Fairbanks Family

September Hobbies

2010-11-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

September was a busy month. Kate started soccer for the very first time. She barely missed the cut off for "under six" and got put in the "under eight" group. Even though some of the kids are older and bigger, she does a real good job holding her own:) They practice twice a week and do a lot of running! But she loves the games and has so much fun. Liz on the other hand isn't too keen on sports and so she asked if she could start ballet. We put her in a tap/ballet class and she LOVES it! She loves the tutus and the shoes and the music and the friends. She's so fun to watch. I love that my girls are different and are developing talents and hobbies. Very fun month!

August Happenings

2010-08-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

August has been one busy month: between soccer starting, school starting, and trying to get the last of summer fun squeezed in...let's just say we're tuckered out! We had some friends from Rexburg, the Clays, come and visit for a couple days and we had a blast! We spent time sight-seeing a bit, had a picnic, and spent a lot of time swimming. It was so nice to have some of Idaho come this way. Kate also started her first-grade year! I can't believe how the summer flew. She loves her class and teacher and is already so intent on her wardrobe:CUTE! She also started soccer which has been very HOT...but she's a real trooper and hopefully things will cool down soon. Other than that we've just been trying to keep up with the daily schedule. Maybe things will slow down in September...but probably not!

Kate's first day of first grade. She LOVED her outfit...and so do I! It's all about glitter this year:)

I love this picture...especially her hat:)

Getting ready to walk into class for her first day

Lizzie excited about Kate's first day too! She likes to be the oldest at home:)

My little man, cute as ever

The Clay kids and our kids. What a cute group!

Summer Fun,Camping, and Hair Cuts

2010-07-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

July was full of fun things we did together as a family. First of all, we LOVE camping. And we knew that Paul's busy season at work was starting after the fourth. So we took the kids camping over fourth of July weekend and they had a blast. We bought a new tent that was HUGE and they had a ball running around in it. We made smores, fished, boated, and I even got lost! Quite the eventful trip. We came home for the actual fourth of July and let the kids watch fireworks with cousins. They oohed and ahhed so many times! It was cute:) Then in July we bought a pool for the kids that's deep enough they can swim in. They LOVE it! They've spent so many days in it already that they don't even need sunscreen anymore...they're permanantly brown. It was a great investment and Kate actually taught herself to swim with a little help:) Then finally...haircuts! The girls had been bugging me forever to get their hair cut and so we finally went one morning and I thought, "I might as well get one too" so we all three went for the plunge. It was so hard for me to let Liz get her hair cut but I don't know why it took me so long...she's adorable! It was her first big haircut and it was harder for mommy than her:) I loved how Kate's turned out too. She went a little shorter than Liz and loves to put headbands in. Liz loves flowers and bows. So there's July in a nutshell. Very fun month...the last one that's totally school-free!

Paul, Dee, and Brother Gould after 5am fishing. If you know me and Paul, you know that we DID NOT eat these for breakfast.

Lizzie enjoying the campfire right before smores:)

The kids holding the fish that the men caught...not too sure about those smelly fish.

Sarah's new haircut...I was going for the Alice Cullen:) I've always loved her hair.

Kate excited about how it turned out. She LOVES her hair short...definitely a mommy's girl in that respect.

Lizzie showing off her first ever short do! She was so excited. She kept walking past the mirrors at home to look and smile:)

Carter enjoying the water. He has quickly learned how to say "swimsuit" and "pool". He loves the water! And he's always so proud of himself when he's in. Getting him out is something you don't want to see:)

And Kate...she was born to be in the water. Loves every minute, totally fearless, willing to try anything, would sleep here if she could:)

Carter Turns Two!

2010-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

My baby is two! We celebrated Carter's birthday this weekend and had a lot of fun. We decided to take the kids out on the lake for a couple hours just for fun on his special day and we had a great time enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful views. Then we came back to our house for a BBQ and cake. Happy birthday Carter! We love you!

Trying on his new hard hat while he plays with his Tonka dumptruck
He loves anything with wheels. Here he is with his new fire truck.

Operating a new "power tool" from Aunt Anna:) He loves it!

There were trucks on top of his cake. Here he is licking off the chocolate frosting:)

This was the by-product of singing "Happy Birthday" to him! We think he had an attention overload. I think it was adorable.

Lighting the cake and singing to him. I love this picture of him in the background.

His monster truck cake

He got a new basketball hoop and LOVES it! Here he is trying to shoot. He got pretty good by the end with the help of a chair:)

Here we are on the lake just loving the sun!

Kate's Last Day of Kindergarten

2010-06-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

I officially have a first grader! I can't believe how fast...and how slow...this year went, if you know what I mean:) This year was a very eventful one for her. She started not even knowing all the sounds of the alphabet and now is full-blown reading big books. She loves reading, math, science, and especially music! She made lots of new friends, learned to jump off a moving swing, and LOVES recess! She even had to move mid-year and transfer to another school in another state! How BRAVE! She loved this year and can't wait for first grade. Here she is all excited for her last day, along with her cousins and sister:)

Our New House

2010-06-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Things took an unexpected turn for our family in April and Paul was offered a job in California. We finally sold our house in Idaho after 14 long months and he was offered a job the same week. So we packed up and headed out. We just barely moved into our new house a week and a half ago and we're loving it! Here's a picture of our Home Sweet Home:)

Kate's New School and her Birthday

2010-06-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

In May we moved to California and Kate started a new school. The first picture is of her on her first day. Then we celebrated her 6th birthday. She LOVED it! We had a family party and she had a great time! One of the things that she got was a scooter and she was elated (as you can tell)! Happy Birthday Kate!

Easter

2010-06-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter in April and had a lot of fun. Paul always colors eggs with the kids and they always love it. They were so excited for the Easter bunny that Kate was up at three A.M.! You'd think it was Christmas:) They all had fun going through their baskets. As you can see, Carter was just interested in the candy. But Kate and Liz loved their barbies. "Hoppy" Easter!

Lizzie's Fourth Birthday!

2010-06-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

WOW! Life has been crazy the last few months and I'm way behind on posting so this is me catching up! We celebrated Lizzie's fourth birthday in March and we had a blast! We had a huge family party with pizza, cake, ice cream and presents. Liz had a blast and I can't believe how fast she's growing up. Happy Birthday Liz! We love you!

