The Hardman Family

Inspired

2010-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

So a friend of mine has inspired me to update my blog. So hear is goes...

Paityn is now 5 and half months old!!! I cant believe how big she is. I forgot how fast they grow up and then all the sudden they are 5 and 7 years old. We have been through so much with our little one and I now finally feel like we are getting out of it and moving on to just being able to enjoy Paityn and watch her grow and learn. Where do I even begin. I will have to save that for another post where I can really dive into it.

Anyway she is getting so big and I am sure she is probably close to 15-16lbs by now. She wont go in for her 6 month appoint for another two weeks so I will have to update it then. But she is our little fatso and we LOVE IT! Both of the other girls were so skinny and couldn't fit into 6 month clothes until almost nine months. She can already fit into most 6 month stuff. It is fun to look at all the differences between the girls.

Well on to the rest of the family...We are still doing the same ol stuff. Ben is still trying to get some other business ventures up and running so he can finally quite good ol walmart. When that day comes we are throwing a huge party! I am still at my job and loving it! I really have the best job ever. It is so relaxed and works great with having a family which is such a huge blessing for us.

I have posted a few new pics just so you can see how much Paityn has changed. She is such a doll and I we love having her in our family. She has the biggest smiles ever and is so dang cute. The big girls love the sister and are so helpful (most of the time:))

Paityn at Halloween. Almost 2 months old.

Paityns Baby Blessing

Paityn at Christmas. 3 1/2 months old

Paityn McKenna Hardman

2009-09-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

So this is a little late and most of you already know this but Paityn was born on Monday which was Labor day. It was a very short and sweet, best experience I have had out of all three girls.

Birth Story:
We got to the Hospital at 7am. We got all settled and hooked up and started the pitocin at 730. At that time I was 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. I had been that way for 3 weeks already. So we sat till 930 getting the contractions started and going at a good pace and pattern. By then I was starting to feel them and needing to breath through the contractions. I decided then that I wanted to go ahead and get my epidural. So by 1030 I got my epi and my OB broke my water. By 1130 i was at a 6 and 80% effaced. My OB predicted that we would have her at 12:18. So at about 12 they came in because my contractions were every 2 min and started to get long enough that Paityns heart beat would slow with the contractions. But I was still at a 6 and 80% effaced. Then at about 1245 I was feeling pressure and knew that we were getting very close to pushing. The nurse checked me again and I was complete. SO they got me ready and at 1255 I started pushing. Two and a half pushes later she was out and it was about 1:03pm.
She wasn't crying right at first but they cleaned her out and she had a very healthy cry. She was also covered in soooo much vernix that she looked completely white. They placed her right on my tummy and wiped her down while she was with me. Ben actually cut the cord which he didn't do with the other girls. I really like that he did that it was a neat experience. They let Paityn stay with me for a while why the stitched me up. We had immediate skin to skin contact and it was great. Then they took her and weighed her and measured her in the room. She was 6lbs 14oz and 20in. Her head was 13in. The other girls had very small heads as well. It is very nice. So after they did that and cleaned her up a little more they left us alone for at least an hour. We also tried nursing then. She latched on the first time which is awesome.
Then they moved us upstairs to our recovery room. Paityn was with us the whole time. They took her to the nursery for her first newborn screening and her bilirubin testing. She might have been gone a total of and hour and 40 min the whole time we were in the hospital. They did her first bath on our room and Ben helped out with that. We really had a great experience at the Intermountain Medical Center hospital. I would def. recommend it to everyone who is looking for a place to have a baby.

Anyway her are some pics of her that we have taken over the week.

Help us decide

2009-08-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Help us decide on Paityn's Middle name. These are our top three choices that we have agreed on. It has taken alot for us to come up with these and finally agree on something trust me. So it would be nice to see what others thought of what we have come up with. Expecially since she will be here in a week! Just click on the link below and cast your vote! Thanks!

Paityn Hailey vs. Paityn McKenna vs. Paityn Kaylee : Baby Name Poll : BabyNameGenie.com: "http://www.BabyNameGenie.com/polls/130674"

Sick Again...

2009-08-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I don't have much to report, still no baby which is fine since we aren't at 37 weeks quite yet. But I now have an Upper Respiratory Infection and all the coughing is making me have contractions more than my normal every 10 min. Maybe is will progress things along a little faster. We also scheduled out induction date for Labor day how funny is that. My doctor is on call that day and said it would be perfect for him if we didn't have plans for that weekend. All I was planning on doing was making sure I had everything ready to go.

We are almost done with our remodeling project as well. I have all the walls textured and now I need to get the ceiling done. Then we can sand and prime then paint. So not too much to do but with me being sick now it is going to put me a couple days behind which I really cant afford but will have to deal with.

Other than a few set backs everyone else is doing good and I am trying to keep myself isolated so nobody else gets sick especially Ben since I need him as soon as the baby comes and since he has no time off other than what he can take off for the baby. So that is it for now. I will keep you posted if anything happens.

Long Awaited Update

2009-08-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post something for months now just been too busy to do it. So I guess I should start with the pregnancy. We are finally hitting the last couple weeks. I am now at 351/2 weeks. We are glad that after 12 weeks of contractions we have lasted this long. I had my dr. visit this past Monday and we are already at 1cm and she has dropped. I don't know how far she has dropped but she has and I have felt it happening for the past week and a half. We are scheduled to be induced on the 6th of Sept if she doesn't come before then.
My doc doesn't think we will make it to that date but we are going to schedule it anyways. It is kinda nice knowing no mater what we will have her on the 6th. I thought it would be cool to do it on the 7th which is Labor day but they wont do it then. Anyway, I am ready to have her out and home. We are still in the process of remodeling and hope to have it done by next week. That i the plan anyways. I am texturing walls and painting this weekend. Maybe that will get things going faster. Who knows babies have a mind of there own. As far as this summer goes we haven't really done much, I have been working and trying to save as much of my time off as possible so I get paid for some of my maternity leave anyways. I will take off 8 weeks at this point, if I need to go back sooner I can but I really don't want to and we are hoping Ben can find a better job or a way to bring in extra money while I am not working.
I will have to post pictures of our project that has literally taken us all summer to get done and I still don't have the baby's room ready since it is currently being occupied by my husbands brother and his wife who have been living with us since May. It has been really nice though since my sister in law watches the girls for me at home while I go to work. We have been lucky and it has taken a huge load off us since we don't have to pay out for child care.
Anyway I will give another update when I go to my weekly appointment next Monday. My dr just wants me to make it to 36 weeks after that he doesn't care when the baby comes, I have to agree with him. Till then hope everyone is doing good.

