the kevin ward family

Iceskating

2012-02-04T08:48:00.002-07:00

iceskating in our backyard. this brought back so many memories. my dad made a skating rink in our backyard for a couple years growing up. it was during my college years, but it was still fun to bring some college friends over to play some "ice hockey" or mess around.

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iceskating...in our backyard

2012-02-03T16:48:00.001-07:00

the weather has been CRAZY here! not much snow. and when we do see snow it melts quickly and then refreezes. messy!

one positive from this lousy weather is the ice skating rink mother nature created in our backyard. my parents have some ice skates that they lent us the fit wesley perfectly. we have had some fun out there.

kevin and wesley

wesley, kevin, and madalyn

madalyn and kevin

wesley and camryn

2012-02-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

wesley is such a funny kid. he is always making wise cracks when asked obvious questions and acting much older than his age. i think this stems from running around with 6 and 7 year old boys. he has always tagged along with owen's friends. i was hoping once we got him in preschool he would make some good buddies that he could play with on occasion.

i work at his preschool twice a month and his wisdom has followed him.
the result: he feels like 4 and 5 year old boys are much younger than him.

but, he has met one exception. meet camryn. she lives in the cul-de-sac behind us and has a twin sister, cloe. they are both in his preschool. camryn and wesley are quite fond of each other and really like to hang out together at school. he has also been invited over to their house to play in the snow. wesley has a hard time remembering whose name belongs to who, but he does remember the one he favors has freckles. what a sweet observation!

last saturday camryn was spending the day alone with her parents and they asked her what she wanted to do. she told them she wanted to take wesley to burger king (because he has talked about how he would like to go there) to get a crown and then go to a movie.

so, they did. i hesitated a little bit. but, the two of them really have a good time together. camryn likes to play the things wesley likes so they get along really well.

aren't they sweet?

50 questions

2012-02-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

last sunday these kids were making me laugh. i was working on the computer and the three of them decided to rest on the arms of our couches and proceeded to ask each other 50 questions. they were so funny! i loved being able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"is your favorite food chicken?"
"is the secret password 'GO'?"
"is your favorite color green?"

so thankful for these little turkeys that bring smiles to our faces!

baby boy ward

2012-01-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

the last week has been full of pain. but, with pain comes comfort, growth and understanding. i have found a lot of peace and closure through talking and writing about this experience. this will be a long post with lots of details.

last tuesday, january 10th i dropped wesley and madalyn off at my mom's while i went to my 16 week prenatal visit. the visit was going to be quick. i just needed to weigh in, check my temperature and blood pressure, and hear the baby's heart beat.

i was visiting the same doctor who delivered wesley and madalyn. we had really been impressed with doctor steven robison. he was always very kind, great bedside manner, and never rushed us. and another interesting tid bit is that his father is the doctor who delivered me. i felt comfortable around him.

i was laying on his table for quite awhile as he searched for the heartbeat. normally this would really alarm me. but, i felt peaceful. before this pregnancy the doctors had never had any problem finding the heart beat. it had always manifested itself quickly. but, at my 12 week appointment with this pregnancy the doctor had a difficult time finding the heart beat and sent me in for an ultrasound. i was pretty worried at this visit. but, the baby was fine. measuring at exactly where it should be. the baby was just behind the placenta so it made it difficult to find.

so, as the doctor was struggling to find the heartbeat at this appointment i reminded him of our last visit. then he told me he wasn't going to charge me for this ultra sound but really wanted to make sure the baby was alright and sent me down the hall. i was still calm. actually i was a little excited. i thought that maybe could tell me the sex of the baby and i could surprise kevin with the news.

the ultrasound tech found the baby right away. i'm not sure why i didn't notice that the baby was in a ball and not moving, or that the screen was pulsing red but no blue. the tech was very quiet and just said that she was going to take some measurements. a few moments later doctor robison popped in and asked where she found the heart beat. she whispered, "there isn't one." and that's when a little piece of me died. the room was silent, aside from my sobs. i wasn't sure how i was expected to get out of that chair...let alone go home. i was a mess.

they moved me into a different room and asked me if i wanted to call someone. i tried calling kevin but got his voice mail. at this point, i'm sure they didn't know what to do with me. i told them i wasn't going to leave through the front door. i couldn't bear to walk past all the pregnant woman looking the way i did. so, doctor robison led me to his office where i could try to call kevin again and grieve in peace. they really tried to make me comfortable with water, kleenex, holding my hand, and one offered to call kevin but i couldn't even explain how to call him on my phone. i was a mess! i wasn't screaming or howling. i just couldn't function. shock, i'm sure.

a few minutes later i tried kevin again. no answer. so i called his main office and they tracked him down for me. as soon as i heard his voice i started sobbing and was only able to mutter "we lost the baby". i couldn't even tell him where i was. he finally hung up on me and some how found me a few minutes later in doctor robison's office (kevin works at mountain view hospital which is actually attached to the building i go to for my visits...such a blessing it only took him a couple minutes.).

we visited with doctor robison for awhile and briefly discussed what would need to take place in the following days. then, we exited through the back. we spent the next couple hours in the car...grieving. there is a little bit of disconnect that takes place between a husband and wife in this situation. kevin felt sadness. but i felt sadness, loss, grief, fear, pain in my heart, and heaviness in my stomach. it's different when you are the women. he explained that this must be harder on me and didn't know how to help me or make me feel better.

we went to my parents to pick up the kids. i was thankful to have my parents so close. to feel their hugs, love, and concern.

news traveled fast (SO THANKFUL FOR FAMILIES AND CHURCH FAMILIES) and my neighbor was picking my kids up so me and kevin could be alone. kevin gave a priesthood blessing which provided the strength, courage, faith, and peace that helped me through the next 24 hrs. i was surrounded with all the support and prayers that a person could ask for that evening. visits, phone calls, and messages.

before bed that night we told the kids what was happening. madalyn and wesley are still too young to really understand. but, owen was full of questions. we told the kids that heavenly father had decided that this baby needed to come back to heaven and so his spirit was in heaven now.

i hardly slept that night. my stomach felt SO HEAVY.

the doctor was supposed to call me the next day to discuss when we felt we would be ready to deliver the baby. we decided that night that the sooner the better and as soon as he could get us in we would be there.

the following morning (wednesday, january 11th) before owen left for school we explained to him that they would be taking the baby's body out of my tummy and talked about how our spirit and body are different and when we die our spirit goes to heaven but our body stays here. owen is so full of love, compassion, and understanding. he played a big part in helping our family to grieve and talk about what was going on.

they finally admitted me in the hospital a little after 1 o'clock that afternoon. kevin met me there. they told us to plan on being there for 6-9 hours. it was very surreal walking into labor and delivery with kevin. the only other times we had ever been there was to deliver our three healthy babies. this time would be much different.

they administered the medication around 2pm. this would cause severe cramping and allow me to dilate so i could deliver the baby and placenta and would hopefully allow us to avoid a d/c. they would administer this every 6 hours until the baby was delivered. we sat in that hospital room for 6 hours without much happening. just resting, talking, reading, and playing games. they administered the medication again at 8pm and it was around this time that i finally started cramping and bleeding. they gave me some wonderful pain medication that kept me comfortable. at 2 am they checked me and decided that they didn't need to administer more medicine and that it wouldn't be long before they could get the baby out. this is when fear set in for me. i wasn't sure i could handle what was about to happen.

i delivered the baby at 2:51 am. it was a boy. i asked kevin if i would want to see the baby. he said yes. i'm glad i did. he was very small. 4 1/8 inches and 20 grams. but, seeing that little body did provide peace and closure. kevin said that it was at this time that he REALLY felt the pain of our loss. i guess it provided us both with closure. i think this is the main reason they didn't just do a d/c to begin with.

they waited until 5am to deliver the placenta. i needed to dilate more in order for this to happen. this was the most painful part. a lot of digging and a lot of pressure. around 7am they brought in an ultra sound tech. this process was very annoying and uncomfortable. but they wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything left inside. they decided there was and that a d/c would be necessary.

they came and got me around 10am for the d/c. the anesthetist told me they would be giving me a drug that would cause some amnesia and allow me to feel no pain and that is the last thing i remember. :) guess it worked. my friend told me they call this "milk of amnesia" at her nursing school. i woke up around 11:30am. the hospital presented us with a grievance box and tried to provide any memorabilia they could. a local stake from the LDS church makes these boxes and provides them to mothers in my position. what a sweet thought!

