Chad & Debbie Crowther

J Boy - 6 months and counting

2012-01-29T15:52:00.002-05:00

Jace is now almost 7 months old...so I figured I should give you a quick update about how big he has gotten in the first half year of his life. In so many words, our little J Boy is "fat and happy!" As the photos below so clearly demonstrate, Jace is always smiling and is a great eater! :) He's all about the fruits and veggies these days. And of course, still loves his rice cereal and oatmeal. He drools like crazy, but hasn't cut any teeth yet. At his 6-month appointment Jace weighed in at just shy of 20 pounds. (And now that he's almost 7 months, he's well over 21 pounds!) He was in the 88 percentile for weight and was in the 97 percentile for height. He is a big boy! He is a great sleeper, going for about 11 hours at night and taking 2 naps during the day. He loves to sit up all by himself now, and has finally mastered rolling over. He's such a sweet, patient, and mellow little guy. He adores his sister! And he's starting to say "mamamama," which melts my heart! Love this hunky chunky boy!

Our First Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-19T00:14:00.007-05:00

Jace is 4 months old

2011-11-06T17:22:00.003-05:00

Jace turned 4 months old on Oct. 30th. Here are a few fun facts about our hunky, chunky boy!

Jace is HAPPY! He hardly ever cries, and he smiles all the time (despite the photos below, where he isn't smiling at all!)

Jace gets giddy and giggly at night time. It's so fun to tickle him and make him chuckle with his little hearty laugh. Sometimes he even gives a little squeal of joy. So cute!

Jace is officially chubby! He weighs just under 17 pounds, and is the 96% for height. I love his chubby cheeks, all of his legs rolls, and especially his little butt dimples! (Wish they were as cute on me as they are on him...haha!)

Jace is eating rice cereal now...or is it eating him?? (Take a look at the photos below and you decide!)

Jace is sleeping through the night (most of the time). YAY!!! One day he went all the way until 7:30 am!

Jace can roll over! Unlike Reece, who started by rolling from tummy to back, Jace rolls from his back to his tummy.

Jace is a mellow, easy-going boy. He goes along wherever we drag him without any fuss...car rides, stroller rides, trips to the gym, shopping, etc.

Jace adores his big sister! She gives him lots of hugs and kisses, and every time she comes around he gets a big smile. They are already good friends (let's hope it stays that way!)

We love our little guy, and can't imagine our family without him!

I was laughing at my kiddos the other day when we got home from a jog up the canyon...Reece had crashed and Jace was wide-eyed and hanging out (it's usually the other way around...Jace loves to snooze during our stroller rides and Reece is usually begging to get out)!

Happy Ween

2011-11-06T17:00:00.005-05:00

In the words of Reece, "Happy Ween!" We had a fun Halloween this year. We kicked off the festivities with a trip to the local pumpkin patch to pick out the best pumpkin in town. Reece loved riding in the Radio Flyer wagon. Then, we went to the annual Halloween party with our friends on the Friday before Halloween, where Chad won the pumpkin carving contest (no tracing paper required). As you can see, we went with the family cowboy costume theme this year. Reece was the cutest little cow in town, Chad and Jace were farmers, and I was your average Rodeo Queen. :) On Halloween we went to the Trunk-or-Treat at our church, and then Reece went around the neighborhood Trick-or-Treating. She had been carrying around her pumpkin bucket for weeks, so she was so excited to finally get to fill it with candy on the big night! She figured it out in no time, and quickly went from door to door "knocking," saying "happy ween," and getting loaded with candy! She had a ball...and responded on que with a "moo" when people asked her what a cow says. We all had a great time, and are getting really sick of eating candy!

Deb Turns 30!

2011-10-16T01:42:00.003-04:00

It's official...I am now middle-aged! :) As always, Chad spoiled me rotten for my birthday. Because it was a milestone, he went all-out by planning a surprise birthday weekend in Show Low, AZ. He rented a house in the mountains and secretly planned a weekend trip with a group of our friends from Florida (who now live in Arizona and New Mexico). I had no idea...it was so fun being surprised and seeing all of our old friends!! The Baughs, Gales and Fabrizios all met up with us in Show Low for a weekend of fun! We made dutch oven dinners, had a bonfire and made smores, the kids had a ball playing together, the girls went out to lunch and left the boys home to babysit, we all went fishing, and had lots of fun just hanging out and being together. And an added bonus...it snowed!! :) In keeping with tradition, Chad made me another wonderful birthday cake...this year's theme cake was a fish...since we didn't catch any real fish at the lake! Thanks Chad for such a fun, surprising, and wonderful birthday weekend. I love you lots!

This is the cute house we stayed in, with a big yard with grass (that green stuff that we don't have in Tucson!)

It's snowing! Fishing at the lake...

Have I ever mentioned how much Reece adores her dad??? :)

Boston is trying to help Reece zip up her coat...it was so cute!

Hanging out by the bonfire roasting mallows and making smores. YUM!

My Fish Birthday cake! Delicious!

Trip to Florida

2011-10-16T01:21:00.004-04:00

Jace came with me (his first time on an airplane!) to Florida during the first week of October. My mom was my saving grace and flew to Florida for the week to help take care of Jace while I was at work. We made a fun trip out of our visit...eating out and sight-seeing during the evenings after I got done with work and over the weekend. We went to the beach, toured the museum and gardens at the Viscaya, ate out at some of my favorite local restaurants, went shopping at Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall, went to a movie, and visited with several of my friends from work and church. It was a crazy busy week, but we had a fun time. I sure miss the green grass and trees in Florida...and most of all the beach!

Jace 3 Month Photos

2011-10-16T00:39:00.005-04:00

My dear friend Alice took these adorable pictures of Jace at three months old! I just love this chunky little guy...he's so snuggly and sweet.

Thanks Alice!!! We love the pictures!

Jace's Blessing

2011-09-06T15:52:00.005-04:00

Jace Robert Crowther was given a name and a blessing on Sunday, September 4th. He looked so adorable in his little white suit (thanks Aunt Kimmie!) and his monogrammed shoes (thanks Grandma Knutson!). Jace was just over 9 weeks old on his blessing day. He did wonderful...not a peep did he make while dad gave him the sweetest blessing. It was a very special day!

We were so blessed to have most of the Crowther family here for the blessing. They all traveled here to spend the weekend with us. Thank you so much Papa and Nana, Aunt Callee and Mason and Landon, and Uncle Andy and Aunt Jenae and William and Siena and Jocelyn and soon-to-arrive baby Jack! It meant so much to us that you came. And Reece was in heaven and had a blast playing with all her cousins!

Just a quick update on Jace: He weighed 12 lbs. 12 oz. on his 2 month birthday. He was in the 90 percentile for height...so he is tall just like his big sis! But he is much more chunky! :) He is starting to discover the world and makes to cutest little noises and koos. He is starting to smile and recognizes the sound of mom and dad's voice. He sleeps between 4-6 hours consecutively at night (usually...depending on the night) and is a great eater. He is so special and we couldn't image our little family without him. We love you J-Bob! :)

Random Photos

2011-09-06T15:28:00.006-04:00

Here are just some random pictures of the kids over the last month or so.

Reece is a diva (loves her shades!) and a baller...what a perfect combination!

Reece has decided to ditch her car seat and move up to the driver's seat...watch out because she does not yield for pedestrians!
Reece and her buddy Ryde kicking and splashing at the pool!

Reece has inherited her mom's OCD...notice how neatly she has arranged all the bottles!

Jace's outfit says "I Pull All Nighters"...this was ironically taken a morning after a LONG night! Way too appropriate...sound asleep and diaper hanging out!

Jace and dad catching a little siesta together. Funny how well Jace sleeps during the day...uhm!

Reece decided to accessorize her brother with some beautiful princess stickers. Note to self: Do not leave Jace alone with his sister unsupervised. :)

The rest of the pictures are of Jace and Reece together. Best little buddies!

Two peas in a pod...literally! Here are the kids all bundled up in the sleeping bag Aunt Monica gave us...so fun to camp out in the living room!

Happy Birthday Chad!

2011-08-24T15:05:00.003-04:00

Chad turned 32 years old yesterday...and he has the grey hair to prove it! :) Chad had a fun birthday (I hope). We celebrated by going to Golf n' Stuff to ride bumper boats, go miniature golfing, and playing in the arcade. Because it was his big day, I decided to let Chad beat me! Reece even got her own golf ball and club...and she did pretty well for an 18-month old! Jace was a trooper...he just chilled in the stroller despite the 100 degree weather. Reece was scared of the bumper boats at first (big surprise!) but eventually realized it was fun and liked squirting the water. Of course, it wouldn't be a real family outing without a few poopy diapers. But from the poop to the putting, a fun time was had by all! Happy Birthday dad...we love you!

You'd think Chad should have been relieved of diaper duty on his birthday...poor guy!

July 2011 - a month of joy and craziness!

2011-07-25T16:40:00.006-04:00

Well, July has been "one of those" months. Of course, it has been WoNdErFuL having baby Jace here. I can't believe he'll be 4 weeks old in just a few days! Below is a pretty close to chronological update of what we've been doing this month...

For starters, we celebrated the 4th of July by having sparklers with my mom and the Powells. We went to our church breakfast that morning so Reece could get out of the house and run around. It was lots of fun!

Despite our great start, the bad luck that seems to be following us around found us. My poor mom who came to help with the new baby had a horrible accident! She fell down and snapped both of her wrists, breaking BOTH her radius and ulna in BOTH wrists! Don't let the below picture fool you...she is smiling behind the pain! My mom...who didn't even cry or scream or anything when she fell...was in casts from her fingertips up above her elbows for 4 days. Then, she got the splits you see below so she could at least move her elbows and fingers....but not much because of the horrible pain. Long story short...my dad flew in to Tucson for just a few hours so he could fly home with my mom. She went back home to have surgery on both wrists. Her surgery was last Tuesday, and went well. She is now recovering...and getting VERY sick and tired of being helpless! She is anxiously waiting for her wrists to heal so that she can go back to being self reliant again. My poor mom....I feel so AWFUL that this happened to her!

Despite the bad luck with my mom, I am happy to report that Jace is doing wonderfully! He is such a cute and precious little guy. He rarely cries and is very mellow. He hasn't quite figured out how to sleep for more than 3-4 hours, but we'll get there soon! He looks like his daddy...from the hairline to his nose all the way down to his bull-legs and toes! (So, of course I think he's completely handsome!)

Reece is such a darling big sister! She loves Jace...and especially loves to give him kisses! This month has been a whirlwind of change for her, and she has been a trooper all the way. This month she has done lots of swimming, watching Tangled on a daily basis, and going on stroller rides with mom and Jace up the canyon. She got her first haircut this month (no more Hulk Hogan mullet for her!), she started going to nursery at church, and has been enjoying summer fun in the sun! Below are some photos of her enjoying some summer treats...ice cream and corn on the cob! She is getting so grown up and big...which makes me and Chad sad! :) We absolutely love and adore both of our babies!

Above is before and below is after her hair cut!

