Chris, Jena, Aniston

29

2012-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

{February 10th, 2012}
We celebrated Chris' 29th Birthday. He choose dinner and I made his favorite cupcakes-rainbow chip. Aniston and I couldn't ask for a better 29 year old!

fun w/out the sun

2012-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

{February 8th, 2012}

I chose a great day to have a picnic and play at the park. It was so great that we sat in the car and ate lunch(because it was to cold at the picnic table). We kept warm sliding down the slides. Aniston did some screaming and yelled "somebody help me" the first few times I made her go down the bigger slides with me. We had a great time, and I got "you're the best mom ever!" the rest of the day!!

super yummy super bowl

2012-02-08T16:32:00.001-08:00

{February 5th, 2012}

I enjoyed the excuse to eat and eat and eat, and make lots and lots and lots of SUPER yummy food. I'm not sure I really know who won this year; Grammy and I were sitting at the table with 2 pans of cinnamon twists in front of us. We were distracted. We all had a good time, even if Chris was the only one who actually watched the game.

Aniston documented some of the party on my phone:

happy birthday to you

2012-02-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

{January 30th, 2012}

We had fun celebrating Grammy on her Birthday this year! She came and watched Aniston dance, and then we spent the rest of the day with her. She is extra special to each of us and we love her to pieces!

when i grow up...

2012-01-22T19:20:00.001-08:00

When Aniston grows up, she wants to be...
a doctor
a cheerleader
a mommy
She is always asking questions about how her body works. She mastered digestion and is working on ventilation.
She talks constantly; about...
scary monsters that prevent her from going down the hall, etc.
princesses
wanting to go rock climbing???
wanting us to take her skiing
ice skating
whatever she can think to say, she is constantly talking, asking questions, telling stories, and bossing everyone around
She loves to:
dance
dress-up
go to preschool
play barbies(everywhere but in the Barbie house Santa brought her)
going shopping and helping out by getting her very own mini cart
play at Grammy and Papa's and Grandma and Grandpa Jones
NOT eat her food at meal time, but instead have snacks all day long
her favorites are: fruit snacks, apples, and ants on a log
wake up at the crack of dawn and ask for breakfast
Lately she has been:
making her own bed
helping with dusting and the dishes
going to dance class!
learning lots and lots of new things at preschool; she loves it!

Aniston also loves her pink unicorn that Daddy bought her for being good all week long!

more elves

2012-01-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

We made our second trip to see the elves while Scott and Shelbi were here. Aniston was excited to see the elves again, and couldn't wait to pick out a piece of candy from the candy shop. Elsi had a good time, all warm and comfy in the stroller.

Later that night we headed to Papa and Grammy's for dinner. After dinner, we played a few games. We got hooked on this card game Grammy got for Christmas, so Papa and her took care of the kids while the other kids played!

ice skating

2012-01-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

Chris had never been ice skating, and Aniston had been once and has asked to go back ever since.We went for family night, and we all had a blast! Aniston only fell once(it was pretty devastating for her), Chris caught on quick, and I made it the whole night in the upright position. Bob, Korey and Aniston
ready to hit the ice after a little break
Aniston was good at pulling me around with her little "walker"
some of the skating gang
Aniston was pretty sad when it was time to go, but we will be taking her and Chris back very soon!

{Christmas 2011}

2012-01-03T08:43:00.001-08:00

Chris woke us up Christmas morning bright and early. After he checked to make sure Santa had come, Aniston and I came to see what Santa had brought...
Pretty sure she couldn't believe her eyes!
Aniston kept saying "this is the best Christmas ever!"

Checking out what Santa stuffed in our stockings...

Aniston helped both Chris and I look through our stockings, and she was a great helper when it came to opening presents as well.
{our family, Christmas day 2011}

Santa brings 3 gifts to represent the 3 gifts the Wisemen brought Jesus. When a friend told me this was her family's tradition, I made sure Santa got the memo that our family wanted to make this a tradition. Santa brings a toy, a game, and a Christmas outfit.
Princess Yahtzee!!
Christmas outfit!
Aniston was excited to see what Santa had brought Chris and I too!
After we opened the presents from Santa, we got all ready for church and headed out. On our way, we saw people from our ward driving away from the building. I thought church was an hour later than it really was, so we missed it(I should have listened to Chris).

We turned around and went home and continued to celebrate. We ate some breakfast, opened our presents from each other, and played a few rounds of Princess Yahtzee.

Then, Grammy, Papa, Christian, Stefen, and Bri came over for lunch and presents. Aniston was really excited to see all of them and show them what Santa brought. Both Aniston and I were equally excited when she opened these press-on princess nails from Grammy! Chris helped her put them on...

After we ate some delish and festive food...

Shelbi, Scott, and Elsi came over and we made gingerbread houses/boats...

Stefen's engine for the boat...

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

{Dec. 24th 2011}
The Bolanders were all together on Christmas this year. I loved every second of it because I love when things are similar to how they "used to be". It's also an added bonus that we get to celebrate in my grandparent's house, which is where we always celebrated Christmas Eve growing up.
Dinner was delicious, and the program was top notch.

{the preparations}

Shelbi finished up her wrapping.
Elsi got lots of attention!
Aniston was entertained by the plastic bubbles.
Stefen mashed and seasoned the potatoes with some adult supervision.
There was some last minute shopping.
Aniston requested feeding duty!

{the program}

the Nativity(Shelbi was the donkey)

Aniston, the ballerina, danced to the Nutcracker

{opening presents}

{family photo}

test shot
the whole gang!

Aniston's Christmas list {2011}

2011-12-28T08:44:00.001-08:00

preschool Christmas party

2011-12-28T08:36:00.001-08:00

Aniston loves preschool, and she was very excited about her Christmas party! She was full of smiles and had a great time!

Aniston and Mrs. Wixom
Aniston, Mrs. Wixom, and Tyler

2011-12-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Grammy, Aniston, and I went out the week before Christmas to visit Grandpa and Grandma Mendenhall's grave and visit Aunt Mary. The cemetery is right in the middle of cow country, so our visit was short. Aunt Mary's was much more cozy, so we visited with her while Aniston talked with her bird. Aniston was full of big squeezes, and she asked me once if she could "give that girl a squeeze"!

the elves!

2011-12-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

After school was out, I was ready to get out and do some Christmas celebrating. Aniston and I went to Gardner Village to see the elves! It was pretty cold, but we still had a great time and snagged a yummy cookie while we warmed up!

Christmas is STG

2011-12-20T11:06:00.001-08:00

We headed down to STG this past weekend to visit the Jones family(and bike in the "warmth"). Aniston played and played and played, she even got to see Ali's new house and play there! Chris biked, but didn't get far when his tire flatted just down the street. I visited with friends, and did some last minute Christmas shopping. The best part was seeing family! We got to see Grandma and Grandpa Jones, and that made our weekend!
Grandma put the girl's hair in curlers, Ali loved it but Aniston wasn't a fan.
Aniston loves to play with her cousins, and she loves Grandma's dogs. This trip she got brave and held the puppy!

Aniston loves playing with the nativity scene, so whether it's at home, Grammy's, or Grandma's, that's the first thing she goes for. She is learning about the nativity as she plays, and it's so cute to listen to her act out the story and put in her own twists! At Grandma's, Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus took a Jeep ride. They went to find "the perfect Christmas tree", and Joseph got a little bored with the long trip and asked Mary "are we there yet?". Then, all 3 had to leave, "because Eyring says there's a tax on Europe".

All I want for Chritmas...

2011-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Aniston's list keeps growing. It started out pretty simple, but the more we're out shopping, the longer her list gets. She wanted to make sure Santa knew she wanted 2 things at the pharmacy, so she came up with the idea of taking them to him when she goes to sit on his lap. Since that plan was a bit on the law-breaking side, I asked her if I could just take her picture with them and send Santa a text with the 2 photos. She agreed; thank goodness for modern technology!!

