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A Little Christmas & a Little 5 Year Old!!

2012-02-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Alyvia's 5th Birthday was a lot of fun this year. We had all our family over for home made Krispy Creme doughnuts on Thursday and on Saturday we had her first little girl-friend party! Hello Kitty was the star of the show. I hope the girls had as much fun as I had planning it. Alyvia had both of her Grandmas there to help and I think it went really well. I hope at least we made a good memory for Alyvia.
Here are just a few things we love about Alyvia--
*She's always singing something!(Loves Tavosi)
*She's super dooper smart (too smart sometimes)
*She's a great helper with Camdyn (Maybe she can start babysitting next year)
*She's excited about what she's learning in Primary and in Family Home Evening.
*She's the BEST at going to bed. (Always been good at this from day one)
*She's always making a gift for someone!
*She just flat out makes us laugh.
The other day my mom came and kept the kids for us one evening. Grandma said the she'd better get on the road before she gets too sleepy. Alyvia, as seriouse as could be saic, "Grandma, you're totally welcome to stay in that extra bed."
*Always thinking about someone else.

This Christmas we changed things up a bit. We headed down to Salt Lake to spend Christmas with Brady's Aunt Alyson. We missed our families, but had a blast at the same time. We enjoyed the lights on temple square on Christmas Eve with Grandpa Harding, Alyson, and Brady's Uncle Gary and his family. It was so awesome to enjoy a cozy fireplace on Christmas Eve. We made crazy goodies with Al and a super cute gingerbread house. I think our kids will remember this Christmas for a long time, I know Brady and I will. Thanks Alyson for some more super great memories.

Fun October!!

2011-11-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year. Let's just say the kids both get trick-or-treating! They were so cute. Alyvia had a great time at her pre-school party and some how our little blonde made a great Dorothy. Camdyn was right by her side as the cowardly lion, although I wouldn't say he's intimidated by much.

Carving pumpkins was slimy as usual. Brady made a killer wolf pumpkin!

Alyvia and I ran in the Great Pumpkin Race this year. This was Alyvia's first race and Uncle Landon ran along side of her while she ran 1/4 mile. We were so proud of her. She was pretty excited to get her ribbon at the end! I ran with our friends Steve and Emily and really had a good time. I think we'll make it a tradition!!

We went to Ketchum with Landon and Emily to see all the Fall colors and go to the Basque festival. It was really cool!!

We had apples coming out of our ears this month. I bottled pie filling with a friend and did apple sauce with my sister. The kids had fun helping. They actually really did help, it was fun!

Super September Highlights!! Texas & More!

2011-09-21T12:43:00.001-07:00

Dinner Cruise in Hagerman with Steve & Emily. (Highly recommended) Helps to be with great company!

Sock Monkeys....Gotta love 'em! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a group shot of all the monkeys!

Twin Falls County Fair & Rodeo!

Alyvia's first day of pre-school. Kind of a sad picture huh. She has just loved going to pre-school and is learning so much. It's pretty fun that we get to walk every day!

Our friends Steve and Emily's new baby Sage.

Camping in the back yard with the Batemans! Why have we not figured this out before now?!

Our Texas Trip!! Just a few highlights!

Spending time with Chad & Tay and their family was so great it's not something we get to do every day and sometimes every year. Getting to pick Parker up for school was a highlight for Brady because he got to hold the little sign and make fun of the lady with the mega phone. Our kids got some quality time with both Grandparents while we were gone and we appreciate them so much for keeping them!!

Here's a lizard we found in one of their bushes.

Here are Chad and Tay's cute boys; Parker, Talmage, & Cannon playing in the spray park down town Woodlands. That night we enjoyed the best milk shakes ever and checked out down town right where Chad works. What an amazing place.

This was at the Kema boardwalk near Houston. Here we rode the scariest roller coaster of my life! I love roller coasters, but this one took the cake. We also got to pet and feed the sting rays. It took Tay and I a few tries, something about it was kinda freaky!

The Friday we were there we got an super great dinner appointment with a very special Elder. My Bro!!! A few weeks before we left, Brady emailed Brian's mission president to let him know we'd be right there visiting family. He asked if we would like to take him to dinner. Crazy!! He's been out a year, but it felt like we'd just seen him a week ago. We had such a great evening with him, his companion and Sister and Whitney Sinclair (some friends of their's) He's so lucky to have such an awesome companion! I sure hope the next year goes just as fast.

The day before we headed home, we took in a Texas A&M Game. What a blast!! This was no ordinary college football game. Brady was right....You have to see it to believe it!!

Time with my sister......I'm still laughing!!!!

2011-08-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Anna and I took off a couple of weekends ago with the plans to go shopping and to the Josh Groban concert. The concert happened, but our day plans changed. Lagoon was calling our name!! Forget the shopping!! A day at Lagoon without strollers or anthing or anyone to keep track of sounded like alot more fun. So we just about wet our pants on the sky coaster, then were amazed at the Josh Groban concert. What a blast!!! Thanks for the great weekend Anna!

Drum Roll Please!!!!!

2011-06-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

We are excited to inform everyone that we have a CPA on our hands!!!! Brady got news just today that, after a long drawn out process of studying and studying some more he passed his final CPA exam. He's now a certified public accountant!! He called me this morning just as I had finished up my makeup. So I just had to turn around and do it all over again, after I balled like a baby. We are so crazy proud of you Brady. We love you!!! Way to go!!!!

A Year Already!!!

2011-06-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Camdyn had his one year birthday on the 6th of June. Crazy how it all happens so fast. He's such an enjoyable little guy. The top picture is of him enjoying his new birthday swing. Here are a few things we love about Camdyn.

*He weighs only 5 pounds less than his older sister. (Cutest little chunky monkey)

*He has the best cheeser grin!

*He now sleeps through the night! Halaluia!

*He looks like his Daddy.

*He yells during church. He's not mad just loud.

Camdaroo what would we do without you?!!!!!

Alyvia's Birthday!!