Kyle's Wedding...and some other stuff

2010-03-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted! January brought surgery for Carter. He needed his tonsils out, adnoids out, and tubes put in his ears. Paul's parents came up to help and we had a great time. Everything went really well. But the most exciting part of the past couple months was my brother Kyle getting married to Nachelle on Feb. 12th! Here's a few pics!

Christmas...finally

2010-02-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. It always seems to get more fun as the kids get a little older and can understand what's going on. Here they are in their Christmas outfits for church and opening a few gifts. sorry it took so long to get these posted! :)

Here's Carter...still not sure what Christmas is all about :)

Kate, very excited about a long awaited Barbie she had been wanting

Lizzie also excited about a Barbie. I guess you can never have too many in her book.

Christmas Trees

2009-12-08T14:05:00.001-08:00

Paul and I took the kids to Green Canyon to get a Christmas tree this year and had a blast. We went with a bunch of neighbors and had chilli and hotdogs and just had a good time. This is the tree that Paul picked out and it's the best tree we've ever had in the past six years that we've been doing this! It looks so cute in our front room with all the kids' decorations:)

Birthdays and Surgeries

2009-12-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's another catchup post from a while back...Lizzie had surgery for tubes in her ears, her tonsils taken out, and her adnoids taken out. Things went well and we're glad it's over:)
I just celebrated my 26th birthday and Paul just celebrated his 30th birthday a week later on Thanksgiving. We both had great birthdays and a wonderful Turkey Day!

Halloween and Wedding Dresses

2009-12-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

Even though their engagement wasn't official, Kyle and Nachelle started wedding plans and we all went dress shopping together. Here she is trying on the one that eventually ended up being "the one"! They're altering it for sleeves and length and it should be ready soon. She looked amazing in it! A very fun day!

Here's a picture of the kids on Halloween. I had Kate as supergirl, Lizzie as a fairy, and Carter as a puppy. They had a blast and were on a sugar high for days! We had a little party at our house with the family.

Catchup

2009-12-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it's probably obvious that life has been crazy so I decided that I'm gonna post a little here and there to catch up on the last couple months. So here's starting with September (I know...sad it's been that long:)). My brother Kyle came home from his mission on the 6th of September and it was wonderful! Welcome Home Kyle!

New Family Pictures

2009-09-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

We figured that it was time for a new family picture since Carter couldn't even smile last time we had one taken. We also had pictures of the kids taken. I was so excited about how they turned out. Enjoy!

Kate's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!! I can't believe I have a child in school...and still I'd say that it was time. Of course there were no tears on her part - only mine! Every parent that has experienced this knows that the tears are bitter-sweet. Bitter for the passing time you can't seem to stop and the fact that she needs me a little less than she did the day before. Bitter because before I know it she'll be walking across the platform of her college AlmaMater. Sweet because you love to see her confident and independent. Sweet because a new world has opened up to her - one that will offer her knowledge and direction. Sweet because I love to see her becoming the person she was born to be. Still, I can't help but want to be there every moment - to watch her, protect her, love her. Letting go is inevitable - it's just hard to go quietly. But, as the saying goes, change is good. And I love to see her happy. So here's to you Kate - and your first day of Kindergarten!

Kate in her brand new outfit for school (thanks grandma Packard!)! She's SO excited! She's also sporting a new short haircut!

Kate about to walk into class with Mrs. Barzee. She's wearing a pretty hawaiian lei that was put on her by a teacher. They had a Hawaiian theme and all the teachers were in grass skirts! All the students wore necklaces! The whole school was just amazing and so fun!

Coming out of her first day of school ("I already have tons of homework!") It wasn't that much:)

Kate sitting on the bus for the first time - ready to come home from her first day. She LOVES the bus!

Getting off the bus after her first day - such a big girl!

In the Moment

2009-08-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pics of some random moments that were cute during August.

I found Carter in the middle of a puddle in our driveway, just LOVING it! He was soaked from head to toe and had mud all over his shirt but aren't boys supposed to look like that?!

Trying to look innocent

Kate and Liz, just hanging out

Three little monkeys :)

Water Babies

2009-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

This summer we decided to try something new and I took the kids to an outdoor pool in Ashton once a week. We had a blast actually swimming in a real pool and loved soaking up the sun. All the kids loved the water and it was time they got to spend with their grandma and aunts also. We look forward to next summer!

Kate (my fearless water baby)

Lizzie (who actually gave the water a chance this year)

Carter (i love all the rolls. i think he looks like a baby sumo)

Halle Lynn Packard

2009-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

On the first day of August I finally became an aunt! Say hello to my brother Daniel and sis-in-law Tara's baby girl - Halle Lynn Packard. SO DARLING! I LOVE YOU HALLE!

Fourth of July

2009-08-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great fourth of July - full of family, friends, and lots of food! We took the kids to the parade, went home for naps, then went to my parents house for a great BBQ with the whole family and some old friends. then we went home, got PJ's on, and took a huge blanket outside to watch all the fireworks in the night sky. Let freedom ring!

Lizzie (I could just eat her up, she's so darn cute)

Kate (totally stylin')

Carter (semi-annoyed at yet again another picture)

A Trip to the Zoo

2009-08-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Paul and I had a day with the kids and decided to take a trip to the zoo. Carter had never been and all the kids had a blast. We also took my sister, Jess which was super fun. They had a few new animals and we actually saw a peacock get loose and walk all around. It was pretty funny and the kids got a real kick out of it!

The Air Show in Rexburg

2009-08-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

We take the kids to the air show every July and this was Carter's first year. He didn't care for all the noise much but the other two thought it was fun. Here's a couple pics!

Mommy and Carter (I love his hat)
I think we get this same pic every year:) Kate just keeps getting taller!

Carter's Birthday Pics

2009-08-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's taken me to post these - better late than never! Here's his first birthday!

My Baby is One

2009-06-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that a whole year has come and gone since Carter was born. We celebrated his birthday on June 19th and it was so fun! We just spent the day doing things that he loves to do. We took pics to show what a big boy he's become! I haven't downloaded pics of his party yet but here are the ones of us playing outside that day. I also included pics that we took for Paul for Father's day. It was a great to celebrate what Paul means to all of us. He's literally the perfect husband and dad. We love him so much! Keep checking in for pics of Carter's party!

