day by day

oklahoma

2012-01-16T13:47:00.001-08:00

we took our first family vacation to Oklahoma to visit my side of the family. little man did so great on the airplane ride and all of the other passengers had a lot of fun pulling faces and making him smile.

if anyone has ever been to Oklahoma, then you know than OU sports is like a religion. danny had never been so we showed him around the campus and took a look at the stadium.

our favorite part of the trip was going to see the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. danny and i were both pretty young when it happened and so we didn't remember much about it. they have since built a memorial site and a museum where the building used to stand. it was a very eye opening thing to see and an amazing opportunity to walk through the grounds.

this tree that we are standing by is called the "tree of life". it stood in the parking lot of the federal building and somehow survived the bombing. we were told that many people have taken parts of the tree and there are now hundreds of them growing all over the United States.

each of these chairs stands in place for someone who lost their life from the bombing. they range from workers, people is passing, children, to innocent bystanders. their names are engraved at the bottom of each chair and at night they illuminate and appear to be floating in air.

even though Oklahoma isn't warm and tropical, it holds a special place in my heart because of the family i have there, including my dad. when they came to see Beckham shortly after he was born, he was still in the NICU and they weren't able to spend a lot of time with us. it was so great to have an entire week for them to get to know him. Becks was spoiled rotten with toys and constant attention.

this beautiful lady is my grandma jo. it was her 70th birthday while we were there and she was very surprised to see us when she walked into her party. i'm so happy that the little man got to meet another one of his great grandmothers.

this trip was so relaxing and so nice to spend an entire week in the beautiful Oklahoma country.

fa la la la la...

2011-12-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

what a hectic few weeks it has been! its hard to believe that December is nearing an end and that the new year is right around the corner. we had a wonderful month and rather than doing a million little posts, i figured one giant one is just as good. our month was spent with family and friends. we had daniels work party, family dinners, temple square, gingerbread houses, an ugly sweater party, fondu night, and multiple get togethers through out the entire month.

i have always loved Christmas but it was more magical this year with becks. even though he won't remember a single thing, i loved the new excitement he brought to the holiday. we didn't go overboard with gifts for him this year and i was feeling a little bad about it until Christmas morning came. all he wanted to do was eat the wrapping paper and play with the empty boxes. he could have cared less about the toys. all though WE didn't go crazy, his grandparents made up for it!

we divided our time between both families this year and even though it was hectic, we loved seeing everyone and enjoying the holiday together.

we hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that you spent it with those you love the most! see ya next year!

the reeders

four months...

2011-12-08T10:38:00.001-08:00

my little baby cakes is now a little over 4 months old. he went to the dr.s yesterday and here are the little guys stats:

14 lbs- 29th percentile

24 inches- 15th percentile

head circumfrence is 16 inches- 57th percentile

he is getting more and more fun everyday and his personality is starting to come out. he is such a happy baby! he rarely cries unless he is tired and is easily calmed down.

this past week he has been rolling all over! no more leaving him unattended! he loves loves loves his feet and you will constantly find them in or near his mouth. he is a slobber monster and drools non stop!

he has also started to hold his bottle. he gets so excited when he sees it and sometimes clenches his little fists because he can't wait to eat!

we attempted to feed him brown rice cereal a few week ago...

this face pretty much sums up how he liked it the first time. after a few days he started to get the hang of it and now gobbles it down. however, he will only eat it if it's mixed with applesauce. its a two man job to contain his hands, feet, hold his head, and shovel it in fast enough. he usually ends up with 50% of the food in his mouth and the other 50% up his nose, in his hair, and under his fat little neck.

this boy is my most favorite thing in the world. he makes everyday fun, exciting, and challenging. i wouldn't trade it for anything!

giving thanks...

2011-11-24T09:21:00.001-08:00

i am thankful for my beautiful, healthy baby boy. i am thankful for the happiness and light that he has brought into my life. i am thankful to be a mother.

i am thankful for good friends. i am thankful for the support and love that they are so giving of. i am thankful for the laughs, tears, and love that we share with each other.

i am thankful for a husband who loves me even when he shouldn't. i am thankful for his patience and kindness, his sense of humor, his willingness to do anything for our family. i am thankful he is all mine.

i am thankful for our families. this past year i would have died with out them. i am thankful for the sacrifices they make on my behalf. i am thankful for the example that they all are. i am thankful for the little things that they do to make my life easier and my day better. i am thankful for parents who have been there through thick and thin. i am thankful for siblings who make me laugh and make me proud.

i am thankful to be alive, healthy, and happy. and once again...

i am thankful i get to look into these big brown eyes every day!

we hope that you all find things to be grateful for this thanksgiving!

have a wonderful turkey day!

the reeders

one year older

2011-11-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

this past week danny turned 27... yowza! that's almost 30! we went away for the night on a much needed date for some sushi, red mango, and a movie to celebrate. it's crazy to think that we met 10 years ago when he was just a spry and agile 17 years old. a lot has changed in 10 years. he's graduated college, gotten married, bought a house, has a grown up job, had a baby, sprouted his first gray hairs, and a few more odds and ends. some things haven't changed in ten years though. he still acts like he's a child, makes me laugh everyday, has the best dance moves out there, and is my best friend. we love you and think you're the awesomest person there is.

even if you are nearing 30.

loves

s and b

three months

2011-11-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

where has the time gone?! its hard to believe that the last 3 months have gone by so quickly. beckham is so much fun and has COMPLETELY changed our lives. he rules the house and i'm pretty sure he's starting he understand that we are wrapped around his chubby little finger.

for only being 3 months, becks is one of the most personality filled babies i have ever seen! he never sits still and is always bright eyed looking around. he loves to be looked at right in the eyes when you are talking to him and is starting to have full conversations with us.

he has taken a liking to his fists and you will constantly hear him gagging on them. his fingers are never far from his mouth. he is quite the social butterfly and likes to be wherever the action is. he lets you know when he doesn't like something by grunting and letting out a nice high pitched squeal. he eats like a champ lately and gets very upset when his meal times are over.

despite his small beginnings, some plump little rolls have developed on his legs and they are the most delicious things ever! he loves being naked and still enjoys his long baths and showers.

he wants so badly to sit up and to roll over and its hilarious watching him try. he grunts and groans until he finally gives up. he hates his carseat with a passion which makes for some fun car rides, but he loves his stroller and enjoys going on runs with mom and dad.

we are in love with his dark eyebrows and long eyelashes. he is a little flirt and bats his eyes when you talk to him. his baby hair is starting to break off and his little hairline is starting to fill in. adorable. everyone keeps trying to talk me into cutting a little off the top but i just can't do it. sorry you look like a troll baby.

we love this little boy more than we could have ever imagined. i'm pretty sure he's all we ever think about anymore. we have loved watching him grow and develop so much over the last few weeks and can't wait to see what new things he'll be doing next!

boo

2011-11-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

halloween is one of my favorite holidays and it was even more fun with becks. although he is never going to remember his first halloween it was fun for us to experience it.

mr. b went as a magician, i was little red, and daniel was an ipod. i realized that holidays will no longer be go with the flow now that we have a baby. everyone had to make sure they saw him in all his cuteness. we had soup with dannys family as well as with mine and then called it a night.

i cant wait until becks is older and i can raid his candy sack for all my favorites.

happy halloween!

blessed

2011-10-15T08:07:00.001-07:00

if you can't tell, becks was pretty thrilled to be blessed this last Sunday.

we had all of our closest family and friends join us for this special day in beckhams life and everything was perfect.

daniel gave the most amazing blessing. i was so proud of him and so grateful that he holds the priesthood and is able to give blessings to our family. he said so many powerful things that will help and guide beckham throughout his life.

beckham is a pretty lucky little guy to have so many of his grandparents still living. even granny goose (his great-great-grandmother) was able to make it out to the blessing and take part in this special day.

grandma and grandpa hammond

grandma and grandpa reeder

becks looked so handsome in his blessing outfit. we decided to go away from the norm of all white and mix it up a little bit. he looks like a little man in these pictures and i love it!

it was such a surreal moment to be sitting in the chapel listening to my baby being given a name and a blessing by his father. it is a day that daniel and i will never forget. i am so thankful for our family and friends who came to support us. it was a day filled with the spirit and so much love for all that we have been blessed with.

mr. b

2011-10-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

see. i told you he was perfect.

scrumptious

2011-10-03T17:15:00.001-07:00

could you just eat him up? i can hardly stand how cute this little man is. mr B had his 2 month check up today and here are his stats:

weight: 10lbs 4oz (12th percentile)

height: 22.5 inches (22nd percentile)

its amazing to me at how fast he is growing and time is flying. i love it and hate it at the same time. he is starting to look like less of a newborn and is definitely growing into his feisty personality. these are a few things that i want to remember about him at this age:

-VERY happy baby. especially in the morning when he wakes up.