this little teddy bear is such a special gift. we just knew that the kids (especially owen) would appreciate it. it measures about 1 inch smaller than our baby did...and really gave owen (and me) something to hold and cherish.

much to my surprise my sisters (who all live in utah) had loaded up in their cars that night and drove to idaho falls so they could be with me when i was released from the hospital. what wonderful news to wake up to!

i was out of the hospital by 12:30pm and off to my mom's. i spent the next few hours there. they fed me my favorite meal (my mom's lasagna)...and i was starved. i hadn't eaten since 11am the day before. they gave me a "basket full of comfort" which had all sorts of comforting items. we played games, talked, cried, and snacked. and then they had to leave.

melissa, katie, natalie, grandma manwaring, mom, me, and emily

it wasn't until the next day that i realized how inspired that quick visit was. they allowed me to feel peace and comfort so much sooner than i could have ever asked. i am so thankful that i was able to leave that hospital feeling so empty and come to a home so full of love, comfort, and support.

the following few days were very painful. lots of tears and heartache. but, i can't even begin to list all the many people who helped us to feel love, peace, and comfort. we were fed LOTS of food, received lots of phone calls, visits, messages, flowers, service, hugs, and prayers.

i still ache to be pregnant. i can't bear to put away my maternity clothes or erase the count down i put on my calendar. but, i am starting to feel more normal. i'm starting to feel able. and i know that writing and sharing this is allowing me to heal.

so thankful!

happy new year!

2012-01-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

happy new year!

we had some sickies at our house for new year's eve so we laid low. we tried to make it fun by pulling out our hats and putting up decorations. i even prepared some margarita glasses and set out some games so we could bring it in a bang!

BUT, we were much too tired. the kids were out by 9:30 or so and kevin and i rang in the new year alone. LAME. but, i guess a quiet one can be nice every once in awhile.

christmas

2012-01-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

kids didn't wake up until about 6:30 which is their normal wake up time. that was nice.

peeking through the sheet

we opened and played with our santa gifts until it was time to head to church. after church we came home, put on some new comfy clothes and opened the gifts from each other.

that night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at my parents house. it was a perfect christmas!

santa came

2012-01-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

i love the magic of christmas eve! the anticipation of santa's arrival.

we don't put any presents under our tree until christmas eve. we put out a few that afternoon but most of it we wait to put out until the kids go to sleep...and before santa comes. it seems to add to the magic for us.

he found us.

here is a picture with "the sheet" up.

christmas eve

2012-01-16T17:33:00.001-07:00

we had a very quiet christmas eve. kevin always likes to let the kids open a couple presents early in order to spread out the glee! here are the kids playing with their early spoils from grandma and grandpa ward.

that evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner at my grandma freidenberger's home. then it was back home to open and get into our new cozy pj's. one of my favorite things about christmas eve!

don't these kids look so cozy and adorable in their pajamas from grandma and grandpa manwaring.

extra loose

2012-01-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

here is owen on christmas eve showing us his extra loose tooth. he likes to wait until they fall out on their own, so they hang around in his mouth extra loose for quite some time.

i think it finally fell out a couple days later. funny kid!

manwaring family progressive snacking

2012-01-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

the weekend before christmas we did our manwaring family progressive snacking. i really love this tradition!

this year we were lucky to have the angeles family (kevin's sister, rosanne) join in the fun! we hope we didn't overwhelm them too much. it was fun to have them visiting for the weekend. natalie also was home from slc so we loved having her as well.

justin's house was first. rosanne and her family made the trek to blackfoot with us. we enjoyed a mighty filling spread at their house. multiple types of cheese, crackers, and meat. plus lots of little extras. it was yummy!

rosanne holding zoey and rafa at justin's house

then it was off to jarom's for bbq chicken sandwiches and lots of little extras as well. i know, this is some kind of "snacking" huh. :)

next stop was benjamin's for homemade chicken noodle soup.

then it was off to my house where all the overly full bellies could hardly manage to eat anything. good thing I was only serving a layered chip dip and margaritas.

natalie and dad

owen, carter, and ogden

madalyn

rafa showing us how it's done...with the pinkie up.

kevin

tree admirers

ellie, anna, and halle

we also had a pinata for the kids to bash in the basement. no pictures, but they really enjoyed. madalyn helped me pick the little donkey pinata out at the store and was DEVASTATED when people knocked his head off with a stick. poor girl!

after my house we headed to my parents for a cookie/hot drink spread and had our christmas nativity.

it was a great night!

o christmas tree

2011-12-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

i love decorating our christmas tree! and i usually try to do it alone. is that mean? we put a kids tree in the basement that they can do themselves (not this year though because we can't find the tree stand). i try to make it fair. :) i will usually let them each hang a couple of ornaments, but i get really nervous since our tree is in the kitchen and one drop on the tile will shatter an ornament.

enjoying the fruits of my labor

merry christmas everyone!

2011-12-19T17:01:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas to our family and friends! We cannot believe that this year is coming to a close. As our three little ones get older our days seem to pass by so fast and then the year is over before we know it. I’m sure you all know the feeling.

Some of our favorite memories from this year…
Being introduced to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) by my dad at my parents’ stake conference. Him giving us a hug and advising me and Kev to “Be Happy!”
Being snowed in at Swan Valley with the Lowry family.
Going on our annual snowmobile trip with my family.
The first annual Fred Ward Family Reunion at Bear Lake.
The 9th Annual Gregg Manwaring Family Reunion in Logan, UT.
The Holley Manwaring Family Reunion in Blackfoot, ID.
Boating with the Josephsons.
Finishing our sprinkler system and planting grass.
Sneaking away with my sisters to Park City and trying anti-gravity yoga together.
A surprise anniversary get-away.
Spending Thanksgiving with every member of the Gregg Manwaring family.

Kevin stays so busy and works so hard. He has reached his three year mark at Mountain View Hospital and really enjoys it there. Kevin also does some work in home health, a nursing home, and a retirement home. Did I mention he works hard? We are so thankful for him and his work ethic. Kevin is also still serving in the Elders Quorum Presidency and enjoys those he serves with. We all enjoy every minute he is home and the kids love to wrestle with him and ride on his back. The kids like this time of year the most since they love to play outside and their dad is more than happy to put on his snow gear and join them. In the spring Kevin participated in his third sprint triathlon and finished five minutes faster than last year. He also did a 10k run this summer. He enjoys the training and motivation that a race gives him.

These three kids keep me busy and I am thankful for them. I learn so much (too much) about myself through them and they give me a lot of motivation to be better. This summer I helped coach Owen’s tball team again. It’s fun to be involved in his activities and it gives me a greater appreciation for the parents that volunteer their time for different things. I did a 5k race with my neighbor/ running partner and knocked 6 minutes off my last 5k time. That is always a good feeling. Earlier this year I was called to serve the Young Women in my ward...which meant I had to attend girls camp (I’m terrified of wild animals and camping out). And I am proud to report that I survived two days, one night, and a hike without freaking out. And I’m not going to lie; the bear spray did provide peace of mind.

Owen is six and is very thoughtful and kind. He played soccer and tball this year. He celebrated his birthday this year with a big pirate party with friends. He has a new obsession with Jack Sparrow. He also started first grade this fall. He has a male teacher and really enjoys him. Owen does really well in school and strives for perfection in his homework, reading, and tests. He also started a Let’s Play Music class this fall and loves going to that each week.

Wesley is four and has a great imagination, loves dressing up, and is a great helper. With Owen at school all day Wesley enjoys stepping up as the oldest and one in charge while I’m busy. He did his first year of tball this summer and was always giving you thumbs up or a wink from the field. Wesley started preschool at Little Chick Preschool this fall and loves going. He knows how to write his name really well. I work at this preschool twice a month and love watching him interact with the other kids.