Sweet Baby Boy! This was the picture he gave to Paul for Father's day.

He really is this happy ALL the time! We spent lots of time outside on his birthday cuz he LOVES it!

Kate's picture for Father's Day - isn't she stunning?

Lizzie's picture for Father's Day. She kept giggling and I thought it was so cute!

In a Nutshell

2009-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, May really must have been a crazy month because it's been forever since I posted and I'm feeling out of the loop! To start with, Kate and Lizzie started their first semester of preschool together. This is Kate's fourth time but it's the first time they've ever gotten to do it together and Lizzie's very first time. I have actually liked the time with just Carter and I. It's helped me regain a little sanity and free time. Then we celebrated Kate's fifth birthday on the 21st and had a blast! She was so excited to turn five cuz she knows that this is the year that she starts school and gets to start a lot of new things. She had a birthday party with just the family and then she had a birthday party with her friends for the very first time and although I was a little nervous about it, it was SO fun and I loved it! The night before her party she was playing around in our bedroom and hit her eye on the corner of the windowsill and got a MAJOR black eye. She was so distraught and in a fit of tears turned to us and said, "I can't have my party tomorrow! I don't want my friends to see me like this cuz they will all freak out!" I was trying so hard not to laugh because it was so cute and it was the first time that I had ever seen her concerned about her vanity. Of course by morning she was over it and we had a High School Musical Birthday party that was one to remember! What a fun month!

Kate and Liz on their first day of preschool together. Cute!

The birthday party gang!

Kate in her new skirt and shirt - also sporting a new black eye!

Happy fifth birthday Kate!

A monster High School Musical cake! It was SO yummy!

Fun at the Park

2009-04-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last week finally produced some decent weather and we went to the park three times! The kids have had major cabin fever and so we tried to spend some of the week working that out. Here are pics of the kids just having fun.

Kate, enjoying the no-jacket-weather!

Liz would spend hours in the swing if I'd let her!

Carter is happy to do anything fun, as always!

Kate and Liz did a choo-choo train on the slide!

Here they are on double slides racing!

The Last Little While

2009-04-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the last little while has been so busy!!!! So here's a recap of the last month or so:
First, we celebrated Lizzie's third birthday. I can't believe how fast she's growing!!! We threw her a little party at our house and she had a blast. We had pizza, ice cream, cake, candy, and opened gifts! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!!!! Then we celebrated Easter. My parents put together an Easter egg hunt for the kids in their backyard and they had a blast! The weather actually cooperated for an afternoon and they just thought that it was so fun to find eggs everywhere! Thanks mom and dad! Then we barbecued afterward and just had fun! then the next day the Easter bunny came to our house and filled our Easter baskets with candy and goodies. We went to church in nice outfits. Then we had an Easter dinner that night at my mom's. Then later that week my brother Daniel graduated from BYU-Idaho. We threw a huge party for him at our house and had a wonderful time!

She's a little candle-shy!

Opening a gift with Jessica

My mom and Anna took Liz to breakfast and the park for her birthday! She had a blast. They also did her hair and nails at grandma's!

This is the cake that Liz picked for her birthday: Diamond Barbie Castle

The Easter bunny visited our house and filled every one's baskets with goodies. Carter is checking out a new rattle and car!

Liz wearing her new Easter dress!

Kate in her new Easter dress before church!

Liz and Anna hunting for eggs!

Kate showing her basket full of eggs she found! There are tons! The sugar high lasted a while!

My wonderful brother Daniel on graduation night at BYU-Idaho! I'm so proud of him! He's off to Ohio State University on a full-ride scholarship!

Anniversary Photo Session

2009-03-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Paul and I just celebrated our six year anniversary and he planned a photo session for us. We had our engagement pictures taken at this park a little over six years ago and here we are six years later at the same park. We've both agreed that we're a litte "rounder around the edges" since then! This wasn't all of them but these were some of my favorite! Enjoy!

Love Stories

2009-03-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!! I can't remember the last time that I went more than like a week without posting and here I am at over a month!!!! This past little while has been crazy and I hardly know where to begin. But mostly our life lately has been all about wonderful love stories. Let me explain. Paul's grandpa died about a month ago so we took a two week trip to California. We left on a Wednesday, had his grandpa's funeral on Friday, and then while we were visiting there his grandma died two days later on a Sunday!!!! It was totally unexpected but such a happy moment for all of us because now his grandparents were together. They were terribly in love while they were living and just couldn't live without each other and they died exactly one week apart. Isn't that just amazing? I want to do it that way! So we had her funeral three days later to celebrate their re-uniting and then Paul's youngest brother got married two days later in the Oakland Temple. Another beautiful love story!!!!! Kate and Liz were flower girls and LOVED getting all dolled up all day. Carter had a little suit on too. All three kids looked just adorable! And then we came home and celebrated our own anniversary and love story of six years. Paul was SO cute and planned a photo session (stay tuned for pics coming soon!) for the two of us at the same park that we had our engagement pics taken at!!!!! It was so fun and then we went shopping and out to dinner and just had the nicest night!!! Also big in our lives right now is the fact that we're trying to sell our house!!! the day after we returned from Cali we were told that Paul was being transferred to Blackfoot. so we talked that week, put our home on the market and here we are hoping it sells so that we can move closer to work to have more family time. Whew!!! What a mouth-full! Life has been so crazy lately, but if it wasn't crazy what would it be?!

Daddy and his girls at the wedding!

Carter, my little man all dressed up.

Kate in her flower girl dress and her little bouqet! So Pretty!

Can I just say MODEL? She looked so pretty and loved playing princess for a day!

Paul and I with his grandma LaVonne Fairbanks just two days before she died. We were at his grandpa's funeral. We're so glad that we got this picture and had the time to spend with her.

