Shaun, Lisa, Isabel, and Elsie

Military Ball

2011-09-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

We went to our first military ball last weekend and actually had a really fun time. The best part was seeing all our old friends that we lived with in Monterey. We had a good dinner, entertainment by John Schmidt (who was amazing), and dancing. It was really fun to dress up and go out for the night too.

Zoo!!

2011-05-31T14:58:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago was Military Appreciation Day at the Hogle Zoo, so of course we went. It was a perfect day! Isa and Elsie loved seeing the animals, but were a little frustrated that they couldn't pet them, but still we had lots of fun!
Isa was trying to touch the geese.

Daddy and Isa looking at the parrot.

Really big turtle.

Elsie was reaching out to the camels.

Giraffes!

Monkeys!

Digging for fossils.

Turtle :)

Playing at the park!

Katie

2011-05-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

While Shaun was away, Aunt Katie came to visit. Every time this happens my girls get really spoiled. It was way fun to have her here for the week. The only down part was the weather, it rained the entire week, luckily we were in St. George for the weekend and got some sun!

WLC

2011-05-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

When we visited

His little graduation from it. We didn't get to see his graduation from Arizona or DLI, so we thought we'd come to this one since he was so close.

We are glad to have Shaun back from WLC. We were able to visit him a few times and go to his graduation, so that was nice. And even nicer that he is all done and home with us.

Kabobs

2011-04-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

We made some kabobs a few weeks ago at Shaun's Mom's house and they were delicious, so we made them again at Elise & Chan's birthday party and then went fast! I took a picture because I thought they looked really pretty :)

Hockey Game

2011-04-20T09:12:00.001-07:00

So a few weekends ago, Shaun and I went to our first hockey game ever with our friends Melissa and Justin. It was funny to watch the hockey players try to beat each other up and the refs just watching. Never been to a sporting event like that...

Tomorrow

2011-04-01T11:50:00.001-07:00

Elsie's Walking

2011-03-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our little baby is not so much a baby anymore. She took her first steps a few weeks ago!

Wisdom Teeth

2011-03-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

So on Friday I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out. The bottom two were growing in sideways, so even though they hadn't hurt me yet I figured I'd better not wait too long and get them out. I was really surprised that I didn't hurt when I woke up. Over all not a bad experience, I would just suggest getting them out before you have kids, so that you can just relax for the next 3 days after. But definitely the worst thing is feeling like a chipmunk.

Snickerdoodles

2011-02-11T12:36:00.001-08:00

Isa and I made Shaun some snickerdoodle cookies last night. She was such a big helper when she wasn't just eating the cinnamon and sugar :)

Sledding for Pops' Birthday

2011-01-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

We went sledding last weekend for Shaun's Dad's Birthday and had a really fun time. I was a little nervous since last year it was super cold and Isabel didn't like it so I ended up sitting in the car with her the entire time, but I guess a year can make a big difference because she loved it. It also helped that it was a beautiful day!! I couldn't have asked for better weather. I think we all had a really great day and of course the scones after make it even better :)

Yup, that's me with my head down. Shaun wanted to go down on our tummies and I like to have a little more control then that, especially when we ran into the fence!

She liked the hot chocolate, can you tell?

I really liked going with a big group this year :)

My cute baker

2011-01-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Things From 2010

2011-01-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a few things that happened in 2010 to finish it off and move on to the new year:

10-Lisa finished her online class for a certificate in Hospitality Management
9-Shaun learned some Korean and is now fluent in French
8- We went to the Oakland Temple for the first time
7- We bought new running shoes and started running together
6- Lisa got a perfect job for her, especially after not working for over 2 years
5- We got to spend a lot of time at the beach, parks, Dan & Nikki’s House, & Grandma & Grandpa Dodd’s House
4- We celebrated our 3rd Anniversary
3- Moved from beautiful Monterey to Orem, UT
2- Brought a new addition into our family, cute little Elsie Jayne
1- We did so many fun things throughout the year together as family

We have a few goals for 2011:
1-Triathlon
2-Lisa learning Spanish fluently
3-Shaun working towards degree
4-Isabel potty trained
5-Elsie walking

Redwoods

2010-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

While Shaun was in Monterey still he went over to Dan & Nikki's and climbed their redwoods to help prune their trees. He put on some spurs, climbing harness, and went up! As you can tell he enjoyed himself quite a bit (that's the little boy in him). I'm glad Nikki got some good pictures so that we could see too :)

New Shoes

2010-09-09T15:46:00.001-07:00

Shaun and I got ourselves early birthday presents: new running shoes! We have both ran in them already and love them. We even took them to the beach and they were super great for walking on the rocks.

