April 29, 2008

Tagged

Ok, I was reading Nicole's blog and she has tagged me so here we go....

A. Attached or single? Attached now for alittle over 5 years.
B. Best Friends? That is a hard one to say here we go... My husband Lance of course,
Monica, Griffeth, wow, the list goes on.
C. Cake or Pie? Cake
D. Day of choice? I think Friday.
E. Essential item? A sippy cup or treats for my kids. I try to have those two things
on my at all times.
F. Favorite color? Red, I love anything red.
G. Greatest accomplishment? Having children. It has not been easy but I do it because
I love them.
H. Hometown? Boise, Idaho
I. Indulgences? There is nothing I really indulge in but I love chocolate
J. January or July? I would have to say July because my birthday is in July. I love
the summertime too.
K. Kids? Yes, 3. Madalynn, Keaton almost 3 and Andrew 16 months.
L. Life is incomplete without...? Love and my kids
M. Marriage Date? December 21, 2002
N. Number of siblings? 1 brother, 1 sister
O. Orange or Apples? I love them both
P. Phobias or fears? I have a fear of drowning and being robbed or kidnapped
Q. Quotes? Can't think of any off the top of my head, sorry
R. Reason to smile? When I get to go shopping or best yet, when Keaton says
something really random and so cute. When Andrew says yes
S. Season? I love the Fall. I love the colors, decorations, the smell of chimney
smoke.
T. Tag three friends? I tag Rachel, Monica, and Suzanne.
U. Unknown fact about me? I hate talking to large crowds. I was born in the hallway
of a hospital. The nurse tried to be funny and asked my mom if she was going to
name me "Holly." Get it?
V. Very Favorite Store? I would have to agree with Nicole on this one, TARGET!!!
W. Worst habit? Picking split ends, yes I know it sounds really weird.
X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound, there is something amazing about seeing life
live inside of me. It is one of the most amazing technologies out there.
Y. Your favorite food? I love Chinese, and sometimes I miss the Chilean mayonese. It
sounds good but until you have lived there and eaten it all the time you will
never understand.
Z. Zodiac? Cancer

Flower Pots


Yesterday the boys and I went to Home Depot to buy some flowers. It was such a beautiful day and all my flower pots were sitting empty in the garage so I thought it would be a good day to buy some flowers. I let the boys pick them out. They had a great time helping me out. They are such good helpers.
This morning it was nice outside so we went out and planted our flowers. They had a fun time pulling them out. Keaton's job was to dig the hole to put the flower in and Andrew's was to water them. They thought that was so neat.
The weather here as been really strange. It has played some pretty mean tricks on us all. One day it is really warm and we are wearing shorts and sandals and the next day calls for snow showers. I don't remember April being like this. Keaton always tells the sun, "Come out Sun so we can play with you!" It is pretty cute.

Flowers just brighten up my day. I love having fresh flowers in my home. My mother's house is filled with tons and tons of tulips. It is beautiful at her home this time of year. She has a major green thumb. I hope to learn as much as she does about flowers and yardwork. I really enjoy getting out and getting my hands dirty. I take great pride in our yard. I love having a beautiful home for my family to live in.

April 27, 2008

My FIRST baby

Here you go mommies- a different kind of survey for change. It's all about you and your first baby.

