Brett, Leslie, and kids

Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T10:45:00.001-07:00

We had a little bit of success with our pumpkin this year, which is really surprising because we started it so late. Our pumpkin grew to be about 250-300 pounds, not too bad; hopefully, we will be able to get a bigger one next year.

Markie standing in the pumpkin.

Little James in the pumpkin.

Our whole family dressed up this year, I think that is a first since we had kids. Our two boys were ducks, Brett was a duck hunter, and I was an Idaho fish and wildlife officer. Brett's mom had a Halloween recital/party a couple days before Halloween. We sang a song and had a great time bobbing for donuts.

Brett and Mark bobbing for donuts.

The duck mobile. We went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. After about 15 houses Mark said "I think I have got enough treats, lets go home."
We went home and then later went out to visit the grandparents.

One tired yet satisfied duck!

Happy Halloween!!!

Wood Badge

2011-10-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late and I hope I can do it justice. Last month Brett and I went to a 6 day leadership conference/workshop put on by the BSA called Wood Badge. We split up the 6 days over two weekends (thank you Gwen for watching the kids). I was excited to go however, there was also some anxiety because I didn't really know what to expect. Everyone I talked to mentioned making goals, and that I would have the best time ever, there would be moments that I would be laughing hysterically and then there would be other times that tears would be rolling down my face. Now if that doesn't sell something I don't know what does, right? So it was with those feelings I went, and looking back I don't remember when I have had so much fun. It was like I was back at college, I felt like a sponge and I was trying to absorb all the information that they were presenting to us. Brett and I were put in different groups, we saw each other and we were together sometimes but being in different groups I got to be my own person I had to stand on my own feet, I couldn't rely on Brett all the time which was good for me.

The leaders at Wood Badge talked a lot about "tickets" or goals that we needed to make before we left that first weekend. We needed to come up with one big goal and five little goals to help support or help us achieve that one big goal. That scared me more that anything else. It made me look inside, help me to think about me and the things that are most important. I really struggled with this. My whole life I always had the dream to be a wife and mother. I am living that dream on a daily basis, I achieved that dream and I forgot how to dream. It is like a return missionary, they plan their whole lives to go on a mission and then once they have completed that mission they get home and then say "now what?" They have to learn to dream and that can be hard. I shed many tears over my goals, spent a lot of time on my knees asking for guidance, and I was guided. The spirit was so strong while at Wood Badge, even though it is not a church run or sponsored camp the spirit was there, and I was taught by the presenters and most importantly the spirit.

On the last day of Wood Badge, I felt the desire for more, I wanted to stay forever and soak up the feelings that I was experiencing. I was afraid that as I left those feelings and memories would leave. While we were in our last class the staff members were setting up a corridor of American flags that we walked through as we left, the staff members were standing in between the flags saluting us as we left. Rather than a feeling of sadness I felt a feeling of empowerment, a desire to take what I had just experienced and use it in my life and share it with others. Rather than an end Wood Badge became a beginning. I was told that Wood Badge would be a life changing experience, and it has definitely changed my life for the better.

Brett welcoming me into the pack.

Adventures at Antelope Island

2011-08-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

The first night at Antelope Island we had a pretty cool looking lightening storm, the unfortunate thing was lightening struck down a mile away from our camp. It was quite a sight to come out of your tent and see a huge fire blazing.

After being evaquated at 9:30 and haveing to pack up the kids really were troopers and did well. Poor James and Mark were so tired they fell asleep in the car while we decided where to stay the night. (I just love how Mark's leg is draped across James).

On Friday, we went to the Hill Air Force Aerospace Museum. Mark and I have always loved airplanes and it was so cool to see all the old bombers and fighters. Mark loves to see the planes fly so we stopped to watch a movie of one of the planes. In the movie the plane is showed being refueled. As Mark was watching the plane being refueled mid-flight he said, "Look Mommy, that airplane brought its baby." That put the biggest smile on my face, kids are so great!

Mark trying on pilot goggles and helmet--they were so big on him he could only look out of one eye piece at a time. Seeing him in this made me think of Star Wars.

James loves being outside and camping for two days and spending a whole day on the Great Salt Lake beach was heaven for him. James was always digging in the dirt, I have never seen a happier/dirtier little boy.

I experienced many firsts this weekend some were good and some were an adventure but these firsts made for an awesome time!!! Thank you Shannalee and Josh for planning such a fun family reunion.

A Villain Among Us

2011-07-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

"Wesley Wicked is my name, collecting rent is my game...The James Bond of villains, nobody does it...badder!" Markie and I went backstage before the melodrama to wish Brett luck. When Markie first saw Brett in costume he didn't recognize Brett. His eyes got a big as quarters and he huddled next to me. Brett had to take off his hat in order to convince Markie he was really his daddy.

I definitely saw a different side of Brett during the melodrama that Brett was in, I also realized what great legs he has :)

We are proud of our villainous daddy.

Dinosaur Museum and Jump On It with the Y

2011-07-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Brett's summer job is driving the bus for the YMCA. Most of the time he is just taking the Y kids to the Y's pool, rock wall, or indoor soccer arena. However, on Wednesdays, the Y goes on field trips and sometimes I am able to go. The best part is we get to see some really cool things as a family and we only have to pay for gas. Thank you YMCA. On the 22nd of June the Y drove down to Thanksgiving Point to see the Dinosaur Museum. Markie loves dinosaurs so we thought it would be fun to go as well, plus Thanksgiving Point is not to far from my parents home so we decided to spend a few days down there. We totally had a blast.

Brett and Markie on the Y bus, once Markie got on with his daddy he didn't want to leave his side. Markie loves his daddy!!!

Family picture, you may need to zoom in to see us.

Here we are at the museum.

Here comes the Markasaurus, he's cute and cuddly and he can charm a smile out of anyone.

Playing together in the erosion table.

