The Grondels

October come and gone.

2011-11-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

BUBBLES!

Tates first time having rice cereal.

I set Tate on the floor in McKay's room so I could help McKay get dressed. I turned my head for a second and when I turned back Tate was gone! I could hear him chattering and this is where I found him. Under the train table.

Pumpkin carving for Halloween.

McKay was a scary ghost!

Scary ghost and ferocious tiger.

Tate was helping me to the dishes. He thought he as pretty cool.

McKay's big 3!

2011-10-15T23:42:00.000-06:00

McKay turned 3!!! These are a few pictures from his birthday party. He wanted a Thomas cake and so Dad made him one. It was a coincidence that his piñata was Thomas as well. He got a lot of gifts and it was a riot watching the kids (and Cori) hit the piñata.

No sense in playing catch up.

2011-10-15T23:37:00.001-06:00

Whenever I have a second to blog I think “I can’t post that yet because I have to still catch up on things from July.” Well I have decided there is no sense in playing catch up or else I will never actually blog and my list of things to catch up on will just get longer and longer.

In September we had the Daniels family pictures taken. My cousin did them for us and I think that turned out pretty cute. I have not posted them until now because my mom made me swear I would not post them until she could make copies to take to work.

I LOVE McKay's face!

I love the weekends not only because I do not have to go to work but because I get to play with my boys. McKay is growing up so fast and he has a mind like a steel trap. He remembers everything. We spent last weekend visiting my brother and his family. We went to their church on Sunday and when I went to take McKay to nursery there was only one teacher and 8 or 9 kids so I decided to stay. Another little boy had a toy McKay wanted so the teacher said “when he is done he will put it down and go find another toy, then you can have it.” McKay went and played with some other toys and as soon as that kid put the toy down McKay went and picked the toy up and said. “He put it down I can play with it now.” He is such a good little boy!!! Another funny story (my mom will probably kill me when she reads this) My mom was staying at my brothers house with us and one morning McKay woke up early so he went and crawled in bed with my mom. He was talking to her and she was just saying “m-uh” or nodding and shaking her head in response to his chatter. McKay stopped talking and said “talk grandma” she said “I can’t” he asked her why and she told him it was because she had bad breathe. The next morning he crawled into bed with her and said “you have bad breathe grandma?” He is so cute.

Tate was so happy I decided to borrow my mom’s camera and snap a few shots.

Last Halloween when we were Trick-or-treating Porter said something about something he had done in school and McKay said “I need school” it was hilarious. Well he is still not enrolled in any school BUT he did get a small taste this last weekend when he went with Porter and his class on a field trip to the pumpkin patch.

I can tell McKay is growing up because he plays better and better with Porter each time we see them. This is them getting ready to cruise the vard in Porters little red sports car.

Where does the time go? My baby will be six months this month!!!!!

Til next time . . .

Out of Order

2011-09-10T10:54:00.000-06:00

I still need to catch up on Tate's blessing, McKay's Birthday, Camping, and other such events but I have a few spare minutes and wanted to post Tate's 4 month stats.

Length: 26.02 inches

Weight 15 lbs 5.5 ounces

Head Circ. 42.7

He is growing SUPER fast!

He loves to watch his older brother run, play, yell, eat he pretty much just loves watching himdto everything.

He started rolling over from his back to front August 16th ( at least that is the first time I saw it)

He is very aware of his surroundings. He has the most beautiful eyes and LOVES to smile!

Tater Bug

2011-07-01T17:24:00.000-06:00

I have said it before and I will say it again . . . They grow up TOO fast!

2 months stats-

Length: 23.54 inches

Weight: 12 lbs 10 ounces

Head Circ: 39.8 cm

Eva Grace

2011-06-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

We got to go see our niece Eva Grace get blessed this past weekend. It was a really good experience for me. I was listening to the speakers and I just kept thinking about my family. I am so lucky!!! I have 2 beautiful and healthy children. I have a wonderful husband that loves me and the boys. I have been blessed to be born into an amazing family and I have been blessed to have married into an awesome family! I have the gospel in my life and have a testimony of it. I know that families are a part of His plan. I hope that I can treasure every moment!

Porter and McKay

Tate and Eva

My brother and his cute family.

1 MONTH!!!

2011-05-30T14:42:00.001-06:00

They grow up so fast.

4 weeks exactly!

Tator in the tub.

McKay gets to wear glasses. We took him to the eye doctor and he has a well controlled intermittent extropia and astigmatic ansiometropia. So in English he has a lazy eye and blurred vision. He GETS to wear glasses. The hope is that the glasses will improve it and maybe prevent extensive treatment in the future. He may have to wear a patch. Our next visit is in 4 months so hopefully they will improve by then. But doesn't he look so stinkin' cute?!

This weekend we got to do a lot of fun things as a family. McKay has been into Thomas for the last little while. He could play with trains all day long! So when we heard that Thomas was coming to Utah we had to go. They had lots of fun activities like tattoos, mini golf, train tables to play with, balloon animals, and even a ride on Thomas!

Saturday Dave went fishing in the morning while McKay and I went to a parade. Then we spent the rest of the day at the festival and enjoying the company of my family. (I forgot to get out the camera sorry :( )

One Year Later

2011-05-24T12:50:00.000-06:00

Before-All the Appliances were gone when we bought the house.

After

Kitchen/Dining-Before

After

Bathroom 1- Before

Bathroom 1-Before

Bathroom 1-After

Front Room-Before

Front Room After

New Carpet and Kitchen Flooring

Under Construction

Nasty Carpet.

New Carpet

Front Flower Beds

There are no pictures of our bedroom/bathroom or office because they are currently under reconstruction to accomadate for Baby Tate. There are also no pictures of the McKay's room, the laundry or basement they will be in another post hopefully not another year!

Tate Merrill Grondel

2011-05-18T13:07:00.002-06:00

Don't I look adorable.

Just a few min. old.

My three boys.

Amazing!

McKay was so excited to hold his baby brother!

First bath

Tate and Ammon born the same day.

My favorite picture. McKay is always so full of kisses.

Happenings in April

2011-05-17T19:19:00.001-06:00

Some fun Easter Treats McKay and I made.

Easter was really enjoyable this year. McKay was able to do a few Easter egg hunts. The first one was at the Layton Park. They had a lot of eggs and McKay was a pro at collecting them. Then Grandma and Grandpa Grondel put one on for the little kids. McKay was really excited because he got Scooby Doo fruit snacks.

Almost 40 weeks Pregnant.

3 days after due date.

The last one was at Grandma and Grandpa Daniels back yard. There was money in the some of the eggs. There was even one with a 5 dollar bill and one with a 1 dollar bill and McKay got both of them!

One tradition that I throughly enjoy is coloring Easter eggs. It was a little more fun this year because McKay knew a little more of what was going on.

Easter morning the Easter bunny left more than a basket full of stuff for McKay!

Tate's due date was April 20th, My graduation commencement was scheduled for the 22nd. At every appointment my doctor was convinced I was not going to make it unitl my graduation. As the due date got closer and closer Tate was kind of showing sugns he had no intent of coming out. SO . . . Good news I was able to walk for graduation!!! I am finished with school (well for now) I got my bachelors in nursing. A week past my due date Tate was still showing no signs of coming out.

