The Alldredge Crew

A little bit of Us

2011-09-15T06:34:00.004-07:00

From the last month.

Me

2011-09-01T13:22:00.002-07:00

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, music leader, homemaker, dental hygienist, and runner among other things. I love cooking, juicing, being outside, being with loved ones, and getting out of town. Life is full. Life is good. I am on a journey to make it better...

2009-09-02T14:52:00.002-07:00

My niece sent me this link to a beautiful song titled I AM Christ. It is a very touching and definitely a pick-me-up. I hope you enjoy it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hjS5Bsqmnw&feature=channel_page

2009-08-25T14:07:00.003-07:00

The month of August has been a busy one. Spencer's brother and his sister both got married this month. Between the two weddings Spencer DJ'd two receptions and a ball. It was a blast and both of them seem to have found their matches. We have lots of fun pictures of fun summer activities that I will be posting soon. Life is well.

Wow

2009-08-01T13:10:00.002-07:00

So about three weeks ago Jackson got the flu and then 2 days later Carlee got it. Luckily Spencer and I stayed well and the day after Carlee was better I went down to Mesa to see Wicked, for my soon to be sister's bridal shower, her going through the temple and meeting her family. It was a whirl-wind trip but a happy one. We got back Sunday and the next couple of days went ok.

Tuesday night I was preparing to fry some tortilla's for tostadas and I'll spare you the story but we ended up with a grease fire and Carlee being badly burned on her arm, stomach, a few drops on her face and right ankle and nearly third degree burns on her left foot and ankle. After a rush to Urgent care she was all wrapped up and taken care of. Jackson had apparently started having diarrhea while we were gone and then started throwing up in the middle of the night. We were supposed to head to UT the next morning but decided that wouldn't really work. So Spencer left to get some work done on the car. He gets home that evening (after spending $600 on the car) to find Jackson still ill and me lying on the couch. Needless to say I started my turn with the flu with in a few minutes and Spencer took Carlee to Urgent Care to have her wounds re-dressed. UT was delayed another day.

Thursday morn J and I are still sick, Carlee is handling her self well bla bla bla. Now a week later we have had 2 more doctors visits for Carlee, one for Jackson; the poor kid is skin and bones and has lost nearly a pound in three weeks; he is still not well. Carlee's burns are healing miraculously. All but her foot and ankle have peeled and are on the road to normal. Spencer started physical therapy for his knee yesterday and I am feeling well. We unfortunately had to miss out on our two reunions in UT but look forward to the next ones in '10 and '11.

Life is crazy but good. I will be so grateful when my usually happy children return to normalcy. In the meantime we are happily awaiting the arrival of #3 around Christmas.

Our Sunshine

2009-05-02T14:14:00.002-07:00

I love these pictures. Lara took them last Thanksgiving. Oh how precious our now One-year-old boy is to us! Who do you think Jackson looks like most?

My Baby Boy is One!

2009-05-02T13:21:00.004-07:00

Jackson's birthday was a couple of weeks ago so we decided to use it as an excuse to have some friends over to our "new" place. I made him an egg-free chocolate cake that had issues but still tasted good to me. Although, Jackson did not like it one bit. His favorite thing was taking the strawberry in and out of the whole in the little bunt cake.
Jackson- surprised at all of the attention.

Here's Sweet Carlee being the typical ham that she is.
The two boys in back are the Merrell's- Noah and Reed. The Merrells live upstairs and we really enjoy their family. Ryan is in front and he is the son of my best Flagstaff friend Abi.
Vanessa and Ezra Merrell are on the left and Abi and Chris are on the right.
Our family picture of J's birthday. Don't you love how all over the place we are?
All the kiddos present had just as much fun with Jackson's gifts as he did.
The Praet family stopped by a little later and I realized I didn't get any pictures of them. It was fun night full of yummy food and great company. We are so happy Jackson is part of our family! We love you J!

"Cap cap!"

2009-03-19T15:41:00.003-07:00

Jackson turned 11 months yesterday. It is amazing to think that this precious boy has already spent almost a year in our home.

This morning I clapped my hands twice and simultaneously said, "Clap, clap!" to Jackson while he was eating. He looked at me and smiled and then clapped twice and simultaneously said, "Cap, cap!"

I couldn't believe it! For a little guy that only jabbers, "Ma ma ma ma ma," and occasionally, "Duh duh duh duh duh" it was so fun to see him branch out.

Our New Place

2009-01-26T13:48:00.003-07:00

I am blessed. The last few weeks the Lord has taken my family and put us where we are supposed to be. How happy I am that he has our best interests in mind even when we can't see that.

We found a cute little basement apartment on the other side of Flagstaff. The walls are all a beautiful pine and we have a flagstone fireplace. It has two bedrooms and 700 square feet. (Definitely an upgrade from our 450 square feet). We share a washer and dryer with the family upstairs (a huge bonus since I have never had a washer an dryer on the premises I have lived-excluding about 6 months.) Our front door opens to the backyard which we have full access to including a trampoline; Carlee is in heaven. There are lots of windows even though we are in the basement and I can easily send Carlee outside to play for a couple of minutes and keep my eye on her and know that no one is going to snatch her from our fenced backyard. We get all of this for about the same price as the student housing we came from. It is wonderful! Really, I am in heaven. I almost forgot- we also have a large area for inside storage. We live right at the base of Mt. Eldon which offers a nice view and we are on the sunny side of Flag so the snow doesn't build up near as much. I feel so blessed for all of the added amenities.

I'll get pictures up soon...but for now just know that we are happy and getting well (getting over a little flu bug.) :)

The Gas Man

2009-01-12T16:23:00.002-07:00

The Gas Man just came to our door to re-light the pilot light on our furnace. He was here for approximately 2 minutes. During that time Carlee stood right by his side just looking at him and then proudly announced, "I have a baby on my tummy!" The man looked at him self and then proclaimed, "Oh ya? I do too!" I was so embarrassed but couldn't help but laugh because this man truly looked like he had a couple babies in his tummy.

When it rains- it POURS!

2009-01-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been very trying to say the least. Small and big frustrations. A few of them go as follows: our car died (we thought it was the battery but putting in a new one didn't help), Spencer's $300 phone died (it's not the battery), Spencer got a ticket this morning (and we got flashed driving through Phoenix a couple of weeks ago), our "dream" rental home got snatched from our fingers when we went to go sign the lease after it had sat vacant for 5 months, and there are a number of other things we are dealing with that will go unsaid here. Now we have to be out of student housing with in just a few days and can't afford any place that I would call livable.

As I have thought about and been frustrated over these things that last few days I have been so grateful that the most important things in my life have remained unchanged. I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children and we all have our health. What a blessing! So even though I may have few worldly things that I have to deal with right now thankfully the most important things remain the same.