Riding the Triceratops, aren't my kids so cute! Markies favorite thing at the museum were the computers. In every room he would find a computer and try to play the games, most of the time he didn't understand what he needed to do, but he didn't care because he got to play on it.

We went to see the 3-D dinosaur movie with the YMCA as well. Here is Mark showing off how fashionable the 3-D glasses are.

This is Jump On It! It is a huge warehouse full of trampolines. They have an area for kids under 4 ft and then an area for everyone else. They have bounce houses and slides for kids under 4 ft and a play area for toddlers. They have pass along cards next to their business cards and give Monday night family discounts, I was so impressed! Mark had such a great time, I hope we will go back some time.

At Jump On It there was a huge foam block pit the kids could jump off a trampoline into, it was so awesome!

James at Jump On It! Doesn't it look like so much fun?

Spending time with Grandma Taylor, we had an awesome time relaxing, blowing bubbles, and playing soccer.

James with Grandpa-Great Taylor. It was so fun to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa great, and allow James and Markie an opportunity to get to know them better.

Birthday Cake Fun

2011-06-03T21:02:00.001-07:00

A tradition in my house while I was growing up was to choose the kind of cake we got, not just the flavor but also the shape. I chose a clown cake, a people cake (shaped like the 'Little People' with 'Little People' around it), a roller skate cake, as well as many others. I always loved that tradition so I have decided to do it with my family. The first cake I got was an elephant cake and thus both Markie and James first year cakes are elephant cakes. Last year Markie wanted a basketball cake which turned out pretty cute. This year Mark wanted a soccer cake.

Markie's soccer cake

James's first birthday elephant cake

Both cakes were a lot of fun to make and it is interesting the love I feel for each child as I work on each cake. I really think about each child as I am designing their cake and I feel a special bond with them as I try to make their special day just a little bit more special with a fun cake. Thank you mom for always putting in the extra time to make my birthday special by making my birthday cake fun and unique.

Not a baby any more

2011-05-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

I was so excited for James to come, I was watching the monitors while I was pushing and I saw the contraction was going away. Wanting him to come so badly I said "Come back contraction." Brett, the doctor and the nurses thought that was funny and the doctor said "Oh, the blessing of an epidural." James minutes old.

Beautiful blue eyes, I love looking at James's eyes! James 2 months.

Mark and James have been great friends from day one, when James was in his chair Mark would put his chair next to James. I hope they always remain close. James 3 months.

Great smile!!! James 3 months.

Carving the big pumpkin (thanks mom and dad). James 6 months.

Halloween night, what a cute little frog. James 6 months.

My Christmas Angel! This is one of my favorite pictures of James. James 8 months.

James got a jumper for Christmas and he would jump for hours, Brett and I couldn't believe he fell asleep in it as well. James 9 months.

James has always loved the kitty. Most of the time he likes to crawl after her, put one arm over the top, give a little yell and then body slam the cat. Thankfully our kitty is very patient and will just sit there until James is ready to get off of her. I guess James is practicing to be a WWF wrestler. James 11 months.

James first birthday. James 1 year.

James eating his first birthday cake, he was using his hands until he decided that was taking too long so he decided to dive in face first. (We have it on video however the video didn't want to load, sorry.)

Don't blink you might miss your kids growing up. This past year with James it has been just like that, it seems like just yesterday I was giving birth to him and now he is a year old and on the verge of walking. James has such a fun personality, even though he is only one he has already learned how to tease and wrestle with Mark, which can be both good and bad. He is very patient with Mark which is good because Mark is still learning that all the toys in the house don't belong to him anymore. James learned to give really tight hugs when he was 10 months old and when I am having a bad day there is nothing better than to get a great big hug from him. James has learned some things faster than Mark, like how to open the gait to the stairs, and he also puts things in his mouth more thank Markie ever did which can sometimes be a frustration for Brett and I. James really likes to read books and I will often find him in Mark's room with a book open on the floor in front of him and he is turning the pages looking at the book. James loves the bath and often times I think I get wetter than he does. James really has added a sweet spirit into our home and I feel truly blessed to be his mother.

Happy Birthday, James.

Firsts

2011-05-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

I normally like to wait until the first birthday before I cut my kids hair because they always look so much older after their hair is cut. I know I am crazy but that is just what I think. So anyway, 3 weeks before James 1st birthday I was showing Brett that I could put James hair into pigtails, Brett decided it was time for me to cut James hair. I agreed so here are the before at after pics.

BEFORE

AFTER

He has definately lost his baby looks but he is still as cute as ever.

Another first for our family is Markie has started preschool. He has preschool for an hour a day, Brett takes him and I pick him up. Frankly it is a good thing that I didn't take him, I teared up just as I was driving away after I picked him up after he came out of the classroom. I am hoping preschool will prepare me for when Mark goes to kindergarten, however I think I still might be an emotional wreck.

Brett taking Markie to school the first day, Markie was so excited to be going with daddy.

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

This is the first year we have really celebrated Easter with Mark, and I think Mark had a pretty great year. We were invited to 4 different Easter egg hunts a neighborhood hunt, the YM/YW put a hunt together, our city hunt, and a family Easter egg hunt, which were a lot of fun. We also colored eggs which made for a fun Mark and mom project.

Mark using the 'magic crayon' on an egg.

Mark finding an easter egg in our flower bed.

This is how James enjoyed most of the Easter egg hunts. It was pretty cold for 2 of the 4 hunts and he is still to small to eat the candy in the eggs. Isn't he so cute!

While hunting for eggs around our neighborhood Mark fell he got a little owwie. Just the war wounds that come with having fun I guess.

Easter egg hunt at Grandma Schwieder's house.

"I found another one mom!"

After dinner and the Easter egg hunts Brett took the cousins on a go-cart ride. I think that was the biggest hit of the entire day. I am glad it was a nice day so the kids could enjoy the go-cart.