Garlic Festival

2010-09-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

So we went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival about a month ago. We kept seeing commercials for it and decided to go thinking it would be lots of fun. Didn't quite turn out the way we had in mind. We knew that you had to pay to get in, but we were thinking $7 maybe $8, nope $17 per person! Shaun and I both thought to ourselves that we should just leave, but since we had driven the 45 min. drive out there and had walked forever from our parking spot to the entrance we decided to go in. We had heard such great things. Well of course inside everything costs a ton of money except for the free sample of garlic ice cream. Which was not too tasty, but fun to try. We kept trying to be positive the entire time, but it was also at least 85 degrees and we only bought one $3 bottle of water. We did make a little craft with Isa and walk around a bit, but completely not worth it. We did notice lots of stands where you can get wrist bands for unlimited beer and mixed drinks, so I guess that's why it's so great. Never again.

Sad

2010-08-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

So I finally had some time to sit down and update the blogs, but the thing I use to get the pictures from my camera to the computer isn't working :(

4th of July

2010-07-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

For the holiday weekend we drove down to Redlands to visit Grandpa and Grandma Dodds and had a really fun time. We actually got to see the sun too!

Last Weekend

2010-06-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we went up to the Oakland Temple with another couple from the ward. They were super sweet and watched the girls, so we could go inside. Then we stopped by Dan & Nikki's retirement party. It was way fun. Good food, perfect weather, music, and Isabel could run around.

Pool Time!

2010-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Over this past weekend we had some really nice warm weather and we took advantage of it and went swimming!!

Lunch in the car

2010-06-08T15:47:00.001-07:00

We visited Shaun the other day for lunch before heading to the beach and so I took some pic because the girls where dressed so cute :)

Ward Party

2010-06-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

We had a ward party at this place they call the Big Red Barn in Carmel for all the families that are moving in these next few months. We had a fun time, except it was a little chilly, but we rode bikes, Isa got to ride around in the wagon, eat good food, swing, see horses..lots of fun.

Language Day

2010-06-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

They had a language day at the Presidio last month and we went and walked around. There were a ton of people and quite a few booths set up with all different kinds of food. We had Greek, which was pretty good and Shaun and Isa shared a root beer float :)

More beach time!

2010-06-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

Family Dinner & Park

2010-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

We went out to dinner Saturday night as a family to the International Cafe. We love this place because everyone that works there is so good with kids. We've been there before with Isabel and couldn't believe how much they interacted with her. Well even though Isa has not been a pleasant child to take anywhere lately we thought we'd be okay here. But we were wrong..it wasn't a complete disaster, but it's so frustrating because I don't even know what to do sometimes. She started off good with her apple juice and crackers that the servers brought over, but by the time dinner came she just wanted to get out and walk, which of course she couldn't do. So once she started crying super loud I took her out and came back in when she was calmed down, but as soon as I started to put her back in the high chair she started screaming and wouldn't sit down, so then Daddy took her out. When she came back in she had her binky, so that she wouldn't be so disruptive, but I don't want to have to rely on the binky because eventually she's not going to have it anymore. The server even brought her out some ice cream at the end of our meal. After dinner we started driving and found a little park. We decided to play for a little bit to get all of Isabel's energy out. She had a great time except when it was time to go. She freaked and screamed the entire way to the car and most the way home saying she wanted "more." We tried to explain that we can go back another day and not to cry or we won't be able to go again, but she does this with almost everything and I don't know how to get her to understand that it's time to go or when something is just a snack and she can't have anymore not to get so upset. She's really smart and good with other things, but she just cries about everything and I don't know how to get her not to. So I'm writing this long story because if anybody has any advice I would greatly appreciate it. Anyway here are some cute pictures from the park and I just love the video of Shaun pushing her on the swings. She thought it was the funniest thing.

Moss Landing

2010-05-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

We went to Moss Landing a couple weekends ago to meet up with some of Shaun's family. We ate at a really good seafood place and I had some way good fish and chips. The seals were way funny too because there was just so many of them piled on top of each other.

Beach

2010-05-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

We drove down towards Big Sur a week after Elsie was born and played on the beach because the weather was beautiful and we all needed to get out of the house. The tide was pretty high so we didn't get too close. We had a lot of fun relaxing and getting some sun.

Welcome little Elsie

2010-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Elsie Jayne Adams was born on April 7, 2010 at 12:35 am. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 20in. The labor went way smooth and we are all at home feeling great!

Unfortunately due to a temporary hospital rule there are no visitors under 14 allowed, so Isa had to wait till we got home to see her new sister. As soon as we got in the door Isabel went right over to Elsie to give her kisses. She has been so sweet to her and seems to enjoy having her for a little sister.

Grandma has been a great help and has been doing a fantastic job spending equal time with both of them :)

Easter

2010-04-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! We decorated krispy treats :)

Isabel getting her Easter basket.