Good Cookin' and Influenza

2009-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sweet and Sour Chicken from the kitchen of Sarah

Well, to start with I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite recipes. Everyone loves good food and this is one of my favorites. It's a sweet and sour chicken and every single person in our family will eat it. I have some that say it's a little time-consuming but it's so worth it! It takes me about thirty minutes to throw it together and then it takes 30 minutes to cook. So while it's cooking I make my vegatables and rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 egg
Cornstarch to coat chicken
Vegatable Oil for cooking

Sauce (bring the following to a biol and cook until thickened. Continually stir so that it doesn't burn! Don't worry if it doesn't thicken up much. It will in the oven when it bakes.)

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 TBSP cornstarch

First defrost the chicken. Then cut it into small cubes. Take a large ziploc bag and crack an egg in it. Put all the chicken in the bag with the egg and close it. Roll the chicken aournd so it gets coated by the egg. Then pour cornstarch in the bag (enough to coat all the chicken), close the bag, and roll the chicken aournd again to coat it. In the meantime, heat a skillet of vegatable oil. Pour your coated chicken in the heated oil and brown all pieces, tunring occasionally. while your chicken is browning, make your sauce listed aboce. Then put all your browned chicken in an oven-safe baking dish (I usr a 9x13) and pour sauce over it. Bake entire dish for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees. Serve with steamed stirfy mix and white rice. Yummy!

Secondly, it's been a long week! All the kids have been sick but Liz seemed especially bad and it hit all at once. I was worried and so I ran her to the doctor and they ran a test. She had influenza! SO, a shot later we left the office and headed to get antibiotics. I felt so bad for her! Here she is when we got back from the doctor - totally tuckered out!!!! The only risk is that it could become pnuemonia and that's what the medicine is for. So hopefully it runs it's coarse quickly! We want to be better!!!

Valentine's Day and Cross-Country Skiing

2009-02-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

Well, for starters I've always said that Paul outdoes himself when it comes to holidays and for Valentine's Day he thought that it would be fun to go cross-country skiing. Neither one of us had ever been and now I think that I have a new favorite sport!!!! It was SO fun and I can't wait to go again. It was a great workout and being outside to enjoy all the amazing scenery was great. We went up to the mountains and I loved just being away from everything for the day. We went with some friends from work and they were so much fun. Below that I posted a pic of Carter that I just thought was funny. After that is a pic of my WHOLE family (minus the brother on a mission). I just recently ran into some old friends who asked to see pics of my whole family so here they are!

Paul and Sarah after a 5.5 mile loop around the lake!

Our group for skiing! So fun! We spent the whole day laughing!

Carter sporting his new hat. Is he happy, sad, or kinda mad?!

My whole family this last summer. My hair is lots longer now and my kids have grown quite a bit but you get the general idea!

Just Another Glorious Day

2009-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

I never have anything very momentous to post but I just had some cute pics of the kids and thought I'd sahre. I also included pics of cugar cookies that they decorated. I LOVE sugar cookies and I LOVE Valentine's Day so it was the best of both worlds. My mom is great at doing fun activities with the kids and so she called and told me to bring them up to decorate and just have fun. I was nice to get out of the house on a cold day! Thanks mom!

Pre-Decorated (but still oh so good!)

Post - Decorated. My mom makes the best cookies!

My Dad came over and he and Carter are best buds. He was making Carter laugh (who has applesaace all over his face!).

I call Lizzie my "Purpleicious Princess" and she loves it! Here she is for some snowtime fun in her purple hat and jacket!

And Kate is our "Pinkalicious Princess" and she adores this hat. We don't know why cuz it's really pretty crazy! But she makes it look cute!

My New Venture

2009-02-10T14:24:00.001-08:00

SO, Paul got me a new camera a while back and I've been taking a class at BYU-Idaho to see if I could be any good. Here's my recent attempts at photos and photoshop. I think it's so fun and I'm hoping to get better. I think I have a new favorite pasttime!

A leaf in my yard. I blurred the background color for more emphasis.
I'm sure some of you are saying, "How'd she take this?" The beauty of a self timer. It worked!

My gorgeous Kate

Liz and her "Fairbanks Smile" (classic in Paul's family! They all have this smile) I love her eyes in this pic!

Our Bottomless Pit

2009-01-24T14:50:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows Carter knows he LOVES to eat...and eat...and eat! Here he is enjoying some lunch!

Open Wide (Like he needs to be told!)

My fanastic brother with Carter. Daniel also happens to be a fantastic uncle!

Lizzie producing some pretty sad puppy eyes!

Kate told me that she needed some reading glasses like mommy and so we headed to the dollar store for a pair. Here she is sporting them. She looks like an old lady! She only wore them a couple times and then gave them to me and said they were for mommies!

Sometimes Life is Just So Hard

2009-01-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

I just love this picture of Carter! He can produce the most pathetic faces and tears! And his cry is just as bad! He was tired and ready for bed and had just had it! I should have been comforting him, but his face was just so cute that I had to take a picture!

Things That Changed Me in 2008

2009-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

I thought before January was over I would reflect on the past year in light of the new one! When I think back over 2008, there were actually quote a few things that made it one of the most amazing years ever for me. Some of them are completely my own obsessions, some are life0-changing, some are historical, and some have altered my life forever. So here's looking at 2008 to welcome 2009!!!!

The most amazing part of this year was having Carter, my third child and first boy!

The Twilight Movie came out in November and I loved it! Totally obsessed! Released on DVD this year on March 21st. Mark your calendars!

I started and finished the Twilight series in June and July. I'll never be the same!

President Thomas S. Monson became out new prophet and filled his first assignment as he dedicated the Rexburg Temple. How amazing!

President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. A beloved prophet who saw me though most of my teens and will always be the "prophet I remember".

Barak Obama was elected the first African-American president of the United States in history. I feel honored to witness history in the making.

The Rexburg Idaho Temple was completed and dedicated in February. We are so blessed!

I got totally caught up in American Idol and loved David Archuleta. Too bad he didn't win!

Those are just a few of the things that seemed to fill my life this past year. A few other things include my new love of "Greek" (a TV sitcom), Albertson's chocolate chip cookies, and my new love of photography. All in all this year has been unforgettable and I can't wait to make this year even better!

Our Almost Dog

2009-01-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

WELL, our family has talked about getting a dog forever! And the right opportunity came along and so we decided to spring for it. A lady that Paul works with breeds rat terriers and was nice enough to let us "test drive" before we actually bought it. Well, things didn't go as smoothly as we would have hoped and he ended up going back to his first home. We're just not ready for a dog. Maybe someday! But it was nice to try and Kate had a blast - Lizzie was a different story. She's not too keen on animals. Carter didn't really care. But he was cute and very lovable so maybe we'll give it a try later on. But here's pictures of our ALMOST DOG!