2011-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our little blonde is four!!! She just keeps getting funner and funner!
Alyvia'n new bike! Yes it is buzz light year, but she's crazy about it! With a few girlie accesories we were able to dodge the pink princess bike.
Dinner at Garibaldi's. Alyvia got the royal treatment!

Christmas Highlights

2011-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas highlights just in time for Valentine's Day!!

Sending Christmas Wishes

2010-12-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

I know this is long over due. So much has been going on that I just haven't found a second to update, then there was so much to catch up on so I have to say I got a little overwhelmed. I am happy to report that we all are doing well. Happy, healthy, warm, and blessed in sooooo many ways. We've sure enjoyed the Christmas cards that we've recieved from many of you. Thank you for the Christmas wishes. We hope the true meaning of Christmas is in all of your homes this year. One of our Christmas cards says, "Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus" Neal A.Maxwell. I hope we all make room for Him this Christmas season, and have a very memorable Christmas filled with things that matter most. Merry Christmas!!! Love Brady, Amy, Alyvia,& Camdyn.
Here's a quick update on what we've been up to.

Our happy little Camdyn is now 6 months old and just about sitting on his own!! Where did the time go?!!!

My brother Landon married Emily Zilles in the Logan Temple on November 26th. Alyvia sure loves her new Aunt

Alyvia was a fairy and Camdyn was a little baseball player for Halloween. This is Alyvia with some of her cousins.

My brother Brian left on his mission to Houston Texas on September 26th. Check out his blog that my mom is doing on the left. (Brian's Mission) We miss him, but he's doing great!!

Brady and I celebrated our 7th anniversary in September! We had a great time at the Mona Lisa in Boise.

We got new Schofield family pictures in August. We love how they turned out.

In July we got to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Schofield. Love this picture!

We went on Camdyn's first trip to Yellowstone in July with Brady's mom and dad.

Blessed on the 4th of July

2010-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice 4th of July weekend. We blessed Camdyn that Sunday,and we were so grateful for everyone that could make it. Camdyn was given a beautiful blessing from his dad. He is so lucky to have such good examples who hold the priesthood in his life. This is a picture of everyone who stood in the circle: My Dad Lani, brother Landon,Brady's Grandpa Harding, Brady, Brady's dad Bill, my brother Brian, and brother-in-law Curt. We missed Brady's brother Chad, and brother-in-law Merrick. Thank you so much family! We had such a great day with you all.

SAGEBRUSH DAYS PARADE!

Ready for the fireworks!

I am a lucky girl!!

2010-06-23T16:37:00.001-07:00

I am so blessed to have a super hard working husband and two beautifull healthy kids. Yes, I am a very lucky girl.

Alyvia's a BIG SISTER!!

2010-06-08T14:52:00.001-07:00

Camdyn Brady Workman
Born June 6, 2010
8lb 6 oz 20 in long
We are all so glad he's here!

Nesting, is that what they call it?

2010-05-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am officially to the nesting stage. Every morning I wake up, and the first thing on my mind is; what should I organize, rearrange, set up, take down, move to the garage, bring in from the garage, paint, wash, or add to Brady's list. Brady has been just awesome helping me with funny things that I've been wanting done before this baby comes.

We painted our office wall. I know it's a little bit different, but I love it. I leave the door open just so every time I walk by the room I can see it. Brady found the idea on-line so we thought we'd try it out. I feel like it makes the room bigger.

Put up shelves in the garage. We made a trip to the Home Depot the other day with the intentions of purchasing some shelving for the garage. We get there and my brilliant husband starts doing the math and I see the little wheels in his head start turning and this my friends is what he built by the end of the day!!! They are fabulouse, less than half the price and way better than I had pictured. Once again Brady, you've amazed me.

We bought a vehicle, sold it, and bought another one. (We're crazy we know that) I really missed our Explorer when we sold it and got the hummer. And in my state getting in the thing was pretty entertaining along with the fact that it didn't have children locks on the doors. We kinda missed that minor (important) detail. So now we have a Jeep Commander and have absolutely loved it so far. I love driving it, it feels good!! Unlike the Hummer, a little too beefy.

Set up the baby's corner in Alyvia's room. After much deliberation we decided to set the crib up in Alyvia's room, and turn the other room into a play room. So far Alyvia's almost too excited to have the baby in her room. He'll be in our room for the first little while in a bassinet, but then he's all Alyvia's. Hope she's ready to change and feed him in the middle of the night. I'm grateful we picked prett versital colors for Alyvia's room that can be for either gender. That always helps. I officially feel like if we have this baby tommorrow we'll be set.

Oh, another bit of fun news. Our little boy will have three boy cousins born all this year. We think that's pretty exciting and can't wait to see what kind of mischief they'll find themselves in over the years. It's defenitely a year for boys in our family!!

I love Spring!!!!!...............

2010-05-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

If only it would stay.

Wow I'm a slacker!! It's been how long?!!

2010-05-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Alyvia and Uncle Brian at the Prom. She was so cute in one of my moms dress up dresses that she insisted on wearing. Start 'em young right?

Easter

Our friends Jake and Cassie came over to color eggs. Alyvia just loves them and had a great time.

Easter egg hunt at Grandma's. The kids had a fun time finding the few eggs we hid. I'm amazed at how fast they are. It didn't last more than a few minutes. I asked Alyvia if she know why we celebrate Easter. She told me it's to get lots of candy eggs, and Jesus comed out of the rock. Funny how kids interpret things. I'm glad she gathered that much.

Our post tax season get-away!!

Alyvia's new cousin Austin!!

2010-02-20T19:16:00.001-08:00

Austin Glen Egbert was born on February 18th, and what a super cute little dude he is. He looks just like his older brother and has a great head of hair. Go figure!! We're so excited he's part of our family. Good job Curt and Anna!!

Oh Boy!! Birthday Surprises!!

