The Olson Family

Family Pictures.....

2010-12-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

I LOVE getting Family Pictures..... even though it is the most stressful day ever! We were running out of time and Grammy was nagging (daily) that she needed some updated pictures of all the grandkids so we met my sister up in Hidden Springs to have her snap a few shots. I was so happy that we were able to get some good pictures.... we only had 30 min, in the snow, Tyler complaining that her feet were getting wet, Tanner could not leave the snow alone, Allie didn't want to rock her sister, Kole crying because his hands were cold (but couldn't stop picking up snow) and Hannah was not happy! What a day.......but my sister did a fantastic job so it was worth it.

Here is my favorite picture of all the cousins.....

SNOW!!!

2010-12-26T13:23:00.001-08:00

We have LOVED all this snow we have had this year.... the kids even had a snow day and got to stay home from school! They had so much fun playing in the back yard making a snowman and igloo (with Daddy Dustin's help)

After 2 years of snowboarding we thought it might be fun for the kids to try skiing so they "practiced" in our back yard. They were bored after 10 min....

One afternoon we met up with Brad and Vanessa and found a little spot just South of Boise to do some sledding. There wasn't as much snow as we hoped for but it was nice to get out of town and the dad's hooked a tube behind the four-wheeler and pulled the kids.

Tyler's Birthday Party....

2010-12-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Tyler is 9!!! I was a little sad. I started thinking that she is half way to 18..... I am not ready for her to grow up yet. This year she invited a few of her best girlfriends and we had a Fashion Show Party with a Mani/Pedi station, hair, and make up. Then the girls were able to make a scrapbook of the night (Courtesy of Grammy for suppling all the material.... pre-cut and all) It was so much fun to watch her and her freinds pose and walk the runway. In between stations Vanessa and I watched the girls dance to Justin Beiber. What a party......

Ragnar

2010-11-21T15:24:00.001-08:00

So just as I finished the Vikingman Duathlon (and swore I was never running again) I had a call from a couple girlfriends that they wanted me to race with them in Vegas. There was 12 of us girls running a relay of 195 miles through Vegas in 24 hours..... nonstop. I only ran 13 miles (there was a lot of uphill) but it was a whole lot harder than I thought. We were in 2 vans (very little room) so it was a lot of eating and no sleep. I don't know if I will ever be able to eat wheat thins again?!?! I think the best part was getting to spend some time with the girls and exploring Vegas. I also got to eat In & Out for the first time. Lot's of firsts for me on this trip and I still crack up looking at the pictures from our crazy weekend.

Halloween

2010-11-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was the BEST Halloween ever.... We carved pumpkins, had a HUGE Halloween party for the kids, Trunk-or-Treated at the church and a little more Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. We still have a ton of candy!
3 hours with 43 kids was CRAZY but we had a blast!!! We played games, danced, told ghost stories, and ate LOTS of candy.

ADOPTION!!!

2010-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

YAY!!! It's official!!! We have been approved!!! NOW.... all we need is a baby! :) So I am pretty sure EVERYONE knows that we started the Adoption process and after 10 months of A TON of paperwork we are officially ready for Birth Mom's to view our profile. For everyone who isn't familiar with the process of LDS Adoption Services.... we are approved but have to be chosen by a Birth Mom. The average wait is around 2 years so we are hoping all of our friends and family will keep us in mind and help in passing our information along. We are so excited to be this far and anxiously wait for the day we can bring home a baby.

To view our Adoption Info log onto www.itsaboutlove.org and our Profile ID 24630594 or search by our names.

Football...Football... & MORE Football....

2010-10-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again....!!!! FOOTBALL!!! Tyler cheered again for an Optimist Football team and is still loving cheer more then anything which is a good thing because they bumped practice up to 3 nights a week (6 hours) and she was one busy little girl. Tanner played Flag football this year and he has decided that he loves to play Center even though the Coach said he makes a better Tight End. (I still don't know what either of those positions are) He loved learning new plays and loves to "fake" a pass. We have enjoyed every Saturday out at the fields and cheering them on!

Dustin Turns 30!!!!!

2010-10-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

YAY!!! Dustin turned 30 last week!!! So I had the hardest time ever this year..... Not only WHAT to buy him but WHAT to do for his party!?!?! I wanted to do something really big and exciting but it was so hard since we just got back from our 2 big trips. Technically the BSU Tickets were his gift but I still felt like I needed to do something because 30 is such a BIG deal. Right?!?!? All he wanted was a Poker Party with his buddies so that's what he got. I totally forgot to take pictures during the party (I was a little busy hosting... and playing with all the babies) but here are some pics I was able to squeeze in... at midnight (as you can see from the picture of me in my sweats). Almost all of our friends were able to stop by and we had a blast!
Sunday night we had a family BBQ with Aunt Kirsten, his parents, and mine. Tyler and Tanner were able to teach Grammy and Crappa how to play the Wii.

And of course Grandma Olson made EVERYONES favorite.... BLACK FOREST CAKE!!!

Vikingman Duathlon....

2010-09-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I completed my longest race and it kicked my BUTT!!! One of my best friends Kaley convinced me (I mean begged me!) to sign up for the Vikingman Duathlon a month ago and I knew it would be hard but I had no idea HOW hard it would be. After my parents were done laughing at me for signing up for such a big race my dad was right on top of it.... providing me a training schedule and a road bike. After a few days of training I was able to get Vanessa to sign up for the race and us 3 girls had a busy, busy, BUSY month of training. The race was in Burley so Vanessa and I went a day early and enjoyed some girl time and carb loading.
The day of the race was a little intense.... I had 2 flat tires and on my second I called my parents (almost in tears) to find out they made the trip to Burley to surprise us girls.... and it's a good thing they did! They were like our personal coaches riding right along side of us, filling our water, and changing my tire. The race was a 15K run-56K bike which we ended up running almost 3 additional miles due to bad signs. All in all it was an amazing experience and we all finished (which was our goal) Vanessa's time=4:13 Nichelle's time=4:30 Kaley's time=4:37
I don't want to even think about running... until next month!!!