Halloween

2008-11-20T15:31:00.002-07:00

Halloween night we went to a party for kids at NAU. They had many little carnival activities where the kids could earn candy at every booth. Carlee enjoyed her first cotton candy here. She took about 2 bites and then gave the rest to me and Spencer to enjoy.
Face painting.
Jackson loves the back pack. I thought he made such a cute tiger.
Our little cheerleader dancing.
Can you tell they are father and son? I love the way both of their eyes squint when they smile.

Monkeys in Bed

2008-11-18T21:53:00.007-07:00

When Carlee wakes from her nap, or in the morning, she loves to have me stick Jackson in her crib with her. Here are some pictures of their fun together.

An Announcement

2008-11-07T09:32:00.004-07:00

In one month Spencer will graduate with his degree in finance. He has been looking for jobs since the summer and considering several options. Our intention has been to move back down to the valley in December and take a job there. Well things have changed. Spencer got a job offer on Wednesday for a position with Wells Fargo here in Flagstaff. He took it. So I guess it looks like we will be staying here for about three more years. We are excited to enjoy the beauties of Northern Arizona more but will miss our family and friends in the Valley. We LOVE visitors; feel free to pop in when you're driving through or make a special trip and go camping with us. This is our mountain. You can even stay with us and go skiing if you'd like.

Jackson the Jack'o'Lantern

2008-11-01T14:41:00.003-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:57:00.003-07:00

Don't drink alcohol this evening or this could be you!

Ha Ha! This was a picture my brother-n-law sent me that I thought you would get a kick out of. Have fun this evening. Trick or Treat!

My Daddy

2008-10-29T14:17:00.004-07:00

It's official. My dad is now a senior citizen according to every institution. 65. Goodness! Isn't he handsome!?! You'd never guess he was that old by the way he looks or acts. I'm so very proud to call him my father. I love my daddy for so many reasons: his smile, his hugs, his words of encouragement, "Onward and upward!" his funny jokes, his back-scratches, his hard work, his love for my mother, his acceptance of others, his strength and testimony in the gospel, his ability to do Anything, his strong hands, his phone calls, his willingness to serve all, and for so many other reasons. Thanks Daddy for being you. I love you.

Then...and Now.

2008-10-28T15:57:00.005-07:00

I was looking through past pictures trying to find one to put on my blogger profile and came across this picture of Carlee. Here she is 4 months old. Try as I did I could never get her hair to lay down.

Then I came across this picture of her left over in only her Sunday bloomers and my red shoes.
I love my Carlee.

This & That-Beginning of August

2008-10-25T15:29:00.007-07:00

Carlee absolutely loves to play with umbrellas. We came home from church and she looked so cute in this dress that her auntie gave her, twirling with the umbrella that I couldn't resist a picture...or two. She fell down a couple days prior to the picture as you see evidenced by the scraped nose.
I put Jackson in the swing one afternoon in a hurry and did not buckle him in. I turned around a minute later and found him at the bottom of the swing, feet in the air, hanging on for dear life.
Jackson with a crooked smile hanging out with Daddy after a bath.
I love you Smiles!

A Movie & a Cute Boy 7/30-7/31/08

2008-10-25T14:42:00.005-07:00

Three months old.
What a happy boy!
That's why we call him Smiles.
Carlee wanted so much to be close to Jackson that she couldn't keep her legs off of him. I finally gave up trying to get her to because he didn't seem to mind.
Carlee and J watching a movie or "moomie" as Carlee puts it. It's a special treat when we set up a blanket and pop some popcorn for a movie.

Fossil Springs- July 26th

2008-10-23T19:00:00.003-07:00

I became a real Alldredge in July when I hiked Fossil springs with a majority of the Alldredge family July 26th. The Alldredges have been taking this hike for decades, in fact Tony and Lorraine hiked it on their honeymon 41 years ago. Spencer often says how he hiked in three times before he was a year old, once when he was a bun in the oven and then when he was about two months old and 9 months. The hike is 4 miles down hill where at the bottom you find a number of natural springs, wild figs and blackberries growing. It was beautiful.

Carlee rode down in this "chariot" Spencer made for her. He got the conduit, took the measurements and figured out the proper angles using the knowledge he gained when he was an engineer major. I guess all of those classes didn't go to a complete waste. I was very impressed with the finished product. Taking the chariot down hill wasn't a problem but pulling it 4 miles up hill was a much bigger problem. Especially pulling it over huge boulders.

This is a large portion of the crew down at the bottom.

Uncle Johnny.

Jane and Carlee.

Most of the crew eating lunch. Spence and John took turns pulling the cart out. Spencer's knee was injured and like I said it was a really rough trail. John was a huge help and at times he picked up the thirty pound cart with thirty pound Carlee in it and carried her for 10 minutes at a time up hill. We were seriously impressed. I carried Jackson in the front pack. He was such a good boy and slept most of the time.
Tony & Lorraine hiked in too. Dad Alldredge is 65 and Mom is 61. I was very impressed.

I did it!

2008-10-20T11:06:00.004-07:00

It has been three week since the race and what an experience it was! Here is an excerpt from Auburn's blog entry from it:

"It was a trail race at 8500 ft. elevation. I was prepared, so finishing wasn't an issue, but man-oh-man, the "trail" was tough! I'm not sure what we ran on can even be constituted as a trail! It was a "cross country ski trail", which basically means they chopped down some trees so that when the ground has three feet of snow on it in mid-December, you can ski. Translation - we were running on craggly lava rocks, tree roots, and branches!! It was crazy. Poor Caralee fell about 800 meters in, but she didn't let it phase her. She got right up and ran the rest of the race with a bloody knee! I must say I saw LOTS of bloody knees at the end of the race, so Caralee wasn't the only one who fell! I almost biffed on several occasions. You really couldn't even begin to enjoy the beautiful scenery because you were so focused on the ground in front of you the entire race."

Basically Auburn is my hero. She was so encouraging along the way. There were definitely some tough spells but she was there saying, "Way to go Cherry. You're doing great." I'm sure I wouldn't have done near as well with out her there. We ran the race just over my goal pace but considering the terrain and my fall I'm not disappointed with the results. Auburn is a rock. She could have gone way faster but stayed with me the whole time. What a gift that was for me.

Spencer was also as supportive as he could be during the race and during training. He met us four different places along the race and then at the end also. He would run from one spot to the next and he carried Jackson and sometimes Carlee too. He taught Carlee to cheer, "Go Mom, Go Mom, Go Mom!" when she sees me running. Her cheers made my heart happy and my face smile along the way. Thanks Spencer for your love.

I loved having my mom come up as well. After the race she bought breakfast for us at The Place. The girls just couldn't get enough of their fun Mimi.

As far as my knee goes, I haven't been able to run since the race. I'm getting extremely antsy though so I think I'm going to start in the next few days no matter what. Hopefully my body will let me.

