The Neumann Family

Afton's Princess Week

2009-07-04T16:53:00.010-06:00

Well, well, well... if it isn't me posting on my what-may-seem LONG forgotten blog. You better believe it! Even though I am the world's worst blogger, I just couldn't keep myself from posting all these pics from Afton's "Princess Camp" this week. One of these days I'll post about all the other things we've been doing in our lives! Until then...

Afton's Day as a Unicorn...

2009-02-06T16:36:00.003-07:00

... sure was exhausting!

Trav picked Afton up from Grandma Pat's today and she was zonked on the couch with her Unicorn horn still intact. (Sorry about the quality...he had to use his Blackberry to take the pic):

I especially love the masking tape that effectively held the horn in place. (Grandma's are so crafty like that!)

Thanks, Pat, for indulging Afton's obsession with horses, unicorns, and ponies (in that order)! :) I wonder if this will be a life-long passion, or if it's just a phase. Sure cracks me up!

The Horse Song

2009-01-18T15:25:00.003-07:00

Music and lyrics by Afton Neumann

Performed by Afton Neumann

Lyrics:

I love horses,

so I wanna ride one

for Costa Rica

(thank you very much)

Happy Holidays!!!

2008-12-18T13:04:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas! We hope everyone finds themselves having a beautiful holiday season and a new year full of joy and surprises!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Happy Halloween!!!!

2008-11-03T13:09:00.005-07:00

This year, Afton really wanted to be a horse. Not a huge surprise! Since she wakes up "neh-ing" and seems to act like a horse 75% of the time, it was invetible she would want a costume to go along with the character. Well we looked and looked, and there just aren't many horse costume options out there (go figure).

So, Afton spotted the costume she wanted which was the next best thing to being an actual horse:

Here are some more pics of her at her Pre-School program and on Halloween:

Playing Catch Up! (July-October '08)

2008-10-27T00:26:00.013-06:00

I am very behind (as usual) with going through the hundreds of pictures I have accumulated over the last several months. I think we are finally caught up (hallelujah!)... so here is a summary of our lives since July:

JULY

--------------------------------

4th of July Festivities
Pool party at the North's and Oakley Rodeo

Afton's 3rd Birthday (July 14th)
We can't believe it has already been 3 years since you came into our lives. You are a treasure and a huge blessing in our lives! We love you!!!

We had a "Safari" party with the whole fam at a park nearby our house.

Cutest cupcakes EVER were made by my friend, Gina. She is uber-talented, as you can see. These pictures don't even do them justice! Afton loved them all, but the zebra was her cupcake of choice. Mmmm-mmm, they were tasty!

Of Course... BOATING!

We didn't go as much as normal this year... but we had fun when we did.

AUGUST

-----------------------

Trucker's Union Event (with Trav's dad)

We thought this would be a fun event for Afton when we heard there would be pony rides. It was a beautiful day, despite the presence of creepy clowns. :)

SEPTEMBER

------------------------

First Day of Pre-School
Afton was so excited to start school this year. She worked hard to get potty trained so she could go (that and stickers were her motivatation). She loves her teacher, Miss Bonnie (pictured with her) and she is learning a lot.

Concrete, Concrete, & More Concrete

Travis worked hard (with many helpers... thanks to all of you, especially Kent) to prepare and pour concrete along the side of our house. It was quite the project- but now we will have more room for storage and we will be able to park the boat further back.

State Fair with Kolton
We had fun at the State Fair with the Smith's. Of course... all the animals were a hit with Afton.

Tyler's Homecoming
Tyler is finally home after faithfully and diligently serving an honorable mission in Colorado Springs, CO.

We are so proud of him!

Afton has loved getting to know her oldest cousin (she's a little obsessed, actually). We're excited to have him home.

Afton and Kolton on the trampoline at the homecoming festivities....

Timmerman Cousin Party
My cousin, Kelly, had us over for a much overdue cousin party/family reunion. We were all so close growing up, and now we hardly see each other. We have all grown up to have crazy lives, I guess!

It was fun to reconnect with those who could come.

(Isn't my grandma a Babe!?)

The kids had a blast in the pool. Even in late September, it was perfect weather for a swim.

(L-R: Sam, Jaycee, Lyndee, Morgan)

Waterlogged Afton.

Ready 1-2-3! Morgan and Sam demonstrate the three simple steps of flipping ONTO the tramp.

OCTOBER

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Grandma Robinson's Cabin (near Oakley)

It's hard to believe that this chilly, drizzly day was only a week after playing in the sun at the cousin party! I love the fall and the rain, though, so I was a happy camper!