New York & D.C. 2010

2010-09-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

What an AMAZING trip!!! We started planning our trip with our good friend's "The Jones" clear back in January. The guys were talking about how much fun it would be to go to the BSU-vs-Virginia Tech game and with getting a nice hook-up on tickets (thank you April & Doug) we thought.... Hey, let's make a whole trip of it! I felt like we were gone a month and I think we did everything we possibly could during that visit. We first flew into New York and spent a couple days there doing all the "touristy" stuff, shopped, went to a Yankee's game and ate LOTS of really good food. We then took the train to D.C. and visited all the Museums and Monuments and one of the best parts of the whole trip was the BSU GAME!!! Sitting 9 rows back on the 50 yard line.....We were even on ESPN!!! Dustin's favorite part of the trip was visiting Little Italy and eating some amazing food there. He was actually able to use his Italian Speaking Skills quite a bit on the trip. I loved all the excitement in New York. You could just walk around all day and enjoy the people, lights, and entertainment. In D.C. the Holocaust Museum was definitely the best. We were also able to visit Arlington Cemetery and watch the Changing of the Guards which was such a neat experience. I think after our crazy busy summer of vacations we are ready to spend some time at home.....

First Day of School....

2010-09-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe it.....!?!?! Tyler is in 3rd grade and Tanner is in 1st grade! The kids seem so big and ready do to everything on their own. I remember Tanner wanting me to stand on the sidewalk and stay with him until the bus came every day last and this year I turned around and he was gone. Tyler only wanted me to walk with her until she found her friends and then told me I was okay to go home. How sad.... So for the first day of school we did our parent thing and met up with Vanessa (Brad was out of town) and then walked the kids to school. Trace was excited to see her big brother and sister off to school and even followed behind them on our way.... Melted my heart! After they had an amazing first day of school we all met up again for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

And this is what our family picture will look like when we get a baby......

Happy Anniversary!!!

2010-08-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

I can not even believe we have been married 3 years already!!! Every time I think life is going to slow down a little for us.... it gets even busier!!! I will say we have gotten better at managing our crazy lives and still finding some time to spend together for our weekly date nights. We have had a lot of big changes this year.... First, Dustin was promoted to a Branch Manager 3 and is now working at the Wells Fargo in Eagle (with me!) and Second, We have officially started the adoption process. Tyler and Tanner are still just as busy as ever with all their sports and activities but we enjoy them more and more the older they get.

This year was a little challenging in celebrating out anniversary with just getting back from the coast and leaving for New York in 2 weeks our gifts were a little.... odd?!?! Kitchen knives for Dustin and a running watch for me. We did get to spend a day together and have what we call our "perfect date" Tacanos and a Movie Marathon! Dustin also spoiled me with chocolate covered gummy bears and a Chocolate covered strawberry waffle bowl from Dairy Queen (I am so sick just thinking about everything I ate that day!) The last 3 years have been amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next.....

Our Oregon Coast Trip....

2010-08-08T13:54:00.001-07:00

We just got home from our BIG summer vacation to the Oregon Coast. I didn't think we could possibly have more fun than last year..... but we did!!! We stayed with my grandparents in Rockaway Beach. We spent our days exploring the Beaches and our evening together at the beach house. We took over 600 pictures of our busy week so here are just a few of the things we did.

The kids spent as much time as they could on the beach, swimming in the Ocean, playing in the sand and building sand castles......

Of course we had to visit Dustin's favorite place... The Tillamook Cheese Factory! I think Daddy Dustin and the kids had a little too much fun!?!?!

The kid's LOVE the Newport Aquarium! We spent hours looking at all the amazing creatures.....And of course mom made them pose for some pictures before we could go inside.

One thing I was SO looking forward to this year was Crab Fishing in the Ocean. I knew this is something that the kids have never experienced and it was amazing.... All of us were a little sea sick and the kids were afraid that a shark would eat us (No more Shark Week on the Discovery Channel) but we still had a lot of fun!!!

We stopped in Sea Side to feed the Seals....

We spent some time in Astoria and climbed the 164 steps to the top of the Column....

We were lucky enough to have one morning with a low tide in Echola Park and we could see all the little creatures from the Ocean. The kids loved it....

AND...we spent a couple nights on the beach making Smores and roasting Starbursts...

Water... Water...& More Water.....

2010-08-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows Tyler and Tanner knows how much they LOVE to be outside and how much they love...love...LOVE the water!!! Ever since they were both babies they could stay in the water ALL day. I think we have been in the water EVERY day this summer.... If it's not the neighborhood pool or Auntie April's pool, it's the Slip N' Slide at Grammies, the Sprinkler under the trampoline with friends, water slides or boating with the Sparlings.
Here is a day we spent with the Marshall's at Eagle Island... who knew this was a mile from our house and SO much fun. The kids were begging to stay and play longer after 6 hours!!!

We always love when the Sparlings take us out to do a little Wake Surfing. The kids have a blast...and they make great flaggers! Ha! Tyler is still a little scared but Tanner is the first one to grab a board and jump in the water.

Daddy Dustin also introduced us to the Hydro-tubs in Boise (how have I lived here my whole life and have never heard of this???) The kids went down the tube over 30 times and spent hours jumping off the diving board. Daddy Dustin entertained us with all his crazy tricks. Tanner even tried a black flip.... which ended as a big belly flop!

A day at the Park....

2010-07-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

One of our most favorite things to do as a family is play at the park.... Our friends, "The Moysh's" came to visit last month and we wanted to show them something other than our house and Walmart. We took them to Ann Morrison to ride the paddle boats, feed the ducks, and then finished up by watching Scott down town in the Iron Man. It was perfect weather and we had a blast!

Last Day of School

2010-07-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe it.... done with another school year and my baby is done with kindergarten and on to first grade. It really seems like this year went by faster then last year. The kids both did great in school this year and they were each chosen for Student of the Month. I can't believe how quick they are growing up and how much they both LOVE school. Tanner enjoys math and Tyler found a love for reading this year. We are so proud of them..