***This pharmacy gets frequent visits from us. Aniston loves to look in the "kid" section. It's just around the corner from the prescription pick-up, so one day Aniston asked if she could look at the toys while I got my prescription. Against my better judgement, I allowed her out of my sight. I really try to avoid potentially risky situations, situations in which something could happen to Aniston, I could have a massive panic attack, or both. It took me longer than usual(and the anxiety was building as I waited for them to get my prescription), and all of a sudden I could hear here calling for me in a panicked voice. I left the counter and went looking for her and couldn't find her where I left her. I started yelling her name(embarrassing and a bit over the top). It was an awful few seconds, and then I found her not far from the "kid" section. Poor girl had tears running down her face, and was just as panicked as I was. She now gets a chance to look at the kid toys before we go to the counter. It's better for both of us that way!

Festival of Trees

2011-12-12T13:42:00.001-08:00

This was a first for both Aniston and I. I was really excited to go because...
* I knew Aniston would love looking at all the Christmas trees
** I wanted to see the 2 trees Allison decorated
Grammy came with us, and all 3 of us had a really great time. The trees were amazing!

Aniston LOVED this Barbie tree; not at all surprising!
These are the trees Allison decorated. They represent her twin nieces, one on earth and one in heaven. These trees brought back memories, and also gratitude for the opportunity that her family has to have Justice.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T08:53:00.001-08:00

I have no photos to prove our Thanksgiving Day adventure, but it was an adventure and something we'll always remember. Because I had to work that night, I asked Grammy if we could just go out to eat. We went to the Crazy Buffet and ate all the Chinese food our bellies could handle. Then we went to Papa and Grammy's and had homemade pie. Aniston spotted some horses on the way home that looked like they needed a few of Papa's apples, so her, Grammy and I fed them(Grammy actually gave them the apples and Aniston and I watched).

Friday morning we headed to St. George for some left over turkey dinner and a visit to the Jones family. The weather was so nice, that Chris brought the other woman in his life-the bike, and took her for a 3+ hour spin. Aniston played and played and played with her cousins.
Aniston doin' a little exercise before bed

Now we're all ready for Christmas! This year there is a little extra anticipation; Scott, Shelbi, Elsi, Stefen, and Bri will be coming for Christmas!
Aniston picked out her own tree and decor for her room, and she is so proud of it! She was a huge help with all the other Christmas decorations around the house, and she continues to move things around to get them in just the right spot.

snow angel

2011-11-23T21:01:00.001-08:00

We absolutely adore this sweet girl. We're both wrapped tightly around her little finger, and we love every minute of it.
She has been extra sweet lately. Always giving us loves, telling us how much she loves us, telling us we're her best friends, and that we're super stars. I hope she knows we think the same of her, times 10.

2011-11-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

We're pretty excited about the snow, at least Aniston and I are. Chris is a little worried about getting in his riding time, but that just means more trips to STG!
The first snow made that smile on Miss Aniston's face a little bigger! She wanted to skip school and play in the snow!

Grandma, Joc, and River came up just in time to play in the snow with Aniston! She was super excited to have River there to play with, and was sweet and let him wear some of her snow gear.

Little Missy has been a real trooper these days. All our running around wears her out too! I love, love, love that she still plays with her hair when she is falling asleep. The only downside is the knots!

We do sneak in as much fun as we can! Aniston picked out this fun game for family night that she got last Christmas. She followed directions perfectly!

Field Trip to the Fire Station

2011-11-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

{12/12/2011}
Aniston had a blast on this field trip. She was most excited about getting into the fire truck AND getting her own fireman's hat!

Witches

2011-11-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Grammy, Aniston, and I went to Gardner Village to see the witches just before Halloween. Aniston wanted her picture by every single witch and probably could have spent all day there. We had so much fun and loved spending time with Grammy!

primary program Oct. 30, 2011

2011-11-02T14:47:00.001-07:00

Aniston was able to participate in her first primary program this year. She was really excited about it, and she did so well. She sang the songs really well and said her part perfectly! The theme was RED-read every day, so they gave each of the girls a red flower for their hair and pinned red boutonnieres on the boys. Aniston had her bow out of her hair and clipped on her dress(I'm assuming she wanted it there like the boys?!) before the program even started. Chris and I just had to laugh, because she had also taken her sweater off and looked like she was dressed for summer(bad parents!). The whole time I was watching her, I couldn't get over the fact that my daughter was in the primary program! She has grown up so fast, and so have I!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween nigh t was perfect! Aniston got the hang of trick-or-treating and was running from door to door and loving every second of it. She would show us her candy after every house, and had the biggest smile on her face the whole time!!

Aniston was so excited to go with Tanner and Korbin!

Papa got into the Halloween spirit(unusual for him). The mask has been around forever and has scared many, so Papa pulled it out to scare the trick-or-treaters. He did a fabulous job, and has big plans for next year!

After trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, we headed to Papa and Grammy's for some fuel and more trick-or-treating.
Snow White and "Barbie". Aniston told me I looked like Barbie while we were out in my parent's neighborhood; bless her, she's a good self-esteem booster!

Snow White needed a lift from the "Handsome Prince"

That Grammy is the sweetest! Miss Aniston love love loves her!
We NEVER leave from a visit without making sure Papa gets a big squeeze from Aniston. She throws fits if she doesn't give everybody loves before she leaves!

Sunday Oct. 30th
We had Sunday dinner at Grammy and Papa's, ate spider cookies, and carved pumpkins!

Papa's pumpkins

Preschool Halloween Program- Oct. 27th
Aniston was so excited to have us there to watch her.

This is the typical silly face these days.

Tyler and Aniston...

Halloween concert @ Cottonwood High School 2011

2011-10-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

This is the last Halloween concert from the Bolander boys. Kind of sad to think about. My brothers are both talented musicians, and it's been fun to watch them! My favorite is Jazz Band, especially when they solo. Christian used the Cru Jones costume(so glad it has had multiple uses!!). He looked rad, as usual. His solo was rad as well. Aniston loved it! She was bouncing around the whole time!
Solo time, gotta strut your stuff when you walk down to the mic!
I hope he knows how rad he is, but I'm thinking he does in this shot.
His solo was awesome, couldn't even tell his sax was broken!

Bouncing beauty! She didn't stop moving the whole time we were there, she was lovin' every second!

Amber always has a bunch of costumes she changes throughout the concert, it's fun to see what she comes up with.
This I'll never get over, I'm still giggling about it! As I'm looking around I see this kid...

I'm thinking, wow this kid has Bieber Fever!!, but then I look closer. Bieber Fever kid has a pirate costume on. What? I had to take his picture, he's a perfect look-a-like! I asked Christian about him, and he just laughed. Says the kid is way nice and just so happens to look like Bieber without even trying.

FHE

2011-10-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Grammy and Aniston collected acorns, and got a great idea from Cheryl to draw faces on them. So, when Chris got home from work we had made an acorn family!

Papa

2011-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Papa's Birthday Oct.16th, just a few days late. He is getting a little older in #s but not at heart! We love him. He and Christian came over for dinner and cake to celebrate. After the food, he played with Aniston. They played outside and inside, and giggled and laughed together. How did I get so lucky to be this man's daughter? I think someone knew I needed him, because without him I wouldn't be me! Thanks Papa for being the very best. We love you- xoxo

one and only time

2011-10-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'll ever set myself up for this kind of project again. I have never been so frustrated with something crafty in all my crafting. At one point, Chris and Aniston had to leave the room. I think I hit my thumb with the hammer more times during this project than Papa has his whole life!

