Caden and Mandy

Christmas in July

2011-08-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

HAHAHA.. I cant even look at these pictures without laughing. My moms birthday is July 19 th and last year we surprised her birthday and dressed up in 80's clothes because it is her favorite decade. This year we surprised her and dressed up in Christmas clothes because its her favorite holiday. She had no clue we were doing it again. We even put out christmas decorations and wrapped all of her gifts in christmas paper. It makes it so much more fun to go out to dinner (at Tepanyaki's this year) dressed like loony birds!!

here is us last year

hahah she was shocked and didnt even know I had purchased a HORRIBLE green dress for her to wear to dinner

SURPRISE.... there it is!! Thank you D.I.

hahahahhah CADEN is going to kill me because i MADE him wear these because it was hilarious... hahahah. EHHHH... He made it so much for fun. LOVE YOU CADEN :) (and yes... he does wear garments... he has just had to hike them up a little in both pictures to pull of these great outfits....)

...my favorite moments...

2011-07-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

I seem to NOT have my camera when I need it most. I always have my phone though so I usually have my most favorite pictures on it! Its the most precious and sometimes hilarious things that I just take a quick snap of! I just figured out a way to get my pictures onto my computer from my cell phone and they are all random but some so precious and some just hilarious! I cleaned all of the photos out of my phone last night and thought I'd post a few of my favorite! I guess its like a recap of our last 6 months....

haha wow this picture kills me. i cant get it to flip but i cant help but put it on anyways!! this was our christmas attire for the Hyers family party. hahah Caden did a great job and won the prize for the best outfit--- even though it was a nasty knitted christmas tree from the D.I. he still was pretty proud!!

Grandma Peggy sewed this little blanket for Hadlee and she LOVES it.. I had no idea that she would get attached to something that quick. She loves holding onto it and rubbing it all over her face when she is tired.

This was just lastnight.. I was watching a little thing on HLN about Caylee Anthony and the outrage on the outcome of the trial and I noticed Hadlee was watching it so closely which was so funny because there werent even bright colors. When I took the picture is right when her eyes got big... SO hilarious. I think most of us did this when we heard the verdict as well.

Hadlees bed. SPOILED. but worth it

she looked so much like Caden this day..

her hair one morning

the day she got her 2 month shots! she was such a good girl

taking a nap on me

as soon as we got our new stroller caden set it all up and pushed it around.. he couldnt wait to have a baby in it

hadlee her first time in her bumbo. it looked so funny

the infamous pop tart that burned cadens hand.. OH MY HECK...

tiny hadlee a few days after we brought her home

i made caden carry a microwave to our room at the grand america-- yes through the lobby :) just so that we could have popcorn and melt chocolate for chocolate covered strawberries! he said he felt white trash.. i LOVED it

my uncles horse was pregnant for almost the exact time i was. she had her baby over memorial day weekend though because horses are pregnant longer than humans (glad im not a horse) this was the day it was born.. and yes its named after me! i was so glad i was in idaho when the colt came.

hadlees FAVORITE thing to do.. she watches MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE. It started when she was 6 weeks old and I couldnt believe it! This was the first time we noticed how intrigued she was by the show. I was worried then but now its nice to have an extra half hour to get things done.

We have obviously had such a fun 6 months and we have been so blessed to have Hadlee to create all of our fun memories with!

...3 months...

2011-07-09T22:01:00.001-07:00

Wow!! Time is going sooooo quick. Hadlee was 3 months old on July 5th. She is the highlight of everyday for us and the most wonderful blessing. Its so fun to see how quick she grows and to watch every change. She has such a sweet personality. We love her so much!

Thanks again to the Kara Elmore for the fun stickers :)

.. A 2011 CFO of the Year...

2011-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

As much as I know my Dad didnt want this to be a public thing.. I still think this was an honorable award and since I use my blog as a journal... sorry Dad.... I AM POSTING IT :). Besides that its easily found on the internet so hahahah.. ehh :)

My Dad was given the award as one of Utah's top CFO's of the Year. He was recognized at a luncheon at the Little America Hotel on June 29th. What a great accomplishment... good job Dad!

Here is a news article found in the Utah Business magazine:

2011 CFO of the Year Honorees Recognized

by Candace Little

07 July 2011—

Utah Business magazine honored its CFOs of the Year at a luncheon held Wednesday, June 29. It’s been said that a leader is only as good as the people they surround themselves with, and having a good CFO in this economic and increased regulatory environment is truly priceless for any company.

The individuals recognized do more for their companies than balance accounting spreadsheets. They are humble, delegate, and are active partners with the top-level management, helping make key decisions and bringing company goals closer in sight.

These honorees are usually not the ones in the spotlight—as Larry Worrell, CFO of Big-D Construction said upon accepting his award, “As a bean counter, accountant, CPA and CFO I’m a back-office, stay-out-of-the-limelight kind of guy.” He said when he first heard the message saying he’d won an award, his first thought was to call the “known practical jokers” in his company to get the story. Many CFOs accepted the award not for themselves, but on behalf of their team. Gordon Holladay, CFO of SME Steel said, “Having a good team is critical to our success at SME.”

Being able to delegate is key to any leadership position, and that’s no exception with the various hats a CFO wears for their organization. Mitch Tibbitts, CFO of MountainStar Healthcare said he even tried to delegate his speaking responsibilities when he found out he would be saying a few words at the event. “In true CFO fashion, I’ve been trying to figure out how to delegate this,” he said. As did many CFO’s of the year, he thanked his wife and family for supporting him. “I’ve got my CEO at home taking care of business,” he said.

A complete 2011 CEO of the Year list is below. For more detail on each of these recipients, see our June 2011 issue.

