Our Little Walston Family

Our New Blog

2009-04-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

We have changed our blog site. C lick here to enter our new blog. There are too many boring details about why I needed to make a new one, but I hope you save the new address. We hope you enjoy these memories of ours as much as we love sharing them with you.

New Things Are "Fabl-ee-ous"

2009-03-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! A lot of the reason why I haven't posted is due to my loosing my camera cord. So no photos = no blogging. It still hasn't turned but I did buy a card reader online and got it today. It works great! Whew. So sit back and enjoy. Here comes more blogging from the Walston family.

In Case You Are Wondering...

2009-01-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the planet! I guess the holidays took a lot out of me and the new year has brought a lot of obligations, so my bloggingness will just have to wait. But we will be back...hopefully soon, with many fun and exciting pictures of what we're up to.

The Polar Express

2008-12-17T17:26:00.001-08:00

I am SO thankful for...

2008-12-17T14:28:00.001-08:00

Nope, it's not the chocolate!

I am SO thankful for wonderful friends. The kind who are so excited to see you, even when they aren't expecting you to show up and know that you don't exactly look your best, but love you anyway. I am so thankful for special friends like that. It makes my heart melt. - It's just an added bonus that friends like this know how to make the yummiest chocolate candies and send you home with a whole box full. Thank you so much, Shannon, for being such a wonderful friend. We loved seeing you.

2008-12-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

We went to my brother's house for Thanksgiving and had such a wonderful time. My sister, sister-in-law, and I cooked up a storm. We had the great opportunity to have Thanksgiving fall on my mom's birthday, so we had quite a lot to celebrate. It was wonderful and we were even finished with Thanksgiving lunch and cleaned up by 2pm. It was amazing. Afterwards we went to Moab to get away and to see the family that came for the holiday. We had a great time and even attempted to take some family photos. I think they turned out pretty good. It was fun to have the whole family together again. I just love this time of year. It's just so much fun to celebrate family.

Update

2008-12-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Because I am following a pattern to only blog once a month (not by choice), here's what's happened since then:

*Uncle Russell came home from his 2 year mission in New York.

*Elder Johnson did also (he's Ashley Henline's brother). Russell and Elder Johnson served together and came home on the same plane.

*It was so great to run into Ashley at the airport. It's always fun to run into amazing friends.

*We took some pictures of the grandchildren (Kirby side). They've all grown so fast.

There's still a lot more to post, but it's not going to happen until I can find my camera cord. Where oh where could it be?

What a Funny Boy!

2008-11-05T20:39:00.001-08:00

The other night, Talon came up with the brilliant idea and told us that he wanted to sleep in the laundry basket ... in our room. We thought it was humorous and decided, "Why not?!" So we padded up the laundry basket and he fell asleep. In the middle of the night, James put him in his bed. We thought he would be much more comfortable there. The next time I got up to feed Maylee, I realized Talon was not in his bed. I was a little worried thinking he probably got up and fell asleep on the couch. Nope! He was back in the basket, curled up in a ball, in our room. It must have been pretty comfortable because he's done this two nights in a row now.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-05T20:25:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween that was quite unusual because it was beautiful weather in Utah. I always remembered freezing temperatures on Halloween night growing up, so this was quite a treat. Talon was a pirate and Maylee was his pet skeleton. First we went to the Foothill shops and loaded up a bag full there, and then came home to make homemade rootbeer, eat some yummy chili made by the Petersen/Walston/Lee family, and then went out to fill the bag again around the neighborhood. What a fun night. It's a good thing we got a toothbrush as one of the hand-outs. We'll be using it to brush away all that sugar.

Happy Birthday My Love!

2008-11-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

With all of the things going on in my life, I seriously feel like I have everything on my mind oozing out of my ears. These last few weeks have been crazy and so much fun all at the same time. We celebrated James' birthday and we had a BLAST. Although Talon and Maylee were both feeling under the weather, they held in there long enough to make James' birthday a great one. His birthday is not only important because of the wonderful day it signifies, but it was the day before his birthday 6 years ago when our wonderful story began...when he FINALLY asked me to dance. So there are many things I am very grateful for at this time of year and one of the most important ones is my amazing, handsome, crazy, brilliant "Jamesy." My life is absolutely wonderful and I look forward to it every single day because of him. Happy Birthday My Love!

