CROWLEY FAMILY

The Denver Children Museum

2012-01-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

Before Abby went back to school in January we tried to fit in lots of different outings. I had been wanting to go to the Denver Children Museum but it is really pricey, but then I found out that they have a free night once a month so we went for it. It was so crowed but the kids didn't seem to mind and I am glad I saw what it had to offer because although it was really fun I am not sure I would spend the money to go back, at least not right away.

We hit the art station first. That way you can hang your paintings up to dry why you do all the other activities.

The bubble room was the biggest hit! They were very wet and soapy after playing in here. Davis kept popping the bubbles that dropped from this machine high on the wall and I didn't notice that his eyes were getting very irritated so when we found goggles for him he was thrilled.

The only area that wasn't totally packed was the toddler exploration area. Even the bigger kids had a great time here which was nice for me. I was able to just sit back and watch instead of herd the kids through all the crowds.

All in all it was a really fun place and great night for me and the kids!!

Roller Skating (January 2012)

2012-01-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

The kids went to a birthday party a few weeks back at the roller skating rink and loved it. With them getting skates for Christmas we had a great reason to go back. Mike took the older two and they all had a wonderful time. Abby was a trooper and just kept working at getting better. She didn't want to come home.

Merry Christmas 2011

2012-01-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! The kids were really into it and made it so fun!

Waiting to go and open presents!

Abby tells everyone her favorite gift was a giant jewel she got in her stocking. Dad knows his daughter very well. I even tried to veto this dollar item gift-good thing I didn't!

Micheal and Abby both wanted roller skates and roller blades. Michael was so happy with these and had no idea I got them used off of craigslist for $5. They fit him great and only the wheels had a little wear on them.

Michael's other favorite gift- also another great craigslist find!!! It took us a couple hours to set this one up and it took up the whole family room and we still didn't use all of the tracks. Mike had fun playing with it as well.

Playing Music and Dressing up (December 2011)

2012-01-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Every year Mike's work does a nice Christmas dinner for the residents and their families. I am not sure how the Crowley family became such a main focus of the night but I was roped into playing the fiddle and Mike was none other than the big guys himself! The kids thought it was so fun to shake their tambourines and see their goofy dad all dressed up.

Sledding (December 2011)

2012-01-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

Another family outing we wanted to do during Christmas Break was to go sledding. We got a ton of snow right before Christmas so on Christmas Eve we headed out. It was such a beautiful day and the hill was only 10 mins. from our house. Michael was really nervous and started out on the little hill, but Abby was an all star thrill seeker. She loved it and probably walked up the big hill at least 20 times. She kept telling me "I like to go fast, the faster I go the more fun it is." Davis liked it as well, but after a crash with dad and a ton of snow in the face he was content to just stay with me and eat snow. Michael finally tried the big hill and really liked it as well. I think we are going to have a new Christmas Eve tradition of snow sledding from now on!

I messed up the videos on the camera by turning it the wrong was but here is one that turned out ok.

CU Basketball Game (December 2011)

2012-01-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

We got some fee tickets to a CU b-ball game and the kids were so excited to go during our Christmas vacation. The stadium is pretty small but it was still really fun to get out and do something new.

Christmas is coming! December 2011

2011-12-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas so close and my kids are working hard at staying on the nice list!! They have loved having all our neighbors and friends deliver treats and have especially loved having a family do the 12 days of Christmas with us. We still have not figured out who it is but we loved finding gifts on our porch every morning.

This is one of the gifts we got for the 12 days of Christmas! Michael wore it all week before the big day.

Boys! December 2011

2011-12-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

We have been having a great December with lots of fun family outings. I love it when the kids play together without fighting and sometimes all it takes is a few empty wrapping paper rolls.

Lots of good movies to watch during the cold snowy days!

So You Think You Can Dance 10-24-11

2011-12-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Back in October Mike took me to the So You Think You Can Dance Concert. A perk of living in a big city is that a ton of great events come to this area. I have been wanting to go to one of their concerts for awhile but have never been close enough to make it worth the drive. This wasn't my favorite season of theirs but I was surprised by how great the concert was. It was great to see it up close and personal- so much better than watching the dances on TV.

The Candy Cane Festival 12-11

2011-12-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

Mike had to work this particular day but I decided to go to the Candy Cane Festival anyway with my friend Hailey and her family. She had two extra kids along with them so total we had 7 kids, 1 baby, and 3 adults. We got a lot of looks, but the kids were so good. It was really busy so we didn't go on the tour. I decided I would do this on a day where you didn't have to wait an entire hour. It was such a warm day and the kids had a blast.

They loved this train ride.

Getting free candy canes.

The whole gang minus the babe.

My kids wanted to stay and wait for the wagon ride. It took about 45 mins. but they loved it especially since they got to pet the horse after.

My kids really wanted some more candy canes but I didn't want to wait for the tour to get some so I tried to sneak in the back exit. I was caught by a worker so I just confessed and he went inside and brought out giant specialty candy canes for us all. He definitely had the Christmas spirit and made our day! Abby was really happy about hers and wanted a picture of it.

We went back a few weeks later for the actual tour of the candy making with some friends. All of their candy is hand made and it was fun to see them making it and not have to wait an hour for the tour!

Thanksgiving!

2011-12-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

11-24-11
This is only the second time ever that I have missed Thanksgiving in Idaho. It ended up being a lot of fun though in Colorado. My friend Hailey and I planned out the meal and did it all on our own. Her husband smoked a turkey and it turned out amazing. All of the food was so good and we had a lot of it. Hailey invited a family that had just moved here. I ended up knowing the wife and her family. Its such a small world. Cale brought the scale down before we ate so we could do a weigh in before and after. The after numbers were very scary! We ended the evening playing games with the adults while the kids played. Its amazing that we had 9 kids under 6 and they played great the whole time. Here is the kids table---

3 and 5

2011-12-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

My boys are getting so big!!! It was a crazy November as usual starting with our wedding anniversary, moving on to the boys birthday, and then ending with a Thanksgiving! We had the boys birthday party together again this year and it was really fun. Michael wanted to do a Spider Man/Super Hero theme and Davis just wanted Dora somewhere in the party. I made Dora cupcakes for Davis and he was all set. For Michael we did all kinds of super hero games.

My big 3 year old Davis!!!

Michael and his Spider Man cake!

We started with an obstacle course game. They had to bounce on the Spider Man ball, then go through a tunnel and spider web. At the end they had to punch and spray Spider Man with silly string.

Then we played pin the spider on Spider Man. The kids were really into this and all took two turns.

We ended with our Spider Man pinata. We started with all the little kids then went to the big kids. Michael was the first big kid to go and it was over in one hit. Oh, well- the kids loved all the candy.

I made these capes for all the kids with their initials on them. They loved them.

The cake and cupcakes were a huge hit!!