Baseball

2010-07-02T11:46:00.001-07:00

This year is Tanner's 3rd year in Baseball and he is now in Coach's Pitch. I think this is the year that he is finally getting it.... the first 2 years he spent a lot of time in the outfield looking for bugs or staring at the clouds. Tanner LOVES catching and was pretty good at it too! Of course Daddy Dustin and Brad Dad were his coaches and I think they have high hopes for Tanner playing baseball as they are secretly reliving their baseball days through him. I think Daddy Dustin was his happiest this Spring... playing in 2 leagues himself we had baseball 5 nights a week. I think mom is a little baseballed out....

How we spend our Sunday afternoons....

2010-05-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

So Sunday's around here are usually pretty quiet, we usually watch a movie together as a family or take a walk. Today we were watching a movie and mommy was making everyone "commercial clean"(my favorite way to clean). The kids were taking laundry upstairs for me and I heard Dustin and Tanner laughing at the top of the stairs so I peaked around the corner and Dustin was in a laundry hamper and Tanner was going to push him down the stairs. Luckily I could get it on video before it happened.... and of course what ever Dustin does the kids want to try too! They even convinced me to give it a try......

Tyler's Dance Recital...

2010-05-23T13:52:00.001-07:00

Last night we had Tyler's dance recital for Studio C and she did amazing. This is her 5th year in dance and this last year has been kind of a struggle getting her to want to go to class every week. At the beginning of the season she had the opportunity to be on a one of the dance team's but that would have been 4 classes a week instead of the 2 so we decided not to do it and after dress rehearsal yesterday she suddenly loves dance and wants to do team next year. I guess we will see how she feels about in 2 months?!?!? She had lots of family there to support her, mom, daddy Dustin, Tanner, Brad Dad, Vanessa, Grammy, Crappa, Aunt Kirsten, Grandma Debbie, and Trace. After her performances we went out for ice cream to celebrate. Unfortunately we did not get a lot of pictures in her costume because she was backstage getting ready but here are a few......

Tanner's First Field Trip...

2010-05-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

This week Tanner had his very first Field Trip and we went to the Botanical Gardens. Both Dustin and I could go so I was SO excited.... only I pictured the field trip going a whole lot different in my head. When we got there I lost Dustin (he has a habit of wondering when we go places) and Tanner didn't even notice I was there. I thought we would all walk together looking at all the pretty flowers and Tanner would hold my had.... um.... not exactly! Tanner asked if he could ride the bus back to school with his friends instead of going to lunch with me AND he asked me not to call him Tanner Bear anymore. How SAD is that?!?!?! But then Dustin popped out of the bushes and said that he would go to lunch with me so at least somebody wanted to spend the day with me.

My First Race...

2010-05-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I want to be a runner!!! Over the last couple of months I have been running... not much, just a couple of miles around the neighborhood with the kids when they ride their bikes. I was thinking about racing but didn't think I was ready until Vanessa convinced me to sign up for the Famous Potato Marathon. Of course I wasn't able to run the full race but we did run the 5K and it was so much Fun! My parents showed up to cheer us on and take pictures. There were 4 of us girls and we were definitely the cutest with our new running outfits and matching headbands. We are going to try a mini tri-athalon in August and then I am hoping to run a full marathon by the time I turn 30 (which is only 1 year away)

Mother's Day

2010-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

This year I had a Wonderful Mother's Day! After I took a shower I opened the door and there was Dustin and the kids waiting for me, they walked me down stairs and they had set up a surprise breakfast for me and some of my most favorite things....A snake eye and a diet dr. depper for breakfast, home made cards and presents from the kids they made at school, a gift certicficate for a pedicure, cook books that I REALLY wanted, lotion and bath gels, US Weekly magazine, and flowers. I love my family!!!

Back Yard...

2010-04-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am SO proud of Dustin.... (and Levi) for FINALLY finishing up our back yard. We have had so many ideas for our yard over the last couple of summers but just couldn't decide exactly what we wanted to do. With a little help from Dustin's friend Levi who owns Vista Landscapes I am happy to say our yard is done and it looks better than we both imagined. Dustin still hasn't agreed to letting me start a garden yet... maybe because he knows he will be the one tending to it?!?! Maybe next year....

BEFORE......

AFTER........

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year.... A weekend full of family! Friday night my Grandpa and Grandma Clark were in from the Oregon Coast and were able to spend time with the Clark side of the family. Sunday we spent most the day with Grandma and Grandpa Olson eating good food, listening to Conference and dying Easter Eggs. We ended Easter dinner at Doug's with my mom's traditional yummy dinner.

The Easter Bunny was up to his old tricks again.... This year the trail of string lead them from outside.... to upstairs... to the garage.... to the backyard.....All over the entire house. Daddy Dustin ended up having to hold the string for the kids.

Daddy Dustin proved to be the most creative with coloring eggs while Aunt Kirsten and Tyler had to have just the perfect eggs!

Of course the only way to end the night is pony rides from Daddy Dustin....

Uh....Oh....

2010-03-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

So I thought it was great that Tyler ALWAYS wants to jump on the trampoline, I thought "hey, we are getting so much use out of the expensive Christmas present from Santa." I have even noticed that when she has girlfriends over they ALWAYS want to jump on the trampoline. I should have known better...... they have discovered the boys that live right behind us, that seem to ALWAYS be jumping on their trampoline. Aiyiyiyi.... What are we going to do???

Snowboarding....

2010-03-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

I am sad to say that I think it is finally time to put our boards away and call it the end of the snowboarding season. This year we bought a family pass and put the kids in lessons. They have been snowboarding for 2 years now but they seem to be frustrated with me and Daddy Dustin by the end of a snowboarding trip so it was so worth it!!! Every time I mention the chair lift I usually have one crying kid and the other is negotiating for a new toy, but their instructor was AMAZING and he had the kids on the chair lift by themselves and boarding almost all the way down the hill. We had a little down time before lessons so luckely we had their Nintendo DS's and Ice Cream to keep them busy.

"Sock Hop"

2010-03-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

That time of year again.... The School "Sock Hop" We had SO much fun. My favorite was watching the kids dance with all of their friends AND watching Daddy Dustin doing the "Macarena"

Basketball

2010-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Tyler had her last basketball game today. She did great this year! This is her 2nd year playing and she is really enjoying it. Luckily she has the whole height thing going for her.....she is always the tallest one on the court which makes her the best at getting ALL the rebounds.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES......