Happy Birthday My Wonderful Friend!!!

2008-10-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish my very best friend a happy birthday! Here's a tribute to my dear friend, who I miss every single stinkin' day. We've had so much fun together and have had quite the adventures since our very first introduction in Oklahoma. She's such an amazing mom. She's hip, she's so fun, and I only wish I could be a mom like her. She always inspires me and encourages me to have fun through everything life throws my way. She's also such a loving and supportive wife. Ty...you are one lucky man! She's so thoughtful. I can't count how many times I have talked with her and left thinking....why didn't I think of that?! I've never met someone as dedicated as she is in everything she does. She's such an inspiration and such a blessing in my life. I am better because I know Ali. Thanks girly for all the great times. I hope there are more ahead. Happy Birthday! I hope it's a great one.

Happy Birthday Ali!

2008-10-21T22:06:00.003-07:00

Shame on You

2008-10-14T19:44:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have the cutest families in the world and the cutest blogs....and I can't view them because they're private blogs and you don't have my email on them.....SHAME ON me for not keeping in touch. So let's see if we can figure this out and keep it semi-safe. Reverse my first and last name (the name I go by, not the official name) and add it to a gmail account. And there you have it. So for those of you wonderful friends who find this helpful, send us an e-mail and hopefully we'll be blogging and keeping updated together real soon.

*oh and think lowercase.

Eat Your Heart Out Oklahoma!

2008-10-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Last night we found out that it was probably going to snow today. We told Talon and he was so excited that he prayed to Heavenly Father and asked Him to make sure it snowed today. Well that boy got an answer to his prayer and Heavenly Father made sure that the first snowfall of the season was enough to build a snowman (which was the first thing Talon wanted to do). As I watched Talon and James build the snowman, I thought about what the weather was probably like in Oklahoma. I always remembered Halloween in Utah as either freezing or snowing. But Oklahoma was never that way. Our two years there it was only light jacket weather. This is quite the welcome back to Utah weather....and I love it!

Maylee Milestones

2008-10-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Maylee has hit some really fun milestones lately. It's been a joy watching her grow.

One Last Week

2008-10-08T12:04:00.002-07:00

Talon's Uncle Russell is coming home from his mission in NY, so we decided it would be fun for him to see what we've been up to since he's been gone and what he has to look forward to when he comes home. So, this slide show is for him. We hope everyone, especially Elder Walston, enjoys it.

*You may want to turn off the music at the bottom of the page first so you can hear the videos. :)

To:Uncle Russ

2008-10-08T12:04:00.001-07:00

Gone Fishing

2008-09-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you've never gone fishing, you're missing out on how relaxing and peaceful it is. We went fishing with Jason, Leann, Ben and Henry in Heber and it was such a beautiful day. Sitting on the ground putting bait on the hooks, pulling it back and letting it fly and fall into the water. It's a beautiful thing. We didn't catch anything, but we weren't sad. We had great company and enjoyed just being together.

Meeting Grandpa Jessup

2008-09-07T04:51:00.000-07:00

While in Beaver, we went to visit Grandpa Jessup. What an amazing and hard working man he is. Maylee was having a rough weekend and had become quite the mommy's girl. I was afraid that she was going to fall apart when I handed her to grandpa, but she didn't. She was very content to have her Great Grandpa Jessup hold her. Grandpa gave Grandma Jessup the credit for Maylee's contentment. She must have been there like grandpa said because we got a lot of cute pictures.

Visiting Georgia and Tony

2008-09-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

On our way to visit my grandparents, we stopped in Beaver to visit with James' Uncle Tony and Aunt Georgia. It's one of those places where you always feel welcome and at home. They are always so generous and thoughtful. Talon was smitten with their son, Kelsie and wouldn't leave his side. They were quite the pair and Talon gained a new love for Transformers.

While the big boys went shooting, Georgia decided we should paint Maylee's nails. Georgia's daughter Mackenzie was more than happy to pick out a bright pink polish for those little toes. It was a lot of fun and Maylee seemed to enjoy her manicure and pedicure. Aahhh, I foresee many trips to the spa for Maylee and me in the future.

Guess What We Did?!