I had to throw this picture in...because it totally cracks me up. Chad tried to dress Reece in a one-piece jumper...which he put on backwards and put both of her legs in one hole. Reece didn't know what what going on...it was hilarious! But I do have to give props to Chad...he is a great dad and such a huge help with the kids. Reece ADORES her daddy...luckily the feeling is mutual!)

Welcome Baby Jace!

2011-07-01T21:18:00.004-04:00

Jace Robert Crowther was born on June 30, 2011. He weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz., and is 20 inches long. Although he was born a month early, he is perfect, healthy, and strong (thankfully)! We are so glad to have Jace as the newest member of our little family and love him so much. Reece is already giving him lots of kisses and is a great big sister.

I want to give a special thanks to my mom, who flew in only 3 hours before we had to go to the hospital. Despite my belief that this baby wasn't going to come so soon, my mom new better! She said that she had intuition...and changed her flight to come in early because she had a feeling that I was going to deliver soon. And of course, she was right! It was such a blessing to have her here to take care of Reece. Thanks grandma...we don't know what we would do without you!

This is us leaving the hospital to come home with sweet little Jace. Welcome home little guy!

Baby "Sprinkle" Shower

2011-06-27T11:30:00.003-04:00

On Saturday all of my Tucson friends got together and threw me a darling baby shower! I was "Sprinkled" with so much love and such cute gifts (I'm totally spoiled)! Thanks to everyone who came and helped coordinate the shower. I had a wonderful time and am so thankful for the love and support I have from my friends.

Below are some photos from the party. The first is a game that we played to help name my little boy. Chad and I go back and forth everyday between these three names. Rhett was the overwhelming winner at the shower! I guess we'll have to wait and see...

It was evident that I have true friends when I got a tower of donuts at my shower...only Meghan would have remembered my obsession! :) All of the food was amazing. Thanks to everyone who brought something...my mouth is still watering!

Grandma B (aka Beverly) was so sweet to host my shower at her house. Thanks Bev!

Meghan worked so hard coordinating my shower...from the cute "Sprinkle" theme, to the yummy food, all the way to the darling decorations. Thank you for EvErYtHiNg Meg!!!

Here is my first pregnancy belly shot...36 weeks big! Can't wait to meet my little guy...who still remains nameless despite the voting results at the baby shower! :)

OUCH!

2011-05-22T11:55:00.008-04:00

Well, despite Chad's New Year's resolution NOT to have surgery this year, he went in yesterday for facial reconstruction surgery. No, the least-vain person in the world did not get elective plastic surgery; he fractured three bones in his face while playing basketball. Here's a quick summary of the story...

Chad went to play in the annual residents basketball tournament yesterday morning. He was on fire! It was the first game, about 5 minutes into the game, and he drained a 3-pointer. It was the next play when the collision happened. He and a guy on the opposing team collided. The other guy ran full-speed into Chad, hitting the left cheek of Chad's face with the top of his head. Chad's ears starting ringing, the left side of his face went numb, and he was in excruciating pain. After some persuasion from his colleagues and taking some percocet, Chad agreed to go to the ER to get a scan of his face. It came back that Chad had a tripod fracture and would need surgery to repair the injury.

So within a few hours he was under the knife. He ended up getting two metal plates in his face. They had to do an incision in the roof of his mouth and in his upper eye. As usual, he was cracking jokes and extra talkative while coming out of his anesthetic. It was pretty comical! Here are a few pictures of how Chad's face has metamorphosized over the past 24 hours:

Chad after the injury but before his surgery

Chad in post-op after his 1 1/2 hour surgery
Last night at home after Chad was discharged

The morning after surgery

Don't worry! I still think Chad is very handsome, and Reece isn't even phased by daddy's face ouchies. We think he's superman and are very impressed with his high pain tolerance. And as most of you know, I have a little obsession with Rocky...so Chad is just fulfilling a little fantasy of mine! :)

Mother's Day

2011-05-19T23:38:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know this post is a bit delayed, as Mother's Day was a few weeks ago. But better late than never! My Mother's Day was fabulous and Chad spoiled me completely rotten (as always). He planted me lots of beautiful flowers, made me breakfast and a yummy crab leg dinner! (He made the mistake of doing the flowers and crab legs last year for Mother's Day, so now it's tradition!) He also got me a new camera, which I love because its small and I can carry it around with me everywhere! Below is the first picture we took on my new camera on Mother's Day before we went to church. It is such a privilege and honor to be the mother of this sweet girl. She and Chad are the light of my life, and make every day of my life seem like a gift. I am so grateful for our family, and am so excited to soon become the mother of a little boy! In addition to being a mother, I am equally blessed to have a mother who has taught me so much about love, selflessness, and loyalty. She is an example to me in so many ways and I can only hope to be half the mother that she has been to me.

Easter

2011-05-03T10:15:00.004-04:00

We started celebrating Easter on Saturday morning with a breakfast and egg hunt at our friends' house. You'll notice all the eggs were hidden in the gravel...not much grass here in Tucson. But Reece didn't mind...she thought it was so fun to find the eggs! After finding each egg, she would sit down and open it to see what fun treat was inside. And then, of course, she ate whatever she found!

Here is Reece and her best buddy Seth. They are going through their Easter baskets after the big hunt. Obviously, Reece is enjoying the blue jelly bean she found! :)

On Easter morning Reece woke up to a basket that the Easter Bunny left her. She wasn't quite sure at first, but it didn't take her long to start digging! Once she realized it was all stuff for her, she got really excited! (Please note Reece's awesome bed head...gotta love the morning mohawk! So cute!)

I remembered right before bedtime that I didn't get a picture of Reece in her Easter dress. So, here is Reece after wearing her dress all day...no shoes...and no cute hair bow. Oh well...she still looks pretty darn cute! :)

Our Life...updates!

2011-04-19T11:13:00.009-04:00

It's been a while since I updated about our daily lives. Things are going great and we're all doing well. Chad is still working hard and liking his job (most days). I am also just working, teaching fitness classes, and getting bigger by the day. Our little guys is getting really wiggly. Only 3 more months and he'll arrive!

Reece is 15 months old almost, and funner than ever (yes, funner is a word!) She is WALKING (finally) but only on her own terms. Most times she needs to grab hold of some one's finger in order to walk, but every day she's getting more courageous. She loves to dance and listen to music. She is learning a lot of her animal sounds..."woofing" like a dog is still her favorite! She has 9 teeth, but still only has 2 on the bottom (which looks kind of funny, but very cute). :) She loves to be outside playing with rocks, swimming, going for stroller rides, playing at the park, and blowing bubbles. She is Miss Independent and knows what she wants and (more importantly) what she doesn't want! Her answer to every question these days is "Nah." (Of course she learned to say No before Yes!) She is so funny and makes us laugh every day!

Below are some photos of some things we've been doing lately. First are some photos from the county fair. We took Reece to see all the sites, try out some rides, and see the animals. The animals were by and far the biggest hit! She was scared to death of the carousel...Chad had to just sit on the bench and hold her while she cried the whole time! :) But, she loved the animals. She got to feed them and pet them. She was in heaven!

One of Reece's new tricks is to take her diaper off. One day, while taking a nap, she took her own poopy diaper off and we found her sleeping with her poopy butt airing out! :)

Did I mention that Reece loves being outside?? This $10 pool was the best investment I ever made!

Reece goes to a "movers and shakers" class every Wednesday and loves it! She has so much fun playing with the other kids on the mats and slides, tumbling around on the obstacle course, playing with balls and hula hoops. The big parachute is always a hit. So fun!

Well, that's a quick and dirty update about us. Life is great and we are doing wonderfully!

Aloha Maui!

2011-04-08T10:29:00.008-04:00

ALOHA!

Chad and I just got back from a week-long vacation in Maui, Hawaii. We had so much fun! We decided to take a trip before the new baby gets here, because we probably won't be getting another chance for a while. My mom came to Tucson and stayed with Reece for the week, so it was a fun get-a-way for just me and Chad. (THANK YOU MOM!!!) We went with our friends JR and Brynn Bell, which made it lots of fun. And although me missed Reece like crazy, this trip was something we both needed! As you can imagine, Reece had a great time being spoiled by grandma all week!

Below are some photos from our trip...enjoy!

This is the view from the front porch of our condo

Me...my big 6-month belly...and Chad at Flemming beach! Perfect for body boarding...although it is much more difficult to do when you are prego! :)

Our favorite past time...playing Scrabble. Let's not talk about who won the on-going Scrabble competition...

The largest tree in the US (or something like that). It was really big!

Below are pictures from where we went snorkeling. We saw tons of cool fish, an octopus, about a dozen sea turtles (two of which happened to be mating!), and lots of whales. Coolest snorkel trip ever!!

At the luau! Yummy food and fun hula dancing!

One day we drove to Hana. Gorgeous drive! Below are some photos from that day trip. Along the way we stopped at several places to hike, see waterfalls, and hang out at the black sand beaches. So fun...despite the windy roads which made me car sick. Ugh! Chad was the only person brave enough to go swimming under the huge 400-foot waterfall. If only I weren't pregnant! :)

Below are just some pictures of us shopping and going to dinner! We had some of the best food...especailly the fresh pineapple and seafood. And can't forget the hula pie and chocolate cake (and you thought my belly looked big because I'm pregnant...haha)

On our last day in Maui, Chad and I went on a helicopter ride around the island. It was really cool to get an aerial view of the beautiful landscape. We had never been in a helicopter before...so fun!

This is us at the airport on our way home. Aloha Hawaii!

It's a...

2011-03-11T17:30:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't already know, Chad and I are expecting our second child. We found out earlier this week that it's a...

BOY!

We couldn't be more excited! My due date is July 27th, but I am determined to go early because I do NOT look forward to being huge and fat in the middle of a hot Arizona summer! Thankfully, our little boy was wiggling and kicking and rolling around all during the ultrasound...so we are blessed to have another energetic and healthy baby (I guess mellow kids just aren't in the cards for us!)

We certainly are some of the luckiest and most blessed people in the world. We are so glad that our little family is growing...although it is growing a bit more rapidly than we planned! That's OK...who doesn't love surprises, right?? :) This baby boy was a wonderful surprise and we couldn't be more anxious to meet our little guy! I can't believe our little Reece is going to be a big sister...man how time flies!

Reece's First Birthday!

2011-01-27T14:04:00.006-05:00

Reece celebrated her first birthday yesterday! She had a fun-filled day. For starters, we went to the park and Reece got to feed/play/laugh/watch the ducks. She eventually built up enough courage to try and chase the ducks! :) Later that evening, we celebrated by letting Reece demolish her giant cupcake birthday cake. She didn't really eat any of it, but had a great time playing with it! It was Debbie's first attempt at a cupcake cake...and it turned out "so so." After a bath to clean up the cake mess, Reece ended her big day by opening fun presents and playing with them. She had a great day!

Here are statistics and updates about Reece at 1 year old:

- She is still topping the charts in the 95% for height (31 inches) and is 20 lbs. 7 oz. (still right in the middle in the 50%)

- She is BUSY BUSY BUSY! (note the photos below....she likes to climb and crawl into everything and anything)

- She is very smiley and happy and healthy!

