I just keep reflecting on how fun and exciting each day is with a baby-turning-toddler around the house!

Bowen: Soccer Player and Superman

2011-04-08T20:59:00.001-06:00

We have had a great time watching Bowen play indoor soccer every Saturday morning for the past 6 weeks. At first, we were dragging him out the door to go. Once he would get there, though, he liked it. Finally, the past couple of weeks, he has loved it! He always tell us how many goals he is going to make. Last time, it was 243 goals! The funnest part of the whole experience has been that Walker and Luke are on his team, and Megan is his coach!

He had such a cute shy/proud smile after he scored a goal! It's so fun to see these little 4 year olds feel excited and proud of themselves. That's one thing I love about watching my boys play sports.

Bowen loves being goalie. He is good at watching the ball and knowing when he can pick it up. Then he launches it back into his team. At first, he also was quick to volunteer to sit out! But now he likes to be in on the action. Jackson and Daddy were good fans. And of course, so was Alivia!

Alivia is such a trooper. She gets carted around to all of her big brothers' activities. But these soccer games have been the funnest because she gets to play with Hayes! They love to play together, which usually means crawling around and eating treats! Who wouldn't like to do that?

We're proud of our Bo-Bo for doing his best at his first season of soccer! But this guy is not just a soccer player. He's a super hero too. After his soccer game a few weeks ago, he came home and decided he wanted to wear his Superman costume. He spent the whole day in it. I saw him out jumping on the neighbor's tramp and riding his scooter with his cape just flying behind him. Then when I checked on him again, this is what he was doing:

I guess every super hero needs a drink break (on a sled...on top of a stack of tile), right?

Love Our Cougs!!

2011-03-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

Darn it! Our Cougs lost tonight in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Justin was a nervous wreck, which then transfers onto everyone else. He is so passionate, and our little Jackson carries some of that passion with him--especially about BYU and Jimmer. Jackson made this sign at school today:

What a true fan he is! I love the "rise and showt" part. He was very sad when they lost, but we reminded him that we can cheer for Jimmer in the NBA. And we had to remind him (and his Dad) that not everyone can win. But still...Darn It!!

Someone wrote on Justin's Facebook page that we have two Jimmerations of Cougar fans! He's right! I don't know how we wouldn't with Justin around. For now, Alivia will just keep wearing her pink and wonder why everyone was yelling at the TV.

K.L. Memorial Ski Day

2011-03-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

First Annual KL Memorial Ski Day

Park City Mountain Resort

Zach Beynon and Jake put together such a wonderful tribute to Grandpa Mauss by organizing a memorial ski day at Park City Mountain Resort. Grandpa Mauss was on the first ski patrol at Park City Resort, so it was fitting to honor him with a day in the snow there.

Jackson and Bowen did great! Justin's report on Jackson's skiing is: he has a perpetual "need for speed," he can stop when he wants to, and he can make turns. Bowen started out the ski day with a tantrum at the boot rental place. He was so upset about how the boots felt on his feet. I expected a call within 20 minutes to come and pick him up. But to my surprise, he loved every minute of his ski day! For Bowen's first ski trip, Justin's report is: he learned how to do the snow plow, and he loved skiing down the mountain fast with Justin holding him.

Teylor, Darbee, and I hung out with the little ones at the condo. Hayes and Alivia were busy little friends! Alivia is teething 3 molars, so she struggled a little throughout the day. But we had a great time chatting, eating soup, and being the chauffers for all of the skiiers!

The condo was so much fun for the kids when they weren't skiing. They particularly loved hanging out in the deep bathtub!

We've got some great actors in our family! Look who I found asleep outside in the snow!

I'm sure Grandpa Mauss had a great big smile on his face as he watched his family gather together and spend a day doing something he loved. This will definitely be a day to look forward to each year.

A (small) Taste of Spring

2011-03-01T21:51:00.001-07:00

It was 50 degrees today, and it felt so good! So, of course, we spent a lot of the day outside. Alivia walked around the whole circle with her walker (a first!), and Bowen enjoyed riding his new scooter! Please Spring, come a little faster!!

Every once in awhile, during her walk, Alivia would get on her belly and look at the little "treaures" (aka rocks) on the ground.

I have to write down what Bowen said to me today. He was playing Brickbreaker on my phone. He handed the phone to me, and told me it was my turn to play. I handed the phone back to him, and told him I didn't want to play because I wasn't very good at the game. He then handed the phone back to me and said,

"Come on, Mom. I believe in you. You can do it."

Thanks, Buddy!

Our Birthday Girl!

2011-02-22T21:18:00.002-07:00

Oh, how we love this little girl! I cannot believe she is 1! It has been a wonderful first year with her in our family, and we look forward to many, many more to come. She is a beautiful little lady who brings smiles to everyone around. Because the Bailey Family had gathered the night before Alivia's birthday for Emerson's blessing, we just had the Mauss side of the family over for a birthday celebration (with the exception of Jo Jo and Chris, of course)!

THE CAKE! The little tag on the cake said "Prettiest Princess in the "Hole" Land!"

Alivia had her own little cupcake to munch on. Jackson and Bowen helped her blow out her candle. She also loved the balloons! She made a little happy squeal every time she saw them!

Hayes and Alivia are only 5 weeks apart. They have a great time playing together! At one time during the night, Alivia used Hayes as her support to pull herself up. He wasn't so sure about her big hug, but he patiently waited for someone to pull her off! They are two happy little kids!

Chris and Joanna babysit for us more than anyone else--ok, they are our only babysitters right now. We loved having them over along with Justin's family. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family with lot of cousins/friends to grow up with. It was fun watching them open Alivia's presents and being excited about her gifts.

Here is some fun information about Alivia!

Alivia is a good little eater, but she only likes to feed herself. She loves grapes, blueberries, mac and cheese, and pretty much anything that anyone else around her is eating. Just lately, she has taken quite a liking to french fries (nice and healthy). This is Alivia's birthday lunch at McDonald's.

Alivia LOVES bathtime! When she hears me turn the water on, she comes crawling quickly to the bathroom. She cannot wait for me to undress her. She tries to take her diaper off the whole time. She also just repeatedly says, "ba!"

Alivia gives great slobbery, open-mouthed kisses upon request. I caught her going in to give Justin a kiss:

(See the open mouth...)

Alivia loves her brothers, and they love her! She loves to tell them "bye-bye" (which she says "ba-ba" while waving) when it's time for her to go to bed. She loves their hugs and their attention.

When Alivia is mad at something, she does a growling/grunt sound. Luckily, she is easily distracted! For example, if I take a toy away from her at Target to put back on the shelf, she growls at me! But she's over it by the time we leave the aisle.

Alivia had her one year well visit today. She is a healthy girl! She weighs 21 pounds 6 ounces (60%), and is 29 inches tall (50%). He head is still in the 95%!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Our Favorite Jazz Player

2011-02-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Jackson played in his first season of Jr. Jazz. He loved every minute of it, even when they "versed" (as he calls it) 2nd grade teams with kids twice his size! He was quite the shooter. In his first game, he scored 8 of the 10 points. And in the last game, he scored 12 of the 14 points! He loves to play defense, especially against players on the other team that he knows.

Another fun part of the season was that Justin was one of the coaches! He did such a great job. He coached with our friend, Scott Vincent. Jackson loves having Justin be so involved. And I think Justin liked being Jerry Sloan for an hour each week! Both Jackson and Justin are sad the season is over, but we are looking ahead to Spring baseball and soccer.

We love you, Great!

2011-02-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Hanson died on February 12, 2010. I cannot believe it has been a year. We miss her so much! The kids and I were able to stop by Spanish Fork cemetary and put some flowers on her grave. I have so many memories of this time last year. I was pregnant with Alivia, and due in two weeks. I just kept praying that I would at least be able to attend my sweet Grandma's funeral. We talked about an early induction (which couldn't be worked out with the hospital), so we just had faith that everything would work out. Our prayers were answered as I started my labor contractions at Great's funeral. Alivia was born at 7:00 am the next morning. I want to record what I read at her funeral, because it is exactly how I still feel today...

During my first year at the University of Utah, I found myself leaving every weekend to go home or to go Grandma’s house as a cure for my homesickness. I distinctly remember on each visit that I would literally breathe a sigh of relief as I walked into her house because I knew I was walking into a place where I was loved unconditionally. There was never any doubt in my mind, all throughout my life, that my Grandma Hanson loved me.

I felt that same special love last week as I visited her for the last time. I will forever remember as she locked eyes with me and smiled. The same feeling of love flooded over me just as it always did when I was in her presence.

I found a quote from President Joseph F. Smith that defines this special love that we all have felt from Grandma Hanson. President Smith says, "I have often said, and will repeat it, that the love of a true mother comes nearer being like the love of God than any other kind of love.” Even with the many memories in my mind of my Grandma, this feeling of pure love that accompanies all of them is what I will cherish the most.

We love you, Great!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day is so fun and exciting for our kids! This was Bowen's first year doing "real" Valentine's (you know, the kind you buy from the store) because it is his first year in school. He chose Toy Story valentines with tattoos. He wrote his name on all of his little valentines for the kids in his class. He did a great job! He told me he didn't want to get any princess valentines from the girls in his class. Much to our surprise, due to sickness, he was the only boy in his class to come to school for the Valentine's party! Luckily, a lot of the girls did unisex valentines, so he didn't seem to mind a bit!

This was also a Valentine's Day first for Jackson too--his first Valentine's box! He wanted to do BYU sports (hence the Jimmer #32 reference--I wonder if Jimmer realizes kids are doing Valentine's boxes with his number on them???). I thought it turned out really cute! I went in his classroom and helped with the Valentine's party. He was really excited, and kept coming up and hugging me and holding my hand! I love it and hope it lasts for as long as possible!

This is the Valentine Jackson made for Bowen at school. I love his handwriting, and I love his message even more! "I love you because you play with me!" Bowen was so pleased. He carried it around the rest of the night with a smile on his face.

The kids and I were able to have a great Valentine's weekend in Price! Justin had to work, so he missed out on all of the fun. My kids love going to Price, basically because it's like a vacation! They play the Wii, eat yummy food (thanks to Grandma, of course), play games, ride scooters, and so on and on.... The boys talked Grandpa into taking them up to Dog Hill too (it wasn't warm enough for me yet). They are anxiously awaiting for warmer weather so next time we can go to the skatepark!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S TO ME!! Justin had these ready and waiting for me when we got home from Price. Yipee! I've been doing laundry all day with a smile on my face!

Sick and Tired

2011-02-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Really, nothing more needs to be said about poor Bowen. After his birthday, he started fevering and ended up with a really bad cold. You know Bowen is sick when he looks like this at 11:00 in the morning!

Birthday Boy

2011-02-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Bowen's 4th birthday with his friends at a Cars themed birthday party at our house. The pinata was definitely the highlight of the afternoon. Justin "MC'd the pinata event, and the kids were loving every minute of it. At one point, he had them raising their hands in the air (you know, raise them like you just don't care...)! Bowen hit the final blow that caused the candy to fall. He was so proud! The kids also played with car racetracks, colored a wooden car, and had cake and ice cream. His friends at the party were Walker, Luke, Will, Jackson Rush, Mara Brunt, Brooklyn Cook, and Parker Vincent.

The Guests!

The Cake!

We also had our own little family party the morning of Bowen's birthday. Jackson was a big help opening the gifts, of course! Bowen got a scooter, Bay Blades, cars, and a slip and slide. Bowen then went to school and had a special birthday there. He opened presents from his friends and even got a birthday crown (which he refused to wear)! It was a great birthday for a great boy!