2008-09-07T04:04:00.001-07:00

I've always loved seeing little baby girls with their ears pierced, and when we found out Maylee was going to be a girl, I couldn't wait to pierce hers. That is...until I found out that babies have to be at least 2 months old to get their ears pierced. Then I had no choice but to wait. My sister and I went to the mall and found a little place that specializes in piercings. I couldn't believe the butterflies I had as we were waiting. Poor Maylee had just awaken from her nap and of course she cried. Have you seen those things they poke in their ears?! Ouch! We let Talon and his cousins watch. Hopefully it persuaded them to NOT to get any piercings.
But Maylee did only cry for a short while and then forgot all about it.
She's already quite the girly girl and I absolutely love those ears!

Our New Home

2008-08-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new home!!!!!

Actually........ THIS is where we live. : )
We are very fortunate to now live in a mother-in-law apartment in the Sugarhouse area. It's actually directly behind Jason and Leann's home (James' brother), which makes it absolutely convenient when one of us needs to borrow a cup of sugar or a cube of butter (which I actually did today). The house pictures above is what the home looks like and the entrance for us is in the back. We have wonderful neighbors and live in a cultisac that is occupied by great families (including the Bishop) and many friends for Talon. There is an awesome area in the backyard (0ur front yard) complete with a trampoline and swing set. Our landlord's are so generous and let everyone play there. It's always a party here, so be sure to come join in all the fun and come visit us.

Stay tuned for pictures of the inside.....when it's really clean.

Our Hawaiian Vacation

2008-08-17T18:49:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon!

2008-08-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

We have been so busy!!! I'm sorry we haven't posted in a while. We went to Hawaii for a week and then moved to our new place right afterwards. Now that we are connected to the internet, I have a lot to blog. Stay tuned for the fun details of our awesome trip and move. See you soon!

Branson Jack Call

2008-07-16T07:04:00.001-07:00

James and I have some dear friends who have been blessed with a sweet little angel. Rob and Natalie Call were married just before James and I, and have been looking forward to the day they would have a little one of their own. After 6 long years, with many obstacles for them, they finally were expecting a sweet little boy. Only days before the due date, little Branson's heartbeat couldn't be found.

It is very hard for me to know or imagine what they must have felt at that time.

I am strengthened by their strength and testimonies. I am so grateful to know Rob and Natalie and have been blessed to know their sweet little angel, Branson Jack Call.

Here is the link to a blog that was made to honor Branson Jack Call.
http://www.bransonjackcall.com/
You can also access this by the link under family and friends.

Independence Day

2008-07-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun on the 4th of July. Breakfast at McD's, parades with candy on Redwood Road, playing with diggers at the park, lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Kirby's, Dinner at Jason and Leann's, and watching the fireworks from Sugarhouse Park. Whew...what a great and exhausting day. It's too bad we'll be in Hawaii during the Days of '47. We could have done it all over again. Yeah...I'm really broken hearted about it : ) There's always next year. Happy Summer Holidays everyone!

Maylee's Blessing Day

2008-07-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today was Maylee's Blessing Day. It was so great. We had so many family members and friends come to visit. It was so much fun to see everyone who came to see Maylee. These are some photos I took of our little miss in her very special blessing dress.

Now here's the scoop on this blessing dress. My grandma Hendricks made this dress for me when I was blessed. Afterwards my mom held onto it and kept it in her cedar chest to give to me when the time was appropriate. Well...I guess the time was really quite appropriate. Maylee fit in it perfectly. It was gorgeous on her. Thanks grandma for the very special dress and thank you everyone who came to celebrate this very special day for Maylee.

My Sweet Little Boy and His POOR Little Finger!

2008-06-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

WARNING: Graphic Images Below

I knew this day would come and frankly am surprised it hadn't come sooner. My poor sweet boy. We were having such a wonderful Sunday yesterday. We went to church, we had lunch with the Lolofie family (sooo much fun to see my girls!), and then we went to "Benny Benny Boys Grandma's House" for dinner (aka the Petersen's). Talon was having so much fun with his cousins and playing with a toy on a patio chair until.....snap!
He put his fingers where only little fingers can fit on those chairs and sliced his finger WIDE open. There was no question that stitches were mandatory. A great Sunday with a horrible finale.

SmileyMorning!

2008-06-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Lately Maylee has been entertaining all of us directly after she wakes up in the morning. This is her happiest time of the day....and I'm loving it.