Trav's sweet grandma Evadean Robinson passed away on September 29th. It is sad to see anyone you love part from this earth, even though you know it is only a temporary parting. She has waited to be reunited with her sweetheart (Ernie) who passed away over 25 years ago. It is neat to think of their reunion. She will be missed, but I bet she is loving to finally be beside her eternal companion now.
In the 12 years since I have known Travis, I have never ventured to the famous "Grandma Robinson cabin." I've heard stories about shooting cans and riding four-wheelers... but have never experienced it first-hand.
Well...after grandma's passing, and after learning at the funeral how the cabin was built (the Robinson family built it from the remnants of two demolished homes), we wanted to go to this special place. Shaun and Brenda had already planned a weekend getaway there, so we joined them for a day, along with Trav's parents.

It wasn't really 4-wheeling weather, but we did get to shoot the cans with B-B guns. I just took pictures, but Afton had gave it a go!

Some Jasper and Afton Time

Couldn't resist posting these pics. That Jasper is very tolerant...

Frightmares

Last weekend we went to Lagoon's "Frightmares" with the cousins. We had to get one more use out of our season passes and we had a great time. The kids were all made over (thanks Grandma Marci) so they were frightmare-ish. SPOOKY!!!!.

Riding with Whit & Little Mare

Have I mentioned that Afton has a slight obsession with horses lately? A while ago my sister, Whitney, graciously offered to take Afton on a horse ride (or did we volunteer her ourselves... can't remember, but either way she is a rock-star in Afton's book).
Well the day finally arrived and we were able to arrange our schedules to make this long-awaited event happen. On Friday afternoon we headed up to Wanship where Afton found her heaven. :) She had a BLAST. It is practically all she talks about. She will tell near-strangers " I went on Little Mare!" She now not only pretends she is a horse (she's been doing that for weeks now), but she refers to herself as Little Mare.
This child has some serious passion packed in her little 3-foot frame!
Thanks, Whit!! I'm sure you will forever be asked about going on another horse-ride. Hope you're okay with that. ;) And thanks Dad & Michele for the yummy dinner! We had lots of fun hanging out!

Phew. I'm done. For now anyway...

Random Thoughts of a 3 Year Old

2008-10-23T10:15:00.003-06:00

As Travis drove Aftont to school today, she had some interesting things to say. Had to record them here cuz they made me smile:

“Dad, look at all the horses, they are all so beautiful, how come I never see PINK ones?”

“I want Tyler to ride a horse.”
(Her two obsessions right now: horses and fresh-off-his-mission cousin, Tyler)

“Dad…Kauai, say KA Y A…that’s my friend.”

“You should give Payden your ipod dad – he wants a new one”…

Afton: Oh dad look – there are lots of gooses…I want to touch them will they let me touch them?
Travis: They will probably fly away because they might think you will hurt them.
Afton: They wont fly away. They know I won’t hurt them. They know Dad.

"Little Miss Muffet"

2008-10-22T22:53:00.003-06:00

We were surprised today when Afton started reciting this classic nursery rhyme. Her Grandma Pat has done a good job teaching her! We had to capture it and wanted to share. Enjoy!

Trav's week at the...

2008-08-31T15:27:00.021-06:00

As I mentioned before, Travis spent last week in Denver helping out at the Democratic Convention for his work. Here are some pictures of his (star-studded) week:

As I called it earlier, here is the Paparazzi-style pic of Charles Barkley Trav took at the Pepsi Center

Cool "Hope" sign

Tuesday night, he was invited to a private concert of Graham Colton and Death Cab for Cutie

Wednesday, he was allowed access onto the floor of the Pepsi center where he saw Melissa Etheridge rehearsing

Biff from the Late Show

Tight security

Dudes from Rage Against the Machine leading a protest

Pretty picture of clock tower- Downtown Denver

On Thursday morning, he found out he would be able to go to the historic event at the Invesco field at Mile High Stadium with some of his co-workers. They didn't have great seats (they were pretty much behind the stage), but he was able to see all the performers take and leave the stage before the big "Obama Acceptance Speech." So now, some more paparazzi-style pics:

Will from Black Eyed Peas.... and don't forget Fergie:

Spike Lee

John Legend

View of stage from from Trav's seat (that is Sheryl Crow performing)
Trav's alternative view of the performers (still Sheryl Crow)

This was the highlight of the trip for Trav. Trav was on his way back to his seat when he saw Martin Luther King III (and his entourage) walking towards him. Not only is this man the son of a legend and hero, but that day just happened to be the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech. Lucky for Trav, he is not shy in these kind of situations and he took the opportunity to say hello, shake his hand... and of course ask for a picture. He said he was the only one he stopped for, and as he watched him walking away he noticed two sections of people in their seats all staring up at Travis in envy. And.... sigh of relief... the picture turned out OK!!