Boy or Girl, That is the question?

2009-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today we went in for our 20 week visit (halfway there!) and we had our ultrasound done. First of all I had made the appointment so that I was to be the first person in and could get it done and over with. Makes sense right. So Ben and I go in and 25minutes later and 5 min before I was suppose to see my doctor we finally get in to the ultrasound room. First question she asks "Do you want to know what it is?" Well of course I do Im not here just to see how its doing (of course that is important but you know when you already have two girls the size of my babys leg isnt first on my mind) Anyway you all know what I am talking about. So the ultrasound lady went straight for the gender shot. She was quick and as soon as she found it I knew what it was. You can't miss that picture hen you have seen two times before. So yes that mean it's another girl. We are excited but it might take a little time to get more excited. Poor Ben was really hoping for a hunting partner, who knows maybe she will love hunting too or maybe we will just be spending the rest of our lifes (okay like the next 10 years) at dance recitals and stuff. So as of now we have picked out Paytin as her name but that could change so keep checking for updates. So as far as she goes everything is great. She is very healthy and has all her body parts. She also has long legs and arms. No suprise there. So that is it for now. And no I am not JOKING we are having another girl. Click the picture to make it bigger.

16 weeks and counting

2009-03-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

So today was my doctor appointment for the baby. Everything is going good. I am still on nausea medication and can't wait for my 24 hour (morning sickness) to go away. I am slowly getting better and hope in the next few weeks it will all be gone. The baby is doing good. Heart beat is strong and I am right on target for measurements. The good news is I didn't gain any weight. I hope that I can keep this one under control, and not gain the 45 pounds that I did with the girls. So far so good. The ultrasound is scheduled for April 27th and we will see what this kiddo is. Everyone I have talked to is betting on a boy. I am trying to keep an open mind so that I am not sad when we find out. Anyway just wanted to give a quick update. things are good at our house we have had a few other events this month with KelcieAnnes 6th birthday and Ben and I celebrating our 7 year anniversary. I will write other posts on that when more free time makes it self available.

Pregnancy Update

2009-03-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

Well I have finally hit twelve weeks. I thought I would never make it here. I have been incredibly sick with this one and some days didn't think I would make it through my ten hour work days. I am on two different nausea medications and a few other things I don't need to post about. I was completely dehydrated and almost went in for IVs to help hydrate me again. I think my worst day so far was yesterday and although I wont go into any detail lets just say I am glad it is over and I am doing better.
We had our first official OB appointment on Friday and everything went very well. I have gained the weight back that I lost due to the constant throwing up which is good and my Dr said I am exactly where I need to be for now so that is good. I got to hear the baby's heart beat. It was very hard to find but once we did doc said it was really strong and running at a good pace (164). He said everything was great and the I am a boring pregnant woman aside from the sickness. I guess boring is good. I wish he had used a different word other than boring like my other doctors. They at least said I was the healthiest prego woman they have ever seen. YEAH for me! since i love being pregnant so very much. NOT! But I am grateful that I am healthy and things are good. I really cant complain and I'm really not I just don't like being pregnant no matter what. Some women love it and some don't and that's where I fall. But we are super excites and can't wait to find out what this kiddo is.
Well even though I am not 100% I am at least 50% better than what I was ad can actually eat most things again. Hopefully by the end of this month it will all be gone an I can go back to feeling normal, well a normal pregnant woman can be. So anyway we will keep you updated. Till then!

Ben's Mountain Lion Hunt

2009-03-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

For this post I am going to let Ben tell you all about it. It's only fair seeing that he was the one there:) I am very proud of him and his first official hunt that he guided.

OK. The wife says I have to write something here, so here it goes. This started when an aquitance called me and asked me if I would like to make some money while lion hunting. Both sounded pretty good to me. Honestly I would have done it for free, just for the opportunity, but hey I am not complaining. Anyway, I spoke with the two men and set up the hunt. I helped them get the right licenses and set up the dates, lodging, etc. The date was set for valentines (yes Laurianne still loves me).
We made it to the hunting area early Friday afternoon got everything put away and went for a drive. Besides seeing about a hundred deer and and a hand full of elk including a few nice bulls it was uneventful. That was until Saturday morning. I was able to cut a track early on and after a five minute run the cat was up. By 8:30 the first cat of the trip was down. We were able to cut one other cat that afternoon, but it was too old and after walking it out for a couple of miles, and the dogs running a much fresher bobcat I decided it was time to give up.
Sunday morning I tried to catch up to that cat but was unable to cut his track again, so I decided to return to the area of the first cat because I remembered seeing what I thought was a different lion while running the first one. It turned out it was a different one, and in fact there were quite a few. As it turned out the dogs ended up going in a big circle as they kept switching cats. I didn't mind it was fun watching them work and listening to them boo. Sunday ended without a cat in the tree.
Monday I decided to go back to the same area and see what I could find. I cut a one day old track but decided to keep looking since I new there were others in the area. After cutting all the road's and not finding another track I decided to leach up a couple dogs and walk the trees. It was a good idea, it did not take long for the dogs to pick up on one and off they went. About fifteen minutes later the cat was treed. After about a 20 minute walk I made it to the tree where I waited for about 45 minutes for the others to arrive. It was nice to have the opportunity to play with the cat and get a lot of pictures, because once they arrived it was all over, or so I thought. Turns out the guy,s shot was not very good. The cat was bleeding good, but it was not going to die. We waited about 45 minutes to see if it would die, and then I decided to let the dogs go again. After about a four mile run they put him up another tree. When the others arrived the guy made one good shot that put the cat down and ended our hunt.
It was a good and successful experience for all involved, and I look forward to having their rich friends come out next year.

