Corey and Jen Heward

California!

2011-06-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

For Christmas Corey's parents gave us a trip to California to go to Disneyland. We got to take the trip in March. We drove up on a Saturday. Monday it was kind of rainy so we went to the California Science Center.

Evelyn loved the fishing game.

Tuesday we went to Disneyland!

Evelyn is all ready to go!

We are so excited to go in!

The kids favorite thing- meeting Mickey!

With Corey's parents.

Evelyn watching the fireworks. She absolutely loved it. The other kids slept right through it in the stroller.

All tuckered out.

On Wednesday, we went to California Adventures.

Analia's favorite ride- the carousel. We got to ride it many times because it started raining and it allowed us to stay out of the rain.

On Thursday, we went back to Disneyland

On the pirate ship.

Meeting the Princesses. Evelyn absolutely loved it!

On Friday, we went to an Aquarium. The kids loved being able to touch some of the sea animals.

I had to get a picture in front of the lighthouse.

Then Saturday we packed up and ended our fun filled, exciting trip.

It's been a long time... (May)

2011-06-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

In May, My cousin Ross and his wife Nikki and their two kids came down from Canada for a visit. We took them to the Tucson Zoo.

Here is just a candid shot we took to send to my Grandpa on his 90th birthday.

It's been a long time... (April)

2011-06-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

In April, Jacob, my mom and I drove to El Paso to be there for the birth of a new little niece. James and Karin had a little girl. It was sure fun to be there to meet her.

Jacob and his cousin Sami

We also had fun dying eggs for Easter.

It's been a long time... (March)

2011-06-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

March was an extra fun month for us. During spring break we went with my cousin Paul and his family to the Mesa Southwest Museum or "The Dinosaur Museum" This museum is extra special because my grandma "Nennie" was on the guild while I was growing up and she used to take us all the time. It sure has changed since then- but they still have the dinosaurs and the panning for gold.

We went to the Tucson Zoo with the preschool groups.

We also went to California and Disneyland but I will post that later.

Fun With Cake!

2011-06-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Jocey's kids all have their birthdays in the spring and I got to make their birthday cakes. It was a lot of fun to try some new things.

Alyssa turned 4 and wanted a Strawberry Shortcake cake.

Kamryn turned 8 and wanted a Rapunzel cake.

Aaron turned 6 and wanted a Mario cake. Corey helped me on this one and I couldn't have done it without him.

Fun in the Snow!

2011-03-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

We took a day trip up to Prescott to let the kids play in the snow. The kids had a blast! It was a lot of fun. It was also nice to be able to see Corey's Aunt Keri and her family.

Evelyn Turns 4! Happy Birthday Pretty Gilr!

2010-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

My little girl turned 4 on December 20! We gave her a bike that morning. When she saw it she said, "It's my bike! I love it! It's so pretty!" We then took her for a little bike ride down to Jocey's house so she could show it off. That evening we went to Pioneer Park and had pizza with family. It was a great turn out- thanks to everyone who could come- especially this time of year. She enjoyed every minute of the day. She loved all her presents and her cake. She said she wanted a Barbie cake- so I stuck a barbie in the cake and carved out a dress. Our tradition is to go see the Temple lights on her birthday so we walked on down. It was beautiful! The kids had a great time walking around and seeing the lights.

Rawhide

2010-12-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

We went to Rawhide with my friend Sarah and her two boys. The kids had a lot of fun seeing Santa and looking at all the old west stuff.

Evelyn didn't like the idea of being in the electric chair. Jacob wouldn't even sit in it.

At first Evelyn ran up to Santa and then we couldn't get her to go back for a picture. So here is Jacob and Analia with Santa.

Jacob as a miner.

Analia and Evelyn in the stagecoach.

The sheriff put them in jail.

He told them they had to gobble like turkeys to get out. Evelyn and Alex started gobbling, Jacob threw a fit and Analia...

Analia just squeezed through the bars.

Analia and her friend Bryce in the carriage.

Cutie Girl

2010-12-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

I was playing with Analia's hair the other day and realized it was probably long enough to do pig tails. So, I tried it. She looked so cute. Jacob calls her "Cutie Girl" and if you ask him why she is cutie girl he says "Because she is cute and a girl" Duh!

Scott and Briley's Wedding

2010-11-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Corey's brother Scott got married Ocotber 28th. It was a beautiful day for a wedding. They got sealed in the morning and then we had a delicious luncheon at the Landmark- a very yummy fajita bar. The reception was that evening at the Wright House. It was a great day! Always fun to get a new sister!

Outside of the Temple

Jaocb and Analia at the reception

Our family- it is always so much fun trying to get a family picture. :)

Pretty Evelyn

Handsome Jacob

Another try at a good family picture

Jacob with his Bapa and cousin Braiden

Jen with Cutie Girl Analia

The Heward daughters

The Hewardsons

Jacob and Meema

Birthdays!

2010-11-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

In October we get to celebrate both Jacob and Analia's birthdays! Jacob turned 5 and Analia turned 2.

Analia blowing out her two candles

Jacob blowing out his candles

I had asked Jacob what kind of cake he wanted me to make and he said Mickey Mouse. He had a Mickey head cake a couple years ago so I thought I would do something different.

Jacob and Analia blowing out candles at the Heward family birthday party.

Analia showing off her new outfit

I wish I could say I made this cake but I didn't. My visiting teacher called and said she had made some goodies and wanted to drop them off and this is what she gives me. I thought it was amazing. It just happened to be the week of Analia's birthday so I put it in the freezer and saved it for her.

Life...

