The Hinton Family

Father's and Son's Campout

2011-06-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

Andrew's Preschool Graduation

2011-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Easter

2011-06-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

This was the best I could do...no one looked great in the same picture :)

Tyler's Blessing

2011-06-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Andrew's Birthday Party

2011-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

49 55 57 58 66 69 70 78 79 90

Been Awhile

2011-06-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

So I am sure you have all noticed it has been awhile...We have been a little busy. Life is great so I thought I would share some of the fun things we have been up to. Here it goes

Tyler Wesley Hinton

2011-03-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tyler Wesley Hinton
Born 1/24/11
7lbs 7oz
19 inches

Wow we love this guy!

Soccer

2011-03-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

K so my new goal...post post post. We will be moving from AZ before too long and this is the best way to stay in touch...Thought I would start here.

Soccer has been our lives the past few months...here is #16 Andrew. My friend Michelle took the best pictures! Jacksons pictures coming soon!

Seriously????

2010-10-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

K so apparently if you think your password and sign in don't work anymore...let your husband give it a try...of course it will work without a hitch!

For my birthday I got a new camera which I am so so excited about!...which also means cute cute pictures!

We had a great summer...spent some time in Salt Lake, St. George and melting here in Arizona... We are expecting a baby boy in January which we are so excited about!

Jack just had a birthday and turned 3! My Mom visited and we had one big party. We are so sad to see her leave tomorrow.

Other than that same old same old...except for the fact that I now know how to update our blog so I can update a little sooner than every 6 months!

Fun Times

2010-04-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of random cute pictures that I am sure the Grandma in Utah would enjoy!
We have had a few late nights with friends!

We had a fun time going to this big festival here...Touch A Truck! The boys loved climbing in and out of all the trucks and of course honking the horn!

While on a trip back from Mexico Grandma Trish had a layover and so we got to see her for a couple of days. She got the boys new bikes! We were so so glad we got to see her but her trips never seem to be long enough!

More Soccer...Oh how Andrew has loved it...and this time his buddy Max was on his team

Grandma Trish is so nice to send us packages...the boys carried those brown bears around for weeks and they love to dress up in their tool aprons.

It is always a party in Mom and Dad's bed.

St. Patricks Day

2010-04-25T13:27:00.001-07:00

The Leprechaun's found us! They left little footprints coming in our house...

then they died our milk green...

continued on their way until...

They found the perfect place for their pot of gold!

I Spy A 4 Year Old Guy

2010-04-25T11:05:00.001-07:00

Our Andrew turned four in March and we seemed to have party after party for him. Kevin thinks I go overboard but I love any reason to celebrate.

He has so many friends out here so we had a big friend party "I Spy a 4 year old Guy" His new favorite things are his "i spy" books so we had games and favors and a fun cake...all "I SPY"

We had to go get some dinner at Andrew's favorite eating place Peter Pipper Pizza

We had a family party at Grandma "Lene's" House with all the cousins.

It was a fun week and busy week for sure! Andrew is so so fun and is so excited about life and learning anything and everything!

Give a Day Get a Day

2010-04-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

For Kevin's Spring Break we took off to the Happiest Place on Earth...Disneyland! We went with our awesome friends the Bowermans and had a blast. We did the whole Give A Day Get A Day program so we were able to get in free after giving a day of service. Jack and Andrew loved loved loved it and were such great sports about going on the rides Kevin forced them on. The favorite was definitely the Buzz Lightyear ride. While in California we were able to do Newport Beach and Balboa Island. It was a bit cold but it didn't stop the kids from wanting to jump the waves. It was a much needed break and we were so sad to come back to reality!

Long Overdue Holiday Pics

2010-01-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

We headed up to Utah for a few weeks over the Holidays. We had such a great time. It was fun to see all the family and especially for my kids to see the cousins. Believe it or not Santa found us there and got my kids batman just like they asked.

The Quarter game at the Tullis Christmas Eve Party. Kevin took the cake at $27 in one handfull. I think he had been practicing. (Andrew has issues keeping eyes open durring pictures...i have no idea where he would get that :)

The cutest shephers I ever saw!

Chocolate Fountain= my boys heaven

Christmas Morning

New Years

My Little Stud

2010-01-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

K so I know I have posted pictures of soccer before but lately our lives have been consumed with sports so here are some more! Between Andrew's soccer, Kevin's basketball, volleyball and raquetball our evenings and Saturdays are packed. It is a good think kevin is the coach cause he is super patient with the kids...me on the other hand...dont know if i should admit this but Andrew knocked a kid down going for the goal last week and started to help him up. Me, i just kept yelling "Go after the ball. Go after the ball." I didn't notice tell Kevin pointed out that he has crazy lady wife...lol. good times!

My little man talking trash...I mean Kevin's kid (he is always called that when he is naughty:) I wasn't able to catch my smoking hot man...aka Kevin... in action...maybe next time.

Train Park!

2009-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

We went to the train park with some friends yesterday. It was so much fun! Jack and Andrew loved the train ride and going on the carousel. There was also a real great playground that we played on for hours! My friend Kristy showed up with her awesome camera and amazing skills to get some real cute pictures of my boys! Thanks again! I love them!

Soccer

2009-11-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Soccer has been a big part of our lives lately. We have practices, games and of course ANdrew thinks he is the stuff so he wants more and more practices. Jack thinks he is part of the team and is so so sad when he has to come off the field for the games. Kevin is the best coach. "The Monkeys" (who ever heard of the purple monkeys) are undefeated!

Halloween

2009-11-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

So now that it has been officially WAY too long since the last post I am going to update.

Life is great here...the back is coming along, thank heavens. We had a fun last few weeks filled with a whole bunch of parties and way way too many sweets. Too much good food and being sedentary for the last few months doesn't mix :) so the majority of these pics are of my darling boys. I finally got the okay to workout and lift my boys so we are loving life once again.

My cute Kevin has done so so much the last few months. He has been Mr. Mom and them some and I so appreciate it. We have also had so much help from friends and family! Thanks again for all the help and prayers!

Surgery

2009-09-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

We have been a bit crazy the last little bit...hence no blogging. I have been having a bunch of trouble with my back. I finally went in about a week ago to the emergency room and went straight into surgery. Things are going okay. The recovery has been long and slow but I will be fine with it if it will help my back situation. My mom has been here for a few weeks and my sister comes next week and then once I can sit longer I will head up to Utah for a bit. People have been so helpfull. We have had so many people want to help with anything and everything from helping with me, my boys, to yummy dinners for my sweetheart! You are all the best. Thanks! Oh Ya and I will blog some more when I can actually sit down.

Diamondbacks Game

2009-07-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

We headed to an Arizona Diamondbacks Game. We had a great time...especially because it was inside and airconditioned. First we found a fun New York style Pizzaria and then headed to the game. Andrew wanted every move of the game narrarated but that's okay we had a great time! (woof, horrible picture but it was the only one
with me in it.)

Powell

2009-07-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

After Salt Lake we headed down to Powell with my family. Nothin like 21 people on one houseboat...talk about becoming closer. No, we were in heaven. Andrew loved trying just about anything and it was a fight to get him out of the water. We got some before and after pictures of him knee boarding and the before one was super cute with a big thumbs up and after he flipped me of...no I didn't make him go he had a great time. hahaha I laugh just thinking about it. Anyway, we might head back down in September to enjoy the not so hot weather. Love this place!!!