How could you give me back?!

Baking Cookies

2008-12-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

In an effort to beat the winter blues and cabin fever, I've been doing all I can to think of ways to keep the kids busy. So a couple days ago we made cookies and the girls had a ball. They love their chef outfits and look so cute in them! I think we ate more cookie dough than we actually baked! We also took the kids outside for just a short time to run off some energy and this was a picture that Paul took of Kate. I loved how it turned out and just couldn't help posting it!

All Dressed Up

2008-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

We all got new clothes for Christmas so that we could all match, so here's some of the pictures that we took right before church. We're hoping to have a new family picture taken soon with these colors so hopefull the kids keep them nice until then!

Daddy and the kids

Mommy and the kids

Kate, Carter, and Lizzie

Carter

Kate

Elizabeth

Best Friends

Sarah

Christmas Memories

2008-12-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

This has by far been our greatest Christmas! It just seems to get better every year as the kids get older. I think that Paul and I were more excited than they were - we couldn't wait to see their faces! Santa pulled through this year after a very difficult search for one of the season's hottest toys - the Barbie Diamond Castle. He finally found one in California and had some help from one of Paul's sisters (thanks Denise!). They got the Barbie dolls to match and they were in heaven! And Paul, as always, outdid himself and spoiled me with the camera of my dreams! I was totally shocked and so excited! My efforts at spoiling him never seem to work and he remains champion once again. He got a new suit which he looks fantastic in! So now I've got a whole year to plan something really amazing for him next Christmas! It was a great day full of family and food and play! We got stuck in the snow on our way to my parents house and were saved by a man that lived nearby and pulled us out with his truck and a chain. We were in two feet of snow and could barely open our doors to get out but we finally made it! We also got to talk to my brother who is on a mission which was great! I just love Christmas! It was a great day and I'm sure next year will be even more fun as the kids grow!

Playing with the Barbie Castle

Paul opening gifts

Sarah helping Carter with a gift

Kate and Liz in some of their new attire - robes, sweaters, jeans, shirts, slippers, and backpacks

Kate sporting her new chefs outfit so she can help mommy in the kitchen

Liz playing with her new Barbie

Carter LOVES Christmas! His new outfit makes him look so big!

A sideways glance!

Those big brown eyes just melt my heart!

Missing Kyle

2008-12-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas time seems to make the absence of loved ones seem more noticeable. And today I'm missing by brother, Kyle! He's serving a mission right now in London, England. He's been out for fifteen months and we can't wait to talk to him on Christmas! He faithfully emails every week and I try my best to do the same but will admit to forgetting a week here and there. Ther reason I miss him so much is because he's so great! I can't think of a person who's kinder or more humble. And he most definitely makes me laugh and knows how to have fun! We used to meet for lunch once a week and we'd always go to Fongs where we'd sit and talk about our problems and try to help each other through them. He's a great listener. and I know he's where he's supposed to be - it's just hard to not miss him sometimes! But he'll be home before we know it and he can't wait to meet Carter! He's a great uncle and the girls just adore him. They ask about him all the time! WE MISS YOU, KYLE!

Little Momma

2008-12-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

I just had to post because Kate is so cute at taking care of her little brother. Liz is too but she won't hold still long enough for a picture and so all I have is this recent picture of Kate and Carter. Carter LOVES his sisters and they are so good at making him laugh! And whenever I need a minute to get something done, Kate says, I'll watch him for you mom!" and then holds him and loves him and is such a good little mommy! My favorite happened this last weekend in the car. Paul and I had attempted to take all the kids shopping with us. It had been a long trip and the kids were tired. We were on our way home and Carter was in the back crying non-stop. All of the sudden we hear Kate singing, "Come stop your crying, it will be alright, just take my hand hold it tight...." She then proceeded to sing him the entire song "You'll be in my Heart" from the movie "Tarzan". It was SO CUTE! She and Liz are the greatest sisters and I feel like such a lucky mom for having so much help!

Seeing Santa and Decorating Cookies

2008-12-12T05:40:00.001-08:00

We've taken Kate to see Santa three times already this year - she's obsessed with the idea that you can actually talk to him. Carter doesn't seem to mind either, probably because he's too young to know the difference as to whether or not he's scared. But Liz isn't too sure about the jolly big guy! She loves to talk about seeing him and talking to him and she's all ready to do it until we actually get there and then she cries and is so scared. But she was pretty excited about the candy can and coloring book she got - so I guess it turned out OK. Maybe things will change next year! We also decorated sugar cookies with friends and that was real fun. As you can see - most of the cookies were made of sprinkles, sprinkles, and more sprinkles! Liz went straight to the source and started sucking on a bottle of sprinkles! She thought they were GREAT! I missed getting a picture of it but it was pretty funny... and very cute! I love Christmas time!

A Christmas Cookie

A plate full of sprinkles! Is there a cookie in there?!

Decorating Cookies

Decorating Cookies

Kate and Santa

She did love the candy cane!

Lizzie crying over Santa

Carter and Santa (afraid that Carter was going to pull off his beard!)

Giving Thanks for Food, Friends, Festivities, and Friday

2008-12-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was so great! Paul has a cousin who lives in Utah who came up with his wife and two boys and we had a blast. Evan and Brigitte are always fun to be around! We had Thanksgiving, Brigitte and I pulled off our first Black Friday ever for shopping (which has hooked me for every year from here on out! So fun and worth it!), we went and visited with bishop Palmer to reminisce about the good ol' days (where we met up with Jake and Kacie too!), and then we went to cut our Christmas tree for the season! We had a blast decorating the tree with the girls. They even cut their own little tree that they put in their room. I just love this holiday season!

Thanks for my husband, Paul

Part of the Thanksgiving Gang (Evan, Andrew, Sarah, Anna, Liz, Kate, and Paul)

A yummy Pie!

Leaving for Black Friday at 4:42 AM. We started at Walmart!

The morning crowd at Walmart. I couldn't even move!

