September 2011

I won "best aunt" award for the month.  I took all those awesome kids to the Tulare County Fair.  We had a lot of fun and I will have to do it again next year!

Janiece's 60th

It was a lot of fun to have my aunt Janiece over for her big 6-0!  There really is nothing like family, good food and presents!  

Addyson & Ella

These two are seriously buddies!  Ella LOVES to be with Addyson.  Playing, doing homework, or just laying on the couch, Ella is there.

2nd Grade

She is becoming such a little lady! We are so proud of her and feel so blessed to be her parents.

Wild Women

Anybody that knows this little beast would agree with my title!  She has sooooo much personality in that tiny little body of hers!  She keeps our home and spirits up and going ALL day long!

1st for everything!

I walked in and this is what I found!  Addyson teaching Ella how to color.  Does this make me a bad mom?  I haven't even thought about coloring/crafts with Ella.  Or is this one of the perks of having an older sibling and letting them do it!!!

Getting Big

We love our Cashers and Junies!  These two made a nice hole in our screen...I guess they want in!  They are such good dogs and good with the girls. 

Safety & Shade

Steve and a couple of his friends put up railing and a cover around our house.  We had this deck with no railing...just a little dangerous!  His friends really came through for us!  All I had to do was keep the water cups full and make a lot of tuna fish sandwiches!  Thanks Blake and Andrew for this beautiful deck!

Kaden's Baptism 

We are so happy we were able to be with Kaden on such a special day.  We are so proud of the little man he is and for his example for Addyson and all of his cousins.  

Addyson was very excited to get Kaden Roller Skates for his birthday.  We had a great weekend in Sacramento with family that we love.

I am caught up!!!  It took awhile but here's just over 2 years of our lives...enjoy!

2011 Updates

2010 Updates

2009 Updates

August 2011

I think this year was the hardest because I was losing my little buddy!  Addyson is so much fun to be around and soooo helpful.  All of my friends were excited for school to start so they didn't have to entertain their kids all day.  I don't know if it's because I have 2 kids and they're 6 years apart,  Addyson can play forever by herself (no sibling for so long), or a big backyard to play in so that I really don't have to entertain her.  Maybe all three, but going back to school meant losing my buddy/helper with Ella and back to a routine for me!

Addyson was a little of both!  She was excited to start school, meet her new teacher, see her friends, but was sad to see summer end.  She was very happy that she had her two cousins with her (Alec 4th grade & Noah 1st grade).  Her teacher Mrs. Mello seems really nice and sweet.  I am excited for what the year will hold for my little Addyson and I know she will continue to grow and learn.

Prineville

Every year Steve's mom and her siblings and their families go to Prineville, Oregon for a week long ski trip.  This was our second year going and its something that we will hopefully do every year to come!  Steve's aunts and uncles are some of the most fun people I know.  They would do anything for you and they make you feel so special.  To say it is so much fun is a total understatement.  You water ski, wakeboard, tube, jump off cliffs and eat good food ALL day!  And on top of all that you are surrounded by awesome people...who wouldn't like that!    

Last year Miss Ella was only 5 months and a lot easier!  This year I had to be on her 24-7!  I would not have been able to do it without everyones help. This was the first time Curt and Martie had come and I realized I wont go back without them!!!!  

Everyones kid are ALL so amazing!  I wish I got more pictures of them all.  These are the type of teenagers you pray that your kids will turn out like.  They were sooooooo good to Addyson!!!  She really thought that she was one of them (I thought teenagers were support to be punks... not them)! 

Ella wasn't to fond of the water.  She hung out more on the beach and the big deck.  

One day these two girls are going to be the best of friends, but right now... not so much!  They both don't like to share!  We didn't plan their matching outfits they both just happened to have them and Christie and I happened to pack them for this trip...aren't we cute!!!

Last year Addyson was a little scared of the tube!  She was a little hesitant and gave it a go and LOVED it!  She also loved the Mermaid!  Addyson was all about the one hand!

It may not look very high from this picture but it was for a 7 year old.  She thought it was great and we jumped a few times.  Uncle Steve thought that he needed to show us up and scaled the rock and jumped off this crazy high cliff:-)

Steve was so patient and good with Addyson.  I was so proud of my little Addyson trying to water ski.  She was such a sport about it...will she do it?

