Middleton Family

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time

2012-02-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Just for fun I thought I'd share this dance video of Kristian... So funny!

St. George Half

2012-02-07T21:02:00.002-08:00

Well, he did it again. Jon ran the St. George Half Marathon (13.1 miles). We took advantage and made a family trip to St. George. We were able to go see Grandma and Grandpa at the condo, Jill and Bryan and cousin Danielle were there as well.

We stayed in a hotel and the kids thought that was so fun!! We let the kids go swimming. I took the kids down to the pool because Jon had some Union phone calls to make. I assured him we'd be fine. About 1/2 way through Morgan and I decide to get out and watch from the side. I'm watching as Addison tip toes toward the deep end, and I shout out to her to turn around and go back to the shallow end. I watch as she tries to correct her self, getting more nervous, and then water splashes into her face, and then more, and then she panics and I realize she won't be able to pull herself out of this so I jump in the water with Morgan wrapped in a towel in my arms and pull Addison out of the water. This happens JUST as Jon is walking in the room to see his daughter going under water. A quick, panicky moment and surprisingly enough no body cried and Addison got right back in and kept swimming! Whew!

The ONE DAY it decides to be raining in St. George is the day of the race. Here we are sitting in the cold waiting for Dad to cross the finish line...

Here is Dad.. coming in at 1:49:19. Whew! I applaud you!! What an inspiration you are and I'm so proud of you for going after and achieving your goals. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU DAD!! KEEP IT UP!!!

( I love how perfectly Kristian's little face found his way into this picture)

It was a short trip. We went down Friday morning and came back Saturday afternoon. These were our road conditions on our trip home and as you could see the kids definitely traveled well. Especially our little Morgan, what a trooper!!

Morgan Laughing

2012-02-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2011

2012-02-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011!!! Jon had to work Christmas at the fire station this year, so we got up early to see if Santa had in fact found our house... surprisingly enough, he did!
The kids got new coats, coloring books, clothes, and toys...

Thanks to Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Tall, the kids got this fun game table! Kristian also go a Nintendo DS, some clothes, and some more legos. He sure does love to get creative and build new things.

Addison got more food for her kitchen, more dishes, a hello kitty game, a princess game, and so much more.. she couldn't have been more thrilled.

Here is the cool baseball stand that Grandpa Brad made for Kristian. It has a place to hang his "Special Made Baseball Bat", a baseball, and his hat. What a wonderful gift!! Thank you Grandpa!

A new nativity scene and a great story to go with it...

Little Miss Morgan snuggling with Grandma Jan.

Christmas is such a wonderful time! I am finding more and more how important it is to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. My hope is in the years to come to start create more of our own family traditions as the kids grow.

Kristian's Big 6!

2012-02-07T20:21:00.001-08:00

Can't believe! I simply can't believe it! I have a 6 year old boy who's in Kindergarten!! I LOVE Kristian. He is such a sweetheart. He is a great big brother, a great help to mom, and is so smart.
Kristian loves school, he is learning a lot and it is so fun to watch his creativity, personality, and imagination come to life! He loves being a big brother and LOVES his sisters.
He is excellent with electronics. He can play the Nintendo DS, navigate the X-BOX Kinect all by himself, play the iPOD, iPAD, and if he gets his hand on the remote control we're in trouble.
Kristian LOVES sports!! He always wants to know what the score is and when the next big game is going to be on. He is so good to learn the sports, rules, and who's play who and what game is next and... its exhausting.
Kristian loves to draw (its fun seeing his imagination and creativity come through). He loves transformers, lego's and his current favorite color is Scarlet (a red-orange color... he had to check his crayon box to be sure that was his favorite).
His favorite dessert right now is when we bake acorn squash with butter and brown sugar.

Kristian is a sweetheart. He always tries to do the right thing and make good choices. He is so tender and loving and cares so much. I LOVE this little boy with all my heart and am so blessed to have him as my big 6 year old!

Happy Birthday Jon

2012-02-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

The big 31... Happy Birthday JON!! Ooops~ looks like we forgot the "3" on his cake... Oh well.. Birthday's are so much fun as you get older aren't they?

Addison Turns 4

2012-01-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Our Sweet Little Addison turned the big 4 on November 15th! What a joy she is!

Addison is such a joy. She is so enthusiastic and eager to learn and do everything her big brother does. She also loves to play in her kitchen with all her fake food and dishes. She loves her baby dolls.

The other day I was dressing up as a princess with her and she went to find me some princess shoes (high heels) and she said "Mom, you only have boy colors?" (black and brown)... but luckily I had 1 pair of red heels and she was satisfied. So with my cape, spatula (for my wand) and my tiara, we were set.

She LOVES anything girl. Pink, Purple, Hello Kitty, ALL the disney princesses. She loves to color and play dress up

Addison does at times have a bit of a temper... we call it her Addi-tude! She definitely is strong willed, independent, and want things her way... Heaven help me when she's a teenager (oh the arguments we'll have). She was sent to our family for a very special reason and we couldn't love her any more.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS ADDISON!!

Little M&Ms Blessing

2011-11-13T20:11:00.001-08:00

Our sweet little Morgan Rees Middleton was blessed today by her grandfather Mark Roy Middleton. We were blessed to be surrounded with friends and family as we celebrated our sweet little girl's special day!

Our sweet little family!

Jon's side of the family:

Amanda's side of the family:

Sweet little Morgan..... such a beautiful, easy going, and sweet natured baby. Like I think I've mentioned before... a wonderful addition to our family.

Chalazion

2011-11-13T19:51:00.001-08:00

Addison had a sty in her eye that appeared the day Morgan was born. Nervous that it may be pink eye we got her on an antibiotic just to be safe. Weeks went by and nothing changed.. in fact, it got a little worse. We were advised to do warm compresses and we did... nothing helped. Our pediatrician then put us on an oral antibiotic and again advised more warm compresses... nope! So we went to an eye specialist:

Addison was diagnosed with a Chalazion. Basically it is where the oil glands that secrete the cornea build up and the body starts to attack it like an infection. Normally warm compresses do the trick, but in the event that they don't then a hard mass forms and the only way to treat it is with surgery. So, we set a date!

Pretty gross looking. My thought was she is way to beautiful to have something so gross on her pretty little face. I was very anxious to get it taken care of.

Surgery day: We were told that they would call us to give us an OR time. So when I didn't get a phone call, I decided to call them. I was told that we weren't on the schedule. "Um, what?!" I was very frustrated, but eventually, ... long story short... we were able to get her added to the surgery schedule for the day.

November 10, 2011. We went to the Primary Children's wing at Riverton Hospital. Here we are waiting for our turn. The anesthesiologist came and talked to us, then the doctor came and marked above her eye so they did surgery on the correct one.

Then, when the time came, Addison took the hand of the anesthesiologist and walked one way as I walked the other. My brave little girl headed off to the OR by herself and I headed to the waiting room to sit....and wait....

The surgery took about 30 minutes. I then spoke to the physician about how it went and got instructions about follow-up, then I waited another 10-15 until they were ready to let me see her...

She was SOOOO sleepy from the anesthesia and had a hard time waking up. She did great and after about 2 hours in recovery she was ready to go home. Here she is taking her wagon ride out to the car.

Addison has been through so many things in her young little life. I can't begin to express how much love I have for her. She is so brave!! She is my hero!! Love my sweet little Addi Bug!!

Little Morgan... Growing Fast!

2011-11-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't done very well to post pictures to see how much this sweet baby is changing. It's amazing how fast they grow and change. Morgan is such a sweet baby! She is good tempered, sleeps 10 hours at night (most nights) and is generally so so happy! She is the perfect addition to our family. We are truly blessed with amazing kids. So here I'm sharing some random pictures just for fun.

She is reaching the stage where she is super smiling and so so close to laughing. So fun! She warms your heart just looking at her.

Here are some cute ones of Kristian and Addison as well:

Here is Addi doing the "Jodi pose".. remember the cute Senior Picture of Jodi's?! We love this pose now and Addi always wants to do it!! Sweet girl (love you Aunt Hodi)

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!! This year we had Iron Man and Tinker Bell at our house. (Yes, they're the same costumes as last year, but why not?)

Mommy dressed up for work...

Morgan dressed up as a cute little baby...

Kristian loved having his parade at school and the Halloween party. Its too bad he didn't think to take his coat off, but.. oh well!

CARVING PUMPKINS!!
Kids had a great time carving pumpkins... They worked really hard to pull out all the pumpkin seeds so we could roast them. We then enjoyed some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies as Dad put his artistic carving abilities to work!

Another GREAT HALLOWEEN!!

Halloween 13.2

2011-11-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Jon did it! He accomplished his goal to run a half marathon!! We are so very proud of him that he was able to prove to himself that he could do it! AND... he did well!

He had to be to the University Mall at 5:00am, on Saturday, October 29th. The buses took the nearly 4,000 people who signed up to run (costumes optional) up Provo Canyon, on the Alpine Loop, above Sundance. Race started at 9:00am. We got to the park about 10:30, and Jon came through the finish line at approximately 29 minutes later. The kids were great as we waited for Dad to cross the finish line.

It was fun seeing all the runners come through and see the costumes. People were quite creative. We saw: batman, Darth Vader, Thing 1 & Thing 2, some Minions (from Dispicable Me), Avatar, Elvis, and many many others...including Forrest Gump!

Morgan was amazing!! She did so good... she was really bundled and slept most the time and did great!!

Jon completed the Provo Halloween Half (13.2 miles) in 1 hour, 49 minutes. He finished 3rd for his age and race class. Not bad for his first race!!

Here's his race shirt, race bib, and medal. Our good friend's dad is the one who designed this medal.. pretty cool!

Here are the kids enjoying some hot chocolates and treats as we waited for Dad to be ready to go. We love you Jon!! We're so proud of you! Can't wait to come support you at your next race!

Random

2011-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

What happens when you leave your camera unattended?... well....
FRONT DOOR

ROCK STAR!

High quality action shot...

Kristian's Guns...

And many, many more! How can I get mad when I was careless enough to leave the camera in "play range"... there were about 30 pictures taken of various things, mostly of each other, but were SO CUTE!

So Beautiful...

2011-10-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

A special THANK YOU got Jamie Eyre and her FANTASTIC photography skills... Thanks to her we were able to capture these beautiful pictures of our children...

Kristian Jon Middleton: 5 Years (almost 6)

Addison Eva Middleton: 3 years (almost 4)

Morgan Rees Middleton: 2 Weeks (now 6 weeks)

We had set out to make these Morgan's newborn pictures, but decided to get a few of the other kids since I was so behind on their photos. That would explain why Morgan has so many more pictures.

Everyday brings its challenges, frustrations, and moments where you truly question if you've got what it takes to be Mom! The toughest JOB in the WORLD!!! Yet everyday I look at my children and I'm overwhelmed with love. A love that only a mother could understand. I am truly blessed with amazing kids. They challenge me to be a better person. The teach me. They are such examples to me as I strive to be better examples to them. They truly are a precious gift from God. Love you Morgan! Love you Addison! Love you Kristian!! Thanks for letting me be your Mommy.

Heber Valley Railroad

2011-09-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

A family fun day... We decided to take up trip up to beautiful Heber Valley to ride the historic: Heber Valley Railroad!

Here are the kids in front of the train station...

The view from the train...

As we journeyed down the track Kristian kept asking when the train was going to go faster. It was hard for him to understand that the slow and steady pace of the train was as fast as it was going to get. ... (guess next time we'll have to ride trax or front runner).
We got a little further down the track and the train stopped at another station. We quickly noticed a WANTED poster, just in time to see 2 train robbers hop out from the bushes!! (silly Mom was too wrapped up in everything to get decent pictures).

They started firing their guns and yelling out to everyone. Then they came aboard the train and told everyone to put their hands up!! They were asking passengers about the money chest. Asking who had taken it. They asked Addison if she had taken the money. I don't think I've ever seen her so scared. Her eyes were as wide as possible as she quickly shook her head NO so they would leave!