I started these chairs last year sometime. I had high hopes for a retro style table and chairs that Shelbi was getting rid of before the big move to the Windy City. Chris tried to tell me I was getting in pretty deep, but that made me more determined(I haven't changed a bit from my teens). I did give up on the table, but not completely. Papa still has it, and it catches my eye every time.
So after stripping the old fabric off, sanding off the rust, painting all the metal gray, Chris cutting new boards for the chair backs and seats, cutting foam, finding fabric for the chairs and getting it cut out, putting the foam on and stapling the fabric and plastic covering on, and then finally pounding each brad into the chair backs, I finally finished them, over a year after I started. They are done! There are a few issues but nothing a little super glue can't fix!

funny 4 year old

2011-10-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt that Aniston and I have similar personality traits. She is bossy, sassy, persistent, impatient, and stubborn. She also likes to clean, most of the time, just like her mom.
This is a mild mess compared to some, but she had it cleaned up pretty fast.

She's also pretty good at leaving her stuff strewn all over the house, just like her Dad. But, they BOTH clean up after themselves.

Aniston is pretty darn funny, just like her Dad. She's always saying the funniest things and catching us off guard with a few others:
***"Here is your proof, drink it Mom," as she hands me one of my perfume bottles shaped like a flask.
***"You shouldn't," is a common smart-alick response.
***"Oh no! Are you going to have to sell yourself?" she said this after we got home and I realized I had missed the visiting teachers.
***Chris woke up one morning to Aniston saying "what the hell Chris!"
***One of my sweet friends from work watched Aniston one day for us and she has a Halloween village on her piano that caught Aniston's attention. She told Paige "This house is magical!"
***Another sweet friends from work, that has been my saving grace this semester, watches Aniston a bunch for us. Her son Tyler and Aniston are in preschool together, which has been so fun! Tyler and Aniston play pretty good together, but their preschool teacher put it best when she told us they act like brother and sister. Aniston is always causing drama and Tyler likes to pester her, I love it!

Murder Mystery Party

2011-10-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

The theme: 1950's class reunion in a malt shop.

Welcome to Jones' Diner

The alumni:

L to R: Jordan, Megan, Chylie, Tren, Chris, Jena, Kalli, and Joe
We served burgers and fries to the alumni and then started the game.

The classmates:

Penny and Del

E.C. and Joe

Dee and Rick

Pris and Cal

We were all a little bit confused at the beginning, but everyone caught on fast and got down to business. I had no idea our friends were such great actors and actresses! Everyone was hysterical and played it up making the game a success. After we found out who killed our dear friend Rock N. Roley, we celebrated their success with malts! The game was a hit, thanks to everyone that came! We've got the best and most hysterical friends, and I can't wait to do this again next year!

The boys

The girls

Pris might be disgusted by the nerd, but I'll kiss him any day!

big smoochers

2011-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

I remember buying these from the store in Orderville when I was little. Aniston had a blast with them...

crazy fun

2011-10-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

Aniston likes to do homework, and she will even does mine for me!
She's still working on her Rupunzel hair, but until it gets that long she's sticking with the towel. It was really hard to get it off her head once she was asleep. Every time we tried, she would wake up!
We had a blast with our cousins at the "Maquarium".
We had to have twinner toes! Aniston was a little upset that she couldn't get gel toe nails, so we did the best we could with the polish at our house!
She loved getting a pedi from Mom!

With all the craziness at our house, we're still havin' fun...
Chris has fun too, he's been practicing hard for Cross races.

Cross-Oct. 1st

2011-10-05T14:55:00.002-07:00

Cross season is upon us. I love this time of year and love watching Chris race(even if I do get nervous watching). Oct. 1st was the first race, and I was excited to watch Chris race in spite of the fact that I had just worked all night. Chris had some mechanical problems right from the start, something about a valve. It made us all uptight, and Chris ended up having to switch wheels which I am told screwed up the tune-up his friend had just done on the bike the night before. Despite the "issue", Chris lined up to start and was off! Things went pretty well at first, but then went down hill for all of us...

Chris' bike wasn't shifting right
Aniston had drank a drink she was told not to drink until later
I was feeling the fuzz, the fuzz you get when you haven't slept in 24+ hours
Chris wasn't able to "mash" because his bike would shift when he did
mashing+shifting issue= problem
Aniston had to go to the bathroom
I was so out of it, short tempered, and unaware of where the bathrooms were

We left right after Chris crossed the finish line. Let's just say that NONE of us were in the good mood we came with, Aniston learned the hard way that you don't pee in public, and I gave myself the "mother of the year award" for not taking my child to the bathroom that was right in front of my face(I was so, so tired but that's no excuse for not looking). Chris was disappointed and I'm pretty sure we're going to have to beg him to let us come and watch in the future.

1st field trip

2011-10-02T18:02:00.001-07:00

{Thanksgiving Point Farm 9/28/2011}
Aniston went on her first field trip with her preschool class. She was super excited about it, and even more happy when she found out I was coming with her AND that she was going to have lunch there too!
Mrs. Wixom's Super Kids!!
Tyler and Aniston feeding the ducks

playing in the old jail house...

wagon ride!

Aniston loves preschool. I'm pretty sure she loves it for more than one reason, which was very apparent last Thursday when I showed up to pick her up. She was so excited to play at Katie's house with Tyler and baby Sydney, but when I showed up because my class was canceled it was very obvious she wasn't excited to see me...
smile turned to utter dismayed look..."Mom! You weren't supposed to pick me up!" and then came the sobbing... Just a few seconds before I walk in she had run up to Katie and said"Guess what?! Today is the next day(Katie had told her the day before that she could come to her house after preschool and play) and I get to come to your house!" It was very sad to soo her so upset.

welcome to the windy city

2011-09-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

{Sep. 22-26, 2011}

Aniston and I were able to go to Chicago to visit Shelbi, Scott, and Elsi. Traveling to a new place and being super excited to see those 3, are the only perks to having them live so far away.
I was a little nervous to travel on an airplane alone with Aniston. It went great! Aniston loved it, for the most part. Waiting is difficult, and so is descending. Her ears really bother her and she was in tears for about 30 minutes with no relief. We practically ran through the airport, snagged our luggage as fast as we could, and waited very impatiently for Grammy, Shelbi, and Elsi to pick us up. I don't think I have ever been so excited to see my sister in my entire life! Aniston and I were also very excited to see the little babe, Miss Elsi. She is beautiful...
And Grammy too! We have had a hard time not having her around.
We couldn't wait to get out all the goodies we brought for Elsi. I got my crochet hook out of hiding for a few hats for the little missy.

We were antsie for uncle Scott to get home from work, and once he was home, headed out to get us some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. Yummmmmmmm!
After the pizza, we came home and got the girls ready for bed. Aniston told Elsi the story of Rupunzel.

Then it was time for good night kisses and bed.

But not before snatching a few photos of this sweet babe...

Shelbi took us on a tour of their old neighborhood in Glen Elyn. It is a darling place with one of the yummiest cafes I've ever been to, Honey. I love the name, the food, the decor, and the cupcakes!

Next stop was a little Zoo/Farm. It was the perfect size and had all of Aniston's favorite animals.

I seriously couldn't get enough of this sweet baby girl...

Aniston loved looking at Elsi too, she would say how stinkin' cute she was and comment on her chubby cheeks.

On Saturday, Scott took us into the city. It was amazing. We hit a few shops including the American Girl store(my favorite, I could have bought every single thing in there!). After the shopping, we sat down and had a polish dog with the greenest relish I have ever seen. I loved visiting the city, it blew me away and it was an experience that made me want to see more of the world, and make sure Aniston sees more too!

It was a lot to take in, and wore us all out!
That night Shelbi and I put the girls in the tub for some much needed scrubbing...

Sunday was extra special, little Elsi was blessed and looked so sweet in her darling dress Grammy made.

This little miss was extra sassy and dramatic this trip. I can't believe how big she is getting, how old she is acting, and how much she's like me. That aside, she's a darling and sweet girl that I just can't get enough of...