1. Were you married at the time? Yep, almost a year, about 11 months.
2. What was your reaction? I was so incredibly excited and scared at the same time.
3. How old were you? I was 24 years old.
4. How did you find out you were pregnant? I kind of figured it out since we had been trying, but if you are like me, you keep track of your cycles and when it doesn't come you start to wonder.
5. Who did you tell first? I told Lance first of course.
6. Did you want to know the gender of the baby? Absolutely, anyone who knows me knows I hate secrets. Something as big as that, I had to know. I couldn't take the anticipation.
7. Due Date? July 17th, 2005
8. Did you deliver early or late? The baby came two days early.
9. Did you have morning sickness? I remember not feeling well for the first 3 months. I was pretty tired and dizzy most of the time.
10.What did you crave? I don't remember having any cravings. I really like corn dogs at the time if that is considered a craving.
11.Who irritated you the most? I don't remember being irritated with anyone. I think I was pretty easy to get along with.
12.What was the gender of your baby? Male.
13.How many pounds did you gain throughout your pregnancy? I can't remember but I have always gained quite a few pounds with each child. I think I was around 45 lbs..
14.Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? No,none. It was a fairly easy pregnancy, besides worrying about everything.
15.Where did you give birth? Tempee, Arizona at Banner Baywood Hospital
16.How long was your labor? It went pretty quick. It was about 6 hours. I slept through most of it.
17.Who drove you to the hospital? My husband drove and my mom and dad were visiting us in Arizona so they jumped in the back seat too.
18.Who watched? Just Lance
19.Was it natural or C-Section? All natural, thank goodness!
20.Did you take medication to ease the pain? No, not really. Just a little tylenol to take the edge off.
21.How much did your child weigh? 9lbs. 9oz. and 21 inches long.
22.Did your child have any complications? Nope
23.What did you name your baby? Keaton Robert
24.How old is your first born today? Almost 3yrs. old

April 25, 2008

Farewell....

On Wednseday I fly down to Utah for the funeral service for my Mission President John C. Hadfield. My day started about 4 a.m. and it ended the next morning about 1 a.m.. It was a long day but it was a lot of fun. One of my best friends from the mission Monica Fangupo came and picked me up from the airport. It was so much fun to see her. She has the cutest little family. I love Tongans! Her boys are so handsome. Weston, another great friend from the mission met up with us and we used his rental to do all the driving. He was such a brave guys putting up with all of us. Thanks Weston for driving us around. We also met up with Eric Stevenson, yet another great friend from the mission. We all went to Brigham City for the service. The whole day was great. The service was very sweet. I was so surprised at how many missionaries came. We all got up and sang "Called to Serve" Oeste style. It was such an honor to stand up there with all of those missionaries and sing for Hermana Hadfield.
Thanks everyone for making it a very memmorable experience. Weston, thanks for the ride to the airport. It was fun to visit with you. It had been a long time. Lets have get togethers often. These are some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for.
(Best buds from the mission, Weston, Monica and I)

(Elder Eric Stevenson and I at the mission reunion)

April 22, 2008

Packing up

Why is it that every time we move I wait until the last couple of days to get it done? I have packed a little here and there but all the major things still need attention. Our home is about a week away from being completely finished. That leaves me just a few days to pack it all up, unload it and unpack it and then to clean our home from top to bottom. It is overwhelming at times. But I will be grateful when it is all said and done.
The boys have been great. They think that putting all of our belongings into boxes is fun. They have been helping me clean their own rooms. They are excited to get into the new house. We were there last night and the cabinets were being installed and the boys brang some friends with us and they just had a great time climbing dirt hills, throwing rocks and just getting really dirty. Behind our new home is a huge cow field. Andrew gets especially excited to see them. It will be a good move for us. At least we get to stay within our ward boundaries. We absolutely love our ward. It has been one of the best wards we have belonged to. We love the members, our callings and the location. Life has blessed us incredibly since we moved back to Idaho. We feel very fortunate to have the things the Lord has seen fit to bless us with. Our hearts are full of love and gratitude.
I leave tomorrow morning for Utah. It will be just a day trip. Up early morning and back late that night. I am getting together with some missionary buddies and we are going to attend the funeral service for our beloved President John C. Hadfield.
I will post some pictures of our home in the next few days. It has really turned out beautifully.

April 16, 2008

Funeral Services


Here is a link to our mission website if anyone from my mission happens to run into my blog, www.santiagowestreunion.blogspot.com. There will be two different viewings and funeral services for President Hadfield. I am going to see if I can try to make it to the Utah Services.

April 14, 2008

Presidente Hadfield


Today I recieved the news that one of my Mission President's, Presidente John Hadfield passed away. I couldn't believe it when I got the call from an elder I served with telling me the news. It has been such a shock to everyone that knew him. He was an incredible man. He helped me so much on my mission. I had always fought the choice to stay in the mission or to go home and this dear man helped me gain the desire and the confidence I needed to stay and serve a full time mission. My heart goes out to his sweet wife Hermana Hadfield and all of his children and grandchildren.
I find it amazing that someone we love and cherish so much is here with us one minute and then only to have them gone the next. I am so glad I went to my mission reunion just two weeks ago. It was my last chance to see this great man. He will not be forgotten and greatly missed. My prayer is that the Lord will comfort and bring peace to his sweet family. Thank you President Hadfield for everything you did for me. I will forever be indebted to you. We love you!