SO . . . I was induced on the 27th a week after his due date. It was a slow progression at first but then took off and Tate Merrill Grondel was born at 5:15pm. That's not all. My sister in law who was due May 1st went into labor that same morning and her little Ammon was born about 30 min after Tate. It was really fun to have everyone there.

Very Merry Unbirthday

2011-03-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

Dave surprised McKay and I and took us to see Disney on Ice. McKay loved it but an hour is long enough for a 2 year at 8:30 at night. It was enjoyable to get out and do something as a family.

Then on Sunday Dave made a cake to celebrate our unbirthday’s McKay got to choose the blue frosting. It was really yummy!

Dave is an excellent husband and father and we are so grateful for him!!!!

Palooza!

2011-02-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to the Winterpalooza. They had bounce houses, reptiles and other creatures, face painting, clowns and other fun things to look at.

I thought McKay would be scared of the reptiles but he loved them! He kept wanting to go back and pet them over and over.

We also got to celebrate my dad's birthday! He is such an amzing father and grandfather. McKay loves to go to Papa Daniels house. Papa always has treats to share and lots of fun toys to play with. Happy birthday dad even if it is a little late! We LOVE you!!!

Holidays

2011-01-16T16:32:00.002-07:00

This holiday season was wonderful. We seriously could not have asked for much better. We were able to spend time with family, have a break from work and school and even take a short road trip. We started off by heading down to Arizona. We took our time to get down there and just had an enjoyable trip. We stopped in Las Vegas and stayed at Circus Circus. McKay got to ride on a few rides and dad even won him a stuffed frog. The next day we stopped at the London Bridge in Havasu Az. We finally made it to Tempe. We spent the rest of the week in Az with family. We played games, went shopping and just visited. We celebrated Grandma and Grandpa Merrill’s 60^th wedding anniversary!!! Wah who!!! It was fun listening to stories about their lives together. They have created such a wonderful legacy for all of us. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. We drove home on the 23^rd of December. Christmas Eve we spent with the Daniels family. We played games and went caroling followed up by our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, steak, shrimp, salad and potatoes on the fine china. I have to throw in this funny story about McKay. We were out caroling and there was a bird house on someone porch. Trish was talking to Porter about how he had built one in school. McKay looked at the bird house, looked Porter and then turned around and said, “I need school”. Ha ha it was so funny I guess it is time for us to start looking for a school for McKay. Christmas Morning was also spent at the Daniels. It was fun watching McKay and Porter open all their presents; they were so excited about EVERYTHING they got. Santa Clause spoiled all of us!!!! Then we came home and spent Christmas evening with the Grondels and our being spoiled continued! By the time it was time to open presents McKay was pretty tired of opening presents and had no interest at all. He just wanted to play with all his new toys.

London Bridge

The buildings at Lake Havasu

Dave and McKay posing for the camera

Performing their duet.

Christmas PJ's!

Everyone was telling them to put their arms around eachothers necks and this is what we got.

Christmas is Coming!

2010-12-14T19:01:00.002-07:00

A tradition we have is to make Gingerbread houses with the Grondel's.

Look at all those Yummy treats!

McKay couldn't help it. It took a few bites a long the way.

He concentrated so hard.

Finished product.

His was such a masterpiece he had to help Aunt Kristen as well.

The creative minds are hard at work.

I love Christmas lights! I could look at them forever. We were able to go to Temple Square and look at all the lights. This orange tree was Dave's favorite. It was pretty sweet. McKay liked the lights but he seemed to be more interested in the water. He had to stop and look at every water feature along the way.

Christmas is COMING!
(Scroll down there are a few more post)

The Festivities

2010-12-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving Dave and I go with my parents to find a Christmas Tree in the mountains. This year we were able to get a taller tree than normal. Every year I have a hard time finding "the perfect" tree. This year so no exception. It is almost like I expect a light to be shining on the tree and just know that is the one. Unfortunately that is not how it happens, but we get a perfect tree every year anyway.

The seacrh for the tree is always fun. This year Mckay walked around in the snow with us. It went up to his waist in someplaces but he kept treking.

Daddy burried McKay in the snow. Then he showed him how to slide down the hill.

We finally found it!!!

McKay laid down in the snow and said "I'm tired mom, carry me." He did really well and made it clear 'til the end.

After tree "hunting" McKay got to ride a pony. He wanted to ride with no hands. He is too brave sometimes.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks giving this year was wonderful! We had amazing company and amazing food!

Cute turkey cupcakes Aunt Kristen made.

This face is priceless!

We have so much to be thanksful for! We have wonderful family and friends.

Halloween

2010-11-12T21:01:00.001-07:00

We decorated cookies. McKay concentrated very hard!

Favorite part is the frosting. Of Course.

Finished product

Aw cute!

Dinosaur "GRR"

He had to show me his tail. "Mommy pcture tail"

McKay LOVES Halloween. He had to say good night to the pumpkins and skeltons every night. He seriously could not get enough of it. We took him Trick-ot-Treating and he just wanted to keep going and going (even though it was raining) He loved all the decorations. Sometimes he would say I'm scared" and start pretend shaking it was so cute.

pu gnihtac

2010-11-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

If I tried to tell you about everything that has happened since my last post we would both be here FOREVER. So I am going to give you a quick break down of everything that has been preventing me from blogging.

School- Dave and I both started school in August. I am attending the Bachelors of Nursing program at Weber State. It is actually a pretty good program and I only meet on campus every three weeks, the rest of the time is all online work. Dave is going full time in general courses. McKay is not is school yet.

Work- I am working full time at the care center during the days. I really have no set schedule and which drives me CRAZY!!! Luckily I have an amazing mother in law who watches McKay while I work and go to school. Dave still works at Proxresion marketing, he works full time and is gone every night until 9:20 or so.

Okay everything that has happened since my last post in August:

We worked on our new house, inside and out, every spare moment we had . I wanted to post some before and after pictures but I wanted to wait til it was all done but if I do that it could be a year or two.

Nate(Dave’s lil’ bro) got married to a wonderful gal named Cori.

We celebrated my birthday.

We got to go visit my brother and his cute little family in Wyoming. (They are expecting baby number two in the Spring! YEA)

The BEST thing that has happened: We found out we are pregnant with a little baby boy!!!

Not quite finished but I decided to post what I have. More pictures to follow shortly!

Ghost

2010-08-15T16:47:00.001-06:00

McKay is growing up, I sound so repetitive but it is true. He is starting to put sentences together and he sounds like a big boy. He is so cute! He knows what he wants:

The other day I was getting some socks out of my drawer and McKay saw a pair of ghost socks. He took them out from the drawer and kept saying, “ghost, ghost”. Then he said “ghost, on feet” so we put them on. He wore them all around the house and when it was time to go to bed I started to take them off and he threw a HUGE fit. So I left them on and he slept that way all night.

McKay David Grondel

2010-07-25T14:19:00.000-06:00

Today is Mckay’s 2nd birthday!

Here are a few of the things McKay enjoys doing.

He loves to play outside, whether it be mowing the lawn, gardening, rearranging rocks, or riding his tractor, it is always a HUGE fight to get him to come inside.

He is a BIG helper and always has to be in the action.

He has one speed and one speed only and that is run. He literally runs everywhere he goes.

He is a water baby. If he could spend his day outside in the water he would be completely satisfied.

He loves animals.

When everyone else is laughing he always joins in with a good hardy fake laugh.