2010-02-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Alyvia had a fun little birthday this year. We had a little family party the Sunday before, and spent Tuesday evening at the Kimberly Arctic Circle with some cousins that weren't able to come Sunday! She really got spoiled with some cute suprises!! I was given a few cake decorating tools for Christmas so I was excited to get to practice a little. Her cake was very simple, and fun to put together! The day after her birthday Alyvia was suprised to find out she's getting a baby brother!! She immediatly told me, "Mom I told you we're getting a girl baby!" I wasn't sure what to think. Thankfully my sister is having a little boy in just a few weeks so she's excited now that she's getting a boy baby just like Kenadee, Halle, and Carson are getting a boy baby. We're very excited and hope everything goes smoothly. Happy Birthday to my sweetest 3 year old.

Almost 3!!!

2010-01-27T10:57:00.001-08:00

Miss Alyvia is having a birthday in a few days so we went in for a few pictures. It's crazy how fast our kids grow and change and learn new things. She's just so grown up. These are a few things Alyvia wants to do when she gets big:chews gum, be a mommy too, sing wiff pimary kids in church, go to peschool, and make a birfday cake. What a great big sister she is going to make, and I know it won't be long before these things really happen. Oh, can't they just stay little?

Landon's Homecoming

2010-01-15T11:44:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to post some more pictures of Landon coming home, but just haven't gotten around to it. It was sure a fun time welcoming him home and attempting to keep him warm with all our tears and hugs. This day had been muchly anticipated for quit some time. I can't get over what a great smile he has, I'm sure the people in Peru are going to miss that.

The Welcoming Committee

Grandma & Grandpa Schofield

The Proud Parents

New Year's in Salt Lake

2010-01-07T12:57:00.001-08:00

Alyvia's New Favorite Thing....Snow Angels

2010-01-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun watching Alyvia figure out how to make her arms and legs go back and forth at the same time. I couldn't get her come back inside even though her cheeks were frozen. She is my little snow angel.

Alyvia Christmas Morning!

2010-01-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

So happy in her new slippers and jammies.

Mom's big 50th birthday party!!

2009-12-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated my mom's fiftieth birthday!! We just can't believe she's half way to one hundred! We were able to go up to Sun Valley for most of the day and go on a sleigh ride with all the big kids. The little ones stayed home this trip. We had such a great time. Everything up there at this time of year is so magical. The dinner was fabulous and the accordion player sure spoiled my mom with all the song requests. The carolers were sure a highlight. They were the REAL THING, and so was Santa. It was fun being with everyone since Landon got home. Happy Birthday mom!

He's BAAAACK!!!

2009-12-22T09:27:00.001-08:00

My brother Landon recently returned home from serving his mission in Peru. For those of you who have had family serve missions you know how fun it is to get them home. I think he's adjusting pretty good, but he may disagree. It's got to be a hard transition for these missionaries coming home. Either way it's been fun having him home and watching him get to know his neices and nephews. We love you Landon! Thank you for your example and for being such a wonderful missionary!

YEAH!!!!

2009-12-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

We're super excited that Alyvia is finally going to be a big sister!

OOOOPS!!

2009-11-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

I think she knows she's in trouble! She wouldn't even smile for a picture.

What a great night for Hula Dancing!!

2009-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

We've had quit a bit going on at our house lately! October was full of lots of fun things and cruised on by entirely too fast. We had a great Halloween and Alyvia was so proud of her hula outfit. Our friends Kevin and Amber were here the night before Halloween for the Great Pumpkin Race, so we got to take the girls to the Trunk-or-treat at the church. Amber did great in her race, and the girls got too much candy!! I think Alyvia loved her first real trick-or-treating experience. She still makes me let her outside so she can ring the door bell and say trick-or-treat. Brady's brother Chad and his family were here for a couple of weeks too. We had a ton of fun with them and the kids had a great time hitting doors on Halloween night. They were all soo cute!

We went out to this great pumkin patch outside of town. Alyvia loved picking out the biggest pumpkins for dad to carry to the car. I was amazed at how cold it was that evening, but Halloweeen night was beautiful!!

Uncle Merrick "The Great Pumpkin Head" SCARRY!!

WE HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT OCTOBER--NOW BRING ON THE FEAST!!

We are amongst the living!!

2009-10-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

So I officially survived one of the longest weeks of my life. It made me so grateful for good health, and great family and friends. I got sick last Tuesday afternoon and it just got worse from there for a WHOLE WEEK! It usually sounds like a great idea to lounge around on the couch, but boy did I get sick of that stupid thing. My poor sister got the swine flew a couple of weeks before and I felt helpless as to how I could help her. I guess it just didn't pay off to stay away, we got it anyway. I wish that I had done more for her. Luckily I had some good entertainment for my week long excursion on the couch. Alyvia had me either laughing or crying. She'd come in with her back pack and announce that she will be right back she has to go to preschool. She tried to reassure me that she would be OK and to not miss her while she was gone. She also put on some pretty good dances for me. I'm really glad I had her around most of the time. So if anyone ever tells you not to fear the swine flu, FEAR IT!!!! Stay as far away from it as possible it does bite. "HARD" Something I have learned is that I'm just flat out not tough. So for most of you you can just disregard all of this whining!! I'm pretty good at that too. I am so glad Brady and Alyvia some how snuck around it. Brady is taking his first section of his CPA exam this nex Tuesday, so we have to keep him healthy.

Girls will be girls!!

2009-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday night Brady and I were able to go to the temple TOGETHER!!! A couple of my Beehives, Sunny and Ali, were nice enough to come and entertain Alyvia for a few hours. This is what we found when we got home. They had put every single hair bow that Alyvia ownes in her hair. Brady and I just about died laughing. I'm sure glad she had a good time with her "fends". We have the best pick of babysitters!! Thanks Sunny and Ali. You're too cute.

September is ALWAYS a Party!!!!

2009-09-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

First of all it's my birthday in September. I'm a whoppin 26 years old! After a day at work, we spent the evening at the Rodeo. Alyvia was very excited to take my birthday picture. I have to say she did and pretty good job for a two year old. Thank you to everyone for all of the birthday wishes. You all know who you are. You each made my day a little more special!!