Stevie Wonder

And here is a little taste of his performance (just sound) and the crowd:

Although not a democrat or even an Obama fan (sorry, mom)-- he couldn't deny the feeling of pride in his country that he felt as he watched a stadium of 70,000 people cheering and waving their flags in unity.

After Obama accepted the Democratic Presidential nomination, there was a great display of fireworks to close out the patriotic event.

What was a week away from home that Travis had dreaded, turned out to be a lot more fun than he expected. He is glad he was there to experience the historic event first-hand. (Even as I watch him review this posting ... he is grinning ear-to-ear) .

Oh- two funny things he wants me to add:

He saw a funny bumper sticker that read: "Democrats are hot... Have you ever seen a nice piece of elephant?"

And a shirt that read: "Black man running... and it ain't from the cops."

Thank Goodness for Cousins!

2008-08-26T22:33:00.005-06:00

Well "Afton and me on our own for a whole week"... has turned more into "Afton and me and Boston and Mariah and Whitney and Becca and Lyndee...."

Last night Mariah, Whit, and Boston came over. Boston and Afton decided they wanted to take a tubby. The bathroom turned into a flood zone, but they had fun!

Tonight, Bec & Lyndee came for a visit. Aunt Bec read to her while Lyndee did her whole 3 minutes of homework... and then they played, played, played! Afton is so lucky to have such great cousins to play with!

Only 2 more nights without out favorite guy around. I think we're gonna make it!! ;)

Speaking of our favorite guy (that would be Travis, a.k.a. daddy-- just to be clear)...I have to share his exciting piece of news from Denver today. He bumped into Chalres Barkley and shook his ["big"] hand!! Lucky for Trav he had his new point-and-shoot camera with him, so he took a couple paparzzi-style pics, too. (Well, Trav-- it's not quite George Clooney, but I guess the purchase has already proven to come in handy).

Too bad he forgot the camera cables... otherwise I'm sure he would have already posted the news and proof by now. (Hee Hee- J/K, lovey!). We'll just pretend this is one of his pics:

Goofing Around

2008-08-24T18:29:00.006-06:00

It's just Afton and me on our own for a whole week! Well until Friday, at least.

Trav is working at the Democratic Convention in Denver (no, he's not in politics, or a democrat for that matter... in case you were wondering). Somehow we'll have to keep ourselves entertained without him around. How ever will that be possible (we miss you already, dad!)?

Well today... it's with Photo Booth:

Scooter Ride

2008-08-20T22:12:00.004-06:00

Once again... sorry about the quality here!

The other night I was taking a walk with Afton and Jasper. Afton was riding her scooter just ahead of me, and I was following behind with Jasper... trying to contain my laughter so I wouldn't make Afton self-conscious and stop doing what she was doing. It was one of those moments where I wished I had my camera, or at the very least my phone because Afton had some serious moves on her scooter. If scooter-riding were an Olympic sport, she would take a Gold medal, I am convinced!

My lack-of-catching-the-moment regret kept lingering... so this morning I tried to re-create the moment. This, unfortunately (and of course) doesn't capture how hilarious she was the other night, but I thought I'd share it anyway. One of these days, if I get better footage I will be sure to post it. I hope you can see the her signature move at the end:

PS... speaking of Olympics... Afton had her first gymnastics class tonight. She's got potential... watch out 2020 Olympics! If scooter-riding isn't an event by then, we might have a little gymnast there!

Lake Powell (June 20 - 29, 2008)

2008-08-10T16:37:00.019-06:00

Oh.. Beautiful Lake Powell. It's even more beautiful when there is only one storm (maybe 2... well maybe 3, but that's where I draw the line).

This was by far the best year we have been, as far as weather goes. We only had a couple small storms, and one BIGGIE (the awning on the motorhome was the only casualty). Thankfully, this year, we rented a trailer with some of Trav's family so we had shelter and A/C(!). Yay!

We had loads of fun. Memories that will stick out in years to come:

Setting up camp three times (the water kept rising so we kept moving)

"Ring of Fire" (not that I want to remember the million Neumann-made renditions of that song) (have a listen to it on my playlist, and tell me it doesn't stick in your head for 8 days!)

Afton falling asleep while riding on the tube (who does that?)

