The Dudley Bunch

Apr 27, 2009

Note to Self...

Note to self...try not to pack all fun trips, and travel into 6 weeks.
I just realized that I have been gone 5 of the past 6 weekends...Las Vegas, Returning from Vegas, Sun Valley, Canada, 1 Weekend home (Tim was gone golfing), and Phoenix...phewwwwwwww. Mind you, I was pretty much trapped in my house for the past 6 months so I guess I deserve it. I am like a starving person at a buffet though and pretty soon I am bound to eat so much I pop my trousers and barf all over, metaphorically speaking. You may want to clear the area.

Happy Half!

Cooper had his half birthday while we were in Phoenix! 6 Months old already, I can hardly believe it! He has changed so much...
Some things I am loving about Cooper right now:
1. The way he babbles at me, the kids, or Tim...not a soft little babble but a big boy growl almost...it is so cute
2. I love those BIG blue eyes, and his cute dimples when he smiles
3. Cooper now will roll over all the time, scoot himself around in circles, and play on the floor a little bit
4. His favorite hobbies: playing with the binky... putting it in and out, he loves to control it now, he is figuring out his hands
5. He is soooo slobbery, and he is constantly chewing on his fingers, and I learned in Arizona, that he will suck his thumb when he lays down for a nap, it was really the most adorable thing ever
6. I love what a mellow, happy, sweet disposition he has. He is soooo happy, and such a good little sleeper too
I can't wait to see what the next 6 months will bring!

Girl's Weekend in Phoenix

So my sister Tonya threw together a little getaway for us at the last minute. We went to Phoenix and stayed in her luxurious vacation home there! It was great to be with my sisters and with Jane and Jen (tonya's sis in law, and Kami's good friend).
We had lots of laughs, lots of sun, lots of target, lots of mexican food, a little body building pose off, a little man (cooper) keeping us entertained, a little "Dog Whisperer" (Tonya's latest obsession), and a little bit of hysteria when we had the cosmo talk, and way too little time together. I think we all wished we could miss our flights home and stay a few more days....ahhhh.

Tatym's 10th

My baby turned 10 on the 23rd! We had a fun day...skipped school, got pedicures, went to lunch, shopped, let her pick a spot for dinner (chuck-0-rama), and then we had cake. She loved the pedicure...especially the massage chair, and the sweet lady doing her nails, also did her fingers...just because it was her birthday! At dinner, Tim humiliated her by announcing to everyone in hearing distance that it was her birthday, and then he began singing at the top of his lungs...funny. I think it was a memorable day for both of us!

Apr 20, 2009

Mush

My brain is going to mush...or maybe it's already gone. Just wanted to share that today. More on that tomorrow, if I remember.

Apr 16, 2009

Oral Fixation

Cooper is at that age...absolutely everything goes straight to his mouth. Fingers, toys, clothes, other peoples fingers (scary), and pretty much anything he can get his hands on. And if he can manage to fit more than one thing at a time in his mouth...even better. So I thought I'd try feeding him sweet potatoes, but they mostly landed on his chin...hmmm. Well I guess it's a start.

Apr 8, 2009

Gramps

Just found out my Grandpa Francis passed away. He went peacefully. I am sad. Sad for me, my kids, and mostly for my Grandma. If I had to use 3 words to describe this great man, they would be:
1. Jolly. Seriously, he was always so jolly and happy. Even later as his health declined, he was so happy and always smiling. It is probably one of my most defining memories of him, I very rarely saw him not smiling.
2. Sweet. My Grandpa was always so sweet to us, and to my Grandma. She contracted polio in her twenties, and he was always doing things to help her. She would always be on his arm, in case she fell, even when it got to the point that she was supporting him as much as he was supporting her, he was protective of her.
3. Caring. Grandpa was a very caring man. He always had a HUGE bear hug for me when he saw me, and a juicy kiss. He loved to tease, and joke around with us. He made me feel like the favorite grand-daughter, but I think we all felt that way.
I will miss him.