2010-03-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Oh My!!! We have a house FULL of cookies. This is Tyler's first year of Girl Scouts and she is loving it. I feel bad that she has missed a couple of meetings, I haven't volunteered, and I don't even know how to put her patches on...... BUT we are good at selling cookies. We sold 366 boxes of Cookies!!!! That is the best thing about having 4 working parents.

Tanning....

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

I had an extra 15 minutes after work before I had to pick Tyler up from Dance. I thought Hey... I could run next door and go tanning real quick and just my luck I had an extra pair of goggles in my car so Tanner could go in the room with me. He already has an OBSESSION with my tanning goggles.... (see below) So.... I was in the bed all relaxed and just about to dose off to the sound of Tanner playing his Nintendo DS when Tanner yelled REALLY loud, "Hey Mom! It smells in here! Did you FART? I didn't FART and it smells really bad like FARTS!" So anyone who has been tanning before knows that familiar scent of "burnt skin" I was dying of laughter. Aughhhh..... Only Tanner! Then he was SO fascinated with how the tanning beds got hot and how it made my skin turn red that he HAD to lay in the bed.....off of course!

Here is Tanner pretending to tan......

Tanner wearing my Tanning Goggles eating lunch a couple of months ago.....

Tanner wearing my goggles at a football game last fall.......

Valentine's Parties....

2010-02-15T16:10:00.002-08:00

The kid's had their Valentine's parties at school and they were SO cute!

Bowling...

2010-02-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night we took the kids bowling. I can't believe how good they were.... it must be all that WII they have been playing lately. Ha! Mommy obviously needs a little practice.

Wells Fargo Bank....

2010-02-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

We have been trying to get the kids to save money and explain how a savings account works but they haven't been trying so hard. They probably see the bank a little differently since both mom and dad work there and I wanted them to see the bank from a different view so we sent them in and had them open their accounts with a "real banker." They had a tour of the bank and even held $10,000 in the vault. We made a deal with them that everything they put in their accounts we would match. Let me tell you.... they have been real motivated to do chores lately and have almost $200 saved up.

Snowboarding....

2010-02-07T13:38:00.001-08:00

This year is the kid's 2nd year snowboarding. They are doing so good....and loving it!!! We even met Brad and Vanessa up one afternoon to teach them and show off our tricks!

After a few hours on the mountain we stopped by Auntie April's cabin for dinner.

Tanner's Birthday....

2010-02-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

This year Tanner has had his birthday planned for month's.... He knew exactly what he wanted and he didn't change his mind once. (Oh... he is SO my son!) For his Birthday Party he invited 14 little friends and we went to Monkey Business to play and then back to our house. It was so much fun.... a little crazy.... but so much fun! I also spent the afternoon helping in Tanner's class, we had BSU cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday. Sunday was his actual birthday so we had his "Birthday Dinner" at Brad and Vanessa's. He requested BBQ chicken, noodles, Rhodes rolls and for desert..... Cinnamon rolls with blue frosting spelling out a T?!?!?!?!

The Cute Mommies........

The Grandparents had a little TOO much fun with Bakugan....

Kid's Rooms

2010-01-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

So the kids have been wanting to re-do their bedrooms. Tyler has decided she is too old for Hello Kitty and we have seen some of her girlfriend's adorable rooms. Of course Tanner only wanted a Buckeye room. 22 hours later....NOT EVEN KIDDING... 22 hours later we are finally done!!! They turned out AMAZING!

Tanner's Before......

Tanner's After.......

Tyler's Before.......

Tyler's After......

SNOW DAY....

2010-01-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

We have had some amazing snow days this winter! Of course I had to stay home from work to play with the kids. This winter was Captain Jack's fist time experiencing snow and it was SO funny! Poor little puppy didn't want to come inside... he had icicles in his little beard. Tanner and Captain Jack spent hours outside just chasing each other around the backyard.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

A Trampoline, a WII, New Bikes, Nintendo DS, MP3 Players, Barbies, Dolls, Lego's, Bakugans, Helicopters, Race Cars...... the list goes on! Almost a month after Christmas the kids are STILL opening their new toys. Aughhh.... So many toys!!!

Even though the kids were spoiled I am very proud of them. Not only did they have their "Stuff the Bus" tradition with Grammy but we sponsored a foster family for Christmas and they picked out everything for the foster children. Tyler even helped with a Mutual activity where the girls did service projects for canned food.

I think the kids most favorite part of Christmas was their new friend, "FRED" I am sure everyone knows about "Elf on a Shelf" by now. We had not heard of it until we visited the Marshals. The next morning the kids were searching everywhere for the elf. It was the cutest thing ever so I had to get it for them. I don't think I have ever seen the kids SO excited! For those who don't know.... A little elf sits in your home and watches the kids and every night goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa. Every morning when the kids wake up they have to find their Elf. Surprise.... Surprise... my kids, who have no imagination named their Elf, "Fred" At least they didn't name him "Elfy"

Tyler's Birthday.....

2010-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

I can not believe Tyler is 8!!! This year for her birthday she had an Ice Skating Birthday party. I made matching scarfs for all the girls and we bought them all matching necklaces and earrings. It was perfect..... UNTIL.....we got on the ice and realized that none of the girls could actually Ice Skate. We had to hold on to at least 2 kids at a time and half of the girls were crying. Not at all what I pictured in my head. One of the girls even told me, "I thought Ice Skating would be a lot cooler" Well... I did too! After ice skating Tyler had a few girls from class spend the night. Dustin had his first slumber party experience when he had to drive one girl home to get her blanket and then she woke us up again at midnight crying to go home. Dustin has now decided that any future sleep overs will require a pre-screening questionnaire. He was such a good sport through it all an even made all the girls "Jungle Pancakes" for breakfast.

A few blogs in one!!!

2009-12-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Okay... so I know everyone has been just waiting for us to update our blog. It's not that we haven't had anything to Blog about. I don't know where the last 2 months have gone?!?! I feel like since school has started the months have just been a big blur. A few great things that have happened... Dustin just received a promotion at work and is a Branch Manager 3 and is working in Eagle with me. Tyler and Tanner have both received Student Of The Month and we are SO proud of them. Here is a few pictures from the last couple of months.