David A. Kwant, Mountain America Credit Union
Scott E. Westra, Workers Compensation Fund
Brian Hall, Kilgore Companies, LLC
Gordon Holladay, SME Steel
Kent B. Forsgren, Spring Retail Group
Jim Madsen, Deer Valley Resort
Wolfgang T. N. Muelleck, People’s Utah Bancorp
Mark Eugene Whiting, Lifetime Products
Larry Worrell, Big-D Construction
Patrick Keenan, Kennecott Utah Copper
Brandon T. O’Brien, ZAGG, Inc.
Mitch Tibbitts, MountainStar Healthcare
(6.30.11)

ymmm..... ymmm

2011-06-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Whenever I hold Hadlee and have a sucker in my mouth she always seems so intrigued. Today she gave me THIS look:

SO... I probably shouldnt have introduced this sweet treat this early BUT I couldnt resist. Its like she knows what shes missing out on! SO... I did this

She sucked on it for a second and just drooled it all out... because I could tell she really wasnt swallowing it I let her hold it BUT she quickly found where her mouth was

OOOOPS!! She loved it.. THEN she got way excited and lost her mouth....

and pooped her pants!!!!!

HAHAHAHA Hadlee is SO fun.. I love all of these fun stages she is going through even when she ruins her new white onesies. We love her so much!! No more suckers for a while though!

...precious moment...

2011-06-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Casey and Alisa (Cadens brother and wife) had their baby on June 23rd. Her name is Ruby and she is adorable! We went to visit and meet Ruby on Monday. Hadlee looked so big next to her ... it was SOO crazy to see how much Hadlee has grown. She was even smaller than Ruby when she was born. Casey had been taking cute pictures of the girls and of course while we werent paying any attention the girls grabbed onto each others hands!! I looked down and noticed what was going on so Casey quickly snapped a shot. It was SO precious and so cute! I am sure it was a coincidence but it was so cute to see those sweet little spirits holding hands. I am sure it wasnt long ago that they were friends in heaven and anticipating their arrivals here on Earth. What a blessing these beautiful baby girls are. Ruby is darling and I am so glad they are only a few months apart so that they can always be close cousins and friends! Thanks again Casey for having your camera :).

..where is the time going???..

2011-06-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I CANT even believe that our little Hadlee Jo is going to be 12 weeks old. Everyone has told me to enjoy every second because time goes by quick and these babies grow up so fast... it is SO true. I had no idea how quick sleepless nights and exhausting days filled with poop, throw up, and feedings go!! However, I love every minute of being a mom. It is the most rewarding job I have ever had. Ive never been so busy but so happy.

Hadlee is changing every day. She loves smiling and being talked to. She is such a blessing in our lives and we are proud and grateful parents.

...oh how about a LOVE!?!?...

2011-06-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

The COOLEST thing happened yesterday at work!! I was told that PRESIDENT MONSON was standing about 20 feet away from me asking about a patients room. I couldnt believe it!! No one at work was as excited as I was! They told me they would take care of my patient that I was registering if I wanted to go say hi. I stood by the desk while he talked to the sweet little volunteer. When he finished I said... "ehhh President Monson, can I shake your hand?" He said "Well of course... but how about you give me a love instead?" OH MY OH MY! I about fainted! He shook my hand and gave me the sweetest smile and then gave me a huge hug. I said, "THANKS so much... I really wanted to meet you!" He told me he was so glad I came and said hi and told me to have a great day and walked away. I stood there for a second in shock.

I have never met someone like him before. It was amazing and it only lasted about 30 seconds! Its definitely something Ill never forget.

...welcome our sweet baby HADLEE...

2011-04-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

WELL today is actually my DUE DATE but my baby is 15 days old. I cant even believe it!! On April 2nd I started having contractions. We were out shopping and had just had massages for our anniversary. Before checking into the hotel we went to get pizza and while we were waiting we started timing the contractions. They were coming about every 7 minutes. I had been having contractions throughout the last month so I figured it was just the braxton hicks again. I noticed that they never went away and they started to get more and more painful. By Monday morning they were still strong and they were a little closer together... about every 4 minutes. It wasnt going fast but they werent going away. I went to work and only stayed two hours before I was at the Dr's office. Dr Spencer told me he would bet the baby would be there that night and if not then for sure within the next 48 hours. I couldnt believe it!! Caden and I went home and quickly packed our bags and prepared for Hadlee. I got a pedicure... yes I was dilated to almost a 5 and officially "in" labor and I had to have my toes done! Caden had done a wonderful job the last 2 months painting my toes for me but I thought that it would be fun to leave it to the cute asian ladies this time to get a cute flower and rhinestone put on for my hospital stay. By 3am Tuesday morning I was ready to go!

This is the worst picture ever... but MEMORIES are what we are trying to remember HAHA..

I got to the hospital around 4:45am and I was checked on and off until about 9am. I wasnt progressing too quickly but my contractions were so strong that the nurse wasnt comfortable sending us home so they just monitored me. I finally moved to almost a 6 and we were admitted to have the baby! I got my epidural around 12 and my water was broken at 1. At 5 I was to a 10 and ready to go! Hadlee came quick and was born at 5:40pm. She was 5lbs 14oz and 20 inches long and BEAUTIFUL. What an amazing feeling it is to know see your baby for the first time. We are so blessed to have this sweet baby.

proud parents

leaving the hospital

She is growing and changing every day. We have had so much fun with her. She is now 6lbs 11oz. She loves being held and sucking her pacifier. She is so wonderful and we love her very much!

Her first bath in full water TODAY... no more sponge baths

... with just 12 weeks to go ...

2011-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

WELLL!! Time is starting to fly which means our baby girl is going to be here in no time! We have started to slowly prepare for her and hopefully we will be all done by April. We have started to get some fun things done though!! Yay!

..growing belly... (28 weeks)

... Ive been getting a lot of sleep in my FAVORITE chair...

...Caden and gage put together her new crib...

....the dresser/changing table...

..the finished crib...