2010-11-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

It is hard to write this, but I feel like I need to for myself. Life sure has a way of throwing curve balls at you every once in awhile. I guess I was due for something to come along because things have been going good. Busy- but good. In August we found out I was pregnant and we were really excited and since I didn't have any problems with the last 3 pregnancies I wasn't really worried about this one. I am blessed that I don't really get sick unless I don't eat- so I let myself eat (and gained more weight than I would have liked). The doctor had us go in at what we thought would have been 9 weeks for an ultrasound to determine size and due date. I then went back to the doctor a couple days later and he said the ultrasound said I was only 5.5 weeks along. My initial reaction was "What? You just added on a month to this pregnancy!" then he started asking questions and without directly telling he thought something was wrong, he told me something was wrong. We scheduled another ultrasound for the next week and I went on my way. The next few days I started to bleed and knew I was going to lose this baby. The day after my visit to the doctor was Corey's brother's wedding (which was a wonderful day!- I will post about that another time) The spirit pretty much told me that I would lose this baby and that I would be ok- I just asked that He let me get through the wedding day- and He did. To make the long story short- Sunday morning I lost the baby. I have to say that having a miscarriage is one of the most horrible experiences a woman can go through. If you are reading this and have had a miscarriage- my heart goes out to you. You can't really understand it unless you have had one. I am probably not alone in saying that the love a woman has for their child begins the moment they find out they are pregnant. And so to lose it at any point is pretty devastating. I won't go on and on about it because that wasn't the point of this post. It is easy to get swallowed up in all the bad and forget that the Lord will put some good in there too. So here are some of the good things the Lord gave me in the last couple of days: (these aren't so much in order of importance- more of a chronological order)
1. My dear sister in law who has had to endure more than one miscarriage herself. She and my brother came to visit this past weekend and she helped me through the worst of it.- oh and her healthy pregnancy. (Now that I understand a little better what she has gone through these past years, I am so excited she is 16 weeks along and so far everything is good!)
2. Priesthood blessings and a husband worthy to give them.
3. A sister who will lead the choir for me on the spur of the moment (and for those in the choir!- I hated to miss you sing.)
4. Family and Friends
5. 3 Beautiful children who like to give hugs.
6. Ice Cream and Halloween candy
7. A wonderful Mom- she has done so much to help, but she also cleaned my bathroom.
8. The best husband!- yesterday after telling him that I was ok and that he should go to work- he insisted he needed to stay home- and then got the house cleaned and vacuumed, the kids taken care of, cuddled with me, some laundry done, the car tire fixed and so much more.
9. The new Rick Riordan book "The Lost Hero" and the fact that I could spend pretty much the whole day yesterday reading it. Corey wouldn't let me do much else.
10. The healthy delivery of my new nephew Tyson. Born November 3rd.
11. Isaiah... yes that is right. Sometimes the Lord guides you to read in the scriptures the exact thing you need to hear. We are reading the Book of Mormon with Corey's family and I got caught up yesterday. So today's reading was in 3 Nephi 22. Here is a little of it- "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child;...For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, ..." I found that pretty comforting.
12. A friend who knew I wouldn't be up to teaching preschool this week and so canceled it for me on Monday and taught it for me on Wednesday.- Thanks Valerie!
13. DVR
14. A comfortable bed and cooler weather (not that it is that much cooler but I have been able to open the window at night)
15. Coupons- my dad and I had fun today clipping coupons. He then went to Fry's and spent less than $1 out of pocket and got a ton of stuff. He is going back tomorrow for some more!
16. The gospel and the peace it can bring.
17. Sleep and Excedrin Migraine
I could go on and on but it is getting late and I am getting tired so I am going to end it there for now. The situation pretty much stinks and there are times when I just want to roll up into a ball and cry- and there are times that I have done just that, and there will probably be more times in the future that I'll do that again, but deep down I know that I am loved and this is something the Lord wants me to go through to become stronger so I accept it, and tell myself it stinks but it still could be worse.

Canada trip

2010-08-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't take many pictures from our trip because the battery was dying and I of course didn't have the cord to charge it. We left on a Wednesday and drove from Casa Grande to Utah and stayed a night with Corey's aunt Tiana. We then drove up to Corey's Grandma in Idaho and stayed a night with her. It was fun to see some of Corey's family along the way. We then traveled up to Calgary where we stayed with my cousin Jenny and her husband Luke. The kids seemed to hit it off- especially because they found other kids that play Plants Vs Zombies. Below is Jacob and Evelyn with Hayden and Allie.

On Saturday we got together with some more of our cousins and made the traditional stop at Peter's for shakes and french fries. We enjoyed eating them in the rain. We then went to my cousin Lydia's reception. She looked so beautiful. I am glad we made it for the reception. It was fun to see all my family.
Sunday was the official start of the reunion. It was my mom's parents 65th wedding anniversary- which is why my Grandpa thought it appropriate to get all his family together for the event. We had a devotional that night and enjoyed seeing each other again. The following days were filled with all sorts of fun activities. It rained the first two days and was freezing cold. But we loved it. A group of them all went paint balling in the rain. I didn't go but everyone who did had a great time. On Wednesday we took our trip up to the mountains. We went to lake Louise and did a hike up to the glacier. We were told that it would be a trail that could handle a stroller so we took one with us. However, that wasn't really a good idea. My mom kept Analia but Jacob and Evelyn went on the hike. My uncle saved me on the way up. Evelyn kept telling me she didn't want to walk anymore and so my uncle Brook carried her for a little bit and then held her hand the rest of the way. Once he took her she was happy as could be and went ahead with him. Below are pictures from the tea house that we hiked up to.

Here is me with my cousin Joseph. He lived with us for awhile before his mission. He was there when Corey and I met, dated and got married. He was like a brother so it was so fun to see him again.

The beautiful mountains.

Some of my cousins eating their lunch

Corey, Jacob and me

This was on the way back down. If you look on the other side of the water is the "Chateau lake Louise". That is where we started and ended the hike. I didn't get any good pictures of the hotel but as we got close Evelyn kept saying "look mommy, it's a castle"

Many of the evenings we spent at my uncle Greg and aunt Helen's home playing games. We had a blast playing Mafia and the werewolf game. The time in Canada went by too quickly. It was so fun to meet spouses and children of all my cousins. I am truly blessed to belong to such a wonderful group. It was sad to say goodbye to my grandparents because I know they won't be able to come to Arizona again and the likelihood of going back up there before they pass away is slim. Hopefully one of my single cousins will get married sometime soon so I can go up there for their wedding.

Anyway- we started home on Friday night where we stayed the night at our friends Nikki and Jeremy. They are our good friends from Casa Grande who just recently moved up to Payson, Utah. Saturday we left their house and had to fill up on gas. Corey was in the gas station and I was in the back of the van doing something for the kids when there was a knock on the car door. I looked up and there is Corey's aunt Pam. I couldn't believe it. Pam and her husband Bobby live in but had gone to visit Corey's grandma the day we left her house on the way up. They were on their way home just like us. I just thought it was pretty funny that we would run into them on the road- what are the chances? Especially when it was Payson and the gas station wasn't right of the freeway. So we then met them later in Vegas because we all stayed at Corey's aunt Kerri's. Unfortunately Analia developed the croup that night and kept us all up most of the night. Poor thing- she could hardly breathe. I felt so bad for her. But we made it safely home the following day (after a stop at Corey's parents to say hello).
All in all it was a fabulous trip. We got to see a lot of both mine and Corey's family. The kids traveled really well in the car- thank you portable DVD players.