April 13, 2008

Pro Athletes?

I wanted to post a few of my pictures that I have of my children. They love sports! They love anything that has to do with a ball. Whether it be a baseball, basketball, soccoer ball or some kind of ball, they are there.
Keaton loves to play Baseball. He fell in love with the movie "Angels in the Outfield" a while back and I think since he has discovered that movie he loves the sport. He plays Baseball every chance he can get. He always wears this baseball cap I got him last year. It is the offical baseball hat that helps him to play so swell, so he says. He is so good. His hand and eye cordination are so good that he hits about 90% of the time. He loves the homeruns. We sing the Hippy Hippy Shake song everytime. When he comes in for the homerun he will slide into the home plate and you have to yell "SAFE!"


Andrew loves to be anywhere that Keaton is. If Keaton has a ball then Andrew wants one too. He hasn't found a favorite yet since he is still too young but he loves any kind of sport too. Grandpa Quinn has been teaching the both of them to golf. They have their own clubs and they love to go out back with him and hit them out into the fields. Andrew is growing up too fast. He is so smart for his age. But sometimes he just pefers to play in the dirt. He loves to get messy. He eats it, plays in it and just loves making terrible messes with it.
Lance and I are crossing our fingers that both of these boys will go pro so we can retire at an early age. We can't wait to attend the games, tournaments and all that is associated with leagues. To go and cheer on that little men in my life. It will be so much fun!

A temple Wedding


Yesterday I went to a wedding with my mom and sister. Our good friend Cassie was married in the Boise Temple. I love going to sealings. It was so nice to be in the temple, especially with my mom and my sister. The ceremony was beautiful and the sealer gave the cute couple great council. It is so nice to be on the other end of the sealing, to sit back and take in what was going on. I remember on my wedding day, most of it seems like a huge blur, that it is hard to remember what was said that day. The amazing power to seal families on earth and families in heaven together forever. It has been one of the sweetest blessings in my life. Knowing Lance and I will be together forever and that our children are ours.
Today in church I was sitting back listening to the Sunday School lesson and Sis. Mackey said the comment like, "They were His (child of God), before they were ours." I was able to sit back and reflect on that and it was such an overwhelming feeling and how great is my responsibility to teach, love and help these sweet children who have come to our home, help them return to live with Him again.
Here are some fun pictures from the wedding.



April 11, 2008

So much to say....

There is so much I have wanted to write but I have not had much time to sit down and write. We have been so busy. Our new home has sold. When we broke ground on our home we decided to list in on the MLS and see if it would be a possilbility that someone would buy it. With the way that market is now we didn't think it would happen. Well we have some buyers. They love the home and want to build it to suit their wants and needs. So we have been working with them on that. We will move into a rental just down the road from our home, until we can build again. We are thinking about building just two lots down from where we started to build. The location, the area and the ward are just too good to give up.

I have been trying to pack things up bit by bit. It occupies most of my time lately. My boys have been great sports about it. I just have to find something to entertain them with and it gives me a few minutes to pack something or clean up. I just hope that they will adjust well to the move. It has been hard on me to constantly pack up and and move every two years. Since we have been married that seems to be the pattern we are following. My walls are bare, the spare room stacked with boxes from floor to ceiling. It is amazing how much wall hangings make a home feel cozy. Now we just hang out for the next two weeks. We are suppose to be out by the 26th or around there. I am hoping to have a week for some deep cleaning so the family that is moving in can have a clean home. They are so excited to move in. They are such a great family and we feel like we have been tremendously blessed with such a fast sale and with our new home it has been a blessing in disguise too.

We have been enjoying warmer weather also. We try to get out and play as much as we can. We finally mowed our lawn. The boys loved running around and watching mom and dad take turns mowing. This weekend is suppose to be even better so we will spend it cleaning out flower beds and just getting things organized. I am thinking we need to try to have a garage sale and get rid of half the things we have in our home. Seems like everytime we move we de-junk our lives by about half if not more.