She's only 5 weeks old and it's not gasiness....it's happiness. She is one sweet smiler. I first noticed her smiliness when she was only one week old. Now they consistently come and on cue...most of the time. What a lovely way to start the morning.

Catching Up With Nahinu....Finally

2008-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's about time!!!! Our great friend Nahinu finally came home from Afghanistan and we were thrilled to finally see him. We are anxiously awaiting his wedding in Hawaii in a couple weeks. Yup...we're going to Hawaii! We wouldn't miss it for the world. Not because it's Hawaii....because it's Nahinu. Honestly! He's so thoughtful and generous. he bought Talon a cool new swimming suit complete with goggles just for Hawaii. Talon didn't take the goggles off for about 24 hrs. We finally snatched them away so they would still be around for Hawaii. Nahinu's a very special part of our family and we're so excited for him and Tina. Welcome Home Papi!

A Visit From G&G

2008-06-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

We had a fun opportunity to visit with grandma and grandpa Hendricks while grandpa delivered a trailer up North. We went out to Mimi's with Grandma (yummy). It was a lot of fun and totally crazy. We were outnumbered by kids. It's so fun to see our beautiful family growing. Thanks for the visit G&G.

Walston Cousin Playday

2008-06-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

This was our playday with the Walston/Lee crew. Mmmmm...summertime, outside, and a hose. What fun!

Play Day

2008-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Every week we have a playday with the cousins. The first week we went to my brother's house and the kids played in the sprinklers. By looking at the pictures, they obviously had a GREAT time.

Summerfest

2008-06-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we joined my family, along with my aunts launi and laurie, and cousins at Summerfest in Orem. It was a lot of fun to see everyone and catch up on life. It was also so much fun to see the fireworks. there's just something about fireworks that makes summertime that much more special....like icing on the cake.

I wanted to extend a BIG "thank you" to my cousin Jesse and aunt Laurie for supplying glow-in-the-dark sticks. The kids were thrilled. Who needs fireworks when you have glow-in-the-dark sticks?

Last Sunday

2008-06-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we went to Fillmore to see Great Grandma Walston. She's quite the travelor and we didn't know when we would be able to introduce her to her new (and only) great granddaughter. So we came to Fillmore before she left for Oklahoma.
It was a fun and quick visit. We really love our Great Grandma Walston.

After church in Fillmore, we headed to Salt Lake City for a double birthday party. James' aunt Vilate and cousin Emma were celebrating their birthdays at Milt and Rishel's. We had a great time catching up with the Jessup/Walston family.

For Emma's birthday, Milt and Rishel asked all the visitors not to bring a present because they were supplying the gifts. On arrival everyone was given a crisp dollar bill to give Emma for her birthday. Their gift to Emma was a really cute purse. Then it was everyone's turn to give Emma the rest of the gift. She was SO excited when everyone started throwing dollars on the table. I love the picture. It's worth a hundred words. Rishel's plan was to take Emma to the store later that week with her new purse full of money and let her buy something special. What a fabulous idea!

Dad: a son's first hero...a daughter's first love.

2008-06-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

To my sweetheart:
Happy Father's Day to a man who has blessed my life in more ways than I can express. James is and will always be my eternal sweetheart. What an overwhelming feeling it has created in my heart to watch him as a father to Talon and Maylee. He is a "man of steel" with a heart that will melt when he's with them. I love and adore him so much and am so proud of the father that he is and the priesthood he holds and offers our family. He will always be Talon's hero and Maylee's first love. Thank you, my love, for being such an amazing father and companion. We love you. Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

Loving the Minutes

2008-06-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

These last three weeks have been an adventure to say the least. While in Moab we were able to not only visit with our wonderful family and friends, but we saw Preston play a baseball game, had lots of fun playing the wii as a family, went to the sand hill with Amber and her cute girls, James went on a hummer tour with "Grandaddy," and then headed out to Salt Lake where we are now experiencing a new type of adventure....house hunting. Talon and Maylee have been great through it all.

James just finished his first week in his official career and is really excited about the people he's working with. I have to say, they weren't kidding when people told me "two kids are an adjustment." But I'm loving the minutes hours, and days that I get to spend being a mommy. It's just too rewarding (minus the sleepless nights).

Happy One Week!

2008-05-31T17:37:00.001-07:00

Happy One Week!