I love running.

The Race

2008-09-26T10:39:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is the day. Flagstaff's Half-Marathon is finally here. Soon Auburn, Lily and Mom E. will arrive for the event. Auburn and I will be running the race together and the rest of the crew will be cheering us on. Auburn has graciously said that she will stay with me during the race. Going at my pace will likely not be challenging for her since she has been a true runner for years but I am looking forward to having her as a companion along the way.

Flag is so beautiful right now! So many wild flowers, perfect weather (in the 70's during the day), and a chill in the air in the mornings and evenings. I am soaking up our last few months here. It will be in the 40's tomorrow morning when the race starts. I am nervous and excited! Gratefully Jackson actually slept 5 hours in a row last night with out waking up. This was a miracle considering that he usually wakes every 2-3 hours. I think he was trying to support me as best as he could last night. Maybe he knew that 2 nights before the race is the most important time to get good sleep. Hopefully he does the same tonight.

Tomorrow I will feel like a true runner. Wish me luck!

Hello

2008-09-18T21:38:00.003-07:00

I am Alive, Well and HAPPY.

Life is good. We have actually been home for almost two weeks now. This is the longest record for the last 4 months. Since May we have gone somewhere Every Single Week. What a fun and full summer but oh my heck can I just say that I am so happy to be home. And now that I am home for good until Thanksgiving the pace is picking up.

I am now working 4-6 days a month in Winslow or in Flag. Church callings have increased and spread me between Relief Society and Primary. My hubby is looking for a job post-graduation which I can't believe will happen in December. He has submitted a dozen applications all over the United States. My kiddos have had a cold and now cough for the last week. I'm running nearly every day in anticipation of the Flagstaff Half-Marathon next weekend; yes I'm scared.

I love being a wife and mommy and I love dental hygiene and really enjoy cooking. I'm not crafty, creative or a casserole maker. But that's ok right? I have amazingly talented sisters/mothers that ooze of creativity and talent in many areas of life. Maybe someday some of that will rub off on me. Right now I'm learning that it's ok if I'm not this or that as long as what I am is the real me and that I'm trying hard to be the best I can be. Cheesy, I know. (No I'm not looking for words of encouragement but thank you.)

Have any of you read You are Special the children's book? Someday I want to be like Lucia.

Happy Birthday Spencer!

2008-08-06T07:49:00.006-07:00

In just a little while Spencer will officially enter his late 20's. I have to tease a little about this because those of you who know him will understand that even when he turns 90 he will have the heart of a teenager. I love how high-spirited he is and how fun and exciting he makes life for himself, me and our family. Happy Birthday Sweetheart! I love you!1/18/2008- The last year Spencer has been on a cooking kick. We now call it his creative outlet. Here are some awesome chimichangas he made. He stewed the meat, hand-made the tortillas and then deep fried them.
1/12/2008- We had so much fun sledding this last winter. Spencer appointed himself the official sled run maintainer. We had several awesome runs that he created right in the middle of our apartment complex. He would go out for hours at a time and build or smooth out the runs.
4/03/2008- Spencer is such a tender father. He always has time for his Sweet Carlee. Here they are sharing a yogurt; something they used to do often.
6/20/2008- I couldn't resist taking this shot of Spencer just relaxing at home.
07/06/2008- Like father like son; what smiley faces. Can't you tell Jackson is Spencer's boy?! This picture was taken up at the Alldredges cabin in Heber.
7/22/2008- Carlee and Spencer are both very high spirited. Spencer is extremely adventurous and it seems that Carlee has his enthusiasm for life as well.
May 2008- This is the shirt that Spencer wore on our first date. Five years later it is still a major player in his wardrobe. If you look at the shirts he is wearing in all of the pictures they are all striped. He typically gets attached to the same 5 shirts at a time and then wears them every week even if he has 10 other shirts to chose from. He is so stripy that if Carlee sees a man in the distance wearing a striped shirt she yells, "Daddy!"

Four Generations

2008-08-06T06:54:00.005-07:00

When Jackson was a month old we ventured down to the Valley so that he could meet most of his aunts and uncles and his great grandparents. Pictured above is Great-grandpa Miles Alldredge (who turns 90 in a few days.), Grandpa Tony Alldredge, Daddy Spencer Miles Alldredge and Baby Jackson Miles Alldredge. Jackson is I believe the 39th great grandchild of Grandpa Miles and the first one to bear the Alldredge name. Tony is the only son; Spencer is the second son but the first to have a boy. So with Jackson the Alldredge name will now live on...
Here Jackson is pictured with Great-grandma June Alldredge the same afternoon.

Out to Eat and At the Park

2008-08-06T06:53:00.001-07:00

During our visit to the Valley in May Spence and I had our first date without the kids. We went out to eat with the Ellingson Crew to Famous Dave's.
Here am I with my oldest brother J.R. He flew down from UT especially to see Jackson and Dave and Auburn's baby Cannon. What a sweet brother!
One evening we went to the park so Spencer could show my dad his trick kite. During March-May we had a ton of fun with his kite but unfortunately never got a picture of it.
Sweet Carlee had a blast on "her duckie" friend.

Jackson is 3 months

2008-08-04T13:34:00.004-07:00

Jackson is actually 3 and a half months old now but these pictures were taken a week or so ago. At three months he is so happy and smiley and holds his head up high when he has his tummy time. As far as night time goes... at two months he was sleeping until about 4 in the morning regularly but he got sick and this all changed. If we are camping he'll sleep through the night. If we are at home he wants to eat several times in the wee hours of the morning. I am trying to ween him from this habit he formed the last few weeks. Jackson has a very mild temper and does really well with all of the loving Carlee is anxious to give him. He is constantly cooing and loves to play laughing tag (I laugh then he laughs and this could go on for quite some time). Jackson's sweet little spirit is such a joy to have in our home.

Camping with the Whitings

2008-07-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here's our little fam by our tent. The picture doesn't do justice to the beauty of the spot of pines and aspen that we found to camp in. We headed out about 8:00 last Wednesday night with our friends the Whitings to a place we had found back on some forest road close to the Nordic Center. By the time we got there and camp set up it was near 10:00pm. Carlee had fallen asleep on the way and I presumed she would transfer just fine into her sleeping bag. I was wrong. She woke up and laid in the tent awake calling out to us at the fire every once in a while until Midnight. Then when Spence and I went to bed she didn't fall asleep until almost 1:00a.m. Jackson who had gone to bed perfectly healthy woke up several times upset because suddenly he was completely congested and couldn't breathe. Then Carlee woke up around 4:00 crying and crying because her diaper had leaked and she was soaking wet! She wouldn't go back to sleep until she was laying right on top of me and it was 5:00 am. Then the Whiting's girls woke up at 6:00 a.m. and that was that. So...needless to say it was a pretty rough night of camping. Probably our toughest yet. The good thing was that it didn't rain the whole time we were camping and we enjoyed lazing around, visiting, going on a walk, a drive, and playing Rocky Mountain croquet.