The Fair & Rodeo!! A Workman family tradition.

How does time fly like this????!!!!!

Brady and I celebrated our 6th anniversary!! It's amazing to me how fast those years have gone. We spent a super fun weekend together in Boise. We shopped, ate, hung out, took my first limo ride and just enjoyed some time together. I just have to share some of these pictures to show just how much my husband spoils me. I just don't know how he always pulls these sneeky little things off. You're amazing Brady!! I love you!! This was one of the funnest weekends we've had in a long time! Thanks Mom & Dad for keeping Livs!

We had the limo for two hours. Our driver, Richard, took us on tour of Boise and stopped at all the cool places to take our picture. I wondered why Brady was so adimate about taking the camera. So not like him. We went right behind the Bronco Stadium. That was pretty cool. The best part was watching people stare as we went by.

Both of Alyvia's Grandpa's had birthday's this month too!!! We even have two more birthdays to go this month!! Now you know why September is always a party!!

Here's my dad in his new Bronco's apron that we got him for his birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! We love you!!

Not so funny/ funny story!!!

2009-09-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

The other day Alyvia was in her room taking a nap, and I had just finished washing some dishes and decided to stick my head in her room to check on her. When I looked in, this is what I saw:

My heart sort of jumped not finding her in her bed. I hurried around the house to find her. I couldn't find her anywhere!!! I was calling her and calling her. I thought to check her room one more time hoping she would just appear there. No such luck. So I went running out side in a panic looking for my little blondie. When she wasn't there I quickly said a prayer in my heart that she was OK. So I checked her room the third time and:

She was under the covers just right, so from the door her bed looked empty. What a relief that was to find her napping soundly right where I left her!!

Just a few painting projects

2009-09-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Brady and I have been a little stumped as to what to do with this certain wall in our house. We've been wanting to do something to it, but haven't known what. So one day in Home Depot it hit us to paint it green! Here's the finished product, and I think we both really are happy with the color. It ties in real nicely with my lime green and red kitchen.

Alyvia's playhouse was another fun project. The color was chosen out of the mess up paints at home depot. I thought it was going to be more of a pea soup color, but thankfully it turned out to be a nice dark yellow. Brady made the little fence around it and we're hoping to get some rubber bark in there soon. Maybe we'll wait until next summer. I thought it turned out super cute for a little girl's play area.

Remember?

2009-08-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

Hey remember back in June when Alyvia was planting her little seeds? Well here they are as of today! The finished product is beautiful! It was such a fun process to watch her discover how those tiny seeds turned into this. She keeps asking me "Dees my tiny seeds momma?" I love that she loves them.

It's been a while!!

2009-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

This last month or so we've had quit the time with our Internet. It's been driving us crazy! Last Friday we finally got a good dependable provider. Hurray! It was so bad that it really wasn't worth it to me to wait and wait and wait, so sorry for the lack of comments on your blogs as well. So we've had a fun and busy summer and it's hard to believe that it's starting to wind down. I do love everything about fall though! The smells, the football games, the fair, the colors, the clothes, yes I pretty much love everything about FALL! Our wedding was in September and our colors were fall colors. I just loved everything about it!
Here are a few things we've been up to.

My friend Tanille gave Alyvia a super cute new hair-doo! Thanks Tanille we love it!

Alyvia and I went to my mom's Zweifel reunion. There were a few new members of our family that we were able to meet. New babies,wives etc. It was sure fun to see everyone. Curt gave the kids some rides on the 4-wheeler.

Camping with my family in Oakley. We hit the play at the old theatre and just had fun throwing the frisbee around.

Alyvia has a new play house in the backyard. She was so excited to show her cousins. They played out there for hours. I'd say that was a good investment.

Swimming Lessons!!

2009-07-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

She's still smiling after wards. That's a good sign right?

Alyvia just started her first swimming lessons. She's alway been a little timid around water so I thought this would be a good start. She's really getting the hang of it and is doing really well. She's suprising me!! Today they jumped off the diving board! Cindy held her hand the whole time and that really helped her. We have five more classes left and I'm really excited to see how well she progresses.

Sweet Land of Liberty!!

2009-07-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Buhl 4th of July Parade!
It was a great one this year!

The kids looked so cute in their red, white, and blue.

Alyvia & Grandpa Schofield

The Famous Schofield 4th of July BBQ!

Alyvia and her Great Grandma & Grandpa Schofield.

We had such a great 4th of July weekend filled with fireworks, footlong hotdogs, parades, and family. My Grandma & Grandpa Schofield came and spent the weekend with us. That was a real treat! This has got to be one of my favorite holidays. The things that I'm grateful for this 4th are: Shade*Family*Good family name(Workman & Schofield)*Healthy little girl*Yummy food*Awesome seats for the fireworks*Freedom*The Gospel. You can't help but get a little choked up when see those firworks right above the american flag. That was a highlight!

A trip to remember!!

2009-07-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

This last week we took our Young Women to Salt Lake for a couple of days. There were so many little miracles that went into this trip and we were so grateful to have all 18 of our young women there with us.

We began our trip by hiking to the top of Ensign Peak. The view from up there was amazing. You could see the entire Salt Lake Valley, and right in the center of it all was the temple. We were able to share some very powerful stories and talks with the girl while we were up there. All of us also signed our banner of Virtue and the girls waved it high. It was such a great experience for me and I loved sharing it with all of our Young Women.

Me and my Mother-in-law Diane. It was so fun to get to go with her.

Following the hike the girls were able to go do baptisms for the dead at the Salt Lake Temple. It was so amazing and it was my first time in the baptistery of the Salt Lake Temple. I know the girls had an amazing experience there.