The weather was chilly and a little rainy, so we did her egg hunt inside. It was a little difficult because she just wanted to eat the stuff inside instead of finding all the eggs, but Daddy helped her.

She got some eggs with coins in them, so she could put them in her bank :)

Now she looks all sweet like she is sharing, but she only did once then she wouldn't share with either of us.

We went to a friends house for dinner and since she is obsessed with her bunny ears she wore them there too.

Evenings at the beach

2010-03-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

The weather has been nice lately, so in the evenings when Shaun is home we like to go down to the beach and enjoy the view. I love watching the two of them look for shells together.

Big Sur

2010-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Over the past weekend we drove down the coast to Big Sur. We passed an entrance to one of the state parks and found a little area that had an information booth and some hiking trails. We didn't go all the way because the shortest trail was 5 miles and with Isabel and me being prego it would've taken us forever. We were so glad to finally see some Redwood trees and took lots of pictures. It was so beautiful!
These are some pictures we took on the drive down.

We got out and ate lunch first on the little log at the entrance to the trail :)

And started our little hike...

A couple of slugs we saw along the way and they were the biggest I've ever seen.

Holiday Weekend

2010-02-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had some good weather and took advantage of it. We went to the beach with some friends.
Shaun built a sand castle...

Isabel finally got to use her sand toys again after being put away because the weather has been so cold.

This is Isa destroying Daddy's sand castle :)

The girls having a good time.

A cute lil sandy bum.

3 years

2010-02-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday was our anniversary, so we went out Thursday night to celebrate. Our friends watched Isabel and we went to dinner and a movie, which was awesome. We seriously felt like we were dating again. We went to eat at Islands, which I love and didn't have to worry about keeping Isabel happy. We could actually give each other complete attention. Then we walked around the mall waiting for our movie to start and went into See's and got some yummy chocolate. Then went and saw Sherlock Holmes. It was a perfect way to celebrate and the beautiful pearls I'm wearing were a gift from my amazing husband!

Sunshine

2010-01-26T09:57:00.001-08:00

So it finally stopped raining this past weekend and we took advantage of it and went to the beach. It was beautiful and felt so good to finally get out of the house!

This picture was from the Saturday after we returned home from Christmas. We went and bought some donuts and then ate them on the beach. It was such a nice feeling and felt really good after spending all that time in the cold snow.

Temple Lights

2010-01-11T15:00:00.001-08:00

We went out to dinner with my sister's family and walked around Temple Square. It was so pretty and it felt really good to walk through there again. We definitely bundled up because it was a very chilly night. The kids all seemed to do well, which made our night that much more enjoyable.

Sledding

2010-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

The canyon was beautiful when we went up to go sledding. I loved seeing all the snow! Shaun went down with Isa twice, but she didn't like it to much, so we ended up sitting together in the car, which was actually even better because I could just watch everybody from the nice warm car. I went down the hill a few times when Manda came and sat with Isa and shared her hot chocolate.

Candlelight Christmas at This is the Place

2010-01-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays we went to the Candlelight Christmas with the Adams family. We had a good time, but of course since it was late Isabel got a little tired and unhappy, but at least she was cute all bundled up in her snow stuff.

Another Girl

2010-01-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays we surprised everyone with the news that we are having a little girl in April. We are excited to be adding to our family :)This picture was taken around Thanksgiving at about 20 weeks.

Stockings!

2009-12-16T20:34:00.001-08:00

Since we aren't going to be home for Christmas we decided to do our stockings together early as a family. Isabel loved the bouncy ball she got!

Daddy reading to Isabel the new book.

Once she saw the food we couldn't get her to open anymore gifts. All she wanted to do was eat!

As you can tell Shaun was pretty excited to get his Transformer notebook :)

And the food again..

She got a puppy coloring book and crayons.

I am now regretting this gift. I knew Isa would get shot with it, but I guess I should've figured I would too.

I got some pretty cute shirts and some yummy chocolate.

Aquarium

2009-12-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

We finally went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It's only taken us 5 months of living here. Well this whole week it's free for residents, so we had to take advantage of it. It was fun, but we didn't spend enough time there because there was so much to see. The hardest part was that Isa wanted to touch everything and wasn't satisfied with the glass. She was getting frustrated that she couldn't actually touch the fish, but she still loved it.

We are watching the sting rays.

This bird only had one leg.

Shaun touching the crab.

Isabel's favorite part where she could actually touch things.

The jellyfish were really cool looking. This was the only good picture I got, so when I go back this week I am definitely taking better ones.

They had the cutest little areas for kids to play.

Pushing buttons to hear what sounds whales and seals make.

She is a very curious kid.

And she loves the fish.

