Just Busy Living Life

Happy Birthday Camryn!

2010-05-17T22:03:00.009-06:00

Camryn Ella is turning 2 years old today!

Here are some things that she enjoys...

Watching Dora the Explorer
Singing all her favorite songs
Dancing with Sydney
Dress-ups, purses and shoes

These are some typical phrases you may hear when spending a day with this fun little girl...

"Press play Mommy!"
"Good Morning Sunshine"
"I want to cuddle Daddy"
"I hungry"
"Like Daddy does it" (referring to bedtime routine)

Don't Turn Your Back!

2010-04-30T09:19:00.009-06:00

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This is what happened at our house last night when we were cleaning the kitchen and doing the dinner dishes. Camryn disappeared for 5 minutes and apparently threw the soap dispenser and shattered the bathroom sink. She had the hot water running and made a huge mess under the sink as well. When Greg picked her up to take her out of the bathroom, she exclaimed "That baby did it!" Calling Doctor Freud!

2 Weeks Old

2010-04-27T22:08:00.007-06:00

Here are some very fresh pictures of our little guy. I have not done well posting updates for our family who live far away...so this is for all of you and anyone else who peeks in on us. Walker is such a sweet baby and is fitting well into our family. He rarely cries, loves his bath and likes to cuddle. It may be hard to see in these pictures, but he does have very dark brown hair. Now, it may not be a lot of hair by most standards, but when compared with the first 2 Reid babies, he has a good start

Austin loves his baby brother! He has even been willing to share his favorite blankie with Walker.
Just moments ago after having a warm formula bottle and bath

Quite a serious close up!

Sydney tried her hand at photographing her baby brother!

10 Days Old

2010-04-27T22:05:00.004-06:00

Take a look at these guns...

typical boy posing for a photo!

Welcome Baby Walker!

2010-04-24T09:14:00.011-06:00

I can hardly believe that he is 10 days old already! Time flies when baby number 4 comes along. I am finally making time to post some pictures of our newest family member from the day he was born.

Sydney's 6th Birthday

2010-04-12T22:47:00.007-06:00

I think that this year Sydney had the birthday that was celebrated for more than one week. I am trying to figure out what was so magical about turning 6, but I think it was merely circumstance.

Sydney reminded me the beginning of January that we had told her she had to be 6 to get an American Girl Doll. I had completely forgotten all about it. Perfect, I thought to myself. I will go and get one for her on my next trip to New York. Then the second thought, why I don't I cash in miles and take Sydney with me? We decided that we would not tell her and surprise her the day of the trip. We were also able to rope Aunt Stephanie and Celine into joining us for since the girls have birthdays just 4 days apart!

We had 3 days of fun, broadway, shopping and of course American Girl Dolls!

Yummy!

2009-12-10T11:36:00.004-07:00

Yesterday my friend called and said she was on her way to pick up some lunch. We just had an In-N-Out Burger open by us. The lines have been ridiculous and I have refused to be any part of it and wondered if it really worth all the waiting? The excitement has been wearing off a bit and the lines are not so bad. So about 30 minutes later this arrived at my front door! Yes, it was sooo good!

Secret is Out!

2009-11-02T21:12:00.007-07:00

Our big secret is no longer...

We are expecting our 4th baby on April 20, 2010. We finally shared our news with a fun announcement for my parents. For some reason, I had ideas of doing something better than a phone call, as was done with our previous three babies. So we waited till we knew what we were having and shocked them with that news as well. Now that they know, I thought we could make a post on the blog.

We had an ultrasound last Friday and found out we are having a boy we plan to name Walker. We are all very excited and Austin can hardly wait to share his room with his little brother!

3 Injuries only 15 hours into Vacation!

2009-10-13T21:37:00.005-06:00

We spent our Fall Break in Colorado visiting the Nielson's. The night we arrived Austin took a really hard fall and smacked his face on the hardwood floor. His mouth was bleeding quite a bit, but thankfully we were with Uncle Kirk who is an orthodontist. He took great care of Austin and his injury and thought that we should probably get an x-ray the next day.

So the next morning we went to Uncle Kirk's office to have x-rays taken and to look at Austin more closely (both front teeth are now dead and starting to turn gray). I suggested that maybe we could have Sydney's very loose tooth looked at while we there too. It was indeed ready to come out and since this mom wants no part of pulling teeth, this was the perfect opportunity to leave it to the professional! All went well and Sydney was given a "sparkly silver tooth case" to take her treasure home in. With gauze in her mouth, we started to leave the office. Uncle Kirk told Sydney to give her dad the gauze pad and swap it for a clean one. She pulled out the gauze, looked at it and did a face first fall to the ground. She then started to convulse a bit and we quickly discovered she had passed out! Thank heavens she is not the only person in our family with this genetic problem (Jake, Grandpa Devlin, this mom and other aunts uncles which will remain nameless). Uncle and Kirk and Aunt Steph jumped right in and knew exactly what to do. With Camryn in my arms I was helpless to even be able to catch her when she went down.

I guess Camryn did not want to feel left out, so she had a nice spill just a few hours later on the cement path while we were at the Butterfly Pavillion. Another goose egg for one of the Reid kids. If DFS was anywhere nearby, they would be questioning these parents. We just hope that we are invited back to Denver to visit again!

1st Piano Recital

2009-10-13T21:09:00.007-06:00

Sydney started taking piano lessons in March of this year. She begged me since she was 4 and I was able to hold off till she was 5. We gave her all of her books as part of her birthday present. She loves playing and only gives me grief once in awhile when I remind her she needs to practice.

On September 24th she had her first recital. She had to memorize and perform 3 pieces: 1 classical, 1 fun piece and 1 piece she composed herself. She also had to memorize 5 facts about her classical composer who was Beethoven. I do not know who felt more pressure Sydney or me. I am sure it was me, because when I asked her if she was nervous, she said, "No not at all."

First Day of School

2009-09-03T21:32:00.008-06:00

Austin's first day of preschool with his friend Wells

Wait for me!

Everyone ready to take Sydney to school!

Sydney with her friends Carmen and London

Signing her Class of 2022 paper

I can hardly believe that Sydney started Kindergarten today. She was so excited to go and even woke up 15 minutes earlier than she needed to. Austin had his first day of preschool on Tuesday and was excited to take pictures with his sister on her first day. Of course Camryn had to have part of the action as well.

July 4th

2009-08-03T22:23:00.009-06:00

We had a great 4th of July this year. Our morning started out with an incredible neighborhood parade (thank you Brooke). We had a BBQ with the Atwood's and then went to Sandy to watch the fireworks with the Tuellers. Everyone had a wonderful time!