Tuesday evening we had another treat. We were lucky enough to spend the evening with Sister Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women's President. This was a once in a life time opportunity for these girls to get to spend some one-on-one time with a true servant of the Lord. Her and her husband joined us for dinner at Grandma & Grandpa Harding's home. (Brady's G &G) Before receiving her call to be the General President of the Young Women, Sister Dalton was Grandma Harding's Visiting Teacher. This visit was kept secret from the girls until they were all sitting in their chairs for dinner in the back yard.As soon as she came outside, she went around to every one of us and gave hugs and learned names.It was such a fun surprise for them. It was such an overwhelming feeling to get to "hang out" with Sister Dalton. She arrived at 6:00 and didn't leave until 9:30. She talked with us for over an our and encouraged us to be Virtuous Young Women and Leaders. I loved what Sister Dalton said at the last Young Women General Broadcast. She has a plat that says,"I can do hard things" but know she's realizing that "In the Lord I can do all things." She is such an inspiration to all of us. The girls were all wonderful and enjoyed every minute of their time with her.

My Beehive Class with Sister Dalton.

Aunt Alyson, Diane, Sister Dalton, and Me!

Wednesday morning we had an amazing tour of the Conference Center! Grandpa Harding gave us the royal treatment full of extras!

Our wonderful tour guide! (Brady's Grandpa)

While we were in the Conference Center, I had to take the opportunity to find my friend Dena's painting that was on display there. She had entered the church painting contest and did very well, so her picture will be on display ther until October. Way to go Dena! Your painting is beautiful!

Before we headed for home we were able to go to the Joseph Smith Building where we watched that incredible movie. I can hardly believe that my family gets to go to Nauvoo next year all together and be in some of those historic places. We ate lunch in a very nice restaraunt called the Garden, then started for home. Our trip couldn't have gone more perfectly!! Thanks mom and Amanda for keeping Alyvia while I was gone!

Gardening??????

2009-06-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Alyvia's first flowers she's growing on her own! Snap Dragons!

So we put in a garden this year, and we hope to heck something comes up! Brady came home from work the other day and said,"Ames, let's be the Master Gardeners OK." What was I supposed to say to that! Sure it sounds like a great thing to shoot for, but there is so much to know and learn. Sure Brady maybe when we're old and gray we can be the master gardeners. It will probably take us that long. Any way here's to many, hopefully successful, gardens.

Having Fun In Salt Lake.

2009-06-08T13:30:00.001-07:00

We had a fun weekend in Salt Lake with some of Brady's family. We stayed with his aunt Alyson. She spoiled us as always. Alyvia got all decked out in her princess atire. It was fun to see his Gradma and Grandpa Harding. On our way home we stopped and watched some of the airshow on Hill Airforce Base. That was pretty amazing. I would really like to go to another air show sometime soon.

Western Days Parade

2009-06-08T13:16:00.001-07:00

We had a fun time when Andrea & Merrick and Brady's cousins Spencer and Mackenzie were here. The kids loved the parade and Alyvia had fun with little Madeline. We hope you all had a good time visiting! It was fun to see you all!

Shoshone Falls

2009-06-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

Our friends Kevin, Amber, & Kamryn

Our Family and my cousins little girl Aubrey! Thanks for coming to play Aubrey!

There hasn't been this much water in a long time!

Our Disney Adventure!

2009-05-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

We thought that we would share a few of the pictures and highlights from our trip. We really had a great time! I wish that our time there didn't go by quit so fast.

Day 1--Alyvia's first airplane ride!
I was amazed at how well Alyvia did on the airplane. It was a 1 hr 25 min, and she did super the whole way. A movie and snacks seemed to keep her busy. We saw Elder Bednar and Elder Anderson in the airport that morning. That was kind of a highlight!

Day 2--California Adventure
The Shows here were absolutley amazing! I loved High School Musical (That one was for you Chad & Tay) and Alladin! I could have watched them over and over!

Meeting Cinderella was pretty neat. Alyvia ran up to her with open arms. Cinderella was so sweet to her!

Just a few pictures from the Pixar Parade in California Adventure. We loved it!

Day 3--Walking through Downtown Disney

Brady & Alyvia being silly in the pool.

This giraffe is made completely out of legos. Right up Brady's ally!

Enjoying our ice cream treat!

Day 4--1st Day of Disneyland

Alyvia wasn't too sure about Goofy! She thought he was more funny from a distance.

Riding the Dumbo ride with Alyvia was a real treat! She laughed the whole time!

Day 5--2nd Day of Disneyland

Finally we found Mickey Mouse!!

TOON TOWN

The Tea Cups were super fun.

Alyvia loved the little Rabbits house from Alice in Wonderland!

Just some of our Disney Cuisine.

Alyvia just couldn't wait to pull out her new doll set of Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck. So there she was playing with them on the side walk! It sure kept her busy. (Don't mind Brady's happy face, he really is having a great time.)

Main Street Disney our last night there. It really was spectacular!

Day 6 -- Just Gettin Home.

This is on our way home waiting in the airport. Alyvia loved to watch all the action out the window. I'd say we had pretty good seats for that show!

We've been looking forward to this trip for a couple of months. Brady's parents and Grandma Workman were able to go with us. They were great travel buddies. They were such good sports to help so much with Alyvia and let Brady and I go on ton of the super cool rides. Nap time helped with this, and thank goodness Alyvia napped well in her stroller. I think we all could have done with out the earth quake while we were down there. Let's just say it shook us up a bit. Bill, Diane, and Grandma, we appreciate you very much and were so glad you were able to come along. Thanks for an unforgettable trip! Alyvia and I will always remember our first time to Disneyland!

These are the souvenirs we ended up with. I loved Alyvia's Mickey Ears, and that they embroidered her name on the back. She'll have those forever! OK the pink fish has a funny story. I hope you don't all think that we would buy our daughter a kind of funny looking thing, but Brady Alyvia and I were sitting on a bench eating a churro waiting for Bill, Diane, and Grandma to come out of the Aladdin show, and a cute family with teenage kids came up to us and asked if Alyvia would like this little fish ( I think it's supposed to be a girl version of Nemo ) any way Alyvia's face lit up and we couldn't say no. It is kinda cute. Supposedly the son had just won it and didn't want to carry it around, so Alyvia scored on that one.

On His Way To State!!