The bad guys went out outside and used their guns to shoot open the money safe. There was NO MONEY!! Only a stuffed duck! They were mad so they got back on the train and tried to take a hostage!! They came back to Addison to ask if she had played this trick on them. Again, so so scared!! I'm surprised she didn't start to cry.
Luckily the train robbers gave up and left us alone so we could get back on track.

The ride was fun. It was about an hour and a half, which was perfect for the kids. I couldn't imagine being on a ride any longer than that. We also picked a good day with very few passengers, which was also nice. It was fun seeing the authenticity of the train. The people were much smaller back then as you saw how close the seats were set together. My knees almost touched the seats in front of me.

It was a fun way to spend the day together as a family. ....

9.11...Healing Field

2011-09-18T20:22:00.001-07:00

9.11.2001
A day most of us will never forget. I'm sure each of us will always remember exactly where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt as we watched the terrorist attacks on our country. A sad day in history. A day of mourning. A day of remembering.

In a large field down by city hall they had 3,000 flags. One flag for every person who died during 9.11. Attached to each flag was their name, and a brief description of who they were. It was such a magnificent site!! Unbelievable. They had a stage set up where people could volunteer to help ready all 3,000 names!

This "Flag Of Heroes" was neat, it had all the names of those who died on it...

This is a statue that now sits in front of city hall: HOPE RISING. A beautiful tribute...

The kids really enjoyed the army trucks...

More tributes...

"The United States of America will not forget September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “ -President George W. Bush, 9.11.01

More Morgan Please...

2011-09-18T20:13:00.001-07:00

Here are some fun and very random pictures of Morgan. I have take a lot with my phone that I need to upload and share. Better yet, I just need to keep the camera close to me at all times. She is growing up and changing so fast...

Loving on Daddy...

Brotherly Lovin...

Big Sister = Big Helper

1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-09-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

August 29, 2011 was the first day of Kindergarten. Kristian was so excited!!! He looks so big and was so READY to go to a "big kid" school. We are so proud of him.

He got to meet the school mascot. The Eagle. He goes to Silver Mesa Elementary. He did great to stand in line outside the door and wait for his teacher to come out and get him. He waved goodbye and despite my desire to NOT be one of "those moms" that cry when their kid goes to kindergarten... I cried.

Yep! Couldn't help it. I made it back to the car before the tears found my cheek, but my emotions were running high as I cried watching my little boy go to kindergarten. Oh to be a mom!!

Sweet Little One

2011-08-28T13:32:00.001-07:00

Monday: August 22, 2011
5:00am: Wake up. Shower. Daddy gets home from work. We're ready to go.
6:00am: Arrive at hospital.
6:30am: Papers signed. IV in(on the 1st try). Instructions received. Questions answered.

7:30am: Move to the OR. Spinal received. Lower half of body completely numb. Arms tied down. Draped and ready for surgery.
7:40am: Carving time... surgery starts. Pulling, tugging, and pushing...
7:53am: Baby Girl Middleton is finally delivered...

Introducing the newest member of our sweet little family: Morgan Rees Middleton

Another cesarean section that went well. I got really nauseated just before the surgery started, but thanks to my amazing anesthesiologist it quickly subsided so I could focus and enjoy the c-section the best I could. By 9:00am I was out of recovery and back to my room. I was nauseous most of the day and threw up several times (no fun)... but the day was wonderful as I enjoyed my new little baby and my many visitors:
My first set of visitors was Grandma Jan and Big Brother Kristian and Big Sister Addison

Uncle Scottie, Auntie Sarah and Adam came to visit as well as Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Middleton. A little later in the evening Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Tall made their first visit to little Morgan:

We can't forget Aunt Jodi... who also made the trip the first day.

A few other pictures to share:
Dr. Larsen...

Sweet Big Brother Kristian:

Mommy and her beautiful kids:

A special dinner for 2! A fun thing the hospital did was plan a special dinner for Jon and I. It was kinda fun to have a special little dinner just the two of us...

Big Brother Kristian and Big Sister Addison... the day we took Morgan home:

Her name... let me explain: We had been asked countless times for MONTHS what name we had decided for her.. truth? We hadn't a clue!!! This drove some of our friends and family CRAZY and thus prompted a multitude of name suggestions to ponder. There was a dry erase board in the room that we used to list and eliminate names we would consider. It wasn't until day 3 that Jon and I finally decided on Morgan Rees Middleton. (sorry Dallin, you'll have to use Opal for your little girl).

Going home.. FINALLY leaving the hospital after a 3 1/2 day stay... ready to be home.

Being home truly has been great! Its been so busy that I'm nervous to see how quickly the next 8 weeks will fly by. Jon has been an amazing support and has tolerated my many requests for him to run to the store for things I need. The kids have been great and so far have adjusted well. They've managed well to the doctor to rule out if Addi has pink eye (which she didn't), Kristian's interview with his school teacher so he can start Kindergarten next week, soccer practice, dance class, and a soccer game. Whew! Way to go Jon!!
I truly am blessed to have such an amazing family! Thanks to all the friends and family who brought dinners and have helped out in this new transition. You are all appreciated!

Going... UP?!

2011-08-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

There is a builder in Utah, Bangerter Homes, that decided to build the "UP" House. It was featured in the Parade of Homes, and we decided it would be fun to go see before the open house closes... what a fun thing to go do.

Here is the cute mail box with Carl and Ellie's names on them. You walk in the house and its set up just like in the movie. The main room has their chairs, the jar that has "Paradise Falls" taped to it, and the same mural painted on the wall. As you go up the stairs there are pictures on the wall of Ellie and Carl. They even have a baby room with the picture painted on the wall like the movie.

Kitchen was done in an old style, with baby blue appliances and decor. So cute! The rest of the house was updated, but still to fit the overall theme. They will be selling it for $400,000.00... no big deal, right?

Darling house. So fun to see. Kids LOVED it!! Here we got our picture taken with Carl and Russell.

Littlest Dancer...

2011-08-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

When I was getting ready to sign Kristian up for soccer they explained that I'd get a discount for registering more than one sibling... So we asked Addi if she wanted to play soccer with Kristian. "NO! I want to do dance class!" It was funny to me because we had never really talked about dance class so I'm not exactly sure where this was coming from! She is a girly girl and was adamant about dancing...

Our little ballerina! She is in a tap/ballet class that will be every Saturday with a big production at Kingsbury Hall next summer. It was SO FUN watching her go to her first class. She was so brave and listened to teacher and did amazing!!

I am so proud of Addi. She is such a strong girl and wants to do what she wants to do. I'm sure this will present its struggles and battles at times, but I hope this will help her stay true to who she is as she goes after what she wants in life... we will see!! Love you Addi Bug!! So proud of you!!

CUTE KIDS!

2011-08-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

These pictures were just too cute not to share. They were taken with a cell phone so its not the best quality, but fun pictures...

Kids had spend a day with Grandma Cindy and they went to the park...

Love this one.. Love how Addi is holding on to Kristian. She really does love and look up to her big brother!!

Bear Lake 2011!

2011-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Another fun year at the cabin at Bear Lake. Thank you Aunt Kami. Every year I take the Middleton Family up to spend a week at the cabin. We usually go the first week in August, but with the baby due so close to that time I didn't want to risk having a baby away from home. So we went in July!

For the most part this is a simple week of relaxing, games, movies, reading, and just enjoying the quiet and beautiful view. We did find a day to go to the beach, which is a must. The water was a lot higher this year so the only place we could find beach was going to the North Shore. It worked out wonderfully!!

Here Addison had fun making sand castles with Grandpa.
Kristian and Mommy...

Jet Ski fun... (Thank you to Sarah and Adam for providing the Jet Ski this year). Jon only rode for about 10 minutes before hitting a large wave and losing a contact lens (um.... oops!)

More cute pictures of the kids...

(cutest little sandy bum cheeks ever!)

***

Kristian and Addison went with Dad and Grandpa to hike the Minnetonka Cave. They were such troopers!! They didn't get any pictures of them.. so I'll share this... Mommy, enjoying her quiet time, was able to read an entire 370 page book in a day! The Hunger Games! Excellent Book!!!!!

It was a great week and we had such a fun time being together! Thank you Aunt Kami and Bear Lake for another fun year! ...now its time to shift gears and get ready for the new baby and all the changes coming our way!!

Go Real Salt Lake!

2011-07-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

We have been fortunate enough to be able to go to a couple of Real Salt Lake games this year. We had two extra tickets so we took Uncle Scottie and Kristian with us to the FC Dallas VS Real SL game. Kristian had so much fun!!

Its been fun for me to get to know the sport of soccer a little more. Its definitely more fun being in the atmosphere of the Rio Tinto Stadium!

Swimming Fun

2011-07-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

So, I have to share a funny story. Jon and I took the kids up to the Sandy Recreation Center so that we could swim. So, we're swimming and all of a sudden they blow the whistle and everyone gets out of the pool. I look at Jon and say : "What? Are they closed already? Why is everyone getting out of the pool?" ... he looked at me strange and said, "What do you mean, what are they doing? They always do this. Its a public pool."

Jon thought it was funny that I was so foreign to the idea that public pool takes breaks and makes everyone in the pool get out. Remember that I grew up using the private pool in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard!

Its now a joke.. "Us private pool kids don't know what its like to be in a public pool." I was slightly comforted when Aunt Jodi confessed that she only found this out a few years ago. Us "private pool kids" just don't know how it is!! Ha Ha!

Aunt Jodi came with us another time. Kids had so much fun!!

Cute little Addie bug playing in the fountains...

Here is Kristian about to get dumped on by this large yellow bucket that fills with water. Each time we go he gets more brave to let it splash all over him.

Warning!!

2011-06-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

WARNING! WARNING! You are about to see an update on this blog. Brace yourselves.. it has been a long time coming and we want to be sure you're ready for the change.

Preschool Graduation 2011

2011-06-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's Official! I have my first graduate! Kristian Jon Middleton, graduated from Preschool on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. The entire graduation lasted about 10 minutes. Perfect!!

Sweet little Addi bug and Kristian just before Graduation.

His graduating class:

Loved this one... His posture is so "chill"...

Cutest Graduate ever!! Kristian has done so well and is so excited to start Kindergarten. I love watching my children learn new things, discover, create, and grow.

Great job Kristian!! Mommy is so proud of you!

T-Ball 2011

2011-06-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

Kristian's T-Ball season is almost to an end.. but we had a great time! There were a lot of cold and rainy games this year, but the kids pushed through and had a fun time. Their team was called "Orange Crush!".

Kristian on 3rd base, getting ready to run home!! He did a great job and I love seeing his excitement and enthusiasm for each game. He really has the best attitude and always keeps trying to do his best! Love you so much Kristian!!

Another Family Update

2011-03-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all of you (as few of you as there may be) that actually keep checking my blog. My camera died around Christmas time and I have not yet replaced it and therefore my blogging efforts have slipped dramatically.

A family update?! Jon buzzed his head for the Utah Food Bank, and is planning on donating his time for that. Then he sends me a message that he's going to BIC his head (completely bald) for the Make A Wish Foundation. BIC donated $400 to anyone who shaved their head with a BIC razor. So now my husband is bald. Lucky me!! Any people linked to him on Facebook can see his new look.

The kids are doing well. Kristian goes to Kindergarten Registration on April 1st and is SO excited!! Both kids are doing great at daycare/preschool and I'm lucky to have such wonderful kids that addapt to our crazy schedule so well. Addison is growing so much and is Sassy! She has such attitude. She can be sweet as honey one minute and a little rage of fury the next. We love her!

Mommy is doing good. I'm 18 weeks pregnant and find out on Thursday if its a BOY or a GIRL!! Still have gaggy moments and throw up more that I'd like, but for the most part I'm in good health and doing good. Its fun feeling baby move and I'm excited to get bigger and experince that more. It is so fun! The kids are SO excited for the baby to come. Kristian told me this morning that "I am so excited for the baby to come out!"
They are always asking how big my belly will get, how much longer it will be until the baby is here, and they talk to my belly often. Kristian thinks its a boy and Addison is confident that it is a girl. Guess we will see?!