... and our FIRST box of diapers that we have ever bought.. they are SO cute... i know crazy to think that diapers are cute but they are and they are so tiny. In a few months theyll stink so i am enjoying them now hah.

We also have picked out a name that we are about 90% sure on... HADLEE JO. We are so excited and blessed to have her in our lives and we cant wait until she is here.

Cadens DREAM come true!!!!!

2010-12-06T20:29:00.001-08:00

We all know that Caden's dream come true was marrying me.. hahah ok ok ok... I made that up. His dream come true is when he wakes up to a snowy morning and doesn't have work or school. He LOVES looking out the window when huge flakes are falling and STICKING to the ground. Well-- last sunday the flakes were falling and of course they were sticking! We were getting dumped with the snow. I had a feeling that something was stirring in his mind because he really didnt say much during church. We got home and he put on his ski clothes and grabbed a shovel. He started working on a SKI HILL right in our FRONT YARD!!! This is for sure his dream come true plus more!! A SKI JUMP right in his own front yard! He got it all built after several hours and finally calling Gage over for a little help. They skied it for so long that night and had so much fun!! Im lucky to have such a fun husband.

So I thought this was a cute indoor "mud room" or entry way. I thought it would be so cute with a white rocking chair.. a pillow on it.. maybe some kind of potted plant.. ya know?? the whole cute and cozy look. No, the boys named this the "snow room--its where you change your boots and leave your skis and poles." OH goodness.

Caden after he accidently white washed himself (he ate it)

the jump!

Gage

Caden loving his life

hard working pro skiers

...our WIGGLY growing baby girl...

2010-11-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

My baby bump is growing s.l.o.w.l.y but surely! I am feeling so good and I can feel her moving all around. I felt the hiccups for the first time at Karlee and Daniel Willey's wedding... which I think was November 6th. It was so cute!! Little little bumps and Caden can ususally feel them too.

She is the sweetest and most precious thing to us already. Ill post more pictures next week when we have our 20 week check up. Almost HALF WAY!! Yay!! and no... we dont have any idea what her name will be. Its bubba for now.. I know, not too feminine but it works for now :).

14 weeks

10 weeks

6 weeks 6 days!

2010-08-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

WELLL...... We went to the doctor this morning and good news.. I REALLY am pregnant!! The baby is between 1/4 inches and 1/2 inches long. SO TINY. We could see the little heart beat pounding away and it was the cutest thing ever. I am 6 weeks and 6 days long and I am due April 20th. I cant wait!

...BEST NEWS...

2010-08-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday August 18th I was on my way to work and decided it was time to take a pregnancy test. I stopped at Harmons by St. Marks Hospital and got one. I took it at work and it came back POSITIVE. I was SOOOOOO excited but I couldnt believe it. I brought the test into my supervisor and asked her if that meant I was pregnant because I hadnt seen a positive test before. She said of course it did and suggested I go right to my doctor at the hospital. I went and had the dr test me and sure enough... I AM PREGNANT! They figured I am about 6 weeks along and due around April 15th. I will not know for sure until I go to my OB doctor on the 31st. We are so excited for this baby and I cant wait to get a big belly and prepare for this sweet little spirit to come into our lives. Its such a blessing!! AND NOW I will have something fun to blog about!

...apartment number 3...

2010-07-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have been so behind on posts! I dont know where the time goes... its crazy!! Anyways this is mostly for Mindi because I guess she asked Caden to have me post some pictures. We love where we live and we love the ward! As most of you know it is in a family's basement. We havent really gotten to know them too well but they are really nice. Here are some pictures--

our bedroom

the storage room.... caden built shelves for us to keep shoes on!

bathroom

kitchen

main living area

the free entertainment center we got...we redid it together

front room

...Weekend Getaways...

2010-05-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind but I did forget to post our guys/girls trips! Caden keeps saying I need to get his pictures on here... so I will! The second weekend of April my sisters had a dance competition in St. George. We've always had it a fun girls weekend while my dad and brothers stay home. HOWEVER.. this year my dad decided it would be fun if he had something planned for him, Caden, and Gage to get to do. They decided to go to Moab for the weekend. They took bikes and four wheelers and had so much fun! We relaxed, shopped, and went to a few dance competitions. OH AND I CAANNNT FORGET... our new friend-- "poolside" one of the happiest people I have ever met.

not sure what this is about haah

Caden and the albinos-- for REAL

biking boys..

4 wheelers!!!

poolside--- he L.O.V.E.S life

Ashley

Bailey

..I married my BEST FRRRRIEND!...

2010-05-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I was having one of those "makeover myself" moments. I figured the only want to afford some quick pick-me-ups was to do it myself! I found some fask mask cream, a foot scrub, and a cute nail polish and got started! I didnt say anything to Caden.. just let him do his thing.. while I did mine. He came into the bathroom and asked what I was putting on my face. He looked at the small tube and said "REDUCES PORES... TIGHTENS FACE?!?" I NEEEED this stuff! Before I knew it he was putting in on his face. HA what the heck!?! I loved it! I didnt even have to ASK!! After we had let the cream dry he said, "ok... whats next!?" On with the foot scrub. AH haha. What a great husband I have!! Not only does he do the man jobs but he also has a little sweet side to him too!

Braden's Blog...

2010-05-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

I am starting a blog for all friends and family of Braden's mission! It'll be an easier way for everyone to read his email and see pictures... and of course FOLLOW his mission. He is LOVING mexico and the people!! Its www.eldertibbitts.blogspot.com.

e.a.s.t.e.r.