Beach

2009-12-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

The weather was a little chilly, but still beautiful when Amanda visited, so we showed her something that she can't ever see in Utah.

This was on the path down to the beach near Big Sur.

I love taking Daddy Daughter shots.

This was taken only moments before the waves came in farther and almost got Isa. Shaun was near her, but she took off towards the water and all of a sudden the tide came in really far. Amanda and I yelled and Shaun thankfully is quick. And of course I had a mini heart attack.

I thought this would be such a cute photo, but as you can see Isabel wasn't impressed.

These were on a different day at the beach in Asilomar.

They went searching to see the cool sea life.

I stayed back with Isa who decided that putting sand in her hair was lots of fun.

Daddy showed her a little crab. She really liked it, but was very impatient when it closed up and she had to wait and not touch it until it opened up again.

Christmas Treats

2009-12-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

So when Amanda was visiting over Thanksgiving weekend we all wanted to decorate a gingerbread house or something. Well since we already had stuff to make rice krispies we decided to just use cookie cutters and decorate, but the only decoration stuff we had that was holidayish were the M&Ms. We used sprinkles and frosting from Isa's first birthday, so they aren't very Christmas looking, but they were fun and they tasted really good!

Of course Shaun made the alien snowman!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving with our friends and were so glad that Amanda was able to come visit!

Tree Lighting

2009-11-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

On Friday night we went to the Del Monte Shopping Center for their tree lighting. It was a great way to start getting into the holiday spirit. They had a band playing Christmas songs and they were giving out free hot chocolate, cookies, and little reindeer antlers. It was a really nice evening.

Halloween

2009-11-03T08:40:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween! We carved our pumpkin about a week ago. Isabel and Shaun did most the work.

The Friday before Halloween Shaun had a company run along the beach and some of them dressed up. It was an interesting sight to see.

Here we have "Bat"man, "Iron"man, and a "Marine"

On Halloween we went to the ward trunk of treat/chili cook-off.

Isabel walked around and was getting petted by a group of girls. She makes a pretty good puppy.

She figured out how to trick or treat real quick. I took her around and she just loved how everyone was giving her candy. She actually started putting the candy in other kids bags.

Santa Cruz

2009-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Over our birthday weekend we went up to Santa Cruz to walk along the boardwalk. The drive was only about an hour and was actually kind of nice to see all the new things we passed since we haven't been up that way yet. However the boardwalk was a little disappointing because we heard it was so much cooler then what we thought. It may have been because we went earlier in the day and in a later time of the year when it was foggy and cold. The nice thing was that the day we went they had a car show and it was fun to walk around and see the classic cars.

We played skeeball!

We also didn't realize that the boardwalk meant we actually walk on boards. (it had some construction going on)

Now the best part was the drive home. We took a few detours and ended up finding this really old bridge that was right next to the coast. Shaun went up and is actually on the bridge. He's wearing a red shirt, but it's a little hard to see him.

Under the bridge was a little trail, so we followed it :)

At the end of the trail it came out to the beach and was beautiful.

Shaun carved L + S + I.

It was pretty chilly for Isa and I, so we were trying to keep warm.

We thought it might have been "red tide" because the water looked kind of dirty, but where we were at I don't think it would have been that dirty. We just wished we could have seen it at night when it lights up.

Isabel's First Birthday

2009-09-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Isabel's First Birthday. We had wanted to go to the aquarium, but it didn't end up working out, so we went to the beach for a little bit instead. It was great and she had a lot of fun playing with her new sand toys. I put most of her actual birthday pictures on her blog, but I wanted to post some from the beach too.

Daddy likes to look for stuff in the sand. He's a big kid!

Katie and Kurt were helping Isabel build her sand castle.

Isa walking with Grandma Dee.

Isa walking with Katie.

Lovers Point

2009-09-23T12:55:00.001-07:00

We went to walk around Lover's Point a few weekends ago to enjoy the beauty around us.

Redlands

2009-09-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had the opportunity to drive down to Redlands to visit Grandma and Grandpa Dodds. We left Thursday after Shaun got out of school and came home Monday evening. We had such a fun time and the weather was perfect and warm. And of course Grandma and Grandpa spoiled us way too much, but we enjoyed every minute of it!
They took us out to eat one of the nights for pizza and Jamba Juice, mmmm it was so good and it was a really pretty night.

Isabel started to get fussy, so Grandpa took her for a walk around the fountain, as you can tell she loved it. Now that she can walk she has to do it all the time.

Now you can't go to Grandma and Grandpa's and not make homemade ice cream, so we did and Isabel helped. At first she just wanted to eat the ice, but them she got the hang of it and was really helping out. I seriously can't believe how big she is.

As fun as it was to help I think her favorite part was when Grandpa gave her some ice cream. I still can't get her to drink milk, so I guess she's got to get her dairy some how, right?