-he does the cutest stretches when you pick him up from naps. it melts my heart.

-the most alert baby i have ever seen. everyone comments on how big his eyes are where ever we go.

-he definitely know who his mommy is. i can always get a smile or coo out of him and he is my little cuddle bug.

-he LOVES bathes/showers. he gets so relaxed in the water and is starting to splash around.

-this child is DRAMATIC! even after we pick him up from crying he will continue to make whinny noises for a few minutes after even though he is completely fine.

-slobber. slobber. slobber.

-starting to get a little separation anxiety when mom and dad leave him alone.

-is very easily soothed and rarely cries.

-sleep through the night but is awful at napping during the day.

-loves his swing.

-can fit his entire fist in his mouth.

-getting very long and dark eyelashes.

-loves to be outside.

my two handsome boys in their beanies.

we went golfing with Daniels mom and dad and thought we'd introduce becks to the game. he was perfect the entire time. we rigged his car seat to the back of the cart and it worked quite nicely.

this little love bug is by far the best thing to happen to our family. it is safe to say that everyone has fallen head over heals for him.

life

2011-09-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

this little man is going to be 2 months old this week and it blows my mind at how quickly the last 8 weeks have gone by. it literally seems like yesterday we were checking into the hospital, anxious to meet him.

the past 8 weeks have been some of the most challenging but most rewarding of my life. its hard to remember what our world was like with out beckham in it. our family feels more complete than it ever has. i am constantly in awe at how lucky i am to be the mother of such a sweet and beautiful baby boy.

he truly is such an amazing baby. he has slept wonderfully at night from the get go. naps however are a different story. he just wants to stay awake and cuddle with mom all day. which is fine with me but lets just say my appearance is most always less than fashionable these days.

he loves his baths! he will sit contently in his tub and not make a peep. this week he has discovered how fun it is to scoot his little tushie until he is almost completely emerged in water.

in the last 2 weeks he has become so much more alert. he definitely recognizes his mom and dads voice and follows us around the room with his eyes. he is all smiles in the morning and he desperately wants to talk. mmmmm i could just eat him up.

i've been fortunate enough to stay at home with him and i am so thankful for that. i love waking up with him each morning and not knowing what the day will bring. babies really are a little piece of heaven on earth. they posses such a sweet spirit and its been amazing to watch this little creation of ours grow and develop. we love him more than we know how to express and are so thankful he is all ours.

newborns

2011-08-30T12:39:00.001-07:00

becks recently had his first photo shoot. we were hoping he would cooperate seeing as he was still pretty little but... he had other plans. i absolutely love how they turned out and these pics capture his personality perfectly!

we are just loving this guy more than words can say. he is such a great baby and is quite the cuddler. he is a little over five weeks and i can't believe that time has flown so quickly. we feel so lucky to have him in our home along with the sweet spirit that a newborn brings.

the birth

2011-08-24T16:57:00.001-07:00

july 24th at 7pm we checked into the hospital to begin the process of being induced. i was a week overdue and SO ready to get that baby out. my plan was to have an unmedicated birth. we had taken the classes, read the books, and practiced everything you're supposed to. well... things don't always go as planned. after 24 very long and painful hours of labor with no drugs and no progress what-so-ever, the dr. decided that for the safety of myself and the babe, it would be best to do a c-section. daniel exceeded every expectation i had. he was there through everything and i know i couldn't of done it with out him. i was terrified of what was to come but held it together as we were taken into the OR. not more than 10 minutes later, our little Beckham Daniel was born. the emotions and feelings i had as i heard my little boy cry for the first time is something indescribable. all i had to do was look up at Daniels face and i knew we had a beautiful and healthy little boy.

Becks came out alert and ready to eat! he kept his tiny little hands right by his face and even when swaddled, he somehow managed to get them free. i'll never forget the first time i saw him. the most precious and beautiful thing i'd ever seen. i was instantly in love with his long hair, defined little nose and chin, and the dimples on both sides of his cheeks.

seeing how daniel reacted to him was one of my favorite things. he had a smile that didn't leave his face and he kept saying over and over how beautiful our baby boy was. i think it's safe to say that beckham had us both wrapped around his little finger from the moment we saw him.

as they wheeled me into recovery, we saw some familiar faces that had been anxiously waiting to meet their new grandson and nephew. both mine and daniels parents were there as well as my three younger brothers. to say that they were excited to meet him and finally see what he looked like is an understatement. i'm pretty sure they would have stayed there all night and just looked at him.

giving birth is truly a miracle. even though i had the entire thing planned (surprise! surprise!) and NOTHING went how it was supposed to, i have to say that i wouldn't change a thing. in the end i got what i wanted. and... it was all worth it.

six big ones

2011-08-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

on july 27th daniel and i celebrated our 6th anniversary. the photo below pretty much sums up how awesome it was. daniel was with baby b for most of the day and then came back to be with his super attractive wife to enjoy a romantic 5 star hospital diner. we attempted to watch a movie after dinner but had to turn it off because i was laughing and it hurt my incision. after that the hubbie wheeled me down to the cafeteria where he enjoyed some fries and a grilled ham and cheese because lets be honest... the array of food that we were given just didn't fill him up.

the fine dining that IMC provided us. complete with sparkling apple juice. can you say classy?

in the end we decided that it was probably the best anniversary we had ever had. nothing fancy or overdone. just me and my guy hanging out and relishing in the fact that we were now parents to a beautiful baby boy. what's better than that?

daniel i love you more than ever. thank you for all that you do for our family and for hanging in there through all the ups and downs that life has brought throughout the last six years. you are the very best and i can't imagine life with out you.

loves- shan

nicu

2011-08-15T07:04:00.001-07:00

our little guy was taken to Primary Childrens NICU about 12 hours after being born. this was a complete shock to us due to the fact that i had a very normal and healthy pregnancy and delivery. becks joined us around 10:30pm on Monday, July 25th and early the next morning the pediatrician noticed some abnormal colored spit up on the neck of his nightgown. about 45 minutes later, our little guy was being wheeled away into an ambulance with tubes and iv's.

i dont think i can describe the feelings that daniel and i had as we watched our little boy hooked up to what seemed like a million tubes being taken away so shortly after he had arrived. it was heartbreaking.

i had to stay in the hospital to recover from the c-section but daniel was able to go directly up to Primarys with beckham. i was so very blessed to have our families so close to us. between beckham and i there was a lot of running around making sure we were both taken care of. daniel was so strong and amazing throughout the entire thing. he always made sure someone was with me while he was away watching over the baby. i wouldn't have been able to go through it without him reassuring my that everything was going to be ok and to keep a positive attitude.

beckham was diagnosed with Necrotizing Enterocolitis, usually called NEC. It is a condition where the intestines become infected and can begin to die. The disease usually affects premature babies, although term babies may also get NEC. NEC can require surgery and if left untreated, has a high morbidity and mortality rate. pretty scary right? luckily becks didn't need surgery and was able to be treated with a seven day course of antibiotics and round the clock monitoring. he was quite the little stud with the nurses and everyone loved his sweet little personality. he had visitors everyday that came up to hold and love him while i was away. it was one of the hardest things ive ever gone through not being able to be with my baby and knowing that i was helpless to his situation. it was so comforting to know that he had so many others with him at all times and that he was being cared for by some of the best medical staff around.

each day he made more and more progress and 11 days after being admitted, he was given a clean bill of health and we were finally able to take him home with us!

our little family would like to thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts. we know with out a doubt that all of the positive thoughts and prayers on our behalf are the reason we now have our happy and healthy little boy home with us. we couldn't be more in love with this baby and are so thankful he is ours.

pleased to meet you...