Jacob and the allergist

2010-06-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I took Jacob to see an allergist. It was quite the experience. I had heard about the allergy test they do on the back but I never heard about all of it. We were able to get into the room quickly and the doctor came in and asked all the questions. He then left and the nurse came in. Jacob had to lay on his stomach and she drew lines all over his back with pen. Jacob kept saying that hurt and wanted to see his back. We got him to understand he had to lay still. Then she started putting the drops of allergens on the lines. She then whispers to me "Does he know about the pokes?" I said "No" and then she asked me. "Do you know about the pokes?" "NO!" I didn't know she would have to poke him. Once all the drops were on she then tells me to hold his arms down and she starts poking him on all the drops. Oh, it was horrible. This is a child who freaks out when he has to get a shot and here she is poking him over and over on his back. I was able to get the top half of him down but he kept getting his legs up and trying to turn over. Finally another nurse came in and held down his legs and she was able to finish. Then he had to lie there for ten minutes. He calmed down and kept saying "I need a band-aid." It was so sad. It was kind of neat though to see the reactions start happening on his back. I wasn't really surprised with the results. He is mildly allergic to Johnson grass, mesquite trees, yellow dock weed, sagebrush, two kinds of mold, milk, eggs and the two big ones- peanuts and cats. He did give me a prescription for an epi pen- just in case. So that is nice. He did do a test to check his lungs and that came back good- so no asthma. Even though I didn't really learn anything new and it was pretty traumatic- I am glad I took him.

Silly Analia

2010-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, Analia comes up to me with this sweater (which goes on one of my stuffed animals I got from Canada) and insists I put it on her. I kept trying to tell her it was too little but she kept insisting- she kept trying to put it on her arm- it was really cute. Finally I decided to humor her and I put it on her head. She looked so cute. I told her to go show Daddy and she did. He thought she looked adorable also so we had to get some pictures of it.

Gila Valley Temple Open House

2010-05-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

We had a great time going to the open house. It was worth the drive. The kids were really good and loved it. We went with Corey's parents and his brother and his girlfriend. It was really neat being able to be in the celestial room with my children. We got to look in the mirrors and see each other go on for eternity. It is really nice to know we will be a family forever.

Jacob and Bapa

It was so cute to see Jacob and Evelyn walking with their Mima.

New family pixs

2010-04-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

So we were at my aunt's house and she is putting together a slide show for our family reunion this summer so she wanted to take some pictures of us. So here are some of the best.

FHE

2010-04-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

So I have to blog this story so I can remember it. I try very hard to have FHE every Monday night. It usually doesn't last more than 5 minutes. Jacob will sit by me and Evelyn and Analia will dance around the room as we sing a song and say a prayer. I then try to give a little lesson. Most of the time I feel like it is pointless- that they aren't listening or getting anything out of it. However, tonight I learned that no matter how hard it is to do, the kids are learning. I was in my office on the computer and Jacob and Evelyn were in their bedroom playing. I suddenly hear Jacob say, "No we have to say prayers first" or something like that and then he says a prayer and they both say "amen." For one thing Evelyn actually seemed to be participating in the prayer which is something I have a hard time getting her to do. They then said some other things to make me believe they were having their own FHE. It was so sweet. I guess my efforts aren't useless.

Updates!

2010-04-06T19:38:00.001-07:00

It has been many months since I have posted anything and I finally downloaded some photos off my camera so here are some pictures of the last little while.

Analia walking in my cousin's high heels.

The kids with their cousin Kloey at Meema's house.

Jocey and I with my grandparents after my cousin Brigette was married. It was a lot of fun to have them in town for a couple of weeks. The wedding was really nice too. Oh, and that isn't Jocey's baby- it is my cousin Candace's.

Analia's first haircut. It was about time.

New Family Pictures

2009-12-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

Photos taken by Jen Reynolds
480-907-8958
jenreynoldsphotos@gmail.com
memorymakingphotos.com

Santa Baby

2009-12-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today we had our ward Christmas party and Santa came to visit.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2009-11-30T17:32:00.001-08:00

My mom and I got out all the Christmas decorations today and decorated the house for Christmas. The kids had fun putting on some of the ornaments.

El Paso

2009-11-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

The week before Halloween, my mom and I took the kids to visit James and Karin in El Paso. James was out in the field for the week so we didn't see much of him. We had a lot of fun hanging out with Karin and Sami. Since it was so cold we had to find indoor activities. We went to the mall one day and the kids played on the toys there. I tried to get some cute pixs of all the kids but this is what I got.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-06T18:01:00.001-08:00

On Halloween, my mom and I and the kids drove home from El Paso. We got home and rested then got the kids in their costumes. Corey took the kids trick or treating and I was outside passing out candy. When the kids joined me they had fun playing on the carport and passing out candy (and eating their candy!) Jacob said he wanted to be Ben 10 (which is a cartoon on the Cartoon Network). Evelyn was a fairy and Analia was Minnie Mouse. Corey dressed up as Chuck Norris and I was a witch.

My handsome boys

2009-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

For Jacob's birthday he got some new church clothes. He looked so handsome in them.

Analia is a Year!

2009-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little baby is a year old. She has been such a fun addition to our family. For the most part she is a very happy girl. She is now standing on her own and takes 4-5 steps. She loves playing and flirting.

Happy Birthday Jacob and Analia!

2009-10-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Jacob turned 4 on the 1st and Analia turned 1 on the 15th. To celebrate we had a joint party for them.

Analia liked her cake.

Jacob wanted a train cake for his birthday. So I googled "train cakes" and there is a video on how to make this train cake. All the kids loved it.

Jacob stuffing an oreo into his mouth.

Evelyn and her cousin Alyssa after eating their cake.

Evelyn and her cousin Kloey eating their cake.

Cousins Alyssa, Aaron and Kamryn

Cousin Braiden- waiting to get his cake.

Cousins Sophie and Nathan

Cousin Royce

The Phoenix Zoo

2009-10-15T08:26:00.001-07:00

My mother in law called up and said her sister Jill had some extra tickets to the zoo and wanted to see if the kids and I wanted to go with her. Of course we did. We all had a great time. Jacob especially loved having his own map.

Backyard Beach

2009-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

It was a hot day and so I let the kids play outside with the hose. They got these buckets and had a lot of fun playing in them. While playing Jacob starts singing a song from a Disney show Phineas and Ferb called "Backyard Beach". In the show the boys make a beach out of their backyard. So to Jacob we had made a beach also.