From left to right, Carlee, Sara (4 months older than Carlee) and Baleigh (4 years old).

Baleigh and Carlee.

Little Rachel Whiting is 7 months old but weighs the same as Jackson.

Jeff and Katie Whiting. They are fun people to be with.

Suspence and little J in the front pack.

Carlee was wiped out from our camping adventure (and half the normal amount of sleep she gets at night and no nap) and was asleep with in one minute of getting into the car.

My Uncle Dennis wants to hold the Call family reunion in Flagstaff next year so we have been in search of a spot that might work. This is the view from one such spot that we found on our drive. Behind where Spencer is standing to take the picture is the potential spot, a pretty stand of tall pines. The picture doesn't even begin to do the view justice.

Surprise Visitors

2008-07-24T14:29:00.005-07:00

Last weekend Spencer, Kristi, and Claire popped in on there way back from Lake Powell. It was so fun to see them and to have them in our home. We love visitors so if any of you are ever driving through Flag feel free to pop in. They made it here just about dinner time so we all ate fajitas and homemade ice-milk.

Carlee is just four months older than Claire. She is so lucky to have so many cousins with in just a few months of her age. Isn't Claire such a cutie?!

This is Spence E. & Kristi post a week in Lake Powell. You could tell the sun had zapped the energy out of them. Don't they look great! Kristi is about 7 months pregnant.

This is our neighbor Maleki cranking our ice-cream maker. This thing is about 80 years old but makes such yummy ice-cream. We inherited it from G & G Alldredge when they moved in with Spencer's parents. Spencer A. recruited Maleki to crank the machine in exchange for some ice-milk. It was almond/honey flavored and he didn't end up liking his pay for the work.

Happy Anniversary (Late)!

2008-07-24T08:27:00.004-07:00

Spencer and I celebrated our 4th anniversary early this month. I have to say that it was quite unromantic but still enjoyable. I worked our anniversary week here in Flag but had our anniversary off. It was my first time back to work after Jackson was born; he was ten weeks old. We had plans of doing something really fun but just simply ended up going to a family oriented Mexican food restaurant with the kids. The food was yummy and the company was great. We still plan on at least going out to a nice place by our selves in the next couple of weeks. I think Spencer looks like such a kid in this picture. I married a boy and now he is a man. Here's to four trying, happy, wonderful years!

New Suit

2008-07-23T09:33:00.003-07:00

There is no question that we love Flagstaff weather. The spring and summer have afforded countless opportunities to enjoy nature in beautiful weather. We have had overcast weather for about two weeks now which allowed me to go running at 1:30 p.m. the other day. Can you imagine that in July in Phoenix? Anyway, the only down side is that swimming is almost non-existent around here. I bought Carlee this cute swimsuit a few weeks ago and she still hasn't had the opportunity to wear it. So since I apparently won't be able to be able to post any pictures of her swimming in it here she is sporting it at home. June 6, 2008

Outdoor Fun

2008-07-20T14:05:00.007-07:00

Our sweet girl playing in the dirt right outside our front door. Thanks Mimi for the bucket and shovel. May 31, 2008

Carlee stretching with Daddy after a morning run. Jackson looks on in the double stroller. (Thanks Matt & Lara. It's been a lifesaver.)
June 24, 2008

One of Spencer's really fun qualities that makes life interesting is the fact that he comes up with these wild ideas and then goes for them. He doesn't let anything stand in his way; he'll just make it happen. A few months ago he came across instructions for building a recumbent bike out of two mountain bikes. As soon as school was out he made this his first project. He went down to NAU surplus and paid $15 for 1 and a half bikes and then spent a whole day building it. He couldn't find the instructions online anymore so he just went off of his memory.

It can still use some tweaking but here is the finished product. May 15, 2008

Before Spencer hurt his knee a couple of weeks ago we were walking/running in the mornings with the kids. Here is the three of us on one such morning in June. (6th)

Whenever we are outside and Carlee finds a big rock she thinks that it is a chair made especially for her. She gets the biggest kick out of sitting down and she'll stay there until I make her get up. June 7, 2008

Flagstaff has several really good Frisbee golf courses and one of them happens to be right outside our apartment complex. Spencer loves to go out and shed some stress on the course during the school year. Now that he has more time this summer we go as a family more often. Carlee loves to play "bee" and Jackson couldn't be more comfortable on the front of his daddy. June 7, 2008

Carlee loves to just run and run. Fortunately we have a soccer field close by. June 7, 2008

This is me on the first morning I went running a few weeks ago. Spencer and I are training for a half marathon that will take place in Flagstaff on September 27th. My real training schedule starts tomorrow. I am a bit nervous and am really excited for the challenge (and added encouragement to get all of my baby weight off). Hopefully Spence's knee will let him start training soon...
June 9, 2008

Mt. Eldon

2008-07-15T13:16:00.004-07:00

At the beginning of the summer Spencer and I decided that we would go hiking or camping or both every week through out the summer. So far we have done this except for one week and to make up for it went twice the next week. Last week we hiked Flagstaff's Mt. Eldon right in the heart of Flagstaff. In fact the mountain is directly across the street from the mall. I must say that I was a little nervous about the hike because it climbs 2300 feet in 2.5 miles. Needless to say the trail was very steep and it felt like we were climbing large stairs for 3 miles one direction. I carried Jackson and Spencer carried Carlee. Both the kids did great especially since we woke them up at 5:30 in the morning to go on the hike. It took us about 2.5 hours to get up the mountain and 2 hours to get down. We had to make a few more stops on the way down because Spencer was having some serious knee issues and Carlee needed some breaks. By Noon we were done and on our way home. All in all we had a great time with the challenge and loved the view at 9300 feet!Spencer and Carlee maybe a 1/3 of the way up.
Me and Jackson at the same point looking the opposite direction.
We found a horny toad on the route up. It brought back all sorts of fun memories playing with these friendly lizards at my grandmother's cabin in Pinedale, AZ as a kid.
Carlee got a kick out of the lizard too.
This picture is at the top of the mountain where we stopped for a bite to eat and rest a bit. Next hike Fossil Springs in two weeks...

Silly Carlee

2008-07-14T13:22:00.003-07:00

Yesterday morning Spencer was reviewing the priesthood/Relief Society lesson he would be teaching at church. Carlee sat on his lap and was flipping through the pages looking at some of the pictures in the Joseph Smith manual. She happened upon a picture of Joseph Smith and excitedly exclaimed, "Nose. Big!" Spencer and I couldn't help but laugh because she was simply stating the truth not trying to be disrespectful.