Family is good. I promise I'll try and do better and get things updated. Hope you are all doing well. Talk to you again soon.

Update

2011-01-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

OK... I have not blogged in a long time and for that I am sorry. Lets re-cap:

December 4, 2010 we moved from our 1st house in Eagle Mountain and moved into a house in Sandy. SO HAPPY to be living closer!!

December 10, 2010 I found out I was pregnant!

December 22, 2010. Addison finally got her cast off. Doctor found 1/2 a pink crayon in her cast. Her arm is still pretty bent, and doctors say it will straighten itself out in the next few years. She is high risk to re-fracture it so we've been keeping her bubble wrapped. Hard to do with a cute, wild, "I do what I want" little girl under control sometimes.

December 23, 2010 our house was broken into. A bit scary to be honest, but luckily nothing was disturbed or taken. Maybe my family will start to learn to answer the phone when a panicked and scared ME calls. ha ha

December 25, 2010 we celebrated CHRISTMAS and had a wonderful time! The kids couldn't believe that Santa brought them everything they wanted. "How did he know?!" Such a fun memory!

January 6, 2011 2011 we FINALLY got the internet hooked up in our house! (You'd think I'd take this opportunity to update my blog, but NO).

January 11, 2011 we had our 1st pregnancy appointment and I found only 1 zygote swimming the placental sea. Yeah! We were curious because I have felt so much more sick with this pregnancy than any of the others. But, baby will take what is needed and Mom will be ok. My due date: August 22, 2011.

Life is good. Life is busy. I'm grateful for all the wonderful blessing I have in my life and I am so excited for what I know 2011 has in store for me and my family. Kristian and Addison LOVE going to preschool and are learning a lot! We are excited to get them enrolled in some spring activities (baseball, dance, etc.). The kids are so excited about adding another baby to the family. My nausea is worst at night when I get home, so I really feel like doing nothing, so blogging is on the bottom of my priorty list. Tune in...Soon I will have it updated.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were able to go to Hoytsville to spend a fantastic dinner with my family. The kids had a great time playing with all the cousins and wouldn't you know it.. I forgot to take my camera. Oh well!

We did go to Wyoming and spend the night and I was able to participate in my first Black Friday event ever! I must say it was more fun than I expected and will probably go again. Thanks Tyler, Tiffany and Mom for going with me.

Thanks for everyone who contributed to the delicious Thanksgiving Feast! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and it was a great time for me to be able to reflect on how truly blessed I am and the I have so many things to be thankful for.

Look Who's 3!!

2010-11-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Addison Eva Middleton turns 3 on November 15th. It is fun to look back and see how much she's grown:

and the attitude that grew with her... Our sweet little Lady Bug has brought with her so much joy, love, laughter, fun, tears, frustration and ... well, she is the meaning of life's simple joys. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Addison has had a bit of a rough year... shall we re-cap???
December 28, 2009: Break #1 (resulted in a long night at PCMC ER, and surgery to put 2 pins in her elbow)
Cast #1

07/23/2010: Break #2 (Resulted in an idiot doctor who didn't think it was broken, therefore we went another 10 days before getting it casted... oops)
Cast #2

10/24/2010: Break #3 (Resulted in an abulance ride to PCMC where she was put to sleep so they could re-position the bones in her arm.)

Cast #3

_____________________________________________________________________________________
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADDISON! You are the bravest and toughest little girl I know! This truly has been a rough year for you, little one, but I am always amazed by you and you teach me so much! I am lucky to be your Mom and I love you so much!! Happy Birthday Lady Bug!!

Hope this next year will bring just as much love, laughter, joy, and definitely less broken bones!! Love you Addison.

New York Slideshow

2010-11-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

Took so many pictures, we figure this is the best way to share most of them:

New York! New York!

2010-11-16T19:59:00.001-08:00

Jon calls me at work on a Wednesday afternoon and asks me if I would like to go to New York. "Um, excuse me? We can't go to New York!". The wife of one of Jon's firefighter friends works for Jet Blue. She was able to get tickets for New York for only $72/person round trip. Hello? How do you say No to that?
Timing was less than ideal, but again.. how often do you get to be spontaneous and fly to New York?? I eagerly accepted the invitation and then spent the rest of the day trying to wrap my brain around it.

We flew out of SLC airport at 11:10pm, arrive at JFK airport in New York at what would have been 3:00 our time (5:00am N.Y.time). And so our day starts! We took a subway into Manhattan, and our first big stop was Central Park. It was so beautiful and it was amazing how serene and quiet it felt even tucked inside a big city.

We then walked through time square. Saw the big tree in front of the Rockefeller Center, and we even went to the top of The Rock and got some amazing pictures!

We saw some beautiful buildings and did A LOT of walking. Our next big trip was taking a subway to lower Manhattan where we took the ferry across the water to see Lady Liberty herself. It was really amazing to see!

We saw the Brooklyn Bridge on the other side on our way back across the water. It was a nice moment to catch a breath and just enjoy the New York skyline.

We then walked up Wall Street, where we say camera crews and the batmobile. We decided they must have been filming part of the next Batman movie, so we thought that was pretty cool.

Our next stop was Ground Zero. This was a really neat experience. Jon and Gerald were able to be the first ones to leave the new Sandy patch at the memorial/tribute site for the fallen firefighters...
It was an amazing tribute to 9.11 and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been there to see it. We saw Station 10 that is the fire station that is right next to Ground Zero, and as we were taking pictures they returned from a call. It was fun to see them.
We then spent $20 on 2 slices of pizza and 2 drinks (as it is cheap to eat in the big city) and then did some more walking... my feet were aching but the day was still young. We sent the boys to the Fire Fighter Museum and Suzanne and I went shopping on Canal Street. That in and of itself was quite the experience. I would love to go back with some of my best girlfriends and have a shopping spree!

6:00pm rolls around and its time for us to hit the subway and get back to the airport for our 8:30 flight. It took us an hour and by the time I got there I had the worst headache ever. We boarded the plane and I wasn't sure if I'd make it through take off. By the time we were in the air the Tylenol had started doing its job and I was able to get some sleep. Our flight arrived in SLC just after 11:00pm (Utah time) so the funny thing is that our total round trip time was almost 24 hours exactly!!

I loved NEW YORK and I would love to go back when it is better planned, better budgeted and when we can spend more time. I'm grateful for friends with generous hearts that would allow us to come with them to New York. It was so much fun to have a quick, and spontaneous getaway!!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-16T19:40:00.001-08:00

(I know, better late than never, right?!?)
Here is Kristian... the strongest and bravest IRON MAN I know! He had so much fun and was an awesome IRON MAN. He had fun at a Halloween party at school earlier that week where he got to wear his costume.

He was good to always strike a pose for the camera.

Little Addison was heart set on being TINKER BELL! And she did make a pretty little TINKER BELL indeed. She even had the broken wing as an accent.

The kids and I had the opportunity to go and see Virginia. It has been several months since we've seen her and the kids LOVED it. We have really missed her.

We braved the cold rainy night to get some trick-or-treating in. All in all, I think it was a fun and successful HALLOWEEN!

Jon vs Timpanogas Mountain

2010-11-16T19:32:00.001-08:00

Jon and his firefighter friend Craig decided to take on Mount Timpanogas. Did they make it to the top?? Almost.

Jon said the higher they climbed, the colder it got. Some parts of the mountains had snow and ice one the rocks. They reached the "Saddle" and he said there was extremely cold wind and clouds that just shot up the side of the mountain. They couldn't even see through the clouds to the top peak.

They had a great time and to be honest... I'm not sure if they're up for the challenge next year. As it stands. Mount Timpanogas: 1, Jon: 0 Next time!

Bowling fun!

2010-10-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

We were really needing a DAY OF FUN with the kids!! I really need to mention that I have AMAZING kids!! They are so good to put up with the variety that each week brings. Day care, home with dad, home with mom, trip to grandmas...They are flexible, and understanding, and they adapt well. I am grateful that they adapt so well and are so... well, they're just great kids!! I LOVE YOU KRISTIAN AND ADDISON!

They are so much alike its scary!! I'm learning this more and more. But I must say I do have some handsome men in my life!! Love you both!

Ahh...the rare moments when you can see the brother-sister love!! No screaming, pinching, punching, tattle-tales, cries, kicks, and tantrums.... just love!!

Addie had great technique.. she got several strikes and managed to tie with Dad for 1st place with a score of 116!!

Loved how cute these little bowling shoes looked that I couldn't possibly leave this picture out. Love how Addie had placed all her Halloween stickers on her legs and wouldn't take them off.

Real SL vs Chicago Fire

2010-09-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Sandy City Fire we were able to go and watch Real Salt Lake play against Chicago Fire on Saturday afternoon. Jon was home sick so luckily Uncle Dallin was able to step in and go with me and the kids.

We had great seats! We were almost center field and only 7 rows back. It was so much fun, even though it was a lot warmer than we were all expecting it to be.

This was the first and only game we were able to see of them this year. We do enjoy it a lot and hope to be able to go more in the future!

Gary Allen 2010

2010-09-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

And the fun continues... I think it would have been better if the concerts had been spaced out a bit (even if by just a day or two) but NO, they had to be back to back concerts in the middle of my week! This one, however, was wild and crazy on and entirely different scale!

Cindy and I went to see Gary Allen in concert. We had seen him at a smaller venue downtown last year and it was my first time seeing him in concert and we really liked it. We love his music and it was a fun night to spend together in the company of other wild and crazy country music fans.

As we sat there between performers I looked around and saw, sitting on the same row as us, only 10 or so seats down... Brandon and Tiffany Roll. It was a fun surprise seeing them at the concert and it was fun chatting with them for a while.

Cindy, thank you for always allowing me to be your Country Buddy and hooking us up with the concerts!! I always have so much fun with you! I love you so much and I'm so glad I get to be a part of your family!!

A little Disturbed!!

2010-09-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Who am I to think I can party like a Rock Star in the middle of an already long work week?! Jon and I and a group of friends had tickets to the UPROAR FESTIVAL this week. The band I was most looking forward to seeing was Disturbed.

Jon went early to see all the bands and I met him after work. We were able to see: Halestorm (which I loved), Stone Sour, Avenge Sevenfold, and Disturbed (who I really loved!)

I know! Funny that I would enjoy music like this, but I do. A lot of it is too loud and rough for me, but the bands we did see I really enjoyed!
Screamed loud! Jumped up and down! Partied like a ROCK STAR!! And yes, I did feel the affects of my night the next day at work when I could barely function!!

This is Scottie and his friend Chelsea who were also at the concert with us.

Thanks honey for making me feel like I can keep up with the young wanna be rock stars! Even though we weren't even close to being the oldest people there! Ha Ha! We had a fun time and I'd go with you again in a heart beat!! Love Disturbed!

Bear Lake 2010!

2010-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Vacation time finally came... and it was wonderful! Started out a little rough though... we had left our puppy Koda with a friend of mine. He was so so scared that he decided to run away. So, we reached the cabin and I checked my voicemail to discover that Koda had run away. He was missing for 2 days before someone found him and called to turn him back in. We are SO GLAD to have him home. Thank you Amy (and family) for watching over our sweet little Koda!!!

The rest of our trip was wonderful, fun, and relaxing. We all had a great time. We even made a new friend: MR. MOOSE!!

We had a great time playing cards, watching movies, reading books, enjoying nature, and just relaxing. BUT, our favorite part of course was the water!!

We made a great attempt to keeping Addison's cast dry, and I think we did ok. She got her cast off Monday and you'll be glad to know her arm has healed up nicely. Now if we can just go longer than 6 months before another break. (I'm hoping for no break at all, but being the defiant dare devil she is, we'll simply have to see.)

Addison was brave and ventured out far into the water....her cast has never slowed her down. We dug in the dirt and had a lot of fun!

Cute pictures of the kids that I couldn't resist sharing...

Kami, as always, thank you again for sharing with us your beautiful cabin. It is so nice to be able to go up and spend some time. We appreciate it so much!!

Thank You! Thank You!