2008-05-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

We're in Utah now and a lot has happened in just one week. Maylee and mommy are completely healthy, we made the 14 hour trip to Moab (we split it up over two days and it was great), Talon is having a great time at Grandaddy's, and we're completely missing our family back in Oklahoma (i.e. the hoelzer's, richards, loftin's, etc.). Here are some really cute photos we took of Maylee yesterday. Talon thought he would pitch in and pose for us too. What blessings they are! Happy one week, Maylee!

Maylee Marie Walston

2008-05-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

7 Pounds 9 Ounces 20 1/2 Inches
Born May 23, 2008 at 3:09 PM

Young Women Surprise Party

2008-05-21T22:19:00.002-07:00

Last Wednesday, I show up to Young Women's thinking I knew exactly what the activity was and even telling my Miamaids what to expect. Boy was I WRONG! After being delayed and sent on detours, I finally was able to show up to the YW room to a SURPRISE PARTY for me. Aaahhhhh! I can't believe they kept that thing a secret from me. I love these girls so much! It was kind of like a pajama/baby shower/going away party that was SO MUCH FUN!!! The only picture I didn't get was of sweet Ali who I suspect planned the whole thing in the first place. I love ya girl! Talon was thrilled and wouldn't stay away from the chocolate fondue, strawberries, and cupcakes (which he got everywhere). Thank you SOOOO Much! I really am going to miss these girls. What sweethearts! I don't know how I got soooo lucky to be their YW advisor. Heavenly Father must love me a lot!

YW Surprise Party!

2008-05-21T22:19:00.001-07:00

Day 4: Tinker Air Force Base

2008-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Just before my brother Steve and Karen left to go home, we took them to see the airplanes at Tinker. The kids had a lot of fun playing around the HUGE planes. It's too bad they didn't get watch all the planes fly overhead like we're used to. We've had a good time living by the base. We'll miss it for sure.

Day 3: Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Sunday Morning we made yummy Belgian waffles for our Mother's Day breakfast. It was fun to have all of my family packed in our little apartment. Afterwards, we went to church and then got ready for most of my family to catch their flight back to Utah. Steve, Karen , Becca, and Nathan were able to stay with us an extra day, so that afternoon we went to the Oklahoma City Memorial. Although I have lived here almost 2 years, I have never been to the memorial. It is amazing in a really sad sort of way. There is quite the reverence there and it tears at your heartstrings to see all of the "empty chairs" that symbolize all of the people killed in the bombing. It was quite a unforgettable experience. Too bad Talon slept through the whole thing.

James' Graduation Day

2008-05-13T20:23:00.001-07:00

Graduation Day

2008-05-13T20:06:00.001-07:00

Day 2: We began with breakfast at the zoo. Afterwards we enjoyed seeing all the animals and walking around the Oklahoma City Zoo. It was a lot of fun and went by pretty quickly. After the zoo, we hurried home to get ready for James' Graduation Ceremony. We got there just in time. It was awesome to see James' uncle take the opportunity to "hood" James. It was a great surprise! We're so proud of you, James! After the ceremony we took pictures and ran back home to have a graduation BBQ. We had so much fun with incredible family and our wonderful friends, the Hoelzer's. My mom also threw us a mini baby shower during the BBQ. It was so much fun and we got some really cute gifts. Thanks everyone! What a great celebration.

Day 1

2008-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday I took my family to Bricktown to walk around and see the beautiful trails that are there, complete with waterfalls and poisonous snakes. That's right...Poisonous snakes. My dad and I were getting ready to take a picture of everyone sitting above one of the waterfalls when we saw everyone jump up and scram. At first we heard a commotion about a snake and one of my Nephews crying a lot, so we thought someone got bit. When we got to everyone, we found out that my mom and nephew received minor injuries during the escape and after a thorough examination of where the snake was and what it looked like...we found out it was a large Cottonmouth. Unfortunately they are not uncommon to Oklahoma. Thank goodness no one was hurt...from the snake.

Then, during our walk, James shows up with my brother and his family who had just flown in, and he decides to give me my mothers day gift early. It was only the best camera in the whole world! He's quite sneeky. I was convinced that I was never going to get a new camera and then I would be doomed to only blog on occasion. He fooled me well. I love you sweetheart!