Madalyn is two and is a very busy girl. She talks really well but mostly chooses to be silent around other people. But, don’t be fooled! She loves to run around the house with her toy cellphone on her ear/shoulder laughing, saying “oh my gosh!”, “what are you doing?”, and “uh-huh”. I wonder where she learned that!? She also loves to sing songs and dress up. We moved her into a big girl bed and she has been such a good girl and rarely gets out of bed. She only asks that we “don’t shut that door!” Next, it’s on to potty training. She loves to run around with her brothers and likes to report their every need to me. Sometimes the boys didn’t even know they needed anything. J And Madalyn REALLY loves escaping to our neighbor’s house to hang out with their 9 and 12 year old daughters. Such a spunky little thing!

We hope you all had a fantastic year of joy and growth! We love this time of year to reflect on our many blessings that our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ afford us. And we are thankful for the many gifts made possible through our Savior.

We love you and hope to hear from you soon.

Merry Christmas!

Kevin, Becky, Owen, Wesley, and Madalyn Ward
www.kevinandbeckyward.com

kevin turns 33!

2011-12-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

we celebrated kevin's 33rd birthday yesterday. he took the day off and we enjoyed him all day long. (:

we started early with breakfast so owen could eat before he had to go to school.

just missing the man of the hour

we enjoyed a yummy pancake breakfast and then opened up the goodies.

i surprised kevin with a play station steering wheel. he loves it!

kevin spent the morning relaxing and playing with his wheel and new ps batman game. then we sent wesley off to school and the three of us (me, kev, and madalyn) went to chili's for lunch. it was a nice lunch.

after we got home the kids returned from school. they played some play station with dad, and then headed outside to play in the snow so dad could try his new snow boots.

while they were out my mom came over to help me make bourochs for kevin's dinner. it's a family recipe of her's that kevin loves and i've never made before. a few hours later our hard work paid off and kevin was super pleased. (: thanks mom!

we spent the rest of the evening relaxing together at home. it was nice and quiet. ending the night with kevin's favorite christmas movie, the polar express.

happy birthday babe! we love you!

thanksgiving

2011-12-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

natalie, jarom, anna, elena, halle, kate, jamis, ellie, becky, kevin, madalyn, sami, katie, chris, megan, alyssa, micah, owen, joyce, alex, emily, dad, brandon, collin, mom, keagen, eli, george, shirly, carter, ogden, betty, justin, truman, mia, amber, wesley, kaylin, spencer, benjamin, melissa, gabby, izzie, payson, blake

we all made it home for thanksgiving this year! SO FUN! plus, we had a few special guests. my mom's sister, betty, came from washington to surprise her mom and dad. which she did. and my grandma joyce came from malad, and grandpa george and shirley came to join us as well. it was a full church house! and lots of yummy food.

we had activities planned for the kids, played some games, made a craft, played basketball, and did a lot of visiting. we also scouted out the ads and did most of our shopping that night. we even managed to pull betty out to come with us. GREAT TIMES!

so thankful!

thanksgiving day football

2011-12-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

this year for thanksgiving we reserved a church house to contain us all in. this is our second time doing it and it one of our greatest ideas.

we did it at benjamin's church house this time. the festivities started at 10am thanksgiving morning with setting up the tables and chairs and a game of flag football.

justin, benjamin, dad, ogden, brandon, alex, payson, katie, keagen, micah, jamis, sami, melissa, megan, owen, kevin, wes, chris, blake, gabby, and izzie.

kevin's surprise

2011-12-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

this man of mine, he LOVES surprises! he mostly loves to surprise others, but he enjoys a surprise every once in awhile. and he is also one of the most difficult people to surprise.

but, i was able to pull off a great surprise for our 9th anniversary. our anniversay was november 2nd and we celebrated by exchanging cards and tentatively planning to go out that weekend for a date. kevin works ALOT so it's really hard to plan any kind of surprise because his work schedule is so unpredictable. so saturday before he went to work i told him he needed to be home by a certain time because i was taking him out on a date. my DEAR friend, steph, came to stay at our house for the night so I could take kevin away on a surprise all-nighter. (;

so, i packed our bags and when kevin came home i told him we were going out on a date and wouldn't be home until the next morning. he was shocked! as soon as steph showed up we were out the door.

SHOCK #2 came when we pulled up to the blue heron inn (bed and breakfast). we honeymooned here and said we would return every year. we did for the first three years and then we had kids. (: it was so fun to be back again and to enjoy an evening together.

honeymooners at the blue heron inn 2002

nine years later at the blue heron inn 2011

thanks steph for making this work!

this will be hard to top next year! (;

family pictures 2011

2011-11-03T19:27:00.000-06:00

we had our friend, amber vest, take our pictures for the third year in a row and she did not disappoint. she does a great job! and it's always such a relief to have these done for another year...or so. (;

owen (6 years)

wesley (4 years)

madalyn (2 years)

9 years of marriage (:

i love this picture of kevin and madalyn. i tried to get a picture with her and she wouldn't have it.

luckily, my boys came through for me! aren't they sweet!

this is halloween!

2011-11-02T13:42:00.000-06:00

we had company for halloween this year, which is always fun! we had invited kevin's parents to the kids' church primary program which was the day before halloween. so they were able to come for the program and then stay a couple extra days and do halloween with us.

madalyn loved having grandma and grandpa around!

wesley before he went to preschool on halloween.

ready to trick-or-treat

wesley the black ninja

owen as CAPTAIN jack sparrow

madalyn as a witch

carolyn made us chili and then we headed over to the iona trunk or treat. there was a great turn out and it was fun for all. then we headed over to my parent's house to trick or treat. mom had a great set-up with yummy caramel apples and sugar cookies! the highlight of the night for sure.

you can always find my mom in her witch costume on halloween night, but this year she added "the chin". madalyn was not impressed! and VERY scared.

grandma and grandpa ward with the trick-or-treaters. such a fun time! thanks for coming and spending it with us!

halloween parade

2011-11-02T13:23:00.000-06:00

owen's school does a halloween parade on halloween morning. it makes for a rushed morning, but the kids love it! madalyn and wesley also get to put their costumes on so that makes it EXTRA fun!

carson and owen

madalyn the witch

this is carson's big sister, paige. madalyn LOVES to hang out with paige and watch tv or play polly pockets. paige is so sweet to entertain her when madalyn sneaks over there with the boys.

i didn't get a picture of wes at the parade. sorry wes!

carving pumpkins

2011-11-02T13:15:00.000-06:00

saturday night we finally got the pumpkins carved. we did it with one of our favorite families, the lowrys.

we had a good time! but, i am glad this is only done once a year. so much work! but the kids were proud of their jack-o-lanterns.

wesley

madalyn (don't you love her ghost sticker on her face...she LOVES stickers)

owen

ipad and dad

2011-10-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

two of madalyn's favorite things: the ipad and her dad

spooky eyes!

2011-10-29T13:25:00.002-06:00

thursday night we went to the iona elementary halloween carnival. the kids came home with some "spooky eyes". the highlight of their night!

madalyn loves to just keep hers around her neck (like a necklace) and most of the time i have forgotten they are on her. she loves to put them on at random moments and try to "scare" people. she says "arrr..i'm pirate!"

today i went to check on her during her nap and this is how i found her!

how can you NOT smile!

"the great big toys r us book"

2011-10-29T13:04:00.000-06:00

we received "the great big toys r us book" in the mail this week.
the kids have carried this book all over the place.
they have circled, crossed out, and ripped out pictures.
they LOVE when this book shows up!

madalyn got comfortable with it the other day and went to work marking and ripping it up.

i can't decide what's funnier! that a 2-year old is marking up her wish list in a magazine or that she is using a balloon as an ottoman! love this girl.

blankets

2011-10-29T12:57:00.000-06:00

i have a closet, close to our living room, that we keep full of blankets. it proves to be handy when we want to be comfy during a movie or warm up. the kids LOVE to take EVERY.SINGLE.BLANKET out to build forts, tall towers, or just a soft place to play.

it makes me crazy!

the other day I pulled all the blankets out to meticulously fold them and put them away and i didn't turn my back for more than five minutes and madalyn had pulled them all out and made herself a big bed.

it makes me crazy i tell you! BUT, i was so exhausted i just decided to snuggle in next to her and enjoy her creation.

and...it was a so warm and comfy! they are really on to something here. (:

happy 33rd!