Tyler is done with Cheer and Tanner is done with football.... We spent every Saturday this fall watching Tyler cheer and then racing across town to watch Tanner play football.

This year for Halloween we let the kids have a Halloween party. It was so much fun! We spent 2 days decorating the garage and had 30 kids over. It was crazy but the kids had blast and I think it will have to be a Ford-Olson tradition.

What is Tanner doing.....

2009-10-19T19:41:00.001-07:00

After Tanner's haircut and shower tonight Grammy and Crappa called to ask him a question..... I was busy picking up toys, doing laundry, and the usual routine to get the kids ready for the next day and every time I walked back into the room this is what I saw.....

Tanner telling them about his flu shot....

Now he is talking about his new toy he earned for his touch down.....

This is when he was telling them that he learned 5+5=10......

BEAN BOOZLED.....

2009-10-18T18:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight we had Brad and Vanessa over for dinner to plan the kid's Halloween Party. We started to tell them about the new Olson family game "BEAN BOOZLED" but unfortunately this is not a game that you can describe you must play it to truly enjoy.....

Dustin's Birthday Weekend.....

2009-10-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

This year Dustin didn't just have a birthday.... he had a whole birthday weekend! The weekend started off with a small birthday dinner Friday night with his family. Mike and Ellen were in town for a few days and were able to celebrate with us. Of course his dinner request was porcupine meatballs, cheesy potatoes, and black forest cake.

Next the kids had a HUGE surprise for him..... They blind folded him and we drove to Wahooz to ride go carts and play video games. Dustin obviously knew where we were going because Tanner "accidentally" told him a couple of times but then tried to cover it up. Dustin was such a good sport and played along with it even when we drove around in circles to try and trick him.

Saturday afternoon we met some friends at Tacano's for lunch.... I think Dustin is the only person I know who likes when the staff sings "Happy Birthday" to him.

We finished up the birthday weekend with a birthday dinner with my family. It was the usual Sunday night dinner..... sitting around talking, smelling all the new Scensty, watching the cousins play, Tanner showing us all the bugs he found in Grammy's backyard and then trying to get the boys to leave during the middle of a football game.

Aauuuughhhh...... What a great weekend!!!

Labor Day

2009-09-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

We had such a great day today! Dustin actually had a 3 day weekend after working 6 days a week and 10 hour days because he is so busy and short handed. Not only did we get everything done around the house but we took the kids down to Julia Davis park for a picnic and then the Marshalls met up with us to play and feed the ducks. It has been so long since I have been there and the kids had a blast!

Back To School

2009-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of school and I can't believe it. Where did the summer go? The kids were up and ready before I even went in to wake them up this morning. We did our usual first day routine where we walk Tyler to the bus stop so we can take pictures there and then all 4 of us parents drive to school so we can take pictures of her getting off the bus..... and then we do it again with Tanner. I wonder how many more years we will be able to do this before they are embarrassed of us??? Tyler could have done everything with out us this morning and been totally fine. She found her line right away and even had time to help the other kids find their classes. She was more worried about finding her friends. Tanner was anxious ALL morning! By 10:00 he was asking for lunch so that he could get ready for the bus. I don't think I have ever seen Tanner so excited. I thought I would make it..... but I had a little bit of a melt down on the way to school. I don't know if I am having a difficult time this year because Tyler is in 2nd grade.... or Tanner is starting kindergarten? My babies are growing up.......

Tanner waiving to sister as she leaves for school.....

Tyler and some of her girlfriends.....

This is when Tyler was ready for us to leave.....

Tanner waiting on the couch for the bus..... an hour before pick up......

Tanner waiting for the bus outside..... half an hour before pickup........

FINALLY..... He was jumping up and down and SO excited when he saw the bus......

Tanner in his new class looking for his cubby.....

Football.....

2009-08-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

The last 2 weeks we have been crazy busy with football and cheer practice EVERY night. Yesterday all the hard work paid off when Tyler and Tanner had Jamboree. It's a kick off to the season and they had their first game. I think Tanner is meant to play football.... we all know he's a pretty big boy and it's hard to keep his attention in most sports. I worked so hard to get him on a team after we missed registration. So after we finally found a team and paid the fee I was so excited to tell him that he will play this year...... he told me he didn't want to play football, he wants to "play karate" I was so bummed. We made him try it out and go to at least one practice and of course he loves it! YAY! Tyler on the other hand has been ready for months to start, she could have cheer practice every night and be perfectly fine with that. She has a great squad and an awesome coach this year. I am just glad the kids both have something they love to do because this is going to be our lives for the next 8 weeks.......

2 Year Anniversary

2009-08-21T14:23:00.001-07:00

WOW! I can not believe Dustin and I have been married 2 years already. We have done so many things and the time has gone by so fast. I have loved seeing the changes in the kids and watching them experience so many things since Dustin has been in our lives. He has shown me new places and taught me so much. These are a few of my favorite memories .....

Of course my first and my most favorite memory is our trip to Mexico

Dustin taking me to Denver to see my favorite band O.A.R.

Movie Marathons on a Saturday afternoon

First family vacation to Lagoon

Dustin teaching me to snowboard... then teaching the kids

Our Trip to Reno to watch a Boise State game

Our weekly date nights to Costa Vida or Panda Express and a Redbox

Our trip to Jackpot that Dustin planned the day before

Riding the kid's scooters late at night around the neighborhood with the dogs

Visiting my grandparents at the Oregon Coast

Our weekend get away to Sun Valley

Checking off the list of all the Ben & Jerry's ice cream's we have tried

And just last night, Dustin teaching Tanner to wake surf

I am looking forward to the many years ahead.........

Weekend Getway....

2009-08-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

The end of July we had our first Rupe family vacation (Since we were kids) in Sun Valley. My parents rented a condo in Ketchum for all 8 of us!!! I don't remember the last time I laughed... or exercised this much in one weekend. Since it was a weekend planned by my parents it was obviously a "biking" weekend. It was so beautiful up there and nice to just get out on the bikes and enjoy the outdoors... Yes... even I enjoyed the outdoors. Oh and the memories that came back when Jacki and I shared a room.... trundle beds and staying up late giggling. What a weekend!!!