- She is sort of a bully...she likes to take toys that other kids are playing with no matter how many other toys are available to play with (I guess we'll need to start working on the whole concept of sharing!)

- She thinks her dad is so FUNNY! She LOVES to wrestle with him, and starts smiling and laughing whenever she sees him (it's very adorable!)

- She is starting to figure things out...like how to press buttons, how to drop and throw things, etc.

- She likes to TALK (guess who she gets that from??)...she's always jibber jabbering, laughing, screaming, and even growling (yes, I said growling!)

- She is "kind of" learning to sing songs. I say "Old McDonald had a farm" and she says "eieieiei" (still working on the "oooo" part)

- She blows kisses (well, she attempts to anyway)

- She is NOT walking....despite her dad's best efforts! :)

- She LOVES her blanket! In fact, that little blankie has turned into our saving grace at the gym daycare...she no longer cries and freaks out as long as she has her blankie! (wish I would have figured that out 9 months ago!)

- She eats table food exclusively and is now drinking whole mile (no more formula...yay!!!)

Most of all, Reece is fun, fun, fun! She laughs, and plays, and giggles, and crawls, and is just so much fun! We are so lucky to have her as a part of our family, and feel privileged to be her parents!

Reece's One-Year-Old Photos

2011-01-24T13:05:00.007-05:00

Reece will be celebrating her 1st birthday this Wednesday! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! Below are photos from this weekend that we had taken for her one-year-old milestone. Enjoy all her spunk and sweetness! We sure love this little girl!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-03T15:22:00.008-05:00

This year was Reece's first Christmas. We had lots of fun, traveling to both Utah and Idaho to spend the holidays with our family.

While in Utah, we took Reece sledding...twice. The first time was not good. It was snowing and a little windy. Reece did not like it! So, a few days later...when it was sunny and warmer...we tried it again. The second time around was wonderful! She laughed going down the hill, and loved playing and eating the snow!

First attempt at sledding...

Second sledding trip...

Christmas morning...Santa brought Reece a piano, blocks, animals, and a baby doll! She had a ball with the wrapping paper and playing with her cousins!

Aunt Susanne (my friend from work) sent Reece her own set of scrubs for Christmas. Love them!!! Now she and daddy can match...the most adorable thing ever! Thanks Susanne!

Reece loved seeing Grandpa's doggie and horses!

Then, after a week in Utah Reece and I drove to Idaho to spend some time with my family (Chad had to come back to Tucson for work...lame!) Reece had lots of fun hanging out with grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, and her fun cousins!

Swing! Swing! Swing!

2010-11-11T10:12:00.005-05:00

Do you think Reece enjoyed her first ride on the swings?

Just a quick update....

Reece is well into her 9th month of life now...and is a bundle of fun and joy and energy!
She is crawling everywhere!
She is constantly saying mamama, dadada, bababa, and yayaya. (She likes to talk!) And of course, she's been known to give out a random scream or cry from time to time!
She loves to walk, but still needs help (whew...not ready for her to walk yet).
Her favorite things to play with are: books, her slinky, the remote control, our guitar and piano, and she loves pulling stuff out of our refrigerator and pantry! (T-R-O-U-B-L-E!)
At her doctor's appointment she weighed 18 lbs. 12 oz. (50th percentile). She was 29 1/4 inches long (still topping the charts in the 95th percentile!). And a new jump in her stats was her large head...45 cm (75-90th percentile). Who knew she was already so smart...ha!

Halloween

2010-11-01T13:43:00.003-04:00

This year for Halloween we did our costume theme to coordinate with Reece, who was (hopefully it's obvious) Reese's Pieces! Chad was a Sugar Daddy and I was Little Debbie snack cakes! We were the most delicious costumes ever. (hee hee)

I made her costume, and even made a matching bow out of candy wrappers. Not too shabby for a non-crafty person like myself!

Reece got to go trick-or-treating for the first time...it was so cute and fun! And as you can see below, she had a hay day playing with all the candy when we got home. (Just image how happy she would have been if we took off the wrappers!) Unfortunately she's too young for candy...which means Chad and I have to eat it all! Ha Ha

Almost 9 months old...

2010-10-24T21:35:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update on Reecer! Her eighth month has been a big one...she mastered crawling and got her first teeth (both bottom middle teeth came through on the same day). She climbs up on everything and anything...I'm pretty sure she wishes she could skip the crawling and go right to walking! She is full of energy and trouble...and of course, full of fun!! We just love being her parents (even though we still question if we really are the mom and dad of a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby! But we're not giving her back!!) Honestly, we often look at her in awe and are amazed that we are actually the mom and dad of such a sweet, precious, amazing, darling, etc., etc. little girl! :)

Dad babysitting...Reece is naked, holding the remote control, and lounging on the couch with dad watching football! Is anyone surprised?? :)

29 years young!

2010-10-24T21:29:00.003-04:00

I turned 29 on October 9th. (That's right...I am still in my twenties!) This year, Chad made me a piano cake (Note: he makes me "themed" cakes every year for my b-day. What a good hubby!) My gift was a keyboard...since I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Chad has promised to teach me all that he knows...and got me a "learn to play the piano" book. Eventually, I hope to get real lessons, and maybe I'll even get good enough to warrant a real piano. So far, I've learned where Middle C is...and now the sky is limit! Ha Ha

October Trips..to Florida, Utah and the Hospital!

2010-10-24T20:59:00.004-04:00

October has been a months of trips for the Crowthers. First, we travelled together to Florida. Chad and Reece left after 4 days, while Deb stayed for the whole week because she had to work. It was lots of fun...Reece got to go to the beach for the first time, we saw some of our friends who we miss so much, and just enjoyed being back on our old stomping grounds.

Chad and Reece flew from Fort Lauderdale to Park City, Utah for a few days of family fun. Chad even went hunting with his dad and brothers...and in keeping with tradition...they didn't get an elk! :) Reece had a great time with grandma, her aunts and cousins while the boys were gone hunting. And to finish up the "trips," Chad had a trip to the hospital. Let me explain...

On his last day in Utah, Chad woke up with a bad stomach ache. Unfortunately, he was scheduled to catch an early morning flight to Phoenix. So, he toughed it out and got our little baby and flew home to me. During his way to the SLC airport he threw up twice, on the flight he threw up another 5 times, and while waiting for his luggage at baggage claim he threw up again! Needless to say, when I saw him he did not look well! During our 2-hour drive home from Phoenix he threw up several more times. But despite all the throwing up his stomach pain did not lessen. So, a few hours later we decided to take him to the hospital. He was diagnosed with appendicitis and went into surgery around 8 p.m. that night. Thanks to all of our wonderful friends who helped watch Reece during our day of drama...we could not have survived without you!!! I am happy to report that the surgery went well and Chad is feeling much better now.

So, our month of trips is over...and we are not hoping to make any more trips to the hospital anytime soon! :)

Almost 8 months old...

2010-09-25T19:52:00.006-04:00

Reece is almost 8 months old...can you believe it?! She is still long...95% for height and 50% for weight. She still has very little hair, but what she does have is now very blond. She started crawling this past week...yikes! :) She still points her toes at all times...maybe that's a sign of the many dance recitals that daddy gets to go to in the future! :) She is wiggly and giggly! She has lots of spunk and knows what she wants...and when she wants it! She is sleeping about 10-12 hours every night...yay! She finally stopped crying and is happy at daycare, which is a huge relief for me. Below is a picture of how I find Reece whenever she wakes up. I like to think it's because she is sooo anxious to see me! :)

Nothing can hold her attention like Baby Einstein!

Reece is so special to us...we just fall more in love with her every day!

Ooooh, a camping we will go!

2010-09-25T19:31:00.005-04:00

We went on an overnight camping trip up to Mt. Lemmon last weekend. It was lots of fun...eating tin foil dinners, hanging out by the campfire, hiking, sleeping in a tent...what could be better! (And I would like to announce that I made the campfire...and didn't even have to use newspaper to get it started! Chad was quite impressed with my skills! Of course, I couldn't have started the fire without all of the wood Chad went out and chopped with his big ax!) It was a great escape from the hot dessert. We loved the cool weather (it got down to about 50 degrees at night) and being in the mountains surrounded by pine trees. Reece did great and we had a wonderful family adventure! And of course, we enjoyed a yummy lunch the next day at the Cookie Cabin...you can't go to Mt. Lemmon and not eat there! :)

August Travels

2010-08-11T11:56:00.009-04:00

During the first week of August, Reece and I travelled to Idaho to stay with my parents for a week (and I went to my 10-year high school reunion). We enjoyed staying at my parents' new house in Caldwell...such a gorgeous view! We had lots of fun spending time with family. We even went to a fair, where Reece saw lots of animals and liked petting the horses. Although her cousin Oliver liked seeing all the animals, I think he had more fun pushing Reece around in her stroller!

While in Idaho, all my sisters were able to be together for a few days. We all went white water rafting down the Payette River together. It was lots of fun!!

After a week in Idaho, Reece and I drove to Utah to spend the next week at Lake Powell. We met up with Chad at the lake and he was so excited to see Reece...and me! It was hard on him to be away from his girl(s) for a whole week! :)

Lake Powell was great! Lots of fun spending time with all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great grandparents. Reece's favorite thing to do was float! As you can see, she started out floating with lots of splashing and smiles...but the motion of the water must have soothed her...because her float trips often ended in a nap! SO CUTE!

And...in keeping with tradition...the boys played hard while the girls floated and sun-bathed. This year, the boys got ambitious and made a zip line between the two house boats. Quickly, the zip line evolved into a "Wipeout" course. So fun! (I'll post a video of the Wipeout course later...pretty hilarious!)

Reece and daddy got some bonding time at the lake. Except it looks as if Reece is still working on being a clean eater (look closely to see her entire face and body covered with baby food)! LOL! Good thing you can be a mess at Lake Powell, because cleaning up is as easy as a quick dip in the lake!

We drove home to Tucson from Lake Powell...a long 10 hour drive. Reece did great! We are so lucky to have such a sweet, easy going baby! Along the way we saw some pretty cool sites. We passed by several rock formations, including the Mexican Hat...

Monument Valley...

And at the ripe ol' age of 6 months, Reece displayed her joy for shopping! We stopped by some of the Navajo Indian stands along the road to check out their homemade jewelery and crafts!

Now our trips are over and we're back to the real world! :(

Family Pictures (June 2010)

2010-08-11T11:25:00.006-04:00

The first two are my FaVoRiTe pictures of Reece!!

This is all of my family...parents, sister, nieces, nephews, in-laws and out-laws! :)

The "original" Knuston Family!

The joy of being a grandparent! So fun!

4th of July

2010-07-10T00:38:00.004-04:00

Our 4th of July weekend was filled with lots of fun traditions. We went to a breakfast in the park, went swimming, had a BBQ with friends, and watched fireworks. It was extra special because we had our own little firecracker this year to celebrate Independence Day with! How grateful we should all be to live in a free country and enjoy so many blessings!

Love this dress...thanks Nana for buying me such cute clothes!

