October 26, 2008

More fun...

Posting again, but what can I say... I'm addicted! We've been a little busy this weekend with kid stuff, but was able to squeeze in a little more! I made two Christmas aprons this weekend for Cambria and maybe a friend. I just bought too much fabric and thought I shouldn't waste it. They turned out cute!
Colten's basketball team pictures. Check out his oh so so HAPPY SMILE in the team photo! Absolutely hilarious! He does this when he's really happy or singing and looking at us!
Colten's 2nd grade school picture... he still had a few teeth that are now missing!
Karsen's 1st grade school picture.... Great smile I should say and extra bonus points for opening his eyes big and wide. We know... he looks just like Brett!
 Just a few more cool pictures of Brett's hike to Box Elder Peak. He really like this picture of himself and the top of where they hiked. It is really amazing - thanks Chris for taking this great shot!
He looks so handsome here.... almost like a photo shoot model! What a guy!! It would be a great REI advertisement shot! Maybe I'll submit it!
I have never seen more ladybugs in one place...
Chris Taylor and Brett enjoying moments atop their big hike! He's a funny guy and Brett has a great time with him hiking! His wife & kids went to the movies with us on Saturday - they are a terrific family!

October 25, 2008

Saturday Fun!!

Everyone knows HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 opened on Friday! We bought tickets online and saw it today.. the earliest we could get GOOD seats. I wasn't going to sit on the front row just to see it on Friday. So, it was a BIG HIT and they all LOVED IT! We'd even go see it again very soon! My kids have loved both Musical 1 & 2 and know ALL the songs!! On the way out, Colten wanted me to buy the music CD to this one....we did of course and I know they'll have all the songs memorized by Monday! It was a great MOVIE!
Cambria and I enjoyed lots of time in the hot tub this morning after Colten's basketball game and  even jumped on the trampoline too! It was nice to have a very WARM and SUNNY day again!
Here is a shot at Colten's Basketball game today. He is loving playing basketball and having his dad as the coach! He played a great defensive game with many steals, had many assists and made 3 great shots in a row in one quarter!
Here he is after one of his shots went up...... A little note for memory's sake. At his last game (which I sadly missed), he made 20 points. Brett said that he was awesome and has many talents and abilities that Brett doesn't think he even had at his age. Hopefully, his talent will stick with him for many years! He just watched a home video of Brett playing ball at 15 or so and how cool and good he was! He could dunk so easily and the 3-pointer was always a given! There's gotta be something said about having a dad that could dunk! So, who ever said "white boys can't jump?" And both of the boys thought he was so awesome & amazing and now want to do what their own dad could do! I can't wait for that day!!
Thanks Nancy for your every so popular cookie recipe... they are so so yummy!!

Life's moments!

Another hike completed by Brett and Chris Taylor... They don't just choose little hikes, but difficult, steep and high hikes! Isn't it beautiful from the top though!
Heres Brett's absolutely crazy friend Chris at the top of Box Elder Peak in American Fork Canyon. It took about 3 or so hours of MACHO hiking to get there. Way worth it! Made it to the TOP - Oh, what a feeling!! Can't you see Brett's excitement! Cambria... she's so happy lately!  She absoultely loves feeding her little 'sister', Zaida the kitty cat. This was the first time she fed her all by herself!!  "So fun mom!" Another love of Cambria's is her little doggy she got for her 4 year old Birthday, Rigby. He is now 3.7 lbs and gonna stay little... Whew!! She loved falling asleep with him and I don't think he minded at all! I believe he's thinking "I could get use to this bed thing!" So, to summarize these two pictures: Our daughter finally has what she wanted and is very HAPPY! A little doggy of her own and her very own 'sister' - even if it had to be a kitty!

October 22, 2008

Grandma's are the Best!!

Grandma Sue Rocks!  Cambria was so excited to get her Halloween Costume in the mail-  She just had to put in on right away! This is her HOORAY for G'ma making her costume again this year. Cambria's been JoJo (JoJo's Circus) that I made, and then the Princesses Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and now Snow White - Thanks!! We love all of them and they will be great memories to have of her G'ma in California! Good thing fabric is easy to mail... P.S. Don't anyone even think of stealing my next package!!
Snow White couldn't be any cuter!! Cambria told me to paint her hair 'black' so that she could look exactly like Snow White. We'll have to save that part for only Halloween Night!!
A perfect PRINCESS!

October 20, 2008

We have a little sister for Cambria!!

If you really keep up with the Spencer Family and have talked to us lately, (in the past year), you would know that our little girl - Cambria - has been asking daily for a little sister! She doesn't know why she can't have one and tells her brothers constantly how lucky they are to have a brother and a sister! Then, automatically every time, she starts crying so hard! It's been a difficult thing for her and hard for us since we are definitely, without a question or doubt, DONE having kids. We are happy.. and are trying to convince Cambria of that too! We have used every line we can think of - From 'You are so lucky to be the only girl because you can have everything you want' .. to .. 'If you had a sister, you would have to share your room.'  The problem is that she wouldn't mind! She has made comments as to who should be her sister. She likes Anna Meek for a sister.. Hailee (her cousin)and a little girl who wouldn't leave her side while playing in the water at the St. George Park. We asked her if it was okay to take her home to be her sister, but she said "No, because then her real mommy would miss her."