The Easter Bunny came to our house on Friday night/Saturday morning. When Mark woke up there was some string out side his door. I told him that the Easter bunny left a present for him and that he needed to follow the string in order to find his present. He didn't want to find it until Brett came home from soccer later that night.

Mark got the scripture readers as an Easter present. Brett thought since Easter was a more spiritual holiday it would be better to give the kids a more spiritual type gift. I thought that was a neat idea and a fun tradition to start. I hope we can remember and continue it.

Definitely Brothers

2011-04-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

James's 1st bath

Mark's 1st bath

James @ 3 months Mark @ 3 months

James @ 7 months Mark @ 7 months

James @ Christmas Mark @ Christmas

James @ 10 months Mark @ 10 months

They have their own look yet you can still see that they are brothers.

Happy Birthday Markie!!

2011-04-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, on April 3rd, I was blessed with one of the greatest blessings of my life. I was given the opportunity to be the mother of this adorable little baby boy...

Now see how he's grown!!!

Super Hero Mark

The newest cub scout

Holding baby James

Pioneer Day Primary Parade

Am I as big as an Eagle yet?

Enjoying summer

Mother-Son date (and yes we caught a fish)

Practicing artist

Buddies!

Cookies anyone?

I made it taller than me!

Fun with dad

My first pinewood derby car

Nap time for bear

I love computer games

Markie, I love you this much and so much more.

Markie, you have grown and changed so much this past year. You have your own way of doing things and you like to do things on your time, which can sometimes be a source of frustration for dad and I. You are such a great helper with James and the older he gets the more you enjoy him. You have watched me rocking or bouncing James as I have tried to put him to sleep, and I have caught you wrapping your bear in a blankie and doing the same. There have been many times when you have shushed me and told me bear is sleeping. You enjoy singing, playing computer games, cooking, spending time with dad, reading, playing soccer or basketball, and building/crashing towers. You have really started to love watching movies; your favorites are Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Mulan. You also really love to watch the short Jack Jack Attacks from The Incredibles because the baby starts on fire, you are only three and you are already a piro, I am in trouble. You really enjoy nursery and are getting better at sitting quietly during church. You love the temple and will often wrap one of dad's ties around your neck and tell me you are going to the temple. You are very good at reminding dad and I about Family Home Evening and you always want to say the prayer, and you do pretty well without help (especially when we are blessing the food). You still are a daddies boy and you are dad's shadow when he is around, yet when it comes to reading a bedtime story or rocking you to sleep you still choose me. As I said last year, that time with you is something I will always treasure. I love you Markie, Happy Birthday!

Flour Fun

2011-03-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening I thought it would be fun to play the flour game (I was inspired to do this after I saw my sister in law Shanalee's post). We really had a lot of fun. Markie especially enjoyed sticking his face in the flour because he thought it tasted good. YUCK!

Markie trying to get the quarter.

I got the quarter!

We all got a little messy, but that was all part of the fun. During clean up Brett thought it would be fun to throw a handful of flour at me and start a flour fight. The fight went like this--Brett got me, I got him, Mark thought it looked like fun so he got me and then Brett got me again. I think I need a girl or two over here to be on my team, these boys are ganging up on me.

Me after my boys got me, I am a mess!

For only getting Brett once I think I did a pretty good job.

Let's Dance!

2011-03-14T11:45:00.001-07:00

Brett and I have been asked to be in charge of a dance festival for our stake! I am so excited! We have been preparing for the dance festival for the past 3 months and Friday is the big night. The wards have been broken up into 4 groups and each of the groups have learned a dance and will be performing the dances on Friday. After the performance the stake will then open it up for a stake dance. Brett and I have been teaching our wards group the two step, it has been so great to have an excuse to go dancing with Brett. We used to go up to BYU-Idaho all the time to go dancing but since Mark and James came along we haven't gone. I really miss it. Anyway, as we were planning the dance festival it was kind of stressful and difficult at the beginning because I was trying to coordinate 10 different wards schedules as well as the 4 instructors schedules and do it all within 2 months (it took a month to find the teachers) but it is going to happen and it is going to be great. I have lived in the Iona Stake for 4 and 1/2 years and I have never heard about the stake having a dance. Coming from Utah where my stake would have 3-4 dances a year and there was some other stake doing a dance on the other weeks that my stake wasn't it made me sad that there weren't stake dances here. So when I was told that the stake was putting one together in conjunction with the dance festival, let's just say I have been on cloud 9 ever since. (I have recently found out that there is a tri-stake dance held on the 3rd Saturday of every month.) My one hope now is that everything goes well and the youth have fun.

I love to see the temple

2011-02-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

Mark has always loved the temple and he is constantly asking to go, so last Sunday when the temperature had warmed up to a beautiful 50 degrees we bundled up the kids and went. We walked around the temple a few times and talked to Mark about the importance of the temple. We told him that Mommy and Daddy got married in the temple and because we did we will always be a family. We then when to the visitors center and listened to the Christus presentation. We showed Markie the prints of the nails in Jesus' hands and feet, and the senior missionary invited Markie to touch the marks. After seeing the displays Markie sat in front of the Christus again, the senior missionary played the Christus presentation for me in Spanish and then once again in Japanese for Brett. I loved the Spirit that we felt as a family and it was so neat to share my testimony of the temple to Mark, and to watch him as he looked at the different pictures there and as he heard the presentation.

Funny Faces

2010-07-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Markie and I wanted to have some fun while we were waiting for daddy to get home so this is what we did.

We spent 30 minutes making faces at the computer and really having a good time. We took about 35 pictures before Mark got board and daddy got home. Isn't technology grand, what a fun way to spend an afternoon.

5 Wonderful Years in Review

2010-07-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Brett and the last 5 years of wonderful marital bliss. I am truly grateful for my husband. He is an amazing example to me and a wonderful father to our children. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. (I warn you it is a little cheezy, to avoid the cheeziness just look at the pictures.)