2011-10-25T14:37:00.000-06:00

i celebrated my 33rd birthday over the weekend. it's hard to believe that i'm nearing my mid-thirties. i still see myself as being 25. oh well. age is just a number.

kevin took the day off work and treated me to a fantastic day.

madalyn was so excited to wake up to balloons and presents. she was convinced it was her birthday. the boys kept telling her it was mommy's birthday but she didn't believe them until dad told her. AND THEN...came the tears.

crocodile tears

they tried to keep her mind off it by giving her jobs to do. but she was still pretty sad when i woke up. i let her help me blow out the candle on my pancake and open presents. after she saw what they were she didn't care one bit. (;

my "spoils"

reading my birthday cards

opening the miniature presents the boys taped up for me. a rock and a very small piece of paper.

my new comfy outfit from kevin.

my new vera purse and wallet

after breakfast and presents we layed around and watched a movie in bed. it was great to not have to be anywhere and just relax together.

we went out and grabbed jimmy johns for lunch and drove to a park to eat it. the sun was shining but the wind was blowing so we didn't stay too long.

then it was back home for more relaxing until dinner time. then our neighbor, morgan, came and watched the kids while kev and i met up at texas roadhouse with my brothers and their wives for some dinner.

after dinner we came home and enjoyed cake and icecream with everyone.

i know...i ate all day long! but, what are birthdays for. (;

blurb book 7

2011-10-20T16:45:00.000-06:00

i just received my seventh blurb book!

i love blogging. it is such an easy way to share pictures and document fun little tidbits about life. But, it's even better when you get those pictures and tidbits in print. as i was reading through this book i couldn't believe that i had already forgotten some of these stories from the last half of last year. so thankful i typed them out!

here are some of my favorite pages.

big girl bed

2011-10-16T18:57:00.000-06:00

we decided it was time for madalyn to be in a big girl bed. so, last sunday we converted her crib into a day bed.

madalyn was SO EXCITED to have a big girl bed and to be able to get in and out of it herself.

she also thought it was pretty great that her brothers could climb into bed with her.

madalyn and her brothers

madalyn and her bed

first thing she did after it was ready was put all her babies to sleep in her bed. what a good little mommy! (: and the BEST NEWS: she has never once snuck out of bed during naps or bedtime. so obedient! her only request each night as we leave her room (she says while shaking her finger) "don't.shut.that.door!" and sometimes she will sneak that little phrase into her bedtime prayers.

love her to pieces!

owen and gabby

2011-10-16T18:47:00.000-06:00

madalyn, wesley, gabby, and owen showing off their halloween teeth

my sister, katie, came to play for a couple days last weekend. it was so fun to have her and some of her girls around. owen and gabby are only 5 days apart and have always had a special little bond. they really had a lot of fun spending the weekend together.

first snow

2011-10-16T18:43:00.000-06:00

on october 6th we had our first snow fall. the boys didn't have school that thursday or friday so as soon as they saw the snow fly they were digging through the snow clothes and running to the neighbors. they really enjoyed it! the flakes were HUGE and the snow was super wet and packed really well.

kevin called me about four times that day to ask if the boys were having fun in the snow and to check on how much it was snowing. he is like a child when it comes to playing in this white stuff.

in fact, he was home about two hours earlier than usual that night...and the first thing he did was put on his snow clothes and went out to build something in the snow.

we decided that rather than a snowman it would be more appropriate to build three little jack-o-lanterns.

happy halloween!

witch

2011-10-16T18:35:00.000-06:00

we were at grandma manwaring's house when she was decorating for halloween and found an old witch costume. what a sweet little witch!

when did she get SO BIG!?!?

2011-10-16T18:32:00.000-06:00

madalyn LOVES to chase around with the boys. she thinks she is such a big girl. and she is actually starting to look like a big girl.
when did she get go big?

park city sister sneak

2011-09-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

after yoga we freshened up, checked out of our hotel and hit the shopping scene again for a few hours. i'm not much of a shopper but park city has great outlet stores so we all walked away with some fun purchases.

we grabbed lunch at a local hamburger joint called flippin burgers. it was a great place with great food.

then it was off to salt lake where we spent some time at natalie's house relaxing and getting ready to go to the general relief society meeting. we like to watch this broadcast every year together but this year mom was able to get us all tickets to attend it in the conference center in salt lake city. it was great to actually be there in the presence of relief society presidency and the prophet and his counselors. and the messages were a great way to end our time together!

thanks for a fun sneak ladies! and thanks for the men who allowed us to sneak away for a couple days.

kaylin, melissa, me, mom, natalie, amber, katie, emily, and elena

anti-gravity yoga and glitter toes

2011-09-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

as i mentioned earlier, natalie's favorite thing is "trying new things" so she scheduled us a private party anti-gravity yoga class from 7:30-9am in SLC on saturday. we all enjoyed it! some of us got a little nauseous from hanging and swinging, and my abs are still sore as i type this. but, i wish they had something like this in idaho falls.

the instructor was great and had us doing all kinds of things in these hammocks. hanging upside down in a handstand, wrapped upside down like monkeys, using it for arm curls and push ups. and in the end, we were able to lay inside like corpses for about 8 minutes while inhaling essential oils! it was so FUN!

these are all kind of blurry, but the instructor was so nice to offer to take some pictures so we could capture some of the poses in pictures. it would be fun to have one of these hanging in your basements.

melissa and emily getting ready to jump into their hammock.

emily

me and katie

amber, AWESOME form!

i'm flying! (:

and here are our pretty toes. emily brought fun fall/halloween colors. purple, reddish orange, and orange. such a fun treat!

park city sister sneak

2011-09-26T12:46:00.000-06:00

after shopping for a couple hours we did some dinner. this time we tried out a fancy italian restaurant called ghidotti's. the place was beautiful. the people were great! but, the food?! not so yummy to me and few others at my table. won't be going there again.

amber, elena, and kaylin

natalie, mom, and emily

katie, me, and melissa

after dinner we went back to our hotel, threw on our suits and enjoyed a soak in the hot tubs, a steam in the sauna, and then went up and got our toes glitterfied! emily was up until 1:30 am doing toes and we all LOVE them.

favorite things continued

2011-09-26T12:41:00.000-06:00

elena-little box of florence chocolates and a handmade book mark

melissa-melaleuca renew lotion and melaleuca lip balm (still my favorite lotion and the only lip balm i like to use)

emily-she brought her glitter toe supplies and beautified all our toes with glitter!

i don't know how i missed natalie and katie with the camera! but, katie gave us each a pair of halloween bath & body works foaming soap. and natalie's favorite thing was treating us all to a anti-gravity yoga class the next morning (more details to come).

after favorite things we freshened up and headed out for some shopping!

favorite things

2011-09-26T12:35:00.000-06:00

kaylin-shea body butter made with goats milk by a lady in idaho falls (www.whateverfloatsyourgoat.com)

mom-adorable halloween bulbs (one a ghost and one a jack-o-lantern) for the little candlestick lights we all have.

me-i wouldn't make a cute bald person, but here i am showing off my favorite thing. a turbie twist.

with hair...much better! probably ranting about how much i love my turbie twist! (;

amber-a sweet little personalized charm and peppermint york patty.

park city sister sneak

2011-09-26T12:25:00.000-06:00

last weekend the ladies in my family (all NINE of us) snuck away to park city for two days.

kevin was great and took friday off work and even woke up early and made me a waffle, bacon, and fried egg breakfast before i left at 8:30am. he wanted to make sure my weekend started off with what a love best...YUMMY FOOD!

i picked up all the idahoans and then picked up katie in brigham city. the car ride is half the fun! we met melissa, emily, and natalie in park city. first stop was LUNCH! (; we ate at a great place called red rock junction. they serve fantastic sandwiches.

then we went to check into our hotel and because we couldn't stand to wait a second longer we did "favorite things". for a few years now we have been sharing our favorite things at each sister sneak. it's better than christmas! and this year didn't disappoint.

mom does a great job getting the bags ready for our spoils.

"b" is for ME! (;

emily and natalie

me and elena

melissa, kaylin, and mom

oh this grandma of mine!

2011-09-21T12:42:00.003-06:00

my dear 93-year old grandma was featured in our local paper this month. she is such a mover and shaker but she gets even antsier when the eastern idaho state fair comes around.
she loves the fair and that love has been instilled in most of her posterity! we all love the get our little taste of the fair each year. it's tradition...and the manwaring's love tradition!

my aunt eja was with her during the "interview" and said that grandma could hardly hold still while being interviewed...too many things to see and people to talk to! no wonder she looks like she is walking away in this picture.

i love you grandma! forever young is right!