Reece discovered a new treat...don't worry...it's only ROOT beer! (But I sure hope this isn't a sign of things to come...lol!)

I guess we know that daddy's to blame for all of Reece's vices! Ha Ha

Breakfast in the park...at 7 a.m. because it's so flippin' hot in Tucson!

Projects

2010-07-10T00:31:00.003-04:00

So, I came to the conclusion that my house needed some color! The result...

Lime green night stands...and teal living room furniture (coffee table and two end tables).

Random Pictures of Reece (4-5 months)

2010-07-10T00:19:00.004-04:00

Yep...looks like those blue eyes are here to stay!

I am so BIG...sitting up all by myself now! (Over 5 months old now...man how time flies!)

And I eat lots of yummy food these days...my favs are sweet potatoes and pears. YUM!

This picture is for daddy...

I have my mommy's toes...but for some reason daddy is totally grossed out by mommy's feet but he thinks mine are cute?!?! (Notice how Reece's second AND third toes are both longer than her big toe...and so are mine! I think that is a sign of intelligence..right???)

My Precious Blue Eyed Baby. Love Her.

2010-06-22T17:04:00.002-04:00

Triathlon

2010-06-20T19:08:00.003-04:00

Chad and I competed in a triathlon at the end of May. It was lots of fun to train together, and we both finished in about the time we anticipated. Of course, now we both are determined to do it faster next time. :) (Not that we're competitive or anything!) It was also fun because the Cockrell's (some of our best friends from Florida who now live in Phoenix) did it with us. Best of all, doing triathlons is Chad's excuse to wear those smokin' hot SpAnDeX!!!

My Beautiful Sisters

2010-06-13T22:11:00.004-04:00

My family had a photo shoot while we were all together this past week. Here is a sneak peek of one of the photos that the photographer posted on her website of me and my three beautiful sisters. Love these girls!!

I Found My Toes!

2010-05-21T12:29:00.003-04:00

Now that Reece has discovered her toes...she grabs them and holds on tight. They are so fun! And they create hours of entertainment!

Chad the Baller

2010-05-21T12:10:00.003-04:00

UMC (the hospital where Chad works) hosted its annual Residents Basketball Tournament a few weeks ago, where the different groups of residents (i.e. anesthesiology, surgery, ER, ortho, etc.) play against each other in a day-long tournament. And I mean ALL DAY...they played straight from 9 am until 3 pm! UMC takes this tournament very seriously...hard core street ball rules!

Chad had lots of fun...and thanks to his superstar baller skills...the anesthesiologists (aka "The Intubators") took home the second place trophy (yep, I said trophy...told you they were serious about this!)

Unfortunately, most of the guys who played are getting a little older, and not in the same shape they used to be in back in their prime. So, you can image how tiring this tournament was for the players. Not only was Old Man Crowther very sore for a few days after the tournament, but he had cuts and bruises all over! :)

While Mommy Works...

2010-05-04T14:31:00.003-04:00

These are just a few of my favorite forms of entertainment, which come in very handy while my mommy is working!

I love my Jumparoo...and soon I'll be big enough that my feet will touch the ground without a book underneath!

I love my swing and am even big enough for my Bumbo chair!

Look at Me...I'm Three!

2010-04-26T11:02:00.008-04:00

Today is my 3-month birthday!

Look at all the things I know how to do...

I smile (and melt my parent's heart every time I do!)
I hold my own head up.
I grab things with my death grip (seriously...she has the strongest grip I've ever felt!)
I fall asleep all by myself, as long as I have my binky and am swaddled good and snug!
I sleep for about 5 hours consecutively at night (finally!)
I have my ears pierced (gotta love that baby bling!)
I sometimes giggle (but you have to work pretty hard to get one out of me!)
I still have a mullet, but am starting to get some peach fuzz on the top of my head.
I jump in my Jumparoo and sit in my Bumbo chair (I'm sooo BIG!!!)
I love to watch the TV (shame on my mom and dad for teaching to do that!)
I gnaw on carrots, and can even hold it myself and put it in my own mouth.
I am starting to drool...a lot.
I love going on stroller rides with my mommy and daddy.
I like to grab my mommy's hair.
I still have blue eyes (not sure how my brown-eyed mommy and hazel-eyed daddy did that!)
And of course, I still eat, poop and sleep for much of the day!

I am the cutest baby in the whole world and am such a sweet little girl!

Road Trip

2010-04-15T19:49:00.005-04:00

Our little family took our first road trip together! We went up to Utah to bless Reece on Easter Sunday. It was so special to do her blessing at home with all of our family (thanks to everyone who came, especially our family members who travelled very far to be there with us!)

My grandma (below) made this beautiful dress for me to get blessed in when I was a baby. It was fun to have my own daughter blessed in the same dress as me! And it was really special to have Reece meet her Great Grandma wearing the dress she made so many years ago. Reece's great-grandma from Chad's side of the family made the beautiful white blanket (above) that Reece cuddled in during her blessing!

Reece, Atticus & Jocelyn...cousins all born within 3 months of each other. So fun!

We spent a few days (bundled up in our winter clothes because there was so much snow) in Utah before heading back home. While in the Beehive State, got to hang out with our families, visit friends, go snowboarding, see movies, eat out, go bowling, and do a little shopping. What could be more fun?? :)

On the road trip home, we made stops in St. George (saw Chad's buddy from high school), Las Vegas (stayed with the Attridges and rode the Stratosphere thrill rides), saw the Grand Canyon (breathtaking), visited the Arizona mountains in Flagstaff, and went boating and saw friends in Phoenix. Whew...it was a whirlwind trip! Reecer was a great traveler...she just hung out in her car seat without ever fussing.

Reece just chillin' in her car seat!

The Grand Canyon

Pool Dayz Are Here

2010-04-15T19:45:00.002-04:00

I took Reece to the pool for the first time...and she loved it! She just sits in the water...kicking her legs every once in a while...and gazes up at the sky. It's pretty darn cute! Here little swimming suit is pretty adorable too!

Reece Visits Daddy at Work

2010-04-15T19:37:00.003-04:00

I took Reece to visit Chad at work, because all of the nurses wanted to meet Dr. Chad's little girl. It's hard to tell who was having more fun...I think this daddy-daughter duo are equally smitten with each other!

7 weeks

2010-03-16T23:57:00.003-04:00

Reece loves to look at our ceiling fans. No idea what is so cool about them, but she seems to think they are pretty interesting! :)

More Visitors for Reece

2010-03-15T16:49:00.004-04:00

My sister (who happens to be 34 weeks pregnant) and her husband came to visit us last week. She was such a trooper to fly all the way down here when she is at the worst part of her pregnancy...thanks Kimmie and Jack! I am so glad I got to see you! I'd like to say they came to see all of us, but really they just wanted to meet Reece!

While they were here, we took a drive down to Tombstone. Although it was a little hokey, it was fun to check out the "town that is too tough to die," and see where the infamous gun fight went down at the O.K Corral!

This last picture is not related...but it was so funny I had to post it! This was taken of Reece last week when I was getting her ready for bed and putting on her PJ's. I just love her looooong legs! Poor girl will probably suffer trying to find pants that are long enough for the rest of her life (...something I can relate to!). Isn't she too cute?!?!

Giddy Up!

2010-02-27T11:49:00.005-05:00

I cannot believe it...Reece is officially one month old! And for her birthday, Chad and I took Reece to see her first RoDeO! Although she slept through most of it, I'm pretty sure she was hollering a few yeehaw's inside! :)

Reece all dressed up in her cowgirl outfit for the rodeo. Don't you just absolutely LOVE her cowgirl booties!?!? (And look close...you'll see how Reece loves to stick her tongue out!)

And the cowboy finds a little cowgirl! :)

I couldn't resist...I just thought this was too cute. My cowboy hubby is really the best daddy in the world.

Reece Turns 2!

2010-02-09T19:38:00.003-05:00

Reece turned 2-weeks-old today! It's crazy to think that my due date isn't even until tomorrow, but instead of still being huge and pregnant I am the mother of a 2-week-old little princess.

Below are a few pictures of our little Reecer! She gained a whole pound since her birth, and grew several inches (which makes me think that they didn't measure her very accurately at her birth). She now weighs 7 lbs. 1 oz., and is 20 1/2 inches long. She's in the 10th percentile for her weight, and the 75th percentile for her height. Yep...she's long and skinny. But don't worry, she'll be getting that cute baby chub really soon at the rate she's gaining weight! :) (Just like her mommy...she knows how to enjoy a good meal! Ha Ha)

Above: Reece loves to stretch out her long legs! And look, she's already flexing those muscles!

Below: If this isn't the pose of a princess, I don't know what is!

She is the cutest little thing in the whole world! And Reece is such a good baby. Chad and I love to snuggle this little bundle of sweetness. And I'll probably drive her crazy with all my kisses...but I just can't resist smooching those chubby little cheeks! We sure love you Reece!

Reece's First Week

2010-01-30T23:16:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos of baby Reece from her first few days in the big world. She is doing great, and is such a sweet little girl. She's got both her parents wrapped around her little finger. It's crazy how much we love this little baby...becoming parents is absolutely the most precious and amazing experience of our lives!

Reece and her daddy taking a little nap at the hospital.

Reece all dressed and ready to go home!

Reece saying "Peace Out" as we load her in the car seat to leave the hospital :)

My mom flew in at the last minute to stay with us and be here to help with the new baby. Reece loves her grandma, and we are soooo grateful to have her here. Thanks so much for the love and support!

Did I mention how much Chad loves his little girl?? :)

We ventured out for a walk today. It was a gorgeous day and it felt great to get out of the house. We are obviously new parents...we bundled Reece up like an eskimo for a walk in 70+ degree weather! But she sure looked cute!

The below pictures are from an attempted photo shoot I did. We received lots of beautiful flowers from our friends and family, so I thought it would be nice to get a picture of Reece with them. And what a better outfit for her to wear than a pink tutu...right?! (Thanks Teryn for the darling outfit...I'll get better pictures of her in it!) But, as you can see, Reece was not nearly as excited about her photo shoot. I still want to give a big THANK YOU to my parents, coworkers, husband, and sister for sending us such pretty flowers!!

What a princess! And don't you just love those long legs?? She is too cute!!

Isn't she just a doll...even when she's crying!?!

Baby Reece is Here!

2010-01-27T07:11:00.005-05:00

Reece Kelly Crowther

was born at 4:04 a.m. on January 26, 2010 (more than 2 weeks early). She weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz., and is 18 inches long. She is beautiful and healthy and perfect. We love her!

We will post more pictures soon! Thanks to everyone who has called and sent us messages...we appreciate all of your love and support!

Baby Festivities!

2010-01-18T12:45:00.005-05:00

Well, the days of it just being "Deb and Chad" are quickly dwindling. Baby Reece will be here in only a few weeks, and we have been busy getting ready for her big debut. I got my crib bedding all finished, and love it! A big THANKS to my sis-in-law Callee who had my bumper and duvet cover made, and for all of her help in ordering the fabric. I even proved to be somewhat of a seamstress myself, by successfully making the crib skirt and pillows. I know...nothing too difficult...but still, a notch in my homemaking belt! And of course, the bedding would be worthless without the gorgeous crib, which was made by Chad. It still look at it in awe...it turned out so great!