These times are when I know she is taking after Shaun.

She thinks she is a super hero already.

She fell asleep on both Grandpa and Grandma this past weekend. They actually babysat Isabel, so we could go to the Temple and when we came back she was sleeping on Grandma. I wish they lived closer because I would definitely have them babysit more often.

It was a perfect weekend for swimming and we were really excited when Karen and her family came over for Labor Day to swim and BBQ.

Beauty

2009-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

The sun has been out a lot more lately and it has warmed up a ton. I am finally starting to appreciate the beauty that is around me.

Monterey County Fair

2009-09-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to the Monterey County Fair for the evening with some friends of ours. It was a lot of fun to just walk around. Isabel loved the animals and she petted her first cow :) She loved all the lights and noise from the rides and people and of course the funnel cake, which was mmmm...my favorite. In the evening they had the Big Bad Voo Doo Daddies playing, which the picture didn't come out so great because it was really dark. Isabel danced the entire time! She loves music, so we actually bought their cd and every time I play it at home she immediately starts dancing. It is so cute. Anyway it was a really fun time and we are definitely going back next year.

Cannery Row

2009-09-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

Cannery Row is pretty close to our house, so we like to go down there and walk around all the shops. It's just a fun place with lots of people and always something going on. This day we went down they had chalk drawings on the sidewalk and they are pretty amazing.

Flowers

2009-08-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really great day. Isabel and I walked up to the base to meet Shaun for lunch at this little deli right outside the gate and got some amazing sandwiches. They were huge and really good. Then we went in and ate at a little picnic table next to his classroom and it was really nice to be able to enjoy that time with him outdoors. Then we took the car back home because I didn't feel like walking back especially since Monterey seems to not believe in sidewalks (makes it difficult with a stroller). About a half hour before I was expecting Shaun to call that he was on his way home he opens the front door and has flowers in his hand as well as some cinnamon and sugar pita chips. He got off a little early and walked home and on the way stopped at Trader Joes to get me some of the Pirates Booty (which I absolutely love), but couldn't find them, so he got pita chips (which I also love) and flowers for no reason except that he loves me!! He is so super cute and sweet.

Dollar Scoops Tuesday Nights

2009-08-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

So Baskin Robbins has dollar scoop night every Tuesday night, so of course we have to go every Tuesday! And we love it because it gives us a chance to go out as a family and try new flavors each week.

We Made it to Monterey!

2009-07-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

We made it to our new home! The drive was a little long, but it was worth it. Isabel did really well most of the time. Except for a few days after she started screaming every time we tried to go anywhere and put her in her car seat, but once she figured out we wouldn't be on a forever long car ride she didn't mind. We are still in the process of getting things organized and unpacked and will finally have internet on Monday, so I can start blogging again. (We are sort of borrowing it right now) Anyway just wanted to let everyone know that we are now in Monterey, so feel free to visit anytime :) It is beautiful here and there are so many fun places to see. So far it has actually been really foggy all day and we are lucky if we get any sun, but I've heard from other residents that it warms up August through October, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The beach is no more then 5 minutes away as well as many other things, so far we have had a bon fire, walked along the water several times, saw some seals, walked through Cannery Row, drove down the coast and saw some million dollar homes, went to a celebration where they had dancing in the street, ate at some really good restaurants-one where Shaun had really good clam chowder and I had a really good seafood ravoli. We've had so much fun especially since we are able to do things together as a family now!! I love it, but we do miss everyone.

There are seals on the rocks.

There are deer all over the place especially where Shaun goes to class and they will totally let you get right up to them.

Isa videos

2009-07-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

So I took this video a few weeks ago, but I just love it because she was playing in her jumper for like 15 minutes and it was around nap time, so she started to fall asleep. As soon as I finished filming I took her out and put her in her crib and she stayed asleep. It was so funny.

Isabel was playing on some mattresses a few days ago with her cousin Ethan. He is a little bigger so he can get on and off them a little better and she is just learning. Well in this video she ends up doing a somersault at the end when she was trying to get off. I knew she was going to be good at gymnastics!

Shaun graduated from AIT!!

2009-07-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

On July 2nd Shaun graduated from AIT!! He is finally done with Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. I wasn't able to make it to this graduation, but I am so super proud of him. He spent a lot of time working hard and studying. It wasn't fun having him away for so long, but I know he learned a lot and in the end all of this will be worth it. I couldn't ask for a better husband and I love him so much!!!

He sent me this picture when they went to the temple one weekend. I know he was very thankful to be able to go since it had been a long time. During his time in Arizona he was always inviting non members to church and still being a great missionary.