Apr 6, 2009

BFF

I had a great weekend in Sun Valley with one of my oldest friends. Jen has known me since I was 11, and we have been through a lot...boyfriends, bad hair, bad teeth, big hair, (it was the late eighties, early nineties okay), big break-ups, small fights, small bras, cruddy jobs, and much more...It was great to just sit and talk (until the wee hours) and to laugh like we used to in highschool...
So as a tribute to BFF's, I am posting some of our pictures from the weekend, and some from the glory days...man were we hot! Love ya girl.

Mar 30, 2009

5 Months

Cooper made it to 5 months already...wow. He can almost sit up, sort of. Okay only for a couple of seconds and then he topples over. He actually hates to be put on the floor, so I don't know if he'll ever crawl. He still has the cutest smile, and he drools like crazy. Any yes, if you think he is getting balder by the second, you are correct. Actually he does have some blond fuzz starting to sprout now. He squeaks and squeals all the time, and I swear he says, "maaaaaaa" and it's for me.

Our Story...the short version

Tim and I met in 1994, after his mission while I was in University in Lethbridge. After breaking and entering the Prince of Wales hotel that was under construction in the middle of February, we started spending a lot of time together. ( If you need more info about our meeting/breaking and entering...call me). Tim left that summer to go to Kansas City to take some science classes for Chiropractic school. While he was gone, he managed to get another girlfriend. Needless to say, we went our separate ways...and I was a little bitter. I guess he liked me best though, because for the next two years, he called me anytime he was home on semester break. Eventually he wormed his way back into my heart, and the rest is history. We married in October of 1996, and have been blissfully happy ever since. He is truly one of the best men I have ever known, and a great husband and father. That isn't to say he never drives me nuts...I am only human after all.

Family Vacations

There is nothing better than a family vacation. We have made it a huge priority to take vacations as a family. Not all of them are extravagant. In fact, some of our favorite memories are our trips to Alberta, or to the mountains a couple hours away. But one of our family's favorite destinations is Cancun, Mexico. What's not to love...the beach, ocean, food, and company is always outstanding. We went again last fall and had a blast. The kids were all at ages where we hope they will remember it. We had so much fun playing in the sand, and just hanging out together. The kids all got to swim with dolphins, and I was happy to be the photographer...in fact I may have gone overboard with my 500+ pictures. Here are a few of our favorites. Happy Memories.

Sisters

I have been blessed with 2 sisters. I didn't always think that was such a treat, but as I have gotten older and hopefully wiser, I have come to realize that sisters make the best friends. There isn't anything...(and I mean anything), I won't talk about with my sisters. A couple of years ago, we started having our "girls weekends", and let me tell you...that is fun. Undoubtedly someone is always nursing or pregnant, but it is still a blast. I was even lucky enough last year to be part of Kami and Tonya's births. I have always wanted to be on the other side of labor, if you will, and just be there as a support. Kami gave birth to Kiyomi in February, and Tonya to Walker in July, and I was there! They were both so amazing, and it was so cool to be part of it, and I am grateful I was in a position to go. Anyway...I love my sisters! Blood and all the others I have adopted to my heart over the years.

Family

Not only are Tim and I lucky to have our sweet kids, but we are blessed with great parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. It is funny to see how big both families are getting. There are soon to be 24 grandkids on Tim's side, and soon to be 13 on mine. It is so much fun to get together with them whenever we can, and our kids have such fun when they are with Grandparents or cousins. It is a real blessing to have so many people who love you, love your kids, and are involved in helping them become the great people you want them to be. I don't think there is any way we can overestimate the value of such support. I am especially grateful that family is always there in the tough times, even more than when it is all fun. Just want you all to know how much we love and appreciate you all, even if we are too dumb to say it very often. There you go...a full serving of cheese. But I really do mean it all!