ARTICLE TEXT: There's not much difference between an eager youngster and Eva Manwaring on a sunny day at the Eastern Idaho State Fair.

The 93-yeard old woman's face brightened with a youthful, giddy smile as she waltzed through the crowded fairgrounds wednesday afternoon. Her contagious anticipation transformed what could be an overcrowded, grease-saturated festival into a refreshing, homegrown encounter.

"It just stars while you're a kid; it's fun and you're supposed to be here," Manwaring said matter-of-factly.

Manwaring, a lifelong eastern Idaho resident, never misses the state fair.

As a youngster growing up in and around Blackfoot, she attended the weeklong festivites with her friends, riding rides and admiring animals.

But her love for the carnival rides wavered years ago after riding the Ferris while for "too long," she said.

A young Manwaring and a friend were the only riders when the Ferris wheel's operator decided to take a lunch break.

"We kept going around and around," she said. "I've never been on it since."

Years later, Manwaring raised seven children in a home across from the Bingham County Courthouse - just three blocks from the fairgrounds.

With a gaggle of youngsters in tow, Manwaring continued her fair-going tradition.

"We spent most of the week at the fair when it would come," daughter Eja Allen said. "That's just what we did every year. It just has been a part of our lives ever since I can remember."

As the Manwaring family grew, the little house on Maple Street buzzed each time the Eastern Idaho State Fair returned.

Manwaring's husband operated a makeshift parking lot in the front yard while she led the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to the fairgrounds.

In 2001, Manwaring moved to Idaho Falls. Her Blackfoot home was torn down and replaced by her son's office building.

But living farther from the fairgrounds hasn't deterred her.

"I told them, 'You just arrange (the office) so I have a place to stay when I come down to the fair,"' she said. "I was a camper for years. I have no problem making a comfortable bed."

Manwaring enjoys exploring the fair on her own, now that her children are grown. During fair week, she spends her days examining the quilt exhibits and art competitions - making sure the winners meet her approval. But the Indian relays are her favorite spectacle.

Grandson Bart Gardner said he enjoys taking granda to the grandstand events, such as the demolition derby.

"She gets mud in her hair and she just laughs and giggles," Gardner said. "If i didn't give her a thing for her birthday or Christmas, as long as I give her passes to the fair, it's OK."

With the 2011 Eastern Idaho State Fair coming to a close, Manwaring already has plans to attend next year's event. For her, the fair is an exciting experience no matter how old you are."

"I have good health; I don't have any aches or pains," she said. "I'm still just as curious as I was when i was young."

boys of summer

2011-09-16T16:49:00.000-06:00

it's nearly fall! but, i had to laugh at the bike parking out my front door the other day.

these boys are going to miss this sunshine! i think the mom's will too! (;

baby zoey

2011-09-16T16:46:00.000-06:00

kevin's sister had her first baby on august 30th.

rosanne and rafa welcomed baby zoey into the world.

she is precious! and of course we were there to meet her a soon as we could.

the boys enjoyed holding a little baby girl again.

and while we were in utah we did ALOT of playing. the boys loved playing baseball with grandpa ward and running around with aunt laura. it was a great weekend.

take me out to the ball game

2011-09-06T18:08:00.000-06:00

last week we took the boys to a chukars baseball game. my parents were nice enough to keep madalyn for us (which was a good idea).

we had a fun time...mostly eating food. but, it was fun to be outside enjoying one of america's favorite past times. (;

wesley was REALLY excited when we stood to sing "take me out the ball game". grandma and grandpa manwaring gave him a book with this song for his birthday and he loves singing it.

"three strikes your out!"

we didn't stay for the entire game, but the boys were pleased to hear in the morning that they chukars had in fact WON! it was a nice evening.

madalyn's first day...

2011-08-31T08:09:00.000-06:00

madalyn's first day of...being alone in the afternoon. it's really not too different for her because she goes down for her nap right after wesley leaves and wakes up when they get home. BUT, she was still enjoying all the excitment of this "first day" business and wanted her turn in front of the camera!

madalyn - 2 years old with a gatorade mustache.

wesley's first day of school

2011-08-31T08:06:00.000-06:00

wesley also started school on monday. he goes to preschool mondays, wednesdays, and thursdays. he loves it already! but it's torture waiting for noon to get here before it's his turn to go to school!

wesley-4 years old

such a handsome boy! when did he get so big?

little chick preschool. he had no reservations about walking right into school. he's ready! and excited to make new friends. he is especially happy his friend from church, macoy, will be there with him

owen's first day of school

2011-08-31T07:49:00.000-06:00

owen started school on monday. his first day of 1st grade. he has been counting down ALL SUMMER to when he doesn't have to take naps anymore.

owen-6 years old

so excited!

sitting at his new desk. right in the front row.

his teacher's name is mr. mckinney. and owen seems to like him alot. two of owen's favorite people are in this class with him: his neighbor and best friend, carson, and his good friend from kindergarten, elijah (i grew up with his mom).

i think it will be a great year for owen! as soon as he learns how to operate on less sleep. (;

batgirl?

2011-08-30T17:50:00.000-06:00

madalyn takes after the boys in the fact that she LOVES to dress up. here she is in her favorite tutu and the batman hat/cape. usually she throws on a bandanna and cowboy hat to give it a little more personality. (:

madalyn

2011-08-30T17:46:00.000-06:00

really...does it get any sweeter?

gmr

2011-08-30T17:19:00.000-06:00

the pink team - maddy, kevin, wes, ellie, me, gabby, kayla, and grandma freidenberger

the purple team - brandon, collin, natalie, emily, sami, halle, charles, and jamis

racing our boats

the pink team building our boat

pink team devouring the ice cream sundae. good thing we had kayla! she was unstoppable!

the red team won! it was such a great race. everyone was VERY competetive and that made it even more fun. at times opposing teams were blocking exits with vehicles, or doing their best to try and lose "lost followers" (because some of us had no idea where some of these locations were) by leading them through alleys and sharp turns, and there was even a flat out wrestling match in the cemetary (see dirty pants above). it was AWESOME!

thanks hollingsworths (and everyone who helped) for making this such a memorable reunion!

gmr

2011-08-30T17:03:00.000-06:00

"meeting strangers" in certain sections of walmart. interviewing them and getting our picture taken together.

ice-blocking down the hill on campus

justin enjoying lunch

one of the tasks was to purchase lunch items while trying to keep the total cost closest to mom and dad's wedding year and then bring it to a park to share. the teams that succeded in nailing the the total got a three minute lead once the game resumed after lunch. there was quite an assortment of food: produce, arby's, mcdonald's, fried chicken. it was great!

gmr

2011-08-30T16:37:00.000-06:00

the prize! the traveling gnome was awarded to the winning team!

all of us figuring out our game plan when our clues led us to the transit station.

racing through walmart

not moving quite as fast as the red team...but, still moving. (;

gmr

2011-08-30T16:29:00.000-06:00

the orange team - megan, blake, keagen, micah, melissa, and dad

part of the red team - jaram and kate

part of the green team - ben, spencer, and blake

part of the purple team - emily and collin

gregg manwaring family reunion

2011-08-30T16:22:00.003-06:00

the second weekend of august marked the 9th gregg manwaring family reunion. katie and chris were in charge and did an AMAZING JOB!

we all invaded logan, UT that friday afternoon/evening. we were each in charge of picking up a large pizza to share. we had the best of logan's pizza joints represented. it made for great taste testing and an awesome dinner. it's just not friday with the manwaring's with out pizza for dinner. (;

natalie and her pup charlie

blake and melissa

after dinner we packed up and drove to the martin harris pagent in clarkston, UT. the weather was perfect for us and it was fun to be together.

saturday morning the boys woke up bright and early and did 9 holes of golf together. and then we all enjoyed a fantastic breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, and fruit.

after we fueled up on food we were told to surrender all our electronics (cell phones, ipads, gps) and then divided into teams. they then pulled off the greatest AMAZING RACE throughout logan, utah. the race started at 11 and ended around 4. it was so much fun. we raced through puzzles, to the transit station, onto buses, into stores, through museums & cemeteries, up hills (and down on ice blocks), through fast food drive thrus, searched for parks, built boats and raced them down streams, and devoured ice cream sundae's that filled a kitchen sink. (; it was a blast and they pulled it off so well.