Crazy music man behind us on day 1 (another reason we had to move camp the first time)

The word "tooty" used after the name of anyone Afton addressed (Brandon-tooty, Keyan-tooty, mommy-tooty...)

The big wedding party on Lone Rock beach, and the nice newlweds sharing their cake (and Johnny Cash music over their loud speakers... this is where the "Ring of Fire" obsession was born)

Afton's fascination with the lizards and frogs the boys caught

Afton's first hike up and run down the sandhill

Afton's insistence on not going potty in the water (sure sped potty-training along!). Her sand-toy buckets came in handy on a couple occasions!

Lori , Afton, and I escaping death by inches! When the "Biggie" storm came upon us, we were the only ones at camp. Luckily when the micro-burst ripped the awning off the motorhome, we were a couple feet away from the "path of destruction." :)

Here are some pics of the good times!

Pretty Lake Powell:

Fun in the Sun:

Wake and Knee Boardin':

Professional Tubers (do not try this at home, these are trained professionals)

Just Chillin'

Moab, UT May 22-24, 2008

2008-07-13T18:22:00.017-06:00

Some of you have been giving me crap (you know who you are!) for not updating the good ol' Neumann blogster. Well here it is! Starting with this post of our trip to Moab (I'm only a couple month's behind!). I'm sure it will be worth the wait! (uh-huh, right).

Last Christmas, my dad and step-mom gave all us kids a 2-night stay in Moab, UT at the Gonzo Inn. So the day finally arrived for us to pack our bags for sunny-reputation Moab and we were really looking forward some actual warm weather (since up in SLC, spring and winter seemed to be confused on whose turn it was). Well--- it didn't exactly turn out to be the warmest Moab trip I had ever been on (actually-- it was my first Moab trip EVER... but that's beside the point). Although we never saw or felt the 80's -- we still had a blast. Here are some pics of the adventure (PS- excuse the quality of some of the pics-- I was experimenting with settings and didn't have the greatest turn-out on some):

--Our second day, we took a little drive up a canyon and made some stops to get a closer look at the desert scenery (love Afton's poses!):

(That's right, I took a picture of some dirt!)

--Later that day we "hiked" to Delicate Arch. (I am actually grateful it wasn't hot that day! It was a little windy and sprinkled a bit-- thus the rain spots on the lens):

(Slightly windy... check out our hair!)

(This angle of the arch reminds me of Transformer legs.

I'm sad about the water spots. Oh well!)

(Our attempt to be artistic...)

(Had to get add a shot of Whit and her cute man, Mike!

He wasn't in our group shot since he took the pic for us!)

--Our last day we hung around town for a bit and stumbled upon a little fair. Then we ventured on our way home... but first took a detour and visited Dead Horse Point:

(Every time we passed this sign for the hotel, Afton would ask to get a picture with the lizard. She has an obsession with lizards! Although, she wouldn't get in the pool when she realized there were lizards on the bottom of it. I'm talking tile-mosaic kind, not the real deal!)

(Cute Boston and Afton! This looks like it belongs in a gossip magazine.)

(Ahhhh!!! What nerds.)

Stay tuned for another posting soon! :) I will have Lake Powell and Afton's birthday party to report on (and trust me you won't want to miss the pictures of the cutest cupcakes ever!) (Hint- I am positive the master artist and creator of said cupcakes will have pictures posted much quicker than I will. See Gina's blog if you are curious!)

Early Reunion with Elder North

2008-05-18T15:58:00.004-06:00

So this past week Trav was in Colorado on business and he happened to be 50 miles away from our nephew, Tyler, who is currently serving his mission in Pueblo, CO (see Elder North's Web Page in my "Sites & Blogs I Like." Luckily, the stars aligned- and Tyler was able to get an OK from his Mission President, as well as clear his schedule so he, his companion, and Travis could go out to dinner together.

In addition to having great conversation over dinner, Trav was able to see the missionaries' apartment (and assess that they really are focusing all their attention on the missionary work), witness Elder North in action for a brief moment while he took a phone call from a prospective member, and enjoy first-hand the intersting tie collection Tyler has aquired over the last 20 months. Trav wrote a summary of the evening, per Lori's (Tyler's mom) request- and I'm sure it will be posted on Tyler's webpage soon if you have an inquiring mind, and want to know more! :)

Only four more months until the rest of us get to see Tyler. Time sure does fly, and he'll be home before we know it!

Who Needs Pedals?