4 year old Bowen:

Likes all colors (except "girl colors" like pink and purple--although he secretly would really like it to be "okay" that he likes pink. The other day he said to Jackson, "Remember when I was a boy, and I liked pink? He said it like..can you even believe I used to like pink???)

Loves Panda Express orange chicken. He would eat there everyday!

Likes to play with Jackson and the neighborhood friends.

Likes Kung Fu Panda and Tom and Jerry cartoons

Bowen is really good at riding his scooter and his bike (we're looking forward to Spring). He is nervous to leave his comfort zone, which includes his family and his house (that sounds like me!). He does great going to school and Sunbeams, but has about 3 minutes of nervousness every time before he goes. Then, he is just fine! He knows all of his letters and their sounds and does a great job writing them all! Bowen has good fine motor skills, so his handwriting is great, and his coloring is even better. He's my fiesty/sensitive boy all wrapped into one! We love our Bo-Bo!

Her Favorite Spot in the House

2011-02-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty fitting for a girl, right? Alivia loves to sit up on my bathroom counter while I get ready. She keeps herself busy playing with my make-up, playing with Justin's cologne, and chewing on her princess toothbrush. If I walk into the bathroom with her for a second, and then walk out without putting her on the counter to play, she gets so mad! I guess a girl just needs her primping time...

JIMMER

2011-02-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

We don't actually know Jimmer Fredette. My boys (Justin included) wish they knew him or wish they just even just had his autograph. But the BYU basketball superstar is quite the sensation at our house. BYU basketball games are actually more anticipated that the Jazz games right now! It's fun to watch Justin instill this passion for sports. Right now, Jackson just eats it up!

This is our Jimmer. He'll actually answer to Jimmer around our house! Jackson loves this new Jimmer shirt, and will even wear it while he is practicing his basketball shots in the basement. It's actually fun to see him look up to someone who actually seems to be a good role model!

Cold...Snow...More Cold

2011-02-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

Why does it seem like kids don't feel the cold? I wish I were like that. Bowen has his pajama shorts on--which isn't unusual. But it seems unusual that he has them on while outside playing in the snow. (If you were to visit our house in the afternoon even on the coldest day, Bowen would be wearing his pajama shorts.) Jackson could spend all day out in the snow with his snow gear on. When I call him in, he always claims, "but it's not cold!" I think I actually have some memories of the days when I didn't mind the cold and snow.

The other thing I love about my kids and the snow is how darn cute they look in their snow clothes! They have reached the point where they can basically get themselves bundled up to go outside. When a good snow storm hits, they (along with the rest of the neighborhood kids) meet to go sledding between our two neighbors' houses. It's a great hill that entertains them for awhile. Jackson is always so good to help Bowen. Sadly, I have to admit, I haven't put on snow gear this year and joined them in the fun. What would I do with Alivia?!

My Buddies

2011-02-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

I lost one of my buddies to first grade this school year. We miss Jackson so much, but he is loving his independence and even loving school lunch! But lucky for me, I still have two buddies at home! I love spending my day with Bowen and Alivia. We have a nice little schedule. We run errands after Alivia's morning nap, and then spend the rest of the afternoon after lunch at home. As Alivia has "grown-up" a little more this winter, she has become quite a fun friend for Bowen. He is very sweet with her, and it's plain to see Alivia adores her Bo-Bo. (I just noticed Bowen is doing the "peace" sign! When Justin leaves for work in the morning, he says "peace out," and "peace in the Middle East.")

Bowen loves to play with cars. I walked into the room the other day, and he had them looking like this! He is such a good independent player. He is creative with his play; it's fun to watch. But he also loves the second Jackson gets home from school! He plays non-stop with him the rest of the afternoon.

Our little Alivia is so fun to have around. I am reminded of how much I love this age! She is napping well, she is crawling everywhere as she explores the house, and she is pulling herself up to everything. We love to hear her little whispers, and her louder babbling! She does say "mama" too. And how could I forget her love for eating! She's such a fun little girl!

Fake Mustaches and Principal's Pride

2010-03-22T20:56:00.005-06:00

I had to show this picture of Jackson with his fake mustache. In Jackson's class, when they earn enough points for good behavior, they get a "Treasure Tower Token." They take a token to a toy machine (like at the grocery store) and they can pick out a prize. Every time he earns a token, he picks a fake mustache. It has been hilarious! Sometimes they are black, and sometimes they are a blonde color. One time, he even picked out a "soul patch." It cracks me up every time he comes out of school with a fake mustache on.

Jackson was nominated by his teacher, Mrs. Dunn, for the Principal's Pride award! She nominated him because he has been getting 100% on all of his spelling tests. They had a special assembly for all of the kids that received the award, and then they all had their picture taken with the principal. We are definitely proud parents!

This is the part of the assembly where Jackson was called up by the principal. She is talking about his mad spelling skills!

They posted all of the kids' special work in the hall at school. You can see one of Jackson's spelling tests was on display. We love this Kindergartener!

Newborn Pictures

2010-03-16T13:54:00.003-06:00

Check out some of Alivia's newborn pictures that Tim and Kim Shirley took for us when she was almost a week old. They are beautiful! They came to our house and dealt with our restless boys and not tired newborn! Thanks Kim and Tim!

www.timandkimphotography.blogspot.com

First Two Weeks

2010-03-09T16:13:00.006-07:00

I thought I would start this post off with pictures of Bowen and his "babies" the night we came home with Alivia from the hospital. I started noticing his nurturing side coming out as I walked around the house!

Sandy the dog tucked in nicely with a burp cloth.

Red dog tucked in nicely under the rug with his own little binki. You can tell already that he is a great big brother!

Alivia hanging out with Bowen while Jackson is at school. Right before I took the picture, I could hear Bowen saying to her, "I love you, buddy." (2 weeks)

Already a genius developmentally! Doesn't it look like she's kind of smiling!

Still not quite sure what to do with her hands.

Jackson LOVES to hold Alivia. Sometimes, he won't let go of her when I try to take her from him. Bowen acts more like a protector. He is always concerned when she cries, and likes to make sure we aren't going to hurt her when we change her diaper.

Justin loves to sit and hold her when he gets home from work. He usually takes over her care just so he can spend a couple of hours with her before she goes to bed. Daddy's little girl, for sure!

The first two weeks with 3 have gone better than I ever thought! My mom came and helped us for the first week and got us back on our feet. Alivia is so sweet and is a joy to have around. Even though sleep isn't what it used to be around here, we are enjoying this little girl!

Two Special Ladies

2010-03-03T20:38:00.005-07:00

I want to highlight two very special ladies in our lives. In a sense, they traded places; one going home and one coming to a new home. My sweet Grandma Hanson died on February 12. I feel so blessed to have been able to visit her a few days before she died, and have a really neat experience with her then. Her funeral was on February 20 in Spanish Fork.

Our sweet baby girl, Alivia, was born early on February 21. What an emotional 24 hours for our family. I am certain that our little Alivia had her own special time with my Grandma before coming to our family.

My Grandma was an amazing Matriarch. She was the glue that held her family together--4 children, 22 grandchildren, and 55 great-grandchildren to be exact. And every single person was present at her funeral with many flying in from all parts of the country. If you were to ask any of her grandchildren, they would tell you that they were her favorite. That is how special she made everyone feel. (She really did tell me once that I was her favorite :)).

At her funeral, I shared a quote from Joseph F. Smith that describes my grandma. He said, "I have often said, and will repeat it, that the love of a true mother comes nearer being like the love of God than any other kind of love." I have a wonderful example in her and in my own mom of this kind of love. We miss you Grams!

My greatest blessings! Aren't they awesome! We are so excited to have this little girl in our family. There is certainly something sweet about a little baby girl. Alivia arrived on February 21 at 7:11 in the morning. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long. She's healthy and beautiful! Here are some pictures of her first day with us!

Lucky for us, my sister Alison and her family were in town for the funeral, so she was able to come to the hospital to see Alivia before flying home. She also took care of my kids while we went to the hospital. We were so glad to have them with us. Joanna and Chris, and my mom and dad were also close by to welcome Alivia.

Our first visitors!

She's already got him wrapped around her little finger. Don't you think she looks like her Daddy?

Fresh from heaven--weighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces. We feel so blessed to have her here and healthy. These two special ladies are certainly a blessing in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Bowen!

2010-02-08T15:00:00.005-07:00

Bowen turned 3 last week, and we had so much fun celebrating with him! He loves Cars (the movie) and the Jazz Bear, so his birthday presents and parties had a little bit of both. If we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, all he would ever say is "a Jazz Bear cake." So with a little help from Aunt Tey (who has connections at the Jazz--and no, it's not D-Will) and Harmon's, his birthday wish came true!

Throughout the week, I would ask Bowen questions about his likes/dislikes. This is what I found out:

Favorite color: "Black--like Jazz Bear" (???)

Favorite Food: "Jazz Bear Cake"

Do you think he likes the Jazz Bear?

Bowen loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Cars, quoting Sandlot, and doing anything Jackson is doing. He can be a little fiesty, but has the best manners around. Bowen refuses to go to nursery (much to the dismay of Justin), but would be fine going to Primary with Jackson if we would let him! He rides a Razor scooter, loves T-ball, playing catch, and hitting golf balls.

Bowen knows his "ABC's" and knows what sound most of the letters make (thanks to Letter Factory:)). He loves to color and is really good at staying in the lines. When he gets mad at someone, Bowen calls them a "praying mantis." We're not quite sure why he thinks that is a "bad name" to call someone, but at least it isn't crapface, right?

We celebrated Bowen's birthday as a family on the day of his birthday with presents and a trip to Jump on It. Then we celebrated with grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles on Super Bowl Sunday. Lucky Boy!

Bowen's other birthday obsession this year was his request to celebrate his birthday at "Jump On It" with Jackson. Does he look happy or what?

Jackson got his first set of golf clubs and bag when he turned 3, so we decided to keep that as a tradition with our kids. Bowen already had his golf clubs because he is a lefty, but he did get his own golf bag and putter for his birthday. Since we've been having warmer weather (45 degrees), they've been playing golf outside in our yard this week. It's fun to see them share the love for golf with their daddy!

Happy Birthday, Bowen!

Silly Boys

2010-01-25T20:21:00.006-07:00

Here are a few silly memories about these crazy boys...

Bowen is obsessed with the movie "Sandlot." Unfortunately, because of this obsession, the "Sandlot" DVD has "accidentally" become lost! Bowen picked up a few expressions from that movie that make us smile and cringe at the same time:

Justin, Jackson and Bowen were playing catch in the family room. Justin threw the ball at Bowen and hit him in the stomach. He got a little scowl on his face and said to Justin,

"Don't hit me in the coconuts, you crapface!"

I will comment and say that while "crapface" came from "Sandlot," the expression about "coconuts" came from his daddy!

Also because of "Sandlot," Bowen is sure that there is a big, scary dog on the other side of every fence that is trying to get all of his balls. While playing outside with Uncle Chris one evening, his ball went over the fence. Chris proceeded to jump the fence to grab it, which sent Bowen into hysterics! Sometimes, he even role plays the whole dog scene in our front room. He hides a ball behind a chair, and then sees how fast he can capture it before the dog gets him. When you ask him what he is doing, he says, "I'm trying to get the ball back for Sandlot." Wow!