I have been trying to be more entertaining with my boys. I have felt lazy the past couple of weeks and I am starting to out with my boys and have some fun. We have gone to the library a couple of times, the YMCA swimming pool, the pet stores and just out to the parks by our home. We have had so much fun together doing that. I feel closer to my children for having done it. They are such a huge blessing in my life that I tend to take it all for granted. I have made the goal to be happier and more "alive" for them.

I have been trying to get motivated to go to the gym. The City of Star finally got it's first gym so I need to get going. I am about 10 lbs away from being where I was when I got home from my mission. That was the skinniest I have ever been. I would like to get down to that size before the idea of more kids comes along.

I have been trying to be more craftier. My brother is the International Sale Accountant for Chatterbox/ 7 Gypsies and I have just a huge closet full of things to scrapebook my things with. My sister Rachel and I are going to set some time aside to work on that together. I have so many pictures to take care of. First starting with our engagement, then our children and everything that has happened in between.

We have become American Idol and The Office fans. Seems to be the only time we are in front of the T.V. I enjoy a good laugh.



I also wanted to post a picture of the newest member of the Snydr Family - Breelyn Snyder. She was born on March 10th in Arizona. Lee and Jaclyn are such cute parents. We wish them all the best.

That pretty much sums it up for now. I will keep you posted about moving. We love you all and hope you are happy.

April 6, 2008

Mission Reunion / Conference weekend

This past weekend we went to Utah for many reasons. The first, my mission reunion which had been in the works for months and it was for the President and Hermana Hadfield, in-laws were flying up from Arizona and last to see extended family and watch Conference. Let me just tell you, my mission conference just made the whole weekend worth it. We arrived into Salt Lake around 5 p.m. so I went straight to Midvale, which is where the reunion was planned. I arrived early to help set up and get things ready. Hermana Emily Ashworth Reid was the first one there with her adorable family. Elder Eric Stevenson showed up early to set up the movie and get the audio working. I just have to say, I have had some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I served with the most amazing missionaries who I still to this day keep in touch with.
Hna. Emily Ashworth Reid (first companion in the mission)

Elder Eric Stevenson (incredible missionary)

It was so fun to see so many there. Some I didn't recognize at all and some I just knew who they were, but they were different in that grown-up, mature way. I got to meet the spouses of many and the new little babies of many. I was so sorry that some of my really good friends, some I came all that way just to see didn't make it but oh well, maybe another time. There was tons of food, chilean music, movies and entertainment. It was a great night. Elder Stevenson made a movie for President and Hermana Hadfield showing all the pictures of the missionaries and where they are now.

It was great to see President and Hermana Hadfield. They looked great. It was just so nice to be with them again. In a way it was like we had never left the mission. We all just kinda picked up from where we left off.
We stayed late to visit and at the end we sang Called to Serve Oeste style. Most of us had forgotten the lyrics but we did it and it was fun.

We didn't get home until 1 a.m.. We just had a great time. Thanks everyone for coming. It was so nice to see you all there. Here are some more pictures from the reunion.




We also stayed with Lance's sister Sharlene and her sweet family. It was fun to be with them. His siblings all live next door to each other on "Snyder Avenue" as I like to call it. My in-laws flew up from Mesa to attend Conference and we had a fun night last night just hanging out and talking. We stayed up every night until midnight or later just chatting and laughing about silly stuff. Thanks for letting us stay with you. We love and miss you all. Here are some pictures of our time with them also.



April 1, 2008

Swimming

Today my sister Rachel and I loaded our kids up in our car and went to the YMCA to swim with our kids. We have never done it before, but it was a lot of fun and it made the time pass by so fast.


I have never taken my kids swimming since Andrew was born. It was a lot of work but we had a great time. Keaton loved swimming around and Andrew loved the bouncy balls that were in the pool. The water was warm and there was hardly anyone there. I had a great time with my sister. I have really enjoyed having her around. She is loads of fun and my boys just love their cousin Ava. She was so cute in her little swimsuit. One of the 5 she owns.



Afterwards we went for french fries. That got the kids excited and it was a fun way to end our fun day. Thanks Ava and Rachel for letting us come with you. Let's do it again soon!