the city of logan was good to us as well. it must have been crazy watching 40 people with different bandannas on rushing through various places. but, everyone was mostly entertained and nice to us. especially the bus driver who teased us with which doors he would be opening first and the mcdonalds manager who KINDLY held up my brother's-in-law car at the drive-thru while we left him the dust. (: it was FANTASTIC!

surrendering our electronics (for some this was VERY difficult)

mom was on the blue team

holley manwaring family reunion

2011-08-08T22:26:00.001-06:00

this past weekend was the holley manwaring family reunion (my dad’s parents). my aunt eja and uncle neal were in charge and did a great job. the theme was “reminisce and remember” which is something my 93 year old grandma LOVES to do! AND something we LOVE to do with our grandma.

it was held in blackfoot, ID. a place that holds a LOT of history for our family. my ENTIRE little family was sick for the thursday night and friday night gatherings but we managed to make it for the saturday activities.

we missed the yummy breakfast but made it right in time for the bus ride. YEP, they chartered two school buses that took us around town and the outskirts of blackfoot to see important landmarks and hear great stories about how my grandparents met, homes they grew up in, raised families in, danced in, worked in, and played in. I LOVED IT!

brandon, collin, and emily

dad and mom

madalyn’s first bus ride. she was such a good girl during this long ride.

jarom, alyssa, and elena

amber, justin, and truman

our bus load – such a fun ride!

a pound and a thumbs up! owen and ogden

wesley’s first bus ride

halle and ellie

truman really had a great time on this bus ride…until they had to put the windows up because he almost crawled out. (;

baby amelia…the newest gregg manwaring family member

I even managed to get a little smile on camera

the matriarch – grandma eva

these cousins had a great time riding together

ogden, carter, owen, and wesley

after our tour and some lunch we went and played in the water for awhile. the kids had a great time and the weather was perfect!

alyssa and halle were so good to help keep an eye (and arms) close to madalyn as she was as fearless as EVER! wish I would have thought to bring her life jacket.

madalyn and halle

madalyn

owen

madalyn really did love the water! I guess she has spent a good amount of time in it this summer and is feeling a little too comfortable. time for swimming lessons I guess.

they also had a LOT of fun in the sand

alyssa and madalyn

soaking their feet in their mud bath

madalyn, wesley, halle, owen, carter, and alyssa

boating with the josephsons

2011-08-08T14:38:00.005-06:00

my mom’s cousin, holly, and her husband ryan came from utah last weekend to take the manwarings boating. I always have fun when I am with holly and ryan and this time was no exception. we had a great time at blacktail, a reservoir just 10 short minutes from our house. afterward we had a nice BBQ at my parents house. thanks for a fun weekend everyone!

eli

owen, ben, and eli

ryan

wesley

owen

ben, eli, and kaylin

wesley DID NOT like the tubing. but he humored us!

wesley, kevin, and owen

emily and collin

LOVE this picture! ben and brandon having a wild ride.

and this picture!

my wild ride with elizabeth (ryan and holly’s daughter) and emily

owen jumping into the water

owen loved being on the boat. ryan even let him steer for awhile

elizabeth was a natural! I think she has done this a few hundred times.(;

kevin and ben took a wild ride too! he had a good time.

iona stake girls camp at darby

2011-08-08T13:35:00.007-06:00

about six months ago I was called to serve as a young women’s leader in my ward/church. I have enjoyed serving these young girls and it has brought back A LOT of memories from when I was in their shoes. the end of july we had our stake girls camp and I went and spent two of the five days with them. I’m so glad I did! I was able to get to know them on a whole different level and I admire them even more.

iona 10th ward young women

our theme for this stake girls camp was “walking a virtuous path back to our savior”. I love that the church is focusing so much on virtue with the youth. virtue really is a value that is so vital is a person’s life. if you live a virtuous life you WILL be happy and worthy to receive inspiration through the holy ghost. yet, it’s a value that is becoming obsolete in our day. it was great to spend two days surrounded by girls who are really striving to be virtuous!

darby is a church owned girls camp that is about 1.5 hrs away from iona. I drove up there BRIGHT and EARLY on thursday morning with two other leaders. we left at 5am so we could be there in time for the hikes.

I did moment hike with three of the girls from my ward.

don’t let this picture fool you, these girls were so much fun to be with. especially the three in the front row. they were the oldest and so sweet to all the other girls. we had a great time together.

the cave that we hiked up to

my “farkle” buddies. becca and erin.

jessica, michaela, and maryssa

our super fantastic ward camp director, tammy

darby has a “famous” slide that goes down a hill. it’s pretty steep and goes SUPER fast. I had a good time going down it with the girls whenever we had a free time.

morgan and aaron lowry (my neighbors and hiking buddies)

these sweet little girls (twins) did a special little ballet performance for us during a skit. they were so precious! it made me miss my kids REALLY BAD. (:

savannah s. and marlee

cute sharlee. one of our assistant camp directors made EACH girl a cute little tutu. they were just adorable in them.

savannah m.

I love this picture of sister davidson. our bishop’s wife, mia maid advisor, and an assistant stake camp director. she had every right to be tired! (:

sara and rylee

savannah playing “minute to win it”

crystal playing “minute to win it”

oh the fun we can have with tape! jessica, rylee, and sara

some of the leaders: julie, me, keersten, and diana

well-rounded

2011-08-02T12:43:00.001-06:00

wesley donning his thor sword, cowboy hat, pirate bandana, and batman shoes. I love that my boys like dressing up. makes life way more entertaining.

thar be a party!

2011-07-25T15:40:00.001-06:00

kev and the birthday boy

after they had their fill of the water slide we presented owen and his friends with their first clue to a treasure hunt.

we lead them on a wild goose hunt through-out the house

and then outside

good thing we had a seven year old there who could read pirate talk. (;

finally, they found some keys and the map to where the treasure was buried. I left the burying up to kevin and with our backyard not being totally finished yet he buried it REALLY GOOD! my camera died so I will have to add the digging pictures later.

after the party we had a nice bbq at our house with my parents. serving owen his favorite dinner…steak and corn on the cob.

it was a great day! and we all slept like logs that night.

thar be a party!

2011-07-25T15:28:00.001-06:00

then we moved the party to the back yard where we played “walk the plank”and then let the loose to enjoy the water slide.

some pirates were successful

and some weren’t

and some pirates just wanted to swing

thar be a party!

2011-07-25T15:15:00.004-06:00

owen has been planning a pirate birthday party for MONTHS now! he wanted a cake decorated like a pirate ship, had his pirate birthday shirt picked out in may, and wanted a jack sparrow costume for his birthday. such a clown! we tried to grant most of those wishes.

we got his a BIG bike for his birthday. he had outgrown his other one and we wanted it to be a few years before we had to upgrade again. it has slowed him down a little, but he LOVES it!

“ARR!” owen sitting down for his birthday breakfast and enjoying his new jack sparrow sword.

oh the cake! my worst nightmare. I completely gave up the night before while trying to make it look like a ship. the morning of the party I was frantically calling bakeries hoping they had a pirate cake. but, my mom showed up and assisted me in making it presentable. thanks mom! owen loved it!

we planned a pirate party for him that afternoon. it was a lot of work, but I think these boys (and girl) had fun!

we had to test out the pirate gear.

after everyone was dressed appropriately we headed outside for “sink the ship”.

they had fun bombing the other teams ship. I was actually surprised they didn’t start “bombing” each other.

happy 6th birthday owen!

2011-07-13T07:38:00.002-06:00

happy 6th birthday owen!

you makes us laugh every day. you are so smart, so handsome, and SO CURIOUS! you are always asking questions and nothing gets past you. you are a great big brother, helper, and friend.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

madalyn’s birthday bash

2011-07-12T13:44:00.003-06:00

for dinner we stopped for happy meals on our way home. and once we got home we relaxed. madalyn had a great time dressing her new dolls, playing “mom”, and serving everyone with her new dishes.

and then, it was cake time…AGAIN!

happy birthday princess! you make us so happy.

madalyn’s birthday bash

2011-07-12T13:32:00.003-06:00

we spent the afternoon at the ross park pool in pocatello…it’s tradition! (; my brother (ben) and his family came to join us along with my parents. the weather was PERFECT and we all had a nice time.