2011-07-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

introducing Beckham Daniel Reeder

born 07-25-2011

8lbs 2oz

21 inches long

we are so happy he is finally here!

we will be on hiatus from the blogging world for a few more days as little Becks has been taken to Primary Childrens. he is doing well and we expect him home and healthy in the next week or so. thank you for all of your love, prayers, and support.

danny, shante, & beckham

i remember...

2011-07-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

as you can see by the little gadget to the left today is supposed to be "the day".

you know, the day that this baby who's been making himself much to comfortable in my womb was going to make his grand entrance?

i have a feeling it will come and go with out seeing any action. boo.

as i've been getting everything ready over the past few weeks for the little guys debut, i've found myself looking back over the last 9 months and remembering how life used to be. i know that as soon as this baby joins our family, daniel and i's life will take a giant turn into unchartered territory. am i ready for it? i think so. am i scared? you bet! could i be any more excited? probably not.

so here are a list of just a few memories. most of which i am very eager to forget.

i remember when i could clean my house without sweating like a pig and feeling like my heart was going to burst out of my chest.

i remember when i could run for 2 plus hours and feel great. now... well lets just say a walk around the block is a struggle.

i remember when i could get ready for the day really fast and now it takes me FOREVER because i have to stop to take breaks because i'm so tired. oh ya- and sweating like a pig.

i remember when my hands and feet looked "normal" and not like they'd been stung by a million bees.

i remember when i only slept with one pillow and now i sleep with four.

i remember when our little "she" turned into a "he" and i cried for two days. true story.

i remember when i could control my emotions, well sort of.

i remember when my clothes fit. this one is just depressing.

i remember when i could drink a glass of water and not have to run to the bathroom within minutes of finishing it.

i remember when i didn't have to recline the seat in my car just so i could drive "comfortably".

i remember when i didn't have to stuff my feet into almost every pair of shoes i own. flip flops have become my best friend.

i remember being hungry, eating something that sounded good, and being content with it.

i remember wanting this moment from the time i was a little girl.

i remember thinking that july 18th seemed SO far away and now its here.

i remember when this was just my dream and now its becoming my reality.

get here soon baby. your mother is so anxious to meet you and excited to make many more "remember when" moments with you.

busy, busy, busy

2011-07-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

where has the time gone?! i can't believe its already the middle of July and only SEVEN days away from my due date (but that's another post). we have been so busy with family over the last month and it has been so much fun. two of daniels sisters live out of state and both came to visit at the same time this year. so.... obviously we had to get a family picture. don't mind that i am nine months pregnant in them. it is truly amazing to see how blessed we are with family when i look at this picture. it makes me think that one day, a long ways away, daniel and i will be the ones in the middle with our family surrounding us. even though this will be outdated in about a week once our little guy arrives, i am grateful to have this picture of the ever growing Reeder family.

i LOVE the 4th of july. every year since i can remember my family has been going up to Huntsville to participate in the early morning breakfast and town parade. it is something my dad grew up doing and and something that i hope to continue doing with my family. after the parade, a 3 on 3 basketball tourney, and some lunch we headed back down the mountain to be with daniels family for smores and fireworks.

our little family of three, soon to be four

the proud winning team of the Huntsville 3 on 3 basketball tournament.

with all of the family bbq's and get togethers, the last few weeks of pregnancy seem to have flown by. we are getting more and more anxious for the arrival of our little boy and i am in a state of disbelief that in only a matter of days, we will be starting a whole new chapter of life. we hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

xo- shante

white trash summer...

2011-06-01T17:37:00.001-07:00

at least that's what i'm calling it. there aren't many other ways to describe the oh so discrete way my belly seems to consistently show. my brother told me i look like i belong in wal-mart. that was a sad day. who wants to belong there?

oh well. 6 more weeks. until then, please bear with me. this will all be over soon.

showered

2011-05-16T18:16:00.001-07:00

this last weekend i had my first shower in honor of the little mr.s arrival. it was so fun/exciting/surreal to be opening all of the baby gifts. the entire time i was thinking to myself that it won't be long until he is here and i am actually using all of this stuff! my aunt heidi, grandma and cousin hosted it and did a fabulous job. we had quite the spread of food and i must say it was better than cafe rio.

family and friends that came to support

all the girls from my moms side of the family

my beautiful grandma and i

i am so grateful to all those who came and supported my growing little family. it was so fun to see everyone and i had the best time catching up with all of you! thank you for being so generous and so loving!

babymoon

2011-05-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

this past weekend we took a little vacation for some much needed sunshine and r&r before the little man joins us. we took off thursday after work and came home monday afternoon. it was the perfect weekend with my baby daddy. we went down with no agenda. no plans. no nothing. just the way i think a vacation should be. our days were spent sleeping in and soaking up the warmth. its been quite a while since the two of us got away together and its just what we needed. its the best to leave work and all the worries of home behind you for a few days to just laugh and enjoy each other. it felt like we were 16 again and i loved every second!

we fit in a game of golf for daniel and a game of mini golf for me, hanging out by the pool, shopping, a day trip to vegas, the BODIES exhibit, good food, and my favorite...

watching movies and eating ice cream in bed at night.

oh wait! i forgot to mention the BEST part! a night in the hospital for me! for a brief moment, we thought we may be having our baby in good ol' St. George. while dominating daniel in mini golf, i started to have contractions that were coming on pretty strong. i was feeling the urge to push and a good amount of fluid decided to creep out and soak my pants. this led us to believe that my water had broken and so we called my dr back home in a panic. he told us to go to labor and delivery to get checked out. after a few hours of monitoring me and the babe, some not so fun tests that i will spare you the details, we were given the go ahead to go on home with dr's orders to take it easy for the next few days. it was quite the night and very surreal to think that we will be back again very shortly. only next time we will be leaving with a baby!

and for your enjoyment- here i am in all my 31 weeks pregnant glory. time seems to be going by so fast and its hard to believe we will soon be parents. life here is good and we are anxiously awaiting this little boys arrival.

EASTER and a Baby Cakes Update

2011-04-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect spring day to celebrate Easter. We enjoyed a nice dinner followed by a fire and Smores with the Hammond side. It was a lovely evening spent laughing and enjoying one another's company. The boys played some basketball while the ladies chatted away and it was so nice to finally be able to sit outside in the sunshine.

Momma & I

The Boys

My mom asked my brothers to please look nice today for church since it was Easter (sometimes they tend to roll out of bed and go). Braden thought he'd "look nice" by trying out this new hair-do. He was told he looked like Bradley Cooper and Leonardo DiCaprio. This did absolutely nothing good to his already large ego.

Little Baby Cakes is doing well and growing larger and larger. Today I am 28 weeks (7 months) and I feel like I have no more room inside of me for this little guy to grow. I've been told its going to be a rough 3 months ;0)

I'm pretty sure I'm one of the worst pregnant women EVER! Poor Daniel....

If I'm not complaining about my swollen feet, my back and tail bone hurting, the little guys limbs kicking my rib cage, or heartburn, then I'm probably asleep. All complaining aside, I really have been very blessed and lucky to have such a healthy pregnancy. We are getting more and more anxious to meet this little guy and are hoping that the next 12 weeks go by fast. I have loved being able to feel him move around all day long. Even if I think he's bruising me internally. Time seems to be flying by and before we know it, it'll be July and we will no longer be a family of 2. I'll leave you all with these totally awesome photos. Here is our best attempt at a "maternity photo shoot". Don't mind the creeper husband...

girlfriends...