Then, an hour or so down the road home, she said "Daddy, we         should have brought that little girl to be my sister. Can we go back to get her?" Daddy explained that it probably wasn't a good idea and that her family would be sad to see her go! Cambria doesn't ever give up though. Next, it was "You know, you could just go and buy me one!" I can't tell you all of her famous lines she's said to get us to get her a sister, but they are many! So, to make a long story short, we found one! Her Uncle Scott's cat just had kittens and abandoned them. He's been nursing them to health and they are only 3 1/2 weeks old. He told us we could have one... "Do you think once the kids heard that we could say no?" (Thanks Scott) So, we got one and fortunately.... IT IS A GIRL!  HOORAY!! We don't know if the problem is fixed, but for now, Brett and I are off the hook to 
have a little sister for Cambria! WHeW! But, what's to come next? We never know from Cambria, but I can tell you this... She's already asking for another kitty so her little sister has a friend to play with! THINGS KIDS WILL SAY AND DO TO GET WHAT THEY WANT... IT'S AMAZING! We are now equal - 3 kids and 3 animals.... Dash the Cockapoo, Rigby the ChiHuaHua, and Zaida (Colten & Mom's spelling -Brett spells it ZEHTA) the kitty cat - Who knew we'd ever grow to a FAMILY OF EIGHT!!
Pinch me.

WARMTH = St. George, Utah!

So, here we all are on our way to St. George to get a few days of WARM weather! Is this a car-full or what!
First things First - it's time to get some sunshine and this is how Cambria loved to get it! She could have floated like that all day long! She actually swam most of the time without her floaties and dove underwater to swim without fear!
What a move by Colten and accidentally caught on camera...amazing!
Cambria is tough & here she shows you just how tough! 
We hiked the "NARROWS" again in St. George.. Mom had to go again since Daddy is still too "THICK"!
You really do have to SQUEEZE your way out at the top... Way too much FUN!
A perfect FAMILY shot at the top of the NARROWS... Can you find the mom and dad?
Cute Cambria was the bravest and toughest when it came to climbing.. especially steep slopes! "It's NO BIG DEAL mommy!"
Daddy and kids in a pretty cool sunset...
then, Colten took a picture of us!
Time to hike...Colten, Karsen and Cambria lead the way!
She just loves this pose and does it all the time.... so adorable and sweet!
Kids on top of the Petrified Sand Dunes... it was so BEAUTIFUL and WARM!
COOLING OFF with Orange Peel smoothies at the city town square in St. George!
Time to really cool off before the ride home..
Wet, Happy, and ready for the ride back home to Rigby and Dash. Cambria is always so worried about her doggies while we are away. Good thing we have an awesome doggy-sitter as a neighbor!

A Dream Coming True!

There is not really much to be said.. I love it!! It has been a project, but an enjoyable one!   I don't know if it's perfectly the way I want it, but as you know... I learn as I go! Everything you see in this room was created and made by ME! So, I guess I really do have to like it!!
Where all the kids scrapbooks will come to life! Eventually....
Kirstin's work-station!
I think it turned out WILD... just as I wanted it!

Witches Nite Out!

 Girls Nite Out at Gardner's Village to see the Witches...
and eat at Archibald's restaurant.. yummy!! We had a wonderfully silly time!
This is also a scary site for only the middle of October! Brrrrr!

October 5, 2008

What Women Can do - at least me!!

First, on Wednesday & Thursday, I (Kirstin) with a little (& I mean teensy) help from Brett, stripped the stairs and repainted them both to match. It was driving me crazy that they were two different colors. They look amazing now! and Brett even agrees... (He wanted me to leave them alone, but as you can tell... it's sad for him - but he RARELY gets his way!)
Second, on Thursday, I (all by myself) sanded, smoothed, washed and restained our beautiful spa! It's now all ready for the ever dreaded cold, rainy, and snowy winter ahead! BUT, we are so excited to get in it on cold, snowy nights and after all of our snow-ski days!  It's worth every penny we spend on keeping it warm - which is a lot of pennies!!!
Third, on Friday, I (while Brett was on his Lone Peak hike) shoveled huge piles of dirt (which Brett had made from another project I have him doing) to make it level ground, hula-hoed all the weeds out, raked the dirt smooth, removed a few plants I didn't like and filled an entire wheel-barrow full for Brett to remove!! All this while it was raining on me!! Yes, I know I am SuperWoman and I am not for rent! Now, it's back to work inside the house!
Lastly, Brett's big brother Chadro hooked us up again and re-carpeted our Master Bedroom. What an amazing feeling it is to have it so gorgeous - it's like walking on a cloud! We can't believe the difference! Brett and I giggled after it was all complete and put back together - we love it! Thanks Chad for taking time for us! We really, really appreciate it! What else we loved was that Chad noticed how bad the original carpet looks in our house - so hopefully it won't be hard to get him back here a few more times.. HEE HEE HEE! (Okay, so I can't take credit on this one... just the decorating part!)
To Celebrate our progress and thank Chad for all his hard work, we took his family to the Pizza Factory and splurged on Pizzas and Never-on-Sundae Desserts! So yummy and we're still full!! It was fun to have you down - don't be strangers in our home! Love you guys!