2010-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

oops!! I forgot to post our easter.. I wasnt going to and then I thought "what the heck.. I posted our anniversary and stuff that happened in March 4 days ago.. so why not catch up on our easter??" Ha.. dont worry soon Ill get to our Christmas of 2009.. JUUUST KIDDING!! We had a GREAT easter together! We went to Idaho the day before (which was our actual anniversary) to my aunt Sally's Easter party. Sunday we spent time at the Mittons (Cadens mom's family). It was a fun weekend and I had a blast with all of the family.

this is the top to an easter egg... they were so CUTE. My friend... Brooke Blaisdell... found them at Hobby Lobby when we were shopping! I thought they would be way cool instead of an "easter basket" the sad part was.... as excited as I thought Caden would be for his new SHOE TREES... and CLOTHES... no, he liked the easter egg better... AS A HAT. Funny Caden... looks like a cone head!

As many of you know... we had crepes at our wedding! I thought it would be a cute tradition to have crepes every year for our anniversary for breakfast. I figured this would be a cute way to one day incorporate our kids into our day! We had a lot of left overs so we had them again the next morning for easter breakfast!

Caden gave me a new organizer.. because I LOVE containers.. and some way cute shoes I "had to have" haha off sanuk.com! thanks caden!

This was what Caden got.. the HIGHLIGHT.. the oversized EGGS.

...getting behind... BUT catching up

2010-04-13T19:13:00.001-07:00

UGH.. so its been a crazy month!! I am so far behind on our blog. I did have time to do an awesome april fools joke.. but no time for an actual POST! So.. I guess we better get caught up! April 3rd was our 1 year anniversary. It has been a wonderful year and I am happy to have such a great husband. Even though today he did ask me why I dont use my arms and legs I was blessed with and I said because I have a husband to do what I dont wanna do... haha. Gotta love marriage. I love him though and I am lucky to have had this great year with Caden.

So.. for our anniversary.. I surprise Caden with tickets to Garth Brooks! We got to spend the weekend in Las Vegas and since Garth Brooks is also my dads favorite we invited my parents to come along.. but just for the concert!

We got way yummy gourmet cupcakes at the "Cupcakery" in Las Vegas.. RED VELVET.. The best. My mom looks a little too excited for her favorite treat.. ive never seen her so happy haha!

ehhhh... APRIL FOOLS!!! NO BABY!

2010-04-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Caden and I thought it would be hilarious to post a picture we found on google of an ultrasound. I am so sorry to all of you we "fooled" but it was good to get some funny responses!! I wish we were having a baby... but not yet :)! We made up a huge lie lastnight so that all of you would see it on here today!! HAHA. Love you all!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

2010-03-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well FAMILY... I wanted to think of a fun and exciting way to tell the family and friends that WE ARE PREGNANT. I am 6 weeks along and feeling great. Thankfully no morning sickness yet..... cross your fingers for me!! I took a pregnancy test 2 weeks ago and as you all know me... I took 5! They all came back positive but before we made the announcement I wanted to have a doctors appt first to make sure. Sure enough.. they were right!

I am due November 15th. Cadens hoping I go over 4 days and have the baby on his birthday :). We are so excited for this new addition and we will keep you all posted!!

...recipe book...

2010-03-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

I was asked to put together a recipe book of all of my grandmas recipes after she passed away in November. I worked hard on it and finished all of the typing of each recipe in Feb. I was so excited to have it all typed and finished and then it came time to put it all together. I found a cute picture of her cooking and made a fun cover. Its been a lot of hard work but its finally done! Wahoooo! I have already used a couple of her recipes and it will be so good to have them all in one collection. What a great cook she was! To all of my family and close friends of the family--- I sent all of you guys a letter to explain the cookbook and how to get one. If you dont get it let me know and Ill get you one :)

...cleaning grandmas...

2010-03-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

As many of you know my grandpa passed away in January of 2008 and just this past November my grandma was killed in a car accident. Our family cleaned out her refrigerator the day of her funeral to avoid rotting food... locked all of the doors... and left. People have gone in and out to check on things and to do quick cleaning but no one has lived in the home since her death 4 months ago.

My uncle had a friend who needed a home in a quick hurry so the decision was made to clean out her home in time for the new renters. My parents left early monday morning and started digging everything out with my aunts, uncle, and a couple of cousins. They worked hard and got a lot of the furniture and most of the belongings out. They all decided its just too soon to really go through and either d.i., garage sale, divide or garbage any of their things SO... they rented a nearby storage unit where their things will be until this summer when we can, as a family, go through everything.

I kept in contact with my mom all day monday and tuesday morning. They were starting to feel a little overwhelmed and tired not only because of the physical labor but the mental and emotional ache they felt cleaning out the house. SO... Caden and I decided Tuesday after we both got off work we would go help out! We did the 3 hour drive in 2 1/2 and got their at 6:30 to start helping with what we could. We cleaned until 11 and started back home again.

I was so sad to think that this no longer was "grandmas house" and their things would never again be where they used to. I have so many memories of that house. However, it hasnt been the same since their deaths. There was never a time when you would enter that house without a loud shout of "Well... HELLO!!" or a huge hug! The emptiness was definitely felt once they were gone. It was also a huge relief to think that they are together and that we werent preparing their house for renters while we moved them into a rest home.

What a great knowledge the gospel is! To know that we can families are forever and it doesnt end here is such a blessing during such sad times. I will miss this house BUT it was fun to get to see things and to recall passed events and memories that took place there. I miss my grandparents but I will always remember the warm and welcoming feeling in their home and I will always try hard to make sure Caden and I have a home as welcoming as theirs.

Caden cleaning... he cleaned so much he cleaned his hand off!

(ok.... NOOOT really... i did a little photoshop because of his obscene gesture.. guess thats what he gets for always doing that ... a chopped off hand!) BUT thank you Caden for all of your hard work! :)

dani and jason in the "backroom"... this was our FAVORITE room growing up... the best place to play teenage ninja turtles, ghost busters, and have sleepovers with all of the cousins

Grandmas bedroom

and of course this post based on grandmas house wouldnt be complete without a picture of her favorite part of her.. her much used oven and stove...

...goodbye maple apartments...