He loves “saurs”(dinosaurs), trucks and DRAGONS.

His vocabulary has really developed and I am often times impressed by the things he picks up on.

His most favorite thing to do is give raspberries kisses to anyone who will let him get close.

July 2008

July 2009

July 2010

The Simple Life

2010-07-16T15:29:00.000-06:00

McKay got to take a trip to see Grandma and Grandpa Merrill with Mama and Papa Grondel. Penny took lots of pictures but unfortunately left her camera cord in AZ. So we will all have to wait to see those.

McKay was only home a short while when we left to go camping with my family. The time we spent on the mountain just reminded me how important the small things are. The mountain air, the animals, the camp fire and good company just make the time so sweet.

McKay is THE cutest kid! We were going for a ride and my dad pointed out a deer. This is how our conversation went.

Me: “I see it”

McKay “I see it”

Me “O’ no you don’t” (It was too far away)

McKay “ I doooo”

Short Pause then McKay says “A buck!”

It was hilarious. He is learning to speak so well. He picks up on a lot and everyday he learns new words.

Fiahing with Grandpa

CAUGHT ONE!

He loved the fish.

McKay thought the fish were so cool. He kept wanting to touch them and hold them. When my dad started to cut into the fish to clean it McKay started to get upet. He kpet saying "Ouchy Fishy"

Attempting to clean a little dirt off before bed time, I got the tub out just to have warm water to clean his body off with a wash rag. I never intended for him to climb in. But he insisted he take a bath so in he climbed.

We even played a mean game of mountain kick ball.

McKay loved being outdoors, he ran around literally all day long. He played in the dirt, played with the dog, played with the older kids. And then of course he slept like a rock at night. He loved the fire and having open range! We will definitely have to keep up this summer tradition.

Swimming in Park City

I love this picture. McKay just woke up from a nap and his hair was CRAZY. Then it only took two seconds to get his face and hands covered in dirt.

Happenings

2010-06-17T14:21:00.000-06:00

As many of you have probably guessed that is not really a picture of our house. Our house is much smaller and not as nice, but maybe someday we will have an old Victorian Style house similar to that one.

We have moved all of our belongings to our house and are slowly putting things in places. We repainted the whole upstairs and got new carpet and new kitchen flooring. We have made a million small repairs and there still seems to be many more that need to be made. The yard needed some serious TLC. We have tended to the yard here and there as the weather has permitted, but yet again it still needs some work. Although I have to say the house and yard do look a million times better. It is coming along slowly but surely.

Since we have been SUPER busy with the house, plus we just got the internet hooked up, I haven’t posted a blog in a while; I decided instead of trying to catch up with all the stories and such I will just pick a few of my favorite pictures of the happenings over the last month or so.

Riding the Trax to see Grandma Price

We made it!

I love this picture. He was just relaxing waiting for his food.

Dave's softball season started again. He plays Monday and Wednesday nights.

McKay helping the lady sweep at Maddox.

McKay's cheesy smile.

This kid loves WATER!

I guess he couldn't find the movie he was looking for.

Oops

Ridin the tractor down the hill.

McKay helping Daddy mow the lawn.

Trying really hard not to let the hat fall off.

Finally

2010-05-12T22:03:00.003-06:00

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!

What do you think?

Ladies in my life

2010-05-09T13:58:00.000-06:00

I wish I was a better writer. I want so bad to portray my feelings and emotions in the words that I write. Maybe the more I practice the better it will get. I can hope right?

That being said I would like to honor the mothers in my life with this Mother’s Day post. First I would like to tell you about my mother. Her name is Eva and she is the most wonderful person and I could only aspire to be half the women that she is. She was always a wonderful mother and friend. As I watched her interact with my brothers it was always with amazement. She is so patient. She is forgiving and non judgmental. People naturally feel comfortable around her because she is so accepting. She is intelligent, and well educated both spiritually and secularly. Most of all I admire her relationship with her Heavenly Father, she has had trials in her life but she always seem to tackle her challenges with her head up and a desire to endure. She relies on her Heavenly Father and she has a strong testimony of her Savior. She taught me all growing up and continues to show me through example how important that relationship is. She has taught me to be a mother and wife. I love you mom and am glad you got stuck with me!

My second mother is Penny. Penny is the most selfless person. She is always first to help in any way possible. She is willing to do anything for anyone but especially her family. In the short three years I have known her she has shown me how important families are. She has taught me to give and give and never expect anything in return. She also has a testimony of Heavenly Father and has sacrificed a lot to live the gospel and have it be a part of her life. Thank you Penny for accepting me into your life and family with open arms!

My grandma’s (Yes including you Grandma Merrill), are examples to me.

Grandma Price never has a mean thing to say about anyone. She is so positive and uplifting. She is an example of enduring with a positive outlook.

Grandma Daniels is so much fun. I enjoyed spending time with her when I was at school and miss those talks we used to share about genealogy and family history.

Grandma Merrill has always accepted me as her own. I never feel like a stranger in her house. She is an amazing lady and I have enjoyed spending time with her.

Thanks you so much grandma’s for raising wonderful children!!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful women in my life!

The Little GUY

2010-04-25T13:14:00.001-06:00

McKay is SO stinkin ' cute!!! Here are a few of my favorite recent things.

McKay loves to take a bath. The other day I was sitting on the living room floor and he was in his room playing. He brings me his rubber ducks and says "BAF" "BAF" Then he grabs my hand and grunts while trying to pull me up still continuing to say "BAF" "BAF".

McKay went to a birthday party the other day and there was a Tonka truck there. I am not talking the little plastic trucks this was a HUGE metal truck. Really heavy. McKay carried it around everywhere with him. He even tried to hold it while he was riding a bike! It was hilarious. He eventually chose the truck over the bike.

McKay wanted to read a book so he brought it to me. Then he went and got his lawn mower he tried and tried, grunted and talked gibberish while he tried to put the lawn mower on my lap. For some reason he wanted it on my lap with him. He then decided it might be easier to pull it up if he got on first. He was successful so we read a few pages with McKay and the mower on my lap.

After it rained the other day we went outside to get some fresh air. McKay could not resist the puddles it was like he was magnetized to them. It took a lot of restraint on my part to just let him play. I decided what the heck, a bath can clean him off in a hurry. Then I started thinking back to when I was younger, my brothers and I would find all the worms we could after it rained. I looked in the gutter and sure enough there were plenty of worms. I picked one up and showed it to McKay. He got a huge smile on his face and said “SNAKE” I tried to explain to him that it was a worm but he is 1 ½ and just didn’t care. They were the coolest things in the world to him.

Sometimes I forget how much McKay understands and hears. Pretty much everything I say McKay repeats. I love it when he says new words. This is an exciting time in life!!!!

Up Up and Away!

2010-04-17T12:39:00.000-06:00

It is a rare experience for Dave and I to have the same day off. This Thursday we got to spend the entire day together! We started the day off by just enjoying each others company at home. Then we drove to Morgan and took a plane ride. Dave’s sister and her husband own a plane and they offered to take us for a ride. It was really fun. Dave and Aaron went on a flight first.

McKay really liked watching them take off and land. He knew DADDY was in the plane. Then it was our turn. McKay was a little nervous at first and just sat still not really moving. He loosened up a little towards the end. Even though Aaron put a couple booster seats underneath him I don’t think he could see out and so he really didn’t grasp that he was in the airplane it probably just felt like a car ride to him.