2009-05-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

So my brother Brian is on his way to Boise this morning for the State Track Meet. He qualified in three events this year! He'll be running the anchor leg for the medley relay, the open 800 and the mile. We're so proud of him and hope he goes and does his very best so he can feel good about his experience there. I hope he'll still love us even though we'll be off chatting with Micky Mouse instead of cheering him on at Bronco Stadium. Last night we were out at my parents and my mom asked if we needed anything else, Brian said,"I know what they need, directions to Bronco Stadium." So he was kidding, of course we know how to get to the smurf turf. I know he just wants us to be there. I wish we would have connected the dates a little better. Thank goodness it's not his Senior Year. We'll be cheering you on Brian from the magical world of Disneyland. Good Luck! We love you! (oh he's the one in Buhl Black)

This was after church one Sunday. Brian and come into town and went to church with us, then he and Alyvia just crashed when we got home. I love this picture. Alyvia loves her Uncle Brian.

A very good Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you but Mother's Day is kind of an emotional day for me since I've had Alyvia. (Silly I know) Mother's Day this year was no exception. I just get so overwhelmed at how much my mom means to me as well as the other mom's in my life. My mom is strong in so many ways. She's pretty much the glue!! I know that this mother's day was quit different for her. This was the first one with out her own mom. I know that she was thinking a lot about her yesterday. I was too mom! And like you I miss her like crazy! I know she's very proud of the kind of mothers her daughters have become. I hope I can be one like that too! We did get a really fun treat yesterday as well. My brother on his mission got to call home. I hope my mom feels like she got to talk to him enough because we kinda hogged the phone. He's really enjoying Peru and all the fun things that come with it. That was his last phone visit until he comes home. HURRAY!! Some days I just miss him like crazy. It's kinda funny how you can get so much closer to someone even though he's so far away. Well here's to a great Mother's Day!!

The Linemen Inc.

2009-05-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Brady and our good friend Kevin started their own little parking lot striping business a few years ago. They striped a lot of lots while we lived in Rexburg going to school. It's been a great thing for them. I think they like it mostly because it gives them and excuse to hang out together late at night with all the crazies! It's not a bad deal for Amber and I either. When the boys are away the girls will play! We've had some fun weekends with them. To tell you about their shirts; Kevin's in-laws had his shirt made for him for his birthday one year, and he thought Brady needed one too. So Brady got one from them for his next birthday. The shirt is mandatory while on the job. :) Thanks guys for being great business partners!

Alyvia loves her friend baby Kamryn! She changes so much every time we see her.

Our New Look!!

2009-04-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

After

Before

Brady and I decided to go ahead and get the stacked stone put on the front of our house. We can't beleive how different it looks! We've really enjoyed having it done and are so glad we did it! Now we just need to get to the good ol' Home Depot and pick out some lights for the side of the garage. After those are added and a few touch ups made I think we'll be set.

OOOPS I goofed!!

2009-04-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

So I hope none of you have made play dough from the recipe that I put on my blog. I put 1 cup of oil instead of 1 TB of oil (HUGE differance) Sorry if you tried it and had a major mess on your hands. My cousin Cassie called because she had an art project due, and she made a batch of play dough for it. Needless to say it didn't turn out right. She was so cute "Did I do something wrong?" Sorry Cassie, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. So if you go back to that recipe it's now right.

I still have a husband!!

2009-04-23T13:24:00.001-07:00

Brady officially survived his first tax season!! There was a very happy little girl at our house when her Dad was able to come home at 5:00. Brady's whole office took the 16th and 17th off, so he suprised me with a super fun trip to Boise. My sister and his parents kept Alyvia for us and we just got some muchly needed US time. I highly recommend the Anniversary Inn's breakfast in bed. It couldn't have been any better! Thanks for the fun trip Brady, and for working so super hard for us! We love You!!

Our Easter Weekend!

2009-04-12T23:00:00.001-07:00

These are some cute kids!!

2009-04-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alyvia and I were lucky enough to spent some time with the Bateman's. Tanner and Alyvia had so much fun playing together, while I just sat and rocked the little doll baby, Aydree! It was very fun to catch up with them and just hang out like old times. Thanks for the day Jana, and for sharing your sweet kids. Gotta love Tanner and Alyvia rocking their babies.

The ways Alyvia gets around!

2009-04-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Alyvia has gotten really good at pedaling her bike. We got it for her for Christmas and she's just rode it around the house and gives her friends rides. This is her first outside trip with her trike! She insisted on the sunglasses!

Grandma Workman got these funny little green things. They're called wiggle cars. You sit on them then put your feet up and to make them go you turn the steering wheel back and forth. They were soooo funny! I have never seen anything like these before. Even Alyvia had a great time on them.

My Latest Project!

2009-03-31T13:50:00.001-07:00

I made these silhouettes the other day cause I owed my sister something cute. I did my sisters three kids in black & white, and Alyvia's to match her room. They were so fun and SUPER EASY! I found the frames @ (I hate to admit this) Micheal's for .99 cents. (Sorry Anna, I'm cheap). Then I just took pictures of each of the kids from the side. I had the pictures printed 4x6 (because my frames were small) and then just cut very carefully around them. Then I turned them over and spray painted them. How easy could that be. I've seen this idea before, where they hung each child's silhouette over their towel hook in the bathroom. I loved that idea. Maybe when we have a few more chillens that would be fun to do. I would love to do some more a little nicer, in a bigger frame with glass. But for now I love these, and love the way they turned out. These would be a neat keepsake to keep for your kids.

Alyvia's first braids!

2009-03-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

The other day I was super surprised and excited to see Anne of Green Gables on PBS. Alyvia was so into it. It didn't take her long to notice Anne's braids. She kept asking "Momma?" While she patted her head and pointed to the TV. I asked her if she liked her hair. So I sat her down and braided her hair while we watched the show. I never had to tell her to hold still one time! There never was and "Oweee" come out of her mouth either! I was so impressed. It was so fun to braid my little girl's hair for the first time!