Aquarium

2009-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

While in Salt Lake we headed to the Aquarium with Ali and Siri. We had the best time. Jack and Andrew were super brave and wanted to touch everything...even went for the stingrays. It was great!

Children's Museum at Discovery Gateway

2009-07-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

We love the Salt Lake Children't Museum. We used to have a pass and used it all the time. Now that we aren't around we mooch off others to get us in free. Thanks Tiff! We had the best time!!!

Park City

2009-07-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places in Utah is Park City. We always have the best time when we head up that way. We had fun shopping, going down the Alpine Slides, and of course lunch on Main Street. Jack and Andrew both loved the slides but just about gave my mom a heart attack on the chair lift...I was laughing so hard I almost wet my pants.

One little side note...if you pay up the wazoo to go on the slides don't you think they could shuttle your little sled thing to the top of the slide for you. It was a bit tricky to get the sled and two little boys to the right place.

Oquirrah Mountain Temple Openhouse

2009-07-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

We couldn't pass up a chance to go take a look at the new temple in South Jordan. It is so amazing.

Heritage Pioneer Park

2009-07-18T20:57:00.001-07:00

While in Salt Lake we headed to Heritage Pioneer Park. I had never been and it was so much fun. I thought it might be geared towards older kids but my kids loved it. They got to ride on trains, visit the petting zoo, ride horses, make arrowhead neclaces, and much more. If anyone needs a fun activity I would head there for sure!

St. George

2009-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend in St George. My mom headed down from Salt Lake and so it made the trip even more exciting and fun. We had a blast doing all of the usual St. George and 4th of July things...shopping, swimming, getting stuck in traffic, eating out, mom and Andrew went on a date and of course fireworks. Thanks for a fun weekend mom. We can't wait till next week. We are headed to Salt Lake for a week and then Powell for a week. We are so sad Kevin can't come but know he will be working hard at school...or partying because he will have no wife and kids to nag him.

At the Fireworks!

Andrew getting all geared up for some serious boating and skiing

someone please teach my child how to STOP smiling for the camera...yes that is his attempt at a smile.

Andrew working very hard doing POP's

Meet Mr October right here!

Crazy Boys

2009-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

We headed to the park last night after picking up 30 cent tacos and had a picnic. We had a great time in the 105 degree weather...what was I thinking? It was overcast so I thought it might be managable. We had fun attempting to play soccer, swinging and sweating our brains out! Next time we might just head to the pool again.

Andrew after "making mud" I swear this kid is on a timer. As soon as we make it to this park he has to go to the bathroom.

The Swings...Andrew looks huge for that swing but they just love them.

Andrew with his bright red face all the time. It is not a sunburn mom...i do put block on him. He was just very hot after running around.

Jack was happy as long as he was holding the ball. We tried to play soccer but jack would not have it...funny kid did not want to share.

Jack's new attempt at a cheeser.

So my blog is going to be a bit different because we have moved. My family in Salt Lake wants a lot of pictures so when there is nothing else to blog about...like today, we will be posting pictures of the boys. Of course never good ones since it is like pulling teeth to get them to look at me and be cute. Anyway, llife is good and other than a great photographer (aka Mark:bring ali too) and Grandma Trish we couldn't ask for more.

AZ

2009-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

We are alive...and having a great time here in AZ. It took a little bit to get settled and get the internet. We are finally in and really liking it. It seems like there is so much to do here. We have a pool and passes to a fun Childrens Museum. Our ward here does a ton of groups and clubs so we are also busy with those. The library here is amazing. They do activities almost every day and have culture passes that get us into different things around the city. We love it all. It has also been fun to be close to Kevin's family and we have had a chance to see a lot of them. We do really miss the Tullis family and especially Grandma Trish. My kids cry for her and are "saving" her bed just for her. We are excited to see her in just about a week in St. George. The Genius that I am has not taken any pictures so I will get on that now that I know where my camera is. We are doing great and hopefully pics coming soon.

Seriously Mark...

2009-05-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

They turned out AWESOME. I have put off getting the boys pictures taken because I didn't just want to head to Target or some place like that. We have a friend, Mark that is an amazing photographer. He got some amazing shots of the little ones. If you need some pictures taken, check out his blog he is so so good http://www.ambphotocompany.typepad.com/. Thank you so much We love them!!!

Time Flies When You Are Havin' Fun

2009-05-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

We have had a great few weeks. We headed to Destin, Florida with 32 of the Tullis fam. We had a great time filled with long relaxing days on the beach. Hello talk about an oxymoron. Relaxing doesn't really happen with kids and the beach. Still- it was the best time ever. Andrew just kept telling us "The waves is my favorite part mommy...I just like the waves!" We fit in a whole lot of tennis as well. All the boys went deep sea fishing and caught a bunch of fish that they cooked for dinner that night...we passed and headed for a night out!!!

We had a great Mother's Day. Kevin and my boys are the best. They are so special to me and work hard to make me feel like a good mom.

The next week we went to Arizona to look for a place to live. It was freakin hot but i better get used to it. We came home to 75 degree weather...we will be back here in 3 years if I have anything to say about it :) It was so much fun to see family.

Now we are just packing and trying to get in seeing as many of our friends and family in as we can.

Arizona

2009-04-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

Some of you know...some don't. I just thought I would quickly post that we are moving down to Arizona. Sad to leave family and friends in Salt Lake but we are so excited for this new adventure. Kevin starts school on the 8th of June so we are a bit crazy trying to fit in everything and find a place to live. Kevin's family is all down there so it is fun that we get a chance to live by them.

Anyway, life is good and crazy as always. We have a fun trip to Florida next week with the whole Tullis clan so stay tuned for some crazy fun and pics!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun Easter weekend filled with visiting the
Easter Bunny (multiple times)
Easter Egg hunts (multiple times)
Coloring eggs (multiple times)I think we did about 3 of the 18 cartonfulls!
Filled Easter Baskets
Decorating Easter cookies

You Catching My Drift....We fully enjoyed all the fun Easter traditions.

We had an amazing Easter Sunday with a great service and spending time with the people we love.

Mornings At Our House

2009-04-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone what to come ???:)

The Zoo

2009-03-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day at the Zoo! It was great weather...not too hot and not too cold. This was awesome because the animals were really active. We had a great time as always...minus the fight with his cousin about which giraffe was whos best friend.

The Aquarium

2009-03-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

So a little while ago we headed to the Aquarium with Katie, Lucy, Siri and Ali. We had the best time!!! They had some cool displays with crazy fish, eels, and a nasty octopus. Andrew was a champ and was up for touching everything. He got to touch everything from Stingrays to Crabs to Starfish. The best part...he was FREE and I got a year pass for $16...I did say $16. It was awesome!! (Notice the Marti Gras beads that Andrew refused to take off...love it!)

Andrew's Birthday Party

2009-03-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

So last Thursday we had a birthday party for Andrew. We had a CARS Party and it turned out to be a bunch of fun. We had car races, a race track cake, fun car party favors, medals, awesome gifts from his friends, a piniata, a tire toss and of course tatoos. The majority of the time Andrew had a great time...until his whole rash/ illergic reaction started. All I have to say is thank heavens I didn't have to call 12 mothers and tell them their kids might get sick. I hope all the kids had a great time because it was a blast to plan...I decided the parties are more for me anyway. I have already started thinking about Jacks which will be in about 6 months. My husband just laughs at me. O-well I love it!

Natural History Museum at the University

2009-03-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

The Natural History Museum up at the University of Utah is free on the first Monday of every month. We went today and had the best time. They have awesome bug, dinosaur, and animal exhibits. We didn't get through all the museum today but we will for sure be back next month!