2010-03-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

Caden and I are moving!!! We have found a basement apartment in Fruit Heights! After our little adventure... or should I say HUGE adventure... to Virginia... I found that I cant live too far from home. I love having family members close and being able to spend a lot of time with both of our families. Our lease was up in January and we had the choice to either sign again for a year or MOVE.. so we made the big choice to move about 3 miles away haha. We are really excited for a change but it will be sad to leave what we call home. I feel like we just got settled in but we can do it again!! I figured I should document before we start moving and trying to putty up the "swiss cheese walls" I have created... good thing I have such an understanding husband that can quickly with a little dab of white toothpaste cover up my hobby, right?!?

The kitchen... where I have cooked.... oh so many meals!!... ok NOT really.. this is where our cereal or instant oatmeal is made.. if we have no milk... its yogurt.
and because of the very few cooked meals... here is our unused dishwasher haha but very frequent used microwave--- thanks to casey and alisa
our christmas present to eachother.. NEW WASHER AND DRYER!! yay!
dining room

tv on our great d.i. project... good job caden!

and of course our living room... say goodbye to the cute chair... i think that will be the last picture of it... caden and i cant sit in it because that was yet another d.i. purchase and sadly it was covered in cat hair.. i did my absolute BEST to scrub it down but we are still both allergic to the chair. It will definitely be a garage sale item this summer!

...Mesquite Soccer Tournament...

2010-02-21T19:42:00.001-08:00

Over Presidents Day weekend we got to go to Mesquite and St. George! My dad had already signed up to ride in the Tour de Palm Springs in California and planned to take my mom so Caden and I got to take the kids. My parents paid for our hotel, the gas, and food which made it even more enjoyable! We had such a fun weekend and Gage worked hard at his games! It was so nice to get to be in the warmer weather and it got us all way excited for summer! Thanks to my mom and dad for such a fun trip!

Bailey, me, and Ashley outside of our hotel in Mesquite

she looked so cute that day and she was so mad that I was trying to take pictures... I couldnt get her to smile but I took it anyways

ice cream after the last game!

Gage playing hard

more to the MTC...

2010-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

My dad has proudly found the IMovie application on our their new computer. He has made some pretty fun videos and he made one of yesterday that is a lot better than just pictures :) At 1:48 is my favorite part.. its hard to hear but he says "ok lets do this" way cool...

...Grown a Foot Or Two...

2010-01-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

My younger bigger brother left on his mission yesterday. We took him to the Provo MTC where he will stay for the next two months. He will then head for Guadalajara Mexico East. We are so excited for him but we already miss him tons!! It was a good but very sad day! I somehow put the pictures on backwards.. oops :) so no.. we were not smiling once we left him...

Elder Tibbitts

proud dad

braden hugging my mom goodbye...

braden and bailey

bradens cute friends that were waiting for him!! what a relief

the whole clan

....oh so VERY thankful...

2009-11-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well as many of you know.... my sweet grandma passed away only 6 days before Thanksgiving. This brought about a strange Thanksgiving for us all. We have had a huge family dinner with all cousins, aunts, and uncles. It is a tradition that has occurred without fail every year. Being married would obviously change that... bouncing back and forth between families or trading every other year. This year we were going to have it at my house after Caden and I got back from Wellsville with the Hyers. With the bringing of Grandmas death my mom dropped the idea of having a normal Thanksgiving. She felt the emotions were too high and we were still in a grieving period. However, my wonderful mother in law decided to put together a dinner for my family. Peggy left her family early in Wellsville so that my family could have a regular Thanksgiving dinner that didn't include a frozen pizza :). My family and I were so thankful for her and Doug and their willingness to make it a more enjoyable day for my family. I love Doug and Peggy and I am thankful for them and their family. I am so lucky to have the in laws I have.

Yesterday things were a little crazy but Thanksgiving is truly a time to reflect on our blessings and what we are truly thankful for... I felt it would be important for my friends and family to know that I do recognize my.....

B eing a part of the Church and wonderful knowledge and testimony I have

L oving an amazing husband and knowing I have eternity with him

E ating yummy food and the blessing it is to be able to afford it

S taying in a warm home with the comforts we have

S weet memories of my grandparents and the love they showed me

I ncredible family, extended family, friends, and parents who I love

N ow married into a wonderful family with inlaws I cherish

G oing to the temple this year and feeling the Spirit

S eeing different parts of the world this year as we traveled to Mexico and Virginia

I love you all and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Here comes Christmas... WAHOO!! :)

Tragedy

2009-11-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Friday afternoon we were headed to a family reunion in Swan Valley Idaho. We were about 10 minutes out of Idaho Falls when we got a devastating phone call. My sweet grandma had gotten into a horrible car accident. She was still stuck in her van but life flight was there and we were told to go straight to the Idaho Falls hospital. We got to the hospital and were shortly informed that she had passed away before they could get her in the helicopter. The police and invesigators said that she died instantly even though when help arrived she still had a pulse but was unconscious.

My grandma was my idle. She was an amazing woman and will be greatly missed by us all. She was going to be spending the week with our family in Utah for Thanksgiving. I will forever wish we could have spent this week with her but it was her time. I will always love and miss her.
Joylene B. Watson, 78, of Menan, died Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, near Menan from injuries received in an automobile accident.
Joylene was born Oct. 12, 1931, in Rigby, Idaho, a daughter to Ray Edward Browning and Thelma Kinghorn Browning. She attended schools in Annis and graduated from Midway High School.
She married Farrell Thain Watson Jr. on Aug. 20, 1951, in Menan. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a Primary teacher, Relief Society secretary and visiting teacher. She enjoyed cooking and recipes, spending time with her family and traveling with her husband, Thain, to see different places.
She is survived by her children, Sally (Mike) McKinley of Rexburg, Jill (Mitch) Tibbitts of Kaysville, Utah, and Ed (Dorothy) Watson of Rigby; a sister, June (L.M.) Rule of Idaho Falls; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Farrell Thain Watson Jr.; and a son, Thain Watson III.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at the Menan Stake Center with Bishop Gary Asper officiating. The family will visit with friends from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, both at the stake center. Burial will be in Annis Little Butte Cemetery under the direction of Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby. Condolences may be sent to the family online at http://www.eckersellfuneralhome.com/.