I also was given a baby shower on Saturday, Jan. 16th from several of my friends from church. It was so much fun, and I felt completely overwhelmed with love and support from my friends in Tucson. Having only lived here for a few months, I was "showered" with gifts and support from so many amazing women. THANK YOU!! And as a cherry on top, two of my dearest friends in the whole world (Shan & Kelly) traveled down from Phoenix to attend the shower.

The sweet women who planned and attended my baby shower! Thanks so much everyone!

This is a look of excitement...breastfeeding accessories that I get to attempt to figure out! :)

I got so many darling gifts...from clothes, to diapers, to toys, to monitors, to a changing table. I was completely spoiled!! Now, I only have a few little things left to get for the baby.

Sorry for the small image...this is a blanket and matching burp cloth that my friend Karli made for me. The fabric matches my crib bedding. It is gorgeous and so soft!

Kelly, Me and Shannon after the shower...enjoying a girls night out! We got pedicures, went out to dinner, and did some shopping. Thanks for coming and being such great friends!

The Christmas Holidays

2010-01-18T12:30:00.004-05:00

I know this post is only about a month late, but you know what they say...better late than never! Below are just a few quick shots from our 2009 Christmas holiday. Chad and I stayed home together in Arizona for Christmas, which ended up being really nice. We went to the Arizona vs. BYU basketball game (Chad was thrilled that the Cougars killed the Wildcats!), went to movies, hung out with friends, and enjoyed being together! Oh, and Chad had knee surgery...again! :)

On New Years morning we flew to SLC. We spent several days with Chad's family in Utah, and enjoyed being home with lots of snow. (Unfortunately, we were both incapacitated...Chad's knee and my belly...so we didn't get to do the traditional snowboarding or sledding stuff. Bummer!) But we got to spend lots of time with our family. We went to a Jazz game, baby blessings, and Chad's mom even threw me a family baby shower!! (Thanks everyone for your sweet gifts!!) It was great!

Next we flew from Utah to Oregon, to spend a few days with my family. We mostly went house-hunting with my parents. But we also crammed in some family time, game-playing, and eating out. It was a very relaxing and fun vacation..despite being very big and pregnant! :)
We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are enjoying the New Year!

Walking around Main Street in Park City, Utah

At the Utah Jazz game!

Counting Down The Days Until Christmas

2009-12-16T10:14:00.004-05:00

I love Christmas! And since this will be the first year Chad and I spend Christmas together at home, we were able to go all out with "decking our halls!" In fact, we got our very first Christmas tree! It is so beautiful, and it makes our house smell of delicious pine. Love it! It's so fun to have lights and holiday decor all around the house...it helps invite the Christmas spirit and will help make being away from family a little easier to bare. I just hope Santa can fit down our chimney! :)

Our very first Christmas tree!

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Unfortunately we have more place settings than people! LOL!

Me & Chad...just the two of us this year for Christmas (well, I guess we can count little Reece, too!)

The Finished Crib!!!

2009-12-07T11:29:00.004-05:00

It's done!!! And it looks amazing!! Good job Chaddie!!

After several months of work building the baby's crib, Chad is finally finished. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I absolutely love it and think it is just gorgeous! Chad is certainly a talented hubby and I am so lucky to have him. And his little daughter (FYI- probably going to be named Reece) is definitely going to agree. We love you Chaddie! Thanks for all of your hard work, and for being so wonderful!

Look at Chad...such a proud papa-to-be! :)

Chad even carved his name and the date in the crib! That way it can be passed down for generations, and we'll always know this crib was made with love by Papa Chad!

We're all set...now we just need the baby! LOL!

I just thought this picture was funny. This is Chad putting the final hardware on the crib! :)

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T16:16:00.006-05:00

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone. We (well...probably me more than Chad...he was stuck working for most of the holiday fun!) had a great Thanksgiving.

I went home to Oregon the weekend before Thanksgiving, which was tons of fun. My entire family (except poor Chad) was all together for the holiday! It's rare that we're all together at the same time, so that was really a treat! We played lots of games, went to movies, ate, ate some more, and enjoyed just being together. And...as a cherry on top...it snowed while I was home!!

Then, on the real Thanksgiving, Chad and I went to have a yummy dinner with our friends John & Meghan Powell. Then, after Chad got off work on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we drove to Las Vegas. We got to see his parents and little brother Wade for about 2 hours...and then spent the rest of the weekend with his sister...who just gave birth to her third baby. It was a fun weekend spending time with our family and hanging out with our cute nieces and nephew. And we even got to meet up with some of our friends (Collin & Kathryn Johnston) from Florida who now live in Vegas. Couldn't have asked for more! We certainly have A LOT to be Thankful for!

Home for the holidays!

The Knuston Sisters!

All the Knutson girls!

Morgan & Kyla...Morgan loved to dress up my black boots.

Kimmie & Oliver

Maternity Pictures

2009-12-01T10:37:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures from my maternity photo shoot. This is about the only time it's cool to flaunt a big belly! The photo shoot was lots of fun, especially because I was able to get a few pictures with my sister, who is also prego! Enjoy!

Maternity Pictures "Sneak Peek"

2009-11-25T15:44:00.005-05:00

I went home to visit my family in Oregon for an early Thanksgiving last weekend. While I was home my sister, Kim, scheduled a maternity photo shoot as a gift for me. It was so nice and thoughtful of her, and the photo shoot was lots of fun. Thanks Kimmie! Below are two "sneak peek" pictures I have from the photo shoot. The rest will be coming in about a week or so. I am 28 weeks along in these photos.

FYI- the photographer is Amber Fischer. You can see her blog by clicking the "Amber Photography" link from my blog. She's great and lots of fun. So, call her if you live the in Ontario-Boise area and are looking for a photographer!

Progress on the Crib - Part 2

2009-11-15T11:13:00.004-05:00

Well, Chad has certainly made a lot of progress on the crib! Below are some photos to show you how the crib is coming along. I must say...Chad has impressed me. Everything is square, fits perfectly, and looks fabulous. What a little carpenter he is turning out to be!

Here is what Chad started with...a big pile of wood!

Here is what Chad had completed as of last week. The two short ends and one long end. We used a dark oak stain...it has shades of brown and black. We wanted a dark crib, and are really happy with the finished color!

Here is the crib to-date. All assembled and looking like a real-life crib! :) Only one side left to assemble...and of course, some finish work!

We still need to stain the top pieces, put on the decorative boards, and some other finish work. The are planing to have two tones at the top...a combination of lighter and dark wood.

Here is a look at the side. And a shot of the "leaf" decoration boards we'll be using on the top of the crib. Below gives you a closer look!

Stay tuned for more updates...

Blue 42...Blue 42..HIKE!!

2009-11-04T12:29:00.003-05:00

It's football season...yay! And, just for the record, I would like to remind you all that my Broncos are 6-1!

It's also Halloween season. And since Chad and I both love football season, we thought it would be fun to dress up as football players for Halloween. (I know...not all that original...) Since I'm quite prego these days, we thought it would be fun to incorporate my belly as a prop for my costume. Mix some fabric paint with a wife-beater...and viola...my belly turned into a football! :) But I must say...Chad looked the part a little more than I did! (Who can go wrong when you're wearing a John Elway jersey?)

We had a fun Halloween. We were in charge of the children's games at our ward's Trunk-or-Treat, and then had some friends over to play games afterward. It was lots of fun. Although I was sick with allergies and from eating nothing but junk all night...I guess our baby wasn't digging all the sweet treats even though her mommy was! :)

All dressed up at the Trunk-or-Treat!

The Halloween Bellies!

Mom & Dad Visit the Desert

2009-11-03T10:31:00.003-05:00

My parents came to visit Chad and I in Tucson earlier this month. Although they were not impressed with the Tucson scenery, it was still fun to spend time with them. I am really glad they came to visit.

We did as much toursit stuff as possible in Tucson...which compared to South Florida...isn't much. :) We went on walks up the canyon, went to Mt. Lemmon, took a tour of the Airplane Boneyard, saw a Wild West stunt show, and toured the Kartchner Caverns (which were really cool!). It was fun to have my parents come to visit. Although I don't think my dad will be back anytime soon (the desert is just too hot and ugly for him!) my mom will be back in February to help with the baby...can't wait!!!

Airplane Boneyard...thousands of planes all parked together for storage. Many are from the Vietnam War.

My parents needed a little snooze during the airplane tour! :)

My parents anxiously awaiting the Wild West stunt show!

Mom and Chad shooting it up...mom's a real sharp-shooter!

The Crib- Part 1

2009-10-30T16:31:00.004-04:00

As some of you may know, my crafty husband has decided to build a crib for our baby-on-the-way. I think it'll be so neat for our daughter to have a crib made by her daddy! (And, I might add, a crib that was sanded by her mommy! Ha Ha) Although I am not questioning the intentions of Chad...I believe he was thinking of his future child when he decided to take on this project...I also believe he had a few ulterior motives. This was definitely an excuse for Chad to buy new tools!! (He can't fool me!)

Below is a video of how the crib-building is coming along. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on how the project progresses over the next few months.

(Note: Obviously I am trying to figure out my new video camera! I know, I know...this is a very novice concept to most people in the world. However, video taping is all new to me. So, please indulge me!)

October Festivities & Updates!

2009-10-12T10:29:00.005-04:00

Although it's not even half over, the month of October has been action-packed for me and Chad. We started out the month with a weekend trip to Phoenix, where we saw some of our dearest friends (Miss you guys!)

Next, we went on a Crowther family boat trip to Lake Mead for five days. It was lots of fun! We all stayed together in a house in Bolder City (yep...that's 12 people crammed inside a 4 bedroom house...so fun!) and went boating every day. We also went to tour the Hoover Dam, played golf, saw a Broadway production of The Lion King, went out to eat, and just spent time together. The weather was great and we all had lots of fun. Chad and I brought the boat back to Tucson with us for the winter, and we now have it parked in our driveway (wish our garage was a little bigger!). I'm sure our neighbors think we are just crazy...we live in the desert, at least 2 hours away from the nearest body of water, and we have a big boat parked in our driveway (makes perfect sense!) :)

This is how pregnant ladies and little kids ride the banana...

And this is how crazy boys ride the banana!
(Chad and Wade are spitting images of each other!)

YAY! We got Grandma up on a wake board!!

Chad busting some moves on the wake board! (Here's my moment of whining...the worst part about being pregnant...you can't do anything fun!)

The boys loved The Lion King...it was so cute!

The Hoover Dam

The Crowther Clan at the Hoover Dam

Finally, this last weekend was my birthday. I turned 28...so old...but not as old as Chad! Ha Ha It was a low-key, but very fun day. Chad woke me up w/ a yummy waffle breakfast, and gave me a new video camera (yay! still playing with it and trying to figure it all out!). We went on a hike that afternoon together, then ended the day with a date night (dinner and movie)! In keeping with my birthday tradition, Chad also made me a birthday cake. This year...he went with the Halloween theme and decorated my cake as a Jack-O-Lantern! So cute! (And quite delicious!)