Pretty Evelyn

2009-10-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

I had to pst this picture because I thought Evelyn looked so cute in her new bows. My sister in law Becky made her these bows. I did her hair and then put the bows in. Evelyn went over to the mirror and said "Pretty". She is always happy to let me do her hair when I can show her some pretty bows that will go in her hair.

Happy Bithday to Me!

2009-08-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well the day has finally arrived. I am officially 30! So far it doesn't feel any different from when I turned 25- well maybe a little... now I have more gray hair. I was thinking back to how my life has changed since turning 25- I got married, had 3 kids and have moved 4 times. No wonder I have more gray hair. I am proud to say, however, as of today, I weigh about the same as when I got pregnant with Jacob. (I do have to say that my body doesn't look the same though- having kids just messes you up) I didn't quite make my goal of losing 30 lbs but I did lose 25. I want to share a little about this journey. I think for me, my weight will always be that weakness that I will have to deal with. We all have something. I realized something a few months ago- I can take advantage of the Atonement to help me overcome this. When we usually think of the Atonement we think it is there to help us when we have sinned. It is not just for that. Christ suffered not only for our sins but for every pain, every heartache, every craving we might have. He understand everything we go through- even what it is like to be overweight. You get on a cycle that is hard to get off of. Life is stressful, so for me I would escape in a bowl of ice cream. You feel better for a few minutes then you beat yourself up because you know you shouldn't have had it. So then you want more. I had decided this emotionally eating was what I wanted to end, more so than actually losing weight. I didn't want to have to have food. This was where Christ stepped in. When I could picture the Savior there by my side, all of a sudden that need for food was gone. If it makes any sense at all- Christ had already suffered for that- I didn't have to anymore. I could let the desire for food be gone. Whenever I would try to lose weight on will power alone- there was always failure which would perpetuate the cycle even more. Now, the need to have food is gone- I can take it or leave it. That is pretty amazing to me. I know that Christ loves us so much. He is truly there for us when we ask for Him. The Atonement can help in any situation- not just sin. I give Him thanks for giving me strength.

Nichols Family Reunion

2009-07-31T18:14:00.001-07:00

This past week we went to Corey's family reunion in California. We camped on the beach. It was a lot of fun. Here are some of the pictures from the beach.

Corey's cousin caught a seagull. They first buried him in the sand and covered his head witha towel. They then threw crackers on him and he waited for one to land. One did and he got it.

Caroline and I made a sand castle.

Jacob helped his Grandma fly a kite.

catch up

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

One night while Jocey and her family were over we put a movie on for the kids and they all lined up to watch it. I thought it was too cute so I had to take a picture.

Jacob and Evelyn swimming at Grandma and Bapa's. Evelyn has loved the water while Jacob loves just playing outside.

At the beginning of June my friends JaNae and Kandis came for a visit. JaNae was my MTC companion and I lived in the same house with Kandis on the mission. I loved them both on the mission and still love them today. They are the best and it was so much fun to have them visit. (Kandis is on the left and JaNae is on the right)

Kandis has really long beautiful hair so we thought we would see what Analia would look like with it.

While they were here JaNae had her birthday. To celebrate we went to a Diamondbacks game. It was a lot of fun but we ended up losing.

Happy Father's Day Bapa! This is Bapa and all his grandkids.

Above is Analia at 7 months and below is 8 months.

This picture is just because I don't get enough pictures of me and the kids.

Creason Family 1982

2009-04-23T19:56:00.001-07:00

My mom just got back from visiting her parents in Canada. She and her mom worked a lot on getting my Grandma's history scrapbooked. While going through pictures they found this one. We don't have many of us as a whole family while we were little so this is fun to have. We are at my Grandparent's cabin in Canada. We used to go up every summer and spend weeks here. I guess now we know where Evelyn gets her dirty looks from.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-17T22:08:00.001-07:00

While we were waiting for dinner to be done we had an egg hunt with all the kids.

Coloring Eggs

2009-04-17T22:05:00.001-07:00

Easter day we still hadn't had the chance to color eggs with the kids. So when they woke up Easter morning that is what we did.

Heward Family Get Together

2009-04-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Before Corey's grandma went back to Idaho we had to have one big family get together. Corey's uncle Craig flew down for the weekend to drive back up with her. We had a great dinner and then they had an easter egg hunt. They divided into teams. Each team had one captain and only the captain could touch the eggs. The other team members had to make an animal sound to alert the captain of the egg. It was fun seeing everyone running aroung making animal noises. Soon after the game ended it started raining so we packed it up and went to Corey's parents. It was nice to get there because Analia was so tired but wouldn't go to sleep. I felt bad no one got to see how happy and cute she usually is. It sure was fun to see everyone.

Happy Birthday Sami!

2009-04-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend James and Karin came into town to have a birthday party for their daughter Sami. Sami wanted a Fairy party so they had fairy wings for all the little girls to wear. They also had my cousin Allison dress up and pretend to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The girls loved it.

The one on the lap in the blue dress is Sami. She turned 4!

Analia is 6 months!

2009-04-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe 6 months have already gone by. She is getting up on her knees and rocking. I am not really excited about her crawling but I guess it is inevitable. We have come up with the nick name "Old Yeller" because she has to yell to be heard above the other two kids. She has a ready smile and is so much fun to have around. I just love her to pieces.

Attack of the chocolate cake

2009-04-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today Jocey had to make cupcakes for a fair at Kamryn's school. She came over to our house to make them. She started making a marble cake mix and then decided that would be too hard to make into cupcakes. So she just made a cake out of it instead. Later in the day, I was up working and I came down stairs and found Evelyn on the island covered in the cake. It was one of those moments where you don't know if you should be mad or just laugh. I guess once she got up on the island she couldn't get down so she thought she might as well keep playing until someone found her. The camera was upstairs so I got these photos of her in the bath tub.

Flying Kites

2009-03-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

My brother James and his family came into town a couple weekends ago. The weather was beautiful so we took the kids to the park. It was a little breezy so we got out some kites and let the kids fly them.

Fun on the Swings

2009-03-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

This was Analia's first time on the swings. Jacob really liked to gently push her.

I don't think she knew what to make of them.

But, Evelyn sure enjoyed them

The Kids Pictures

2009-03-17T13:10:00.001-07:00

Family Pictures

2009-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last week Lola came down to Casa Grande and she took our family pictures. Here are some of them. Thanks again Lola for doing it and then making them look so good in photoshop.

Cute Dress!

2009-02-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

I was at the store the other day and this dress was there and I couldn't resist getting it for the girls. They both look so cute in it. I thought one girl to dress up was fun but two is better!