2010-08-17T21:32:00.001-07:00

We would like to send a special thanks to a very special person in our lives... Virginia Oliphant. We were so very very lucky to have found such a sweet and loving individual to watch over our kids.

For the last 5 months Virginia has taken Kristian and Addison under her loving care and watched over them while we worked. Virginia moved to the United States in March 2010 so she could marry the love of her life Nate in May 2010. She and Nate are now moving to Logan to go to school.

Kristian and Addison will really miss you Virginia! They have come to LOVE you so much!!! We all love you! I truly believe that you came into our lives for a reason. It was meant to be that you came here and were able to watch the kids. You have left a lasting impression on them, and a lasting impression on us. We can not thank you enough for the time, patience, dedication, and love that it takes. We are so grateful for all you've done for us. We are excited for you and Nate to start the next chapter and adventure in your lives. We wish you the best of luck and expect you to keep in touch and let us know how you're doing... we will do the same!!

THANK YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!! WE WILL MISS YOU VIRGINIA!!

Fun Times With Virginia

2010-08-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Middleton Family

2010-08-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Middleton Family,

I want you to know I am so grateful for the opportunity that you gave me to take care of your amazing kids.

When I came to the States, I was excited to take care of them, but at the same time I was not sure if I would be able to do it because of my English and I did not want them to get bored if I didn't talk a lot to them. But now, I can not imagine my life without them. They are sweet and smart kids. They always are happy and they always remind me that in this life we don't have time to lose, to be sad.

Sometimes I was sad missing my family from Argentina, and then...when they came with their smiles I asked myself: What am I doing??! Just be happy like them.
They are examples for me. I learned a lot from them. They were teaching me English! I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed being with them. Thank you so much for believing in me and for the great opportunity that you gave me.

Amanda, every single time that you came, you always asked me: "How are you today?" and maybe you didn't think about this, but that was so important to me, because you wanted to know how I was, if everything was OK. Then, you were ready to leave and let me spend time with the kids.

I know Kristian and Addie were born of Godly parents and they are GREAT kids! I think an important thing that you have to know is I LOVE THEM and they were never "money" for me. They are not numbers, they just are a part of my life.

In the future, when I think about my first few months in the USA, I am going to say: Because of them I am doing this now, or I know this now. I think they did for me more that I did for them because they helped me to take my first step.

Thank you so much for each day! Thank you a lot for letting me do it and believing in me. You are a great family, I can say that I am going to miss them. A LOT!
I would love to see Kristian playing soccer (when he is five years old, of course! ha ha) or spend more time with them. I would love to know how they are, what they are doing.

My Dear Kristian and Addie, remember, I am going to love you always! If you want to play with me again let me know and maybe when I am here we can spend time together and have fun.

Thank you so much! I love you!
-- Virginia Oliphant

Dash For Donation

2010-08-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I signed up for my first 5k ever! It was planned for September 18, 2010. Then one day my cute little Clinic Director at worked bounced around the office asking those who would be running in the weekend race: Dash For Donation... how could I say no?? Mind you, I haven't been exercising at all (who has the time??)

Jon said he would join me. He would run the race for himself and then come back and pick me up off the sidewalk. Instead I recruited my friend, and co-worker Amy to come with me. With kids in tow, we took in the race!!

Yep! We did it! We walk/jogged 1/2 of a 5k! Yippie! Good job me!!! Well, if nothing else I know where I stand, I'm motivated to keep going, and I'll be more prepared for the next race. I'll run a 5k on September 18, 2010 and another one in October! Look at me go!

Here is a few members from the Intermountain Transplant Team who came together to support the cause and run the 5k!

**A special SHOUT OUT to my amazing husband who ran the race in 30:08 minutes!! I'm so proud of him and I'm so glad he'd participate in this race with me. Maybe by the next 5k I'll be able to keep up with him, at least for part of it anyway!!**

Happy 7 Years!!

2010-08-12T22:08:00.001-07:00

August 9, 2003... Jon Mark Middleton, married Amanda Rees. And so their story began...

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.

Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without.

“Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry.”

**Thanks for an amazing 7 years!! I hope for many, many, many more happy years to come. I love you so much!!

Race Day: LeMans 2010!

2010-08-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks ago Kristian and Mommy headed out to the race track for LeMans... it was really fun to go together, just the two of us. We got there in time to see Dad for a minute while he was on his lunch break, and then Daddy's friends took us over to see the Life Flight helicopter. That was pretty cool!!

We got to walk past the pits and see some pretty cool cars, but one of our favorites was this one.. I'm sure it looks familiar:

Here is Kristian enjoying the race! Can't pass up a free foam claw!! It was pretty noisy, a lot louder than when we came to World Super Bike, so we didn't stay for very long.

Some of the race cars... its fun that Dad works at the track so we can have the opportunity to come see the races and and all the cool cars. Thanks Dad!!

Here we go again...

2010-08-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

So.. on July 22nd Addison slid off the couch at daycare and used her arm to brace her fall. She complained about it hurting, and after a long night of wimpering cries we decided to go to Kids Care the next day. Friday, July 23rd, I actually had the day off so I thought, "Lets go to Kids Care and figure out what's wrong." So we did. Sat for 2 hours, only to have them do an exam (Addie didn't cry at all) and have them say they thought she must have just strained it, and not to worry. Give it a few days and she'll be fine!

A few days past and we notice she is still favoring that arm. She's using her hand a little, but only complains if her arm gets bumped. Now mind you, this is the same arm that she broke in December, resulting in surgery and two pins being placed in her elbow. This is why I thought it so important to get it checked out right away. BUT, I heeded the council of the physician and gave it a few days.
Monday, July 26th, I call the pediatrician, and of course its hard to diagnose over the phone, so they advise that it may possibly be Nursemaids Elbow, which is really common in kids 2-3 years old. I was again advised to simply observe and if no better to bring her in. So instead of calling and getting her in on Friday,... I decide to wait the weekend. Still no improvement! Again, I could tell she was favoring the arm, complained if it got bumped, but no swelling, very little bruise, and she acted as if nothing was wrong. . .

She broke the radius and the ulna. These pictures don't really do justice. The one bone you can see the obvious bend, and the other bone you can see the line where it is broken.

Monday, August 2, 2010... call the pediatricians and ask for their latest appointment in the day. We arrive and were in and out in 20 minutes! Addie sat through the x-rays all by herself and didn't cry or complain the entire time we were there. The pediatrician showed me the pictures of her arm. She had broken both the bones in her arm. The radius and the ulna. She had been walking around for 10 days with this broken arm!!!!!!!!! He spoke with the orthopedist and it was determined that Addie did NOT need to have surgery this time, and a simple cast for 3 weeks should do the trick.

Addie's favorite colors are Purple and Pink.. and since we did pink last time, we went with purple this time. She sat through the casting like it was nothing. Didn't cry, didn't flinch,squeal, nothing! She was interested in what they were doing and excited to have a purple arm!!

Addison is my hero! I do not know of any other child as strong and as brave as she is. I can't believe she went so long with a broken arm. I am furious at Kids Care for not doing an x-ray, and I'm frustrated at myself for not tapping into my "Mommy vibe" and taking her in sooner. Her cast has not slowed her down at all. She doesn't seem to be affected by it in the slightest...she just keeps on going!! I am so proud of her for being so tough! I love you Addison! Mommy is so sorry about the owie on your arm.
(these pictures were taken with my phone, so sorry the quality isn't the best)

Happy 4th of July!!

2010-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

What a busy and FUN 4th of July!!! It was also the weekend of my 10 year High School Reunion!! Yeah me!!! We dropped the kids off and headed to Little America in the middle of nowhere Wyoming and had dinner with old class mates. It was fun to see those who decided to attend. Can't believe how quickly that 10 years has passed.

Ok... July 4th... a fun weekend in Wyoming! We...

Played on the swings...

Helped Grandpa get some work done in the yard...

Found some goose eggs...

Played baseball in the yard...

Fed the horses... a lot!!

We played games...

Hilbilly Uncle Dallin grilled steaks, kabobs, and hotdogs...

We did drive to Evanston hoping for some fireworks, but we were a day early for the towns celebration...but we drove to the ballpark and there were enough people setting off their own fireworks that we got to see quite an impressive display of fireworks. The kids were nervous at first but loved watching the fireworks light up the sky!!

We came home from Wyoming on Sunday. Monday we took the kids to see:

Then I sent the kids with Dad to hang out with Grandpa Tall, then Grandma Cindy met me at the theaters and we saw...

We then went out to dinner as a family to celebrate Grandpa Tall's birthday, which was July 3rd. It was a very busy, but very FUN 4th of July weekend. What better way to celebrate our country and our FREEDOM than with family. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!!

Hogle Zoo

2010-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

This was our first trip to Hogle Zoo for the summer! We were eager to go because we had not yet seen the new baby elephant.

This elephant was celebrating it's 50th birthday! She is the oldest elephant still in captivity I guess. They drew a big 5-0 on the ground with popcorn and had a lot of other fun treats and toys for her to play with. It was fun watching her use her trunk to eat her treats.

This is the cute little baby elephant... I honestly can't remember her name, but it was fun to see her.

Lemur

Let's Go See Dad

2010-07-07T19:37:00.001-07:00

Just a random stop by the fire station to see Dad. They had brought down this really cool old fire truck to use in the parade for July 4th. Of course I didn't have my camera with me, so I took these pictures with my phone. Sorry they're not the best quality.

Game Over

2010-07-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Kristian's T-ball season has come to an end. (ok, so it ended about 2 weeks ago) The coach was nice and let Addie put on a jersey and hat and play too. I LOVE THESE PICTURES!! Kristian was so cute with her and coached her on exactly what to do!

The jersey looks more like a dress, but she did great! Only lasted 1 inning, but that just goes to show she's not quite ready for that type of commitment.

Kristian was so happy and proud to get his medal. He also got a certificate and a ticket to a Bee's Game! We are so proud of you Kristian for doing such a wonderful job at t-ball this year! We love you!!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-24T20:03:00.001-07:00

Father's Day was great!! Jon got to have a BIG Father's Day nap after getting his Daddy gift of a new external hard drive. We then got ready and headed to spend the afternoon with Great Grandma and Grandpa Middleton.

Grandpa had some visiters at his house... little baby Robin's that were only 4 days old. We were able to peek into the nest and see them. We also sat back on the lawn and observed as Mommy Robin came back to feed her baby's dinner. It was fun to see the kids excitement as they learned new things...

Pictures!!! Here is the family:

The Middletons: Jon, Amanda, Addison, Sarah, Cindy, Kristian, Mark, Dave, Scottie

We were able to do a 4 generation photo. I love these pictures because they are such a great important part of history.

Kristian Jon, Jonathan Mark, Mark Roy, and Roy Middleton...

Boondocks

2010-06-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a busy one. Started with, well, lets start with the sleepover the night before where we had Grandma Jan, Braden and Karson spend the night. It really was fun to have visitors. Thanks for coming!!
We had Kristian's t-ball game at 11:00, and at 1:00 I went to the salon to get my hair done. 3:00 we picked up Aunt Jodi, and by 4:00 we were at Grandma Greats house in Morgan to attend Danni's Bridal Shower.
On the way home we decided to join Aunt Jodi, Mason, Evan, and Avery in a fun night out to Boondocks:
**Here is Kristian and Evan in the go-karts! Mason and Avery rode in another one.**

*Here is sweet little Addison peeking through the fence to watch**

We then played a round of miniature golf. The kids had so much fun and they all did so very well!!

Addison wouldn't let mom help her golf, but had no problems letting "Aunt DeeDee" help her a bit...

She did, however, sit still long enough for me to squeeze in a picture of us both...

This is how she played by herself...

Sweetest Kids Ever!! (says me)

We then hit the arcades:

"Aunt Dee Dee" Thank you so much for a fun night! We love you so much and we are so lucky to have you in our lives! LOVE YOU!!!