I love these boys and I am so happy to be their mom. We also went as a family to Boondocks. Mike had mad skills and earned us lots of tickets. The kids favorite part was putting all the tickets into the counting machine and of course picking out prizes. It was a great November of celebrating!!!

Broomfield Soccer!

2011-11-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

This was the first year that we put Michael in soccer. I am not sure that we are the best soccer family out there, but he had a lot of fun playing. I think what he liked the most was practicing with Dad and getting the snacks after his game. Also, getting the medal at the end of the season was a huge plus for him.

Abby now wants to play but only to get the medal. Its a bummer when you don't get a trophy for dance class.

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

The kids had a big Halloween this year. Mike had a work party on Saturday afternoon where they not only go a ton of candy but brought home live gold fish for prizes. Then that night our church had a big party with trunk-r-treating where they loaded up on more candy. Then we did it all again on Monday night around our neighborhood. By Tues. morning I was so ready for this Holiday to be over!!! Now what to do with all this candy and fish?

The whole gang that went together on Monday night! We are going to miss these fiends. They had to move only two days later.

Crazy Denver Weather

2011-11-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Less than a week ago this is what we got in one night!! It was a lot of fun while it lasted and even better that it warmed back up for the Halloween festivities a few days later. Denver is a fun place to live and it really is so sunny here even with all the random snow storms. We were back into the 70's yesterday.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-11-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

The kids love going to the pumpkin patch. They wanted to make sure we got to go to one this year even though we were not in Boise. We checked out two different ones and they had a blast at both. Michael and Abby loved the hay maze the best.

Denver Zoo

2011-10-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

We love the Denver Zoo. Its huge and hard to get through in one day so its great that we have passes this year and don't feel like we have to stay for hours. We wanted to get there one more time before it got cold and this was a perfect day!

The kids like it even more when they have friends who come along.

I love how I didn't even pay attention to the sign right here and the kids are climbing all over the fence. Oh well!

We went into the bird sanctuary for the first time and it was really neat to be able to feed some of the birds.

My favorite area is the primates, so we always make sure to stop by here.

Goodbye Park Days!

2011-10-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

With Abby in school its hard to find a good time to do our usual park days. Kindergarten has really been fun for her but I don't like the schedule so much. We have been able to fit in a few good park days lately but I think we are at the end of them as winter is fast approaching. My friend and I were surprised how warm it was this day so we just let our boys strip down and run for the water. Michael had a little more pride and refused to run around in his underwear, but he had a great time riding his bike around the park.

1st day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Abby has been so excited for school to start. With all her excitement it was hard to be sad. I think Kindergarten is perfect because it gives them something to do during the day but you still feel like you have them at home for a bit. She made it through her first week and is loving it. I love it too other than having to take and pick her up everyday. Here she is on the first day of school with the outfit Grandma sent and she insisted on wearing! Grandma sure does know her well.

Eldorado Canyon and a special visitor

2011-08-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our awesome babysitter from Idaho was so kind to drive back with me from Boise and spend a few days with us. The kids adore her and I loved having her here to help and hang out with. She endured a long 13+ hour drive and throw up a long the way. Not a fun drive but we made it. I am sure she was glad she got to fly home. We did a lot of fun things while she was here but one of my favorites was hiking in Eldorado Canyon. It is so beautiful and the kids had so much fun exploring. We even found a cool cave that we could walk back into.

We miss her already. Anyone else want to come visit? Its beautiful here in Colorado.

The Big 6!

2011-08-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

6 Years Old!!!! I can't believe Abby is that old. She is growing up so fast and has been looking forward to her birthday for weeks. She can't wait to start Kindergarden and asked me if I was going to be sad when she started school. She even thought it was funny that I said I would be sad. She can't wait to climb the monkey bars and play with friends everyday. She is going to love school. She has been into bugs lately, especially butterflies. She wants a pet so badly and every grasshopper or butterfly that is caught is her best friend and many tears are shed when they die or we let them go, so we knew a bug themed party was the way to go this year.

Her favorite present! Lovie, the guinea pig. She got bows and a leash for her. Great present for Abby but not so much for Lovie.

I love her face when she opens these dragonfly earrings.

Party Time!!! We did it this year at the Butterfly Pavilion and it was so much fun and low stress too.

They did a craft project,

had a private showing of all the creatures,

and even got to hold Rosie the tarantula!

Even Mike held Rosie and he is terrified of spiders. Way to go Dad!
Then we played in the exhibit and saw all the butterflies.

Finally it was time for food, cake, ice cream, and presents.

Abby wanted to have a dragonfly cake and we copied this design off the internet.

We love our Abby and are so blessed to have her in our family. Happy Birthday Sister!!!

Little Gems

2011-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

I was going through a bunch of pictures and found these few gems from our vacation in Idaho. Nothing gets better than shooting bow and arrows and boating with Grandpa and putting on Grandma's dress ups!

Summer Vacation

2011-07-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a long and fun vacation to Boise. We were able to see so many friends and spend lots of time with family. We played with cousins, visited with family, went out with friends, swam a lot, ate a ton, spent time on Cascade lake, roasted marshmallows, shopped, ate out, had some fun girls days, and laughed a lot!!! Did I take one picture of the the awesome trip?

Nope!

I am sad that I was so lazy but it was also nice to not worry about always having my camera out. My main excuse is that I felt really crummy the whole time and zapped of energy. Any guesses?

Yes, number 4 is on the way!!!!!

Its funny how I had convinced myself that this time around I would be fine and would want to boat and wakeboard just like normal. The prego sickies hit early and hard so normal was not the case. We are really excited about this baby. I just wish I didn't have to feel this way. I am just going to have to buck up and get on with summer. I can't go all summer with no pictures now can I.

Camping Part Two!

2011-06-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Camp out number 2 was with our church group. It was a beautiful location and really fun to camp next to so many friends. The area was pretty well contained so the kids could just roam. They met lots of new friends and had a great time! I think we will do lots more camping this summer.

Abby got this bug catcher from a friends a few weeks ago and is now obsessed with catching bugs. Mike was catching moths in it each night and they were her little babies. She wanted to take her moth up camping to show her friends but Davis let it out on the way. She cried for a long time about it but we promised to find her lots of bugs at the campsite. It was still pretty cold there and really hard to find bugs actually but we looked and looked. She found a tiny bug the first day and put a ton of flowers in with it. Mike didn't know it was special and emptied it out the next morning. Abby was so sad but thought the bug had just eaten all the flowers so off she went to gather more and we were able to find her a big beetle as well. She named the bugs Flower Eater and Mad bug. She kept them and talked to them everyday for about a week until I finally convinced her they would be happier outside. That was also a tearful goodbye. She said a really good prayer for them as well. I think my little Abby really needs a pet.

This is about as good as it gets if I try to be in a picture.