2011-04-18T10:33:00.001-07:00

i just love having a group of GOOD girlfriends. i think its a necessity. it doesn't matter if we haven't seen each other for months. once we are all together again- we pick right back up where we left off. for this months GNO, we went to grab a bite and catch up on everyones lives.

there are 7 of us who are pregnant and due with in 3 months of each other. its nice to be able to complain and have six others who totally know where you are coming from!

Shonie: 8.5 months, Kathy: 7.5 months, Me: 6.5 months, Ali: 4 months, Linds: 3.5 months

i love every single one of you!

xoxo-shante

k-ville

2011-04-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

i just got back from a seven day trip to Kirksville Missouri. what was i doing there you ask?

only visiting some of my most favorite people EVER!

dannys sister, Aimee, had twins 8 weeks ago and so i flew out there to try and offer a little relief to the new family of 6. it was the perfect week spent lounging around in pj's, lunches at the park, and of course... holding babies.

i was seriously impressed with how well Aimee has adjusted to going from 2 kids to 4. she is super woman and i can only hope i'll handle my single little guy as well as she juggles her 4.

traveling when you're 6 1/2 months preggo is not fun and i don't recommend it! however, if you have wonderful family to visit it makes it all worth it when you get there!

welcome to the world Norah and Crosby!

what the???

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

do you ever have those days that all you can think is WHAT THE???

lets just say that tuesday, march 1st, 2011 was one of those days.

we had our "BIG" ultrasound that measures all the major organs inside the baby to make sure everything is there and functioning properly. our little munchkin passed with flying colors.

however........

our lady decided she wanted to do some changing and without further ado, i'd like to introduce you to our

SON!!!

to say the least, my world was rocked. i believe my exact words were "shut up! are you kidding me? you're 100% positive?"

they were positive. and now i am positively in a state of disbelief and excitement. from the day we found out we were expecting i had a feeling it was a boy. even when they told us it was a girl, i was still having dreams of a boy. and in the week prior to our appointment i had dreams almost every night foretelling this event. one dream included daniel doing fist pumps. (i'm pretty sure he was doing them in his mind when they announced the news)

and so the story goes that instead of a little lady, we will be blessed with a stud muffin. parting with the few girly outfits was quite hard and i even debated keeping them. ya know, just in case. but, i've made the switch into boy mode and i am now preparing myself for the destructive nature that comes with boys.

all in all i can't be too disappointed ;0) i have a healthy growing boy in my belly that will have me wrapped around his dirt filled little finger in no time.

shan

half way there...

2011-02-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

ladies and gentlemen.....

i'd like to introduce you to the new and much rounder version of me.

this week marks the 20th week of pregnancy so far. that means only 20 more to go.

whoever said that you are only pregnant 9 months is full of it. it's really 10. what the heck!?! someone should've told me prior.

so far being pregnant has been a roller coaster. the first 3.5 months were AWFUL!

rarely ate or drank. threw up. dry heaved when i wasn't throwing up. but hey! it was the best diet i've ever been on!

at my first appointment i was negative 13lbs. since then i've only gained one so i guess i can't complain.

i'm finally getting my energy back and feeling as "normal" as possible.

the last week i've been able to feel her move around a little bit. it has made it that much more real that there really is a little person growing in there.

daniel has been the best husband possible for the last 5 months. he was slightly neglected for a while and took care of things like a champ. from cleaning, laundry, cooking, and running around getting what sounded appetizing to me at the strangest times, he never complained once.

we have been busy preparing the nursery and resisting our urges to buy every darling outfit/shoe/accessory we see. i can guarantee our little lady will be the best dressed in town.

we feel so blessed and lucky to be given this opportunity. there is already a sweeter spirit in our home and this experience has given me a new love for daniel. we can not wait to meet our little baby cakes! hopefully the next 20 weeks fly by.....

and now, here are the lovely baby bump pics thus far. i promise i own a more colorful wardrobe than grays and blacks. but what can i say, they are making me feel slimmer. enjoy.

xo
shante

five weeks

ten weeks

twenty weeks

i heart you

2011-02-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

happy V day to all of you

i love my family

i love my friends

i love my wonderful husband

i love my little girl growing in my tummy

i love..... love

i hope each of you finds someone to love today.

xoxo-

shante

look what the new year is bringing....

2011-01-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

baby reeder will be joining us in july.

we couldn't be happier.

happy new year!

love,

danny, shante, and baby

we're back!!!

2010-12-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

lots of pictures.

lots of laundry.

more to come.

hope your christmas was a merry one.

ours sure was.

wishing you.....

2010-12-17T16:41:00.000-08:00

a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! this month has been jam packed with lots of fun filled holiday activities. i love this time of year. it always reminds me of how grateful i am for all of you wonderful people. i love the spirit that fills my home, the beautiful lights, white fluffy snow, yummy food, seeing family and friends, and being reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

we recently planned a trip to the Utah Food Bank with some of our closest friends. it was so much fun to get together and really put into perspective how fortunate we all are. after we finished up there, we headed to Stoneground for a delicious dinner. thank you to all of those who made it! i think it could be the start of a new tradition...

we also took a stroll through Temple Square with the Reeder family. of course we picked the coldest night to go but it is something that you just can't miss out on each December. it is truly amazing how magnificent the temple grounds are with all of the twinkling lights. those of you who live elsewhere (you know who you are) were missed greatly. the holidays just aren't the same with out you here.

tomorrow danny and i leave with my family for a ten day trip to the tropics. we can hardly wait to get away from the chilly temps. although i will miss the usual christmas traditions, i think i'll soon get over it as i'm basking in the sun with a book, my hubbie, and a pina colada.

merry christmas! from our family to yours.

two six

2010-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

the mr. turned twenty six last weekend. that's a big number. well- bigger than the one eight he was when i met him. crazy to think i was a pre pubescent fifteen year old girl with flattering metal braces to top it off the first time we laid eyes on each other. ahhh... memories.

we celebrated with some of our closest friends at his favorite restaurant and finished it off with family parties. he was spoiled.

some of you might be wondering what his one and only birthday wish was. this grown, twenty six year old, boy/man (depending on the day) asked me, the wife, for an entire day of uninterrupted Call of Duty game playing time. accompanied by an entire costco chicken pot pie. he informed me i can be home on this day of days but am forbidden to ask anything of him. this includes laundry, dishes, making beds, cleaning bathrooms, doing yard work, etc.

so... if anyone is doing anything fun on saturday let me know. because i'll be banned from his presence until 12:01 am sunday morning.

i love you to the moon and back darlin. thanks for making it so easy to love you. happy birthday!

hello again...

2010-10-20T20:08:00.001-07:00

well, it's been a while. a long while. i've missed the blogging world. but-the break was much needed. our little family has learned a lot in the past year. we'd like to share a few with you:

*never take what you have for granted. one day you might wake up and it could all be different.

*it's not the things in life that are important. it's the people.

*sometimes, right before the greatest things happen, a storm hits. but, the storm always passes and you realize that you are stronger than you thought.

*someone always has it worse than you do.

*don't be afraid to fight for what you want.

*who cares what people think. as long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

*your true friends will love you and be by your side no matter what.

*your family is what keeps you together when you're falling apart.

*never be afraid to admit that you were wrong.

*real, true, overwhelming love is worth fighting for.

*never forget to forgive those who have wronged you. you never know when you'll be the one asking for forgiveness.

*life is too short to worry about every little thing.