1. I just really liked this picture of Steve coaching her.

2. Steve really took it for the team on this one.  She was not understanding the feel of the rope so Steve sacrificed his shins, back and arms!

3. It was all worth it because SHE DID IT!!!  I love Steves face in this picture.  I was so happy for her but a little worried that we left Steve in the water.  I was kind of hoping she would fall so we could go back and get him.  But she stayed up for like 40 sec...thats a long time when you leave you husband in the middle of the lake!

These picture are her first time getting up without Steve in the water.  She did it her first time...she is a pro!

She did not wait long to start going back and forth and of course her one- hand trick!  She would turn the rope like a steering wheel, it was hilarious!  "Stay down low, stand up slow" is what did it.  We were saying that all week long!  

Blake (Steve's cousin) was very good on the wakeboard.  We had a lot of fun watching him show of his stuff!  Debbie (Steve's aunt) didn't mess around out there.  All of his aunts and uncles are very good on the slalom ski. 

Uncle Steve was a natural on the water!

Scott found a way to wakeboard that shows off his guns!

Apparently skiing is just like riding a bike for the Westovers.  Even though she needed her sister Debbie to put the ski on for her.  You would have never known it had been 20 years since she had skied... she was amazing!

Then there's me!!!  

As you can tell I put a picture of everyone wiping out!  But theres not one of Steve, thats because he is really good!  I know they are horrible pictures and my camera is all messed up but it was so fun watching him.  He is not afraid and works it on the water!  

Curt is doing so much better from his accident but he is not all the way there...yet!  If it wasn't for that man I would not have had such a fun time.  Ella has a very special place in her heart for grandpa and he just eats it up.  So I knew she was always in "good hands"...that was for you Curt!  

It was so much fun but we are ALL soooooo tired!  Its go go go all day.  We had such an awesome time and are so grateful to all the boat drivers who were always willing to take us out. 

July 2011

I love the 4th of July...summer, matching outfits, fireworks and hanging out with family and friends!  

This year we spent the 4th with the Guenters.  It was so much fun. We enjoyed great food and entertainment. 

Dancing with her first love and her last (Addyson says she is going to marry Coleman)!

I thought Ella was going to be scared but she loved it!

1 year pictures

I know her birthday was in April but we have been a little busy so you get them 3 months later.  Her hair has grown a little but not to much in 3 months.  That would be the only difference.  She is such a fun addition to our family!  I couldn't imagine life without our little Ella. 

These pictures capture Ella more than I can tell you.  Especially the first one...she loves to glare at everyone!  And the other pictures are when she doesn't get her way... I took the tooth brush from her! Thanks mom for making her one year outfit!

These pictures were taken on the same day.  Just new hair and outfit!    

Purple Lady

After I was done taking Ellas picture I started to clean up and Addyson asked if I would take hers.  So I let her do her own hair, (thats saying a lot) pick out her outfit and put herself in her own poses.  Thats right- all I did was snap a few shots.  I think they look pretty good...I guess she has had a lot of practice!

Yum Yum

Oh how I love living next to my parents that produce this!!!  We really do live off the land in the summer time.  All we need are a few cows, pigs and chickens and we will be set!  

Things in papa's garden:  tomatoes- juliets, early girl and more that I can't think of.  Cucumbers- armenian & japanese, asparagus, egg plant, butternut squash, zucchini, peppers- italian & jalapeno, white & red onions, cantaloupe, basil, parsley, potatoes...to name a few.  Then we have over 10 different fruit trees.  In the fall/winter we have an avocado tree (my favorite), citrus trees, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, beets, fava beans, sweet peas...  I hope I got everything!  Lets just say we live off the land a few months out of the year!  Thats not counting our boysenberries that we sale every summer!  My dad is amazing at keeping things growing around here and we are pretty good at not letting it go to waste!

Happy Girl

1. This is Ella's little hide out!  She will sit there until you find her.  And when you do she cracks up!

2. Ella trying on my shades.

3. Addyson showed Ella our cool off spot!  There is a vent at their feet and in the summer it blows lots of  cool air...we all fight over it on hot days!  They love to stand on it in their church dresses and watch them blow.