2 months, 22 months

2008-06-30T21:41:00.004-07:00

We went down to the valley this last weekend for Phil and Leanne's wedding (pictures to come) and while we were there Kristi took some pictures for us. She did a great job! She just sent me a sample of what she took and I couldn't resist sharing. Little Jackson fell fast asleep and let us pose him as we pleased. Carlee is shown sporting a shirt Aunt Auburn purchased for the 3 little girlies (pictures to come).

The GRAND Canyon

2008-06-22T21:46:00.001-07:00

Our first camping experience with both the kids turned out better than expected. We stayed two nights at the Grand Canyon, June 2-4th. Three deer wondered through the campground with which Carlee was fascinated. The first night we roasted smores around the campfire and sang songs. And in the morning we got up and stuck Jackson in the front-pack, Carlee in the backpack and hiked to the canyon's edge. I have lived in AZ my entire life, as has Spencer, and neither of us have ever been to the Grand Canyon in our memory. We've both hiked Havasupi a number of times but it doesn't compare to the real canyon. The Grand Canyon literally took our breath away. What a grand creation of God!

Smile Please!

2008-06-09T21:00:00.005-07:00

Carlee smiles all day long but for some reason it is really difficult to get her to smile for a picture. Lately we have been able to get her to make somewhat of a smiley face by asking her to "show me your teeth." These pictures are the results of what we get when we ask this question...

Daddy & Jackson

2008-06-08T20:31:00.006-07:00

A couple pictures of my two handsome boys (5/23/08).

This is Spence and Jackson at "Fathers and Sons" the day Jackson turned 3 weeks old. Spencer was so excited to take his little boy and have a guys night out. The event was at Pump House Wash where at my two boys hung out for about 3 hours. They didn't stay the night but a rumor floated around the ward that they had; I had some pretty shocked ladies ask me a few questions (5/9/08).

Daddy and Jackson checkin' out stuff on the internet (6/2/08).

Jackson's Baby Blessing

2008-06-06T14:57:00.008-07:00

Jackson was blessed by his daddy last Sunday, June 1st. Because of recent recommendations, only Papa John and Grandpa Alldredge were asked to participate in the circle with Spencer. We had great family support from both sides of the family though. On the Ellingson side, Grandmother, Mom and Dad, Dave & Auburn, Spence & Kristi, and Aunt Nell & Anne came up. Of the Alldredges Mom & Dad, Anna & Brent, John, Alison and Dallin all came. We felt so fortunate that so many chose to come especially with gas prices approaching $4.00 per gallon. Thank you for making this important day for Jackson special.

The whole crew! (minus Anne & LaNell)

We had everyone that came over for lunch after the blessing. Of course our apartment couldn't fit everyone so we ate just outside our place in the shade a nice big pine. The afternoon was perfect: good food, good company and beautiful weather. Thanks to Mom E., Mom A., and Anne for helping out with the food.

Lips and more

2008-06-01T20:45:00.005-07:00

Even with a pouty face don't these lips just scream Kiss Me!

Carlee is 21 months now and brings more joy into our home every day. She has a sweet disposition and is constantly giving her little brother hugs and kisses.

Her favorite thing to do is to play "ide" (outside). She also loves to "weet" (sweep), "mop", do the "ishes" (dishes), dancing, jumping and watching "dog" videos on Youtube. Her favorite foods are "cheese", "meat", fruit especially "wanamenamen" (watermelon), "madoes" (tomatoes), "ogoo" (yogurt), "illas" (tortillas), and "noonles" (noodles). She also enjoys wrestling with her daddy and doing "akup" (makup) with her mommy.

Lately she has starting joining in our conversations by just jabbering while we are talking. She'll also pick up anything with words on it and start reading out loud. Of course nearly everything she says is nonsensical. According to her daddy "she is the cutest things ever." This is why she has him wrapped around her little finger.

Carlee truly lights up our lives every day how blessed we feel to have her precious spirit in our home.

The Art of Homemaking

2008-06-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

It truly is an Art isn't it ladies?

Today I woke up at 4:30 to Jackson's second feeding. He hasn't been feeling the greatest the last few days with a cold (thank heavens for booger suckers) and has been eating more frequently. Since it was about 5:00 when I got him settled again I decided that today I would start my day early and great. I ate a bowl of corn flakes and milk (200 calories), read my scriptures, and am now taking some time for myself. I hooked up with an old friend's blog and she had a post on there about The FLYlady. I was curious so I looked on.

During the spring of 2007 we lived with my grandmother Ellingson. She is a wonderful woman with amazing housekeeping skills. While living with her I was not allowed to ever leave a dish in the sink and I couldn't use the dishwasher either. At first I thought this was a little silly but soon found the habit liberating. I never had to worry about when I was going to do the dishes for I simply did them as soon as I used them. I am not this perfect at it now but a habit has still remained. I almost never go to bed with a sink full of dishes. It is the best feeling waking up to a clean kitchen! I then started incorporating another habit (which I still need to persist in) and that is to spend 5 minutes or less and pick up things around our apartment before I go to bed. I usually rope Spencer into it as well and it is amazing how our apartment can go from looking messy to tidy in a matter of 5 minutes or less. Again this makes my next day start off 100% better!

While living with Grandmother I came upon a jewel of a book. It was written in the 60's and titled The Art of Homemaking. The author is Daryl Hoole and I just found out that she has written a new book The Ultimate Career. I loved The Art of Homemaking and would now recommend her new book (seeing how it will likely have newer ideas instead of homemaking stuff from the 60's). I will say that this book will change your homemaking lives if you put the principles into practice. Or if you are not the book reader check out The FLYlady on the web. Good luck!

I changed the date of this post from the 21st of July because someone said it might be a little self righteous. For lack of wanting to appear this way I made too it old to come up on the original page but I want to keep it for personal records.

My Precious Ones

2008-05-27T21:19:00.006-07:00

Our computer will not download the pictures we have taken from our camera. This is why I have not posted any new pictures lately. These were taken by my sis-n-law Kristi last week. I am loving this time will my kiddos and hubby. We are so very blessed to have these two in our home.

He's Here!

2008-04-21T12:13:00.005-07:00

Our baby boy decided to join us on Friday. After laboring most of the day at home Thursday we made it to the hospital and four hours later he entered this mortal world. Spencer was such a support during the laboring process; I am so blessed to have such a loving husband. Jackson Miles is well and healthy; born at 8 pounds 7 ounces and 20 inches long he is a bit smaller than Carlee was at birth. After a little time in the special care nursery we got to take him home Sunday afternoon. We are so happy to have him join our little family! Carlee loves him to pieces and seems to be very gentle with him. My recovery this time is going much much better, I am grateful to say. Hopefully life will resume some kind of normalcy in the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy the video!