*there is ALWAYS room for a second chance.

we've accumulated quite the list. but, are so grateful for all the life lessons learned. so... welcome back to the Reeder Family Blog.

we've missed you.

back to real life

2009-09-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

i have been on a break. a break from life. it was just peachy! as mentioned on the previous post, i flew to missouri to surprise my sister-in-law aimee. i've spent the last 9 days in pj's. (no lie) we did a whole lot of nothing and it was splendid. for doing nothing, my trip seemed to fly by and now it is time to go back to responsibilities and getting ready for the day.

don't think that just because i was on vacation we didn't have several projects to do. aimee needed a bit of inspiration for the littles bedroom. i guess i was just that because we had that room painted and ready to go in no time. i for one think it turned out just perfect.

million question a day jackson. this little guy is sure growing up fast. i was asked multiple times in a day how certain words were spelled, what letters made what sound, asked for a snack every 5 minutes, and entertained like there was no tomorrow by his funny little personality. even though he loves me, i think he wished his uncle daniel was there to "karate chop" and give "wedgies".

we took many walks. one of which was at a beautiful state park right up the street.

one of the highlights of the trip was driving to jefferson city to watch the tour of missouri. it was such a cool atmosphere to be in and the support for the riders was incredible. it made me want to jump on my bike and join.

all dressed up for church.

miss o. she has some major attitude and sass. olivia says no more than anything else and gives the best kisses imaginable. she really doesn;t like being told its bedtime and she LOVES treats. that my kind of girl.

good bye smith family. i love you all so very much. thank you for your hospitality, mosquito bites, walks throughout the town, google-ing, late night bowls of cereal, advice, comfort, and most importantly, introducing me to chocolate animal crackers. see you all again very soon! xoxo.... shante

MO-town

2009-09-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

you heard right... MO-town, as in MISSOURI. i have left the beehive state for a SURPRISE visit to a little town called kirksville to stay with the beloved smith family. i get to look at these cute faces all day long for nine days straight. i'm sure i'll have an abundance of photos to share when i return. until then... will someone please check in on my hubbie from time to time?

hobble creek half & a morning in millcreek

2009-08-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

on saturday my friend and i woke up at the crack of dawn to participate in the HOBBLE CREEK HALF MARATHON. some people say that runners are crazy. some people say that runners have no life. and some people even say that running is a waste of time. well... those people have never run before. there is nothing like crossing that finish line knowing that all the hard work and dedication you put into the weeks and months prior finally paid off. running is not easy and its not painless. but its definitely worth it. thanks for being my running buddy amy and for putting up with the early mornings and late nights. and a shout out to the best hubbie in the world. for being there, like always, smiling at me as i cross the finish line.

one of the perks about living in the salt lake area is being so close to so many canyons. on sunday morning we met up with the entire Hammond family to celebrate my super fit, super fun grandmas birthday. the weather was perfect, the company and conversation even better, and the breakfast delicious as always.

grandma and all of her grand-daughters

the whole Hammond crew all together

we love you guys and it was so great to see everyone. happy birthday grandma. you are so fun to be around and you just get better with age.

always, sometimes, never

2009-08-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

i saw this post on a friends blog and thought it was a cute idea. i'm usually not into the whole "tag" thing but i thought this was different from ones i've seen. its always fun to learn about someone elses little quirks. enjoy!

i ALWAYS...

- eat breakfast right when i wake up. i usually know what i'm going to have the night before.

- sit down on sunday nights and make my "lists" for the up-coming week. this includes a grocery list, menu for the week, work out schedule, any errands that need to be run etc. sometimes i'll even go as far as breaking my days down into hours. ocd??? i think so.

- have a snack in my purse. just ask my family, i'm not a happy person when i'm hungry.

-wash my face at night before i go to bed.

-know what day any major holidays and my birthday falls on for the current and upcoming years. i'm a walking, talking, calendar.

i SOMETIMES...

-"forget" to brush my teeth at night. i'm a morning and after lunch brusher. danny has issues with this one. all i can say is, i'm working on it.

-get up at some random time of the night and eat a bowl... or two of cereal. guilty pleasure.

-stick my tongue out to the side of my mouth when i'm concentrating too hard.

-look at random people and think of what animal they look like. you should try it. its amazing at the resemblance in some people.

-get so caught up in the future that i forget to live in the present.

i NEVER...

-eat the little white things in eggs. my mom told me they were the umbilical cord of the baby chick and i've never gotten over it. sick.

-fall asleep without telling my hubbie i love him. lame but true. it really does keep me up.

-have an enjoyable air plane ride. i've been known to have full on panic attacks while loaded on valium, and dripping sweat from every inch of my body. the poor poor people who have to watch it all happen. i'm sorry.

-answer phone numbers i don't know.

-stay up past 10:00. this is goes for vacations, weekends, sleepovers etc. i need my sleep. i've gotten better though, it used to be 8:30 ;0)

anyone who wants to share is welcome too! just write down five things for each one.

lake powell, four, and visitors

2009-08-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

summer seems to be flying by. i can't believe that its august already. we have been busy with vacations, celebrating our fourth anniversary, and having my family from oklahoma visit. readers beware... its a big post.

first... me and mine celebrated of four year anniversary. i can't believe its been that long. we celebrated by eating at a tasty little place called BAMBARA, and as a little gift to each other made our way to at&t to get iPhones. i must say that i am one lucky gal to have this wonderful man in my life. he is the best. i couldn't ask for a better.

lake powell has to be one of the coolest places on the earth. we ventured there with my family over the 24th and once again it did not disappoint. minus the windstorms almost every night, id have to say it was very enjoyable.

cooling off at dangling rope marina and enjoying some soft serve. does anyone else think that this ice cream is some of the best you've ever had? maybe its the 100+ temperature or the fact that all of your other meals have had sand in them. regardless... we quite enjoy it.

d catching some air on the wake board.

me and my cute brothers, braden and gavin.

and last but not least, we were very exited when these guys called us up and said they were coming to town. meet my day, step-mom, and little bro. they live in oklahoma and i don't get to see them often enough. it was great to catch up and give hugs. we enjoyed having you over to our home and spending a night on the town. hopefully we don't have to wait so long to see each other next time.
well, i guess thats it for now. we hope you are all enjoying the last of these summer days as much as we are. winter will be here before you know it.

San Diego, CA

2009-07-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

ahh... san diego. what a fun trip! we ventured to san diego with dannys entire family. it was very relaxing and much needed. we spent a day at disney land and california adventure, played on the beach, yummy food, bike rides and runs on the beach, fish tacos on the pier... in other words, we did a lot!

we had to get a picture in front of the "R"

on the porch of the beach house enjoying the sunsets

smores... i could eat a hundred of these things

my sis in law aimee organized a little fun run for the family. the adults ran a 5k and the littles ran a 1/2 miler. it was so much fun and so beautiful.

me and my sis in laws and mom in law after the run

all the kiddos (and danny) holding up their medals made of reeses peanut butter cups and colored ribbon.

i had to post some pictures of my two favorite little girls. above is maizy and below is olivia.

jackson, cooper, and jarom

we spent an afternoon at balboa park. it has a lot of very cool museums including my favorite, a botanical garden. there were so many interesting plants, flowers, and trees.

this is one of my favorite pictures of the trip.

thanks for such a wonderful trip reeder fam. it was so good to have every one under the same roof. good bye beach house... until next time.

here's the scoop

2009-07-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

i know i know.... this whole blog thing really isn't working out for me. i PROMISE a new post is coming soon with all of our exciting happenings. (this is meant to be sarcastic, nothing new or exciting but i'll see if i can come up with something)

i am...

2009-05-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

a WOMAN OF STEEL! that's right... i competed in the Woman of Steel triathlon on saturday. this was my second time doing this race and it is SO SO fun! there is something so inspiring about the atmosphere. its magical. there are women from all walks of life, different shapes and sizes, all there for the same purpose, to finish the race. the weather was perfect and the support from on-lookers, amazing! my wonderful hubbie came once again to watch me and was there at every transition to cheer me on. what a guy. i would have to say that the best part of racing is the end. not because you know your almost done (that part is nice too), but because you get this incredible adrenaline rush. all of a sudden you feel like your floating across the pavement in those last hundred feet to the FINISH line. its painful. its a challenge. its inspiring. its a triathlon. and... its so worth it.

p.s. i'm not one to care about what my finishing time is but... i took first place in my age group. HUGE accomplishment to check off my lifes' to do list.

p.s.s. this years pics wouldn't load so here are some of last years. missed all those that weren't here for this one.. maybe next time ;0)

April 15th has come and gone...

2009-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

I think its safe to say that both Danny and I are SO glad that tax season is over! It went by pretty fast but was crazy none the less. To celebrate the ending of busy season, we planned a little get away to St. George. I love going there. Its the perfect place to spend a long weekend. Our good friends Dan and Anj also joined us. We had a great time hanging out and enjoying some warm weather.