Pictures

2009-01-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

I never added these photos that we took of our family. I had to wait till after christmas becasue they were part of a few christmas presents I was making and I couldn't have certain people seeing them. I am very pleased with the way they turned out. Thanks bunches to BriAnne for doing such an awesome job.

Quick Update

2009-01-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

So it has definitely been awhile since I last posted. So I am going to do a quick rundown of our last month. On dec. 11th I had my birthday. I turned the big 28 and had a really good day. My best friend Terilynn took me to see Twilight (2nd time) and of course I loved it even more than the first. For Christmas we wen tot TEXAS to visit my family. Let me just tell you how much I needed that trip. We went to El Paso where my sis lives and my mom and dad came down. I am so glad they did because I needed to see my parents. We then came back up here before New Years and spent it with Bens family playing in the snow. It was alot of fun besides the girls freezing their buns off. Then if you haven't already noticed the new thing I posted on the side, we found out we are going to have a BABY!! I am so excited and cant even wait. I am extremely tired and nauseated already. We are due sometime around the 15th of September so we have a long ways to go but it will be worth it. Anyway that is it for now so I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years. I will update more later.

Lets Dance!

2008-12-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

So tonight was the girls dance recital. This is the first time for both of them and to tell you the truth I was slightly nervous. I knew Alaynah would do a great job. Her dance teacher is my good friend and was always telling me how cute she is in class and how good she was doing. Kelcie Anne on the other hand is a different story. Most of you know her really well and know that public things are not her forte. But to our much delighted suprise she did WONDERFUL! What a cute little dancer she was and how good she did at knowing the moves. My children were AWESOME! and I am not just saying it becasue I am there mother trust me this could have been a much diffferent post on the whole ordeal. Anyway I am a few pics of KElcie Anne and a short video of her. I also have a video of Alaynah. Beware it is very shakey. I was laughing so hard becasue it was so cute and there were a few other kids in her group that were just doing whatever and it was really funny. Anyway, enjoy what I was able to get and post. It you want a better version I guess you'll just have to come up for their spring recital :)

Happy Birthday Alaynah!!!

2008-11-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well Wednesday was Alaynahs 4th birthday. She is getting so big now I can hardly believe it. That morning I got up early and made a special breakfast for her and tied balloons to her chair at the table. I went up and got her from her room and then brought her down stairs. When she got down there and saw the balloons she thought she was in heaven. She said "Balloons! For ME!" I said of course its your birthday. Then I sang her a birthday song and she sat down to eat breakfast. It was so cute! I then went up and grabbed Kelcie Anne and brought her down to eat breakfast. ( you have to realize that I don't feed my kids in the morning, there babysitter does because it is so early) So this was an extra special treat for the both of them. After work I bought pizza because that is Alaynahs favorite. She was very excited about that as well. So anyway we all ate pizza then had some cake. Then Alaynah got to open a few of her presents. She is having another birthday party/dinner at Ben's parents house on Sunday where she will get the rest of her presents. She loved her lip gloss/ makeup set from Kelcie Anne and now calls it her makeover stuff. It is really funny. Kelcie Anne also got her a dress up set with jewelry and shoes and stuff. We gave her a little tea play set. She loves to play "party" and thought she needed some real tea party pieces to play with. All in all it was a good day. I will post more pics later when we have her other birthday dinner.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

So this week we had lots of fun Halloween activities with the girls. Tuesday Night we did FHE and decorated the girls pumpkins for our activity. They had lots of fun putting glitter on them and painting them. Kelcie Anne had a Halloween party at school and then got Halloween day off. That was nice to be able to have a relaxing day at home instead of rushing both girls around. Alaynah had a Halloween party and parade at her preschool. It was very cute. All the parents lined up along the sidewalk and the kids came out of the school down the stairs and down the side walk. They all waved and smiled. Then they went back and sat on the stairs and sang a cute song about a witch. Of course I was so in to what they were doing I forgot to get a video of it until they were done. But it was very cute. Later that night we got the girls dressed up again and took them trunk or treating and a little bit of trick or treating. Then we had some friends over for a little get together. It has been a fun and exciting week. Hope everyone had fun as well with their little ones, friends and family.

Oh yeah I guess I should tell ya what they were not that its not obivouse btu just in case. Alaynah was a fairy and kelcie Anne was a princess as always.

To New Experiences

2008-10-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

So tonight I was officially the mother of a child in school. I went to my first (of many to come) ever parent teacher conference. I was a little nervous I have to admit. I'm not really sure why. Kelcie Annes kindergarten teacher had nothing but great things to say about her. She is doing great and right on target. Her teacher even said she wished she would talk a little more than she does but that seems to run in the family. I wouldn't talk to anybody until Junior High. I think she will break out of her shell sooner than that. Kelcie Anne has a little friend who i thought was going to cause nothing but problems but it turns out that she has actually helped Kelcie Anne so that she is not so shy. I guess it is a little blessing in disguise. Trust me if you knew this little girl you would understand. She caused nothing but problems all summer long. It was like we had a bunch of junior high girls fighting when they are only 5!! Anyway I was happy with her progress and we have been working really hard with her at home. So at least I know that some of it is paying off.

Baby Tag

2008-10-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

I just noticed Emily's tag so here it goes.

1- Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant?
My bathroom - with both Alaynah and Kelcie Anne
2- Who was with you?
Nobody when I found out with KA, but KA was home when I found out about Alaynah
3- How did you find out that you were pregnant?
Very positive sticks and then pee test at the Dr. office
4- What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant?
We were super shocked with KA since we were only married 2 1/2 months and then with Alaynah I cried becasue KA was only 11 months old. Both were bith control babies.
5- Your Husbands reacton?
Um I can't realy remember. He is so laid back I think he was just like "OK"
6- Who was the first person you told?
Ben with KA and my Mom with Alaynah because I was really upset when I found out and I had to talk to somebody.
7-Did you plan to get pregnant?
Did I mention Birth control babies already :)
8-Was everybody happy for you?
Yes I think so with KA, but everyone was shocked with Alaynah
9- Did you go out and celebrate?
No, did I mention we were also really broke both times :)
10- Did you want to find out the sex?
Yes of course, I cried when I found out Alaynah was going to be another girl, but I obviously wouldn't change that now.
11- What was the sex?
GIRLS ALL THE WAY!
12-Did anyone throw you a baby shower?
Yes
13- If yes, who?
My mom, sister, and Aunt did back in Texas, and my mother in law did here in Utah.
14- Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew you weren't going to put on your baby?
Um yeah, but for the most part I got some really cute stuff.
15- How much weight did you gain?
45lbs with KA and 35 with Alaynah
16- Did you loose all of the weight that you gained?
Not with KA and pretty much all of it with Alaynah, except for 5 or 6 pounds but I was really tiny before I got prego and my body has changed so much now I could never look like I did before. But I am pretty happy where I am now with my weight.
17- Did you get a lot of stretch marks?
Holy Crap yes. KA gave them all to me in the last month I had none before that. Alaynah gave me 1!
18- What did you crave the most?
KA was chilly cheese tots from sonic and a cherry limeade and Alaynah was ego waffles
19- Did you crave anything crazy?
no
20- Who or what got on your nerves the most?
OH my gosh, my poor husband got the brunt of my pregnancy. I am seriously suprised he stayed with me. I was like crazy woman. I didnt even know where the real Laurianne went.
21- Were you married at the time?
Yes
22- Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
Nope, infact the doctors told me I was the healthiest pregnant woman he had ever seen. Good for him, I hated it.
23- Where were you when you went into labor?
At home both times.
24- Did your water break?
No both times it had to be broken.
25- Who drove you to the hospital?
Benji
26- Did you go early or late?
Early thank goodness! KA was 4 days early, Alaynah was 11 days early!
27- Who was in the room with you when you gave birth?
Ben and my Mom with KA and just Ben with Alaynah.
28- Was it video taped
Not a chance on the this earth would I ever do that.
29- Did you have any drugs for the pain?
Oh yeah. I had to to get me to relax enough just so my body would progress more.
30-Did you go Natural or have a c-section?
natural
31- What was your first reaction after giving birth?
I was so tired after KA her labor in the Hospital was 15 hours so I pretty much was like azombie but I know I was happy. I was only at the Hospital for three hours before Alaynah came. I was really emotional with her and vried when they put her on my chest it was a way neat expereince.
32- How big was the baby(s)?
KA was 7lbs 7oz. and Alaynah was 6lbs 15oz
33- Did your Husband cry?
No
34- What did you name the baby(s)?
Kelcie Anne and Alaynah Marie
37- Did the baby(s) have any complications?
Not really, they both had Jaundice. KA had it bad enough that she had to have light therapy for a week.
38- How old is your baby today?
KA is 5 1/2 and Alaynah turns 4 next month!
39- When is the next one(s) coming?
within the next year so keep checking back for updates:)
40-If you could, would you do it all over again?
obviously but if the next one is a girl too we might have to reconsider the 4th one :)

I tag Anne Marie, Danielle, and Heather even thought I know she is busy, Maybe I can get here to do one of them :)

The Girls Fun day!

2008-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

The girls had a fun day today with their friends helping them sell Honey and Cucumbers from their friends bee farm and garden. They were all so excited. they set up a table and the girls friends dad made a sign for them and hung it on the table. Anyway here are a few pictures of them. They were so cute out there I couldn't help but take a few. Eveytime a car passed by they would hold up cucumbers and honey trying to get the cars to stop and by some. They did have some success so it was a good expereience for them all. This is one reason why I love small towns. YOu can still let your children do fun things like this and not worry to much about the kinds of people that would be stopping bye.

Ben's Exciting News!

2008-10-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to tell everyone about Ben's exciting news. HE FINALLY FINISHED SCHOOL!!! This is not only exciting for him but the rest of us are very glad he is done. No more late nights or weekend full of homework. He finished his last class on Monday and will get his Diploma sent to him. He ended up with a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. So I just wanted to tell Ben how very proud of him I am and that he has worked so hard for so long and we have been through so much trying to get his schooling done. I love You babe! Your the bestest :) If you guys now much about the trouble we have been through with Ben's schooling you would truly understand what an accomplishment this is for him and us. Anyway that is it for now. Have a great weekend. I know we will have a school free one!