The Panty Revolution

2010-06-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

I work with the sweetest girl named Amy Deans. We have come to discover that we are so very much a like in personality, life experience, personal challenges and behaviors. She just happens to be a little more advanced in life, so to speak. :) The past few months working together has be wonderful and I have grown to truly adore and admire the person she is. The more I hear her talk about her upcoming book: "The Panty Revolution" the more excited I get. I believe that this is something that every woman will be able to relate to. The concepts and theories behind her book is one of genious and creativity. I am SO EXCITED to be able to share this experience with all my friends and family. I encourage all of you to check out her blog, become and follower, and become a part of The Panty Revolution!!!

Become a follower: http://thepantyrevolution.blogspot.com

Pony Express Days 2010

2010-06-07T20:00:00.001-07:00

Pony Express Days, Eagle Mountain, Utah, June 2010:

Nope! Didn't do the Scentsy booth this year! Just spent the time with the family! Jon was actually home for the weekend! Friday night, once I finally got home from work, we went over to the park to check out the carnival. We dropped Dad off at the Firefighter's booth to help grill hamburgers, and the kids and I found the rides!!

Saturday morning was the Parade (I think it was the first day it actually felt like Summer! It was a HOT day!!) The parade was fun and the kids had a good time. Afterward we went back over to the park, dropped Dad off at the grill again and the kids and I made our way to the carnival rides again. It was a really fun day!

More carnival rides...

Addie was the only one brave enough to get her face painted. Isn't she a cute little butterfly?? Kristian was going to get Spider Man painted on his face, but decided not to at the last minute.

I love the moments we can spend together as a family. Now that I am working full time its important for me to make my weekends with the kids fun! I'm hoping to fill the blog with a lot of fun summer activities!!

Memoral Day 2010

2010-06-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Kristian, Mommy and Uncle Dave all went out to Larry H. Miller's race track in Tooele. Daddy was working the race so we were able to get some tickets to go see World Super Bike!! Kristian LOVED it!!!! He had so much fun! He kept asking so many questions about why the last biker was going so slow, and why people crashed, etc.

On the victory lap the bikers lap the course and wave at everyone as they go past. Kristian learned this but stepped it up a notch as he waved at the bikers EVERY time they passed. He found one biker that was red that had gold rims and he said it was the Iron Man bike.

In between races we were able to walk around and saw a lot of big trucks, some pretty cool cars, and some motorcycles. Kristian thought they were awesome but was eager for the next bike race to start.

I think we'll try to make it out to other races this summer!! It is definitely a Boy's Fun Land!! Kristian loved it and it was a wonderful way to spend a day of fun with my little boy!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

So I get a text message from Jon while I'm at work asking me if I would be ok if he combined my Mother's Day present and my Birthday present. Of course I didn't mind, and of course this only increase my curiosity as to what he could possibly be getting me....

Cindy had treated me to a pedicure for Mother's Day, which was wonderful! I was long overdue and enjoyed every minute! Its nice to just sit for 45 minutes and be pampered. Thanks Cindy!!

By the time I got home I had to go to the bathroom SOOOO bad (on account of me increasing my water intake so much) so I ran past Jon and ran up to use the bathroom and when I opened the door to my bedroom... this is what I found:

The kids had colored these beautiful pictures for me...

And displayed them on my new Double Jogging Stroller!!! I was SO excited!! I have wanted a double jogging stroller for SO long and with my efforts to improve my health, Jon couldn't have picked a better gift.

Jon, Kristian, and Addison. I love you all so much! You mean the world to me and I am so glad that we get to be a family forever! I love my family so much! Thanks for making this Mother's Day such a memorable one!!

We did decide, since Jon was working all weekend, to pick up Aunt Jodi and go to visit Grandma Jan for Mother's Day. We had a great time!! Hope all of you moms out there know how much you are loved and appreciated. Sometimes as Moms we forget how much we are loved, since we're constantly buried in laundry, dishes, cleaning, bath time, homework, and well, you get the point. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mother's out there!! Remember how much your are loved and just how important your role is in this world!!

T-BALL!!

2010-05-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

We had Kristians first T-Ball game on Saturday, May 8th! The previous 2 practices didn't go so well because Kristian was nervous and unsure of things and therefore didn't participate in the practices. I was nervous to see if he'd join the kids and actually play in the game...

We got to the park early to watch some of the other kids play. I really think this helped warm him up to the idea and get him excited to play.

Here are the "TIGERS" waiting for their turn to bat...

Here is Kristian hitting the ball for the first time in his T-Ball career. I'm excited to see that he can bat both left and right handed. This is a skill I think we'll have to nurture if he chooses to continue to play baseball as he gets older. He has shown no favoritism to right or left so far when it comes to sports, so maybe we can teach him to use both sides equally. It would be a great advantage for him.

Here is Kristian as he runs into 3rd base! It was so much fun to see the chaos of the little kids who were trying so hard, but didn't really know what in the world they were doing.

Here he is with his after-game treats. He was so excited and had such a fun time!! I am so proud of him for being so brave and trying something new.

The cutest little T-Ball Player on the team!!

Movie Date

2010-05-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

We caught a bad computer virus and tried everything we could to get it fixed...next option...get a new computer! We were able to get a refurbished one for a great price! So now I can update, and keep updating my blog on a regular basis.

About 2 weeks ago we decided to go the the movies as a family. Kristian, Addison, and Jon had already gone to see this movie when it first came out with Grandma Cindy and Aunt Sarah. Kristian decided that Mommy should see it too...

So we went to "HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON" in 3D!!

Kristian did great to keep his 3D glasses on throughout the movie...Addie? Not so much. She pretty much just ate all the popcorn and treats. But they both did well and we had a fun Movie Date.

The kids, well Kristian, is very excited that there is another Iron Man aka Tony Robot coming out. He LOVES the robots, the action, the bad guys... such a boy!!

In Loving Memory

2010-04-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Christy Dawn Middleton 1984-2007

"On April 17, 2007 our sweet princess peacefully returned to her Heavenly Father's loving arms. She is now truly free and can feel and enjoy the eternal love of her Heavenly parents as they welcome her back home. She was born July 26, 1984 in Murray, Utah to Mark and Cindy Middleton. She received her High School diploma from Copper Hills High School in West Jordan, Utah, where she was loved by her countless friends. You could not be in a room with Christy and not have your whole being touched to its very core by her bright, energetic, and over-powering smile and countenance. Everyone gravitated to her as she was the life of whatever was going on.

Stars were very special to her. She always had them on her and with her. Whenever she wrote or signed anything, there had to be stars involved, and if not, she would draw them. Christy shone as bright as the stars she loved, and now she is shining among them. She was very unique and creative and liked to show her originality. She was not inhibited by what others thought as she expressed her individuality in everything she did, including the color of her hair.

Survived by her parents; brothers: Jonathan (Amanda) Middleton, David Middleton, Scottie Middleton, and sister Sarah Jane Middleton; grandparents: Roy and Janice Middleton; many aunts, uncles and cousins; nephew, Kristian, whom she adored. Preceded in death by her grandparents, Howard and Opal Stanford; aunts: Donna Reese, Juda Standford, and Sue Standford; her favorite fluffy friend, Buffy.

She will be deeply missed by her family and friends and will be lovingly remembered everyday. Christy, we will love you forever and look forward to being with you again someday. "

It was 3 years ago, April 17, 2007, that our sweet Christy Dawn passed away. This is a hard time of year for the Middleton Family as we dearly remember the great loss of such a beautiful daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She truly is loved and missed by so many and I am in awe of the great circle of friends that gather in love and support each year. We love you and miss you Christy. All we can hold onto is our precious memories of you from your short time here on Earth, and the knowledge and faith that we will be together again someday.

Las Vegas Baby!!

2010-04-22T20:53:00.001-07:00

It was a much needed break away. Some of the guys from Sandy Fire plan a trip to Vegas every year with their wives. This year we joined the crew! We went to Las Vegas Sunday morning, and came home Tuesday afternoon. We got a great deal and stayed at the Excalibur!! The kids thought it was fun that we stayed in a castle.

Our first night there we went to see the BLUE MAN GROUP! We got a picture with an actual Blue Man who came out after the show, but it didn't turn out on my camera, so I'm waiting for my friend to get me her copies of the pictures. It was a fun show, very entertaining.

The next day was spent wandering the strip, wandering through the casino's (we're not much for gambling), and of course we took a trip to the Stratosphere. This is a picture Jon took from the top. He and some friend decided to ride one of the rides at the top. Definitely NOT for me!! :)

The second night we were able to get some discounted tickets and we went and saw Mystère (Cirque du Soleil). It is the longest running of all the Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas. It was very entertaining and I LOVED IT!! It would even be fun and appropriate for the whole family!! So much fun!!

Here is Whitney and I after getting our "drink on"... you can see how distorted things can get with your beer goggles! Ha Ha!! She and her husband Shad are so cute and fun. It was great getting to know more of the guys that Jon works with. (and their wives)

You'll be happy to know that even though we "Partied like Rock Stars"... we woke up the next morning with no tigers or chickens or baby Carlos...and all of our friends were accounted for!! (The Hangover, for all those who are wondering what in the world I am talking about...)

Thanks to all the Sandy Fire people for making this a fun and memorable getaway!!

EASTER

2010-04-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Easter this year we spent up in Wyoming. Heather and Drew and the girls came down from Idaho. Tyler and Tiffany and the family came up from Centerville, Heather Mulhall and the girls came over. Jodi, Dallin, Scott and Angie found there way there too. Brandon and Tiff were missed!

It was a little crazy, and because of the Easter snow, we had to hunt for eggs inside. Here are all the kids with their baskets eager and ready to find some eggs!! Ready, Set, GO!!!

Here is Kristian finding an egg. Both him and Addie did a great job and had a lot of fun!

Here is my little bug sorting through all the eggs. She is such a little organizer. She kept separating out the eggs and carrying them around in the bucket all day. I can't even begin to tell you how much candy she ate!

Here is everyone coloring pictures during General Conference. The pictures everyone did turned out great!!

We came home Saturday because Jon had to work the next day. On Sunday the kids and I headed up to Grandma Great's house. Great Grandma and Grandpa Middleton's. We had a wonderful Easter dinner (Thanks Grandma) and the kids were overly spoiled with WAY TOO MUCH Easter candy and gifts thanks to the grandparents! We had a fun time! Always fun to spend time with your family.

Thank You Virginia!

2010-03-31T19:31:00.001-07:00

We would like to introduce you to Virginia. She comes to us from Catamarca, Argentina. My good friend SueAnne's (whom I've worked with for years) oldest son Nate served his mission in Argentina. As many missionaries do, he fell in love with the country, the people, and one girl in particular. He took several trips back to Argentina and kept in contact via email, phone calls, etc, and built a relationship with this beautiful girl. It took quite a few months to get everything processed so that she could come to the United States.

She arrived here on March 26, 2010 and is here on a "fiance visa". Nate and Virginia will be getting married May 20, 2010, and plan to return to Argentina next year to be sealed in the temple so that Virginia's family can be a part of the wedding/ceremony.

Virginia is a very sweet, kind, loving individual who is very smart, focused and driven. Before coming to the States she was going to college. She is studying to be a doctor.
While growing up she often helped her mom who ran a very successful day care/preschool in Argentina. Moving to a new country is a big adjustment: a language barrier, can't work (no green card) and nothing to do during the day..... well? We have an idea!!

We have decided that Virginia will watch Kristian and Addison on the days that both Jon and I work. The kids and I went over there Sunday to meet her and to see where they would be spending a lot of their time. At first they were nervous, but the kids quickly started to warm up and when it was time to go, they didn't want to leave.

The kids spent yesterday and today with Virginia. They LOVE her!!! Day 1: I had to chase Addison down the sidewalk because she didn't want to go home.. Day 2: Kristian made the request that they get to stay there "All Day". He made it very clear that he didn't want to get shorted on his time with her.

Virginia can read/write English well, but speaking is more of a challenge. Virginia is learning quickly and will be taking English classes I believe. She will also be teaching the kids Spanish as well, which I am excited about. (I just hope I can keep up with what they'll be learning).