The boys thought it would be fun to go "bouldering". For those of you who aren't familiar with this term it is climbing up rocks and tearing your hands apart. Real fun....

Anj and I in our little cave we found while the boys were having "fun"

Thanks for the fun trip with lots of memories made (most of which can't be shared) Can't wait to go back!

welcome to our home

2009-04-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Well, all I can say is that it sucks not having the use of the world wide web at my finger tips. For all of you who have been bugging me about pictures of our house... here they are. We have loved having our own place and have been busy these last few weeks making plans for our yard. I think we need to win the lottery or come into a large sum of money some how in able to complete all these plans but hey, its ok to dream. So WELCOME! This is our humble abode. It consists of 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, a laundry room, family/dining room, and a pretty sweet backyard with grape vines, a pear tree and a whole slew of others. Hope you enjoy!

Here is our laundry room/mud room

This is the dining area. It is kind of meshed into the living room as well but it actually works out perfectly.

The LIVING ROOM.

and my favorite place in the house... the kitchen! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

one and only bathroom. i thought that this could be a potentially bad situation. i tend to take up a lot of space and i just wasn't sure how the single bathroom was going to work out. turns out danny doesn't need a lot of space (or doesn't have a choice) and i've found a place for each and every item.

The bedroom.

So there you have it. The complete tour of our home thus far. I know I mentioned that there are three bedrooms. The reason they are not pictured is because they are not finished yet. We are using one for an office and the other is my closet. Like I said, I have a lot of crap.

4 sale

2009-03-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

we just happen to have a lovely 50'' HITACHI T.V. for sale. it works great and is in good condition. i guess we justified getting a new one to go with our new house. well, danny justified it. if anyone is interested call danny @ 801-413-9037.

boring...

2009-03-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

for lack of better words our life is boring. i haven't touched my camera for months, haven't gone anywhere or done anything out of the ordinary, and feel like time is passing by way too fast with not a thing to show for it. anyone else ever feel like that? all though i enjoy some down time every now and then, i must admit that i am going stir crazy!

danny has been working six days a week to keep up with the demanding and never ending tax season, but as for me... nothing new. could this dullness be caused by the stupid weather we are having? my guess is 100% yes. i need sunshine and warm weather to lift me out of this slump. hopefully, someday soon, we will see some bright rays...

until then, i'll rack my brain with things to post and try to have a better attitude. ;0)

-S-

i know... i suck

2009-02-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

I would like to take the time to apologize to all those who are wondering where we have been for the past 2 months. No where exciting I can promise you that. We don't have the luxury of the Internet at our house yet which would explain the lack of posts and pictures. I will try my very hardest to post something exciting this week. Love you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It has been one crazy month. Between moving, the snow, family parties, more snow, and all that comes with the holiday season, I feel like we missed the entire month. Now that things are back to normal, hopefully we can keep this blog updated.

The best part of this season was getting into our new home! Thank you to everyone who helped clean and move all of our stuff! We are so happy to be in our house and have had so much fun organizing and making it feel like home. No pictures yet, but I promise I'll post some soon.

I love Christmas because it brings family together and you get to enjoy all of the traditions that each family has. We do a fondue night with the Hammond family every Christmas Eve and it is a FEAST! We also made some sugar cookies with all the nieces and nephews on the Reeder side. On Christmas night we saw our annual movie. This year we saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which was excellent.

We hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas that was spent with family and friends.

should've worn elastic pants....

2008-11-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

after our thanksgiving feast with my family at 3 and then the second with dannys at 6, I feel as though i'm ripping apart at the seams. i LOVE thanksgiving. i love the traditions, the food, the family, and the fact that its finally ok to be excited for christmas! we hope that everyone had a great day eating turkey and spending time with those you love! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

embarrassed to even post this but.....

2008-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

I received my TWILIGHT tickets today and I'm so excited! (and Danny's excited that he doesn't have to go with me)

-one year older and wiser too-

2008-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Danny's 24th birthday! Its crazy to think that I met him when I was 15 and he was 17. There are so many things that I love about him and I thought that to honor the 24th birthday, I would write down 24 reasons why I love him. Here it goes-

1. He can ALWAYS make me laugh. It doesn't matter how mad or irritated I am, he finds a way to make me smile.

2. He is such a hard worker. This applies to everything he does in life whether its his job, school, basketball, or any other thing he may have going on. He always gives it 110%

3. He is so friendly. He can talk to anyone and become friends with them.

4. He respects women. This is the first thing about Danny that I fell in love with. To this day I have never heard him speak unkindly of his mother, sisters, mother-in-law, and any other ladies out there.

5. He is such a giver. Even if he doesn't have what someone needs, he goes out of his way to find it. This includes driving around for an hour until I finally decide where I want to go to eat. ;0)

6. He is a great role model. I love seeing how my brothers look up to him and admire all that he does.

7. He has such great style! Some may call him "metro".... I would have to agree. He spends more time shopping for things than most girls. (I'm talking spending 25 minutes picking out body wash and deodorant) ;0)

8. He cares about his health and has always been active and tries to live a healthy lifestyle.

9. He is good at doing the Laundry. I'll be the first to admit that without him, all of my clothes would be faded, shrunk, never folded, bleach spots, etc. I hate laundry and love that he doesn't mind doing it.

10. He is my best friend. I can talk to him about anything and he always listens and has the best advice.

11. He is going to be the CUTEST dad someday. Kids flock to him. He isn't to old for games of hide and seek, Monopoly, Go-Fish, Ninja Turtles, Hannah Montana, tickle tortures... the list goes on. It melts my heart when he holds babies and takes the time to play with 3 year olds.

12. He is so smart. He will deny this til the day he dies but don't let him fool you. He will definitely be the one helping our kids with home work.

13. He is a great cook.

14. He sets high goals and doesn't stop until he accomplishes them. He knows what he wants in life and won't settle for less.

15. He has such a great Testimony of the church. It has strengthened me many times throughout our marriage and I feel so blessed to have a husband that has the same beliefs that I do.

16. He's got mad dance moves. But don't ask him to bust them out. They are for my eyes only. This goes along with reason #1 (Making me Laugh)

17. He looks incredibly sexy with a weeks worth of scruff on his face.

18. He can sing Celine Dion and Mariah Carey with the best of them.

19. He treats me like a princess even when I don't deserve to be treated like one.

20. He ALWAYS smells good. Seriously! I love it. When he was out of town for basketball I would switch my pillow with his because the smell never went away.

21. He supports me in everything I do. He has stood outside in the most extreme weather conditions (-10 degrees and 110 degrees) to watch me cross a finish line with a smile on his face. He believes in everything I do and encourages me to push myself to my limits.

22. He gets really embarrassed when I tell him how good looking he is.

23. He's a family man and loves to spend time with each of our families. He is super supportive of my brothers and his nieces and nephews. He would rather do things with them than with anyone else.

24. And last but not least... he is the greatest husband a girl could ever hope to find. Not a day goes by when I don't look at him and think of how lucky I am to have him. He has brought so much happiness to my life and given me so many wonderful experiences. He allows me to be who I am and has stood by me through thick and thin. He is so fun to be around and I love the little world we have created for ourselves. Thanks for being mine and thanks for being born! I love you babe and hope that you had a great birthday!

changes...

2008-11-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the phrase when it rains it pours? In most cases this saying is associated with negative happenings in life. However, in the Reeder family, it has been a down pour of blessings. Its amazing how fast life can change and in a matter of a few hours, your are going down a different road that seems like its taken forever to get to. So first off, my cute husband finally landed a job after a couple months of searching. We are so excited! He graduated with a Bachelors of Accounting this summer and let me tell you, the job searching thing completely sucks! It felt like we were stuck in this awkward phase of life and that nothing was ever going to happen. Then he got the call... He is now a Tax Accountant at Larsen & Rosenberger, a firm located in Sandy where he seems to fit in quite well and is now filling his time with numbers and tax returns instead of Xbox, Family Guy, and laundry. This is such a relief and we are so thankful to be taking the next step. Being the blogger I am, I just had to take a picture of his first day of work for all of you to see! (He's going to kill me for this!)