I worried that madalyn wouldn’t play in the water out all. but, after awhile she ventured out with her daddy and never looked back. she had so much fun playing with him in the water.

madalyn and daddy

owen was like a fish! he had such a great time playing in the water.

kevin taught madalyn how to “float” on her back.

owen, kevin, and madalyn

owen and kevin

madalyn and grandma

madalyn and grandpa

wesley enjoyed the lazy river the most! a guy after my own heart…I could spend all day floating around that thing.

kevin and wesley

cupcake time. “CHEESE!”

making a wish

yum…that’s good!

me and madalyn

opening her present from grandma

grandma gave her the cutest little tutu. madalyn wore it for two days straight! (;

we were glad eli came to play with us! he enjoyed those cupcakes.

madalyn’s birthday bash

2011-07-12T12:56:00.004-06:00

madalyn turned 2 on saturday and so we partied! we did a hawaiian theme this year so I made cupcakes and tried to make them look like a lei.

thanks to a great tip from aunt elena we found some adorable snap and play dolls that are perfect for madalyn. so we got her two of those dolls (one being named elena), a couple outfits, and a wardrobe/closet to keep things in. the boys gave her the stroller and crib, and with the money grandma ward sent we got her a play dishes set. madalyn was pleased.

after a quick “tea” party and some fun with her spoils we sat down to have maddy’s pancake breakfast.

happy birthday madalyn!

2011-07-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

our baby girl is turning 2 today! these last two years have been full of PINK, baby dolls, hair accessories, pretty outfits, and lots of sweetness. we love having a little girl to ohh and ahh over. the boys are so sweet to madalyn and shower her with hugs, kisses, and compliments. and she loves them right back!

we love you madalyn! happy birthday to our little princess!

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happy independence day!

2011-07-09T01:39:00.000-06:00

we got back from our reunion around 4pm on the 4th and headed straight to my parents house. they were having a little bbq and water party with family. we ate delicious tri-tip steak, home made potato salad, strawberry salad, and watermelon. once it was dark we headed home and had our own little show in the back yard and then CRASHED! it was a good day!

1st annual fred ward family reunion continued

2011-07-09T01:38:00.004-06:00

before we went home we did a tour of the minnetonka cave. the boys were so excited to go “down in the earth”.

laura and madalyn

kimball and owen

thanks for a great reunion aaron and sarah!

1st annual fred ward family reunion continued

2011-07-08T21:39:00.004-06:00

while we were all together we HAD to get a family picture. lisa was kind enough to take them for us. she did a great job.

grandma & grandpa with the grandkids

grandkids

carolyn and fred with their six kids

the entire family

1st annual fred ward family reunion continued

2011-07-08T21:16:00.005-06:00

wesley and aunt laura

aunt staci and madalyn

we ended each night by soaking in the hot tub, playing games, and eating food. it was ideal. and we usually had a firework show to watch while we soaked.

grandma ward presented each boy with a monster truck. they had a lot of fun with them. and the INSANE driveway to our rental proved to be ideal for racing these monster trucks down.

simon, wesley, brian, kimball, and owen

grandma ward asked us each to trace our handprints on denim square for a quilt she was making.

enjoying a smore.

owen roasting his marshmallows.

simon, madalyn, and eleanor

1st annual fred ward family reunion continued

2011-07-08T20:37:00.005-06:00

owen enjoying the turtle

staci and kyle

wesley did eventually get brave and enjoy a ride on the turtle

kevin and wesley

kevin took me on a nice ride and then I took over and took him for an even more exciting ride! (: I think I scared him a little. these are way more fun when you aren’t the person hanging on for dear life. (:

kyle, staci, and laura

sun and sand

madalyn

kevin even had a turn on the turtle

lisa, staci, and laura

staci and laura

1st annual fred ward family reunion

2011-07-08T20:12:00.005-06:00

this picture says it all. the wards have been on vacation!

kevin’s family held their first ever family reunion over the holiday weekend. aaron & sarah (being the oldest family) took charge and did a fantastic job planning this get-away.

we gathered at bear lake in utah on friday afternoon and stayed through monday afternoon. we were hoping it would be relaxing…and it was. we were hoping the weather would be PERFECT…and it was. and we were hoping to have lots of raspberry milkshakes…and we did!

it was our first time ever going to bear lake and we were so pleased. I hope we go back again soon.

we spent friday just settling in and relaxing in the house we were renting. it had a great view of the lake and garden city. we enjoyed that house to it’s fullest.

saturday we wasted no time and spent the day in the water. we rented a couple wave runners for a few hours and when that fun was over we headed over to the north beach to play in the sand and shallow water.

staci and kyle getting ready to play on the wave runners.

kevin and wesley

madalyn LOVED playing in the sand and really wanted nothing to do with the water

this little turtle we brought was a HIT! and owen and kimball had a great time playing together.

eleanor and madalyn had more in common than just physical similarities (you could tell they were cousins) and they also both loved the sand!

sisters (laura and staci)

kevin and wesley

wesley really enjoyed the wave runner, but he wasn’t so fond of getting wet.

enjoying the sun and fun with my hubby! it was so fun to be able to play all.day.long together!

HEAVEN I tell ya! this girl was in heaven!

owen showing off his shell collection to his cousins.

owen, kimball, simon, aaron, and brian

tball

2011-07-08T17:03:00.000-06:00

we spent june on the ball fields!

wesley played his first year of tball and had games on tuesdays and thursday the month of june. he enjoyed playing and you could tell he felt like a big boy. he LOVED to give a thumbs up to EVERYONE as he played. something to look forward to while you watched.

ball hoggzz
wesley is on the first row the second in from the left

owen played his second year of tball. he had games on mondays and wednesdays. this year i helped as the assistant coach. a little easier than being coach but still enough work for me. (; owen didn't love it as much as he did last year. but, i think he did have a little bit of fun. we shall see what the next year brings.

rambunctious royals
owen is on the first row the second in from the left

the little iona ball park was busy busy busy and that means fun! it's a fun little community.

old friends

2011-06-26T18:06:00.004-06:00

earlier this week a couple of my old high school friends came to pay me a visit. I hadn’t seen either of them since our 10 year high school reunion (nearly four years ago) so I was SO happy to see them.

facebook is great, but there is nothing better than being able to chat face to face! they both looked beautiful…and it was entertaining to watch our little kids play together.

me and jenny

cassy and me

ahh…highschool! I NEVER want to go back but I am thankful for good friendships made during that time. thanks ladies for the friendship and memories.

race

2011-06-23T17:34:00.001-06:00

last weekend kev and I competed in the scenic river classic. kevin did the 10k run and brenda (my neighbor/friend/running partner)and i did the 5k.

getting pumped up before the race. (; those are our game faces.

brenda has proven to be great running company. she helped me knock 6 minutes off my race time. (; we finished just seconds over 30 minutes and we were both pleased with the time. now we have even higher expectations for the next one.

after the race

kevin’s goal was to finish the 10k in 62 minutes and reached it with seconds to spare.

it was a fun race. looking forward to the next one.

family home evening

2011-06-19T15:39:00.003-06:00

each month my parents try to attend a family home evening at one of their children's homes. june just happened to be our month!

we had them over for dinner, a short lesson, and then dessert…of course!

we really love this tradition and look forward to sharing the evening with grandma and grandpa. unfortunately, kevin was working late so he missed all the fun! BOO! hopefully next time. (;

when we’re helping we’re happy

2011-06-01T22:10:00.004-06:00

this week I am beginning to sense some of the extra joys that come with being a mother.

I started a chore chart and have assigned my little ones chores for the first time in their young lives. I have been dragging my feet on this because I felt like I would just have to redo everything they did which would defeat the purpose. but, I came to my senses and I cannot stop myself from smiling each morning when they wake up and start working.

now I know what I have been missing. they love feeling important, they are learning to work, and I love having things dusted, vacuumed, and wiped off every morning. even if it isn’t perfection…it’s still so rewarding! the cutest little workers I have ever seen.