**Something exciting about Bowen's life right now is he is potty-trained!! A couple of weeks before Christmas (the worse time of year to potty-train), he decided he was ready to wear big-boy pants. I didn't want to pass-up the opportunity to start while he was showing such interest, so we went for it! After a couple of weeks, he was completely done. And now, recently, he is potty-trained through his naps and through the night. We are so proud of him!!***

Jackson got in the car after school the other day and said to me as we were driving away,

"Mom, you are so lucky. You can drive AND tie your own shoes."

Aren't I lucky to not have very high expectations placed on me by my Jacksie?!

Another conversation with Jackson. Keep in mind that Grandma Great is 91 years old.

"Mom, is Great older than you?"

Wow. All I could think to say is, "I sure hope so."

**Something exciting in Jackson's life right now is he is becoming such a good little reader! It is so exciting to see him read--and he is so excited about it! He also loves math. He has a math workbook that we take to church, and I have been blown away by his understanding of everything from telling time to counting coins.

He also has the first Article of Faith memorized and recited it for the whole Primary. I am so grateful for him as the "leader of the pack" in our family.

Fun and Freezing

2010-01-25T20:03:00.002-07:00

Jackson and Bowen heading to the neighborhood sledding hill. There is a nice little hill between a couple of houses in our neighborhood that is a hot sledding attraction for all of the kids in the neighborhood. Now that Bowen is older, it's fun to see him be able to participate in all of the fun this year!

Alison and her family stayed with us for a few days between Christmas and New Year's. Her kids were so excited for the snow! Justin and Darren took the boys (yes, all boys) sledding at Oak Hollow. There were a few crashes (Darren), but all in all, they had a great time! (I think Darren just wanted an excuse to have a sore back, and therefore, "need" a massage).

Check out those dimples! Where they come from, we don't know!

This kid could spend all day out playing in the snow. And he for sure is BYU's #1 fan!

Every year I complain about our Utah winters and the snow. But how can I complain when it brings out smiles like this!

Christmas Post 2009

2010-01-25T17:15:00.004-07:00

As always, we had such a great Christmas. It is so fun to watch Jackson and Bowen and their excitement throughout the whole season. I should include Justin in that sentence as well! He gets almost as giddy for all of the Christmas surprises. We spent Christmas Eve with the Mauss family, then spent Christmas morning at our house. Santa was very good to us! We went to Price Christmas Day and spent a few days with my parents. Here are a few fun memories of our Christmas 2009!

Opening presents Christmas morning. Justin is too busy to look at the camera!

Jackson and Bowen posing in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve night!

Cookies and milk for Santa. We made and frosted cookies for Santa the day before. Bowen insisted that Santa would want apple juice as well, since that is his own drink of choice.

Family picture with Grandma Great at her annual Christmas party. My sweet Grandma is winding down with her time on earth, so this was a special gathering. She is 91! I love her so much, and I am grateful my boys have had the chance to get to know a very special lady.

Bowen wanted a red scooter this year. However, this is how Bowen sat on Santa's lap. The joke of the season was Bowen's reaction to Santa. He was obsessed with letting us know that he did not like Santa. He would pace at all of the Christmas parties in anticipation of Santa's arrival. Of course, he was always excited to receive a special gift from Santa, but within minutes, he was sure to let us know, again, that Santa "scares me."

Jackson, on the other hand, couldn't wait to see Santa at each party. He would change what he wanted for Christmas at each encounter. Sometimes it was a bike ramp, and sometimes it was a DS. Santa chose the bike ramp!

Although thinking of having to wait another year for another magical Christmas season is a bummer, we were excited to push on through the cold Utah winter and closer to having a new baby sister!

Halloween Festivities

2009-11-01T12:16:00.008-07:00

I think the best thing about Fall is Halloween. This year was as fun as ever with two boys who were so excited to participate in all of the festivities. I have to say my favorite to watch was Trick-or-Treating.

Every year, we get the Mauss cousins together for a costume picture. I forgot my camera, of course, so Teylor shared a few with me. Walker and Bowen are the cutest Bumblebee and Nemo I've ever seen for sure!

Annie and Jackson "carving" their own pumpkin.
They are getting so big and independent!
We hosted a Spooky Dinner at our house for the Bailey family. I spaced taking pictures of the fun, but did catch one of the menu that Jackson and Bowen made. They spent a lot of time coloring each Halloween picture, and then Jackson wrote out what each menu item was. We hung it up on the wall for our guests to see. The menu included: Witch's Brew (chicken tortilla soup), Mummies (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls), Bloody Eyeballs (meatballs in red sauce), Pumpkin Face (7-layer dip made to look like a pumpkin), Bones and Blood (breadsticks shaped like bones and marinara sauce), and Blood Cookies (red velvet sandwich cookies). It was so much fun!

We attempted to make caramel apples. Jackson actually enjoyed the apple part. Bowen decided he was done when he had chewed the caramel off. Does that still count as a serving of fruit?

Our festive front porch!

Trick-or-Treating! Bowen was really talkative and friendly this year. We could hear him tell the people "Happy Halloween!" or "Thank you very much!" after they would give him his treat. Jackson was such a good big brother to help Bowen get to and from the door safely.

The Costumes. Check out Nemo's fin! Every time Bowen would walk, it was wag back and forth. Jackson looks exhausted. He ended up waking up that night with a sore throat, which was diagnosed at a clinic visit the next morning as Strep Throat. Poor guy!

Jackson was a blue Power Ranger this year (as opposed to the red Power Ranger that he was last year). I think he would be anything that had the muscles built in. I love this picture! I am so grateful my boys are such good friends. I hope it lasts!

BYU College Game Day

2009-11-01T07:45:00.006-07:00

You would have thought we were heading to Maui if you would have seen how excited Justin was to attend ESPN's College Game Day at BYU. He wanted it to be a family affiair, so we woke up early Saturday morning, and headed to Cougartown.

The highlight of the morning for Bowen was seeing his best friend, Cosmo the Cougar!

The highlight for me was being in the vicinity of Kirk Herbstreit. Justin bribed me down there with a promise I would get to meet him. Needless to say, I still have yet to meet Herbie.

Even though we didn't get to meet Herbie, Justin did pull through with at least a picture with another famous person. LaVell Edwards happened to be walking through the parking lot where we were standing. So, Justin grabbed Jackson and Bowen and chased him down. He was really nice to stop and let us take a picture with him. What a proud daddy!

Can little girls wear blue BYU hoddies?

Jackson wowed the crowd with his catching skills. Justin kept the boys busy with BYU footballs during the downtimes.

Go Cougs!

Hello Fall!

2009-10-16T20:22:00.005-06:00

When we welcome FALL at our house, that means we are welcoming a new season of FOOTBALL. This year seems more intense because now Bowen is old enough to be right in the thick of it. He loves Cosmo, but only from a distance. To hear him talk about Cosmo, though, you'd think they are best friends. Jackson got Cosmo's autograph, along with some BYU football players, at the Cougar Kickoff.

Jackson and Bowen scrimage in our living room every night--tackling and everything. Bowen yells, "Blue 19, Set, HIKE!" Then Jackson chases him and tackles him. Justin also has Jackson running some plays, the most famous being "Fake and Go." He's pretty good at catching passes on the run. What is a little girl going to do in our house? Is she going to survive?!

Fall just wouldn't be Fall without the St. George Marathon. We are so proud of Justin, Megan, and Jake. They did awesome! I love that Jackson and Bowen watch their Dad accomplish something as great as a marathon, let alone his 10th. Justin is now officially in the 10 Year Club!

Alison and Chris also ran in the Marathon this year, but because of a crazy morning, I didn't get to see much of them. They both qualified for Boston!

Visiting the witches at Gardner Village is always a lot of fun. (Just ask Teylor. She only went once or five times already this year.) Going with cousins makes it that much funner! They take a great picture, don't they?!

Posing with our pumkins from Ballard Pumpkin Patch. We love this place! We got all of these pumpkins for $11! The kids get to walk around and pick their pumpkins right off the vine.

This Fall, Jackson played Coach Pitch. He had to play with 1st and 2nd graders because they didn't offer Coach Pitch for kids his age. I was a little nervous to have him play with such bigger kids, but he did awesome! He is quite the hitter!

Bowen playing Football at Jackson's Coach Pitch games. This guy is a trooper for going to all of Jackson's sporting events each season. Pretty soon, he'll be playing in his own games!

Since Fall just began, I guess there is a lot more to come. But I think we are off to a good start!

Goodbye Summer...

2009-10-16T18:41:00.007-06:00

I think our fun Summer needs a proper goodbye before we can fully welcome Fall. Just a few fun pictures..

My mom works hard every year to plan a family reunion for our whole family to be together at least once during the year. This year, we had a great time at the Homestead. We have such a great time catching up!

Thanks to Josh for these awesome pictures of our annual trip to Bear Lake with the Alders' as our hosts. We always have such a great time up there! This year, Jackson tried water skiing behind a wave runner for the first time. He did a great job! Bowen, of course, kept busy just playing in the sand and/or mud!

We always look forward to Alison and her boys coming for a visit in the summer. We always fit in so many fun activities and get to have a week full of sleep overs! One of the highlights this summer was our visits to Cowabunga Bay (Brrr...). The kids loved it!

Justy-Boy with all of the neighborhood kids in front of his favorite tree on the night of our Summer Neighborhood Party. Don't be surprised if you see this picture on a Christmas card.

Playing at the Gateway fountains with Walkie. Walker and Bowen tend to do whatever Jackson is doing. Not a bad guy to look up to!

Yummm.... One of the best things about summer.

I don't think summer would be complete without at least one trip to Lagoon.

Otter Pops, Cousins, and Swimsuits (everyday). More summer necessities!

We look forward to next summer (already)! We always look forward to (warm) time spent with family. And next summer will be extra special because it will be our little GIRL'S first taste of our favorite time of year!

Bowen's Tricks

2009-09-16T14:08:00.004-06:00

What a terrible crash!, you might be thinking. But don't be fooled. Bowen loves to ride scooters, but he also loves to stage his crashes too. It is pretty entertaining to watch. However, it can be pretty alarming to see a 2 year-old laying on the ground next to a fallen scooter. Crazy kid.

This is Bowen's signature trick. If you tell him to do a trick, this is what he does. The one on the rock was the funniest because we were at Megan's for an Easter dinner. When we realized we hadn't seen Bowen for a minute, we looked outside only to see his pants off and his performance going on right on top of a rock. He didn't even know he had an audience!
I Love Boys!

Jackson (+) 5 equals KINDERGARTEN

2009-09-16T12:55:00.004-06:00

We can still hardly believe it, but Jackson turned 5 at the beginning of the summer. Justin and I (especially Justin) had a bittersweet day on Jackson's birthday. How could he already be 5---and soon to start Kindergarten? We love this kid so much, and we are excited for all that comes with growing up.

One thing is for sure: Chuck E. Cheese throws a fun birthday party! There was pizza, drinks, games, endless tickets and tokens. And to top it off, Chuck E. comes to dance and sing with the kids. Jackson loved his birthday party and loved having his friends celebrate his birthday.

Jackson and his soccer birthday cake. Jackson LOVES sports and was particularly into soccer at the time of his birthday. He played soccer all winter and summer! Charlie, Will and Mickelle watch and wait anxiously for cake. Actually, cute Will blew out the candles for Jackson, so this is Round 2.

What happens after you turn 5, but before you head out the door to Kindergarten? Pre-school graduation! Jackson loved preschool and his "graduation ceremony" was so funny. Check out the cute caps!