Girls Night Out

2008-10-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

So last night me and my friends went to the Reba McEntire/Kelly Clarkson concert. IT WAS SO AMAZING! We had so much fun. It was a well needed night away from the family to regain myself in order to stay sane :) Anyway we went to dinner at Applebee's which was wonderful and then I gave my leftovers to a homeless lady. I hadn't even touched the other half of my wrap so I figured I could give it to homeless person if I saw one or I would have to just throw it away. Also seeing that I couldn't take it into the Arena for the concert I didn't want it to go to waste. Anyway then we did a little retail therapy at the Gateway and then walked over to the ESA (Energy Solutions Arena where the JAZZ play) When we were going in my friend went in before me and then when they scanned my ticket it said it was already used!?! We were like now that's impossible we bought three tickets. They let us through anyway because it seemed like they were having trouble with there scanner. Well when we went to sit down we all looked at our tickets to find our seats and we notice that my friend Terilynn and I have the same ticket. Now we understand why it said it was already used. Now we were really confused. (Now I have to back track) Terilynn always buys the tickets. She gets online and buys them and prints them off. She does it for all our concerts. So we are thinking that when she bought them and then printed them off somehow it printed the same ticket off twice or she accidentally printed one ticket twice thinking she had printed all three. She knows she was charged for all three. (It's not hard to miss 3 $70 tickets being charged to your credit card) So we weren't worried about getting in trouble for not actually buying a third ticket. We just didn't want to have to deal with having to get it all sorted out in the middle of the concert. But it all worked out cause our seats ended up being the last three on the row 16, 17, and 18. So anyway that was fun and kinda scary but we knew we hadn't done anything wrong cause we payed for three tickets we only had two of them really printed off. Strange. But here are our fun pictures. We didn't really get any good ones of all of us. But we had really good seats. We were 11th row in the section next to the stage in the lower bowl. IT WAS AWESOME! I tool pictures o them ont he big screen because my camera doesn't take good pics at concerts. Oh yeah if any of you have ever watched the REBA show on TV you will know who I am talking about. Barbra Jean from the show (real name Melissa Perterman) Anyway she opened up the concert with a comedy show! It was so freakin hilarious! She spent like a half hour out there. She looks way good too! She has lost tons of weight. Good for her. So her are the pics. Enjoy! I know I did!

To My Parents

2008-10-06T16:46:00.001-07:00

As I was sitting and listening to conference this weekend I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to express my gratitude to my parents. They have done so much for me in my life that I could never express to them how much it means to me. I know without a doubt that I would not be where I am today without their faith in me to become what I am. I only hope and pray that I can be as good of a mother as my mom was and still is and will always be.

Mom, Thank you for putting your life on hold so many times to come and help us out when we didn't have anyone to take care of our kids or when I had my babies. Most parents come for a week or two tops but you would take 3 or 4 weeks our of your life to help us. You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you for spending all of those late nights talking with me and Anne Marie, I will never forget it.

Daddy, Oh the many nights you worried about me even though you still wont admit it to this day. You had so much faith in me that I would become a strong person and that I could make it through anything. And now here I am exactly where you said I would be. You ARE the best father a girl could ask for.

I love you guys so much. My girls love their Poppy and Bepa beyond imagination and miss you guys constantly. Thank you for everything and believing in me. Your support and love has gotten me through trials I might have never made it through. I honestly hope and pray that Ben and I can raise our kids and love our kids the way you two have. Thank you for setting a great example for us to follow. Your the best.

Love You
Laurianne
P.S. you guys should be getting stuff in the mail from the girls :)

Bens exciting weekend

2008-10-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

So last Wednesday Ben left for the last weekend of the Fall bear hunt. Ben and his buddy Brett were guiding for a guy in our ward that had a bear tag. They spent the first couple days finding nothing. Then Saturday they spent all day chasing a bear that out ran there 13 hound dogs. Yes I said 13. I don't think I would even come close to a bear without at least half that many to keep it up a tree. So Sunday roles around and they knew that the dogs have one last run left in them so they were praying they could find a trail hot enough that the dogs could keep up with it. Well luckily a bear crossed right through the area the dogs were in and they were able to track it down and tree. (Thank goodness no one got hurt or were struck by lightening seeing that it was a SUNDAY!! Ben never hunts on Sundays if he can at all avoid it) Anyway when they got up to the tree they thought they had caught a boar (Male) bear because of its size but it was a female with a beautiful coat. They were excited about that. So the guy with he tag was so excited that he almost shot the bear before anybody else could get up there to take pictures and stuff. Ben was able to get him to wait and promised him the bear would not be coming down anytime soon with again 13 hounds down below. So here are the pictures of the bear in the tree and after it was shot and skinned out. OH yeah the boys saved the back straps from the bear and grilled them up that night. Ben said it was really good and he even thought it was better than Deer or Elk. I still don't think I will eat any but just in case you ever get stuck and all you have to kill and eat is bear it apparently is worth it :) Enjoy the pics!

Getting Bigger Everyday

2008-09-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today Alaynah showed me that she is getting to be a big girl now. As hard as I try sometimes to keep her my baby girl she just keeps breaking through. As we were getting ready to leave the house to take Lanners to preschool she announced that she would not need me to take her in to school anymore. She told me just to drop her off and go. I was taken back just little by her bluntness and my heart broke just a little. Here is my 3 almost 4 yr old little girl growing up right in front of me and today proved just that. Kelcie Anne was standing there when Alaynah said this and said "Alaynah you want mommy to drop you off and school just like she drops me off at school?" "That's what big girls do they run in all by themselves." Of course Alaynah said yes and told me again that she can run in all by her self. So we got in the truck (since my car is broken right now, long story maybe another blog) and drove the one mile it takes to get to her preschool. I got out went and opened the door and got Alaynah out. I gave her a hug and kiss and put her down. She put her backpack on and started running to the front door. I figured maybe she would walk because she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to do this, but no she ran to the door and pretty much bulldozed it down. You have to understand that the front door to the preschool gets stuck and you have to put some shoulder into it. Well imagine a three year old ramming herself into the door to get it open than falling in when it does open cause she looses her balance. She calmly composed her self and shut the door behind her and that was it. I stood there watching her not knowing if I should help her or stay put. I decided that if she wanted to be a big girl now she could get it done. I love my sweet little girl and the joy she brings to my life. I guess if she is getting this big that must mean its time for another one..... we'll keep you posted :)

Oh kids will be kids :)

2008-09-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

Alaynah an d Kelcie Anne decided today that since it was so nice outside they wanted to go swimming in their little pool. So I told them that was fine and to go get their swimsuits out of their drawers upstairs. Alaynah is not the best at getting dressed by herself but she tries really hard and insists on doing it herself so I will let the picture tell the rest of the story. The first time was funny but when she did it again it was hilarious. She got so mad and finally let me help her but not until I got a picture first :)

My Little Dancers

2008-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

My girls are so excited about going to dance this years. This is there first year to go and have been waiting so long to go. They wanted to show off there ballet outfits so here are some pictures of them. Alaynah also got a new gymnastics outfit that is a Hannah Montana outfit. She was very excited about that too, so she wanted to take pictures of her in it as well.