Abby's favorite friend at the camp out was a little dog named Jake. She followed it around the whole day and I had to promise her we would do a play date with the dog latter. We had Jake and his family over for dinner a couple days later and Abby was in heaven, I am sure Flower Eater and Mad Bug were very jealous.

Camping Time!

2011-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Our friends the Wester's invited us to go camping a couple weeks ago but Mike was going to be out of town so I didn't think we would go. The Wester's called me from the campsite and talked me into coming without Mike so I packed up the kids and the car and was off. I was a little scared to be on my own but Hailey and I got the tent set up, they cooked a great dinner, and the kids went down great. They were so excited to be up in the mountains. There was a little stream right next to us which made it so fun for the boys. They spent most the time throwing rocks into the water.

It didn't take long to get really dirty!

The big river was a little more scary, it was running super fast and was very cold.

Cole and Davis had so much fun together. It only takes rocks and water to have a good time!

Cale told spooky stories by the campfire that the kids loved. They even retold them to Mike when we got home. Michael's eyes were so big during the story it was really cute!

The next morning we got up and went on a hike. The kids had so much fun although Abby was scared of being so high up and Michael couldn't go high enough.

We had so much fun we decided to do it again the next weekend with our church! More camping pictures to come.

The Sunflower Farm

2011-06-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

This place was so great. The kids had so much fun we went twice in two weeks before they closed the open hours for the summer. There is so much to do there and its right in someones back yard. If only this was our backyard my kids would always be busy!

There are lots of goats, sheep, and horses to feed.

The first morning we went to the farm we got to see two baby sheep that had just been born an hour earlier.

There were old tractors all over to climb on and

all kinds of birds roaming the grounds

a zip line that all the kids loved

home made swings all over the place

tire swings that are so much fun with friends

swings that hang from huge trees and equal big air

more home made horse swings

a giant tree house that spans a few trees

more rope swings

lots of fun places to explore

a corn box built in a mini barn

and Abby's favorite the pony rides!!! They didn't have the rides going the first day so we made sure to get in extra rides the second go around. She waited patiently and loved every second.

It was such a beautiful location set against the mountains mixed in the farm lands. It reminded me of good old Idaho!

Picnic at the Pond

2011-05-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

We have had some really great weather off and on. We took advantage of it one Saturday and went on a picnic to a local pond. The kids really wanted to feed the ducks but there were signs saying its not allowed. We tossed a few chips out to them anyway without getting in trouble and the kids had fun with it.

Easter Part 3

2011-05-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

I am sure everyone is a little tired of our Easter escapades but this is the last of our activities. One of the buildings that Mike is doing his training at had a monster Easter Egg hunt and even though it was snowing on the way there it stopped and warmed up a bit for us to do the games. There were so many eggs and prizes. Every kids got over 25 eggs and everyone got to pick prizes. Then they had drawings for the big prizes and the pick the golden egg game.

On Sunday we were able to go to church and celebrate the real meaning of Easter. Then we got together with 3 other families for a great dinner. We had a fun weekend and it made up for the fact that we couldn't be at home with family.

Easter Part 2

2011-05-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Next in our Easter adventures we had to dye eggs. Davis did good for the first 2 mins. and then it was time for Dad to take him for a ride while the older kids finished up without Davis grabbing every egg and throwing them into cups of dye.

Lets see how this all tastes.

Not so good, just like Mom was trying to tell him.

Davis trying to look at the camera- its just so hard sometimes.

Easter Part 1

2011-05-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Even though we were not in Boise this year for Easter we still had a really busy weekend. It started with an egg hunt with our preschool. People here have been so great to let us join their preschool for the last few months and the kids have had a blast with it.There are some really fun kids and really fun moms.

Colorado Springs Outing

2011-04-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went on a mini road trip to Colorado Springs. Mike lived there in his single years for a summer and was excited to show us around. We first stopped at the Garden of the Gods. It was amazing and the kids has a great time running around and jumping off of all the boulders.

We kept Davis contained for a little while in the back pack but it didn't take long until he was out running around with the rest of the kids.

Probably not the smartest thing jumping between rocks with your 2 year old on your back but Davis loved it!

Michael trying to tell us how BIG the rocks are. We spent so much time here we didn't have a lot of time left before we needed to drive home so we just went to see Mike's old place of employment The Broadmoor. Its a huge resort with three golf courses. It was super fancy and fun to look around everywhere although we didn't really fit. Maybe someday we will! Sorry no pics of this- I wish I had because it was an amazing resort.

Its a Boy!

2011-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

I love long hair on my Davis, but Mike does not. It hasn't help that in the past month we have had three people ask what HER name is. I don't know how long I can hold off the clippers. I just can't imagine him with short hair though. It also doesn't help my cause when Aunt Tara can french braid his hair and that he likes wearing Abby's bows around the house.

At least my shaggy guy is now potty trained!!!! He did great with it all. I really hate potty training but he was probably my easiest- a little over a week and he was a pro. He has even been making it through the night a handful of times. My little baby is growing up.

Friends and Crafts

2011-03-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Abby has had the hardest time with the move out of all the kids. She is really missing her preschool, dance, friends, and family. It takes a lot of effort on my part to keep her busy. She loves crafts and loves them even more when she can do them with friends. Luckily my really good friend Hailey lives here and has a daughter that is close in age to Abby. I keep telling Abby at least we both have one really good friend here.

This is one of her beautiful butterfly creations.

Colorado House

2011-03-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

For my family and friends who have been asking to see our new place here we go. Its a cute place with some great perks and also downfalls, but we are liking it pretty well. We had to downsize from our other place so it is taking some getting used to, luckily we have a basement to store all our extras that don't fit in the main living spaces. Housing is different here in Colorado compared to the Boise area. They have tons of great open space around the different neighborhoods with lots of walking and riding trails as well as parks and recreation centers. There are not a lot of houses in the mid range with big yards and we went even smaller with just a deck outside. I guess we will really have to take advantage of the trails come spring and summer. The house took some major cleaning because it has been a rental for several years but with a little elbow work and some more to come its looking and smelling more like home.

The front!

The main great room in the front of the house. There are some good decorative shelves here and luckily I didn't sell my coffee table that works as a TV stand for now.

The kitchen area works although I wish there were more cupboards and storage. There is a formal dinning area right by the front door which we use as an office area. Then on the other side of the kitchen is a breakfast nook- good thing we couldn't bring our big table it would not have fit. We got this little round guy that works well and then we have a little bar area by the formal dinning that the kids like to sit at. I have a lot of red and black in my decor and with this red wall and black appliances it seems to go pretty well although sometimes I feel like there is a major red and black overload and its a bit matchy matchy, but its what I had. I do love the shutters that are on the first floor. The blinds and lighting upstairs is another thing.