2008-05-09T12:13:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the quality of this video... it's from my trusty cell phone. I just had to capture Afton's special bike-riding technnique. Notice how far up she sits on the seat and how that allows her such great steering control! :) She wears herself out pretty quickly b/c she is basically running while sitting down-- and when I tell her to use the pedals she says, "Just be patient, mom!" Too funny! I wish I had more than 5 seconds captured to share... oh well!

Skiing! April 10, 2008

2008-04-20T15:49:00.007-06:00

We scored some cheap tickets to The Canyons a couple weeks ago and thought it would be a great opportunity for Afton to test out the slopes! We weren't too surprised that she really enjoyed it and wants to go again. She definitely has an adventurous spirit. We love that about her! (Personal report: I didn't fall once! I kind of expected to since I haven't gone skiing in 5 years... but maybe it had something to do with being on the bunny slope the whole time-- which was FINE by me!)

Check out the pose (Hee Hee!):

Shaun (Trav's bro) was able to take the day off and join us for the adventure.

Thanks, Shaun! It was fun!

(I love those mini-skis)

Trav is very patient, and quite the pro. I don't know how he can go backwards, hold her up, and not run into a tree, all at the same time!

Afton and I took a break at the lodge and played with the camera for a bit. I'll spare you the shots she got of me, but here's a good one of her!

Here we are on the lift (taken with Shaun's handy Blackberry):

Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008

2008-04-20T15:23:00.010-06:00

We had a fun Easter a few weeks ago. Despite coming early this year, Easter was on a beautiful Spring day. The Easter Bunny didn't disappoint (the umbrella was a hit!).

Reminiscing Cancun (2/24/08-3/2/08)

2008-03-19T23:30:00.021-06:00

Well we have been back from Cancun for a couple weeks now, and of course I'm barely getting this blogged (shocker!). I have yet to post our NYC... I'm guessing it will never happen. But the good news is that blogging on a Mac has become easier. Three Cheers for that, yo!!!

We're still adapting back into reality. Of course it's hard to get back into a routine, but it's also really hard to come back to 40 degree weather after a week of mid-80s. But thankfully, Spring is on the horizon! It won't be long until I feel like I'm back in Cancun... minus the beautiful aqua ocean, white sand beaches, mariachi bands, and time-share stalkers (Cancun does have that one imperfection-- but it wasn't that bad!) So here is a summary of our trip and a look at few of our 500+ pictures! If you want to see a bigger selection, click HERE (there were too many to post on the blog!)

Sunday: We arrived in Cancun, checked in at our hotel (the Hilton-- very nice!) and had an early dinner by the pool(s) and enjoyed a nice evening swim (pretty much had the whole pool to ourselves).

Monday: We spent the day shopping in the city at the market and had ourselves what turned out to be one of the best and cheapest meals of the whole trip (if you go to Cancun- be prepared to fork out a lot of moola for food- holy smokes!). We cooled off at the beach and pool when we got back to the hotel. Just another day in paradise....

Tuesday: We hopped on a "luxury" tour-bus to Chichen Itza (one of the New 7 Wonders of the World) and stopped along the way at an old Mayan village and swam in an ancient cenote where once upon a time Mayan leaders bathed (something like that- it was hard to listen to all the tour-guide's details with a 2-year old vying for our attention). Speaking of our tour guide- he was wonderful! His name is "Manny" -- if you ever get the pleasure of going on one of these tours you can try to request him. :) We were fascinated with the ruins and to learn about those who built these amazing structures.

Wednesday: This was kind of a "chill" day-- literally and figuratively. It was windy and overcast, and did rain for a brief moment. It was probably only 70 degrees (chilly for Cancun standards) so we just hung out at the hotel, and later took a bus closer to town where we hung out at a mall and had dinner. The most exciting part of the day was when Trav had a brawl with a hidden rock under the waves he was trying to play in. The rock won. Ouch!

Thursday: We decided to

live dangerously and venture off on our own. We rented a car and drove to Tulum. (The pic at the top is us at Tulum). These ruins were awesome as well- and in a location we would prefer to Chichen Itza's, (had we lived 1500 years ago and been in the market for a seaside-village home). Really- it was very beautiful and we saw a lot of lizards, which made Afton's day, and probably whole trip! Later we went to an "Eco Theme Park" called Xcaret. It was pretty cool, but really just a glorified zoo. I think if we had more time there it would have been a better experience (most exhibits and activities closed at 5:30- and we didn't get to the park until 1:00). But we did have a nice refreshing float down an underground river - and we saw some Jaguars that Afton is still talking about. So-- overall it was a great day!