A week with Papa

2009-08-03T22:15:00.003-06:00

My dad was kind enough to drive back to Utah with me after our trip to California. Greg had to fly home to be back at work after the party. We enjoyed having him in our home for a week. We ventured to Park City, went on hikes and had lots of fun!

Papa is so good to our kids and is always game for lots of fun and wrestling.

Papa's 60th Birthday Party

2009-08-03T22:09:00.001-06:00

Mid June we took a road trip to California to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. The kids had a great time playing and swimming with thier cousins. We also celebrated the other 4 June birthdays and welcomed a new nephew on dad's actual birthday.

New York City

2009-08-03T21:48:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful trip to New York City the end of May. We decided to piggyback some family vaction time with mom's business trip. Thank goodness Aunt Kim was able to come with us, which made getting around the city with 3 kids so much easier. We enjoyed getting together with old friends, eating at our old favorite spots, and showing the kids everything we love about the city!

You never know...

2009-06-10T16:00:00.011-06:00

It is always a little frightening what may come out of our 5 year old daughter's mouth. When my friend, Tara, brought Sydney home after taking her to run some errands yesterday she said, "Sydney makes me laugh." "Oh no," I thought, "this could be interesting!"

They were shopping at Michael's for some party favors. Sydney was looking around and said, "Wow, look at all these great deals! I can hardly stand it!" (I am sure I have never said that!) Then, as she continued to browse, Tara heard Sydney say, "Good friends are like wine, they get better with time." Hmmm...what are the Reid's teaching their kids? Thankfully, she then noticed Sydney was reading a card and not reciting a memorized quote!

Camryn's First Birthday

2009-05-19T21:47:00.010-06:00

We can hardly believe that we brought this little girl home just one year ago! Camryn is such a sweet little girl and has brought so much happiness to our home. She is very busy and gets into everything! We do not leave bathroom doors open in this house anymore.

We enjoyed a nice evening at the park celebrating Camryn's birthday with our family. She was more cautious than we expected when it came time to dive into her cake. Aunt Kim decorated a large cake and a small one to match for the birthday girl to enjoy!

SmArT COokiE

2009-05-12T22:20:00.009-06:00

It is 9:30pm on Tuesday night...way past bedtime for all good children! Austin comes in my room and the rest went like this:

Austin: "Mom, I need a cookie."

Mom: "You already had a cookie before your shower and they are all gone." Referring to the two sugar cookies Sydney's Primary Teachers brought her earlier in the day.

Austin: "No, they are not."

Mom: "Please get back in your bed, it is very late."

5 minutes pass and I realize the light is still on in Austin's room, so I get up and walk down the hall to turn it off...only to discover this!

Tulip Festival

2009-05-05T23:03:00.007-06:00

Aunt Stephanie and Celine were in town for a brief 24+ hours and we were able to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at Thanksgiving Point. This was the first time we attended the festival and it was so amazing!

No More Tonsils

2009-04-24T00:10:00.004-06:00

On Tuesday Sydney made her first visit to Primary Children's Hospital to have her tonsils and adnoids removed. She was very brave and clung tightly to her stuffed puppy, "Anabelle" which the Nielson's sent her. Anytime she had to be moved, they transported her in a red wagon. This definitely made saying goodbye to Mom, Dad and Grandma Joan a little easier. Sydney is recovering well and mom is trying to stay on top of the pain meds to keep her comfortable. Thank you to everyone for your phone calls and visits!

She is on the move...

2009-04-23T23:54:00.003-06:00

Camryn is changing so quickly. Our little girl who was once content to sit and watch the action around her is now on the move! She had been scooting around for quite some time, then one day she was crawling on all fours. That was not cool enough so the next day she decided that pulling herself to standing and cruising around furniture was pretty fun. Now, she has discovered that many treasures await her behind cabinet doors!

A Break-Through Moment: NOT

2009-04-13T12:50:00.006-06:00

When we returned from the annual Easter egg hunt at Greg's Mom's house, we decided to spend some quality time with the kids before bed to emphasize the true meaning of the Easter holiday. After taking baths, changing to pajamas and brushing teeth, we gathered Sydney and Austin on our bed where Greg meticulously explained the crucifixion and why we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus's spirit and body coming back together. I supplemented the lesson with pictures from our Family Home Evening packet depicting Jesus on the cross and showing himself to Mary Magdalene at the Garden Tomb and to his Apostles.
When we were done, Sydney thoughtfully said, "Dad, I just have two questions. Did Jesus make the Easter Bunny a baby or did he start out as a big rabbit AND does the Easter Bunny go to the North Pole to give Santa a basket, too?" The look on Greg's face before he attempted to answer Sydney's questions was priceless. Not exactly the "Mormon Ad" moment we were expecting. . .

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-10T23:46:00.007-06:00

Today we colored Easter Eggs with our friends the Rick's. Everyone had a great time watching the "magic" happen right before their very eyes! Sydney, who is not a fan of eating eggs said, "So now what do we do with them?" To which both Katie and I responded, "We eat them!" "Oh, yuck, I don't like eggs, I just like to color them!" said Sydney. Perfect because they will make great deviled eggs for our Easter Dinner!

Zoo

2009-04-10T23:30:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago we (along with the rest of Salt Lake) thought we would take advantage of a beautiful Saturday afternoon! Camryn was quite intrigued with the giraffe's, Sydney was thrilled to see her favorite zebras and Austin could not get enough of the big elephants!

Back Track to St. Patty's

2009-04-10T23:22:00.006-06:00

The crazy leprechauns came to our house and left a shamrock trail which led to the disasterous kitchen and a treasure!

I just want to pinch those cheeks...

2009-03-26T21:45:00.004-06:00

I can hardly believe that this sweet little girl is now 10 months. Although she has had 3 separate battles with RSV since December, she still smiles. Now when we thought we were done with sleepless nights for our sick little girl...she started cutting six teeth at the same time. I had no idea this was possible, but we figure if they all come now then there are sunny days and "sleepful" nights ahead for both of us!

Oh What a Week!

2009-03-06T11:39:00.009-07:00

I have to laugh to keep from crying as this week progresses. It all started out with a lovely stomach flu on Sunday that lingered into Monday. By late Monday afternoon I was feeling better, but weak when I received the dreaded call..."Can you come to New York on Wednesday?" Well, of course, what would I rather do with my week? UGHHHHH!