Alyvia's taking up hoola dancing!

2009-03-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Later that night Brady's Mom & Dad came over so Diane could give Alyvia her surprise from Hawaii. It was the cutest Hula outfit with coconuts and everything! It was so funny to see how excited Alyvia got for her new "Dvess". (A word I hear all too often) Thanks Diane for outfit! It made her day. Hey, I think her Halloween costume is already taken care of. Awesome!

It's good to have buddies!

2009-03-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share one of my favorite pictures. This is Alyvia and her cousins Kenadee and Halle. She had her arms stretched out just as long as she could to show them that she loves them. I thought it was a pretty sweet picture. We love you Kenadee and Halle!

Weekend with baby Kamryn!

2009-03-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Alyvia had fun copying Kamryn's every move.

The girls.

This last weekend we got to go visit our good friends Kevin, Amber, and Baby Kamryn! It's always fun to get together. When we lived in Rexburg we got to see them a lot more often. We miss that! The girls had a ball. It was so fun to see them together. Kamryn is such a doll and doing very very well. We're so happy about that. Thanks for the fun weekend guys. We love you!

The First Glimpse of Spring at Our House!

2009-03-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were out front and noticed that our muchly anticipated daffodils had finally bloomed. It really made my day. I don't know about you, but this has been a long winter for some reason and we're super excited to have some HAPPIER weather!

Wow! I have a creative brother!

2009-03-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

I just have to brag about my brother Brian for a minute. He just asked a girl to his Junior Prom and the way he did it amazed me. He said,"It just all started coming to be at like 11:30 at night!" and if you know Brian he's tries to be modest in his own cocky way. Anyway this girl he asked is named Bailee and apparently they play Apples to Apples quit a bit. So that was what inspired him to create (with my mom's help) what he did. Take a look. And if you've ever played the game yourself you'll understand a little better. Read them from the bottom up and they'll make more sense. Then he fixed them up cute (again with help from my mom) and included a red and green apple in the package with the cards. I was sooo impressed. The cards even look like the real ones. Good Job Brian! I hope she says yes!!

What's been going on with us?

2009-03-10T10:52:00.001-07:00

Brady's sister and her family were in town for a few day from Montana. It was fun to see them!

*Alyvia is officially potty trained at home! We're so proud of her.

*The Jaques came over to help us with some electrical work. Thanks Joe! The girls had fun in the tent.

*We got a new toy Saturday that I'm pretty sure we're going to enjoy!

*Brady is learning real quick what tax season is like. Thanks for working so hard Brady!
*Brady finally got his diploma in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Hurray!

2009-02-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

All my friends are doing this, and I thought it would be kinda fun. So if you want a gift made by me, follow the instructions....
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year (might take a while).
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? YOU must repost this on YOUR blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! I know that you all want to join so hurry fast, remember it is only the first 5 people to respond and then put it on your blog. If you don't put it on your blog then you don't count!! :)So, post this on your blog, then comment and let me know you did it! Woohoo!

Young Women's New Beginnings

2009-02-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

I want to tell you about our ward's New Beginnings. I'm sure some of these ideas you could use in your own callings. It turned out to be a great night. Our theme was "Now is the Time". We decorated with all kinds of clocks and greenery. The new Beehives and move-ins got these cute little watches, with a tag that said "Take Time to be the Best You!" We had one of the Laurels speak on the new value Virtue. The Bishop gave a wonderful talk that went along with our theme, our Bishop is fabulouse!! The girls sang the song "The Best Year Ever" from the New Year program at the conference center. Some of the girls had solos in it. They all were so impressive! Sister Hawkes did and awesome job helping them get ready for it. It was just a really neat night in the chapel. We felt so good about how the night went.

All the girl went home with these frames and a starter kit for a time capsule. We figured they could be working on one of their value projects together through out this next year. It goes with Individual Worth to put together their family history using different things like journal entries, pictures, important papers, and what ever else they would like to include. We're going to have them sealed up in those big cans from the cannery after they display their things at evening in excellence.

For refreshments we had these cute spiral cookies of all the different value colors (I have this recipe too if any body wants it) and sherbet & Sprite

I really do love being in the Young Womens. These girls are so strong and teach me so much. I hope they're learning as much from me as I am from them. Thanks Girls!!

Our Little Cinderella!

2009-02-19T12:55:00.001-08:00

I caught Alyvia slaving away scrubbing our entry way with her spray bottle and paper towel. I'm glad she knows how to earn her keep. Not to mention she was all decked out in her beautiful princess dress. She's a busy Cinderelly!

Play Dough Anyone?!!

2009-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

For all of you who would love another thing to keep kids occupied for some time. I have a playdough recipe for you. I make it all the time and it lasts so long if you keep it in the refrigerator. Here's Alyvia in her apron I made her for Christmas. She loves to wear it when she plays with playdough or helps me with dishes. It was so easy. My sister made me a larger version a couple of years ago for Christmas using dish towels. It's my favorite one and super cute. I just used washclothes for Alyvia's.

*Playdough

1 Cup Flour 1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Salt 1 TB Oil

2 tsp Cream of Tarter

Stir together in pan & cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mizture pulls away from side of pan. Remove from heat. Add food coloring. Knead onto wax paper.

For those of you whos kids will eat the playdough, here's an edible version.

*Peanut Butter Playdough

1 Cup Peanut Butter 1 Cup light Corn Syrup

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 Cup Powdered Milk (may need to add a little more)

Mix all together

Some of Alyvia's two year pictures!

2009-02-04T09:10:00.001-08:00

This was one of my favorites, but I didn't end

up buying any of them! I need to reorder. It's hard not

to love them all.

Alyvia enjoying her birthday goods!

2009-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

I would say Alyvia got pretty spoiled for her birthday! She got two sets of leap frog fridge magnets (the farm animals and the alphabet) from both Grandmas and Grandpas, a new wagon, a xylophone, microphone and a tent set that Brady and I scored at the Grocery Outlet! It came with a backpack, tent, flashlight, water bottle, headband, and a sleeping bag all for $9.99. Hurry, they may still have some left.