After that, Talon decided he wanted to give me a present too. He picked a pretty flower for me that was planted (probably just recently) in a flowerbed along the trail.

After lunch in Bricktown, we took pictures of everyone by the fountain. It was a lot of fun to have everyone there. Surprisingly, we didn't lose anyone in the water.

Then we split up for a little R & R time. Since Talon's not suppose to take a nap and my brother's kids weren't going to nap, we (James and Talon...I don't have a swimsuit that will fit this belly)went to their hotel to swim.

That night we had a picnic at the "Rocket Park" in Midwest City. While the kids played around, the guys went to hit a few golf balls around.

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-05-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day weekend has been so much fun for us. My (Ali's) family was able to come visit us in Oklahoma to celebrate James' graduation yesterday. It has been wonderful to have them all here and show them around our tornado country, but before I share the fun details of what we've done this weekend, we just wanted to pay a tribute to our wonderful mothers.

My mom (Sweet Sabrina) is absolutely wonderful. She's always willing to share inspired ideas and her creative talents whenever you need to throw together a gift, or just want to make your home more inviting. She is so talented and always leaves me wondering just how she does it?! She has such a sweet and sensitive heart and is always there to lend a shoulder to cry on. She may also cry along with you. (If this sounds familiar, now you know where I get it ; ) I love my mom and am so grateful for her. Love you Mom ... Thanks for a great weekend!

My mom "Sweet Nita" is the best. She has always worked soooo hard to raise us and teach us to be our best. She gives us 100% of her love and time if needed. I owe her sooo much for everything she has done for me and all of us. I always say she is "very efficient" because I call and ask her a question (just to get advice or to find out how to do it) and she will call back in few minutes with the answer or to tell me it is already taken care of. I love you mom you have worked so hard raising all of us and we appreciate all the time and effort you put into it. Because of you we have become who we are. James.

2008-04-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share the news that we're planning on inducing on the 23rd of May. So unless Maylee decides to come earlier, we're set to have her come on May 23rd. Five weeks from today...hurray! So feel free to come and see us around then....and help us move too.

Conference Weekend

2008-04-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

Here are a few things we really look forward to at General Conference time:

The King Benjamin Tent...
In one of my institute classes, I learned that a fun way to get children excited for conference is to read in the Book of Mormon about King Benjamin's address to his people. We explain that the people came from far and wide to listen to their prophet and leader at that time and pitched their tents with the door toward the prophet. So we reinact this idea by putting up a tent, and if room permits, face it towards the TV for conference. Talon LOVES this. He looks forward to it and we let him sleep in the tent those two nights of conference. It's so much fun. Whoever thought of the idea was very inspired.

Conference Cinnamon Rolls...

James' mom started a tradition to make cinnamon rolls for her family every time general conference came around. She shared her experience of the joy it created within her family and how it helped the kids have a desire to stick around to listen or watch conference. I couldn't help but jump on this tradition. I still can't make rolls like Sweet Nita, but at least we don't feel too left out. Talon is quite the helper!!!

Easter Morning

2008-04-03T11:25:00.001-07:00

Good Morning Sunshine! (Notice the egg hidden behind Talon...he's completely oblivious). It's an understatement that Talon was a little perplexed when he first got up for Easter. It was a lot to take in when the living room was covered with hidden/and not so hidden eggs. I love this glazed look!

Hurray for the Easter Bunny. I want to extend my appreciation and gratitutde to my mom for supplying every wonderful thing a little boy could dream of for easter. This was his reaction when he went through his basket. "Hurray!"

Check out this STUD!
I'm starting a new tradition to get new Sunday clothes for Easter and Talon really needed an upgrade. I have to say ... I really look forward to getting him ready for church right now. He looks incredible! What a handsome little man. His tie only stays on through half of church though. He usually will complain that "it's chokie mom". James sympathizes.

Clubhouse Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Talon ready and excited for the hunt.

The had a hunt specifically for the 0-3 year olds. Talon was the tallest and had quite the advantage finding A LOT of the eggs. I asked and verified many times if there was a limit to the eggs each child gets to find...because it seemed like Talon was finding them all. We were reassured that there were plenty for everyone. I was sure Talon had way too many.

When one of his eggs broke open, he took a minute to put all the back inside and place it in his basket so he could continue the hunt.