I start making calls to arrange care for Sydney and Austin and then calls to New York so that I have someone to watch Camryn. Once that was in place it was time to book flights, hotel, and ground transportation. Now the panic begins I have just a day and half to put my house back together from being sick, get some laundry done and pack everyone up. By 3:00pm on Wednesday Camryn and I are off to the airport headed for the big apple. We arrived at our hotel at 1:00am quickly changed and crashed for the night. The next morning we were up early and I went to work, while Camryn hung out at the hotel with her wonderful sitter Bev. I finished my work, raced back to the hotel grabbed Camryn went back to JFK airport to make the 7:30pm flight back home. We were back home by about 12:15am and settled into bed by 1:00am.

Now today was supposed to be my "normal" Friday, but that quickly changed when the boss called at 9:45 AM and asked me to quickly change their trip for Colorado today and route them to Florida. Yikes, I won't go into the details, but all dinner, ski, massages and such have been cancelled for Colorado and the jet has been re-routed to Florida. Dinner reservations have been made for tonight, rental cars will be waiting on the tarmac, grocery shopping is being done while they are enroute. Life is good!

So where does that leave the Reid family...kids and mom still in pj's at noon, breakfast dishes to be done, laundry to started, beds to be made and oh, the kids are asking when lunch will be ready!

NOW WHERE IS MY PERSONAL ASSISTANT?

Happy Birthday Greg!

2009-02-23T10:29:00.005-07:00

We celebrated Greg's ?? Birthday on Friday. We were excited that he decided to take the day off and spend it with us. The morning began with breakfast in bed prepared by Sydney and Austin with a little help from Mom. Sydney insisted that we make French Toast and also made sure that I did not forget the special birthday plate. They were so excited to take the finished product upstairs on a tray and a candle too! Austin's eyes were huge and his face was priceless as they sang Happy Birthday to their dad.

I arranged for a 90 minute massages for both of us after lunch, which was heavenly. That evening we enjoyed a great dinner at Bombay House with friends and then cake and ice cream at our house.

At the end of the day Sydney asked, "Where are all Dad's presents?" I told her that the breakfast they made and his massage were his gifts this year. To which she responded, "Are you sure he is ok with that?"

And just how old is Greg now?? Just ask Sydney's primary teachers, she proudly announced it to them during class yesterday!

Happy 5th Birthday Sydney!

2009-01-27T14:28:00.009-07:00

I can hardly believe that 5 years ago today, in the middle of a New York City blizzard our Sydney Joan was born!

Five Fabulous Things About Sydney:

A stickler about following rules! (just like her namesake)
Kind to others
Loves a hot breakfast
When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, "A TEENAGER!" (yikes)
Helpful around the house

5 years old

4 years old

3 years old

2 years old

One Year Old

6 months old

It is all about food!

2009-01-20T15:54:00.007-07:00

My first restaurant high chair!

Sampling the soup!

Waiting for seconds!

Winter is stifling my boy!

2009-01-20T15:45:00.008-07:00

Austin came downstairs the other morning all dressed in his soccer gear and told me he was going outside to play a soccer game.

I then took him to our back door to show him why that would not be an option.

Next came the expected 3 year old tantrum.

Saturday Chores

2009-01-14T23:13:00.008-07:00

Sydney and Austin are learning that if we do our daily and Saturday jobs, then we can play. Last Saturday I asked them to clean out their lockers in the mudroom, which meant taking everything out and wiping down the shelves and then putting their shoes, coats, backpacks, etc away in the locker in an organized manner. I explained the task and then left the room to take care of Camryn. When I walked by, this is what I saw...

And then I heard Sydney say to Austin, "Ok Austin, you have to take out all your shoes and line them up, then you can wipe your shelves and organize your stuff back in the locker! Got it?"

Austin's finished product!

Sydney's finished product!

Austin's Antics

2009-01-14T22:20:00.012-07:00

Our little Austin never ceases to entertain us all! He has quite the sense of humor and makes us laugh daily! Here are some of his antics over the past month!

"Look Dad! I'm a deer!"

Take note of the sparkling princess Belle slippers; his older sister's influence. Hopefully, the alligator and dinosaur will neutralize the estrogen.

"Mom finally gave in and bought me a sword!"

So truth be told I avoided this day like the plague! I finally grew tired of my letter opener, vacuum attachments, empty paper towel rolls and other like items being used as swords. So thank you Brooke for the dollar store tip, Austin now has 2 swords to have those "friendly battles".

Our 6th Wedding Anniversary

2009-01-14T22:06:00.007-07:00

You know you have really "arrived" when this is how you spend your wedding anniversary. December is a crazy time to have an anniversary to begin with, but we have always been able to set aside the 12th to celebrate our special day. However, this year Sydney's dance recital fell on the same day. We postponed our celebrating till the next week, which did not happen either. We had one child with the stomach flu and another with RSV. We are hoping to enjoy a nice dinner and evening out now that the holidays are over.

OUT OF TOUCH!

2009-01-03T22:35:00.004-07:00

Dear Friends and Family-
If you think I have been completely out of touch, I have! We have not had a computer since the 8th of December. Just today I traded in my 5 year old dinosauer Dell desktop, for a new HP laptop.

Besides the obvious lack of blog updates, I could not access email (except work ones on my blackberry), retrieve my calendar, type my Christmas letter from my own computer, download pictures from camera, pay my bills on-line and the list goes on. I can honestly say I felt completely disconnected from the world. So for any of you who have thought I was exeptionally rude by not responding to emails, blog posts, or I forgot your special day, I sincerely apologize!

Thank goodness for a new year and a new computer!

Camryn is 6 months old!

2008-12-03T09:54:00.006-07:00

I never thought it would happen to me, but it has! I have my third baby and I am not as good about taking pictures. I realized the other day that Camryn is 6 months old and I have not taken a picture of her in over a month. Sydney had her picture taken daily I am sure during her first year of life. Austin at least weekly and now poor Camryn is lucky if it happens monthly. So here are some pictures of our baby girl! She has found her toes, can sit up alone, loves to eat from a spoon and slept 12 hours straight last night (thankgoodness for her 2 favorite fingers).

Austin's Birthday

2008-12-03T09:35:00.008-07:00

Our little boy is growing up so quickly! Austin turned 3 on November 29th. It was so much fun to see him get excited about planning his birthday and he definitely had an opinion on what he wanted. When asked what kind of cake he wanted, "A dinosaur cake!" What should we have for your birthday dinner? "Spaghetti!" What would you like to do on your birthday? "Watch Mimi play basketball and see the dinosaurs!" Easy enough, I thought! After having family to Thanksgiving dinner at our home on Thursday I thought this would be simple. We would take Austin and his cousin Stockton to the Dinosaur Museum, then meet family at Spaghetti Factory for dinner with a dinosaur cake in tow baked by our local Harmons and then off to watch Mindy (aka Mimi) and the BYU girls basketball team play SUU at the Marriott Center.