Baby Chick

2008-04-17T10:17:00.004-07:00

Last night I had a dream that my baby "hatched" out of the top of my stomach and that it was a baby chick not a human baby. I kept waiting for it to turn into a real baby. The doctor came over and said the "baby" needed more time to incubate so he put it back in the top of my tummy and sewed me up. Pretty silly.

I have been having contractions all morning but we are sticking it out here at home as long as possible. I don't feel like walking the hospital corridors when I can chill at home and eat what I please. My water hasn't broken yet so it may be a while that we hang here. We can't wait to meet our little boy!

Almost Ready

2008-04-10T20:29:00.005-07:00

With 11 days to go now I can't believe my baby boy is almost here. But even more crazy is that Carlee was once a tiny thing herself. She seems like such a big girl these days. And yet she is still my baby. This picture was taken when she was 3 days old.

The past month or so I have been busily trying to prepare for the arrival of our little guy. As of 2 days ago I feel like now he can come and I will be ready. The car-seat is in the car, his bed is set up in our room, our taxes our done, Enrichment night has come and gone (I am enrichment leader), all of his clothes are washed and folded, we have been practicing Lamaze and I am feeling more emotionally ready. I even got a pedicure so my toes will look cute during labor. I hope that he comes some time next week. I have a few little things I would still like to do before he arrives.

I got a 3 wheel bike for my birthday in the fall which makes it safe for me to ride a bike while I am the size of a whale and I don't have to worry about tipping over. Spence rigged the bike trailer to it and we have been bike-riding and walking quite a bit the last three weeks. The weather has been so nice, in the 50-60-70's. The funny thing is that it snowed almost all day two days ago. None of it stuck to the ground though. The exercise has made me feel better lately which I am grateful for.

I'll keep you all posted on when Baby Boy decides to show...

Arizona's Highest Peak

2008-02-27T11:12:00.005-07:00

by Spencer

My brothers and I decided we wanted to take on an adventure that we would always remember. While living in Flagstaff I have been starring at Humphrey's Peak every day since we arrived and I have wanted to climb to the top of the 12,633 ft peak for months.

Caralee now- That was the beginning of Spencer's post about his hike last weekend. He snowshoed to the top of Humphrey's Peak in Flagstaff, AZ with his brothers John and Dallin. Check out the video above and you'll get a small taste of their adventure. I am so proud of the preparation, determination and planning the Spencer put into this hike; it made it easier not to sit at home and worry all day that I might end up a single mom of two kids by the end of the day.

Two Favorite Things

2008-02-19T20:03:00.002-07:00

This is just a quick post of sweet Carlee playing with two of her favorites... a pen and keys. This was taken a month ago at 17 months old.

Smile

2008-02-13T11:51:00.004-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been quite busy. I decided last minute to go to Mesa last week and work. Thanks to Mom E. for making that possible; she watched Carlee for me. Upon returning a couple of opportunities have come up to work this week here in Flag. Having had quite a few days of work the last couple of months has made me realize something I already knew... I LOVE DENTAL HYGIENE! If something happened and I had to provide for my family the rest of my life I would be happy with my profession. The nice thing is that every time I get a day of work I seem to come home loving it even more. Of course my favorite profession is that of wife/mother/homemaker however when it comes to working outside of the home I don't think I could pick something I would enjoy more. I know many of you are grossing out thinking about cleaning people's teeth hour after hour but what I do is so much more than that; I connect with total strangers every day. I have the opportunity to make a seemingly uncomfortable situation for many people a comfortable one. I get to educate people about not only their oral health but their overall health. And yes believe it or not I love making a mouth appear nice and clean. There is a strange confidence I have gained when I return home from a day of dental hygiene. You see, when I leave a mouth looking like this how could I not be happy?

Let it Snow!

2008-01-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple really good snow storms the last few weeks and have been taking advantage of the snow. Right in our complex there are several great sled runs courtesy mostly to Spencer and friends who built the runs. Carlee can't seem to get enough of sledding and we really get a kick out of her enthusiasm for it. Here are some pictures of the latest adventures in sledding.

Spencer is just like a kid when he gets in the snow. Of course Spencer is just like a kid most of the time which is one of the things I absolutely love about him. His excitement and happiness just boils out of him when we play in the snow.

Carlee will sit at the top of a run and scoot on her little bum until she gets herself going down the hill. She has no fears about it at all. She has face planted a few times and doesn't seem to mind that either.

She'll climb on top of the sled and wait for us to push her down.

So here I am going down one of the short/FAST runs. This was before the doc said no more of that.

Carlee loves to eat the snow; regardless of color :)

Carlee and Daddy getting ready to go down the hill.

So if anyone would like a fun day playing in the snow come up to our apartment. The runs are right outside our door and then when we get tired or cold we can head back to our place for a cup of hot chocolate. We'd love to have you!

75 Doughnuts!

2008-01-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Spencer and I have had a lot of fun lately cooking new and different things. Tonight we made 75 doughnuts and 60 doughnut holes for approximately $12. Too bad none of you live near us because we are definitely going to be passing them out tomorrow...Here's a picture of the goods (And yes for some reason it took 15 MINUTES for the picture to load-ahhhhh! I was going to do more pics but this one will have to do.)

A Couple More

2008-01-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Carlee loves wearing our shoes. My boots are a bit difficult to walk but she is so darn cute in them.

Spencer and I made bread bowls last month and we made a mini one for Carlee. She had fun with it and we enjoyed watching her try to eat out of it. She is actually getting really talented with a spoon.

I decided to try and see if I could get a couple more pictures to load more quickly. And guess what...they magically did! So I don't know what the deal is; I guess my computer is moody.

It has been snowing all day today. I love looking out the window and watching the snowflakes fall. It's peaceful and sort of unreal as I sit inside my nice warm apartment; then I open the front door and the rush of the cold air makes me grateful for having heat.

Pictures...ahhhhh!

2008-01-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was jabbed the other day by my cousin Emilee about how I never post any pictures of Carlee. So here are some from months past. I have to say the main reason I don't post very many pictures is because it takes FOREVER for them to download from my computer. I have tried several different ways of doing it. I have even re-saved the images to my desk top in a low quality. If anyone knows an efficient way of doing it please let me know. This is my biggest deterent for not blogging often. I just spent the last 30 minutes trying to upload pictures and I was only able to get these three on here.

Carlee was the Easter Bunny for Halloween thanks to Aunt Nell's costume and Mimi's basket.

I was making something with cabbage a couple of months ago and Carlee grabbed the core off of the table and started chowing down...raw cabbage anyone?

Shortly after her first hair cut. 12 months old.

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Happy New Year!