Halloween!!!!

2009-11-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun Halloween. Tahnee, Cadens cousin, planned a party at his aunts house. When Peggy called me with the details I told her we had plans of dressing up and asked if it was a dress up party.. She said it wasnt. I told Caden and he said he didnt care we were showing up in costumes... OH MERCY I thought.. but I wouldve have done it. To my surprise Peggy called back a while later and said she had told Tahnee it was now a costume party. We were so excited. We drove up to Logan with Cadens family and had a blast at Kaelenes house. I love having in laws that are so fun!! I am so lucky to be married to Caden and be able to be a part of his cute family. Thanks to Tahnee for all of her hard work!

HAHAHA happy halloween!

Caden and his baby grandma

Peggy and I

Ha the pimp and his uh.. woman?

He was totally workin the costume...

Dr. D (the joker)

HAHAHAHAHA Peggys blackmail picture... sorry Peg I had to do it.. I love this picture and it was Halloween!!!

Our little orange jack-o-lantern fruit bowls that Caden and I made for the party

Some of the family

The drive up..

I hope all of you had as fun of a Halloween as we did!

my birthday... haha 2 months ago :)

2009-11-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sweet Caden planned such a fun birthday for me... september 5th :). I was going through our pictures and realized I had never posted anything about my birthday. It was a fun day. Caden put new knobs on our dresser as my gift and gave me a fun new outfit! What a good husband!

My cute niece, Aubrey, helping me blow out my candles

New job!!!

2009-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Caden and I have taken on a whole new adventure to make some extra money. We are now the paper delivery couple.. haha its hilarious at times but pretty tiring. We meet at 2:30am and finish anywhere from 5:00-6:30 am. I had to take some pictures this morning to let you all in on this fun job!

My brother has also joined in on the fun....

packing up the car
you cant tell at all from this picture but our hands are BLACK by the time we finish rolling...

Las Vegas Girl Trip

2009-08-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

My mom, my sister Ashley, and I go on a girl trip every year with our friends from Idaho. We have gone to some really fun places and this year we were able to go Las Vegas. We had a blast and it was good to spend some time with my mom and sister!

My mini elvis friend

matching pjs

Mexican restaurant

HUGE pot pies we ordered!

limo ride to Phantom

phantom night

our coloring contest McKenzi had for her birthday!

Ash and mom on the airplane

Bear Lake Adventure... or a 4 hour milkshake run!!!!

2009-07-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday Doug and Peggy planned a fun Bear Lake adventure for us all. Peggy went to so much work to get a lot of fun snacks while Doug loaded his truck. Brandi and Daxton, Doug and Peggy, and Caden and I all set off around noon for our exciting day. The drive up was so much fun. We were all able to talk and share hilarious stories. By the time we got to Bear Lake the wind had started up and it was completely overcast :(. SO SAD!! The boys made the final decision and we ended up just getting some yummy milkshakes instead!! The weather was not good enough to enjoy ourselves or to fulfill our fun day we had planned. We were all bummed but we were able to spend a lot of time together and we made it fun anyways!
Peggy told me about a trip they had when the kids were young and how she learned the most important part of family outings are the memories you make on the way there and back... definitely TRUE. We were all able to create such fun memories and it was definitely a day we wont ever forget... despite the fact that it turned out a lot different than we all expected! I am thankful for my fun inlaws and sweet husband who have helped to make this summer so enjoyable!!! and I do have to admit... THAT MILKSHAKE WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS A CONCRETE!!!!

UTAH HERE WE COME!!!!!

2009-06-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Thats right.. we are leaving Virginia and headed back to Kaysville! Wahoo! We are so sad that it didnt last longer in Virginia... but sometimes not everything works out the way you hope. We are grateful for the experience and the wonderful time we have had. We have gotten to know some really neat people as well as make some good friends... THE ASHBOCKERS. We will miss them a lot but thankfully theyll be back in Idaho in a few months. We are excited to get home and see our friends and family again. We will be looking for an apartment and new jobs before we know it... so we are going to have fun with the few short days we have left here. I wouldnt trade this experience for anything even though it was one of the hardest things we have been through. We are both thankful for what we were able to learn! It is crazy how small things are such great blessings and sometimes unanswered prayers arent answered for a reason....BUT UTAH HERE WE COME!! We cant wait to see you all again.

...Mom's Visit...

2009-06-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon my mom flew into Washington DC. She and I had talked about her coming to visit and just giving ourselves sometime to shop and hang out together. We went straight to the Washington DC temple when she got here. It was so pretty and such a great experience. We spent Sunday in Washington DC with Caden. We got to go to the Arlington cemetery, the White House, Lincoln memorial building, and to some other sites around the area. The rest of the time we spent shopping and simply spending time together. It was so awesome to have my mom here. She is definitely one of my best friends and such a great example to me. I am so grateful to have her in my life. I am lucky to have the relationship I have with her. It was so fun to get to be with her for those few days!

I know this is a lame picture cause its from the wedding.. but my mom had her camera with us and I forgot to take some of the pictures off of it to have them for myself... I wanted a picture with the post though!

s.t.r.a.w.b.e.r.r.y. j.a.m.