We were VERY VERY sad to have to go so soon. Aniston and I stood there and cried after we checked our bags. This trip was amazing!
We were pretty sad the day we left...

Note to self, NEVER buy a bubble drink before getting on a 3 hour flight. Aniston had to go to the bathroom mid-flight. I had told her before we boarded that absolutely no bathroom on the plane and so she needed to only drink a little bit of her drink. She slammed it, had a stomach ache and had to go to the bathroom. I told her no(the fasten seat belt sign was on thank goodness), but the lady sitting by us said they would let her use the bathroom and got up out of her seat to let us out. So off we went. Aniston screamed the whole time we were in there, and hopefully learned her lesson about airplane bathrooms. She fell asleep after that and slept until we landed.

Interbike 2011

2011-09-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Since the discovery of RAD BMX/Crue Jones, Chris has incorporated the attire, slogans, and everything else about the movie into biking. So, when it came to Interbike this year, he took off with this theme and created...

Chris and Trevor put in over 18 hours to create the Crue Jones RAD BMX theme bike to display at the show.

CrossVegas, the race that starts the Cyclocross season, was right in the middle of Interbike. Chris started off the season looking RAD in his custom Crue Jones skin suit and RAD bike.
Chris went all out for this event with the Bonktown Hollywood style sign to advertise one of his bike sites.

That's the face of a true "masher"! Bring on the Cross season, we're ready and excited!!

preschool

2011-09-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Aniston started preschool on Sept. 6th. She was so excited to go, and was all smiles! She was very excited to wear new school clothes, use her backpack, and play with the princesses her teacher has. She has enjoyed every day so far, always comes home with a bag full of fun things she has done that day, she's singing the letter and sound song, and can't wait to go back the next day!

{Elsi}

2011-09-09T10:18:00.001-07:00

she is beautiful, healthy, perfect, and loved. i can't wait to hold this sweet little baby girl and kiss her perfect cheeks!

Fahrryder

2011-09-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Chris was able to go to Germany for a week to attend Eurobike. I'm pretty sure he was in heaven the whole week! He was able to go biking on the latest and greatest bikes through the German countryside, attend the bike show(aka toy store for boys that like bikes), party with bike company owners, and eat some great food.
Lake Constance
Rapunzel's tower
playing at the park

Looks beautiful!! I hope he can take me there some day...

red is rad

2011-09-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure the Utes won because of this pretty red dress and the cute little girl who begged me to wear it!

{love}

2011-08-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 6th anniversary on Aug. 6th! We had big hopes of big plans, but decided we're simple people that do simple things...
We headed out, child free, to The Dodo. We went there for our 4th anniversary with Aniston and didn't end up eating together(we took turns taking Aniston outside so people would stop staring at us).
We got our desert to go(tradition), rented a movie, and headed home(child free). Simple is best...
We are simple, 2 simple people that simply love each other.

memory lane...
honeymoon
painting our bedroom
2 months before we got married

pretty darn funny...

2011-08-25T18:45:00.001-07:00

"tell your doctor people that you're going home and you don't want to work anymore"
Pretty sure she loves it when mommy and daddy aren't at work!

{four}

2011-08-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Aniston went to see the doctor today. She was extremely nervous, but was so "brathe"(brave).

four year old stats:

weight: 44 pounds-95%
height: 44 3/4 inches-100%
(the size of the average 6 year old!)

She is healthy, happy, and the sweetest girl around...

We climbed into the Jeep after her appointment and she said, "Mom this Jeep is so amazing!". She thought getting a Belle sticker and sucker was pretty amazing too!

2011-08-24T06:45:00.001-07:00

I was starting to feel some major guilt about our lame summer. We hadn't gone on any family outings, done any vacationing, hadn't gone on the hikes we planned, and we hadn't camped once. The Riecks invited us to go camping this past weekend and saved our summer! We had a blast, determined we need a bigger tent, and got to break in our camping stove!

Aniston wasn't so sure about the whole camping thing. She told us many times that she just wanted to go home, but eventually fell asleep Friday night and woke up happy!
waiting for breakfast!
this handsome little guy wasn't in the camping spirit the first night either, but he was all smiles in the morning too!

Saturday we loaded up the sand toys and some lunch and headed down the road to Pineview Reservoir to play at the beach!
I think the big boys had just as much fun making sand creatures as the little kids did!
Joe, Kalli, and Presli making a sand castle
Even though she didn't get along well with the water, she did have a smile on her face(most of the time)!

The kids played so well together! I think the fact that they had zero toys to play with helped.

I was feeling left out after the kids got baths in a bin, so I boiled some water for a sponge bath on the new stove!

this might help...

2011-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

This photo may help explain why I am the way I am, a little odd. And why my sweet girl usually has a smile on her face; she is surrounded by really silly people. She was laughing so hard that she could hardly keep herself upright. She tripped and almost face-planted all while she was giggling out of control, something her mother would and has done a number of times:)

party party party

2011-08-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Papa and Christian missed the princess party, so we had Papa, Grammy, and Christian over Sunday the 14th for a Barbie party. The Birthday girl was all smiles...
she was so so excited when she could see what this present from Gammy, Papa, and Christian was
she LOVES "Barbs"!!
Everything that came out of this bag was "so cute"!!
I love getting things for Aniston that I wanted as a kid so I can finally play with them! I believe an Easy Bake Oven will also be a future possession.
Daddy gave her a shirt with... a bike! Who would have thought?!
Grammy and Aniston have a little band, so she gave Aniston some jingle bells to add to the collection of instruments.

Aniston wanted a Barbie cake, so I attempted...

I wasn't sure how she would react to me cutting it, so I gave her the honors.

Our party guests with the Birthday girl!

a pet that doesn't stink...

2011-08-15T21:18:00.001-07:00

Meet Fin Fin...

It's the best pet ever...because it's plastic!

August 12, 2011

2011-08-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today our sweet girl turned 4! I can't believe it, she is growing up way too fast!

She got to test the cupcakes before the party and have her favorite...chocolate milk and berries! She was so excited that it was her Birthday!

Grammy gave her a cute Birthday outfit for her special day. She LOVED LOVED LOVED spinning in circles!!

We can't believe she's 4! She was so excited for her friends to come to her party, and excited that it was her Birthday. "It's my Birthday" was the first thing she said to both Chris and I when she woke up.

We had a princess party for her this year, and invited some friends over for lunch and swimming.

For lunch, we had all her favorites: princess crown pb&js, Cheetos, grapes, and "bubble drinks". Aniston hovered over the grapes...
Hayden, Tyler, baby Sydney, Tanner, Korbie, Presli, Madden and Knox all came to the party and made this Birthday girl so happy!

Ty and Hayden
baby Sydney
Madden
the Birthday girl

the slip n' slide was a hit!

Tanner, Cheryl(we live in her basement and love her!!), Aniston, and Grammy.
Presli and Aniston, 2 of the girliest girls I know!
Cheryl picked out the perfect present for the princess!
Hayden gave Aniston a ring that she spotted one day while on a weekly Old Navy trip this summer. They were both pretty excited about it!
All her friends were very helpful when it was time to open present, and they were also very sweet to give her such nice things!
The 4 year old princess with her two happy and very lucky parents!
more princess celebration
As a parting favor, we gave all the princes and princesses some accessories and bubble tap for the road.
Aniston got a few Happy Birthday calls, and she was happy to hear from some of her favorite people that are far away.

She played all afternoon with the new stuff she got, and then I asked her what she wanted to do for dinner and the rest of the night. She wanted to get Chick-fil-A and go to the park, and she wanted me to slide with her. We picked up dinner and headed to the park. She was excited about slidding until we started to climb up to the slide. You have to climb a rock structure, and she wanted to be carried. I almost fell off with her wrapped tightly around me, but we made it to the slide. She was very worried...

and then very terrified as we started to go down...
and decided not to do anymore slidding.

We only played for a bit, and then she wanted to get back home to all her fun toys...