Breakfast at Mrs. Powells for cinnamon rolls mid-shopping!

Brigitte and her cinnamon roll!

The boys and Bishop Palmer after ten long years together! (Evan, Bishop, Jake, and Paul)

All our Families at Bishop's!

Cute Kiddies (Colton, Andrew, Cooper, Kate, and Liz)

Our Family with our Tree!

Carter all bundled up for cutting a tree

the Kids in the snow with our tree (Liz, Kate, and Andrew)

Lizzie all bundled up!

Our small tree in our bedroom! (Carter, Kate, and Liz)

Aren't snowglobes amazing?!

Carter and Daddy just hanging out

Eight is Great

2008-12-02T15:23:00.001-08:00

Thanks for the tag Kristel!

8 THINGS

8 TV Shows I Like to watch:
Greek
The Office
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Seinfeld
What I Like About You
Gilmore Girls
Whose Line is it Anyway

8 Restaurants I like to eat at:
New York Burritto
Fongs
Craigos
Olive Garden
Applebees
Quiznos
Texas Roadhouse
Johnny Carinos

8 Things that happened today:
Presidency Meeting
Carter Actually took naps
Washed a load of dishes three times before figuring out what was wrong with my dishwasher
Washed one load of laundry and ran out of soap
Talked to my mom on the phone
Took a nap!!!!!
Listened to the Twilight soundtrack
Mediated for Kate and Liz that can’t seem to get along

8 Things I am looking forward to:
Being debt free (same as you Kristel!)
Having Carter sleep though the night
Losing a little weight
The weather getting warmer (I know…we’ve only just begun!)
The release of “Twilight” on DVD!
The new Harry Potter movie
A Second Honeymoon
Going to Europe

8 Things on my wish list:
Clothes
A night of sleep
Candy that won’t make me fat (Does this Exist?!!)
A great Christmas for the kids
A battery charger for my digital camera
A new Nikon camera that takes like the real deal, but is digital
My own craft room
Three-day getaway with my hubby! NO KIDS!

8 People to tag:
Annie Hebdon
Brigitte Papa
Erica Finley
Ashley Stallings
Chris Stokes
Rachel Carter
Rhiannon Patrick
Mia Cavaness

Twilight Zone

2008-11-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I'm a DIE-HARD, and I mean DIE-HARD, "Twilight" fan! This past week my mom, my sisters, and I went to see the new movie and I LOVED it! I've already seen it twice (once again this last Tuesday with a ton of die-hard friends! So fun!)! There's just nothing I don't love about the whole thing! And I can guarantee that this won't be the last time I'll see it! It makes me want to read the books again. After Carter was born I found myself just sitting and feeding him all day and my mom suggested that I start the series. Needless to say that the next few weeks were completely consumed with the books and I loved every minute! Paul would laugh some nights and say, "Aren't you tired? You're up all night with the baby." And I wouldn't even care! I'd take the books with me to three o' clock AM feedings and read the night away! I could go on and on about all my obsessions, but for those of you who have read it know that you can't find words for it! So here's the pics of my incredibly fun night! I LOVE TWILIGHT!

If it wouldn't seem so obsessive, I'd have this poster on my bedroom wall! I'm just like a high school teenager!

My Vampire Tendencies!

Me, my mom, and my sisters

Frozen Yogurt After a Movie is Always a Good Idea

Paul Turns 29!

2008-11-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Paul and I have birthdays exactly one week apart and we love to share the time together! Paul had his birthday off work this year and so it was nice to spend the whole day together. We hung out with the kids, went to lunch (without the kids!), had a dinner at home, and then cake and presents. He keeps reminding me that we're getting older but says that I still have it easy based on the fact that I'm not going to be thirty next year! No matter how old he gets, I think he's the handsomest man I know! Happy Birthday Paul!

Sarah Turns 25!

2008-11-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday was my 25th birthday and it was fun! The only reservations I have about it are that now I'm on the downhill side to 30...But it was a fun day nonetheless. I had lunch and a little shopping with my mom. Then that night Paul took me to Idaho Falls for dinner at Johnny Carino's and shopping. then we came home where Paul had two amazing ice cream cakes (one chocolate, one mint!) and candles. My family had come over for it also. So we sang and ate cake and opened gifts and it was just F-U-N! Paul always outdoes himself and makes the day so wonderful!

The Man in My Life

2008-11-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the tag Kristel! This was a fun one, based on the fact that I’m my husband’s biggest fan!

What's your husband's name? Paul Stephen Fairbanks

How long have you been married? Almost 6 years

How long did you date? Met in Septmeber 2002, started dating in November, married in March 2003. Start to finish 5 months dating to marriage!

How old is he? 29 next week

Who eats more sweets? That’s a toss-up! We’re bad for each other!

Who said "I Love You" first? He did and I immediately reciporcated

Who is taller? Paul, by 13 inches!

Who is a better singer? Me, although Paul has a very nice voice and likes to make up silly songs for the kids. It makes me laugh!

Who is smarter? Depends. We’re both smart about lots of different things. He’s definitely the mathematical brains of the family. Superb at all sorts of intrical thinking and problem solving. But he could never tell me how to bake a loaf of bread! It just depends!

Who does the laundry? Me most of the time unless he sees me all stressed out about it. Then he tells me to step aside while he orders me to go sit and watch an episode of Gilmore Girls or something like that!

Who pays the bills? I used to until three kids comsumed my life and I just couldn’t do it! He set up an awesome system (way better than mine) and he does all of it now. I love it!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Paul

Does he snore? Yes! And it drives me nuts. I have the sensitive ears of a mom waiting for a baby to cry and so when he starts snoring, I can’t stand it. Poor guy gets kicked all night by me while he keeps saying, “What?” “You’re snoring again.” “No I’m not, I’m not even asleep.” “Well you must be because I feel like I’m sleeping next to a Mack Truck.” And then it starts all over again 20 minutes later until I finally drift off. But he will deny this whole story! :)

What does he do in his spare time? Watches ESPN and sports of any kind, plays basketball, talks to his family, loves it when my brother comes over to play the Wii with him, plays basketball every week, takes me on dates, plays with the kids a ton (they just adore their daddy, and just spends time with me!