2009-06-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

I found strawberries last saturday.... BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!! We love to make strawberry crepes so I thought I would take Harris Teeter up on their offer. I got the strawberries and as Caden and I planned out our dinners for the week on Sunday we left out anything that included my 2 plastic containers of strawberries! I just figured I would use them as a side or something later on. As the week went on I totally forgot I had them. By Wednesday night they were looking a little dark and less appetizing. I looked at my schedule and realized I didnt have work Friday so I needed a project or else the day would seem never ending. SO.... I decided to use the strawberries up and attempt to make strawberry jam. I have never made jam or paid much attention to my mom and grandma when they would make it together. I found a recipe I had copied down of my grandmas and went to work! Aubree and I decided it would be fun to do it together because she had also had taken up the BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Harris Teeter special. We bought darling glass jars, fruit pectin, and to my surprise A LOT of sugar. I didnt realize how sugary jam is but..... thats what makes it SO GOOD! We had so much fun making it together and I am even more excited to eat it. Peggy gave me a very helpful hint.... to use RED food coloring. I was amazed at how much more colorful and bright it made it look.. thanks for the tip Peg! Anyways.. I was pretty excited and so was Caden :)!

FLOOD

2009-06-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

We had a flash flood warning on Wednesday. I was at work and within a few hours there was 4-5 inches of standing water in the parking lot! On Cadens ride home one of the boys told him that the small stream behind our apartment building had become a RIVER!! When he got home we decided to check it out. Its hard to tell by the pictures but there was so much water and HUGE slugs on the side walk. The water had pushed over trees and even broken a fence... pretty crazy!

...the best 2 months...

2009-06-03T08:55:00.001-07:00

Today Caden and I have been married for 2 months! I cant even believe how fast time has gone by. I am so very grateful for Caden and the amazing man he is.

Virginia has been a hard but very good thing for the both of us. We are learning to depend just on each other and to cherish every minute (seeing that we only have a few hours a day) that we spend together.

I am so proud of Caden and his motivation toward selling. He has been such a hard worker and he has a great attitude for the work he is doing. I know this is the hardest job he has ever had but I have definitely learned that he is a hard worker and he wont give up. I am so pleased with what he has been doing and I am so thankful he is my husband... This has DEFINITELY been the best 2 months for me! I love you CADEN.

I just had to post a picture of him in his cute APX uniform with his new haircut :) I am so lucky.

CLOSED Carnival

2009-06-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

On Monday at work I was talking with my manager and she informed me that there was a Herndon City Festival/Carnival starting on Thursday. I was SO excited. I love carnivals and festivals and if you know Caden and I and our dating history this is one of our favorite things to do. We decided on Sunday since Caden was off work we would give it a shot! I went Saturday with Aubree and we checked it all out. There wasnt really anything too exciting and I was kinda bummed. Aubree had her 3 month old baby with us so we didnt have the option of riding the fun rides and I wasnt about to have her watch me entertain myself haha.... so Caden and I went back Sunday. I am pretty sure Caden had heard as much as he possibly could stand of how BAD I was craving a funnel cake ever since I had read the pamphlet with all of the festival details.... so after church we got changed, ate lunch, and left! We got there and it was C.L.O.S.E.D!! yeah.. BUMMER! It was so sad. We walked around as they were cleaning up and listened to the police on their mega-phones announce "The carnival is closed.. time to go home..." It was really depressing.. We rented a movie, invited Aubree and Skyler over. Of course... we had a lot of popcorn and otter pops and that made up for our disappointment. It was a fun day with Caden on his day off!

F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G

2009-05-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Caden said I had to post this picture because he think its hilarious how cold I always am.. haha and my complaint of an "artic temperature" always makes him laugh. HOWEVER... Caden is not yet used to the heat due to spending the last 2 summers in Alaska so we keep our apartment very cold. It is nice during the day but at night I have found that by sleeping in a couple of layers with double the blankets I am more comfortable. Caden loves to sleep in the cold... as you all know... so I let it happen... hopefully in a few years one of us can get the other one used to our personal habits but for now I chose to find a solution. The other morning I got up a little earlier than Caden to get ready for work. I didnt realize how cold the apartment was until I got out and I was all wet... I ran into our bedroom and was just getting out of bed. I sat on the floor all curled up and he wrapped me up in our blankets and "just had to take a picture" haha what a cute husband I have!!

Washington DC

2009-05-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

THE WHITE HOUSE

Me, Aubree, and her cute baby Grahm

Me and Caden in front of the back of the white house...

The United States Treasury...

Caden and I decided it would be really fun after church on Sunday to take a trip to Washington DC. We asked our friends Skyler and Aubree to go with us. We stopped and filled up on gas and went to Dollar Tree for a bunch of snacks for our "long road trip." Aubree and I went into the store and filled up baskets of candy, drinks, and popcorn to surprise our husbands. We were determined to make this road trip the best ever with all of our fun snacks. Haha.. little did we know we only live about 2o min away from Washington DC. It was hilarious because by the time we got to the white house we had so much food all over in the car and hardly any of it had been touched. I felt like I had planned a road trip from Kaysville to Salt Lake City.. haha.. However, we had so much fun getting to see all of the buildings and site seeing in DC. We want to go back soon because there is no way to see it all in one day! It was a blast and we had plenty of treats to bring home :).

Movie night and CHICKEN FETT. PIZZA!!

2009-05-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

First off... I have officially given myself the award for the worst blogger and I am sorry to my friends and family who I promised and crossed my heart to that I would blog while we were in Virginia.. Long story short we had a creeper guy living next to us.. we moved apartments.. and low and behold we had no internet. We are now paying for the internet but I am glad to have the connection to the world back :)... anyways... I will do SO much better now. BUT... I received the BEST cookbook ever called the MORMON COOKBOOK... COOKING FOR 2. Its amazing. I love everything I have made out of it and its super duper easy stuff. I found a recipe for incredible fettuccine sauce and either a chicken pizza you can make with it or a chicken pasta. I bought the ingredients and thought it would be a fun activity for Caden and I after church Sunday. We did it and it turned out to be our new fav. Its the best. We also made a salad and it reminded us so much of Firehouse.. We just didnt have the PHzookies. We had otter pops instead for dessert :). We were enjoying the dinner so much we decided to pull our mattress out into the family room (due to the fact that we only have one TV in the apartment) and have a pizza movie night. We watched a movie and had the little white trash moment... haha! Its the best we could do when our couches arent the most comfortable and no extra money to go to a movie theatre. I have decided that poor life is way fun... We love being creative in order to entertain ourselves. I am loving Virginia and our life together!