Isn't he SO cute? So if anyone out there needs their taxes done come January, you know who to call! Now onto the second set of good news. As most of you know we have been dwelling in the lovely basement of Dannys parents house for the majority of our marriage. This in its self has been such a blessing for us. If you have to live with in-laws, mine are the ones to live with. I have grown so much closer to my mother and father in-law and feel so grateful for their generosity. I'm not sure what we would have done with out them. So what I'm about to say is bitter-sweet.... we BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! We are so excited and have fallen completely in love with our little cottage in Holladay. We don't move in for 6 more weeks but I'm sure I'll be able to fill up that time with shopping for furniture, getting paint samples, and dreaming of what I'm going to do with each room. I don't have any pictures yet but I'll be sure and put some up asap.

snowbird

2008-10-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the family ventured to the Snowbird Resort and rode the Tram to the tip top of the mountain. I love Utah this time of year and feel so lucky to live near the amazing scenery. I couldn't believe how much snow was already on the ground!

the CUTE boys

If you haven't made the drive to check out the mountains, I highly suggest that you do it soon! The leaves are starting to fall and it is getting chilly! Thanks for a fun Sunday Hammond family!

Fall Fun...

2008-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun weekend with the family! On Friday night we went over to my parents house for a yummy dinner of soup and rolls and then pumpkin carving afterwards. The Warr family joined us and it was great to spend a beautiful fall evening with everyone!

Cute little Kayzia and my grandma.

This was Bradens' pumpkin. He thought that he would be able to fit it over his head.... obviously it didn't work.

This was our pumpkin. Actually I should say it was Dannys. While he was busy carving, I was busy.... not carving. Im not a fan of the guts getting all over me. As you can see... Danny could care less.

a boy and his dog

2008-10-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

So we have this dog. Her name is Reeda. No not Rita, Reeda. As in Reeder, our last name, but gangster style. I thought I was the greatest wife in the world when I bought her for Danny two Christmas's ago. Now, there is nothing more in this world that I would like to get rid of. I know its mean but I'm just not a dog person (probably should have figured that out prior to the purchase). However. . . watching Danny play with her secretly melts my heart and I can't help but smile when I look at this picture. All I can hope for is that he looks this way when he's holding our children.

enjoying the journey....

2008-10-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

i SO enjoyed this conference weekend. it seems to come at the perfect time of year when change is in air and you are looking for that uplifting thing to get you through the long winter months ahead. as we went through the weekend, i couldn't help but think how incredibly blessed we are. we live in such a beautiful place and have all of (well most of) our family and friends within a few miles. president monsons talk in the morning session on sunday was meant for me to hear. i tend to get ahead of myself with planning, schedules, wants etc. listening to our prophet challenge us to "enjoy the journey" touched my heart and uplifted me when i needed it most. so... i'm going to take the challenge and try to enjoy this journey that we are so blessed to be on and i hope you will do the same!

SluMbEr pArTy!!!

2008-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

My youngest brother Cale has been BEGGING to have a sleep over with Danny and I. We started off the night by stocking up with treats from All A Dollar and seeing Iron Man at the good old Movies 9. By the time the movie was over the night was still young so we broke out Monopoly. We had a great time and are so glad that Cale still thinks we're cool enough to hang out with! Love ya Monkey!

so long summer...

2008-09-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well the time has finally come. I believe that summer has come to a close. The BBQ's, family vacations, days lounging at the pool, and warm nights are all done. Even though we had a great summer, I have to admit that I'm SO excited for the fall. It is my favorite season and I love the atmosphere that lingers in the air over the next couple of months. So heres to a great summer and an even better fall!

p.s.- Sorry for the absence in the blogging. I recently lost our camera and have been slightly upset. I hope the cab driver in San Francisco enjoys it!

MEXICO

2008-08-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Before I even begin to write about our trip, I need to apologize in advance for all of the pictures. There were just too many to choose from. That being said... this trip was the BEST EVER!!! We have had this planned since January and it was everything we had anticipated. Ty, Sasha, Dan, and Anj came as well which made it even better. We went with nothing on the agenda but to relax. We stayed at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in the Mayan Riviera. It is All-Inclusive and every part of it was wonderful. The days were spent by the pool, at the beach, and at the buffets. There was seriously SO much to do there. We went to bed every night exhausted! From the moment we got there and had our first Pina Colada, it was paradise!

I think we all discovered that Volleyball is not our greatest strength. There were 8 year olds that were kicking our trash! Pretty embarrassing.

If you like people watching like we do, this was the place to be. So many speedos, boobies, and revealing clothing. Here are Dan and Danny doing their best to imitate the large population of Euro Trash that stayed at our resort.

Those who know me know that I have a strict bedtime that I try to stick to of about 9:00. You will all be happy and surprised to know that I not only stayed up til 2:30am, but I was clubbing at the Jaguar Discotheque. It was a riot! I've never had so much fun! We all busted out our best moves. You might know them as the lawnmower, sprinkler, putting the groceries into the cart and so on. Danny got the majority of the club to form a Congo line. I'm sure everyone thought we were wasted. Who says you can't be sober and have a fun time?

Sasha and I spent a lot of time reading Breaking Dawn. When I say a lot I mean most of the day. Our husbands couldn't understand why we wanted to spend more time with Jacob and Edward than with them!

We spent a day off the resort and went to Playa del Carmen. It was a fun little town with lots of shops and restaurants. We ate dinner at Senior Frogs and I think we all left with a migraine. That place is CRAZY!!!

We made lots of memories and spent way too much time laughing! Thanks for such a fun trip. Can't wait til next year!

schools out FOREVER!!!

2008-07-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Needed to give a BIG and well deserved congratulations to Danny. He finished his last final last night and can now officially say he is a graduate. I think that I might be more excited that he is! Now we are headed on a much needed vacation to Mexico for 8 fabulous days! Adios Amigos!

three...

2008-07-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

yesterday danny and i celebrated our three year anniversary. the three have gone by too quickly and we've experienced so many things together. i can't write down exactly what this man means to me but i'm going to give it a shot so that all of you reading this get somewhat of an idea of how blessed i am to be loved by him. i have never felt safer that i do around danny. i know that when i'm with him everything will be ok. he gives me a sense of security that others can not fill. he knows what he is capable of and won't settle for anything less. he acts happy to talk to me all 50 times i call him per day even if the conversations are only minutes apart. i find myself growing more and more in love with him everyday. he treats me like a princess and always has my best interest at heart. he reminds me that life is supposed to be fun and not to take it so seriously. he makes me laugh and helps me to find humor in the toughest situations. he always saves the last bite for me even if i know its something he wants. he encourages me to follow my dreams and doesn't hold me back from trying to reach them. he lives in the moment while i on the other hand have to have a plan for everything. he knows me better than anyone else and can make the worst of days better. he acts like a child and ignores me when i tell him to stop. he has taught me patience and that life finds a way no matter what. he is my other half that without i would not be complete. we have experienced so many things together, both good and bad, and i wouldn't trade any of them for the world! i am so blessed to have him in my life and feel like the luckiest girl to wake up to him everyday! i love you babe! happy three year!

Sun Valley, ID

2008-07-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend a week on a very relaxing trip to Sun Valley, Idaho with the whole Hammond family. For those of you who have never been there it is a must! There is SO much to do there, the only problem is finding enough time to fit it all in!

The entire town and those surrounding it are covered in paved bike paths. We made the loop through Elkhorn in the mornings and ended up at our favorite, Java Hut, for breakfast and the famous Mexican Hot Chocolate. These bike rides have become a tradition and I still look forward to them even though I've been going on them since I was five. Its so fun to have family traditions continue on throughout the years.

We also spent lots of time at the pool. I was completely entangled in the newest Stephanie Meyer book, The Host (SO GOOD!!!), while the boys had competitions to see who could jump the farthest into the water and bothered pretty much everyone else.