Who mows the lawn? He does. I asked him to show me how to use it if he ever needed help but he loves to mow so I still don’t have a clue. He bought a new riding lawn-mower this last summer and he loves it. He says it therapeutic and he says there’s nothing as great as looking at the freshly mowed lawn and admiring how great it looks!

What is his favorite candy bar? Twix, but it used to be Snickers.

Who cooks dinner? I do most the time, but he’ll cook occasionally. I don’t profess to be the greatest at giving him a hot meal every night. Fruit Loops, anyone?! But I really try! He usually lucks out about three to four times a week. We really like to eat out too – not healthy. We need to stop!

Who drives? Paul, and I love it. The kids are always screaming for something and so then I can help them. Though now that I’ve put it in words and think about it…sounds like he’s got the good deal there, huh? But I don’t like driving. I just like sitting while I pick out music we can sing to on the ipod!

Who is the first to say they are wrong? We’re both pretty good at that.

Who kissed who first? Mutual kiss and very cute. He asked me if he could and of course I said yes!

Who asked who out first? Paul asked me out first. Very unlike him if you know him well. I guess I got lucky

Who wears the pants? Both of us. We have a real good working relationship that gives and takes as it needs to. It’s never been an issue as to who’s in charge. We’re in this together!

You're It: Ashley Stallings, Erica Finley, Brigitte Papa, Rachel Carter

Kate's First HUGE Haircut

2008-11-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

Kate's trademark since birth has always been her hair. It's always been thick, and long, and curly, and oh so beautiful! Well, this past weekend se begged me to let her get a haircut - a real one! We've had several trims but this was a whopping 10 inches! It was kind of sad - the end of an era, for mom and dad anyway. For her it was a giant step to being a big girl and she LOVES it! Still days later we're being asked, "Do you love my hair?! I've always wanted it like this you know. I think my hair is very beautiful, actually." She really is getting so big and I guess sooner or later parents have to let go - even to things as ridiculous as hair!

BEFORE

AFTER (with a sucker for being so good!)

THE WHOLE PILE!

CUTE IN A CAPE

ALL WASHED UP

I'm not OCD... at least, I don't think so!

2008-11-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Here's some cute pics of the girls and the snowfall we had the first week of November. Fun! The only thing I don't like is the yucky wet mess afterward!

Going private was a bigger production than I thought! But we're finally up and running and I feel like I haven't posted in forever! To start with, I will admit to being being a neat-freak of sorts. I love a clean house. However, I do not claim to live up to the picture that I so often paint! I have a friend (you know who you are!) who loves to ask me while I'm on the phone with her if my house is clean - and if I claim that it's not, she can't wait to pack up and come see! But since I know she's coming, I usually beat her to the punch and my house is spotless before she arrives. Why am I like this?!!! I call it normal, others call it crazy ("You must spend all day, every day on this. Has your house ever been dirty? How do you get anything else done?) Well, this past week I happened to be on the phone with the afore mentioned friend who needed to borrow something. I told her to come on over and didn't think twice about the house because since having child number three I've really gotten over it! She came over and it made her day! Food and dishes in the kitchen, piles of clothes in the laundry room, an unmade bed in the master, and clothes all over the bathroom. And I promise this isn't a first! I've thought a little bit about it and I think it goes deeper. Perhaps an insecurity about letting my guard down. Aren't we all afraid to let people see our imperfections and messes? But really when it comes down to it, don't we like to know that everyone is just as imperfect as we are?! So I'm trying to be better. I still love a clean house and hardly ever let it get crazy (cuz it makes me happy) but I've stopped worrying about what other people think. It's just not worth the hassle. I think most people are better than we give them credit for and aren't judging you. They just want to know the real you! So in tribute to letting down my guard, here are pictures of my dirty house (all from one day!)!

Laundry all over - a forever battle!

Toys all over

My unmade bed

A Messy Lunch (and kids still in their pj's!)

A Sink Full of Dishes

Last Call

2008-11-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

I've got friends waiting for invites and we're ready to go, so here's your last chance to leave your email for a chance to see our blog from here on out! It will be closed starting Monday. Sad in some ways cuz I love running into long lost friends, but we think it's a good idea! So please leave your email cuz we don't want to lose you!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-04T15:01:00.001-08:00

Halloween was so fun this year. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. Despite the crazy sugar high that the kids were on, it was a fun holiday!

Neighborhood Friends! They're all so cute!

Carter - Our Puppy!

Lizzie - Snow White!

Kate - Hannah Montana

We're Going Private

2008-10-27T14:43:00.001-07:00

After mulling over the idea for weeks now, I think that we're going to close our blog to public viewers. You never know who's stalking you...! So if you'd like to stay in the loop, leave your email address as a post or email us at ps.fairbanks@gmail.com! You've got about two or three weeks!

Craft Fair This Weekend @ MJH!

2008-10-27T14:40:00.001-07:00

For all you locals, there's the annual Madison Junior High Craft Fair this Saturday! Doors open at 10:00AM - 5:00PM. Come and check out all the fun handmade crafts! This is one worth coming to!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

This week for family night we carved pumpkins. The kids weren't too keen on the idea of cleaning them out, so, as you can see, Paul is doing most the work. But they loved helping draw the faces! And they really loved when we turned out the lights to see the cute faces. Hopefully they last until Halloween! Also, am I the only one that thinks pumpkin prices were ridiculous this year? I guess for good memories nothing is too expensive. However, I think we might grow our own next year! It can't be that hard!

A Day at the Park

2008-10-18T19:54:00.001-07:00

We figured that we weren't going to see many more nice days and since Saturday was so beautiful, we took the kids to the park for some outside fun! They had a great time and I hope we maybe get a few more days of nice weather before the "storm" hits!

Carter in a swing. He wasn't too sure! Don't you love the Kings get-up?!

Kate in her Giants hat looking so cute! She was so excited for the park!

Liz loves this slide and I think her face is so adorable in this picture! She was so excited!

This is a video of Lizzie on the slide. She likes to warm up with a few swings and then go!

This is Carter in a swing for his very first time at the park. He was a little scared and didn't last too long but it was so cute!

This is Kate on the monkey bars. She's so excited that she can do it by herself now! This was towards the end of our trip and her arms were tired but she still mustered some strength to make it halfway for us!