2008-01-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are approximately one month ago. Not alot has changed since this picure was taken. There is still snow every where. Carlee can't seem to get enough of it. We made it through a wonderful holiday season- three weeks in Mesa. We enjoyed our stay and spending so much time with family. And the food of course that comes with the holidays. In fact, I enjoyed it a little too much- 10 pounds too much. So my little belly that is present in this picture is no longer so little. I'm glad to be back home so I can get back into a normal routine and normal eating habits. How many miles will I have to run in just a few months to get off those ten extra pounds?

School is Out!

2007-12-18T11:20:00.001-07:00

Spencer finished his last final last Wednesday- Hooray! The semester has been very busy and hectic. Next semester will be even more so but we are glad for the break from school. As soon as Spencer got out of his final we came home and he built the perfect snowman. Just as he was putting the last rock in the snowman's smile the head fell off. So in the picture the snowman looks a little less than perfect. The other picture was taken outside of the buisiness building at NAU.

First Snow

2007-12-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago we had our first snow hear in Flagstaff. We woke up Saturday morning and there wasn't any snow on the ground. I looked out the window after breakfast and there was a soft white blanket covering the ground. Spencer and Carlee went out right away and broke in Carlee's snowsuit. They also built her first snowman. She had a blast and cried when we made her come back inside. She loved eating the snow most of all.

Carlee, Uncle Dave & Lily

2007-12-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Over Thanksgiving my whole family went to Mesa. It was the first time we were all together in about a year. This cute moment was captured of Dave playing with his daughter Lily and Carlee. Carlee and Lily are about 3 weeks apart and love playing together. My sister-n-law Auburn (Lily's mom) is due with a boy about a month before our boy comes.

It's a...

2007-11-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

BOY!

Yahoo! We are so excited. Of course we would have been happy to have another little girl but I am very excited to have a little boy join our family. He will be the first Alldredge boy born in more than 22 years.

Boy or Girl?

2007-11-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we find out what a second little bundle of joy will be...

Do you have a guess?

Carma Lee, Caralee & Carlee

2007-11-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the three C's.

Last month for my 25th birthday my mom, cousin Anne & baby Will, and Aunt LaNell came to Flagstaff to see me. Spencer was at school all day so it was fun to have some of my favorite ladies come up and help make my birthday special. They took me to Oregano's and then we went to Walmart. Can you believe we spent nearly three hours in there!? None of our cell phones would receive a signal while were shopping and we had some pretty worried husbands by the time we got out. Spencer couldn't figure out what we were doing in there for so long...

Before the ladies showed up that morning Spencer made me Pop Over Pancakes aka Dutch Babies for breakfast. He even brought them to me in bed. That night we were supposed to go out but I was tuckered out from our day so instead we stayed home, opened my gifts and watched a movie. What a special birthday. It's hard to believe that I'm 25. I feel the same as I did when I was 18 except I'm grateful to have a little more life experience.

Here are a few pictures from the day. Somehow I don't have one with Anne in it.

Happy Birthday Mimi & Papa!

2007-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed down to Mesa for Mimi & Papa's birthdays. Mimi turned 60 and Papa 64. So since it was such a special birthday for Mimi we helped do a surprise birthday party at the park for her. About 50 people attended and she was certainly surprised. I totally forgot to take pictures at the party but here are a couple that Kristi took of Carlee. Doesn't she look so grown up?!

14 months and 14 weeks

2007-10-22T08:32:00.001-07:00

Today is a special day. Carlee is officially 14 months old and I am officially 14 weeks pregnant with our second bundle of joy!

Carlee is walking, talking (mostly just babbling) all day long, kissing, hugging, has six teeth (finally), loves to play outside and eat the dirt, she wears size 5 shoes- can you believe it?, She is in the 85 % for height still but has dropped below 50% for weight, and she is loving life. What a joy she is to have in our home!

As for the upcoming baby- we get to find out what we are having in late November. Any guesses as far as a boy or a girl?

Spencer is loving classes at NAU. He just started a job with a financial planner which is right up the alley he wants to pursue for his career. Yesterday he was called to be an elder's quorum teacher and home-teaching supervisor. I am anxious for a calling of my own.

I am starting dental hygiene temping again this week. It will be nice to have my fingers in my work again. I really love dental hygiene; sometimes I have to work again to remind myself how much I really love it. Right now I am soaking up my roles as wife and mama. Fortunatley I am feeling good most of the time in regards to my pregnancy.

Flagstaff is beautiful and COLD! This morning I checked the weather and the current temp as of 8:00 a.m. was 32 degrees but it said that if felt like 16 degrees. The wind is so chilling up here. It felt like Christmas about 3 weeks ago, that is if we were down in the valley.

I am really sorry about the lack of pictures but I have recommited to blogging again this morning so I will be much better in the next few weeks.

Happy day to all of you!

I Am Alive!

2007-09-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

I realize that is has been over a month since I blogged. Many things have happened since...

-Carlee turned ONE!

-We moved from Fort Worth to Flagstaff.

-Spencer started school at NAU.

-We moved our stuff from Mesa to Flagstaff.

-Spencer finished working for Pinnacle Security.

-Both our cars broke down.

-We are both currently looking for jobs...

-And between unpacking and everything else life has been a bit hectic.

I will have loads of pictures and things to say in just a few more days. I hope all is well with you and yours!

New Hair- New Steps!

2007-08-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Carlee got her FIRST HAIR-CUT 2 weeks ago.

Old Hair style....

Pre-haircut...

During...

Post-haircut...

New Hair Style...

Carlee also took 8 STEPS twice on Sunday. Are we going to have a little walker soon?

Seven Lovely Things

2007-08-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

I was tagged at least 2 months ago. I'm a bit late but, in no particular order, here goes...

1. New Places. We have had the opportunity to live in Cleveland, OH and Fort Worth, TX this summer. In just a few short days we will be moving to Flagstaff. It has been fun to try out new climates and cultures. Cleveland was so green and Fort Worth is so brown. I look forward to the snow of Flagstaff.

2. Reading. Because of my lack of obligations (and things to do and a car to take me places) this summer I have had the opportunity to read...quite a bit. I have read Twilight, New Moon, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, The Count of Monte Cristo, 1776, The House, The Golden Compass and am now in the process of finishing the B of M and Battlefield Earth (Spence and I read this one at night together). I have to pace myself sometimes because I can get carried away. (Like the night I stayed up until 4:30 a.m. reading Twilight...um...yah.)

3. Modern Communication. Blogs, Internet, Telephones and even snail mail. With out these things I would feel 100% detached from almost everyone I love.

4. The Dishwaser & Washer/Dryer. This summer has been the first time in our 3+ years of marriage that we have a had a dishwasher. And sadly enough when we move back to AZ we will not have one again. Same with the washer and dryer. I will actually have to use a laundromat (instead of running to Mom & Dad's to visit and do the wash.)

5. The Loves of My Life. Spencer & Carlee. They bring me inexpressable joy every moment of my life. What more can I say?

Spencer and Carlee. Her first snow experience in January of this year.