2011-08-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't have survived the summer semester without the help of...

the owner of these boots and his wife...

and the mommy of this sweet baby girl

Chris was always there to reassure me that I wasn't going to die and that I hadn't made a huge mistake. I passed Anatomy and got the grade I needed, so I'm not complaining(now that it's over)!

awww

2011-08-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

now that summer semester is over, it's time to do some work that's relaxing(and get some of my projects finished)
sewing....on Gma Dorothy's machine....wish she was here to give me some much needed advise on sewing and whatever else....

Warren & Tirra July 30, 2011

2011-08-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Aniston was so excited to be a flower girl in Warren(or Frank as she calls him) and Tirra's wedding. They picked such a pretty place to have their wedding, Provo Canyon @ Conrad Ranch. Aniston was lovin' her pretty dress and accessories, I was lovin' the decor, dresses, accessories, etc, and Chris was practicing with the camera(Aniston had to pose A LOT). The couple was too cute! We're so excited for them and glad to have been a part of their special and beautiful day!

Aniston tried to get Theodore(Kirra's relative) to take a picture with her, but he already knows to stay away from girls!
Theodore's mom & Aniston. Aniston was super friendly with the people she didn't know, and super shy with the ones she did know?!
Tessa & Aniston
Marley & Aniston
Mac, Tessa, Marley & Aniston

ain't she cute

2011-08-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

what covers our floors

2011-07-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

barbies barbies EVERYWHERE! she pulled out her baby dolls the other day, but went right back to the "barbs"

July 4th 2011

2011-07-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood has a huge celebration on the 4th, and we had a blast watching the parade...
Ansiton was very timid when candy came flying at her, usually she missed out on most of it. Our neighbor suggested we have candy throwing drills the night before the parade to help her get in and get the candy. I think we'll try that out next year!

Aniston found a lady bug, but wasn't so sure about holding it. She freaked a little when it crawled on her arm, and then was upset and digging through the grass to find it after she flung it off her hand!

Tanner drove in the parade, and he offered to give Aniston a lift after it was over...

too cute!

I couldn't help but snap a photo of this darling little boy. Aniston loves little Korbi and his big brother!

party people: Bolander Family Reunion 2011

2011-07-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2011:
Gram and Aniston, cookin' the meat
Chris and Aniston @ the "kids table"
Stuart, Holli and baby Ruby
Shelley, Ian and Kristi
Russ, Staci, Stuart, Holli and baby Ruby
Madi, Jen and Dani
Broadricks-Jared, Heidi, and Hailey and Pikes-Matt and Jackson
Brian's family-Brian, Brandi, Brandon, Kierstyn, and Jean
Courtney, Derrin, and Jennifer
Paul and Alene
Jim and Carie
Papa Ed

Grandma and Grandpa would have been happy and proud. I'm pretty sure all of us were happy to be there together, and hopefully this will be a tradition with more people coming each year!

pre-party events:
Chris pulled out the long boards and put Aniston on mine. She liked it and had GREAT balance!
practicing her moves...
I prefer to sit and Aniston loved pushing me around. she got a little wild and pushed me right towards the fence...

summer chit chat

2011-07-01T05:20:00.001-07:00

-"Mom I want this when I go to school, it's so good. Thanks for making it, it's so yummy!!" She loved the hawaiian haystacks we had for dinner and she asks me to make them almost every night!

-"Why were you mad at Daddy?" me: "I wasn't I was just cleaning up and he was upset that I was doing that instead of getting ready to take him to the van." "Oh, but he LOVES that!!"

-"Mommy, I don't have a sister do I?" me: "Nope, so you need to ask Heavenly Father if he will give you one." "Oh, well then can I go with you to ask Him?"
-"Mommy I want a brother or a sister." me: "You'll have to ask Heavenly Father, He's in charge of that." "I think Tanner and Ty can just be my brothers."
She asks us about having a brother or sister a lot. It's a good thing she has some cute friends that can be "stand-ins" until one comes our way. Pretty sure if you asked her what she wanted for her Birthday, a brother or sister would be right up there with Barbies.

Her favorite color(s): pink and sparkley and purple
Her favorite animal: horse
toy: Barbie
activities: playing with Grammy and Papa and swimming

Papa helped her get all dressed up, and then coached her on the run way

her hair is ALMOST as long as rupunzel's, that's her goal!
with a little help from Grammy, she made her bed one morning!

sad sad sad

2011-06-30T13:42:00.001-07:00

I just spoke to this darling dear friend of mine for the last time on the AVH telephone line. Miss Heidi D is one of those girls you just can't help but love and is super easy to get along with(which says a lot about a girl). She started working just after I did, and I knew the second I met her she was going to be fun, make work exciting, be a person I could chat "deep" with, and someone I would NEVER EVER forget! She's moving far away, and I am so so so sad. I wish her and her cute family the best because she deserves it! Love ya Heidi D!!!!!!!!!

we're crazy for summer!

2011-06-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

after a nice swim and some sunshine, Aniston and I were a bit wild! after we picked chris up from the van, we shared our wildness with him. and then we ate chocolate covered pancakes...

the pool

2011-06-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

aniston and i have been able to swim and soak up some sunshine thanks to megan!

summer

2011-06-22T23:58:00.001-07:00

we're spending more time at papa and grammy's now that it's summer. aniston is in heaven because of all the playing that goes on. she loves to play dress-ups, and makes sure to share with grammy AND papa...

grammy and aniston have a band. they play their instruments to VERY silly songs that have VERY silly actions...

i absolutley love it. watching them get down and play with aniston is my very favorite. she loves those two so much, and i'm so glad we get to spend so much time with them!

Father's Day

2011-06-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

We had a great Father's Day with Papa and Chris. Aniston was excited to celebrate and told Chris numerous times "Happy Father's Day!". She was also very excited about the gift for her dad, and couldn't wait to give it to him. She picked out a pink snow cone maker just for him! Aniston has a "sweatheart" of a dad! She misses him when he is gone, and loves to be with him when he's home. They party hard together when Mom is at work, and she is his biggest fan when he's racing.

We were able to spend the afternoon with my dad. I adore him and I'm his biggest fan. He is amazing, especially when it comes to being a Papa!

Grammy spoiled the dads, and they were both excited about the fun gifts! We gave Papa a new swimming suit, in hopes that he will take us out on his boat soon!

pit stop

2011-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

aniston loves animals. she tends to be a bit timid around them, but she warms up eventually. we stopped for a little stretch in Scipio on our way home from STG. there was a petting zoo, with a zebra. aniston could have spent hours there.

first accident

2011-06-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chris raced in the Rockwell Relay June 10-11. He, along with his 3 other teammates, raced from Moab to STG. His last section of the race was Cedar Breaks and down into Cedar. He was trying to make up some time, so he was going down the canyon road at about 40-50 mph(on a BIKE!!!). He came to a S turn, was "in perfect position", when a wind gust blew him off. He tried to save it but he clipped his bike on a cement barrier and his tire went down in between the asphalt and the barrier. His tire blew and he went crashing into the barrier and flew/summersaulted, with his bike, about 40 feet before hitting the ground. His bike went over the barrier, but he stayed on the road side. A man from another team was right behind him and watched it happen. This man's support vehicle was also not to far behind, so once Chris was up and his bike was retrieved, they drove him down to the exchange where his team was waiting for him. Aniston and I were waiting in STG for him, so I drove up to Cedar and meet him in the ER. He broke his collar bone(now they match!), and has some road rash and a lot of bruising. He was lucky, we were all blessed. We went back to see where it happened and I was sick, I couldn't believe he got off so easy. It could have been so much worse considering the speed and the area he crashed. The first few days were hard and painful for him, but he's feeling better every day. I'm so glad he's ok, but not so sure I'll let him back on the bike(which received only minor damage)!