Patty's Baptism

2009-02-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

We had a special treat today of being able to go to our friend Patty's baptism. She just recently moved to Arizona from California. She wanted to be baptized much earlier but waited until after the move to do it. She asked Corey to baptize her and that was an honor to him. My mom let us leave Jacob and Evelyn so that we only had to take Analia. That made it really nice- I got to actually hear the talks and feel the spirit. They gave Patty the chance to say a few words and she mentioned that the first time she went to church it felt like coming home. Isn't that the truth? I know that the church is true and that in it we can find the peace and joy that our Heavenly Father wants for us. The gospel is what will guide us to return to our home with Heavenly Father again one day. Thanks Patty for sharing your day with us!

The Tucson Zoo

2009-02-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Kamryn had the day off school so Jocey decided to take her family to the zoo. We decided like that sounded like fun so we went along also. It ended up being a lot of fun. The kids loved all the animals. On our way out we had a special treat. The monkeys started swinging and playing. It was really neat to see them do some tricks.

Eating lunch.

Corey and Jacob

Jesse, Jocey, Analia and me at the monkey cage.

Analia was quite the trooper being hauled around in the carrier.

Jen's Weight Loss Goal

2009-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided that I want to lose 30 pounds before I turn 30. I am going to blog my progress so that I have something to report to. I added a ticker to show how many days until my birthday and a side bar showing how many pounds I have left. So here goes....

Analia is 3 months!

2009-01-16T08:47:00.001-08:00

When Peanuts Attack!

2009-01-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

Most people know that Jacob is allergic to cow's milk, eggs and peanuts. Now we have given him little bits of dairy here and there and he has been just fine. We have always been afraid for him to get peanuts because we haven't known what the reaction would be. My dad was at the store the other day and saw Reese's Peanut Butter flavored Whoppers. They were on sale for 20 cents so he thought he would be nice and buy them to let me try. He knows I love anything Reese's. When he got home we had most of the grand kids over so we gave them all some. We told Jacob that they would make him sick so we gave him something different. So far just telling him something will make him sick he doesn't make a fuss about it. I guess he wanted to test out whether they would make him sick because he must have eaten one. I came down stairs and his eye was swollen almost shut. I think he also had some of the residue on his finger and made his eye worse by rubbing it. We gave him some allergy medicine which knocked him out. We are very lucky that it was just a swollen eye and not any restriction on his breathing.

Analia's Blessing

2009-01-05T07:51:00.001-08:00

The first Sunday in 2009 was a wonderful day for us. Family and friends joined us at church to bless Analia. Corey's mom made the most beautiful dress for her to wear. (Thanks again Mom!) Corey gave her a beautiful blessing. Afterward everyone came over and we had dinner and enjoyed each others company.

Our Family. This picture actually turned out ok of us. We have tried many times recently to get a good one and it has not worked.

Since I am usually the one taking the pictures there aren't a lot of me. So I thought I would put this one on the blog to show I still exist.

We decided to try taking a picture of all Heward/Hunt kids. I didn't think it would work but the kids proved me wrong.

Happy 2nd Birthday Evelyn!

2008-12-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

For Evelyn's Birthday we went to see the temple lights.

We then went to Corey's parents house for cake and ice cream. Evelyn didn't quite get that she had to blow out the candles.

We finally let Jacob do it.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we broke out the Christmas Tree today. We tried to get the kids to help but they were more interested in taking the decorations off the tree instead of putting them on.

Family Pictures- In theory they are a good idea!

2008-11-30T13:32:00.001-08:00

Just Because...

2008-11-30T13:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

Jacob and Analia- waiting for us to leave to Mesa to eat dinner with Corey's extended family.

Analia with Corey's aunt Cheryl

While waiting for the dinner to be served, they had fun playing basketball.

After dinner they were throwing around the football. It turned into tackle football.

In the other room, Corey's cousins broke out their pillows and blankets for a little nap. We put Evelyn in the middle. She didn't really know what to think- but she was so cute.

I was trying to get a cute picture of Evelyn- this was the best I got- she wouldn't hold still long enough.

Analia with Corey's cousin Cameron. He brought his fiance- they got engaged the night before.

Who does she look like?

2008-11-16T09:15:00.001-08:00

So, the pictures aren't the best for actually seeing who looks like who but they were all taken when they were one month old.

Analia is one month!

2008-11-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

When I took her into the doctor she now weighs 10 lbs 10 ounces and is 22 inches long. So, she is growing quickly.

What color are you?

2008-11-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend's blog and thought I would check it out. Try it yourself- it only takes a few minutes.

you are lavender
#E6E6FA

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy.

Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

2008-11-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

I just had to blog this picture because this spot has become Evelyn's favorite place. She will take some toys and go and sit in this hole at the bottom of my dad's grill and just play there. She is such a silly girl and doesn't mind getting dirty.

3rd Annual Creason/Watson Pumpkin Carving Contest

2008-11-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

This year we had our Pumpkin night at my parent's house. We enjoyed chili dogs and a cool night to carve pumpkins.

This is my cousin Paul's family- his wife Becky and two of their kids, Lindsay and Brandon.

This is my cousin Reed's family- his wife Becky and two of their kids, Jenna and James. As you can see Paul and Reed left it up to their wives and kids to do all the work.

I guess I didn't get a picture of us this year but this is how our pumpkin turned out. It is BOO the ghost.

Here is Jocey and Jesse and their kids Kamryn, Aaron and Alyssa.

Here is my Aunt Janelle and Paul's other son Baby John.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween! This year the kids had many fun events to celebrate Halloween. This first was they went with Corey to his parent's ward party. The theme was "The Ugly Bug Ball" Corey's mom found their cute bug costumes that were perfect for the event. The kids had fun dancing but I don't think Corey enjoyed himself too much. Then on Halloween we went to my parent's ward activity. They had trunk or treating and some carnival type games and dinner. We left after eating and took the kids trick or treating around the neighborhood a little bit. Evelyn and I then joined my mom giving out candy out of the back of their truck. I bought some matching Halloween pajamas for the three kids. Analia's is a little big but they all looked so cute in them. It is too bad they all wouldn't sit still long enough to take a really good picture. But I thought the one I put on was pretty cute. Oh, and of course Analia got to use Jacob's first costume and be a pumpkin.

2008-10-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Kathie and cousin Candace came over to see Analia yesterday. They brought their really nice camera and so Candace had fun taking pictures of all the kids. Here are some of the highlights of the girls. Evelyn was so cute in Jesse's hat and Jocey's shoes. (Jacob wouldn't cooperate as well so there weren't any good ones of him.)

