Santa Pics 2011

Santa came to preschool again!  :D 

 Just like last year, they invited Santa to come to their party and he did!

Dylan was excited to tell Santa that he wants a red monster truck that you control.

Maddie told Santa that she wants a Barbie "Campler" for Christmas.

Translation:  Barbie Camper.  Not sure why she calls it a

campler...she has said it that way for a long time.  A few summers back she started to call her grandma and grandpa Peterson's camper a campler, and that's that!  I give her dad the eye when he tries to correct her. I love the way kids say things!

 I love the picture of Maddie below because you can see her dimple.  Well, her dimple is kinda a slight one.  Look close and squint and you'll be able to see it!  It only shows up sometimes. 

Below are all the cute preschool kids!

L to R, top to bottom:

Kolten, Elsa, Haylee, Santa, Dylan, Zach, Haley, Yeina, Maddie, Alison, and Sophie.

Dylan's art work.

Ms. Jen gave the kids antlers on the day of their Christmas party.

Oh, Maddie was all about it, pretending to be a deer all day!

Ummm, ya, that's how much she loved the antlers.

Family Pictures fall 2011

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OMB!!  In case ya don't know, that stands for, Oh!  My!  Blog!  Haha.  ;)  Oh, seriously the guilt of the unblogging that is going on around here is killin me!  I know people who like to wear a "badge of busy"  are a bit annoying...but I am too busy to blog these days!  A good New Year's resolution perhaps?  Well, anyway...We had these beautiful family pictures taken back at the end of October.  A friend of mine from high school did them for us.  He is Awesome!  :)  Click here to check out his web site.

This one is my favorite

This is One Handsome BOY! 

This is Dylan's money maker smile, don't ya think? 

 Madelyn is just so beautiful. 

I know, I know, the worth of a girl is much deeper than that.  But TRUST me, she will be the first to tell you how smart she is too!

Me and my favorite person! 

 xoxo. {well, he's in the top three at least.}  Lol.

Maddie's ATTITUDE with a capital A.  Kills me!

 This is Preston's favorite picture. 

I LOVE the idea of it, but I think my face looks funny.  Oh, I always hate pictures of myself though!

Our Christmas card, 2011

 
Merriest Christmas to all!!  And best wishes for 2012!

♥   ♥   ♥  

Grandma

Margaret Joan Young Shepherd

Born November 29, 1934

Returned home to a loving Heavenly Father on June 20, 2011

Viewing: Thurs. June 23, 6-8 PM and Fri. 9:30-10:30 at LDS

Service: Fri. June 24, 2011 - 11:00 AM

Cemetery: Wallsburg Cemetery

   Margaret Joan Young Shepherd Our ever caring and loving, wife, mother of 8, grandmother of 29, great-grandma of 34, sister to 9, aunt to many, and friend to all, Margaret Joan Young Shepherd, passed away June 20, 2011 in her home town of Wallsburg, she so dearly loved. Born Nov. 29, 1934 in Neola, Utah to Joseph and Lula Mecham Young. She was a Loving and devoted wife for 60 years to Marvin Ray Shepherd. They were married Jan 19 1951. Joan was a member of the LDS church where she served in the Primary, Mutual, Sunday School, and Relief Society with a great Love for her Savior. Her Greatest Joy was children and she truly enjoyed the beauty of nature. Her kind, loving, giving, spirit was cherished by everyone who knew her. She is preceded in death by her son Boyd, parents, and two brothers Glen and Fred. Surviving are her husband,7 children, Michle (Sherri), David (Catherine), Arlene (Rick Newcomb), Dennis (Patty), Darwin (Tammy), Deon (Lucretia), Brian (Rowana); sisters Afton, Loa, Bonnie, and Ruby; brothers Marvin, Carl, and Gerold. Funeral services will be held Friday June 24, 2011 – 11:00 AM in the Wallsburg LDS Ward Chapel, 494 West Main Canyon Rd, Wallsburg, Utah. Family and friends may call Thursday night from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Olpin-Hoopes Funeral Home, 288 No Main, Heber, and on Friday from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. prior to the services at the LDS Church. Internment will follow the services in the Wallsburg cemetery.

   My grandma was the kindest person you would ever meet. I can honestly say that I never saw her angry with anyone. She had a pure heart and a love for children that was unmatched. I tried to think of anything negative I ever heard from her...all I could come up with is that she told me a few times she didn't care for the color yellow. I remember planting potatoes along side her when I was four. I licked every single potato before it went into the ground. I thought it would help them grow. She didn't get after me and tell me it was gross the way I know I would. Instead she told me that these would be the best potatoes because I had taken the care to lick them all!! That's the kind of person she was, loving and kind to her very core.