At the hanger they have a bunch of cool stuff like an old car, a boat, a couple airplanes. One of the airplanes was built just for little kids, it doesn’t have an engine but it has a control panel and control stick.

We put McKay in and were just going to push him around but he was not too thrilled and just wanted out. (In his defense he had just woken up).

This was a forest service fire plane that was at the airport.

They let us climb in and take a look.

It holds about 14 people.

Look at all the buttons.

After we left Morgan we had a picnic at the park. Probably not the best idea McKay ate about three bites and then was off to play. We had so much fun playing on the playground and swinging. Dave even tried to teach McKay how to roll down the hill. Dave rolled first and I wanted to record but he made me promise I wouldn't.

McKay was exhausted after that so it was nap time. We finished the day off playing games at grandma and grandpa Grondels house. I love days like this, it is easy to forget all the other things that are going on in life and just enjoy my boys!

Read on there is another posy down below.

EASTER!

2010-04-17T12:13:00.000-06:00

This is a little late. I forgot I had these pictures on the camera. Easter went really fast this year and I feel like we didn’t really do anything for it. On Saturday I would have loved to take McKay to an Easter egg hunt but was unable to because I had to work. Even if I didn’t work we still probably wouldn’t have gone because the weather was nasty. Dave and McKay stayed home and colored Easter eggs. From the pictures it looks like they had a great time.

McKay mostly just wanted to drink the “juice” Sunday morning there was a basket for McKay but it didn’t have any Easter candy just toys.

No basket for Dave or me. Maybe we were naughty I am not really sure how that works. Is it like Santa and if you are bad you don’t get anything? For dinner we went to the Grondels house but I again had to go to work that night. We usually have an Easter egg roll down the Grondel’s steep driveway but we postponed it until the week after Easter. The best part about Easter is general conference. It was really enjoyable to just sit at home with Dave and McKay and watch conference. There were a lot of really good talks and it seemed like the common theme was family. I have been thinking about that a lot lately I feel I am seriously lacking in the good mom category. So I have been trying to spend more quality time with McKay. Sometimes I get caught up in all the things that I have to get done ie clean the house, laundry, homework, work, cook and so on, that I forget to just slow down and enjoy McKay. I have been a lot better but sometimes I still have to remind myself that I need to stop everything else and just spend time with McKay. All those other things can wait.

The End of The Week

2010-04-05T16:02:00.000-06:00

Our spring break wasn’t over yet! Kevin, Trish and Porter came to visit. (yeah!) My dad took us to the ZOO on Friday. When McKay and I left the house it was warm and sun shining, by the time we got to the ZOO it was a little nippy out, it even started snowing but we still had a blast. I probably don’t even have to say it but McKay LOVED the ZOO!!! His favorite part was being able to run free, the animals were just a bonus.

He is bigger than the infant gorilla.

This lasted about 2 seconds.

Taking in the sun . . . o wait there wasn't one.

Fish.

Crazy snake slide. Too much traction, you literally had to crawl out of it.

JEB

Whoa!

Peek-a-Boo

Spring Break!!!!

2010-03-24T16:01:00.002-06:00

We traveled 12 hours to Arizona for Spring Break this year. BUT it was worth every minute! We left Sunday morning and arrived late that night. We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Merrill’s house.

On Monday we hung around the house and enjoyed being outdoors. McKay was born to be outside and it was a fight to get him to come in.

Helping with yard work.

Check out this sweet mower.

Grandma and Grandpa have a swimming pool in their backyard and McKay kept asking to get into the “baf” but we couldn’t let him cause the water was still cold. Tuesday we went for a hike in the South Mountains. It was absolutely beautiful and green. McKay wanted to pick up all the rocks, but after filling his pockets he was satisfied.

The whole crew.

When we got back to grandmas house Melissa and Aaron wanted to go for a swim. Since they were in the water McKay was convinced he had to get in too. The water was still cold but he played on the steps with a little tug boat grandma dug up, it was the same one Dave used to play with when he was little.

Uncle Aaron and McKay.

Wednesday we went to Tempe marketplace, the outdoor mall, and had lunch. After lunch Me, Dave, Logan, Grant and Mike went golfing. I came in last but it was a personal best for me. Grandma,Grandpa, Jamie and Lorie were slaving away all day making a St. Patrick’s day feast. Corn beef, cabbage,and chicken with green koolaide. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!

The rest of the time we went to the park, for walks, out to dinner and just had an amazing time visiting with family!

Chels and McKay going for a walk.

Grandma even found some mini books. Just the right size!

I love this picture. He is doing his fake laugh. HILARIOUS!

Playing dress up.

First kiss!

Grandma showing McKay how the turtle works.

McKay was scared of Grant at first and would not go to him. He warmed up after a while and Dave had to get a picture.

McKay and Grandpa were throwing the feather in the air and watching it fly.

They were both having so much fun!

The binkie twins.

McKay giving grandma some suga.

SPECIAL ED

2010-03-10T13:53:00.003-07:00

On Monday we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. Dave put a bike helmet on McKay. After several failed attempts to get McKay to take it off we ended up buying it. He wore it the rest of the day!!! Dave called him the special ed child cause he literally wore it EVERYWHERE!

Adjusting his helmet.

In the car seat he is not asleep he just had to lean his head foward so his helmet would fit.

We stopped at Great Harvest to get a little snack.

Finally riding his bike.

At the park.

It was probably a good thing he had his helmet on this time cause he didn't wait for me and literally flew off the end of the slide! But his trusty helmet was there to save the day.

There was also a tube slide at this park and McKay had no fear and came shooting head first out of it. I told him to try it again so he climbed all the way up and then stood there and yelled stuff down to me. It was almost like he was saying that he was not going down head first again. It was hilarious!

McKay is such a character! He always has so much to say and he says it like he knows exactly what he is talking about I really enjoy our conversations!

Finally Warm!

2010-02-28T14:08:00.002-07:00

It was finally warm enough to play outside. McKay and I spent Saturday afternoon at my Aunt Liss’s house playing outside. We jumped on the trampoline, played basketball, wrote with sidewalk chalk, played a version of tennis and catch. I CAN”T WAIT TIL SUMMER!!!

He found the perfect little seat.

One just wasn't enough.

We celebrated Kristen’s birthday last Sunday.

McKay loved playing with the balloons.

He tried on the apron Kristen got from Grandma.

Isn't he cute?

Being CRAZY.

Valentines Day

2010-02-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

I have to say I am normally not a person that loves Valentines Day. This year was different I wasn’t expecting anything but I got WAY more than I deserved!

First my Dad sent me a bouquet of flowers. They were absolutely beautiful. It was a really nice surprise.

Then on Saturday Dave called me from work asking what I was doing. He had planned out the whole evening. I met him in SLC so we could go to a movie, Valentines Day. After the movie we went over to the food court to get a little treat. Dave pulled a present out of his pocket, it was pearls; a necklace, earrings, and bracelet. They were stunning!!!

Then we drove to Brigham City/Perry to Maddox, we meant Dave’s brother Mike his wife Nicole and their baby Maddie. It was delicious, as always.
Sunday we invited ourselves over to Dave’s parents house for dinner. After dinner Dave’s parents had Valentines gifts for everyone. Penny made McKay a super cute pillow case with his name on it. Dave and I got Toffee (mmm), mine was without chocolate(YES).