Chris said he wished he could have paid more attention to the scenery. They rode all day, all night, and into the next day. During the night ride they all had problems with their lights, some of them rode in the light of the moon with some help from headlights. One racer hit a dear during the night. Chris did catch this shot...

Chris went to the ER, got all fixed up, and we got back to STG in time to watch his teammates ride in.

Bonktown Boosh-Corey, Ty, Shane, and Chris

All the backcountry.com racers

the other side/ non-road side of the barrier(so glad Chris didn't end up on this side)

you could see the tire mark, the spot Chris landed, where his bike landed, and the marks his shoes left on the cement barrier

the damage

June 2011

2011-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

we've been so busy, but not too busy to:
picnic
visit STG
put puzzles together
***she put this puzzle together all by herself the second i could get it opened
race in the rockwell relay
break a collar bone
get 89% on 1st anatomy test
say funny things like:
these chips(w/ cheese melted on them)are stuck together like family
i'm a "herbavorb"(while pretending to munch on the bamboo plant in the bathroom)
color non-stop
play eye spy and name that princess every time we get in the car
play @ grammy and papa's

this summer is going to be full! it's already started off with a bang, thanks to summer school and a bike accident. aniston is excited to do lots of swimming, park visits, and hang out w/ grammy and papa more!
miss aniston tuckered out after a full day of fun!

last day..

2011-06-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Gram had her last day of school Friday June 4th. Partying was necessary, and so was a thank you from all of us. We got her a Kindle so she could relax and read a good book now that she's finished teaching school, forever! She is amazing, and she deserves a nice long break.

princess stuff

2011-06-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

Rupunzel just so happens to be her favorite princess these days, and Aniston loves to pretend that she has long hair like Rupunzel.
On this particular day, yarn was "hair", and Aniston was in the mood to tie stuff up. I just happened to be in the middle of it and barely escaped to grab the camera and get a pic of her handy work.

funny little thing...

mother's day 2011

2011-05-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

party people

2011-05-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Mom is retiring after 30+ years of teaching. I admire her for doing it, and for lasting that long. I know she did it for her children, and because of her sacrifice we had so much. She also taught us, by example, to work and work hard. Shelbi and I put together a little party for her, to say thanks.
happy as can be with bubbles, outside, in the sunshine
mom and dad with aunt julie and uncle robert
happy and newly employed christian
the princess in her castle, and the prince is behind the camera and was supposed to be looking for the horse(prince=jena)
teacher friends
chatting with vern and colleen
papa and miss aniston
miss aniston is having a great time with shelbi around. she also loves the belly and the little miss that's cookin' inside!
thanks mamma for workin' so hard, all in the name of love!!

We took advantage of Shelbi coming into town and had a baby shower for her. Little miss Elsi is very loved!!

Bolander peeps
chatty chatty Shelbi!!

Women's Conference 2011

2011-05-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

My mom and I were able to attend Women's Conference this year. I look forward to it, it's uplifting, and most of all it's a great excuse for the Peterson girls to visit. I love those girls, every single one of them!! I really missed Shelbi this year. I'm usually her tag-along, but I fended for myself this year and actually made it around campus.
all the 2011 WC peeps
Mom and I
Peterson girls
Aunt Nana is the sweetest, and little Miss Aniston mentioned that she "just loves Aunt Nana", in one of our phone canversations while at WC. I was so happy to hear Aniston say that about her, because I love her too!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T18:08:00.001-07:00

Easter was great this year. The Easter Bunny gave us a ridiculous amount of sugar. I prepared my first Easter dinner, and it was fun to have Papa, Grammy, and Christian enjoy it with us. Aniston also learned a little bit about the real reason we celebrate. I'm thankful that because of Him, I can be with these two forever.

No one, not even the Easter Bunny, can out due Aunt Shelbi and Uncle Scott when it comes to gifts. Thanks you two for the possibility of another stain on the couch, a messy face(she uses so much it tends to drip down her face!), and the happiest little girl. She wasn't worried about finding her basket, she was content with princess lips!

The Easter Bunny left a note for Aniston. He hid some eggs outside for her to find!

We went on a hunt for Aniston's basket, and I think this was a little clue...

She found her basket, and was so excited about all the goodies inside!

The Easter Bunny didn't forget about Mommy and Daddy, because they still act like kids.

Aniston is my great little kitchen helper. She is always pulling a chair up to help out. She's always got to taste it to make sure it's good!

We had to bundle up to go out for the egg hunt.

love her!

Dinner turned out, at least everyone ate what they put on their plate. I did slightly cook the roll dough when I was letting it rise, but these little bunny rolls still turned out...

yummm

2011-04-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

nothin' like a little chocolate to start your day!

April 20, 2011

2011-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Gram had us over for some pre-Easter celebrating. We colored eggs and went on an Easter egg hunt(inside). Then Papa came inside and he and Aniston got right down to business and played! They ran around the house chasing each other and played with the collection of animals. I love watching them and listening to Papa "talk them". He has such a great imagination and gets Aniston giggling with all the funny things he says and does. Those two love Miss Aniston and are always so good to her. I know she adores them too!

Grammy had to get creative with her hiding spots because she was limited thanks to the rain.

Evidence that Papa has a great imagination. When the horse broke his front legs, it was Papa to the rescue with what he could find around the house. He even added a nice soft seat for the princesses that ride around on this horse.

2011-04-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I got talked into the 12 hour drive to and from, but now that we're home I'm not sure why I ever thought it wouldn't be worth it. Grammy, Aniston and I got in the trusty Focus and drove, with the help of a M-A-P, down to Phoenix, AZ. I was blessed with a little traveler(she takes after her dad). Aniston was GREAT the entire drive, down and back home, and the entire time we were there! We got to stay with Shelbi in her "shotel" room, which Aniston may think is Shelbi's house?! Stefen and Bri live pretty close, and we were able to spend time with them too. It was fun to get away from the cold, wear shorts, see family, swim, and do some scrap booking.
Paige, AZ...half way there!!

Friday April 15th: Phoenix Zoo

Aniston made sure she got to hold hands with Stefen and Bri, she was so excited to see them!!

the "carouself" was Aniston's favorite

this zoo has camel rides, how cool is that?!
We ended the night out on the town... Olive Garden NEVER disappoints!

Saturday, all the girls got to take a scrapbook class. Shelbi taught the one I went to, I should have known better. She introduced me and on more than one occasion drew attention to me, something I can do without. It was really fun and I forgot how much time it takes to make pages look cute(that's why I blog now). We also got to spend lots of time at the pool and soaked up more than our fair share of rays. Aniston and I also ventured out on our own, with the map, to find a grocery store. We made it, and also got a taste of what it's like to shop outside of UT. There is so much alcohol EVERYWHERE, I felt pressured to buy it for some reason(it was in my face, everywhere I looked!!).

Sunday we spent the day at Stefen and Bri's. We swam, once again soaked up more sun than necessary, and they made us a delicious dinner. Shelbi and I regressed into our big sister state of mind and forced Stefen into joining in on some "facial hair removal", he was a good sport.

Monday came faster than I thought. We took our time leaving the "shotel", and stopped and ate some delicious food before dropping Shelbi off at the airport.

Then, using our map, Grammy and I found our way out.
Half way home, the traveling princess and her happy face!
Because we took our sweet time getting on the road, we had to drive late. We hit some pretty interesting weather, not the hot AZ sun we were used to. I also had an encounter with a moth, in the car, while driving, in a rain storm, in a mountain pass. I gave that moth the perfect opportunity to get out(window down), and he refused. Grammy gave me a wipe to swat him out, but he hid. 2 semi trucks passed us during this event, thank goodness the water their tires were spraying didn't get in the car. That moth finally got the hint, better late than never I guess. Aniston enjoyed to cold wind, and got mad when the moth flew away and the window went back up.
We all had a blast. Can't wait 'til AZ shares the sun shine with UT, particularly SLC!!

this is how she does it...