Austin brings a lot of fun and energy to our family. He thinks that a game of chase should prelude any change of clothing or getting dressed period! He loves to make us laugh and that was evident even as a baby! He loves sports and is content to play basketball in the backyard alone for hours. He is very sweet to his little sister and tells me daily, "Baby Camryn is so cute!" He enjoys playing with Sydney and will even dress up as a prince when asked. Austin is definitely a mama's boy which was very evident when we went around the table at Thanksgiving, he stood up and said, "I am thankful for my mommy!" And yes, he melted his mom's heart right then and there! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN, WE LOVE YOU!!

Halloween

2008-12-03T08:34:00.008-07:00

Our family had a fun and warm Halloween this year. The kids were especially excited to see Greg (Dora the Explorer) join in the fun. Thank you Lisa for this great coustume! I had high hopes that Austin (Tigger) would actually like his costume and trick-or-treating this year. As you see from the pictures, that was not quite how it went. He was much happier answering the door and handing out candy. Sydney (Alice in Wonderland) thoroughly enjoyed herself and was joined by her cousin Celine dragging Greg throughout our neighborhood till their bags were too heavy to carry. Camryn (Hershey Kiss) was in bed by 6:30pm and slept through the constant ringing of the doorbell!

Witches at Gardner Village

2008-12-03T08:24:00.007-07:00

One of our favorite Halloween traditions is the Witch Festival at Gardner Village. The kids love to be with their cousins and scout out their favorite witches!

Campfire and Smores

2008-10-26T14:25:00.008-06:00

Our FHE was not complete until we roasted marshmallows in the firepit, made smores and sang campfire songs as requested by Sydney. My sister Brenna and her family along with my brother Nate and his family joined us for this part of the evening.

Caramel Apples and Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-26T14:11:00.003-06:00

When my siblings and I were growing up, we had a tradition of making caramel apples with Mom and carving pumpkins with Dad the FHE before Halloween. I wanted my kids to be able to experience this while we were home with my parents. Sydney and Austin sat at the table with my mom to unwrap caramels and I saw them sneak a few just as we always tried to do.

My dad helped Austin carve his "scary pumpkin" as he specifically requested. Greg helped Sydney to carve her pumpkin. Then my mom brought the candles and lit the pumpkins for them. I love the smell of burning candles in a pumpkin! It was so much fun to re-live the excitement of this time of year through my children!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T13:47:00.003-06:00

We had an adventerous trip to a pumpkin patch while we were in California. We had decided that we wanted to go on a Monday afternoon, so we could carve our pumpkins for FHE that night. We heard about a couple really good places that were not too far away from my parents. When I called to inquire about their hours of operation, they both quickly informed me that they were only open to the public on weekends and only open to school groups during the week. I searched the internet and found a pumpkin patch with a really great website promising hayrides, corn maze, I Spy hay bale maze, animals and of course a pumpkin patch. Afer driving over 30 miles, we arrived at the Pumpkin Patch in Kerman, CA. They had 2 sheep, 2 geese, and 2 chickens in cages, a tiny maze and hayrides that were not operating. Thankfully we were on vacation and my family could not complain that I took them clear to another town for a very mediocre pumpkin patch experience!

Yosemite

2008-10-26T13:29:00.003-06:00

The day after we arrived in Clovis we took a day trip to Yosemite. Despite the controlled forest fires that were going on, it was still beautiful. There are some beautiful scenic pictures that Greg took and snapshots of the rest of us enjoying the sights! We had a delicious picnic lunch that my mom spent hours preparing. Thank you Mom and Dad for making this such a wonderful day!

HALF DOME

California

2008-10-19T23:02:00.002-06:00

We survived the 12 hour drive to California! We are enjoying the sunny, warm weather and time with family. Yesterday we visited Yosemite National Park. It was Greg's first time there and it was more amazing than I remembered as a child. When we return home, we will post the photos from our trip.

On The Road Again...

2008-10-02T22:18:00.013-06:00

Tuesday evening I made my first trip back to NYC since Camryn was born. Thankfully my sister was able to convince Camryn that taking a bottle was not so bad after all and I was able to make my 27 hour excursion without an infant in tow. To make matters even better, I still have my medallion status (despite 4 months without traveling) and I was given a complimentary upgrade to first class.

All seemed to be going seamless until I left the office Wednesday afternoon in a Town Car with a driver of Indian descent. He was a nice man, but had a hard time understanding my request. After a quick trip to Bloomingdales (to search for my favorite sales) I asked if he would take me to the nearest Cosi ( I even spelled it for him) so that I could get a sandwich. Those of you who have either been to NYC or lived there know that these places are everywhere. At the time I was on the upper east side, which I am not as familiar with. So, the driver says to me, "Oh yes, there is one on 81st and 2nd." As long as it is

en route to JFK, that is fine. We arrive at 81st and 2nd and I look all around...

no Cosi.

"Here we are!" says the driver pointing at the building on my right, ELI ZABAR'S. I must have looked quite puzzled because then he said to me, "This not OK?" "It will do", I said. Now for those of you who are not familiar, Wednesday October 1 is Rosh Hashanah and I was just brought to a Jewish Deli. Obviously none of the Jewish employees were working that day due to their religious New Year. I found the deli counter where sandwiches were made and there was a woman in front of me asking for a roast beef sandwich, the man at the counter said they were not serving roast beef that day. She started an argument stating that she was Episcopalian and she did not have to abstain from eating red meat, etc, etc. I was next. All I wanted was a turkey and provolone sandwich. Holding my breath I made the request to which the man behind the counter said, "Sure, it will be $17.95 per pound." My response, "Are you serious?" "Yes Ma'am!" At this point I did not have much choice. It was 5:40pm, I had not eaten lunch, I had 5 minutes till I need to leave the city for JFK, so $17.95 per pound it was. He made my sandwich on brioche with all the fixings. I went to pay the cashier who kindly weighed my meal of choice and announced, "$10.15 please!" Not as bad as I thought, only $2.00 more than the Cosi sandwich I planned on having; just not quite as tasty.

Once I arrived I had to make my way through security with the provisions of a nursing mother. I won't go into the details (sparing my husband any embarrassment). You mothers know exactly what I am talking about. I am told by a uniformed (thankfully female) TSA Agent that she needs to open my bag to check for explosives and screen the liquid I was carrying. I quickly explained to her what she was seeing on the x-ray and after passing the explosives screening made my way to my gate.