    I will miss you grandma. I Love you and I will see you again. It warms my heart to think of you being reunited with your beloved son, Boyd you so longed to hold but were held off from doing so in this life. And to now be with your mother who I know you missed every day you spent separated from her after she passed. Keep watch over me, I could use it. ;) I will miss all your encouraging winks and smiles.
 xoxoxo
Lots and Lots of Love! ~♥ Carrie--you know, the one with the green eyes, just like yours!!!♥

I just spent some time looking for the picture of me and grandma planting potatoes...can never find anything just when I need it.  I'll continue to look though.  I have many memories of and with my grandma.  That one is my favorite.

BREAKING DAWN part 1 movie trailer

So excited for this movie! :) It's not out till November 18th...the count down begins. Actually, I have been counting down since last November. ;)

Smartie.

Well, well, well. What have we here? Some blog posts from ME! A-MAZ-ING! I tell ya, I have been sucking harder than a new Dyson on Christmas morning when it comes to blogging. I am going to be posting some pretty old stuff. I am getting further and further behind as life goes on and my blogging doesn't. I have spent a ridiculous amount of hours just doing these four posts below as well as doing some changes to the look of my blog. As you bloggers know, it's not really hard per se, and it's pretty fun! But sure is time consuming, for me anyway. Maybe I could be a little less perfectionist about it and just get er done! You may think I'd be embarrassed to say...this is a post about Madelyn's 4th birthday which was 3 months ago!! But, no, no. What I am TRULY embarrassed to say is, I am also blogging about her 3rd birthday that never got done. YIKES. That's in the post below. And the post below that? Last Christmas.

Time for a little catch up. Eye yi yi! Here is my sweet Madelyn on her 4th birthday. I made the Tangled cake for her. I made it with fondant. While fondant is fun to play with and create with, it's not so great to eat. I have toyed with different recipes and they are all pretty gross. Learning to make and use fondant was a goal of mine. I am glad I learned how to do it. (self taught even...hooray!) I think I'll pass on it the next time I need to make a cake however. Cute to look at. But that's where the fondant love story ends.

Below is Maddie in the stocking that they gave her in the hospital as a new born baby. My New Year's Eve baby. Here she is when she was one. There was room to grow then...now she's towering far above it. They grow like weeds, that's for sure.

We went to the movie theater to see Tangled. This is Mads sitting by Aunt Jess. Uncle Tim, Aunt Lindy and all her family were there. As well as me and Preston and Dylan of course. ☺

After the movie we went back home for pizza, cake, ice cream, and a party x2!! It being Madelyn's birthday and New Year's Eve.

Here is the birthday girl with all her presents.

The next day, this is how I found Maddie:

I got a good laugh out of this sight!

p.s. The video below is of Maddie on 4/2/2011. She is getting so smart! She really loves to learn! She has recently taken an interest in words and how things are spelled. She'll be reading better than me before I know it! I can't believe the way her little mind works, I have to be honest, I didn't do much to even encourage this reading. She just wanted to do it! When she told me she was going to read the words, I hurried and went and grabbed the camera. This video is a little funny in the way I am trying to explain it to her...my mind was set on recording it, as to not miss it! But Dylan was talking too and I was having a hard time really telling her what I wanted to say. Not my best multi tasking moment!

Madelyn 4 years 3 months.

Madelyn, she actually DID turn three...over a year ago!

I know you can back date your posts...but let's be honest, no hiding, this one is over a year overdue! (12/31/09. Yikes!)

Here are my kiddos helping with the cupcakes. Three is a tough one to master with the fingers. So cute, those little fingers!

Ah-Ha! I think I got it!

While mom was adjusting the camera I decided to do this! Look at my trick! "My name is Maddie, and this is my cool trick!" Yo gabba gabba anyone?

Had to snap the picture, cos look at that smile, so proud of her cool trick. Lil monkey.

Happy Birthday sis!Sweet Cheeks.

Maddie's Tinkerbell Cake.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese (again, we did for her 2nd birthday too!)

Not the best family picture you'll ever encounter. ;)

Madelyn with all her birthday treasures. 2 sweet, that smile...♥

1,2,3,or 4--we sure do love our GIRL!