Just for fun

2008-09-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

I actually got tagged for something so I thought I would give it a try. It was interesting to read my friends responses to these questions so I am going to do it and I hope the people I tag will do it too.

8 things that i am passionate about...
1. Ben
2. KelcieAnne
3. Alaynah
4. My Family
5. The gospel
6. My Friends
7. My job (whats better than getting to play with little kids all day and they dont even know they are doing therapy)
8. Our dogs and cats

8 words or phrases i use often...
1. I love you
2. Sweet
3. Ben!
4. whatever
5. Holy Crap
6. Y'all
7. Hey Friend
8. Are you freakin kidding me!

8 things i want to do before i die...
1. Have more kids
2. Watch my kids grow up
3. Become a better person
4. Live closer to my family (or at least see them more)
5. Have our dreams come true
6. See Celine Dion in concert (YES!)
7. Something super exciting
8. So I pretty much agree with everything Emily Said

8 things i have learned from my past..
1. It's okay to make mistakes (dito)
2. The gospel is true....and its evident from the life I have today (dito)
3. True friends are always there no matter how dumb you are
4. Love finds you not the other way around
5. There are no coincidences
6. Don't take time for granted
7. Family is so important
8. Forgive and forget no matter what it was. Then leave it up to Him :)

8 places i would love to go or see..
1. Alaska
2. Italy
3. Hawaii
4. Sacred Grove
5. France
6. Church History Sites back east
7. Australia
8...........

8 things i currently need or want...
1. New Clothes for sure
2. A baby ;)
3. Celine Dion concert tickets (the good seats....no cheap ones) SO AGREE
4. A new camera (been on my list for awhile)
5. A full body massage (oooh definetly)
6. A new VOLVO SUV please
7. Money (how about a tree that grows it:)
8. My family close by (most definetly)

8 people i tag..
1. Anne Marie
2. Kasey
3. Danielle
4. Jodi
5. Gidge
6. Heather
7. Dont really have anyone else, so yall need to fill it out K
8.

Kelcie Annes Owie

2008-09-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

So on Friday I was actually home during the day and was able to take the girls to school. I didn't have to go into work till 4 and I was taking the girls with me. (one nice perk about my job is I can bring my kids occasionally)Anyway I was at home with Alaynah after I had picked her up from preschool. I heard the phone ring, nothing new because our phone rings off the hook all day with 800 numbers, so annoying and so we rarely answer it. This time I felt the need to get up and look to see who it was. My caller ID said public schools. I thought hmm maybe something happened to Kelcie Anne why else would someone call from the public school. I answer the phone and said "Hello" and all I hear is sniffling on the other end. I said hello again and I hear more sniffling, I knew then it was Kelcie Anne on the phone so I said "Kelcie Anne are you okay" and then she starts crying and I understood "I Fell " and that was about it. The office Assistant took the phone from her and told me she had fallen at school and had scraped her knee and elbow and asked me what I wanted to do. I decided it would be better for me to go ahead and pick her up because I know she would have been crying the rest of the day. There was only a half hour left of school but this way I could get her and we could get to my work earlier. So anyway I get Alaynah in the car and go to KAs school. Her and the Office Assistant were waiting outside. Of course when she saw me she started crying again. I looked at her and saw two band aids across her knee two across her elbow and she then showed me one under her shirt across her hip. I was then glad I decided to come and get her. Her knee and elbow were still bleeding and the band aids on her knee didn't even cover everything. She had fallen pretty good. I asked when we got in the car how it happened. She told me that they were going back inside from recess and she was running and tripped over her friends shoe and fell on the black stuff. Which I am guessing was blacktop and not cement. When we got home she wanted me to take pictures of her knee so that we could show her daddy and her bepa and poppy and other family members. So here are pictures of her that day. When she finally let me take the band aids off and put knew ones on she wanted me to take pictures of that too. So here they are.

Alaynahs Big Day

2008-09-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today was Alaynahs first day of Preschool. She was so excited! I let her sleep in this morning so that she was well rested. She wanted to get dressed as soon as she got out of bed, but I wanted her to eat and brush her teeth before getting dressed. She is really messy when it comes to that stuff. When it was time to go she ran to the car and got in. KelcieAnne and I took her in (this is the same preschool KA went to so she wanted to help her sister) showed her where her backpack went and then she got a nametag and got to choose where she wanted to sit depending on if she wanted orange or blue palydoh. She choose blue, no suprise there. Went I went to pick her up (KA was in school now) She was playing outside with all the other kids. She ran inside and got all her stuff put it in her backpack and came running to me. MOMMY MOMMY!! I picked her up and she gave me a great big hug and told me how much fun she had and that she loved her preschool. We got in the car and no sonner did we get in did she say "Guess what I did today" and on she went about her day at preschool. How nice is it to have one child I dont have to pull teeth to get anything out of her. What a cute personality she has and I love her sweet little spirit and her love for life. Her are a few pics we took before she went I will try to get more at her preschool.

Flowers

2008-08-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

So back in May Kelcie Anne planted a sunflower in preschool. I didn't think much of it but she really wanted to take care of it and see if it would grow. Well did it ever!! We now have a 5 ft 8in sunflower growing in our backyard! Unfortunately the grasshoppers have been so bad this year that they have pretty much eaten the whole thing. We have been watching it all summer waiting for it to bloom and by the time it did and I was able to get pictures of it it pretty much was half gone. So here are the pictures I took of it. KelcieAnne was so upset that she got mad at the sunflower called it ugly and hit it with a stick! I had to explain that it wasn't the sunflowers fault and that the grasshoppers did it. She said "Mommy you should have sprayed it with something so the grasshoppers wouldn't eat it!" What am I suppose to say to that except your right honey I should have. Anyway I was so impressed over the summer at how well it was growing that I tried 4 times to grow other sunflowers and failed miserably. So needless to say my 5 year old is better at gardening than I am. Maybe I should talk to her preschool teacher and see what seeds and soil she used! Enjoy the pics, it is pretty impressive when you see it towering over you.