6. The Pool. One of the few things we can do with out a car. The sad thing is our pool has been closed the last 2.5 weeks. I have to say that I miss it very much.

(Yah...I wish our community pool looked like this.)

7. Southwestern Sunsets. Living in Cleveland (North Royalton to be more exact) I missed the firey Southwestern sky. But I was happy to see it here in Texas again. Although the sunsets still are not as beautiful as in the Valley of the Sun.

I tag Em, Anne, Mom and anyone else who feels so inclined :)

Happy B-day Spencer!

2007-08-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Spencer; Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to the man who has made my life better than I ever imagined it...I love you more than words can say! I look forward to many many more birthdays together...

Niagra Falls & Palmyra

2007-07-30T14:07:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday before the move we decided to drive to Niagra Falls and then finish the day off in Palmyra. The drive was a bit longer than we expected so we didn't get to see very much in Palmyra besides the pageant. And boy was that an experience. Just before the show started it began to rain. And then it rained and it rained and it rained... the whole pageant. I will forever have the image of Spencer and I crouching low under an umbrella (as to not obstruct the view of the people behind us) with Carlee asleep between us and an umbrella on top of her desperately trying to get something out of the pageant and not get soaked. I went to the pageant seven years ago and it poured the whole time also. Only I didn't have an umbrella or jacket or anything for cover. I have to say that while this go around was quite the experience at least we didn't get completely soaked to the bone.

Kirtland & Lake Erie

2007-07-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Because we weren't planning on moving from the Cleveland area for another month or so we had waited to do the site seeing. So we made a mad dash to Kirtland (only 40 minutes away) and Lake Erie on our last Sunday in North Royalton. Kirtland had been beautifully restored. We found a park the butted up to the lake and we sat and watched the sun set to the patriotic tunes of some white haired band playing in the park. It was so romantic. Except for a the fact that we had a baby with us.

Eggs

2007-07-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

Just before I left for AZ to see my Grandma Call before she passed away Carlee had a pretty bad allergic reaction. Her doctor had us visit the allergist when we got back to Cleveland and they did some skin testing. They made about 25 small pricks in her back and then told us to not to touch her back or let the stuff smear or run for 15 minutes. How do you hold an 11 month old still for 15 minutes with out touching her back? Spence got the job and did wonderfully. We found out Carlee is allergic to eggs. No omlets for her at least until she is 3 years old...oh and I added this other picture because it's such a typical happy face of hers.

Jack & Grace

2007-07-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

Matt and Lara (and kids) moved to Cleveland just in time for us to move to Texas. Our move to Texas came unexpectedly as the Cleveland office for Spencer's work was suddenly shut down. I was looking forward to having some quality time with Matt, Lara, Jack & Grace for a few weeks but it only lasted a few days until we moved. Fortunately, I got the kids for a couple of days while M&L were unpacking. Jack & Grace are best buddies. Can you tell?

July 4th & New Coverall

2007-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 4th we went with a group of friends to see the fireworks in the neighboring town of Parma. It was the best show I have ever seen! It lasted at least an hour and the finale was probably 15 minutes long. While we waited until 10 pm for the show to start we played Catch Phrase and had a picnic with our friends. I also added some pictures of Carlee in her new swim suit cover. I have to say I think she looks adorable.

Brecksville

2007-07-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Cleveland has huge metro parks that snake through the surrounding suburbs of the city. We drove through the one five minutes from our house enjoyed the acres upon acres of preserved forest and landed in the Brecksville reserve. They have a cute little train that takes you through the park. You'll see Spence standing by the station for it. We also walked right next to the Erie canal. Afterwards we enjoyed icecream at our favorite place: Handel's.

Three Years!

2007-07-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to think that is has been 3 Years since we married! So many wonderful memories have been created. I look forward to many more in the future. To sum it all up, as my sister says, "We met. We married. We multiplied."

Goodbye Grandma Call

2007-06-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

Over the last week I have had so many emotions I have felt somewhat emotionally lost. I am sad to have lost my dear Grandma Call yesterday and happy now that she is reunited with my grandpa. I am sad that I won't be able to play another game of cards with her, watch her smile and laugh at the craziness of her loved ones buzzing around her, or just sit and listen to her tell me about the latest book she is reading. I am happy that I can look back and remember countless wonderful memories with this woman of tremendous faith and love.

I cannot count the number of times I spent the night and played dress-up at her house with the girls or how many card games we played together or how many slobbery kisses she planted on my lips. Or how about the family campouts filled with campfire songs, card games & junk food, endless laughter, hikes and silly activities. Grandma Call made me feel like one in a million as she did so many others. One of the greatest gifts Grandma gave me is her daughter- my amazing mother. My mom is a woman of great strength, love, selflessness and enthusiasm. Grandma couldn't have provided me with a better gift than bringing my mom into the world and raising her to be the mother she now is to me. How blessed I am!

If Grandma were here I would say, "Thank you! Thank you for a lifetime of love, memories, happiness and family. Thank you for saying it how it is. Thank you for loving unconditionally. Thank you for your unwavering example of faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for the slumber parties. Thank you for your yummy french toast. Thank you for the Call Campouts. Thank you for the harmonica playing. Thank you for being you! I love you forever Grandma!"

North Royalton, Ohio

2007-06-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today marks 5 weeks that we have been in North Royalton, Ohio. North Royalton is about 20 minutes South of Cleveland. We are enjoying the the new adventure, weather, scenary and friends. The weather here is very strange. It will be cold and rainey one day and hot and sunny the next. The change can actually be that drastic with in just a few minutes. Spencer is doing very well selling security systems for Pinnacle Security and I am enjoying not having much more to worry about than taking care of sweet Carlee and making Spencer 3 meals a day. I've been reading quite a bit lately; a past time I enjoy but have never felt like I have much time for. Carlee is growing so quickly! She is crawling all over the place, pulling her self up to everything, and just tonight she discovered that the kitchen cupboards OPEN. Looks like I'll be getting child proof locks for them tomorrow. Mostly, we are all healthy and happy and trying to learn and enjoy as much as we can from our new experiences here.

Sweet Girl

2007-06-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted the first picture you see to be of Carlee :)

More Pics

2007-06-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

To say that these and the below pictures are my favorites would not be true. The fact is I have way to many favorites. These just happen to be some that I saw first (and that I could download with out shrinking). Comming soon...recent pictures of Carlee and where we live...

2007-06-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

2007-06-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Pictures

2007-06-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to figure out how to arrange my blog the way I want it. Here are a just a few of some of my fav pics from the last nine months.

2007-06-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I have finally done it?! A Blog. And to start it off here is a pic of Carlee :) taken two months ago. I decided since moving to North Royalton, Ohio that it was about time I join the blogger club with the rest of the Ellingson crew and so many other friends and fam. So here goes...