There's a monkey here who had a birthday!!

2009-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

It's pretty hard for us to believe that our tiny baby is now 2. Time goes by way too fast. We had such a fun day. First I took her to Zurchers and got her a monkey balloon, which is a little bit scary, but she likes it. Then we went to hop 2 it with cousins and friends. Then following a three hour nap Brady and I took her to dinner at Arctic Circle where she could play on some more toys. ( I thought we might as well wear her out as best we could) That night we had such a fun party with Grandmas, Grandpas, cousins and friends. So our house was full of monkeys (literally). Thanks to Martha Stewart and my sister Anna, I was able to pull off a monkey cake! It even tasted decent (considering it came from a box). Alyvia starting saying "Happy to me, happy to me." I think she had a ball today, and I hope she knows how special she is to us.

I got a good idea from the family fun magazine (the greatest by the way) that I started doing just this January. You write a letter to each of your kids telling them what they've been up to, the funny things they do, how much they mean to you, etc. Then you could include a picture and whatever else you can neatly fit in an envelope, then you mail it to your kids. When it comes back in the mail you find a special place to keep them. Then on their 21st birthday you give them a box of sealed, postmarked letters from you for them to go through and read. I thought this was a pretty special idea, that would be very easy to do and would mean a lot to them later. Thought I would pass that idea along. http://www.familyfunmagazine.com/

Check this out!

2009-01-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

I found Alyvia's whole hand print on the couch! Funny huh? This goes to show that she leaves her mark wherever she goes.

How does Christmas come and go so fast?!!!!

2009-01-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Our holidays were crazy yet fun. They were filled with lots of time with family! Brady had both of his siblings home with their little families from out of state. It was so fun to let the kids play and get to know each other again. Alyvia had a ball dancing and playing with her cousins Parker, Mason, and new baby Talmage. I think she would have carried little Talmage off if we'd let her.

My sister also had her kids act out the Nativity on Christmas Eve, so Alyvia got a key role in that as the angel. Kenadee was Mary, Halle was a sheep, little Carson was a very cute star, and Grandpa got to be the narrator with his cute reading glasses. It was all so special. Thank you to all of our families for making this Christmas so wonderful. We love you all.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! It's so crazy how fast the year went by. We hope you're all doing well and enjoying the wheather wherever you are. We're loving ours! Ya gotta love the snow!Brady took this picture after decorating Alyvia's bed with some extra lights that we had. She thought is was so neat. I think back at all of the magical things that happened to me as a kid during Christmas, and I hope Brady and I are able to make Christmas in our home a Christ centered magical time! We wish you all a great Holiday Season and enjoy the magic of Christmas.

Happy Way Late Halloween Everyone!!!

2008-11-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

I knew when I started a blog that the updating would be a challenge, but better late than never right? We hope you all had a great trick-or-treating experience. Ours consisted of going out for pizza, and giving Alyvia her very own bite sized candy bar. (We're such nice parents) Alyvia was our little Boise Bronco Fan!! Go Broncos!!!!!

Poor Uncle Brian!

2008-11-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

My little brother Brian had a state play off game in Payette on Halloween day. In the first quarter of the game, he made a tackle and snapped his arm in half. His team did win, but he got to spend the next morining in a 5 1/2 hour surgery to place pins and metal plates in his arm. This is the first broken bone in the family and boy was it a doooozy. He's not able to play basketball this year either. Brian you can come hang out with us any time!!!

Alyvia's 1st Haircut (Gettin rid of the mullet)

2008-10-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Alyvia loved having her hair cut. My friend Tanille cut it for us. She was one happy girl, thank goodness. I really had no idea what she was going to think of the whole thing, but she loved every bit of it. Go figure, she must be a true girl!

Billings Montana

2008-10-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

We packed up this last weekend and made the 7 hour drive to visit Brady's sister in Montana. It was quit the adventure. We left Thursday about 1 pm stopped in Rexburg for a while and went as far as Bozeman that night. The next morning we drove two more hours to Billings. It was fun to see Andrea, Merrick and Mason. They were our next door neighbors in Rexburg so it was neat to get the kids together. Saturday night Alyvia got a stomach bug and threw up about ten times. Talk about nerve racking. It's so hard to be sick or have a sick kid away from home. I felt so bad for her. She has never been sick like this before. I think it really scared her. Any how, we made it home OK with only one sick session, I don't know if we're really that long of a rode trip type. All in all it was a good experience.

Weekend with the Francks!

2008-10-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our friends Kevin and Amber from Idaho Falls came and spent a weekend with us. It was their little girl Kamryn's first trip to Twin Falls. It was sooo fun to have them and to get to hold their little girl. She was a month and a half early so the last time we saw her was through the nursery window when she was still in her little incubator. She was such a sweet little girl. Her parents are lucky to have her and she's lucky to have them.

Like our ride?

2008-09-26T21:31:00.001-07:00

We had a little get together with some friends, and our neighbors Casey & Joe had this mini gator for their daughter Elizabeth. She was kind enough to share with all the other kids. We all had a ball watching the kids ride around the yard on this cool little jeep. I really was laughing sooo hard watching them enjoying themselves so much. These are the times that make being a parent so much fun! The riders include; Tanner Bateman, Merritt Staley, Elizabeth Chidister, & Alyvia.

Our new home sweet home!!

2008-09-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

We've been in our new home for about 2 months now. We're so glad to be where we are right now and we love the house. The deck out back and big back yard is such a huge plus. We plan on being here for quit a while.

He did it!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Brady graduated the end of July from BYU-I with his degree in Accounting. We're all so proud of him. He worked so hard (as all of you school lovers know).

Dad's new ride!!

2008-06-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Brady came home with a new toy last week. I think we're really going to enjoy it Alyvia already does. It's a Honda Shadow motorcycle. Pretty nice huh?

Crazy Cars

2008-05-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Alyvia stole Mason's car for an afternoon. So much fun!