First Day of School

2008-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

So Kelcie Anne went to her first day of kindergarten on Tuesday. It was a bitter sweet moment for me. Seeing that she is the first of my kids to go to school this was all a new experience for me. I didn't really know how I was going to feel. I am super excited for her to go to school and learn new things and meet new friends because she loves that. But at the same time this is my princess and she can't be this big yet. All the thoughts of her as a little girl come rushing back to me and and I realized that she isn't little anymore she is my big girl and she loves being my big girl and loves being able to do big girl things like going to kindergarten. Anyway so I pick KA and Alyanah up from there babysitter who also has her oldest going into kindergarten that same day. We get to the school which is a mad house because of all the parents dropping there kiddos off. We go into her classroom and put her backpack away then go and find her table with her name tag on it. I sit her down and give her a kiss and a hug. I wait a moment to talk to her teacher put a few of her other school supplies away and sign a few papers I brought back in to give back to her teacher. While all this is going on I am trying to keep Alaynah with me while weaving in and out of other parents trying to get there kids there on time. It was kinda chaotic and didn't really give me a chance to let everything sink in (which turns out to be a good thing) Once I sat KA down and kissed and hugged her I never looked back. I knew that if I did and she saw me that that could have been the end of it, she might have broken down and no let me leave and I might not have made it out of there without crying, which I did. Alaynah and I left and I put her back in the car. As I sat there about to turn the car on I could feel my emotions starting to rise, just then Alaynah broke into a full conversation with me and the moment was gone. I pulled out of the parking lot and took Alaynah back to the sitter. The rest of the day I was fine and as soon as I got home I asked her how her day went. She said "I don't know I forgot!" Of course I'm like what do you mean you forgot? So then it was like pulling teeth to even get anything out of her. After a few very specific questions "Did you color today?" "What did you color?" "What letter does that start with?" And so on she opened up and told me more about her day. Now if you know KA you would understand that this is a normal response and she really doesn't see what the big deal is. Needless to say it has been a good week and she has loved going to school even though she doesn't say it in those words. Next it is Alaynahs turn she starts preschool for the first time next week. This one will definitely be hard for me to handle. She is my little cuddle bug and I really cant believe she is old enough.

Family and Fun

2008-08-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our little family reunion that we had. All the kids had sail boats that Grandpa made them with little sail that had their names on them. The kids had a blast sending them down the canal part where the water comes into the reservoir. Ben's sister Brindy fell in the reservoir and could barely get out because the bottom was so slippery from the moss and stuff that was covering it. They finally figured out that they could use this canal part like a water slide and Ben, Brindy his brother Jason and the two oldest nephews all went down. I don't have pic of that but it was alot of fun to watch them. Alaynah had a blast and we are quite sure if she had an accident or sat in some water when putting her boat in the water. Oh well kids will be kids. Kelcie Anne eventually waded out into the water and tried to keep her favorite skirt from getting wet. It didn't really work but she tried anyway. All the kids had a great time and us adults had fun watching the kids have so much.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-08-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

I can't beleive how fast July went by and that August is already half gone. We have been so busy this month that I am ready for labor day weekend so we can just relax. I started of the month with my first 5K. It was really hard for me becasue I am not a runner and I really had to challenge my self and my body which fought me ever step of the way. But it turned out good and I am starting to train for another one. Next we celebrated Ben's 29th birthday. It didn't really seem to faze him this year and he said he still felt the same no big deal. Two days after bens birthday we went to his brothers Wedding and spent 8-8-08 doing that. It was a nice wedding but really long. They got married at 7am in the SLC temple and let me tell you it was really early. We had to get up at 5 and get the girls ready and us so we could all be at the temple by 630. The girls stayed outside with Ben's sister and some cousins. We got done there and then had the luncheon aferwards. The reception wasn't till 6 that night but we still had alot to do that afternoon between things. The next day we had a small family reunion and spent the day with Ben's family excluding his brother and new wife of course. Sunday was another big day with Heather (Jones) coming to stay with us for a few days to visit. That was a blast!! It has been so long since we have really been able to get together and hand out. I needed that visit badly. She also had a few friend of hers come in to visit her at my house since she was up here and my house was central to everybody. It was nice having them around as well. My house was filled with 7 kids under the age of 5 for a whole day and what an experience that was :) It was tons of fun and I loved every minute of it. THANKS FOR COMIN GIRLS!! After this exciting week we are getting ready for KelcieAnne to start kindergarten. I had no idea that there was so much involved with registration and assessment days and her Kindergarten tea party and then finally the first day of school which is the 26th. I can't beleive how big she is getting and what a smart little girl she is. I can't wait for her to get to learn all kinds of stuff. She is just gonna love it. With all this going on you would think I wouldn't have time for my job. But I have been working 10 hour days with a few fridays being thrown in which hasn't given me alot of time to do things but we are getting use to our new schedule and things are going good. I love my new job and the kids that i get to work with are amazing and make my job worth all the hard work and long hours. I will update more soon after things get settled and school starts. Have fun finishing out August!!