4. You have to be very careful around Ella.  She has been know to take other cousins/sister blankets that look like hers.  My mom makes every grandchild a blanket.  They are all the same besides the color.  She is color blind or really doesn't care and will take it!  She and Milo have had a few run ins and that is Addyson's in the picture.

5. This is Ella's new trick!  She does it ALL the time.  

Noah & Addyson's Photo Shoot

We are so happy that the Weibells moved back to Visalia!  Addyson and Noah have so much fun together and get along so well.  They were down stairs playing and came up in this fabulous attire!  I had to pull out my camera... oh what have I started!  They wouldn't let me stop there so they decided to have a little photo shoot (I had no say in their choices so don't judge)!

Playing in the Sprinklers

It's amazing how entertaining one little sprinkler can be!  They played in it for hours!  I knew Addyson would love it but I was pretty shocked how much Ella liked it.  She would just go right up to it!

June 2011

What a year can do!  She was a ham up on that stage!  Last year I didn't think she would get on the stage and this year she was all over that stage!  The theme this year was "Shirley Temple" and it was sooooooo cute! Whoops. misspelled recital :-)

1.  Grandma & Grandpa with Addyson

2. Ma with Addyson

3. Uncle Scott with Addyson

4. Emily with Addyson (After coming Emily is signing up to dance with Addyson...Yeah!)

5. Aunt Heidi with Addyson

6. Landon, Matthew and Alec Weibell & Kaden Kartchner with Addyson

Thank you everyone who came.  You guys ALWAYS make Addyson feel so special! 

Beach Trip

Steve had a CE course at the beach so the girls and I came with!  While Steve was in class we went to the beach...sorry babe!  

I LOVE these pictures!!!  I don't need to say anything the pictures say enough.  I am so in love with those two!

1. Addyson found this hill.  They were entertained for hours with it!

2. You can't go to the beach without looking for shells.

3. This girl had sand EVERYWHERE!  Look at her eye lashes!

4. So serious

5. Ella's smile

6. Addyson loves the beach!  It doesn't matter how cold the water is...she is in it!  She loves to play around in the sand.

7. Ella loved the pink chair.  She didn't know what to think about the sand at first so she hung out on the chair.  It didn't take her long before she was playing in the sand and running in the water!

Lazy Summer Days

I love summer! Playing in the yard and it being light out forever!  Waking up and the girls and I hang out in bed together until we want to get up...sorry daddy someone has to work! I love being around family and having no worries about making sure we are on time for school, dance, softball, etc. I could go on and on. 

I think I say NO more than any other word these days!  Ella loves to get into troubles!  But she is so cute so we just laugh or pull out the camera!  She loves to be in Papa's garden and eat tomatoes right off the vine. ( Ma makes a killer boysenberry shake that Ella LOVES.)

Happy Father's Day

Addyson was so excited to give daddy his Father's Day card that we made!  Ella...not so much !!!

This picture was on his card that we made.  We talked about how grateful we are for him in so many different aspects of life.  The first one being Church- His love for our Savior, his service, how he honors his priesthood and how he lives the gospel everyday. Work- I am so grateful that I get to be home with our girls.  He works hard so I don't have to be out of the house.  He is good at what he does and he is good to people.  Farming- He works hard at work and then comes home and works HARD out here!  I love living on a little bit of land and he makes that possible for me.  Play- Steve is a family man.  We always come first in his life.  He cracks me up all the time.  The girls and I love when he gets home because we just love being around him.  He has such a positive attitude towards live.  Happy Father's Day and thank you for being the man you are and the father you are to our beautiful girls.

Happy Birthday Addyson!

I am done blogging birthdays...they are to depressing for me!!!  I can't believe she is 7!  That means next year she is getting baptized!  It always seemed so far away and now it is almost here!  Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about her getting baptized but 8 years old is old!!!  

I am so proud of this girl!  She surprises me daily.  Yeah, she acts like she is 16 sometimes but she is so sweet.  She loves to help others and is a friend to everyone.  Her personally shines so bright and she always means well.  She is smart, fun, entertaining, etc. We are so grateful for her life and the wonderful life she lives.

Her favorite color is red so I tried to make everything red...it was not easy!  

We all had such a fun day!  Addyson has so many wonderful friends and family that are so good to her.  Thanks