Friday: This was probably one of our favorite days. We took a ferry to a small island called Isla Mujeres. We played at the beach, and wandered the colorful streets. We ate at an awesome little restaurant right on the beach where Trav and Afton enjoyed their seafood and I had some pretty good chicken fajitas. I enjoyed the one-man band the most. He didn't stop smiling the whole time he sang. It was so cute!

Saturday: Despite the last-day-of-vacation blues creeping in, we still had a great day. We debated on doing another "excursion" but ultimately decided it would be best to have another relaxing day enjoying the beach, pool, and the town. We went to a huge mall and spotted an aquarium that we ended up visiting. Afton touched a "shark" and saw turtles and that was all she could talk about the rest of the day. I love that she has no-fear and that she has such a love for animals. We finished our souvenir shopping and had a nice dinner prior to the dreaded packing.

Sunday: We had to wake up early to finish packing and to

get to the airport. But I snuck a couple more pictures of Afton on the beach in this cute dress my mom bought for her. It was a little windy- so she had the great "tousled hair" look goin' on... she worked it! :)

We loved our trip and can't wait to go back some day. We hope next time we get to enjoy it with more people! (Hint-Hint). :)

Getting Prepped for Cancun!

2008-02-23T22:10:00.004-07:00

We're so excited to be leaving for Cancun tomorrow! Last night we were getting some things packed and trying to figure out which life jacket we should take for Afton. She decided she should try out the smaller one on Mr. Bear. When we actually get to Mexico, I really hope she doesn't try to take him for a swim, too. :)

We're looking forward to seeing (and feeling) the sun. I better go finish getting packed. Adios, amigos!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T09:54:00.002-07:00

Ahhh, the day of love! I am so blessed to have so many loves in my life: family, friends, and my sweetheart of 12 years (including the dating years)! And of course, one of my biggest, most treasured loves of my life is my sweet Afton. She is the best!

Happy Valentine's, everyone!

Figuring Stuff Out

2007-11-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hey anyone reading this. I just figured out how to add links to other sites along the side of my Blog (I know- I'm a little slow). If I've added a link to your site and you'd prefer me to remove it- let me know. Or if you want me to add one- let me know!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Me... I sure did! I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Not that I don't any other year... but sometimes certain circumstances make you see that more clearly.
The countdown is on... one month to Christmas!!!

Camera Phone Pics

2007-11-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for cameras on cell phones. There are so many times I catch Afton doing something funny and I all I have with me is my trusty cell phone. Granted, the quality isn't great- but that's OK. Thought I'd post a couple of those recent moments.

This first one is Afton trying to buckle Mr. Bear into the grocery cart seat. I thought it was so cute- she takes such good care of her pal!

This next one is of little A checking out a toy catalog on her drive to Grandma's house this morning. It is a half hour drive and she didn't put that thing down. When I was at a stop I snapped a quick picture cuz it was cracking me up. She is very fascinated by the Choo Choo Trains. Guess we'll have to see what Santa brings....

That's all for now!

(Still planning out my NYC post- I have over 600 pictures I have to choose from). :)

Happy Fall & Halloween!

2007-11-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

It's time for a posting! I really want to post some pics from our New York trip, but they are all on my Mac and I still haven't figured out how to post easily from that crazy machine (sorry Mac-lovers, I'm not quite with you, yet). So for now, I will at least get some Halloween and other random pics posted.

First- here is Halloween.

We were lucky enough to find an alligator costume (at Walgreen's of all places). I thought I was going to have to learn to sew (gasp) to keep from disappointing little A. I've never known a 2-year old to be so insistent on a Halloween costume! Procrastinator-me waited too long to order the costume Afton "picked" out of a catalog 2 months ago. Of course, they ran out of her size. But to dispute my own self-ridiculing, how was I to know she wouldn't change her mind 50 times like most other kids?

Anyway...I called all over the place and had pretty much given up on the idea and then it happened! The Halloween gods smiled down upon me! I just happened to find an alligator costume on my way to pick up a prescription for a toothache. Hmmm.. maybe those Halloween gods have a sick sense of humor. They knew the only way I'd find the dang costume was to have some kind of an ailment- so why not a toothache? One that eventually required my first (hopefully last) root canal. Man... I guess the joke's on me. Oh well it was worth it! Even though it was just a Halloween costume - it made Afton very happy. So there you go- that's all the matters, right?