Virginia is adorable, and I honestly couldn't be more happy and excited that she will be taking care of the kids. Because I have had, and continue to have such a mix of emotions with all the changes in regards to work, day care, etc. I can't explain what it means to know that my kids are in good hands. My heart is full of gratitude. Its strange that I feel so strongly about a person I met only a few days ago. I honestly believe that she came into our lives at the right time and is exactly what the kids need. I am so excited to watch them learn from her, as I feel she has so much to offer!!

Virginia, all I can say is Thank You!! SueAnne, thank you for opening your home to my kids. I appreciate you, and your family, and your willingness to welcome my kids into your home.

Land Before Time

2010-03-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Mom going back to work full time has been an adjustment for us all, and we are still learning how to adjust to the change. My goal is to make Saturday's a fun and special day for the kids. So this last Saturday we decided to take the kids to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum!! Wouldn't you know it...I forgot to take my camera!! I'm very frustrated with myself, but luckily I had my camera phone, so I got pictures but they are not the best quality so I apologize.

Forgive me as I talk in "Land Before Time":
This would be "Little Foot" or a "Long Neck"

"I'm a long neck too! See? .... Alright, I'm not a long neck, I'm a big-mouth! But I am all alone I am." -Ducky

We couldn't believe how big these animals were!! It was amazing to see their size... Addie was in awe too!!

Let's take a ride on the dinosaur!!

Dad, Addie and Kristian looking at "Cera".. or the triceratop! I thought this was a cute picture!!

"Sharp Tooth!" This is the 'favorite'! The T-REX!! Again, its amazing to really see just how large these animals were. What a fun experience.

They had several activities that the kids could do throughout the exhibit. They had several computer stations where the kids could click and learn more about the dinosaurs, and then they had these and other fun interactive activities:
Here they were able to pull up their sleeves and play in the sand and water. They had toy trees, toy dinosaurs, and the kids just played in the dirt and had so much fun!!

I think this was one of the most favorite parts of the day... Digging For Fossils! The kids took off their shoes and socks and got to work. They had little brushes and they were able to dig in and uncover and discover dinosaur bones!!!

Kristian got excited every time he found some new bones, and Addie? well... Addie had fun covering them back up. It was funny to watch because just as Kristian would uncover a bone, here came Addie with a handful of sand to dump over it and cover it back up. The kids had SO much fun!!

It was a fun day spent together as a family! It was something we had meant to do for a long time and I'm so glad we finally went and did it! We all had so much fun playing and learning about the dinosaurs!!

Back To Work

2010-03-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Family and Friends:
I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to go back to work full time. It was a decision that took a lot of thought and prayers but I feel this is the best thing for me and my family.

I have been offered a job working at the new Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) in Murray, working in an Out Patient Care Clinic. Our office is a liver and kidney transplant unit. I have been hired as a "clinical assistant" and so far I understand my job as the following:

There are 7-8 doctors who have their own clinics throughout the valley, who work out of this clinic. When patients become too sick to see their regular doctors, they come to us. We evaluate them and make sure they are ready to under go a transplant. My job, as I understand it thus far, is to work with the Registered Nurses to make sure and coordinate all the tests and procedures the patient will need to ensure they are healthy enough to withstand the transplant. We take care of the patients prior to and after their transplant surgeries.

I'm very excited for this opportunity and feel like this job happened and the right time and is the right place for me. I had actually interviewed with Wells Fargo to be a personal banker, and was actually offered the job too, but this transplant job, for me, is definitely the better fit! I'm excited to learn more about what my job involves and what I'll be doing. I start my new job Monday!!! March 8th!!

I have had concerns about leaving my kids in the care of someone else, and often wondered if I'm making the right choice. There is a lot more behind this decision than many of you will ever fully understand. I see a lot of good coming from this change and knowing that I have strong kids who can withstand the changes helps me push forward. We have found a fabulous young girl to watch our kids. My co-worker and dear friend SueAnne, whom I've worked with for years, can't say enough. I'll have to give you more information on the day care situation another time. She will be moving here from Argentina the end of March. I am excited and as soon as we meet her I'll post pictures and then explain how this decision was made. :)

Thanks to all of you for your love and support in this decision to go back to work. Thanks to all of you who have helped with the kids until my permanent day care goes into affect. I most importantly want to thank my husband. Without your love and encouragement I would never have found the courage to withstand all the interviews and rejections and more importantly the acceptance of this job. You have helped me find my confidence in taking on this new adventure. I don't think I could be making this change without your love and support. Thank you Jon. I love you!!

Amanda

Rock 'N Roll!!

2010-03-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

The kids worked hard to help me clean the house today. So we decided to have a little "Rock Party" before Dad went to work. So we got out Rock Band! Kristian and Addie were all to eager to play their tunes on the guitars!

Addie took her turn on the drums and was awesome!! She found herself a little chair to use so she could play.

Kristian is a hard core rocker!! He knows how to rock out and put on the moves.

The kids had fun! It was a fun way to spend some time with Dad before he went to work tonight! I forget that we have Rock Band and its so much fun, even for the kids. We'll definitely have to try and do more of that. We'll have to invite you all over to our house for our next Rock Band Party!!

A Fun Change!

2010-02-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

It was time to go to the salon for an update. My hair was in need of some touch-ups as my regrowth was getting a little out of control. So as I was scanning through some pictures to get some ideas of what I might want to do, I came across a hairstyle that I loved...so I embraced change and I LOVE IT!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:
Thanks Jenn Jones!! You are a fabulous friend who is great to take care of my hairstyle needs! I love my new hairstyle!! Its fun and different and new! Yeah!! :)

Cast is off!!

2010-02-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Addie was super brave!! We went in to get her cast off, and they had to do x-rays AGAIN.. but she sat down and put her arm up there and knew exactly what to do. It was cute!!

When it came time to actually take the cast off Addie did amazing!! She sat on my lap so good and just watched as they cut off her cast. The doctor was impressed and said she was the best little kid he's seen...most kids cry even at the sight and sound of the cast being cut off.

Addie cried a little once it was off and the pins were still in. You can see me holding her arm in place until the other doctor came in. We waiting only seconds and all they did was take the dressing off from around the pins, held on to her arm and used pliers to pull the pins out. They came out easily and Addie barely cried. They bled a bit so she had her elbow bandaged up again.. but thats it!! She's done!

What an adventure this has been... I think we have learned a lot but have coped with this in great fashion. I'm amazed at how tough kids are and how quickly they adapt. My little Addison is so brave and strong and I'm so proud of her!

Cast Off? Yes or No

2010-01-27T21:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day.. Addie goes in to get her cast off tomorrow!! Yeah!! Mom is very excited as the bathing process has been a little difficult with it on. We've been asking Addison the last couple of days if we can take her cast off and she says "MO!" aka "NO!".. she like it! Every time we have asked her if we can take off her pink cast, she says no! She wants to keep it!

See for yourself...

Here are some pictures of Addison in her cast...
She was so cute! She loved letting people write on her cast and would hold very still so they could. She thought it was great!!

Kids amaze me! Her cast didn't slow her down even a little. She still played hard, took falls, and did her very best to keep up with Kristian.

The Car Show

2010-01-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ok. . So as usual, I'm a little late posting these. Every year we go to The Car Show at the South Town Expo Center.. This year we decided to take Kristian with us.. he had a great time.

Kristian and Mom with the Geico Gecko...

Some of our favorites:
The Audi R8

The Lexus (can't remember which one this is...)

Kristian wanted to sit in every car we passed (which was a lot) but I think his favorite car was Bumblebee from Transformers...

Kristian and Dad sitting in the Corvette...

Lamborghini's...vroom! vroom!!

Thanks Mark for another fun year at the car show!!

Vinyl Updates

2010-01-20T20:11:00.001-08:00

Addie's Cast

2010-01-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

I apologize. I am very very late posting this!! Addison went on January 7th to get her cast. We get there only to find out that they don't take our insurance (GREAT!!) We'll have to see how we can work that one out... Anyway, she had to get x-rays again, but she did great. She wanted a pink cast, and lucky her, she got the last one. Give the girl a sucker and we're good to go. Addison was great! She sat still like a good girl the entire time!

Addison is a tough little girl. She has tolerated the cast extremely well and it hasn't slowed her down in the slightest! We have all been signing her cast, and unfortunately I didn't take an updated picture of that before I decided to blog. So I'll post that later.
Addie will get her cast off and the 2 pins removed from her elbow at her appointment on January 28th...more pictures at that time. We are so proud of Addison and how brave and strong she has been throughout this entire thing. She is an amazing little girl. We love you Addison!!

Addison's Big Fall

2009-12-30T22:27:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 28, 2009, started out great. The kids and I decided to put away the Christmas decorations, and then because we worked so hard to clean the house, we treated ourselves to McDonalds chicken nuggets. Because bedtime has been a bit of a challenge lately, Mom decided that we would skip nap time today, and get good and tired for an early bedtime. I was on the computer and let the kids play..they were in Addison's room when she started crying.. I thought "What did Kristian do this time." as her cry was normal as any other day. Addison is my tough one, she takes a hug and a kiss then wants to be let down and get back to business. She didn't this time...she wanted mommy to hold her. We have recently moved Addison to the "big girl bed" but we hadn't yet taken the crib down. Our mistake!! Addison fell out of the crib.

I decided, upon more evaluation, to take her to KidsCare. The fall happened about 4:30pm. So, about 5:30 pm.. the kids and I arrived and waited at KidsCare. Addison wasn't using her arm, and cried if you touched it. The swelling had started and I could tell it was her elbow. They took 3 x-ray's of her arm (This was hard because I had to hold her, and stretch out her arm in 3 different positions) so sad.. but Addie is tough!
Kristian took this picture of us as we were waiting in the room for the x-ray results.

Results are in: "Yep! Your daughter has fractured her elbow, but she did it in a 'unique' way so we need to you go up to Primary Children's Hospital, through the ER, and see the Orthopedic Specialist." They put a splint on her and sent us on our way.

I dropped Kristian off at Grandma's, called Jon, and luckily he was able to get off work and meet me. Here is Daddy and Addison in the waiting room at PCMC. We got here about 8:00 and I was glad that we didn't have to wait very long. The staff was amazing and so great with Addison. We are very very appreciative!!

Here is Addison and Mommy. I believe she had just gotten her first dose of Morphine. This was about 8:30-9:00.. (so she had been 4-5 hours without pain meds).. She was so funny on the Morphine! She was acting so silly, as she just jabbered and jumped topics going through all the family members, dad's hat, the picture on the wall, moms hat, family, dads hat... then she would nibble at the IV port dangling from her arm. We were laughing at how silly the drugs had made her (but hey, at least she wasn't in pain..)

Doctors reviewed the results. Almost 99% of the time elbow fractures have to be fixed surgically as it is important that they heal correctly for future development. This was the case for us. They told us we would have surgery about 12:30am. So in the mean time they moved us to the room we would stay in after surgery.

At 2:30am, they came and said they were ready for us. We watched as they pushed our little girl, looking so tiny in the big hospital bed, down the hall.. we met with the anesthesiologist and the orthopedic surgeon and nurse who would be taking care of her. It was sad and very hard to watch as they took Addison down the hall in one direction, and we walked in the opposite direction to the waiting room.
Surgery took less time than I though. The doctor came in about 3:30 to tell us the surgery was done and was a success. (see pics below) We waited until the nurse came and got us to go see Addie. She looked good, but looked very small and exhausted as she lay in the bed. We finally made it back to our room about 4:30am..
What a long night! This is Addie the next morning, well, I guess just a few hours after surgery. She wasn't happy that I took this picture!! By 9:00 am they wanted to see if she would eat or drink anything.. had her last dose of antibiotics at 11:00 and by noon we were finally in the car ready to go home.

Here are the pictures that the doctor gave us directly following her surgery. Addison had fractured the head of the humerus bone. It had basically broken the head of the bone off and sort of slid to the side, and therefore just needed to be put back in place with 2 pins. As seen here. (I hope I explained that correctly..)
"Left type 2 supracondylar humerus fracture"

Addie is now in a splint and will wear this for the next 10 days. She see's her doctor on Jan. 8th at which point she'll get a cast which she'll wear for an additional 3-4 weeks.
I am so proud of my little Addison. She was so tough and so brave and handled this whole situation wonderfully! Today she is feeling back to normal. She is busy trying to still keep up with Kristian, despite her limitations. Addison is getting pampered with sponge baths and additional love and attention. She really is my tough one and has proved herself the last few days. We love you Addison!! We are so sorry for this accident and we hope you get feeling better soon!!