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN!! Jackson wanted Bowen to share in the glory of his first day and insisted he be in his picture. Aren't they a handsome pair?! Jackson's teacher's name is Mrs. Dunn. After a 2-day adjustment, he is loving school. We are working on his reading at home, and he loves it. He sometimes has to remind me that we need to do it. He gets better and better everyday.

I am loving my time alone with Bowen. He is always making me laugh. But I can tell that he is ready to have Jackson back home after a couple of hours. Now, when we pull into the parking lot at Oak Hollow, Bowen says, "Let's get Jackson Mauss."

Here are a few fun facts for my 5 year-old:

Favorite Food: white noodle salad (he loves it best when my mom makes it), cheeseburgers, and vegetables. Seriously, he loves carrots and steamed broccoli.

Favorite Color: green

Favorite sports: right now he says golf and football. He starts coach pitch with the 1st and 2nd graders this week, so I'm assuming baseball will make the list soon.

Jackson and Bowen play together all day. Jackson makes sure Bowen is included with whatever friends he is playing with. They love to play outside with anyone in the neighborhood. Usually, there is a game of baseball, kickball or football going on. Or, recently, they've been into setting up stores and trying to sell "used items" to people.

We love having a big Kindergartener (is that a word?) around!

Our News!

2009-08-09T21:02:00.003-06:00

That's our big news! We become a family of 5

at the end of February!

Bowen Turned 2!

2009-03-02T21:06:00.005-07:00

Our little Bo-Bo turned 2 on February 3! (And, yes, I know I am a month late.) But it's never too late to put this guy in the spotlight. We had our families over for a Super Bowl/Birthday Party to celebrate the big event!
Bowen LOVES Elmo. So, of course, an Elmo cake was a must. I thought this picture was so cute; he really blew out his own candles!

Also, in celebration of Bowen's birthday, we went to the Jazz game! Bowen talks about the Bear daily. We've been to a few games as a family, and Bowen literally sits in his seat and watches the court for almost the whole game.

Round 2 with his birthday cake.

We really feel so blessed to have Bowen in our home. Having a 2 year-old around really livens up the place! He is talking so much and learning so much everyday. I love his big smile and bright eyes. He uses them when he knows he is in trouble!

Here are a few "2 year-old fun facts" about Bowen for our journaling purposes:

Food: loves alfredo noodles, Fruity Pebbles cereal, grapes, hot dogs, apples, cheese, apple juice, and TREATS. We recently went through a jumbo bag of Dum-Dums. He insisted on having 3 at a time: one for each hand and one for his mouth. Good thing he likes to brush his teeth, too!

Movies: loves Elmo, Lightning McQueen, and High School Musical. He actually asks to watch High School Musical. When the basketball parts come on, he and Jackson jump up with their Jazz balls, and dribble around the front room. It's so cute!

Words: Bowen communicates really well. One of the funniest things he does is he stands at the bottom of the stairs with a loot of toys in his hands and then yells, "Need Help!" until someone comes to help him carry the toys up. He calls Jackson, "Jack, " Justin, "Daddy," and me, "Momma."

Sports: Bowen is following in Jackson's footsteps with a love for all sports. He watches golf, basketball, and football with Justin all the time. When a commercial comes on, he gets mad until the golf or basketball game come back on. Justin already has Bowen swinging a golf club, and to his surprise, Bowen is a LEFTY! Justin was pretty upset about it at first, and tried to get him to switch. But he just keeps going back to swinging left-handed. He eats and writes right-handed.

Bowen also loves to play outside and can ride a scooter around our circle.

Sweet-side: Bowen has such a sweet-side. He loves to cuddle. He pats your back when he gives you hugs. He folds his arms and squints his eyes shut to pray, and then mutters right along with the person saying the prayer. He loves to come in with me in the morning to get Jackson out of bed. He climbs in and cuddles with Jackson for a few minutes before they set off to play. He also shares his treats with Jackson...willingly! Sharing his sports balls is another story.

WE LOVE YOU, BOWEN!

Cute Moments

2009-01-22T19:44:00.006-07:00

Storytime...

Tonight, I walked into the living room, and Jackson was reading books to Bowen. Side-by-side reading wasn't working out quite right, so Jackson told Bowen to sit on his lap. This does my heart some good--reading and loving together.

Helping Dad...

Justin is in charge of getting the sacrament ready each Sunday. This has become a highlight for Jackson over the past 3 years. He LOVES to go with Justin to pick up the "boys" and hang out with them while they prepare.

New Middle Name...

Today we were walking out of Harmon's, and just before we went through the doors out into the cold, I said to Jackson and Bowen:

Me: "Are you guys ready?"

Jackson: (in sort of a tough voice) "Ready is my middle name!"

Trying to Get Back, Snow, and a BIG First...

2009-01-12T21:49:00.009-07:00

My cute older brother left me a message tonight, wondering what was going on with our blog. I honestly don't know where my motivation has gone, but I'm going to try AGAIN to make this work. My new motivation (besides Greg) is going to be to make this blog a journaling piece for our family (again).

Those who know me well, know that winter is not my favorite time of year. This has to do with the cold, the snow, the inversion, and the inability to walk outside without freezing to death. But I think I'm softening a bit this year due to the enthusiasm from my boys about the one thing I dread the most...SNOW! They are loving it! The enthusiasm is a bit contagious. And when I saw this picture of Bowen all bundled up, I decided I liked the snow even more. Who wouldn't when their little guy looks this cute playing in it?!

Jackson spent 2 hours out in the snow this particular day with the neighborhood kids. They built snowmen, forts and had snowball fights.

Everytime we get home and get out of the car, Bowen runs and gets the snowshovel and gets working. At least this particular day, there was snow to shovel! He sees Justin and Jackson doing it, and of course, wants to be just like them.

It truly is the highlight of a snowy day if Jackson gets to help Justin shovel snow. We can even classify it as a "privilege" and use it to bargain for good behavior! I wonder how long that will last...

So you can see, my attitude about snow has slightly changed. Check in with me in a couple weeks, and we'll see if the enthusiasm still exists. Another good thing that came out of enjoying the snow is after I saw the picture of Bowen with a beanie on, I decided it was time for a change. His face is too dang cute to be distracted by a mullet. So...

BOWEN HAD HIS FIRST HAIRCUT! A big step for our boys, I know. Isn't he handsome!!

Tying the Knot and Happy Halloween

2008-11-09T18:58:00.005-07:00

Tying the Knot: It's official! Joanna and Chris were married on October 18! It was so much fun to have my whole family together in celebration. Jackson and Bowen cannot get enough of playing with their cousins. I had to include this picture of Blake and Jackson. Jackson loves this kid! He told me the other day that he loved Blake and wanted to marry him. Hmm... Anyways, who wouldn't want to marry a 5 year-old with a comb-over?

Joseph Smith Memorial Building before the reception

Rough night for poor Bowen. My brother, Ryan, noticed Bowen's hair had a little static to it. So, he turned him into a Who from Whoville! The funny thing about this picture is that we were all laughing hysterically, and Bowen just couldn't figure out why.

Ah, the happy couple. Congratulations!

Happy Halloween!

Don't you love our sweet little dog, I mean Bowen?! And yes, I was a witch again this year. We had a great time on Halloween night. We started off the evening with Trunk-or-Treat, and then off to the traditional Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. We ended up with a great candy stash!

Jackson's pre-school had a Halloween Program. It was fun to see the kids in Jackson's class. He was so excited to have me and Justin come to his school. We are proud of our Power Ranger!

Jackson went into Power Ranger mode every time he put on the costume. I think the muscles really got to him. He thought it should enable him to hit and karate chop anyone he came in contact with, including our new dog, I mean Bowen.

Fall is Here.

2008-10-25T22:32:00.008-06:00

I have really been trying to enjoy the recent change of season. Fall is a lot like Spring (one of my favorite seasons), except everything is dying to prepare for the dreaded winter! However, as I was looking through my pictures, I realized we have been doing a lot of fun things this Fall. So in an effort to change my attitude, I'd like to share some of activities we have been doing.

Playing outside for extended periods of time is a lot easier when the temperatures are a little cooler. The "four-wheeler" definitely gets used a lot more by Jackson in the Fall. I love this picture because Jackson was worried Bowen was going to fall out, so he drove around with his arm around Bowen's shoulders!

Family pumkpin-carving parties are definitely one of my favorite things about this season. We had my family over for a "spooky" dinner and pumpkin carving. Jackson, Justin and Spencer also dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Bowen can't resist sharing his great smile and a "cheese!" everytime the camera comes out.

Justin posing with his beloved tree. Our neighbor and I made fun of him when he bought this tree because it looked so sad. Now, it's definitely a great addition to our yard. Our neighbor thinks he should send this picture out for our Christmas card.

One word--Cornbelly's! One of our favorite Halloween destinations.

Mr. Ballard's Pumpkin Patch in Draper is our favorite place to get our pumpkins for the season. This year, we purchased 9 pumpkins for $14! How can you beat that? This year, Cade and Ellie joined us in our outing. And Jackson posed like a baseball player all night.
Which leads me to our next pictures...

Fall T-ball and swimming lessons! Justin and Uncle Brad were the coaches of Jackson and Cade's T-ball team. Jackson had such a great time playing--he seems to have his daddy's athletic talent. We always had other parents telling us what a great swing he has. Sometimes, T-ball turned into Football as everyone fought to get the ball, but all-in-all, we enjoyed a successful T-ball season.

Jackson also has extended his swimming lessons into the Fall. He has really enjoyed his teacher, Valerie. He has progressed to a level 3 and definitely has increased his confidence in the water.

So, I guess this Fall has been great so far. Happy Fall!

Number 9

2008-10-07T15:14:00.007-06:00

On October 4, Justin ran his 9th St. George Marathon! It was probably one of the more memorable ones as well due to the sleet that fell at the beginning of the race and the constant rain and wind that persisted the rest of the race. Despite that all, it was such a great experience from my perspective to take Jackson and Bowen to the famous "Mile 16" and to the finish line to cheer on their Daddy as he accomplished a difficult goal. Jackson kept telling me, "Daddy's going to win the gold medal." And in our eyes, he did! We are SO proud of him. Of course, right when we found him at the fnish line, I asked him what I always ask him right after he is done, "Are you going to do it again next year?" And he responded without hesitation, "Yes."

Teylor and Alison waiting at Mile 16 while Bowen and Walker are trying to keep dry. We had a fun weekend with Jake and Tey as well as Alison and her family. We always love when they come and meet up with us in St. George. Alison had a great little run herself (one of her many talents) while I discovered a new talent of Teylor's--directing traffic! When a traffic jam developed at the top of the mountain, she got out and directed traffic so we could get down to the finish line in time.

Jackson and Bowen did such a great job despite the conditions. These are pictures of them at Mile 16. Jackson couldn't wait to see Justin!

Justin ran with Ben Lloyd, one of the Young Men from our Ward who was running his first marathon. Could you ask for a better coach? They were also lucky to have another experienced marathoner join them in the last few miles of the run--Jake! This is them at Mile 16. Yes, Justin is washing down an Ibuprofen with diet Coke.

We had a great weekend! Justin informed me on the way home that he would like to see if there is another marathon close by in the next couple of weeks. Crazy... I wish I could catch this marathon bug because I find it quite impressive.

GREAT JOB, JUSTY BOY! WE LOVE YOU!

Threats...

2008-09-16T09:58:00.005-06:00

My little Jackson is getting fiesty in his old age. When he feels like he's losing control in a situation, he resorts to "disciplining" me! Yesterday was one of those days where we just couldn't see eye-to-eye, and he had a couple of humorous responses!