Just Some Everyday Pics of the Kiddies

2008-10-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was just snapping pics of the kids a few days ago and thought I'd post them.

Carter, just hanging out! He's getting so chubby! I love it!

Lizzie all "dolled-up" with her favorite jewelry! She's a real cutie!

Kate, photogenic as always with a beautiful smile!

ONE WORD

2008-10-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is a fun one! use one word to describe each question. Try it! Thanks for the idea Rachel!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Where is your significant other? Work
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? amazing
5. You father? Smart
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? Greek
8. Your dream/goal? forever
9. The room you're in? downstairs 1
0. Your hobby? crafts
11. Your fear? drowning
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here!
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? rich
15. One of your wish list items? europe
16. Where you grew up? Idaho
17. The last thing you did? eat
18. What you’re wearing? jeans
19. Your TV? Small (according to my husband!)
20. Your pet? none
21. Your computer? on
22. What do you think of tags like this? So-so
23. Your mood? tired
24. Missing someone? brother
25. Where would you rather be? massage
26. Something you’re not wearing right now? socks
27. Favorite store? IKEA
28. Your summer? short
29. Love someone? Paul
30. Favorite color? red
31. The last time you laughed? yesterday

A Word on Women's Health

2008-10-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I would never have given something like this a second thought until a little over two years ago. I discovered a lump in my right breast one day and thought that I should probably have it looked at. I called and the nurses quickly said I was very young and that it was probably due to hormones and my birth control pill. They also said that because my second child was only five months old, my milk ducts could still be out of whack. But I insisted that they see me. I was seen the next week and was diagnosed with a breast lump. I was immediately sent to a surgeon to determine where to go from there. He said that he thought we should remove it to completely to cut the chances of breast cancer later. Until the surgery, I spent the good part of a week in fear that I might have breast cancer - at the age of 23. My mind reeled at the thought of what might lay ahead. Doctors assured me that chances were very slim and that even if it was the case, survival rates were high. Surgery went well and biopsies returned a cancer-free lump. It was determined that it was probably a clogged milk duct from my pregnancy. Later we learned that 85% of breast cancer begins in a milk duct. Had we left it untreated, it very well could have developed later on in life to cancer. They told me that from now on I must keep close watch for any other lumps. The reason I feel so strongly about this now is because we all say, "It will never happen to me." And even though I'm fine, it was a close enough brush for me that I will always do my part to make sure that my health is in check. You never know. I was 23. So do your part to stay healthy and make it a habit to get yearly routine check-ups. You could be saving yourself a lifetime!

2008-10-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just found a great website that helps turn your blog into a hardbound book and so even though I consider myself to be pretty meticulous about blogging, I'm going to be even more so because I want to put it in a book for our family history at the end of each year.

So TODAY:

- The kids and I went to the Cocoa Bean for cupcakes. If you haven't been in Rexburg - GO! Amazing cupcakes, totally addicting, and oh so cute! The kids were covered in chocolate!

-Walmart for new church shoes for Kate and Liz. They went to church in flip-flops yesterday cuz I wasn't ready for the snow!

- Spent the afternoon with my sister, Anna. Always a delight!

-Dinner, a frigid walk with the kids, bath, family night, and a little playtime!

-Blogging, clean the toilets, shower, and bed!

Kate said something so cute also. She just learned a primary song that has a line in it that says, "I love to see the temple. I'll go inside someday. To covenant with my Father.." WELL, her version states, "To cuddle with my Father". CUTE!!!! I love that visual and we ask her sing it for us all the time!

Days that include cupcakes and shopping for shoes borderline perfection.

Hibernation Has Begun

2008-10-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'll have to admit that I share a stunning similarity with a bear - when the snow comes out, I stay in. My winter hibernation is soon approaching because despite my greatest wishes against snow - it's here! I like snow for Thanksgiving and Christmas but that's about it. But I couldn't let our first snow go by without a post. The kids were pretty excited, besides that fact that we promised them a trip to the park today. Looks like our park days are over. Didn't summer just get here?! However, it does make me giddy for all the holiday festivities and yummy food! So pull out the mittens, coats, and hats! Welcome Winter! (P.S. I'd like to think of myself as the cute bear, but occasionally my family would probably tell you I'm the other one!)

Protecting our Families

2008-10-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

A friend inspired me to write a few of my own thoughts on the soon-to-be-voted-on Prop 8 in California. Thanks, Brigitte! If you're not familiar with what it is, please visit the website http://www.protectmarriage.com/. Paul is from California and we lived there for a couple years and so we know several people who will be voting. Paul's father was made chairman over his stake and has four thousand "Vote YES on Prop 8" signs in his yard, waiting to be handed out! There are so many members of the church working vigilantly to help make sure that we have as many supporters as possible. Some of you might ask why it's so important that we're educated on this and why we need support. Well, I absolutely have a firm testimony that marriage is between a man and a woman. And now it's being threatened. California has already changed the definition (marriage is between same genders now in California) and now the residents of California have a chance to restore the definition to it's correct form. The reason this means anything to us is because California is a very large, ifluencial state and if it does not pass, many are afraid that other states will follow suit in changing the definition of marriage. Why such a big deal you ask? Well, in our religion we teach (and know!) marriage to be strictly between man and woman. Put that up against a new legal definition and we become pegged as "discriminant". It threatens our temples marriages and what we teach our children. There are several more issues as to why this is so important and if you'd like to know more just visit the website. So if you have any sway with someone if California whether it be friend or foe - please ask them to vote YES, YES, YES on Prop 8!

To All Our Kings Fans

2008-10-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Paul is a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan and so that means I am too - by default. When we first got pregnant with our first baby, his family bought us a full blown Kings outfit and every child we've had has worn it. But this time it was even better because we had a boy! the rest of the outfit doesn't fit right now but the hat almost does. I think hats for little boys is just as fun and bows for little girls! Here's Carter looking so cute!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2008-10-09T13:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I never thought I'd cry over something so ridiculous as a deleted blog but I did. Let's face it - these kind of things mean the world to moms who take pics of their kids and write down every cute thing they say and to lose it just ruined my day! But we decided to start new. So if you're just finding us again, please leave your blog address as a post so we can start finding you again! And never accidentally delete you blog!