4th Of July

2009-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th we had a BBQ and watched the fireworks with The Marshalls. Tyler and Tanner have known the boys since they were born so we try and get the kids together anytime we can. My favorite was watching the kids hudled around the "dead fireworks" with their little sparklers trying to "re-light" them.... oh AND watching Dustin trying to "jump" the fountain fireworks...... I don't know what it is about boys and fireworks???

Oregon Coast

2009-07-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

This year for our family vacation we went to the Oregon Coast to visit my grandparents. We had the BEST vacation ever. We stayed with my Grandpa and Grandma Clark in their beach home in Rockaway Beach. I have not been to the Coast since I was a kid and I was amazed at how many things we had to do and how many things we did not even have time to do. It was so much fun to watch the kids experience so many new things. They had a blast! I have so many pictures and it was hard to pick out some of my favorites. We already have a list of things we want to do when we visit next year. Here are some of the things we did.........

We rode bikes on the beach, and Yes.... with Captain Jack and Miko on our laps.

We watched the sunset every night... this is what I miss the most
We flew kites on windy days.....

We took a tour of one of the oldest light houses. We even climbed the 114 steps to the top!

Dustin's favorite part of the whole trip was the tour of the Tillamook Cheese factory.... I have never heard of Tillamook cheese until Dustin and I were married. He LOVES the cheese, ice creme, food AND the new cheese slicer he bought for his father's day present. I never thought anyone could take 30 minutes picking out a cheese slicer....but I will admit.... it is AMAZING!!!

Of course Tanner's favorite part of the trip was the train ride.

We spent a couple days in Cannon Beach, it was so nice out and the kids were able to play all day in the ocean. Miko and Captain Jack even met some new friends....

The kids thought it would be fun to have a mud fight. Let me tell you, that was fun to clean them off afterwards...... Sand was EVERYWHERE!

Something the kids have never done before is Frisbee, I was so surprised at how good they were.

We buried Daddy Dustin in the sand......

Then Tyler and Tanner......

We made a fire pit on the beach and made smores..... YUMMY!!!

Grandpa showed us how to feed the seagulls. You wouldn't see one for miles and then as soon as you pulled out some bread they were EVERYWHERE......

One of our big outings was the Newport Aquarium. It was so BIG and there were so many things to see. We were sad that we never saw the Octopus.

My sister Kathryn and Grandparents even threw a surprise birthday party for me!This is Tanner's shell collection he started while out there. Actually..... Tanner even taught Grandpa what the different types of clams are.

Our New Addition....

2009-06-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family.... and no it's not a baby. Meet our new mini Shih Tzu, Captain Jack. One of my customers came into the branch with some new little puppies and Tyler and I fell in LOVE with Captain Jack. Dustin loves dogs and Miko has become his dog so I thought for sure he would let us bring a new puppy home. You can imagine my surprise when he said NO?!?! I was okay with his answer but when I talked to my customer she really wanted him to go to a good home and then I thought of all the reasons we needed a little puppy like.... Miko is home all day by himself.... this would be a good lesson for the kids.....and he was just so darn cute!!! But, Dustin still said no. So I told Dustin if we could just keep him over night and if he still said no after that I would know he meant it. So Guess what? WE HAVE A NEW PUPPY!!! Just look how much we all love him.....

Baseball

2009-06-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tanner is loving Baseball this year and we are having a blast watching him. I can't believe how well he is doing. We had to pull the tee out the first couple of games but towards the end of the season he had it down. He even hit a few out in the outfield!

YAY!!! No More Training Wheels!!!

2009-05-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

YAY!!! No more Training Wheels!!! After a few crashes and a few tears Tyler AND Tanner are now riding their bikes with out their training wheels. We are SO proud of them!

Tanner put a nice little scratch on Daddy Dustin's truck after running in to it..... TWICE!!!

Where has the time gone.....???

2009-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone??? It seems like this last month has been the busiest month of the whole year. So much has happened I don't even know where to start...... First of all Dustin has passed his Series 7 license with an 82% and we are so proud of him! (even though his studying really cut into my blogging and facebook time)Ha! Now he has to start the process all over with the Series 66 so it may be a couple months before you see my next post. Tyler has only 3 more days of school and she will be on to 2nd grade and my baby will be in kindergarten. I can't even believe it! Tyler just had her dance recital this weekend and she did so good. Tanner started baseball this year, not T-ball..... baseball. Unfortunately he was sick for his first game. The kids also started golfing. They are taking lessons out at Shadow Valley and it is so fun for Daddy Dustin (He likes that he can just drop them off and has an excuse to go golfing.) Something we have been really busy with lately is bike riding. We all got new bikes this year and I know that everyone probably expects that from us if you know my parents. My dad helped Dustin and I get knew bikes and we have had a blast! Dustin has been riding his bike to and from work and our last couple date nights have been nice long bike rides. This summer is going to be SO busy and we already have so much planned, I am really excited..... I just hope I can keep up on my blogging. Here's a few pictures of what we have been up to.....

Getting some pictures before Tyler's Dance Recital.......

The kids at their first Golf Lesson.......

Tanner was bored after 10 minutes.......

Tyler actually really enjoyed golfing.....

Just before our 1st ride, Look at our pretty new bikes.......

Tanner only goes one speed.... FAST.....

Tyler doesn't know this but her training wheels are broken so she is not even using them but FREAKS out when we talk about taking them off.......

Swimming in Auntie April's new pool.........

The Olson "Stick" family

2009-04-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

I saw this on my friend's blog and thought it was SO fun! I have been asking Dustin if we could get the little one's for our car and he said...."uh no" so I guess posting it on out blog will have to work for now (until I find out where to get them and secretly post them on his car) HeHe!

My Sweet Boy....

2009-04-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying the nice weather and have been taking our little family walks when one afternoon Tanner decided to pick EVERY flower he saw and give them to me. I love this little guy...... I just didn't have the heart to tell him that all the Pretty Flowers he picked for me were WEEDS!