We went to lunch at Rumbi's with Aunt Joanna after school. Jackson wanted his own salad. I gave him the choice to share a salad with me or choose something off of the Kids Menu...

Jackson: "If you don't let me get my own salad, I'll go get a tattoo. A real one. I'll get hundreds of them."

(My great parental response was..."okay, go do it" while trying not to laugh.)

Jackson hit Aunt Joanna and earned himself a trip to time out. While in time out, he kept yelling...

Jackson: "If you don't let me out of here, I'm going to tell your mom."

Jackson wanted to do something (I can't remember what now) that wasn't safe. I told him that he couldn't do it.

Jackson: "Well, if you don't let me do it, I'll take your bike away."

Me: I don't have a bike.

Jackson: "Well, when you get one, I'll take it away."

Me: (once again, my great parenting skills shine through) "Okay, you do that when I get a new bike."

Why is it that every time we have days like this, I want to argue back with him?! He has been cracking us up lately with stories from school. Those I'll save for another post...

Kick Off, Riding Bikes, & Back-to-School!

2008-09-04T08:45:00.006-06:00

It's an exciting time of year around our house! The BYU shirts, flags, car decals, and footballs are out. I actually don't know who is more excited about the start of college football--Justin or Jackson! Justin took Jackson to BYU's opening game last Saturday. They had a great time. Justin said Jackson chants, "Go Cougs!" pretty much the whole time. Add all-you-can-eat treats and its definitely a great time! I wonder if I'll ever be invited to go to a game...

That's right! No training wheels! The past couple of weeks, Jackson's training wheels kept sliding back so they weren't being very useful. Eventually, we realized he wasn't even using them. Justin took the training wheels off, and immediately Jackson was riding around our circle doing tricks: riding with his eyes closed, trying to do wheelies, and going down everyone's steep driveways. There's something about the first time your child rides a two-wheeler bike...we were so proud of him! And who do you think he wanted to tell first? BLAKERS!

Bowen got so caught up in the excitement of Jackson riding his two-wheeler bike, that he decided to do something new himself--go down our pretty steep driveway on his bike! It was actually a pretty scary moment. He usually stops halfway down, so I took a picture when he started his descent. After the picture, I had to step in and stop his progress at the bottom because he was losing control. If you can enlarge this picture, you can see the panic starting to seep into his face. Poor guy!

Jackson started his first day of pre-school yesterday. He was so excited! His teacher is Miss Kristi at Corner Canyon Academy. He's excited to make new friends and learn how to read. We went to the mall last week, and he picked out a "first-day-of-school-shirt." Weird that he chose football... When I picked him up, his teacher said to me, "Is he sweet enough! I love him!" I love that he loves to go to school. We are so proud of him!

Responding to a "Code 3"...

2008-08-25T21:05:00.004-06:00

A "Code 3" according my sources (Uncle Brad) is a code situation that involves lights and sirens on emergency vehicles. We had a Code 3 situation in Draper today due to a brush fire near our house. Actually, it was right up the mountain from where Brad and Jenn live for those who know them. Jackson pointed the smoke out to me when we were driving home from our errands. 5 minutes later, it had turned into a serious fire! So, of course, Brad and Justin raced home from work to be a part of the action. Not only did we observe the action from Brad's house, but he proceeded to take us to the main headquarters for all emergency personnel! When I asked him if it was okay that we were there (surrounded by police cars, news people, helicopters) he said, "they'll ask us to leave if they don't want us here." Well, eventually, that's exactly what happened; but not before Brad and Justin could get in a round of questioning! Needless to say, we had an exciting afternoon taking our kids on a "Code 3" situation!

The helicopter in the background had just landed--it eventually left while we were there to go and dump water on the fire.

Right in the heart of the action--Headquarters for the emergency personnel! Cade, Brad and Jackson

I think Justin and Uncle Brad missed their calling in life--they get way to excited to be involved in situtations like this. On a more serious note, this fire situation was a great opportunity to talk to Jackson about people in the community that help us and keep us safe. He prayed for the firemen and helicopters trying to put out the fire. We really are lucky to live in communities where there are systems in place to keep us all safe from unpredictable circumstances.

Great Friends

2008-08-22T14:04:00.005-06:00

Our kids are so blessed to have such wonderful cousins. I know Jackson counts them among his "best friends." Recently, with Josh and Becca in town, Grandma Mauss got all of the kids together for a summer picture. They are such a handsome/beautiful group of kids, don't you think?!
I also LOVE that Jackson also thinks of Bowen as one of his best friends. I know that can all change as they get older, but I guess I'll just enjoy their loving relationship now. At this age, I know that the main reason they get along so well is because Jackson is a patient, good-natured older brother. Bowen truly loves to be around him. Justin and I sure love them both!

P.S. On a side note, I know I am a horrible blogger. I have so many things that I could blog at this point, but I guess I'll just try to move forward from here and try to be better. One reason for my poor blogging is my new church calling--Primary President! "Wow" is all I can say. The reason I bring this up is I'm looking for ideas and thoughts for Primary. Let me know about your Primary experiences or anything your ward does that is fun and spiritual.

Angel Moroni

2008-07-08T15:39:00.004-06:00

As I pulled into our Circle today, something new about the construction of the Draper Temple caught my eye. They were in the process of putting up the Angel Moroni! Jackson loves to look for the Angel Moroni on any temple we see; sometimes we have to pull into the parking lot of the Jordan River Temple just so he can get a good view of the Angel Moroni. I quickly put my groceries away, and Bowen, Jackson and I drove up and watched as they placed this wonderful symbol on top of our almost-finished temple. Jackson said, "We sure are lucky to have an Angel Moroni!"

We really feel blessed to live so close to a temple. We love the questions it brings from our non-member neighbors. With the temple construction finish date nearing, you can see the preparations the Church and the city are making to welcome those who will be visiting the temple. You definitely get a sense of how special this building is, especially for those who know what wonderful things happen inside.

Bo-Bo

2008-07-02T14:54:00.005-06:00

I definitely need to spotlight my cute Bowen, who is turning into a little boy right before our eyes! He started walking last month, and since then, has turned into a little guy who attracts messes---and "owies" on his head! He is a pretty mellow kid, with a little "spunk" when it comes down to getting what he wants. We love him so much!

"What! You haven't seen a kid play in dirt before?!"

I couldn't find Bowen one day when we were out working in the yard. I ended up finding him here! This is a little "cave" made by two big bushes we have in our backyard. He wasn't visible unless you actually crawled behind the bushes. I guess he just needed a little snack!

We have been loving summer! Most of our afternoons are spent outside with the neighborhood kids, either playing in the sprinklers or eating popsicles.

I try to feed Bowen while I cook our dinner. I turned around one evening to see why I should keep a closer eye when I serve him Ravioli!

Just two of the many injuries he has sustained this summer. Walking is tough work!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

2008-05-31T21:31:00.004-06:00

Jackson turned 4 on May 26! He has been waiting for this day since most of his friends started turning 4 at the beginning of the year. I am starting to see that birthdays are just as exciting as Christmas! He had a lot of festivities for his birthday this year: his school celebrated his birthday with gifts and singing (above picture); we had a family party; and a friend party!

The Bailey and Mauss families got together to celebrate Jackson's birthday along with his cousin Justin! They were born the exact day, just a few hours apart. Jackson picked the menu full of his favorite foods: turkey and cheese sandwiches, noodle salad, lettuce salad ("for the big people!"), fruit, chips and salsa, and we topped it off with root beer floats!

Birthday Morning!

Jackson chose a Pirate Party for his friend birthday party. We're not quite sure where that came from--we sort of expected him to pick a Sports theme, but oh well. He had such a great time with his 15 guests. The festivities included a treasure hunt, pirate ship pinata, cake and ice cream, pin-the-treasure-on-the-map game, and fun on the Bounce House and trampoline. It was crazy but so much fun. Thank you to Megan, Chris and Joanna for helping so much.

Jackson is such a blessing in our family. He not only has us laughing, but the neighbors are also always commenting on how great he is. Usually the description is a funny story or just "he's such a character!" Here are some fun facts for us to remember about Jackson when he turned 4:

Favorite Color: goes between blue and green

Favorite sport: baseball or golf (he is extremely talented at both of these sports which is probably why they are his favorite)

Favorite food: Dino Nuggets and Chicken Noodle salad

Jackson can count to 25--then he jumps to 30 and goes to 35.

Favorite Movie: Tarzan and The Sandlot

Favorite Friends to play with: Jesiah, Mickelle, Nick and Abby, and Annie

Favorite Singer: Josh Groban and Taylor Swift (Jackson asks for me to put Josh Groban on in the car and then sings. He also loves "Our Song" by Taylor Swift.

Jackson loves the Jazz and BYU; he especially loves the Bear and Cosmo.

Jackson gives such great prayers and is always reminding us to have Family Home Evening

Jackson is one of the sweetest "big brothers" I have ever seen.

We Love You, Jacksie!

Conversation with Jackson about...

2008-04-30T10:49:00.007-06:00

GIRLS!!

I kind of like to tease Jackson about girls because he vocally expresses that he likes Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift. I recently had two funny conversations with Jackson about this sensitive subject!

Me: So, Jackson, do you like to play with any girls in your class at school?

Jackson: (saying like, "are you kidding me") No!

Me: Why not?

Jackson: (talking indifferently while doing his homework) I don't like girls. They are beautiful; but I don't like them.

Jackson: Mom, are pricesses nicer than you?

Me: Well, I don't think so.

Jackson: Why?

Me: Because I am your mom, so I'm nice. (nice explanation, huh?)

Jackson: Well, princesses are beautiful...so they are nicer than you.

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-04-17T10:20:00.006-06:00

We took a Break from Salt Lake's version of Spring this year and headed to Las Vegas! If Jackson isn't asking to go on a little trip to Price, then he is usually asking to go to Las Vegas to play with his cousins. After the 7 hour drive with FIVE boys, with Jackson asking if we were almost there as we were passing by Nephi, we arrived in sunny Las Vegas only to enjoy 70 degree weather all week!! Alison had a fun outing planned each day which included picnics, park visits, and just being outside. We were lucky to also have my mom join in the fun. As Justin put it, "what more could you ask for: your mom, your sister, and warm weather!"

Group shot at Calico Basin. We enjoyed a picnic and a little "hike!" We missed Ethan on most of our outings because he is a big first grader and has to go to school all day. One awesome thing about Ethan that I learned on our trip is what a good piano player he is! I was really impressed.

How cute are these two?! With Bowen's smile and Keaton's blue eyes, they are quite a pair. Bowen misses Keaton---well, and Keaton's toys too! Both Jackson and Bowen were in toy heaven!

First swim of the year--in the Racoona! Jackson kept calling the Jacuzzi a "Racoona." Hmmm...not quite sure why. But they sure enjoyed swimming everyday right in the backyard. Ethan and Blake are really good swimmers. I'm hoping that will rub off on Jackson since Jackson is refusing to take swimming lessons this year. He loves to go swimming, but because of a few bad experiences with swimming lessons last year, he is opting to stick with the sports he loves--golf, tennis, baseball, etc!

Thanks to Uncle Darren for some good old-fashioned bull riding! Justin told me he wants to take a turn next time you guys are here! What great uncles...