Like I said, WAY too much. It was a wonderful weekend! Thank you everyone!

McKay playing with grandpa.

I must have been post happy, there are several new post so scroll on!

Super Bowl

2010-02-15T22:03:00.002-07:00

We had a super bowl party at the Grondel’s this year. There was TONS of yummy food! Unfortunately I could not partake.

I had an oral tissue graft on Friday evening and so I was on a soft diet, which did not include, raw veggies, chips, candy or anything remotely appetizing. (Yes I even had to miss a whole week of my cold breakfast cereal, devastating I know!) Basically the only thing I could eat was soup which is probably the last thing I would choose to eat. I have the most wonderful husband and he made sure there was food there I could eat. I made a meal out of meatballs and fruit smoothies. Needless to say that was the best chow I had in a week.

Madeline is not very happy : (

McKay had enough football so we went and played with toys instead.

The little fireball

2010-02-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents house to watch the Jazz vs. LA Clippers and eat ice cream. McKay was a little fireball. My mom let him hold a bag of chips in his lap while he was watching the game. The next thing I know he dumped them all out in the chair next to him just eating away.

He was very careful not to crush them.

My parents have been remodeling their kitchen and they had to clean out the china cabinet so they could move it. McKay thought it was the coolest hut ever!

He would climb in, shut the door and just sit.

McKay's most recent fight with the sidewalk. It never bruised or bumped it just stayed like this for a few days and then went away.

McKay's hair is getting SO long!

Wide Open Spaces

2010-02-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I really have a wonderful life with the two best guys a girl could ask for! McKay and I went to the park a few times this week. He loves the park because he can run free, with no restrictions. At the park they have a mini playground designed for little people, such as McKay and then a bigger one over yonder directed more to the older children. Of course McKay plays on the little one for a bit but as soon as he remembers where the big one he is off. There are usually older kids playing on it and so he trys to mimic them. I had to stop him a few times from just stepping right off the equipoment from the highest point, following one of the older kids!!!!

Swinging all by himself!

He always tries to climb up.

He is off!

How it happened.

2010-02-15T18:07:00.004-07:00

For Valentines Day I wanted to let Dave know how much I love him. I decided I would do a post dedicated to us. I must warn you it might be a little boring for those who are not involved, ie Dave and I. So feel free to skip!
When and Where did you meet? Dave and I met in a singles ward in Layton. It was created specifically for the Layton East Stake. Heather Hollow Ward. Dave was serving as the Elders quorum president and assigned himself my home teacher. One time he came to visit me and he was asking me about my plans for the future. I told him that I was only planning on living there temporarily. He was completely devastated. Needless to say I ended up staying in the ward.

Who asked Who on the first date and what did you do?

Dave asked me on the first date. We ate at Corbin’s in Layton.

It was really good food and I discovered Dave and I had a few things in common, we both like asparagus. After dinner Dave told me he had a stake tournament basketball game. So I went to cheer him on. While there I informally met his parents. His dad was kicked out of the game for talking back to the referee, which I later found out he actually said nothing it was Braden Godfrey (Nate’s friend). They were playing against another Layton stake and a crazy guy ripped off his shirt. After the game Dave asked if I still wanted to hang out or call it a night. I really wanted to hang out but didn’t want to seem desperate so I just said I didn’t know. Dave said he would go home and get cleaned dup and then give me a call. He did and he suggested we just call it a night. I was devastated!

When and where was your first kiss?

Dave had spoken several times about how he was an AMAZING kisser. He was probably saying that trying to instill in me the desire to kiss him, when in all actuality it did the opposite. After we had our 1st DTR (define the relationship) talk our conversation went a little like this.

“Now that you are my girlfriend I can kiss you whenever I want”
“NO!” Said in a shriek,
A while later I am not sure of the exact time I informed him it was ok to kiss me whenever he wanted. That night we were talking in my parent’s basement. I was sitting on the floor next to the couch and he was on it. He kissed me.

How long did you date?

We dated for about two months until we got engaged. Then we dated for almost three months before we got married. It went really fast but both Dave and I had dated several people and knew what we were looking for. We both prayed about it and knew it was the right thing to do.
Who said “I love you” first?
Dave wrote “I probably love you” on my back when we were sitting in sacrament one Sunday. I really didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, so I asked him. He just shrugged his shoulders with a smile. That is such a strong memory that I really don’t remember when he actually said it verbally for the first time.

How did he propose?
It is actually a long story it was a long but wonderful evening. Dave picked me up at my parent’s house with some roses for me.

Then we went out to the car and on the floor was a box. I just kind of nudged it aside with my foot so I could get in. Dave got in and asked me what was in the box. I looked inside and there was two baby ducks!

There needs to be a little explanation for these, I had a couple baby ducks before that had been killed by our neighbors cats. I love little ducks and was sad when they were destroyed and always wanted to new ones. We took them back inside and then headed to Salt Lake. We went bowling at Fat Cats.

Dave said that if I beat him then I would get a present. I beat him, like I always do, and the present was pink batting gloves. We played on a family softball team with the Grondels. After bowling we went to eat at Ruth’s Chris it was scrumptious

They asked us if we wanted some bottled water. We said yes and we ended up drinking three bottles. Our bill came and they charged us like ten dollars a bottle! After dinner we went back to the car and on my seat was a teddy bear dressed in a nursing outfit. (I was going to start nursing school in the fall) and a card. I read the card and Dave asked me to look in the heart the bear was holding. A ring was in the pouch. I said “O this is different” Dave started laughing his head off. He told me it was not an engagement ring but rather a CTR.

In my defense it was in a dark parking garage and he had planned all this stuff and we went to a really nice dinner so I was assuming it was coming. After dinner we went to Temple Square. Dave wanted to go up to the Christus statue but it was closing soon. They let us up anyway.

We sat on the bench and talked for a little while; he shared some of his patriarchal blessing with me, then got up to leave. As we were walking out Dave put his hands on my shoulders and I turned around and he got on his knees and asked me to marry him.

THE LOOT!

When did you get married?

We got married July 20th 2007 in the Logan LDS temple.

We had a reception the next day, July 21st 2007 at the Victorian reception Center.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We drove to Lake Tahoe.

We borrowed Dave’s parent’s truck and drove to the lake.

The last Harry Potter book was released the day we had our reception so we read it while driving across the states.

While there we went water parasailing, it was amazing the water was so clear and blue, it was gorgeous.

We also went on what they call a mini cruise. We listened to a time share spill and so we got to go on this mini cruise at no cost to us (we were a poor just married couple). It was on a Mark Twain style boat with huge propellers in the back, it was pretty sweet.

They served dinner which was not so great it had potential of being wonderful but it tasted like it came from a box. It was steak and seafood. Entertainment and drinks were provided for the remainder of the trip. It was only a few hours long and Dave got sea sick and felt like vomiting most of the time, luckily he didn’t and he felt better after we got off the boat. It was an adventure to say the least. We just spent the rest of our honeymoon touring the town and shopping. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. Unfortunately we had to come home and get back to work and school. The night we drove back we had family softball game.
How long have you been married?

We have been married

years and months

YEARS &

MONTHS!!!!

What is your favorite feature about Dave?

One feature that I absolutely LOVE about Dave is his smile. He has the friendliest, cutest smile. I learned later that he had practiced and practiced that smile in the mirror until it was perfect. Let me just say he got it right on!!!