This is Talon's way of measuring how much more room is left in his basket.

Now he is willing to enjoy his find.

This basket is FULL!

Our Visit to Arizona

2008-03-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

We had a WONDERFUL TIME!!!! It was amazing. The weather was perfect (80 degrees or above), the sealing was incredible, and the company was awesome. We went to Arizona for Jon's wedding at the Mesa, Arizona temple. We flew out on Wednesday and stayed at Jon's house with Theo and our new (and wonderful) friends Travis and Candice. Over the next few days we hung out with Jon, his beautiful and fun Jenn, Alysia, BJ, Theo, Travis, and Candice. We even got to visit James' old seminary teacher and baseball coach, Brother Moon. We had so much fun making new friends, enjoying old friends, and having a party. Talon was so great. He made new friends too. He loved running around with Garrett (Jenn's nephew), hanging out with Trevor (they are best buds now), and playing Jon's Wii whenever anyone would let him. By the time Saturday had come, we didn't want to leave...even Talon. I think we're ready to move to Arizona. It was so much fun seeing everyone again and going through the beautiful Mesa temple. Thanks for the great time everyone. We can't wait to see you again.

Jon and Jenn's Wedding in Arizona

2008-03-02T16:53:00.001-08:00

Happy 5 Wonderful Years!

2008-02-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

It might be a little while before I have any really good posts up. Our camera went "kapoot" and it takes not-so-great pictures, so until I get a new one...I'm not going to be posting too much. I'll try to keep everyone updated. It's amazing how much I really rely on cameras. Needless to say...this one did a great job and lasted about 5 years. I hope this new one is even better and lasts longer. What a great gift that will be for our 5 year Anniversary on March 1st.

So This Is What We Get at 3AM!

2008-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Talon went to bed last night at around 8:30 and I thought, "I finally am going to have a great nights sleep." Well that's not quite what happened. At around 3am our phone went off blairing through the entire apartment. I thought for sure it would wake Talon up. When James answered the phone, no one was there. We were furious. About 15 minutes later there was a loud knock on the door. This is not too unfamiliar with us. We've had numerous people bang on the door at that hour just to find out they were at the wrong apartment. But on one rare occasion, the Young Women in the ward were out "Heart Attacking." This was yet again, another Heart Attack. Needless to say, Talon woke up shortly after the pounding on the door.

I love our Young Women, they are the sweetest... but they're really asking for it!

Paying Our Tribute to a Great Man

2008-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

I thought we would pay a small tribute in loving memory of our beloved prophet, President Hinckley. We love him and we are so grateful for his example and his life. I'm grateful that Talon got to know who President Hinckley was...if only for a brief moment. What a spiritual giant he was. We are grateful for "our prophet;" the man who has been there since I can remember. We're so thrilled that he is reunited with his beloved wife. Until we meet again. Thank you!

Visiting Farmer Brown

2008-02-03T20:16:00.001-08:00

During our visit to Utah, we had the great opportunity to visit Farmer Brown in Heber. Talon was in Heaven! Not only did he get to see Paige, Brynn, Ali, Ty , & Baby Noah; but he got to feed the "baby cows," ride in the big tractor, and ride in the skid steer (he actually knew what one was before he rode in it). Thanks for the great time!

Our Ultrasound Results

2008-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

It's A Girl!
We went to the doctor's for an ultrasound today and found out that we were WRONG! We thought we were having a boy, but they verified numerous times that we are having a girl. Talon was right all along! He is going to have a sister.

Talon's First Day of Primary

2008-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Talon had his first day of Primary on January 13th. He doesn't have an official teacher....yet, but he had a great time with the new experience. Let's just hope that lasts because he REALLY enjoyed nursery.

The Ice Storm Before Christmas

2008-01-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since the last time we posted, but this is what we left before the Christmas break. It was absolutely amazing, but the damage was horrible .

Our neighbor brought out buckets of hot water to help melt the ice on our cars. She said it was the only way she could get through the inch of solid ice on her car.

The tree branches are usually pointing up, but are weighed down by ice. They were beautiful.