Now on to my next task which was to find a private room for a nursing mother to use before boarding the airplane. At the Jet Blue JFK terminal they have private changing rooms for babies with locks on them and usually a chair or two. This was not to be found at the Delta terminal. I knew there was no way I could wait another 6 hours till I was home because I had already waited 4 hours. I then saw the Crown Room sign and thought they must have something there that I could use. When I approached the Crown Room a uniformed Delta agent stopped me and asked for my itinerary. I gave it to her and explained that I knew I was only Silver Medallion and that I was willing to pay the fee to use the facility. She then told me it would be $30. That was more than I wanted to pay for a private "mothers room". So I explained to her what I needed, hoping she would have some sort of mercy on me. At that point she said that if I would make a donation in their Breast Cancer fundraising jar, then she would show me to a shower room that had a locking door, an outlet and a chair. Perfect, I thought what nursing mother does not want to support the breast cancer cause? I dropped in a $5.00 bill and was promptly shown to my room! I left the Crown Room, boarded my flight (in coach this leg) and enjoyed my last 5 hours of uninterrupted reading, TV viewing and napping!

Sunday Afternoon...

2008-09-28T21:08:00.008-06:00

There is nothing sweeter than:

3 children

all napping

at the same time!

Sweet Dreams...

2008-09-24T22:56:00.005-06:00

This morning when Austin woke up and came in my room I asked my usual question, "How did you sleep?" To which his normal reply is, "Good!" But today it was different. When I asked my rhetorical question it went like this:

Mom: How did you sleep?

Austin: Well, I went on an airplane, I went to beach and I ride in a boat!

Mom: Wow, that sounds like a great night!

Austin: It was soooo fun!

Camryn Update

2008-09-19T11:38:00.004-06:00

Camryn's ear procedure went very well! The hardest part was starving her for 8 hours before surgery. Once we were in the car and headed to the hospital, she was calm. When she was having her pre-op work done she was all smiles for the nurses.

We were amazed when she was coming out of the anthesia. We were in a room with about 10 other kids who were also coming out of anthesia, so you can imagine, it was very noisy. She put her hand over her left ear, which she had never done before. I think she must have noticed that is was very loud for her. On our way home we stopped for lunch and she woke up while we were eating. I called her name and she looked in my exact direction and smiled. It was the first time she ever looked right me when I spoke to her. It was all I could do to not cry when witnessing such a miracle! She is such a sweet little girl and we are hopeful that the worst is behind us with this little setback in her life.

Thank you for all you thoughts and prayers on her behalf!

Reid Family Reunion at Bear Lake

2008-09-08T22:16:00.008-06:00

Here are pictures of Austin with his cousin Stockton, Austin with his Uncle Kirk and Sydney playing in the sand.

We had a great time at the Reid Family Reunion in Bear Lake! The kids loved playing on the beach and in the lake. Greg was even able to convince Sydney to go on a waverunner with him. Austin's hi-light was waking up each morning know that his best friend and cousin Stockton was so close by!

Smiles, Giggles and so much more...

2008-09-08T22:01:00.005-06:00

We are sure enjoying our little Camryn! I do not think there is a day that goes by that Sydney does not say to me, "Mom I love Camryn SO MUCH! I am so glad we have a little sister in our family!" I could not agree with her more. We feel so fortunate to be blessed with such a sweet and calm baby girl in our home. She has brought so much joy to our lives!

Potty Training Stinks!

2008-08-26T18:01:00.011-06:00

So my little Austin has been showing an interest in potty training. He is 2 1/2 and I have not quite been in the mindset to start this yet. I am however, very excited to not have 2 children in diapers. So this morning, as he has done on other mornings, he takes off his diaper when he wakes up, throws it in the garbage and then goes straight to the toilet to go to the bathroom.

I was planning to be home all day doing laundry except for one trip to Target to pick up a prescription. Sydney left at 9am to playgroup, so I got the other 2 kids ready and headed out the door. I said to Austin if you want to be a big boy and use the toilet, lets buy you some big boy underwear. He was very excited about it and when we arrived at the store he picked out:

Perfect, I thought 9 pairs of underwear half of which we will probably go through in one day! We came home put them on with plastic pants over them to prevent messes around the house. I would say we have had 5 good experience and 2 not so good! I think this is one of the most frustrating parenting experiences. Maybe more so this time because I have a new baby who needs so much time and attention as well. I know some of you are reading this saying, "Didn't I ask her for advice when I was doing this?" Yes you did and now that I am in the middle of it, I am asking for your advice!

Crazy Busy

2008-08-12T08:58:00.002-06:00

I am hoping to get some picutres and updates on the blog this evening. We have had family in from out of town, Camryn's baby blessing, an American Express company party at our house and today we are hosting play group! Whew!! As soon as I get a minute to come up for air, the blog will be first priority.

Stay tuned...

And the Winner Is...

2008-07-31T17:44:00.007-06:00

The Canon SD 890 IS. Yes just a point and shoot! After much delibertation and the realization that I am not the worlds best photographer, we went with this camera.

The truth is, I need something small enough I can throw in the purse or Greg can put in his pocket for those fun family outings and adventures. It does have 10 megapixels and a 5X optical zoom, both of which are more than our last camera.

Change it Up!

2008-07-29T14:49:00.003-06:00

Since I have not replaced my camera yet, I thought at least I could have some fun changing the blog a bit. If all goes well (a.k.a. all 3 kids cooperate)... I will be buying my new camera today! Since my two year old is napping at the moment, I am hoping he will be managable for some afternoon shopping. (fingers and toes crossed, knocking on wood) :)

Sisters!

2008-07-16T00:07:00.005-06:00

Here are pictures of Sydney and Camryn at about the same age. We are starting to see some similarities now that Camryn is filling out!

What Camera Would You Recommend?

2008-07-06T23:02:00.004-06:00

We had a little mishap over the 4th of July weekend with our camera. It was sitting on the patio table at Greg's moms home during our BBQ. We had taken some fun pics of the kids playing on the slip and slide as well as enjoying their yummy meal. When Grandma went to gather up the table cloth and take it down to the washer, the camera was gathered up and washed as well!

We have had this camera for about 4 years now and I have not really researched or looked for new cameras for quite some time. So, please tell me if you have a favorite digital camera that we should look at purchasing. I need to get one soon so we do not miss out on any fun memories.

Thankfully, I had recently downloaded pictures and we only loss our Children's Museum trip and the 4th of July festivities!

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-29T22:39:00.007-06:00

Sydney and Austin enjoyed daily swimming lessons last week. Although they are not swimming on their own yet, they are both more confident than when we began! And what did Camryn do during these daily lessons? Why work on her double chin of course! Our little 5lb. baby is now 8lbs.