Great friends! Right after this picture, Blake asked Jackson, "What face did you make?" He is such a funny kid. One day, we heard Jackson crying in Alison's room. We went in there to find Jackson and Blake were jumping on Alison's bed. When we asked why Jackson was crying, Blake informed us that they were just BOXING! Not long after his tears had dried, Jackson was ready for another round. They also had some pretty BIG plans to create a Go-Cart track made out of wood. All week long, they added details into their plans. The funniest plans were the "Friendship Lists" as Blake calls them. Only people on the "Friendship List" could come and use the track. You better believe they were writing down their friends names in pencil, because one little mistake and someone would be erased. Jackson was a little disappointed that nothing had been made by the time we left. Maybe next time!

Thanks to Alison, Darren, and Grandma for such a fun time!

Who Taught You Manners...

2008-04-07T15:40:00.007-06:00

NOTE: I'm not sure who is responsible for the following statement from Jackson. I think I'll blame it on a few people: my older brother Greg (who invented part of the saying when he was a kid) and Justin (who continues to bring it up).

I had just picked Jackson up from school, and we were running a few errands.

Jackson: (Burping loudly) "Excuse me that was so rude; it was not me, it was my snack I had at school."

Wow...

First Taste of SpRiNg!!

2008-04-07T15:07:00.004-06:00

I can't believe I am FINALLY posting about Spring! Although, I don't think I picked a very good day to talk about Spring since we just finished with a Spring snow storm! We have had some great first "tastes" of Spring this year. We have enjoyed playing outside, going on walks, going to the park, playing catch, and making daily rounds in the yard to see what new greenery has grown! Of course, to kick off Spring this year, we enjoyed a great Easter. While the enjoyment of the Easter Bunny was definitely a part of the "big day," it was nice to have Jackson talk about Jesus and explain to us how He still lives today! Bring on more Spring memories!

The first bloom! If you get a magnifying glass, you may be able to see the purple and yellow pansie bloom in between Jackson and Bowen. Very exciting! However, if you were to come and try to find it at my house today, it would be gone--thanks to the deer that roam our neighborhood at night.

Like Father, Like Son. Justin found a Titleist golf hat Jackson's size. I don't know who was more excited--Jackson or Justin!

Our Little Artist at Work

Poor Bowen was sick on Easter with the stomach flu. He is such a sweet little guy and was very excited to find some toys waiting for him in his Easter basket. Can you help but smile when he gives a grin like that?!

ALOHA...MAHALO...

2008-03-16T21:13:00.010-06:00

...and what's the Hawaiian word for "refreshing vacation?" Justin and I returned from a wonderful trip to Maui last week, which we planned with Dan and Mare. We had the most relaxing, refreshing vacation I think I have ever had. That is probably due to the fact that we did only three things while there: 1. lounged by the pool/beach and read 2. shopped 3. ate. I didn't realize the extent of how good we had it until I came home to reality. We have some fun memories and pictures to share!

If you would have needed to find us on the whole island of Maui, you would have been pretty safe looking for us at the Marriott pool at any given time. Let me give the reasons why we didn't want to leave: 1. endless drinks in our Marriott mugs 2. refreshing pool with waterslide 3. great people watching, especially along the boardwalk 4. only about 15 steps to the Kaanapali beach and 5. great whale-watching from the comfort of our own lounge area. Do we need anything else?

One of the definite highlights of the trip was the whale-watching tour we took. I'm pretty sure National Geographic is going to be contacting me for my great pictures. I decided to share this picture to show just how close the whales were getting to the boat. We left in amazement at these great animals.

Justin held a boogie-boarding clinic in Kapalua for all of his fans. Unfortunately, the waves were breaking at the shore, so the great "show" had to be cut short. Here's a great shot of the teacher in action!

"Cheeseburger in Paradise"...the name explains itself!

We had a great time with Dan and Mare! I have to pick on Dan a little though because he brought us a lot of great entertainment. "What is Dan doing in that picture?" you may be asking yourself. No, he is not sick. The only explanation is that he is looking over the menu on a patch of grass nearby on all fours! Maryanne chose to sit on the otherside of the sidewalk from him, I'm sure to avoid any of the stares being thrown his way! The other fun memory with Dan wasn't fortunate enough to have been caught on camera or videotape. He apparently had a great "yard sale" in downtown Lahaina!

Thanks to my great husband for a fun and memorable trip. We both felt so refreshed to come home and get back to the real world. We missed Jackson and Bowen so much, but knew they were in such good hands with my Mom. They both were sick with colds, but my expert mom nurtured them back to health. Jackson is still telling me stories about the things he did in Price, which is considered a great vacation spot to him! Thanks again to my mom and dad for unselfishly taking care of our little guys! I have to say, I can't wait to get back to Maui!

Conversation with Grandma...

2008-03-10T21:02:00.003-06:00

Jackson and Bowen were able to spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa Bailey while Justin and I went on a little vacation (more to follow). My mom made the comment to me, when I went to pick them up, that kids are hard but they make it all worthwhile with the funny things they say. When I asked her for an example, she told me the following conversation she had with Jackson...

Jackson: (pointing to Grandma Bailey's neck) Grandma, is that your chest?

Grandma: (pointing to her chest) No, that is your neck. This is your chest.

Jackson: Oh yeah! That's kind of like at church when people bear their chestimonies!

BIRTHDAY BOY!

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

I have been looking forward to this little Birthday Boy tribute for my little Bowen. Bowen turned the big ONE on February 3. So in honor of this special occasion, we had a SUPER BOWL BIRTHDAY PARTY! As you can see from Bowen's face, it was so much fun!

I LOVE having a little one-year-old around. It just seems that they are learning and developing so much that it is so exciting to see what they are doing next. Just to capture this time for me, here is a list of the things Bowen is doing right now:

*waves "hello" and "bye-bye" while saying "ba-ba" (genius)

*claps when you say "good job" or "yah!" (genius again)

*says "Oooohhh! with a look of amazement when something intrigues him (did I say genius?)

*pulls himself up

*crawls everywhere! He is so independent. A lot of times, I have to walk around the house to find him. Basically, if you look where any shoes are, you'll find him (he likes to eat them).

*he loves to open and shut doors. Most of the time, he shuts himself in a room and sits right in front of the door so you can't help him out. The other day, he trapped me in the shower!

*he loves to give hugs. I like to think of them as "Pit Stop Hugs" because he interrupts his play to crawl over to us, climb up on our laps, and give us hugs. Then, he wants to get down and contniue playing. Sometimes during these hugs, you also get a love scratch (or four) on your face!

*he loves his brother Jackson. Their loving and playful (most of the time) interaction makes my whole day.

*he is starting to develop a little attitude! Lately, he has been giving me a few whines throughout the day to express his displeasure with something.

We love Bowen so much and feel so blessed to have him in our family. Here are a few pictures to capture his special day.

THE CAKE!

Thanks to Aunt Joanna for helping me make this cake. Her creativity saved us as I realized, one again, that I am lacking in that department!

Grandpa and Grandma Bailey came to visit us for the weekend since Grandpa's birthday is only a couple of days before Bowen's. They enjoyed some quality cake-eating time together!

THE PRESENTS!

What a spoiled little boy! Bowen received his first 4-wheeler from Grandpa and Grandma Mauss along with his first phone and fire engine! I can't decide who likes them all more: Jackson or Bowen?!

THE GUESTS!

We have such a wonderful family! Those who came to the party were: Mark and Katie; Joanna and Chris; Grammy and Papa Mauss; Jake, Megan, Annie, and Luke; Jake, Tey and Walker; and Grandpa and Grandma Bailey came up for the weekend to see the birthday boy! Thanks to you all for being so great.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOWEN!

TAGGED!

2008-02-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been TAGGED! A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B. Each player answers the questions about themselves. C. At the end of the post, the player then letting them know they have been TAGGED and asking them to read your blog. Here we go!!

10 years ago: I was in my first year of college (at good old CEU), just getting ready to finish my Associate's degree. I was applying to the University of Utah this very month!

5 things on my to-do list today: 1. Pick up Jackson's projects at Color Me Mine 2. Go to the Pet Store with Jackson and Bowen for our morning outing. 3. LAUNDRY 4. Take Jackson to the doctor 5. Eat Out for dinner!

Snacks I enjoy: 1. diet Coke with lime/lemon 2. cereal 3. Right now, Dove chocolate hearts 4. bread with peanut butter and honey Basically, all really healthy stuff!

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: 1. Build/Buy a new house 2. Donations to the Church 3. Travel 4. Somehow plan an effective way to share this money with all of our family members... (Read "The Ultimate Gift") 5. A second home in Maui!!

3 of my bad habits: 1. the consumption of so much diet Coke 2. I chew my inside lip when I'm concentrating or nervous 3. my addiction to Target.

5 places I have lived: 1. Price 2. Holladay 3. Salt Lake City 4. Murphy's Lane 5. Draper (Number 4 is dedicated to Justin)

Jobs I have had: 1. Dental Assistant (for my Dad) 2. Registered Nurse at Primary's 3. RN for IHC float pool 4. RN for spine surgeon 5. My favorite of all--MOM!

Things people don't know about me: 1. I have a cataract in my right eye 2. I take a nap almost everyday when my boys nap 3. I go to Sonic pretty much every weekday for a drink 4. I am a horrible decision-maker; Justy Boy makes up for that! 4. I love Lehi Mill pancakes: I eat them a few times a week; sometimes for breakfast and dinner.

You're It!: Alison, Miranda, Mandy

Our Beloved Prophet

2008-01-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

President Gordon B. Hinckley 1910-2008

We wanted to record for our own records the passing of our prophet President Hinckley. While we are sad to lose our prophet, we are excited for his reuniting with his wife. We love him and genuinely feel that he loved us. We will miss his optimistic outlook on life and the hope he instilled every time he spoke.

One of our favorite sayings is from a story President Hinckley recalled. The words "Forget yourself and go to Work" are now hanging in a hallway in our home. It serves as a reminder to us to be selfless and to serve others, just as President Hinckley has done for so many years.

We will miss him, but will forever try to learn from his teachings.

Winter...Winter...Winter...

2008-01-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ahh...the joys of winter. This picture is mostly for my sister, Alison, to show her what we are going through up here in Utah! I think it's official to say that Justin and I are experiencing the blahs of winter. I haven't posted for awhile because I have a bad attitude about the winter season right now and thought we haven't been doing anything lately either. However, after I started looking through my recent pictures, I realized we have actually done a lot of fun and new things! I am so grateful for the example my kids are to me of enjoying and finding happiness in life ALWAYS (even in the dead of winter)! With winter forcing us indoors, I also have realized it is a great time to get closer and spend more quality time together as a family. So while I am anticipating the arrival of Spring, I am grateful for fun winter memories!

One of the exciting things we've done this winter is make car seat changes! Jackson has graduated to a booster and (Yahoo!) no more infant seat for Bowen! This is one of my favorite "growing up" changes.

It is so fun to WATCH Jackson enjoy the outdoor winter activities. Our neighbors have a pretty steep driveway which is perfect for a little neighborhood sledding! I've decided that kids don't feel the cold quite like we do. Jackson could stay out there forever! Justin and I have taken turns taking Jackson sledding in various locations, and I will say that we have had so much fun. Jackson's favorite thing to do is go to the top of the hill with his long sled, get a running start, and belly flop onto it. This, of course, gives him a great start down the hill!

Jackson has become quite a Jazz fan this year. He has a D-Will and Boozer jersey. He will respond to each of those names on the days he wears his jersey! This picture is at "Meet the Players Night" at the Energy Solutions Arena. We met most of the players and were able to get most of their autographs. The highlight of the night was when D-Will noticed Jackson wearing his jersey and called out, "Nice jersey, Little Man." Jackson just smiled and casually waved to him. It was so cute! D-Will signed his jersey, so Justin retired it and is planning on having it framed. Wow...