Welcome Analia Nicole! Born October 15, 2008 at 3:48 pm. 8 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long

2008-10-19T20:37:00.001-07:00

Well, she is finally here! So we left the hospital Tuesday morning after deciding to wait a couple more days to do a C-section. Corey went off to work and the contractions kept coming on and off throughout that day. By the time he got home from work at around 10:30 pm they were coming closer and closer. We decided to go into the hospital at about midnight. They admitted me and got me all hooked up to everything. I soon go an epidural and we were able to get a little sleep- Corey more than me. At about 6:30 am the doctor came in and broke my water. At that time he checked me and I hadn't progressed as much as I would have liked. So we waited some more. I decided that with this birth I would have my mom and Corey's mom stay in the room. They got jipped out of seeing Jacob born when we had to have a c-section. In the end I was sure glad to have had them there. Finally when I was ready to start pushing she wasn't coming. I got scared that it was going to be another Jacob and that she wasn't going to come out. The nurse was great though and was determined to get her out. We tried many different positions and even turned off the epidural. That will sure motivate you to push. In the end she came out. She was face up which explained why she wasn't coming. The doctor immediately put her on my chest to clean her off. She was so beautiful. There really isn't anything better in the world. We decided to name her Analia Nicole (you pronounce it with a spanish accent). I got the name from a girl I met on my mission- I just really liked the name. I was trying to decide on a middle name. I wanted it to be after Corey's side somehow. I was at the temple one day with a friend of mine who was also pregnant at the time. We got talking about our babies names in the celestial room. I told her Corey's name was Corey Nichols (Nichols is Corey's mom's maiden name). I told her that Corey didn't want to name any of his kids after his names so my friend suggested using the name Nicole instead of Nichols. When I put the two names together it just seemed to fit for me. I told Corey the name and he liked it too and we never found anything we liked better so it stuck.

Jacob's Birthday Party and Chuck E Cheeses

2008-10-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Once we found out the baby was breech and the contractions stopped coming I decided we should go ahead with Jacob's party. Since we had already celebrated with my family we needed to do something with Corey's. Corey's parents, his brother Scott, our Sister in law Caroline and her 3 kids, my BFF Lola and her 2 kids and their mom Vicki all came. Oh and Lauren was able to stop by for a few minutes also. We had fun eating pizza and playing games. Shelly and I made Jacob a Mickey Mouse Cake. I baked it but Shelly did the excellent decorating. He absolutely loved it! Thanks everyone for making his birthday great!

Still No Baby

2008-10-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well we went in to the doctor at the end of last week and the baby had turned so is no longer breech. The doctor has put it back into my hands as to whether I have a VBAC or do a C-section. He tentatively had scheduled one for today. He called last night and he decided to have me come into the hospital this morning to do a non stress test and then I could decide whether to wait or do the C-section. I got hooked up to the monitors and then he checked me. I was having some contractions (which have been happening for the last 3 weeks). I was dilated to a 4 which was showing some progress so I decided to postpone the C-section until Friday. So she has a few more days to decide to come on her own.

New Update

2008-10-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

The doctor looked over my chart today and there is actually a big question about what the actual due date should be. We have been going by the ultrasound due date which is 10 days sooner than the generic due date they give you at the beginning. So he feels there isn't any urgency to take her by C-section just yet. So, we have decided to plan for a C-section next Tuesday the 14th. He also then thinks that she might turn again and nature might take its course and she could come on her own. So it is back to the waiting game. I feel good about waiting another week, just to make sure she is fully developed and comes out healthy. But, I sure am excited to meet this little girl.

Pregnancy Update

2008-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

So after Jacob's birthday, I have continued to have contractions pretty much daily. I never had all this pre labor before so has been a little more frustrating. The doctor had us come in yesterday (Monday) only 4 days after the last visit. He was going to strip my membranes but then after checking me decided not to. He thought the baby had gone breech. So he sent us to get an ultrasound. Sure enough she had switched positions and is breech. I have to call the doctor this morning to find out how he wants to proceed, but I just might have to have another C-section afterall.

We have moved- again.

2008-10-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

I guess in keeping with our tradition of moving and having babies as quickly as possible we have moved. We made the decision to move in with my parents one day and the next my mom had us practically over. It is kind of a win win for all of us. We'll all get to save some money and I will have have help with three little ones (if this new baby ever decides to come). Our new address is 1643 E. Angelica Drive, Casa Grande, AZ 85222

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2008-10-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Jacob woke up on his birthday and I was in the office doing my work. He came in and I gave him a big hug and said, "What is today?" He responded, "My Birthday!" I told him that was right and then asked how old he was. He put up his fingers trying to get only three up and said, "Three!" He was so proud of himself. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to repeat that scenario again- he is still claiming that he is two. I woke up that morning having contractions that kept coming throughout the day. Corey had to work and I even ended up calling him to come home. I guess it worked out nicely because then he got to be there for Jacob's mini birthday party. I figured he deserved a little something on his actual birthday so we made cupcakes and let him and his cousins decorate them. We got him a Diego Bike so that he can quite fighting over his cousin Aaron's. Corey got it all put together and we took him for a ride around the block. Evelyn didn't like the idea of being strapped in the stroller while Jacob got to ride. My contractions continued and we decided we would put the kids to bed and then go to the hospital. Once there I got all checked out and I wasn't any more dilated than at my last doctor's appointment. So they had me walk around for an hour and see if that did anything. After the hour the contractions were coming every couple minutes and they hurt. But, after the examination- nothing- no change. So they sent us home. I guess she didn't want to share her birthday with her older brother.

Jacob's Adventures with Vegetable Oil

2008-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had gone to my parent's for dinner. The adults were at the table playing a game and Jacob decided he was thirsty. He came asking for milk- which I didn't have any of his soy milk there so I told him there wasn't any. He then asked for juice. I told him we didn't have any juice either and that he would have to have water until we got home. He then walked away and the next thing I know is he brings me a bottle of vegetable oil and says he wants some of this juice. He has actually brought me this bottle many times in the last couple weeks thinking it was juice. I've told him each time that it was not juice and that he would not like it. He was not happy with this answer and persisted until I finally said, "fine, I will give you some." I poured a tiny bit into a cup and gave it to him. He drank a little and then put the cup down with a disgusted look and said, "That will make me sick." Everyone at the table started dying laughing. We then quickly got him some water and for the rest of the night he was just fine with having the water.

Fun With Hair!

2008-09-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

One day I decided to actually do Evelyn's hair. So instead of just putting it in one little pony tail on the top of her head I put it in a bunch of little pony tails all over her head. She looked so cute. When I tried to take her pictures she kept running away from me. I guess she figured she sat long enough for the hair to get done.