This is what he was going for

(I also like his lips which I think contribute to his smile; they are always perfect when they connect with mine!)

What is your favorite quality of Dave’s?
Dave is very caring, I know some of you may start laughing at this point but he really is. He is always willing to help people in their time of need. He is very thoughtful and aware of things people are going through.
He is extremely loyal his family means everything to him. He is willing to give and do anything to help them out.
He has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and is very knowledgeable. He always has answers to my questions or at least knows a place where we can look it up and search the answer together.

He is a great father. Even though Dave doesn’t always realize it McKay is watching every move he makes. He copies EVERYTHING that Dave does! I love watching Dave when he is playing with McKay; they are like two peas in a pod.
Dave is very stylish, again this may sound a little weird but every time he picks an outfit for me I get a million compliments on it.
The thing I like the most about Dave is that he likes to hold my hand and cuddle with me when we watch a movie.

What is his favorite sport?
Dave enjoys sports in general. I think his most favorite is basketball.

He does enjoy football, soccer, softball/baseball and tennis as well. He is not a big fan of wrestling but he has a great respect for those that do it and doesn’t mind watching. In high school he played Tennis, threw the javelin and played football for a short while.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

We just like going for drives together, we can look at the pretty scenery, talk and sometimes just listening to music is enjoyable. We also like to go to movies, bowling and sporting events. I think the thing we enjoy to do the most together is play board and card games, we are constantly getting new ones to try.

Where is his favorite vacation spot?
This is a hard question to answer because Dave’s favorite things are always changing. He loves to try new things and discover the world. I don’t think he has discovered his favorite vacation spot yet. He wants to travel all over the world and discover new cultures and experience new things.
We recently traveled to Mexico and I know he enjoyed that.

He also loves to go camping and we get the opportunity to do that every summer.

Do you have any nick names for him?
I call him Davey that is pretty much it, O and the occasional babe.

Do you have any children?
Yes one crazy, sweet, loveable, curious, on-the-go, funny, adorable, talkative, active, 18 month old. McKay David Grondel.

How many kids does he want?
Dave comes from a big family and he loved it. They have six kids in his family and he wants about that many. The only problem is he wanted them all within a year and half of each other, I guess we missed that dead line 

How old is he?

Pretty Soon he will be an old man!

What does he do for a living?
This is also a hard question because I am not really sure. He works at a marketing company called Progrexion Marketing, which is backed by Lexington Law.

The point of the place is to fix peoples credit. So Dave calls people and tries to get them to pay the lawyers money to fix their credit. I THINK. Which makes him a telemarketer, I guess?

He is also going to Weber State, with a hope to major in communications. I say hope because when he started he intended on getting a degree in business and someday owning a group of companies with his brothers.

He also sometimes does rock chip repair.

What do you admire the most about him?
I admire his capacity for knowledge and his desire to discover!

I love you Dave!!!

Random Catch Up

2010-02-03T13:12:00.005-07:00

McKay loves his cousin Madie!

The Pirate and the Strawberry.

McKay and Grandpa Grondel.

The Rock Star family.

FUN

2010-02-01T13:31:00.010-07:00

Usually on Thursday’s Dave stays home with McKay while I rest up for another night at work, but he had to make up some hours at work so McKay got to spend another day with Grandpa and Grandma Grondel, which of course he LOVED.

Friday night and Saturday McKay spent with his Aunt Kristen in SLC. (She didn’t have her camera so unfortunately she didn’t get any pictures). They went to dinner on Friday and then explored Kristens house. On Saturday they went to the Gateway to the Aquarium. There was a big octopus in the corner of one of the tanks, McKay started freaking out a little when he started moving toward them.They also got to go to the park and play. He had a BLAST!
Thank you to everyone who watches McKay!!!!!
Saturday night Dave, McKay and I went back to the Gatewayhoping to find some belated birthday gifts for some loved ones with little luck but we had fun in the process. McKay saw the water fountains and ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to the water. Luckily I am still a little faster than him and caught him before he threw himself in the icy water. I convinced him he didn’t want to run in the water and he was content watching the water show. He got so excited when the water started spraying. He kept screaming and pointing.
Then we sat by the fire which he enjoyed immensely. He would just sit there forever and not get bored. I think he will love going camping and sitting by the fire.

This and That

2010-01-22T21:44:00.005-07:00

We went out for Chinese the other night and McKay was being impossible. He kept pulling on the highchair buckle and saying “ow, ow” which means out and when he was told no he would throw a screaming fit. The waitress decided she would intervene and brought him a cup of egg drop soup. This was his first time, he devoured the bowl! It got everywhere but loved it. He tried to eat it with a spoon and near the end he picked it up and slurped the remaining broth from the bowl. One of McKay’s new favorite things to do is build a train track. My aunt Liss gave him a wood train set and he absolutely loves it. He drags me in his room and grunts while pulling the box off the shelf. I build the track while he sets up little trees and such and then he will get the pieces of the train and put them together as he pushes it around the track. Even though he loves the track and trains his most favorite part is the train whistle. It sounds just like a real train.

Snow.

2010-01-21T04:19:00.004-07:00

On Tuesday, Dave wrecked our car! Yup. Our new Nissan, we have had it for a short eight months. Here is the story; Dave usually takes the Pathfinder to school and work because the car seat pretty much stays in the car and he wants me to drive the safer vehicle. But on Tuesday it was really snowy so I told him he should drive the car, because McKay and I weren’t going anywhere before he could stop on his was to work and trade. He was reluctant at first but finally agreed. I had a brief thought that he was going to get in a car accident so I firmly reminded him to drive careful because the roads were slick. He said “I always do,” and left. He got home a little later than normal but I really didn’t think anything of it. Then he tells me he wrecked the car, of course I didn’t believe him. Anyone who knows Dave knows that he is a story teller and a pretty good one too. So I asked a couple more times and his story stayed the same, he did in fact demolish the car. I say demolish but luckily he was not hurt and it was just a fender bender. He was in front of Weber and a pick-up was stopped at a light, Dave tried to stop and after he should have stopped; slide another 15-20 feet. When he realized he was sliding he checked both sides but he was stuck and had no where to go but into the truck. He honked his horn in a desperate attempt to get the truck to move so he wouldn’t hit it, but the truck didn’t budge. It is fixable and we should get it back in a week, Total damage: $2,100, good thing we have insurance!!!

Just Thinking

2010-01-17T23:06:00.002-07:00

I have decided to start blogging about everything, time permitting. The reason for this is because I want to have stuff written down so that I can recall it later in life. I don’t mean to bore anyone but let’s be honest how many people really read my blog anyway. McKay has been super clingy since Sunday. He took a nap Sunday afternoon and when he woke up he was so cranky and just cried and whined nonstop the rest of the day. Well Monday he woke up and was the same way except now he was clingy, literally hanging on my leg and whining. He would lead me to the fridge as if he was hungry but said no to everything I offered him. It was driving me crazy. Everyday got worse and worse he would just latch onto my leg no matter were I was and just whine. I would try to distract him with food, toys, candy and other activities but nothing seemed to be working. I figured something had to be wrong because usually he is a pretty easy going guy, entertaining himself in his room, eating really well, and just pretty good. So on Tuesday he started to develop a fever it lasted for three days and Friday morning it was gone, he never really had any other symptoms, never pulled on his ears, no running nose, no difficulty breathing, nothing. It is a mystery to what he had but I am glad it passed and he is back to his normal playful, helpful good little guy!