July 9, 2005. My one day to be Cinderella and my dreams came true when I was sealed to my very own Prince Charming.

Brett can always make me laugh! He can sense the mood I am in and is very good at listening and helping me feel better. (2005)

Brett and I graduated together which was hard work to both be doing our student teaching at the same time, but we supported each other and things worked out. (2005)

Brett and I planned a trip to Arches over Spring Break because I had never been there, Brett has always helped me and tried to help me experience new things. Arches (2006)

Grand Teton National Park. After hiking all day we waded into a lake, I began to splash Brett so he decided to throw me in, I took him with me. (2006)

Building our home, not one of the easiest things we have done with all the decisions that needed to be made, but we learned a lot about each others tastes and we truly grew closer as a result. (2006)

Our first cruise! A second honeymoon, we had an awesome time! (2006)

23 mile hike in 3 days! I have always loved the outdoors however since marring Brett I have camped more in the past 5 years than ever before. Because of that I have seen some truly beautiful and amazing places.--Union Falls (2007)

Facial Date! I don't think Brett knew how crazy I was before we got married, I am truly grateful he is willing to go along with my craziness. (2007)

Working on projects has always been fun. Brett is so skilled and good at fixing things, and if he

doesn't know how to fix something he is willing to ask questions. (2008)

Family has always been important to Brett so he always tries to put his family first. (2008)

First Family Picture, don't my boys look handsome! (2008)

Memorial Day in Zion's National Park. I love this picture because Brett really looks great! (2009)

Family in Zion's (2009)

Twinkie Date! I wasn't so sure about this but it made for a fun and creative night. (2009)

Welcome to the family, James!!! (2010)

Memorial Day--Yellowstone National Park (2010)

We have had 5 wonderful years full of blessings, trials, changes, and challenges. We have learned a lot, and had a lot of laughs. And I am looking forward to making eternity just as wonderful. I love you Brett!

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

I know this post is a little late in coming but life has been going way to fast for me lately. James is growing up too fast and all I want to do is spend every moment with my boys so I don't miss a thing. Anyway for Memorial Day, I decided it would be fun to go on a small family outing. With two babies we didn't want to do anything huge. Anyway we thought a day trip to Yellowstone to show Mark the geysers and the animals would be just perfect. We went to Old Faithful first and Mark thought that was pretty cool. We then just drove around to see the animals. We saw elk, bison, geese, and pelican. We stopped off at the Yellowstone Lake for a picnic lunch in our car. Mark and Brett got out and had fun throwing rocks in the lake while I fed James. They had a lot of fun until Mark stepped in the lake when Brett wasn't looking.

The newest Cub Scout...Master

2010-05-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Brett was recently called to be the Cubmaster for our ward. Wednesday was his first pack meeting and he did a wonderful job. He remembered that when he first became a cub scout the Cubmaster put a bobcat hat and gloves on him and then drew on a nose and whiskers with black eyeliner. The new cub scout didn't have to wear the costume the whole time, however they could not wash off the nose and whiskers until they had done a good turn. There are two new cub scouts and Brett decided that because he was new he should do it as well. I got the honors of painting the nose and whiskers on his face and Brett had a tail made especially for him. He really got the audience laughing.

The theme for the pack meeting was talents and they did a Grammy/Oscar night. As you know from watching these award shows there are commercials that go on in between handing out the awards so Brett decided to put some "commercials" in the pack meeting between the skits. Here Brett is showing off "Handy Dandy Cream", you can shave with it, wash your body with it, and if you get hungry while in the shower you can even eat it. He also did a commercial for "Left Guard" deodorant, from the makers of Right Guard. You see Right Guard is for the right side and so they had to make Left Guard for the left side. Parents understood that one a little more then the kids however it still was funny. He just did those 2 commercials however the kids were asking for more.

Brett really has a talent with kids, he has the ability to have fun and get down on their same level yet still have their respect. I am always amazed to see the energy that he has. It is going to be fun and exciting to see all the fun things that he is going to do as well as learn.

World's Best Husband!

2010-05-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's day, mine was especially wonderful. It is so fun having James here in our family, and Mark is just as adorable as ever. Brett really made things special for me this year. He made me breakfast in bed, took Mark to Sacrament meeting and then came home so I could go to Young Women's, gave me a corsage to wear to help me feel beautiful, and when I got home from church with Mark he had dinner all ready and was doing a wonderful job taking care of James (as seen above). But not only did he do those things but he gave me a beautifully done pastel picture of Markie (pictured below). My children are my greatest treasure and to have such a wonderful picture of Mark truly made my day.

Announcing the arrival of JAMES

2010-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

He is finally here! After basically 10 months of waiting James was born, April 29, 2010 at 10:54 AM. The best news is both mom and baby are doing wonderful. After being 5 days over due I was induced, I went into the hospital at 7:00 am, by 7:30 I was given an epidural, and by 8:00 they had started me on the pit and the doctor had broken my water. I progressed pretty quickly because by 10:30 everyone was getting ready for the delivery. I pushed for 7 minutes and I was blessed with a beautiful boy. James weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces, and was 20 3/4 inches long. When Mark was born he had the cord wrapped around his neck his middle and his legs, and that was my biggest worry with James. It scared me that perhaps that might happen again and this time I might loose the baby. I was scared and worried about this because James seemed to move a lot more then I ever remember Mark moving. I know my prayers were answered because the labor and delivery of James could not have been smoother. He is perfect. Brett and I feel so blessed to have him here and in our family, he has added so much to our home and family during the short time he has been here. It has been interesting to see Mark interact with James. In the hospital, the moving bed was definitely a lot more interesting then James. But now that James is home, Mark is so loving and helpful sometimes to the point of too helpful and loving and I have to back him of a little. It is so fun to see them together and I hope that they will always be close and be good friends. It is so neat to think that he recently was with our Heavenly Father and I love to hold him and think that maybe he still has a little bit of heavens dust on him.