We then went to Jocey's and I decided Alyssa needed her hair done too.

Then yesterday, Evelyn was sick and so I left her at Jocey's during church so she could have a nap. When I got back this is what her hair looked like.

My Little Trouble Makers

2008-09-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

This was right before their bath. I had taken off Evelyn's clothes because she had gotten them dirty. She then found her hat and went around with just that. Corey and I thought she looked so cute so we had to get a picture. Then of course Jacob wanted a picture of him also.

My Little Cutie

2008-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I have debated and debated on whether I would write about my day. I guess you can say it was a bunch of ups and downs. I woke up to find my computer frozen. I restarted it, but it then wouldn't boot up. Now it wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't specifically need my computer to be able to do my work. I transcribe telephone messages and conversations for a pool service company. I label the calls for the owner of the company and he relies on me to do this so that he doesn't have to listen to his messages throughout the day. I am kindof like his secretary. Anyway, I didn't know if there were calls that had come in over the weekend that he would have needed. So I went in to my computer genius husband and told him the problem. He came in and turned it off and back on just like I had and then turned it off again and said give it 10 minutes and see what happens. Well 10 minutes later and it still wouldn't turn on. This might not have been such a drastic event if so many other things hadn't broken on us in the last month. First there was my cell phone- it got dropped in the toilet- yuck I know. However, it resurrected for the 3rd time and started working for me again. Then there was the air conditioner at our rental house. Then the brakes on our car needed replacing. Then my computer died. Corey was able to salvage my hard drive and fix me up a new computer (which is why I was freaking out about it- I just got this one). Let's see what else- oh then my phone again- no not water this time- but the flip top came apart. Again luckily Corey kept his old phone and so that is what I am now using. I think that is all. So I had to go about doing my job the long way- actually listening to the messages on the phone. I know it isn't a terrible thing but I didn't want to be spending the extra time doing this on my birthday. I finally get all that done and I decide to check my email. Here comes the up part of my day- There were many messages on facebook from people wishing me a happy birthday. I thought it was so sweet. Thanks to everyone who remembered (or were reminded). I also received an email from a sister that I served with on my mission- Cheryl. All it said was she needed my address. So I sent my address then got on facebook to find out if there was any news there that would tell me why she would need my address. I then find out that she is engaged. I was so happy for her. Then I see that she has a blog so I go to it and start reading the story. My phone then rings and I see that it is another sister from my mission- Kandis. I hesitated answering it because I was still on the verge of tears from everything (it must be the pregnant hormones). I decide to answer it because I thought she could cheer me up. Boy was it nice talking to her. Unfortuantley for her, she had to be the shoulder for me to cry on. After hanging up with her I went down stairs to get breakfast for us all. At this time Corey comes to me and says he fixed my computer. Yay! Then I receive another phone call and this one was from Cheryl. It was so fun to talk to her too. So by now I am feeling really good again. Then I find out that she is getting married right when the baby is due. This made me so sad because I would so love to be there. Even still the thought of not being able to go makes me want to cry. We then had breakfast and I ran to the store and Corey got the kids ready. When I returned I quickly got my work done and we took the kids to my parents. Corey and I then went to lunch at Mimi's Cafe. We had a coupon for a free appetizer. We chose the spinach and artichoke dip which was so yummy. Our waitress was really nice and gave us a slice of chocolate pie for my birthday. We then went to see "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" Of course I liked it but Corey didn't care for it. We then had dinner at my parent's. Jocey made yummy enchiladas and my mom made a cake. It was delicious. We then came home and put the kids to bed and I went to bed myself. All in all it was a great day. I got to go out without the kids- I didn't have to do any dishes- or take care of the kids very much. Oh and I did get voice mails from two other mission sisters- JaNae and Mikelle- thanks guys! Sorry I missed them. I guess turning 29 isn't so bad.

It's a Girl!

2008-07-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Well after much anticipation we have finally had our ultrasound. I was thinking it might be a boy so when she came upon the "hamburger bun" and told us it was a girl I was a little surprised. We really didn't care either way but it is nice to know. The technician put an estimated due date as October 15. I turned the picture so you can tell what it is better. It is as if you are looking straight at the baby's face.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-18T22:15:00.001-07:00

Corey had to work on the 4th so the kids and I spent the day with my parents. We went over in the afternoon and had a barbecue with them. When the sun started setting we went to the Casa Grande ballfields to watch the fireworks.
I am realizing I only have pictures of Evelyn when she is a mess. I promise she can be clean- maybe not for long but she can be.
Evelyn with Mama and Papa Creason
By the time the fireworks began Jacob was really tired because he wouldn't take a nap earlier in the day. I thought he would really enjoy them this year but as soon as they began he got really scared. I ended up holding him the whole time. After a couple minutes he ended up falling asleep. I couldn't believe it because it was really noisy.

Fun with the Hose Day #2

2008-07-18T22:11:00.001-07:00

This time they decided to start playing with the hose themselves. Again Evelyn found joy in playing in the mud.

Fun with the Hose Day #1

2008-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

We were over at my parent's house one night and my mom allowed Jacob to play with the hose. He loved spraying everything. Evelyn loved playing in the mud.

Nap Time!

2008-07-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

I just couldn't resist taking a picture. They both just looked so sweet.

2008-06-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was over at my sister's house one day and we heard the kids playing in the bathroom. I went in there to find Evelyn in the toilet. I found it so funny. I hurried and got Jocey to take a picture of it. Needless to say, she was rushed to the bathtub afterwards.

2008-06-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Corey's work schedule has changed once again. At the end of May his schedule had him working until 11:00 pm. Then they changed the hours of operation from being open 24 hours a day to closing at 9:00 pm. This complicated things because Corey had started school and had classes everyday until 1:00. Luckily they worked with him to arrange a schedule that would fit. Unfortunately, it made it so he had to work 6 days a week with only Sundays off. Then yesterday he got the news that he was able to get on the chat team which doesn't close until 10. Hooray! This would allow him to get the hours needed only working 5 days a week. So today he began that schedule. He now gets off at 10:00. He won't actually get home until almost 11:00 which means I will most likely be asleep. I was liking those few days I had where he got home before I fell asleep. I guess we have to do what we have to do. Anyway, this long explanation about his schedule is the result of not having him home. I am not quite tired enough to go to bed. (Corey would be amazed to hear me say that- I am always tired these days.) I have spent the last hour looking at other's blogs. My sister Jocey has been saying for awhile that she would like to start a blog so today I said "Let's do it!" So we sat down and made one for her. I was showing her how you can add links to other's blogs and she whips out emails from friends that she would like to add. One was an old friend from Gilbert- Kelly Flaherty- now Nelson. So I looked at hers and she had links so many other wonderful friends who I haven't had contact with for awhile. So I had to check theirs out too. It was so much fun. Anyway, I guess I better head to bed- morning comes way too early- actually I should say, Jacob comes in way too early, so Good Night!