We went to "Trick-or-Treat Street" a few days before Halloween with Ali (and her sis) and the boys, Bec and the girls, and my mom. Afton had a blast and was not shy or timid at all. She'd get right up to the front of the pack and get her bag right under the distributor's hand. On Halloween night we had the fam over for a little party. We had lots of food, fun, and caramel apple fondue. Yum! Afton went trick-or-treating with her cousins, and was a little trooper. Trav said she wouldn't let him carry her bag or her, even though he could tell she was tired. She really relishes every moment!

OK- here are some extra pics that we've recently taken.

That's enough blogging for me for now. See you soon (hopefully with my NYC trip posting, and hopefully before Christmas). :)

August... er... I mean September posting!

2007-09-21T23:50:00.000-06:00

So I will have to come back sometime and do an August blog. I knew I'd get way behind on this blogging business.

September has flown right on by! It was mine and Trav's 10 YEAR Anniversary on the 6th! Holy smokes- months and years are flying all over the place!! He surprised me with a beautiful ring with 10 diamonds (I never had a wedding band and always one just like he picked out- he's the best to remember exactly what I like). So what did I get for him you ask? I got him flip-flops. Yeah- I felt really dumb! We also are going to NYC in 11 days (not that I'm counting) with Lori & Scott (who celebrated their 20-year anniversary this year) to celebrate the big milestone. I can't wait!!!

We went to my brother's house in Heber a couple weeks ago to celebrate my mom's birthday. We had an awesome dinner (my bro is a master chef- and king of burgers-- mmmm). But first we took advantage of the beautiful day and scenery. We brought our camera and got some great family photos (to my childhood friends- I threw that term in there just for you). I've included some of those pics in the slideshow below. (Sorry that it goes so fast- I don't know how to slow it down). Everyone else had their 4-legged family members but we're terrible and forgot cute Jasper!! So I've included a few pics of him for your viewing pleasure.

As for Afton- she is hilarious and adorable, and we love every minute we get to spend with her! She has been asking us lately if we have had a good day, which is so cute to me. There are a couple pictures of her hanging with Jasper and one of her training for her wakeboarding debut next summer (pardon her hair- she just woke up from her nap). Speaking of hair... I'm trying to grow out her bangs and I find that she looks pretty "raga-muffin" most the time. How do people have little girls' hair so perfect all the time? I don't get it! I try to pull it back- but quick as lighting she pulls it out- or rubs her head all over the couch. Uggh. Oh- she's also into hiding which can be a little frightening. I.E. - we were in a store and she hid under a clothing rack and wouldn't come out as I was wondering the store calling for her. She's a heart-stopper, that one. And if I call her anything but Afton- she'll say "I not __, I Afton." Even if I say "You're cute." So funny. Hmmm... what else? Oh- she wants to be an alligator for Halloween. We went to the zoo in August and she was fascinated with them- who knew she'd be a reptile girl. I know there's probably way more to report on Afton, but I'll wrap this puppy up for the eve! Thanks for stopping by and congratulations if you actually read through this entire posting! :)

Monthly Posting

2007-07-15T18:34:00.000-06:00

Well it's time for my monthly posting. It's been a busy month so far. Lots of boating, 4th of July festivities, Afton's tranistion to a "Big Girl" bed, and Afton's 2nd Birthday!!! Thanks cute Gina for the tip on doing a slide show. Much easier!!

Alaskan Cruise and Vancouver- June 1 - 9, 2007

2007-06-15T23:23:00.001-06:00

We are lucky this year. We have been on two great vacations and we're not even half-way through the year!

On June 1st we flew to Seattle where we then rented a car and drove to Vancouver, BC- Canada. We had a not-so-great experience right at the border. Once we had been "granted access" to the country, Travis pulled the car forward and a cop stopped him and asked him to roll down the window. He then proceeded to ask how many of us weren't wearing our seat belts. Well - me, Trav's mom, and his dad had all "unclicked" when we were getting all our paperwork together to hand over to the border-dude. We were starting to get situated when the crusty cop decided to inspect our seat belt status. Long story short- he gave each of us a $127 ticket. LAME! No worries- they will never see a dime-- well I don't know if that's what they're called in Canadian money- but nonetheless....

So moving on-- we ported out of Vancouver and sailed on a big old ship called the "Mercury" (Celebrity Cruiseline). We first went to Juneau where we took a tram ride and had a great view from the summit. We then sailed to Skagway where we took a train ride and saw more beautiful scenery. Then we traveled up to Hubbard Glacier where it was -- cold-- and very pretty. We couldn't get too close to the glacier- but with the telephoto lens we could get a better look at the beautiful aqua color of the surface. Heading back down to Vancouver we made another stop in Ketchikan- which was a way cool little town. It reminded me of a Disneyland- land.