Boys will be boys

2010-04-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was desperate to go outside to a park and allow Mark play on the slides. Well it was snowing at the time so I had to improvise. I took the top off our piano bench, rested it on the couch and presto changeo I had a slide. When Brett got home that night he saw Mark climbing up the couch and sliding down the slide, he thought it was a pretty cool idea, he just wished it could be done on a bigger scale. As he began to think about it he decided it would be fun to have the slide go down the stairs. We brainstormed some ideas and the next day we went and got supplies. The slide now goes half way up our stairs, it is in sections so we can remove it if we want to and it is a blast to go down. As you can see Mark was Brett's special helper, actually I sometimes think he was a little more help then Brett was wanting but what do you expect from a 2 year old. Even though the slide is not yet finished we have all gone down the slide multiple times, even James and I. Every time I look at it though I still just shake my head and laugh, I truly did marry a kid at heart.

My baby grew up

2010-04-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Conference weekend was very busy at our house, but a lot of fun.

It started with Brett's birthday and ended up with Mark's.

My sister came up to spend conference weekend with us and it was so great to have her here. She helped me with the famous Taylor Conference Turkey, which was really a lot of fun to do with her. She graduated from BYU-I last April and it has been a long time since we have spent time together. It truly was fun having her here.

Mark turned 2 on April 3rd and already he has perfected the terrible 2 tantrum. He definitely wants his independence which sometimes can be hard for Brett and I. I know that he needs to become independent but I am not sure I am ready for him to grow up and become independent yet. One of Mark's favorite things is basketball. So following the tradition of my mom, I designed a basketball cake. Jenessa helped me make it, and it was quite the adventure. ***FYI***You can cover any mistake if you have enough frosting. In between conference sessions we had a small family gathering to celebrate Mark's birthday. He is starting to understand a little more about birthdays and Christmas,

so it as fun to watch him open the gifts. At 2 years old some of the things Mark likes to do are, play basketball, slide down slides, play outside, play with cars, help mommy in the kitchen, read books, chase and play with the kitty, and blow bubbles. He doesn't really like watching TV unless it is a basketball game (and as a dutiful mother I am teaching him to cheer for the Jazz and BYU Provo). Mark likes to sing mostly made up songs but when he is washing his hands or face he likes to sing the "ABC's". He understands most of what we say to him, yet his speech can sometimes be difficult to understand. Mark no longer sleeps with a pacifier, and because of his climbing abilities he is now in a toddler bed. One of my favorite things about Mark is that he likes to cuddle, especially with me. From the minute Brett comes home from work Mark only wants him until it comes time to go to bed, then he only wants me to rock him. That one on one time I have is time that I treasure, because it is during that time that I still have my little baby. Happy Birthday Mark, we love you!

Happy Birthday Old Man

2010-04-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

April 1st was Brett's 30th birthday and since I am already 30 I had some fun because he can't really get me back. As you can see the morning started out with a beautiful sign up on the garage that said "Oh how nerdy Brett is 30!" A little too demonstrative? Oh well, Brett has learned after 4 1/2 years of marriage to me to expect the wild and crazy sometimes.

For those of you who don't know Brett really well he is a child at heart and always will be. To inspire the child at heart in such an old man I decided to give him two Nerf guns. I think I inspired the child in my father-in-law as well because before Brett had a gun out of the package, my father-in-law was already loading his. Needless to say there was a huge battle between them, and when Brett's brother Todd came he was ambushed by them both. My mother-in-law and I had a great time laughing and dodging bullets.

Brett has always liked big parties and lots of people to play with and to be around, so in honor of his making it to the ripe old age of 30, without killing himself with all the crazy things he does, we had a big party at our house. I invited over 80 people and we really had a great time. Brett said that I cheated with how I put the candles on the cupcakes so he cheated by blowing them out with my blow dryer.

As you can see the kids had a great time as well. Mark had fun playing with his cousin as well as our neighbors.

Too Big or Too Small?

2010-03-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

My pregnancy has been quick and wonderful. I have about 4 weeks left and life is great! Many people, including my doctor, have said that I look too small. What do you think? Well, if you say that my belly looks too small I am afraid to say you are mistaken, I am actually measuring bigger than normal. My doctor has asked where I am hiding the baby? That is what I would like to know. Anyway those of you who wanted to see what I look like with a beautiful big belly, I hope you enjoy.

New Talent?

2010-03-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I have been doing my personal progress over again. I have truly enjoyed this opportunity and it has given me so many new things to work on as well as to experience. Brett has wanted me to paint with him for a while however I always said "in order to paint you have to be able to draw and you have to have talent." Well, that was where I was wrong, you really only need a desire to try. I decided for my 10 hour knowledge project, I was going to learn to watercolor. Brett is drawing my pictures and then on Wednesday nights we take a class together from a BYU-Idaho professor. It has really opened up my eyes to the fun that art can be. I have also become more aware of the colors, values, and shapes around me. It really has been a lot of fun. Last Wednesday (3/10/10) I finished my first painting. We had some fun with textures--using salt, hand sanitizer, and a spray bottle with water--to change how the picture looked. I have started other paintings however this leaf picture is the first that I have completed.

Brett's Quilt

2010-03-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

It is finished!!! Before Christmas I decided that for Brett's birthday I was going to make him a "bow tie" jean quilt. So I had Grandma Schwieder teach me how to do it and away I went. I have never made a queen size quilt before nor made a quilt where I didn't just cut out the blocks. This quilt was more involved than any I had done before and it is finished. It is such a feeling of accomplishment, and even though it was really time consuming I am so glad I did it. Unfortunately, Brett has already seen it. He knew it was a quilt and the day I got it done I was so excited that I left the door open to the room that it was in. Oops. I need to do better about keeping secrets, my problem is I just get too excited. Anyway, I had a lot of help from Grandma Schwieder and a lot of friends came to help tie the quilt as well which made it all the more enjoyable.