Shaun's triathlon

2009-07-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Shaun did a triathlon when he was in Arizona and he did amazing! Well I wasn't there, but I know he is a champion and he finished it, which is tough because he didn't have a lot of preparation for it. I'm just now posting the pictures because he just sent them to me. He is wearing a navy shirt and his red hat in some of the pictures. He is such a cutie and I am so proud of him!!

Strawberry Day's Baby Contest

2009-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we took Isabel to her first baby contest and probably the only one she will ever go to. I just had to do it because she is a baby and she's cute. She didn't win, but it's okay because the baby that one was pretty cute too. However, the way that they did it was terrible. We were there from 10-12:30ish and that is a long time for babies to be good, especially since it was nap time for most of them. We were in a gym waiting for the judges to get done and it was so loud with crying, hungry, tired babies and kids. I've never been to one of these before either, but I guess they wanted the baby to do "tricks" or something to impress them. She is a baby, so of course she does everything when she feels like it, not when I tell her too. I don't know, I guess I'm just not into these kinds of things, but it's something I can put in her baby book. :)

Isa sleeping

2009-06-06T12:36:00.001-07:00

So I went to check on Isabel after I put her down for a nap. She usually kicks her blanket off, so I go in and put one over her after she falls asleep. But this time she fell asleep in an unusual position. I just had to take a picture before I moved her.

Deer Creek

2009-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we went to Deer Creek with Gary, Jake, Manda, and Tyler. It was so beautiful! We had a really fun time and Isabel loved it, especially the sand.

Back from Arizona!

2009-05-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

We had another amazing vacation in Arizona as a family! We are all a little sad that it is already over, but excited at the same time because the next time we see each other we will be moving!!

We are home!

2009-05-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are back from Cali and had a great time! However, it does feel nice to be back home in my king size bed, but I did appreciate Derek sharing his with Isabel and I. Anyway I also decided to make Isabel her own blog and keep it private. I don't want any weirdies looking at it (well other then family and friends), but I don't have everyone's email addresses, so please send me your email address if you want access to it. I will still post some stuff on this one, but most of her pictures will be on hers.

It's April!!

2009-04-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I could not believe how much snow we woke up to this morning. It was really pretty, but I feel like it'll never be Summer :(

I took this picture yesterday and I thought it was funny how we have these pretty Spring flowers surrounded by snow!

More snow!

2009-04-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't very happy when it started snowing today and this afternoon decided to call Shaun to complain about it. He is stuck in Arizona with sunny weather and wishing he was in the snow and I'm stuck here in snowy weather wishing I was in the sun! Go figure, however he did convince me to try to enjoy it and to take Isabel out in it. I kept saying no because she didn't have anything warm, but then I found some stuff and figured why not. It turned out to be kind of fun. We weren't out in it too long, but I think Isabel liked it. After I looked back through the pictures I couldn't believe how big she looked and not just because of her outfit (which she couldn't really move in), but she looked so much older!

Springtime!

2009-04-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

So we went to the mall to take pictures of Isabel with the Easter bunny, but he wasn't there. It made me kind of sad, so I tried to convince my Dad to dress up as him, but he didn't like that idea too much. Grandma Dee took Isabel to get some spring photos instead and I thought they came out so adorable!

St. George

2009-04-11T20:10:00.001-07:00

We went to St. George for a few days with Grandma Kathy, Rach, Tyler, Aunt Stacie, Chan, and Rhyder. It was fun to spend some time with all of them and get some nice sun. Of course I didn't take very many pictures, but I didn't realize it until I got home :(
We must have worn Isabel out because she fell asleep by the pool. I tried to get her in as much shade as I could. She was so cute and she loved getting in the water.

Rach loved playing with Isa. She is going to make such a great babysitter!

Making a mess with her food, like usual.

I got to sit next to the two cuties part of the way. Rhyder was playing pick-a-boo with me and he kept smiling at Isa. I can't wait till she is a little bit older and can play with him.

And Rachy holding Isa again :)

Arizona!

2009-03-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Isabel and I went to Arizona this past weekend to see Shaun. It was his first weekend he could go off base, so we took advantage of this opportunity and flew down there. Isabel was so cute the entire weekend and we had so much fun with Shaun. We were so excited to finally spend time with him again.

Tombstone was only about a half hour from the base, so we drove out there for part of the day. It was really fun to walk around the old town and the weather was perfect!

Our little cowgirl!

We went to a gun show. I saw about a minute of it. As soon as they fired the guns I had to take Isabel out. She didn't like the noise too much.

They had people dressed up and walking around, so of course we took a pic with them.

There was a little park, so Shaun took Isa on the swings :)

An old carriage went up and down the street.

Isabel in her stroller and eating her straps like always!

On the way to Tombstone we stopped at a little river and they had this sign there.

Shaun loves to carry Isa on his shoulders and of course it makes me super nervous, but it is really cute.