Preschool Graduation

2008-06-29T22:17:00.008-06:00

Sydney had preschool graduation on May 22nd. She has been in a 4 year old class this year even though she still has another year till she startes kindergarden (long story).
Since Camryn was only 4 days old, Mom was not able to go. Sydney had a lot of other support from both grandmas, Aunt Stephanie, Celine, Austin and Dad.

Welcome Home Jake!

2008-06-20T09:10:00.004-06:00

We returned home on Monday from a fabulous trip to Denver. Our nephew Jake returned on June 11 from Seoul, Korea. Greg drove out with Sydney and Austin, while Camryn and
I flew. Thankfully Hailey was willing to help on the drive out and Grandma Joan drove back with him.

We had a great time hearing mission stories, going to the zoo, gathering for a picnic, attending church for the homecoming talk and an amazing brunch afterward. In fact, I think we were having so much fun that we did not take a single picture!

FOR DAD...

2008-06-04T21:53:00.003-06:00

Just a quick picture for Dad who is away in New York. We miss you so much!

Our 3 Ring Circus

2008-06-01T09:45:00.008-06:00

So 2 weeks into life with 3 children has sure been

fun! Amazingly enough Sydney and Austin are really enjoying their new little sister. I expected there to be much more jealousy, but not so much. There have, however, been bouts of acting out and other issues to deal with. Thankfully Greg has had 2 weeks of paternity leave and we had my mom here for the first 5 days after coming home from the hospital.

This week will be the true test of how I survive the "3 Ring Circus". Greg is leaving tomorrow on a business trip to NYC until Friday night and I will be left to manage alone. With that in mind, I made sure to get all my grocery shopping, errands and other misc things done yesterday that would be difficult to do alone with all 3 kids. Ready or not, here we go!

One Week Old!

2008-05-27T14:27:00.005-06:00

We finally have some new pictures of Camryn. I know we did not have very many close-ups of her, so hopefully this gives you a better glimpse of this sweet little girl! Who do you think she looks like?

2008-05-19T09:15:00.002-06:00

Its kind of hard to see her in these pictures, probably because she is so tiny!

-Compliments of the Help Desk (aka Aunt Heather)

Camryn Ella Reid

2008-05-19T05:31:00.008-06:00

This is the technically challenged new father that does not even know how to post a picture, but happy to report that Camryn was born Sunday, May 18th @ 4:45 PM. She came three weeks early, but is a healthy 5 pounds 11 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long with a surprising amount of light brown hair. Still processing that one - Reid babies are normally bald until two. Christa came through like a champ, Sydney is thrilled to have a new sister and Austin . . . well, the jury is still out for him. As soon as the "Help Desk" opens for business (aka my sister-in-law Heather wakes up), we'll show some photos.

No longer living in a mud puddle

2008-05-06T20:34:00.002-06:00

After a long winter, we finally have grass for the kids to play on. We literally have to hog tie Austin to pull him away from his basketball hoop. He definetly inherted the Reid B-Ball gene. Sydney is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her swing set. Life is good.

Spring Fever!

2008-05-05T21:01:00.010-06:00

Today we caught a bit of "Spring Fever"! Dad even took the day off work and we invited Grandma to join us on an outing to Thanksgiving Point. We visited the Children's Garden and the Farm. Here are some pictures of our afternoon.

Camryn's Nursery

2008-04-20T22:22:00.009-06:00

Here are some pictures of Camryn's nursery. I am still waiting on my glider chair that is coming in black and cream gingham and an end table that will go next to the chair. I am just happy to be able to check another item off my "to-do list"!

MY NEW HARMONS!

2008-04-17T09:35:00.005-06:00

I am not sure about all of you, but grocery shopping has got to be one of my least favorite things to do. I was really spoiled in New York because I ordered my groceries on line and they were delivered to my door. Then, if for some reason, I was missing an ingredient while making a dinner, I would just call downstairs to the small market at the bottom of our apartment building and they too would deliver it to my door. This made my life so much easier!

When we moved back to Utah however, I had to learn my way around a new huge grocery store. I prefer efficiency in my life and that includes my grocery shopping. I find it better for me to learn my way around one store and keep my shopping time to a minimum. So, near our house was a Harmons Grocery Store. I could not believe the customer service I received when shopping there. Not only did they have friendly people making sure you could find what you needed around the store, when I pulled up to the checkstand, they had an "usher" there to show me to the shortest line and then someone else to take the groceries off the cart and put them in on the belt. After service like that, I have been a Harmons fan ever since.

Now that we have moved to our new house, Harmons has not been as convenietly located. However, I was so excited to see a new Harmons being built very close to our house!! And just 2 days ago, a sign went up announcing APRIL 29TH will be the GRAND OPENING!! I can hardly wait!!

Anxiety...Nesting...Call it what you will

2008-04-14T21:59:00.004-06:00

So, the ticker at the top of this blog is starting to give me anxiety. When I realize that I only have 49 days left before this baby comes, I start to make lists in my head of all the projects that need to be done. I am realizing that my days of freedom are going to be coming to an end. I don't think that I had this realization with my first baby, but how quickly we learn that a newborn really ties you down. I really feel like I have my family on a good routine and now it is all about to change.

Last week I went through everyone's closets, including my own and rotated clothes. Boxed up kids things that I will store in rubbermaids, made a DI pile and then the bag to be passed down to cousins.

On Saturday, Greg took the kids with him to the gym. I started to think of all the things I could do with 2.5 hours of free time. My first thought was to take a nap, my second to get the house straightened and all the beds made. Then it came to me, I decided to clean out the garage. I still had about 6 boxes from our move that I had not unpacked. I hit "box burn out" after about 2 weeks of moving into our new house. It was the first really nice Saturday we have had in quite a while and I was able to keep the garage door open and not worry about Austin taking off down the street.

I made good progress and when Greg came home he helped me finish by taking everything out and power washing the floor. At the end of the day, I was able to check that big job off the list!

My next project to tackle is the basement after which I will be able to put together a list of everything I am not putting up in the new house that needs to be sold on Craigs List!!

Catching Up...

2008-04-14T13:52:00.011-06:00

Ok, so when I look at the date of my last post, I realize so much has happened since then. We had a fun St. Patricks Day where the leprachauns came to our house and created havoc! The kitchen chairs were upside down, all the cabinets were open, there was a shamrock path from the front door to the kitchen, shamrocks all over our back door, our milk had been turned green, but they did leave a pot of chocolate gold coins for everyone to enjoy. And where is the picture of this fun day? We were so wrapped up in the fun that I forgot to document with a photo!