I let madalyn loose with a dust cloth and a wash cloth each morning and she goes to town.

this week wesley’s job is vacuuming and he couldn’t be prouder pushing that monster around.

owen is in charge of wiping down the bathrooms each morning and said “this is so easy”. then he asked, “so, now what are YOU going to do?” LOL.

no stone left unturned. she loves wiping things off.

happy memorial day

2011-06-01T21:51:00.002-06:00

we followed tradition and spent memorial day in malad, id. it rained and was VERY cold. I only took a couple pictures.

it wasn’t the best showing from the harding family… BUT, i sure loved seeing the people who did come.

and yes, owen did get his bullet shell from the gun salute. he is one happy boy.

rigby lake sprint triathlon

2011-06-01T14:23:00.003-06:00

kevin competed in his third sprint triathlon last saturday. he really enjoys them, but I think he is crazy for doing one this early in the year. IT.WAS.FREEZING.COLD! it didn’t rain on us so there was a minor improvement from last year. because it was so cold a few competitors even opted to drop out of the race because they couldn’t stay in the water. but kevin survived and finished the race 5 minutes faster than the last one.

right before the swim

transitioning from the swim to this bike

the kids stayed busy playing on the play sets in between warm up sessions in the car (per mom’s request)

the bike race

transition from bike to run

the kids watching for dad to finish

sprinting to the finish line

proud kids (owen is sporting kevin’s finisher medal from the last race)

finisher

last day of school

2011-06-01T10:13:00.003-06:00

last thursday was owen’s last day of school. he was asked to say a part in the assembly tribute to their retiring principal. he did a great job!

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he is so excited for summer and even more excited to be in first grade (which means no afternoon NAPS)! (:

owen and his school buddies

happy summer everyone!

magic worm

2011-05-24T10:55:00.003-06:00

owen's kindergarten class had a talent show last week. owen was so excited to do a "magic trick" with his magic worm. for some reason i couldn't get my camera to record the first part of his trick with the cups, but i did catch the finger looping.

you can tell he is very nervous but we were proud of owen for stepping out of his comfort zone and participating.

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wesley’s 4th birthday

2011-05-09T11:59:00.004-06:00

thursday was wesley’s birthday. kevin took the day off and we played ALL.DAY.LONG!

we took wesley to pick out his bike last week so he wasn’t surprised when he saw it…but, he was thrilled to see a green helmet (his favorite color) that matches his bike perfectly.

kevin made wesley a fantastic birthday breakfast…

and then we sent owen off to school. the weather was perfect so wesley was able to play outside all morning on his new bike and with his new Styrofoam airplane.

after owen made it home we played outside until everyone was hungry. then we headed over to mcdonald’s for lunch! the kids were THRILLED to be getting happy meals. after lunch we took madalyn over to our neighbors (THANKS BRENDA) while the rest of us went and watched Rio at the theatre. wesley had played so hard he slept through most of it. it was a very relaxing two hours. (;

we had my parents over for a pizza dinner. we were glad they came to join us. they gave wesley a new BIG book, take me out to the ball game. it came with a cd of carly simon singing the song. wesley has been singing it non-stop since thursday. it’s pretty cute!

wesley requested a batman cake and he was thrilled with the way it turned out! we forget how easy it is to please them.

make a wish little buddy! we love you wesley!

celebrating wesley!

2011-05-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

well, it's that time of year again. cinco de mayo and my baby's birthday! today we are celebrating wesley's 4th birthday. i am so thankful for the hugs, kisses, smiles, funny sayings, and the sweetness of this little man!

it nearly kills me to edit his montage each year and try to decide which pictures to take out. but, i managed.

happy birthday wesley! we love you and we are thankful we get to celebrate you today.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

always room

2011-05-04T14:49:00.002-06:00

madalyn LOVES to pal around with her big brothers and their friends. and they are pretty tolerant of it. madalyn just figures there is always room for her. yesterday the boys were watching a show and madalyn decided she would prefer to sit on the ottoman with wesley and carson (our neighbor friend) instead of on the couch. she squeezed right in and they didn’t make a peep about it! so sweet.

jamis’ weekend

2011-05-04T14:38:00.001-06:00

last weekend we made a trip to utah to be a part of jamis’ baptism. we went down LATE thursday night and stayed through sunday afternoon. we were able to spend a lot of time with family from both my side and kevin’s. it was a nice get-away.

I LOVE witnessing a baptism! I always leave with a firmer knowledge of my Savior and Heavenly Father.

jamis was just as handsome and sweet as ever. nice work melissa and blake!

grandpa, grandma, and jamis

reading

2011-04-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

when kevin reads to the kids he lets them sit on his back. so, of course, when owen gets out his reading homework this is going to happen. these are moments when I can’t help but smile!

easter sunday

2011-04-25T15:05:00.002-06:00

we enjoyed a nice easter sunday with family! it was a little frantic in the morning with the easter baskets serving as a distraction. maybe the easter bunny should deliver them AFTER church next year. we will see what we can do about that. does anyone’s easter bunny come on saturday? just curious.

enjoying our spoils

I wanted to get a picture of the kiddos in their new easter clothes BEFORE church because I knew after church would be TOO late. but, madalyn is proving to be a difficult one to photograph.

see what I mean. but, still cute!

I’m thankful that we were able to step away from the baskets of candy and enjoy a few hours learning about our Savior’s atonement and resurrection. we enjoyed our meetings and then spent the rest of the afternoon with my family…eating and visiting.

happy easter everyone!

jeep

2011-04-25T14:30:00.005-06:00

ever since natalie told owen she bought a jeep he has been drawing pictures of if and talking to his friends about how his aunt natalie is going to take him for a ride in her jeep with the top off. well, saturday those dreams were fulfilled. these boys had a ball! and…most the adults did too! (;

thanks natalie for sharing the weekend with us! we loved spending time with you.

iona easter egg hunt

2011-04-25T14:15:00.002-06:00

our little city of iona holds an easter egg hunt each year. I took the boys the first easter we lived here (I was pregnant with madalyn) all by myself and it was a less than pleasant experience. so, last year I didn’t even blink when it came around. THIS year the weather was so beautiful and my kids were wanting to be outside so I decided to try it again. kevin was working but my sister, natalie, was in town and said she would come and help out. I am so glad she was there to help and I am so glad I decided to go!

this is a pretty small community, but the egg hunt was HUGE! people from everywhere. and it’s over in a matter of seconds. my kids were each able to get a handful of eggs and since the weather was so nice we decided to hang out at the park and enjoy some lunch and play. they were serving hot dogs, chips, soda, and candy each for $.25. I fed us all with $4 and we were SO CONTENT! I really love this community more and more as we attend things like this. we chose a great place to live.

the boys and the easter bunny

madalyn didn’t want ANYTHING to do with the bunny! he kept trying to come near here just so he could get a rise out of her.

owen

wesley

madalyn was more interested in her eggs than her lunch.

one happy little girl.

egg hunt

2011-04-25T13:45:00.002-06:00

last week for mutual the young women and young men held an easter egg hunt for all the kids from church. it was fun to have my kids at mutual with me… and even though it was COLD they enjoyed finding their eggs.

amelia

2011-04-14T19:17:00.000-06:00

my sister-in-law, amber, delivered a beautiful baby EARLY this morning! I was at the hospital by 11:30 this morning to deliver gifts and take pictures (my parents are out of town so I was partly filling in…but, you know me and new babies).

they named her amelia and will be calling her mia. what a princess! a little piece of heaven.

mom and baby both are doing great!

spring break

2011-04-12T17:20:00.002-06:00

i can't believe i didn't even get a picture of the graduate! sorry kyle. kevin took kyle golfing on saturday as his graduation present. and then we had a little fiesta dinner for everyone. kyle's parents and his sisters also joined us. it was good food and good company.

it's amazing how quickly we cleaned up after dinner with six ladies in the kitchen!

madalyn loved being with grandma. they even shared a room at night. thanks grandma!

we said goodbye to everyone on sunday. hope to see them again soon!

spring break

2011-04-12T17:18:00.001-06:00

toby, the dog, came along with fred and carolyn. madalyn was LESS THAN thrilled the first time she saw him. but, she really warmed up to him by sunday. she was so cute when she said his name.

friday afternoon kevin took his family to the bodies exhibit that is at our museum until fall. I was planning on going but was feeling nauseated and thought the two would be a bad combination. I will have to try to go another time. we watched some movies and relaxed. it was nice.

wesley and aunt laura

staci, madalyn, and carolyn

kevin and fred playing ping-pong