Our lovely outdoor space. The deck is great and its fenced- Davis did escape through some hole to the neighbors deck but other than that it keeps them contained.

Overall its a very nice home and we are blessed to be in it. It will be nice when Mike is done with the AIT program-training and we can look for something a little bigger as well as a yard. The upstairs is pretty boring with the three bedrooms and two baths. I miss my old walk-in closets and storage space but the kids think this new house is great because it has stairs and a little balcony that looks over the great room. Abby told my mom on the phone the other day- "my room looks like MY room" I am glad she feels so at home with her things. I am getting there as well.

We are ready for visitors now!!! Grandma is on the list, who else is coming?

Adventures

2011-03-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

I have been putting off this post for awhile because I am not sure how to express myself and everything that has happened to our family in the last couple months. It has been exciting, scary, overwhelming, exhausting, sad, happy, and so much more.

Mike decided in December that it was time for a change with work for a lot of reasons. His goal was to find something new before the first of the year and my reaction was not the greatest. I was really scared that this change would mean moving away from family and friends and it did but I am amazed at Mike's strength and ability to find great opportunities for our family in such a sort time period. Things fell into place really fast and before we knew it we had a good job offer in Huston, TX. Within a week Mike and I were in the car driving to a new town 30 hours away. Huston is a beautiful place and I was pleasantly surprised. Mike started his new job a week later and I flew back to Boise. While he worked really hard in Huston I had the job of finding a renter for our home, packing everything, down sizing and selling our stuff, keeping up our kid's schedules, and trying to stay a float. It would not have happened without a ton of help from family and friends. My sister and mom come weekly to pack up the house, friends babysat my kids several times a week, friends and family took me out and hung out late at my house to keep me company and watch cheesy tv shows, ward members called often to check in on me, Sunday dinners were had at my mom's house every week, dinners were had at friend's houses often, a last minuet garage sale was put together with friends, Young Women and family came and helped clean my house, 25 men showed up to load our stuff into the moving truck, an amazing good bye party was put on, and so much more. I really felt so much love from everyone around me and it made it possible for me to make it through a very crazy 6 weeks.

The week before we were to be out of our house Mike got another job offer in Denver from a company he had been speaking with from the start of all of this. This was really hard from me because it was a much better offer with much better long term potential but I was already headed to Texas in my mind and ready for that adventure. The decision had to be made fast because we had to be out of our house and starting the Denver job in a week and a half. It was hard communicating with Mike over the phone and we were both exhausted and emotional. We didn't want to burn a bridge with the company in Texas and I was scared that he may not like the job in Denver as much as the one in Texas. As Mike always tells me if there is anxiety to be found I find it and sit on it as long as possible. After a lot of talks and many tears from my end we decided the job in Denver was the best option for our family. Now that we are here and settled I am not sure what all the tears were about. Denver is closer to home, a better paying job, and Mike loves the job and is so excited for the future here. I think I was mostly concerned with burning ties with a company that has been so good to us for so many years before- (we both worked for the Texas company before we moved to Boise and still have a lot of good friends there.)

Anyway we are here, all is done for now! We were able to stay with my good friend Hailey in Denver until we found a house to rent. Hailey's husband Cale got Mike the interview with this job in Denver and we are so grateful to them for everything they have done for us. Its fun to be able to hang out with her again and for our kids to have instant friends. Colorado is very nice although it still feels like we are on vacation living in some random house with all our things. I miss my family and my wonderful friends in Boise so much. I am sure it will all take time but we will do great here I am sure of it. Mike's job is with the Ensign Group. He is in training right now for the next 9 months to become a director of a assisted living/ skilled nursing facility. He is learning a lot and is grateful to have this amazing opportunity.

I usually don't put such personal things on my blog but a lot of clarification was needed on our story and how we got to Denver. Half the people in our ward still thought we were going to Huston the day before we left. It was a crazy ride and there is still more to come but I am happy we are settled in a home as a family together. To me that was the most important thing of all so I am a happy girl.

Pictures soon to come of our new house! Thanks again for all of you that helped us through the last 8 weeks.

Exercise and treats

2011-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Davis is full of life. He cracks me up. He loves his Papa and when we go over there and Papa is exercising he is quick to do the exercises with him. He likes to stand right next to him and copy all his moves. Now, even if Papa is not working out he goes by the TV and does his work out moves. He also loves all the treats that Grandma has out, especially when no one is watching and he can dump all the jelly beans out!

Little Model

2010-12-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

I love this boy. There is not much more to say!

Oriental Style

2010-12-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

My parents visited my brother in Taiwan last month and they brought back these fancy pj's for my kids. Abby was so excited and wore them for several days in a row. Michael was a little slow to want to wear them but once he discovered they had dragons on them and they could be worn as Karate fighting clothes he was in.

Michael loved posing for me. I just let him do whatever and he was cracking me up. He is such a ham and loves to show off his fighting skills!

Growing up

2010-12-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

One of Michael's gifts from his birthday was a shaving kit. He was really excited to use it with dad. It is so fun being a big kid.

2 and 4

2010-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Our November is such a crazy month. First we have our anniversary on the 21st, then Davis has a birthday on the 24th, then Michael's birthday on the 25th, and then we have Thanksgiving mixed in as well. This year was the first time Michael got to invite friends over and because there are so many cute boys in our neighborhood we went big. Michael wanted to do a motorcycle party so that was our theme. We combined it with a train theme for Davis and did it all in one night!

Michael's cake- he loves oreo cookies and he wanted to add those on. Davis had a train cake but with two cakes to make we will just say the train cake didn't turn out as cute.

We did a freeze dance with everyone and it was a huge hit!

Pin the rider on the motorcycle- thanks to a few of my YW for making such a cool motorcycle. We also did car racing with the boys.

The whole gang!

This was the favorite gift for Davis. He loves his little dog that barks and moves, but now that we got the real deal its taken second place. At least he can have this dog to sleep with though.

Its crazy to think I my boys are 2 and 4 now. Time goes so fast and I just love these little guys. Davis has really grown up in the last month and he now repeats everything you say. Its like he is discovering a whole new world. He loves to learn. He is still my crazy boy who seems to have no fear and can take a fall like no other 2 year old. Michael is still my best snuggler. Whenever I call him cute he likes to correct me with "handsome" but sometimes he lets it slide and then calls me handsome. Its our little game and I love it. He loves riding his bike, playing baseball, playing golf, wrestling with his dad, and has started learning to write his letters which he is very proud of. We love these boys and are so glad they are in our family!!!

New Addition

2010-11-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

We are probably nuts adding a dog to our family but who can resist this face. Our new addition to the family is a very sweet with a little sass- just how we like em. We are still nailing down a name so suggestions are totally welcome!

Halloween!!!

2010-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

We had a great little Halloween this year with a party on Wed and handing out candy on the weekend. The kids had a blast this year and got the hang of the trick or treating really fast!