Digging for Dino Bones!

Breakfast With Friends

2009-03-02T13:09:00.001-08:00

Jhordan was in town this last week so some of us went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House. I had never been there but I would highly recommend it! While everyone enjoyed a relaxing breakfast I got to deal with two cranky kids throwing things everywhere and having fits. They joys of having a husband who works on Saturday.

PS If you ever want to talk to me...breakfast with the kids is apparently not the best way for that to happen. CALL ME :)

25 Randoms

2009-02-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

I did this on facebook but some of you don't do facebook so I decided to post it here to. You know how it works...here it goes.

1. I met my husband in Europe on a study abroad...they said no dating- Woops.
2. I love love love buttermints over like any other dessert ever.
3. In the first grade I had a bully and pretended to be sick on and off for like 2 weeks- never quite recovered :)
4. I am the current Iron Chef Champion.
5. I have been blessed with the two cuttest boys in the entire world.
6. When I was prego I really wanted to eat dirt.
7. I really don't like running that much but the high I get after is worth it.
8. Last week I was told two times that I look like I did back in highschool. Sad- I thought I had moved on.
9. Best place to eat hands down is Olive Garden!!!
10. Give me any place to vacation and Lake Powel would be at the top of the list. I told kevin that it is more important to have a boat then furniture for our house and I 100% believe it!
11. I really like tennis
12. I am sad to announce that I used to clog...yes I did say clog.
13. I play the guitar. I used to go play at an old folks home with a friend...maybe we went there because they couldn't hear the music so they thought we were great!
14. My Dad got skin cancer and now I am paranoid about the sun...yes that is why I am pasty white.
15. I used to pitch for a boys/girls fast pitch baseball team (if I ever pitched to day the batter better watch out)
16. I love paintballing
17. I graduated from BYU in Public Health and worked at the Health Department in Safe Kids (the best job ever because I just got to play all day)
18. I hate this thing because I can't come up with 25. I am really not that interresting.
19. Kevin is applying to Pharm D progarms and it looks like we may be moving across the country to Virgina.
20. I can't quite cut the umbilical cord...my family is the coolest!
21. I really like to read but I start ignoring my husband and kids so I have to pace myself with my books.
22. I wish I knew how to take a good picture. All my pictures have horrible lighting or someones head is missing. I need to go to a class...that would be cool.
23. I have lived in Utah my whole life but have only gone snowboarding or skiing a handfull of times.
24. I love Christmas. The music needs to start the first of November.
25. In the summer we live outside...the dirtier the better.

Whoever feels like doing it, go for it...it wasn't so bad :)

2009-02-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

On Mondays we do a playgroup with some of my friends from high school and their kids that are Andrews age. This week we decided to go to the Draper Temple Open house. We had so much fun. Andrew was so excited to go inside since he never gets to. He especially loved the baptismal font and the amazing chandelier in the ceiling room. While we were inside I tried to talk to him about the spirit and about the warm fuzzy feeling we get inside that lets us know this gospel it true. He said "Mommy I think I am feeling the fuzzy feeling right now." Cute kid! I hope he remembers!

Frisbee Golf

2009-02-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

We had to take advantage of the amazing weather last Saturday so we headed to a park for some frisbee golf and some playground action. We had a blast...we always do when daddy is around. I don't know if I have ever missed nice weather as much as I do this year. I can't wait for spring!

Iron Chef Cook Off

2009-02-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

I never posted pictures of our amazing Iron Chef competition. For those of you who don't know what it is we had a cook off. We ended up winning but only out of default. Both of us had great entrees but totally bombed the desserts. It is just not right...having two amazing meals and nothing great for dessert.
Our Judge digging in

Our Dinner- Chimmychanga's with beans homemade salsa and a yummy Mexican cheesecake dip

Thackeray's dinner- Yummy spicy beef (really so great)

Our dessert- Layered peanut butter and jelly parfait...aka dog food (sorry babe)

Thackeray's Dinner- Sweet Potato Balls

This Is Love

2009-02-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

Since my Dad is no longer here to buy my Mom flowers, he told me to make sure and get something great for every possible occasion. These came for her today almost seven years after he died. I want my love to last like that....through the eternities. I love my dad for the way he loves my mom.

Happy Valentine's Day

Slacker

2009-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have been a total slacker when it comes to blogging. It is sad to because we have done so many fun things. Not that anyone really cares too much but for the sake of looking back here is what we have been up to...

*St George with the Thackary's and the Anderson's
*Swimming
*Playing at the Sand Dunes
*Tennis
*Bocce
*Story time
*Kangaroo Zoo
*Discovery Museum
*Finally beginning to run outside again after a nasty few inversion days...and I know more to come-RAW
*Music Class
*Playgroups with fun new friends
*Couples dinners with friends
*Game nights
*Moved back home to our apt. because my mom's hip is healing!!!

Anyway, we have had a blast. Hopefully I will be much better about updating because seriously it is so much fun to look back and all the things we do. When I think about blogging I take much better pictures too. (I took one picture in George...sad)

My famous husband!

2009-01-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

We had a friend send us this. We were laughing pretty hard. Some of you knew about this, but you never thought you would get to see the proof. So our claim to fame...Kevin kissed Brooke White. So what if it was a high school play. ha ha
Just take a look.

Kevin and Brooke White

Isn't he amazing! Thank goodness when he asked me to marry him he skipped the make up the singing and HELLO, we really kissed. None of this pecking stuff.jk (They did kiss but it cuts off.)

Snow Soccer

2009-01-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

You know you are amazing at soccer when a 2 year old works you! ha ha I think I am somewhat athletic...I can throw a spiral, hit a great foul ball, rally it up in tennis and make a layup but for some reason I got skipped on the soccer gene. We sill had a great time.

Why Men are Happier

2009-01-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

I found this on a friends blog and thought it was pretty funny.

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Kangaroo Zoo

2009-01-03T22:10:00.001-08:00

We found the greatest new thing to do with kids on a cold day. Kangaroo Zoo is a big place filled with the blow up slides and obstacle courses. We had a blast. Andrew got some energy out and slept like a charm afterwards. If anyone ends up going coupons are online.

New Years Eve

2009-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

We had a big family party on New Years Eve. It was a blast of course...minus the next morning 6:30 AM wake up call named Jackson.

Matching PJ's...thanks Grandma Trish

A few of us nerdy's toasting

The chocolate fountain= Andrew in heaven

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to! hehe cute pouting boy

Making some serious noise! With that many kids we didn't need the poppers or the horns but got them anyway!

My boys!

Grandma Trish had all the kids tell what they wanted to do this next year and then they toasted. Andrew said " I want to grow bigger and water ski because that is what boys do when they are three!"

I Woke Up To...

2008-12-28T11:35:00.001-08:00

Thanks Baby! I love you.

Really Really Excited Mom = A Lot Of Pictures

2008-12-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

We had the greatest past few days! Christmas Eve and Christmas day were so much fun. I am sad to see them over. Christmas Eve was a day filled with family basketball, cooking, late night games and of course Grandma's fun Christmas Party! I couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve and so finally when Kevin gave me the okay we woke the kids up. On Christmas we were pleasantly suprised. Santa found us so Andrew got his one wish....a Lightning McQueen Scooter! Seriously nothing is better than kids on Christmas Morning.

My amazing husband helping out on Christmas Eve. He makes great mashed potatoes.