Then at the end of the week it was already Easter! I was not to pleased with these 2 holidays being so close together. It is kind of nice to spread out the fun of holidays;I prefer one a month. On the Friday before we had a fun Easter Egg hunt with all of the Reid cousins at Grandmas house. I think we heard more squeals from Sydney than any of the other kids. Sydney and Austin had fun decorating eggs and seeing what the Easter Bunny brought their way on Saturday, umbrellas being the big hit! (much easier than having him come on Sunday morning when we are trying to rush out the door for 9am church). It was nice to be able to focus on the Savior on Sunday and the true meaning of Easter. I told the kids, "the great thing about Easter is we celebrate all weekend!" I like some of my other friends, did not get any pics of the kids on Easter morning in their coordinating outfits, something I will need to recreate. I did dress them in those outfits just yesterday, took the camera with us to church and oops, the battery was dead. I think we captured one photo of Sydney with her cousin, but nothing of her with Austin.

Computer Crash

2008-04-10T22:43:00.001-06:00

Apologies for being so behind in my blogging! My computer crashed and just this evening I have had my access restored. Since it is almost 11pm, I am going to head to bed. Stay tuned and I will post some updates this weekend!

So you think you can dance?

2008-03-09T16:22:00.001-06:00

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

In His Own Words...

2008-03-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sacrament cannot go by fast enough for Austin these days. He thinks the reason we go to church each Sunday is to "play with the kids"! He absolutely loves nursery and it is all we can do to help him make it through that first hour.

When the Sacrament was being passed and the bread tray came his way, he was quite excited and said, "Dad, Dad the bread!" After he took his piece and ate it he looked at Greg and said, "Mmm...Mmm...deliciouso!" Loud enough of course for everyone around us to hear.

CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP

2008-02-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from a fun family road trip to California. We could not have asked for better travelers or maybe it was the minivan equipped with a DVD player! The kids were better than I anticipated. We were able to drive 6 hour stretches at a time without stopping.
The weather was not as warm and sunny as we hoped for, but there was no snow to be seen. The kids were thrilled to not need their big winter coats for awhile. Sydney kept commenting on how beautiful and warm spring time is in California. We stayed in Newport Beach and went to Disneyland for 2 days. Thank you to Grandma and Papa Devlin for our Christmas gift (tickets to Disneyland) and for driving down to spend the weekend with us!
Waterfalls were definitely one of Austin's hi-lights!

DISNEYLAND

2008-02-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Newport Beach

2008-02-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Having fun at the resort!

The life size checker board was quite fun for the kids!

Saturday we spent a short time at the beach before it started to rain. My grandparents lived near the beach in California. When I was growing up we had a tradition of going the donut shop with my grandfather and then walking the pier at the beach. I had shared that with Sydney and she insisted we do the same!

We drove home on Sunday, but not before making a stop at the Newport Beach Temple.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

The kids had a great time putting their Valentine Cards together! We also made sugar cookies for our friends and neighbors. Although the day did not go exactly as planned it was enjoyable none the less.

The night before the kids and I got stuck in a blizzard on I-15 and could not get home. The point of the mountain was a mess and many people were in their cars for 3 hours trying to get over. Thankfully my sister lives on the south side of the mountain, so after waiting one hour, to go only one mile, we finally made it off the freeway. Since we were not prepared with pj's, Austin's required blanket for sleeping, we had a very sleepless night. Valentine's Day for us was a napping and relaxing day. I even cancelled the dinner reservations I had made for Greg and I a month in advance because I was too exhausted from my sleepless night.

Bubble Bath!

2008-02-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how this started. All I remember is that Sydney was cold after coming home from the indoor swimming pool on Saturday night. Greg told her that she could take a bubble bath in the big tub in our bathroom. The next thing I know her dad had not only filled the tub with water and bubbles, but turned on the jets to make those bubbles really big. Then he was getting out candles to lite and putting on some soft music for her. Who named her princess for the night?? She said to him over and over, "Wow Dad this is amazing!" "Isn't this the best?"

When I asked what the fuss was all about, he said, "I wanted her to have the total experience!"

Middle Aged?

2008-01-30T16:25:00.001-07:00

While in New York on Monday I made some time for a little shopping. (BIG SURPRISE) I had a Saks Fifth Avenue gift certificate from my boss that I decided I would use to replenish my cosmetics that had run out. My first stop was at the Laura Mercier counter to purchase my eye cream that I had been out of for about 6 months. I figured it was something to help combat the dry climate that I live in. When I asked for the eye cream I have been using for the past 3 years, the gentleman behind the counter looked me and said, "Well I think that you should really be using our anti-aging formula that helps with lines, wrinkles and dark circles." My first thought was, "Are you kidding do I really look like I need a cream that does all that?" When I hesitated he then said, "All women in their mid 30's need a cream like this." Wow, he thinks I am already in my mid 30's, I didn't have the guts to tell him that I am only 33! So here is what I walked away with! I am sure that within weeks you will all notice how quickly my wrinkles and dark circles have disappeared!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY SYDNEY!

2008-01-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

We had to adjust our birthday celebration this year to accommodate my New York travel schedule. I had to leave the afternoon of January 27th (her actual birthday). So we celebrated the Sunday before with the Reid side of the family. She specifically requested a white cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. We can hardly believe the little girl we brought home to our tiny New York apartment is 4 years old. She has truly been such a joy in our lives.

Catching Up!

2008-01-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

I thought I would at least post some of the fun things we did during the Holidays. Below are pictures of Sydney, Lexi and Austin making a gingerbread house. A week after Christmas it appeared that our gingerbread house disappeared (aka...dad threw it away). That of course did not go unnoticed by Sydney. When she asked me what happened, I quickly told her that the gingerbread men came in the night and took it away. I was sure that would go over much better than the fact that dad threw it away! She then wanted to know what they were going to do with it. I told her they would probably eat it.

In December we went with Sydney and some of her cousins to see the Nutcracker Ballet downtown. We decided to make an entire evening of it and enjoyed dinner at Bambarra before the performance.

Guest Blogger!

2008-01-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is Kyndra and I am the guest blogger. Since Christa's blog has been sadly neglected for the past few months, I have taken it upon myself to update her blog periodically, and she may not even know about it sometimes! Odds are Greg will read the blog before she does and inform her what I have done.

Today I took my kids Lexi and Sterling up to Christa's and here's what they did:

Austin, Sydney and Lexi decorated pencil holders with paint, googly eyes, gems and feathers.

The finished products! Syd and Lex had on garbage bag aprons, but Austin preferred to show us how macho a 2 year old can be.

Sydney's princess throne she got for her birthday was a hit even among the boys, but eventually the rightful heir resumed her proper place.

No day would be complete without dancing!

Halloween

2007-11-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

To say that Austin despised his costume may be an understatement. The truth of the matter is he had no say in what he was dressing up as this year. Sydney decided to be Minnie Mouse and that Austin would be her Mickey. I thought that was a fine idea, but he definitley thought otherwise.