We are in trouble- he is already asking for a real motorcycle!

I don't even try that hard to get a good pictures of all three kids because is never really works very well. This is about as good as it gets!

Abby our "STAR"

And my favorite little puppy!!!

Annual Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

We love our trips to the Farmstead Pumpkin Patch. The kids had such a great time this year and the weather was perfect.

There was lots of fun to be had on the jumping pillow.

Then of course a few rides on the cow tractor train!

The kids loved the corn box this year. We stayed in here for a long time and came home with lots of corn in our pockets.

Then the tube slides- and lots of chasing Davis around.

We were also able to pet the goats, watch the pig races, shoot potato guns, go on a wagon ride, go through the mini hay maze, and eat lots of popcorn. It was a really fun night for the whole family!!

Our Family Photos

2010-10-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

My amazing sister took time away from her family to come and do a photo session for us. Even though it was really crazy we were able to get some great ones. Now she needs to help me choose which one to print. Thanks again sis you are the best!!!

Michael Riding his Bike

2010-10-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

Michael has been wanting to ride with no training wheels for such a long time. We have taken them off then put them back on many times but he has finally got it. If you ask him who taught him of course he gives credit to Mike, but just so you all know it was his mama who taught him his mad skills. He is a little crazy now and I am a little scared for him but it is what he wants to do all day everyday. Poor Abby wants to do it so bad but there are just some things that Michael will get before her and this is one of them. She is close though and she makes sure we all know that too.

Michael's Preschool

2010-10-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

I started doing a mini preschool co-op with Michael and 3 other little boys this year and he has really loved it so far. He made this cute mask at his friend's house and wore it loud and proud the entire day.

Making pizza at another friend's house. Its great to have such fun friends!

New Sneak Peek

2010-10-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

I just posted some new Senior Pictures that I took- you can check out the sneak peek here

ambercrowleyphotography.blogspot.com

Thanks Morgan for the great time!

Tamarack Weekend

2010-10-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go up to Tamarack Resort with some friends. The cabin we stayed in was awesome. It had a huge wrap around porch with a fire place and beautiful view of the lake. It was just nice to sit out there and enjoy the cool air and just relax. It was a much needed vacation and get away It almost made up for the re-located family reunion we were supposed to have up there but got moved to Boise due to a huge storm. I wish I had taken more pictures of the cabin and lake but I was just too relaxed to worry about it. Here are a few that we did get.

Davis and his best friend Kamryn enjoying the huge tub.

This was just up the road from our cabin!

You have got to love the frolicking through the meadows.

We even got some "fishing" in.

Thanks for the great weekend friends! We need to do it again soon!!! For a much funnier description of our weekend and some more pictures go to http://fujitales.blogspot.com/

Amber's New Logo

2010-09-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Discoveries

2010-09-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

My kids have been discovering all kinds of creatures outside lately. They found and made new homes for the worms that came up as we planted trees. They always seem to find a spider to scream about. But the best has been catching butterflies that are good enough to stay on your finger. It is also possible that they have been moths not butterflies but either way my kids have had a great time discovering.

1st day of Preschool

2010-09-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to wait until next year to send Abby to Kindergarden but none the less we still needed a picture of the first day of preschool. She loves her new preschool and is doing so well.

Utah Trip

2010-09-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago we managed to finally get out of town for the 1st time this Summer. It was a quick trip down to Utah to visit our friends Dave, Kori, Marlee, Josh--and Little Eddie for the first time. We had a great time playing in the back yard, eating at our favorite restaurants, watching the BYU game, and of course shopping at IKEA. It was a fabulous weekend.

Davis & Josh

All of the kids except baby Eddie

Thanks Mayeski's for great time as usual!!!

Jensen Family Reunion

2010-08-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Golf Camp

2010-08-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Michael got to go to golf camp this week and no doubt he will one day win all of the majors on the PGA Tour :)

Abby Turns 5

2010-08-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Mike is officially taking over the family blog so I can keep up on my Photography blog! Enjoy- now everyone can make fun of his spelling and grammar although he says he does it so everyone will still think I am writing. Thanks Honey.

Abby requested a Butterfly Themed Party this year and Amber did an amazing job of putting it all together. Everyone had a great time and Michael was showing off his muscles for all the ladies. Kysa helped a ton with cake, the girls decorated their own butterfly wings and everyone got to do their own cookies.

In and Out of Lock Down

2010-07-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Davis is constantly climbing all over the place and one day he realized that he could fit through the door on Copper's cage, luckily the bunny was a good host and didn't attack him. Don't worry there is a lock on the cage now.

Grandpa and Grandma Jensen

2010-06-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day we go and visit Grandpa and Grandma Jensen's grave site. Its a fun tradition and a great time to teach our kids about some amazing people they were never able to meet.

The one, two, three, open your eyes for the picture didn't work so well in our group shot. It was either half the kids had their eyes closed or half the adults. I went with the kids eyes closed -sorry kids, you still look cute even if your eyes are closed!

My little photographer

2010-06-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Michael loves to take pictures with our small camera. I was clearing things off of it and realized their were over 400 pictures. Here are some of my favorites- no edits! Abby also loves being the model for all his picture taking!

This is Great Grandma Teresa at our annual graveyard visit on Memorial Day.

2010-06-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

Abby loved her dance class this year. She had the same teacher as last year, Ms. Sharie, who was just amazing with the girls. She learned so much more this year around. She also had so much fun with her little friend Annie who we car pooled with.

Durining this dance the girl in the back with the dark hair had her shoe come untied and she was trying to get the girl next to her to tie it. She would move and do her steps and the little one next to her was chasing her around on the ground trying so hard to get that shoe lace tied. It was hilarious.

Puzzles and rainbows

2010-06-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Abby has been really into puzzles lately. She will sit for such a long time until she gets them figured out. Its been fun to do them with her.

This was the pretty rainbow Abby and I got to see one night while the boys were out!

Mr. Potato Head

2010-06-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Davis is our little "Disaster D" and "The Hurricane." He has lots of nick names along this line, but he is also really funny. We love our "D Bear" so much even if he likes to destroy everything in his path.

Whenever he finds these glasses he comes to me and ask me to put them on. When he tries to do it himself they end up on his neck in the back which is pretty cute too.

Helmets and Hats!

2010-05-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

I had to capture some of Michael's latest sleeping habits. He is so dang cute. He loves to snuggle with Dad in the morning and sleeps better when he is close to him. He recently started T-ball and as you can see he is just a little excited. I love this little guy.