VIRGINIA!!

2009-04-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Virginia and we have gotten all settled into our apartment. We got up early Friday morning and said our goodbyes and headed off for our long road trip. We thought we could take turns driving and sleeping but that didnt go too well and we ended up sleeping at a hotel a little after 16 hours of driving. We slept for a few hours and got up and continued the journey. We finally got to Herndon VA at about 2 am Sunday morning. It was a long trip but we got to see a lot of neat things. Our apartment is cute and we have had a lot of fun putting it all together. Our families are both far away and so I know they are curious to see what our new apartments looks like so I thought I would post some pictures to cure the curiosity :).

our bathroom... the decor is a little rough right now but its my project :)

our closet... we love it because we can keep it so organized!

cute LITTLE dresser :) it only fits underwear and socks.. haha

the bed.. and yes i know, i need a bed skirt and a picture in that empty frame

the tv.. and the cute little stand we bought at target

the couches and living room.

my adorable owl that i got for $9 at Ross... Caden isnt to fond of him but i thought it was a must have

the kitchen table area

washer and dryer.. and i learned that gain powder smells better than gain liquid..

kitchen sink

stove and microwave

kitchen

entry way...

Well thats it!! We are both loving VA and our new cute little apartment. We hope all of you are doing well in Utah!!!

HONEYMOON!!

2009-04-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well.. A lot has happened again. We got married April 3rd in the Logan temple. It was so neat to get married in the temple and be sealed to my best friend. It was incredible to be surrounded by everyone you know and love in one room.

We went to Salt Lake for the weekend. We stayed at the Little America and we ended up celebrating easter there! We packed our bags and our easter baskets that we had for eachother weighed too much to fit into our suitcases so we had easter a little early. I gave Caden DANCES WITH WOLVES and a sweet squirt gun and he gave me a bunch of candy and some cute flip flops!

We flew to Cancun Monday morning. We got there that afternoon and it was so warm! We were so excited to feel the warm air. It felt so good. We had so much fun. We ate a lot of different food. Caden fell in love with the fajitas there. I think he ordered room service 4x the first two days just for the chicken fajitas.

We spent alot of the time shopping and hanging out at the swimming pool. We got to go to XEL-HA and go snorkeling. We went to the flea market a few times and I fell in love with their apple juice. If anyone ever gets a change to go to Cancun get JAMEX apple juice in the little blue cartons. Its amazing.

We had so much fun in Mexico. Thanks Doug and Peggy for putting together such a fun trip for us!! We will blog more once we get to Virginia...

Bad Blogger... and our big 5 month move!!

2009-02-26T19:32:00.001-08:00

I am horrible at blogging and keeping up to date with our lives.. I read through everyone elses and see their cute pictures and it reminds me of how bad I am at this. Not a whole lot has been happening besides just wedding plans... and more wedding plans. I quit my job at Hazen to help give me some more time to be able to prepare and get to all of my appointments that I need to be to. I am doing a lot of babysitting jobs that are lasting anywhere from 3-14 days! Its worked out perfect and has given me some extra time to get things together! Caden and I have had a lot of fun the last few weeks meeting with people.... registering... and making decisions together. Its crazy how much we have learned about eachother and how exciting this all can be. I am so excited to marry my very bestfriend. He is the best!
Caden also found out a few weeks ago that we will be going to RESTON Virginia for the summer while he sales for APEX. We knew it would be Virginia but the big question was... WHERE AT IN VA?? So... RESTON is where we will be! We will leave somtime around April 22nd and we plan on driving for 3 days. We will come back at the end of the summer and hopefully it was a memorable experience for both of us! I am still not quite sure where Reston is... but I do know its a suburb of D.C. and I have heard its not the ghetto! Cross your fingers...

engagement pictures...

2009-01-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

Caden and I had our engagement pictures taken yesterday. They were so fun to do but so good to get over with!! We did a lot of shopping and after a few hours in Ogden they were through!! Kara Elmore took the pictures and did such a great job! We still have a lot of wedding plans to finish but its all coming along and will be here before we know it!

WE'RE FINALLY ENGAGED!!!

2009-01-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

SO.... After 4 years of dating and Cadens long but wonderful 2 year mission we are finally engaged!!! A few days after Caden got home from Alaksa we started ring shopping. We found one we both agreed on and it was up to Caden from there! He started working towards getting things together and planning it all but I am very curious and impatient so I didnt make it too easy for him. I did make sure that I had make up on and I wasnt in sweats whenever we went anywhere especially to dinner. I also made it very clear to Caden and my mom both that I wanted nails on or at least painted nails before he popped the question. My biggest fear was having people ask to see my ring when I had chippy nails... however to my dismay Caden did such a great job covering his plans that I took off my nail polish that morning! On the morning of the 13th Caden texted me and asked me to go to Park City with him Friday night. I figured I would be ok until Thursday night and then I would prepare myself a little better. BUT I was wrong! My mom had asked to borrow my car for the day so I took Cadens for the day... little did I know they were decorating it! After an amazing dinner and FHoozie at Firehouse we were on our way out to Cadens car and I saw mine towards the end of the parking lot. We ran over to it and I noticed it said "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" on the window. Caden knelt down and proposed while his family and mine watched, video, and took pictures. I was so excited that before he even asked me I kept yelling, "YES YES YES!!" The first thing I did the next morning was get nails.. haha. I am so excited to be engaged to my best friend. I am so grateful for Caden and I cant wait to start our lives together!