MEXICO!!!!

2009-12-31T02:49:00.020-07:00

We left on the 17th arriving in Cancun Mexico, we stayed at a resort in Playa De Carmen. It was a pretty nice place. We spent time on the beach, snorkling, swimming, and soaking in the sun, the water was really warm. We had the opportunity to go snorkeling three different times. One place was the fresh water Cenotes, the water was really clear and you could see forever under the water. There were no animals in the water but the rock formations were really cool. The water temperature in the Cenotes was refreshing. That is what everyone kept saying "It's refreshing", it was kind of cold when you first got in but then it was comfortable.

We went snorkeling in the ocean we saw many different kind of fish and other sea creatures, we were also able to see corral, the water was surprisingly clear and it was easy to see things. We even got stung by jellyfish, they were small and the stings just felt like little ant bites, but still not very pleasant. The last place we went snorkeling was a mixture of the sea and fresh water. The water was very murky and not as easy to see in as the other two places we had been. That being said this is were we saw the coolest things. We saw two sea turtles and a mante ray, Both really neat and unusual. It was not like a zoo or reserve or anything it was just their natural habitat. After one of our snorkeling excursions we went swimmining in a little pond with a zip line and a diving tower.
In addition to snorkling we also got to do a zipline over the jungle. We did three different zip lines each one got faster and longer. That was my first zip line and thought it was really neat. We did some repelling, it was just down the side of a tall tower but it was a lot of fun. I was really nervous at first but it was actually really enjoyable and I even went a second time.

While we were there we visited Tulum which is some old Mayan ruins. They were really amazing to see. I loved being there and hearing the stories of the people that lived there many years ago. There was also a super pretty beach there with white sand and dark cliffs.

One day on a whim we visited the island called Cozumel, you have to take a fairy to the island. Really all that was on it was shopping but it was still an adventure. Everyone went deep sea fishing except Trish and I. They didn't really catch any super cool fish but they had a good time. They did catch a baracuda that was a nice size.

Trisha and I stayed at the resort and visited the Spa for a mani and pedi. Very Nice. The person that did our nails was hilarious and Trish and I had a good laugh, ecpecially when the nail polish slipped out of her hands and shatter all over Trisha's shoes! We did some souvineir shopping and just relaxed around the resort it was very nice and relaxing. On the resort they had a lot of activities going on. One night they had a mini casino Dave won big! Too bad it wasn't real money

The resort was all inclusive so they had all you could eat and drink. My experience with all you can eat has not been very good. But I have to say the food wasn't bad at all.

One night we went to a show and they chose Dave to participate. It was pretty hilarious but I didn't get any still pictures just video. The show was gladiators, staff vs guest. Dave went shirtless with a six pack painted on his stomach. He was a very good competitor and a crowd favorite. They gave him one hundred and twenty pesos for being such a good entertainer, O and a sweet visor.

We had a great time, but missed McKay, ofcourse we knew he was having the time of his life with Grandma and Grandpa Grondel so we we not worried.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-31T02:42:00.008-07:00

Growing up my family always cut down our own Christmas Tree in the mountains. This is a tradition that Dave and I have decided we would like to carry on. Unfortunately Dave was not able to come with us this year. McKay and I went with my family and it didn't take us very long to pick out the perfect tree, which left plenty of time to play in the snow. McKay was in heaven!

We got it home and decorated.

It didn't take McKay long to undecorate all he could reach. He would take off the ornaments and bring them to me. He did pretty good with not breaking them until one day he couldn't resist any longer and broke one into a million pieces. By Christmas our tree looked like this only the top half decorated. Oh well.

This Holiday Season

2009-12-31T02:30:00.009-07:00

We have had a WONDERFUL holiday! Dave and I spent the 17th to the 24th in Play De Carmen Mexico, on an all inclusive resort. The water was great, the weather was good and the company was magnificent. I will blog a little about the trip later. Unfortunately or forunately (whatever way you look at) we left McKay home with Grandma and Grandpa Grondel. He also got to spend some time with his aunts and uncles. We got home on Christmas eve and went to the Grondels house. I wish I had a picture of McKay's face when he first saw me. It was a combination of shock, astonishment and confusion. After about one full minute of starring he shrugged it off and went back to playing. We are forunate enough to live close to all our families. Christmas Eve we spent at the Grondel's playing games, reading the Christmas story and just enjoying being together. We decided this year we would just sleep in our own beds, plus we were super super tired from our trip. On Christmas morning we went back to the Grondel's and had breakfast. It was wonderful, my favorite: french toast, potatoes, bacon and sausage. We spent the morning opening presents, McKay had WAY TOO many!!! At first he was excited to open each one but got tired of it for the last few. After our adventures were through at the Grondel's we headed to the Daniels household. They had already opened their presents but they had a few for us and we for them. Then we ventured down to Grandma Price's house, it was really nice to see her and it was an enjoyable visit. We finished out the evening back at the Grondel's playing games, eating and visiting.
New Years we also spent at the Grondel's, we played a mini golf game, ate dinner and started a couple games. It was a really nice relaxing evening.
We spent the spare time playing games with the family.
When I think of the Holiday break it brings back a lot of really good memories. Not only because I love shopping, giving gifts, yummy treats, family, Christmas Lights, parties, Christmas music, & warm clothes. I love playing games, pretty much any type of game. We got to spend a few late nights this year playing games and I LOVED IT!!!

All Grown Up

2009-12-08T22:42:00.004-07:00

McKay thinks he is all grown up! He NEEDS to help with everything!

Not even scared of Santa.

Listening to Dad's IPOD.

Helping Grandpa outside by sweeping the lawn.

Helping Uncle Jeb shovel the walks.

Building those big strong muscles! He would pick up the 2.5 lbs weights and carry them around while grunting. It was hilarious.

He wanted to sled with the big kids!

Four wheeling with Uncle Cody.

He is so smart he just has to watch someone do something once and he can mimic it perfectly! He is the sweetest little boy and we love him to pieces. We enjoy watching him grow and learn.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T14:17:00.013-07:00

I decided that I don't say "Thank-You" enough to the people I love and appreciate. So here is a short list of just a few things I am thankful for.

I am grateful for a WONDERFUL husband. He works really hard and even though work has been tough he has a good outlook. He is gone pretty much everyday from eight in the morning to eight at night. We miss him at home but know he is doing it all for us! :)

In addition to work and school Dave still finds time to spend with McKay, he is a wonderful Dad!

I am grateful for a beautiful little boy. He is my little man and is such a joy to have in our family, He keeps us all smiling. I love being a mom it truly does bring joy that can not be found any other way!

My family: My parents are always there and more than willing to help with anything that we need. My family loves McKay and enjoy watching him grow and learn as much as we do. We are greatfeul for all the neat adventures we have been able to have with them and look foward to many more! Dave's parents have also been more than willing to pitch in whenever they can. They have watched McKay more than can ever be repaid. Dave's family loves McKay and love making him giggle it is fun to see them interact. We have many fun memories with them and look forward to many more! I am thankful I have been able to finish nursing school, and look foward to continuing on. I couldn't have made it this far without my family!

I am thankful for the gospel. It plays an important role in my life, I am so grateful I am able to have the guidance it provides and someday I hope to able to return to my Heavenly Father.