AmberCrowleyPhotography.blogspot.com

2010-05-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have finally set up a separate photography blog!!! Go check out my first post of the Chandler Family Preview!!!

ambercrowleyphotography.blogspot.com

Silver City Pink

2010-05-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Its finally here. I started making this CD with my band when I was pregnant with Abby 5 years ago. Due to babies, weddings, and moves it took us just a little while to get it done. Kim was also pregnant in this picture with her first kid. I miss playing with this group so much. It was such a fun time in my life. Hopefully we can do some kind of CD release concert in the next year. Thanks girls for all your hard work!! Thanks Schmath for the picture- I kinda had to steal it off your blog! Let me know if you all want one of the best CD's ever!!

Miller Family

2010-05-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

These guys were so fun to work with! They have such beautiful girls with great personalities. Hang in there Dad with all those women.

Surgery Update

2010-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Michael did really well on Thursday. The hospital was great at having toys and making it as fun as possible. I am so amazed at how well he did with no food for nearly 48 hours. We had one melt down on Wed night before bed but that was all. The doctor was able to get the one and only polyp out easily. It couldn't have gone any better. Michael had a hard time waking up after surgery and tried to rip out his IV but once we got it out and got home he was doing great. We are all so glad to have this behind us!!

So you think you can dance...

2010-05-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

MICHAEL'S 1ST OPERATION

2010-05-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

This Thursday Michael is going in for a colonoscopy to have a polyp removed. It is not really anything to be too concerned about (my biggest concern is just the fact that he is going to be on anesthesia), but it is something that needs to be addressed. Amber's gets to worry about the day before prep of 36 hours on only clear liquids and the clean out. Hopefully all the sugar he will get will keep him from feeling too hungry. Our doctor (the specialist we are seeing) is exceptional and we have a lot of confidence in him. The recovery time is quick and Michael should be just fine by this weekend.
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers :)

Baby Landon

2010-05-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

I love it when my friends have new babies. I was able to photograph Landon when he was only 5 days old. He was so great and is a beautiful baby! Congrats Justin and Tami. Thanks also to my friends Schmath for the cute diaper cover and Breya for the awesome cocoon.

Orchard Blossom Shoot

2010-05-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to shoot in an orchard with the spring blossoms and my new DI chair for a while, so I was excited when I spotted this little tree farm near my house. It worked out perfect! Thanks girls.

Baby Lana

2010-04-26T21:31:00.001-07:00

This is my cute friend Sarah's baby Lana. She is such a doll and so fun to photograph!

Boys

2010-04-20T08:27:00.001-07:00

Davis is crying in the other room yesterday.

I ask Michael "did you hurt Davis?"

Michael- "no, I just head butted him."

Thanks Dad for teaching him that trick. I can't wait for Davis to get a little bigger and share his tricks with Michael.

Textures

2010-04-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

I tried out some textures on this background. Mike can't even tell the difference. Do you like the textures? Can you even tell? If so, which one do you prefer?

Easter Pictures

2010-04-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

This Sunday after getting everyone ready I decided I should also get pictures before church. It was a little crazy but I got some cute ones of them in their Easter pictures. I was trying to practice with my new lights. My back light didn't work the way I wanted but they still turned out fun.

I made Mike change last minute into his matching shirt and tie. It might be a little cheesey but I still thought it was cute.

This was as good as it was going to get with three kids!

Michael and Abby

2010-04-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

These are a few more of Michael and Abby. They are such good sports about getting their pictures taken all the time especially when I let Abby where whatever she wants.

Curls or no Curls?

2010-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Straight hair and Natural light or....

Curls and lights?

I like the catch light of his eyes in the first picture but I am unsure about the straight or curly hair. Here are a few more of Davis. He was definitely sure that he didn't want to take anymore pictures!

Kamryn and the new studio

2010-03-28T20:16:00.001-07:00

This is our little friend Kamyrn. While we were watching her last week I got some good practice shots on some new studio stuff. She was a little tricky because she likes to be on the move even though she is only 10 months old, but her cute dimples made up for it!!!

Davis!

2010-03-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

This is Davis and his little friend Kamryn. She is our friends little girl and I got to watch her a couple times these last few weeks. I think Davis is in love but poor Kamryn got a bit man handled at our house.

This is Davis getting his second hair cut. I missed getting pics of the first one so I have to cheat in his baby book and use this picture. I didn't get much done here because he was moving everywhere but just enough to get dad off my case of getting it cut short.

Snow in March

2010-03-24T12:49:00.001-07:00

There is always one last snow storm late in the year and we got a pretty good amount of snow this day in March. Even though it got really warm after this our snowman lasted about 3-4 days.

After playing in the snow it was time to wrestle on the bunk beds and yes Abby had on her swimsuit here and under her snowsuit!

Jenna take #3

2010-03-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

I just love this baby. My sister and I are working on a mini studio set-up so I just had to do another practice shoot with the beautiful Jenna. She is such a great baby and put up with a lot of torture on my end. These are some of my favorites.

Day in the sun

2010-03-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday it was so nice outside we just had to go to the park. I had been gone all morning so it was great to get out with the kids. It was also a great time for me to practice shooting pictures with fast moving subjects and light.

Boxes

2010-03-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

We got a new office chair this week and the funnest part for the kids was of course the box. It is all my kids wanted to play with for days. It worked out well because I was sick and they got to live in their pj's and in the box. We had to toss it after they went to bed one night so no tears were shed. I was tired of my house and children looking homeless.

Davis is getting so fun and playful. He thinks he is one of the big kids and can do anything they do.

That country song "Mr Mom" is right on the money!

2010-03-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

So Amber has been in bed sick for the past two days and I have come to the realization that this family can not function well without her. Last night after just one day with mom on sickbed the house looked like a hurricane hit it--if the Division of Child Protective Services would have shown up yesterday I would have had some explaining to do. Amber really does keep out household running like a well oiled machine and it only took me covering for her for 1 day to realize that I can't do what she does!!!
I would have taken some pictures but I fully plan on blocking out all memories of yesterday so I thought it would be best to not have anything to remind me of it!
Hopefully everything will be back to normal by tomorrow.