We are living with Greg's mom right now and on Halloween morning I received a call from one of her cute neighbors asking when I was going to bring the kids by in their costumes. I realized that once we left to take Sydney to preschool that I probably would not be home the rest of the day. I quickly took them over before we left for the day and we took these photos. Moments afer these pictures were taken, he ripped off the costume and never wore it again. There were only whiskers and a black nose for him the rest of the day. He didn't even want to go trick-or-treat with his sister and cousins that night.

The Art of the Deal!

2007-10-23T13:11:00.000-06:00

We closed on our new house a few weeks ago and for the past months I have been trying to make so many decisions on finish work, decorating, etc. For those of you who know me well, you know I always love to find a deal.

I have a contractor coming in to install the tile backsplashes I finally decided on, to custom paint some of the rooms, to put up beadboard and paneling. This is the same contractor that finished the basement for us in our last house. So, I worked a deal with Bruce on his bid...if he would give me a good price, I would run around and pick up all the paint, tile and other supplies. Since I have no talent when it comes to doing these tasks myself, I had to come up with a good way to save some money.

Between picking up all the paint and finish supplies I have also been running to many other establishments day after day. Calico Corners to find fabrics for bedding, pillows, drapes, etc. Then to almost every paint store in town to get all of the customs colors that we are painting once we close. I have also been trying to find bedroom furniture for Austin and many other odds and ends.

So for those of you who are wondering why my blog is so far behind, this is why. We have been living in our car running for one place to the next. Now next week the storage pods show up and we get to unload!

SNOW IN SEPTEMBER?

2007-10-03T17:04:00.000-06:00

I have not lived in Utah my whole life. However, I must say in the accumulative 10 years that I have, I cannot recall having snow in September! Here are some pics of the kids taken on Saturday, September 29th. Sydney was so excited and wanted to catch as much snow as possible. Austin was not so sure about playing outside in the freezing cold.

GIRLS ON THE TOWN!

2007-09-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all my wonderful New York friends for such a fun and sleepless weekend! It was so nice to catch up with each of you and reminisce about the past.

My Birthday Trip!

2007-09-13T14:19:00.000-06:00

Greg and I went on a fabulous vacation for my birthday this year. We decided that it was time to leave the kids for a few days and enjoy some time alone. We went to Laguna Hills, CA for 3 days. We met up with the Kemp's in Newport Beach for dinner one evening, spent time at the beach and toured the Nixon library (for my history buff husband). Ironically enough, Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974, the day I was born. The Nixon library had on its grounds the helicopter that Nixon gave his final farewell wave from when leaving the White House.

The Joys of Childhood

2007-09-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

Sydney and Austin just had their first taste of true childhood! They helped me bake some cupcakes on Sunday and when I was done, I offered each of them a beater from the mixer. Sydney thought it was great and Austin wasn't quite sure what to do--he quickly caught on.

One of my most fond memories as a child was to help my mom bake in the kitchen. Of course it seemed like an eternity before the batter or dough was finished, only because we were looking forward to licking our own beater from the mixer. As our family grew, so did the beater predicament. Mixers are only equipped with 2 beaters and at one point we had a family of 5 children under the age of seven. It quickly because apparent that it was youngest ones first and the rest of us had to fight over the spoon that mom used to scrape the bowl!

House Progress

2007-09-13T13:50:00.000-06:00

This is what the house looked like on August 4th. We have had some major setbacks, so there has not been much to see. The paint color on the exterior was wrong, they delivered and started to put up the wrong stone. On the inside of the house, the wrong cabinets were installed. We are waiting for all of these major goof ups to be fixed. They still tell us however, that we will be able to close on October 15th--cross your fingers!

Summer 2007

2007-07-25T22:17:00.001-06:00

Since the past month or more of our summer has been spent packing and moving...I have been quite the slacker in updating my blog. So here is a collage of photos to catch up with the fun things we have done (since moving definitely was not)!

Austin seems to think there is nothing more to life than playing a ball game outside! Sydney had her spring dance recital at the end of May. We went to NYC in June for our business trips/family vacation. One of Sydney's hi-lights was to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. We went up the canyon for dinner and smores in June when Aunt Stephanie was in town and again on July 23rd with Greg, Grandma and cousins while Christa was in New York working. Thus one of the reasons Sydney does not have her hair done. Not to mention the fact that she fell in the lake while on a walk with her dad and cousins.

New House Progress

2007-06-06T10:19:00.000-06:00

June 4, 2007--The main floor and basement are framed. The 2nd story framing will start on June 5th.

May 29, 2007 Foundation is finished. Wood has been delivered for framing and the rocks for the basement windows.

May 12, 2007--See what happens when you have a busy week and don't have a chance to check on your construction site for 4 days. You have basement walls!

May 8, 2007 WE FINALLY HAVE A HOLE IN THE GROUND!

October 2006

Lot 417, Draper, UT

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-06-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

Memorial Day Weekend began without any definite plans for our little family. Then Greg called on his way home from work on Friday and suggested we take Sydney and Austin to a Salt Lake Bees game. I was not sure if they would enjoy that or not (silly me), but when he mentioned they were playing Fresno and that there would be fireworks at the end, I was IN!!

Sydney enjoying the game!

Are we going to make it till the fireworks?

MEMORIAL DAY

Grass and wide open space...Austin and his cute cousin Stockton wondering why they cannot run wild at the cemetary??

On Monday morning we picked up Great Grandma Reid (91 years old) and went to the graves in Springville. Sydney, like her great grandma, loves flowers and offered to hold Grandma's beautiful roses as we drove.

Snowbird

2007-05-20T21:50:00.000-06:00

On Friday night our babysitter cancelled last minute. We decided to make the most of it and took the kids on our date. We went to dinner and then up to Snowbird for a walk. The kids were thrilled to see a trail lined with snow!

Austin loved the puddles

Dad and the kids at the end of the trail

Tangles?

2007-04-27T14:24:00.000-06:00

Today Sydney gave me a great explanation as to why she had tangles in her hair when she woke up this morning. It went like this, "While I was sleeping some bumble bees came to my door and got in. Then they buzzed around my head and made lots of tangles. They got really quiet and escaped out my door and I was still sleeping."

2007-04-26T14:16:00.000-06:00

Sydney just brought me some artwork she has been working on. Here is her latest creation--HUMPTY DUMPTY. Not to shabby for a 3 year old.

Here we go...

2007-04-26T13:20:00.000-06:00

We are new the blogspot scene, but have enjoyed looking at what our friends have done. So ready or not here we go!