What You See Is What You Get

2007-12-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

Whenever we get Talon out of the tub, we ask him to get his boxer briefs on...so this is what we get. I didn't think we needed to be THAT specific. Check out those ears! He definitely doesn't get this from his mom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

This was our first Thanksgiving with just the 3 (and a half) of us and we had a great time. Talon helped make the pumpkin pie, James and Talon did a great job with the Monkey Bread, and all the food turned out GREAT! We didn't need to call the fire department after all. My confidence has gone up a notch. After a festive lunch and a few football games, our friends Mike, Adrianne, "Mr William" and "Baby Isaac" came over to play games and have a good time. What a wonderful day. When Thanksgiving was over, we decided to start decorating for the next holiday. HURRAY FOR CHRISTMAS! Since we will only be here for half of the month, we decided we'd better start celebrating early (just not at 4am for shopping...that's much too early for this family). We hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as wonderful and stress free as ours.

Happy Birthday To Ali!

2007-11-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, Talon decided to get me a make-up kit (it's the kind little girls go crazy for). He REALLY liked it...especially the nail polish. As I opened and began to dress myself up, I felt something tickling my toes. Talon had unscrewed the nail polish (which I didn't know he could do) and began to give mommy a pedicure. We were both thrilled. He actually did a pretty good job too. Afterward, he gave me a facial. I looked so beautiful! The make-up came in a really cute pink case that Talon now carries all of his trucks in. It was a wonderful surprise.

We're Expecting!

2007-11-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

So the word is now out. We're expecting!!! Now that we've verified that everything is going well, we're letting everyone know. Talon's not so sure about it, but he has six more months to get used to the idea of being a big brother. We're so excited. The baby is due May 31st. James graduates on the 10th of May so we're cutting it pretty close. We're not sure whether we'll have the baby in Utah or in Oklahoma...or somewhere in between. We'll keep you posted with the news and we'll be in Utah for Christmas, so let us know if you'll be around so we can visit.

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Buzz Lightyear (aka Talon) with his friends Haunting at the OKC Zoo.

Talon was so excited to see his friends in their costumes. He was even more excited for the candy that he got as he walked through the zoo.

There were a lot of kids there.

Buzz Lightyear in a rocket with Calvin and Hobbes

(we thought Grandpa Kirby would really appreciate this one)

Talon on Halloween Night. He had fun "Trunk-or-Treating" at the church parking lot. Notice his bag is completely full. Thanks Grandma Kirby for the bag...he filled it up pretty quick. He got some GOOD stuff too. James and I had fun taking dibs on the mountain of sweets while Talon wasn't looking. He'll learn soon enough to keep a close eye on his candy while mom and dad are around.

2007-10-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn!

The days seem to fly so quickly this time of year. The weather gets cooler, the holidays come one right after another, and the anticipation to see family at Christmas time is more than we can bare. Although fall in Oklahoma isn't anything like fall in Utah, we're still enjoying the splendors that come with it (i.e. the decorations, the great food, the falling leaves, and the activities). Happy Autumn everyone!

Campin with the Hoelzer's 2007

2007-09-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

This summer we went camping with the Hoelzer family. We had a lot of fun and quite the adventure. Racoon hunting was one of my favorite parts. What wonderful friends. We had a great time.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-09-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-07-06T12:55:00.001-07:00

Talon...Summer 2007

2007-07-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Our Handsome 2 1/2 Year Old!

Candy, Candy, Fun, & More Candy

2007-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from Talon's Easter Egg Hunt at the church. He had a lot of fun opening the eggs.

The Oklahoma City Zoo

2007-04-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Talon loved the ducks and the geese at the zoo.

Our "Pride" and Joy

Talon at the Oklahoma City Zoo during James' spring break. He blends in pretty well!

We love our little wild animal.

Handy Manny

2007-04-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our little "Hammy Hammy" (Handy Manny)
He's always ready to help take apart and put together anything,
whether it needs fixing or not.

2007-03-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

James and Ali at the Oklahoma City Temple on the day that our dear friends, the Newark's, were sealed. It was an incredible experience and an incredible story!

Ali & Talon in Dallas

2007-03-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

In March, Ali & Talon went to go visit Uncle Steve while he was in Dallas for a couple days. While there, we got to visit the Dallas World Aquarium with the Hoelzer girls.

The best part was the sharks that swam over our heads. "Cool Dude!" ...as Talon would say.

Ali, Talon, & James in Moab

2006-07-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

This Picture is from our Summer of 2006 in Moab. Talon was one and a half.