B I N G O!!!

The famous Quarter Game...Andrew was so excited and all he could think about was just how many gumballs he could get with all those quarters.

My mom now has 19 grandkids! It was a fun hectic night.

Me sporting my quarters. I think I took the cake with $25.25. (The Quarter game is pretty much grabbing as many quarters as you can in one handfull out of a jar that is tricky to get your hand out of... then you get to keep them. Sound dumb? I don't think so ...my car will stay real clean for a little while.)

My cute little shepard in the Nativity we put on. It was perfect! Just as the narrorator stated that the Shepards spoke with one another Andrew perked up and said to his cousin "Am I a Shepard?" We got a good laugh!

Christmas morning!

Christmas PJ's

Andrew got some silly string in his stocking so we had to go try it out.

We love all this snow! Keep it coming. All I can think about is that I hope it helps Lake Powell again this year!

Santa!!!

2008-12-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

We caught Santa Clause at our Mall today! It was fun to see Andrew get so excited. I couldn't get a good picture because Andrew would not take his eyes off Santa. Andrew made sure to tell him that what he really wants is a scooter. I tried to get more out of him but the only other thing he could think to ask for was a new towel... Don't ask me where this cute random kid came...like father like son!

Arizona

2008-12-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

As you now know we spent the last week in Arizona. We had the best time! We had a few days with great weather and some filled with rain. We loved spending so much time with family and friends. Here are a few highlights...

*Late night games...thanks Tiff and Ty
*Birthday parties
*Fun Farm ... There was a huge room filled with corn kernels for the kids to play in. Jackson and Andrew had the best time.)
*Making all sorts of fun treats
*Kevin's "surprise" party paint balling...thanks Baby for teaching our 2 year old how to shoot a paintball gun.
*Going to see the lights with the Carlson Family
*Shopping, Shopping and more Shopping
*Some crazy Guitar Hero
*Running...I go running here and my lungs are shot thanks to the cold weather.

I could go on forever. We love having family down in Mesa and can't wait till we get to go down again.

some of the paint balling gang

AZ

2008-12-15T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Slacker central over here. We are living it up in AZ so good posts soon to come. We have had a blast playing outside, running, paint balling, shopping and of course cooking. I have found some great new recipes! Since we don't have our card adapter here I can't post pics quite yet but we are home on wed. Hope you all are great!

Southtown Mall

2008-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Today we headed down to South town Mall with McCall, Amanda and their cute kids. There is a fun little soft dinosaur playground that the kids were able to run around a bit...great since it is freakin freezing and a blizzard is outside. We also let them go on the carousel. We had a great time and are so grateful for our Monday playgroups! ( I did not get a single good picture of the kids. They were not about the stop and let me get one so here is the best I could do.)

Treats!!!

2008-12-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

The past few days I have made a bunch of yummy Christmas goodies.
Reasons include:
* Me being home a ton because we moved in with my mom to take care of her...if you know me very well I get very restless
* I love them
* Lots of visitor and they need something when they come
* I have been trying to make my mom as comfortable as possible...comfort = treats!
* I of course must try all my recipes before I make goodies to take around for Christmas presents.
* I love cooking in my mom's kitchen

This weekend was filled with a lot of family time, friends, and food. Yummy homemade bread, butter mints, carmel corn, muffins and of course Kevin's favorite oreo dessert. We have had such a great time...o ya and did I mention I have a scheduled run tomorrow morning at 9 AM sharp!!!

Happy Birthday Kevin

2008-12-03T12:45:00.001-08:00

Well today my Kevin is turning the big 27. Can you believe it?
Here are a few things you may not know about my cute boyfriend and husband...

* He is really really smart

* He was voted biggest flirt in High School

* Through high school he drove his very own Shaggin Wagon

* He is a really good singer but doesn't sing to me nearly enough

* He is great at basketball.

* He gives amazing back rubs...keep um coming

* He wants to open up his own Pharmacy

* He loves tools...he keeps wanting these tools that he uses once and then we get to store them :)

* He is a Mama's Boy...I love it!

* In a high school play he kissed the one and only BROOKE WHITE! hahaha really

* When he lets his facial hair grow it comes in all red.

* He holds the name "Wrestling Champ" in our family although I am sure it won't be for long.

* He has about 80 cousins...only counting one side. We love HUGE families

* He is a really good cook and can whip up a mean french toast breakfast in bed!

* The first time he met my family he pulled out Elvis burns...You can see them in the picture

* He used to be a big pyro and burn army men as a kid

* He is just as dorky as me!

He is amazing. I don't know what I would do without him. I love you baby! Happy Birthday!

2008-12-01T22:07:00.001-08:00

This is completely lame but I was laughing so hard I was crying. I had to post it. Enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas

2008-11-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

Another Tag...I know. I think it will be fun to have in the future. I also thought it was fun to see how others celebrate Christmas time.

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate although I don't just love it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or sit them under the tree? Neither. We set our stockings in our spot and then he displays our presents in our spot in the room. When we came downstairs in the morning it looked amazing...a room full of presents!

3. Colored or white lights on tree and house? We used to do colored on the house but this year they are white everywhere.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have before but not usually.

5. When do you put your decorations up? We always did it the weekend after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? To Butter mints count? I could have them and only them for any meal. Real food...Parmesan chicken and twice baked potatoes.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I can't choose just one. I loved them all for different reasons. I love everything....the treats, the songs, the smells, the family time, the gifts, the giving, the snow...okay okay I could go on forever.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth...If we didn't believe, even as adults we didn't receive a thing. I remember being about 20 and my mom telling me to go to bed at like 9:00 so Santa could come. I have a hard time going to bed on Christmas Eve let alone if it is at 9:00.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I don't remember opening a gift but my little family does. We open our Christmas PJ's that we get to wear that night!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Red Balls, Ornaments and lights. I started giving each or my little boys ornaments each year that represented something. They are fun to have on the tree.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love new snow...It looks ugly after a few days. All black and icy.

12. Can you ice skate? ya, sort of, I took lessons for awhile. I haven't been for a long time.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It is crazy but I don't really remember. I have received a bike, and an American girl doll and a few other really fun gifts but I remember the things I was excited to give more.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family time. I love being with family and we have such fun traditions.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Butter mints, Butter mints, Butter mints!Oh ya and they have to be homemade...homemade camel's are up there too.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve we have huge party. We used to do it at my Grandma's house but now my mom does it. We have dinner, the nativity, a program, play bingo and the quarter game. So much fun!

17. What tops your tree? A star

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving!! Giving... Like I said before I get more excited with all the things I get to give. Especially when it comes to my three little boys...including Kevin (my other little kid at Christmas Time)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love just about every Christmas song but I think "O Holy Night" and "Where You There" are my favorites.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Don't love them don't hate them

I would love to hear how everyone else celebrates so do it on your blog too!

Black Friday

2008-11-28T18:51:00.001-08:00

In this home we love Black Friday. As usual we could hardly wait for the adds to come out on Thanksgiving Day! I had a hard time sleeping thinking about my plan of attack and how to get the best deals. We woke up bright and early, grabbed some McDonald's breakfast and dragged our kids around town. Of course we found some things but others were already gone. Whether we were able to get things or not we had the best time.