I was so happy to finally get some pictures of Isabel with her Daddy and I just love this one.

We ate at a little Mexican restaurant.

Isabel in the crib in the room. It's definitely a little bit harder to travel with kids.

Daddy reading to his baby girl.

She was really happy to see Daddy!

I think she looks like an angel when she sleeps.

We had a fun time together as a family!

Spring

2009-03-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

The weather this past week has been amazing! Isabel loves being outside, so we went out almost everyday and just sat on the lawn to enjoy the sun. We even went for a few walks. She loves being outdoors, just like her Daddy. And with the sun I love it too.

6 months

2009-03-22T19:52:00.001-07:00

Little Isabel is getting so big! She's already 6 months. I just love her more and more each day. She is so much fun to do things with and take places. She smiles at everyone, but is starting to be a "mommy's girl." And since it's just me and her I don't mind at all!!

More of Isa!

2009-03-09T20:41:00.001-07:00

I took some more pictures of Isabel sitting up and playing...

She is getting so much stronger!

I gave her to my mom to watch her for a few minutes and she was cleaning out a bunch of stuff, so she stuck her right in the middle in the box with some purses. Isabel loved it!

The one and only nice warm day we had I took advantage of and put a blanket on the back lawn with Isa. We both loved it. I can't wait for summer!

Sitting

2009-03-02T19:40:00.001-08:00

Isabel started sitting up really well by herself. I think it's cute, of course :) So here are some pic.s

Isabel Update

2009-02-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

She loves this toy, but her new way to play with it is usually sideways and then she looks up at me with the funniest little faces.

She thinks she is bigger then she really is.

I just love this picture. She is getting so much personality!

We tried putting her in the cart at the grocery store, but she looked so tiny in it.

I put together her highchair and put her in it. I couldn't believe how small she looks. Of course she loves to eat the straps on it, which makes it really difficult when it comes to feeding her. She would rather eat her straps then the baby food.

Isabel Videos

2009-02-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

I've been putting Isabel in her jumper when I eat, since she likes to get my food now. She sure loves to bounce!

Isabel laughs when I make funny faces at her, so I find myself doing it all the time even when I'm out in public. People probably think I'm crazy.

The other night we went out to dinner for Steve's birthday and the entire drive in the car Isabel was "singing." She started right when we left the house all the way to Chilis. My mom and I thought it was cute, but I don't think my dad was a fan.

South Carolina

2009-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun seeing Shaun's basic training graduation. We are so proud of him!

My little angel. She was so good the entire trip.

Daddy and his little princess. I love seeing the two of them together! She missed him so much.

Isabel got to spend so much time with Grandma and she loved every minute of it!

He was in the Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon

He is actually on the left side of this picture in the back. I thought he was on the right :)

I loved getting to spend some time with him.

It was such a great trip. Thanks Kathy for everything (oh yeah and Jill too)! South Carolina was interesting to see. They have a lot of trees and that's about it :)I'll post some photos from the plantation we got to see later. It was really neat since I remembered learning about that era in school.

Rolling Over

2009-01-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Isabel decided that today she was going to roll over a ton. She's rolled over a few times from her back to her tummy, but then that was it and she didn't do it again...until today she just kept doing it. Every time I laid her down on her back she was right back on her tummy. It was so cute! I videoed it for Shaun and decided to go ahead and post it on the blog too.

Isabel in the morning

2009-01-24T18:27:00.001-08:00

I took this a few weeks ago because she is so cute in the morning!

Another Tag

2009-01-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

8 Favorite T.V. shows:
-Dancing with the Stars
-Grey's Anatomy
-Anything on the Travel Channel
-Veggie Tales
-News
-NCIS
-Rachael Ray
-Regis and Kelly

8 favorite Restaurants:
-Porters Place
-IHOP
-Red Robin
-El Torrito
-Baja Fresh
-Rubys
-Red Lobster

8 things that happend yesterday:
-Woke up
-Fed Isabel
-Took a shower
-Played with Isabel
-Talked to Laurie
-Put Isabel to sleep
-Wrote Shaun
-Went to bed

8 things I look forward to:
-Kissing Shaun
-Living with Shaun again
-Going to South Carolina
-Seeing Isabel roll over all the time
-Having Isabel say Mommy
-Moving to Monterey
-The snow melting
-Graduating

8 Favorite ways to spend my free time
-Anything with family
-Reading
-Dancing
-Thinking
-Sleeping
-Shopping
-Eating
-Internet

8 things I love about Spring:
-Flowers
-Doing things outdoors
-Sunshine
-New season
-Change
-No more snow
-Green
-The Weather

8 things on my wish list:
-To be with Shaun
-Travel
-Have a house
-Isabel sleep through the night
-Sell Shaun's truck
-Dance with Shaun
-Have a tone body
-Have my degree already

8 people I am tagging:
-Katie
-Virginia
-Kim
-Emily
-Liz
-Krisha
-Natalie
-Heather

Alphabet Game

2009-01-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

To play the Alphabet Game...I was assigned the letter G, so now I must list 10 things I love that start with the letter G.