WWWWEEEEEEEEEE....

2010-02-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Positioned and ready at the top of the hill Markie and Dad are ready to go sledding for the first time. The question on every one's mind is "Will Markie like it or not?" Ringing through the crisp cold air you hear Dad's clear voice sing out, "do, do, do, do...CHARGE!!!" Dad pushes off and down they go. Seconds later Markie's high pitched little voice screams out, "WWWWEEEEEEE!" As they reach the bottom of the hill Markie and dad are all smiles, mom runs over to snap a couple of pictures and see how things went, but Markie doesn't want to wait for pictures. Markie desperately tries to scramble out of dad's arms so he can run up the hill and go down again.

The young men and women in our ward had a sledding activity a few weeks ago and Brett and I decided to take Markie. Because I am as big as a house, we felt it best that I stand at the bottom and take pictures. Markie and Brett were able to go down about 6 times before they handed the sled off to another youth because Markie was getting a little cold. Don't they look so cute!

Things we do in the name of beauty

2010-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Recently the Beehives in my ward wanted to have a spa night. It was so much fun! I got a bunch of facial recipes from mom Schwieder and another leader brought over some paraffin wax for our hands and away we went. Here I am sporting the lovely green avocado and yogurt mask, which we applied after we used the baking soda and yogurt scrub. Don't I look LOVELY ;). I may not have looked the best at the time, but man we had a great time!

December in Review

2010-01-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

***Due to technical difficulties I have been unable to post for the past month. So now that those technical difficulties have been fixed this is a post of all the fun things we did during December. If you want to read it all go head if not I hope you enjoy the pictures.***

TWINKIE DATE! Our home teachers reciently challenged Brett and I to do something they called 5+1, which were the things our Stake President has been asking us to do for the past year. One of those things was to go on a date every week. While thinking about a fun date to do, Brett saw that one of the leaders with him in the Teachers Quorum had the TWINKIE Cookbook, and so Brett got creative. He chose two recipes, Twinkie Sushi and Twinkie Grasshopper Milkshake, wrote down the ingredients and then took me to the store to get what we needed without telling me what we were going to make. It really was a lot of fun I think I like the Sushi better then the shake, but we really had a good time. So if you are looking for a fun date idea and you would like the recipe for one of both of these please let me know.

Growing up my family always had Santa come a week or two before Christmas. We would sit on his lap and he would ask us all the regular questions and we also got to open a present. It was a fun tradition that we did as a family and I decided to start it here and it turned out great. As you can see Mark wasn't too sure about Santa but we still had a great time.

We learned early that Mark's favorite toy is a ball. He could spend hours throwing balls around the house, and he does. He has reciently begun to focus really hard at what he wants to hit and 6 out of 10 times he hits it if is in reach. So we gave him a target, and he really has a pretty good shot. Watch out Bryan Russell!

Time out for Bubbles! Brett and I gave Mark some bubbles and after opening his first present and then opening the bubbles he decided that we needed to take a 15 minute break and play with the bubbles. This was the longest, and most fun Christmas we have had yet!

Mark loves to jump, unfortunately he has been choosing to jump on my bed rather than on the floor. We also wanted to give him something that would use up all his energy so James, Mark and I could all take a nap. I doubt that I will be that lucky to have both children asleep at the same time but one can always dream, right?

Brett and Mark are best friends they love to play together all the time. So they had to try out Mark's new trampoline together, and they like always had a blast!!!

Who needs presents when you have a box?

Oh boy!

2009-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

To those of you who have not heard or had the chance to see Mark in his "announcement onesie", we were told last Monday that we are having a boy. I made a shirt for Mark that said on the front, in bright pink, "Oh no...", and on the back in blue it said "I get a bro!" It was so much fun to see the reactions of my parents as well as my in-laws, especially since everyone thought that he was going to be a she. Because the doctor had to cancel all of his appointments because he was delivering a baby, I talked the nurse into doing the ultrasound. She spent 15-20 minutes just showing me my baby, it was awesome! I get to go back in on the 9th for another ultrasound so the doctor can do all the measurements. I don't mind looking in on James again.

Two Stars are Born!

2009-11-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

Recently Idaho Falls did a community production of the play Annie. It ran for 4 nights and they did one matinee as well. Each night it was a packed house, not sold out but the place was packed, and I have to say that was in part because of the person who played the dog catcher and of course the dog. Charlie, the Schwieder's family dog, was asked to play Sandy. They needed someone to take care of the dog so they asked Brett, Brett's sisters Shanalee and Tammy traveled up from Utah to help as well. Both Brett and Charlie did a wonderful job. (By the way, don't you think Brett looks stunning with an inch of make up on?)

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2009-11-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas is one of my most favorite times of the year! I love Thanksgiving as well, it is just here in Idaho we have to put up our Christmas lights before it snows or the lights don't get done. Things just get a little cold and slippery to be messing with lights. So last Saturday Brett got on the roof and dutifully put up the lights they are going to look so great! However, even though the lights are on the house they will not be turned on until after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Christmas, this truly is the best time of the year!!!

Un-Happy Halloween

2009-11-04T22:22:00.001-08:00

Markie was going to be a tiger this year for Halloween. The costume is a 24 month size costume and so it was a bit big but that made it just that much cuter. I put him in it a week or two before Halloween and Brett and I had a great time. Yet this poor little tiger would never get to see Halloween because that morning Mark woke up with a fever of 102. Poor little tiger, those swine decided to attack him to.