I am grateful for my amazing husband...once again. He goes along with all my crazy dumb plans...like taking my kids out at 7 in the morning to save a couple of bucks. He thinks I am silly but loves me anyway. He's the greatest!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T18:32:00.001-08:00

Ambulance

2008-11-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

My mom called me first thing yesterday and asked me if I wanted to go to IKEA to look for some furniture with her. Kevin was home so I jumped at the chance to leave during my kids naps. We had a great time...found some wonderful stuff and got ice cream as we were leaving. I stayed inside waiting for them to bring us some of our things while my mom backed up the car.

Next think I knew my mom was on her back on the ground. I walked outside thinking what in the world are you doing. Little did I know that while she was trying to fix the backseat of her car she tried to get out of the burb and her foot got stuck. She fell about 3 feet right on her hip.

We couldn't move her so they called 911 and we were taken to the hospital in an ambulance. To make a long story short she broke her hip and had surgery today. She is doing well but can't put any weight on it for 6 weeks. If you know my mom that is about a lifetime. The bank and the post office will receive about half their business with my mom down and out.

Today I am thankful for my mom. She is so amazing and does so much for me. I hope that she will allow me to help her during this trial in her life. I am sure she will need it!

Family Pictures

2008-11-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

We finally got some family pictures taken. I love how they turned out...even though my little boys were pills and wouldn't smile or look at the camera. A good friend Mark Thackary took them and did an awesome job. His photography website is called AMBPhotography. I have it as a link. Check it out!

I am grateful for the chance I get to pay tithing. I receive so many blessings from it. Today we had tithing settlement and our bishop had some great insight about how important tithing is. The Lord is so generous when he lets us keep 90%. I love this gospel!

Go Cougs!!!

2008-11-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few fun jokes I found. I am of course cheering for the Y but really just hope it is a good game. Hope these make you smile!!

Q: What is the difference between the U. of U. football team and a bowl of Cheerios?
A: The Cheerios belong in a bowl!

Q: What's the difference between the Utes and a dollar bill?
A: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar

One day in an elementary school in Salt Lake City, UT, a teacher asks her class if the Utah Utes are their favorite football team. The whole class says yes, except for Little Jimmy.

The teacher asks, "What's your favorite football team Jimmy?"

Little Jimmy says, "The BYU Cougars "

The teacher asks, "Well, why is that?"

Little Jimmy says, "Well, my dad is a Cougar fan, my mom is a Cougar fan, I guess that makes me a Cougar fan."

The teacher angered by his reply says, "If your dad was a moron and your mom was an idiot what would that make you?"

Little Jimmy says, "Well, I guess that would make me a Utah fan."

I am so thankful that I have graduated and have a degree. There are sometimes that I would love to attend classes again. Kevin has been studying hard for a test and I remember how much I didn't enjoy that part of school.

Twilight

2008-11-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

Last night my sisters, my mom and I were among the other 50 million people to go to Twilight at midnight. I am not going to say too much about the movie so that those of you who haven't seen it won't go with others opinions. Anyway, there were a few things that I couldn't believe...
*I think we were about the only ones without a Twilight shirt on. My sisters and mom dressed cute...and me in my PJ's
*People dressed as vampires and you could get your picture taken with them..biting you neck and all.
*It took 30 min to get popcorn...think of tons of hungry woman at 1 in the morning= long line for popcorn= paying someone who was first in line to buy and extra popcorn for us
* I forgot my vampire teeth...yes many people were wearing them
* Blood drives were going on...yes that is what I said Blood drives

Anyway, we had a great time. It was a fun girls night out. It did remind me about how old I am getting. 3 a.m. used to be nothing.

Today I am especially thankfull for nice long naps. After a crazy night I was able to enjoy one today...nothing is better!

Wheeler Farm

2008-11-21T10:10:00.001-08:00

We had the best time at Wheeler Farm yesterday. We met some friends there and had a great time catching up. Andrew just loves playing with other little kids...especially Amanda's little Millie. Andrew told me..."Mom I don't like Millie, I love her." He just started giggling. He is already starting to take after his dad...the ladies man :) It was so fun to see you girls. I can't wait for Monday at the Zoo.

I am thankful for friends. If I didn't have them I would go crazy.

HIGH SCHOOL

2008-11-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

You are probably going to be sick of these tags, but I kind of think they are fun because it is a bit like a journal. It will be fun for my boys to read. I feel like I just post the same thing over and over...taking my boys here or there so I guess these tags mix things up a bit.

1. Did you date someone during high school? I dated a little during high school but it was mostly hanging out. I did sort of date someone from a different high school the beginning of senior year...Tommy (that was the weirdest hookup ever) Boyfriends mostly came after high school, during college.
2. What kind of car did you drive? At first I drove a Jimmy, then an older Acura and then my dad got me a Jeep Wrangler...He went through a mid life crisis or something because he always wanted to drive it. He took my mom in dates and stuff. Hahaha Sometimes I think he drove it more than me.
3.Did you pass your driver's license test on the first try? Surprisingly yes.
4. Were you a party animal? Not hardly. I hung out with friends a lot and went to parties but never the "Party Animal"
5. Were you considered a flirt? I didn't think so...some might say so. I had a friend KATIE who was always holding boys hands and we laughed at her...until I found myself cuddling with different boys. Then my friends started laughing at me!
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Concert Choir... Loved Mrs. Belnap!!!jk
7. Were you a nerd? Probably, I felt like I was friends with different people. I guess anyone who comments could help with this one.
8. Were you on any varsity teams? I played Tennis
9. Did you ever get suspended/expelled? Nope. I sometimes had a hard time making it to class but being a Student Body Officer helped. I could get out of just about anything.
10. Can you still sing the fight song? Nope, I think I new it once...my brain went to my kids
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Manz!! He was my tennis coach and let me do all the extra credit I wanted in History. Except I heard a rumor that he got a high school girl prego...then he wasn't so cool anymore
12. Where did you sit for lunch? I think in the lunch room. I wandered around a lot... or left with friends
13. What is your school's full name? Olympus High School
14. What is your school's mascot? Titan
15. Did you go to Homecoming and with who? Yes- My Junior year I went but I can't remember for the life of me who I went with...I am so lame...sorry if it is with anyone who reads this, I am sure I had lots of fun, and my Sr year with Brad Newbold.
16. If you could, would you go back and do it again? No. I like to remember the good times and try to forget the bad. I wouldn't want to relive it except maybe for a day or two...I might get actually get some sleep and my brain might get a workout.
17. What do you remember most about graduation? SENIOR TRIP...it was a blast.
18. Where did you go Senior Skip Day? I was supposed to skip a day?... I skipped quite a few but I was usually just hanging out with friends.
19. Were you in any clubs- Yes, but most of the time it was to get in the picture in the yearbook. WAMO was the only real one that I did much with. I think I was in the french club, chess club, math club and Spanish one too...Hola is french Right. jk
20. Have you gained some weight since then- up and down. Right now I am probably about the same...kids do a doosy to your body though.
21. Who was your prom date? Jr year I went with Chad Jackson and Sr. year with San Fran
22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Probably, I think it is always fun to see people and see what they are doing.
23. Did you have a job in high school? During the summer I did. I worked as a dental assistant at my dad's office.
So there you have it. I might regret to admitting some of these things but o well...too late.:)

Oh, Ya and I am thankful for sleeping children. Today they took naps at different times so I didn't get a break... I did just get them both in bed for the night!

New Calling

2008-11-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

I recently got a new calling in our ward. I am so excited about it. It is a brand new calling that they said was the Young Mothers Coordinator. Anyway, I get to plan playgroups and girls nights out. I can't wait! I already have a whole list of fun things I want to do but if anyone has ideas about fun things to do with this young mothers group let me know!