1. God

2. Games

3. Giggling

4. Giving

5. Grey's Anatomy

6. George Strait

7. Greg (Dad & Brother)

8. Google

9. Gummy worms

10. Gospel

Now I will tag three people to play the game....

Stacie gets the letter K
Hanna gets the letter R
Nikki gets the letter C

Have fun!

Tea Party

2009-01-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

Of course you all know that Isabel is spoiled and so for Christmas she got tons of stuff. Including a saucer and a jumper. She hasn't quite figured out the jumper yet, but I'm sure it'll be soon. Here are some cute pics in her tea party saucer.

The first time

2009-01-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

So Isabel was giving me signs that she might be ready to try some rice cereal for the first time and so we did. It was cute, she wasn't sure what to do with it. She pretty much just let it fall down the sides of her mouth and gave me this look like what the heck are you doing!! That was about a week ago and then I gave her some last night and she pretty much did the same thing. Then tonight I gave her some and she started to actually get it down with some smiles. I know everyone keeps telling me to enjoy her being young, but it's fun to see her grow and I love that she is getting bigger and she starts to do new things all the time.

My favorite

2009-01-07T21:19:00.001-08:00

I am so blessed to have a beautiful baby daughter and an amazing husband who does so much for his family. This past year has been a tough one and continues to be a struggle with him gone, but soon this year we will be together again and I'm looking forward to the new adventures we will have as a family. I am loving this new time in my life as a mother and all the time Isabel and I get to spend together with just the two of us. I am constantly learning new things from her. I love my family so much and am so thankful for all we have.

There's nothing like family during the holidays

2009-01-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Our family picture with Santa.

My adorable husband

The gingerbread house Isabel and I made :)

Grandma is such a good babysitter!

Matt and baby Ethan

This was the best pic of Trevor I could get. He was being a little camera shy, but still is cute

Krisha is lookin hott

Derek being his usual self

Amanda giving Shaun a nice Christmas morning hug

Isabel and Uncle Greg taking a nap

Kayla who is just the coolest..

Isabel hanging out with uncle Jake.

Isabel

2009-01-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've updated, so here are some cute pictures of my baby girl.

Life Questions

2008-12-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

Life Questions
Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

Home

2008-12-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

So Isabel and I are back home from our vacation to Cali. We had a lot of fun and I think Isa is already bored here without her cousins, she just has me to play with all day and that gets boring fast. Thank you so much Kim and Matt for letting us bug you for 2 weeks! Isabel is getting so big. She is discovering new things everyday. She loves her hands now and is getting closer to rolling over. And she is sleeping much better throughout the night, which I love. I actually have been waking up after a few hours to see if she's ready to eat and she'll be sound asleep. I'm not used to it yet.
We decorated for Christmas a few days ago and we can't wait till Shaun comes home, 13 more days!!

Finally

2008-11-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

I finally got a letter from Shaun today. I was in tears before I even got it opened.( I've always been super emotional so I know that's not a big shock to most people. ) Anyway he did say that he thinks he is going to do just fine, so that's comforting. And here's his address for those that have been wanting to write him also:

PFC Adams, Shaun R
A Co., 3-34th BCT BN
2nd Platoon Regulators
Fort Jackson, SC 29207

And he said to put a big black 2 on the back of the envelope.

My baby and me

2008-11-20T22:09:00.001-08:00

In Cali

2008-11-20T22:01:00.001-08:00

Just a few pictures for those grandparents that are missing her.

Cousins

2008-11-20T21:49:00.001-08:00

Isabel is having fun with her cousins!!

Thank you Hanna

2008-11-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

I took this picture a few weeks ago because she's been sleeping so much better! Thanks Hanna!

Why?

2008-11-09T11:49:00.001-08:00

Why does my child insist on not sleeping???

I'm an Esme

2008-11-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Sniff

2008-11-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

I miss Shaun :(

More Midway

2008-11-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Isabel :)

Rach is so cute!

Midway Vacation

2008-11-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

We loved Midway and spending quality family time together.

Cuties!

We are just showing off our new vests!

My two favorite people.

Gotta love him :)

Our little frog...

2008-10-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

Shaun is definitely the artist in our family.

Couch Potato

2008-10-26T10:32:00.001-07:00

Daddy-Daughter

2008-10-26T10:28:00.001-07:00

Daddy decided to put Isabel up on his shoulders and I loved it because right then she started to spit up on him :)