Another exciting FIRST: Jackson's first day at Primary as a Sunbeam!

I love my boys so much! Every night, when I reflect on the day, I realize just how much joy and happiness my little family brings me. They bring so much LIGHT into my life. Jackson is so kind to Bowen. This picture is not rehearsed; Jackson is always showing such concern and love for Bowen. And of course, Bowen lights up whenever Jackson shows him attention! I hope this "brotherly love" lasts!

Christmas 2007

2008-01-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

We sure are blessed! I love that the holiday season brings this fact straight to the surface each year. Even though it gets a little crazy around Christmas, it's the kind of craziness that creates memories and gives us the opportunity to spend time with the people we most love. We were blessed to have my sister, Alison, and her family spend Christmas with us at our house. The excitement of 5 little boys was so much fun!!

Jackson was so excited to get his L-Max and is currently trying to master the Cars game. Justin keeps reminding me to get earphones for Jackson to wear so we don't have to hear Mader all day long! Although the toys were exciting for Jackson, he really enjoyed all of the Christmas parties where he could play with his cousins. I felt much better about the season when he would remind me that Christmas is Jesus' birthday.

This was my Bowen's first Christmas! I forget that babies just don't care about presents! I was a little surprised at first that he didn't care about all of his toys! He was just happy to be around everybody. It was fun to have him crawling around while we enjoyed our gift exchanges. The next big event for Bowen is his first birthday in February!

Now that Christmas is over, I'm basically ready for Spring. Western Garden has a countdown to Spring on their outside sign. . .11 weeks to go!

Fun Christmas Traditions

2007-12-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Christmas is such a great time for family traditions! It has been so fun to start our own traditions as we have started our own little family. Here are a few that we have started this year. Since this is the last post before Christmas, we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

We decided to have a "Kid's Christmas Tree!" I decided this while decorating the family Christmas tree when Jackson kept "helping" me by taking ornaments on and off the tree. We went to Roberts and picked out a tree for him and Bowen. Jackson helped me put the lights on and then made his own ornaments. The funnest part of this tradition was seeing how proud Jackson was of his ornaments and finished tree. This beautiful work of art is on display in the cave!

Dear Santa... The Santa Letter tradition really had me cracking up this year. I took a picture of the actual letter because I was so proud of Jackson's writing. At the top it says "L-Max" and then at the bottom, he wrote his name! He kept asking me, "Is it beautiful, Mom?!" Jackson tore off a little piece of the original letter (as shown above) and told me that letter was for Santa's husband! Wow--I hope Santa doesn't have a husband!

Jackson decided instead of mailing his letter at the post office, he would like to take his directly to Santa at the Mall. He grabbed a white bucket as a carrying case (one other thing I was laughing about) and we headed off to the mall. We had to make two trips because the first time we went, we lost the letter somewhere between the car and Santa. But rest assured, we went back that night so the letter could be mailed! We attracted a lot of laughs as Jackson carried his bucket through the mall singing "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!"

One of the more classic, yet sacred, traditions is going to Temple Square to see the lights. Poor Bowen looks like the boy in the Christmas Story! He was a trooper though. Justin was able to take the Boys right up to the beautiful doors of the temple. We loved telling Jackson about baby Jesus while we walked around. Jackson kept saying "Jesus is nice" and "Jesus is my friend." It certainly is more rewarding as a parent to hear your children speak of the Savior like that and give Santa a break for awhile. This is one Christmas tradition I always look forward too!

Merry Christmas to my sweet family!

Our AdVeNtUrE to Disneyland!

2007-12-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

We decided to kick of our holiday season with a trip to Disneyland! Justin and I hadn't been since we were 12 years-old, and Jackson had never been. So, we tagged along with my sister and her family since they go every other month! We chose to go during this time of year for crowd control and to see Disneyland during the Christmas season. I can't remember what D-Land (our name for Disneyland now) looked like almost 16 years ago, but I do know that there is nothing quite like D-Land at Christmastime! We had such a wonderful time and really can't wait to go back again. Justin misses Soarin' over California and California Screamin'. Jackson misses the Matterhorn and It's a Small World. I miss the atmoshere in general and just watching all of the kids have the time of their lives.

We are dining at the Blue Bayou, which is the restaurant you see when you first enter Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a noteworthy picture because not long after it was taken, Jackson threw up all over the table and all overJustin's dinner! That was the first of 3 throwing-up episodes from our little guy. He was always just fine and ready to go on more rides after his little episodes, which made us think he must just be sensitive to motion.

Eat your hearts out! We scored Dream Fast Passes the second and third days we were at D-Land. These tickets are a hot commodity--Justin and Darren were always on the lookout for them. They hand them out sort of secretly around the park--but the catch is, they don't just pass them out. You have to approach the right worker and ask for them! Needless to say, we were excited to get them.

Just a few of the characters we saw during our visit. We saw a live performance with all the characters, but the upclose visits were with Pluto, Tigger, Flick, Sully and the other Monsters Inc. characters, and Woody and Jessie.

Jackson really liked the roller-coaster type rides; another way he is like his daddy. Justin would stay at the park while I took Jackson to nap during the afternoon. While we were gone, he would pack in all the rides with Darren and Ethan. He LOVED California Screamin' and Soarin'. We decided that we really liked California Adventure Park for these fast rides along with some fun kiddy rides, including Bugs Land. The last picture is of "It's a Small World" decked out for Christmas. This was definitely another one of our favorites.

Of course, one of the greatest things about this trip was spending time with my sister, Alison, and her family. Jackson and Blake love playing together. I have so many pictures of them together because they always seemed to be together. I have to point out the toys they are holding. Some guy at Denny's won the reindeer and football for them from one of those claw machines. They pretty much didn't let the toys out of their sight for the rest of the day. Thanks to Alison and Darren for a great trip. I'm sure we'll tag along again next year (right Justin?)!

What about Bowen? He had his own little vacation with my Mom while we were gone. Of course while we were gone, he learned to wave bye-bye and advanced his crawling from army-style to the good old-fashioned crawl. We missed him so much! He was a little unsure of us when we first got back, but it wasn't long before he starting giving us his sweet smiles and cuddly hugs again!

...with the lights all aglow...

2007-12-11T14:13:00.001-07:00

We are so excited for this holiday season! The very first thing we do each year (even before Thanksgiving) is we put up our Christmas tree. I have to say that Christmas trees are one of my favorite things about Christmas. We always seem to gather around it the whole month of December and just hang out with each other as a family. Jackson and Bowen are the entertainment, of course! Or sometimes at night, when the kids are in bed and Justin is in his cave, I read a book just from the light the Christmas tree gives off. Pretty cheesy, but I love it!

Our other holiday favorite are the outside Christmas lights that Justin puts up each year. This year he put them up on a nice sunny day so there wouldn't be any chance of slipping and falling off the roof like last year!! Jackson was a good helper--anytime Justin needed something while he was on the roof, Jackson would try throwing it to him. Thanks to our Justy Boy for risking his life to set our house all aglow!

BYU vs UTAH

2007-12-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have been reluctant to blog about the rivalry game last week, but at last have decided to share a few thoughts. I do so with no intentions of offending Ute fans, because it really was a great game.

I attended the game with my little brother Jake. One of the reasons I invited Jake is that he normally provides me with a calming influence. Although when Unga scored the final TD, Jake was anything but calm. Some(especially the Ute fan in front of us) would argue he was down right loud and obnoxious. It was great! Jakes reaction was priceless.

We arrived at the game about an hour and a half before kickoff. It was a beautiful sunny and cold day. We enjoyed lots of good food and hot chocolate.

Without rehashing the details of the whole game, suffice it to say the game was determined on the play now known in Provo as "Austin chapter 4 verse 18". With less than 2 minutes, and the Cougs down by one, Max Hall completed nearly a 50 yard pass to Austin Collie on 4th and 18. The Cougs went on to score when Harvey Unga ran over two Ute DB's for the game winning TD(see photo). When Unga scored the TD, I ran and stood on a railing in our section, faced the crowd, and began waiving my BYU flag that was on a 6 foot pole. I am such a spaz, but it was such a good feeling to know that we would have braggging rights for yet another season. Most imortantly the Cougs clinched another conference title.

I look forward to the rest of the season and am already looking forward to the rivalry game next year. GO COUGS

Home Sweet Home

2007-11-16T21:50:00.001-07:00

I have such fond memories of growing up in Price (Utah); life seemed so carefree and fun! As much as I joke about Price, I have a special place for it in my life. It is my home!! As Justin and I create our own home for our family, I can't forget about the place that shaped my life.

A few weeks ago, I took Jackson and Bowen down to Price to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bailey. This is a major treat for Jackson. He's always asking when our next visit to Price will be. It is a treat for me, not only because I get to be around my parents, but because the happiness it brings Jackson is so fun to see. He is on "cloud nine" the whole time! Seeing him like this a few weeks ago really touched me. I had 18 years to grow this attached, yet he feels the love of this special place at only 3 years old.

I've reflected on this a lot the past few weeks and realize the importance of good homes. My parents are such a great example of this. Through the lonely years of college, I went home for comfort and love. Through the "tough-8-weeks-after-having-a-baby" :), I went home with my kids for comfort and love. And now, for a fun weekend away, we go home to Price. Jackson put it so well on our last visit, "Grandma loves me so much!" My kids adore my parents, and they adore going to their home. I hope that Justin and I can continue to create a home where there is an abundance of love and where our kids will always consider it home! So, in a journaling tribute to Price, and to those of you who wonder what we do in Price, read on and enjoy!

The "Must-Do" List for each visit to Price:

Hitting the ball off the tee in the backyard; Grandpa Bailey must be present for this because he get such a kick out of how far Jackson hits the ball.

Visiting Sandy the Dog and helping Grandpa feed her.

Reaquainting time with all the toys!

Go to Sonic everyday for a drink.

Visit Dino Mine Park and the skate park--usually daily.

At least drive past the baseball fields.

Make a treat with Grandma Bailey.

Watch Ice Age (we can't get enough of that movie!)

Visit Grandpa at his office.

Anticipate Grandpa's arrival from work--then giggle and hide when he comes in.

Sit on Grandpa's lap for a bedtime snack.

Eat Grandma's cooking--Jackson is the best eater in Price (that probably says something about my cooking)

Visit the famous Dog Hill at the top of my parent's street.
Bowen and Jackson enjoy being the center of attention with their Grandma and Grandpa Bailey

SPIDERS, ShArKs, and Witches...Oh, My!

2007-11-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

What a FUN Halloween "season" this has been! We participated in so many Fall/Halloween festivities, and to top it off, it was Bowen's first taste of spooky Halloween! It is always fun to have a first-timer. We've started a tradition these past two years of starting off Halloween night by attending our ward's Trunk-or-Treat! It's a fun way to see all of our ward friends and neighbors and get tons of candy in about 30 minutes. After filling Jackson's Halloween bag here, we head to Grandma and Grandpa Mauss's neighborhood for some good old- fashioned, knock on the door, trick-or-treating! There's nothing cuter than seeing Jackson and Annie knocking on the door by themselves, saying "trick-or-treat!", and then wishing the person a "Happy Halloween!" when they've received their candy. This year, Jackson was a SPIDER (who "jumps on people"), Bowen was a ShArK, and I was a Witch! Justin was sick with a sinus infection, so there was no energy there for dressing up. All in all, we had a great Halloween season!