Today I am grateful for yummy home made rolls. I just finished mine for dinner. I of course had to try them. I wouldn't want to serve them to all my family if they didn't taste good! :) I think I will go have another!

Signs

2008-11-13T20:28:00.001-08:00

I found these signs and thought they were so funny. Enjoy!

I have been looking at a big pile of laundy sitting in my bedroom thinking about how I need to fold it all and put it away. I hate laundry!!! So today I am greatful for washing machines...if we didn't have them I would have to wash the clothes by hand before I folded them...or in my case before they sat in a pile in my room.

I feel lucky

2008-11-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

My cute sexy husband showed up with flowers. Today I am especially thankful for him. After a day full of problems with my back, 6 time outs, 2 spilled drinks, 3 melt downs, and very short naps Kevin finally came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He did the kids all night...I love him. He is such an amazing guy and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

Chaos

2008-11-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

We have had a crazy week filled with lots of fun, family, friends, and of course CHAOS! I love my life!
-Jungle Jims
-Discovery Gateway
-Fat Cats
-BYU game party
-U of U game party
-music class
-date night
-play groups
-family pictures (thanks again Mark)
-Shopping for a backyardagains couch from Grandma!!! The Highlight for Andrew
-Pet store
-Movie Night(Backyardagains once again)
I can't wait for next week to begin. We always have so much fun..me and my two little squirts!

I am especially grateful for a healthy body! Today was the first day I went running in 3 weeks thanks to a few herniated disks in my back! It felt GREAT! (I never in my whole life thought I would enjoy running)

Jungle Jims

2008-11-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we headed to Jungle Jims with some friends. I was so glad that Andrew had friends there because I didn't have to go on any of the rides. I get so stinkin sick. Anyway, He had a blast as always and I was glad we had somewhere to go on a freezing cold day. (Sorry about the horrible pictures...me aka genius couldn't figure out how to take it off night vision)

I am thankful for my cute Andrew. As I was putting him to bed tonight...after books,songs,drinks,brushing teeth, and prayers... he asked me how much I love him. (he tried to drag out the whole going to bed thing if you didn't notice) I replied by saying that I love him more than all the gumballs in the whole world (he knows just how much I love gumballs) I asked him how much he loves me and he said "I love you more than all the playgrounds in the whole world." I thought it was so cute... I sang him a few more songs after that. Boy does he have me wrapped around his finger!

Parenting Definitions

2008-11-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

AMNESIA: condition that enables a woman who has gone through labor to have sex again.

BOTTLE FEEDING: an opportunity for Daddy to get up at 2 AM too.

DEFENSE: what you'd better have around the yard if you're going to let the children play outside.

DROOLING: how teething babies wash their chins.

DUMB WAITER: one who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

FAMILY PLANNING: the art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you from falling into financial disaster.

FEEDBACK: the inevitable result when a baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots.

FULL NAME: what you call your child when you're mad at him.

GRANDPARENTS: the people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right.

HEARSAY: what toddlers do when anyone mutters a bad word.

IMPREGNABLE: a woman whose memory of labor is still vivid.

INDEPENDENT: how we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say.

LOOK OUT!: what it's too late for your child to do by the time you scream it.

OWWW: the first word spoken by children with older siblings.

PRENATAL: when your life was still somewhat your own.

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH: a contradiction in terms.

PUDDLE: a small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes.

SHOW OFF: a child who is more talented than yours.

STERILIZE: what you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it.

STOREROOM: the distance required between the supermarket aisles so that children in shopping carts can't quite reach anything.

TEMPER TANTRUMS: what you should keep to a minimum so as to not upset the children.

THUNDERSTORM: a chance to see how many family members can fit into one bed.

TOP BUNK: where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.

TWO-MINUTE WARNING: when the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises.

VERBAL: able to whine in words.

WHODUNIT: none of the kids that live in your house.

WHOOPS: an exclamation that translates roughly into "get a sponge".

Today I am thankful for laughter. In the Hinton home we sure do a lot of it.
I hope this post gets you laughing...we were.

Thankful For...

2008-11-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Today I was telling Kevin how excited I was for Christmas. Now that Halloween is over we can decorate and put up lights and listen to music and go shopping. He asked me about Thanksgiving and if we were just going to forget about it. I replied by saying..."We can just be thankful for Christmas !" I am a nerd I know but seriously Christmas deserves more than just one month right?

Anyway, It got me thinking about how I do sort of skip out of Thanksgiving. I decided to add something I am thankful for to each post this month. I am still decorating for Christmas and listening to Christmas music but I will be consciously trying to remember all that I am thankful for. I hope this works.

Today I am thankful to have been raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have amazing parents that taught me the correct principles of this gospel. I am grateful that I know about all that our Father in Heaven has in store for us. I am thankful that I know about eternal families. I don't know how I would have handled my fathers death otherwise. I am grateful for Christ and especially for the atonement because I sure do need it :) I will stop rambling but first things first...this gospel is amazing. I am now starting my own family and trying to raise my little family in as great a home and I was raised.

Halloween

2008-10-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE being a Mom. I have always loved Holidays but having a child to enjoy it with makes it that much better. We had such a fun Halloween. I planned a fun party with all the Tullis kids filled with lots of food, treats, and fun games.

We headed around my mom's street trick-or-treating. (When I was growing up people always called it Halloween street because they usually give out great things. We got enough candy for the next month. Oh and this year she got about 900 kids. That is not including the repeats that we turned away. Crazy hu?)

We headed back to my mom's to give out candy. Andrew had more fun doing that than going door to door for his own candy. I finally talked Andrew into coming inside but before I did I caught him on the front steps with candy in his hands yelling "Kids...Where are you" He refused to come inside. He kept telling me "More kids are still coming mommy." I love that boy!

Now that the kids are asleep I get to enjoy MY Halloween with my amazing husband!!!

Jackson attacking a neighbors cat. After having his tail pulled one too many times, the cat turned and tried to claw Jackson. Andrew was all upset and threw a big basketball and hit the cat...I wish I felt bad for the cat, Kevin and I taught Andrew good.

Open candy with gloves game.

Eating Donuts off a string game.

Passing out candy with Grandma Trish.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

We're In!!!

2008-10-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

We are so excited. Today Kevin got an acceptance letter to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA. It is not our first choice but we are thrilled to be in anywhere. Our first choice is Southern Nevada in Vegas because it is a 3 year program and they have an Pharm D/ MBA program. We would be on our own but be close enough to see family often. My mom is in St. George all the time and we are just a few hours from Mesa. Two of my best friends Heidi and Becca live there which is a big bonus. Anyway, we are going to celebrate tomorrow since Kevin works all night tonight. Talk about a Happy Halloween.

Leaves...and Dirt!

2008-10-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went outside to play in the leaves. Andrew and I were having the best time tossing them up, taking pictures and crunching them...then I remembered I had another child. I found Jackson a few feet away in a pile of dirt. He was happy as could be because no one had stopped him from eating it. These pictures don't do him justice...he had it from head to toe. I craved dirt when I was pregnant with him (don't ask) but never thought he would like it as much as he does. I just had to laugh. Who knows...maybe I am just jealous :)

Party in AZ

2008-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

The past week or so we were lucky enough to be in Arizona with the Hinton fam. Kevin was interviewing down at Midwestern so we headed down to see everyone. We had the best time filled with friends,family,games,movies and shopping.
We were down there over my birthday. Kevin and his mom planned a surprise party. It was so much fun to see all our friends and family.(Limited pictures because I had no idea to bring my camera and since I am the one who takes pics there are none)
Anyway, We had a blast and we were so sad to see the trip end. Today real life hit and I am already for another vacation...how sad is that. Andrew is still asking for all of his uncles and Grandma Lean.