Yet never fear, Brett to the rescue. While Mark was in the bath relaxing and trying to get his temperature down Brett decided to put on Mark's costume. I hope you enjoy the picture as much as I do! Happy Halloween. (A little late but that's ok)

Pigs are flying

2009-10-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Why couldn't they call Swine Flu something cuter than "Swine Flu"? It hasn't been any fun telling people that I got "Swine Flu", so I started to say that the pigs are flying at my house, or I am grunting like a little pig. Because of the seriousness of swine flu nobody thought I was funny, oh well, I still do. :) Yes, for those who haven't heard I some how got swine flu. Now before you all send me posts asking if I am alright, you know I am because I am posting now. The funny thing is I was debating on getting the H1N1 vac. for about the past 3 months. Many people were telling me I should get the vac. others were saying it hasn't been fully tested who knows what it will do to your baby. I was going back and forth and finally on Tuesday I decided that I was going to get the shot at my next doctors appointment, which was on Thursday. I must have waited too long because I came down with swine flu on Tuesday--go figure. If you had asked me how I felt that day I would have said I understood why they call it swine flu--because you feel like a herd of ugly, smelly, fatty swine have just trampled you on their way to a 7 course meal. Tuesday was definitely my worst day--but after that day I haven't felt all that bad. I do have to give all the credit to Heavenly Father on that. On Monday, before I started flying with the piggies, I had the feeling that I needed to look up the symptoms of Swine Flu. Thanks to the wonders of the internet it only took a few minutes. Because I followed that feeling when I started to feel yucky the next day I knew exactly what was going on and I was at the doctors office before I spiked a fever. I was able to get on the meds right as I came down with the flu, and that has made all the difference. I also feel that because of many people praying for me and the baby the flu was tempered so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. My testimony of prayer and the fact that the Lord is watching out for me really grew this week. I am also greatful for the blessing we have of the Holy Ghost which can prompt us and give us feelings of things we can to do protect ourselves and our families. Things would have been different if I hadn't felt that prompting on Monday, I probably would have suffered a lot more. Sometimes I think we suffer a lot more then is needful because we are unwilling to listen or not tuned in properly. We have so many things going on in our lives that we have a tough time stopping just to listen. During the past three days I have had the opportunity to read most of 1st Nephi and part of 2nd Nephi, there are some beautiful promises and verses in Nephi, if we could just remember and apply all the wonderful gems that Nephi and Lehi are teaching just think about how much better our lives would be. We truly are blessed to have the scriptures at our fingertips.

Baby Names and What's your guess?

2009-10-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

If the baby is a girl, her name will be Annabelle--Ann(a) for my middle name, and belle because that was my dad's nickname for me. If the baby is a boy, his name will be James Haroldsen--James after one of Brett's great uncles on his mothers side, and Haroldsen because that is Brett's middle name and because Brett doesn't like his first name for a middle name and he doesn't want a junior. Before Brett and I got married I told him that our first son would have to be named Mark Taylor after my younger brother who died when I was in kindergarten, and our first girl would have to be named Annabelle. I asked if that was ok with him and he agreed thus Mark Taylor, and if this baby is a girl Annabelle. Anybody want to make any guesses to whether the baby is a boy or a girl? I won't find out for a while but it would be fun to know what you think.

The BEST Birthday present ever!

2009-10-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

With all this baby announcement stuff, and the fact that I don't like birthdays, I have let my birthday slip past without saying anything. However, Brett gave me something for my birthday that I just have to tell everybody about. Brett knows that my favorite thing in the whole world is to spend time together as a family. Well with soccer and other school responsibilities the morning of my birthday he said that he wouldn't be able to be home until around 9:30 that night. I was rather bummed, but I knew that responsibilities needed to come first. Well, at 1:00 I went to answer the door and standing there with a gift in has hands was Brett. I was confused and asked what he was doing at home in the middle of the day, and he said that he decided to use some personal time and take a half day off of work. He called in a sub, told his student teacher she was in charge, and he came home to spend the day with me until he had to go to soccer, but by that time I had to go to mutual. We didn't do anything much--we rented a movie from Red Box for a dollar, and played the Wii together, and then our neighbor said she would watch Mark so we could go out to dinner. Like I said we didn't do much but it was the opportunity to be together that made it so special. I really have a great husband!!!

Little Announcement

2009-10-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Due Date: April 24, 2010

Nooooo!

2009-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Markie has learned the word "no". We have a rather large plant that Mark likes to play with, he takes the dirt out and dumps it on the carpet. Brett and I tell Mark "no", yet he still continues to do it. A few days ago, Mark had a measuring cup in his hand and before I could stop him he had filled the measuring cup with dirt and dumped it on the carpet. Once he saw the mess he made he began to point at it and yell, "no, no, no." Not very easy to discipline in the middle of a giggle so we cleaned up the mess together.

Yesterday, I was working on a Christmas gift at my mother-in-laws house. I had been sitting in the same chair the whole time. Mark wanted a cracker so I got up to get him one. As I was returning to my seat Mark ran over to the chair, barred my way, and said "Noooo." My mother-in-law and I couldn't help but laugh. Mark thinking he had done something good, smiled his best smile and then continued to say "no". You can imagine his look of frustration and defeat when I went around to the other side of the chair and sat down.

Small Towns and Homecoming

2009-09-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Seniors.

The Juniors.

The Sophomores.

The Street.

You know you live in a small town when for Homecoming the city allows the different classes to block off a section of road and then paint it. To kick off Homecoming week Idaho Falls High School has the opportunity to paint the street between the school and the parking lot. A theme for Homecoming is chosen and each class designs a picture to paint. The theme this year is "The Walls of Troy will Crumble when Tiger Nation Rumbles." The school provides the paint and the students map it out and have a great time. Brett was the advisor in charge of the street art this year and here are the paintings the students did.