2011-04-12T09:30:00.001-07:00

Chris and I wonder if she sings like this in Primary?

April

2011-04-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

So far April has kept us busy. Chris is finishing up his last semester and getting excited to get the long awaited Bachelor's degree. I just finished the application/enrollment process to finish my prerequisites for the Ultrasound Tech program. Chris is excited to take a year off, and I am nervous to finish what I started almost 8 years ago(just a little different area of the medical field). We both just received callings. Chris is the Young Men's secretary and I am the sacrament program printer outer(I'm jealous!). My favorite part of the month so far...riding the bike trainer. It's our only time alone together, and although we've both got our ear phones in, we're together(and he makes me ride faster)!

Aniston is now signed up for preschool. Too bad it doesn't start until September. She just shortened another person's name...Shelbs.
Lately, she talks about...
eating lunch with Katie and Becky. she got spoiled after lunch when they took her to Target and bought her lips and jewelry. those 2 are the best!!

growing her hair as long as Rapunzel's
quoting and pulling moves like Vector(Despicable Me)
directing what everyone says...Daddy say or Mommy say...
going to Costco. she loves Costco, especially their hot dogs and samples. we went there just the other day after she helped me make the list by writing...

going to AZ to visit Stefen and Bri, see Shelbi and going swimming, she says she just loves Arizona
"spitting out" she experienced this for the first time since she stopped "spitting up" as a baby

The things she says are hysterical. She chatters like she's a grown up. She catches onto things and incorporates them in her daily conversations. Can't believe how big she is and acts!!

Did I mention her love for shopping, and that she makes the best shopping buddy. I have to let her ride a few rides because shopping with me is usually stressful!

thank you!!!

2011-04-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have a very sweet friend at work who has been so good to me by passing on her girl's clothes to little Miss Aniston. Every time we get a bag of clothes, it's like Christmas!! Aniston LOVES all the cute clothes Julie gives her, and gets extra excited when there is something in the bag that she can play dress-up with. She twirled in this dance costume for a good hour before I could get her to take it off and get her jammies on.

little trick

2011-04-04T20:39:00.001-07:00

On St. Patty's Day I put a little something in Aniston's milk. She wasn't so sure about it, and it took some convincing to get her to drink it. It's a good thing I didn't try and change the color of anything else, she might have skipped a meal or two!

I learned my lesson when I tried to be a little festive with her milk and stuck with plain old chocolate chip cookies. This girl is just like her mommy, she LOVES the dough!!

March 18-21, 2011

2011-03-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

We were able to jet off to STG for a few days. It was a bummer of a weekend weather wise, but we didn't let that stop our fun! Chris competed and officiated in Tour del Sol. It was his first time as an official and he really liked it! Aniston had a blast playing all weekend and we had a hard time getting her to leave(which is nothing new). Chris and I squeezed in a date while we were down there, and got to go visit the docs office I worked at when we lived there(LOVE THAT PLACE AND THOSE PEOPLE!!). Chris had the doc check his shoulder out, he took a dive off his bike the first season he raced Cross, and tore some of the ligaments. Bad news... shoulder surgery in June. Good news... will be healed for Cross season and I get to see my old office peeps!

The Time Trial...
Aniston and I entertained each other in the car, out of the cold, while we watched for Chris.

We almost missed him, speedy little thing!

The Crit...
Some of Chris' family came to watch, and Aniston and Ali got to sit in the fire truck!

It was so fun watching Chris and all the other Big Ring dudes race! I'm glad our family has something "we do".

little ballerina-March 17, 2011

2011-03-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to go into the classroom for Aniston's last dance class! I love that she loves dancing, and her teacher, Miss Kim, is amazing! I procrastinated signing her up for the next class, and because of that it was full. We have to wait for the next class to start in May, so until then this little doll will just dance around the house!

the welcome circle
warming up
"Animal Action", they were pretending to be different animals in the zoo, and Miss Kim was the zoo keeper

Miss Kim has them put this bean bag on different places on their partner. My favorite thing about her, is that she lets the girls decide how they want to do it. She would rarely correct the girls through out the class time, instead she would praise them and just let them have fun! Every girl ALWAYS had a smile on their face the whole time, and they learned all the different moves too!
leaping!!
creative dance
final bow
Aniston absolutely adores Miss Kim, and I can't wait to get her in the next class!!

she says...

2011-03-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

-"that girl needs to stop cryin' or she won't get a rose," as we're watching Bachelor aka Will You Accept This Rose
-"so what did ya do today?"
-"so, i just need to talk to ya"
-"daddy just throwed my barbie toy on "pervus"
-"LOOK what daddy did, he made a big mess!"

she's a bossy, dramatic, chit chattin' girl with only one volume... LOUD
BUT... she is the cutest little girl i know

PaRtY!!

2011-03-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

Christian turned 17 last week. Can't believe he's that old. We had a little party for him with a delicious dinner and of course, cake and ice cream. The cake was my first attempt at a recipe my friend gave me. We named it the Hostess Cake because it was loaded with yummy cream filling. Mr. Christian was spoiled, as he should be!

He has to look cool, what teen can walk around and act any different?!
And she can act however she wants to, at least that's what she thinks.
Aniston picked out these candles just for Christian. She LOVES him and also likes to tease him, and he returns the favor! She was so excited to show him the cake, and she kept saying "Christian is going to love the cake and he is going to say oh thank you Aniston for making me a cake!".

Lookin' cool, again.
Papa is always game to be silly with Aniston!

speaking of heels...

2011-03-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

When Shelbi and Scott came to visit, we snuck in a shoe shopping trip. This is just one of our finds...

Aniston LOVES these heels. We made a rule that they can only be worn to church. This girl loves shoes, especially heels, so she was so excited to get a pair of her own!!

head over heels

2011-03-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

We refreshed Aniston's memory on summersaults, and then she practiced by going all the way down the hall and back.

I think her head was spinning after she finished!!

2011-03-03T18:49:00.001-08:00

We were up by our old house today, and decided to stop and get our hose. We pulled into the driveway and Aniston let out a huge "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!". She then started to throw a mini-fit! We found it pretty funny. Just goes to show how bad the place really was.
We pulled out of the drive way, and she was much happier! She's pretty dang funny!!

some fun in February

2011-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the last free day at the zoo for the winter. Megan came along making the trip that much more fun for both Aniston and I! The crowd wasn't as bad as I thought, and Aniston was a gem! she didn't make a peep when it was time to get off the "caroself", and that's a first for her! Whenever we asked her what she wanted to see next, she would ask if we could get food first and then see the animals. She really wanted cotton candy, but unfortunately the zoo was out for the winter months(wink wink). On her adgenda, besides getting food, was to go in the stinky building and see the snakes and go in the water with the alligator?! It felt so good to go out and do something, this winter stuff needs to go bye bye.

Before we left for the zoo, Megan brought a box of the BEST cupcakes in the entire world! My Birthday celebration started a day early thanks to my sweet friend and those dang good cupcakes!
This year I was spoiled by my friends and family. I'm not a big fan of getting older, but I am a fan of all the people that are so good to me!
My parents made me the yummiest dinner and got me my first ice cream cake! Miss Aniston was having a hard day, so her and Papa snuggled while the rest of us partied!

when Shelbi comes to town...

2011-03-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

It's always a party when Shelbi is around! We had a blast shopping, laughing, eating, and chatting non-stop.
Shelbi always has cute accessories and she is always willing to share...

Aniston was pretty excited to have a sleep over and share her bed with Shelbi!

Time flew by, which it always does, and now Aunt Shelbi and her baby bump are on their way back home. Can't wait for the next visit!!

2011-02-20T17:20:00.001-08:00

This little sweetheart has a little bump on her forehead thanks to a sneeze and the white board marker tray at Gram's school. It was a dramatic moment when that sweet little head smacked that mean tray, but she survived.