Reading books with Uncle Timma

Popsicles with Papa Gary

Andrew going "Wee Wee with his Blanky"

A HIT of a Party!!

2008-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our little Jackson turned 1 yesterday and we had a fun birthday party for him tonight! I decided to have a baseball party since Jackson crawls around everywhere with his bat hitting everything and anything he can find....including his brother...ouch.
Anyway some highlights include,

*Footlong Hotdogs
*The big bat and ball cake
*Bubble gum blowing contest... Way to go Jim Mr MVB (most valuable blower)
*Sunflower Seed Spitting Contest...this was a close race between Adam and Matt but Matt pulled it out. (notice it is all the adults that got really into the games)
* Signed baseball for Jackson from all those who came
* Jackson's new fourwheeler from Grandma Trish!!
* Enough popcorn to get everyone sick
* Cake everywhere (including ears) from Jackson digging into the Ball Cake.
* The many other fun gifts he got, he is so spoiled.
* Two kinds of homemade ice cream...yummy yummy!
* Funny baseball favors for everyone
* 16 Very Happy Kids!! Not including the ll "other kids" aka the parents

the cake

sunflower seed spitting contest

the four wheeler

before

and after

Thanks everyone who came... The party was a hit. You helped make this day a special one for Jackson...okay,okay mostly me. Anyay, Thanks a lot. We love you!

Kevin Exclusive

2008-10-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a friends blog and thought this would be fun for many of you to get to know Kevin better since I am always the one blabbing on here. I also thought I would be fun for our kids to have.

1. Where did you meet? We met on a study abroad in Vienna, Austria. We had the best time and were engaged by the time we came home...well except the whole meet and ask the parents thing. Because my Dad isn't around my brothers said there is no way you are engaged until all 4 of us meet him and approve.He is from AZ and me from Utah so introductions couldn't be immediately. A week after we got home from Vienna he met us in Florida for a family trip. The whole Tullis Fam for one week with their eyes on you...talk about pressure.

2. How long did you date before you were married? We dated but it was sort of speed dating. We laugh because all of a sudden we were flying home and I had no way to contact him. I remember asking him for his number...this was after we were planning on getting married. When I first called him he sounded weird. I had never talked to him on the phone. We were in Vienna for 4 months and then were engaged for about 4 months so I would have to say about 8 months.

3. How long have you been married? 5 years in April! Isn't this supposed to be the diamond year or something? hehe, jk

4. What does he do that surprises you? He surprised me with different things all the time. He has never loved Valentine's Day because things are expected. He would much rather show up with some flowers or a sugar cookie when I was least expecting it.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? I can only pick one hu?..... I guess I would have to say the smile. It is contagious. Oh and he has really great lips!!!

6. What is your favorite quality of his? Once again only one? I guess I would say his unselfishness. He would do anything for anyone at the drop of a hat. He spent all morning today (his one day off) over at my mom's mowing her lawn and fixing things in her house.

7. Does he have a Nickname for you? He calls me Babe...not too exciting.

8. What is his favorite color? Green, Green, and more Green...we laugh at him because he loves it...the brighter the better. Isn't green supposed to mean something? Andrew thinks it is a grouchy color because of one of his books but I know better :)

9. What is his favorite food? Anything homemade! Too bad for me hu? No, I like to cook. He would rather me cook ham and potatoes than go out to eat any day. Oh, and check this out...he would rather have seconds than dessert. Weirdo!!! More for me!

10. What is his favorite sport? His favorite sport growing up was always basketball...I tell you this, he can keep up for sure. Since his knees are bad and I convinced him it wasn't the "Rich People Sport" he has really enjoyed tennis. We do that quite often together.

11. When and where was your first kiss? First kiss was in front of a world famous Opera House in downtown Vienna. We had just walked around the city and snow had just started to fall. I do have to add that we were with his sister and he pretty much told her to leave...he said "Don't you have some homework or something you need to do?" In other words he wasn't too slick...I could see it coming.

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Travel!! We love taking off on new adventures...it was a little easier when we didn't have 2 little rugrats but we still love them.

13. Do you have children? Ya, two amazing boys. Jackson 1 this month and Andrew 3 in March.

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He is really smart...like nerdy smart and I love it. He will be embarrassed that I told the world but he just took a big Pharmacy Admittance test and scored the 92nd percentile. One of us needs to know how to use our brains...I am back learning the Alphabet all over again.

15. How old is he? 26...some days 26 going on 18!jk

16. Who said I love you first? He did. I was leaving for the night..I had to catch the very last Ubohn so that I could catch the very last Shnellbon to my home in the outskirts of town and he said it right as I was about the leave. At first I didn't know what to say. I think I asked him how he knew...typical girl hu?...me trying to discuss it. I think I finally said it too, but I don't know if it was that night.

17. What is his favorite type of music? He like most everything. He probably likes alternative the best. He also has all this music from back in the day that he still loves...Led Zeppelin, They Might Be Giants.

18. What do you admire most about him? How great a dad he is! He wants to be involved in everything. I think that is one reason he changed his career choice. He knew that doctors are on call, and work hard hours, and during school and residency he would miss a lot of the boys lives. I am just happy that he loves being a dad and that he puts his family first...whatever he decides to to.

19. Do you think he will read this? Only because he knows I am doing a husband post! I love you Baby!!!

Friends

2008-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today...after music class and a field trip playgroup to the pumpkin patch...Andrew comes up to me and said "Mommy I am not having very much fun." I asked him why and all he had to say was, "I am not playing with any friends." Am I seriously not cool anymore? I thought I at least had another year or two until my child preferred friends. So after naps we headed to play with another friend, Josh. And Kevin laughs at me because he thinks I am so social.

Pumpkins

2008-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

I begged Andrew to come over for a Picture.

Me...Alone carving pumpkins for our fun family activity.

So we got around to carving Pumpkins last night. I had a great time but I think everyone else could have passed. Strange hu? What kid doesn't like to carve pumpkins...apparently mine. Kevin hates carving pumpkins. He hates the smell and the goo inside. I decided I would go ahead and carve some anyway with the kids. Jackson was off by the time I washed the pumpkin and Andrew was gone soon after. As soon as I cut off the top Andrew got this disgusted look on his face and started to dry heave! He would not touch it. I couldn't believe it. I could barely wait to dig in to the "gobbly goo", as Andrew called it. So anyway, I carved pumpkins by myself last night. I have actually already got another pumpkin to do before Halloween...that's what it takes to get some alone time around here.

BYU

2008-10-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Finding an old journal and watching the BYU game today made me start thinking about the college years and all the fun I had down in Provo. I met some amazing friends. These girls,known as "the Diva's", met freshman year. I have the best memories from BYU and just about all of them include these girls. We went through a lot together and although I don't talk to them nearly enough I think of them as my dearest friends.

Most of these girls are the people who check my blog I thought it might be fun to comment about some of your favorite memories too.

BYU football games...I loved having season passes
Quote Page
the freshman 15...not the best memory but i had to include it (I remember going into Niki and Lauren's room during finals and they had one of everything from the vending machine, hahaha)

I will continue to add but you do it to!

8 inches later...