My parents are coming to visit this week, and I am so excited. So, the month of October is turning out to be busy but very fun! :) P.S. Below is an updated picture of my belly...23 weeks along...and definitely looking prego!!

It's a GiRl!!!

2009-10-09T09:34:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting our news...I'm a big blogger slacker! In case you haven't heard, we found out last week that we are having a little girl! (Time to think pink!) We couldn't be more thrilled...and I don't think Chad could be more nervous! (He was already worrying about what we're going to do with a teenage daughter! He just hopes she isn't as crazy as I was! LOL!)

As you can see from the picture below, our little daughter is destined to be a gymnast or a yoga instructor! Ha Ha (Yep, those are her legs sticking up past her head!) I can't believe how flexible babies are...wish I were half as limber!

I am officially on the countdown...only 4 more months left! :) Our due date is February 10th...but I'm hoping she'll come a little early. LOL!

The Belly

2009-09-21T20:43:00.003-04:00

At the request of several people, I'm posting some pictures of my prego belly. Yah, I know how super hot and attractive I look... :)

17 weeks

20 weeks

Chad: Officially an O-L-D Man!!!

2009-09-01T10:02:00.008-04:00

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY CHADDIE!

Chad celebrated his 30th birthday on August 23rd. Yep, that means he is officially an old man! (Ha Ha) Can't believe how fast time flies. We met nearly a decade ago, and it's hard to believe he is now 30 years old. (But lucky for him...he still looks 18!) Chad had a fun birthday (I hope!). Our friends, the Baughs and the Gales, came down to visit from Phoenix. We spent the day having a BBQ, going swimming, the boys went golfing, and we ended the day at a Wild West cowboy stunt show. It was lots of fun and great spending time with our friends, who we miss so much now that we've all moved away from each other!

Well, I can't complete this post without giving a little "shout-out" to my wonderful hubby. Chad is an amazing person, doctor, friend, confidant and husband. He makes me laugh everyday. He works so hard and sacrifices so much for our little family. He has achieved so much academically, professionally, and personally during the years I've known him. His work ethic and light-hearted personality are just a few of his many wonderful traits. I am very proud of him and grateful that he's mine! I am the luckiest girl in the world to be his wife!

Chad blowing out ALL of those candles...hope his wish came true! :)

Chad modeling by his b-day presents: hat, wakeboard and life jacket. (The trick will be finding some water near the Arizona desert so we can take our boat out and actually use this stuff!)

We're Having a Baby!

2009-08-31T09:35:00.003-04:00

Well, I decided it was time to make an official announcement...although many of you already know our good news. I'm pregnant! I am now 17 weeks along, and my official due date is February 10th. We'll find out the gender in a few weeks...September 25th to be exact! (So stay tuned!) We can't wait!! I have a hunch that it's a little princess, but who knows?!?! Of course, we'll be thrilled either way. We are just praying for a healthy little baby; that's all that really matters.

Below is a photo from my ultrasound at 11 weeks. I am still amazed when I think that there is a little baby growing inside of me. There are no words to describe our excitement, gratitude, humility and joy.

Welcome to Tucson, Arizona!

2009-07-14T15:19:00.007-04:00

We are finally here! We've moved into our new home in Tucson, AZ and are starting to feel a little settled. So far we love it!! We really like our home and neighborhood, and love the fact that we are back West where there are mountains, outdoor activities, and friendly people!

I finally finished unpacking, though my decorating isn't quite complete. But, despite my sparse decor, I decided to post some photos of our new home (see below).

Chad is BUSY working at the hospital, but really enjoying anesthesia. He's still "green" and little nervous, but seems to be getting the hang of everything. He does several surgeries a day, so he's getting lots of practice! And luckily we are still used to EST, because he wakes up before 5 am and I start work at 5:30 am. (So, don't call us after 9 pm because we'll probably be asleep! LOL!)

I am still adjusting to the working-from-home lifestyle. My job is the same, and I really enjoy it. But I definitely empathize more with all those people who complain about being home all day. I used to think it would be a dream job, but have learned that it's probably one of those things that sound great but is harder to actually do. But, now that I am getting more of a schedule and a routine, my days are becoming more enjoyable. I'm just counting down until the Fall...and it's not 110+ degrees...so I can get out of the house more often!

We have plenty of space, and are ready to entertain. (And believe me...there's lots of exciting things to do in the desert!) So, make sure you put Tucson on your list of upcoming places to visit! (hint hint)

Our New Home!

Our master bedroom (Please make note of our new king size bed...love it!!!)

The view out of our bedroom window...ahhh!

Our master bathroom...

with a jumbo tub! :)

My office (please excuse the mess! For some reason, I deal with clutter on my desk but can't stand it anywhere else!)

Our kitchen...

The TV room...sorry, I didn't get the actual TV in the shot (Chad will be very disappointed!)

Our back yard and patio...love the view!!

And lots of space for BBQ's! (once it cools down a little!)

Our family room (Love the fireplace!! Can't wait to actually use it!)

The formal dinning room (Told you things look a little sparse. I need to liven it up with some decor and color! I'll just add that to my never-ending list of things to do!)

Goodbye Florida!

2009-06-12T10:54:00.005-04:00

Well, the time has finally come...we are officially leaving Florida. It is with sadness that we bid farewell to our home, but with excitment that we take the next step in our adventure! We'll officially hit the road (Tucson or bust!) on Friday, June 19th. We should end up in Tucson on Monday, June 22nd...after four days of a cross-country road trip (Thanks Bud & Linda for making the trek with us. You are going to make the trip much easier and fun!).

The two things we'll miss most...friends and the beach!!

Shannon & Neal Baugh, Me & Chad, Holly & Trent Pryor

This is at a going away BBQ that my friends from work threw for me & Chad. (XOXO!)

Girls Trip to NYC

2009-04-14T18:44:00.006-04:00

My mom, my sister Monica, and I all went to NYC for a girls trip in early April. We had tons of fun seeing the sites and making memories together. Although we got some rain and it was definitely a little chilly, we still had lots of fun. And more than anything, it was just great to be together for some mother-daughter time.

We went to Central Park, the Gugenheim museum, bartered for purses in Chinatown, rode the Staten Island Ferry to see Lady Liberty, saw Wiked and Mama Mia! on broadway, enjoyed yummy treats in Little Italy, took in the excitement around Times Square, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, did some shopping (and was blown away by the awesome floral decor at Macy's), and pretty much walked all over Manhattan (more walking than my mom ever wanted to do!). One of the highlights of the trip was running into the infamous Naked Cowboy!

Cancun, Mexico

2009-03-18T21:14:00.004-04:00

Chad and I took advantage of our free flights...again! We flew to Cancun, Mexico for a short 2-day trip, and then traveled to our soon-to-be home (Tucson, Arizona). We finished off our trip with a day of snowboarding in Park City, Utah. Man do we know how to cram a lot into a few days! :-)

Below are some pictures of Cancun. We had a blast, and agree that Cancun is home to the most beautiful beaches in the world! White sandy beaches and crystal blue water...it was breathtaking! We also took a day tour to Chitchen Itza (Mayan ruins located in the Yucatan Peninsula). It was amazing to see these ruins. It blew our minds to think that such advanced structures could be built so long ago (about 900 AD)! Another cool thing we saw was a sinote (spelling??) They are big holes in the ground where the limestone collapsed, and now it's a big well of water that you can swim in. (Unfortunately I didn't have a swim suit, so only Chad got to jump in!) No matter...it was still cool to see!

Chad jumping off the ledge into the sinote!

Me by the snake's mouth at the bottom of the Mayan temple.

Mi Amigo! LOL! (actually, I have no clue who he is. But Chad thought it would be funny for me to take a picture with one of the natives. He's sooo small!)

A big court where the Mayan people used to play a sports-type game...kind of like basketball. Except the losers got killed! (Good thing it's not so brutal these days!)

Chichen Itza ruins

Ahhh...beautiful Cancun beaches!

The Crowther's Come To Town

2009-02-27T15:27:00.010-05:00

Chad's family (including Chad's parents, little brother, big sister, and two nephews) came to visit us--probably for the last time while we're in Florida (sad!). We had lots of fun together. To start off the trip, we all stayed in Orlando together for a few days. We went swimming, picked fresh citrus from a big orchard, enjoyed a dinner show called Arabian Nights, and got some sunshine at Disney World's Blizzard Beach. (Side note: in addition to soaking up the sun at the water park, we also got MAJOR wedgies from going down a water slide that had a 90 degree drop off! OUCH! Luckily, I DON'T have any pictures of that! LOL!)

After making it back to Fort Lauderdale, the Crowther Clan crammed into our condo for some fun-family-bonding! :-) In addition to just spending time together, we went out to eat (Callee needed to get her lobster!), went to the beach, and went to The Lion Country Safari.

The Lion Country Safari was way cool! We drove our car through the open range to see tons of different animals (most from Africa). As you can see from the pictures below...there were all kinds of animals. (Another Side note: Personally, the ostriches freaked me out! Those things just don't look right...and those ginormous beaks scare me to death!)

See what I mean?? Kind of freaky...right?

A wildebeest!

This was cool...a mother ostrich with her eggs!

No, that's not Chad. It's just a chimp playing on a tire swing. :-)

The Rhinos were so close they literally touched our car.

A baby rhino!! So cute!

At the end, we were able to get out of the car and feed the giraffes. It was really cool...although their long tongues took a bit of getting used to.

BTW- No! Chad is not actually french kissing this giraffe...although it sure looks like it.

I was a little apprehensive about the giraffe getting so close and personal. :-)

Triathlon

2009-02-22T09:26:00.004-05:00

On Valentine's Day I competed in my first-ever triathlon. It was so much fun...despite the fact that the swim was in a lake that was only 4 feet deep! (I literally walked more than half of the swim because the water was so shallow!) Oh well.

Me, Kathryn & Holly

Getting ready to start...

The walking swim...lol!

Finished with the swim...off to the bike!

Bike done...trying to get my clothes adjusted while starting the run!

I did the tri with two of my good friends (Holly & Kathryn) and we had a great time. I even placed 5th in my age category. :) Now I want to get my own road bike so I can do another one...but do it faster! :)

My Valentine! :)

P.S. I guess I was the best lookin' athlete in the tri because the event web site made me their poster child...ha ha!! http://www.asiorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=47411 (I look like such a dork...but at least I was having a good time!)

sPoNtAnEiTy!!

2009-01-26T09:58:00.009-05:00

At about noon on Friday, Chad and I decided to be spontaneous and take a weekend trip to Puerto Rico. Within three hours, we were packed and flying on a plane! No hotel or rental car reservations...not even a map! We had no idea what we were going to do, but decided it would be fun and we could figure out the details when we got there.