Tagged!

2007-10-28T21:47:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged, so here it goes:

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Dental Assistant: hired by my own Dad!
2. Registered Nurse: Primary Children's
3. Registered Nurse: IHC Float Pool
4. Registered Nurse: Salt Lake Orthopaedic

4 Movies I can Watch Over and Over
1. The Holiday (my current obsession-I probably watch it 3 times/week)
2. Pride and Prejudice (I watched this one once a day for 3-4 months straight after Bowen was born!)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (kind of geeky, huh)
4. You've Got Mail (I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks together)

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Price, Utah
2. Holladay
3. Salt Lake City
4. Draper

4 Guilty Pleasures:
1. Watching The Holiday
2. An early morning Diet Coke with lemon
3. Reading (this could be considered a "guilty" pleasure because Justin says I ignore everyone when I get into a good book!)
4. Little America weekend breakfast buffet ("guilty" because we usually go on Sunday)

4 Favorite TV Shows:
1. Grey's Anatomy (they might lose their #1 fan with the way things are going this season!)
2. Ellen
3. The Today Show
4. The Office (starting to become my preferred Thursday show)

4 Places I've Been on Vacation:
1. Mt. Rushmore
2. Disneyland
3. Maui
4. Yellowstone

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Diet Coke with lemon/lime (does that count?)
2. a nice cheeseburger off the grill in the summer
3. salad bar at Brick Oven
4. Honey Pork soft taco from Barbacoa

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
1. laying poolside in Maui
2. a weekend jaunt to Price with my boys to visit my parents
3. Stein Erickson Lodge
4. playing outside with Justin and our boys--in 80 degree weather

4 Websites I Visit Daily:
1. our blog
2. yahoo.com
3. Old Navy/Gap (can't miss out on any sales!)
4. webmd.com (not daily, but often enough)

Authors I Love:
1. J.K. Rowling (I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan)
2. Jane Austen (I love Pride and Prejudice)
3. Stephenie Meyer (love those vampires)

Things I would Like to Know How to Do:
1. Golf
2. Digital Scrapbooking
3. Ski
4. crochet

Things I Worry About:
1. Being a good example to my kids
2. Our crazy world
3. Being an uplifting person in our family
4. Creating good sleep habits for my boys!

Happy Moments:
1. Going through the temple for the first time with my Justy Boy
2. Seeing Jackson , my first baby!, for the first time--he had all finger and toes afterall!
3. Seeing Bowen for the first time--my first comment was, "he has dimples!"
4. Justin coming home from work--happiest time of the day for everyone

Things I Want to Do Next Year:
1. Make it to Maui (any chance Justin?!)
2. Maybe pick up a nursing shift here and there
3. Work on my food storage
4. Start golfing!

People I am Tagging:
1. Ashley Jorgensen
2. Becca Mauss
3. Megan Alder
4. Darbee Beynon

FREEZE!

2007-10-25T13:55:00.000-06:00

Despite the past few "hard" days, I've been thinking about how I wish I could freeze time, just for a little while. I am enjoying the independece, curiosity, and excitement of a 3-year-old, while loving the constant babbling, the innocence, and the unconditional love of an 8 month old! And to make things better, they love each other (for now)! Jackson is sure to tell Bowen about his day at school and make sure he took a good nap, while Bowen always takes a look around the room to find his older brother. Nothing provides better entertainment for him than Jackson! For my own journaling interests, I would like to focus on our sweet boys for awhile and try to "freeze" this time in their lives in my memory.

JACKSON

Jackson is such a sweet boy; not one to really throw tantrums or create too much mischief! He is all boy with great training from his dad! He LOVES all sports and considers quiet time at night prime time to watch any sports channel with his dad. He wants to go to a Cowboys football game, a gift that Justin promised him after he gets baptized. In the meantime, though, he'll settle for the BYU home football games where he gets to see his favorite mascot, Cosmo.

Jackson is really into painting right now; his favorite mediums being pumkins, cards to give his friends or mail to grandparents, and of course, his face! He is learning so much at school, mostly I've noticed he's learning to be independent. He is learning to write his name and is doing great with learning his phonics. He always says "J stands for me!" Jacksie's favorite food is noodles and turkey and cheese sandwiches. He loves the Primary song "I Love to See the Temple." The other day in Target, he was walking down the aisle singing it! What a great way to bear your testimony! He is so full of imagination; hence the picture of him sledding during the summer! Fun things Jackson says: "crazy-b-daisy, starvin-b-marvin, super-duper, I love you to the moon and back, that's my favorite."

BOWEN!

What else can you do but smile when you see our little "Bo Bo's" smile! He is such a joy! He's got such a mellow temperment with excitement for everything mixed in. Bowen is always babbling! He is already telling us big stories. He loves to be outside, especially when there are kids to watch. His favorite food is Cheerios (you can see the big smile on his face while eating them), but he will settle for pretty much all baby food, except peas. Bowen is taking his time with crawling; he thinks it is much funner to just wait for someone to rescue him after he's been left on his belly for too long! Of course, someone always does! Bowen loves to interact with Jackson, and with Jackson and Justin around, I'm sure he'll be a great addition to their sports addiction.

WE LOVE YOU BOTH!

I am a sports geek!!!!

2007-10-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I love sports. I love to play, watch on TV and attend sporting events. The last 6 or 7 weeks have been a slice of heaven for me.

The first week of September, my good friend and PGA Tour golfer Chris Riley http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/01/27/ came to town to play in the event at Willow Creek. Chris stayed at our house, and we enjoyed having him with us for a few days. Jackson has now named the room that Chris slept in "Chris's Room". The highlight of the week for me was that I got to caddie for Chris.

The next week I got to go to Palo Alto, California to watch my cousin Bo McNally play football for Stanford. Though they lost to Oregon, I had a great time. Bo had a great game and he continues to make our family proud on and off the field. Games are so much fun to watch when you know someone who is playing. On a sidenote, Stanford beat #1 USC two weeks later. This photo is Bo making the game winning interception against USC.

This last weekend was a great one too. On Friday I went to St. George and spent the night at my best friend Bret's house. We watched the MLB playoffs most of the night.

After grabbing a bite to eat on Saturday morning, we drove to Las Vegas. We spent a good part of the day at the PGA Tour event. We had a good time watching some of the big names in golf tee it up. The highlight of the afternoon came when the aforementioned Chris Riley put on a clinic with Butch Harmon(best golf instructor in the world), Greg Maddux(MLB pitcher) and others. Chris let Bret and me go down on the range and have a front row seat to everything. Thanks Riles!

After the golf clinic, Bret and I went to the BYU vs. UNLV football game. My brother- in- law Darren and nephew Ethan came with us. We sat in the midst of hard-core UNLV fans and it was great! The Cougs came away with a win despite not playing their best game of the year. I will never complain about a win. The tough part of the schedule is coming up and I am looking forward to a very exciting finish.

In addition to golf, playoff baseball, and football the NBA is getting ready to start. We(Utah Jazz) are going to be very good again this year. We are young and talented. However, I think we are still one player away from having a parade in downtown SLC. We need to get a shooting guard. If Larry Miller or Kevin O'Conner are reading this blog(and why wouldn't they) my advice to you is to trade AK47 for a lights out shooting guard.

Now that I have briefed you on my recent activites, I need to once again thank my wife for letting me do all of these fun things. She understands my passion for sports and is a very supportive wife. Not to mention the fact she is the best mom this planet has ever seen. Love you Jill. I look forward to watching sports with you this weekend.............. Just Kidding!

WOW...

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I think you'll be saying "Wow" after you read this blog too. I've decided to dedicate this blog as a tribute to my sister, Alison. She is not your average mother of 3 boys! She is a triathalon athlete, cyclist, and recent marathon runner. Not only does she compete in these events, but she pretty much dominates them! The first week of September, she competed in the infamous Lotoja (Logan to Jackson) cycling race. Apparently, it is a pretty grueling 206 mile race. Anyways, she took 3rd overall the women with a finishing time of 10 hours 6 minutes! Then a couple weeks later, with just a couple of runs under her belt, she ran the St. George Marathon for the first time with an amazing time of 3 hours and 16 minutes. We had a great time watching her go! Seriously, she's pretty amazing. She is the mother of a great little family, and we love them so much!

Alison and her husband, Darren, just after finishing the marathon...can't you tell she just ran 26 miles!

Alison (on the left) at the Lotoja Awards Ceremony. She took 2nd in her age group too!

At the Lotoja Awards Ceremony...

P.S. They will be starting a blog soon too: http://vegasbryans.blogspot.com Should be filled with some pretty funny stories, especially with Blakers around!

Jackson's First Field Trip

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Our first experience with field trips happened this week when Jackson's pre-school class went to Glover Nursery! They had pumkin decorating, face painting, a hay ride, and a haunted hay maze! Jackson loved the pumpkin decorating; he worked on his masterpiece, which is on our front porch, for about 45 minutes! Bowen and I were able to tag along for the fun!

Perfect! A scary spider on his cheek to match his Halloween costume!

A work of art...and it tastes good too!

An exciting hayride through the nursery...the dirt and plants made for a great view!

Good-bye Summer...Hello Fall!

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The hardest "good-bye" for me is having summer end and fall begin. I really do like the fall, but I do not like what follows. We had such a great summer! The highlight was having Josh, Becca and their boys live right next door for 3 months! Charlie, Annie, and Jackson played together so much...I don't think there will be another summer like that. So, in honor of summer, here is a little recap of all of our fun.

HELLO FALL...Fall means school! We had our first taste of this on September 6 when Jackson started pre-school at Corner Canyon Academy! We were expecting a meltdown, but instead found we had an excited, independent little pre-schooler! He didn't cry like we thought he would, but of course, I cried just like I thought I would!! I'm so proud of my Jacksie!

First day of School!

Corner Canyon Academy

Bowen McNally

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This weekend was a bit tough for me and my sports interests. The Utes "shocked the world" and man-handled the UCLA Bruins. Additionally the Cougs got in to a track meet with Tulsa. Needless to say they came up short. Enough said about that. Just regroup and come to play this week in Provo.
I will not be at the game this week as I will be at the Stanford/Oregon game in Palo Alto, California. As I have mentioned before, my cousin Bo McNally plays safety for Stanford. Bo's dad Jeff asked me to join him this week. Bo was just named Pac 10 defensive player of the week, and he is only a sophomore. http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091707aad.html Check out the link. As good of a football player as he is, he is even a nicer person.

In case you are wondering, his name is our reason for naming our little guy Bowen.
Hopefully I will have some fun things to blog when I get home.
Justin

Cute Cousins at the Fair

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The fun from the Fair this year came from watching all the cute Mauss cousins enjoy the craziness of the Fair! Jackson and Annie ran from ride to ride like they were at Disneyland! Seeing Jackson so excited on the carnival rides made me realize that he is going to have the time of his life when we go to Disneyland later this year. Bowen just loved being outside and being held by Aunt Joanna! We did see some crazy people--I'm pretty sure I saw Santa walking around wearing boxers! All in all, we had a great time!

Only at the Fair--a donkey wearing a hat that says "Don't take my hat off!"

Co-Pilots!

The highlight of the night--two great friends having fun.

Which one is Justy Boy???

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We had pictures taken of all the Mauss grandkids, and of course,

towards the very end, Jackson was done smiling and cooperating.

When we received the pictures back, Mare immediately told me

of a picture she had of Justin that looked just like Jackson's picture!

Justin is so proud of this, he had to share!! I keep insisting that there

has to be me somewhere in our boys...