2008-10-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Crappy Day.....Literally

2008-10-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

For the past few days my kids have been a bit sick. By a bit I mean a little cough here a runny nose there. Until last night....can I just say I have no idea how so much crap and vomit came out of two boys so small. I know I know too much information.

It is always a comforting thought when you call the nurse, she wants you to come and see the doctor but when you get there you he wants you to wait it out. Like I want to wait this one out... I will send them your way Mr Doctor. Yesterday was a bit frustrating but not today. Today just became hilarious because it couldn't have gotten any worse...okay never say never. So now 3 sets of sheets, 13 outfits and 7 loads of wash later I think we are on the mend. Anyone know a good carpet cleaner?

St. George

2008-10-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed down to St George. My mom has a house there and we just love it. Kevin's brother Timma came up from Mesa to meet us. We had a blast!
Some highlights include

*Swimming
*Marathon...poor runners it was raining and cold the whole time
*Conference...of course great as ever.
*Boccie
*Soccer
*Ping-Pong...Andrew and his bandit slam it
*Rubix Cube....weird I know but we found one at the dollar store and Timma taught me how to do it.
*Shopping....I hit the jackpot!!
*Board Games... Thanks Timma for letting Kevin win, I told you our lives would be much more pleasant:)
*Running...no not the marathon, I wish, I did find some other paths that were so fun and gave me a run for my money

It was so much fun to get away. I loved all the fun things we were able to do and especially just being with my boys.

Thanks Timma for making the effort to come up. We loved seeing you. Andrew is still talking about you and asks when he will get to see you next. We all hope soon. Love you!!!

(Here are a few pics but hopefully more to come. Some of them wouldn't rotate)

2008-09-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

We headed down town last Saturday to see the circus. It was so much fun to go and enjoy all the different acts. It was fun to go with the Ames and enjoy their company too. Andrews favorite part was the 7 motorcycles going in the big ball...like father like son hu? It was also fun to see all the animals. I just wish Jackson did better. He was a bit of a pill. We did have a great time anyway.

Anatomy Class

2008-09-27T18:19:00.001-07:00

Kevin here. Tonight in the tub I was teaching Andrew some anatomy that I am learning this semester. I'll just say right now that anatomy and the Berenstein Bears don't mix

Disclaimer: Andrew came up with this 100% on his own(other than the anatomy of course).

Note to Self....

2008-09-24T20:39:00.001-07:00

Don't drive down to Gateway next year to see the Circus Parade. It turned out to be about 3 minutes long...I know I exaggerate but I am serious it was not longer than 5 minutes. I kept thinking there has got to be more coming but no that was it.

It was fun to see the elephants and the clowns. It did get Andrew excited for the Circus which we are hoping to go to this weekend. I guess I can't complain too much because I was there with friends and we went shopping and grabbed a treat. Seriously, next year they should be wild and crazy and make it a whole 10 minutes long.

Tennis Tuesdays!!!

2008-09-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

So we have started Tennis Tuesdays! Kevin and I are both really into tennis and so we decided we will go once a week and attempt to play. We take both our kids and they play on the court next to us. It is a blast and a great way to spend and evening together. After tennis we go get a slurpee...my fav. Andrew can't wait for our next Tennis Tuesday!

Can't a Girl be Excited for Halloween

2008-09-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a great day as usual (all time-outs and tantrums aside) We had a fun day going with cousins to the museum and to lunch. We woke up to a cold morning. After telling Andrew no he could not wear a witch hat or his fireman hat he insisted he wear his Halloween Shirt from his Grandma Trish. He and Jackson both have one and since I rarely dress them alike he was really excited

At the museum a lady turned to me and said, "You are already putting them in Halloween shirts? That is the first I have seen this year." Then she turned to her friend and laughed. I never think of good comebacks so all I could say was "Can't a girl be excited for Halloween." I know it was totally lame. After thinking about it I kept wishing I would have said "Come on at least I got him to wear that rather than his witch or fireman costume that he wanted to wear.

Anyway, We got to play outside later in the day and help Grandma Trish with some gardening. Jackson and Andrew are really starting to play together and enjoy each other. I love it!!

Bowling

2008-09-20T19:19:00.001-07:00

After I ruined our day by changing plans last min...
*(I took them to the Sandy Heritage festival not too fun,
*talked Kevin out of the Gun Expo- my mom wants to give us a gun of my dad's
*made them go to South Town Mall- My boys love to shop:)
we did something really fun and headed to Fat Cats. We had the best time!

I love this pic. Andrew is doing a victory dance after he bowled a strike!!!

I Love to See the Temple

2008-09-18T15:12:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we had regional conference down at the Conference Center on Temple Square. We took tracks down there and had a great time. Andrew asks to see "Angel Ramoni" about once a week so he was thrilled. We took some pictures and walked around temple square for a bit. It wasn't until we got home that I realized that we had like one picture with the temple in it. Great Hu? Anyway, We had a great time and feel so blessed that we live so close to this temple that we love.

Keys

2008-09-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

Me and Keys do not mix. I can't figure out why but I get locked out of our apartment all the time. I have every excuse in the book; I don't grab keys, Andrew locks the door, I thought I had them in my purse, I grab the keys without the house key in it. Today when I was looking through my purse for the keys Andrew said "Great Mom, we are locked out."

The first three times Kevin was with me so he just climbed in the window. Now it has happend a few times when Kevin was not there. I tell you what I have some great breaking and entering skills :) I have now gone to Home Depot and made about 10 copies and hid them all over the place. I WON'T be locked out again- i tell you that much. Anyway, I sit here typing with scratches all up my arms from climbing in the window.... Did I mention we live on the second story?

Save a Horse-Ride a Cowboy

2008-09-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Kevin: "Alicia, do you think I should dress up for the fair"?
Alicia: "Ummm, sure. But I think you need to show me what you are going to wear before I will be seen with you in public".
After an hour in the bathroom....
K: "Babe, how does I look"?

Dang my Baby looks good!

We went to the Utah State Fair on Friday and we had the best time.

Highlights
*The HUGE slide
*Andrew ridding ponies
*getting ripped off by all the game and ride carnies
*The kids discovery Farm
*Kevin's haircut...just for the Fair (pic at top:))
*Being checked out by Carnies
*Cotton Candy..my fav
*The smiles on my kids faces!!!

...It was great and I will do it again next year!

September 11

2008-09-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

September 11 has turned into a day of reflection. I remember that day and how tragic it was. We didn't know what was ahead for our country. My thoughts were selfish because I was greatfull everyone I knew was okay. I think about all those who lost their lives and it makes me want to live mine more fully.

I hug my kids tighter
I make sure to kiss Kevin longer
I call family and make sure they know just how much I love them

There are many of you I don't see or talk to often enough but you have influenced my life and I want you to know just how much I love and appreciate you!

Discovery Gateway

2008-09-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

This past year we have had a pass to Discovery Gateway. Last winter it saved me when I had a baby and was going stir crazy. We are so sad that our pass ran out at the end of August. It is such a fun place for kids.

5K

2008-09-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

My cute boys

(Woof, Horrible pic)

So to many a 5K is a daily occurrence. For Kevin and me it was more difficult. We have been gearing up for it for awhile. We ran yesterday and both finished with decent times so we were excited. Neither of us are runners. I would actually rather do just about anything than run. In the last month or so I have actually started enjoying it. We both felt great after the 3 1/4 miles so we are geared up to do a longer run. Our next goal is a 10K so hopefully it happens.