Mike's Dad

2010-02-17T23:54:00.000-08:00

I am actually pretty good at telling stories and I am actually pretty terrible at writing them!--so please bear with me.
I have always been very open about my life and where I've come from so I feel that it is appropriate to share this story here.
You may or may not know that I basically grew up with out a father. I met my dad for the first time when I was about 14 years old. I went and spent one week week with him that summer and then I went to visit him again for spring break the following year. I took the bus from my home in Southern California up to where he lived in Reno, Nevada. When I arrived at the bus station I was greeted by two girls that introduced themselves as my cousins--my dad's brother's daughter and her step sister and I ended up spending the week with their family instead of my dad--my cousin Kristi was 1 year younger than me and we spent the entire week hanging out. My dad was in a rehab clinic that was court ordered while I was there on my visit--he had some struggles with alcohol that led to him having some struggles with the law. During my visit I was able to visit him at the rehab clinic one time for about an hour--that was the last time I ever saw him. We wrote a few letters back and forth over the next year and we spoke on the phone once or twice. The last time that I ever spoke to my dad was on New Years Eve 1989. I called to talk to him a few months after that and I was told that he had violated his probation and he was in jail.
My feeling at the time was basically-- when he gets out he can come and track me down. I guess I was basically numb from not having a father for all of those years so it didn't cause me much grief to have lost him again. I had good feelings towards him from the time we spent together but I also felt that it was his responsibility to come and find me if he wanted to have a relationship with me. I have always looked at my life from the perspective of feeling grateful for what I do have rather than feeling sorry for myself because of what I don't have. I also know that growing up the way that I did made me the person, husband, and father that I am today and honestly I am pretty satisfied with who I am.
Periodically, over the years, I have felt the desire to try to find my dad again--his name is Patrick Smith and his brother's name is Mike Smith so as you can imagine whenever I did a Google search there were a million people with those names. Sometimes I would look for a week or two and then give up--my efforts were half hearted at best--I never really felt a sense of urgency in regards to finding him--it just didn't feel right in my mind or in my heart, but this year I was determined that I would find him and let him know that he has three grand kids and tell him what I've been up to these past 20 years. I thought it would be great for him to be able to sit down at a computer for a couple of hours and look at all of the posts on this blog. I wanted for him to be able to meet Amber and the kids and come and see our home.
Last week my friend Camille suggested that I try to find my cousin Kristi rather than her dad or my dad--I roughly knew where she grew up and that she was one year younger than me. I found a Kristi Smith from Sparks, Nevada on facebook and I sent her a message she replied in a couple of days and it wasn't the right person. This past weekend I went onto classmates.com and I found one that graduated from a high school in Sparks in 1993 and it had her married name as well, so on Monday I found her on facebook and sent her a message. A couple of hours later I got this reply:

"Hi Mike! Yes, I am your cousin and I'm so glad to hear from you! As strange as it may sound, I was just thinking about you yesterday and wondering how I would ever go about getting in touch with you. Will you please call me when you get a chance? My number is; 775-771-XXXX. If you would rather I call you since it is long distance, please send me your number and I'll be sure to call you back."
As you can imagine I felt a lot of different emotions when I got her message. I was excited and a little nervous, I wondered why there was no mention of my dad in her e-mail. I called her right away and left her a voice mail with my contact info. She called me later that night and we talked about our families and lives and that sort of thing for about 15 minutes (she saw pictures of my kids on my facebook page and was very impressed by how cute they are--as is everyone that sees them!)--we definitely bonded during that week that I spent with her family back in 1989 and it was great to be in touch with her again--so after catching up she asked if I had any idea why she didn't just send me the contact info for my dad in her message. I told her that I thought perhaps he was deceased (I had actually felt that that might be the case for the last couple of years) she confirmed that he had passed away 5 years ago next month--he died from natural causes that resulted from the life style that he led--liver damage etc. She had said how sorry she was and that she had never had to break that kind of news to anyone before I thanked her and told her that I was very excited to be in touch with her again and that I am very interested in learning about our family and that I would be in touch soon. She made a point of telling me that my dad did love me very much but he was ashamed of his lifestyle and did not feel right about trying to find me because of it. She offered to send me pictures that she and her dad have of him and I told her that I would greatly appreciate that.
I hung up and filled Amber in on our conversation--as she always has been Amber was 100% supportive and understanding. Next, I went for a long walk and thought about things. It has taken me a few days to really work through my thoughts and feeling about this situation. Overall, I feel that this was the way it should have been. If I would have gotten in contact with him sooner perhaps I would have had issues and negative feelings about him--I really don't and I consider that a great blessing. I take a lot of comfort in the fact that he passed away before any of my children were born--if he would have died in the last few years I would feel terrible that he never got to see or know about his Grand Kids. Obviously I feel a sense of loss--and those feelings are complicated to say the least.
I feel a great sense of anticipation in regards to getting to know his side of my family. I am also feeling a sense of peace in regards to knowing for the first time in such a long time where he is. I am very excited that in a month I will be able to do his Temple work. Overall, it is what it is--I'm a little sad, a little mad, and mostly glad. I really think that it worked out the way that it was supposed to--he made his choices in life and I made mine--if I could go back in time I wouldn't do anything diffrently. The main thing is to be greatful for what we do have and not worry about the things we don't.

Boys

2010-02-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

We have been so sick the last couple weeks. After two trips to the doctor and with 4 different antibiotics in our fridge we are finally on the mend. Davis had it the worst and we had to switch his meds until we found something that would work for his ears. His fever would spike really high in the night and it was really scary for me even though I knew he would be ok. I just love this little guy so much!

Michael is still trying to learn how to play good with a baby so when I saw this it made me very happy.

Michael is getting a little too good at our Christmas gift to Mike- the Wii. He knows how to navigate and play a lot of the games and I hardly let him play that much. I think he is already better than me. Videos soon to come!

Living Room Shoot

2010-01-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

My sister and I have been wanting to do a shoot like this for a long time so I went and found this branch deep in the forest and we set this up in my living room. My sister Tara took these pictures and this is my niece London. The only down fall was all the bark that kept falling in her little face, lesson learned. We also messed around with some textures during editing to change up the background. They turned out so good and London was such a trooper.

We had to throw Michael in for some practice picts first and they also turned out really well.

Jenna take #2

2010-01-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

I love this baby and I was lucky enough to go and take pictures of her again. We needed to get some of her in this beautiful blessing dress which ended up being made by my Aunt Charolette. She always makes such great dresses and this one is no exception. Jenna was a star again as usual. It was fun how engaged she was this time around.

Copper

2010-01-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

We have entered the pet world. We started out with my sister's bunny but he got a bit aggressive so we ended up finding him a new home and getting this little guy. He has been so good with Abby and all her mauling. He lets her hold him any old way and the only scratches she has from him are very well deserved.

He will even eat out of Abby's hand. I love this little rabbit.

Sunday Dinners

2010-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

Mike and I have been watching the food network a lot lately and Mike has decided he is going to become a Master Chef or at least take over Sunday Dinners! I love it, he started two weeks ago. He plans the meal, shops for the food, and then we cook it together. It takes the pressure
off of me on Sunday and we have a lot of fun doing it as well. I can't wait till this weeks dinner.

Snow day and Sad Day!

2010-01-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

We finally got some snow to stick right before Christmas and sadly enough this was the first real time the kids got to put on all their gear and go play in it.

I found this snow suit at a garage sale this summer, it was Germany and it worked so well!

Michael was nervous but he finally got into it when we the buckets come out. He even got his baseball tee out and hit balls- just a little hard to find the white ball in all that snow!

When all else fails and you get hungry-eat snow!!