That little incident didn't stop her from doing what she does best...

This little girl is ALWAYS on the move and ALWAYS chatting up a storm.

She chatted right through this announcement...

from my favorite sister, who is currently 11 weeks PREGNANT...
.
Aniston will have a new cousin this September!!

2011-02-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Got home this morning and little Miss Aniston came into my room while I was getting ready for a shower. She asked me to hold her. I caught myself thinking about how great it would be to just put her in bed next to Chris and hurry and get in the shower so I could snag a minute or two of sleep before Chris left for work. Then, I wised up and took the opportunity to hold my baby that's not really a baby anymore. We had a little conversation that included lots of I love yous and her telling me I should never go to work again. I'm good with that! I'm so glad I held her instead of climbing into that hot shower. I don't do it nearly enough, because this sweet baby in that rad red chair(the one I held her in this morning), is growing up WAY TO FAST!

who i love most...

2011-02-14T12:20:00.001-08:00

That tall skinny man standing next to me is the love of my life, truly! He is a lot like the man I dreamed of marrying, only better.

This little beauty is my best friend too, she even told me I was hers! She makes me happy, she makes me stronger, and she makes me a mother which is a dream come true as well!

love him...

2011-02-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

Chris scored tickets to the Jazz vs. Bulls game this week! The game was a blast, even though we lost.

Chris turned 28 yesterday. We celebrated with some yummy dinner, cake, ice cream, and a gift he's wanted for awhile. Everyone needs a nice set of "as seen on tv" push up contraptions right?! He loved it all, and we love him!!

Aniston had to try them out!

fashionista

2011-02-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

She's into my shoes, my shades, and especially my purse and going to the airport. She goes there often so she can go see Shelbi and Scott, pick up random people, go to "Arinonas", or to get "Tinny and Tomie" whom I have never met. She always says goodbye to us, and is back before we know it.

before and after

2011-02-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

The bikes have their own room, along with all of his other "stuff". Because of that fact, he was responsible for doing this...

before....

after....

dancing queen

2011-02-08T09:08:00.001-08:00

Aniston LOVES dance class and LOVES her teacher Miss Kim. I love to watch her, she makes me smile!
All smiles waiting for class to start!
You can't help but smile when you see that face!

I snapped these 2 pics of class, and then was told pics weren't allowed. Whoops!

Aniston and Daddy went on a date to the Utah gymnastics meet along with Presli and Joe. Chris brought her home with a half eaten bag of cotton candy, a full bag of kettle corn, and a tattoo on her cheek!
Aniston was going to the airport to "fly to Chicago to see Shelbi and Scott," and she wanted to make sure Aunt Shelbi would be there to pick her up. Their telephone conversation would have been worth recording!
Aniston "helped" me make these Valentine's decorations, and in the process she handed one to me and said "will you accept this rose?". She's full of stuff like this, she's always quoting movies and things she hears!!
I love her, even if she can be a "mess" as Chris says!!

out with the old and in with the new

2011-02-08T08:33:00.001-08:00

This is why we decided to go out with the old...
Our mattress was on the floor the entire time we lived in the apartment(9 months!!), because the box springs wouldn't fit down the stairs.
Chris hit his head daily.
Our laundry set up...AWFUL!!!

Our NEW place has yet to disappoint. We love it, we love living in it, we love our landlord, we love the neighborhood and ward, and we love how close we are to work now too(well, I'm close and Chris catches the van which is just as close).
Aniston loves having a room for all her toys! Her bedroom has this cute little room attached to it with folding doors to hide the mess!

The kitchen is so nice and BIG! I haven't been able to fill all the cupboard space and the shelfs in the pantry, but I'm working on it.
We have so much nice open space! When everything went trough with the old apartment being rented, we went out and got a couch to celebrate! We have NEVER owned a couch in our 5 years, so this was exciting for us to actually have a nice big, soft, comfy couch to relax on!

over and out...

2011-01-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Our new home is FABULOUS!! I love all the space and the "niceness" of the place. Chris and I are SOOO glad things worked out for us to move, because this was much needed. I can tell a difference in us, the mood is lighter and there isn't that underlining issue(the "hole" of a place we used to reside in) looming in our home. I finally feel like I have a truly clean house, and that's important to me! Aniston absolutely loves this home, even though she still has trouble finding her way around. She still asks where her room and the bathroom are, but each day she seems to find her way around better than the day before.
We had to try out our new oven to make sure it could bake some cookies....

it passed!!!

2011-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

I think our little Miss is kissing the "terrible 3s" goodbye! She has been such a big helper with the move, she is doing more things all by herself, and she isn't as likely to throw tantrums(I think having Christmas over has helped). Today she showed me/taught me how to put her pants on(Gram taught her)!
I've gotta remember...
She started calling Christian, Chrish. It goes right along with all the other names and words she has started shortening.
She has a huge sweet tooth, and rarely eats much at meal time.
She's gettin' skinny...guess I shouldn't be shocked about that one.
She was so proud of herself today, she reboxed up some of her toys(AHHHHHH, while I pulled my hair out).
She will ask me to do her hair long like Rupunzel or to do it like I've done mine.
She quotes movies a lot, just like her dad.
I don't like Nacho Libre, but her and Chris watch it when I'm at work. After I leave, he tells me that she will come to him and say "Daddy, Mommy is gone so let's watch Nacho!".
She calls Chris by his name and not Daddy a lot.
If Chris and I are disagreeing on things, Aniston will tell us "Everything is going to be alright," love her!
Dance is her new favorite thing! She did so well last week and I can't wait to take her again this week. She did so much better following the teacher and even did a lot of the moves better than the week before.
As I was leaving for work, she told me she loved me and not to cry. She has been having a harder time with me leaving to go to work. It makes me so sad.
Chris and I just love our little girl to pieces! It's been so good to have so much time just with her. We've been able to spoil her rotten and we love that! She has been asking about a brother or sister a lot lately. She asked me for a sister to play with on Christmas, twice! I watched a friend's little boy and Aniston asked me if it was her brother! I feel bad, but it's not in my hands so we'll all just have to be patient and hope it's our turn soon!
We're in the process of moving into BIGGER and better. We'll be able to get our mattress off the floor and back onto the box springs, Chris won't hit his head on the ceiling a million times a day, and I won't have to vacuum stairs anymore!

fun phone photos...

What we do all day after I've worked

Bribery works miracles, especially when moving is in progress

Aniston was so worn out from a crazy morning of trying to get packed and ready for a trip to STG, that she crashed while eating lunch on the ride down!

2011-01-17T14:58:00.001-08:00

Doing this again, and all 3 of us are very excited...

2011-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Aniston makes up some pretty crazy words, uses phrases from shows she watches, and recently has been shortening a few words. She now calls Grammy Gram and Barbies are Barbs. I have heard some other words shortened, but she comes up with so many crazy things that I have a hard time keeping track. She acts so grown up and is getting more independent in so many different ways.
She loves to dress up and loves shoes, especially high heals, and she's been wearing mine until Santa brought her these...

When she sees girls with heals she says "look! she has shoes like these(and she gets on her toes and tip toes around)".

Ballet

2011-01-06T15:17:00.001-08:00

Aniston started ballet today. She was so excited about it, and went right into class and danced her heart out! It was fun to see her trying to follow along, and watch so intently as the teacher, Miss Kim, showed the girls what to do. I am so glad we put her in the class, she has really needed something social and something with structure that she can look forward to every week.
When we first got her outfit, I was really worried about the shoes. She refused to wear them(she's picky about clothes, shoes, etc.). She put them on a few days before class and danced around in them like nothing was wrong, and she was fine this morning when we went to class. I envisioned this meltdown and refusal to wear the shoes, but she surprised me!
After class we went to Grammy's and Aniston told her all about class. Aniston couldn't remember her teacher's name, so she called her "Quesadilla"!