Once we docked and the cruise came to an end- we stayed in Vancouver for a night. We drove around the town- and took another tram ride. It was fun- much higher and steeper than the one in Juneau - and we enjoyed the scenery up there for a while. The next day we drove back down to Seattle and hung out at the Fish Market for a bit. It was super busy- and Pike's Fish Market of course was fun to see. Trav even asked a dude how much a fish weighed and the guy chucked it to another who weighed it and shouted that the fish weighed 50 pounds! Hmm... wait- I might have made up that weight- but it was pretty heavy.

I compiled a "Highs and Lows" list- so here it is (along with some pics):

Highs:

Yummy ice cream (homemade on the ship every day)
Waterfalls in Skagway
Tram Rides

Seeing whales from the ship (even though it was from a long distance)
BINGO!! We won the jackpot- 2000 BIG ONES!! We split it 3-ways between us, Trav's parents, and his brother and sis-in-law
Train ride in Skagway
Creek Street in Ketchikan
Roldan and Jacob- our servers- they were the BEST!

Great views, sunsets, and weather!

Lots of yummy food- glorious food!
Seeing bald eagles all over the place! (too bad we couldn't get a really good picture of one)

Hearing Afton randomly say "I want fies and a cheesebugah"- it was hilarious (you probably had to be there!)

Lows:

Rocking of the ship (I wonder if I hated being rocked to sleep as a child- I certainly didn't like it on the ship. But luckily I didn't get seasick- I wore a wondrous patch that only had a few minor side effects...)
Side effects from the patch (blurry vision, dry mouth, scratchy throat, itchy skin- yup- good times for me! )
That dang ticket- even though I'm not paying it- it's lame that it happened
The second to last day our stroller broke down (at least it wasn't earlier in the trip)
Afton tantrums (not many- but they weren't pretty....)

OK- now that I've blabbed on- here are some more pictures (we only took around 600 - I'm not sure we took enough- hee hee!) :

Trav took this picture at dusk one night- so pretty huh!?

Afton LOVES her cousins!

Afton's camera work. Shaun was an excellent subject.

Hubbard Glacier Bay

You can't really see her shirt- but we bought a t-shirt for Afton in Ketchikan that says "Moose on the Loose"- I'm not sure if she loved it before she saw this moose on the ship- or if it was seeing the moose that made her love her shirt so much. When we had to take it off her that night she freaked out! And now that we are home she insisted on sleeping in it last night, and wearing it all day today.

Brandon, Trav, and Afton got some use out of the (indoor) pool (this one time only)

Cutie!

A couple family pics!

California Trip- April 3-7, 2007

2007-04-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

This is my first official posting... I hope I make it through! Cross your fingers for me. ;-)

I'm not exactly sure how to start this thing, so I'll just dive right in...

I'm posting a few pics from our recent trip to California. The 3 of us (Trav, Afton, and me) headed out (much too) early on April 3rd and landed in southern California around 8 am. We spent the day driving along the coast and stayed 2 days in Del Mar. We put Afton in her Easter dress so we could get some cute pics of her on the beach. This one (below) was my favorite!

(<- second favorite) While we were there, we did a lot of beach-hopping, (minus any swimming- it was way too cold), surf-shop hunting, and sight-seeing (our favorite stop was the San Diego temple- it was BEAUTY-ful).

On Thursday we headed up to Anaheim where we spent the next two days enjoying California Adventures and Disneyland. My sisters (Mariah and Whitney), step-mom, and Mari's family(Dave & Boston) met up with us there. It was pretty crazy there since it was the weekend before Easter. The lines were way long, but luckily we qualified for the good ol' "Switch Pass" on many of the rides. Thanks goodness for that invention... and for babies! Cutting in line is great- especially when it's completely legal!

I was surprised how well Afton did- she even had a couple naps in her stroller, which must have meant she was tuckered cuz she doesn't normally take a nap unless she is in her car seat or in her bed. While she was sleeping on this particular occasion we bought her a Mickey doll and some Mickey ears that she only wore once (for approximately 20 seconds). Luckily I got that one time on the good ol' digital film:

So even though we had to endure long lines and shoulder to shoulder crowds- we still had a blast. After standing in line for an hour to meet Mickey, seeing the excitement and happiness in Afton's eyes when she greeted him made it all worth it! That's what it's all about! I now understand why they say it's the "happiest place on earth."

That about sums it up for the California trip. Hopefully I can keep this thing up. Based on my track record of keeping a journal- it isn't likely- but I'm gonna try!
Signing off!