One night the adults got away from all the kids and went out for a nice dinner at Sushi on Second. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

There are several golf courses in this little resort town and also a river that flows throughout. The boys always walk the river and come back with bags full of golf balls.

It was a great trip! Thanks for all of the laughing, traditions, memories, and good times!

VEGAS BABY!!!

2008-07-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Las Vegas! Besides the blistering heat, it was a very enjoyable visit to the Wise residence. Even though Danny had two basketball camps, we still found time to enjoy all that Sin City offers. We swam, shopped, ate really good Sushi, and we may or may not have gone to Golden Spoon several times. (For those of you wondering what this is, its a DELICIOUS Frozen Yogurt place, so good.) It was great to spend some time with family that we don't see very often. Thank you so much for letting us invade your home. We had a great time!

Meg was quite entertained watching me get ready almost every day. She and Emma always wanted me to do their hair and I think I may have rubbed off a little too much on Meg (sorry Brig and Kristin) If you can't tell, she has lip gloss on and we have matching hair doos. She definately has some sass!

I guess you could say that Daniel had the same effect on Cooper. When Danny left Cooper informed everyone that he wishes he had a brother.

Eating a yummy dinner at a great Japanese place on the strip called Ra.

Its a good thing Danny is such a child. The neighborhood kids all loved playing with him, minus the little boy he gave a swirly to last summer (no joke). One of the kids told him he's the "bestest Rock Band player" he's ever seen. Good to know that he's on the same level as five year olds!

We got to meet the newest addition to family, Maisy Kaye Wise. She is beautiful and I think that Danny and I liked her a little too much!

Basketball went well and we won't know anything for a couple more weeks. Thank you to everyone for your love and support. We will keep you updated as we find things out. Now its off to Sun Valley Idaho with the Hammond family for a week. Summer is CRAZY!

WAY TO GO CALE and SEE YOU SOON

2008-07-07T20:54:00.001-07:00

I just had to give a little congratulations to Cale. His baseball team will be playing in the State Championship game tomorrow! Good Luck!

Also, Danny and I will be leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow. Me for one week and Danny for two. He has been invited to some tryouts for basketball. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers throughout the next two weeks! We will keep you all updated if anything comes about!

happy (?) fourth of july

2008-07-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

So some of you may be asking why there is a question mark after the word "happy". Well, here it goes. The holiday weekend started out looking great. We had big plans to go boating and camping with my family. However, my little brother Cale had a baseball tournament and so we decided to just go boating. They played on the 4th and lost by one run so we packed up the boat and headed to Utah Lake. After taking the wrong exit (thanks to me), and hour later we arrived at the marina. We launched the boat excited to enjoy the warm weather. One problem... the boat wouldn't start. We tried to jump it but had no luck so we packed up and headed to the gas station for some beverages. As we pulled into the driveway, my dad came to the realization that he had lost his Blackberry so... he drove back to Lehi only to find out that it was no where to be found. Bummer! Then as we climbed onto my parents roof to watch the fire works we discovered that the neighborhood trees had grown just a tad too high to see ANY fire works. After that we decided we were going to turn the night around and make the best of a less than perfect day. We played night games and had a few laughs at my mom who thought she was pretty funny with her "disguise", and also at Braden who fell out of the tree he was hiding in. Although the actual 4th was a bust we had a wonderful remainder of the weekend. Danny and I went golfing at South Mountain Golf Course, we went on a mountain bike ride on the beautiful Clarks Trail, and managed to get the boat up and running for Sunday. This weekend was all about making memories. I believe we succeeded!

Jordanelle

2008-06-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

We headed to Jordanelle for a short camping trip with my family over the weekend. My parents bought a new boat and we figured we had better break it in. We had a lot of fun wake boarding, tubing, and attempting to surf. It was beautiful weather and so much fun to be out on the lake!

happy dads day

2008-06-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend, like everyone else we celebrated all of the wonderful Father figures in our life. Danny and I have been very blessed to have not just two, but three dads. We want to let each one of them know how much we love and appreciate all that they do for our little family. I would like to give them each the spotlight for a moment and tell you all why we love them so much...

First up is Dan. So much to say about this funny, loving, inappropriate old man ;0) Dan is one of the most giving people I have ever met. Even if he doesn't have what you need, he will find a way to get it. He shows kindness to everyone he meets and is a constant example of love. I have been very blessed to have a father-in-law that has accepted me into the family from day one. I guess I need to state the obvious and tell him thank you for raising such a great son. He has been a true example of what a husband and father should be through out Danny's life and I am grateful for the wonderful man he molded. He is the biggest supporter in all that Danny and I do and I'm not sure life would be the same without all of his quirks!

Next is Erric. Words can not describe how much I love him. He has enriched my life in ways I can't explain. I am reminded constantly of the genuine person he is and the integrity he has. He gives the best advice and I would consider him on of my best friends. He will drop anything and everything to be there for his children and that is a quality that some may say is hard to find. He is so involved in every aspect of our family and rarely misses any opportunity to be with us. He sets the example that family is the most important thing we have on this earth. He is like a child in a mans body and I love him for that! The day that he came into my life is a day that I will always be thankful for.

And last but certainly not least is Terry. Unfortunately our third dad lives out of state and so I was forced to pull out he most recent photo I had of the two of us. As you can all see it was from my wedding almost three years ago. Pathetic I know. Many of you reading this may not know that I have this hidden treasure that lives in Oklahoma. Even though he is not here physically, he is always on my mind. It hasn't always been easy keeping a typical father-daughter relationship because of the distance that is between us. But now more than ever I have come to understand the love we have for each other and the sacrifices he has made on my behalf. I want him to know how much I love him and how I hope our relationship will continue to reach places it never has. He has always believed in me and encouraged me to do my best and I can't remember a time he has ever doubted me. Thank you for all that you are... I love and miss you and hope that your fathers day was all you wanted it to be.

To all you other dads out there, Happy Fathers Day! You are all AMAZING and the world would be an empty place with out you!

A Little Mountain Air

2008-06-10T13:26:00.001-07:00

We went up to my families condo in Park City for a couple days to relax and enjoy the beautiful mountains. You would think that since it is June we would've had some warmer weather... WRONG. It was quite chilly the first three days and then warmed up to a cool 65. This year we tried the new Alpine Coaster. It was awesome! We also went to a great Mexican Restaurant called the Baja Cantina and then headed over to the Chocolate Factory for those delicious Carmel Apples. The evenings were filled with hot tubs, movies, and lots of laughs. Thanks Mom and Dad for such a great trip!

Oh the anticipation...

We also had a little random fun with the camera. These next pictures are just a few of MANY we took.

Not exactly sure why Braden thought he needed to wear a helmet to play Nintendo....

I love family vacations because everyone gets to let loose and have some fun. There are always great memories made that are remembered forever!

I also need to give a shout out to my little bro Gavin. He turned the BIG 15 today. He has the greatest personality and always makes us laugh. We love ya G-Unit! Happy Birthday!

ST. GEORGE WITH THE REEDERS

2008-06-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

We took a much needed vacation to warmer weather with the Reeder Fam (minus Janee). We decided to get one last family trip in before Aimee and Tyler leave to Missouri for school. It was fabulous! We swam, ate food, went on bike rides, ate food, shopped, ate food, went to Zions, did I mention that we ate food?

Some of the AMAZING scenery in Zions National Park

Cute little Olivia and Aimee

This was such a fun trip and it was great to spend time with the family! Lets do it again soon!

The Boy Has Some Hair...

2008-06-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

I think the title of this post says it all. Danny is known for his many hair styles and this is just one to add to the books. He has had a slight obsession (he will deny this) with getting corn rows. So... on a boring Saturday I gave him his rows. Look at that head of hair!

Come One Come All!!!

2008-06-07T08:10:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our blog! I'll be honest, I have no idea how to do any of this but figured it was a good idea since we have friends and family that are up and moving. So... if you happen to stumble upon our blog, feel free to add yourself! Although its just the two of us for now, the occasional interesting thing happens. Enjoy!