**THANKS to all the friends and family who lent their love, concern, and support to us in dealing with this minor family tragedy. We appreciate you all so very much!**

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year. Its great when your kids believe in the magic of Santa..
We were able to go up the weekend before Christmas and see Grandma Jan and Grandpa Brad, Lexie and Calli. The kids had a great time, even though our trip was short.

Christmas Eve was spent with Jon's family. They have a tradition where we do a pass around gift as Grandpa Tall reads "Twas the night before Christmas.." it tends to get a little out of control, but the kids, thankfully, kept things a little more calm this year. Here Kristian sits with Scottie as he tries to figure out how this game works..We also get Christmas Eve pajama's to open. This is always a fun thing to look forward to.

CHRISTMAS MORNING! We did Christmas morning at our house, and then took a few of our presents with us to open at Grandma Cindy's and Grandpa Talls house...

The first thing Addison said as she walked downstairs to see what Santa brought was "My Bike!"..she was excited to have a bike so she can keep up with Kristian.
Kristian was so excited. He was cute as he walked downstairs and said "He did come..Santa came!!" He got his garbage truck, tow truck, police car, dig-dig, and a surprise "Iron Man" ... everything he asked for!
Both kids were such a fun joy to watch as they unwrapped and loved every moment that Christmas day brought.

Christmas with the Middleton's:

Grandma and Grandpa thought it would be great that the kids have a kitchen at their house as well (they already have one at gma and gpa's)... the kids LOVE their new kitchen...
**Nevermind the fact that Jon was at work when the kids asked me to put it together...took me over 3 1/2 hours to put it together by myself!!!**

I love that Christmas is a time to come together and spend with your family. I feel too often that the true meaning of Christmas gets forgotten and lost in the rush of toys and gifts. My hope is that every season brings to light the true meaning of Christmas and that everyone can remember and feel the love and spirit that Christmas brings. Love you all... hope you had a very Merry Christmas!!

Santa Sirens

2009-12-12T21:13:00.001-08:00

Every year Santa drives around all the neighborhoods in Eagle Mountain on the fire engine throwing candy to all the kids. We knew he was coming today so we waited all day. I was afraid I wouldn't hear the engine until it was too late, so we sat and listened for a long time, and wouldn't you know it.. I still almost missed him!!
Here the kids are bundled and ready to go for when Santa came.. it was so quick and we barely made it out just as Santa passed out house.

Kristian was a little sad and frustrated.. "I wanted to tell Santa what I wanted! I wanted to tell him I want a garbage truck and a tow truck and a dig-dig!"...So we made a deal that next week we'll go see Santa and sit on his lap. Kristian was so concerned, even though we've written a letter... he wants to make sure Santa is aware of what he wants for Christmas!
"I miss Santa! I love him so much! I love Santa! We will go see Santa on Tuesday and I will sit on his lap."
I'm so excited for Christmas this year because the magic and wonder of Santa is so present in my kids and it just makes the holiday season so much more fun!! Merry Christmas to you all!

happy 4th Birthday!!

2009-12-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how quickly the last 4 years have gone by. To think I was in the hospital 4 years ago having my first baby. Kristian was born at 8:29pm, 7lbs, 6oz, 20 inches. Full head of dark black hair. He was such a beautiful baby boy!!
Kristian is all boy!! He loves firetrucks!! He love every kind of truck: dump trucks, tow trucks, bulldozers, tractors, fast cars... you name it!! He loves dinosaurs and dirt and bugs and everything a boy could love!!

My 1st Birthday!!

My 2nd Birthday!!

My 3rd Birthday!!

Kristian's 4th Birthday Celebration! Thank you to everyone who made the journey to help celebrate with Kristian. He had so much fun!! We got the cake idea from Tiff, Aunt Jodi helped, and Kristian thought it was so cool!!

He was so happy with everything that he got: blocks, trucks, fast cars, a big semi-truck that holds all his fast cars, a dinosaur blanket from Grandma and Grandpa Roll, and several new dig-digs..
Evan and Avery came and he got some Gummy treats and some motorcycles, which he loved!! We are glad that Jodi was able to bring Evan and Avery with her to the party!! Thanks

Mom, Kristian, Daddy and Addison

Kristian definitely is all boy! Through and through.. but out of the two kids, he is definitely my most sensitive and tender-hearted. He is so sweet and loving, and even though he picks on Addison quite a bit, he has a big heart and takes care of everyone. He has such a funny personality and I find myself laughing every day at the fun things he says and does. His imagination and creativity are growing and its so fun to enjoy the simple things in life through my children. I am truly blessed. Kristian, we love you and are so proud of you! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful, sweet, adventurous, and full of life little boy in our family. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Dear Santa...

2009-12-10T22:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa:
I want a tow truck, and a dig-dig, and bumble bee, and optimus prime, and I want a tow truck and a gun that shoots fire, and a police car.
Addison wants a .... um .... we have dresses for her!
Love, Kristian

Country Concert

2009-12-10T21:49:00.001-08:00

If it wasn't for Cindy Middleton, I would be completely out of touch of the Country Music World. Thank you Cindy for letting me be your date! I had such a fun time. We went to a concert downtown last Saturday (ok, I'm a little late posting it).. at The Depot. Even though we had to stand the entire time, holding our coats, we had so much fun. We were on the floor and there were probably only 4 rows of people in front of us, so we had a really good spot!....

The first band was the "ELI YOUNG BAND"...cute group of young guys! I had never heard of them before, but really liked their music. The drummer was adorable!!... They all were!!

I tried to get a good picture of the drummer and didn't have the best of luck..

The second performer was Jack Ingram. Now while we were standing outside in the freezing cold waiting to get in, all of a sudden Cindy cries out "Jack!" like she personally knew him.. yep! Jack Ingram walked right past us and shook Cindy's hand. That was kind of fun. I really enjoyed Jack Ingram's performance too. Haven't heard a lot of any of these performers music, but I really did enjoy the concert a lot more that I had originally anticipated!

This is Gary Allen.. this is the guy we paid to come and see. I have heard a few of his songs (on account that Cindy keeps me updated and lets me copy his albums).. but it was a fun show and we had a lot of fun!!

At the end of the show, Jack Ingram came out and sang a song with Gary Allen.. (you could tell he had already started his backstage party, because he was a lot more "free and crazy" than earlier in the night.

Family Pictures

2009-11-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

We finally did it! We were SO past due, but we finally did it! We got family pictures!! Yay!! I've wanted to do them outside for a long time, thought it would be fun.. hard part was that the day we picked turned out to be cold, and it was really hard on the kids. I was a little discouraged because we didn't get very many smiles from the kids. Nothing that truly captured the sweet, fun, outgoing, and colorful personalities they have.

I love this picture of Kristian because it just melts your heart. He has such beautiful big brown eyes that just melt you! He is such a beautiful, sweet, tender-hearted little boy who we love so much!!
I love this picture of Addison because it truly captures how amazingly blue her beautiful eyes are!! She is such a sweetheart and we couldn't imagine our life without her!!

Because it was so cold we struggled to take picture where everyone was cooperating, looking at the camera, smiling... we did the best we could!
Addie and Koda...
Such sweet beautiful kids...you can see the "cold weather" on their faces. Next time we'll pick a warmer day! ;)

Closest thing we got to a smile from this kid. He's so cute! I really wish we could have captured more of their fun personalities on film! Next time!
Mommy and Addison.. ready to be done for the day.. "no more pictures Mom, I'm cold"...

Happy 29th!!

2009-11-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jonathan Mark Middleton! Congratulations.. you're one year older and one year closer to the big #30.. (Jon' turned 29 on November 23rd, I'm just a little late getting it posted)

To think that 29 years ago you made your grand entrance into the world! Look at all the things you've experienced in life. The hard times, good times, and everything in between. We love you so much and we are all so blessed to have you as such a special part of our lives.

Happy Happy Birthday Jon!!!

(forgot to take my camera, and they're sitting on my phone, but I was having difficulty downloading them.. so... maybe I'll post the pics later) Sorry hun.

Our Little Princess

2009-11-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Addison joined our family 2 years ago today.. She was delivered via c-section, because she was breech. She came into the world at 7:52am, weighing 6 lbs. 12 oz. 19 inches long... she was such a beautiful baby!!
Addison is a very independent little girl. She has such a strong personality and is very tough, yet very sweet... she tries hard to keep up with her older brother. She wants to get right in and play with the dig-digs, and the trucks, and the dinosaurs, but yet she's girly and likes to carry a purse around wherever we go, jewelry, and baby dolls. It is so fun to watch the discovery and magic in your children each day. I truly am a lucky mom to have such wonderful kids...
Our little angel.. just a day old.
Here she is at about 9 months old...
Addison's 1st birthday!

This year we did a fun Princess Party!! Here she is all dressed up... she has a skirt that Grandma Jan made her.. her tiara, shoes, and jewelry.. she was such a pretty princess..

Here she is opening her presents...
Her Princess cake...
Grandpa Tall, Addison, and Grandma Cindy.. Addie had her special tiara, but all the girls wore their tiara's and the boys had crowns (thanks to Burger King)..
A special thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate in Addie's special day! She truly is a princess and we are so blessed to have her in our lives!! Happy 2nd Birthday Addison!! We love you Princess!!

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-03T19:28:00.001-08:00

"Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat...".. This year we had a very strong SPIDER MAN, and a very cute "honey-bug", or BUMBLE BEE!! Halloween was a little tricky this year because we also had a Utah vs Wyoming football game... so I personally was feeling very conflicted because I really wanted to take the kids trick or treating! So... the kids went with Grandma and Grandpa instead... I took pictures of their costumes and let the grandparents have all the fun!!

My Sweet Honey Bug!!.. Addison was the cutest little Bumble Bee ever!! These pictures were taken after Halloween... but for Halloween her hair was in cute pig tails, and she had black leggings on instead of gray. (like it matters, but.. ya know).. She LOVED her dress and didn't want to take it off!!
I was told that Addie had a great time trick or treating.. In fact, the very first house they went to the door opened and Addie just walked right in the house and set her bucket down! I guess she wanted to check out the place to make sure that candy was going to be legit.. who knows!! Once back home she kept going to Grandma Cindy's candy bowl and making sure both hers and Kristian's pumpkins were full of candy! She definitely is my very strong minded, independent child... :)

Kristian wanted to be Spider Man, which I find funny because he doesn't really even know who Spider Man is. We've never watched it, he may have seen a commercial ad once and that was it. But he was very insistent that he was going to be Spider Man!! And in my opinion he makes a great Spider Man!
The face mask was a little tighter than what was comfortable so Kristian didn't wear the mask while trick or treating, but he too LOVED his costume and would have stayed in it all day!!

Here is cute Auntie Sarah.. Dressed up as a Sarah Jane Bug maybe?? She was cute, so here she is with her favorite little Spider Man!!

THE UTAH vs WYOMING FOOTBALL GAME!! BLACK OUT for HALLOWEEN!!
Mark and Dave decided they didn't want to spend their Halloween at the football game, so we had 2 extra tickets, which we gave to Dallin and a friend.. But then... I had sent Jon up to play with the boys before the game so I could spend more time with the kids and such, and his friend had tickets he wanted to offer. His Dad out of town for this game and he had tickets on the 40 yard line, 20 rows back!! Sure beats sitting on the North End Zone like 40 rows back.. So, I told Dallin to invite 2 more friends to take our tickets and we gladly enjoyed the game from what were much better seats! It was SO MUCH FUN!!
Because it was Halloween they decided to make this game their "Black Out Game" where all the fans, and they players, wear black. There were a lot of people who wore costumes, but I decided to just wear devil horns instead of fully dressing up!