There are many other things I am thankful: Place to live, food to eat, vehilcles, job, freedom.

We decided to accompany my family to Cacun Mexico in December. I am really excited for a nice warm vacation. Unfortunately McKay will not coming with us, we will miss him greatly. He will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa Grondel and I am sure he will have a blast. On the other hand we haven't had a Vacation like this since we had McKay so it will be nice and relaxing I hope! Oh Mexico!

How much longer must this go on?

2009-11-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

I worked a grave shift last night and after class this morning I was beat and it didn't take me long to drift into a deep slumber. All the sudden Dave was shaking me apologizing for waking me from my much needed rest, but he had to show me something important. It was a letter from Weber state that he had just retrieved from the mailbox. I was still incoherent so I told him to open it. Reassuring himself I was ok with it he ripped it open. He began to read "We regret to imform you that due to your..." He looked at me with a grin. "Just kidding it says congratulations!" I have been accepted into the Weber State Bachelor of Science Nursing Program. I think I am one of those people that will continue to go to school for the rest of my life. You might be asking yourself, "I thought she was already an RN what will a Bachelor degree make her?' Well I will tell you. My title will not change I will still be an RN just one with higher education. With the bachelor degree more doors will be opened to me. My goal is to someday teach nursing and in order to do so one must have a Master's degree. So yes even after my year and a half in the Bachelor program I will apply for the Masters program. Yikes see what I mean about school forever! For now we will just take it one step at a time. Thanks for all the support from family and friends!

Chores Chores Chores

2009-11-10T16:21:00.004-07:00

I just have to say, it is extremely hard to get a picture of the little munchkin cause he won't hold still for 2 seconds. McKay was being super crazy one evening and I was trying to finish up dinner and get the dishes done. He was attached to my leg he wanted to see what I was doing. I finally stripped him down to his diaper, pulled a chair up to the sink and let him help with the dishes. He was so excited but then his face turned completely serious. He was concentrating very hard on his work. After about 15 min I thought he had his fill and tried to get him down. He was having none of it. An hour later I finally coaxed him down. He loves water and he loves helping with chores. Another funny story, he snatched the broom when I put it down for a min. He proceeded to sweep the entire house including the carpet. He would turn and look at me every once in a while to make sure I was watching.

Brand new white shirt and tie to match Daddy's!

Better late than never.

2009-11-03T15:45:00.001-07:00

Dave adding the final touches to McKay's costume. The facial hair!

Halloween was a blast this year. Having children to dress up brings back the feelings from childhood. Dave had to work late so McKay and I went to my parents to eat dinner and get our costumes on. We were both pirates. Then we went Trick-or-Treating to a few houses in their neighborhood. The first house we went to the lady held out a candy bar and McKay opened his mouth wide so she would put it in, it was so cute. At each house McKay would get excited when he would see the candy and then be upset when we put it in his bag instead of eating it right away. We then met up with Dave and went to the Grondel's, there we watch a movie and ate goodies. They had some music on outside and McKay and Dave were doing the Monster Mash. I recorded a short video but it is so dark you can't see it. :( Sorry. I love Halloween! McKay was so cute. Can't wait for next year.

2009-10-30T02:54:00.002-06:00

This week McKay has been doing so many cute things. He is growing up so fast. It's amazing what he can comprehend.
I had just finished changing his diaper and I asked him where his pants were. He got down and walked into his room, opened his bottom drawer, and pulled out a pair of pants. Then he brought them back to me and sat down so I could put them on.
I turned on the music so we could have some noise while we cleaned up the toys. McKay immediately started dancing and grabbed my hand and started bouncing like he wanted me to dance a long.
There are a lot of Halloween decorations at the Grondel's house. McKay wasn't too sure about them at first. There is a ghost that is about his height that stands next to the fireplace. He decided he wanted to touch it, but not with his hands. He grabbed one of his blocks and touched the ghost. After he decided it was ok he touched it with his hand.
He is such a character. He loves to go outside and he knows when we put his shoes on that is where we are going. He goes and waits by the front door and as soon as I open it he rushes out.

Discover

2009-10-13T14:27:00.006-06:00

McKay got to do a lot of new things this last week. I work a grave shift on Wed. and Thurs. nights so on Thrusday while I am sleeping McKay gets some Daddy time. This week Dave decided to finger paint ie make a mess! But it looks like loads of fun. Now we have a wonderful piece of art to hang on the wall.

McKay also got to go to Chuckie Cheese for the first time. He loved it there were so many buttons that he could push and not get in trouble for. He rode the horse, drove a truck and helped uncle Jeb pull out his tickets.

He is such a cute little boy, he is always on the go discovering new things and figuring out how the world works. He is growing up too fast!!

Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-10-13T14:23:00.002-06:00

When the boys went to the priesthood session the girls stayed home and made fried green tomatoes while watching Fried Green Tomatoes. They were interesting to say the least, but not bad just different.

First Time Posting Pictures

2009-09-30T14:40:00.008-06:00

Yesterday McKay and I were eating dinner at my parents house. We had corn on the cob and McKay kept pointing and grunting at it so I decided to let him try it. I figured he has almost all his teeth he should be able to get a little off. He thought he was so cool! He was successful and seemed to really enjoy it!

I got a new mixer for my birthday, so today I decided to try it out. Dave has been working super hard lately. He leaves the house at 7:30 in the morning and between work and school he doesn't get home until 8:30 or later. McKay and I made him cookies to surprise him. Well McKay mainly watched the mixer spin around and around with his mouth in an "O" shape. The mixer works great by the way and it is pretty easy to clean up. While I continued making the dough McKay played on the floor putting the lids on and off the pots. Next thing I know he is laying on the floor. It was almost like he was going to fall asleep right there on the kitchen rug. I picked him up and carried him to his room he pointed to the crib. I put him in, he closed his eyes and went right to sleep! It was hilarious. I wish I would have got a picture.

Written to be read.

2009-09-29T22:08:00.005-06:00

I guess Stace and I are going to blog it up. We thought this would be a cool way to keep freinds and family informed about the happenings in our crazy lives. Afterall our lives are so interesting I'm sure we'll have like a ba zillion readers and than we can monetize, right?

2009-08-20T04:02:00.004-06:00

McKay started walking on Tuesday( last week 08/11/09)! He has been taking a few steps here and there before that but I consider Tuesday the day. He walked from the couch to the pink rocker all on his own without any prompting from me. He cracks me up because he can walk now but when he wants to get anywhere fast he just crawls. He has so much personality and each day it is entertaining to say the least to watch him discover the world around him!

The JOB

2009-08-20T03:39:00.003-06:00

I am currently working two graves a week, and it is killing me!!!! The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that this is only temporary (for three months). Don't get me wrong I love the residents and I love being a nurse just the whole working all night thing is not so great. Staying up all night? That is just crazy and I have no idea why any normal person would do it!

2009-07-03T02:57:00.000-06:00

We just got home from visiting Kevin, Trish and Porter in DC. McKay and I were there for a week and a half. Unfortunately Dave was only able to be there for a few days. We were able to see a lot of the sites. On sunday we rented a car and drove to Baltimore to pick up my mom and then to Ocean City MD to play ont he beach. We had a blast but it is definately great to be home! The whole blog thing is new to me but I have heard good things from a lot of people so I decided to give it a shot.