Side Note: Stuff like this is good for me...because I typically plan out my life to the minute. So, being spontaneous was a refreshing change. Also, this little trip was another example of how Chad and I balance each other out; Chad is creative and comes up with crazy ideas, but I am the one who has the nerve and has to convince him to actually do the crazy stuff. So I guess that means we're a good team...right?!? ha ha

Despite our lack of preparation, we had a blast and did tons of fun stuff. We packed in the following into our one-day trip: a hike through the rain forest, swimming in a waterfall, touring a fortress, site seeing in the city, and a bioluminescent kayak tour through mangroves! Whew...it was exhausting! But it was AwEsOmE!!

(Sorry...I uploaded the images in reverse. So it starts at the end of the day and works forward!)

Bioluminescent Kayaking:

This was so cool...there were little organisms in the water that reacted to disturbances in the water. So, they would light up when ever we put our paddles or hands in the water. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen happen in nature! Of course, you couldn't capture it on camera because the flash would over-power the bioluminescent lights in the water. One of those things you just have to experience and see for yourself!

The Fort:

San Juan, Puerto Rico:

Swimming in the Waterfall:

There was a pool at the bottom of this waterfall that we swam in. The water was really cold at first, but kind of refreshing once you got used to it. So much fun!

Hiking Through the Rain Forest:

There was a cool tower on the trail that you could climb to see an elevated view of the rain forest. It was awesome to see the vastness and beauty of Puerto Rico! There were also some waterfalls along the trail. About the below picture of Chad being a dork...don't even ask! :)

Christmas in Paris...Utah...and Oregon

2009-01-05T21:04:00.003-05:00

Chad and I had an awesome holiday. Thanks to his job at Delta, we got to fly around the world (well, almost)in addition to travelling to see both our families. It was amazing!

PARIS:
To start things off, we spent three days in Paris, France--and had a fabulous time. Going on very little sleep while trying to adjust to a 6-hour time change, we saw all the sites we could squeeze into three days. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louver museum, the royal court in Versailles, checked out the shops on the infamous Champs Elysee, took a boat ride down the River Seine, and ate lots of yummy crepes and croissants. (mmm, the crepes with Natala and bananas were so delicious!!) It was such an amazing opportunity to experience the history and architecture of Paris. Now we are excited to go back and see the other countries in Europe!

UTAH:
From Paris we travelled to Utah. (BTW- we got to fly to and from Paris in style...Business Elite seats made us feel like true first class travelers!) We had lots of fun spending time with our family in Park City, Salt Lake and Logan. We played in the snow (so much snow!), went ice skating, snowboarding (just me...Chad's bum knee ruined his annual snowboard trip), played some Wii, and just enjoyed being with our families. Especially our cute little nieces and nephews.

OREGON:
Unfortunately, Chad had to fly back to Florida on Christmas Day so I had to go home to Oregon alone. But while there I had tons of fun. I got to see my sisters, parents, and nieces & nephews. We had lots of fun sledding, going out to eat, doing some shopping, playing games, watching movies, watching the Broncos LOSE, and we even had a bonfire for New Years. It was awesome..well, except for the Broncos part. Ha Ha

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and enjoyed the spirit of the season. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

A Floor-gisboard!

2008-12-08T08:48:00.005-05:00

My floors are done!!

I mean our floors are done. :-) YAY!! (Please read two posts below for the story about our "old" floors). Here are a few pictures of our new laminate wood floors. We love them and think they look much better than our old (nastly, cracked & out-dated) tile.

And here's a huge THANK YOU to my hard-working hubby, who sacrificed many many hours of sleep in order to get our floors done. There were several times when Chad literally stayed up all day (which is his night, since he's been working the night shift at the hospital for the past two months) to work on the floors. I really appreciate what a handy-man of a husband I have. There's not much he can't do...especially with a little duct tape! HA HA

I also want to thank everyone who helped us by loaning us their tools (Johnstons & Natellas), and especially Louis for hooking us up on the flooring, loaning us his saw, and for taking so much time to help us! THANKS! We are truly grateful to have such wonderful friends and neighbors.

P.S. Please don't mind the fact that our furniture is still out-of-order, and my table is a mess!! Christmas projects still in the works...you know how that goes! :-)

Living room & Dinning room area

Hallway leading into our bedroom & bathroom

Entryway

Kitchen

I am Thankful for...

2008-11-26T11:13:00.010-05:00

This time of year calls for another "cheesy" post...I just can't resist. During the holiday season I am reminded again and again of all the many things I have to be thankful for, and how many blessings I have been given.

Here are just a few of the many many things I'm thankful for...

Chaddie!

Family!

Faith!

Friends!

Health!

(and so much more!!! )

Count your many blessings,

name them one by one.

Count your many blessing,

see what God has done!

The Rains Came Down, and the Floods Came Up

2008-11-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

As you know, Florida is notorious for heavy rains. Well, unfortunately those heavy rains don't mesh well with leaky walls.

For about a year, our condo has had cracks in the exterior walls. So, our apartment would flood every time it rained really hard. So much fun! We'd go through a process of drying out our rugs and soaking up water with towels once every few weeks...depending on how rainy it was.

Well, apparently our house could only take so much water damage before it gave in. The last time it rained (about 2 1/2 weeks ago), the water managed to leak all the way under our tile and cause it to warp. Then, when the water dried our tile got all brittle and cracked...and warped even more! So, we had a little mountain of cracked tile in our dinning room. :-)

The major problem is that our condo association is responsible for fixing the cracks in our building, and until they do that we are stuck soaking up water every time it rains. And unfortunately, we now have a huge mess because of our association's negligence. So, now our association gets to fix our exterior walls and our floor!! Since our association is run by a board of elderly folks (no offense against old people), things never get done very quickly or efficiently. So, who knows how long we'll be stuck living with a ruined floor. I have a feeling it's going to be several more weeks...UGH!!!

Below are are a few pictures...starting with the warped floor, then the cracks, then the tile removal, and finally what it looks like now. Chad ripped out all of the cracked tile because it was a mess and now we have a big slab of cement for our dinning room floor. I'm trying really hard not to freak out about it...but as you know, my OCD is really hard to control. :-)

BOO! It's Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T13:53:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!!

For Halloween this year Chad and I carved our first pumpkin...well, not our first "ever" but the first since we've been married. :-) It was fun and made me feel like a kid again! FYI- Chad is a much better carver than I am! Go figure...

Last night to celebrate Halloween we went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando with our friends Alice & Louis. We drove up and back in the same night, so we didn't get much sleep that night. It was definitely hard waking up for work the next morning when I didn't go to bed until almost 5 a.m. Oh well...it was definitely worth it. It was so much fun and quite scary!! And Chad got to cruise around in a wheel chair, which was really nice. He wasn't going to let a bum-knee ruin his fun! Even though I knew people were going to jump out and scare us, it still freaked me out. Luckily, I love being scared! (probably a result of watching too many horror movies as a child when my big sister used to babysit me) :-)

These guys were so scary...they would get right in your face and breathe on you. YUCK! And when they knew you were scared they would keep chasing you to make you even more freaked out. Crazy weirdos...seriously. And for any of you who have ever seen it...don't these guys remind you of the people from the movie "The People Under the Stairs?" Yeah, for sure! Super freaky!

Today (Halloween) my department all dressed up as vampires, Draculas, monsters and witches for work. It was really fun! And we put together a big haunted house in our hallway, and got to scare all of our colleagues. We won the best costume and office decorating prizes...obviously! I have so many awesome friends at work, and we have so much fun together. An office of mostly women...no wonder we're so cool!?! HA HA Aren't we a scary crew!?! :-)

Above: This is my boss. It was so funny to see him all dressed up and acting the Dracula part.

Below: Me and my friend Danny...both major fans of "Twilight" (hence the "T" and "L" hands!)

Below: Me and my favorite friends from work! They are so much fun!

Six Unspectacular Quirks...

2008-10-20T10:31:00.000-04:00

OK...let me just say that I am usually not into the whole blog "tag" thing. But, since my cute sis-in-law tagged me, I felt a little obligated (So, this is for you Annie!). Since I was tagged, I am now supposed to write 6 unspectacular quirks about myslef. So, here it goes...

1) I am a little (Chad says a lot) OCD. I like to call it "clean" or "anal," but I guess you could also call it borderline OCD. For example, I like to have things in their proper place. Like the photo album on our coffee table, piles of paper on our counter, books on the table, or the pillows on our couch. Every night before I go to bed...and sometimes I do this several times throughout the day...I arrange the pillows on our couch so they are in their proper place. I also move the photo album so it is centered on our coffee table. What's so weird about that??? (Secretly, I think Chad messes things up just to see how long it will take me to move them.) I've also been known to straighten pictures on the wall at other people's houses if they are crooked...I guess that's a bit much. Chad gets a little embarrased by this one. Honestly, I do it without thinking about it. Oops!

2) I make our bed right before we go to sleep at night. Another thing I don't think is all that weird...I mean, who likes to go to bed in a big messed up pile of sheets and blankets??? No one! So, I make the bed before I get in it to go to sleep. I usually don't have time to make it in the morning, so I just do it at night time. I can't sleep if my sheets are all balled up and twisted...so it only makes sense if you ask me!

3) I use my toes in place of fingers. As most of you probably know...I have really long toes. I know...you're jealous! So if possible, rather than taking the effort to bend over and pick something up, I simply grab it between my toes. Simple as that!

4) I have a floor fettish. I hate dirty floors. They just plain gross me out. Dust...doesn't bother me at all. But I can't stand a dirty floor. I know you probably agree. How many times have you walked on a dirty floor and got a bunch of crap stuck to your bare feet? Or layed down on the carpet only to get up with your clothes covered with lint, hair, etc? It's disgusting...right? As a result, I vacuum and sweep at least twice a week. No dirty floors at my house!! My sister-in-law (Callee) once told me that she'll laugh when I have kids, because it'll make me change my OCD ways!

5) This next quirk probably is a result of the above floor fettish quirk. I have a bad habit of picking stuff off other people...like fuzz balls on shirts, hair, or things on my husband's face. It drives him nuts.

6) I'm a flosser. I floss my teeth at least everyday...or more. I carry an extra roll of it in my purse at all times (You never know when you might need it!). And I hate to have the feeling of stuff stuck between teeth. I have a bad habit of sucking air between my teeth, and a recently-flossed set of teeth really makes that easier. I admit, this is really kind of weird. Oh well! But it is true that you shouldn't neglect your gums! :-)

There you have it...six of my wierd quirks. I think I'm supposed to tag other people now, but I'm not going to. Since I don't really like the whole blog tag thing anyway! :-)

O-TOWN!

2008-10-17T14:57:00.001-04:00

I went home to O-TOWN (Ontario, Oregon) last weekend and had a great time. It was like a little family reunion because all 4 sisters were together at my parent's house. It was so much fun to have the entire family all together...especially since that doesn't happen very often. Other than a few traveling bumps (getting my luggage lost on the way there, and getting stuck in Cincinnati for a night on my way home) the trip was perfect!

It was so great to be back West for some beautiful Fall weather. It was in the 50's the entire time I was home...burr! I have to say, coming back to hot & humid Florida was a little bit depressing. I was loving the cool weather, and missing the season changes. Although I do have to admit, living in Florida in the middle of winter definitely has its perks!!