These pictures just show how great our seats were!! It was a lot of fun. A special thanks to Zach Robinson's father for being out of town so we could enjoy his seats.. anytime you need someone to fill in when you can't be there, just give us a call. We had a great time!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN and GO UTES!!

Mommy and Kristian cheer on the UTES!!

2009-10-24T19:59:00.001-07:00

Daddy had to work, so guess who gets to step in and be Mommy's date?? KRISTIAN!! He was so excited to go to the football game and I was so excited to take him. I was nervous because it was cold and rainy and wasn't sure how he'd hold up, but luckly..the clouds showed mercy and we didn't get wet!!
Mommy's Little Man!

Kristian was funny... he was so quiet throughout the game and didn't get all loud and cheer like he does if we watch football at home.
He did, however, have his silly moments when he'd get out his rocker, "GO UTES" fingers.. he was being silly, but by the expression on his face here you wouldn't know that!!
The Utes didn't play very well at all against Air Force. It was tied 16-16 which sent us into overtime.. luckily the Utes pulled together enough to give us the win. 22-16!! Go Utes!!
On our long walk back to the car we found this firetruck parked on the campus grounds and decided to stop and take a picture. I really am glad that Kristian and I could spend this time together.. It was a precious one-on-one moment, that I need to be sure we do more of. Thanks to Grandpa Tall and Uncle Dave for coming to the game with us. We had a fun time together!!

PARK

2009-10-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

The weather is definitely changing and I am very much enjoying the fall season.. I truly love this time of year. With the colder weather comes fewer trips outside to the park. Here is one of our last trips of the season:

Yes! Yes! That is a mustache on Jon's face!! Yes...

Kristian LOVES the Sandy Fire shirt that he has that is "just like Dad's".. he would wear it every day of the week if I'd let him. Cute boy!!

I Am A Child Of God

2009-09-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

ReAL Salt Lake

2009-09-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

ReAL Salt Lake!! Because the Rio Tinto Stadium is in Sandy City, the firefighters were given several tickets to use throughout the year.. This time it was our turn to go and enjoy the soccer game!! Thank you Sandy City!!

We were able to find 5 tickets so Jon, Amanda, Kristian, Jodi and Dallin all went and cheered on ReAL as they played against Chicago!! It was such a fun game and Kristian had such a fun time!!
He was able to meet Leo the Lion (who is the ReAL mascot) but he had gone with Aunt Jodi so the only picture I have is on my phone:

Kristian and Daddy enjoying the game!!
Auntie Jodi, Kristian, and Uncle Dallin
Rio Tinto Stadium... I think they said that there were just over 11,000 people who attended the game that night. Jon had seen in before during its construction as the firefighters got to take a tour, but this was my first trip here...pretty nice stadium!
I love this picture of Kristian and his Uncle Dallin!! He loves his soccer ball that he got at the game.. Thank you Aunt Jodi!! We love you!!
Amanda and Jon (I always take the pictures so I'm trying to do better to make sure I make it in a few)
...and here is Kristian, catching a ride as we make the long walk back to the car!

This is a picture Grandma Cindy sent to us... Little Addison was enjoying playing in the dirt without her older brother tormenting her. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for wathcing Addie and Koda for us!!

Keith Urban 09-09-09

2009-09-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again... KEITH URBAN CONCERT! As you all may already know, Cindy is most likely Keith Urban's biggest fan! She knows EVERYTHING there is to know about the man! So, we got tickets to his concert!

Keith Urban really does put on a fabulous show for anyone interested in the future. He is so fun to watch and so very very good looking, charming, yummy,.... um... ok, sorry, got distracted for a minute!!

Bri and I were about half way back in the arena, row 4, so we thought we had pretty good seats! Not as good as Cindy who had 12th row on the floor, but we were pretty excited.

In the middle of his concert he walked down through the crowd and made his way to a stage set up at the back and played a few songs. As he headed back up towards the main stage, Cindy and her speedy little ways, was able to sneak in close and touch his sweaty arm! She was also nice enough to share it with us (the sweat) once we met up after the concert!! :) Love you Cindy!

So Bri and I sat on the end two seats right next to the isle, and towards the end of the concert we see his staff moving a small table just across the isle, but on our exact same row...we were a mere 3-4 feet from him, if that!!

We did our best to take pictures but the girls around us were out of control and we nearly got pushed over! It was crazy!! Plus, my battery in my camera kept dying, AND each time we thought we had a good picture he moved and there was a light just perfectly placed behind his head so we couldn't really get a great picture!

BUT....we were able to get a nice picture of his cute Australian backside!! I must say that is not a bad view at all...not at all!

Thank you Cindy for a fun concert! Bri, I'm glad you came with me, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without you! Keith, THANK YOU for always putting on a fabulous concert! See you next year!!

The Tongue Song

2009-09-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of Kristian's favorite songs to sing over and over and over and over again in the car. He made it up all by himself and I couldn't be a more happy, and proud Mommy! You can't buy precious moments like these!

Kristian and Kinderstartin

2009-08-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe how quickly your children grow! It seems like yesterday I was in the hospital delivering Kristian.. 7lbs,6oz, 21 inches...thick dark black hair, "my little monkey"! He was such a tiny, sweet little boy!!

...Then he grew up! How does that happen so fast?!? There are days when you wonder what you ever got yourself into as you ponder the option of selling your child on EBAY! And then there are days that they amaze you by how sweet and tender-hearted they can be. Full of such wonder, amazement, and love for life!! Each day truly brings its own set of unique memories and learning moments. Its the moment when you send your kid off to his first day of school that you realize how quickly time flies and just how precious each and every hectic or sweet day is with your children!

Here is Kristian's first day of preschool...or Kinderstartin!!

Kristian and Mommy... I'm so proud of my sweet little boy!!
He may look upset here, but he wasn't...he was giving a "Thumbs up scowl" for the lack of not really knowing what to call it.
Kristian picked out his backpack by himself..he chose "Tony Robot!"
Love these pictures of the kids... Addison is helping to walk Kristian to his first day! They were both excited and both looked so cute!!
Oh...he looks so big here as he confidently walks up to head to his first day of school!!!
His teacher's name is Miss Ari!! She is a petite little thing and looks like she's about 12 years old!! She is so sweet and so fun with the kids!! She has a blog that she posts pictures on of the kids doing their school work.. I'll add it to the blog soon so that you can link over and see Kristian doing activities in school.
There are a total of 6 kids in his age group of preschool.. 2 boys, 4 girls... Miss Ari said he was really quiet and shy his first day, but we'll see how things go once he warms up to everything!

...............................................................................
"THE GUN SHOW"
We've been meaning to catch this on video and I happened to get it this morning as we were taking pictures before school... This is Kristian doing his "GUN SHOW"... he talks in such a low voice, its too cute and too funny not to share!!

Newest Family Member

2009-08-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ok..I know many of my family members aren't "puppy people" but for those of you who are and who will love us and our new puppy anyway... WE GOT A NEW PUPPY!!!

He is a Coton De Tuleur, he is hypoallergenic, non-shedding puppy. Cotons typically range from 9 to 13 inches in height and weight between 8 and 20 pounds. So he's just a little fluff ball!

We went through quite a few names and I was really having a hard time deciding what to name our new little guy... got some good suggestions from family: Xavier, Thor, Leonidias, Rocky, Napoleon, Toby, Magnus, Capone, Maximus, Dante, etc.. etc.. We really liked Charlie (which I'm still partial too), Koda, Bear, Rocky, Taz, Blaze, and Maverik....

So, we let Kristian decide...

Introducing our newest guard dog (hey, someone has to help guard the house when Jon isn't home!!) : Our new little puppy is BEAR! Still deciding whether to make it "Koda Bear" or "Charlie Bear" (since I like both Koda and Charlie so much)...but, if you ask Kristian he'll tell you his puppy's name is BEAR!!! Grrrr!!!

We have talked about getting a dog for a while, and the only way I'd agree is if we got a small dog...and since this one is non-shedding thats all the better!! He really is a sweetie and tolerates the kids well. We are still adjusting and learning how to leave the puppy alone, not carry him all over the house, etc... Bear loves his mommy and follows me around the house...he comes and cuddles in with me when he needs an escape from the kids! And, on a plus side... he is doing very well at the potty training thing...so far not a single accident in the house!! Lets just hope it stays that way!!

A Special Thanks

2009-08-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

I really would like to express my gratitude and appreciate for the amazing family that I have, especially to my sister Jodi. Jodi.. thank you so much for taking my kids for me while I attended my Scentsy Convention. It is something that is very important to me and you are always so willing to help! I love you so much and I just want you to know how much you are loved and appreciated! Kristian keeps asking when we can go back to Aunt Jodi's house!

The kids had a blast!! Kristian got a hair cut, they went to the Dinosaur Park, and went and say the airplanes and helicopters at Hill Air Force Base, and went to the park and went shopping!!! They had a wonderful time! Jodi will be sending me pics, so I can post them soon and share with you the fun they had, but hey--maybe she'll post them on her own blog and you can check it out then.

THANKS JODI FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL, LOVING, FUN, SUPPORTIVE, AND SIMPLY FABULOUS AUNTIE, SISTER, AND FRIEND!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Shine in '09! Scentsy Convention!!!

2009-08-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

This year was the celebration of Scentsy's 5 year anniversary! I have been selling Scentsy since January 2008! I love being a part of this wonderful company! Scentsy convention was held at the Salt Palace here in Salt Lake City this year... there were over 2,500 consultants (out of the nearly 40,000 consultants Scentsy has).. and it was wild and crazy!
(Tamara, baby Ryker, and Amanda... "Scentsy Spirit!"... our candy necklaces are because we are part of the "Sweet Scentsations Team"!)

Scentsy is now branching outside the country. Scentsy CANADA!!! This is such an exciting new thing!!
Scentsy has a lot of fun and exciting new products as well! They have a new selection of warmers, amazing new scents, cute new plug-in designs, and new and cuter than I could ever fully express, mid-size warmers!! Larger than the plug-ins, but smaller than the standard warmer! I LOVE THEM!! ... and I know you will too! The also have more "Bundle and Save" packages including ones with plug-ins! Perfect for gifts!! (wink! wink!) Oh... and they also have DIY.. or Do It Yourself Wamers that you decorate yourself! SO ADORABLE!! I'll post pictures soon!!

I love being a part of Scentsy for so many wonderful reasons! Scentsy feels like a big family, Orville and Heidi are such wonderful people! They live by the theory "Give More Than You Receive!" They gave each of their office staff money to spend at various small businesses in Merdidian, Idaho (where the company is based)..so basically in one day $1000 was spent in various stores maximized at a $100,000 give back to the community donation! It was such a fun and exciting way for Scentsy to reward their office staff, yet give back to their community!
These are 4 of the members from my team: Holli, Valerie, Glynis, and Jen
Glynis, Jen, Amanda, Valerie, Holli-- I was so glad that these few members of my team decided to attend convention. You always come away feeling excited and motivated to move forward and grow your Scentsy business! (not to mention the mounds of free stuff you get just for attending)
Tamara Whitehead and Amanda Middleton...Awards Banquet!

CHALLENGE YOU ALL: Because Scentsy is such a giving company, they are encouraging all of us to give back to our community as well. Please visit: www.scentsycontribute.org and read about how you can pledge to "Give More Than You Receive" ... I'd love to hear how many of you take the pledge, so please leave a comment here if you joined me and Scentsy and pledge to "Give More Than You Receive!!" "www.scentsycontribute.org"
My loving and supportive husband attended the awards banquet with me. They gave away several trips and about 4 cars to winning consultants!! Such exciting incentives!! They announced the new company incentive trip (Hawaii) as well as some others... and they announced: Next Year's Scentsy Convention will be in Denver, Colorado!!

I am very close to making the level of Director! If I can reach this goal by December 2009 then I can take my husband on a cruise to Mexico! If I work excpetionally hard this year then I have a change to win a trip to Hawaii next year as well!! Please help me reach this goal! All you have to do is host a part (even you who are out of state), win free stuff, and have fun! Its simple and easy, and Scentsational!