Easter

2009-04-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

This year the Easter Bunny was a little Sneaky and made a trail of strings the kids had to follow to find their Easter baskets. We wanted to do something really fun because it's kind of hard for the Easter Bunny to be creative when the kids are visited 3 different times at 3 different houses. I was in charge of just buying everything for the kids and Daddy Dustin was in charge of the rest and it was definitely an Easter they will never forget!

Spring Break

2009-03-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

This week the kids are on Spring Break but unfortunately Dustin and I are still working. Besides the "Arts & Crafts" they do with Grammie during the day they have been SO bored. I wanted to suprise them so I planned a little "Spring Break Party" and invited a few kids from school and the neighborhood. We had so much fun.! We ate hot dogs, made cupcakes, watched a movie, played video games, played dress up, played trains, and even had pony rides. Okay.... maybe not the pony rides but we did do a lot in only 3 hours!

CHEER LEADING

2009-03-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Cheer leading is something Tyler has been wanting to do for awhile. Her and her little friends even started their own Cheer leading squad at school and they practice during recess. She has done a couple of the High Schools cheer camps but she wanted to do more. We heard about Optimist through her best friend Aspyn so we signed her up. We just finished up a very long week of Cheer camp where Tyler had practice every night this week from 6:00-7:30. The girls just performed during half time at the Stampede game. She did so good! It was so cute to see her and her little friends. They were so excited to meet "Professional" Basketball Players and "Professional" Cheerleaders. Now we are just trying to figure out how she can do Cheer leading, Dance and Basketball all at the same time next year!?!?

Miko

2009-03-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

For everyone who knows Miko, our little Shi tzu might say he is a little "slow". But.... we love him like he is one of our kids! Miko has never been able to do any "tricks" except go find his chew toy when we say, "Miko, go find your monkey" (I always thought that was cute!) So I was determined to teach him a real trick. For the last couple of months I have been trying to get Miko to "sit" before he gets his treat and he would just look up at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. Dustin kept telling me, "Where do you think the expression you can't teach an old dog new tricks came from?" Well yes I am blogging about our dog and YES.... finally today he sat for his treat. I am so happy! So of course we made him do it over..... and over...... and over to make sure it wasn't just coincidence.

SOCK HOP

2009-03-07T09:10:00.001-08:00

Tyler had her first school dance last night and it was a 50's theme. We had a blast! It kind of reminded Dustin and I of being in Junior High all over again..... SCARY!!! I am not old enough for this. Ha! It was so much fun to see Tyler dancing all night with her little friends. Tanner started the evening dancing but ended up a little cranky and feeling left out because sister wanted nothing to do with him. I even tried getting out on the dance floor with him but apparently mom isn't as cool?!?! Pretty soon the kids won't even want us there.

SHOTS!!!

2009-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

My little boy had his Kindergarten Shots today..... We have had to talk about the shots everyday this week so he was prepared. Tanner has a problem with FREAKING out at the last minute and I was afraid he would do that in the Doctor's office. So of course I did what works best...... I bribed him and sent him to his appointment with $10.00! Poor thing thought he was only getting 1 shot and ended up getting 4! He did so good! My baby is ready for school next year.

Basketball

2009-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

As if we had any more free time Tyler decided she wanted to play basketball this year. I thought she would hate it after the first few practices but it turns out she LOVES it and is really good too! For the last 6 weeks Tyler has had practices every Thursday night and games every Saturday. Between school, dance, basketball, and cheer camp starting up she is one busy little girl.

Tyler with her trophy

Our half time show

Tanner supporting his big sister

The Gingerbread Man....

2009-02-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Tyler had her first school play today and it was SO cute. She was the little old lady in The Gingerbread Man. We were so proud of her! She had ALL her parts memorized and even smiled in between her lines so mommy could get some good pictures for scrapbooking. Tanner was such a good little brother and really enjoyed it too! But...... of course Daddy Dustin was in the front row scouting out all the little boys who we hear have crushes on her.

Tanner's Hair....

2009-02-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

For all you of you who have seen Tanner lately I am sure you noticed he was looking a little rough. That kid has more hair then anyone I know and as Dustin would describe, "he looked like is head was 3x too big for him OR he looked like an orange on a toothpick." (He has an analogy for everything) Vanessa and I decided Tanner would look so cute with a "shaggy" hair style but everyone warned us that we just have to get through the awkward stages and then it would be totally cute. After Tanner's 2 dads, and my parents have been nagging us to give him a haircut I finally caved this morning. I am so bummed because I know it would have looked so cute........ but I just couldn't handle it anymore.

BEFORE........

..........AFTER

This was the pile of hair.....

At least we found a good use for the hair

CHORES.......

2009-02-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

We are trying to teach the kids how to do a few simple little chores to help us out. Dustin and I both work full time and at the end of the day still can't seem to always stay caught up on things around the house. We explained to the kids that if they help with chores we would have more time to play with them, watch movies, and do things together as a family. After they fell asleep we had to redo everything but I keep telling myself it is something they need to learn how to do. Here is how they did.......

Of course Dustin wanted to teach Tyler how to do the dishes because the kitchen is his only chore in the house that he HAS to do. Ha! She actually is really good at doing the dishes but can't always reach the cupboards so she just leaves it on the counter.

Besides cleaning his room, Tanner has a few small chores. He is in charge letting Miko out to go potty in the morning (since he is ALWAYS the first one up), folding towels, and putting away all the shoes in the house. It takes him a good half hour just to fold the towels and it is so cute how he trys so hard to fold them just perfect......

For some reason he always trys mommy's shoes on before he has to put them away. Maybe I should be a little worried?!?!

Tanner's Birthday

2009-02-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

I can not believe my baby is now 5........ I feel so old!?!?! This year for Tanner's birthday he wanted to have is party at Boondocks. It was crazy! 2 full hours of kids running around and screaming. At the end of the day it was totally worth it not to have to clean up. Here are a few of our favorite picks....

SNOWBOARDING

2009-01-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Last fall Dustin was determined to get me into snowboarding, I had done it a couple times before but had always been a skier. My first time out (Like every new snowboarder) was spent on my bum..... or face, crying, and yelling at Dustin for "making" me try this stupid sport. Thanks to my wonderful husband and patient friends....(Thanks Jimmy and Kaley!) I made it through the first day and didn't die. After just a few more times up I actually started to get it, and by the end of the season was suprised to find out I LOVED IT!!!