Personal Progress

2009-09-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but when I was in Young Women's I really disliked doing Personal Progress and I didn't really understand why we were doing it. I was excited to get the Young Woman Recognition Award, and I loved wearing it for the feeling of accomplishment I got but it didn't really mean a lot to me. I have now been serving in the YW organization in my ward for 2 1/2 years and I have finally gained a testimony of Personal Progress, and the inspired program that it is. So seeing I wasted my time as a young woman and didn't get all that I could out of it I have once again begun to truly earn my medallion. I have been doing this for the past month and a half and I have seen such a change in my life it has been amazing! I am having so much fun with the value experiences and the 10 hour projects are awesome. Some of the 10 hour projects I have started or have done are go to the temple every week for 3 months and focus on and gain a better understanding of the ordinances, make a quiet book for Mark for church, and can/bottle, dehydrate, or freeze things that I have grown or that I can purchase for food storage. A lot of the value experiences have you talk to your mother or a leader about important things mothers need and as a new mother it is awesome to think about these things.

End of Summer Vacation--Zion's National Park

2009-09-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Zion's National Park as a family for a week. During that week we were joined by my sister Jenessa, and her boyfriend, Dan. They had never been repelling before and it made for some fun and interesting times. We went hiking up the Narrows one day, had great fun getting wet and making complete fools of ourselves.

2009-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

You can hike through Zion's National Park and see a lot of beautiful things, yet the beauties found in slot canyons that you need to repel down are just breath taking. Our camera really does not do the canyon justice.

Brett being he most experienced repeller of the group made his way down the last repel a bit more exciting by going head first. Way to go Superman!!!

Mini Schwieder Family Reunion

2009-08-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Brett and I were in charge of the Mini Schwieder Reunion the year. We had a lot of fun activities planned however those plans had to be scratched because of the weather. Bummer. So we sent everyone on a digital camera scavenger hunt around the city. These are two of the many historical sights that can be seen in Idaho Falls and Iona. The upside down "V" is the Vietnam Memorial, planners decided the "V" should be upside down because people aren't sure if the was was actually a victory. And then the building that Brett is standing in front of used to be an LDS church house, then it was changed into and elementary school where Brett went to school, and now it is the Iona City Building/library.

2009-08-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

As part of the mini Schwieder Reunion that Brett and I planned we went to a climbing wall in Idaho Falls. Thanks to Brett working at the YMCA we were able to use their rock wall for free. Brett has been a rock climber for many years, he used to go a lot before we got married but hasn't gone much since. As you can see he still loves it! Looking at on the wall, you wouldn't believe that I was afraid of heights would you?

2009-08-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't Marky Sparky so cute!!! This is how he likes to spend his days either playing at the playground, running from the swings to the slide, or taking all his sippy cups out of his drawer so he can sit in it. What a silly little boy.

2009-08-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

"15 tons what do ya get? Another day older and deeper in debt." Well unless the 15 tons are free. Brett has had this dream of doing raised flower beds and creating a place for a bench and a lamp post, I always say we are creating a place for our kids to kiss their boyfriends/girlfriends. Our neighbor said he could get a dump truck load of dirt for us. Which we received a months ago and Brett and other neighbors have had fun wheel barreling it to our planters. Way to go muscles!

2009-08-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just one of the many reasons why I love summer. I now my garden looks horrible now that it is being over run with weeds, however it has been so much fun tending it this summer. I have grown peas, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, corn, carrots, and onions. I also planted pumpkins and bell peppers but they didn't work out too well this summer. From my garden I have been able to freeze two quarts of peas, and 13 pints of green beans. I have 16 tomato plants and so as soon as the tomatoes ripen up I am going to bottle those as well. If you can't tell because of all the weeds the first picture is of my tomato and potato garden and the second is a picture of everything else.

During the summer Brett takes on a second job working at the YMCA. Last year they paid for him to receive is Commercial Drivers License, as well as work with the kids as a counselor. This year he has been, Bus Driver Brett. He takes the kids to the rock wall, the swimming pool, and each Wednesday he takes them on their field trip. He has been able to see some pretty cool places. Some of his favorites have been the Ghost Town in Montana, Hogle Zoo, and Lagoon. Mark and I had the opportunity to Hogle Zoo with Brett. Since we were already down in Utah, Mark and I visited my parents house and had a great time.

2009-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

At a Young Women's water activity the President thought it would be fun to fill up surgical gloves with water until they burst. All the girls in my ward participated and they decided that a leader needed to try it as well. I volunteered because I thought it would be fun. Mark was a little concerned each time the girls did it so when he saw me lying on the towel with the massive glove on me he went ballistic. I however thought it was awesome! The anticipation was a killer then...SPLASH...lots of cold water! Talk about refreshing!

2009-07-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Haroldsen Family Reunion at the Three Peaks Lodge in St. Anthony.

2009-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

We took a family trip to Yellowstone. We were going to bike a few of the trails there, but Brett had issues with his bike tires so we had to come home early. It was Mark's first real camping trip, and he did pretty good. It got really cold so we tried to put him in our sleeping bags and he didn't like that too much. He also didn't really like being confined in the tent, Brett and I have decided to camp in our backyard and hopefully he will do better next time.

For the 4th of July we went don to Utah and had some fun at Grandma Babe's swimming pool.

2009-07-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Brett and I went hiking in Zion's National Park at the beginning of the summer. Zion's was beautiful, it rained while we were down there which made repelling difficult but all the little waterfalls were amazing! Brett's parents and mine shared the opportunity to babysit Mark.

2009-07-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is our newest family picture. Thankfully Mark has somewhat of a smile, he doesn't like professional pictures all that much. Our first family picture we were all in white, this one we decided to throw in a little color and I think it turned out pretty cute. (Mark 15 Months old)

Old News

2009-07-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we went down to Utah to celebrate. We visited my brother Mark's grave. Mark, my son, was named after my brother so we thought this would be a neat picture.

Brett is on an adult ballroom dance team. In March they went down to UNLV to compete. We stayed at my brother Scott's house and had a great time with his family. Mark enjoyed playing with his cousin Anna (shown in the second picture) and the rainbow water feature they have in their subdivision there in Las Vegas. Brett's dance team did very well. They competed against 8 college dance teams and got 2nd place in the overall team competition and 1st in the individual competition, in which three couples from the team danced.