Kamryn's Birthday Party

2008-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

For my niece Kamryn's 5th Birthday my sister Jocey had us all go to Jeeper's in Mesa. It was a lot of fun for the kids- and the adults too. There was a huge play area for the younger kids and then some rides too. Jacob got to ride his first merry go round and enjoyed many other fun things. He loved the rocket ship (which really was little airplanes but he called them rocket ships.) He also loved going around in the Jeeps. Evelyn had fun in the play area. She was too little for any of the rides but quickly learned that those watching the ride waved at those riding the ride. It was really cute seeing her wave as Jacob went by.

BBQ at the Heward's

2008-06-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day we went to Corey's parents for a BBQ. All of Corey's dad's family came to join in on the fun. Corey's parents just recently redid their backyard so we had a lot of fun breaking it in. The kids loved being in their swimming suits and occasionally liked getting in the water- it was really cold. This is a picture of the kids with their cousin Kloey enjoying the watermelon- YUMMY!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

2008-06-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

My sister Jocey called up one day and said she was taking her kids to the Tucson Zoo and invited me and the kids to come with her. She had been promising her oldest daughter a trip to the zoo and the temperature had dropped that day so she thought she better go before it got really hot again. A neighbor of hers and my parents came along also. It was so much fun. We started walking around and the first animal we came to was a bear. We were so surprised because he was right there. If there hadn't have been a barrier we could have touched him. The kids loved it. Then we walked on and all the animals were right there. It was so neat. I was not used to having the animals so close. The path was pretty much shaded the whole way around. It is a small zoo as far as land but it held all of the animals the kids knew. It was just a perfect day. The kids had a blast making all the animal sounds. We were looking at the zebras and in the area was a peacock. It kept moving closer to us and closer until it jumped onto the railing and then off and came right up to us. I couldn't believe it. Then in the elephant area was another peacock with its tail all spread out. It was so pretty- I had never seen that before. Anyway it was a great outing for all of us.

Four Generations!

2008-05-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

My mom's parents have been in town this week from Canada. It has been great to see them. Unfortunately we were all sick for most of their visit so we didn't get to see them too much. However, I did make sure to get this picture. I wanted to be able to show Evelyn who she was named after- her great grandma, Evelyn Melchin.

Fun in the Sun!

2008-05-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day we spent the night at Corey's parents. They were going to go walking at the park Monday morning so we decided take the kids down there so they could play on the toys. The park we went to had a water area. The kids were really timid about it at first. They didn't like to get hit by the water. However, they loved it when the water would turn off because then they could splash around in the puddles.

Pool Party!

2008-05-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Scott's birthday (Corey's brother) we all got together and had a barbecue and pool party. I thought the water was still too cold but Corey and the kids loved it.

Our Getaway!

2008-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well it doesn't happen often but Corey and I actually got to get away for two nights all alone. A couple months ago a friend of mine called me up to see if we would watch their kids for a weekend. Knowing how rare getting away can be I of course said yes. We had fun taking our two kids and mixing them with their five. Luckily their kids are older so they helped out a bunch. Corey loved it because he took the Wii over and had a blast playing with the kids. To repay us they wanted to send us on our own getaway. They belong to some travel club that gives them really cheap rooms. One of the hotels in this club is a cute little Bed and Breakfast about 30 minutes south of Tucson. It was perfect for us. Neither of us had ever stayed in a Bed and Breakfast so that was a new experience. We arrived there Sunday night at about 9:30 at night. Now at most hotels you check in and they give you the key and you go to your room. This really nice lady checked us in and then insisted on giving us drinks and snacks to take up with us. It was like going to your grandmas. The next morning we went down to a really nice breakfast. We then walked around the grounds. We had this amazing view of the mountain. (see picture) Then that day we went up to the nearest little town and found a movie theater. We couldn't decide which movie to see so we saw both- Iron Man and Made of Honor. Both were good. If you see Iron Man make sure to stay until the end of the credits. The following day we had another nice breakfast and then packed up to come home. We picked up the kids from my friend's house (that was part of the deal- they would watch out kids too- I think we got the better end of the whole deal) Corey then had to go into work that afternoon. I had been sick the week before so it was nice to get away and not have to worry about the kids. I could actually relax. It was great!

Hairdos

2008-04-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of Evelyn sliding down the slide in the bounce house. She had so much fun and we had so much fun laughing at her hair as she came down.
The second is take 2 at pigtails. This time she sat better for me. It was Corey's idea to try again and he thought she was such a doll all day.

The Heward Family Sleep Style

2008-04-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

I thought it was just like father like son but I guess it is like daughter also. One night I went in to check on Evelyn and she was sleeping just like her daddy and brother.

More News!

2008-04-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

I guess I announced it in the Heward Family blog but I haven't in mine. I am pregnant again! We are very excited. This one will be born in October. I will keep you posted when we find out what we are having.

Jacob searching for the easter eggs

2008-03-26T08:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!

2008-03-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

We spent the night over at Corey's parents and went to church with them on Easter morning. After church Shelly and I hid some eggs and Corey, Scott, Ryan, Dale, Jacob and Evelyn went to find them. I think the adults had just as much fun looking for the eggs as the kids. Evelyn didn't really grasp the concept. She would pick up and egg, shake it, then put it back down. Jacob, however, loved it. He absolutely enjoyed going around and putting the eggs in his basket. All of Corey's family came over for a delicious turkey dinner and to celebrate Ryan's birthday.

Corey's New Job

2008-02-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Corey went in for an interview to work at the customer service center for Dell. This is different from the job opportunity he had the previous week. He went in and they had him take a test and he passed. They then interviewed him and offered him a job. They decided he was qualified enough to skip the level 1 position and are having him start as a level 2 technician. The call center is about a mile from his school so that will be nice for him. We are very excited for him! He begins training on Monday.

Pigtails

2008-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to try to give Evelyn pigtails for the first time. It was an ordeal. She didn't want to sit still but wanted to get a hold of the brush. I got one side in and she thought she was done. I had to hold her down but we finally got the other side in. She looked really cute but I think I will wait awhile to do it again.

I did it!

2008-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Alright, I finally gave in and decided to make my own blog. This is my test trying to figure things out.