We had talked about getting the kids into skiing or boarding and decided this would be the year. We were all so happy when "Santa" got the kids snowboards for Christmas...... Then a little worried when the kids said they wanted to go outside and sit on the boards while they ride down a hill? We....I mean "Santa" didn't just spend A LOT of money for sleds?!?!

After finding out that the kids couldn't take lessons until they were 7 we tried watching some youtube videos and Tanner thought for sure he would be jumping off hills and doing tricks his first time out. We decided to venture out New Year's Eve and hoped for the best. We were amazed at how well the kids did! By the end of the night Tanner was riding up the magic carpet, strapping in and riding down the hill by himself. If he fell down he would yell, "Mom, don't come over here I can do it myself!" We were shocked! Tyler's first time was a little like mine.... a few tears and an hour at the bottom of the mountain making snow angels. We were so proud of her, she gave it a few more tries and by the end of the night was able to make it down the hill.

Over some hot chocolate we talked about the night and how proud we were of them. Tanner's only concern was that his girlfriend would be able to see him snowboarding so this is for you Kaley......

Christmas Morning

2009-01-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

After months and months of planning and shopping for just the right toy, long lines, returns after finding out the toy you bought was the wrong one while they watch commercials for the toys they DO want, hundreds of dollars spent...... All to be over in 20 minutes! These are just some of the toys we got this year.....

Snowboards...YAY!!!.......

Lots of Trucks, Cars, and Trains.......

Barbies, Dolls, Polly Pockets, Littlest Pet Shops........

And a huge mess for mom and dad to clean up.......

Tyler turns 7

2009-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

WOW! I can not believe she is 7! This year she was able to plan her own birthday party and she chose to have it at artist for a day. I was all for it being somewhere else that we didn't have to clean up after the mess. We allowed her to invite 6 girls but out of fear that everyone would be out of town the week before Christmas we actually sent out 10 invitations and somehow ended up with 12 girls, 4 parents, and 3 grandparents at the party. It was so much fun to see Tyler and her little friends together, this is the same group of girls that started their own cheerleading team at recess. Ha...... They were all girlie girls just like our Tyler.

December 2008

2009-01-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

Aahhh..... My favorite time of year AND the busiest time of year for us. Not only did we spend the whole month getting ready for Christmas but somehow we were able to fit in 4 work parties, a recognition event, Dustin flying to Portland for a week and Tyler's Birthday party. I don't know how we did it all!?!? One of my favorite things we were able to do was visit the Botanical Gardens to see the Christmas lights......Of course they had all done it before but it still was a first for me.

Our Trip to RENO......

2008-12-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Dustin and I had planned a nice little get away to Reno with some friends and family........

..... but 2 days before our trip found out there was a family emergency back in Ohio and we now had kids for the weekend! YAY! So instead of going to the BSU game and staying out late (okay 11ish) and exploring Reno for the first time together the kids got to experience it with us. I do have to say we had family and friends offer to take the kids but Dustin decided we could turn this into a great family vacation. Dustin was actually really excited to introduce something new to the kids. He is worried they will turn out as sheltered and naive as me......??? Surprisingly it was an amazing weekend and what a blast. Who knew you could fit Circus Circus, the movie theater, a train ride, Ferris wheel rides, and a trip to walmart for a new toy all in one weekend?

Where did October go......???

2008-11-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Where did the month of October go......??? I don't think we had one free night to relax. It seems like every night is spent with activities for the kids or spending time helping Tyler with homework. I can not believe the amount of work she has between her spelling tests, phonogram tests, and her little book reports. At least we were able to squeeze in a few fun activities.

Trick-or-treating was so exausting this year and Tanner out ran ALL of us. He was on a mission and we finally were able to get him home when his bucket was too heavey to carry. Of course for the last 3 days it seems like all we have had to eat is CANDY!

One of our favorite things to do this time of year is visit the pumpkin patch. Tanner and Daddy Dustin always find their pumpkins right a way but Tyler and I usually take a bit longer to find the perfect pumpkins. Dustin still doesn't know why I have to have to find gourds for decorating. He likes to call those the retarded pumpkins and doesn't understand why we actually have to pay for them.
This year we had Aunt Kirsten and Grandma and Grandpa Olson over to carve pumpkins with us. We had a blast!

Family Pictures......

2008-10-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

So we finally had our first EVER family pictures. Of course it wouldn't be a family outing without Mom not liking what we're wearing, Jacki running late, April complaining about having to be there, me in tears.........

Dustin making us take some "funny" photos.........

Tanner with his tongue out.......

And of course....... Cole throwing up!

Sometimes I wonder if every family is as crazy as ours, but at the end of the day I know we love each other and I wouldn't trade them for anything. After 2 hours and LOTS of posing we had some amazing pictures and here are a few of my favorite........

Summer is officially over.......

2008-09-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Since school has started we are back on our regular schedules and I am sad to say, our summer is officially over. We had such a fun summer and did so many new things. We spent weekends boating with the Sparlings, Softball games every week, and our very first family vacation. These are some our most favorite pictures........

2008-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

We have decided to start our very first family blog..... okay so it's really our second but we can't log into our first. HeHe

As you all know this last year has been amazing, but super busy. Dustin and I were married last August, bought our first home together in Novemeber and Tyler just started first grade. Dustin and I are both still working at Wells Fargo and between work, school, soccer, dance, and T-Ball things are pretty hectic....... but we love it!

Tyler Dawn is 6....... going on 16. It seems like she has grown up so much just since she has started school. She is such a sweet girl and always a big help around the house. She is in first grade at Paramount Elementary and loves it. I think she comes home from school every day asking when she's allowed to get her own cell phone. Uuuggghh.........

What can I say about Tanner.... he is ALL boy! If he is not playing video games with Daddy Dustin he is outside digging in the dirt for bugs. Every morning he walks his sister to the bus stop but then always reminds me that he wants to be 4 forever so he doesn't loose his teeth and have to go to school.