The Bear Hunt

2008-07-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

So Ben went down fro the opening weeken dof the bear hunt. You can only chase them rigth now and the actually hunt hunt is the end of August, which he will be going to again. This is a passion of his and really makes him happy. I am glad that he has a hobby that he loves sometimes I wish it wasn't so dangerouse but he loves it and that is what matters. Anyway during the course of the weekend he was able to loose two of our dogs and then find them again. (thank goodness) This is not an unusual occurance. Almost every hunting trip a dog or two gets lost, infact this trip everyone lost their dogs but they were all able to retrieve them. Needless to say our dogs are not moving to well and will need a week or so to recover. But dont worry they were breed for this kind of stuff and bounce back very quickly. So Ben got home last night and I was inthe office doing stuff. Alaynah came running in and was jumping up and down talking in her high pitched so ecxited she can stand it voice. and Says" Mommy Mommy Daddy's home and he brought little ity bity (she is showing me with ner hands how tiny at this point) tiny puppies (which were about an inch big as she is describing it) So of course this cought my interest becasue Ben never mentioned anything about a puppy. I go outside and sure enough there are two puppies running around in our yard. So I just stand there staring at Ben till he notices and says something. He said the little one is ours its a female and the other one is his friends new pup. We have named her Sage and she is a doll. The girls love her to death (and if their not careful they might just kill her with too much love) It was a nice suprise. the girls and I were going to get Ben a new female pup for his birthday in August anyway. He just suprised us first.

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

Well I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend. We went to our parade and fireworks show last night and had a Bar B Que with some friends and family. The girls have been talking about going to the parade all week and couldn't wait till Friday came. We bought them their outfits and got all the snacks and drinks ready to go. The hard part was waiting till Friday. Our parade here in Grantsville is the best prarade ever. WAY better than the big city parades. They have huge water fights between the parade watchers and the fire trucks and water tankers that are in the parade. It is lots of fun. I happened to get caught rigth in the middle of it this year and got soaked. I had to wring my hair and my shirt out becasue I got so wet. But only on the right side my whole left side was dry. It felt really good since it was so hot so no worries. I was holding Alaynah when it happened luckly she was on the left so she didn't really get wet. When I put her down she ran and hid behind our chairs on the sidewalk. Kelcie Anne didn't even get wet but she was still hiding behind the tree. Silly girl she acts as if water is going to melt her. Alaynah had a blast getting out there and getting candy. She was really good at it. I would say she got the majority of the candy for her and her sister. She was so excited to see all the people in the parade. She would dance to the bands when they came along and jump up and down and wave to everybody. She especially loved the fire trucks and horses. She would raise her hands in the hair and say "WHA HOO" It was the cutest thing ever. This is the first parade that she has really gotten into and it was such a great experience to see how much fun she had. The girls love the firworks. They just lay down on a blanket and watch them. We sit in the same spot every year because they shoot right over our heads and it is really neat to see. Anyway that is pretty much it for our fourth weekend. Hope everyone else had a blast too.

The girls!

2008-06-23T20:02:00.001-07:00

The girls really wanted to have a picnic today. So we put there table on the back patio and let them eat outside. It really was the perfect day for it and it helps to keep my house cleaner! I haven't gotten very many pictures of them lately so I took a few of them eating their picnic food. They were so excited so I thought I wouls share it with y'all.

Friends

2008-06-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for one of my really good friends up here Kellie. She got married yesterday and Kelcie Anne and Alaynah were so excited to go to her reception so that they ould see her in her princess dress. She did look amazing. I love weddings and all that goes into putting them together. Maybe in a different life I would have been a wedding planner. Anyway here is a cute picture of her and the girls and Kellie and I.

Summertime Finaly!!!

2008-06-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well after weeks and weeks of cold weather I think it finally hit 80 degrees today. So nice! I thought I would die with all the rainy and cold weather we have been having. The girls were inside all day and those with kids can understand how well that went over. So what did the girls decide we should do today since it was so nice ? They decided we should take a walk but not to just anywhere. They decided that they were going to draw pictures and write a letter to their friend that moved away. Well mommy didn't have any stamps so we took a walk to the post office and bought stamps just so we could mail the letters. What fun that was! We walked all the way to the post office and then decided it was getting hot so on the way home we stopped at the store and bought popsicle's. We really had to hurry home so that the popsicle's wouldn't melt. Now I know that 80 degree weather is not hot but when you go from the 50's to 80 degrees in 24 hours it feels like a heat wave. Anyway it was nice to get the girls outside and to get some exercise in. Plus it took up a good hour + of our afternoon. Anyway I just wanted to share our first day of warm weather with you guys. We will cont to enjoy this weather with a bonfire tonight with some friends.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great mother's day. I have to share a little moment from our day because it was too cute. We were at church and the primary kids sang some mothers day songs during sacrament meeting. Alaynah went up with all of the other kids but Kelcie Anne refused. She is very shy when it comes to being around other people outside the house. All that know her well enough know this is not the case when she is at home. Anyway back to my story. Alaynah got up there and stood right in front. They started the first song and she was so excited to sing that she was the loudest one up there. You could hear giggles coming from the congregation and a few stars and smiles in our direction. I have to admit it was so cute. This did not stop with the first song she continued to be the best little singer up there and made sure that she pronounced all the words she could. By the end of all three songs I couldn't hold my tears back and it didn't help when she got came down from the front she was running towards us saying MOMMY MOMMY with the biggest smile ever. I love her sweet spirit and the love that radiates from every pore in her little body. Im so grateful for my little girls and am excited for any other children the lord might bless us with.

2008-05-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Entering the Blogging World

2008-05-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well dang I lost my first post that I wrote so this is going to be short and simple. I cant figure out how to get my old one back even though it says it was auto saved so oh well here's to learning how to blog :) I wanted a blog so that I could keep friends and family updated on our life without the hassle of having to join some other website. As you all know we still live in good ol Grantsville and we love it here. We couldn't have nicer neighbors or a friendlier ward. We will hate the day we have to move and joke around that we will have to move our next door neighbor with us. Anyway, on to our little family. I just graduated form Salt Lake Community College with an Associate of Applied Science Degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. We are very excited that I am finally done and the girls couldn't be happier that mommy is finally done. We haven't really told them that I have to find a job now and go to work. We will hit that road when it gets closer. For now we are just enjoying the time we have to spend together. Ben is still going to school through the University of Phoenix online and works during the day. He will be done with school in Oct and it couldn't come fast enough. Other than all that we are just taking one day at a time and living life the best we can. Well that is it for now, until next time.