Above: My sisters Kim and Monica (Gee...I wonder if those two are sisters? They don't look anything alike!)

Below: Me and my sis Pam!

In addition to just spending time with the family and enjoying the weather, we did some really fun things. My mom treated all of us sisters to a "GIRL DAY!" The five Knutson ladies spent a day getting massages, going out to eat, and doing some shopping. It was so much fun. THANKS MOM!!! That was a great b-day present!

My beautiful mom!

On the Sunday I was home, my sister Kim and her husband Jack blessed their cute little baby Oliver. It was really special for me to get to be home for that event. This was actually my first time seeing Oliver in person, and I decided he is just the cutest little guy ever!! I miss him already! In addition to cuddling up with little Oliver, I got to spend lots of time with my two little nieces, Morgan and Kyla. They were so adorable!!! And are growing up so fast. I must say...my sisters sure make some dang cute babies!!! (Not that I'm biased or anything!)

What a precious little family!

Grandpa...always count on him to have some candy for his grandkids!!!

Cute little Margan and Kyla! Can't go anywhere without those blankies!

It's definitely hard coming back to Florida, knowing that I'm so far away from my family. But I am certainly grateful for the time I got to spend with them. Thanks fam for everything you do. I love you all and miss you so much. I am very lucky to have my mom and three sisters as BEST FRIENDS!! (And I guess my good ol' dad is worth keeping around too! HA HA) Less than two months and we'll get to see each other again for Christmas...can't wait!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-16T19:16:00.001-04:00

I turned 27 years old on October 9th. Almost to the big 3-0...man I'm getting so old!! Here is a photo of my birthday cake. When Chad and I got married I told him the only thing I needed was to get a cake on my birthday. So, he decided to make this task a little more enjoyable for himself by making me "theme" cakes. In the past six years he's made me a castle, palm tree, sail boat, Denver Broncos football, and a cowboy hat. And this year Chad made me a cactus birthday cake...it was an attempt to get me more excited about moving to Tucson in June. He figured that he'd use my love of chocolate to persuade me to like the idea of living in cactus-land! I have to say, eating my delicious cactus cake certainly made me see cactus's in a new light. Who knows...maybe his trick worked??

The Doctor Becomes the Patient

2008-09-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

Chad tore his left medial meniscus (see diagram below...for all of you who are like me and not anatomy experts) and had to have surgery yesterday. The tear went all the way from the front of his knee to the back...ugh! So, now Chad gets to wear a big fat brace on his knee and use crutches for 8 weeks! So far, I must say that Chad's been a pretty good patient (surprise). Although it took him hurting his knee 3 times before he actually went to the doctor, thus the extraordinarily bad tear! First injury...trying to beat me in the annual long jump competition at Lake Powell (better luck next time). Second injury...turned his already-injured-knee in a weird position while watching T.V. in bed (I know...that one sounds pretty lame. I should try to come up with a better story!). Third injury...re-re-injured his already-injured-knee playing basketball. Finally, that did it. He came home and yielded--promising to go to the doctor and have it x-rayed. You know what they say; third time's a charm!

Here is Chad on the couch...hooked up to a water pump that helps with the swelling, and carrying his cool "fanny pack!" There is a little ball inside the fanny pack that automatically gives him pain medication through a catheter whenever it deflates. Kind of cool...all this modern-day medical technology!

Well, looking on the bright side...it's probably good for Chad to experience what it's like to be on the other side. As a doctor, he'll be much more empathetic and understanding to his patients having been in the same situation himself. And, the anesthetic drugs really took him for a loop. He's still a little unsettled about not being able to remember anything! :-) We had conversations that he can't recall, and he doesn't even remember being rolled into the O.R.! Kind of crazy...especially since he's going to be the anesthesiologist injecting everyone else with those fabulous drugs one day! :-)

Confined to the couch...good thing it's football season! I guess he's already bored from sitting around all day...I told him to smile and this is the face he gives me.

August Happenings...anniversaries, birthdays, reunions and concerts!!

2008-08-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

Well, August was a fun-filled month in the Crowther house. We were busy doing lots of celebrating...we had our 6-year anniversary on 8.17, Chad had a birthday and turned 29 years old on 8.23, and he had his 10-year high school reunion on 8.23. Also, we went to the Kenny Chesney concert on 8.28. Like I said...lots going on...but it was all fun!!

For our anniversary on the 17th we went to Sanibel Island, which is on the west coast of Florida. It was amazing!! We really loved its exclusivity and slow-paced feel. There were TONS of shells, and I must say that Chad is probably the best shell-finder I've yet to come across. The clear blue water was fabulous...we rode bikes around the island...ate some fresh seafood...and of course enjoyed a weekend get-a-way spent with just the two of us! One of the highlights of the trip was when a school of dolphins swam within about 20-30 feet of us. It was so awesome!!! (And luckily, I didn't think they were sharks and start screaming at everyone to get out of the water...like I did the time we saw a manatee swimming near the ocean shoreline!)

Below is one of our engagement pictures...think we've changed much?

The next weekend Chad got a double whammy! He got to fly home to PC to celebrate his birthday and to attend his high school reunion. It was a quick trip...we flew into Utah on Saturday morning and flew back to Florida Sunday night. But it was worth it. We got to see both our families, go horseback riding, eat at Cafe Rio (YUM!), and Chad got to catch up with a bunch of his friends from the Class of 1998. He enjoyed seeing his old friends and reminiscing about "the good ol' days." GO MINERS!! And it was fun for me to meet some of his buddies and hear a few hometown stories...luckily I didn't hear too many crazy ones about Chad. Ha Ha

Some high school friends & their spouses.

Above: Chad getting embarrassed as they sing "Happy Birthday" to him at the reunion. Below: Chad needs help from the whole family to blow out all those candles!

Finally, we topped off our month of festivities with a Kenny Chesney concert. Last night we went with our coolest cowboy friends (Louis & Alice Isom) to see his concert up in West Palm Beach. Despite it being outside and sweating like crazy, we had a great time. Kenny was a great performer and entertainer. And he sounded great live...just like on his albums. And of course, it was fun to dust off our cowboy boots and go back to our "redneck" roots. There are days when I really miss living on a farm, hanging out with my cows, and enjoying the simple life. I think Kenny says it best: "Back where I come from, that's where I'll be when it's said and done, I'm proud as anyone, that's where I come from." You don't get much country in South Florida; a Kenny Chesney concert is about as close as you get to farm life around here. :-)

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL??

2008-08-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

It's officially football season...our favorite time of year!

(Please excuse the fact that we look like like a bunch of dorks in this picture. Sitting in the Florida humidity for long periods of time has a way of melting away your good looks. HA HA)

As you probably know, I was born and bread a BRONCOS fan...nothing will change that!! (no comments about their loss on Saturday night...we all know pre-season games don't matter!) But, even though I bleed mile-high orange and blue, living in South Florida has a way of making you a Dol-Fan (aka: Miami Dolphins Fan). One of the best perks about my job is getting free tickets to lots of local sporting events, including the Miami Dolphins games. Last Saturday, I got 3rd row seats on the 30 yard line to watch the Dolphins v. Buccaneers football game. It was pretty SWEET. It was fun sitting so close to the players...some are just ginormous!

Of course, Chad was really excited because he was able to see John Beck play (that's him playing QB in the photo above). Beck was the BYU quarterback who got drafted by the Dolphins last year. Of course, he usually only gets to play pre-season games because he's the third-string quarterback. So to Chad, it was a great game despite the fact that it was just pre-season. :-)

Unfortunately, the Dolphins couldn't pull out a "W." But that's OK. So long as they win two games this season they'll be 100% better than they were last season!! HA HA

GO BRONCOS!! I have a feeling...this is gonna be their year!! :-)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles...well, almost!

2008-08-06T15:21:00.000-04:00

Chad and I traveled via plane, boat and car to get to one of our favorite vacation spots...LAKE POWELL! We spent 5 days of bliss hanging out on a house boat, skiing, wake boarding, laying out, and spending time with family. Although at times things can get a bit crowded (50+ people sharing two house boats for a week) it was so much fun. And, even after more than 12 straight hours of traveling each way...and being forced to sleep a night in the Boston airport...the life of flying standby...we both agreed that it was worth it.

Chad's family has been going to LP every year since the beginning of time...well, for more than 20 years, and that's a pretty long time! Living in Florida makes it tough to coordinate schedules, but we did it this year. (One has to be willing to make sacrifices for the things they love!)

We were able to stay in LP from Saturday through Wednesday...not too shabby. Plus, we left early enough that we missed all of the family tiffs and quarrels. :-) LOL! Unfortunately, I didn't quite make it the whole trip without causing a little T-R-O-U-B-L-E. (surprise, surprise!)

Let me give you the cliff notes version. First, a little background info. I love to run. And I particularly love to run at LP. You can go in your swimming suit, get all sweaty and dirty, then jump in the lake and cool off. It's fabulous! Well, one night after dinner I felt like taking a little jog. Mind you, I thought there was plenty of daylight left, so I had no reservations about the idea (the first in a series of bad decisions). Off I went with my headphones blasted to enjoy a moment of solitude and release. After reaching my half-way point (or so I thought), I decided it was time to head back to the house boat. After running for a while, I figured I should run to the edge of the cliff and check to see how far away I was to the house boat. Low and behold...I saw no houseboat when I got to the edge of the cliff. WEIRD?? Guess I hadn't run far enough! (FYI- It's hard to tell "exactly" where you are out in the middle of the desert...everything looks the same! Even though you may think you are running in the right direction, you may very well be heading somewhere completely different! Another bad decision on my part!) So, I decide to run for a bit farther...must not have gone far enough yet. After a few minutes, I decide to check on my location again. Second look...I finally see house boats. Unfortunately, not MY houseboat. DANGIT! By this time, I've already been gone longer than I told Chad I would be...he'd probably start to worry. (Not only am I notorious for getting lost AND being clumsy, but I am now trying to run all alone in the middle of nowhere in the DARK. Oops!) So, after about 5 minutes of debating with myself about how to get myself out of this predicament...I decided the smartest thing to do was to humble myself and ask for help. So, I walked through a bunch of bushes and down the sandy cliff to someone else's house boat. After introducing my "bonehead" self and explaining my situation to a boat full strangers, we got on their jet ski to cruise around the lake in search of my missing house boat. Of course, it took us nearly 30 minutes to find it, since I had no sense of direction and no idea where I was! (who'da thought I could run sooo far in the WRONG direction??) Luckily, I eventually made it safe and sound. But, not without ticking my husband and in-laws off a little bit. By the time I finally made it back, I'd been gone more than an hour. It was pitch dark. There was a crew of guys with flashlights walking up the hill in "Debbie Search Teams." Leading the pack...my husband! Not only was he upset with me for being stupid and running too late at night...but he was also worried about me. I felt SO DUMB!! And I felt really badly for making him worry. I learned a good lesson (or two) from this experience, and will hopefully be a little smarter in the future. (But I'm not making any promises.)

Lake Powell...always an adventure, and always a place to make memories. :-)