This day was really great. I just wish it had ended better. After taking pictures of the kids I came in to start dinner. Davis refused to sleep and was crying in his crib so I went to get him. He was so fussy but I had to work on dinner so I set him down for a bit and his grabby little fingers reached up over the counter and pulled off my camera onto the floor. Not good news- my new lens was cracked all along the side. I just sat on the couch and cried. When Mike got home he was really nervous to see me cry because he thought someone had died. I guess Davis nearly lost his life after that stunt, but I couldn't even be mad at him because he just kept looking up at me with those big blue eyes wondering what had just happened. We will see what the damage is when the lens company calls me this week- cross your fingers for at least some good news!

Crowley Christmas!

2009-12-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Christmas starting with Christmas Eve at my parents home with siblings and cousins. Pictures soon to come. On Christmas morning it was just our little family. We let the kids take their time opening gifts and took a long break in the middle to eat breakfast. This year was so fun now that the kids really get what is going on. Abby kept telling everyone she was on the nice list and at the "top of the nice" list. I made them each a cape- Cars for Michael and Dora/Princess for Abby. We finished the day off with dinner at my sister Trevi's house and a movie that night. It was really a great Christmas!

tired Davis on Christmas Eve!

Abby leaving cookies for Santa and she insisted on chocolate milk!

Abby and her Dora Cape and Dora doll.

I love his face when he sees the cars cape!

A funny story about Christmas morning was that Michael came into our bed around 8 or so I thought. He was restless in our bed so I told Mike to put him in the tub. Mike was pretty grouchy and so was Michael. I thought it was strange when Mike said he was going to lay down in bed with Michael after the tub because all of the other kids would be getting up really soon but I didn't say anything. We were all so tired from staying up late. I fell back to sleep then heard Davis crying. I looked at the clock and freaked out because it said 10:00. For some reason I had thought Mike had ended up going upstairs to watch a show and wait for the other kids and I was thinking he was still waiting for us 2 hours later. I rush out of bed and got dressed, got Davis, and then realize it is still dark out. I went and looked at another clock and it said 6:30. What the heck. The power went out late that night and it messed our clocks up, so poor Michael was put in the bath tub at 4am. and I was ready to open presents at 6:30am. This picture is of Davis and I awake at 6:30am. I did get him back to sleep and poor Mike and Michael slept till 9:00. I was so tired Christmas morning from all the time confusion but we did eventually open presents!

Family Session

2009-12-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

This sweet family in our ward braved the cold to get their family pictures done before they took their daughter to Salt Lake City for heart surgery. She is such a cutie and did great in surgery! I am glad we got these in before it got any colder!!

Baby Jenna

2009-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Our friends long awaited baby has finally arrived and I had the privilege to photograph her. She is a beautiful little girl and we are so excited for their family. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Birthday Boys!!

2009-12-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

November is such a busy month for us we start with our anniversary on the 21st then Davis's Birthday on the 24th, Michael's Birthday on the 25th, then end with Thanksgiving. We went to Utah for a great Thanksgiving weekend so we decided to celebrate birthdays when we got home. I don't know how I am going do this birthday thing in the future because I do want them to have their own special day but for now they get to share the day!! We will take it year by year. Michael really wanted to have a cars party so we went with that theme. We invited Grandma and Grandpa as well as our fabulous neighbors the Clements. Michael adores their two boys, Abby is the same age as their Kensignton, and what really makes it fun is that Kathleen and I had our babies on the same day--One year ago. We had the same doctor and the same hospital, but she did beat me by 30 mins and she had a baby girl- Aniston. It was really great to have someone going through all the same things as me and now it is so fun to see our little ones grow up together. We hope that we have them as neighbors for a long time and I won't mind if Davis dated Aniston some day--she is such a cutie!!

Thanks to my friend Becca for the cake idea- I saw it on her blog. Her 3 year old and Michael are only a couple weeks apart!

Michael's favorite friend Carter from across the street. Carter picked out this fabric and Kathleen wipped this blanket together for Michael and he was really excited!

Davis's favorite gift--the packaging!

So clean before the cake

Little Aniston didn't want to get dirty unlike my Davis who had a blast!!

Our little walkers.

Happy Birthday Michael, Davis, and Aniston!!!!

Here he comes

2009-12-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

Davis has been taking a couple steps here and there for awhile, but just this week it seems he does more walking than crawling even though he is a bit unstable still. He gets so excited and so do the kids when he does it! He loves when we chase him up the stairs. He stops every few steps and looks back to make sure we are there then does this cute little smile and keeps on going. We love our little Hurricane D!

Marshmallows

2009-11-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Last night Abby wanted marshmallows but she had already had a treat and it was getting close to bedtime, so I said no. She kept asking and asking and I told her that if she asked again she was going straight to bed. She just couldn't resist whispering it to Mike thinking it was somehow different than asking me, so it was to bed. When we were brushing her teeth she exclaims through her tears that "marshmallows would make her feelings happy." We are so mean!

The next morning she had not forgotten and tells me "I get marshmallows after breakfast" I asked her if dad had said that and she confidently says, "no, Abby said that" and she said it as if that was as powerful as Dad or Mom saying she could. Got love her, I hope her feelings are happy today!

Halloween

2009-11-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

Its tradition to go to my Mom and Dad's for Chili and corn bread. This year it was just our family and my brother Taylor's family which was still fun. The kids had a great time and really got the hang of trick or treating this year!!

My brother and SIL, Taylor and Kysa

Michael's 1st BYU Football Game

2009-10-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, Michael was born during the BYU vs Utah football game 3 years ago--it was the one where BYU won on the last play of the game! Then 2 weeks later we moved to Boise and the next month was where BSU won the Fiesta bowl vs Oklahoma--in what is widely regarded as the best college bowl game of all time!
So what i'm trying to say is Michael's life has a rich history of quality college football games. With that in mind and seeing how ESPN's College Game Day (a show that we watch every Saturday morning during the football season) was going to be in Provo for the 1st time ever, I decided that it was a good time for Michael to take in his first game.
Although BYU lost, it was an exceptional trip! Michael was so excited and it was priceless to see and hear him cheer at the game!

Linder Farms Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

We went to this little pumpkin patch with a preschool group from my neighborhood. The kids were really excited. On the hay ride they spotted white pumpkins and when it was time to pick one out Abby insisted on walking all the way back to the white ones!! I am not sure it was worth the walk but Abby definitely has her own style as you can see here. When she saw this picture she said "Mom I look like a movie star!"

Davis, happy as ever to just hang out! He is such a good baby.

They had this mini hay maze for the kids which was really fun for them.

Along with the sun glasses she had to bring "Blackie" her cat to enjoy the fun.

I am not sure that the kids were supposed to be on this tracker, but oh well. I think it was Michael's favorite part of the day.

More Orchard Picts.

2009-10-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

These are a few that I took the day we went to the Orchard!

My sister took these two and they are some of my favorites so I had to edit and add them.